A new school year

Today was the day. My kids were dreading it a little bit, however, I was ready to get back into a routine around here. Everyone was up and ready on time, carpools were a success, and everyone came home happy. The perfect way to start the new year. 

 Kayden started high school this year. High school. Wow, that makes me feel really old. I was nervous for him. I remember how I used to get nervous and worry I wouldn't be able to find my classes or have the same lunch as my friends, but Kayden isn't really bothered about that made it through his first day just fine. 

 Carter switched schools this year and was actually excited to be with a lot of his friends. And most excited about finally wearing his new shoes. ( I think they might glow in the dark)

 Brendan wasn't too thrilled to be going back, but came home happy so I'll count that as a success.

Hailey just kept wishing that summer wasn't over, but being the social butterfly that she is was really excited to see all her friends. She came home literally jumping with excitement. 

Emery and I enjoyed a quiet house, but she was more than ready to see them when they all came home. She will be off to preschool next week. I am left wondering how I got to this point. High school to preschool. I'm trying not to think how fast they are growing up. What will I do with my time?!

Around here lately

I can't believe summer is almost over and in just over a week we will be heading back to school. We have been trying to enjoy the last bits of summer we have left. 

Not much has really gone on around here lately, but here are just a few of the random shots I have had on the camera.

Swimming still happens around here, but by the end of the summer I have to give a little more encouragement to get them out there.  Having the basketball hoop there has helped.

Emery loves to dunk.

My brother came to visit right after we stopped to see his family on our way home from Utah. He was attending a wood workers show here and brought Rex and Daphne with him so we could have some fun with them. 

The kids played so well together. They swam a lot, played Mario Kart, and just had some good cousin time together. 

Scooby Doo has been an obsession around here this summer too. This has been a common scene around here.

Carter is still obsessed with basketball. Summer hasn't changed that. Now he just goes from swimming to playing basketball and then back to the pool.

 When he's not playing basketball, Carter has been making a lot of cookies. I taught him how to do it over the summer and he's been baking up a storm. 

Emery is always willing to help with the clean up.

The girls have been loving their little dance class. We are down to our last couple of weeks before they have their performance. 

This is also a common sight around here. A lot of goofing around and kids still in their pajamas. For some reason they think getting dressed is optional. 

School is going to be a really rude awakening when we all have to get up and get ready in the morning. I am ready for routine again, but I'm just not sure I'm ready to give up sleeping in.

4,360

4,360

That's the number of days Corey worked at McGladrey. 

Close to 12 years. That's a long time. When he started there we only had two little boys and were starting new in a big city. Things have changed a little for us since then.

Today he started something new. We have been looking to make a change for quite awhile and an opportunity came along that we couldn't pass up. He is making the change from public accounting to the private industry. 

He will be working for a small company and will be their whole accounting/financial department. 

He is the lone man on the totem pole. Just him. And he is thrilled about that. Anyone that knows him, will know it's his dream to be by himself in an office somewhere and not have to worry about other people.

We are really excited about this change and excited for the opportunities it will bring.

No more busy season. That's a celebrations in itself. He will still have deadlines and be busy for sure, but not for months and months on end. It's possible I may be more excited about that than him. Probably not, but it's a close tie.

The chance to have more family time is another big bonus. He has missed a lot of events and vacations over the years, that's not been fun for anyone. 

When we told the kids about the change they were all excited, the only thing Brendan said he was disappointed about was that he wouldn't get to go to 51's games anymore.

 I think we can make it up to him somehow though.

Utah trip

Every summer I try to take my kids to Utah to visit my parents and other family there. We started our trip going to Enterprise to attend my nephew's, Jason, mission farewell. (he's the second nephew to leave in just the last few weeks, it makes me feel really old!) From Enterprise, Corey had to head back home to catch a flight to California, to work for the rest of the week and the kids and I headed to my parents house in Payson, Utah.

It's always such a nice break. Especially from the heat and I always think a change of scenery is good to help with summer boredom.

The first day there we went to the Payson City pool. We love it there and spent the whole afternoon enjoying it. 

 The kids rotated between the water slides, the lazy river, and jumping off the diving board. Emery spent the whole time in the kids area. I bet she went down the water slides there at least 100 times. They were all so worn out when we left.

One of the days, we met up with Corey's brother Jeremy, his wife Angela, and their three kids, who live in Saratoga Springs, at Trafalga in Lehi. My other sister-in-law Kim from Enterprise, happened to be vacationing too, with a couple of her boys and they met us. We had so much fun that day.

There was go-carts, bumper boats, laser tag, mini golf, rides for the kids, and an arcade.

 I was so glad to have Jeremy there, he was such a good sport to take kids in the bumper boats. He got soaked so I didn't have to.

We ended that adventure with Chick-fil-A. A must stop when we are in Utah.

We also love to go to Provo and go bowling at Fat Cats. We have done this for the last 3 years or so. This time we went with a fun family, the Fitzwaters, that live by my parents. They have 5 kids also and close in age to mine. We had a blast with them and my kids played with them each night that we were there. 

 Of course, my dad always cooks good food while we are there and my my mom and I always get in some shopping time. It's always hard to leave.

On the way home, we had to stop at my brother Nick's house. They had their third baby the day before. There was no way they could have kept me from stopping to meet my new niece, June. I had to pull myself away, I could hold those little ones all day.

We really had a good time and it's been hard to get back into the swing of things around here. I think we are all still functioning in vacation mode.

Life according to my phone

1-Celebrated doughnut day at Krispy Kreme

2-Hit Sonic happy hour on our way home from Krispy Kreme. Overkill? Yes, but I needed a diet coke.

3- Hailey and Emery joined Corey and I on a Cafe Rio lunch date. They chose to share a salad.

4- Hailey in her new glasses. My poor kids never stood a chance with our bad eye genes.

5-Summer wears us out. I have found Emery like this on several afternoons.

6-A little piano recital.

7-Emery on her birthday date.

8-Kayden leaving for youth conference. I had to be there at 4:30 in the morning to help had out breakfast to all the kids. They drove to lagoon lagoon that day then spent the next day touring church sites in Salt Lake. Then arrived home around midnight, Kayden was exhausted, but had a great time. 

9-Taking a swimming break to enjoy popsicles.

10-Just a cute one of Carter and and his shadow.

11-Brendan on his birthday date.

12-We had a string of super, super hot days. The mirror said 128°, but seconds before it said 130°. Ridiculous. Why we're we even outside?!

13-Brendan bought a Lego set with some of his birthday money. He constructed this and left it outside my door hoping to scare me. I humored him and he's teased me since.  Gotta love boys.

14-Hailey also bought a Lego set. She picked the Lone Ranger set because it had a horse.

15- Corey moved our old basketball hoop over the pool. Carter and Brendan have been in heaven ever since.

16-Hailey got to play a little laser tag at a birthday party. She loved it.

17-Did something I never, ever thought I would do. I took and passed a concealed weapons course. A group of us took it with our husbands. And crazy enough, I loved it. I actually enjoy shooting now too. Who am I?

18-The girls have been taking a little summer dance class and always play a game of freeze dance when we get home. 

19-Playing a little Wii sports. They haven't played it in years and were laughing the whole time.

20-Cotton candy ice cream face. My dad stopped to visit for a couple of days on his way home from a job and treated us. Ice cream and grandpa is about as good as it gets.

21-Finally put up my 4th of July decorations 2 days before the holiday. It's still up.

22-Emery bought a hula hoop with her birthday money.  None of the kids can do it except Brendan.

23 & 24-Little dancers during their class.