Sergeant John Jacobs!!

On June 21st, John was promoted to sergeant! 

We are so proud of him and the hard work he put in to achieve this goal! 

He was sworn in at a ceremony with 2 other sergeants, 2 lieutenants, and 2 commanders. 

Look at how handsome! ;)

New sergeant's badge...

The kids kept saying, "Congratulations, SARG!" 

About 40 of his co-workers, close friends, and family joined us that evening to celebrate John and his accomplishments! The Irelands were generous enough to open their home and let us use their beautiful backyard for the party. And since we only heard about the promotion 2 weeks before, I had a week to plan. Thank goodness for helpful friends and family! It turned out to be a great night!

Thank you, Aaron & Sarah, for being such great friends!!

Sharon got 2 yummy cakes from Costco...there is definitely a benefit to planning a police-themed party with the 4th of July approaching. ;)

John thanked everyone for their support and encouragement...

Then the guys from his bike team presented him with a farewell gift... 

A beer mug with a list of "inside jokes"/John-isms...

This is definitely a bittersweet move as he's worked with such a great group of guys for the last few years.

Father's Day...

Today, after church we spent our afternoon with the Vander Molens with lunch at Yucatan Grill and then dessert and play time at their house. After naps, we spent a quiet evening at home. I even grilled steaks all by myself. ;) Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband!Our kids are so blessed to have a daddy who loves and takes care of them as much as you do. Thank you for all you do for our family! I love you! 

♥♥♥

Kate's Kindergarten chapel, picnic, and graduation...

This week was Kate's last week of kindergarten! (Didn't she just start?!) And what a full week it was! So get ready for a long post! On Tuesday, both kindergarten classes performed a chapel for the whole school. It was adorable! The music teachers did a great job with the songs and the kids were so cute! Kate was so excited that we came to watch. The chapel served as a rehearsal/trial run for graduation so we were able to make sure we sat on the correct side and take video of all the super cute parts. 

Kate sneaking a little peak at her fans...

Kate's class, KB, posing after chapel...

On Wednesday, we had the kindergarten picnic. One of the dad's in the KA class was able to reserve the YMCA playground for us so we could secure everyone in one area without worrying about strangers. He even managed to get a couple of bouncers! It was such a nice day! The kids were able to play on the equipment, run through an inflatable obstacle course, bounce, and have a water balloon fight! Grilled hot dogs, chips, watermelon, and popsicles ended our fun together.

Kate and Morgan

Ari, Kate, Morgan

Victoria, Sophia, Megan, Jack, Zoe

Kate and Della

One of the moms brought a cap and gown and throughout the day we grabbed each kindergartener and I took their pictures. They looked so cute! We got them developed so the parents could have a picture of their graduate and gave each of the teachers an album of the class. 

Kate Ryleigh- Kindergarten class of 2011

And today was the real thing! I'd be lying if I said that it was hard to say good-bye to kindergarten. Thinking about next year gets me a little choked up. Kate will be gone most of the day and I'm not sure I'm ready for it! =( But the ceremony today was perfect! The kids entered the sanctuary from the back, walking down the aisles singing "I Want to Walk Like Jesus". After the welcome and the flag salutes, they sang songs written by our fabulous music teacher demonstrating much of what they'd learned throughout the year. We finished up with a reception for all the families in the classroom and said our good-byes for the summer!

 Shaking hands with the principal, Mr. Major...

 Off to 1st grade!!

Kate and Brooklynn being silly on stage...

We loved our teachers!!

Mrs. Tague

Mrs. Henry

Morgan, Kate, Megan

Megan, Brooklynn, Sophia, Kate

Breanna, Brooklynn, Megan, Sophia, Kate

Luke's 4th birthday...

My baby is 4!! How could this be?! Luke thought he'd be starting school this morning since he is now 4 and we've told him that he had to be 4 to go. It's hard to explain summer break to this age. After breakfast, he opened his presents from Mommy & Daddy and the one Grams the Great sent. His birthday morning got a little hijacked by Kate's kindergarten picnic but we did make it to our traditional birthday lunch at Hof's Hut. For dinner the grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins came over for a summer-style cookout of hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, watermelon, and baked beans. Luke was quite spoiled with some very fun gifts and yummy hot cake. Although, you'll have to take my word for it because due to a camera snaffoo all picture evidence was lost. *tear* 

This morning we headed out for a haircut at a real barber shop...the same one, in fact, where Luke's daddy got his hair cut from the time he was little until scissors were no longer needed. ;) Joe, who has known John since he was a little guy, said that Luke did a great job sitting still. 

After dinner tonight, we reenacted the cake/candle part of Luke's birthday with the last piece left for the sake of posterity. I don't think he minded doing it over. ;)

Happy 4th Birthday, Lukey!! 

We love you! ♥