Bonnie's first day of 1st grade

Bonnie had good reason to be excited this year - she got the teacher she had been hoping for the last year. Our friend (and her Sunday school teacher) is a 1st grade teacher at her school and Bonnie was very hopeful to be in her class. We were shocked that she actually was!

We went to open house the week before school to see her teacher and classroom. 

Bonnie was up bright and early on Monday - she couldn't wait for school to start!

Bonnie and her friend Avery at the bus stop.

She had a great first day and we couldn't wait to get her home. Riser was waiting with open arms.

To add to the excitement, Bonnie was eating a snack after school and lost her second front tooth! 

The rest of the week went off without a hitch. She has continued to have high spirits and we have received a couple pictures from school. 

Bonnie presenting some of her favorite things to her class.

Bonnie's class - I think it's going to be a great year!

Norfolk Zoo

We went with some friends to the Norfolk zoo before the summer was over. Their favorites were the mama and baby orangutan, the giraffes, and cheetah. And they also very much enjoyed the fountains - it was another hot day! 

Swim team

Bonnie and Riser tried the swim team for the first time this year. They were on the Wellington Waves (the closest team to us), but they did the 'Little Waves' program for the kids that weren't able to swim across the pool and compete in meets yet. 

They had fun, made progress on their swimming, and enjoyed pancake breakfasts on Tuesday. By the end of the season Bonnie was swimming across the pool and is excited to participate in meets next year. Riser is still a work in progress and has a lot to learn before he can join the official team, but has fun doing it!

At the end of the season, they have a meet just for the Little Waves. The kids had only been practicing in the shallow end (not the lap lanes) all season, so it's a chance for them to see how far they can get in the lap lanes. The coaches are there to help them along when they need it. It was very cute and fun for them to get an idea of how a meet runs.

See if you can spot Riser waiting in the chairs in the video below. The energy that courses through him is nonstop. 

They had a great season and say they want to do it again next year!

Blueberry picking

I decided to take the kids blueberry picking one day, and mom met up to join us. It was a beautiful day and always a fun adventure!

The ice cream is always a favorite!