Back to School!

You know...two weeks ago when asked if I was ready for the kids to go back to school the answer was an absolute YES!! The girls were ready to go back and see friends, and just to go have something to do. I was ready to have a house that stayed clean for more than 10 minutes, to have an end to the bickering and fighting, and an end to "Mom I'm bored...there isn't anything to do"! Sure enough as school got closer and we went to meet the teacher night the girls were super excited! I, on the other hand, was starting to doubt my surety that I was ready. I was going to miss having them around all day and miss having them make me smile. The night before school Kalli said, "Mom it is just about the time you have always waited for!" When I asked her what she meant she said that all the girls would be in school this year and I was going to have some "seriously good alone time".

So ready or not, the first day of school (for Kalli and Abby at least Emma doesn't start for a few more weeks) came and we were all ready for a new year filled with new friends, new teachers, homework, and fun!!

The funny things...

So, I need to get a lot better at remembering the funny things my kids say...because really they come up with some good ones! We have been working on our family goal of reading our scriptures every night. Sometimes when we really want to make sure the girls are understanding what we are reading (yes, I know...we should make sure they understand all of it...but when they have a hard time holding still long enough to get through a few verses, we sometimes just have to emphasis the high points...) we stop and talk about the story or verses we read. The other day we were talking about the story of Nephi and Laban, and Abby said, "Oh! I've heard this story before! It is in the Book of Elmer!" Jared and I looked at each other, with confused looks, then we looked back at her. She continued on saying, "You know the Book of Elmer, where everyone fights!" Jared and I laughed as we realized that she was talking about the Book of Alma! Funny how things get processed in their little ears!

Camping!!!

The ultimate in the trip to Idaho every year is the big camping trip. The Dads and Papa take all the kids up into the mountains for a three day camping trip. The kids literally look forward to this trip all year long and plan what adventures they want to have while they are there. This is Kelsie, Kalli, Emily, and Emma Jo walking down the road...
Emma Jo and her stick!

Listening to Uncle Rich tell a scary story...something about a ghost with white eyes...I've heard the girls version of it lots of times. It apparently made quite the impression!

Emma fell while climbing on the big rock, and got quite the fat lip!

Hanging out with Papa by the fire

Climbing the big rock!

I love that my kids are going to have such amazing memories of their time spent with family!

Water Park!!

One of the highlights of going to Idaho is the day at the water park! This year the only day we were able to go, was on the day before the 4th. So it was really busy, but everyone seemed to have a great time! This was the first year that Kalli and her cousin Jonah were able to go off by themselves...so they were never around for having their picture taken...

This is Abby and Grace getting ready to go down the slide together!

Dinosaur Park

Every time we go to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Utah, the girls love to go to the dinosaur park! This year while we were visiting Great Grandpa Judd came up to see the girls. He had come to visit us while we lived in Houston, and while he was there he and Emma instantly had a unique bond with each other. As soon as we walked into the house, Emma ran up to him and gave him a big hug, needless to say, from then on where you saw Grandpa Judd, Emma was not far away!
Feeding the fish!

Kalli and Abby by the anamatronic dinosaurs. They are awesome!

Striking a pose by a...uhmm...I have no idea what kind of dinosaur that is!?!

Kalli's Baptism!

Kalli was lucky enough to get baptized while we were in Idaho this summer! She was even more lucky to have her baptism day on the 4th of July, what an awesome day to have a baptism! Lisa and Matt came from Virgina, and Grandma and Grandpa Haacke came up from Utah. The rest of the gang was already there for the annual summer fun!

Daddy and Kalli ready to go!



Papa and two of the girls...the other was hiding under a desk!


We finally got Emma to come and take a picture!

Kalli was surprisingly really nervous the day of her baptism. She knew she was about to do something really important and she wanted to make sure she did it all right! She would talk to us about how excited she was and how happy she felt inside. As she left the water she looked at me and said, "Mom, I feel really warm...on the inside and outside!"

Guitar Heros!

So the other day I was watching my nephews Luke and Lucas. I was upstairs cleaning one mess, and when I came downstairs these three goofballs were rocking out! It was so hilarious! None of them had any idea what they were doing, yet they thought they sounded like the most famous band on the block!