August 2018 - Back to School

Before school started we had our annual Back to School Feast on Sunday.

The kids dressed up all on their own.

Doesn't Eli look so handsome?!

The kids dressed up way in advance so they were fancy for lunch that day. 

They ate Top Ramen and listened to Andre Reau. One of my dad's favorites.

They danced.

Eli fell asleep.

Then it was finally time for dinner.

The girls made everyone crowns.

Ruby changed into something more comfortable for dinner.

We ate steak and funeral potatoes.

Before school started we took pictures in the kids' graduation shirts on Monday.

Ruby wanted to get her picture taken too.

So she put on her Hogwarts shirt.

On Monday night we headed to school for the Open House.

We met Lexi and Avery's teachers and saw their classrooms.

Avery has two of her best friends in her class. She was so excited.

Lexi was very excited about her teachers bulletin board.

I love this quote. It's painted on one of the school hallways.

That night we laid out all their supplies before bed.

And Tuesday morning the girls had their first day.

Our principal apply for an got a grant for our school.

For the next four years, every student gets free breakfast and lunch.

My girls wanted to go to breakfast the first day, 

so I dropped them off and didn't go to their classrooms with them.

I was a little sad about it.

And I didn't get pictures of them with their teachers.

...

After school Lexi walked out with her best friends. They're so cute all together.

This year we started walking to school in the mornings. 

Every morning we'd meet the Carpenters on this corner and walk with them.

That Friday was Eli's kindergarten open house. 

Here he is with his best friend Camdon.

They were both picked to be in the all day kindergarten class.

They are both "model students."

The following week Eli started school. He was so excited.

He actually missed the first day of kindergarten because he was sick.

The Norovirus went through our family fast and hard.

All three of my older kids missed school the first two weeks.

He wanted to bring an apple to his teacher Mrs. Fivas.

I went with Eli to breakfast and then walked him to class that first day.

Are he and Camdon so cute walking to class together holding hands?

The first few weeks of school my kids are so much more willing to let me take their picture.

So I take advantage of it and take lots of pictures before they go to school.

I took this picture on a day that Avery was staying home sick.

May 2018 - Picture Post

And here are a lot of pictures from the rest of May...
 I did my make up one and apparently that was reason enough to celebrate with some selfies.

Avery with her friends Reagan and Victoria.

Lexi and Avery. I love torturing these two by always trying to get pictures of them together.

Here's the girls wearing the Harry Potter shirts that our neighbor gave them.

Here's Avery modeling her new fake glasses.

We went to the school's art night.

I went to Avery's class to watch her present her panda animal report.

In fourth grade, kids learn about Utah state history. Each kid had to make a diorama.

The fourth grade put on a special night.
We got to see all the dioramas and listen to the kids sing and watch them dance.

Lexi and Avery both did a session of swim lessons. They were in the same class and both did great.
They both improved so much.

Here's some pictures of my cute Eli.

I love seeing these two brothers together.

Here's Eli on his last day of preschool.

Eli and I went to a special Luau at Eli's school for the kids and their moms.

Eli graduated from preschool in May.
His teacher rented a little church for the ceremony and had the cutest program.
I loved the caps and gowns!

 

I can only say good things about Miss Patressa. She's amazing!
Eli loved her and she loved Eli.
I am so excited that she's going to be Ruby's teacher next year.

And a post wouldn't be complete without some sleeping Ruby pictures.

Next up is Ty Guy.



This little guy is so curious. He gets into everything he can.

He discovered the joys of the trash can.

Here he is playing with an onion that he found.

Here he is playing with Joshua (Lexi's best friend's little brother).

Teething is the worst! We had a lot of sleepless nights and hard days.

Horribly quality picture but it shows just how loving and nurturing Avery is with Ty.

Avery and Ty had their check ups together.

More Ty pictures. Because I cannot get enough.

This was left on my porch one night for me.

We celebrated Mother's Day. Which means we attempted to get some pictures together before church.

And the kids surprised me with things they had made.

And we celebrated Sean's 33rd birthday.

The kids were so excited to get him an ant farm.

I volunteered at the fourth grade pioneer day activity.

The kids were put into groups and rotated through different pioneer type activities.

Lexi was put in the same group as her best friend Carrie.

See that chain link fence behind Lexi, 

I walked into it when I was trying to take a picture and I sliced the top of my foot.

Lexi's teacher Mrs. Durfee super glued my foot shut.

I had never done anything like that before but I really didn't want to go to the doctors and get stitches.

The neighbor who lives behind us is my friend Vennice and her family. 

Vennice's aunt passed away. She was named after her aunt and practically raised by her so they were very close. Vennice was really struggling with her passing. So I wanted to do something to comfort her. In April we bought some memorial trees for us and I though Vennice would like one too.

So I asked a few people on her street and friends of hers in the ward to donate. 

I was able to easily raise several hundreds of dollars. When I went to her house to tell her what we were doing for her she bawled. Her husband Ben was touched too. I told them that we raised enough money to buy a tree in honor of Vennice's aunt and Ben's brother who had passed away a few years ago. A few days later I took Vennice to the nursery and amazingly we were able buy three trees because two of the trees were cheaper. A few hours after we came home from the nursery, one of Vennice's best friends passed away. So we had a tree already ready to honor her. It was like it was meant to be. That night as Sean and Ben and several young men helped plant the trees in their backyard, Vennice watched from her window bawling. She was so touched. It felt so good to do something for someone else and forget about my own grief and pain.

You can see the Robinson's three new trees over our back fence.

Here's Lexi and Avery on the last day of school.

Here's some pictures I took in our backyard in May.

That's when it's the best time of year to be outside.

Here's the kids having a picnic lunch with our neighbors Hadlie and Easton.

We bought two butterfly bushes. Ruby and I planted them.

 Sean started filling our boxes with flowers.

And we planted veggies in our gardens.

On  May 25th, we celebrated Ruby's Half Birthday.