Rain, New House & Camping

It rained like crazy Thursday! It was pouring so much on the way to my first school drop that I almost turned around and went back home but I ended up taking all three of the older kids to school then started getting calls from the schools around 10. The girls got out at 11 and C got out at 12. Both schools released right in the middle of a tornado watch, pouring rain and flooding streets due to the fact it was supposed to get worse as the day went on. It did storm the rest of the day and through the night and then schools opened 2 hours late the next morning. 

C skipped school Friday since a 10:30 drop off wasn't going to work with our schedule. My husband had the day off and we drove up to sign papers for our new house!!! So exciting!! This is the property our house will be built on and we hope to be in sometime in November! It's going to be a long wait but worth it! We are so excited! 

Friday was a crazy day with delayed school openings, signing papers for the new house, dropping off both dogs at two different locations for the weekend and packing to go camping! 

C's Trail Life group had a camp this past weekend and families are welcome. The girls and I wanted to go this time and I'm so glad we did. It was a lot of fun!! Trail Life is such a great group for boys! 

We got there after dark Friday night, visited with friends, hung out around the campfire, unpacked and set up our beds in the cabins. Saturday morning C was already out helping cut up branches from a tree that had fallen in the storm. 

C getting ready to serve lunch with some friends 

 The little girls being silly on our walk from the cabin to the big campfire. 

L just looking cute by the fire

 S being silly at lunch haha

 After lunch all the older kids, the dads and some of the moms went on a long hike. The little girls and I stayed in the empty dining hall, had hot chocolate and played with some Legos that were there. It started snowing during this time and kept snowing for a while but nothing stuck.

L with a friend around the fire Saturday night 

 L was cracking us up at dinner Saturday evening haha!! Apparently

she likes to taste the pickle but doesn't actually want to eat it. 

 Just looking cute! (I always have more pics of L because the other kids are usually running

off somewhere while she is always right by me.) 

 S playing Connect Four with all the boys! 

 J made a new friend.. another sister of one of the Trailmen. 

L walking along the stone wall while I was packing up. 



We had a fun and busy weekend! I think we may go back to the same camp this spring! 



I'm linking up with Hello Monday today. 

Back To School

School started on August 28th. The kids are loving it so far! J is in third grade and C just went into first for the second time. He has a very, very late summer birthday. I was really torn on sending him to kindergarten just a few days after he turned 5 but he did great in kinder. Then last year in first he struggled with reading and his teacher felt he was a lot younger socially than his classmates and really recommended letting him go through first again. We understood and agreed completely. He accepted it well and moving across country was the perfect timing. I would've hated to hold him back at his previous school where he would've watched all his former classmates and friends move on to second while he was in first again. But out here he was able to start over and begin first with a whole new set of kids. 

Out here they have school spirit rocks that parents can reserve to paint for birthdays. C's birthday was late August and the school had reserved the rock for the first week but I was able to get it for the second week. J and I had a lot of fun painting it last weekend! C wanted Dallas Cowboy colors so we used silver/grey and navy!   

J was super excited to join Girls On The Run this year! I'm so excited for her and even started running myself! Getting your daughter involved in running kind of motivates you too! We already started jogging a bit together. Her practice starts in a couple weeks and she'll practice 2 afternoons a week. Their big 5K is in early December. I'm so happy for her to be involved with this! We stopped by Dick's Sporting Goods yesterday where Girls On The Run had a table set up. J was able to enter a $20 drawing, grab a few freebies and have her pic made with this cute frame! 

S is a future member of Girls On The Run ha!

C is hoping to start karate soon. He's had one trial class which he loved! That definitely needs something to get his energy out and can use the self-discipline martial arts will offer.



J and S will both start a free dance class next week. It's a free class connected to local churches. They'll have classes one afternoon a week and recitals at some point. I'm really excited for them! This is the first regular class S will attend. It will be so fun to watch her!



I've been trying to find free or cheap activities for these kids. A lot of places are hosting free trial classes right now. S had a free class Tuesday morning from 9 to 12. She had a lot of fun doing art, singing, playing with Play Doh, meeting new friends, reading books and even doing a little yoga! The next afternoon J and C had a free 45 minute art class at the same location.



We've been really busy getting into our new fall routine! It's nice to have a routine again and I think we're all really excited to experience fall out here with all the trees. It's certainly a different landscape than Texas!

Back To School Edition

I'm linking up to the The Blended Blog for Back-To-School Edition.



1. Did you love school or hate it?Somewhere in between. There were days I loved it and days I hated it.



2. Start school before or after Labor Day?

Right after.. I think



3. Wake up: eager beaver or slow poke? Generally slow poke



4. Favorite breakfast?
Toast and cream of wheat



5. Favorite cereal? Cheerios



6. School uniform or no uniform? No



7. New outfit for first day or no? Yes



8. Walk to school or ride the bus? My mom took me and picked me up



9. Backpack, tote or messenger bag? All three depending on the grade



10. Eat school lunch or pack lunch? Both



11. Remember the little milk cartons? Chocolate!



12. Paper bag or lunch box? Lunch box



13. Favorite thing to do at recess? Thether ball



14. Favorite back to school supply item? Crayons, markers and color pencils



15. Chalkboard or dry erase board? Dry erase



16. Regular pencil or mechanical? Mechanical



17. Homework as soon as you got home or after dinner? After dinner



18. Favorite after school snack? We used to stop by Mrs Bairds bread for snacks



19. Favorite after school show? N/A. We didn't have a TV


20. Favorite subject in school? Art and science



21. Least favorite school subject? Math and English



22. Name of your best friend in high school? N/A. I was homeschooled after 6th grade



23. High school mascot type? N/A



24. SAT or ACT? N/A



25. Favorite year in school? Third grade in public school. I had a great teacher!



26. Class ring or no class ring? Yes



27. Attend or not attend high school reunions?N/A

Weekend Wrap-Up

Thursday morning I had my second glucose test while the kids were in school. I got sick during my first test and had to retake it. Luckily I made it through this time! And I assume I've passed since I haven't heard back from them. After my appointment I was starving and headed to McKinley's for a yummy sandwich and a Berkley cookie. Their Berkley cookies are to die for. My husband and I LOVE these cookies. Definitely my all time favorite. Their lunches aren't too bad either. :)

 Afterwards I went up to the kids' school for their Thanksgiving lunch. Here is J being silly with the girls from her class. Her class wore pilgrim hats.

 C's class next door wore the indian hats.

 One of the moms from C's class made these cute little snowmen out of potatoes. The kids loved them!

 J and her class right before it was time to go home. I spent my time running between both kids' classes.

 J drew this picture of our baby in her Spanish class as the thing/person she is most thankful for. So sweet!! :)

 The kids are always putting stickers on my belly for the baby. It's annoying but so sweet and adorable at the same time. :) (Excuse my old brown shirt.. my "at home wardrobe" is kind of limited at this point.)

 Saturday the kids and I went to a birthday party for a little boy in J's class. It was freezing outside so it was nice to get out of the house and let the kids run off some energy at the party. They had tons of fun bouncing in the bounce house and running around.

 C looked so sweet napping Saturday afternoon. It's been gray and overcast and so cold the past several days. Wonderful napping weather!

 Saturday night C enjoyed a warm bubble bath while the husband and J were out grocery shopping. It's starting to become a ritual.. one kid goes grocery shopping with daddy on Saturday night and the other stays home for a bubble bath in our big tub.

 C was so cold after his bath. He sat like this and watched a movie for a while.

 Saturday night J fell asleep wearing a new winter hat. :)

And C fell asleep wearing his Monster eyes on the way to church Sunday. :)



Sunday morning the husband and I volunteered in J's class. I know I've said it before I love the age she's at. Four and five year olds are so much fun and getting to be so independent. We really don't have to "work" in their class but just sit back and enjoy the kids. And the kids (especially the girls) are always anxious to help pick up, clean the table, pass out snacks. It's so cute!



We always pass C and his 3 year old class on our way to and from the big room with J's class. He's turning into such a big boy. At the beginning of the year (Sept.) he would cry when he saw us but now he just calmly waves and carries on. Because of the cold weather most of the kids played in the indoor playground on Sunday. We saw C all alone sitting on a bench beside his teacher while the dozens of other kids ran around playing. We correctly guessed that all the noise and all the kids were overwhelming to him. We think he has a bit of scensory issues going.. nothing major.. but loud noises and lots of activity can definitely get to him.



The kids all learned about "being thankful" in their classes on Sunday. As soon as we picked C up he ran over to each of us (me, the husband and J) and hugged us and said "I'm thankyou for you!" Then he ran back to me and hugged my belly and said "And I'm thankyou for you too baby!" Melt my heart. It was the sweetest thing ever and I love the way he says thankyou for instead of thankful for. :)



We had a lazy, lazy Sunday afternoon at home. We did get our Christmas tree up. I still need to put out a few more decorations and I need to clean house. With the weather being so cold and overcast I've been feeling very lazy lately. Being pregnant doesn't help. I feel like I'm always exhausted and the house has been a total wreck for days. :/ I did manage to get the baby's dresser set up last week. It's fun seeing things come together for our new arrival! I'm hoping to get my diaper bag, a stroller and a few other things in the next couple weeks. I'm 30 weeks now so I'm hoping that means just 8 more weeks since my other 2 were born at 38 weeks. Of course, this one has been a little more stubborn so who knows.



Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

First Day Of School!!

My kids on their first day of school, August 13th. J is super silly and super awkward when it comes to taking pictures. She gets really shy and goofy OR she gets really hyper and silly and won't stop talking or moving. Looks like she's in the middle of talking in these two. Ha! I love how C's outfit unintentionally matches his backpack and lunch back. This shirt is one of his favorite's because it has a pocket. :)

 She was probably talking away in this pic...

 I think they look so cute with their little backpacks..

 Being shy in front of her school...

The kids posed by themselves in these two pics. I thought it was so cute!! :)



Both kids had a great first day! J was excited to go back and see old friends. C was a little nervous but didn't even cry the first day! His first day of school was his second day potty training and he had one accident because he was scared to tell the teacher he had to go potty! The was his last accident.. he was trained completely in less than 24 hours. Their third birthday is the magic age for my kids with potty training. Since his first day Alex has cried at drop-off. :( It makes me so sad. I know he stops crying after a few minutes and loves his class... I guess the good-bye part is just hard for him.



My kids and I are both glad school has started. It's so nice to get back into a routine. I'm praying they have a wonderful year!!