Kyler

In all the commotion of the other kids going back to school, we changed Kyler to a new daycare. We moved him to a center in Windsor. The Windsor center is in our school district, which will help out when Jake and MaKenna are out of school. We also convinced Stacie to move Taylor, so Kyler has a friend in his class. The new center has a 2 1/2 year old class. So Kyler is with the older 2's and younger 3's.

Kyler is really enjoying it and loves the new slide. Since Steve comes home early to be with the other kids when they get off the bus, he takes Kyler to daycare and picks him up. Kyler thinks he is something because he gets to ride in the Jeep or Truck a lot. He also gets to go to the bus stop and wait for "Jake and Kenna".

1st day of school

Well, school has started We are wrapping up the 2nd week. The kids ride the bus to and from school each day. Steve goes to work early, so he can be home when they get off the bus.

Jake is loving 2nd grade. It didn't take him any time to get back in the swing of things. He has a couple friends from last year in his class. He has become friends with one the little boy across the road - they ride the bus together.

MaKenna is in the All Day Kindergarten class. She was so excited about starting school. There were parents and kids crying the 1st day and then there was MaKenna... she had the biggest grin on her face. She was waving and saying "Bye Mom, you can go to work now...

Birthday Pictures...

I'm not clever enough to figure out how to make the slide shows, so this is the easiest way for me to post pictures from this summer.

Jake had his 7th birthday cake camping...


MaKenna wanted pink sprinkles on her 5th birthday cake...

Summer Update

Wow, it's been quite a long time since I've written anything. I'll try to give a quick update of what has been going on.


JUNE
We had a great trip to Oregon the beginning of June. We had some issues getting there, but we finally made it. We had hoped to make Alyssa's graduation, but got held up in Winnemucca. We made it in time for her Graduation BBQ though.


After our stop in Grants Pass, we headed to Myrtle Point to visit with Great Grandpa. It so awesome to have Daniel, Laurie, Emme, Calvin, Joleane, Logan, Taylor, Nana and Papa there too. Jake and MaKenna had a blast camping in the back yard with Nana, Papa, Emme and Calvin.


We got the chance to take the kids to Sunset Beach and walked way out on the rocks looking at Tide Pools. The kids really enjoyed it.


We made it back to Colorado and the grindstone without any issues.


JULY
We had a good 4th of July. We went camping at Old Roach. Old Roach is an old Railroad Tie camp. We found the Dam and the Log Flume while we were there. It is a great place to camp - there are remnants of a fireplace, open area for the kids to play, trails to ride on and close fishing. Each of the kids were able to catch a small fish.


AUGUST
The beginning of August we went on another camping trip with neighbors and friends. We've gone to Aqua Fria the last couple years, and we all have a great time. This year was also fun, but Kyler was sick, it rained most of the time, and Jake got hit in the head with a golf club. Saturday is always the big ride to the lake - Steve took Jake and MaKenna. Kyler wasn't feeling the best and I wasn't about to go on the trail again, so I stayed with Kyler in the trailer.


The Aqua Fria trip was the start of the summer wind down. After we got back from the camping trip, the kids had to focus on getting their school routine going, and "Texas Grandpa" went home.

No More School, No More Books...

NOTE: I found a post from 5/27/008 that didn't get published.

WOW - Where did the time go? Jake is done with 1st grade. The last day was memorable to say the least. He spent Thursday in the bathrooms and hallways waiting for the tornado and storm warnings to pass. He was upset that he didn't get to have his beach party and say goodbye to his friends - "a little hail and wind were no big deal..." It must be so wonderful to be a kid and be so worry free!

He had a great year regardless of how it ended. They are having a ice cream social Friday at the school so the kids can come back and get their things out of the classrooms and say goodbyes.


We had a pretty mellow weekend. Instead of going camping, we just brought the trailer home and cleaned it. I took drinks and helped the Relief Society make sandwiches lunches for the volunteers who were out and about helping clean up Windsor. On Monday the ward continued the tradition of a pancake breakfast in Windsor at Park. I took stuff down, but didn't stay to long - it was early and cold! I will say how nice it was to help out, even though it was in small ways. I'm so grateful for the safety my family and home was kept in. I can't imagine what folks are going through.

Tornado... We are all OK

Today is crazy - I can't really concentrate. I just wanted to post a little about the Tornado that came through yesterday. Here is what the news says (I will post our story another time):

The powerful tornadoes touched down at least six times in Colorado and once in Laramie, Wyoming between 11:25 a.m. and 1:35 p.m. The National Weather Service says it went through the towns of Windsor, Platteville, Gilcrest, Milliken and also through western Greeley. The storm brought heavy hail with winds up to 165 miles an hour. The largest of the tornadoes extended at one point to about a mile wide, cutting a path 35 miles long. It left 60,000 people without power at one point and forced evacuations.

Spring has sprung...

Well, it is definitely spring time in Colorado. The mornings are bright, the afternoons are warm, and the evenings bring storms. Below is a picture of our roof after last Friday afternoon's big storm. We didn't get a bunch of rain and it wasn't like a "storm" you would see in Oregon. It was mostly just wind. We have lost shingles before - several times actually, but nothing like this.

Steve and I are both so ready to go camping. I can’t wait! We went for a drive last Sunday afternoon and went up in the hills to look for some property. I was pretty excited about what we found – trees, views, flat spots for the trailer, trails to ride on, and open fields for the kids to play in. There were a few things that Steve didn’t like, so I guess we’ll keep looking. I think we’ll go for another drive this weekend. Here is a picture of the kids when we were out hiking around looking at property.