Ella goes to 1st grade

This has been one of Ella's favorite spots this summer.  We got her a little book shelf at a garage sale for $.75 and loaded it up with all of her books and put it in her closet.  If you can't find her, generally she is hiding out in her closet reading.  She has become a great little reader.  I realized this past week we have seriously neglected every other area of learning this summer and focused on reading.  Maybe that's good.. maybe not. 

So last night we made sure everything was prepared for her first day of school.  She spruced up her folders with some stickers and was so pleased with the way they turned out.

Packed her new Hello Kitty backpack with all her supplies &

took a picture with the matching lunch box just for fun.

SO BIG!  It is seriously hard to believe I have a first grader!  Her school starts at 8am so she has to be ready to catch the bus by 7:30.  It's so early, but hopefully we will adjust.

I drove her to school so she didn't have to pack all of her school supplies. 

There were too many for her to carry anyway.

Her teacher is Mrs. Crow.  She is new to Discovery Elementary school and has been a teacher only 5 years.  We are crossing our fingers that she turns out to be great!   Ella knows a lot of the kids in her class, but for some reason she wanted to sit at the table all by herself rather than with the kids she knows.  She had no problems, Adios mom!!  Again, I walked out and cried.  I think 1st grade may be harder on me than Kindergarten.  It's been a long day waiting for 2:40 to roll around and hear about her day.  I just love this kid!

 

Just for kicks here was a list of her school supplies:

3 reams of copy paper (500 count)

1 back pack

1 4oz glue bottle

14 glue sticks

4 boxes of 24ct crayons

1 spiral notebook wide ruled

18 sharpened pencils

2 bottom pocket plastic folders

1 box washable markers in classic colors

4 dry erase markers - broad tip

1 school box

2 pink pearl erasers

1 box water colors

1 pair sharp pointed scissors

2 boxes (200 ct) Kleenex

2 packages self stick stickers for rewards

1 agenda planner - purchased at registration

My Garden

I always thought it would be fun to have a garden when I got all grown up.  We tried a garden for the past 2 years, but it has always been just ok.  This year has been different.  I can tell you why, it's the first summer we have lived here and I haven't been pregnant!  Low energy, hard to bend over and too hot outside!!  This year I have checked on the garden almost on a daily basis.  I roam through it (more like step, it's pretty little) and just delight in it's growth.  Sounds dumb I know.  My smart husband had an idea to lay weed barrier this year though too.  We laughed as we laid it down thinking we were the only people lazy enough to put weed barrier in the garden.  Since then we have heard of multiple other families that do it.  It cost like $10 with an Ace rebate to do our whole garden - well worth the time it has saved us.

Here is what I have been oogling:
Our radishes have come and gone, but were way hot so nobody really ate them.

Our corn which is now taller than me :)  Haven't got to pick any yet though.

Tomatoes which I am waiting to turn red.  I planted WAY too many too.

We had like 2 pea vines come up.  I'm not sad about it though.  I'd rather pay $1 for a bag of peas rather than spend HOURS podding all of those dang peas just to get that $1 worth.  Lazy huh?  Dustin likes to eat them fresh so we grow a few for him.

 

My first time growing zucchini.  It's been a blast!  I pull a zucchini off almost every other day and it makes me just grin!  I have been able to share lots, freeze lots and eat lots.  Couldn't be better.

I just picked my first cucumber yesterday, but there are MANY more blooms waiting to become delicious cucumbers.  Again, makes me so happy.

Carrots:  We planted just enough.  Every other year I planted way too many carrots or maybe that's the only thing that produced so I got sick of them?

I am growing onions too, not sure if they are going to produce.  They are still pretty small.  I need to research these a little better.  Maybe I am planting them too late.

Last but certainly not least, my favorite strawberry plants.  I only planted 2 little plants, but they have produced at least 15 berries.  I am going to save these little plants and plant more of them next year.  They really are so great and the bloom is so cute.

So that is that, our summer 2011 garden.  It's been so much fun for me, I think I will do it again next year as well as not be pregnant :)

Trouble and Trouble in training

Everybody told me when I had these two babies 18 months apart that they would be the greatest of friends.  So far Ella and Alissa have been the greatest of friends until this week I noticed a little bond growing between Alissa and Molly.  Molly is doing the same thing Alissa has done with Ella - keeping her eye close on every move she makes.  When I see them playing together I think:  Trouble and Trouble in training.  Their favorite thing to do it hover around the dang faucet outside and turn the water on.  If the hose is on they find the end to the hose and get things, including themselves all wet.  It buys me a few minutes of time so it's usually worth the clothes change to let them play for a few minutes.

Ella's getting ready to go back to school and the 2 of them get to play every day.  I'm happy for Alissa to step up to the biggest sister plate for a few hours of the day.  I think it will be really good and fun for her.  No doubt we will miss Ella though.

Odd as it may sound, I have been enjoying every minute of my babies getting older.  I've either been pregnant or with a new baby for the past 3 years that it's a relief to have Molly running around and feeding herself pretty well now.  There are no jokes about it, having kids is hard work!!  I don't know how some of those mommies do it and still stay so put together.  I am really so grateful to be a mom though.  It has taught me so many things I couldn't and wouldn't have learned any other way.  Love these kiddos!!

Here are some glimpses at Trouble in training...

Using the open dishwasher that mom got distracted from as a stool to get things off the countertop.

Playing crazy dress up with her sisters

After eating an ice cream cone she got to buy me some garage sale time in the car.

Climbing on top of the table... again.

Found somebody's bag of cheetos and was headed out the garage with them.  Obviously enjoying herself.

Oh boy, the fun has arrived!!

Happy Late 9 year Anniversary!

Dustin and I had our 9th wedding anniversary on the 9th of August.  My niece was staying with us so she watched the kids while we went to dinner at the Olive Garden.  We didn't exchange cards, gifts or anything of the sort.  It was pretty much the most uneventful anniversary that I remember thus far.  It was pretty sad..

So, I told Dustin I wanted to go to Lagoon with just him and I to celebrate for real.  It just seems like since we have had kids it's so easy to overlook our marriage and go with the flow.  So my parents agreed to watch the kids over night for us last weekend and we headed to Utah.  We had dinner at Wingers and checked into a really small, eerie feeling motel that I booked through priceline.com for $50.  Next time Dustin can book the motel cause I'm not so good at it. 

Saturday morning we were at Lagoon before the park opened and enjoyed running on and off the roller coasters with no more than a 5 minute wait.  It was awesome!  We went over to the cliffhanger ride and sat in the middle and when I could feel my seat was wet I realized we were about to get really wet.  I should have checked out the ride a little better before we went on it.  It was like a fire hose turned on us.  We were drenched head to toe, hair dripping.. the works!  I don't mind getting a little wet, but I hated being soaked at the beginning of the day like that.  It took forever to dry off.

In fact, we rode the gondola over to the other side of the park to buy us some drying time and then rode the Ferris wheel to wring out the socks.

Gross, I know.   But it was better than walking around in sloshy shoes.

Then we decided to race some go carts.  I was winning until my competition (some mad man) smacked my tail end and spun me around, so I came in last.  It's ok, I can handle it.

So by about 2:00 we decided Lagoon just wasn't as fun as we remembered as kids.  We had ridden almost all the rides, it was hot and the lines had gotten long so we decided to bring our kids one day and leave.  We went to the movies in Layton and ate some dinner at the Cracker Barrel and headed home.  Boy, we're getting old.

For old times' sake I thought I would post some of our old pictures.  This is the night we got engaged.  It was in May and we had walked around the river where he had proposed.  This picture is at my house where one of my parents took a picture.

This was our Senior Commencement, sharing a cheese stick.  C'mon we were only 18.

I have no idea where this is, but Dustin carved our names in a tree.

Hiking Lower Palisades with some friends the Edwards.

These 2 pictures we went out with our wedding announcements.  A friend, Rob Nielsen took them for us.

It's crazy how quickly time flies.  I am grateful that I picked Dustin for my eternal companion.  He is a good man.  I have learned to love him more this past year than ever before too.  We have both grown a lot, but I have seen a huge growth in him.  He has really stepped it up with his responsibilities as a father and a husband.  I know it's a blessing from his calling to serve our ward as the elders quorum president.  I am thankful to have him by my side forever and ever.  He gives me a lot of strength to do the things I need to do.         I love you Dustin!

LOVE THEM!

(I was playing boo with the girls while they were in the tub and they all 3 would growl at me when they would see me.  It's funny, they all learned that growling from their dad and uncles)

I just love these kids!  I could kiss their little faces all day long if they would let me.  This summer has been so insanely fun and busy that I haven't taken the time to write down some of their recent "stages".  So here is an update:

Ella - One of her favorite things to do is go in the closet next to her bookshelf and shut herself in there to read.  Most of the summer she refused to read out loud to me and recently she has given in and BLOWN me away with her ability to read.  She is amazing.. especially considering she is in 1st grade this year.  One of her favorite books to carry around and read from is Shel Silverstein "Where the Sidewalk Ends".  She can't read everything from the book, but most. 

Just a quick story I have been meaning to write down:  I got the EOB from the Insurance company for her tonsilectomy and made a comment that it costs lots of money to get your tonsils out.  Didn't dwell on it in the least, just made a small comment as I reviewed the paper.  She quickly replied, "Mom, I have $100 saved in my piggy bank.  I want to use it for getting my tonsils out."  I asked, "Wouldn't you like to use it on something like a scooter or something you could play with?"  She says, "No, I just want to pay for my tonsils so you and dad don't have to."  I was amazed.  She is such a sweetheart!  I probably should take her up on it to teach a principal, but I can't do it.  I just appreciated so much the gesture of this sweet kid.

She is getting really good at being independant.  She will get herself a drink or something to snack on most of the time now rather than asking me every time.  I guess she is learning from the expert in independance, Alissa.

Alissa is incredibly independant.  She loves to say, "I can do it myself!"  She gets herself dressed every day, brushes her own teeth, gets her own snacks, goes to the bathroom, etc..  She loves to do it herself.

She is pretty sassy, especially to Ella.  She will say, "I wasn't talking to you!  I am talking to mom."  I think it's hilarious.  Another thing she says that's funny is, "I've got fireworks in my pants" anytime she has the toots.  She's just like a big girl in a tiny body.  Sometimes I forget she is only 2.

She has learned all the basic colors (red, blue, green, yellow, pink, purple, brown, black, orange) and shapes (square, circle, triangle, heart, star).  She is such a smartie.  I need to be better about helping her learn more.  3 kids is no joke.. life is busy!!

Molly started walking about 3 weeks ago and cruises everywhere now.  She is so much happier in the last few weeks because she can follow the big girls around.  She climbs up and down the stairs, but I still leave the gate on so she doesn't fall.  She easily gets distracted.

She is starting to say a lot of words:  Peekaboo, Hi, Ella, Alissa, Mom, Dad, ah oh spaghettios, she barks for dog and knows to clap, wave, touch her nose and head

She loves to get into the drawer and cabinets and pull things out.  She opened a jar of peanut butter the other day and went to town on it.  She pulled a few Pyrex glass pans out and they shattered all over the floor.  She also thinks it's great to throw things over the stair gate and unwind the toilet paper roll.  Just like all the typical 1 year olds right?  It's a blast!

I just really can't imagine what I would do without these babies.  I love them so much more than I could have ever dreamed of.  They are my purpose right now and I just am so happy Heavenly Father allows me to be their mommy. 

Idaho Falls Chuckars

We got to go with my family to the Chuckars' Game again this summer and sit in the Texas Roadhouse Suite.  It's seriously the best way to go to the ball game with little kids.

You get to have AC, couches, food, drinks and less space to run around.  My girls loved having the Red Robin bird and Charley the Chuckar shake their hand.

Molly wasn't too sure about it.

Alissa got an autographed foot.

Baby Kourtney 

Heidi, Dad & I

Brothers:  Cody & Jeremy

Cute boyfriend 

Grandpa & Molly

Lissa giving Heidi big kisses 

WE ARE LOVING SUMMER!

David & Carol's 50th Wedding Anniversary

This weekend we had the opportunity to celebrate Dustin's parents 50th Wedding Anniversary.  It is an event that we have been planning over the last year.  Each family got their individual family picture taken over the last month to make a collage poster for them.  This is our family photo taken by my sister in law Cindy. 

So last weekend we had Dustin's brother Alan and family stay at our house and they were kind enough to leave their daughter April with me all week to help out with the anniversary preparations.  One of the many things she helped me with was drawing a cutting the family tree that we hung on the wall at the open house.

Alan & Pam's family came back Thursday and spent this past weekend with us.  They were all such great company I was sad to see them go.  (April with Molly)

Thursday night we had a "GIRLS NIGHT OUT" at Perkins where we made sure everybody was on the same page for Saturday and had fun giggling.

Friday I had a house FULL of people as we finished most of the preparations, had a few sibling fights and ate dinner at Papa Tom's.  Dustin and some of his brothers & nephews went to shoot guns and the mom's were busy doing other things so Uncle Devin stayed at my house and helped babysit.  I went through a loaf and half of bread, finished 2 peanut butter jars & started another one and 2 boxes of popcicles to feed all the kids we had at my house that day.  Whew.. it was exhausting!

Saturday morning we met at Freeman Park for pictures.  I snapped a few of my own.

"The Love Birds"

Ella with a few of the cousins closest to her age:  Chris, Jason, Ella, Jacob & Noah.  I made them say "Ella" to smile.  :)  It made them smile.  They love Ella.   These guys played in the sand while we were doing pictures.

I asked Dustin's brothers & brother in law to gather for a picture. 

They can't stand next to each other without rough housing. 

Here is how it ended.  With a fish hook.  Boone looks like he's thoroughly enjoying himself.

Pretty Ella. 

A few of Dustin's nephews: Adam, Bryan, Aaron, Josh 

More nephews: Christian, Mason & Tyler

Neice Ashley with her hubby Cory.  They celebrated 1 year anniversary this week.

Neices Anita & Kayla 

Sis in law Pam and April 

Nephews: Chris & Jason 

Brother Devin & wife Johnna 

We met at the church building to set up and prepare for dinner.  We served BBQ pork, rolls, salads, watermelon, chips and lots of cake and ice cream.  One of the gifts that was given to them was a box made by Devin with 2 of the crystals from the chandelier that was hanging in the Celestial Room of the Idaho Falls temple, a picture of them on their wedding day and of them in their temple whites this week.  It was a beautiful gift.

With help from others I made them a 160 page book full of memories gathered from each of their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, siblings, nieces and nephews and others.  It was loaded with pictures and fun stories.  It's priceless. 

One of my favorites is a story told by their 2nd youngest boy Boone.  He told a story of a fight he had with a boy in Jr. High.  He and the boy decided to finish it after school so his mom drove him to this boy's house and sat in the car while she watched her boy wrestle in the snow and get some bloody lips.  When he got in the car she asked, "Are you done or am I going to have to drive you somewhere else?"  I think this story is amazing.  I don't know if I could do that.. maybe that's why I got Braithwaite girls rather than boys??

Everybody comments on the amazing garden David & Carol have and the yummy raspberry jam that Carol makes us all each year.  Also the amazing talent David has at playing the piano.  He played by ear and does an amazing job.  They both always welcome you with open arms into their home and drop everything they were doing in order to give you their attention.

A story about Dustin's dad was shared by Dustin.  He told about how his dad let him do a paper route and would drive him around each Sunday morning through the snow.  They made some special memories and learned some life lessons through that paper route.

My sister in law Cindy scanned hundreds of photos and made a beautiful slide show for them.  It's an hour long and is going to be so great to watch over & over.

For another part of the program 2 of the grandaughters, Katie & Kara sang "Temple by the River"

A grandson played a song that he wrote.

And the entire crew sang:  Families can Be Together Forever.

They had a wedding cake and everything!!

They made sure to cut it and feed it to each other before leaving.

And even drove away in a decorated car.  I know it was an enjoyable night for the two of them.  What an accomplishment to be married for 50 years!!

We had so much food left over so we met up at the park the next day to eat again.

So great to have so many fun people to call our family.