9 1/2 Years Old...New activities, new school year!

I got to start this month with the Mizzou volleyball camp!  Even though Ali is finished with her eligibility, she still worked the camp so I got to be with her this week!  Even though I didn't make the competitive team, I got to start a developmental volleyball program with Molly at the end of this month that will last 8 sessions.  It is basically practices to learn volleyball skills.  Lila is doing it with me!
We also went with Aunt Lisa and family to see Shrek the Musical.  It was really funny and I really enjoyed the Big Bad Wolf and Donkey the most.  Ironically, Ella and Gabe were both there with their families, just a row in front of us!  We ended up watching Shrek the movie and Shrek the musical on Netflix in the next week.
I am learning a few new things.  After trying for years, I finally learned how to ride my bike!  In fact, Mom and I went on several bike rides on the trail, riding under I-70 and Hwy. 63!  I am also starting piano lessons with Mrs. Renwick.  I am really loving it and don't complain at all about practicing.  Mrs. Renwick said that not only are my hands and fingers made for playing, that I am also a natural in how I play and learn.  She is excited to push me harder!
I was able to spend a few days at Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Tom's again this summer.  We spent most of the time at home per my choice, but we did go back to Grant's Farm to see all the animals.  I just can't get enough of dogs!
Grandma Kathy and I talked a lot about my worries while I was there, and she gave me a special rosary.  I have to hold it every night before I go to sleep, and Mom taught me how to say the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.  That calms me before I go to sleep.
I was able to have a play date with Cami at our house and another one at her house.  It was hard getting together with my friends this summer because of vacation schedules.  Mom's friend Stacey and her son Carter came for a visit one evening.  It was so much fun to have a baby around.  I kind of wish Emily was that small again.
Our family went to Little Mate's Cove for Emily's school party one night.  It is a little young for me, but it was nice to get in the water.  Our family also went roller-skating.  It was fun, but exhausting.  I wish that I had a friend there though to skate with.  Mom and I also went to Miss Rachel's for Lennon's 2nd birthday party.  I just love being with them (and their dogs!)  I played washers and corn hole, and did really well for my first time.
I got more excited the closer it came for school to start!  I spent some time in Mom's office, helping her decorate. I think it looks really bright and cheery.  We had a special open house for the public to see the school, and then Meet the Teacher night.  When Mom went back to work for meetings and I couldn't go with her, I spent time at Aunt Lisa's with my cousins.  We went swimming and to Sky Zone, and Corinne and I did a photo shoot for her bunny Bean!
So, I started 4th grade one day and turned 9 1/2 the next.  I really am growing too.  I am now 4'11!
Building with Emily

 Enjoying volleyball camp

 With Annika, a new MU player

 And of course, with Ali

Goofing around with Corinne after Shrek

 Princess Emily and Donkey Ellie

 Princess Ellie and Shrek Emily

With the hilarious donkey

 And Ella was there too!

 The annual driving picture

 Helping give Molly a bath

 I can ride a bike now!

 Learning to play the piano!

 We found Mr. Foster at Kohl's!

 With all the animals at Grant's Farm

Enjoying our ice cream cone break!

 We found these beautiful Australian Shepards

Skee ball at Bonkers

 Playing corn hole at Lennon's party

 Giving love to Charlie and Kiki

 Spray park fun

Helping Emily forget about her boo-boo

 Playing with Carter

 Roller skating

Emily's 1st day of pre-K

First day of 4th grade, Teacher: Miss Geha, I want to be a stager and teacher, 8/14/18

Emily and Nemo wanted to get in the picture

In front of our new beautiful school

 Lots of growth will happen here over the next two years

My 4th grade teacher, Miss Geha

Learning how to ride my bike

I've got it!

Now learning to play the piano

Playing at the spray park with Emily

Distracting Emily from her "boo-boo" with a magic trick!

Roller-skating

9 Years, 5 Months...Summer vacation!!!

This has been such an exciting month!  I thoroughly enjoyed the Fine Arts Explorers program.  I got to express myself in different ways through art and music.  I made several creations, including a memory box.  I did mine in honor of Lizzy.  I also did a self-portrait.  However, the singing with Mr. Walker was my favorite!  We had a celebration to show off our artwork and a concert the night before the last day.  I hope I get to do that again next year.
We went to Washington for Father's Day and went out to eat with Papa Ron and Nana Carol, and went to their house for Chinese Checkers afterwards.  Then, we went to Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Tom's.  The girl cousins made an ice cream shop and took orders from everyone which was a lot of fun.  The next weekend, we went back for Tom's graduation party and the Frankenberg Fest.
We did a few other fun things like going to the spray park, the library, the Mud Room, out for bagels, to D. Rowe's, and got our hair cut.  I also had a fun sleepover with Cami and we spent our time making a dance routine to a song from The Greatest Showman.  We had dinner at Aunt Lisa's for the 4th of July and watched fireworks from our driveway.
The real fun started when I helped Mom pack for our trip to Gulf Shores!  We divided our drive into two days on the way down and met up with Kristy and her entire family who was going there the same week we were!  What a great coincidence!  We got to swim in the pool that night and eat pizza.  The next day seemed to take forever to get to the beach because traffic was crazy!  I enjoyed playing the license plate game and reading in the car.
I loved the feel on the sand and ocean waves our first night there!  Unfortunately, the jellyfish were everywhere!  A boy next to us had caught 100 of them in a short period of time and buried them in the sand!  Good thing they weren't as bad in the mornings, so that is when we enjoyed being on the beach.  When they got bad or we needed a break, we either went back to our condo or went in the pool.  We went on an awesome dolphin cruise where two boats went out and we watched the dolphins dive and play in the waves!  The boat had a container where kids could "fish" for ocean creatures which was pretty fun.  Every night, I went out to the beach with Mom to look for crabs.  We didn't try to catch any, but we found a lot of them and had fun laughing at the people who were trying to catch them!  I also enjoyed playing in the sand when I was scared of jellyfish.  A couple of times we got little stings when we couldn't even see the jellyfish!  The last night, we met up with Kristy and family and took family pictures.  It was starting to get really hot.  We enjoyed the sunset that night and the sunrise the morning we left.  We decided to power through on the ride home and not stop overnight.  we made it home by 11:00 and we were exhausted!
The next day was Mom's birthday.  We went over to see Nana Arden and tell her about our trip, but otherwise had a quiet and relaxing day.  The next day, I tried out for a competitive volleyball team that Ali's cousin is starting.  It was a U11 team, so I was up against girls 2 years older than me.  I found out I did not make it.  I was disappointed, but not discouraged.  This next week is the MU Volleyball Camp!!!
We also met Heather and Sean at the Cardinals game the next day.  It was a long day, but we had a lot of fun.  We brought home a winner!
Spray park fun

Celebrating Dad's birthday

Hanging out at the Missouri Riverfront

Wear your school shirt day at Fine Arts Explorers

Tie Dye Day

Hat Day

The whole group singing (I'm in the back row)

My new friend Jasmine (she actually used to go to Cedar Ridge!)

I LOVED Mr. Walker!

Showing off my artwork

Self-portrait

Tom's graduation party

Hanging with Hadley

Swimming at the Frankenberg Fest

Owners start to look like their dogs over time...

I love Twist too

Happy 4th of July!

Doing some bagel eating!

Painting at the Mud Room (Molly last year, Twist this year!)-

I made a "Banana Split" fort for us!

We had a lot of fun in it!

All ready for Gulf Shores!

Taking a break at a playground (it was HOT!)

Swimming in Granada, MS on our way to Gulf Shores

Family photo

Feeling the sand in my toes for the first time

And then the ocean water!

OMG-a jellyfish!

Yep, that's a jellyfish!  I was terrified of them!

The beautiful waves

Enjoying the first night and avoiding the water (jellyfish!)

We still had fun enjoying it!

Heaven on earth

Emily and I colored a lot during our down time

Signature in the sand

We were able to get in the water the next day

Toes in the sand

Ready for the beach!

The clouds looked ominous, but the water was perfect

It only rained on us lightly

In the water with Daddy

Palm tree

I went crabbing with Mom three nights and we saw a lot of them!

But slept in every morning!

Body surfing

Playing in the sand

Souvenir City!

I got a traditional air-brushed shirt

Next day-ready for the dolphin cruise!

On the boat

Three dolphins!

Looking for more!

He startled me with a giant crab!

Then we got to try our hand at fishing

Sunset walk on the beach

Next day was another beach day

Looking for shells with Daddy

Digging a giant hole!

I fit in it!

Whoops!

Family photo

Pool time

Sunset

I met two dogs on the beach-this was right after this guy licked me in the face!

More crabbing

Last day on the beach-I enjoyed playing in the sand

Dinner at the Original Oyster House-I changed my opinion of this guy!

Arrrrr, another trip to Souvenir City!

And the other one that wasn't as good...

We met up with Kristy and family for pictures on our last afternoon!

I loved striking a pose by this tree!

I staged the photos with Emily

This was supposed to be a heart

Last sunset

Good morning-last sunrise (and only one we woke up for!)

Good-bye beach!  Until next time!

I lost this tooth on our ride home

Showing Nana Arden pictures of our trip

Busch Stadium

With the Moenkhoff kids

Happy to be here

The whole gang

Lots of red!

Ready for the game to start

Cardinals are #1!

The only (end of) song from the Fine Arts Festival that would load (the other songs were much cooler!)  I'm in red in the back row.

The dance that Cami and I choreographed

We're going to the beach today!!!

Experiencing the ocean for the first time

Dolphins playing in the water

Body surfing

Wipe out

Daddy taught me how to do it better

"Fishing" on the dolphin cruise

We "swam" with dolphins in the distance