First Grade Woes

Well it is here, my child being gone all day every day. I am not so sure that I like it, but I suppose I will get used to it in no time. Things are going fairly well so far. Dakota is bored stiff all day and wants to play the computer or watch TV, hopefully he will also get used to it.

Braxton had a tough first day, coming home saying he was tired and hungry. A little bully at school stole 3/4 of his lunch while he went to get his milk he had forgotten, and that same bully kicked him on the playground and tied his arms back. He told the boys teacher, and another mom saw the playground incident, and told the monitor on the playground. I dealt with this same child all last year and was very blessed not to have him in Braxy's class this year, but he is just like a leach that we can't shake. Since then Brax hasn't said anything, and the boy was absent yesterday, so after talking about it and giving him some tips on standing up for yourself and also letting adults know, here is hoping things turn out better in the coming weeks.

A friend at work told me I am going to make them get in a fist fight with that kind of "standing up for yourself" advice, but all last year we went the be kind, ignore, route and it didn't prove anything, so we are to the scare him off route now. I am not sure if it is the "right" thing to do, but if it works and he moves on to someone else, all the better for Braxton.

Any advice? I could use all I can get at this point.

Family Photos

My very talented friend Kaedell Ellis took these awesome family photos for us a couple of weeks ago. I love them. I have never been so impressed with any pictures EVER. My boys were so cooperative that day and it all went so well. Thanks Kaedell, they turned out Great!! The only problem I have now is what one do I choose for my wall? I will surely have to print each one, but where will I put them all? There are also many others and two darling 12 x 12 collages.

Little boys

We aren't much of TV watchers during the day around here because I think it FRIES children's brains, but sometimes during nap, I let the boys watch cartoons. Well today after I said to turn it off, Braxton became highly involved in some project of a sort. He told me it was nothing with a smirk on his face and this is what I saw about 5 minutes later..... A note and flowers picked out of the yard. I teared up and wondered what was going on and he told me that Binky on Aurthur had given one to his mom and he wanted to do the same thing. He is so sweet--as if I wasn't having a hard enough time thinking I am loosing him to the wide wide world of first grade, he now gives me even more reason I love having him home with me during the day. I have spent the last 6 3/4 years with him every single day watching his every move, and now I have to let him spread his wings and see if anything I have taught him will stick. Thank goodness I know he IS capable, it just depends when he decides to make a good decision or not.

This is the note on the outside--a butterfly.

This is the inside, he is sooooooo big.

Mom, can I go get you a flower too. Dakota was as happy as can be to be able to participate in this little act of service, it definitely made my day :)

Anniversary Fun

We headed up to snowbasin to go hiking on our anniversary. It was really relaxing and a lot of fun. It took us a minute to find the right trail, and it was hot and exhausting but when we found the trail it was great. We found this "green pond" as they call it and sat and watched some very fascinating ants carry some white substance back and forth, it was really pretty cool. The best part was just being together alone doing something we both love--the outdoors. We didn't even have look for any big game animals surprise surprise. Afterwards we went to dinner up in Eden, it was a great evening.

We also tried our hand at disc golf, a fun game when the temperature is not quite so hot.

The greatest fun spot you'll ever know!!

We took the kids for their end of summer fun to Cherry Hills. It was so much fun, just like the commercial says. We spent all day and without Cam (who stayed with Kiley) it was fun to participate in all the activities. The boys were able to swim, mini golf, climb the wall, and go in the squirrel cage.

Braxton was able to reach the top and ring the bell two times. Dakota got really high, and as he says "I almost ringed the bell".

Having lunch.

We only had one incident, the chair ran over Shane's toe OUCH!!

The lazy river was everyone's favorite, it was an oval that went around all these really cool buildings and a story about dynamite playing in the background that sent all kinds of water splashing on all of us.

All in all it was a great day and I am glad we went.

Happy 10th Anniversary!!!

Top Ten reasons I love Shane:

1- He can do anything. Fix anything, figure out how to do any project, plumb anything, and clean anything, if he puts his mind to it. I think his Dad passed this great trait of figuring out anything on to all of his boys. Sometimes I ask him to wash just one window, and the next thing I know all the windows are done. He does not do projects half way. I believe the men at work are amazed with how hard he tries at everything he does, and doesn’t give up until it is fixed.
2- He wrestles with the boys almost every day. He has so much more energy than me to keep coming back for more attacks. The boys look forward to this every day.
3- Family time is his top priority (except during the hunt (he he)). He passes up playing ball, helping with projects, playing all to be with us. When it is time to put the boys to bed he is always there to help. He doesn’t have any other excuses why he can’t help with bedtime, and always makes helping me with it a priority. He makes sure we pray together every night.
4- He loves the ocean. If there is anything that I can think of that makes Shane the happiest it is spending ALL day in the water snorkeling or scuba diving. He refuses to wear sunscreen because it makes his hands gross, so he gets burnt often from overexposure.
He loves to vacation and thinks it is not a vacation unless the ocean is involved. He loves to see new places as long as we can stop at the ocean at least once.
5- He found his passion in life and is hitting it full force. For probably 8 years he was searching for something he wanted to give his whole self to and hunting became just that thing. He shoots his bow every chance he can get, works much overtime to earn the money to have the supplies he wants/needs and leaves his beloved family for many days to do the thing he loves the most—enjoying the great outdoors.
6- He gives me the most thoughtful gifts. I think as we get older they only get better. He takes the boys to the store and they pick out something, usually jewelry. For mother’s day he spent hours making me a movie about my married life up until that day. It was the best gift he could have ever given me. He also one time put my life history that I am writing into a binder for me with a picture on the front, it was so nice.
7- He has taken me somewhere fun for all of our anniversaries. Bear Lake, Cancun, Western Caribbean Cruise, San Diego, Catalina Island, overnight at the Alaskan Inn and Anniversary Inn, Cancun again, and on and on—it has been 10 years. We love to travel together even more so since we have children, it is a great time to reconnect and remember all the things we love about each other.
8- He can make friends with any stranger that we are standing in line with. I usually don’t talk to many strangers, but he loves to become their instant buddy and often finds out very useful information about them in the meantime.
9- He proposed to me in the dead of winter while trying to 4-wheel up to Tony Grove with no success, we stopped on the side of the road and he proposed right there. Then we carved our names in the nearest tree and turned around to head back down the mountain. He hadn’t even told anyone including me that he had chosen a ring, I was so surprised and happy all at the same time. He picked out the ring all on his own
10- He built me a beautiful house, in a city that I love with all of my heart, and gave me the 3 most beautiful little boys, that he chooses to make his priority. He gets home from work at 4:00 every day and rarely does anything else but be with us every night. How lucky can one girl be!!!!

Oh one more, he will eat anything. He says it is all the same as long as it fills the belly, wow am I lucky because I cant cook very well, or I choose to not cook very often :)

Where does the time go?