School's In!

 Our sweet little Maia is heading to 5th Grade!

Coop's excited for 3rd Grade.

The team.  They actually are starting a week before Ivy starts Kindergarten.

But she's up early and wishing she were going today too!

This kid LOVES school.

The neighborhood crew.  We always walk together the first day.  But we missed the Cushings this year.  They're being homeschooled at the The Cushing Academy of London for a few months.

Daddy always walks with us the first day.  Doesn't Maia's backpack look nice with camo?

Ethan is Coop's buddy and comes to pick him up every day for school.

These sisters are also BEST FRIENDS.

Every year I commit to taking the older kids' "first day" pictures too, but when the day arrives we're so busy and they leave the house so early that I forget.  But suffice it to say, McKenna and Tessa looked really cute too!



Fort Fun

Since daddy took the girls camping, Coop and I camped inside.

The fort - and several variations of it - surived in our living room for a week or so.

Obviously, I was recovering from mono.



5K on Independence Day

I guess I should have faced them away from the sun.

But aren't they cute - and festive for the Freedom Day!

Magic

A few months ago, when it was still very cold, Cooper and I went for a drive.  I circled through a neighborhood where I had, years before, seen a lovely home and fallen in love with Highland.

Just a few blocks away, we followed a road to its dead end and admired the beautiful deer among the brush that watched us with their big soft eyes. 

And we read a sign that announced a park behind all the trees and shrubbery and grass.

The gates were closed and we determined immediately to return when the sun brought warmer weather.

So, a few days ago we went back.  We parked in the little dead-end parking area and walked down the narrow path and around the bend, and there before us was a huge - by many acres - park with pavilions, benches, play sets, trails, stretches of lawn, and a whole pond with docks that stretched over its surface.  And the pond was stocked with fish.  It was no secret garden to be sure, as groups of children cast their bait and mommies took pictures of their darlings toddling around.  Teenagers threw frisbees and men

 lounged beside the water.  It was magical.

Until Maia came screaming that she had lost her shoe between the boards of a dock and now her bejeweled flip flop was floating in the depths. I immediately thought she'd just have to be careful of broken glass and thorns while she finished our jaunt with just one shoe.  But there was no need for the worry, because Cooper was on the job in an instant.  He reached beneath, and prodded between, and stepped among, and finally brought the flip flop up from the water, dangling from a large stick.

We ended the evening just playing on the old metal set of slides and monkey bars.

It was magical.

Fresh Fish Fun

My friend Emily and I were off to a blogger's conference - from which one would assume that I would be a better, meaning "more consistent", blogger (but you'll have to just keep on assuming) - and so the hubbies decided to take the children fishing in our absence.

The reports from the children were:

*One dad did not like to touch the squirmy, bleeding fish (uh, so not the Army guy)
*Ivy knew better than her own dad when she had a fish on her line - and she was absolutely right
*Ty was just happy to be there - getting dirty in his pink coat
*Kate excitedly reeled one in
*Cooper and Carter weren't bothered by the blood and guts

Hogle Zoo

Hmmm, I can't remember why I (the mom) didn't go to Hogle Zoo with everyone else. 

I'm guessing it had to do with the heat, the smell, and the stickiness?

But I'm usually a good sport about that stuff when my kids will have fun, so I'm sure I was sick that day.

At any rate, here are my cute kids at the zoo because their daddy took them.

Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti

Years ago, when Austin and McKenna were small, we took them to the Pageant.  But it starts at dusk and doesn't end until close to midnight, and then the drive back to Cedar City made for a looong night.  So we hadn't done it again - until my parents moved to Ephraim.  Just 7 miles from Manti. 

It also turns out that my parents were assigned as member missionaries for the two-week run of the Pageant so they went early and reserved good seats for us.  I brought all five of the kids, and our little neighbor friend Brenna.  We had a fun evening eating dinner at the food carts, wandering the town, and watching the Mormon Miracle unfold on the hill of the Manti Temple.

Splash!

Ivy took her first swim lesson this year, and boy was she excited - and brave!

The other kids have taken plenty of lessons over the years and so they continue to improve.

My goal is to make sure each of my children is lifeguard qualified, but I've slacked off and need to get the two older girls through that program. 

This year we had swimming lessons at our friend's sister's house and so our classes were full of mostly neighborhood friends.  What's better than water and friends combined?  Not much.