Finally, a little free time...

Summer went by faster than it ever has. The kids were swamped, as were Rick and I. There wasn't a second to blog or work on my Project 365.

The kids have finally all started school... Janessa & Andrew started last Thursday and Harrison & Nathan started today. Although I don't love being all alone during the day, I have to admit that the peace and quiet is nice for a change. I have a million things to get caught up on (the majority of it being housework and laundry), but I'm hoping blogging can be a top priority. Today is a new day and to celebrate I am posting the "Back to School" photos.

At American Heritage, the kids all gather around the front of the school on the first day for a flag ceremony. The flag is raised, the kids all sing the Star Spangled Banner and a cannon (that belongs to Harrison's new teacher, Mr. Cornell) is shot off at the end. It is a fun tradition that I have loved attending for years.

Darling kittens need a home...

Nathan's kitten Sally had a batch of kittens almost 8 weeks ago. We were planning on having her "fixed" right away, but Nathan (and the other kids) begged and begged to let her have just one batch of kittens. Having grown up with baby animals, I think it's a very wonderful experience to enjoy. So, we said "yes" to the begging, crying kids... with ONE CONDITION. They could NOT keep any of the kittens and could NOT cry about giving them away. It is a very hard thing to do, but the kittens are now litter box trained, eating dry cat food, used to the great outdoors and ready for good homes. They have been loved and cared for 24/7 by Sally and a lot of help from the kids. They are playful, cuddly, and really adorable. These pictures don't even do them justice... so come by and see them in person and you will be hooked!

Happy 50th Birthday Karen...

I know that I am VERY behind on blogging (thanks for the reminder that it is no longer Mother's Day, Kenny)... However, this is a very important occasion today that I can't let slip by. It is my amazing sister Karen's 50th birthday today! So, before I go to sleep tonight and hopefully as she is waking up in Italy in a few minutes, I want to wish her the happiest birthday yet.

Karen is an amazing sister and I don't know what I would do without her in my life (I am SO glad that she has less than a year left of her mission in Italy, I miss her like crazy!). Here are a few fun photos I took of her on my trip to visit her in last year. And, as her birthday present, I'm only posting the ones she would approve of (which there aren't very many of those)...



(She might not approve of this one for certain reasons, but I don't think anyone will notice and she looks super cute with her sister missionaries.)

Mother's Day...

We had dinner at Rick's Mom's house for Mother's Day. Since most of the family was there (Bruce was travelling for work), Jane wanted to take a couple of pictures. It was interesting, trying to set up the camera and then run back into place, hoping all the kids remained looking at the lens. I was shocked to see that one of the three attempts actually looked perfect. Every child is looking at the camera, holding still and smiling. It must have been fate... a Mother's Day gift for Baba!

The picture with all the kids wasn't as perfect, but cute. Those kids sure have a lot of wiggles.

Jane even got to wear a crown (until the little girls stole it). It was a perfect Mother's Day for all of us.

Hiking the 'Y'...

We hiked the 'Y' on Saturday. We have been trying to get in as many hikes as possible on Mondays and Saturdays, in preparation for Trek at the end of June. We want to be in shape to make it to the end, pulling those hand-carts! I had never hiked the 'Y', neither had most of the kids. Rick used to hike it all the time while at BYU and he took the Young Men and Andrew once. It was a great hike, very steep, but really fun. The kids loved seeing it close up, especially Nathan. We all loved the view from the top. There were even two parachutes that took off from above the 'Y'. It was fun to sit and watch them. After our hike, we rewarded ourselves at our favorite hot dog stand, J-Dawgs.