Friday night with Friends

We went up to Ryan and Shelly's family's place ( a big huge lot with all kinds of stuff to do) on the mountains above mapleton (I should know what the name of that mtn. is, but it eludes me right now). We had so much fun! Lezlie and Merlin brought their family's ranger (like a mini-jeep/4 wheeler) and Todd and Amy brought up some 4 wheelers. We played on the toys, the zip-line, had yummy food (hamburgers from Lezlie and Merlin, Hot dogs from Amy and Aaron-80 of them!!!!, and chips and drinks from the Haslems. Cam and I made cobler in the dutch ovens and then we roasted marshmallows and made smores! There were stories 'round the camp fire and lots of laughs! Thanks so much everyone for the great memories! We are so grateful for the area and the ward that we live in!
We got to take off for a while and followed the little ones in the ranger. There were amazing views from this mountain once you got up a bit higher!
Here comes trouble. Three of the four littlest ones there were in the 4x4 with Eva driving! Jaynee decided to hop in the back. Good thing their wheels just spun on the ground and they really couldn't go anywhere, or we would have had three little daredevils cruisin around the mountain.
Eva, Jaynee and Isabelle lovin' their big girl jeep!
Kaylee and Jesslyn thinking they were going to drive the ranger. This thing is so cool.
Emmie eating her favorites-Hotdogs, chips and soda. She is in heaven-sitting next to Marin.
The kids in the back of the ranger before Merlin took them on a ride.
Jaynee making the treak up to the zip-line. She got about 10 feet up and starting crying-it was steep and so Scawey!
The treacherous climb to the zip-line (there was a much easier way, but this was how the boys go the zip-line rope up to the top each time.)
This is a picture of Kaylee and Jesslyn on the zip-line. Not such a good picture to show how funny Kaylee's face was, but this shows how high up it was.
Aaron the "jungle cat" in his "jungle element". Aaron was the one at the top to take the zip-line further up the hill to the starting spot.
This was Emmie and I. She was a peice of tape the first time we went down, but the next two times she watched it all.
Here is a few of them climbing the woodsy hill up to the top-it was really steep. The next day Kailey and Jesslyn told me their legs were sore from climbing the hill. It was a pretty fun hike.
This was Emmies third or maybe 10th can-I don't know, I lost count!!! Such a little junk food junkie!
Shelly chasing Eva. Look how scared Eva looks!
Emmie listening closely to Ryan's "Mountain Pervert" story. Don't worry, that's just what its called-there really is no mountain pervert involved-just a great BIG BEAR!
Kind of blurry, but this was about 1/3 of the kids-we counted and there were a total of 20 kids-we are pretty lucky we didn't have to go looking for any of them, although Eva was on her way up to the zip-line while we were all around the camp fire, while it was pitch dark. I swear that girl has NO FEAR! Good luck Amy and Aaron!

Kaylee listening to one of Ryan or Aaron's stories. Lots of Laughs!
Two peas in a pod. So cute.
This is what Jaynee did while everyone talked around the campfire!

Jaynee got a hair cut

My girls all got hair cuts (including me), but this was the only one that I did myself. I have to say that I think it turned out pretty cute despite the fact that she turned her head back and forth the whole time. She really thought she looked cute afterward though! When I finished she couldn't wait to go show daddy.

Emmie's first day of Kindergarten!

Here she is in our front yard. She couldn't hardly stand to stop and let me take this picture!Crusin' down the sidewalk in her favorite outfit (pink) on her favorite scooter (pink) with her favorite backpack (can you guess?...yep-pink).
Right outside of her school.
Here she is in her little seat. She was so excited to hang up her backpack and find her seat. Her teachers name is Miss Sorensen, and I am SO impressed with her! Emmie was really excited that she got her too because we have heard a lot of the neighbor kids talk all about her.

After I took this picture, I only cried all the way home! I walked her to school, pushing Jaynee in the stroller, and Emmie riding her scooter. Emmie was going so fast that Jaynee kept telling me to "wun mommy, wun!(run). She was so excited! The saddest thing was that while I was doing her hair that morning, she accidently put her finger on the flat iron and burned herself. She walked around with a little bag of ice on her finger most of the day. I had to send her to school with it, and with a little thremos of ice next to her desk for refills. I was proud of her though because she didn't let it ruin her first day. I cried partially because she is my little helper and literally my "brain" at home. She helps me remember where things are and she helps me do laundry, she takes such great care of Jaynee, even taking her upstairs and changing her diaper! ( no I didn't ask her to, I just found her up there changing it one day and she said "Mom, she was so wet. You didn't change her") Yep- that is my little Boo. I also cried because I came to realize that my kids are starting into a whole new phase of life-school years, and I just have to let it happen!? I am not ready for it all! Why did I ever think one baby was hard! Now I have two in school and I am finding out already that the paperwork and the homework piles up really fast!! But those years went so fast, and I can never have them back. They are in school and the world gets them for a good part of the day. Sometimes I wish I could have those days back and get a re-do!

The dreaded dishwasher

Jaynee pulled the chair over and Cam handed her the basket-and she went to work!
As you can see, this is the highlight of her day! Kaylee and Emmie have to unload the dishwasher for one of their chores, and to be honest, Jaynee does the most of it. She knows where everything goes! And if it is too high for her, she will either pull a chair over, or just put it on the counter below the cupboard where it belongs. I am training her while she is young hoping this will last!

"Let's finish the basement"

I have a hallway! It is really weird how things look once they are up. I just didn't picture it to look this way. Pretty fun though!
This is a view of the utility closet and the partially framed storage closet.
I was working on my primary music time late Saturday night, and being the supportive husband that he is, was down there talking to me. The next thing I know, he is sound asleep on the floor next to his newly framed utility closet! Pretty funny! I will keep posting pictures on the progress of this huge project he has so willingly undertaken!
Poor Cam. Seriously! He puts in a whole day of work, comes home and plays with the girls, helps get them to bed and then works on the basement that I feel we so badly need! He worked most of the day on Saturday and now we officially have a hallway, and a framed utility closet, and a partially framed storage room. There have been too many Sunday mornings when I have woken up to no hot water! (Friends of the girls who like to play with the "little circular turny thing" on the water heater!-I know it is not my own kids because I have scared them to death about playing near it-Emmie is convinced that if she touches it, she will light the house on fire!!!-oh well, whatever works!?)

Shelly the self trained Pet groomer!

Thanks to Shelly for rescuing my poor mangy little mut! She came over and gave Daisy a hair cut! Doesn't she look cute! You could probably set an appointment up with her but I don't know when you would get in because not only does she have three dogs, but 5 children too (and she cuts their hair too!!! and it looks so great!) Thanks Shelly! You are one of a kind to take so much time on my little dog!

Family Picture of the year!

If you have never tried this before with so many little kids, you wouldn't understand why I call it the family pic of the year! If you have, then you understand. This was taken about a month ago when Wade and Erin were here. Erin has done many wonderful pasting of heads and fixing of other things so make it nice. What a fiasco(spelling?) but a what a great memory!

Kaylee Jo's first day of 2nd grade

This was taken outside our front door. She was so excited!
This was the crew that walked to school that morning. Minus the adults and that is the group of kids walking from our little area. So fun!
I had to snap this one while she was sitting in her little desk, completely ready to start!
School actually started last Monday for her (I am way behind on my blogging!) She has had a full week and is really loving school. She has made some new little friends and likes her teacher (that is a big deal to a little girl like mine!!) Sometimes I can't believe I have one in second grade-I remember second grade so well!! Wasn't that just a few years ago?

Our little Gymnast

Kaylee Jo had a little gymnastics exhibition so that we could all watch what she has been practicing. Since she is a level 3, she is not competing yet; that will happen when she moves to level 4. She started in a mom and me class at 18 months, and has been taking off and on since then. The last year and a half she has really been loving it and working so hard. She moved from level 1 to level 3, and is looking really great! We are so proud of her!
Here she is on the bars.
This was during her little floor routine that she has worked SO hard on!
She has been learning how to do her handstands on the beam. I never realized how hard it was to go up and then come back down right in the right spot until I watched her the past few months. Here she did it so great for the audience. I was so happy for her.
This was in the beginning of her routine on the beam. She has had a lot of hard falls and some serious raspberries when she gets home from falling off this beam. You would think after all that, she might not like it, but she says it is her favorite!
Here was part of her little fan club. Marcie and Steven and their kids always come Kaylee's and Emmie's performances of different things. Thanks so much for your support! (Left to right-Brooklyn, Emmie, Jaynee, Jaxton and then Brecken in the back.) She also had Amy and her kids there and of course Grandpa and Grandma.

Family Reunion

We made our way to cedar for our family reunion. We had such a fun time. Here are all 12 little grandkids. Mariam (Cam's sister) found all matching shirts for the kids. Thanks so much! I'll start at the left and go across the top and then back to the front and those sitting. McKade, McKella, Maddy, Melena, Kaylee, Sydnee, Mckade, Sydney, Myam Ella, Jaynee and Kayden. (sorry family members for me mispelling names! Or sorry Mariam if I got the twins wrong. They may not be identical, but in a picture? Thats tough!)
Emmie having fun in the water. The kids played water games most of the time we were there!
The dads wearing their sombreros! (Cam and Kiley)
I loved this! Jaynee and Aunt Lindsay. She loved to have her undivided attention!
Jaynee gave our fishy kisses for a good 5 minutes. Look at how her arms are wrapped around Cam. She made sure he wasn't going anywhere until she was finished!
We had a camp fire that night. The kids roasted marshmallows and made smores while we sang songs with Grandad and his guitar.
Grandad has all kinds of fun songs. After 9 years of marriage, I am still learning them.
Kaylee Jo patiently roasting the perfect smore marshmallows.
Hmmmm, one too many smores for the Jaynee! She LOVED them!