Homecoming 2011

I can't believe the girl is now sixteen!  She went on her first date over the weekend - to the homecoming dance!  CrAzY!!  That's what it is!  CRAZY!  Rae is growing up!

Her date is Brennen Robinson (no relation to Bedford Robinsons - and not to be confused with her little brother BrAnnen!! ).  Nice guy- really tall - watched some football with Kelly while Rae finished getting ready and lived through it!  He just turned sixteen too so it was his first date also.  They were pretty cute I think!
Rae was also elected Homecoming royalty with her great buddy Collin Campbell!  She was so very excited about Collin getting elected!  They have been good friends since he was born when his mom (my great buddy Lisa) was my visiting teacher.  Fun stuff!!

Brennen escorted her in the assembly to get crowned -

 She had to sing with her group, treble tones, at the assembly too.  She had previously tried out for a solo before she knew about the whole royalty stuff - so she ended up singing in her big dress to the homecoming king - the rest of her group were in tie dyed t-shirts (yea, she kinda didn't match :  )  )

 The wave and parade down main street -

 Announced and escorted by Collin at the football game -

It was a fun birthday weekend for this girl!  She had a great time and is officially old.

Kitchen

This summer when Bekki was here (yep, still haven't finished the summer posts!) we did a few projects.  One of which was putting up a back-splash in my kitchen.  I have been wanting to do something like that for a long time - but of course it takes Bekki energy to actually get it done!  It looks so great!  Here are some befores-

And some afters-

Of course Bekki couldn't just tile and be done - we had to paint too!  It looks so great!  I really have loved it!
The other project we tackled was painting my stairway and entryway.   I needed the nimble Bek for this one because I don't do ladders!!  It looks so great though.  Glad it is done!

First Day O School 2011

They are all officially back in school - and I have also finally posted it!  I can't believe how old they are all looking!  Rae is a sophomore - Brady an 8th grader - Reese is in 5th grade - and good ole cousin Jeffrey is in 6th grade.  Kelly is in some grade or another.  He seems to have done this a few times.  : )

Bran is also headed to preschool this year.  I really didn't want to send him this young - but he needs the speech help (What?  My kids?  Need speech help?  Sheesh!  How did all four of them manage not to talk! Well okay - they all talked but very very badly!!) so he's at the Development center two days a week for a couple of hours.

Anyway, here we go - ready or not!

Lava Hot Springs

So the friends were called and plans were made on one of our last free days before school starts.  Let's go swimming at Lava!  Yes!  Fun stuff - lots of water slides and such!  Okay!  Here we go!  Three moms and TEN kids in tow.  We get up early, pack lunches, drive and get excited --- and then we arrive!!  Oh the swimming joy!!

....... And WHAT?!?  It is closed?  Why?  Who did this?  Whatever do you mean?  CLOSED???

Now three moms and ten kids are standing glumly in an empty parking lot.  Oh the misery! 
Hey -- isn't this a movie?

Well, now we are in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho at 11:00 in the morning with not much to do.  So we had lunch at a park, were kinda sad, and then noticed . . . hey!  Aren't those tubes for rent?  Really big raft-like tubes?  That looks kinda fun . . . .

So we floated some local river on fun tubes instead!  And we did have fun.

So why are all my photos kinda funky?  A little bit blurry and bright?  I was asking myself the same thing.  I couldn't figure it out.  Until --- I uploaded them all and see this at the beginning of all the photos-

And yep I turned my camera around and found a very large smear on the lens.  If you only knew the extent of the troubles that this kid creates.  :  )
But we did have a great day and a really fun time.  I guess Lava will wait until next year. . . . .

Cousins!!

We had a fun cousin- filled summer!  I was going through photos and was amazed at how much stuff we did.  It was great.

Wow!  Lots o cousins!!  We had tons of fun.
I was just remembering the last time we were in Mesa staying with the AZ cousins and Bekki was combing Maura's hair in the morning.  Maura was obviously excited that we were there because Bekki was saying "Wow!  Your hair is snarly.  What slept in your hair last night?  A rat?  A squirrel?"  And Maura replied, "Nope - cousins!"  :  )