New BSU Gear... and the perfect picture challenge.

After picking peaches, we stopped by a few stores to try to update our Boise State shirts for the season.  I struck out at Walmart so I went to Gordmans and they had a lot of great stuff for a good price.  I found everyone matching shirts.  I found a hat for Kingston too, he wore it all through the store so I thought he would keep it on but it turns out he didn't like it. 
Anyway... now that I am starting to master getting three kids to look at me with a smile for a picture I look at getting four to do it as my next picture perfect challenge.  I am always up for a new challenge!  Here are all of the attempts... not successful this time so we will see how I do next time.  I do love looking at them like a film strip though because you can see what's going on and I think they are funny.  Scout even joined in on the fun. There is no way I can pick just one.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And Kingston is done.  He did let me torture him for about 10 shots though!!

 

 

Picking Peaches! 8/28/2012

I love the fall harvest and I love that I get to share it with my kiddos, well most of them.  Kingston fell fast asleep on the drive out to the orchard.  He woke up at the end though and got to check things out and try a peach right off the tree.  Kingston's grandma spent a few afternoon's with me showing me all the ropes of putting peaches away so it was neat that I got to take him with me because I would have never wanted to drive to an orchard for peaches if I wouldn't of had those afternoons with her.  Jace was a great helper and stayed pretty close.  Jillian didn't care for picking peaches but she liked putting them in the boxes for the orchard.  Colton was great at eating the peaches and running up and down the rows of the orchard.
 

 

 

 

Meridian Speedway 8/25/2012

Meridian Speedway! 
I am not sure when my Dad got into watching Nascar... but I think it was around my high school/college years.  Now when we go visit you can usually find one or two little blonde boys in his room with him eating M&M's and watching Nascar. 
While he was here we decided we better go check it out the Meridian Speedway.  Grandpa treated us to a night filled with fast cars, popcorn for the girls and laffy taffy for the boys.  We had a blast. I was trying to pay attention to everything he and Brian were talking about but it was over my head.  I was so surprised how much my boys know about cars and racing.  I think this might become an annual event! 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Colton's First Day of Kindgarten 8/22/2012

The most traumatic thing I have done so far!!! Letting my big guy go to Kindergarten. I had gotten all my tears out last night so now I just had to put my smile on and go for it.  Colton was excited but played it cool.  He did his typical thing.  Showered, rolled around with Scout, brushed hair and teeth  and he was good to go.
When we got to the school and we were walking in he said, "Mom, look at all of these kids..." then he started to recognize some and started saying Hi.  I took him over to line up and his friend Ryker from Closest to Home was having a hard time so Colton went and stood by him and helped him get into class.  The teacher spoke once in English and welcomed the students and then spoke again in Spanish to welcome the students.  They walked around the corner into their classroom and that was it.... I left him there.  I made it without any tears. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This was my big guy when I picked him up!!  Look at that great smile.  He told me it was really fun.  His favorite part of school was hanging upside down on the monkey bars and climbing up the bars like a hill.  At lunch he sat by Ryker. Everyone liked his shirt except for Jayden, he said it was ugly. He likes his teacher.  He can say Buenos Dias (good morning) in Spanish.  The listened to a kissing hands story and look for hands with hearts in them.  We had some errands to run after I picked him up and he told everyone in the stores about his first day of Kindergarten!! 
You are amazing bubba!  So sweet and kind.  You are a great leader and love to be in charge.  You are a passionate young boy that plays hard and loves to win.  I am so lucky you are mine.

Kindergarten Sneak Peak

We got a post card in the mail on Friday August 17 letting the parents know that on Monday, August 20 there would be a Kindergarten sneak peek... talk about panic.  I called my good co-worker friend Laurie Koga and she was able to come cover me at work so I could take my little guy. 
We checked out the school and went on a scavenger hunt.  We got to meet his teachers and then we took off.  It was great.  No tears from Mom on this trip.  While we were there we learned that there would be an open house on Tuesday night.  So on Tuesday night we drove back out to Kuna just to go over things one more time.
 In all the paper work I had from the Kindergarten sneak peak I was confused about what time to drop him off.  There is a learning curve with this going to school business.  We went through the school again and I stopped in his room with him to look at his desk and while I was in there I asked his teacher about dropping him off.  Ask soon as I started speaking my voice cracked and my eyes welled up. Once I started crying, I couldn't stop.  And that entire night  while I was making his lunch and packing his bag, I still couldn't stop.  I wasn't sure if he could poke the straw into his juice box or open his fruit snacks. There was so much I hadn't thought about and it just added to the anxiety of it all.
I promised Brian that by Wednesday morning I would be composed and do my best to keep my composure for the big day! I am so glad that I went to the sneak peak and the open house because Colton was so confident the second time visiting the school. I knew he would do great!
 

Fall Football! 8/2012

Colton and Brian had so much fun playing and coaching in the spring they decided to go for it in the fall as well.  We were lucky because we were assigned to be the patriots!!  We had some of the boys from our spring team and some new faces too.  We had mostly five year olds with a few six year olds mixed in.  I love the fall season because it is so much warmer to watch.
 

 

 

 ...And for these two... they are growing up way to fast!

 

 

Fun in Yellowstone! 8/10/12

What could possibly be more fun than hanging out at Yellowstone with the family?  Nothing I can think of.
 

 

From left to right: Jillian, Owen, Jace, Julianna, Kashus and Colton.

The Perfect Fishing Spot 8/9/12

There was a rumor going around that Kashus hadn't ever caught a fish... I thought to myself... we are going to catch him a fish this weekend.  So fishing was mapped in the for the day and we were off to find the perfect spot.  We all had our tackle gear and fishing nets and such.  Brian took us to a beautiful spot.  I loved it and the kids loved exploring it but after Kip and Brian did their investigating they concluded it wasn't the perfect spot.  Next we drove and drove and found a long dirt road that took us too a small river.  To me this spot looked boring but to the boys it was the perfect spot.  So we got all covered in bug spray and we were off.  Kip was on one side of the bridge and Brian was on the other.  We were there for about 20 minutes and out of now where a tribe of about 8 people walked down the road and started fishing off of the bridge right on top of us... well that didn't last long and we had to be back for dinner so we were unsuccessful.  We needed the Honey Hole.  Kash if you ever get to come visit Aunt Joy in Boise I know a spot to catch you a fish big guy!  Anyways, it was a wonderful adventure.