Weekend Wrapup

What a fun weekend we had. On Friday the girls had a Boot Camp Field Day at school. I was able to go over and watch them for awhile in the morning, and then I took the boys and we had a picnic at the school with the girls. It was a lot of fun and the girls had a fun time.

Also on Friday we got new family pictures taken. They turned out really good if I do say so myself and I will post some of those as soon as I get them back. Then we had our weekly Friday movie night. It was a busy but fun day.

Saturday we got up and ready and headed out for Yellowstone. It was a gorgeous day and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. The kids were great and we were able to see buffalo, elk, deer, antelope and chipmunks. We had a picnic with some really annoying birds that just waited for the kids to drop food and then they would fly under the table and snatch it up. The girls finally got freaked out enough that they finished eating in the car. Aiden loved the birds, and Collin kept saying "no" every time they came near.

We saw lots of hot pots, the Upper Falls and Lewis Falls. The scenery was breathtaking. The leaves were changing and I can't remember a time when I have seen such beautiful colors. We drove home through Jackson Hole and ate at our favorite restaurant, Bubba's. It was a long day, but worth every minute.

I am glad we finally found the time to take the kids. We talked about going all summer and we finally made it. The only disappointment was that we didn't go see the up and down thing, as Kayla would call it. (aka Old Faithful) We promised her that it would be number 1 on the list next year.

Canning

The last 4 days were consumed of canning. I kind of dread this time of year, when it is time to can, but the end result is so worth it. I got 5 boxes of peaches, 2 1/2 boxes of pears and 5 dozen ears of corn. The end result, 35 bags of freezer corn; 35 pints, 7 quarts and 31 freezer bags of peaches; 34 pints of pears; and 35 quarts and 8 pints of fruit cocktail. Lots of work, but oh so good. The kids logged several hours of t.v. time during canning, but they sure didn't seem to mind.

On Sunday we met my parents out at the cemetary. It was fun for the kids to see all the gravesites of great grandparents and other relatives.

The sun was so bright when we were standing there and we got this really cool shot of our shadows.

I thought this was a cute picture of the kids with Grandma and Grandpa Ricks.

Life keeps moving along. I can't believe it is almost October. The last week and half have been gorgeous here. We are looking forward to taking the kids to Yellowstone National Park on Saturday. It should be a fun day and we will post pictures of our adventures when we return.

Where is the Time Going?

I am so glad to be back on a schedule. The girls are absolutely loving school and they look forward to it everyday. The only complaint I get is from Kayla and she is always telling me that she doesn't want to walk to school. Buck up girl, you don't have any other choice, because this mommy doesn't drive anyone to school. (Mean I know, but the exercise is good for her.)

The mornings seem to just fly by. While Kayla is at school, we try to get errands run and jobs around the house done. Easier said than done, when I have 3 little helpers who are 2. Their favorite part is running errands. They love to go to the store and they are pretty good little shoppers.

They had a checkup the other day and boy how they are growing. AIDEN weighs 28 1/2 lbs. and is 33" tall and is in the 90th percentile. BROCK weighs 26.4 lbs. and is 32 3/4" tall and is in the 75th percentile. COLLIN weighs 28 lbs. and is 33" tall and is in the 90th percentile. It is just so amazing to see them now, two years later and to see how far they have come. I would never have imagined that they would every make it to the 90th percentile.

I can't believe it is September. The weather here has been really cool. I believe Fall is in the air. In some ways I am excited, but some ways I am not. I am definately not ready for winter. The best part about that is the holidays. I love the holidays coming up.

Today was actually a really nice day. Matt took the kids out and got the 4-wheeler out. They absolutely loved going for rides around the circle.

1st Day of School

Today was the big day. The girls woke up super excited and could hardly wait to go. We had a good breakfast all together as a family and then we met up with all the neighbor kids and I walked with them to school.

Paige is in the 3rd grade and has Mrs. Whaley this year. She had her for Kindergarten as well, so she was so excited to have her again. She has several friends in her class and was excited about that. She can hardly wait to learn cursive this year.

Kayla is finally in Kindergarten. She has Mrs. Jackson and she goes in the morning. She has friends in the other morning class and can hardly wait to make new friends. She can hardly wait to learn to read and write. This will be a fun year for her and I am just so glad that she will have something fun to do.

End of Summer

Well the end of summer is here and the girls both start school tomorrow. I don't know who is more excited me or the girls. I am so ready to be back on a schedule and the girls are just so excited to go. I can hardly believe how fast the summer went. I also find it hard to believe that Kayla is starting Kindergarten. Crazy, how fast time flies.

This last week Matt went on a five day float trip down the Salmon River. So that meant the kids and I were home alone. My brother-in-law went with Matt, so his wife and two kids came and stayed for a few days. We had tons of fun digital scrapbooking and we both got a lot accomplished. The kids also had fun playing together. It also really helped to make the time go faster. Matt got home last night and we were all so glad to see him.

Here are some pictures of things we have done over the past few weeks. I will be back hopefully tomorrow and post some 1st day of school pictures.

After church last Sunday, the boys decided to lay on the stairs. I thought it was pretty cute. Brock is on the top stair, Collin in the middle and Aiden on the bottom.

The other night we were outside and all of the kids were riding on bikes. Kayla took over Aiden's bike and wouldn't give it back and this is the crusty look she gave him when he started crying over the bike. That look pretty much sums up Kayla and here little tude lately.

This is what happens when we go to the Splash Park. The girls play in the water and the boys stand on the edge of the water and watch. They are kind of wimpy when it comes to water.

Kayla's 5th Birthday

I am a day late in posting Kayla's birthday. I had good intentions, but a sinus infection got the best of me. I am on the mend, so I can finally get this post up.

Saturday was Kayla's big day. She could hardly wait to open up her presents. We started out just opening two in the morning, but then by lunch she couldn't wait so we let her open the rest of them. Grandma Ricks brought over McDonald's for everybody for lunch, so that was a big hit. She was able to play with her presents and we just had a mellow day. She got a Furreal puppy, a Barbie, a new leapster game, clothes and an MP3 player.

My sister and her kids came in the afternoon and then we took everyone bowling. She was going to have a party with friends, but I convinced her that bowling would be just as fun. So we all went bowling and had pizza. I wasn't sure how bowling with the boys would go, but they absolutely loved it. They had a hard time waiting their turn. It was a lot of fun.

After bowling we came home and had cake/mini fruit pizzas. She didn't want a cake, so she requested mini fruit pizzas. They were so yummy.

It was a fun day and it is hard to believe that she is 5 years old. The time has flown by and she has grown up so fast. I can't believe she will be in Kindergarten this year. She is such a fun girl and definately has a mind of her own. Our lives just wouldn't be the same without her. We love you Kayla and hope you had a fun day.

Where or Where Has the Summer Gone?

I can't believe it has been so long since I posted. Life just seems to fly by so darn fast sometimes. We have been crazy busy and haven't had much down time. I can't believe we are nearing the end of summer. It just flew by. Here are some of the highlights of what we have been up to over the last three weeks.

1. Matt and I took the girls up to the Playmill Theatre in West Yellowstone to see "Beauty and the Beast." It was incredible and we really enjoyed the day together walking around and going into tons of shops and enjoying Yellowstone.

This is what happens on the drive home when you are just totally exhausted.

2. We finally hit the splash park for the first time. The girls really enjoyed it, but the boys absolutely hated it. They cried the entire time and just wanted to sit on the bench. My favorite part is when Matt took them on a walk, I looked over and the were trailing behind him. Priceless.

3. We went to the 24th of July parade in St. Anthony and had our annual Hill Family 24th festivities. It was fun and the boys did super at the parade. They actually sat in their stroller, in the shade, the entire time.

4. This last weekend we went down to Utah, by Eden and Liberty, to Matt's Mom's family reunion. It was fun to see all of his family and spend some time at the reunion and the condo with them. They boys all took turns being sick, so they were somewhat grumpy, but it was still fun.

This is almost all of the grandkids on Matt's side. We are starting to get quite a big clan.

5. The boys are so funny to watch them play lately. They are way into cars and when Collin got ahold of the Barbie car, this is what happened.

And this is Brock watching him. He really likes to cheese for the camera.

6. Next, my turn for a 3 night break and a fun weekend with my mom and sister. Matt is going to play Mr. Mom and I am going on vacation. Salt Lake here I come.