End of summer fun and School starts! August 2014

As our summer came to a close it was bitter sweet.I knew that the kids were ready for some good structure in their schedules again and so was I, but it is always hard to have my kids leave home and go away to an environment I don't have hardly any control over. It takes a lot of faith in the lord to know that I can do my best at home to teach them good values, behaviors, and to seek after righteous things, but that ultimately it will be their choice to choose the right. It is a weird thing to have your kids go away to school and come home saying or doing something that is not good that you know they picked up at school. I know I just have to reiterate what we should and shouldn't be doing and hope that it sticks. Luckily I have great kids! They are all so different and it is fun to see the strengths and sometimes scary to see the weaknesses that you recognize they innately have. Bentley true to form loves school and has really thrived. He gets sent home with great report cards, certificates for good behavior, and recognition for setting a good example. He has made new friends. I love to see the sentences he writes in his own 5 year old way, and the pictures he draws to describe what he wrote. It is fun to try and figure it out, but sometimes I like when he explains them to me! Bailey is my free spirit and loves school somedays and other days complains she doesn't want to go back. She never has complaints from her teachers though and always comes home with great reports as well. She loves to paint, play with toys, learn new songs, and she is starting to learn her letters better. She is like her mom though, and doesn't like to miss out on anything while she is gone. She will quiz me on where Wyatt and I went, what we did, and what we ate. Then she precedes to tell me I should have waited for her. She is sweet but sassy and we love her so much. She is a fast runner and a great dancer. She always comments on how she wants to be big so she can go on the white slide at Stapley jr. high pool, and the big rides at disneyland. I love when she plays with Wyatt and gets him to play whatever she has imagined for them to be. Sometimes Wyatt is a good sport and other times he just says "I am the bad guy" and ruins whatever game she wanted to play. Wyatt is our tough but sweet boy. He can be rough one minute and then cuddly the next. It has been fun to spend one on one time with him and really focusing on him and his fun personality. He is good to go play by himself and loves to play with this yellow school bus and little people, monster trucks, and trains. He also likes his "toons" (cartoons), and he loves to have "nandy" (candy). He sort of shows interest in potty training but not fully so I don't want to push him. We did create a sticker chart and he gets one marshmallow if he goes on the potty. We are so blessed with such amazing children that teach us everyday what it is to be christ like. They teach us patience, forgiveness, and unconditional love. Jon is still really busy with work and doing well. He has had issues with his hand but I will talk more about that in another post. I am 28 weeks along and doing pretty well. I don't sleep at night very well but Jon got me this maternity pillow that gives more support, and it has helped a lot and I am more comfortable. My back hurts a little but is doing well considering my weak back. I try to work out and stretch to keep it from going crooked like it did when I was pregnant with Wyatt! The baby girl is measuring a little big and she is growing strong and healthy so far. I have an appointment coming up and I am always so anxious to see how she is doing in there. I worked a lot the month of July and August, but look forward to slowing down now that I am getting bigger and things are so busy. I temp at different offices and it has it's pro's and con's but one pro is that if I don't feel like working, I can just decline to work that day or week. We recently switched the kids rooms and moved Wyatt in with Bentley. Wyatt and Bentley are pretty different personality wise and I was so so worried about moving them in together, but I knew it was best overall. Things have not gone smoothly and everyone one of them complains about the move but they will hopefully get used to it. I am glad we did this now so that we didn't have to go through the change with a newborn baby as well. Since I had organized and moved the kids rooms all around I decided I better just attack the nursery too. I washed and organized all the baby girl stuff we have and Jon helped me get the crib put back up. It is weird to get all the baby stuff out since this is the longest we have ever gone in between babies but it got us all excited to welcome this sweet spirit to our home. I think it is more real to the kids too now that the baby has a place in our home for when she comes. Well that is about all for now. One last summer stop to our favorite Bahama Bucks

Wyatt looks so sweet when he sleeps snuggling this little bunny Great Grandma Curtis gave him.

Back to school hair cuts!

Jon brought me home some beautiful white lilies.

Bailey likes to think anytime flowers are brought home they are for her so we let her believe they are :)

The kids before church one Sunday in July. They can be tough to keep reverent especially Bailey and Wyatt but they sure are cute!

A birthday dinner to celebrate my best friend Jade.

First day of Kindergarten at Ishikawa Elementary for Bentley. The time flies by and he has been such a great student so far and comes home with all sorts of good remarks from his teacher Miss Ellsworth.

Bentley with his buddy Roan Goff.

Bentley sitting at his desk in his classroom ready to learn!

Wyatt and I met up with Jon for lunch at Kanes Chicken.. one of Jon's favorites.

Bailey's first day back at Entz elementary for Pre-K with Miss Mary.

More back to school photos with the good camera! Bentley

Bailey

And Wyatt didn't want to be left out:)

Jon took Bentley to see the new Ninja Turtle movie and spend some quality time together.

Bailey was proud for getting herself all ready for Uncle Collins birthday party.

Collins Ninja Turtle birthday party!

Bailey loved the new hello kitty dress Grandma Curtis got her.

Bailey loves putting all her bow on at once and playing dress up to be different princesses these days.

The boys hanging out on a sunday eating otter pops! Rex, Tate, Wyatt, Bentley, and Collin.

Our Home teachers the Cox's gave us a great lesson on sowing what we reap and they let each of the kids pick out some seeds to plant. For FHE Jon and I reiterated the lesson and helped the kids plant their seeds. We reminded them they needed water and sunlight to grow and they were so excited when after some diligence and work those seeds started sprouting!

I came to pick up the kids after a day of work and this is how I found him... in grandmas bean bag just about to fall asleep with this helmet on.

My brother Michael and his wife Amber had their 5th baby boy this month. He is precious and they named him Jace! There is nothing like a sweet newborn and Bailey loved holding him as well!

My cousin Mckenna Cloward at her Bridal shower. Bailey had fun like I did when I was a little girl bringing her the gifts.

I don't know why, but the kids always love climbing up on the ledge of this bed and then they always get stuck and start crying for me to get them down.

My good friend Carli Heap Turley came into town and we were lucky to get to see them and meet their new twin boys Mckay and Mason. Bailey and their daughter Julianne had a blast playing together!

Taking a swim while Bentley is at school. She says the water is getting too cold even though it is very hot still.

My best friend Jade is also pregnant and I was so excited to find out what they were having. The big night came to find out and they had a fun party to reveal what they were having. Jade is the best cake maker and made these adorable boy and girl cupcakes. She and her husband Mike opened the box of balloons and revealed to all of us they were having a girl. I am so excited to be able to have babies so close and to have them both be girls is even more fun! I can't wait for them to grow up together.

Bailey's best friend Lucy came in town and we were so happy to get to see her. Shaley is my good friend and I also got to meet the newest member of their family, their sweet daughter Penny. Bailey and Lucy always pick up right where they left off!

Bailey with uncle Collin

Playing dress up as usual. She has quite the imagination!

Wyatt always gets tuckered out running errands with mom while the other kids are at school.