Back to School

I am a big cry baby. Every year on the first day of school, I cry. Since Emma started kindergarten, each new school year has brought something unknown or new. My baby starting kindergarten was definitely emotional. Tears. 

Right before Emma started first grade we had moved to Idaho, so her first day of first grade might as well have been kindergarten all over again. I had to put my baby girl on a great big bus and send her to a brand new school where she didn't know a soul. She was scared, so was I. I may or may not have even made David follow the bus to school that morning to make sure she got into the school safely. Okay, no maybe about it. I totally did that. Again, tears. Lots and lots of tears. 

The following year when Emma entered second grade at the same school having made lots of friends in first grade, you might think I would be okay. Not so. That was the year Jase started kindergarten. My babies are growing up so fast. Much faster than I am ready for. Tears. 

Last year I knew there was no hope of keeping the tears at bay so I just let them flow. We had moved. Again. Which meant a new school for both Emma and Jase. Where they knew no one. And a new house. And a new baby. There had been so many changes the summer of 2012, I felt like our kids had zero normalcy. Lots of tears. 

This year I thought I would be strong. There was no reason for tears, I thought. But as well pulled up to the school and saw this:

I could feel the tears trying to come. Each year on the first day of school the fire department is out with their lights flashing reminding everyone to slow down and that school is back is session. Emma and Jase were actually pretty excited to go back to school this year. 

And then it hit me. For real. This is Emma's last year of elementary school. Next year she will be in middle school. Time is going by way too fast and my babies are growing up much quicker than I am prepared for. It's a good thing I was wearing sunglasses as I walked my kids into their classrooms that first day. Because you guessed it: tears. Lots of tears. But this year was different because my kids were excited nervous for the first day of school. Not scared nervous like years previous. They happily hugged me goodbye and found their friends, eager to start a new year of school. 

So why do I cry every.single.year?! Because I am a cry baby. I blame my mom. :)

Another Trip to Billings

We have been able to make several trips to Billings this summer, which we love. We can never get enough time with our family there. This last time we went it was to celebrate Richard and Alicia's wedding. They had a nice celebration. It's great to see Richard so happy and doing so well. He has definitely had a hard road getting to this point, but I am so proud of him. He is a great father and I can't remember seeing him happier or more at peace in his adult life. 

How cute is this little family?!

Joel, Roman and Rhys 

Seriously, are these not some of the cutest boys you have ever seen?! Riley wasn't so interested in having his picture taken. 

We stayed with Stan and Colette this trip and our kids were in heaven. They are all such good friends. I love that they have such close relationships with their cousins, despite the miles between us. 

Sophie and Hanna got a hold of my phone and I found these gems a few data later. Silly girls...

Olivia thought Benton's chair was a great place to play. Luckily, he didn't seem to mind too much. :)

Carson's crazy eyes 

You may have noticed there aren't any pictures of Jase or Caiden in this post. I promise they were there. They just chose to play video games pretty much the whole time. Because that's how they roll. 

Hanna's last first day of preschool

Today the first of my three babies went back to school. Preschool is nothing new to Hanna. Because she has an October birthday, she has to wait a whole year more to be able to start kindergarten. So year three of preschool it is! Good thing she loves it so much. :) However, today marks Hanna's last first day of preschool. That's right, next year she will be in kindergarten. It seems like just yesterday she was a baby screaming in my face for hours on end. I remember wondering if the screaming would ever stop. If she would ever be a happy baby and not fall apart any time anyone even thought about looking at her. Well it most certainly did stop eventually. And come to find out we actually had the most delightful little girl behind all those tears (hers and mine). Hanna is such a joy to our family. She is such a good sister and daughter. One of my greatest blessings in this life is to be her mother. Happy last first day of preschool Hanni!!

 

 

Bear Lake

Each year since we moved to Idaho, we have gone to Bear Lake with David's family. We always have such a good time and the kids love playing in the water and the sand. We were a little worried how Olivia would do with all the sand. But true to form this year, Olivia handled it all quite well. She loved playing in the sand and especially enjoyed riding in her inflatable boat. Like really. She was so happy and content floating out in the water with everyone else, she even fell asleep out there! 

Olivia's first venture out into the water. Success!!

More dirt = more fun, right?!

Ahh, mud!

Bringing the lake to Olivia. 

Snoozing on the water. 

Playing in the sand. 

Hanna just having fun. 

Making mud bombs. To be used for a wise purpose, I am sure. 

Sifting through the sand for seashells. 

Watermelon face!

Taking a break to eat. 

Dinner after the lake. 

Showing off our talents...

My cute kids

All the Mecham cousins, minus Katie 

We were all just a little tired from all of our fun in the sun. Everyone slept for the entire 3 hour drive home. Well, everyone except for David that is...thank goodness!! :-) 

Bear lake has become as much of a tradition for our family as trading kids with Aunt Colette's family. We love this summer tradition and can't wait until next year!!  

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

I forgot how much I enjoy baseball. When I was a little girl my dad would take us to watch the California Angels play a few times a year. There is nothing like watching a Major League Baseball game. Those are some of my favorite memories. In junior high school my best friend, Jessica, and I would go to the Billings Mustangs games nearly all summer long with her mom. 

Last night we took the kids to their very first base ball game to watch the Idaho Falls Chuckars play. It quickly became apparent just how lacking in knowledge our children are when it comes to sports. We heard questions such as: What is an inning? Which team do we like? What's a Chuckar (Idaho Falls' mascot)? Why is everyone clapping? (Because we just scored a run) Oh, what's a run? What's a Raptor (Ogden's mascot)? What's a home run? Why did he get out? Can I have a turn to run the basements (bases)? Can I have some cotton candy? 

We tried our best to answer their questions and I think by the end of the game, they actually had a basic understanding of the game. I can't remember asking my dad those same questions, but something tells me I probably did. Regardless of how much our kids actually understood what was going on, they definitely had a good time. And that's really what it's all about, right? Memories were made last night for sure. And for David and me, that is definitely what it was all about. 

At the game with our cousins. Everything is better with cousins, right?

The game

David and Olivia. Like many other things we have tried this summer, Olivia did surprisingly well at the game. 

She actually waited until about the eighth inning before deciding she needed to climb the stairs. To be honest, I thought we would be doing this the entire evening. 

The 7th inning stretch...as you can see, Emma was a little confused as to why we suddenly stood up and started singing during a sporting event. 

Charlie the Chuckar

Charlie the Chuckar autographs

Jack doing the "wave". I think there might have been a little confusion...

And finally, running the basements!