Jared's First Day of School...and Cousins

Monday was Elizabeth's Birthday.  Alan went into work for a few hours but still wasn't feeling so great.  The rest of us went up to Temple square and went on the garden tour.  Then we went up in the church office building for the view and then on a quick tour of the conference center.  We watched the Joseph Smith movie.  None of us had seen it since they have redone it.  It was still good.  We walked through the visitor centers on the way to the car.  Jared, Lauren, and I had to hurry back for back to school night.  We picked up Alan and went to meet Mrs. Stewart (for Jared) and Mrs. Porter for Lauren.  They each had a paper to help them find things around their classrooms.  We came back and had a fun yummy dinner with everyone and delicious birthday cake.

Tuesday was Jared's first day of school.  Alan walked him into his classroom and he just went right in and didn't look back.  He said he had a great first day...but it was a little long. (He got to have early release for the first 2 weeks)  We'll have to see how he does with a full day.  Grandma and Grandpa didn't feel too well all day, but did manage to help Greg get a computer and a few other things that they needed to get done.  Jared had a soccer game in the evening.  He scored another goal.  Everyone was tired and it was a school night, so after dinner (bagel sandwiches)  we all just had to head to bed.


First Day of 1st grade!

Goalie

Faster Faster

Wednesday morning Grandma and Grandpa had to get up early and go.  (But Greg got to stay!!!!!)  We were all sad to see them go, but glad that they got to stay so long...and glad that they are coming back soon.  We dropped Jared off at school, then Alan off, then hurry back to the school for Lauren's kindergarten assessment with Mrs. Porter.  When she was done we went and got Connor his shots and bought gas.  After that we had a minute at home, but then had to head over to Lauren's doctor's appointment.  She had to get a wart on her finger rechecked...it was gone. Yea!  We had about an hour to eat lunch before we had to go get Jared.  We got Jared and then ran to winco.  We got back just in time to get a call from Scott saying they were about an hour away.  When Scott, Bethany, Lily, and Maggie got here we played a little outside and had dinner.  It was a busy day!!!!

Thursday after Jared was at school Lily and Maggie came over to play for a little bit.  We spent most of the day just playing inside and outside with our cousins.  We ate fast (soy sauce chicken and veggies) and hurried to Lauren's soccer game in the evening.  She did great.  I baked a birthday cake for Scott later that night.

Lauren's cute team (kind of...this is a funny story...there are 8 on her team, but one little girl isn't there and one of the boys who played on her team that day isn't really on her team....)

Friday was more cleaning up and playing.  Jeff came over around 4:30 and said there was a fire in rock canyon and he could see flames on the mountain.  We spent lots of time that afternoon and evening watching the fire move up the mountain and watching helicopters dump water on the fire too.  Jeff and Elizabeth both saw crop dusters drop something on the fire, but I never saw that...it would have been cool.  The fire was started by 2 boys playing with fireworks.  We had a barbecue that night and chocolate cake for Scott's birthday.

3 cute boys

Happy Birthday Scott!!!

Saturday Alan had to go into work.  He has a user study that he is trying to get done and included in a paper that is due September 10th.  Jared had another soccer game.  He loved having his cousins there watching him.  Lily played with us for a while on Saturday.  Greg came and played too.

Jared's team

Soccer Watchers

Playing and Dressing up while talking to Grandma and Grandpa on the phone

Greg working hard to earn favorite uncle points

Sunday morning I got a call saying the other singing time person was sick.  I decided that it was a perfect week to play the skittle game.  You feed 1 skittle to a child with their eyes closed.  If they can guess the color of the skittle right they get to pick the song.  If they get it wrong then I got to pick the song.  The game was a little hard for the junior primary that we have.  The only ones who guessed the right color for their skittle were the ones that were told it by the other kids.  It was still a fun game...and we got to do lots and lots of singing.  Alan had his first week teaching primary with a new person they called to be his partner.  I think it went well...and he will know who is going to be in there with him...and get some help with the lesson.  Scott, Bethany, Lily, and Maggie went to church with us.  Lily and Lauren got to be in the same primary class.  After church we made chimichanga's.  I had never made them before...mostly because I don't like to fry things....so I got Alan to do the frying :)  They turned out really well and I think everyone (who would try one) liked them.  We were sad to have to say bye to our cousins.  It was a fun week and a half...almost two with family visiting us.  And I got super spoiled since Jeff and Elizabeth fed us about half the time.  I guess I might have to really give in that Summer has come to an end.

Lego Time

Summer!!!!

The last few weeks of summer have gone too fast.  Monday was spent just enjoying the day. We played outside and tried to clean up a bit and just have fun.

Tuesday in the morning there was a Wymount Olympics activity. Then we tried to get Connor's shots, but they wouldn't give them to him because we were a couple of days early.  So we decided to go to walmart and get the school supplies that Jared and Lauren needed.   on the way home we were driving past the Central gardens of Utah and their sign board said free admission.  I had always thought you had to pay...so we turned around and went.  It is a conservation garden, so it uses fifty percent less water.  It was fun to stop and walk around.  There was a sprinkler display with buttons to turn different types of sprinklers on.  This was on of their favorite parts. They would take turns pushing the button while the others would run through it....ok it was mostly Jared and Lauren...Bradley didn't get too wet.  They also had some play houses that everyone loved playing in.  It was a good fun adventure.  I even learned the name of a flower that I have been trying to figure out for quite awhile....it's Lantana.  I was ready to go before everyone else...They had talked me into another adventure...and we were about to go and then I remembered Jared's soccer game.  His first one of the season.   We just had to hurry home and get ready to make it on time.  Jared scored a goal and had a great time.   That night I had a primary meeting...training with the stake.

Wednesday we went to ready to learn.  Then we went to the splash pads at the Riverwoods.  I have been wanting to go all summer.  It was a super hot day and everyone enjoyed cooling off a bit.

Thursday we did more cleaning up and getting ready for Grandma and Grandpa Schachterle and Greg. In the afternoon was the last Wymount water activity.  Grandma and Grandpa and Greg met us at Lauren 's soccer game.  She did great and scored a goal too.  After the game we came home and had dinner (white bean chicken chili ) and visited.

Friday we hiked Stewart falls.  Everyone walked the whole way there.  Lauren and Bradley got carried on the way back.  Jared was so fast that the rest of us had a hard time keeping up.  Alan had to go to work but Jeff and Elizabeth both took the day off and went too.  We had nachos when we got home.  Then hurried down to the Utah country fair.  It was the ranch rodeo night.  It was fun to watch part of that,  then walk around the fair.  Bradley threw up in the middle of the night.  I thought we had just worn him out hiking but something was going around.

Saturday we went to seven peaks for most of the day.  We had a yummy barbecue when we got home and grandma and Grandpa helped Greg check into his dorm.  Then in the evening we played some fun games with all of us together.  I don't know what it is really called, but the name game where everyone takes on a name and you have to figure out who is who.

Sunday was our last week of 8:30 church for a while.  We have had it at 8:30 for 2 years...and the year before that it was at 8. (We did do 4 months of 12 o'clock church when we first moved here)  It will be different going at 12:30....but at least we will still have Sacrament meeting first.  Grandma and Grandpa and Greg visited our ward and Jeff and Elizabeth's too.  Alan's class went well and singing time was good too.  We worked on learning the 2nd verse of Build An Ark.  I took a mirror since the verse is all about us.  Then we talked about what it means to build our own ark and being spiritually prepared.  We also put together a paper cake since it was going to be President Monson's 85th birthday.  We had sweet pork cafe rio salads for dinner.  Then we played more games.  The name game and one with 3 rounds...like catch phrase and charades all rolled into one.  We also went on a walk to the great valley.  Alan started not feeling so great in the evening too.

Time flies when you're having fun!!!

Last Monday everyone was still pretty tired.  Connor is 6 months old!!!! (but thinks he 2 years old and can keep up with Bradley and everyone else)  When did that happen...it has gone so fast.  Lauren and Connor both had well child checks at the doctor. They are both doing well. Lauren is just under the 25th percentile for height and just above it for weight.  Connors head circumference and length are both just under the 50th percentile and his weight is just above the 10th.  The doctor is a little worried about his weight because he is already dropping percentile curves and he is not crawling or walking yet.  I think he is just fine.  After all someone has to be on the low end of the chart....and have you seen his dad?  But really I think he is fine...and he already is quite mobile.  Connor can get wherever he wants to pretty much...he rolls scoots, twists, turns, and does push ups.  At one point today his hands were so close to his feet while doing an arch that it looked like he was going to stand up and start walking.   I'm really glad he's not to that point quite yet.

Tuesday morning Wymount had a water Olympics activity.  They had several games and relays and then just had a big water fight.   Everyone had fun.  In the afternoon we played in a neighbor’s pool.  Then when Alan got home we went to seven peaks.  We all had a really fun time.  It was a super hot day so everyone enjoyed being in water almost all day.

Wednesday was another hot day.  We just hung out around here.  We probably vacuumed...we did almost every day this week...Connor will eat anything.  It has been really nice to have a slower week and just be able to play.

Thursday afternoon Wymount had a water activity and brought out the slip n slide and turned on lots of sprinklers.  In the evening we went to the barbecue in our quad.  Then we went to Fiddler on the Roof at the Scera outdoor shell. We got our tickets from our pass of all passes.  We all enjoyed it but we decided to leave at intermission.  It was getting late (9:30) and everyone was tired.  Alan has been staying a little later at work all week and didn't want to be up too late so he could keep making good progress there.  Also Lauren has been having a hard time sleeping in her bed at night...tonight she is sleeping in Brad's with him.  She was up for a while in the night...and so was Connor..so we were all  tired.  I've never seen Fiddler on the Roof before...just parts...someday I'll see the whole thing.

We made octopus for lunch

Friday we did lots of cleaning up around here.   We also played outside a bit.  In the evening Jeff and Elizabeth babysat while Alan and I went to Seven Peaks.  We had a ton of fun.  Jared was pretty upset that we were going without him, but I told him it was so we could go on the big ones he isn't tall enough for....so I had to do a big scary one.  I did go down the yellow speed slide (3 smaller drops) and I'm still working up my courage for a straight down one.  They have mats that you can ride on now for them...maybe they had them last year too but I didn't slide any last year so they are new to me.  Anyway if you use a mat you go on your tummy head first...which I like a lot better.  Everyone had a great time while we were gone too...or just survived depending on who you ask. :)

Saturday morning Alan went to the Temple.  The rest of us went to a builder workshop we had signed up for at Lowes.  We just had to pick up the kits because Jared had his first soccer practice.  He loves soccer.  This season he is on a team with 1st and 2nd graders.  In the afternoon we did some shopping that needed to get done.  We also cleaned up a little more.  There has been a pile of shoes...In a broken box in my doorway for a long time...I have been tired of it for a while now, but we finally took care of it!!!  It is so much nicer now.  After our shopping we watched the last little bit of the Olympics.  We sure have had a fun time watching it.

How embarrassing... here are all 37 pairs of shoes (plus a few without matchers) that we either threw away, gave away or took to DI.

Today was just a good normal day.   We organized a little more and had a nice restful day.  We ate our stuffed peppers outside for dinner.  This Summer has gone far too fast!!!  We found out this last week that Lauren will be in Mrs. Porter's morning kindergarten class (we are really excited...Jared had Mrs. Porter too) and Jared will be in Mrs. Stewart's first grade class.  I asked that Lauren be placed in afternoon since afternoon kindergarten doesn't have school on Fridays, but she got placed in morning.  When I went to make the call just to see if she could be switched she said no mom I want to be in morning.  I asked why? and she said she just wanted to give it a try.  There are really good things about the morning too...so I guess we'll give it a try.  We will definitely enjoy our last week of Summer and are looking forward to our company that is coming this coming week...and the next.

A Trip to the Ranch

This last week was a fun one.  The first part of the week was spent playing and just enjoying summer.  Monday I worked on a little cake for my neighbour to use on a display table at her parents 50th wedding anniversary.  They didn't have any pictures of the cake and her mom couldn't remember anything about it so I could do whatever I wanted.  She just wanted something tiny, so I did a 4 inch round and a 6 inch round.  I just did butter cream...since they wouldn't have used fondant.   I also added some scallops and roses because I thought it would fit the time period.  In the afternoon we played outside.

Tuesday we went on a walk to the horses.  Jared and Lauren rode their bikes.  On our way we ran into some friends who were also on a walk and they decided to go with us.  It was a long hot walk but fun.  We hurried to the store in the afternoon and made it home just in time to celebrate a little girl's birthday with cupcakes (there are a ton of July birthdays around here ).  Alan has been staying later trying to get more done.  We have enjoyed watching the Olympics in the evenings.

Wednesday was just about the same.  We walked to the horses again, but this time no friends came..and we were a lot faster.  We played outside and cleaned up a little and got ready for going out to the ranch. Wednesday night Alan was putting some things in the car and got stung by a bee on his thumb.  His thumb swelled up and is just now back to normal after a few days...almost.

Connor fell asleep while playing

Just hanging out

Thursday we loaded the car and got the rest of our things ready for camping at the ranch.  Wymount had a make your own ice cream in a bag activity we did in the morning too.  When we were all ready we drove out to the ranch.  We had foil dinners that night.   Our first night there was pretty cold and everyone woke up cold at some point in the night...even with extra blankets.  Mostly they just had a hard time staying in their sleeping bags and keeping their blankets on. (The second night was much better).



Friday we went to Dinosaur National Park.  We had a fun time seeing the wall of bones and hiking around the park.  We also saw a few petroglyphs and Josie's cabin.  When we got back to the ranch we had a fun time swinging and playing with cousins.  We had more foil dinners and got dogs and smores.  It was Grandpa Atherton's birthday so there was also cake and ice cream.  We listened to Alan's cousin Jordan play guitar and sing for awhile and then they played a dancing game on the wii for a short time, but it was getting late and time for bed.

Sleeping

Part of the Wall of Bones that you can touch

While working on junior ranger booklets

The one shady place on the whole hike

Connor loving his plain snow cone

Hey that's mine (he did get it back...it was just dripping on my leg)

sand castle building with cousins

Lauren dancing

Saturday we spent all day playing, swimming in the pond, eating good food, hunting geodes, and just having fun.  Alan's back was bothering him on Friday, but was feeling a little better on Saturday.  We had to drive home last night after dinner...and everyone was pretty sad to have to leave.

Bradley giving Connor a ride.  He walked around and said Hey look and my baby brother.  Connor was loving it too...and he didn't poke him in the eye the whole time.

pirate treasure hunt

hunting for geodes 

Alan moved a piece of wood and found this scorpion

Swimming at the bass pond

fishing

Snow Cones!!!

Today we started learning Build An Ark in primary.  Our family really loves this song.  It is from the September 2010 Friend.  We are all pretty tired from playing so hard and luckily we all were able to take good naps today...all at the same time.  After dinner we went on a walk and when we got home Jared Lauren and Bradley made some necklaces/ collars for their newest beanie babies.  It was a great week and we are looking forward to another one.

Surfing

riding on a boat