Matt, Christen, Derek & Rylie: April 2019

Derek joined the Million Word Club at SCA as a 2nd grader!!!!

Here he is at chapel getting announced!

Ryan, Derek's best bud from preschool, came back to visit AZ. The boys picked up right where they left off. Ryan is always making Derek laugh until his stomach hurts.

Rylie spent an afternoon making a macrame bracelet.

She was very focused and kept at it until she finished.

Rylie practiced very hard for the month of April at gymnastics

learning routines for her gymnastics showcase!

Half day park fun. On the half day in April Christina took the kids to the park. It was a super windy day and so she bought the kids kites. They had a blast for hours flying the kites. It doesn't get windy like this much in Arizona so this was a special treat. So thankful for good friends!

After flying kites the kids spent the rest of the afternoon scooting. So grateful for their friendships.

Matt and Rylie went on a Daddy/Daughter date at SBC. It was a pajama and pancake and crafting date. Rylie and Matt made a pillow, had pancakes, played lots of games and had a blast!

Derek and I had a pizza dinner and watched baseball together.

Derek is playing baseball this spring. He LOVES baseball. We play catch about 3 times per week and he is always asking me to throw the ball with him. He is now in the kid pitch league. He enjoys the new challenge and has learned a lot. It is so fun to watch him play.

We've had several friends come watch Derek play.

This game Julie, Grace, Garrett and Chris came to cheer him on.

Rylie was invited to a swimming party with some of her friends from school.

Such a sweet group of girls. I pray they can remain close friends as the years go by.

Rylie did a school project where she read about Flat Stanley, then created her own version of Flat Stanley and mailed him off to someone else. She chose to mail Flat Stanley to her cousins Max, Jack and Josh. The boys took Flat Stanley around and took pictures of him doing different activities. Then they mailed Flat Stanley back to Rylie. Here she is getting some pictures and a letter back about the adventures that Flat Stanely went on.

Special congratulations to Derek for reading 1 million words this year at school. He was the only 2nd grader this year to complete that challenge. He got to choose a book and a name plate was put inside the front cover with his accomplishment. Way to go Derek!

Derek comes downstairs every morning and sits right on the couch to read his book.

He can't get enough reading in!!

In training for the Grand Canyon I climbed stairs. The best set of consecutive stairs I could find was downtown Phoenix parking garage that Matt parks in. It had 150 stairs in a row. What a great view!!

I love the note that Rylie wrote to God after going through the Desert Springs Bible Church family friendly Stations of the Cross event the week leading up to Easter. It was very powerful and well down. The kids could understand what they were experiencing.