Back to School 2017-2018

It is a big year for back to school for our family! 

Abbi headed into junior high school at the same school as Marlie. She got a locker, has seven classes, gets to eat school lunch every day, ride the bus, and finally gets to carry her cell phone.

Marlie went with her to New Student Orientation to show her around and help her set up her locker. I was there, too, but was asked to stay put in the cafeteria while they did teenager stuff.

Noah moved schools this year and is with cousins, too! He's in the 3rd grade and gets to ride the bus to school as well. He has two teachers who split the week and he loves them both. Noah loves learning his times tables and cursive.

At the beginning of the school year we were living with Grandma and Grandpa Hansen in Riverdale so we had to get up early to get to school in time. On my days off, Noah and I would sneak to breakfast and on work days he got to eat breakfast with the cousins and go to school with them. It was really helpful and nice of Jimmy and Amber to let him come over every morning so I could go to work on time.

Abbi and Aunt Anne worked hard on finding her back to school clothes. They both like this shirt because it's a little ridiculous. 

Noah got to make a poster for class for the week he got to be the MVP. He picked out fun pictures and facts to share about himself.

Noah's #8 Birthday

 Noah turned eight years old and was super excited to celebrate! He chose a confetti cake with strawberry frosting and cookies and cream ice cream to share with all the family. He really looked forward to this birthday because he knew that this was probably the year he would get his first BB gun and pocket knife. And, he did!

Noah wants to be baptized but wants to wait until we live in our new house and new ward so it won't be until October. He has already thought about what he wants to eat after the baptism though. Pork butt.

I can never really believe how big or old Noah gets. He was a big boy baby when I got him as a one year old so as he grows it's a physical sign of how I've grown into motherhood. Being with him and Abbi as they've grown has been the highlight of happiness in my life and the most challenging blessing I've been given.

 

Bear Lake 2017

Girls day out for Raspberry Days, shopping, and shakes!

Elizabeth, Abbi, and Marlie got tattoos to surprise their dads!

Mom and I tried to do the hardest puzzle ever. We put it away and worked on it after we got home.

Cousins decorated their buckets for their Secret Cousin prizes.

Henrik loves to play play dough.

These three were always together doing mystery wildness.

These three went on a long walk down to get their own shakes.

Aunt Tiffani showed the kids how to make slime.

Wendy and I didn't play nearly enough Skip-Bo.

It turns out that our children are dare devils on the boat. They told Uncle Jimmy to go faster and faster. He even let them both have a turn to drive the boat!

We finally rented a water trampoline after thinking and watching them for years. It turns out that it is terribly difficult to climb on and takes up most of your rental time.

Abbi and Marlie pooped out. 

Grandpa fell asleep with Henrik's "babies."

The kids made me do another mystery dinner. I did it once a few years ago and now I have to do it every year. This one was very ill-planned but I did like how they had to put their choices on a paper sack that I could just fill up with what they ordered.

Fruitland House

This year we decided to sell our Fruitland house to move to a flat, quieter road. We'll miss the old girl but she kept us constantly busy with maintenance and cleaning. There wasn't time to do the projects we wanted to because there were plenty of repairs and projects that had to be done first. And that's all just for the inside. The yard was it's own beast that couldn't be tamed without a crew of gardeners.

I loved the great room that the kids named the dancing room or Bear Lake room. I loved how a big Christmas tree looked in the window. I loved the chalkboard mantle in the living room. I loved the view in the back yard of the mountains in all the seasons and weather. I loved to see the deer come into the yard and snack on our apple trees. I loved all the storage spaces and my office. I loved watching the dogs run, play, or lay in the sun in the back yard. I loved watching the kids climb the hill or stand on the big rocks while they imagined different adventures. I loved hearing them race around the house up and down the two sets of stairs, especially during Nerf gun fights with Jake. I loved watching the cats sit in their window every morning to watch the birds. I loved sitting in the barn while Jake worked on all kinds of projects, amazed at what he could create.

The Fruitland house was perfect for us during the season of our life we were there. It worked perfect for our adventures and needs. We recognized that after four years, our season there ended and it was time to settle into a home where we could use the yard, ride bikes in the street, and have more time to spend together that wasn't just cleaning and projects. Moving is a great adventure. Any house can be our home and adventures open us up to personal growth, new opportunities and experiences, and lots of new people.

Thank you Fruitland house for being our home. We love you!