Mackenzie Graduates from Preschool

Mackenzie graduated from her last year of preschool. She looked so cute. This is her and her teacher Mrs Susan. She wants to be just like Mrs Susan when she grows up. She will sing for the kids and her name will be Mrs Susan. I suggested she be called Miss Mackenzie but she wants to be Mrs Susan. Her graduation certificate.
Mackenzie in her fancy graduation dress.
Drew and Kenzie eating cookies and drinking punch.

Mackenzie's Starlight Award

Mackenzie did such a wonderful job in tap/ballet class that she won the Starlight Award for working hard & for having the most improvement in the class. She was so proud and cute with her little award. The fun part is that it even lights up and has little ballet shoes on it. All lit up.

Sneak Peek

So Katie wanted us to come to the school parking lot and watch her band practice marching before the big Memorial Day parade. She told me to be sneaky and park in the back & she warned me to not take flash photography. So Mackenzie and I parked in the middle of the lot, grabbed the camera & stuck it out the window. She was hiding from me then, so I started taking pictures in the rearview mirror. One of the kids saw the camera and yelled for everyone to smile because a mom was taking pictures. Then Mackenzie leaned on the horn and it beeped really loud, so we weren't very sneaky after all! Katie is playing the cymbals, she is kinda hard to see but she is kind of behind the girl with the pink shirt.

Petting a Fox at the Mall

We went to the mall and they had some wildlife guy there with his rescued animals. We took the girls back with us and paid a bajillion dollarsso the girls could pet one of the animals. They chose the baby fox. Isn't he cute?
He was not very cooperative about being petted though.
These are baby ligers. Yes ligers with an "L". They were only a week old and nobody got to pet them. They barely had their eyes open yet.
The girls wanted to play with the bear, but you were not allowed in the bear cage unless you were at least 14.

Mother's Day

We had Grandma Knivila here for Mother's Day this year. We had to pose in front of my favorite crabapple tree for pictures. I am really going to miss my crabapple blossoms. Mackenzie surprised grandma with a backpack full of blossoms off my favorite tree!
Here is the backpack chock full of flowers.

Tip Toe Through the Tulips

Tulip Time in Holland is so pretty. Here are the girls posing with the Tulips. Someday maybe we will get around to planting some in our yard....

Tulip Time KinderParade

We went downtown to watch the Tulip Time Parade with the MacPhersons this year. The girls had a great time watching the kids watch the parade!

More Recital Photos

What a poser!
Ditto!
Only slightly pose-ey
Outside after the recital
This is my favorite picture from recital day.

Girls First Ever Dance Recital!

After years of sports stuff, which I enjoy watching, the girls did something near and dear to my heart. We took dance classes and they were in their first dance recital on the big stage this year. It brought back memories of when I was in a gazillion dance recitals. Those of you who are snickering picturing me in a tutu just knock it off!!! It was great fun and Mackenzie has been wearing her costume nonstop since the end of the recital! Mackenzie is the first one on the left. They danced to Paula Abdul's Forever Your Girl. That girl can do an awesome shuffle step! They were so adorable!!!
Kennedy & Kaitlyn signed up for hip hop this year with their friends Eimi & Emily. After a couple of months they added a boy to the class & they danced to "They Way I Are" by Timbaland. It was so sassy & fun. They did a great job & Carson got to be surrounded by the girls. Mackenzie and her friend Elissa. They signed up for dance class together. Aren't they super cute?

I swear their lipstick just looks black, I did NOT put black lipstick on them. They sure do the Attitude well don't they? Posing onstage in their recital t-shirts with their flowers. Congrats girls & good job!

Piano Recital

Kennedy's first piano recital. She barely had time to get nervous, she was the first one on the program! She played "A Particularly Pleasing Piano Piece." Awesome Job Kennedy!

Kaitlyn is an old pro at the piano recital stuff, she played "To A Wild Rose" from the Children's Hymn Book. Wonderful job as always!
The girls with their piano teacher.
This year these 3 had piano lessons together. Kaitlyn & Kaitlin had done piano together for a few years now, but this year we added Kennedy.
This is a picture of Mackenzie posing after the piano recital. Good job on sitting still Mackenzie! She can't wait until she gets to go up onstage for a recital!

To catch you up on our whirlwind week the week of May 5-10th, we had 2 showings on our house, 3 Dr appts., 1 piano recital, 1 dance rehearsal, 1 dance recital, 1 Tulip Time Parade & 5 cranky Smedley's! Here are some pictures of the Piano Recital to start.

Fire Station Field Trip

Drew just went on a field trip with Mackenzie to the Fire Station. They had a good time together.
The whole class with the fire truck
Mackenzie checking out the ambulance
Shooting the fire hose. I told her to get her dad wet, but the fireman wouldn't let her.
Mackenzie got to demonstrate what to do when your house is on fire. She won a cup from the fire station for doing such a good job.

Maple Syrup Festival

We went up to visit Grammy & Grandpa K so we could go to Maple Syrup Festival again. This year, Kennedy & Mackenzie got butterflies on their faces. So fancy!
Racing down the big slide together.
The flying Bumblebee. Unfortunately they picked the one that wouldn't fly. Oh well.
Now here's some real flying. I was worried that Kennedy would be scared of this ride but she LOVED it! Apparently she is not afraid of heights like I am....
Leaving the rides. Mackenzie is having an attitude attack because we wouldn't get her cotton candy.