First day of school, 2009-2010

First day of school!  Tyler started fourth grade and Emily started first grade.  Remember how nervous you used to get as a kid?  Well, I still had the butterflies and I am 35 years old!  I don't do to well with change and it's killing me that the kids are getting so big.  Travis asked if I was going to go crazy after they grew up and left the house... I had to answer "YES!"  It seriously makes me so sad - it hurts!

The kids were both pretty nervous the night before.  Emily was afraid that she wouldn't know anybody in her class, and even prayed that she would find a friendly face.  Tyler could not go to sleep.  I went down to tuck them in one last time around 11:00, and he was still awake, just laying in his bed.  We chatted for a few minutes and I was able to help calm his nerves.

They were both up bright and early, ready for the big day.  We started a tradition last year of sweet rolls for breakfast on the first day of school.  They had lots of fun choosing the biggest and best looking roll to frost.

Tyler had chosen his favorite shirt, the one with the giant sub sandwich on it, and Emily wore her purple flowery shirt.

After snapping a few pictures, we were off to school.  It was a madhouse!  I had to park around the block, and Ty was afraid he was going to be late, so he just took off.  Emily decided she was going to do the same.  I was left, empty handed, head spinning, wondering what just happened.  My babies were both gone!  Didn't anyone need their mom to walk them to class?  I went into the school anyway to pay lunch money, and found Emily waiting by the front doors for me.  She was a little bit nervous again.  When we entered her classroom, she did, indeed, find a friendly face.  Her friend Megan was waiting for her shouting, "Emily, Emily!!!".  Emily was so excited.  Megan was truly an answer to her prayers.  Thanks Megan :)

They both had great days.  Emily loved the macaroni and cheese for lunch, and Tyler loved playing at recess.  They both have wonderful teachers, and we look forward to a great year!

Bridger Lake

We went to Bridger Lake for one last camping trip before school started.  I loved relaxing and playing with the kids.  We fished, rode bikes, played games, skipped rocks, played baseball, threw rocks onto lily pads, enjoyed the campfire.  

The first night we were there, a deer wandered right into our campsite.  It was only about 20 yards away from us.  The kids loved watching it and following it around, and spent quite a bit of time the following days tracking it.

I had a hard time deciding which of the 284 pictures to use, because there were lots of good ones.  These are some of my favorites!

I told Tyler that I was going to keep snapping pictures until I got a smile from him.  It worked like a charm! 

 

I love taking pictures of Gavin.  He is very patient with me and loves to pose for the camera.

This really made me laugh.  Emily is very snuggly and lovey, and Tyler is so... not!

This picture actually made me laugh out loud!  Reason being - whenever I play Risk with Tyler, he creams me.  I have to remind myself that Tyler is only nine years old and that I have to be a good sport in order to set an example for him (even though I want to take the game and throw it out the window).  Travis was beating Tyler pretty badly at this point!  Part of me just wanted to say YES!!!!! 

* but I'm more mature than that :)

Sweet little Emily.  She's such a good girl.  Always has a smile on her face.  What would we do without her?

I adore this picture of Kate, runny nosed and all.  I don't think she felt very good during the camping trip, but I am also not sure that Kate is much of a camper.  She really likes to sleep in her own bed. It took us half of the night to get her to sleep, and the other half assuring that she stayed asleep.  Naps were nearly non-existant and I worried that I had messed up her schedule permanently.  She recovered fully and was very grateful to be back home in her own bed.

The kids spent tons of time skipping rocks and throwing them onto lily pads.  I'm surprised there's any rocks left up there at all.

Travis starting the generator.... just in case you couldn't figure that one out :)

This is my favorite picture of Trav and the kids.  They sure love their daddy!

Blueberry pie filling

We were at the store the other day and Gavin asked me if he could have a can of blueberry pie filling for his birthday. It kind of reminded me of the time that Tyler asked for Jello for his fifth birthday.  Am I depriving my children of something... they think they have to ask for food for birthdays?

I don't get mad

I walked in the bathroom where Emily and Gavin were bathing together and Emily hurried and hid something behind her back.  I asked what she was hiding, and she showed me a handful of my foaming hand soap.  I tried to explain to her that it's important never to hide anything from me and that "I don't get mad at things like that".  Gavin responded "Oh, ya.  It's Dad that gets mad at things like that."  

Bike ride from... you know where!!!

It started out really good.  We packed a picnic lunch, loaded Kate and Gavin into my new bike trailer (which, by the way, I absolutely LOVE!!!), and headed to Jensen Pond to feed the ducks.  The kids had a blast with the picnic, the ducks and throwing rocks into the pond.  After we had finished our lunch, the boys decided they wanted to race around the big loop, which is probably 1 - 1 1/2 miles long.  About half way through the loop, I got a flat tire.  No problem.  I had remembered to pack a pump.  Boy, I am brilliant!!!  By the time we finished the loop, my tire was REALLY flat.  We tried to pump it up again enough 

to get me home, but the air wasn't even staying in the tire by this point.  I was just going to push the bike home, but Carrie insisted she would ride home and get her truck to come and pick us up.  Poor Carrie.  Her bottom was already sore.  By the time she came to our rescue, she was so tired.  We loaded up the bikes and headed for home. I am so grateful that she decided to come with us today, and that she insisted on going to get her truck.  It probably would have taken me another hour to get home.  Thanks Carrie :)  

When we got home, the boys asked if they could ride to Seven Eleven to get a Slurpy.  It was pretty funny when we looked at each other and then responded

 "NO!!!"

Emily, Braxton, Taylor, Thomas, Gavin, Tyler and Madison

Carrie, Braxton, Taylor and Madison

Emily and Taylor

Madison, Taylor, Kate, Emily, Tyler, Thomas, Braxton and Gavin

Even though the bike ride/picnic took us about three hours, we still had a great time, and look forward to doing it all again (minus the flat tire).  Maybe next time I'll take some green slime :)

I almost forgot to add the best photo of the trip...

Whitney's Wedding

Trav's cousin, Whitney, got married in the Logan temple on Saturday.  We were out late on Friday night, and got a late start on Saturday morning.  Guests were supposed to be there at 8:45 a.m., and we didn't arrive until 9:00.  I dropped Travis off at the doors to run in, and I stayed back with the kids.  I felt really bad to miss the ceremony, but we really didn't have any other options.  At least one of us was able to make it.  It was a cold, rainy morning, so I didn't get many pictures as I was hoping to (I didn't even get one of the wedding couple), but we were able to get a few cute ones.

Grandpa Paul and all the grandkids (minus Kate, Lucy and Maren)

Grandma Paulette and the girls

Congratulations to Whitney and Ben!  We love you both :)

Dirty Lips

I told Gavin that I needed a kiss and he responded with "Aw.  You don't want a kiss right now.  I have dirty lips."

How does that kid come up with these things?  Maybe if I would have followed through with the soap in the mouth yesterday, he wouldn't have dirty lips today :)

Bad Words

I was out mowing the lawn yesterday when Gavin came running out to me.  This is our conversation:

Gavin:  Hey mom.  I been looking for you.

Mom:  Why?  Did you need something?

Gavin:  I said a bad word.  I need soap in my mouth.

What exactly am I supposed to say to that?

Preston Rodeo

Last weekend was our annual trip to Preston, Idaho for the rodeo.  We all had such a great time!  We went up late Thursday night.  Travis worked in Logan on Friday, so we spent the day hanging with the family.  Friday night we went to the parade and the rodeo.  Saturday we found a few fun things at the sidewalk sale, then we said our goodbyes and headed for home.  We are all looking forward to seeing everyone next weekend for Whitney's wedding.

Everyone got a turn on the horse.  I think that Tyler was a little bit nervous, but he would never admit it.

No Preston trip is complete without the noogie from John.

Gavin followed John around for an entire day.  Wherever John was, Gavin was right in his back pocket!

Tyler loves Napoleon Dynamite and was really impressed when John pulled this sign out of his garage.

It's a tradition that every baby in the family bathes in Grandma Great's sink.  Kate LOVED it.  She splished and splashed and did not want to get out. If you look real close, you can see Kate's outie.  I love the bum shot.

The kids played several games with Bailey.  This one was Bizzy Bee.  Gavin said "I HATE THIS GAME!"  

Bailey was so sweet with Emily.  She invited her to sleep over and even made her pancakes for breakfast.  Before the rodeo, Bailey painted Emily's toenails, curled her hair and gave her a necklace to wear.  Em felt so pampered and loved!  Thanks Bailey :)

This is my very favorite picture of Gavin and John.  Gavin absolutely adores his Uncle John.  We are still in the potty training process, and we told Gavin that he could choose anything that he wanted for a prize once he was trained.  He chose to go visit John for a day.  We were eating lunch and Gavin told Grandma Great the he wasn't very hungry.  Grandma Great told Gavin that John loves macaroni and cheese.  Before you could blink an eye, Gavin had cleared his plate.  If John likes it, by golly, Gavin does too!  Gavin is a little cowboy.  He wears his boots everywhere he goes.  Before the rodeo, John surprised him with a cowboy hat.  Boy, if he wasn't his hero before, he certainly is now.  By the looks of this picture, I would say that Gavin wants to be just like him.  What a great man for him to look up to :)

All tuckered out!

We all had a great time at the rodeo.  Gavin kept asking "when do I get a turn?"

Big, Fat thighs

This is a good one.  Emily had snuck up into my bed last night.  I told her I was really tired and wanted to go to sleep, so she proceeded to give me a massage to help me relax.  She started on my shoulders and back, then to my feet.  To my surprise, it really felt good.  She thought maybe a thigh rub would help me.  She rubbed for a few seconds and said... 

"You have big, fat thighs.  Just like Kate.  They are soooo cute."

Children are so good for the self esteem :)

Happy Birthday Dad!

My dad celebrated his 64th birthday last week!

My mom always has some crazy math equations with the candles.  

70 - (3+3) = 64

Someone should just buy her a couple candles of each number.  

It would make her job (and ours) LOTS easier :)

 

Happy birthday dad!  

We love you :)