6:30 AM

This year, we have been reading the scriptures with the kids at 6:30 am, before school. The other morning, they were all bundled up in blankets and still extremely tired, but I thought the girls looks so cute huddled on the couch, I had to grab my camera and snap a shot of them.
Lindsay, Emily, Kenna and Ali Lindsay sets her alarm and then proceeds to the other girls' rooms to get them up. I am proud of the kids for getting up early each morning to come and enjoy reading the scriptures together. We are always tired but there is never complaining. (There has been twice when Kenna hasn't come up but she says she doesn't remember Lindsay going in her room to wake her up, yeah right)

This has become one of my favorite times in the day!

A sneak peek

The other day, we got Lindsay's dress for homecoming back from the seamstress and I had her try it on. Jace ran over and wanted his picture taken with her because she looked so "bootiful!" The picture was just too cute not to post so........... TA~DAH, here she is modeling her dress, with her proud little brother. There will be many more pictures coming Saturday, which is dance day!

It's about time!

Back in March, of 2009, I blogged about Makenna making a quilt for one of her YW projects, then in May of 2009, I wrote about her finishing the top. I am FINALLY blogging about this quilt being complete!! Aunt Susan came over to help her put it on the quilt frame and show her how to tie. Then last Saturday, she headed to grandma Jacksons to bind it.
Here is Aunt Susan threading the needle for Kenna, while Chris, Ali and Emily watch. Aunt Susan and Kenna

Everyone who helped in the tying of this quilt.

Kenna and Chris finishing the last few blocks

Makenna proudly showing off the finished quilt!

It only took her a year and a half to get it done, but it turned out SUPER CUTE!! This was really a group effort. She did the cutting of the squares, then we went to Caldwell where Aunt Anjela helped her sew the top together, Aunt Susan came to help put it on the quilt frames, Aunt Susan, Me, Chris, and Emily all helped her tie it and grandma Jackson helped her bind it. I'm grateful that she had the desire to get it complete, one step closer to her YW medallion!

An invitation and reply

Homecoming is quickly approaching and last Thursday evening, Kenna got a call to get Lindsay out of the house so a young man could come over to ask her to the dance. After fibbing to her about needing something for the next days cross country meet, Lindsay reluctantly took Kenna to walmart. As Kenna was wandering around walmart, we understand Lindsay was not happy with her and even threatened to leave her if she didn't hurry, the boys (he came with 3 friends) had made their way downstairs to set up the invitation.
When Lindsay came home, this is her reaction and what she found......

The boys had filled up the bathtub and added 17 goldfish (18 really but one died), then hung up a poster saying, "out of all the fish in the sea, I pick you to go to homecoming with me." It was rather funny when Lindsay got home and saw this, she immediately turned to Kenna and said, "you're a liar!" but she was laughing and had a huge smile on her face!

So, we then had to think of a way to answer his invitation and here is what we came up with......
Lindsay blowing up balloons....................

Making the poster...................

We piled the balloons on her for the picture, there were 75 pink 12inch balloons (I have to admit that I did the majority of the balloon blowing up, and I only popped 1 which made our total 74)

In Brody's (the young man who asked her) room setting up the response............

Our sign said, "I'm tickled pink that you asked and can "bear"ly wait for our homecoming date!" That is why all the balloons were pink and there was a huge bag of gummy bears. She was going to stuff his car with the balloons, poster and gummy bears but he had gone somewhere when she went to his house, so she ended up decorating his room instead.

We already have a dress picked out and it is at the seamstresses being altered! I don't have any pictures of it so you will have to wait to see it until the big day!!! I can tell you, it's PINK!

And he's off...... to Pre School

Jace started pre school today and has been so excited about it. As the kids were waking up this morning and getting ready for school, Jace asked if he could go pick out an outfit for pre school. A little bit later, I went into his room to get him dressed and this is what I found. He had laid his clothes out on his bed with his buzz lightyear backpack that he has been super excited to use! I love how each piece is laid out perfectly; pants, shirt, underwear, socks and shoes! Time to head out the door ~ He is so handsome!! Bella even got in on the action through the window : )

Already to go!

Once we arrived at Ms. Natalie's house, I of course had to take a picture of him with her. We were thrilled when she opened another sessions of pre school and was willing to add Jace to her class, even though he's not quite 4 yet. We are anticipating another fun year with her!

Here is Jace with his whole class. He is in the front row on the far right. He knows a majority of his classmates as they are in our ward or in the neighborhood!

This is sure to be a year of a lot of growth and learning as well as a year of fun! I can't believe my baby is already in pre school, he is growing up so quickly (lucky for me, he'll have 2 years of pre school)!

Say Cheese!

An old Chinese Proverb says, "there is only one pretty child in the world and every mother has it." I have to say, that proverb is incorrect, there are for sure 6 and I am lucky enough to be the mother of each one of them!
This past Friday I took the kids to get their new "school" pictures taken. I usually take them somewhere to get them done, because it's cheaper and I am in control of how they look in them~ I must say that each of the kids cooperated and had fantastic smiles and poses, it was super hard to pick which photos I wanted for my wall. I ended up letting each child choose which one she/he liked of them self and wanted hung in the hallway for the next year. Here are some of them below and they aren't necessarily the one's I purchased for my wall.
Lindsay, now junior in high school ~ 16 years old Makenna, a freshman in high school ~ 14 years old

Emily, a sixth grader ~ 11 years old

Alison, a second grader ~ 7 years old

Baylie, just started kindergarten ~ 5 years old

Jace, starting pre-school ~ 3 years old (almost 4)

See what I mean about that Chinese Proverb being wrong? These 6 kids are the most beautiful kids in the world! I am so blessed to be able to be their mom!!