september random

September:  one of my favorite months.  Here are a few reasons why:

What a beautiful wonderful surprise on fast Sunday in September when I opened my door to this glorious sight.  My 2 deacons.  Bryson's first day of fast offerings and Brandon's 2nd to last.  I loved that they went together.  I loved that Brandon was teaching him what to do.  I love that they get to be deacons together for 2 months.  I just love everything about them and this picture.  What a good day!

Labor Day in the park.  You gotta love the freedom and confidence to play football in a bathing suit!  Perfect weather, perfect park, perfect Monday.

Caveman Day at the elementary school.  Could they be any cuter?  Seriously!

Sunday dinner with my college freshman and her delightful roommates.  What a treat it was to have Kara home for dinner along with her new roommates Heidi, Vanessa and Krista.  We loved talking with them, getting to know them and laughing with them and warning them about Kara's quirks.  

They are a happy group.  It's going to be a fun year.

Bryson earning some scout award.  As I am typing this I don't even remember what it was, but I'm sure it was huge.  And I'm sure he worked hard.  And I'm sure I was proud.  Very very proud.

This is just precious.

(And girls, about that last part, sometimes I feel that way too!)

I began with the Priesthood and now I will end with the Priesthood.  Four out of my five boys before Priesthood session.  Bryson's very first.  I am thankful for these men in my life.  For their dedication and for the power that they honor and hold.
I am a lucky woman.

walking with pumpkins

On a cold October day we bundled up and headed over to the school for the annual Pumpkin Walk.

Ashlyn could hardly contain her excitment as this was the very first time she had a pumpkin to show us all.

A self- portrait, no less.

Ethan's M&M.  He choose blue.

Alyssa's dog.  She named  her Daisy.  

(Alyssa isn't in the picture because she was home sick.)

Bryson's alien.  I love this boy's creativity.

Some favorites this year: 

The minions.

The elephants.

And the cute frogs in the pond.

And that's all!

a day at the fair

Kara still hasn't forgiven me yet.  For not taking her to the fair this year.  She was at college.  And we were at the fair.  Of course we were at the fair. 

She was sad because we tried a few new things this year at the fair.  I actually shouldn't say "we".  I should say Trevor and Mark, who are known for being best buddies at the fair.  These best buddies tried a huge chicken/turkey/maybe ostrich leg.  All I can say is SICK!!  I couldn't even look at it little lone gnaw on it.

We also tried deep friend green jello.  Yep, we did.  It wasn't that great.  At least we could always fall back on the tried and true funnel cakes, fresh squeezed lemonade and hot buttered corn on the cob, which we did.  Of course we did.

 As always we ended our evening with a ride on the big yellow slide.

I'm sorry Kara, but it was a great night, once again, at your beloved fair.

Maybe next year.



a party for my 10 year oldl

10 friends.

10 games.

10 toppings at the ice cream bar.

10 reasons to come and celebrate at Alyssa's 10th birthday party!



10 toppings:  Hot fudge, nuts, coconut, cherries, sprinkles, butterfinger, caramel, M&M's, oreos and whip cream.  Yummo!

Game #1:  Pop the balloon to find out what the next game would be.

Game #2:  Cheeto toss.  Throw Cheetos at the poor girl with the shaving creamed shower cap on.  The team with the most Cheetos that stick wins.

Game #3:  Head Banz

Game #4:  Guess how many candies are in the candy jar.

Game #5:  Rollik (reverse charades)  Definitely a favorite.

Game #6:  Spray bottle squirt.  Pick a category (fruit, candy bars, colors) the one in the middle with the spray bottle thinks of a color and then asks everyone their color and if it is the same one she is thinking she sprays them and then they are it.

Game #7:  Licorice chew.  Who can eat it the fastest without hands.



Game #8:  Cotton ball scoop.  And old favorite from my childhood. 

Game #9:  Sticker Tag.  Each girl has a sheet of stickers and they all run around trying to stick them on each other.  The object of the game is to get rid of all of your stickers and avoid having a sticker stuck on you. 

And here is where my camera stopped working.  So, no pictures of Game #10:  Apples to Apples, no pictures of these cute girls eating their ginormous ice cream sundaes, no pictures of present opening, no more pictures period. 

I was sad x 10!

But, despite my broken camera, I had 10 happy friends and 1 very happy birthday girl.

And that's what really matters.



A perfect 10

Seriously, I cannot remember a more perfect day.  The weather was gorgeous.  It was so peaceful and calm and spiritual.  It was a Sunday.  It was the first day of September.

  It was the day my sweet Alyssa Jane was born.

When they placed her in my arms, my little girl, after 3 boys, I totally cried.  And I didn't stop crying for almost 3 days. 

 She was so sweet and so small and she was mine.

She doesn't make me cry anymore. 

 She makes me smile. 

 She makes me happy and we smile.

This year her birthday was on a Saturday and she requested toaster strudels and chocolate milk for breakfast.  And that's what she got.



It also just so happened that our Orthodontist was having his yearly party for all of his patients at the Scera pool that night.  Free pizza, free soda, free swimming and tons of prizes.  We were all over it.  It was great until the storm rolled in.  We watched the clouds come up over the horizon, they were black and thick and coming fast.  And when it hit, it really hit. 

We hurried home, showered up and then gathered in the family room to continue to celebrate our cute Alyssa. 

She is so good.  She was thrilled with all of her gifts, satisfied with her stormy day, content to be surrounded by her family and just happy to be 10 and to be having a birthday. 

The day she was born was a perfect day.  And now, 10 years later, every day since has been perfect with her in it.  I am so thankful for her.  She brightens my day, she lifts my spirits, she gives and she serves.  She truly is the perfect 10!

Happy Birthday Sweet girl!

May random, and lots of it

 

 

Now that the Kara show is almost over (that's what you get when your birthday is in the same month as your graduations) let's wrap up the wonderful, crazy, busy month of May.

 

 

Mother's day. 

I love my kids, I love being a mother, I love homemade gifts and I love my husband who made it all possible (and made me dinner).  He's a good egg.

 



 

Ethan's teacher, Mrs. Rasband, announced at their little singing performance that she was retiring.  I totally got all teary about it, probably because she was too.  She has been great and Ethan has had a fantastic year with her.  I am so thankful for the wonderful people who teach my children.

We have been very blessed with amazing teachers!

 

 

 

I somehow managed to squeeze in a birthday somewhere during the month.  I can't even remember how old I am.  I seriously don't have time to figure it out.

 

 

For both of our birthdays, Trevor surprised us with tickets to Man of La Mancha in SLC.  And even though we were on the very top row and Trevor's knees were up to his chin because there was ZERO leg room, we absolutely loved it.  And Kara and I have been belting out "The Impossible Dream" ever since.  I am so glad my girl and my man share my love of musicals....and of Don Quixote!



 

I have no idea.

I have weird kids.

And I have a messy house.

And my husband is reading the scriptures.

 



My baby doll graduated from pre school.  She adored her teachers Miss Lori and Miss Rachelle. 

And I kind of adored having some alone time for the first time in almost 18 years. 

 

 

Game night.  I probably won.  NOT!

 



 

On our first boating trip of the season we found a beaver dam.  A real live beaver dam.  We were all fascinated.  Some of my kids thought it was fake, like "made by humans" they said.  But Kara carefully pointed out the tracks and the little teeth marks all over the branches.  It was real alright.  And it was cool.

 

OK, so I guess the Kara show is not completely over yet.  Apparently, Kara had volunteered to make all of the cords for the Student Body Officers to wear on graduation.  So the day before graduation Kara spent nearly all day making these red and white cords.  Oh, people would pop in and out to help for a few minutes here and there, but she remained constant, working on them for hours.  Corray, actually helped the most.  Their technique:  put the cord between your toes to hold it steady so you could braid them without them untwisting.  Innovative and really kind of sick when you think about it.  But, when you have limited time and limited hands, you do what you got to do.

 

Hooray for May!
And Hooray that it's over!

 

 

 

 

glimpses....

 

...of a glorious graduation

 

(with very little commentary)

 

 

 

 

 

I do have to comment on this picture. 

 This captures the moment of Kara's big graduation blunder.  Instead of going to get her diploma and following the students ahead of her OR simply following the red carpet/bridge which clearly marks the correct path, she decided to head right up onto the stage.   No big deal. Only a few thousand people witnessed it.  

We caught it all on tape. 

 

I am still laughing about it. 

 

 

 

And I must comment on Silas's graduation lei's.  Really?!

Do you think you have enough?

There was gumballs and chips and candy and popcorn and...

 

....oh, hamburgers!  Yes, there were hamburgers!

 

 

 

 

 

A glorious day for our glorious girl!