Honey

She is as sweet as they come. We all love her bunches and bunches and will miss her so very much. Please pray for her family. 

 

 

Condo

I think it was when I was in the sixth grade, one of the first days of middle school, and I made the biggest slip up and when telling my classmates about what I did over the summer. Instead of calling my family's time-share condominium the "condo" I called it the condom. I'm not sure I even realized yet what a condom was, so you can imagine my horror when I finally figured out the reason behind the looks I got from my class and teacher. :)

Since I was a wee one my family has been spending the same week in July at a timeshare condo in Island Park, ID. This was the first year Darius and the boys were able to go, and the first year I've been back for probably close to around 8 years or so.

The entire time I was there I kept thinking to myself, how the hell did we fit as many people as we did in that little unit for all those years!? It wasn't just my family of 10, it was my aunt and uncle and 5 cousins...and some years an extra friend or two. Chaos...and bodies everywhere, but it didn't feel like that when we were younger. It was just fun.

I'm happy to report it's still fun. Since we've all grown up, the condo week is now rotated each year between siblings. Since we've lived out of state for so long, Darius and I missed out on our turn so we weaseled in on my parent's year and enjoyed a great week with them.

I love the reason behind their smiles in this picture. Inside joke. :)

Our trips into Yellowstone never get old, and I think this year and the route we took was one of my top favs. We saw tons of wildlife...a lot of them up close, and just the drive itself was gorgeous. 

Can you tell Zach has to pee really bad in this pic!? :)

Much to Darius' delight, Ben and I took up golf while at Island Park. I played my first few rounds of golf and really enjoyed it. Come next year, D and I will have a fun activity that we both enjoy. :)

During all our years going, I don't ever remember going to a rodeo/bbq (probably would of cost an arm and a leg for all of us to go) so going to one this year was a big treat. We visited the Meadow Vue Ranch, and from late June to early August, they host a rodeo/bbq on Wed & Sat nights. What's unique is that the rodeo involves all the youth that come to participate in the ranch's Summer Youth Camp. It was awesome to see all the kids riding horses and showcasing skills that many of them had only just learned within a week or two. And the bbq afterwards....so yummy!

My dad's birthday has always fell on the week of the condo, so to be able to share his birthday with him at the condo again was special. What a great opportunity he and my mom have given us to be able to spend time with family, connect, and enjoy a beautiful part of the world for all these years. Thanks Mama & Papa!

I can't express the emotions behind looking at photos of these two guys in places I spent time at when I was their age. There's something really beautiful about being able to revisit these places all over again for the first time and see it through their eyes...even with all the complaints and whiny moments. I hope they're able to look back on these trips with the same great memories as I've come away with. 

Rounding out a fun week, we were joined by James and Brooke's family for the last couple of days, and on Friday we all met up at my Aunt Elaine's cabin not far from the condo, and enjoyed the company of my favorites cousins who we just don't see nearly enough of. :) It was an afternoon of fun that was over far too soon. How awesome it was to see all their beautiful faces!

Can you believe that gorgeous person driving is the same lovely baby I was lucky enough to take care of nearly 20 years ago!? Holey Moley! Seated behind Riley is her lovely mother Jerilynn and a very happy Zach. And in the background is the reason behind my love of Shelties, Rocky. I threaten to steal him and take him home with me every time we see him. :) 

I'm sure there were plenty of years (probably much of my teens) to where I didn't appreciate our yearly trip to Island Park, Little did I know how lucky I was all those years to have that time with my family and in such a beautiful place too. I'm beyond grateful that I have the opportunity to visit it still with my own family in tow. Good times. :)

Tail between legs....

Big sad face....

Has it really been since June that I was last threatened with devil vermin? No excuses, I've just totally dropped off there for a long while. Sorry my dear family and friends for the lack of updates. 

Unfortunately I have photos on multiple phones...another story altogether, but I'll do my best to re-cap summer....and fall!?!?

Wow.

Well, I guess I've got to dig in somewhere...let's pick up in late June. :)

Joy totally hooked us up with Snowbird passes to all their summer activities..Mountain Coaster, Alpine Slide, Mountain Flyer, Bungee Trampoline and Aerial Tram. And we finally got to see where Joy works and she had a little bit of free time during breaks to play with us a bit. 

The activities were so much fun and it was mentioned several times between us what a great way to spend the day together, enjoying lots of fun in a gorgeous setting. 

While waiting for the next tram ride, we met another couple with the most adorable pair of twin girls. And of course with Zach being all about the ladies, he quickly realized the jackpot he hit and snatched up one of the girls' hands and (no joke) held onto her nearly the entire time from the waiting area to our return trip back. Beyond adorable! 

Joy, thanks so much for hooking us up with those great passes! It gave us an opportunity to really enjoy a wonderful day together and left us with some really sweet memories. :)

Report Card

I think I'm finally coming out of the home school trance I've been in since last fall. What a relief to be done....and I think the boys are in total agreement with me on that one! We survived each other, and trust me it was probably a much bigger challenge on their part to survive me.

I distinctly remember at the beginning of the school year, at an event we attended, one of the speakers discussed with us just how much is asked of a Kindergarten student and how many things they were expected to learn throughout the year. I spoke to that same woman at the end of the year about just how right she was! How amazing a young person's mind is!

I am beyond amazed and proud at how far Ben and Zach both progressed from where they started. There was a period at the beginning to where some subjects were daunting tasks to finish each day, especially when it was their least favorites, and the subjects they needed the most work in. We plugged away and I can honestly say they both worked really hard. And as much as it challenged me, I was rewarded with those great 'light bulb' moments to where I could see their little minds hard at work and the excitement on their faces when things would start falling into place. Those moments were so worth it.

I love these pictures of the boys reading to Grandma Ruth. It doesn't seem so long ago that she was holding them when they were only 6-months old. Seeing her on a regular basis allowed her to see the boys' progress, and she had the most delighted look on her face when they read to her. 

I was given the role as a Learning Coach as we started out, and although I'm more than happy to hand off my coaching responsibilities to an actual teacher, I'm happy to have had the opportunity to gain a better appreciation for just how much a teacher does. I hope the insight I've gained will help me communicate and build great relationships with the boys' teachers and be an extension of their efforts in our home as we move forward. 

We met the boys' awesome teacher, Mrs. Keeler, at the beginning of the school year, and although we saw her many times during the year, it was only on webcam. The boys were very excited to see her at the end-of-year Dibels testing. Having an awesome teacher there to support our efforts, made all the difference.

Our goal starting out was for the boys to be ready for 1st Grade, and I'm more than thrilled to say we reached that goal. As a parent, it's hard to remember not to compare Ben and Zach with other kids their age, and especially not with each other. Life is a really long haul, and regardless of where they fall on charts or how long it takes them to learn certain things, it's the confidence they have in themselves to keep going that I want them to always build upon. If they believe in themselves and put forth the effort, there's nothing they can't accomplish.

I may know a lot of things that my boys don't, but they are constantly challenging me and teaching me things about myself and the way I approach situations. Kids have an enormous amount of awesomeness to impart on us if we're open.

Note to self:  Keep yourself open. 

During the last couple weeks of lessons, we reviewed the play Three Billy Goats Gruff. The boys loved it so much that they put on the play for me. Ben narrated, and Zach did most of the acting. 

Idaho in the house!

It wasn't too long ago that we used to be the furthest ones out from the rest of the family, but now it's James' family. I can't say that I mind giving that title up much. :)

James and Brooke had some stuff going on in Utah at the tail end of May, so it was great to have some time with them while they were here visiting, and it was an extra treat to meet their new family member, Preston. What a chill baby he is! It was super cute to watch his big sisters love on him.

A bunch of the family got together to celebrate their daughter, Madison's, 2nd birthday with a little cake and ice cream.

I love any excuse to make a fun cake!

 

We hadn't planned on it, but threw together a little impromptu bbq a day later, and we were joined by my parents and James' family after their visit to the zoo earlier in the day. The kids had lots of fun together, and we got to enjoy an extra helping of their company before their trip was over. It's always fun to get together...especially with how much the kids change in between our visits.

The party

Better late than never...here's a rundown of Zach and Ben's birthday party from April. We lucked up with great weather, and were so happy to see all those that were able to make it! I know as the boys get older their tastes will begin to differ, so for now I'm grateful that they can still agree on some things, and an Angry Birds theme is what they wanted, so that's what they got!

Making decorations for their party was easy (albeit a bit time consuming) and lots of fun. 

I was in a pretty foul mood when I started making the decorations for their cake, but it was impossible for me to stay grouchy after I got underway. I had so much fun making the birds and piggies. 

This was the boys' first party with guests and presents, so they had no etiquette when it came to the gifts. They were ripping into some of them before it was present time. My bad for not prepping them for that! 

The Angry Birds' 'missing eggs' tied in perfectly to it being Easter weekend.  I'm not a big fan of egg hunts (to competitive for my liking) so I tried to come up with a way to make it fun and fair, but ultimately ended up just telling each of the kids to find 10 eggs and then stop. They did and it was the most pleasant egg hunt I've witnessed!

 

 

Thanks to all the beautiful faces pictured here (and those that are not) for coming and spending time to celebrate with us!

Six years...what!? Time flew. 

 Oh, and thanks to Carrie and Bobby's sweet camera (used to take all these shots) I'm now disgusted with my own to the point where I find myself cursing under my breath whenever I use it now.