Boo! I'm gonna scare you!

SO yup, here it comes.  The Halloween post!

I was a total slacker mom this year and totally fine with it.  We did very simple costumes and no crazy hair or make up.  What a relief.

So here they are.

Cole was nerdy scientist.   But she can't fool me, she is still dang cute!

Ryan was a snow tiger (again)

Samurai Jon......for the 4 th year in a row.

Ally was a witch with green hair....I think the wig is bigger than she is.

D.J. was a hippie.

So today I will be grateful for Halloween fun and be grateful that it is now over!!!!

Not much and enjoying the status quo

So I have not blogged a lot lately because not too much is happening.  It is wonderful.  Everyone is settling in to the back to school routines, and there is something so beautifully normal about life feeling normal.

So today I will be grateful for the beauty of a normal and uneventful day.

One smart chick!

So last week Nicole gets in the car and says, mom, I got pulled out of class today."  What?  My cutie girl got pulled out of class?  What in the world could she have done to warrant that?  Well, it turns out the middle school pulled out all the kids with a very high GPA and asked them to apply to be part of the National Junior Honors Society.  Nicole definitely qualifies for that! 
So ahe applied, went in for an interview and found out today that she was accepted!  Way to go smarty pants!  We have no idea what this really means because obviously David and I were never asked to be part of this group.  But she is very excited and we are very happy for her.  She said it is goig to look great on her college applications (*hello - she is only in grade 9 and has her whole academic future planned out).  I did not even know what I wanted to be when I grew up when I was her age - which was only yesterday - I swear!
She is all ready planning for a cholarship and plans to go to USU and become an aerospace engineer.  I don't  think I even knew what an aerospace engineer was when I was her age (no, really, that was just yesterday!)
We are excited for her and for this opportunity.

So today I will be grateful for a sweet daughter who works so hard and is finally getting some recognition for it!

The road goes ever on and on

life continues here at a crazy pace.   Last Friday my baby sister Jen had a baby!  Finally a little girl.  Audrey Renee Jennings is cute as button.   And I totally get to be the favorite Aunt.



I have only been able to see her twice because I have been sick as a dog this week.  cough, fever, headache, runny nose.......it has been an awful week.  Thank goodness for Nyquil.

Will I ever learn or Will they ever make sunscreen strong enough for a redhead?

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.............

After a day in the sun wearing this.....

I end up getting a sunburn like this.  UGH!!!!

Yes, I was wearing sunscreen and yes, I did re-apply

This will hurt in the morning.....

So today I will be grateful for sunscreen because that crazy burn would have been so much WORSE without it!

Diary of a weekend away.

Dear Diary...... just kidding. 

This weekend was awesome!  We went on a family trip to our favorite little hot spring in southern Idaho.  Maple Grove is a beautiful place for some time away from reality. 

We had a three car caravan drive up Friday night.  Our family went, my mother went, and David's parents came along as well. 

We managed to set up a tent, the trailer and get dinner on and swim for a while.  We managed to have everyone in bed by midnight though.

Saturday was beyond busy.  David and I got up before everyone and snuck in some time in the hot tubs before we woke the kids.  Perfect way to start the day.

We had a quick breakfast and headed out to Logan to a Celtic Festival. 

We had fun at the festival.  It was hard to sing because of the wind!  Wow!  The wind was painfully strong and I think we ended up with windburns and sunburns.  If you look at some of these photos, you may get a sense of how bad it was.

Good thing I wore the long skirt......

The kids snuck in some fun between shows.  We walked around the festival and they had some fun activities for the kids.  Two of my boys fought a knight, and three of my kiddos got to ride a pony.

watch out Ryan!!!!

This video is extremely quick because Jon defeated his opponent so quickly!

It took Ryan a lot longer.  The man he was fighting with was such a great sport!

+

Ally, Jon, and Ryan going in circles.....

Here are some more pics from the Festival:

After the Festival we went here for a late lunch/early dinner:

Anyone who knows us well, knows exactly what David ordered.

That's right,

Tiny Spicy Chicken......

Totally worth the drive up to Logan!

We spent the rest of Saturday playing in the pool.

You can see how sunny it was.  Check out that sunburn!

Here is one more video of Ryan teaching himself to swim.  He uses the noodles, plugs his nose, dunk his head, and then kicks his feet.  It ends up looking like a turtle running under water.  He wore himself out doing this.

We packed up Sunday morning after a very hearty pancake and bacon breakfast.

We broke down the tent and found this:

Can you see what they are looking at?

Here is a close up:

Yes, that is a snake!!!!!  It was under the tent.

It probably slithered under there to get warm.

and yes, it is dead.

It was a tiny little thing.  Those are Ally and Ryan's hands next to it.

Ryan said the snake had a happy face.

Well, maybe we would have a happy face if we pass all warm and cozy?  LOL!

Ally liked it's blue eyes.

It was a fast but fun weekend.  Can't wait to do it again.

So today I will be grateful for family, fun, and weekend getaways! 

 And grateful that I can sleep in my own bed tonight!

One Week

We are down to one week left until school starts for my kiddos again! 
Can you hear the Hallelujah Chorus?  I can....
I love the lazier pace of summer, no homework for the kids, hanging out, staying up late, etc....
But this summer has been so very busy and I am looking forward to the forced routine of school.
Maybe I will even have time to blog a little more often.
I am excited about my kids teachers so I am pretty sure they are in for a great year.
Cole starts early morning seminary this year and D.J. starts middle school.

WHAT??????  How in the heck did I get old enough to have two kids in middle school?

You know what they say about time flying..........



Where is the pause button?  I am not ready yet.



So today I will be grateful for end of summer, cooler days, and the structure we gain from another school year.