Allie's 4th Birthday & 1st Day of School

Our baby girl is four years old.  I can't believe it.  She was lucky enough to start her first day of preschool on her birthday.
She was very excited to go back to school.  She is now the big kid in her class and did such a good job going in and knowing exactly what to do.
She got to take Ring Pops for all her class mates for her birthday treat.  I had to go to a funeral that started when she got out of school so Margie picked her up from preschool and took her out to lunch for her birthday.  She got to go to McDonald's and get a Happy Meal.  She was very happy about that. 
I picked her up after the funeral and we had a great rest of the day.  She had a great day and says it's great to be four.  She is getting so big and starting to do more by her self.  We love her so much and are so glad to have her in our family.

Allie's Friend Birthday Party - Part 2: Presents & Cake

Allie's Friend Birthday - Part 1: Activites

Allie started talking about having a birthday party with friends a few weeks before her birthday.  She was very specific on what she wanted to get for her birthday...a tent and real nail polish.  She is so funny.
So I decided that I would do a friend birthday for each of my kids this upcoming year.  So I invited all the kids from her primary class to come over for a party.

Only three kids were able to come but we had fun with those kids.  One of the boys, Knox, didn't want to do any of the activities that I had planned.  He just wanted to play with the toys downstairs.  That was fine with me as long as long as he was happy.
I bought some crowns for all the kids and then I had them decorate them with stickers and markers.  The girls seemed to like it (and Josh).

After they played for a little while with their crowns we went on to our next activity.  I gave the kids animal crackers and vanilla frosting and then they made an animal farm with a bunch of different candies in the frosting.
The kids all loved doing that (even my big boys), except Knox again.  He watched.  I am pretty sure Megan just put as much candy on her plate that she could.  She loves her treats.  It was fun to see the creativity in each of the kids and how they chose to make their farms.

After all the kids were done with their farms they decided that it was time to open presents.  Allie loved this part.  She got some super fun things from her friends and she loved them.  After all was opened it was then time to eat small cupcakes and ice cream.
Allie asked for everything to be small.  So we did small cupcakes and then each of the candies were miniature like M&M's, Swedish Fish, Star Burst, etc.  I thought it was fun and cute.

The parents then came and picked up their kids and the party was over.  Allie had a great time and was happy with her friend birthday.
She was sad that she didn't get a tent or real nail polish but I do know that Margie got her a play tent and I will make sure that she gets real nail polish by her actual birthday.

I wasn't sure what to do at first with a bunch of four year olds, but I think it turned out pretty good.  I need to not let myself get over stressed about these things.  I never know what to do so then I just don't do anything.  I don't want to be like that all the time.  I want my kids to remember having fun parties.  Sometimes I let my anxieties or concerns stop me from doing things and I am trying to be better and do more.  I think I am doing better.

First Day of School

School has started once again.  They were all excited (Tyler especially) to go back to school.
Allie spent the night at Margie's house the night before so that she didn't have to go to Back to School Morning with us and because she doesn't start preschool for another week.
Tony and I walked the kids to school.  Josh didn't realize how nervous he was until we got to the school and then he started to cry.  It was heartbreaking.  He took some deep breathes and then pulled himself together.
Tony and I took the kids to their class rooms and then we went to the cafeteria to hear a presentation from the principal.  After he was done we then went to each of the kids class rooms to meet the teachers and hear their spill.  We went to Megan's class first, then Josh, then Tyler.
I think that they are all going to have a great school year and really like their teachers.  After we saw all the teachers Tony and I went out to breakfast before picking up Allie from Margie's house.
Allie had a great time at Grandma's house and we enjoyed spending a few hours with just Allie while the other kids were all at school.
The kids said that they all had a great first day of school and were excited for the school year.  Megan asked if she could take a relaxing bath to help with her stress.  It was pretty funny.  She did take a bath and had a relaxing night.  Yah for school!

New School Year Blessings

It is that time of year again to give the kids blessings before the new school year starts.
It is such a special thing for me as a mom and wife to watch her husband give her kids a blessing.  He always does such a great job and the kids really seem to enjoy getting their father blessings.
It didn't take long for Tyler to get all weepy during the blessings.  He is so sensitive to the spirit and really takes things deeply.
I am thankful to Tony and his priesthood.  He is so willing to help others with blessings and takes it pretty seriously.  We are so lucky to have him in our lives.  It is going to be another great school year.

End of Summer Dinner Out

We thought it would be a good idea to go out to dinner to celebrate the last day of summer vacation.  We went to Texas Roadhouse, of course, and it was delicious.  We love our steaks and ribs.  We have expensive taste.  Good thing Texas Roadhouse is a good value.  We can't believe that summer is already coming to an end and school is about to start. It was a great summer and we all had a great time!

Oregon 2018 - Day 10 & 11: Bend to Boise to Home

We got up and had some breakfast Sunday morning before we backed up the car and headed to Boise. 
The drive to Boise was nice and smooth.  Once we got into town we checked into our hotel and got unpacked before heading to my cousin, Mandy's house.  Her sisters, Rachel and Heather came over with their families and we had a really nice dinner together.  I love spending time with family!
After dinner we went back to our hotel for a good nights rest before finishing our trip the next day.
We drove from Boise to home without any problems.  We were all happy to be home and to see Koda.  It was a great trip (as always) and we loved all the family time we got to have with each other.

Oregon 2018 - Day 9: Eye Checks, Cousins, & Dinner

Nate was so good to check all the kids eyes.  He said that they all look really good and doesn't have any concerns for them.
Nate even checked Tony's eyes and said that they look really good too.
After the eye exams we went to Nate and Amy's house.  After the kids played for a while we then went out to dinner to a yummy BBQ joint.  They had a nice big table for all of us and the food was pretty good and the company even better.  It is so much fun trying new things and going new places with our family that we love so much!

Oregon 2018 - Day 8: Bastendorf Beach & Last Bon Fire

Oregon 2018 - Day 8: Cape Argo

After walking around the seafood festival we all went up to Cape Argo.  It was another beautiful day.  It was so clear and beautiful up there.  We could hear the seals yelping and saw a couple whales out in the distance blowing water out their blow holes.  Always an amazing site to see.  We all enjoyed walking around Cape Argo and loved the sunshine.