Back to School

So I'm finally getting around to posting back to school pictures now that school has been in session for a month and a half.  Above is a picture of Emily and her friends the week before school started.  It was picture day and they were checking out their lockers.  It's hard for me to remember that she is a FRESHMAN because 9th grade is still in middle school here.  In fact, I really didn't comprehend that fact until after she had been in school for a few weeks.  I remember my Freshman year fondly.  I had so much fun!  It is one of my favorite memories.  And because I remember my Freshman year, I'm both excited and scared for her all at the same time.

Aubrey and Addy had to start school a whole week before their older siblings.  They started in a BRAND SPANKIN NEW school this year.  So far this has been a good change.  We especially like that there are so many kids from our neighborhood going to the same school. 

Addy is in 2nd grade and Aubrey is in 6th!  Her last year of Elementary!

I think it's awesome when teachers give homework before school even starts!  Here is Addy on her first day with her scrapbook page she made.

While Aubrey and Addy were in school, Zac and Emily and I did some back to school shopping.

I had a fun week with just these two at home.  One day we went to the Salt Lake temple to do some work for our ancestors and to celebrate President Monson's Birthday.  When we got there we found out we actually missed him, and the rest of the First Presidency, by 20 minutes.  They had walked right through the Baptistery!

After we left the temple we had a delicious lunch at the Lion House.

One day after school we decided to squeeze in one more swim session before summer was over.

A week after Aubrey and Addy started school, Emily had her first day of 9th grade.  Zac didn't have to go that Monday.  I think it was orientation for the 10th grade or something.  That was a month ago, so how am I supposed to remember?  Anyway.  Emily started school Monday and Zac started 11th grade on Tuesday.  It is strange for me to think that if he had been born just 2 days earlier he would be a Senior this year.  This was the best picture I could get of him.

I still can't believe that we are already into our second month of school!  Life has not slowed down like I had hoped it would after a busy summer.  We have been crazy with 2 soccer games, 5 volleyball games and a million different practices every week!  But we are hanging in there an surviving it.  I do still have this crazy home school bug that won't leave me alone.  One of these days I might be posting a picture of our first day of school with us in our pajamas....

Hobbs in Utah Take 2

Earlier in September we were fortunate to have the Hobbs visit us again.  They were on their way to Idaho to take their oldest, Sierra, to college.  We really enjoyed their visit and we had a lot of fun with them.  As usual, they brought the Missouri rain storms across the plains with them.  But rain always make for beautiful sunsets around here.  The first night they were here was Monday, and we had a game night for Family Home Evening.

On Tuesday, after we got the kids off to school, we went shopping at some stores unique to Utah.  Steve was able to take a few hours and join us. After shopping we had a lovely lunch.  Then the Hobbs went to run some other errands they had.  That night after dinner, Steve and Heather's Aunt Callie and her family came over for dessert and a visit.

Heather & Callie

On Wednesday, we went to the Salt Lake Temple and did and Endowment Session and then went to lunch.

That night Addy had her own cheer section at her soccer game.

The Hobbs made delicious pork steaks for dinner.  I had never heard of a pork steak, so they brought them special from Missouri.  Sierra: "Why do I feel like I have the biggest pork steak?"

That night we watched some old home movies I had taken during some of our trips to Missouri.  It was fun to see how much some of the kids had changed.

Asher & Aubrey

Amanda & Spencer

The next morning it was time to say good-bye.  But first everyone had to try out my new toy!

Official College Girl!

I am so thankful Heavenly Father has blessed me with such a wonderful family- both the family I was born into and the one I chose through marriage.  I am so thankful He allows us the opportunity to see each other even though we are separated by great distances.  I am thankful that Steve was able to take some time off to spend with his family while they were here.  And I am thankful we were able to visit the House of the Lord and do the work for our ancestors.  

Labor Day 2014

We had a fun filled labor day yesterday.  We went to two places we had never been before.  Our first stop was Promontory Utah.  I've always wanted to go there and felt like a total loser that we had never been, being that we don't live that far away and people come from all over to visit that place.  Promontory is the location where the Union and Central Pacific Railroad line rails were joined, linking the East and the West with the first transcontinental railroad.  It is an important enough place, it is featured on the back of the Utah quarter.  We were able to watch a reenactment of the event that took place in 1869.  We learned that there wasn't just one gold spike that was placed to link the two tracks, but that there were 4 different spikes- two gold, one silver and one that was part gold and silver.  Another interesting fact we learned today is that if you add the miles of rail that were laid from Sacramento with the miles of rail laid from Omaha you get 1776- the year the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Standing in the place where history was made.

Holding the replica spikes that were used in the reenactment.

 A replica of the golden spike.  The real one resides at the Smithsonian.

After we left there, we headed for the Spiral Jetty- a place we learned existed only the day before.  Although Zac says he learned about it in school when he was in 5th grade.  We told our kids that when they learn about things such as this, they should make it known to their parents who did not go to school in Utah and therefore never learned those types of things.  Before exploring the jetty, we had to have lunch.  

On the way out that morning we stopped at the store and I bought these pre-made sandwiches in the deli.  They were ridiculously huge.  We each took off half the meat and some of us took off the top piece of bread just so we could fit it in our mouth.

Our lovely picnicking view.

Emily is in the back of Steve's truck in the center of this picture.  This plane kept flying low and at one point it was right next to the truck and a gust of wind tipped it toward the truck and it kinda freaked me out a little.  It also gave me flashbacks to the plane that regularly buzzes my house and flies through my yard.

You can see the jetty in the distance.

The water level was really low so there was no water at the jetty.  We walked out on the salt to see what the pink stuff was we could see in the distance.

Zac dared Emily and Addy to lick the ground and taste the salt.  As you can see....they complied...

We made it to the pink stuff.  It was water, tinted by what I thought was the natural salt.  However I just googled it and found out it is actually tinted pink from organisms living in the highly concentrated salt water.  Nice.  Wish I had known that before I went wading knee deep in it.  It was rather beautiful though.

Zac, trying to convince Addy to eat a roasted salted grasshopper by telling her it is a delicacy in other countries.

 After we left the jetty, we headed for my mom's house.  She made Zac the dinner of his choice for his 17th Birthday, which is today!  She made the most delicious, melt in your mouth brisket.  It was fantastic.

Gettin' fancy with the match candles.  Delicious pineapple coconut cream cake.

 I am so thankful for the beautiful creations Heavenly Father has surrounded us with.  I am thankful I was able to enjoy some of those creations with my family yesterday.  And I am so thankful for the family He has given me.