Monday, September 13, 2010

She's doing it again

I should have been suspicious when we were picking out school backpacks, and Sienna didn't even look at the princess backpack that was right at her level.  But last week when I learned she was embarrassed to drink out of her old princess water bottle at soccer practice, I realized it.  She's growing up.  Again.  Despite repeated requests and demands to stop.  Sheesh.

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Here are a few sayings we've heard around our house lately:

Ashley: "Bummit" (Bummer + Darn it = Bummit; Actually this was over the summer, we haven't heard it lately, which makes me sad.  I think it's a rather cute expletive.)

Colby: "Shoot it!"  (Not referring to a sport.  This is also an expletive.)

Sienna: "Come ON!" (Said with proper emphasis and 6 year old attitude.)

August Newsletter


The main event for August was going back to school.  Sienna is in 1st grade and likes her teacher, Mrs. Upton.   There are only two kids in her current class that were also in her Kindergarten class.  But she has made new friends and enjoys going to school.

Colby started preschool this year.  He goes Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday in the morning.  After I get Sienna on the school bus in the morning I have about 25 minutes before packing up the rest of the kids to drive Colby to preschool.  I’ve realized that 25 minutes is just not enough time to clean up after breakfast, feed Dallin, shower and get myself ready for the day.  Our mornings are typically rushed.

Colby had a few tearful mornings going to preschool the first week, but now he enjoys going and I’m hearing about the friends that he plays with during the day.  He is in a class where half the kids are “typical” and half have “special needs” (speech, hearing, mobility impediments, etc.).  So he’s been teaching me a few words in sign language. 

While Sienna and Colby are at school, Ashley and Dallin hang out with me at home or we run errands together.  Grocery shopping is so much more enjoyable with two kids instead of four!  Ashley likes to move the kitchen stool around after me, offering to “help”.  And she is always “unry” (hungry), which often just means bored.  Today she was “unry” specifically for an “eye deem done” (ice cream cone).

Dallin grows more smiley and interactive daily.  He is now in the stage where he likes to roll from his back to his tummy, but doesn’t actually like to be on his tummy and can’t roll back over, so he lays there and whines.  So I roll him back over and we repeat the whole process.

Colby and Sienna also started soccer again.  They both improved quite a bit after many backyard bare-foot games at Bear Lake.  Colby is playing on a 3-4 year old team.  He is 4 ½ and this is his 4th season playing, while many on his team are 3 and playing for their first time.  I’m afraid the others don’t get to touch the ball much when Colby is around.

Bryan had a short work trip to Santiago, Chile.  He only had a day to tour around, and being the good husband and father that he is he spent his time buying souvenirs for the rest of us.  He has a tradition of bringing back a soccer jersey for Colby from all the countries he’s visited.  Colby has quite a collection now.  Me?  I got a cow apron.  Mooooooooo!  Sienna, Ashley, and I also got pretty matching necklaces.  Bryan always enjoys doing his morning runs at the places he visits because he gets a feel for the area.  He also took a trolley up to a lookout point to see the city.

On a sad note, I learned that my grandmother passed away this month from cancer.  My grandpa died over three years ago after suffering from Alzheimer’s, so she has gone to join him.  We will miss her.

On a happier note, my volleyball group started up again and I look forward to our weekly games during the school year.  Our most exciting (only) date for the month: getting together with other couples from the ward and going to a BBQ joint, followed by a high school football game.  Nothing like pulled pork and football in the South.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Summer recap, continued...

More fun pictures from our vacation:

Touring Minnetonka Cave.

Watching Grandpa Shepherd rope swing into freezing Bloomington Lake.


River rafting the Snake River with the Shepherds and the Packers.


Yellowstone National Park with Grandma and Grandpa Shepherd, Uncle Brent, Austin Gee, and the Sahms.


Finding unusual forms of entertainment during long drives.

Being cute.

Cross-dressing.

 Beach time with the Edgertons.

Swimming at the pool.


Feeding chickens and playing in corn with cousins in Nebraska.

It was an awesome family vacation.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Summer overview

So it's been a while since I've blogged.  It's summer... what can I say?  We took a nice six week vacation to Utah and Idaho, spending much of the time at my parents cabin at Bear Lake, Idaho.  So fun.  So relaxing.  So nice.  Here are a few pictures to try and capture our summer.

Climbing on giant rocks at Vedauwoo near Laramie, Wyoming.


Shepherd Family Reunion Campout in the Uintahs


Getting ready to watch fireworks with cousins.


Watching the inflation and take-off (and some deflation) of hot air balloons on the 5th of July.



Freedom Parade in Provo, Utah.



Playing at Bear Lake with cousins.


 



Hanging out with Grandma (and enjoying help with Dallin!)


Well I thought I could do it all in one post, but there's more coming....