So nervous with a twinge of excitement.
Lunch date with my teenagers:
A cloud that looked like a Yankee Doodle profile:
The first day…Lucy was obsessed with the new sunglasses my mom bought her while we were in India:
…but she switched to her other glasses for school.
She’s getting better and better at wearing those things.
Claire and some friends on the first day:
Elle’s photo:
This was the coolest day on the first week of school…and I think it was still pretty early in the morning…I think the first three days were 115 degrees.
Trips and trips for school supplies:
…man alive, five kids need a lot of school stuff! And they do not tell their mother about every item they need on the first school supply run. They like to string it out all week.
On the second day Lu started the bus routine:
…and came home after falling asleep on that thing. Then promptly fell asleep on the counter:
I chalked it up to two full days of school tuckering her out…
…until I took her temperature:
(The thermometer was a little off…she wasn’t THAT hot, but had a pretty good fever, poor girl.)
So she missed the first Friday of school and recuperated over the weekend.
Claire was all smiles though.
Third grade is treating her right so far.
Tennis excitement:
Claire adores babies. Especially the new one around the corner.
When there’s only one boy in the family, Saturdays can be rough.
But the girls work hard too:
Yes I know they should switch every now and again, but Dave and Max have serious bonding time outside, and Max still does his inside jobs too. We had a major closet-clean-out in our house last week…more on that later.
Elle’s birthday lunch:
Elle’s post-braces retainer appointment:
Great orthodontists:
Lucy moved up a level in her swim class:
I am working on some healthy dinners:
I think that’s a piece of chocolate in Elle’s hand though…
Lucy is in a puzzle phase:
From Elle:
(or “Elle The Awesome” as she saved her contact in my phone)
Lunch with my Kindergartener:
(and the necklace we made together that she insists on wearing every day.)
Pinterest-inspired hairstyles:
A date my teenagers sweet-talked me into:
One of Grace’s creations in my hair while I read to her at night:
Serious rain:
One of the weekly things we’re working on for FHE:
The flowers I bought at the grocery store for Dave to give to me…sometimes I like to help him out:)
(Even though he actually doesn’t do a shabby job at that himself.)
Claire walking the kindergarteners home from the bus…she is SO delighted when she gets to do this, and so are they.
Max is so much taller than I am.
I know part of it is the hair:)…but he’s got me by a long shot.
Love this Grace:
First stake Activity Day for Claire, last one for Grace:
Elle and her friends taught the dance at the activity again:
(Third year in a row…they love it.)
Max did yard work with Papa who was in town:
Yeah, it was HOT.
Dave and I went to the back-to-school night at the high school and got to go to each of Max and Elle’s classes…and bring home LOTS of information:
Elle was amused that they handed these out at EFY:
Funny.
Max and friends at Sun Splash:
I don’t know who took this…but it’s the Sunday dinner table half-way set.
…with our special new tablecloth from India.
Lunch date with Claire:
FHE at our new neighbors’ house:
There you go…a couple months caught by a phone. Technology is awesome…even if the pictures are a little blurry 🙂
shawn, this is my fave. this makes me miss you guys so so much. sunset alert! that elle is a pearl of a girl.
Love this, love it all! You inspire me (as always!) I AM going to take more pics!
Ps. I just wanted to say about the school clothes issue, your response was so beautiful. I even talked about you in my RS lesson. Thanks for being you.
Love the pics as always! Your new neighbors pool is amazing!!!
this is my favorite post. but it makes me miss you guys so much! sunset alert! that elle is a pearl of a girl. love you!
ok, I have been inspired to take more fun photos with my kids.
The flowers purchased by you from Dave totally fits my family. I do the same for my husband.
I loved the mormon.org card too.
Great post and awesome pool.
oh my goodness, so much fun! my daughter wore the same hot pink with mini white polka dot shirt to the first day of school (my blog post today where i'm linking to your last friday post about mothering as your job as i say how hard it is to send my kids off to school but i know its best for them) wow that was a long parenthesis. i can't wait to see pics of your house…phone pics even? it's fun i saw a bunch of this on your IG…and i love that you help your husband out by buying yourself flowers;) oh, and that mormon.org card is AWESOME!
Love this!!! i am so glad you posted about the flowers, i but my own too, and usually do it ( and be mad inside, that i had to buy myself flowers), now i will think of it the way you do !hahahahah
Can u tell me where you bought Claires red shirt ( with the pic of her and grace)
lastly, HELLO new neighbours pool!! how amazing… and on that note, can we have a new house update!!!
ps, the shirt is pink not red 😉
The missionaries in my ward gave me that same card… I laughed and then proceeded to tell them all that I know about you. It was too funny! Love all the pictures and how they show how much your kids love each other and you.
Why do the boys only do outdoor chores and the girls only indoor. Seriously!?!? that is just silly especially when there's a serious gender in-balance.
Have to laugh about the mormon.org card, since our family went to the Portland Temple Visitors Center for FHE this week where we watched (among other things) your video! And my kids thought it was awesome that I read your blog…
Aren't you moving? When?
I just love this blog so much. I'm a young mom and feel pretty overwhelmed/clueless/frustrated with my two little ones much of the time. My husband just started med school, which means lots of mommy+kids time and many days I see that motherhood doesn't come very naturally to me. I'm thankful to have blogs like this to learn so much from! I think your family is adorable! Also, I'm really excited to check out your mom's books!
I love that you buy flowers for Dave to give to you 🙂 That's totally something I would do.
Alright, what are you cooking there? Looks delicious! I'm hoping for another "This are some of our favorite meals" post again someday. (I made a couple of meals that you posted about a while back and they were hits in my home! Thanks for the inspiration!) 🙂
Love the pictures. You have a beautiful life. The vegetables look so delicious. Are you making Panzanella?
Wow, your neighbor's pool is something special. I've never seen one like it.
I know you posted this a few months ago, but I am curious about how you like Aqua Tots. Is it worth the $$? I have a 5-year-old boy that is currently in gymnastics, but have been thinking about putting him in swimming instead. Thanks!