Big Kindergartner

It is hard for me to believe that Dawson is in Kindergarten. In some ways it seems like this day was never going to come and yet I still feel as if he is my little boy! He has been counting down the days since the beginning of August! I 'm not sure I have ever seen anyone so excited. I love that about him! He is a joy to have around and makes me laugh DAILY! He actually slept in today-woke up at 7:15, came in to my room and asked,(in a whisper if you can believe it)"Mom is it time for me to get in the shower for school?" Not only did I get to sleep in but I woke up with a smile on my face! First we had breakfast-waffles, surprise surprise! Then it was shower time, getting ready and of course picture time!!!!!



Showing off his Transformer backpackDawson and Addy, my school kiddos! She has been so excited for him.
Outside of Fiddlers
Dawson saw a friend-Hunter- on the way in! Nothing like a good buddy by your side on the 1st day!!!
Right outside his classroom! I think he is over the whole picture thing by now. I guess it is a no go for a picture with his teacher.

Hard at work!
So when I asked Dawson about his first day he said, "we had recess and ate grapes. Oh and I had to color the color of my skin." I prodded him a little more to which I got, "that's all" or an "I don't remember". So there ya have it, the highlights of a day in Kindergarten!

Back to School!

Yeah! It's back to school time and Addy is MORE than ready!


Can't believe that she is in 3rd grade already! She told me that morning, "Ya know Mom in 2 years I'll be in 5th grade." To which I replied, "NOOOOOOOOOO! I don't even want to think about that!"
The only bad thing about the first day of school is that poor Dawson didn't get to go! He doesn't start until the 31st. He is beyond excited. He had his Kindergarten assessment yesterday. As we got into the car he said, "I am so excited. I can't wait to go to school!" I loved it. He is so cute! I love that they are so ecstatic to be going back to school!
It is crazy to think that 2 of my kiddos are in school now. Life is a whirlwind and I want to enjoy every moment of it! So even though in 2 years Addy will be in 5th grade and Dawson in 2nd I am only thinking about right now and how much fun this stage is!

Grandma Ellen's 95 th

My Grandma turned 95 on August 6th! So we celebrated! She is healthy, active and amazing!


The decorations were so cute. My Aunt did an AMAZING job! Each table had a candy jar full of a different pre 1915 candy! My Aunt had hanging around the room 1915 events and info. So fun to read.


We had a table set up for everyone to write down memories or thoughts of Grandma. They are being typed and put into a book for Grandma!
Picture table
Table of my Grandma's interests and favorite things
Addy and some of her cousins were servers-so cute! They did a great job!

Mom and Dad with the Birthday girl
My family with Grandma, minus my brother and his family
My Aunt Sherry(Dad's Sis) and her family!

So glad my kids get to know and be around such and incredible lady! Words can't express how much I love her!
Daddy with his girls!
My sisters!
We had a great weekend celebrating my Grandma. So many people came. She has touched so many lives and is loved by everyone who knows her. I am so lucky to call her My GRANDMA!!!

Car Wash

Our neighbors Jon and Shannon were out washing their cars one day(during the swap) while the boys were riding their bikes. They came barreling through the door wanting to know if they could help wash the car. Sure! In the end the car was clean and the boys were drenched with huge smiles!

Cousin Swap

My sister Tina and I had a brilliant idea (or so we thought). We thought it would be fun to do a little kid swapping. I started off taking the girls, Addy and Hailey while Tina took the boys, Dawson and Braiden to her house. We arranged to swap the boys and girls the following Saturday and then when we met for Grandma Ellen's 95th birthday party the weekend after that we would get our own kids back.
It actually was a lot of fun, however we have learned that 2 weeks together is just WAY TO LONG! The fun wears off after about a week together and then it is just like siblings fighting! All in all the kids did have a blast and the switch up was refreshing, but next year(if we do it) we are doing a couple days and then switching so they are together a total of a week!
During the switch up we did lots of fun stuff. I took them both to the lake, movies, picnic at the park, went to the green show, had a McDonald's day-did that with just the boys-and there was a lot of water fun in our back yard with popsicles and snow cones!
I have so many fun memories of playing with my cousins in the summer and I hope this switcher roo is one my kids remember!

Swim Lessons

After we got back from our Salt Lake visit the kids started swim lesson. Dawson made huge improvements from last year! He actually looks like he is swimming! Addy, well I think this is her last year of swim lessons. She loves them but this year they were refining the different strokes, working on diving and teaching flip turns. Addy told me, "Mom I just went under water and pretended to do a flip turn and then just kept swimming." So I think her days of swim lessons are history, and it looks like no swim team in her future either!