School

 School is in full swing around here! I thought I'd share some first day pictures.

 Hannah is in 5th! Hard to believe! Fifth grade was a memorable year for me, so to think that she is there is crazy! 

 Bryson has this full day thing down by now. He's in the midst of 2nd this year. 

I'm so glad Hannah and Bry have each other at school. They walk or ride (bikes, scooter or roller blades) home from school with each other. They enjoy school which makes it much easier to send them! I love our summers together and miss them when they are gone. I may have felt a few tears coming on as I walked to my car after dropping them off to their classes on the first day. Then the song, "Happy" by Pharrell Williams (one of my favorites), came on over the intercom for the whole school. I did shred a couple tears... that was honestly the song I needed to hear for them! I sat in my car and listened to the principle welcome the students and share her goals for the year. I felt like it was going to be a happy year for my kiddos and that the school was filled fill people looking out for them. 

Easton will go to kindergarten next year. This year he is going to a preschool in someone's basement, 3 days a week for a couple hours. He is so excited about learning and his new friends. Kade sure misses him while he is away!

Kade was our last to get going, but I finally started a little "joy school" preschool for him. Three of his aunts and I rotate teaching just once a week. It fun for these four cute cousins to have "school" too!

We are already in October but here's to a great school year for these adorable kiddos!

Family Pictures

We just got some family pictures taken. I love them! I love this family of ours! They are my everything. These kiddos keep me on my toes, my patience running thin and make my heart overflow every single day. 

After sharing the above picture on social media, I got the following sweet text from a friend, "...I just saw a pic of your kiddos sitting and I was counting the children & had the thought, wait, who is missing? I went through the names and saw I had it right... but still had the thought there should be another one. Then I remembered. In time. Love you, friend."  I, too, often have to recount. We can't wait to find our missing piece(s). 

We make a pretty good team. Love this amazing journey we get to be on together!

Extended family

Our extended families are very important to us! Both sides of the  family have monthly dinners together and often in between there are parties, outings and get togethers. Our kids love cousin time. 

Getting ready to do a challenge course and zip line with cousins

Cousins make the best swim buddies

Grandma provided a fun craft, lighting bug creations from water bottles.

Grandparents and almost all the grandkids on Nic's side of the family

Supporting each other at a birthday celebrations

Night games full of giggles, warming our toes by the fire and cousins make the best summer nights

Grandparents and grandkids on Natalie's side (I think there have been 3 added since this picture)

Cute girl cousins

Rodeo time 

We are so lucky to have so much family that support and love us! 

Labor Day Adventures

We loved our Labor Day adventure hiking to some falls. The weather was perfect, the distance was just right for our gang and the scenery was breath taking! We topped the evening off with a spontaneous BBQ with some neighbor families. Love family days!

Natalie's Favorites

To help you get to know Natalie, here are some of her favorites.

Games - Ticket to Ride, Skipbo, Farkle, Minute to Win It games

Nic's cup tower just came crashing down.
Love everyone's expressions in these pictures.

We hosted a lively Minute to Win It party for New Year's Eve
with Nic's side of the family

Music - "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. My Pandora stations have Adele, Michael Buble, Colbie Cailat, Rascal Flatts, Showtunes, and many others, then of course Disney and Kids Bop. Some favorite hymns are "How Great Thou Art" and "Come Thou Font." And a couple favorite primary songs are "A Child's Prayer", "Scripture Power" and "My Heavenly Father Loves Me."

Flowers - Magnolias and Gerber Daisies. And to plant -alliums, cosmos, and zinnias, among others!

I served a church service mission in Louisiana, since then magnolias
have a special place in my heart. They are so unique, big and smell amazing!

Alliums are a bulb flower that come back year after year.
Again I love the uniqueness of this flower.
The tall purple balls are just so unexpected. 

Both these (zinnias) and cosmos are fun
because of their pop of color. Colorful flowers make me happy.
Add some flowing sweet potato vine and the planters are gorgeous!

Sayings - We can do hard things. Sure love ya. "Find joy in the journey," Gordon B. Hinckley.

"Suuuu-re love ya!" - Our family "cheer" after
family prayers each night.
A tradition passed on from my childhood and family.

Walt Disney and Dr. Seuss have pretty great quotes too.
This is a wall in one of our bathrooms.

Food - Chicken Rollups, roast, pizza, sushi, breads, breakfast foods, and fresh fruit

What a good bread helper!

Dessert - Oh man, so so many! I love homemade treats! Cinnamon rolls, mint brownies, homemade ice-cream (or a combination of a brownie, ice cream, hot fudge sundae!), cookie dough (and the baked version), anything chocolate and peanut butter... The list goes on and on!

Vacation - Our trip to Disneyland with the family, which included a trip to the beach was dreamy! We surprised the kids as a Christmas gift and went about a month later. They had been dying to go. It seems like "everyone" had been but them. The kiddos opened a box of Disney balloons and a sign with a count down, when they realized what was happening one of the kids just said, "Finally." The trip really was magical! I loved seeing the excitement in their eyes at each new ride, each character they say, treat they tried, and sites they saw!
    Other favorites include quick trips (often with my extended family) to Arches National Park, Zions, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, etc.

There really is something so magical about Disneyland!

Can't you just feel your belly flip just looking at the picture?!
We are on the right, front row with our oldest. I LOVE roller coasters and thrill rides!

We went to California the end of January, so the water was freezing!
But we enjoyed every sandy second at the beach!
The crashing waves and keowing of sea gulls, sand in our toes and ears (and everywhere else!),
castle and trench building, sea shell and sea weed collections... 

Goblin Valley, a day trip with some friends and neighbors.
We loved exploring and climbing all the "goblins."

TV Shows - Fixer Upper! I also like watching Studio 5, American Ninja Warrior and some Netflix favorites to watch with Nic have been White Collar, Chuck, and West Wing.

I love Chip and Joanna! This show has the building aspect for Nic,
the decorating inspiration for me combined with a fun mix of humor and family.
Seriously, if you haven't watched it, do! 

It's clever. It's thrilling. It's humorous.

Movies - As a teen my favorite was Remember the Titans. Some younger favorites are Tangled and Enchanted. I also really like proper romances like Pride and Prejudice.

Leisure Activities - "Projects!" I've usually got some sort of project going on, from gardening and canning, to decorating and refinishing furniture, to church or PTA planning, or baking. I also enjoying sitting down at the end of the day after kids are in bed and relaxing with Nic and a TV show. I love biking with the kids, reading them books, and boating as a family.

Veggies from the garden

...on a dreaming child, on a snoring granny...
in a napping house where everyone is sleeping.

Enjoying the boat. Nic is in the background wake boarding.

Books - I like proper romance and regency books like Edenbrooke and Blackmoore. (I recently joined a book club and I have been surprised at how much I have loved the books that we have read, most of which I never would have picked up.) My very favorite books though are kids books. I love children's literature. A Visitor for Bear, Love You Forever, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, and A Sick Day for Amos McGee are just a few.

Ultimate Favorites - Mel's Kitchen Cafe (http://www.melskitchencafe.com) a food blog I follow and LOVE and cook from ALL the time! I often talk about Mel as one of my bestie, though I've never actually met her - my family knows her well! She makes real food with ways to make things healthy and simple but also has the most divine desserts! 

   Reese's Peanut Buttercups (or the homemade version, which is even better) and Scor or Heath bars (or homemade English Toffee)

   Long, hot showers and Christmas!

Our Christmas mantel last year with our homemade stockings.
One stocking is up for Christ.We write down what we are giving to
Him each year and read it as a reminder on Christmas morning.

Acting out the nativity with cousins is a Christmas Eve tradition.
My side of the family a couple years ago.

Nativity last year with Nic's side.