Family photo shoot

Last weekend we went to Rexburg and had my sister Kara take some photos of us.  It's just that time of year again when I need new 'school' pictures of the kids but did a few family ones while we were at it.

Here a few of my favorites!

Lindsay is now 18 (almost 19) and a freshman at BYU-I (sniff, sniff)

Makenna is 16 and a Junior at Hillcrest

Emily is 13 and in 8th grade at Sandcreek

Alison is 9 and in 4th grade at Rimrock

Baylie is 7 and in 2nd grade at Rimrock

Jace is 6 and in kindergarten at Rimrock
(he is seriously the CUTEST little kid EVER)

The cute couple that made those gorgeous kids

A few of my favorites of the kids

This is at an old tree house where Kara's husband Brett used to play as a kid!

And one more of us all

Kara did a great job taking these pictures for us as well as placing us for them.  We went to her mother in laws and there just so many neat places to snap a few shots, I think total she took about 114 pictures.  I'm pretty lucky that my kids like to get their pictures taken so it seemed to go pretty fast. Afterward we went to have lunch and frozen custard at Nielsens, a favorite place of ours!!

Homecoming 2012

 

Sept. 29, 2012 was the homecoming dance.  It was a crazy day, Kenna started out with a day date at 10am.  The group went into the hills and played paint ball.  The boys even thought to purchase chest protectors for the girls and Kenna said they purchased 4000 paint balls!  She had a hair appointment at 3:30 but didn't get home from her day date until 3:20 - thus started the craziness!  She had paint in her hair and had to take a shower and wash it first so we were about 15 minutes late to her appointment. She said they didn't have cell service in the hills and no one knew what time it was. Then we got home and she decided to call a friend to do her make-up, she headed over to her house at 5:45 and Lerin was picking her up at 6:30.  She didn't get home until 6:20 - we had to quickly put her dress on and jewelry.  With all this chaos, I didn't get any 'prepping' photos especially since none of it was here at the house!

Here she is FINALLY ready!

 

Two of her best friends stopped by to see her before she left - Kaylee and Hayley

Chris meeting Lerin for the first time.  I'm not sure why he hadn't met him before the dance because he's been over several times.

Pinning on the boutonniere

Her corsage - it was gorgeous!!

I just thought this one was cute!

A few more before they leave

Photo bombed!!! This was so funny!

Kenna's friend Sara was in her group and her date was waiting in the car - I called him out for a photo and surprise, he matched Kenna's dress too!

This is Lerin, Kenna, Sara and Rayce

They went to Lerin's house for dinner -

Lerin's dad took about 200 photos Kenna said - I only got 3 of them.  This one I think Kenna said, "is the most legit homecoming photo ever!"

"She thinks my tractors sexy," is what I thought when I saw this!

One of Kenna with us!

They had a great time at the dance and Kenna looked stunning!  This dress she picked out just screamed her name and fit her personality like a glove!  We saw it online and she loved it! When we went dress shopping, we went to Circle of Love in Rexburg because they always have modest dresses.  Anyway, as we walked up to the front of the store, there was the dress from the internet in their window - is that fate or what?  We had to get it taken in quite a bit to fit her and they actually hemmed it too short and she had to wear flat sandals. If you know Kenna, she loves heals and the higher the better but it worked out and I'm sure flats were much more comfortable to dance in. All in all, I'd say her first big dance was a success.  Next up..... Sadie Hawkins and she's already asked her date!

Homecoming question and answer

Homecoming was on Sept 30 so I'm just a bit late in getting this blogged.  Makenna turned 16 back in May so this was her first date dance.  Her friend Lerin Rasmussen asked her to the dance and this is how he did it.

He put a big pig balloon in a box with a note on the string at the bottom

 

This is Lerin, too bad the strings from the balloons is in front of his face, and Hayley and Sara Kenna's good friends, setting up the invitation in her room

Here is the note that was attached to the pig balloon

Kenna, letting the pig fly! There were other pink balloons too and pig faces, you can see one on her door.

He put his name on a piece of paper inside this little piggy bank - she was supposed to break open the piggy bank but she wanted to save it so she carefully got the paper out -

All smiles when she realized who asked her

Next, we had to figure out a way to answer him.  Here is what we did
We went to Kohl's to purchase the biggest, ugliest granny panties we could find!  The rose applique was a nice touch to the granny effect, don't you think?

Here is what the note on the panties said

Kenna put them in a cute little bag, complete with tissue paper and everything.  She wrapped them up so when he opened them, the note would be staring him in the face.  She gave it to the office at school and had them deliver it to him during his first hour class
Kenna had a friend in his first hour class who took this picture - I guess he was pleased?

Kenna actually had second hour with Lerin and he was still wearing these panties when he went to second hour.  She told us she made him take them off cause she was embarrassed!!    Fun times!!

Hot Chelle Rae

This past July, Kenna and her friends traveled to Boise to see Hot Chelle Rae in concert!  Hayley's dad was nice enough to drive them.  It was during some wild fires and as they past Mountain Home, the freeway was closed.  They had to find the back way into Boise - after that fiasco, they made it to the concert.  These girls always have so much fun together on their wild and crazy adventures! 

After the concert, they waited outside of the venue to meet the group!
Here they are with Ian

Jamie - oh and notice that paper in Kenna's hand?  That is the play list from the concert, one of the managers gave it to her and it is signed by all the guys!  She also got an autographed guitar pick from Ian, the guitarist - guess it pays to hang around after the concert!

Nash

Ryan, the lead singer

Hayley, Sara, Kenna and Cortlyn - bunch of crazy girls!

During the concert, the lead singer Ryan asked if anyone knew the next song. Sara screamed that she did and he came right to the girls and let them sing with him. Kenna said it turned into a mosh pit of people but the fact that he came into the crowd just for them was a thrill!
They got home at 3am and I had to run Kenna and Hayley to girls camp at 8am - not much sleep for those two but they said it was totally worth it!

Lindsay goes to college

On Thursday Sept. 6, I had to take my baby girl to college.  This was seriously one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.  Mostly because I know she will do great and that wonderful things are ahead for her, without having her mom there.  As we got in the car that morning after she said goodbye to her sisters, brother and dad I noticed a little tear and also a quivering lip  - I turned to her and pointed my finger right at her and told her she was not allowed to cry - that just resulted in both of us crying!

                                                   This was our destination - the Ivy apartments

                                                    

 I can't believe I didn't take a picture of the car with all her stuff in it - it was loaded and Chris kept telling her that she had way too much stuff!  When we arrived, there was a U-haul in the parking lot and she said, "dad thought I had too much stuff, look at the U-haul!" Ali, Baylie and Jace made a going away card for her and colored some pictures for her - here is the card, this made me tear up!

 The picture Jace drew, it was a picture of him with Lindsay

 

 

 Baylie's picture was also one of her with Lindsay

As we got to our destination and Lindsay was walking up the steps, I made her turn around and smile for a picture, she obliged but rolled her eyes too!

We got her room all put together

And this is the view right out of her bedroom window, this made me happy!

A friend from our home ward stopped by to say "hi" and that was my cue to leave. It made my leaving a bit easier knowing there was a familiar face there than had he not stopped by  (there are many familiar faces but just at that moment).
Lindsay texted me this picture this afternoon - a picture of all her roommates after church today, in front of the Taylor building.  from L-R  Brynn, Ashley, Hayley (her roomie), Lindsay, Kassidy and Emily -

I could feel the excitement and energy on campus on Thursday as I helped her get her books and her Icard and I knew that was the place for her.  On Friday morning, I held myself back from texting her and asking how she was doing and to my surprise, by about 10am I was getting texts from her which really made my day!  She is doing well and having a great time. They put the incoming freshman into 'teams' called, Iteams and they have fun things planned from BBQ's, dances, talent shows and keep them busy for the first 3 days before classes start. This gives them a chance to know everyone on their team and start to form friendships immediately - They didn't do that when I was a student there but it's a great idea! Her classes start tomorrow and I know she will do amazing!

Junior year

Today was Kenna's first day of school. As a junior, she got to take yesterday off because the high school has the first day a day for freshman only.

Here she is all ready to go!

I know these next few years with her will fly by  -