First is the Worst, Second is the Best!

 Yesterday was the first day of school. Three of the four were excited, and all were nervous about the new year. We now have a 1st grader, a 3rd grader, a 7th grader, and an 8th grader! Yikes! They're old.  Off they all went, ready to enlarge those noggins with vast volumes of knowledge and experience.

At the end of the day, ONE of the four came home excited about the new year. The other three were...well, feeling like they look in this picture--not so excited and a little frazzled. There were new policies introduced, classes on one side of the campus and then the other, no friends in classes, stress, schedule changes...  The day was a disappointment for the majority of the household.

But thankfully, the SECOND day of school was a success. (Mother's prayers ARE answered!)  Old friends were found, the possibility of new ones hopeful,  schedules were set with exciting classes (B. is a library aid), policies accepted, and the fact that school will be an everyday occurrence somewhat tolerated.   So school is officially in session!

Mom had a really fantastic first day with lunch out, strolling through the aisles of a store unhurried, seeing wonderful friends, and uninterrupted work at home. The second day was a little more ho-hum and a tad bit quiet!

Just ASK!!

The other night at bedtime L. stomped into the living room and announced that someone had "taken his toothbrush."

T teased, "Mom took it."  Pause.  "She needed it to brush her toes."

Wanting to join in the fun, I added, "To brush my toe hairs."

"Now they smell all pepperminty, " we were on a roll.

Logan went huffing into the bathroom where he found his toothbrush.  He came out, demanding, "Next time you use my toothbrush, ASK!!!" and stomped to brush his teeth.


I did not use L's toothbrush for my toe hairs, etc. But next time I need to, I'll remember to just ASK! 

Summertime Fun

Summer break is almost done, and I can't believe it. We were gone on vacation for most of July.  Here's some catch-up of what we did. 

 Stopped at an awesome park to visit some awesome family members. We gave the ducks our unwanted, non-sweetened (explains the unwanted) boxes of cornflake cereal.  They liked it fine. 

 We made bracelets with our Grandma J and Aunt D. 

We then went to stay with my folks. My sister and her family were there too which was lots of fun. X-man and her little guy. D.  are only 6 weeks apart. They loved playing together. We had to keep our eye on them, because they would get into LOTS of MICHIEF!! 

 In their small town, July 4th is quite a big deal. A carnival comes to town (which was always SOOOO exciting growing up).  There's a parade, a melodrama, and local entertainment all weekend. What a place to people watch--such a wide variety of colorful characters! We tried out the carnival. 

B. and Aunt M. with S. AFTER the Power Surge crazy-twist-your-innards ride. 

 DURING the ride. Not so smiley now, huh, ladies??!!

Wild gals.

 AHHHHHH!  A. clings to L. on the BIG slide. 

 Choo-choo smilin' L.

 Ferris wheel ride with the cousins. 

 Hot rod brothers!

 On Sunday I went to get my shoes on, but a little fashion queen had beat me to it!  

 Treasure hunt with Bumma. 

 First loose tooth!  

He lost it a few days later, and the tooth fairy, being the amazing being that she is, found him even though he was far from home!

 Waiting for the parade.  

I LOVE this parade. Anyone can be in it. Just decorate your car with a poster and follow along!  There are old cars, a clown band, local businesses with trailers, old stage coaches, mountain men shooting guns, horses, goats pulling carts, anything. AND they throw candy! A friend on a float threw us lots of candy--it felt like Halloween!

 X-man in a train from the parade. 

Back at the house...the kiddos swam in a clean watering tank, had a water balloon fight (Bumpa was the target),  had a meeting in The Clubhouse (kids only--Bumpa's the biggest kid there), shot a bow and arrow Bumpa made, played baseball, dug steps in dirt, washed the camper and four-wheelers, read, went to the library, played Sardines, visited, painted crafts, saw a deer and two fawns, went for walks, four wheeled, and had fun, fun, fun!

One day we were inside playing when L. came tearing into the house. His eyes were big and round as quarters as he warned Bumma, "You'd better stay inside Bumma!  There's a BIG woooof outside!"  We went to investigate, thinking he'd seen the neighbor's dog.  He'd actually seen a fox and scared that fox as much as that fox had scared him. 

 A. holding her own against the boys. 

 2 of the most amazing, beautiful ladies I know, my mom and my sister!

 The Clubhouse.

 The stairway they dug in the hill. Kept them busy for some time. 

 Baseball in the evenings. 

We decided that everyone was old enough to enjoy a REAL camp out in the mountains. My dad loaded up his camper, got yummy food, and away we went. 

We experienced everything you should on a camp-out: beautiful mountains, gathering fire wood, starting a fire, roasting hotdogs and marshmallows, setting up a tent, then reading the directions on how to set up a tent, mosquitos, outhouse or the great outdoors for that call of nature, smoke, rain, the hard ground under old bones, stories around a camp fire, four wheeling, fishing, roasting fish over the fire, and being bone-tired when it was time to leave and ever-so-thankful for modern day conveniences like showers and toilets!

 BEFORE 

At the start of our camping--fresh and freshly sprayed with mosquito repellant. 

 Queen fire builder--my mom, passing on her skills to L. 

 A. gathers and saws firewood. Bumpa too. 

 The boys found a stream and floated "boats" for hours. 

 Chow-time!

 Still chowing!

 Rain gear.

 B. all set for some 4-wheeling!

 The girls and Bumpa four-wheeling across a river. 

 Beautiful mountain flowers. 

 Mosquitos.  

The kids each had 14+ bites just on their heads, through their hair, even after we'd sprayed them liberally.  They had knots on their heads where they'd been bitten. I didn't get a single bite. Guess, I'm just not as sweet as them!

 Fog descending after rain. 

 Hot cocoa around a fire!

 Snug in the camper! 

 B, X-man, and L slept in the camper with Bumpa. Bumma, A. and myself toughed it out in the tent. 

 Breakfast!

 Our catch of the day. 

 4 little campers, smelly as can be.

 Fisherwoman A. 

 Ooooohhh, worms. Baiting the hook. 

 My dad gutted the fish, then he and the girls stuck them on sticks and cooked them over the fire. The girls thought this was fine cuisine. They LOVED it. 

 Open wide!  Bumpa chowing on a s'more. 

 AFTER

The end of our camping trip--tired, stinky, mosquito-bitten, but happy. 

Thanks for taking us Bumma and Bumpa!!

T. flew out toward the end of our trip to see us and help drive us back to the place where we currently live. We were so glad to see him!

 Getting ready to enjoy the recital the kids planned and put on. 

 Encore! Encore!  The kiddos take a bow.

 Chillin' at the local park!

  30 Cents Worth!

We made it back safely (thankfully, NOT in the above vehicle) and unpacked. A week later, I packed up again, hop on a plane, and got to see a dear friend get married and sealed to a great man in the Idaho Falls temple.  AWESOME!

 Here are some of the very best ladies in the whole wide world!!  I just love them!

After rehashing all this fun family time, I thought it fitting that I end with a picture of the Idaho Falls temple. Isn't this where families can be sealed together forever, and isn't family what life is all about?? I think so.