The First Days...

Well, last week marked the first days of Preschool around here.  This will be Kael's last year of preschool and maybe Dax's too - we'll see how it goes.  What we do know is there wasn't an ounce of nerves from either one of our big preschoolers during their first day drop offs.  

 

And I felt overwhelmingly that, well, It's official:  we're not playing house.  This parenting stuff is legit.  The names Kael and Dax smile back at us on cute little labels on cubbies and hooks and job lists and birthday calendars and they love it.

This weekend Miss Amy sent home an "All About Me" activity with the boys.  They were to answer questions about themselves like what their favorite color is, what's their favorite toy, what are their favorite foods, etc.  As I sat with them individually to listen to their VERY unique responses, it made me smile.  

We drop off one of our two preschoolers every single day of the week (they are in different classes) and probably more so than buying a vacuum or choosing a pediatrician... this school homework stuff with these little human buddies that can hold complex conversations is the about the most fulfilling thing my heart can withstand. 

The preschool environment is really good for us right now.  It provides the boys an opportunity to thrive outside of our home individually, and make friends that aren't brothers or neighbors or church buddies or cousins, and learn to listen and receive instruction from another person other than Ryan and I.  It feels good.  It feels "parental" and it feels like it's going to be a great year.  

I expect lots of great things from my All-American Boys.  Even this one.  :)

Schedules Smedules...

You know what feels like a million years ago?  Labor Day weekend.

I done got bi+$h slapped right back into reality, is what.

This week we found ourselves ball and chained to the old calendar again.  The two big boys had their first days of Preschool and soccer practice and Ryan went underground into the abyss of work and blah blah - who cares - you're smack dab in the middle of it too, right?

And so, let's take a moment to sit cross legged and breathe... maybe I'll even put on some soothing music while I reminisce to just a few days back when we were in Heaven.

OK then - you might not consider an empty shooting range Heaven, but where I come from, if you stumble upon one this time of year and have the opportunity to show your target what's what AND let your little dudes pull the trigger?  That's a little slice of it.

 Game Face On...

 The brothers who shoot together... wait, that could go south rather quickly.  Anywho...

 Someday very soon they'll look back on these pictures of themselves with their doting Daddy-o and smile.  He is such a good teacher and they are so eager to learn everything he has to show them.

Collecting Brass... 

And kickin' azz... 

See what I did there? 

What would a trip to wonderland be without some crawdad fishing?  In a word?  Incomplete.  These boys LOVE this little pass time.  And this time, Kaelster ate every one we caught.  {Nasty}  

Dax wanted to try them too, but per Kael's style, he downed them all before Dax Man returned from a little bike ride along the block.  We're working on sharing vs. hoarding.  To his credit we only caught eight dads... so it was slim pickin's.

Would it be weird to have family pictures at the crawdad pond?  Probably.  Do I care?  Not so much.  I'd stand in irrigation boots in the mud to pose against this back drop.

  

Every image I take at this place turns into magic and my photog skills are sub par.

Don't be surprised if you see it on our Christmas cards!

Here it comes.  The motherload of Y chromosomes shot in one image together...

I warned you.  I warned you.

Then we got our lumberjack on and gathered a load of wood.  These little worker bees of ours basically showed the forest how it's done.

And in our spare time, we built a shelter that would put those survivalists on Naked and Afraid to shame.  Just take a look at our handy work.

Fine, I'm a liar.  But finders keepers, right?  There was even a notched out pole in the corner that led up to a look out.  Who takes this kind of time and effort to build a fort in the middle of a giant mountain?  We thought we were cool parents up until the point we stumbled on this gem.  Then they thought we were the coolest for "taking them to this awesome fort". You're welcome little buddies.  :)

Wondering how many pictures I can cram into a single post?

Oh I'll keep going...

Take us out Ace Face {Old MacDonald}

Kaelster  {The Dog Whisperer}

And Daximus {The Stunt Man}

I'm pretty sure I just shattered a record somewhere.

And on that note... The End.... Of Summer & Labor Day.

Now excuse me while I go cry myself a river.  I kid, I kid.

Labor Free Zone...

This weekend we stole away together to hit our favorite mountain spot with some of our favorite people.  It felt like a luxury to have nothing but fun "to-dos" on our to-do list for the weekend at Grandma & Grandpa's red house.  And you know what they always feel during their weekends at Grandma & Grandpa's house?  Love.  They walk in and they feel it.  They listen and they hear it. They reach out to touch and then they're snuggled up in it.  They LOVE it there.  They love the people who have made it feel like that.

And I love all of them.  I find myself squished in a love sandwich between my parents who loved me unconditionally, and my Ryno & boys who love me that same way.

It's a trip.  The best, heady kind of trip.

 Friday night we pulled in after sunset and we were greeted with hugs and flashlights.  The boys hit the front lawn for their first hunt of the weekend... night crawlers.  They were thrilled with this new found experience and two and a half dozen worms later - we felt prepared for our fishing trip in the morning.

Turns out, after a good night sleep the anticipation of a full day on the mountains is almost as good as the actual events...

Almost...

First stop - a trusty lake that Grandpa & Daddy-o had pinpointed for almost guaranteed success for our little anglers.  Listen, we have good guides like that.

Things started out a little slow.  But before long, we felt the familiar tug on the lines and...

Well, see for yourself.  :)

Our tiny yellow fishing poles got some real fishing experience.

Things got hot there for a few minutes.  Kaelster begrudgingly learned the art of catch and release.  (He's not a fan)-- Ryno caught an Arctic Greyling, which was new for us.  And miraculously, Ace Man stayed dry.  We consider all of this a huge success.

Notice the double victory shot.  Grandpa & Dax in the foreground and Kaelster and Ryno in the background.  When you're good, you're good, people. :)

It was a gorgeous day and somehow we had the lake all to ourselves on Labor Day weekend?

I attribute this to clean livin'.  I mean, what else?

 We loaded up on the wheelers and rode along until we found a spot for our fire.  Tin Foil dinners for the big kids... wieners for the little wieners.

Acey LOVED the smoke.  (Dramatic Much, Little Buddy?)

 We all loved Grandpa's stories.  Side note: Look how happy he is when he's in his element?

Kid in a candy store.

 And here we go - my love sandwich picture.  All of the men in my little family PLUS my Mom and Dad together is the best kind of wonderful.  

 Labor Day weekend is like my family love sandwiches... checking off those summer bucket list items AND layering up to see the first fall leaves atop the mountains.  The last watermelon and the first fall peache.  Some hot chocolate AND our final lemonade stand.  Don't make us choose... just shmoosh it all together in sandwich form.  It's bound to be delicious.

Of Cuss Words...

Yesterday my Kaelster came running in from the back yard all breathless and frantic and yelled, "MOM!  Come out and look at my pumpkin... I think I found a squash bug!"

Now listen, if you rewind approximately two months ago, I made that same urgent call to my own Dad.  I had discovered the little wretches all over my summer squash plant and I grabbed my cell phone, put it on speaker and called to find out how to slay 'em dead.

He answered, I let out my call of distress, and he and Uncle Sherwood replied in tandem,
"Oh, them are bad little bastards!"

This much I had gathered.  So, we got it all figured out and one run to IFA later to pick up the necessary supplies left me down a summer squash but saved all the rest of my squash plants including the boys' beloved pumpkins.

So, here we are, back at present day.  I went outside and inspected the beetle atop one of our pumpkins that had my Big K all flustered and declared it NOT a squash bug.  Kaelster breathed a sigh of relief and without skipping a beat said, "Oh Good, them are bad little bastards!"

And then I died.
This little right of passage has been brought to you by Grandpa Hooky and Uncle Sherwood.
Thanks guys.  :)
Truth is... I get it.  Pumpkin pride elicits cuss words in diligent little farmers.

The INSIDE...

On Saturday we ventured out with the whole fam to see the Ogden Temple.  The open house was something that the boys had been looking forward to ever since they announced in primary that,

"All of you can go INSIDE the temple during an open house!"

Tickets were prompted booked.

It was a gorgeous cool day even though Ry and I were sweating at the thought of taking in our rowdies to this sacred place full of reverence and breakables.  Turns out, they could sense the holiness and were ANGELIC during the entire tour.  It was insanely pleasant.

The interior finish work is gorgeous and there were some "OOHS" and "AAHHS" even from our rough and tumble boys.  Which is really saying something.

Kael kept reminding his brothers that this is the second temple he has been in since he got to go inside the Manti temple as a baby.  Dax quickly reminded him that he was there too, "inside Mommy's tummy eating all her food."  Correct and Correct.

And here's the million dollar family shot.  Yes, we're actually just outside the temple.  No, you would never know since we are facing it.  You try to pry some eager little boys away from a water feature and let me know how that goes for y'all.  Ok then.

Celebratory lunch at Chick-Fil-a, of course.  We're fancy like that.  This is when all our boys told us they are going to get married in the "cactus temple" because it's their favorite and the beehives look like ice cream cones and Grandma Clement works there.

Correct again, little gents.

And you know what?  I hope you do get married at the St. George temple!  I'll be there with mascara running down my face, but a smile on my face.

 P.S. This is a shot of my back row Joes.  They were looking so coordinated and handsome I couldn't resist.  AND it must be documented that Kael gave a talk in Primary about temples yesterday.  He did SUCH a good job and spoke right up into the microphone and reeled 'em right in with his awesome props and all.  It was adorable and Dax Man gave him a hug afterwards and told him,

"You did a really great job on your talk, Kael."

And then I died of happiness.

The End.