So proud

So these are the times you feel like you have succeeded at parenting.  Jacob got his first student of the month for October award.  Now I know what you are thinking, yea, well his aunt is his teacher, but his aunt didn't pick him.  It was his reading teacher.  All on his own, no family favoritism there.  Not only did Jacob get that award, but I got my girls progress reports this week and Taryn got straight A's, and Lauren got all A's with one B.  I am so proud off all my kids.  Now if I can just Bree to use the toilet all the time, I've got it made.

Jacob picking out his prize.

Looks like I punched him here or something, but he just found out he still had to go to class, that I was not driving him home.  Sad little boy.  And oh yea, it was pajama day.  At least I got him in matching ones.

Jacob just found out he could go home early.  Happy boy.  Thanks Aunt Kym, I mean teacher.

first day of school

 Lauren, age 11, 6th grade.  First year of middle school

                     Lauren and Taryn

   Taryn, age 13, 6th grade.  Middle school vet.

            The only day I drive them to school

      Jacob, age 5, kindergarten.  Teachers pet.

        I decided to let Jacob go to his Aunt Kym's kindergarten class.  She is an excellent teacher, and he will be exposed to many more things than is he went to our local kindergarten.  Our school is great, but Sam Valley, where Jacob goes, has all day kindergarten, as opposed to 2 1/2 hours.  He has a Aunt that will make sure he gets what he needs to succeed.  He is doing great.  He is very young for school this year, but has far exceeded my expectations for the whole year already.   If he would have been a full term baby, he would not have made the deadline for school this year.  I am so impressed with him and all the teachers out at the school.

Bree's second birthday

Poor girl.  We drove all day on her birthday, then her mean mom didn't even make her a cake.  I think
I had Lauren wrap the presents and gave them to her.  No celebration really, she is the last and therefore really lucky she even got any presents. 

She does love her Minnie and princesses.  She also got light up dress up shoes that she has managed to wear to church a few times.  Those time being when Tom gets the kids ready for church because I have a meeting.  Like I said before, she is the 4th, so she is pretty lucky shes not wearing Jacobs old clothes. 

summer trip the conclusion

Almost to our final destination.  Las Vegas.

                                                                The dorks with Barney

The first show we went to was "Love" by the Beatles.  It was wonderful.  My dad had seen it years before so he stayed at the hotel with the little kids while we went to see it.  Everyone was so impressed.  If you get a chance to see it, do it!  I think my dad was still a little sad he didn't go.

                                                              The phone booth

Dork pictures.  Jesse acted like he didn't know us.  Taryn wanted to go to as many malls as she could.

Dessert after the show.  We went to Serendipity's.  I had frozen hot chocolate.  It was so yummy.  There was a dessert for 1000.00$.  I took a picture of it on the menu and sent a text to my dad that we were billing it to the room, but don't worry, we would split it,.  He didn't get the text till the next day.  the joke was lost.

The view from our room.  If you looked between two hotels, and squinted you could see the Bellagio fountain at night.  we were close to the strip, only 2 blocks, we could walk where we needed to go.  The pool was really neat, it was an outdoor, indoor pool.  We stayed indoor.  Way to hot outside.

This was the final show for Lauren and I.  It was Le Reve at the Wynn.  That show was amazing too.  the skill, and strengh of everyone was awesome.  It was a water show, and we were in the splash zone.  After, Lauren was tired so she and I went back to the hotel, but my dad and Melissa went to the Blue Man Group.   We had a very early morning.  We had to be up and out by 5 AM to get Melissa to the airport, so we would leave from the airport for our long 14 hour drive home.  We were so lucky to have this trip, but it will probably be a while till my dad asks us to go on another one.

summer trip part 3

This place was called the Valley of Fire.  That's what it felt like to at 117*.  I felt like I was melting.  On our way to Hoover dam from St. George my dad was navigating and told me to get off at the next exit, that it will still take us to the dam, and only add a "few" miles, and we get to see the valley too.  I think he was off by a "few" mile.  On the freeway I think it said 30 miles Hoover dam.  By the time we got there it was 3 hours later.  But hey, we got to see the Valley of Fire.

        The kids being kids.

Taryn climbing up to the rocks with little caves.  Taryn was the only one who wanted to put out the energy to get up that.  Half way up I thought about snakes, but she didn't see any.

                                                                         More rocks

 Hoover dam.  Only 116* there. I had never been there and I was pretty impressed.

summer trip part 2

From Provo we made our way to Bryce Canyon.  It was here during this picture that when we got back in the car I realized our mistake.  That is new asphalt.  Getting back into the new car with very light interior about made me sick, more so because I knew the fit Tom was going to have when we got home.  I got over it pretty fast.  I do have 4 kids and I know what the can do to cars.  Anyways we drove through this rock tunnel.  Pretty cool.

Here is a picture of all of us at the entrance.  We then got on a shuttle and were taken to all the lookouts. 

Here is Lauren protecting Jacob.  Taryn and Lauren thought someone would fall off at any moment.  I guessed I missed the part where I was the mom.  There were some cool shapes in the rocks.

                                              Jesse, Jacob, and Taryn

                                                       Lauren, Jesse, and Jacob

Grandpa was in a lot of pain but didn't want to show it.  He had a knee surgery a few months before, but the knee is worse and it was killing him that he was not able to get down those mountains and hike.  Another time for him.

Next stop was Zion Park.  It was over 100* that day.  It was misery.  I didn't bring a stroller because I didn't think we would have room in the car so I carried Bree everywhere.  My arms were killing me.  We were lucky enough to have a personal guide for this trip.  My Uncle Ferris goes up to Zion to hike a few times a week so he knows the ins and outs and the best places for smaller feet to go.  The   first one was the weeping rock.  The kids had a great time in the sprinkling water, and it felt good on the hot day.  Lauren was sick with an infection and was not able to join us this day. She stayed with my Aunt Ronnie.

        Jesse and Taryn at weeping rock.

This was a river that we rested at.  Jesse, grandpa, Taryn and Ferris went for a hike and I stayed with Jacob and Bree at the river where they had a great time.  The water was freezing but I got to soak my foot where I was bitten by a yellow jacket few days before.  It was so swollen I could barley tie my shoe.  I'll spare you the picture of that.

summer trip part 1

So earlier this year we were lucky enough for my dad to ask if we wanted to go on a trip with him.  We ended up going to 6 states (barley), drove 3000 miles and saw all of my dads siblings.  It was a good way to break in my new car.  We had a lot of fun, and not only me, but my kids were able to see many things that we have not seen, or been to before.

Our first stop was to Bend, Oregon where my dad had a legal conference.  We stayed right above a nice outdoor mall, Taryn loved that.  There were bikes we could ride, rivers the kids could float down, and of course the swimming pool in the hotel.  The kids had a great time. It was fun to be there in the summer, I had only been there in the winter for skiing.

Next we drove to Boise, Id.  It was about here that my dad realized his mistake in inviting us.  Bree does not do the car too well.  Jesse wanted to throw her out as well.  Here is Jacob and Jesse at Denny's at 11 at night.  Jacob insisted on wearing those goggles for a day or so.

This is at Hell's gate just outside of Boise.  Bree was sleeping in the car, so I just got to see the pictures.  I had seen it before though on my way to college.

While in Provo we were able to go to Six Flags water park.  The older kids had a good time.  The younger ones were ready by noon to go home.  It had been a long couple of days.