First Day of School

N started ... gasp ... High School today! He is SO ready to be in High School. G dropped him off this morning. He is also really looking forward to seminary, and meeting other kids in the stake that go to his High School.
B is starting 7th grade today. He was up and ready to go this morning. He barely said 'goodbye' before he ran off to to the bus stop!
J & T are holding flowers for their teachers. It's a school tradition for each student to bring the teacher a flower. It then becomes part of a class bouquet symbolizing all of the different students in the class. I trimmed them off of one of our rosebushes this morning. J starts 4th grade and T starts 1st grade. J was especially happy about his new binder and school supplies this year.

Here they are walking side-by-side to school this morning. J was very helpful.

Here's T with his new 1st grade teacher. He was a bit nervous. I walked him into his classroom and it helped him seeing some of his friends. Right before I left, he whispered to me that he was scared. It broke my heart! I know he'll do fine, but it will take some adjusting to being in school all day. He still likes a good nap!

Well, this is the FIRST time that all of my boys will be in school for the full day! Definitely a new phase in my life.

T's Computer

Here is one of T's latest creations: his own lap top computer and its accompanying mouse! He saw something like this one TV and he immediately took out his new shoes from the box and got to work. I buy T his own roll of scotch tape. It just makes things easier for everyone! He drew some pictures with some numbers for the key board. He then found this pink, knit mouse for the finishing touch. He actually uses the pink mouse like a computer mouse! It's hilarious. He's said a few times, "I need to check my e-mail" and he'll swivel the mouse around and make clicking noises. I LOVE watching him because his imagination is infinite!!

Recent Court of Honor

N earned 1 merit badge at the recent Court of Honor: Family Life. He is almost done with all of the requirements needed to start on his Eagle. We just need to get a fire under him!!! He doesn't mind doing the merit badge work, he just hates making the phone calls to the counselors!

N gave a recap of the Varsity Scout High Adventure at Santa Cruz. He was already nervous, but when he saw me with the camera, it made it worse! Sorry about that, N!

B earned 5 merit badges! Environmental Science, Family Life, Cooking, Sculpture, and Art. He's very close to his next rank advancement. Afterwards, there was different types of cobbler to enjoy. The leaders made them in dutch ovens.

The Training Wheels are in the Trash!

N even took a turn helping T get started

This morning, while I was shoe shopping with N & J, T wanted to try the bigger bike with NO training wheels. So, G took him out to the nearby field and practiced. He's a bit short for the red bike, so stopping is a little tricky, but he did it! When I got home, I was treated to a great show!! He'd walk up the street a ways with G, get on the bike, ride it down the street, and stop on our front lawn. After a few times of doing this, he picked up the training wheels that were taken off of his smaller blue bike and walked over to the trash and dumped them in. Yeah!!!

Annual Tahoe Day Trip

On Thursday, July 29th, we headed up to King's Beach in North Tahoe to spend the day with friends. This has become an annual tradition and I believe we've gone at least once, sometimes twice, a summer for the past 4 or 5 years. We LOVE this beach! The water is shallow for quite a distance, which is great for the kids. It was challenging to get this picture of all of the kids. I used the appropriate phrase that it was like "herding cats" trying to get this picture! [B and J are in the back row, 2nd and 3rd from the right; T is in the front row, 1st on the left]

Most of us! We're missing one of our friends in this picture. I think she was still trying to find a few kids! We had a great time just visiting with one another!! The time just flew by.

B on the hunt for crawfish

J just chilaxin!

T having a great time in the sand and water

Me and T

We got to the beach at 11am. This was the first time that I had to park across the street! However, the beach wasn't crowded!?!?? We set up our umbrellas, chairs, and just had a great time. We didn't leave until 5pm! We missed having N with us. He was on a Varsity Scout outing to Santa Cruz. I'm so glad that we could make it up to Tahoe this summer. We've been busy, but we just HAD to squeeze this in. I had a wonderful time visiting with the mom's. I'm so lucky to call these ladies my friends!!

PS: Thank you for the pictures, Raimi! I can't believe that I forgot my camera! That almost never happens to me!