Back to School

Back to School photo shoot

yes Saige is wearing a hot pink leotard and underwear

Samantha trying to find her place for her backpack

Samantha's teacher Mrs. Miller



Samantha, Olivia, and Sydnee

Saige was so excited Sammie was home
Samantha's first steps off the school bus
Samantha stuck between two boys

Were did summer go? I can't believe Samantha is starting first grade it has been way harder for me than when she started Kindergarten( and I thought that was bad)It had even affected my sleep I was worried because she is so shy and I was afraid she would not dare ask anyone for help if she needed it.When I dropped her off she was grabbing her stomach so I could tell she was nervous and there were several kids in her class crying when we first went in. Samantha did great she even talked to her teacher which is great improvement from last year. She sits between two boys one of them was in her preschool. She informed me that that was her friends Kia's boyfriend. I don't remember talking about boyfriends in first grade they definitely still had cooties. She reassured me that she didn't have a boyfriend. Her teacher from last year helped her out to recess which made her feel good. She said she went out with another girl that she was taller than so she must have been in the morning kindergarten class. One of the other first grade teachers called them in from the lunch recess. When the class got back Sammie's teacher wasn't there yet. Sammie thought she must be in the library.She said she was so scared. The teacher told them she was in the the teachers lunch room. Sammie said she was eating way to long and that she must have went back for 3rds for lunch I thought that was so funny. She will learn that it is not scary when you teacher is not in the room that's when you can get away with murder. She was really excited that she got to have 3 recesses today and she was able to play with the neighborhood friends. She said that they worked a lot and ate a lot of snacks today. She ran into a friend who told her that a little girl threw up in her class but Sammie told me she didn't have to wash her hands because the girl was not in her class. This was a very long day for me I was lost without Samantha today and so was her sister(who took a 3 hour bath while she was gone) We went to the bus stop to pick her up and we had to wait for ever for her to get home she is the last stop and they forgot a kid and had to go back and pick them up. She said that she likes first grade but she got really thirsty today. I think I over dressed her but you got to wear your new school duds for the first day. Now I can throw her back in her summer clothes until it cools off. Saige is signed up to to to preschool but any time we talk about it she bursts into tears so have been worried about that as well. But after a long day without her sister she is talking about how she gets to go to school and dancing as well. I hope she still feels this way when her school starts in a couple of weeks. Well I survived and It wasn't as bad as I anticipated but I was sure glad to see Sammie walk off that bus. There is something nerve racking about leaving you child in the hands of the school system all day.Samantha we are so excited for you. You will have so much fun and meet a lot of new friends. Work hard and have fun!!!

Trip to Disneyland

The kids at temple square

The girls at a shopping center in California The girls dipping their feet in the pool waiting for their dad to check in the hotel so they could put on their swimsuit
Sammie and Olivia at Orange County Airport
Jake,Saige, Sammie, and Olivia were able to sit together on the plane

Samantha ,Olivia, Jake, and Saige playing in the pool

Samantha our little fish doing stunts with her dad in the pool
Saige giving her favorite princess Snow White a hug

The girls with the traditional Mickey sucker at Disneyland
The kids legs got tired of walking and they talked there dads into putting them on their shoulders. We saw the girls holding hands and had to capture a picture of it!! The little siblings decided that looked funner than the stroller as well

Saige meeting Belle Another shot

Sammie with Belle
We looked back at the kids in the shuttle on the way back from Disneyland and they were all a sleep laying on each other. They were exhausted after a long day of playing in the park



Group shot on the lifeguard stand at Newport Beach

The kiddos posing for a picture at the beach
Group shot of us all squeezed in a tea cup
You always have to get a picture on the Dumbo ride

Saige hanging at the beach having a snack

Sammie, Olivia, and Jake playing in the waves. They had a blast!!Our family

another family shot
The kids messing around waiting to go to the beach

Playing in the sand Saige is always striking this pose when I take her picture
Saige was covered head to toe in sand she would roll around in it to get warm after swimming in the ocean

Me and Clark

We just went on a trip to Disneyland with some of our friends the Smiths it was such a blast. We started out the trip in Salt Lake. We went to temple square on Sunday and watched the movie the Easter Wish it was about 20 mins long which was perfect for our kids. We spent the night in a hotel in hopes we would all get up early and catch a flight. Because we were flying standby we had to split up and the we got to California on Monday and the Smiths arrived on Tuesday. Monday we just hung at the hotel and swam in the pool the girls were shocked they even got me to swim. I only swim in pools that are heated. All the hotels claim to have heated pool but what I think they are saying is they heat it just enough to keep ice off the top. This hotel really heats there pool plus is was warm when you get out of the pool as well. it was relaxing and their grounds at the hotel was beautiful . I wish we could grow some of the flowers they had here in Utah. Tues when the Smiths arrived we let them get cleaned up and changed because we had all there luggage with us then we rented a big white van and headed to Newport beach. I Think the kids had as much fun there as they did at Disneyland and it was a whole lot cheaper. Wednesday we spent the day in Disneyland it was hot but not as bad as I expected for going in August. I can't believe how brave the kids are they went on every ride except Saige could not go on Space mountain because she was too short. Fear is definitely a learned behavior. my kids dare go on more rides than me.Thursday we spent the day in California Adventure we tried out the new Toy Story ride it was cute and of course we went on Soaring California that ride is so fun . It was hard to fit everything in. The kids did great with minimal melt downs . Friday we let the kids swim again at the hotel and then headed back to Utah. The flight home was wide open so we were able to travel home all together which was fun for the girls to have a friend on the flight with them. We hope to have a lot more fun vacations like this one with our friends in the future.Thanks Steve and Megan we had a blast where are we going next.

Saige's Clothes issue

Saige in her favorite green PJs

I just had to share an on going battle that Saige and I have been having this summer. I am not sure if her thermostat is broken or what, but she always wants to wear longs sleeve shirts and her warm winter PJs. We thought the first day out in the 90 degree weather would cure her in a hurry. On no, she said," I like to be hot" or " I like to be sweaty" On the the days I talked her into short sleeves she would have to have a sweater or jacket over it. She especially loved her favorite green PJs which have feet in them theywill be just perfect in January. Well Saige won the battle and you could usually find her out with the neighbor kids in her green PJs or long sleeve shirts. Some battle are just not worth fighting who knows maybe I have the AC up to high in the house and have froze her clear to the bone and it takes all day in the sun to defrost.