Happy Birthday Caleb!!

Caleb is 4 years old!!  Happy birthday to an amazing, smart, kind, funny, intelligent, tender-hearted, fun little boy!!!  (Don't tell him I said little.  According to him, he's NOT LITTLE!)

Somehow I didn't take a picture of him with his cake???  What?!  Well, for the record he had cake.  And he went to the store and picked out his own birthday gift.  He picked Transformers - Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee.

First Day of School

Now that I finally posted about our trip, I can get back to real life.  It's sad that you have to get back into real life after a vacation.  Less than 2 weeks after we got back, school started (on Aug 16th):

Nathan is now a Junior: 

Michael a Sophomore:

Katie in 8th Grade:

Anna is in 6th Grade (middle school!):

Lydia is in 4th Grade:

Elizabeth is in 1st Grade and so excited to go all day:

And Caleb (still in his pajamas) wanted in on the action too:

Caleb Playing Checkers and Chess

Nathan taught Caleb how to play checkers.  He also taught him how to play chess.  Caleb caught on amazingly quick for a barely 4 year old.  He's pretty obsessed with checkers and chess now and is getting really good at both.  I'm pretty amazed that he understands chess at age 4!  Lydia took these pictures.  I like the angles she used - such an artistic girl!

 They played using stars and spaceships!

 What?!  He jumped me?!

The Rest of Our Trip to Utah, Part 2

The second week we spent with Blake's family, mostly camping.  Everyone knows that I'm not a fan of camping.  But I have to say that this camping trip was about as perfect as you can get when camping.  (Is that an oxymoron to use "perfect" and "camping" in the same sentence?)

 Boys and sticks.  They're like magnets everywhere we go.

 Nathan didn't want to be left out.  We asked him to move this log so we could put up the tent.  He claimed it as his and named it his, "Slightly Cumbersome Stick".  He's so funny.

 Making crafts:

 Chloe and Caleb became instant, very dusty best friends.  They played in the dirt ALL DAY LONG.  We nicknamed Caleb "Dusty" on this trip (check out his pants!) and the kids have been calling him Dusty ever since.

 Playing cards:

 After we got back from camping (and finally had a shower!), they played in the water:

 And of course, we all played cards a whole lot:

We went to an AMAZING park for a family reunion with the extended family.  By that point, after 14 days away from home, on the go every second, and taking a bazillion pictures, I was DONE taking pictures.  I took some with Blake's camera, but he hasn't given them to me.  I'll post the rest of the pics later.  

It was a wonderful trip and it was so fun to see all our wonderful family!  To both sides of the family, thanks for putting up with us!

The Rest of Our Trip to Utah, Part 1

Oops, I kinda forgot to mention the rest of our vacation. I got side-tracked posting about Celine.  But no worries, I remembered.  

We spent the first week with my family and the second week with Blake's family, plus a couple days driving to get there.  Well, let me rephrase that.  My awesome husband took ALL the kids and drove 1000+ miles for 2 days, pulling a trailer, while I got to spend 24 hours ALONE in hour house and then fly to Utah.  See, he's amazing, isn't he?  The "pulling a trailer" part is his fault though, as you'll see later.  He wanted to go camping with his family and there's absolutely NO way we could fit 9 sleeping bags, plus suit cases, plus all the TONS of camping gear that is required.  So we had to rent a trailer.  And he had to pull it.  But I'm not complaining - I got to fly.  I didn't have to deal with the trailer.

OK, enough words.  I'll let the pictures talk for themselves.

   Stopping in Wyoming (I think Wyoming, I wasn't there):

They decided to make the trip in 2 days instead of drive straight through like last time.  I was grateful for this decision.

We spent the first week with my family and the second week with Blake's family.  (And of course the last 3 days with Celine!)  

The cousins catching up on the first day:  All the boys (except Nathan who was probably reading).

 Elizabeth and Braelynn:

 Bricanie and Lydia:

 Caleb, Daxton and Andren:

 Caleb introducing his Pinky Bear to Braelynn's Pinky Bear (A long, funny story.  Short version is he wanted the bear we sent to Braelynn as a new baby.  Now he has one and so does she.)

 Grandma bought everyone Slurpees!

 Christmas in July at Target.  The kids drew names, Grandma gave all the kids a dollar, and they shopped for each other.  

 The park.

 Michael and Andren the Monkeys:

 More monkeys:

 Climbing boys:

 We all went to a movie (Amy's family wasn't here yet):

 Playing at Grandma's house:

 Kong Kones.  These things are HUGE! 

 Skating.  Katie LOVED it, but it took at least 2 people to keep her up.

 At the splash park.  Of all the days to go, we picked the coldest.  The other days were hot of course.  Here are some of the kids getting warm on the sidewalk.  They'd warm up and then go right back in the water.

 Making a wood project at Lowe's:

 We HAD to go to Wienerschnitzel since we don't have any in KS.

 Temple Square and the Conference Center:

 The kids were all attracted to the water

 More water:

 Michael and Braelynn became buddies:

 On the roof of the Conference Center:

 This is still on the roof.  The kids marveled at the view.  You can't see views like this in flat KS.

We got together with the extended family.  I didn't get many pictures since I was too busy talking to all of them.  It was good to see everyone!! 

Grandma made Abbleskeivers for everyone.  I don't think my younger kids have ever had them.  I refuse to make them because they're a ton of work.

  

My girls wanted to try on my wedding dress.  They loved this activity.  

 I thought this was cute - sisters helping sisters with the wedding dress.

 I see this happening for real in the future!  

Some day my sister will send me the pictures she took of all the kids. (That's a hint Amy.)