Seminary!

We are officially into our school schedule since Seminary started last week! Let me tell you it has been a little rough! I've always done fine getting up early since I myself had early morning seminary as a youth, and I had a paper route before my seminary days! But something about not having to be up early EVERY day has thrown me for a loop this week. Morgan's alarm now goes off at 5:00 AM

Sadly she only got up two of the days by herself, the other three I had to wake her up because she turned off her alarm! I even told her to set TWO alarms and she turned both of them off! She'll get better! This is what I look like in the early AM. I feel about as bad as I look here!

I then make her breakfast, help her with her lunch and anything else she needs. I get up with her on MWF and Jon on T TH. The best part of this whole Seminary thing is that I DON'T have to drive her! For the past few months I had been talking to some of our dear friends' daughter, Alyssa. She lives in the neighborhood and drives right by the house on the way to the church. She agreed to pick up Morgan every day which is FABULOUS! It has been working out great! She picks her up at 6:10 am and then they get the Bishop's son Jarin and head to the church!

Even though it's early and hard sometimes she is really liking seminary. She enjoys her teacher and class. I am proud of her for making the effort every morning to go. I know that it's the right way for her to start out her High School Day! Since we'll probably always have early morning seminary here and I don't see us moving in the future I figured out I have several more years of this! Twelve to be exact with no breaks! Twelve years from now Maddie will be a senior in High School and we'll still be going strong with Seminary!!!

First Days!

Our First Day of school was before Labor Day AGAIN this year! AARG! It ended up being completely crazy since it also fell on Brooklyn's Birthday! I now have three different schools that my kids' are attending, High School, Middle School, and Elementary! The first day went pretty smooth, we did though have some nerves, tears, and luckily some smiles!

Maddie went to school the next day. The school has a SMART START program for the Kinders that helps them adjust to going to school all day long. So only about 8 kids were there each day and then they all started together the next week. All three of these little girlie's walk together to school. I couldn't believe how big that backpack looked on Maddie. I walked with the girls' on Maddie's first day. I was already feeling so emotional about this day. As I went into her classroom she was doing great! Me not so much!!! I was there with the other parents taking pictures, getting them settled, and shedding a tear or two! I was having a hard time holding it together and Maddie saw me crying. She said "Mom you're not suppose to cry!" As I left the school to walk home I just wanted to bawl! I walked home with some friends' , went for a run, and went out to lunch at my Fav Panera Bread! Maddie ended up doing great on her first day and I was so excited to see her after school. She is adjusting surprisingly very well. With this all day Kindergarten that our school is doing this year for the first time I was worried! She has been very responsible about her backpack, helping pack her lunch and showing me her take home folder each day.

Morgan started Seminary this morning! She was very excited for her teacher, to study the D&C and her class! Last week when she was into her first week of High School we already had some late nights, tears, and help from Dad with homework! I thought to my self, YIKES, and we haven't even started Seminary!

Jon has called me a couple times asking me "What are you doing today with all your FREE TIME?" And when it comes down to it, it's not a lot of Free Time! I tell him "Hey I earned it!" With the whirlwind of getting them out the door and the "Marathon" (as my dear friend put it) after they get home from school, I need that Free Time!:) Jon and I have also discussed this past few days about this time in our life! High School, having all the kids' in school, seminary, boys, and much more! We can't believe we are here but we are loving the stages that the kids' are in and cherishing the memories we are making!!

End of Summer Activities!

Before our Summer came to an abrupt end we tried to squeeze in some last minute fun! The last weekend in August we went to a Cabin in Mossyrock WA with some friends.For years' we all camped together over the Labor Day Weekend. With kids' becoming involved in HS activities and our school district starting school earlier we haven't been camping that weekend together for about four years. This summer we found only one weekend that worked for everyone! So instead of camping we went to an awesome cabin! We watched movies, ate yummy food, played lots of games

the kids' went swimming in a nearby lake, but it was way too cold for the adults,had daily card games of Nurtz, Scum, and SolitaireRead books, took naps, explored in the woods behind the cabinand pretty much just played for three days!The day before school started I let the girls' invite a friend over to have a Back to School Fashion Show. They loved it! They each brought several of their new school clothes to model and then they strutted down my stairs with the music blaring as I video taped them! Mason was so out of here when we did the Show!!!We have also been very busy adjusting to our Puppie Charlie!We had to change some things in the back yard since he is strictly an OUTDOOR DOG ONLY!!! I know some of you might think that is crazy! (I only say that since just today two girls' at the gym couldn't believe that he has never come inside the house!) We have also set a schedule for the kids' to follow with walking him, playing with him, and most importantly picking up after him! Since they all BEGGED for this puppie they have surprisingly been following through with all of this! He is a good puppie and we are all loving him. I think the biggest surprise is how much Jon and I both like him. Jon bought him a new doghouse off Craigslist last week since it started to rain and he was worried about him. And Morgan commented to me that I talk to him like he's a baby! We'll see how this all goes! He still has never been to the dog park, he is still learning how to be good while we walk him, he chewed up a sprinkler head, and he started to jump up on my patio table. Oh, I think I'll have a few more stories as time goes on so wish us luck!