First Day of School

Jara 4th Grade-Mrs. Wolfley

Jack 2nd Grade-Mrs. Whitney

 and Elise Kinder-Mrs. Taylor 

How did they already get to this age?

Jara trying to make the best of the fact that her "fashion show was ruined" because she had dreaded PE the first day of school.  Cruel.  

Elise making wishes for a great year.  Kindergartners, they are precious.  The first day of school was also her birthday.  I'm pretty sure she is convinced school started in honor of her special day.  

After shaking me off he consented to a picture.  

Jara and her crew.

Riding the cheese wagon.  I think this picture says it all.

SLC

We had a lovely trip up to Salt Lake to visit Grandma and Grandpa Wheeler.  We went to Seven Peaks water park, the aquarium, had a family bbq, get this, OUTSIDE, and Renn even slept well in his play yard!  The only documented pictures are from the aquarium.

Jara and a giant man-eating fish.  She's helping me blog tonight.

In the rainforest.

 I highly recommend taking an almost 5 year old to a 3-D movie. Elise was astonished!  

All the troops.  Thanks Watson's for coming with us.

Cheer Camp

The girls decided they wanted to go to the HS cheer camp this year.  First Elise decided, because her cousin was going and she thought it sounded like a good idea and then en route to the HS, after Jara had told me multiple times she didn't want to go, she decided to go.  Guess who had the most fun?  She is nervous to venture into the unknown but I am so proud of her for being brave and trying something new.  

Here they are with their favorite babysitter and cousin.  

She was at volleyball practice and had popped in to watch her sister.

We love Kessa!

Here they are with another cousin.  

Jed is always properly impressed at the extent of my family tree.  

My little cheery girls. 

Renn 18 Months

It's been a year and a half.  Depending on the moment it feels like yesterday or five million years ago.  I love this little rascal.  He has his own strengths, tricks and crazy just like the rest of them.  You think coming from the same two people our children would be alike in many ways but they are not.  Having multiple children really confirms the idea of individuality.  

Renn's many tricks over the last six months or so include (but are not limited to):

-Monkey climbing.  Bunk beds, windows blinds, dressers, anything with a foothold.

-Walking, (15 months, second earliest) which progressed to running, which progressed to zooming on his wheely bug throughout the house, which progressed to...nudity!?  Not sure of the connection but he can strip and run in seconds if left in nothing but a diaper.  

-Pointing.  It's amazing the power he can wield with one finger.  

-Along those lines he can also tell you how old he is.

-Making noises of the lion, fish, puppy, and his best one...monster.

-Teeth, lots of angry molars.  And drool.  Lots of drool.

-Ya!!! and un uuhh combined with vicious head shaking for no and the symbolic/confused shaking of the head, hands to the side for "I don't know."

-Minimal speaking,  Mama.  Dada.  That's it.  He understands everything.  EVERYTHING.  However, he will not talk.  I wanted to go for a walk one morning (which he loves doing) so I told him, "go get my shoes."  He promptly went into the laundry room and brought me my tennis shoes.  Mind you I have about ten pairs of shoes in there but he knew to bring my tennis shoes because I told him, "let's go for a walk."  

-Jumping off the boat into Jed's arms.  

-Most recently, liking the bike trailer and going with me for rides. 

-Playing with trucks

-Reading books especially books with trucks and real-life photographs.  

-An interest in TV.  Every day about 11, when he's starting to wind down, he climbs up on the couch, spreads a blanket over his lap, fetches the remote and points it at the TV.  We watch us a little Baby Einstein and he is happy as a clam.

-Nursery.  He's doing pretty good.  Tolerating other people for goldfish and a chance to play with new cars.  Jed thinks he may get kicked out for chucking toys.  I didn't believe it until I  took a "finn mcmissile"  metal car to the eyebrow one day and had a whole new respect for his throwing arm. 

-Sliding

-Destruction.  In the 10 minutes it takes me to make lunches in the morning he has his fun.  Marker to the floor and wall, water dumped on the table, newspaper torn to shreds, cat smashed.  He's a good multi-tasker.  I've started leaving the door into the garage open because he can have all the happy destruction he wants in there.

-Loves. He is my little pet and when he begs to be picked up and then wraps his little paws around me and pats my back with his nose snuggled into my shoulder I forget my worries and his tornado skills.  He can melt me.  Jed calls it manipulation.  If it is, I don't care.   I love my little puppy.

Flat Top Ridge

Here is Jed giving a little speech with the mayor of Mesquite.  Towards the end of July a new bridge built by ACC was dedicated.  Lower Flat Top bridge is the first of it's kind along I-15, this great project was Jed's brain child.   He worked hard to get it done right and on time, with many innovative and creative moves along the way.  I admire the crew for their long, hard hours to get it done in the blazing desert heat. I also admire the projection manager quite a bit (and not just because I'm married to him)  he is good at what he does.    

Interview with the media.  

I'm glad I could make it for the opening ceremony, it was over 100* but well worth the heat.  I've never been so excited for a bridge/exit ramp before.  You really start to appreciate construction for the work of art it is once you understand the effort that goes into it. 

 And lets not forget the metal, decorative jackrabbits!  Everyone loves bunnies.  Sadly however, Jed won't let me have one for our yard.

Lake Mead

Lake Mead you must not dry up completely we love you.  We love your dirt, rocks, blue water and mountains.  We could spend every weekend on your shores and never be bored.  

Elise clearly in charge.

Renn's boat.  Jed can't really do things "small."  Repercussions of being 6'5" I guess.  Here is where I trap Renn and he is happy because he is out of the sand.  The other half of this party barge is not even in the picture so he has plenty of clean freedom.  The best part is where my feet are in the picture, a little net that allows just enough water for him to splash in.  It really is the perfect set-up.  Although I do have to anchor it to something or we end up half-way across the lake in a light breeze.

Jara and Jack doing a little tubing.  You can sit, stand or go on your stomach.  They prefer to jump.

I love my beach bum.

Jack skiing.

Jed catching some air.  

He finally has his own boat with a tower and he is very, very happy.  

Kanarraville Falls Hike

Sometimes you have to get out of the heat and take a little day trip/hike.  90* may sound warm but when it's 30 degrees cooler than what you left that's down-right chilly.  Most of the hike was in water and the kids were skeptical at first but didn't want to stop once we had seen the falls.  Jack and Jara were getting into it, Elise was a four hour pep-talk, and Renn was happy in his carrier but Jed was dying.  He's maybe outgrown the bjorn.

Posing in the slot canyon.  

Posing in front of the falls and the ladder to get up them.  Little slippery.

He even took a nap, he was so cozy.  Renn not Jed.

Switching positions.

The dry, dusty part.