Off They Go

Grade 3 for this kid.  He's pretty excited about his teacher,  Mr. Pickering, yep a male.  Awesome.  None of his really good friends are in his class, but lots of boys that he likes are.  He'll be fine, he'll do good.

Such cute boys.

Jumping for Joy!  School is in!



Grade 7 for this kid.  A bit of a disappointment.  He didn't get the options he wanted, no one he really knows in his class.  He'll be fine.  He'll meet new friends and learn new things.  It's what life is all about.

Barrett and I missed these kids like crazy and were so excited to see them and hear about their day.  We all munched on cookies.  Chocolate chip cookies have magic powers that get these normally silent boys talking. 

Week-End Wanderings

It's been a busy summer.  Usually the boys have been on multiple hikes by now; not so this summer.  This week-end was their first over nighter this summer.

Spencer and Nolan hiked up to Medicine Grizzle in Glacier National Park.  They were both pretty excited to out in the wilderness, hiking and doing manly things.

Together they caught and threw back about 30 fish.  

The next day they hiked up to Triple Divide Pass.



They made some friends along the way. 

Random Summer Pictures

Morgan turned a year older.  We enjoyed it, him not so much.  But the party sure was fun.

Jake, the cool older cousin, came a couple of weeks before his family.  Nolan and Jarom had The Best time hero worshiping hanging out with him.

These kids were so funny.

 

Rachel and Paul came for Canada Day Week-end. 

We partied for my Aunt Leota's Birthday.  Man is she ever a riot.  We had the best evening laughing with her and Corinne.

This boy loved, Loved, LOVED his shot of sugar.

 

Magrath Parade was a bit funky this year.  It was the greatest year for candy collection we have ever experienced - That's right Jarom got an ice-cream bucket over flowing.  But all the rest of the family was in Edmonton admiring Rachel and Paul new house.  We went alone.  Still a good time, but better with family.

He's 1

This cute cute little guy turned one.  We celebrated.  The big boys were so happy and excited for Barrett's birthday, almost as excited as if it were their own.

These wonderful people came to celebrate.

Spencer's family has a long standing tradition of giving the birthday boy his very own cake on his first birthday.  It really was the high light of the night.  Barrett began by picking off all the Smarties and eating each one.

Then he got down to business.  He dug those fat little fits in the cake and started chucking cake around the kitchen. 

He never did eat any of the cake, when I put some in his mouth he spit it out.  He did however, have lots of fun playing in the cake.

All clean and ready for presents.  Not sure how many balls one kid needs, but since they are his favorite toy, he got another.

Barrett at One Year...

1. messed around with walking for a month, but basically on the day of his birthday made the trasitions to walking more than crawling.
2. is the pickest little eater, but loves sweets, watermelon and most fruit, noodles, anything someone else is eating. Always lets us know he wants more food by forcfully grunting.
3. is working on a new tooth, love that drool and those rosey cheeks.
4. loves to climb in and over things.
5. waves "bye, bye"
6. his birthday cards seemed to be his favorite birthday "gift".  He carries them around the house, opening and closing them, talking to the pictures.  He must think they are books.
7. books and balls remain his favorite toys - and Nolan's guitar.
8. Has started dancing to music.  He loves to go hang out with Nolan while Nolan is playing his guitar and listening to music.  Barretts stands by the amp and gets his grove on.
9. is a little gabberer. 
10. is becoming a little pest to his brothers.  Who thought this day would ever come?
11. loves to give hugs, especially to his mama.
12. 22 pounds    31 3/4 Inches

Random Thoughts

1. I have never been to Park Lake before.  I know that all you Lethbridge people just gasped, but it's true.  We had it on the summer fun list, we went yesterday.  The kids had the best time digging in the sand.  Lake water was a tad murky, but it was perfect shallowness for Barrett.  Good times.  Barrett did not enjoy being buried; but the older boys enjoyed burying him!

2.  I am totally enjoying a show called White Collar.  It for the must part, is quite clean and up beat.  Jarom bought a new hat that mimics one the main character Neil Caffrery wears.  I'll take a picture of Jarom and post it.  It's very debonair. 

3. I am so sad the summer will soon come to an end.  I have 95% of the time enjoyed having my kiddos around me.  Yesterday Nolan saw a fancy car and looked at it with longing in his eyes.  I told him that's what you buy instead of having kids.  Then just for fun, I told him I would rather have him than a shiny fancy car any day; he replied I'd just made him feel awesome. 

4.  My grandma Blumel was a journal writer.  After she passed way we found tons of Journals, notebooks and scribblers fill with her thoughts and life experiences.  My Aunt Marilyn gave us such a great gift and typed out some of my grandmas thoughts and experiences.  I was rereading it the other day and there was a section where my grandma bears her testimony of priesthood blessings.  It was such a great experience.  I could actually hear my grandma voice in her writing and feel her as I read her words.  I am very excited to share it with our kids at our back to school FHE, when they get their BTS Fathers Blessings.

5. I have lots of summer blogging to catch up on. 

Cousins

Cam and Amy headed off for a vacation together - we get Ethan.  Man were these boys ever excited to be together.  So Fun.  I made them do jumping pictures.  They thought it was cool. 

I whipped up a few of these sponge tossers and the boys took it from there. 

More Jumping pictures.

So refreshing! Or crazy kids.

Barrett getting in on the fun.  Can you believe this kid is going to be one is just a few days?  It's killing me.

Court Reunion 2011

As goes every year we always have such a great time with the Courts.  My kids look forward to playing with their cousins all year and especially exploring around the Hoodoos.  The older bunch are finally at a nice age where they don't have to be supervised every minutes and spent a lot of time playing tag in the Hoodoos.  The mom in me kept expecting a drip to the ER but they all kept their footing and came home safe.

Activities went as usual - building dams, digging ginormous pits, playing in the river, signing songs, reminiscing. 

We added a few new activities to the campfire schedule:

1. Minute to Win It -

 it's the craze that made it in the court reunion.  Each age group had 2 MITWI activities.  Man alive did the kids ever have fun.  I think they could have played it all night.

2. Family Talent Show  here is the run down of talents

Dan, Mandy and Family treated us to a dazzling rendition of a Journey Song.  Then Nolan showed off his skills on his guitar (he was awesome), then Raquel sang Baby Baby while Declan danced, then Ethan and Jarom danced to Baby Baby, then Kaye serenaded us on her recorder, then all the kids danced to Baby Baby, then Rob, Tanya and family finished off the night with  Guess our Favorite Songs.  Such a fun night.  Baby Baby was stuck in our head for the rest of the reunion.

We always wait until the camp is packed up and the kids are hot and tired to take the family photos this way we exact the most torture upon ourselves and kids.  Pretty funny when I was flipping through them.