A Sneak Peek!

So, I have video of all 4 of my kids rocking out to Hannah Montan...Hoedown Throwdown...HILARIOUS. Chuck will not let me post it. He is worried about the manner in which his little BOY was dancing. He doesn't want him made fun of. So I need help encouraging him to let ME let YOU watch it. This is your incentive...

Progression...

I was feeling a little sentimental today about my kids getting so old. So I looked up all of their "First Day of School" Pictures

Brielle Preschool-2006

Brielle Preschool-2007

Brielle Kindergarten-2008

Brielle First Grade-2009

And then there is Brooke...yes...I ONLY sent her to one year of preschool.

Brooke Preschool-2008

Brooke Kindergarten-2009

Brooke's First Day of Kindergarten

Today I sent Brooke to Kindergarten. No tears...for either of us. I think it really helps that my girls have been so dang excited to go to school. Brooke's been dying to go, and today she finally got to. And she's cute, huh?

Check out the sparkles on those back pockets. She kept telling me as she was getting ready..."wow, I look really fancy. Don't I look fancy? These are fancy clothes!" They are pretty fancy pants...she is going to roast in that long sleeve shirt though.

She has Mrs. Palmer as her teacher, and she goes in the afternoon. I wasn't thrilled with that, because I like morning, but she has a ton of people she knows in her class, some from the neighborhood, and some from preschool. It will be a good class for her.

She didn't get to ride her bike to school, but she gets to ride home and is so excited. We parked her bike right by Brielle and Ella's so she can find it. Hopefully THEY will find HER.

Sammie and Brooke in line waiting to go to class. I'm glad she has a friend in there!

The Big Camping Trip

So, we went to Beaver Mountain again for Labor Day weekend. We even lengthened it by taking Friday and Tuesday off. A week of packing, 6 days on the mountain, and another week of cleaning up. It was worth it though. We had a great time. We got up there late on Thursday night, and climbed in bed. As you can see, Caleb did a little napping while we were there. Once again...the old school backpack. Hey! It works! I do have to say though...buy a good backpack with your FIRST kid because it gets harder and harder to talk yourself into buying one with every kid after that. We never did get one bought.

We (not me) shot BB/Pellet guns. How young is too young anyway?

And thanks to Winston...The boys had a riot playing baseball. Jenna's brother gave Jacob his awesome T-ball pitching thing and it definately got used. We will be needing to buy Jacob some new balls because not one made it through alive. Those Fisher-Price toys just aren't made for 4 grown men to be playing with. Thanks for the fun time Winston! All of the adults have ponchos straight from Mexico..thanks Joe! I know, I know, but they are REALLY warm! And cozy. Almost as good as a Snuggie (not that I'd know). Anyway, Jacob had to have one...and of course, wonderful grandma that she is, just happened to have a perfect poncho rug in her trailer. She cut a hole and Jacob had an awesome poncho.


I let Charles buy me a new EZ UP with sidewalls. I thought it would be good to provide shade on hot days. Or to put the picnic table under. Or to keep us out of the rain. Charles had other ideas...

We spent hours on that hairdo...

Sisters...

and Jake...

Just playing in the dirt...

And my sweet Caleb. What a dang cute kid...

Happy 32nd!

On Sunday Chuck turned 32. He had a birthday celebration that lasted a week. (It was a celebration Mary Ann would've loved...long and festive. Me personally, I got tired of it. It's a lot of work making a birthday last that long, but after I flubbed up Brooke's I had to redeem myself.) We went camping on Thursday night. On Friday we let him open the presents from our family...only because they were camping related and needed to be used. He got fancy new binoculars with a bunch of accessories. Seems somewhat excited? Maybe.

But nothing like Saturday when he opened his parents present...

Gotta love those faces.

They gave him a Garmin.

It was more fun to play with...and it got us home! I was excited. I like to tell myself that he was more excited for that because he already knew what his other gifts were. Wait, he picked them out. After presents on Saturday we had the b-day dinner. Shish-k-bobs. They were yummy. That night his parents pulled out the Croshaw's pie. Yum.

Sunday was the Angel Food/Sherbet cake. Try to make a successful ice cream cake while camping and with a freezer no bigger than a tissue box. People ate it...thanks guys!

And to top it off, I let him have a Mtn. Dew...sugar and all...on the way home. He hasn't had one in months. He thought he was in heaven. Until my kids guzzled it. I hope he had an okay birthday! We love you Chuck, you're the best!

My Little First Grader...

This morning I sent Brielle off on her bike for the first grade. She was so so so excited to go. Yesterday she told me that when she is in her bed she "can't keep her legs from kicking under the covers because she is so excited to go to school." She never even acted nervous for a second. And when her friend invited her to ride her bike on the first day...it was icing on the cake. Luckily Brooke had her kindergarten assessment test at 9:30 so I was able to peek into Brielle's classroom and make sure she made it. (Her friend's dad rode with them, so I really wasn't worried, but it was fun to see her in class.) She is in Mrs. Cummings class, and her best friend is also. They sit right next to eachother. Good luck Brielle, I sure you will do great in the first grade!

Check out those "diamonds" on her pants. Gotta love little girls!