Summer's End

 Summer is over, my friends.  My babies went back to school this morning.  I feel like we lived this summer to the fullest, and wish we could rewind and do it all again, it was so jam-packed with awesome.  Nick and I just got back from a cruise to Alaska, which was just amazing.  When you have a few hours come check back here for lots of photos.  Everyone loves a travel log, right?

But that's not what I'm writing about today.  Here are our last few days of summer:  

Maren got her ears pierced:

Despite the look on her face, she was so excited.  And brave, too.

Uncle Nate, we love you!  Thanks for celebrating your birthday with us!  And, I'm thinking he must love my kids too, because only love would possess one to read such incredibly bad literature as Barbie Rapunzel.

Summer corn from our garden:

 I think our Daiser has forgiven us for leaving her.  She seemed pretty confused when she saw me and for the first half hour or so she wouldn't look Nick or I in the eye.  She wants lots of Mommy, and that's ok with me.  I missed my babe.

 Is that not one of the most adorable little boys you've ever seen, like, EVER?

And now, the spotlight of the show:  BACK TO SCHOOL!

Our Missy Maren is starting First Grade!

Ellie Belle starts Third Grade!

Exciting day!

Happy #6

My Missy,


Happy Birthday!  Today you are six!  I can't believe how fast time flies.  We must be having lots of fun!  Dear girl, you are full of pizzazz.  Yep, you are.  You add a lot of fun to our home.  You are always cracking us up with your sense of humor.  You make awesome silly faces.  You tell amazing stories.  You can be so gentle with your siblings and you know when they just need a hug.  You are always quick to offer one.  Speaking of hugs, you are one amazing hugger.  You know how it's meant to be done.  We all love you to pieces, Maren.  I hope you have a day just as amazing as you are.

Love you lots and lots and lots,
Mom

  My sweet Maren, brand new.

Birthday Celebrations

 We've celebrated two birthdays in the last week.  Fun, fun!

First up, mine:

Oh, I'm spoiled.  Yup, those are Waffle Love waffles there.  So yummy.  The day before my birthday (we knew we wouldn't have much time on my actual birthday) the kids sang to me and then gave me presents that they had picked out on their own, which was fun.  I got blue nail polish from Ellie, mascara from Maren, a loofah from Everett (a loofah!  :), and Burt's Bees from Lu (she was the only one that had help).  Love it!

On my actual birthday Nick and I went to see Wicked for the first time.  

It met all my expectations.  So great!  And, aren't we cute?  The evidence is in our kids.  We sure make cute kids.  See:

And now I take a break from our birthday celebrations to show off this girl:

 That is one stylin' babe.

And, she loves her babies (and got her shots):

 Golly, that girl.  I love one year olds.  Love love love that age.  She's so stinkin' cute I can hardly stand it.

Ok, on to birthday celebration #2, our Maren is turning six!

 Nick and I will be somewhere in the ocean on her actual birthday (side note:  Aaaahh!  Leaving my kids for the first real time!  I'm so excited and so freaked out at the same time!!!), so we celebrated a week early.  We met family at a park, had a picnic, ate cupcakes (take note of the cupcake decorated as strawberries done by Daddy), opened presents, and then went swimming as a family.  By the way, my big girls are pretty independent in the water as long as it's not too deep.  Can we get a hip hip hurray!?  That makes such a huge difference in my life!

Maren gives the best expressions while opening presents:

Our girl loves Monster High and was thrilled to add to her collection.

What a fun day!  We love you, Missy Maren!

Family

 This is going to be a long post, so hold onto your seats, baby.  I really should do more, smaller posts, but this is what we got.  I'm rollin' with it.

Last week we took the family to the gardens.  We love it there.

This is real life around here, people, a lot of my day looks like this:

 She was throwing a fit because she wanted her photo taken and her siblings tried to sneak into her shot.  Seriously.

But look how sweet she can look:

 Jiminy Cricket.

Kids enjoying a hot summer day:

 Our Daiser.  She's a big kid now.  She loves to hold a popsicle and follow the kids around the backyard.  She doesn't even really eat it, she just holds it because that's what the other kids are doing.  She is so fun.

Oh, and look!  I have hydrangeas again!  This limelight is my all-time absolute favorite:

Ok, now on to Reunion.  My sister and I were in charge this year.  We booked our family up at the Heber Valley Camp, which is such a nice facility.  It was a spankin' good time.

First up, the Giant Swing:

My kids were loving it, and even went for a second round.

Look, ma!  No hands!

Daddy's turn:

Then we had dinner, some games, activities, and fireside: 

We were up (most of us) until the wee hours playing card games, laughing, and then staring at the bunk above us for hours on end.

In the morning, breakfast, and then a hike:

 We did take a brush in case you were wondering.  I don't know if it was actually used, but we took one.  :)

My sister brought birdhouse kits, which was a highlight for my kids:

Lunch and then the lake:

 Maren with another grumpy face.  :)  Life is hard when you are 5.96.

My cute parents who started it all:

Can I take a moment and tell you about my amazing family?  Of course I can because it's my blog!  :)  

My family is amazing!  I have such great parents who continue to teach, love, and lead by example.  I have such great siblings who continue to be a huge influence for good in my life.  I want to be just like them in so many ways.  And I have so many siblings that I have a lot of good to pick from!  I love that my kids are being raised around uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents that are good examples to them and expect the best of them.  Blessings, Blessings, Blessings!

Thanks for a good time, family!

By the Numbers

 Last Week:

1 Instacare visit

0 broken bones

Here's the story:  Ellie was sitting on the tongue of the fully loaded trailer, unwinding the jack.  The trailer fell when she had winded it to it's end and pinned her down by her ankles.  After pulling herself out, it was swelling, hurt to the touch, and she was having a hard time walking on it, so we had to get it checked out.  Nothing broken, just badly bruised.  We bandaged it and she's been hobbling around on it all week.  It's purple and still swollen a week later.

26 pints of apricot syrup:

9 kids at the Museum of Natural Curiosity

Only 1 got lost

4 dinner guests

1 gallon of butter pecan ice cream  

Have you had Nick's butter pecan?  It is to die for.  So good.

3 hours (at least) trying to convince girls to clean their room.

1 night at Grandpa's 

When I went to pick the girls up, they were watching a movie with a pack of Oreos on their lap.  

I think I know why they love being there so much.
Maren was especially upset that she had to come home with "mean mom".

2 hours of parade, last one of the summer for us!

The highlight was:

1 cute red-headed flag girl

1 buff cheerleader

? candy.  Too much, that's how much.

$100 (appr.) spent on back to school shopping. (Check!)

300?  shingles

1 finished shed roof

Hurrah!

19 more days until this one's 6th birthday:

 Shoosh, I have beautiful kids.

127 photos trying to get this one year old to look and smile:

Grandma made Daisy and her Raggedy Ann matching daisy dresses.

 That photo just makes me happy.  So cute.

 That one is my favorite.

 She has got to be the most adorable one year old ever (at least one of five).

0 mishaps playing with the camera settings while throwing a baby in the air:

28 cream puffs

5 happy and dirty kids asleep in the car on the way home from Grandma's house