OH Yes I am going to try and Blog

The Biggest news for this blog is....PARKER STARTED KINDERGARTEN LAST WEEK! And he loves it. His cute friend Alexis is in his class....so they love to hang out every day after school. These are their scuba masks. They wore them on a deep sea treasure hunt around the school. As I took the picture, I said, "Show me your scuba face." Apparantly to Parker, this is a scuba face. Such a stooge he is. He absolutely loves school. He doesn't need me walking him to class or anything. He just shuts the car door and says, "Bye mom." And off he goes with his buddy Gavin who I also drive to school. This is his desk. He sits with 3 other girls and 1 other boy. He is at the green table. He is excited about that. Although if he had been at the blue, red, or yellow table....he would have been just as thrilled.

This is me and my big guy just before we left to drop him off. I can't believe how fast he is growing up. I'm so proud to be his mom. I love that he loves big. I love that he enjoys learning and enjoys being with friends and family. I love that on the second day of school, he stood up for his little girlfriend who was being chased and was sad. I love that he hasn't gotten in trouble yet.....or had his feelings hurt yet. I love to hear him sing the song that he learned on his first day. I love that he loves to come home and show me everything in his backpack and tell me everything he did. I just hope and pray that I've done right by him and can continue to do right by him that he will go through school, life with a respect for others and a determination to do his best and always obey the rules and his teachers and stand up for others who are sad or being mistreated. That is a lot to expect from a kindergartner.....but he exceeds my expectations every day. Just him being born and coming into my life exceeded my expectations.

I love how he walks into the school and struts down that kindergarten hallway like he is big cheese.

With everything he has gone through this past year...he has overcome it well and learned from it and his disposition the past few months has been better. He was so ready for school and I hope that he continues to love it....even when 7th grade comes around.

Monday, Parker's buddy next door had a birthday party that was BYU Football themed. It inspired me to get her cheerleading outfit on. She's not good at posing for me...this is the best I could get. She didn't stay femanine very long....she quickly found Parker's BYU cap and put it on backwards and strutted around the house like the tom boy she is.

Last weekend, we took advantage of a coupon and went to Liberty Park in salt lake city. We went on rides, we played on the playground, and went to the aviary. That is such a fun place. They have awesome birds and an awesome bird show. It was such a fun day.



Penny with her Grandma.....reaction to a pretty bird.

One Saturday, Parker man and I got up really early and went with some neighbors and friends to a raspberry farm. Parker worked really hard and we got 3 1/2 pounds of raspberries which made 5 pints of freezer jam and homemade raspberry sauce for my homemade cheesecake. Every berry was used! I wasted not. It was awesome. Now I'm in the market for strawberries and grapes. NEXT WEEKEND!!! I'm going to do jam and grape juice.....YUMMO!


The kids showing their raspberry loot. Parker's is empty...but it's all good. He was having fun.

Parker got to go to the school to meet his teacher and see his classroom a week before school started. He looks so little out in front of the school.


outside of his classroom. He got to find his name on the door....he was so proud and excited.

Ryan's parents paid for us to go to Park City and stay at a Marriot Resort. It was so fun. The weather was awesome. We swam, played in the activity center, I played dress up. We took walks and hung out playing games. We shopped. It was awesome.

We went to the Salt Lake County Fair a few weekends ago. Parker actually got on a pony ride. First time he was brave enough to do that. His horse was named Nephi. He loved it. We also went to the famous pig races. Parker picked the winning pig and won a blue ribbon. It is hanging on his wall. He also got to ride a roller coaster. The ride lasted forever. He was so funny as it kept going round and round again...he would yell out..."help us!" The look on his face as it stopped....was so hilarious.


Before the fair we had a picnic at a nearby park. Penny loved playing on the slides.

Parker did too.

Parker also started swimming lessons at a private pool here in Spanish Fork. He has had two sessions and is ready to begin level 2. He loves it and is getting so brave and working hard. He has a great teacher. She is great.


We also added a member to our family. This is STormin' Norman. We got him from the humane society. He was super sick with an upper respiratory infection....hence the goopy eyes. He was fur and bones too. We have had him for about a month now and he is well and happy and the kids just love him. Penny loves him a little too much and she is scratched from head to toe....but Norman loves these kids too. Parker has been very good and taking extra good care of him and feeding him and giving him love.


We met some friends at an indoor carnival place called Jungle Jims in Midvale. It is so fun. The kids had a blast.

Penny gets into every drawer and cabinet and shelf possible. She really likes my old "Hats I'll never wear again" drawer. This hat is her favorite. She usually puts it completely over her face and walks around saying, "ooooo ooooooo ooooo" She makes us laugh.

This picture was taken just after Ryan got Penny out of the tub, dried, powdered, dressed and hair brushed. He put her down....came to look at something I wanted to show him on the computer for 2 seconds.....and then we heard Parker hollaring for us and Penny squealing in happiness. Yes, she jumped back into the tub....clothes and all. Ryan was not amused....but I laughed and laughed and took the pic. Parker doesn't look too pleased.....this is the kind of little terror she is. WE are constantly running after her.

So that is a big update on our family. We are well and happy and lucky to have eachother and have a job and have a roof over our head. I have been able to keep up with all this excitement which is a good thing. WE hope you are all well and happy. Thanks for endulging me in my brag fest!