Back to School!!!

This time of year is always sort of bitter-sweet for me. I love to see the kids get excited about starting a new year of school and cure some of that boredom that sets in but it's sad to see the summer go. It's my favorite time of year!!!!!!!

The boys started school last week. Matthew is in the 4th grade and Zach started 1st grade. Figuring out the whole eat lunch at school thing has been a challenge for him but I think he's finally got it down.


Ellie was so excited to start Kindergarten. She's had to wait a whole week since her brother's started and it has been complete torture for her. She woke up at 6:30 and got all dressed and ready to go and was disappointed some more when she couldn't leave with her brother's at 9, but had to wait until 12:30. There were a lot of kids crying when the teacher's took them into their class rooms but not Ellie, she told her dad and I, "you don't have to come in and don't pick me up, I'll come home with my brother's!" It's sad when they don't need you so much anymore!!!!



Gracie saying bye to her big sister. I think she's getting kind of bored not having any of the kids at home to play with. She asks me where they're at over and over again.

Family Vacation in Island Park, ID

For our family vacation this year we decided to do a more relaxing trip than we had last year, we went up north to Island Park, Idaho. (last year we went to Florida and did the Disney World thing). It was beautiful up there and we had a lot of fun. Josh said this year was more like his kind of a vacation--relaxing!!!!! Get ready for LOTS of pictures!!!!
On the way up we stopped at "Bear World." The kids thought it was so cool to see the bears up close and to have them come up to the car windows.


This is how close the bears came up to the cars. This is Diana's car behind us. The bear put his mouth on the door handle and lifted up on it.

This bear came right up to our window. I think they kind of look like doberman-pinschers.




Gracie calls bears "Bob's" for some reason. She's been calling them that since she's been talking. She'll ask me for a gummy bob for a treat. When she saw these cute little baby bears she kept saying baby bob mommy, baby bob.


They had rides for the kids to get on at the park as well. Gracie was having a blast. She loved the car ride that went up and down. I think she end up hitting her head on the steering wheel pretty hard but still wanted to keep going on it.




They even had a petting zoo for the kids to get close with the animals.




The first day that we got to the cabin we got in the canoe's and went out on the lake. The guys spent most of the day fishing. Josh caught this big rainbow trout--the boy's were so excited. Matthew took care of it all day while Josh was out in the canoe catching his other fish.






We rafted down the snake river. The scenery was so beautiful. Josh was the best rower on our raft. While the rest of us were taking naps, Josh kept us going down the river!




We spent a day in Yellowstone. The last time we were there Matthew was 2. The kids got kind of bored waiting for Old Faithful to shoot off. It's funny how when you get kids of your own it brings back memories from your own childhood. I remember whining and being bored as well when I was little and went there. I thought Yellowstone was some amusement park and I also remembered Old Faithful shooting off a lot longer than it did. Things sure seem a lot different when you're a kid. The kids loved seeing the buffalo. This one ran right past our car. Josh had the window down taking the picture--I was yelling at him to close it---I was terrified!!!








I had to add these cute pictures of Josh and Gracie walking from our cabin down to the lake. She sure loves her daddy!!!!!



Here's mom reading the coveted "Breaking Dawn" book. Me, Diana and my mom would steal it from each other when one would put it down. I'm only on page 300 but it is good so far!!!




The highlight of the trip for everyone was the jet ski's. We rented them for the whole day and traded off riding them. The lake we were on was beautiful and it was fun to ride up and down looking at all the beautiful cabins. The kids want us to buy some jet ski's now. Yeah right!!!!!




Uncle Eric let Zach drive the ski which he thought was SOOOOO FUN!

We even got my mom on the jet ski and once we did we couldn't get her off of it.


We ended the vacation with a family campfire roasting hot dogs and marshmallow's to make s'mores. Anybody who know's my family know's we aren't the camping type but we all had a great time and I can't wait to see where we end up next year.