Action

A lot of this

and this.......

In preperation for this

Birthday #2 set-up is underway. All the Super Mario Bros. party supplies have been put away....and pink and turquoise have thrown-up all over the house! :) Hello Kitty has taken over. Grace is beyond excited, and it is contagious. Makes me remember back to the days when you felt like it took forever for your birthday to get here. Tomorrow is the big day, and we are having most of the girls from her class come to her party. She is fitting in and making friends which is SO wonderful to see. Grandma Tigger is flying in today to share in the festivities, which makes it even better! So, let the over-the-top sugar madness begin.....

Visitors and Burials

We had some good friends roll through NOLA this weekend. Met them in Indiana when they were transferred there along with us. Monica and I quickly became friends as did our children. Fun memories of her overcoming her "snow issues" , and learning to drive in it for the first time in her life will stick with me forever! Grace and Madison hit it off from the first moment they met, and Grace has missed her tons this past year. So, the Sprague's stopped by for a night on their way back from Florida and we had a great time. Ate some yummy food, watched movies, swam, and swam some more.

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In the midst of all the fun, Grace and Madison discovered one of Grace's gerbils was having some problems. We realized she was pretty sick, and was not going to be alive in the morning. So, in true Ward form (remember this one - rest in peace), we made another casket out of a Capri Sun box, decorated it, and put Abby/Cookie Dough in it. Drew went out back and dug a little hole in the ground, in the pitch dark, and Grace and Madison said goodbye to Abby/Cookie Dough. I stood out there only long enough to get a picture because bugs the size of my hand were flying around looking for a snack. Daddy braved the bugs, and dirt, and tears while I consoled from the crack in the doorway. Then we all came in and ate cookie cake!! See...happy ending. :)

Winshape Camp

Caleb and Grace had the best time last week at camp. I mean the kind where memories are forever burned into their little minds.....and decisions are made that totally impact their little lives. So for that, I forgive Winshape for torturing my youngest child on a daily basis as her siblings ran off into an abyss of fun. We stumbled upon this camp after we got here. Chick-fil-a had posters up all over town, and the church we attend happened to be hosting it. So we went, and it was the best decision I have made since we moved here. Over 300 campers total! Wow. The kids made some friends who will be attending their school next year, and solidified friendships with kids who go to our church too. I have learned a lot about Winshape this week, and I love all they stand for. Awesome college kids that spend their summers traveling the U.S. to be a part of these camps, and impact kids lives.

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I think Caleb really loved it. In more of a, "I don't care if I'm outside all day and it's 110 degrees", or a "I smell SO bad and I LOVE it" kind of way. He did archery, secret ops, and wacky science, and the kid had the best time. Grace is more of an "inside" kind of girl. She did digital photography, gymnastics, and dance. On Friday all the parents came for the last day and walked around with their kids to see what they had done all week. Grace and another girl received the "golden rose" for excelling in dance, and showing leadership throughout the week. She was beyond excited, as was her momma. So the week came to a close, and as I sat in the closing ceremonies watching them both sing, and laugh, and dance (Grace!)...it made me so incredibly happy to see them having a good time, and making friends. I know with every move we do as they get older the impact is greater, and the hardest part is starting over with new friends. It stinks. So this is one step in the right direction....for them...and for us.