First Day of School!

So, I have been a really lazy blogger lately! Sorry! But, last week, Easton and Paisley started school. Easton is in the 3rd grade, and Paisley is in the 1st grade. This is the first year that they are both gone all day!



They were really excited for their first day. Paisley was especially excited that she would eat lunch at school every day. She was also ecstatic about picking out her clothes and wearing her new twinkle toes shoes!

They didn't even look back when I dropped them off in the rain at school. What fun years they have ahead of them!




Now it is just Avery and I home all day. We are becoming quite the best buddies! I love having her with me. She is such a funny little girl! I am so happy that I am not alone all day. I am definitely not ready for that!

TEN YEARS!! WHOO HOO!!

Happy Anniversary to Dave and I!! It is our 10th anniversary today! CRAZY! It is seriously hard to believe that we are in the double-digits now! Where did the years go?

A quick time line of important events in our lives:

*We met on a blind date one month before I graduated high school in 1997
*He left on a mission 2 months after we met
*We wrote the full 2 years that Dave was on his mission
*We broke up about 7 months after he got home in 1999
*We got back together about 1 1/2 months after that
*We got engaged May 13, 2000
*We lived in Salt Lake City for the first 8 months of our marriage
*We moved back to Idaho Falls in May 2001
*We bought our first home in November 2001
*Had our first baby in February 2002
*Had our second baby in October 2003
*Bought our second home in August 2006
*Had our third baby in March 2007

Now, for some more "fun" facts:

*Dave and I are why they made up the saying "opposites attract"!
*I have beat him in every Scrabble game we've ever played, except one incredibly, outrageously lucky game he had
*We NEVER eat off one another's plates (cuz Dave is really weird about that)
*We do not snuggle while we sleep, I am on one side of the bed, he's on the other
*We love to travel
*We love hanging out with friends
*Almost every vacation we have gone on is planned around a major league baseball game
*We often find ourselves just walking around Sam's Club when we need something to do
*We are very competitive in games
*We work well together
*We love eating out
*We enjoy going to Farmer's Markets

I am not the creative one, that is another fact, so I can't think of any more "fun" facts.



Here are some personal facts about my feelings for Dave.

*I married the perfect man for me
*I appreciate the stable life that he has made for us
*I love that he works so hard for our family
*I love that he plays with the kids and makes them laugh
*I love that he listens to me when I just need to vent
*I love that he defends me
*I love that he puts up with me
*I am grateful that he is a good example
*I love how he thinks he is the best singer in the world :)
*I love to watch him dance (he also thinks he is the best dancer in the world!)
*I love that he takes pride in a well manicured lawn
*I love it when he is concerned about me
*I love how he always makes me laugh, or at least tries
*I love that he always drives (even if it is because he doesn't like my driving!)
*I can't imagine life without him


Happy 10th Anniversary to us.



Dave, I love you more that you will ever know. You are my best friend. Thank you for 10 great years. I look forward to an eternity more.

Cub Scouting Days

I have been a Cub Scout Bear Leader for a little over a year now. It has been quite a learning experience for me. I came into scouting knowing absolutely NOTHING. Now, I feel as I have a grasp on the program and how it is run.

I am so glad that I am in scouting at this time because Easton is now a Wolf. It has been really fun to do activities with him in scouts.

Back in June, another leader and I took 10 little scouts to Scout Day Camp. It was really a fun day. Here are a few of the fun things Easton was able to do...

They learned how to make a stretcher out of sticks and a blanket...







They got to go through a really fun obstacle course...








They got to play with a HUGE parachute...




And, the best part of all was shooting BB guns! Easton was super excited about that!






It has been really fun to do some fun things with just Easton. We don't get a lot of alone time, so this has been really good for us!

Drama, Drama, Drama!!!

My sweet Paisley, pre-drama days.


I know she is normal. I have talked to many other moms who have confirmed it. But, seriously. It has only begun. I don't know if I can take 10 or 12 more years of this.

Yep...my sweet, easy going, lovable, helpful, optimistic, full of fun little girl has got a bad case of GIRL DRAMA!!

I am talking tears that go on for an hour over NOTHING.

I am talking about her having attitude that she almost NEVER had before.

What am I to do with her?


These pictures are from a couple months ago. But, I have to post them. It was my mom's birthday and after the rest of the family left after the party, my parents stayed to play a game with the kids.




We decided to play Trouble.



Those who don't know, you have to roll a six to get out of your home base. Unless you roll a six, you can not move any guys. Well, Paisley had quite a streak of bad luck trying to get a six.

And, once she would get out onto the board, someone would land on her and send her back. So, yeah, drama!!!



These tears are REAL people. And, they are over a BOARD GAME!!



WHAT?!?!?



We laughed soooooo hard as I was taking these pictures. And, yes, that did fuel her fire. But, what else were we to do but laugh?

Here are the gloating winners...



Have a good laugh at our expense, but just wait until you have an almost 7 year old girl. You won't laugh quite as hard.

A Day at the Lake!

I have several activities planned that are "musts" for the summer. We haven't done half of them yet! We have been super busy with 8 weeks of swimming lessons and other activities, but haven't gotten too many things checked off on our "must" list.

But, Friday we checked one off. We headed to a local lake with several friends. It was the perfect day for it. No clouds, a little bit of a breeze, and HOT HOT HOT!




It is the only "beach" experience that my kids have ever had. They love playing in the rocky sand and swimming in the water.





It was awesome.




Of course I love chatting with the girls the best. But, eventually we did move the chatting down to the water. It was too hot not to get in.





So fun.



Thanks girls.

Awesome get-away!!

***WARNING*** PICTURE OVER LOAD AHEAD!!! ***WARNING***


A couple of weeks ago, our good friends, Tory and Christy, invited us up to spend a night at Tory's family cabin in Palisades. We excitedly accepted the invite! Our other friends, Joe and Angie, also came. With 6 adults and 9 kids, it was a party!!! :)

We went up Sunday evening and fixed a YUMMY dutch oven dinner. Then the dads took all the kids out on a little 4-wheeler ride.




A night in the woods wouldn't be right without SMORES!




The next morning the kids were up at dawn with swim suits on and ready for a day on the lake.




The day was SUPER windy and the lake was really rough. But, the day was warm and was still fun!







We had 3 jet skis to ride while we were there. They were so fun! (Or by the looks of the pictures DAVE had fun on them!) :) He actually got a tan only on half of his hands because his fingers were always wrapped around the handle bar!! :) Ha ha!







The kids had fun playing in the water with life jackets and floaty toys!




Easton was able to try to water ski. He was soooo excited!




But, when he didn't get up on his first try, he was done! He got buried in the water a bit and it scared him. He swam back to the boat a little shaken up.



The water was so rough and choppy that we didn't get to do much behind the boat. But, the guys did "surf" for a while. It is Dave's new favorite thing to do. :)




And of course, there were a few falls! :)



And, since I took all the pictures, I am not in any. So, for future reference, and to prove I was actually there, I took a picture of myself. Brace yourself for the double chin shot! :)



We had such a great day!! Everyone was soooo exhausted by the time evening came. Our family was so tired that we decided to stay at the cabin an extra night. It was great just to sit and relax with good friends.

Thanks guys for the GREAT time!!