New Schoolyear

So, school actually began for my children last week and I am just getting around to this. Don't judge me! I currently have 3 kids in 3 different schools. One in EARLY MORNING SEMINARY. Brielle starts preschool in yet a 4th school next month. Throw in 3 kids in piano, one in Young Women's, one in scouts, groceries, play dates, exercise and seriously crappy Internet, and it is an outright miracle that these pics have finally made it to the worldwide web.

Breje's picture was taken on her first 5:30 am day -- she looked gorgeous, but let's face it, neither one of us is at our best at that time of day! At least she's smiling!The best part of taking the boys to school is that it is actually looking like daytime when they leave -- at least for now. It is also possible to take them both at the same time, and they are actually both willing to get into the car --bonus! (Do you love that Kutter looks like he's going backpacking in the Uintah's or something? This kid needs his stuff with him!)Although Brielle doesn't actually start until September, she had a way fun open house. She was seriously looking excited about it until she got there and saw all those people. She had a death grip on me until she saw the hermit crab, the fish, guinea pig, and a gecko! Then she found a slide and some dress ups. Twenty minutes later she was outright refusing to leave! Seriously? This time of year always makes me feel like they are getting way too old way too fast, so I'm trying really hard to remember the funny, innocent things they say. Brielle had a great one the other day. She woke up completely distraught, saying she had a bad dream. Now, Brielle never actually remembers here dream, but this one left a mark and she couldn't wait to share the horrors with me. "We were going camping and boating (sob, sob, sob) and we were in the truck with the windows rolled down (crocodile tears) and suddenly my necklace blew off and out the window and it got crunched!" (way more sobs). It was a bit difficult to hide how amused I was at her "tragedy", but I couldn't help be a little bit thrilled that she is still young enough that this was the most awful thing her little brain could conjur!

A Farewell to Summer

to swimming lessons -- and to learning that we'll all learn a lot more if the girls have a cute girl teacher, and the boys have a cool boy teacher.

to thinking you're the bravest kid in the world for being able to dunk your head under the water "10 times!" and believing you're floating even when some one's holding on!

to finally being brave enough to jump off that high dive

and even attempt a real dive!

to family reunions (the one's you're really really looking forward to, and even the one's you're not)

to dirt in your fingernails, your nose, your food, your bed -- and not noticing because your cousins are right there.

to the sweet imagination of childhood, that can turn a bunch of tree stumps and sticks into t "the coolest rock and roll band ever"! (the "blue bandannas" in case you were wondering!)

to making some new friends, and reconnecting with some old ones.

to slip and slides-- to those who rock that thing on their very first try (Sienna) and those who will probably never really get it (Brielle) but are having too much fun to notice.

to Popsicles, sunscreen, wet towels, picnics, and way too much candy.

to last minute camping trips, just cause the summer is almost over. to the smell of campfire permeating everything, the joy of marshmallows cooked perfectly (or not) to discovering that french fries can be had in the wild and bacon should be cooked with everything. (bacon fried pancakes -- oh yeah!)

to sleeping in way too late just cause you can, shooting stars, sleep-overs at Grandma's house and movie night smack dab in the middle of the week!

Family Fun

The kids and I were lucky enough to get to spend a whole week at my parent's house before school starts up again and ends all our fun. The kids were kind of ticked that they couldn't get rid of me the whole time, but we managed to have fun anyway!
My awesome parents. They totally spoiled us!The first order of business was my little sisters' 30th birthday party. Hayley LOVES her birthday and it just wouldn't have felt right to miss such a big one, especially since my mom and friends decided to throw her a huge surprise party. It was so fun getting surprise her and to finally meet all her cute friends.
Isn't she just beautiful! We spent most of the rest of the week just being lazy -- watching movies, eating good food, shopping. Most of my favorite pics of the week involve all the kids snuggling together. I love this one of the kids all crashing on Grandpa while they watch a movie!

My cute brother totally stole Brielle's heart this trip. She forced him to snuggle with her half the week, and she's still trying to convince me to let her live with him!

The kids spent hours playing in the backyard pool. It was just one of those things that totally took me back to my childhood, playing in a pool in the exact same spot in the yard, playing some of the exact same games.

My mom always manages to cook up a few extra fun activities for all the grandkids-- this year they had a blast tie-dying t-shirts together and then they got to wear them to their surprise "snuggle-up" movie in the back yard. Too fun.

We wrapped up the week with a fun family reunion with my dad's side of the family. These are the people I spend most of my childhood with and we are still really close. It was so fun to sit and chat and watch all of our adorable children become friends that I nearly forgot to take pictures.

I'm thrilled that I got this one of Brielle and Sienna. Priceless.

And I actually remembered to get a couple of my kids attacking the seriously overstuffed pinata!

I hardly saw Breje the whole day, because she hardly ever gets to see my cousins adorable daughter, Courtney. I love that they have such a sweet friendship even though they only get together a couple times a year.