Back to School

It is that time of year. Back to School. I have mixed feelings. I am thrilled at the thought of getting my house back in some sort of shape and having a routine again but I do miss my kids especially when it comes to Max! He misses them even more than I do and when Max's world is messed up it makes my world not so easy. I have such great kids. They were all SO excited for school. Raegan is in Jr. High this year I can't believe that she is old enough for that. She looks so grown up (don't tell her that)! My other four are at the elementary school and Max will go to preschool...hip hip hooray!

Max thought he was going to school today with the kids. We walked the kids to school and Max brought his lunch in his back pack. He was devastated when I wouldn't let him stay. So we found a bench in front of the school and ate his lunch, that seemed to help.

Kalli is in the 6th grade, Sydney is in the 3rd grade, Andrew is my big 1st grader this year and Tyler is in the 4th grade. And Max will be in preschool (smile)!

Our Trip to Idaho

We were so lucky this past week to take a trip up to Island Park, ID! Our dear friends the Ellis Family treated us to their lovely cabin for 5 days. We had a blast!

The Ellis Family!
Doug, Blake, Ashlyn, Samantha, Sydney and Robyn

Our first stop was to Bear World outside of Rexburg. It was way cool. Here are two Grizzly Bears playing in the water.

The Ellis' were in front of us and the Bears seemed to really like their car.

Inside Bear World they had baby bears. They were so cute.

After the kids looked at the animals and the bears there were small little Kiddie rides for them to play in. It was a perfect break for them being in the car for a few hours.

Max wasn't too sure about this big fat pig.

Blake Ellis was nice enough to carry sweet Nicholas around for us, we sure love those Ellis kids!!!

All Aboard! Max enjoying the train.

The next day after Bear world we headed to Yellowstone. That was AWESOME! Doug Ellis knows everywhere to go. He was our personal tour guide, who sometimes is nick named CLARK, from the vacation movies.

Ashlyn and Blake being typical brother and sister!!!

Raegan and Samantha

Andrew posing in front of the Fire Hole water fall.

This is a huge waterfall called Fire Hole Falls

Andrew and Max

The kids, Chad and Doug went swimming up at Firehole and had a blast. The water was freezing. There was an area that the kids jumped in and then the water whooshed them down, they had a great time.

Nicholas hanging out in his backpack on our way to Old Faithful.

The "Sydneys" were the Best of Buds... Most of the time.

Old Faithful

Tyler, Cassie (5 months prego with twins), Sydney, Max, Kalli, Andrew, Raegan, Nicholas and Chad.

The kids and Chad in front of some way cool geysers.

Blake and Tyler were like brothers, I think Blake always wanted a little brother he could torture!!!

Ashlyn, Kalli, Sam and Raegan
A much needed Ice Cream stop! Kalli loved the Huckleberry Ice Cream. She tasted Huckleberries for the first time and thought they were pretty great!

Andrew

This was a Gigantic water fall that scared me to death!! It was HUGE and FAST! I had a hard time enjoying this part because I was so nervous with the kids.

Nicholas and Sam Ellis

Max and Daddy

This huge Buffalo walked in front of our car in the middle of the park, we had to stop traffic to let him through.

Kalli and Raegan back at the cabin after Yellowstone.

Tyler on the Four Wheeler
This was the only picture I got of the kids riding the four wheelers. My camera was dropped and broke right after this picture, I was so sad. The kids rode the four wheelers every day over and over. They had a blast at the cabin. Doug also took Chad and the kids up a mountain, too a spring and then canoeing on the Snake River. I have no pictures of these things...I am sad. But I am happy I did get what I got. We had an amazing time and can't thank the Ellis family enough. It was a great way to end a long summer. Now it's back to school and back to reality.

Soooo Big!

Nicholas is getting so big so quick! He is such a sweet, fat, bald, white baby. Lately he has become mobile and we find him in the most interesting spots. He tends to end up under the couch quite a bit.

He now sits up, with the help of pillows just to cushion his fall.

Just look at those cheeks!

We finally started feeding him baby food. Peaches are definitely his favorite, followed by apples. He does not like Carrots at all.

When I took him into the doctor last week he was up to 23 pounds! At seven months he is definitely my chubbiest which makes it so much fun to kiss his chubby cheeks. I love this little guy!!!

Camping out...well sort of

We told the kids that we would take them up to the mountains for a campfire to cook hot dogs and smores. Well our plans were ruined by the rain that kept coming so we opted to borrow a neighbors fire pit and had dinner in our front yard instead. It wasn't quite the mountains but they were happy.

Sister in law Benka, Max and Kylee. Max made my mom extremely nervous the whole time. So my mom ended up sitting in a chair on my front porch so she wouldn't have to watch him near the fire.

Kalli was lickin her lips!

Picnic table and blankets on the front lawn, what could be better than that (well maybe the mountains but we did our best)

Tyler was showing Max how to use his new pocket knife...yet another reason for grandma to be nervous.

Yummm...Smores