Life Lately: May Edition

It's my very favorite time of year.  May is gorgeous in the south.  We are outside all the time... it's not too hot or buggy yet... and there are so many fun outdoor activities that we enjoy.  This weekend was full of adorable events, including a birthday party on a nearby farm.  It was the perfect day, and the farm was bucolic and lovely.  The kids played lawn games, petted animals, and went on a hayride:

Each child went horseback riding as part of the party, too, and this was a huge highlight for L&L:

There was fried chicken, watermelon, and lemonade... country music, gingham, and picnic tables... and cowboy hats and bandanas for all.  What a great way to spend an afternoon with friends, enjoying life's simple pleasures!

This weekend also included the Go Far Fun Run and 5K that the kids have been training for at their school this spring.  Over 200 students and parents from Oak Ridge Elementary participated in the event (there were 3,500+ total runners among the various schools and organizations!), and it was Luke and Leah's first official race.  We ran with many other families who are friends of ours, and this was such a wonderful community event, with teachers who served as dedicated coaches, parents who ran with the children weekly and were role models, and peers who encouraged each other to be active and achieve their goals. 

Look who is holding the flag!  

Oak Ridge Elementary Fun Run participants!

Peanut and I did the 1 mile Fun Run, and Leah ran the whole thing!  She was cute and funny, and kept telling me, "Mommy, DROP BACK!  I don't NEED YOU!" 

Giving a high five to her fans!  

The boys ran the 5K, and Luke amazed us with his race results and perseverance.  He finished the race in under 30 minutes (and beat my 5K time from my race a few years ago!).  We are so proud of our Bubbie! 

Coming down the home stretch!

Oak Ridge Elementary 5K Team

Luke's best friend, Aiden, also ran in the race, and I snapped an adorable picture of these two buddies at the starting line:

After the race, there were treats and medals for our runners.  It was such a positive experience that Luke is already asking to run another race with Mark in the fall!

We had just enough time to come home, eat lunch, and shower before we scooted off to Luke's piano recital on Saturday afternoon.  He played 6 pieces in the recital (!!) and Luke's teacher does a wonderful job making her students feel like rock stars during their performances.  They played on a gorgeous 7-foot Steinway, and the stage had beautiful lighting and effects.  The recital was live streamed so that friends and family all over the country/world could watch, and Luke was amazing.  His recital selections included 2 Star Wars anthems, a classical music piece, a medley of pentascales from Chopin, Bach, & Handel, and a popular kids' song.  

Luke's favorite part of each recital is the food reception afterward.  Aiden also was in the same recital (which is the icing on the cake!), and these 2 runners sure clean up well, don't they?

We've also had a lot of luck fishing over the past few weekends, which seems fitting to share in this blog post about our May activities.  I post fishing pictures every spring, but the lake is my favorite thing in our neighborhood and it remains an important part of our "cute country" life.  Here are some of our recent catches:

Mimi and Leah with her large mouthed bass!

And Daddy's teeny tiny fish...

I kind of adore this Daddy/Daughter photo...

We kindly tell Mark that his fish just "look small" because he is so big and tall:

See, there's proof that even I am "outdoorsy"!  Just don't ask me to actually touch the fish once I catch it....

Love this little boy!

This is the life!

Precious pink bows.

That's a little recap of Life Lately.  Happy May to everyone!