First Day of School!

I honestly cannot believe summer is over. On our Last day of summer, we took the kids up to Sundance and hiked around, got lollipops at the lodge, and did back to school blessings at home. It was great day to be together. We yelled "Goodbye Summer" on our way down the lift. Jackson, Zoey and Eli wanted to show their independence and ride a chairlift without mom and dad. They did a great job of handling on their own!

The first day of school for these three was very exciting. New clothes, backpacks and lunch boxes, school shoes and school supplies makes the start of the year very exciting. Zoey had a really cute tinker-bell bun in her hair. We have a great morning routine going so far. I hope it sticks.

 Jackson is growing up! He's started 3rd grade this year. He is a hard worker, very smart, and very independent. He also knows how to be sneaky and push his siblings buttons, or tries to see what he can get away with from mom and dad, but he is such a good boy all in all! He'll talk to us about anything and seems to really listen. He enjoys hearing stories about us when we were growing up. He is very genuine. He is starting to read Harry Potter.

Zoey lost 3 teeth right before school! She's changing like a butterfly right before our eyes! She's headed into first grade and is excited to eat lunch at school. I will miss her. She wants to be a big girl and do things on her own. She's an emotional handful sometimes, and needs breaks from her brothers who are rough, but she's sweet and still asks for snuggles every night. She's coming along really nicely in her piano and will play to anyone who will listen, although practice time is a bit of a argument! 

Eli is starting his second year of preschool. He missed the kindergarten deadline by 4 weeks, so he'll be one of the older kids in his class! He's so sweet and kind and very goofy! He's genuine and very concerned about how others are feeling. He is such a strong boy! And what a boy he is...he's all about bugs, dirt, cars and building! I'm excited to see how he grows in school this year. over the summer, I saw him improve a lot in his ability to draw and write, and I think he'll be proud of his progress over the school year.

Calvin is at such a sweet stage in life. I am excited for the time we'll get to be together on mornings when the older kids are gone at school. He is such a great conversationalist, really funny, and a great companion. Although he throws a temper like any other toddler, his overwhelming special trait right now is that he is so darn sweet. He is especially kind towards Isaac and has recently showed a desire to hold his hand, give him hugs, and pat his head to show affection (not always appreciated by Isaac, but the intent is so sweet). He is such a sweet boy! Sweet, sweet, sweet.

Isaac is growing up quickly and he's a mama's baby! I can't wait for him to start talking! He is trying to communicate, and each word he picks up means that there will be less screaming in my ears! He's picked up on: more, cheese, shoes, truck, mom, dad, night-night, and bye-bye. I've had some really great experiences of overwhelming love for him...which is great because it carries me through his screaming fits! The mornings with just these two will be neat.