Year Round

This year we started year round school at Eagle Bay.  There's been a lot of mixed feelings and worry about which track to choose, or what teacher to request or which friends to try and be with.  We ended up putting in a request for A track with a few friends and got it.  A track is a good track to be on because you still get some summer but it meant a teacher for Charlie that was known to be mean and he was quite upset about it at first.  His best friend was on that track though too so that was a plus.  By the time school started his friend ended up switching to B track, which left him the only boy on the street on A and only five boys total are even in his class.  We thought about trying to switch to B but decided to stick with A, it just felt like a better fit and no situation was going to be perfect.  Plus if we switched to B that would put Kenya on a track without very many friends so nothing was a win/win.  Charlie is a very adaptable child, and I hoped this would only do him good in the long run.  Now that we've been in school for a few weeks he's been doing well.  He told me the other day that he is "finally learning something." :)  His teacher is strict and he's gotten in trouble a couple times but his class is small and over all a good class (probably because of all those girls!) so it's worked out well so far.  It's so hard to know what to do as a mom in situations like that but I think it's important to help kids get through hard times and hard teachers and hopefully it will help them learn to deal with hard situations in their life.

Anyway, back to school...we started July 25th!  It was really weird and a little bit nice. :)

 3rd and 1st grade.

 Her little poses crack me up.

 Leila didn't want to miss out on the action.  Love that twisted tongue in her mouth. :)

 Charlie and his shoes.  Every year it's a battle.  I might win a prize for meanest mom this year.  In years past I've been pretty good at letting him pick.  I try to persuade but in the end I've bought what he wants.  This year I wanted him to have something other than black and/or red shoes.  I steered him toward this style which he liked but there were black and red ones that he wanted (of course) we battled about it for a good twenty minutes!  Mark showed up and when Charlie showed him the black ones he said "yeah, those are cool."  Which didn't help my cause.  Then he really wanted them.  A lot of times the more stubborn he gets the more stubborn I get.  I ended up telling him he'd have to pay for half of the black and red ones if he wanted them or I would pay for these ones.  Even that took a little convincing!  He walked to the cash register with tears in his eyes, I started feeling bad.  This was suppose to be a fun experience for him!  I told him that and he assured me that he did like these ones too.  The next morning when he put them on he was pretty excited about them and got a lot of compliments on them.  He's taken really good care of them too so far.  

Kenya on the other hand walked down the isle with me, I said how about these?  She tried them on and said "okay!"  

That was easy.

 The new back packs and shoes.  

Avery, Kenya, Kenzie, Malea

A handful of her friends in her class this year.  She has a giant class though, 31 kids!  I can't believe she's in first grade!  It was bittersweet for me but she was excited and hasn't struggled at all with being there the whole day, she loves it.   I went home and enjoyed having just two little ones to take care of.  Leila and I even went to the pool that week.  It was quite nice. :)

July Day to Days

Oh this little babe has me.  I love how she was holding on to me so tight here.  She's starting to get big enough to not be as snuggly, she's usually lifting her head up and looking around so I take every moment I can.

This boy is one determined kid.  At the start of the summer he said "I'm going to learn how to do a back flip on the tramp!"  I tried to spot him and his friend but he was no where near knowing or being able to do it.  I gave him a couple pointers (which he doesn't listen to from me) and didn't think much of it.  He did learn how to do a barani flip which is a front flip with a 180 twist (I didn't know this is what it was called.) Anyway, he would have us spot him or one of his aunts work with him hear and there and about a month later this kid was doing back flips on the tramp all on his own and he can pretty much do it on the ground too.  He needs a little spot to completely land on his feet.  After he learned on the tramp he wanted to do it off the diving board but was too scared.  When we were at a friends pool I spotted him once and then he was good.  He's doing them off the high dive at the Farmington Pool now.  So determined, gets it from his dad for sure.  I was really proud of him. 

 A spot outside.

Cami and her girls doing their back handsprings.  She still has it, I would break something if I tried that on the ground by myself these days.

More cuddles 

I've kept my kids around when I've had clients this summer.  For the most part it's worked out pretty well. They probably watch a little too much TV on those days but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.   Kenya is a good helper.  Charlie is usually off playing with friends outside.  

 I did teach Charlie how to make scrambled eggs and quesadillas by himself and that has been a big help!  He loves doing it, Mr. Independent.  I think Kenya is making some toast there in the background.  :)

Kenya is my little artist and is constantly drawing pictures for me or Mark and lots of other people.  She drew this for Leila for her birthday.  It says "Dear Leila, you are cute.  Happy Birthday, From Kenya"  then "Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty and Leila."  Love it.  Love the circles on the princesses chests. :) 

It was time to restock my bow inventory with three girls now.

This little pouty face shows up quite a bit.  It sometimes allows her to do stuff that I normally wouldn't allow.  She's good at it.

 First time watching a Baby Einstein.  She loved it.

Our easy going summer mornings usually consist of me feeding the baby while Leila climbs all over me or all over anything that's in sight of me.  

Charlie's back flip off the high dive.  We've loved going to the pool this summer!

Jackson Hole, Yellowstone and Island Park

We planned a last minute trip up to Island Park with our friends the Nixon's.  They headed up to their cabin a few days before we left so we met them for a couple days in Jackson Hole before we headed to Island Park.  I've never spent anytime in the Teton National Park, just driven through really so it was fun to see some of it.  We just got a taste for it but we loved it.  We started off with a hike to Phelps Lake, a definite highlight of the trip.  It was a perfect little hike with the kids, a mile or so, and there was hardly anyone on the trail.  The lake was so beautiful and nobody was there while we were there.  The kids changed into their swimsuits and slowly got in the freezing lake.  

Maybe not everyone made it into their swim suit first. :)

These deer were right by us and eventually decided to cross the lake.  It was so quiet and peaceful there.  Loved it.

Love the scenery!

Little Mermaids

Mark was really busy with work when we left for this trip and had to be on his phone quite a bit the first couple days but we were glad he could at least be there.  Telecommuting, a blessing and a curse!

Warming themselves on the rocks.

A whole bunch of buffalo with the Tetons in the background.

handsome husband.

I wish the lighting was better for these pictures but it was behind us and bright so we did our best. :)  So  so pretty!

 That was day one.  We decided to camp since it went so smoothly in Lava Hot Springs so we grabbed some dinner and headed back to our site.  The Nixons stayed at a motel.  We were really happy with our campsite at the KOA.  It was right next to a little creek that ran into the Snake River.  It was definitely a lot of work for one night but the night went smoothly.  I did make Mark buy us a new tent which was huge but the kids thought it was great.  Mark was less than thrilled to set it up and take it down for one night. :)  What can I say, we have a big family now!

 Cora slept snug as a bug in a rug, didn't wake up all night.  Leila wouldn't stay in her sleeping bag and kept tossing and turning because she was cold so Mark stuck her in his at one point and then she slept great.  

We went to Jenny Lake the next day and took the boat across the Lake to do a hike to Hidden Falls.

After Jenny Lake we drove through Yellowstone to get to Island Park.  We stopped at Old Faithful and then headed to the Nixon's cabin. 

Leila really wanted me to take her picture in front of this bear at the Old Faithful Lodge.  Then of course Kenya did too.

The next day we took it pretty easy which was nice.  We took the canoes down the river and went fishing.  Shea was sweet to keep Cora so I could go too.  Charlie and Mark got a few little fish as we went down the river.  We saw a mamma moose with her baby on the side of the river.  It was so pretty. The girls did pretty good in the canoe, other than Kenya and Charlie fighting over who had the most of the seat they were sharing.  :)

Saturday was Mark's birthday.  We decided to go swim at Fire hole in Yellowstone.  Nate's grandma who had just arrived the night before ended up being sick so they had to stay back and take her in to the hospital to get her checked out.  The plan was to meet at Fire hole so in the mean time we headed into the park and did some sight seeing.  

The Nixon's never made it, they ended up having to take her into a hospital at Rexburg. :(  She ended up checking out fine thankfully.  We spent the afternoon at Fire hole swimming and floating down the canyon waters.  The kids had fun.

Kenya and I decided to float down towards this little fall, we got a little too close and it swept me away pretty quick!  It scared Kenya pretty bad.  Luckily there was a lady there who was able to hold onto her while I went down the little rapid.

We stopped for dinner in West then headed back to the cabin for some cake and ice cream for Mark's birthday.  34!

The boys really wanted to cook their fish and eat it.  Nate's cute grandpa is the pro so he showed them how to do it.  They all ate it and loved it.

We headed back home the next day, Sunday.  It was such a great trip!  Fun memories for us and our kids.  Thank you Nixons!