First Day of School

Hi kiddos!

Summer is over and school life is in full swing! Homework has given us a rough start, but I think we'll get into the groove and come out on top. You've been great about still doing a chore and doing your piano, plus we've had soccer games start up! So I'd say we're doing fine!

Cute Lulu, you were pretty excited to be the oldest in the school. You're excited that two of your best friends are in your class! And your homeroom teacher seems amazing. You wore a beautiful sequin peacock shirt for your first day:

And you were crazy excited for a new backpack, especially since it has matching accessories:

Sweet Hammer, you're in 4th grade. How did that happen!? I feel like you just finished 2nd. Your teacher seems really great too and you haven't complained once about going to school, yet. :) You wore your new USU shirt on the first day, since the one we picked out at Walmart needs to actually wait another year:

TJ, my handsome boy! You are starting second grade and we already know and love your teacher, so that's a bonus. Plus your two best friends are in your class too!
I love your hair do that you did for the first day. You were excited to wear a glow in the dark Star Wars shirt.

You weren't super happy about using the same backpack again, but it's the best backpack. It's cool and sturdy. We compromised with a new lunch box for you. It is a pokemon one that came with Fish's new backpack, since he didn't need to use it! You were excited about that:

Fish, my baby. My grown up boy. Look at you! Turning 5 and going to Kinder. You are very excited and haven't been scared once, even riding the bus to and from school. You are a whiz at math but seem to be struggling a little with letters this week. I know you'll work hard and get it though. You're ready to go to school with the big kids:

New backpack and new shirt, both Pokemon. You recently discovered this show after you checked out one of their dvd's from the library. Obviously you liked it:

And here you are,all cute and ready for the bus on the very first day. It was a beautiful sunny morning:

Also one more picture so you can see your shirts even better. This was taken after school:

We had a back to school feast that evening. I want you to correlate school with celebration and excitement. We used our fancy china plates and ate some of the crabs that Dad brought home from Alaska!

Lulu and TJ were stoked about the dinner:

Fish, you weren't too excited about crab,

 so you had a hot dog after your one bit of crab. Hammer you didn't love it either, but you were also coming down with a virus so you didn't eat much anyway. Hammer and Lulu missed one day of school already with this dumb virus. It's just a day of fever and a day to recover, so luckily you jumped right back into the swing of things.

Dad gave you father blessings before you started and I feel such optimism for this year. It's gonna be great. 

Love you my smart babies,

Mom

Fish turns 5

Dear Fish,

You just keep growing up! Time doesn't wait for anything, and I think you're happy about that. You're pretty excited to be 5. You are excited to go to Kindergarten and to take the bus with the big kiddos.
Your birthday was actually the day after school started, but you had the day off since it was a Kinder testing day. We ran over to Walmart for pinata supplies and you picked out a pretty sweet gift from Grammie.

We hurried home and it was time for your party to begin.
We celebrated with a few of your friends. You had time to play cars while I finished the pinata and the cake (I was so behind!!)

You opened presents

and had a spaghetti lunch then sang happy birthday and ate cake.

After everyone was done eating we went outside for the pinata. It didn't stay hanging very long so the last few kids had to smash it open on the ground.

We had planned for you to play in the water outside but it was pretty cold that day. After the pinata we had about 20 minutes so we turned on the water and you played a little bit. It was just the right amount of time.

One of your friends came after the party so it made the fun time last even longer! Before we knew it, it was time to start dinner. You chose chicken nuggets for your dinner. They are your favorite! We made homemade nuggets with doritos, which ended up being not as satisfying for you as McDonald's nuggets. But you were a good sport about it and were just thrilled with all of your presents. You have been playing with all of the gifts all day every day since I left them all over the living room until yesterday.
You loved going out by yourself with Gramma and Grandpa the day after your birthday. You chose a cheese sandwich at Red Robin (not nuggets?!) and your favorite part of going out was getting your own red balloon.

So, what are some of your favorite things now that you're a big school boy?
You love playing games, on the computer or on my phone or even with cards.
You like me to read books with you.
You love playing with friends.
You love swimming (only with goggles). You love anything outside, especially riding your bike. You're still doing the balance bike, but we've added training wheels to TJ's old bike, so hopefully you'll be pedaling away on that one soon enough!
You have slowly been adding fruits and veggies to your meals. I'm really happy about that! You have decided that you love green apples and strawberries. You eat salad and carrots and cucumbers and green beans and broccoli. Sometimes meals are still a fight to get you to try something, but when you do try it, you end up liking most things.
Sometimes you are stubborn and when I try to make you do something you do the funniest scowl. It's hard for me to take you serious when you look at me with that face; it's more cute than it is scary.
Your favorite toys are still cars and trains.
You love watching PBS kids.
You love going on trips and keep asking what our next adventure will be.
You are adventurous! You go on every ride at Lagoon that you're tall enough to ride! The faster the better!
And we've recently discovered that you are really good at puzzles!
You play make believe with your siblings so well. Mostly you play with TJ though. It's my favorite thing, to hear you guys totally immersed in your own world and entertained for hours.
I'm excited to see how you do with school this year. You're ready to take off! You've started sounding out words and are naturally great at math. It will be fun to watch.
When we talked about Kinder in the summer, you were worried about leaving me every day, but we talked about how school is only until lunch time. I still get to keep you at home with me most of the day! I'm ok with that. Baby steps is good for momma too. And today when it was the first real day of Kinder, you didn't even look back. You were excited and confident.
You told me that you don't like going to bed at night. You just want to keep playing and playing. I almost remember feeling that way too. :) But you have been great about sleeping all night, and even staying in your bed after you get your kisses. You remind me if I ever forget. I give you one kiss on your forehead and you return one to me on my forehead. Sometimes you just look so cute laying there that you get three or four kisses, and then I have to have the same number too. Then you get an "ugga mugga" eskimo kiss. Tucking my kiddos in to bed is probably my favorite part of the whole day, not just because then it's quiet, but because slowing down and giving kisses and snuggles puts everything back in perspective. I love being a mommy and right then nothing else matters. As I walk out the door I hear your little voice say "Good night mommy" and if I don't say "Good night Fish" then you say it again with your name added on to the end. "Good night mommy, says Fish." It's the best.
Happy Birthday to my big brave handsome boy.
I sure love you like crazy.
Love,
Mom

Bear Lake Camping

Hi!

We were invited to camp next to Dad's coworker's (Delaina) trailer at Bear Lake this year. It ended up being smoky and windy (an no other family to help), so we didn't get to go out on the boat. We did have a great time though. We really enjoyed their beautiful property with a view of the sunrise reflecting off the lake, the fancy pants trailer, the beautiful lights when the sun goes down, the ATV and wildlife sightings, and their dog Bella. Delaina spoiled you guys with treats and little toys from collection.
On to the pictures!

Fish, you buckled your bear into the seat belt with you. Cute:

It was already almost dark when we arrived at the property, and it was really dark after we were all set up and relaxing in their cool camping chairs:

Sunrise on morning 1:

 Blowing bubbles after breakfast:

 Rides on the side by side:

 After lunch we went to Raspberry days. We heard a local band and did some shopping, got misted:

 and I bought you snow cones:

 Cute boys on a bear bench at Bear Lake:

 Smoky, but at least we could finally see the lake's color a little more when we got closer:

 You guys waded in, but it was mucky and reedy and not the best spot:

 When we got out Hammer said he was pretty disappointed in the lake, so we pulled over on the way back to the property and found a better spot for swimming:

You even put goggles on and looked at the rocks on the lake floor:

Once you guys were more satisfied, we went back to the property to relax more:

 Delaina convinced Dad to rest in the hammock, after all the kids had a turn:

While Dad cat napped the kids watched a movie with popcorn:

More views of the trailer:

You guys playing with Bella:

We laughed and laughed when Bella didn't take these sunglasses off but kept looking at us above the rims:

She likes to be fed people food but usually has to do a trick first for it. My favorite was when she would whisper (woof woof)  when you ask her to say Please Mama. It never got old. I'm glad you guys had fun with Bella. She loved the attention. Now to just pay our dog as much attention when you're home!

While Delaina was starting dinner we took the side by side out again to look for the 2 bull moose that live nearby:

We found them!:

Delaina's husband was barbecuing the chicken and wanted us to borrow his aprons and help him out. Actually he just wanted to see how we'd react to the apron. We had a good laugh about it:

After a yummy dinner we sat around the fire table and waited for fireworks. Delaina also got out lots of glow in the dark sticks for you to play with. They were a hit:

We were tired from not sleeping super well the night before, mostly because we are all in the same space and not used to hearing all the little noises, or big coughing noises, all night. So off to bed we went right after fireworks and we slept better the second night.
I was still up not long after the sun and got more pictures:

Getting up early and relaxing in the hammock was pretty fun because the deer were walking by on the road and the humming birds were coming around for their breakfast at the bird feeders.
Our tent and their pretty property:

Dad started cleaning up and these two kept on sleeping:

Finally it was time to finish packing up and have some breakfast and then head back home for church and back to real life.
We had a really nice relaxing time. I know you had fun getting away.
Love you all,
Mom