It's official! She's a kindergartener! Yea! Here she is checking herself out in the mirror, giving me the "no more pictures, mom" look, and the classic 'on the front porch' pose. We had such a fun morning getting ready, and the bus just couldn't come fast enough. I think Kira asked me about 20 times when the bus was coming and funny enough, it never came. Turns out the driver was there 20 minutes early and when no one got on he just left! Wierd huh. Oh well, we'll be ready earlier tommorrow. She got home okay and told me she had "so much fun!" playing with friends on the playground and doing things in class. Oh my, what a day!

As I sit here blogging my emotions are running wild. Tomorrow is Kira's first day of Kindergarten and I just can't believe it. I can't be old enough to have a child in school, can I? This feels so surreal.

I am so excited that she finally gets to go, for lots of reasons:
1. she is SO SO ready - she is so creative and loves to learn,

2. she can't wait to go and meet new people and have "so much fun mom" so I am excited for her socially,

3. I am excited to have 3 hours with only 2 kids - one of which will be taking a nap so really only one child:)!!!! (I know I am not the only one who feels like this:))

I am also so scared...what if she hates her teacher, what if she doesn't make any friends, what if she won't get on the bus because she is so scared herself, what if she has homework that I can't understand, what if, what if what if...

Oh well. I guess it is here so I will have to be a grown up about it. I am just so proud and excited and scared and nervous and seriously in need of some chocolate to calm me down. I'm off to the pantry.

Today we celebrated our last day of summer before school starts by going to Bear Lake. It was cloudy for most of the day but that didn't stop us. We played hard and laughed lots. What a beautiful place and so much fun! We love Bear Lake, and its Raspberry Shakes:)

I have been looking for some things to do with the kids because summer is winding down and I am all out of ideas. I feel like we've dinosaur parked, zooed, swam to death and I just needed something new to entertain them with. Then I found this list a week or two ago on simplemom.net and I loved the ideas on here for things that you can do inside. (She has more info on each of these if you want to head over there for the her original list.) I know that inside things are more for fall and winter, so here is a head start for next season.

1. Read a book
2. Write a book
3. Act out a book
4. Listen to a book
5. Make a clubhouse
6. Perform a puppet show or play
7. Have a carpet picnic or tea party
8. Make homemade playdough
9. Have the kids help you with chores
10. Bowl down the hall with toilet paper rolls as the pins and balled up socks for the ball
11. Dance around the house
12. Craft on an outdoor table cloth - paint, etc.
13. Write a letter to a friend
14. Have a simple playdate - invite a friend over
15. Play house, shop, restaurant, etc.
16. Rearrange the kids bedroom furniture
17. Make different things out of cardboard boxes
18. Go on a treasure hunt
19. Have the kids help you cook
20. Nothing - have the kids entertain themselves!

One of our favorite things to do as a family is to all climb into mom and dad's bed and cudddle or wrestle or just goof around. Usually this happens on Sunday morning, but today Dad was reading and we all piled on. Everyone was having fun at this exact moment except for Kira - Bryce just head bonked her on her head. Ouch! What are some of your favorite things to do as a family?

Perry Ice in our Pajamas at the Park - what could be better:) Have I blogged about Perry Ice before? It is the best shaved ice in the world!!! That's no lie either. I don't even like snow cones or shaved ice all that much, but this stuff is yummy. They fill up your cup with thinly shaved ice, fill that with as much juice as they can, then they top it off with a cone of more ice and cover that with even more juicy flavoring. They are DELICIOUS! If you come to visit us, remind me and we will go and get some so you can taste a piece of heaven on earth:) Kate's favorite is blue!

This has been my day - babies hanging onto my legs and ketchup on the ceiling - what more can I say?:) Is it betime yet!

One little monkey swinging in a tree, teasing Mr. Alligator can't catch me...Along comes Mr. Alligator quiet as can be a...n..d... snaps that monkey right out of that tree:) Kira loves to climb the tree in the backyard. She is always up there trying to get higher and higher.

Today I had such a fun day. My wonderful friend Jodi and her kids came to visit and it was so fun catching up and seeing them all. What a sweetheart she is, talking, listening and bringing me candy orange slices - my favorite. Aren't friends great!

Dancing in the rain...I love a rainy day and it was fun to go out with the girls and their sun-brellas and dance around...it was also really nice to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication today...what a beautiful place and a fun thing to participate in.

The last couple of days have been great for blogging entries - a trip to the dentist where Kira DIDN'T scream or cry or run away, YEA! - a trip to the Hogle Zoo with all of the new babies around: the elephant, the giraffee, the snow leopard, and some monkey babies all of which were completley adorable, although my children were not with all of the whining... - and a trip to the Ogden Temple where the primary children in our ward got to touch the temple wall - so cute! But did I remember my camera for any of these fun things. Of course not. So you get a picture of Bryce hanging in the hammock with daddy. He is a total daddy's boy and they love to just "hang" out:)

We just watched Hannah Montana the Movie and I didn't think that I would like it, but it was really cute. Here is my new theme song - it's from the movie!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BWcCbQM5-4

Today is hot - the perfect day for a daddy, daughter date on the waterslide. Kate the daring, Dave the crazy and Kira the cautious! They had so so much fun going down the waterslide, just the three of them - no neighbors and no Bryce to get in the way:). Dave is such a great dad and his kids just love how much fun he is. Thanks to grandma Linda for the slide!

Today we had the chance to go down to Salt Lake to spend some time with Grandma Jane and go to Wheeler Farm. The kids had so much fun running around and seeing all of the animals. They especially loved the little playhouse, which always brings back fun memories of my own growing up years. Bryce loved all of the animals so much that with each one he threw the biggest tantrum when we would leave to see another one. What fun:) But really, it is always a lot of fun to get to go someplace you don't get to see much and we love the farm.

Enjoying a little bit of fruit with the kids from an anonymous neighbor! Yummy Yummy! It just showed up on our front porch yesterday, so thanks to whoever you are - we love a ripe, delicious canteloupe, and sharing it together even more. Happy Monday!

These flowers were given to me late last night, for our anniversary, which was 9 days ago:) We actually both forgot this year - oops! What a sweet hubby I have to finally remember! Happy Anniversary Babe. After 8 years we are both loosing our minds, but at least we're doing it together. I love you:)

I have decided to do a 365 day blogging challenge where I blog about something every day for one year. I'm sure most of the entries will be short and quick, but I think it will be fun to take more pictures and have a record of our entire year, day by day.

The very first one is of my sweet Bryce. He is 18 months on Monday and loves to be outside. He was out enjoying the grass when I snapped this one of him. One of my goals, spend more time outside with my kids enjoying the rest of the summer:)

"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our own wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

I don't know who said it, but I know it's true. Thanks for all of your encouragement.

the blahs

Okay, so i'm not just blah about blogging. I'm blah about life right now. I'm not going to go into any more detail than that because I am not ready to share, but I have found some things in the last few days that have strengthened me and my resolve to be better. I thought that I would share them with you. The first is a new website called (in)courage. http://www.incourage.me/ . It is a bunch a faith inspired women (not LDS) who live in courage and I have found strength in their messages. The next are three quotes that have inspired me.
#1
The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself. - Anna Quindlen


#2
Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. - Howard Thurman


#3
What is it that excites you, and gets you fired up in a positive way, and makes it impossible for you to sit still? Whatever it is fill your awareness with it. Bright, sparkling, delicious enthusiasm will get you going in a powerful, purposeful direction. Enthusiasm will keep you going strong even when nothing seems to be going your way. There's something, some goal, some dream, some intrinsic purpose that will put you in a state of irrepresible enthusiasm. Get busy, find it and connect with it because when you do your effectiveness will skyrocket. Let yourself dream your biggest, most wonderful and fulfilling dreams. Then reach in, grab the very esscense of those dreams and you'll have a handful of priceless enthusiasm. The best that you can imagine is already within you. So bring it to the surface and let it positivley infect your whole world. Find your own unique, joyful and powerful enthusiasm. And let it carry you to magnificent places. - Ralph Marston

24th of July

I have been kindof Blah on Blogging latley. Not really been taking many pictures either. I think I will take a little blogcation. But before I go, here are my pictures of the 24th of July. We slept over at grandma jane's the night before and got up early to go to the parade downtown. It was long and hot, but also lots of fun to be there with grandma, grandpa, amy and the cousins.
Here is Bryce with cookie on his face.

Here is Kate as her usual charming and happy self:)

And Kira, enjoying the whole thing, especially the princesses. Have a great rest of the summer.

Bear Lake Trip

Our annual trip to Bear Lake was interesting this year. Playing at the beach was very fun, but the water was COLD!!! The kids wouldn't even barley get in, except for Kira, and even she only stayed in for a few minutes. Here is our first few minutes at the beach:
Bryce wasn't quite sure of the water...

Kira was off and playing from the first second...

And Kate was her usual unadventurous self and just sat in the chair with a wierd look on her face, but to her credit it wasn't all her fault that she didn't want to get in the water...Kira had just yelled SHARK!!! and scared her to death:)

After a while the kids found a little pond that was warmed up by the sun and so they played in that for the rest of the day.

Kira found a CORONA bottle and that was what she collected sea shells in because mom forgot the plastic bags:)

Kate even got in the Shark infested waters:)
And Bryce loved to splash. All in all it was a fun trip even if we didn't stay the whole two days. Camping with a baby is not very fun:)