Tuesday, September 27, 2016

August 2016

August consisted of a week @ Bear Lake, Getting back into the school grind,
and...

The Ward Campout

Sadly my girls still think this is camping,
since it's the only camping we do... unless you count the backyard.

Shane took the 3 youngest,


while I was off chaperoning the SV cheerleaders for a weekend in Salt Lake.
Have I mentioned these are cute, sweet girls?

We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory


Then spent some time at the Road Home Shelter playing with the kids.
Wow, what a good experience for all of us.
So rewarding + so heartbreaking


A stay that night in a semi-sketchy hotel in West Valley.
Then off for a hike the next day up big cottonwood canyon to "donut falls".


Pretty sure I got the better draw over the ward campout. ;)

Shane spent a week in Connecticut.


And another week in LA.


We kept on the shave ice grind of course.
These two are ready to apply for a job @ Aloha Snow.
They love when no one is there and Saige lets them come in to make their own.


Jadyn got braces on her top teeth.
Why at age 10 you might ask??
Because orthodontist know how to get their patients to fall for the "3 phases" of braces. ;)
But... in truth she does need more space for her teeth.
Mainly annoying because she already had that terrible expander when she was 7.
So we are on phase 2 now.


Good thing she is cute!





Making the most of those last carefree summer days.


Apparently Lydia had a few dates this month.


Saige spent a weekend in Jackson Hole with her friend Marissa.


 And Saige and Tara finally made it to Lagoon before she had to head back to Texas.
We miss you Tara!


There were a couple of great Sky View Football Games.


And just like that Summer was over.
But it was one to remember!

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Back to School

I can't believe how fast summer flew by.
But it did...
and just like that it was time to go back to school.

This year we have 5 girls, at 5 schools.

Miss Lydia started 1st grade @ North Park Elementary.
For years we have known that we wanted Lydia to start in the Dual Immersion Chinese Program.
We applied and waited.
And didn't get accepted.
We don't live in North Park boundaries and the rest was left to a lottery.
I was sad, Lydia didn't really care, but Shane... he was SO SAD.
He wants someone to speak Chinese to him! :)

My cute friend Shelby teaches the English part of the day in 1st grade.
Frankly, I wanted Lydia to be in her class just as much, if not more that the Chinese program!

Shelby spoke with the principal, district leaders etc. over and over again.
Shane sent emails and talked to the district.
Pretty much we were told that she wouldn't get in.
Then two days before school started, North Park made an administrative decision to let her in.

And now my baby speaks Chinese.
Like more than I thought she would by now.
She sings songs, counts to 200 and sometimes corrects Shane on his Chinese, ;) 
She's super smart.
And totally adorable.
And loving this year!


Tsai Laoshi is her Chinese teacher.
She's an adorable teeny little thing.
She speaks English, but the kids are NOT allowed to hear her speak English... EVER.
Which means half of the day is taught completely in Chinese.

Of course Shane has made more efforts than with any of the other girls to get into the school to help...
He LOVES it!

And I love that he speaks Chinese because I already don't understand her homework!!!!


Plus to make it even better my best friend is her 1st grade teacher!!
 
I posted this on my instagram...

"Our friendship is pretty rare.  We've been best friends since 1st grade... 36 years ago.  And this year my baby has her as her 1st grade teacher!  Shelby's influence in mine and my family's life is one of my greatest blessings!  We never had another class together after 1st grade, but we were still inseparable.  Even named our oldest Tayler Shelby in hopes she would turn out just like her, and she did!  Love you Shelb."


 Jadyn started 5th grade @ Greenville.


She's adorable!


Her teacher is Mrs. Hellstern

 So far it has been a super great year for her.

Kenna started 8th grade @ Spring Creek Middle School
8th grade????


The whole Spring Creek school is still weird for me and definitely an adjustment for these kids.

Because of the new high schools being built, all middle school kids on the north end of the valley go to North Cache.  Except North Logan... they are bused through Logan to Providence where Spring Creek is.

Distance wise it's probably a wash... Richmond vs Providence.

But there is definitely a divide in the school.
More than 1/2 of those 8th graders will go to the new high school Ridgeline in Millville.

Our kids will go to Green Canyon High School in North Logan next year.

According to Kenna, there isn't much mingling among those two schools.
She's made some friends from the South end, but not many.

Not to worry, she has PLENTY of cute friends from North Logan.

Transition is always hard, and they'll figure the whole thing out.
But Middle School is hard enough without this weird transition!!

Saige is a Senior.
I hate even saying that!!


I went to Sky View's opening assembly...
for the 4th year in a row.
Crazy that this is the last year I will cheer for Sky View!


A week later Tayler started her 2nd year @ USU as a junior thanks to concurrent enrollment classes in High School.

She is majoring in Marketing and minoring in Yoga. :)

And lest anyone think that USU is an expensive school...

Thanks to the Huntsman School of Business Department + Yoga's "differential tuition" 
(which is an additional $138 per credit for the prestige of being in these programs...) 

Her tuition this fall, minus books was $5600.

OUCH!!
Tayler is stinkin' adorable!
And she is LOVING her 8 fabulous roommates and their cute house right below old main.
She is having fun, maybe too much fun!
9 gorgeous girls means lots of visitors.
Which apparently averages approx. 25-30 people per night.
Weekdays + Weekends.
It may be why she was studying at our house last night...

They're a good lookin' group...

 
If you are still reading this and want to visit a super hilarious website.
Check this one out...
Her roommate Daisy created it, without any of them knowing! hahahaha
I was laughing out loud at some of the profiles.
And me.
Well I am alone... all day.

The 1st couple days, I didn't like it AT ALL!
I'm used to it now.
So far I am almost caught up on scrapbooks for the year.
Have finished a couple projects on my list.

And my mom is happy that I am updating the blog... ;)

But wow after 19 years with little girls running around the house all day it is VERY, VERY, VERY quiet around here!!

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Saige's Cheer Pics

Saige is loving her cute Sky View Cheer team this year.

She's captain, and she adores every single one of these girls.
The feeling is mutual, which is making for a fabulous year!


Her Senior cheer cats


And our Saige...
She's pretty gorgeous!!
Inside and out...
 

I kinda like her + I'm definitely proud of who she is!
Love you Saige.
I love watching you cheer, my only wish is that this year would slow down...