Back to School 2016

Things have been a little nuts around here this month. I have a new boss at work, there have been a few big changes in staff, and I have taken on way more responsibility then I had planned. Not only that but my school started a week before my kids did so it has been a juggling act. They have been amazing throughout the entire month and I am so grateful to them!! They start school on Tuesday so we headed up Hobble creek for a little photo shoot followed by some target practice.

Samantha 8th Grade

Hunter 5th Grade

Hannah 4th Grade

We are diving into competition team again this year, although it didn't really end in May. She has been going to tumbling and technique classes all summer.

Hunter is starting guitar lessons, Samantha is really thrilled about that, well not so much but she will get over it. He is also looking forward to many more tech and engineering clubs this year. Not to mention he finally has a boy teacher.

Samantha is continuing with her guitar lessons, is in the Girls Show Choir at school, and the most demanded babysitter in our neighborhood.

I sure do love these silly kids, I am so grateful they are mine!!

Samantha has a deer tag so we have spent many Sundays working to get the perfect shot. We tried my tripod as a shooting stand but are going to have to break down and get her a shooting stick.

It was a beautiful Sunday, but I am ready to have a steady routine and loose the guilt of being at work while my kids are at home.

Thanksgiving Point Dance Competition

On Saturday Hannah participated in her first dance competition at Thanksgiving Point. We debated back and forth whether or not we should put her in the competition team, but Hannah loves to dance and she needed to do something hard, so we went for it. She has loved every minute and never complains about the practices every week.

She was not nervous at all and could not understand why her team was, I tried to explain that not everyone was like her and as soon as she puts her mind to something there is no stopping her. Their first routine was their Jazz routine and they did so good, you never would have known it was any of their first competition. Hannah came off stage with a huge smile on her face telling me should couldn't wait for their next routine, Lyrical.

Lyrical was also amazing and they ended up getting overall team in Lyrical, which is a really big deal for a team who has never competed before. We are all so proud of their hard work and grateful for good coaches. They told us that as soon as the girls came off the stage they were all hugging and telling each other good job. They are just the best group of girls and I am happy we decided to have Hannah join.

Routine #1 Jazz - Bang Dem Sticks



Routine #2 Lyrical - Somewhere Only We Know

Halloween 2015

Halloween started on Thursday with the ward party. Our ward split at the end of September and we were going to have a Halloween party, and then we were not going to because things were so crazy, and then we were back to having a party. In the end it was so much fun, I was so impressed with how fun it was for being thrown together so quickly, and it was simple which was great. We had a chili dinner, games for the kids, and a pumpkin walk. Not to mention all the cute kids who took to the stage on their own to dance, it was the best ward party entertainment ever!!

On Friday the kids all dressed up for school, sadly I did not get a picture of Samantha before she left for school.

Saturday afternoon we headed to Rob's brother Tom's wedding. Hannah was so excited to be the flower girl, and it was a lovely day and a lovely wedding.

We were all starving after the wedding, but the kids were antsy to get home for trick or treating, so we hit the in and out drive thru on our way home. I was cracking up at our big box of fries that was completely emptied by the time we got home.

We came home and got everything all set up for the evening and took pictures. Hannah is a bat fairy, Hunter an Army Ranger, and Samantha is an eyeball.

Rob and I were doing the freedom dance, our kids were set loose on the neighborhood with their friends, and we were left at home to hand out candy. It was awesome!!!

This is the group that Hunter ran around with, thankfully I have friends who remember to take group pictures because I forgot. And I didn't get pictures of Samantha and Hannah with their friends. Darn it!!

 I don't remember when Samantha started saving milk jugs, but she saw an idea on Pinterest for milk jug ghosts and decided she was going to create them this year. They were a huge hit, everyone was complementing them and we will now be making them every year.

Hannah was home at 7:45, she was in tears because she was so tired and couldn't go any further. I asked her to shower and get her jammies on which was followed by more tears, so we sent her to bed. She was out by 8pm.

Hunter was home next and he laid on the floor until he fell asleep before Samantha came home at 9:30. She was loving the fact that she was one of the last trick or treaters out for the night and ended up with double the candy that Hunter and Hannah had.

It was a fun night, but I was done with Halloween at about 8:30. Rob and I took down all of the decorations and packed them away as I was finishing our cleaning and laundry for the day. It is 11pm and we are ready to crawl in bed and say goodbye to October until next year.