Fall is Fun

Dallin's first day of kindergarten

My baby is growing up!

How can kids possibly turn from this picture at age 6 to the picture underneath this at age 17?

Happy Birthday Robert. It looks like you are excited!

Saying goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma

We are having a great fall. I am enjoying every second of the nice weather before the cold sets in. Getting 5 kids enrolled in 3 different school is no small task. First you have to make sure their is enough clothes for everyone to wear without having to do the laundry every day. I want to thank anyone who has given us clothes over the years again because pulling those out this year was our school shopping. Thank you, thank you! Then comes the paperwork. I felt like I f illed out enough paperwork to be enrolled in a college or something. The info sheets just keep getting longer each year and they always make you redo it each year. I was rebellious this year and purposely didn't write down the birthdays of all of my children on each childs info sheet. Think of the time I will save just not writing down that one question each year! I hope they don't catch on and bust me. Then you pay all the dues, pay for school lunch and school pictures, and don't forget the PTA. Then its time to either sign your time away helping out in all the kids classes or feel guilty for not doing it. Then you get to go to back to school night for each school and before you know it its time for Parent/teacher conferences. (starting tonight) I am terrible because I was excited last year when we were in Italy during Joanna's . She is getting wonderful grades and I thought I didn't need to go meet with her teachers. I couldn't believe the hassles she got from me not coming. They wanted me to come earlier and when I didn't they tried to get our babysitter to come. I learned it wasn't really worth trying to skip out on it. I shouldn't try to miss Joanna's just because she is doing great but should go and revel in the fact that I don't have to listen to problems.

Overall the kids are all adjusting and liking their new teachers. Robert still hates school but overall he really has some good classes that he is interested in and he fortunately likes his seminary teacher better than last year. Most of the kids school pictures turned out cute. Taylor looked darling but had a big white blob on his solid green shirt. We finally figured it was toothpaste and since it is in a spot where it could look like a logo we are not redoing it. It is stressful enough getting kids ready for pictures once and I don't even have all the girls hair to do! Dallin is loving Kindergarten and has a very good teacher. He can't wait to go each day and I can't wait to put Kyle down for a nap and have a few hours to myself. Today's nap didn't work however and he keeps coming out of his room with every kind of problem imageanable. He just came up to me a second ago with his shirt off and asked me if he could throw it up high. I said yes and so he responded with, "your the best mom ". It's awesome when saying yes to that question makes me the best mom.

Other things we have done this fall is getting a bunch of wood for our fireplace and splitting it up for family night We also filled up the jacuzzi and the kids were really excited because we haven't filled it up for a long time since it costs a lot to run. Lynn and I were rolling our eyes at each other wondering if we made the right choice or not after watching how kids "relax" in a jacuzzi. Diving, jumping, splashing, fetching, running around the jacuzzi, etc. It's anything but relaxing. We even had Emma put her paws up on the edge and slip in. Hey day! No wonder the kids have totally missed the jacuzzi!

Also, fall isn't fall unless you have football. We have enjoyed going to some of the BYU football games and watching Taylor play flag football and James play tackle football. It is so funny how different each child is. It was almost a painful experience watching Taylor at his first football practice. He was thinking deeply but I don't think it was about football. He was off finding the tumbleweeds, etc. Luckily he started getting more interested in the games and really enjoyed himself. James on the other hand hasn't thought about much else BUT football. He has been having 4-5 practices a week and games once a week. He plays on defense and loves tackling people. The first 3 games they won and the opposing teams didn't even score. Then last weeks game the score was tied and it was more intense. James was tackling a boy and another teammate came to help him and tackled him hard the opposite direction James was tackling and the results were a hurt kid. He didn't even get up and they ended up having to call an ambulance. It was scary. The kid said his back hurt and he had tingling in his legs so they didn't want to take any chances. I hope and pray he is ok but may never know unless we play that team again and I go over and ask someone. Wow, football is intense and ruthless. I'm afraid we are in for a lot with James which I guess is good but it is scary for moms.

Speaking of scary the economy issues are scary! It is hard to think too deeply or too long about it without getting freaked out about the future. Why does money have to be such a big part of our lives I'll never know. I can finally laugh about the fact that I used to be very particular about extra noises in the house. Now, I realize that by being particular I have brought a curse upon myself. Our computer makes a very loud noise and its on its last leg, our vcr/dvd machine does the same. Our music/telephone system makes noise and has been broken for a long time . Our video camera doesn't make a noise but it is so big I am almost too embarrased to take it anyplace because I feel like I am carrying a boom box. We need to get all of these things updated but it all takes Money! At least I can report that I am not as particular about noises anymore. I can't be!

Finally what is fall without hiking, and biking and watching the beautiful leaves. Lynn has found his motorcycle to be his stress reliever and he goes anytime he possibly can. As I write this he is off on his bike. He has a couple of good buddies from the ward he goes with. We went on a fun hike close by a few weeks ago which we would love to take anyone on if they want.

The kids are still loving our dog Emma. Kyle tells everyone we see that "I have a dog". Joanna's feet and hands have finally cleared up though scars are still there. We got the fence finished and it is so nice to not have to tie her up anymore. She is such a good, mellow, dog. I am excited because I found a collar that works in taking her jogging with me so that she doesn't try to pull anymore. She loves going on walks.

We have had a scare last week with some Mexicans trying to get a girl in their car by the dirt road that the kids walk to get to school. Everyone is nervous and won't even let their kids play in the yard alone anymore. I feel glad that I can still feel ok about that now that we have a fence and a dog. I am bummed that I now have to start driving to school three times a day. It was nice while it lasted to have them ride their bikes. I'm glad nothing happened to anyone.

Dad and Vickie are really enjoying their mission so far and have been writing super letters home letting us know what is going on. I'm happy for them.

I spend quite a bit of time reading up on everyones blogs before writing on my own and I want to express how much I enjoyed it. You are all good writers and have such interesting stuff to write.