I will start off by saying that I can't believe this little munchkin is old enough to start kindergarten. That just blows my mind! She can't be old enough- she just can't. She's my baby..Am I really old enough to have all of my kids in school?? Ahhh! No! I have been struggling with this decision for the past year because Avery is old enough to go.. But barely. She makes the deadline by only 2 weeks so I have gone back and forth trying to decide what to do.. If I were still staying home during the day, I would keep her home with me. But- where it's either day-care/preschool or Kindergarten I have had to decide where she is going to be better off.. Since she has already gone through the same preschool program twice, Im afraid she would be bored out of her mind to do it all over again so- Kindergarten it is.. She is super excited and is counting down the days.. I just hope I am making the right decision in sending her..
This girl is crazy, beautiful, smart, funny, and completely infuriating!! She definitely dances to the beat of her own drum.. I absolutely adore her but sometimes I wonder where this kid came from.. She comes up with the funniest things and she has quite the temper as well.. I can't believe the change in her this summer though.. She has quickly changed from a toddler to a big girl.. She is most definitely not a baby anymore. She has grown tall and she has thinned out a lot.. All of her baby chubb is quickly disappearing, and she has become extremely independent. It really makes me sad to look at pictures from a year ago and see the difference.
Ellie LOVES Avery.. Every night you will find her snuggled up in bed with Avery.. That is, until I come in and put her in the dog crate..
Here's a few pictures from her pre-school graduation with her amazing teacher Miss Karen. Avery has a hilarious sense of humor.. She is constantly making us laugh and I wish I were better at writing down the funny things she says but I just haven't done it.. You think You will never forget these things but you do.. Yesterday as she was blowing bubbles into her chocolate milk and it's overflowing all over the table she says to herself "Jesus told me to make all of these bubbles...So I have to." She is constantly talking to herself and she will shut herself in her room for hours and sing her made up songs and play with, and talk to, her toys- and it is hilarious to listen to her play.. My other kids didn't do anything like that.
Here are some pictures from Gavin's big day.. He was baptized by his dad and he had a big smile on his face the entire day!
His friend Lorissa was baptized too.
Look at these handsome boys!
We only went camping once this summer- ONCE! I am so sad! I was hoping we could make it up one more time but it's just not going to happen.. Unless we decide to go hunting with Dallas..Haha. Not likely!
We found this great place to camp.. It was clear up a dirt road, far off the main road, not in a campground.. You just have this huge meadow all to yourself and it's perfect.. The only problem, It's about impossible to get a camp trailer up that road.. Im not sure we will be attempting that again. I'm surprised we got the trailer home in one piece!
This is what I like to do while we camp.. read!!
and the kids like to catch bugs and frogs.. Unfortunately Avery doesn't know how to be gentle.. These were dead about 20 seconds after she caught them..
These are not in the right order, but this was Avery on our way home.. She was tired! And i'm not sure what she was doing with her shirt!
haha! I got one!! Gavin hides from the camera.. He never lets me take his picture.
catching slugs.. eew!!
I love my family!
mmm. want some?? Who wouldn't want to eat a s'more out of those hands?
I'm bored!
They found this fun teepee that the kids fixed up and spent a lot of time playing in.
Who is that nerdy guy with the socks, boots, and blindingly white legs?
I think Jaxon likes squeezy cheese.. just a little bit.
There's that nerdy guy with the boots again..
They decorated the goats for their big parade!
It was totally lame but the kids loved it! We watched the big fireworks from our backyard, then lit some of our own.
This summer, Mackenzie was on a team for the Relay For Life.. She had so much fun working on their fundraisers and the weather for the relay couldn't have been better!
They had a color festival and boy were they dirty!!
They had a dunk tank as part of their fundraiser so they all got dunked many times..
Gavin even had a turn..
Mackenzie was determined to stay up all night.. She almost made it! She crashed at about 3:30.. On the grass, with no pillow.
avery has decided she wants to become a beautician.. She is always wanting to do hair.. Dallas, mine, hers, the dog's, it doesn't matter.. We've all had our turn.
She does a fabulous job.
This was at about 11:00 pm.. She would not go to bed until my hair was just perfect!
All done! Don't I look beautiful??
Mackenzie fell in love.. With a raccoon named Timber.. Some friends rescued it when it was a tiny baby and now Mackenzie thinks she needs one.. No thanks!
In the past few weeks, we have gone to Lagoon twice.. It is way too hot there this time of year! I think next year we will wait until October to go! The kids Love that place though.. They had a blast! There was nothing Gavin wouldn't go on.
This summer, I also did some painting!
I painted our fireplace
and our new computer hutch
and all of the wood paneling
and the front door
It looks so much better!! I have always hated that wood paneling but Dallas liked it and didn't want me to paint it.. I left it alone for 3 years then I decided it was my turn to do what I wanted with it.. It makes the room look completely different.. In a good way!
Here's a reminder of what it looked like before.. sort of.. These were taken when we bought the house so we had changed quite a bit since then but you get the idea..
The kids did great in swimming lessons this year. But, as always, we sure were glad to be done with it!
A few weeks ago, I met some of my High School friends at the zoo. It was so good to see them! I love these girls to pieces and I wish I got to see them more often..
Me, Ashleigh, Becka, Christeena, and Misty- and all of our cute kiddos!
It has been a pretty good summer! It has just gone by so incredibly fast! The kids start school in less than 2 weeks. Part of me is ready, and part of me is not.. I am ready to get the kids back onto a schedule, and for them to have a bedtime instead of staying up until 11:00 every night. And I am ready to not have a million friends over at our house all day every day.. But- It has been nice to take it easy, sleep-in, and spend time doing fun things with the family. I hope we all have a great school year!
