New photos...

I'm so excited.  We had my cousin's friend take photos of us in Utah and the CD with the photos came today.  Take a look.

 

What a day!

The girls walked home from school their first day of school.  The kids and I were picking weeds outside as we waited for them.  Aubrie ran the last bit to get home to us.  She was very excited and told me all about her day.

   

Keeley, on the other hand, had a hard day.  She was exhausted from lack of sleep and the adrenaline surges all day.  She crashed onto the lawn and dragged herself over to us.  She told us how bad the day was and that she felt yucky all day.  Poor girl. 

Every day on the first day of school we make a bus cake.  A tradition passed on to us from Matt's sister Suzie.  Thanks Suzie!  The kids are always so excited to see what the bus looks like every year.  This year Aubrie requested a flat front bus, "Because, you know mom, busses these days are flat on the front."  Keeley was so exhausted that she wouldn't even smile for the 'bus cake pictures'. 

Henry's first day...

Today he's off to school. He has been asking me for three months "How many days until school starts."

He woke up at 6:15 this morning got dressed in his new clothes and shoes. He was so excited to put on his new underwear after his bath last night. He assisted me in making lunches. He ate toast, raisin bran and breakfast cake for breakfast. I guess he wanted to make sure that he wouldn't starve.

He wanted to ride the bus with the girls for his first day. So he had to wear his bus tag.

Here he is at school.

We could hardly get him to slow down and wait for us.

Here he is at his table. Ready to get started.

Now I just hope that I'm ready for him to be gone all day...

off to school we go...

Today is the girl's first day of school. What a doozy. Keeley was so excited she made herself sick. She also didn't sleep well last night making a great combo. Aubrie wanted to know if she looked more grown up. She does. Here's a candid look at this morning.

Kind of cold today... it may rain.

Yes, a fight on the front porch is a necessity of every first day of school.

Aubrie is so excited for fifth grade!
Happy Day!
Freezing and so happy. My favorites this morning.
Aubrie's first day of school with her new contacts in too.
This is how Keeley wants her kids to remember her. Silly girl.

No more paci...

Only my girls have LOVED a paci. Normally at a year I take it away, but we were at family reunions and traveling all summer, so Andee got to have hers for a few weeks longer. In Utah she was never far from a paci.

The normal procedure is to clip off the nipples and string them on a ribbon. If a paci is requested after that you hand the child the string of dead pacis.
Andee's first exploration of the new paci string.
What is going on here?
"HEY!!!"
"I'm not happy about this mom."Messy face girl now happy standing on the 'tall' stool in the kitchen.

Don't look at my dirty dishes in the sink...

Few more days...

Here are some of the fun things we've done this summer...

First tooth for Andee. Face painting on the arm at the stake fair.Silver Wood during the family reunion.

Fun ride for the boys at Silver Wood.
Bumper boats for the boys at Silver Wood.
Panic Plunge for Matt.
Fun pinatas at family reunion.
Birthday party at home.

Birthday cupcakes in Bandon.

Walks on the beach in Bandon.
Fun at the park. No one threw up this year after the merry-go-round in Bandon city park.
Fun at the Seven Devils beach.
Tadpoles turning into frogs and released into the wild.

We miss CJ and hope he is catching lots of bugs.
Hiking trip for Matt.

Sleepovers with the Knowltons on our way to Bandon.
Aubrie and Emily walking on the beach in Bandon.
Building forts on the beach each night in Bandon.
Keeley and Emily in the fort they made.
Henry got stitches after the 'sword incident'.

Keeley got sick in Utah and spent several days at home while everyone else played.
Sleepovers in Utah. Jesse was always the last one up.
Jet Star at Lagoon Aubrie's on this one.
Henry and Deidre on the Puff the Dragon roller coaster.
Grandma read many many books to us.

Playing with best friends before they moved away.

Henry still asks if Dale can come over to play.

Making bracelets with Lynae before she moved. We miss you.
Summer parties on the last day of school.
Water fights with grandpa while everyone else swims.
Father and sons camp out. Fishing trips for Matt.
Learning to walk.
Camping and fishing with cousins.
Water fights.
We have had lots of fun, but my kids are so antsy for school to begin and frankly so am I. I remember my mom stating that she couldn't wait until we were back in school. I was never quite sure what she meant. Weren't we always a joy to be around - 5 kids 7 years apart- hmmm? I have more understanding now.

We have had a busy summer. It seems like we've been going non stop. It will be nice to get back to a regular scheduled day and have some time to work on my kitchen project.