Summer Odds and Ends...

We had a busy summer. So, busy in fact that I didn't take time to update our blog. So, I apologize in advance for the huge post of pictures here... but here's our summer:

We went to UT and played with cousins and grandparents then

we went to Nevada and saw more grandparents and aunts and uncles.

We had piano recitals and playing in the mud, and s'mores. 

We put flowers on our relative's graves on Memorial Day.

It was fabulous!

First Day of School

Caleb is in 5th grade

Kellie is in 3rd grade

Levi is in 1st grade

Aaron is in 8th grade

Happy Birthday, Seth!

Micah's 1st Birthday

Micah woke up this morning and was in a pretty good mood. He had a rather laid-back kind of day, playing, napping and snacking. 

Tonight he tried birthday cake.

He was pretty excited about the lit candle...

Then he realized that we had removed the candle and he got really upset...

After a short break from his high chair, to calm down and get some snuggles, we tried again.

This time he decided that maybe cake was okay after all... maybe.

Happy Birthday, Micah!

Last Day of School Picnic

12th Night

For the 2nd year in a row Caleb has participated in his school's GT Shakespeare Festival. The GT kids get together and memorize an abridged version of one of Shakepeare's plays. This year they did 12th Night and Caleb was Duke Orsino.  

I had to laugh because in the play the girl he ends up marrying is very tall (much taller than him), and at the end they are supposed to hold hands and embrace. But since this is still elementary school and the opposite gender still has cooties, they chose have the kids hold on to a shared handkerchief. It totally made me laugh.

Bravo, Caleb! Bravo!

Kindergarten Field Trip to the Farm

You would think with so many kids I would have gone on a lot of field trips, but that just hasn't been the case. The truth is that I've always had a little baby around which prevented me from going on many of them. So I was extra super excited to get to go for the very first time as a chaperon on Levi's very first field trip.

His class went to go visit a local farm. They learned all about the plant cycle and then we got to take a tractor ride out into the middle of a field to plant a seed- anywhere they wanted to. Levi's seed was blue.

Then we got to meet some farm animals. Levi especially loved feeding the goats.

He loved the chickens and ducks and roosters too.

After lunch they got to go play on a playground, play with stick horses, and get lost in a maze.

Near the playground there was a buffalo and some cows. Levi spent quite a bit of time "Mooing" at them through the fence.

Aaron and NJHS

Aaron has spent the year participating in all sorts of service with the National Junior Honor Society. He has really enjoyed this! Last night was the induction for all the incoming inductees and Aaron went. All the kids got flowers, and this is what Aaron chose to do with his... he's such a fun kid. Looking, Good, Aaron!

Levi finishes Kindergarten

Today we got to go to Levi's Kindergarten Portfolio Celebration. (Luckily Daddy got to come for a bit between meetings too!)

As each child's photo came on the screen there were different responses from the class; for some kids they giggled, others they cheered, but we were surprised when the collective response from the class for Levi's picture was a great big "AWWWWWW". 

It seems like everyone who interacts with him always tells us the same thing... "He is just the sweetest kid!" Evidently his classmates feel that way too. Here's to my sweetheart, Levi!

While talking with his teacher, Mrs. Kissinger, we also learned that he has spent the year drawing her pictures and writing her little notes. He also made these birds for her, which she hung up next to her desk. if you look closely you can see that the big yellow mommy bird is actually holding a little baby bird in it's wings.