August 28, 2012

First day of school

The summer has come to a close and the school year has begun. I have mixed feelings. We enjoyed our summer together and had some fun.  But all good things come to an end eventually right?  Well summer is over and school has started.  Keaton started school yesterday and Andrew's first day was today.
We have been on the waiting lists for the past three years for the North Star Charter school and the magnet schools.  This year was our lucky year. We got accepted to North Star and Galileo. But the only problem is... they are not in the same school this year.  Keaton was accpeted into North Star 2nd grade and Andrew just right across the street into Galileo's kindergarten class.  I really wish they could have been in the same school together but since they are only across the street from each other, I feel good about it.  This way I get to see what school we will like better and then the odds are in our favor because we have a child in each school. Siblings get proirity over everyone else. So that could be good.
Keaton's first day was yesterday.  New school, lots of familiar faces so that made the transition much easier for him.  He has a fantastic teacher, so that is the great news.  Scholastically, this is the best for him. He is so brillant that this will give him a competitive side to learning. He needs to be challenged. Star Elementary just didn't do it for him. He made great friends and that was about it.  This year he will gain much more and make great friends along the way. There are already a few kids from our ward and previous wards that have children in the same class, so that is nice.  Keaton was against riding the bus. I was against it as well. I refused to let my kids ride the bus.

 Well this year I am learning that I can't really control what they would like to do. I have heard great things about the buses that come this way and all their little buddies ride it as well. So we are going to give it a try this week and see how it goes. This is a huge step for me.
Keaton came home excited about school and told me about all the fun things they get to do and did do on the first day. I am really excited for him.
Andrew started Kindergarten today.  I have mixed feelings about Andrew.  He did really, really well in his preschool class last year.  He learned so much.  This year I hope is his year to shine and make some huge improvement. He is one of my children that has proven to try my patience and at the same time, this is the son who will hold my hand and still cuddle with me.  I had a hard time letting him go.  But he is ready and he has a fabulous teacher. Ms. G.  She is one of the best around and he was lucky to get her. I am so excited for this year. It will be challenging for him but he is ready. He was alittle nervous but I think he will have a great time.
 So now, I am left with Owen and Ellie at home. My afternoons are peaceful.  They both sleep and now the house is quiet and I can get so much done. I could get used to this. But sometimes it is too quite. I keep waiting for a child to come and talk with me. Noise in the house. Lots of noise. All the little neighborhood kids running in and out of my home. Until next year.....
Owen has been patiently waiting for preschool to start. It won't start up until after Labor Day weekend. He will go two days a week. Andrew went to the same preschool two years ago. I think he will just love it. He has been in tears everyday since the boys started, wearing his backpack and asking me to pack him a cold lunch too. Your day is coming soon Owen! Just hang for a few more days.....   Ellie, you are going to be all mine for awhile.

August 21, 2012

The Western Idaho Fair

Ever since we moved back to Idaho Lance and I have started the tradition to go to the Western Idaho Fair with our children on family night. Every year they declare Monday night, Family night at the fair. There is no smoking nor drinking allowed. It is the perfect time to go. Besides all the extremely bizarre things you might see, it is the night to take kids. Plus the entire stake is there for their family night as well.  This year was no different. We had a BLAST!!!! Since my mom is not one for crowds and fairs she was willing to stay behind with Ellie and put her down for bed and stay with her. Thanks mom!!!! That was a huge help!
So we loaded the boys up and we met up with my sister Rachel and her two girls and my dad came along as well. He always does and spoils them every year.  We bought endless ride wristbands for the kids. We found that out the hard way. It is much easier to pay the price for the band which allows them to ride endless rides for the entire time you are there. So Keaton, Andrew and Ava got their wristbands. We didn't get one for Owen or Olivia because we didn't think they would be into the rides as much. Well we guessed wrong. They LOVED it as well and rode a ton of rides. Next year for sure.
We had a great time! The food was great. We ate way too much but it was so good and you only get that kind of fat, greasy food one time a year so it was really worth it! We found a clown who made all the kids their item upon request. They loved that. We saw so many people we knew. The rides were a lot of fun. My poor neice Ava was alittle tramatized by a few of the rides. I couldn't help but laugh. It was too funny not to. If you didn't know that she was scared you would have thought she was just screaming for the run ride. You could just see it on her face once the rides started. My sister had to video tape it because it was so funny. Poor girl, next year will be better for her. We had a really late night. We didn't get home until 9:30 and the boys were wiped out. They slept really well. A big thanks to everyone who went with us. It was so much fun. I told Lance we needed to go back for a date night just the two of us and ride on some of the rides.
One thing about the fair, you see the strangest things and people. The carnies were entertaining to watch. If you know me, I love to watch people. I am fascinated by them.  There are a lot of strange people in this world and the fair attracts them all. I guess you could say we are those people too.








August 19, 2012

Ward camp out

Ever since I can remember our ward, or whatever ward we have been in has always had an annual ward campout. This past weekend was it.  I LOVE to camp, just not with kids. Small kids that is.  Lance was the only member of the bishopric that could go up on Friday night so he loaded up the truck and the 4-wheeler, along with Keaton and Andrew and headed up to Triangle Park right by Black Canyon Lake.  I was alittle bumned that I couldn't make it. They had a great time! The slept in a tent again. Had some fun friends and just played like crazy.  Saturday morning they went on a boat ride, which Andrew said was the highlight of the campout for him.
I stayed behind with Owen and Ellie. We didn't do much.  Some would say it was a vacation for me too but oh no, there is no vacation involved when it involves my two youngest.  They are my two busy bodies. There was no slow time with them.  But when they both went to bed at 7:30 it was heaven from then on.
So glad that my boys had a good time camping again. Maybe next year will be better and I will brave it with my younger two.

August 13, 2012

Stanley Lake

Ever since I can remember my side of the family has always gone camping up to Stanley Lake every year.  Well it was that time of year again.  It is the one trip my mom looks forward to every year. There is a great deal of planning that goes into this camp trip.  The meals are fabulous. I think we have always eaten pretty gourmet while camping and the view is absolutely amazing. By far, hands down, the best spot to go camping. The campsite is literally a few feet away from sandy beach that overlooks the Sawtooth Mountains. It is really breathtaking!

This year I didn't get to go. I stayed behind with Owen and Ellie while Lance drove up with Keaton and Andrew.  They met up with all the family up there for two days. They were in little boy heaven. I had nightlly phone calls with them and they would tell me of their adventures. Lance loaded up the 4-wheeler and that was pretty entertaining for everyone as well.
Since half of Idaho is on fire right now the smoke was really low. It was pretty hazy. Even here in the valley is really bad. You can smell it and it is just really hazy. I guess that is the only way to describe it.
While they were there they were informed that a bear was close by and that they were going to set up a trap by their campground to catch it. Another reason I was glad not to be there. Lance and the boys slept in a tent the first night.  Lance said he woke up to gun shots at 2 a.m. and then he heard the bear in their campsite. It came close to their tent and he could hear it trying to get inside the coolers for food. He was scared hafl to death, playing over and over in his mind what he needed to do with the boys and himself if the bear ever came near their tent. But luckily it didn't! It just took some chips and cookies and was on its merry little way. Thank heavens!!!!!
The boys played on the beach, made sand castles, or traps I should say. They caught frogs, fished for tadpoles, and went for many rides in the raft out onto the lake. They were in tears when they had to leave. They wanted to stay longer but Lance had to be back in time for church on Sunday. It was nice to have them back. It was kind of quite around here. Something I am not really used to.
My mom called us Sunday morning to tell the boys the bear had been caught. He fell for the meat in the trap. Only downfall was, they had to listen to the bear bang up against the trap and growl all night long. Come to find out, he was just a baby bear. But still, bears can be dangerous I think no matter what size.
Here are some pictures Lance took for me while they were up there.....



August 9, 2012

Ellie turns 1

I am really behind with all the events that have been happening in our family. On Aug. 5th Ellie Mae turned a year old. I can't believe my babe is a year old. This year went really fast and really slow. Is that possible? We didn't do much because her birthday was on a Sunday. We came home to a fun dinner with family and then cupcakes and ice cream.  Birthdays are fairly easy for a one year old. So Ellie's was no different. She wasn't qutie sure about the whole thing. We gave her the cupcake and she dove right in. There was no waiting for her. She loved it! She ate it all! She was a huge mess! She was so super cute! Happy One Year Ellie Mae!!!!!!!
  




For some reason these pictures would not come up right side up. Sorry, they were too cute not to post.



A few fun things about Ellie.....

~ Ellie is a people person. She loves to be social and hates to be alone. Must get that from me.
~ Ellie is a great eater. She will usually eat anything you give her. Her favorite thing right now are Dino Nuggets and cheese.
~ She still doesn't sleep through the night. She is slowly getting there. It might be awhile.
~ She takes two awesome naps though during the day
~ Our friends in our ward call her Piranha. She has so many teeth.
~ People think she looks like a cabbage patch doll. So what did we get her for her birthday? A cabbage Patch baby.
~ She has a ton of  hair. Her bed hair when she wakes up each morning is my most favorite thing.
~