Cousins in Rexburg

Last weekend we made a trip up to Idaho to celebrate three cousins' birthdays: Ty & Ava, and Jaymison! Noelle and Zak hooked us up with a lodge on a little lake near their house so that the whole family could fit in one place. It was definitely a party!

These three peas in a pod all fit on the rope swing.

We spent part of Saturday at Noelle's house so the kids could play with their toys. My girls had been dying to see Emrie's room with the finished "stage" and play dress up. It was definitely a hit.

The little boys spent most of their time outside on the wheelie toys.

Jake was happy when Grandpa came!

Saturday afternoon we took n excursion to the mountains to see Mesa Falls.

The scenery was just gorgeous! It was a beautiful time of year to be in the mountains.

 

Most of the little people stopped and posed for a picture.

I had no idea this place existed, and it was impressive! Just gorgeous.

Back at the lodge that night we let the kids try wading in the lake. 

More cute cousins swinging together. Mike also enjoyed his book in the hammock.

For dinner we roasted hot dogs over the fire and enjoyed summer salads... our last cookout. That night we also opened birthday presents, sang and ate cupcakes, and enjoyed peach cobbler. After the kids were in bed, the adults watched BYU beat BSU in an awesome game!

Sunday morning we went to church in Noelle's ward, then came back and relaxed and enjoyed more family time. The weekend was full of noise, chaos, and junk food, but lots of great memories were made. It's always fun to spend time with cousins!

I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home

Mike has been working late a few nights a week to keep up with his work load. The kids miss him at dinnertime. I had to drag the boys in from the curb while "watching for Daddy" to eat, and then right after dinner they were back out watching. 

We love these last summer/early fall evenings when it's still warm enough to play. The days are getting shorter fast so we're trying to make the most of it!

 I love our view of Timp down the road, especially when the sun is setting.

He finally came home!!! Oh happy day.

Labor Day Hike

The morning of Labor Day we picked up the three older kids from a cousin sleepover at Dana's. We had such a quiet morning with just Jake!

That afternoon we met Mike's family for a hike and picnic from Big Springs park in Provo Canyon up to the meadow above it. The leaves are already turning and it was beautiful! Grandma, Rebecca, Rachel, and Seth and families were all able to make it so we had a good sized group.
  

The girls wanted to help carry our picnic so Maddie had the sandwiches and Ella had the chips.

We made it to the meadow and then down into a little gully where it was shady. 

Mike fetched us a log to sit on.

The meadow was dry and hot but a beautiful place for a picture! 

I lightened it up on Instagram and love how it turned out.

Everyone found a walking stick.

We didn't catch Seth and family before they left, but this is almost all of us!

Preschool Begins!

Someone has been waiting very patiently for preschool to begin... and his name is spelled T-y! He loved working on his assessment at home and impressed this Momma with how many letters and numbers he knows.

Last Tuesday was all about him! His sisters were almost as excited for him as he was. Ty was also able to receive his special Father's blessing before his big day.

Even though it was still hot outside, this was his designated "preschool outfit" and shoes and he wouldn't budge. He was also very excited about giving Ms. Janell his school supplies (that he picked out when we went supply shopping for the girls... he couldn't be left out).

Jakey knew something cool was happening and wanted in on the pictures too. Cutest little brothers!

These boys are going to have a super fun year together.

Ms. Janell is amazing and sent the "Leaping Learners" all home with froggy hats and books, "Froggy Goes to School." Ty was full of news about sitting on the ABC carpet, the blue and yellow tables, what they ate and read, and about sharing his "All About Me" bag of show and tell items (which were a blue ball, his small fire truck, his shell from Ty and Ava, his alien jaw breaker, and a baby toy for the new baby).

This leaping learner could not have had a better first day!  

Little Boys

The boys don't mind too much being left at home when the girls head off to school. They follow each other around and are just the best of buddies. Once in awhile there is a wrestling match or an accident, but for the most part they take care of and entertain each other.

Jake cannot let me water outside without stealing my hose. And inevitably they get silly and soaked and have to strip down and change. Sigh.

I'm pretty sure this was the same day, eating lunch nakee because they had gotten soaked!

For now these brothers love to match. It helps them both get dressed when they know the other is wearing the same thing (who knew that boys could have drama over clothes too? Ty is my hardest child to dress!).

It's a travesty but I only just recently taught Ty about popping toes. Maybe it's because I hated it when my dad did it to me growing up... all the time... but Ty sure thinks it's funny!

The boys' favorite thing to do it probably collect and go for rides on every wheeled object we own. It's not uncommon for them to bring in their scooters, wiggle car, tricycle, and race cars and ride them in circles around the kitchen (as much as I try to keep them outside in the summer!). It is so fun to have little boys.

Back to School

On August 19th the girls started school again! Maddie is in 3rd grade with Miss Thinn and Ella is in 1st grade with Miss Coburn. 

At the back-to-school open house they were each given a t-shirt that represented the "house" they were assigned. Meadow started a new program dividing all of the kids into houses representing a value, and theirs is Fidus the Gorilla, who is responsible, dependable, and trustworthy. They have weekly activities as a house to encourage teamwork and spirit, and earn points toward the House Cup at the end of the year! Everyone was asked to wear their shirts on the first day, and even though it messed up first day of school outfits, it was so cool to see the whole school in their bright shirts!

I am seriously  in love with this picture. I'm finally being brave and letting my girls ride scooters to school. I'm so happy they have this neighborhood brigade to ride with! This only includes the families next door and behind us, and they also meet up with more kids down the street. The moms walked with them the first day, and since then they've done great to stay together and take care of each other.  It's such a fun rite of passage for them, not to mention the social aspect!  

When we got to the school we were met with music, balloons, and the whole staff outside welcoming them. It was a party! What a fun way to start off the school year.

Ella's back door buddy Braxton is in her class too.

Maddie's back door buddy Maycee is not in her class again and they feel jipped, but she is with two other close friends she is excited about!

To be honest the boys and I were bored all day without the girls. It felt so quiet and long! I didn't plan well to keep myself busy so I spent the day worrying and thinking about what they were doing. It was Ella's first whole day and lunch at school, and she was so excited about it but I still wondered how she was faring. After Jake was down for a nap, Ty helped me make cookies for our after school snack. He is going to be my little sidekick this year!

And turns out it was a great day! The girls had raving reviews of their teachers and friends. The main
theme of the day was the heat, because they spent a lot of time outdoors in their houses learning rules.

The second day of school the girls chose their own outfits so we took more pictures.

On the third day of school Ella came home with a lost tooth!!! How exciting! It was her third, and first bottom tooth.

 About a week into school the boys and I decided to visit the girls at lunchtime.

It was an exciting treat for us all! Ella was the line leader and the boys thought it was so fun to follow her into the lunch room.

 

After lunch we joined them on the playground. Ty and Jake were popular with all the kids!

Here's Maddie's class lining back up to go in. She is always the line leader too, with an A last name! Miss Thinn has her hands full with 33 kids, but she seemed to have quiet control.

These little school girls are sure happy to be back "in session!" I am getting used to missing them and releasing my grip. It's hard to let other people have an influence on them outside the home, but so far so good!