Regular Day

I wanted to take this photo to help me remember a plain ol' regular day.

Rolling Around

We've had this awesome toy in a box for a couple of years now, and finally got it out, inflated, and ready to roll around in!

Cycling Home

Stephen and Berkley decided to ride their bikes to the pool, and I happened to pass them riding back home.

Swim Fun

After the last day of school, I took Gavin and Ayur home with us to head to the pool for the afternoon.

Afterward, Berkley got prepped for his swim meet!

More Alike Than Different

On the last day of school I surprised the boys with these t-shirts, and then proceeded to make them humor me with a photo shoot around school!  Thankfully, they loved them and were happy to oblige.

Last Day of 2nd Grade

It's hard to believe how much Berkley grew in 2nd grade.  This year was a challenging one in some really great ways, I saw him grow physically, but also emotionally and academically.

I love a comparison shot...

Pretty much everyone knew he was going to get an award for AR (Accelerated Reader).  He had over 1000 by the end of the school year.

But we were all super-surprised when he also won the math award for his grade!

Berkley's teacher, Ms. Rumley was set to retire at the end of the year.  She was a legend around Brooks, and she was a good teacher for Berk.

Somehow she kept these three friends reigned in!

Father's Day

Dear Berkley,
I don't think you realize it quite yet.  But we are the luckiest.  On this Father's Day, I want to remind you why.  From your Papa, you and I both got our love of music- singing at the top of our lungs in the car, knowing the lyrics to obscure songs and beloved hymns, and trying to harmonize whenever we can.  From him we have a deep, deep love for others- The inability to say no to those we love, a concern for those we don't even know that well, and the ability to see the best in people the world sees the worst in.  He gave us his "gift" of procrastination, his love of good food, his playfulness and childlike spirit, desire to learn as much as possible about any given subject, endless words of affirmation, and most importantly, his capacity for unconditional love.  
From your incredible Daddy, I see you approach life with the same courage and energy and insatiable appetite fore adventure.  The two of you seek joy in the mundane, laugh loudly and fully, and love fiercely and deeply.  you share his quick wit and his quick brain and his effortless sense of humor.  He gives you room to make mistakes because he has a deep understanding of grace and forgiveness himself.  At the same time, you bot h have high expectations of yourselves and those around you.  From him, you are learning what it means to love ALL people, be yourself 100% of the time, give all that you have, and be a good steward of the gifts you've been given.
We have been gifted with these two fathers who are living examples of God's love for us, and we, my son, are the luckiest.

Odd

This lyric has been on my heart since the moment I heard it in April.  Maybe one day I'll be able to keep from crying when I think about it.  Thankful for the ways the arts communicate truth.

Family Burn

My gym had a family day one Saturday morning.  Berkley and Stephen both went with me, and while we had a great time, they both said it's the hardest workout they've ever done.  I think it made them appreciate how hard I've been working a little bit more!

Back Dives

Willis family back dives on a beautiful Friday night...

Comfortable

This kid in his most comfortable position- upside down reading a book.

Math Superstars

This semester I was asked if I wanted to help with the "math superstars" at Berk's school.  First, I laughed and said, "Are you sure you don't need me to help with reading or writing or really anything that doesn't involve numbers?"  But then I stopped laughing and got to teaching, and very quickly my Friday afternoons with this amazing group of 2nd graders became a highlight of my week.

So, for our last day together, I created some math games out on the sidewalk and we had a blast learning more math and having fun.

Jevon, Michael, Spencer, Katherine, Ethan, Berkley, Angel, Dua and Georgette...

Trucker Buddy

Berkley's class spent the year writing letters to a Wal-Mart trucker through their program called "Trucker Buddies".  So, the kids were thrilled with Trucker Buddy Steve came to visit.  They got to meet him, take photos with him and even climb up in the cab of his truck!  He was a celebrity for sure!

Rained Out

It was so fun to have my dad in town to watch Berk's swim meet.  But, we had to hang out in the car while a huge thunderstorm passed and the meet was finally called!