Peanut Goes to Preschool!

I didn't even have time to be sad.... When I dropped Emri off, we waited a couple minutes outside, then the teacher came out to let the kiddos in. Emri beelined it for the door, right past her teacher! I called out to her to come give me a hug and kiss and she never even looked back!! I guess that's how I'd prefer it anyways (Jet, I'm sure will be a different story)!

 I just can't get over the fact that her backpack is almost bigger than she is!

 All the "little fish" got to wear a special shirt on their first day of school :) 

A couple of sidenotes:

• I almost forgot about preschool starting!! Yep, the night before about 10 pm it dawned on me. I guess we're gonna have to get used to "being scheduled." To make myself feel better about it... she started the day after a holiday, so I was a bit off-kilter! 

• Jet gets pretty sad without sissy being here. We've had to make sure we stay busy while she's at school or he gets real cranky! He really does love her!

• Emri is loving school so far! She always says she missed us, but loves to tell us what they talked about and what the snack was that day :)

Labor Day Weekend: Swiss Days & Hiking

My mom and I usually head up to Swiss Days, in Midway (a HUGE craft booth extravaganza) on Labor Day weekend together... but due to some last minute changes in her schedule she wasn't able to come. Instead I rounded up two other ladies that are always promising a good time! My aunts, Bonnie and Jana (my dad's sisters). We went early Friday, spent a few hours shopping the booths and eating yummy food. 

On the way home, I needed to make a stop at the outlets in Park City and they suggested we also hit up the Alpine Coaster (see I told you, a good time)! The trees in Park City are already changing colors!

 So, you pay the same whether you ride single or double. But let me tell you....I would NOT have had NEAR AS MUCH FUN, if I hadn't gone double! The video below tells all :) Basically, when you're with Jana, you're always laughing!

All I can say is thank goodness we were seatbelted in! Jana was laying on the gas lever around the corners because we were laughing so hard we couldn't sit up straight...or brake...or breathe! 

********

On actual Labor Day we hiked to the "M" in Morgan with some of Brett's siblings. Brett and I haven't hiked this since we were dating! It's been a while! The "M" is always what Emri looks for when we go to Grandma/Grandpa's house.

It was Jet's first time in the pack, and he wasn't sure what to think at first....

 Overlooking the beautiful Morgan Valley about half way up. My legs were burnin'... I don't know how all the tiny ones did it! Although, most of them beat the adults up the mountain! Oh, to have that kind of energy....

 Emri even hiked the whole thing by herself! Here she got ahead of me....then decided she needed a hand to hold. Luckily uncle Marty was right there :)

 A picture of Em on the "M!"

 Our fam at the top....

 Just havin' a little snack to reward their effort!

 ...then back at the bottom. Emri was a little nervous on the way down. I was too! It was steeeeep! I'm so proud of those cute little legs of hers! You can kind of see the M in the background...right on the middle peak.

 Jet didn't have a care in the world at the bottom....he totally zonked! Maybe the backpack isn't so bad after all??

 The kiddos were spent too!

 What a labor-intensive thing to do on Labor Day! Do I feel a tradition coming on?!

Farewell Summer....

 Some favorite summer highlights:

Family reunions, complete with a bounce-house, 

smoldering HOT days at the beach, 

 celebrating birthdays and best friends, 

 county fairs, 

 memorable cousin time after grandpa irrigated the field, 

 introducing my kiddies to Jamba Juice,

 lots of park dates, 

 countless times swimming with friends, 

...and family!

 I even got some much needed softball relief in with some old friends! 

 We also had a few days in 100*'s and several high 90's. That's just what summer should be!! Farewell to you my summer friend, you have been good to us this year!

Splash Day!

The last time we met up with Parker and Hazel was in MAY....and we had such good intentions of lots of summer playdates. Well, here we are, end of summer, a week before school starts (WHOA, did i say school? How are these babies old enough for preschool aready?!), and we're finally getting together! haha! Summer is so crazy!

We had a little splash pad date! 

 Max and Jet... trying to get to know eachother :)

Jet was LOVING IT! It's so nice that he will walk now!

 Parker, just so dang cute!

 Emri and Hazel used their PB sandwich baggies as "waterballoons" (so proud of them for recycling! ha!)...they'd fill em up then toss them on the ground and watch them splat!

Hazel cracks me up!

What a fun day! We also got to meet Crystal's sweet baby Nora for the first time! What a doll...how did I not take any pics of her?! Good luck in preschool this week babies!!

Scorcher

I forgot to post these pics earlier.  Summer has been sooo hot this year and very dry due to hardly any snow pack last Winter and very little rain in the Spring... It seems like the whole state of Utah has been on fire all summer. This fire in East Layton started on Aug. 4th, maybe within 10 miles of our home?? 

We were out to dinner when we saw the smoke starting very small. I actually called 911 because I was so worried....someone had already beat me to it though :)

 This shot is from our front porch...

 Let me tell you that I DON'T love swamp coolers for more than one reason!! The smoke was so thick that night and it was all coming into the house. So we turned it off and sweat it out the rest of the night! 

 Brett and I sat up on the roof for a while watching the flames. Luckily it only burned about a day before they had it out.