just a few videos

At the beginning of the month we went to Blackfoot to see the family. We also went to the fair and horse races while we were down there. The races are fun, but the Indian Relay Races are thrilling! I love to watch them because they are totally crazy. Well, I guess the kids fell in love with them as well because when we got home this is all Cayden does....

Cailey is still loving the dance games on the Wii and does this a  lot...

Back to School

Yes, we have been in school for a month now...CRAZY how time flies by. September is always such a busy month for us. I have to get back into the swing of things and now Cailey and Cayden both have to get into swing of things too!

Cailey is in kindergarten...KINDERGARTEN!!! How did that happen? She was very nervous for her first day, but very excited. However, the nerves took over and she did not want to go once she got there! My mom had to bring her down to the school (not only was it her first day of school, but it was also my first day back to school with 33 3rd graders). I was able to take an hour and go to her orientation and that is when tears started for her and a little for me (I had to hold it together, all the other moms were!). The kinders got to go out for recess while the moms and dads stayed inside to learn what their children were expected to do/learn (which by the way, scares the pee out of me!). Cailey did not want to leave my side and cried and cried. It was very hard for the both of us. However, once I got her fingers off of my legs she was fine! Everyday since then she has been fine!

NO smiles for her on her first day :(

Who could of ever guessed that us three girls (me, Leandra, and Kelly) that grew up together would all have daughters going into kindergarten together? I love this picture!

End of her first day and she is all smiles

I take the same picture every year by this tree.

Cayden is in preschool. He was totally not ready to go, but we sure were! Cody had to take the morning off and take him because I knew it would take longer than a half hour to take him and I could not ask for longer off than that off AND I knew there was going to be a fit and tears! So Cody took Cayden to his first day of school. We did not get any pictures because that just was not going to happen! Cayden told us all summer he was not going to go and that was it, ha!!! We had other plans for him! He cried and cried,  in fact, he was the only student crying and it made Cody feel pretty lousy (which I am glad he had to go threw it with him, because I am always the one that has to deal with it)! Cody finally had to leave and the teacher had to hold him. He threw up a little and then was fine (why my kids?) On the second day, Aunt Tawnya took him and he gave her the long eyes, but he made it through it and I am so  proud of him for doing it. He is loving school now and has made one friend he talks about; however, he does not know his name other than it is the boy with the blue jacket.

A no good, horrible day!

What a day and not a good one either...My mother in law came and got the kids for me this morning so I could go have a make over. Started off to a great start.

Just as we were finishing up on my hair I get a call from my neighbor that he thought he might have shot my dog, Scooby!!! "what that cannot be!" Scooby and Murphy are locked up in their kennel!" Well, I was wrong! The dogs dug out and went running the neighborhood. Scooby dug into a pen with a sheep and tired killed it...The neighbor saw her doing it and killed my sweet Scooby girl!!!

He was in the right, Cody would have done it to another dog if they were chasing his horses. But it still sucks! It sucks because we love her sooo much! It sucks because she was a great house dog! It sucks because she was great with the kids!

Will we get another dog? NO!!!I am over dogs! We will keep Murphy and work with him and give him all the attention. But God, I am soooo going to miss Scooby. I am going to miss her big curly body, her excitement when she got to come into the house, her attachment to Cailey (they were best friends!)

Cailey is upset because she did not get to say good bye :( Cayden, just thinks she is going to dig herself back up out of the ground. He finally did come around and asked about Scooby's mom and dad and he was sad that they would never get to see her again!

Rest in Peace Scooby Doodle Doo....We will see you again!!!

Not in my 20's anymore....

It is hard for me to believe that I am not in my twenties anymore...Not sure if I should feel any different because I don't. It really does not seem like a big deal. I am very content with my life right now. I have a wonderful husband that works his butt off to provide for me and the kids (and his hobbies!), two wonderful (most of the time) and healthy kids, a beautiful house, two dogs, a cat, and a perfect job! All I am missing is a little picket fence! ha! But seriously, I dont' know what else I really want out of life! Yes, of course being debt free and not having any care in the world about money, but that is not realistic for my age!

For now I am okay turning 30. My life right now is EASY manageable!!! The kids are not as demanding as they were a couple of years ago. I am beginning to get sleep again! This is HUGE!!! A friend of mine once told me that I would really enjoy my early thirties because my kids will be old enough to sleep throughout the night, get up in the mornings and watch Saturday cartoons while I slept in and that they would not be old enough to stay up hours into the night and me staying up all hours of the night wondering what they are doing! I think she knew what she was talking about!

Last weekend we had a birthday bbq with my friends and family. It was great! An 18ft. water slide for the adults and for some daring kids and a bounce house for the not so daring kids! It was so much fun celebrating with my friends and their kids.

When the bounce house showed up and the kids sat on the patio waiting anxiously, the guy asked the kids if there was a birthday and they shook their heads and he asked whose birthday and they giggled and looked at me and I rose my hand and said mine! He laughed, but I am okay with that! This is where I am at with my life and so are my friends...with small kids. I really don't think there was any better way of celebrating...

Here are a few things I want to accomplish before I turn 40 (Oh my...Cailey will be 15 years old and Cayden 13...I don't like to think ten years from now...excuse me while I go have a good cry!)

1. Get back into a little better shape
2. Go somewhere on a vacation, without kids and outside of Idaho!!!!
3. Take the kids to Disney World Land....let' s be practical....CA is probably a little cheapier than Florida!

Okay as of now, I can only think of 3...Like I said, I am a very content kind of person!

So here is to being 30!!! It has started off being great :)

The super water slide

My water slide partner and best friend (she knows too much about me to be called anything else!)...Becky Brown 

My dear friend, Amber . No matter how much time goes by Amber and I can start right where we left off!  

Athena's mommy, Jill. Super fun friend to be around and my sunbathing buddy at the Emmett City Pool.

The bounce house for the kids

My little dare devil...I love this little girl!!!

A goal..what am I thinking???

Back in May I started thinking, "Oh my, in 3 months I am going to be 30!" Now turning 30 is really not a big deal to me until 4th of July came around and I started talking to young 20 somethings and they really seemed young! I am pretty sure they thought I was an old nagging mom by the time our camping trip was over! And it has been some time since I have been carded for buying beer, yep, I am showing my age (Cayden put years on me!)...So anyways, back to May...I kind of started thinking what I would like to do before I turn 30...Yep it was really planned out since I had only 3 months, but I figured I could do or try to do most of thing while I am still 30...ha!

Well one of my "goals" was to "train" (don't even now how to "train") for a marathon. Kind of seems like a lot of people I know are doing it and maybe it could be fun. ya right! I hate to run! So anyways it has kind of been in the back of my mind...no training done yet! Now I have less then 3 weeks before I turn thirty and I come across this....

I have one month to start, yes I said START, running and getting prepared for this race. It is going to be a blast! Best part is, I am going to be running/walking with Cody (yep,  he is going to do it with me) my sister and Josh, and a couple of her friends. I am super excited for it. Oh ya, did I mention it is a 10K? I am going to die!!!

Wish us luck! We are open for suggestions for outfits (thinking maybe we should do a theme with it), and if you feel like you would be like to part of it, let me know....

4th of July Night

What a crazy weekend!

Leave on Friday for camping until Monday...

Come home Monday to a dead fish :( Cailey's beta fished died while we were gone), do laundry, clean the camper out, water flowers, take care of the neglected house, put on a happy face and head to my sister's for a bar-b-que! I am exhausted. But I loved every minute of it!

After the bar-b-que, we headed to the old lumber yard and watched the fireworks from there. Then it was back to Tawnya's to let off our own fireworks. I am a cheap one when it comes to fireworks. Not Cody though, $30 later and stupid fireworks that did not do much we headed home to much needed sleep. Poor Cody had to leave at 5:00 am for work!

James just adores Cayden

The kids on the fire truck

Cailey enjoying the night on her daddy's lap

So pretty!!!

Cayden (along with all the rest) loved the sparklers!!!

Watching the fireworks...

4th of July Weekend in Cascade

I hate coming home from camping!

I hate the unpacking!

I hate the washing!

I hate the low you feel!

However, I love the memories we make every year!

Cailey with her first fish...she would "mother" it around and carry it like her baby

Cayden and James with their "cheese" smiles. James loves doing everything Cayden does

Waiting for the Cascade parade to start.

Cailey watching the crazy people

the kids excited for CANDY!!!

Waiting patiently for CANDY!!!

My fourth of July cake that melted before we got to eat it, but it was still good!