Back to School...finally

As ya'll know...school started last week.

The kids are doing great, some trauma...

but nothing we can't handle.

On the first day, Nathan forbid me

to take more than 2 pictures

AND they had to be IN the house...

NOT outside.

How rude is that?????

Here's what I got.

He is a cute 7th grader though =)



The girls of course are another story.

They aren't shy...

Kristen couldn't be happier that school is in session once again.

Thankfully, about half way through a super long 5 week summer break

Samantha decided that maybe, just maybe, she might be looking

forward to 1st grade. This was a huge boost to her mamma who

thought she would continue to dislike school.

We were thrifty this year and reused perfectly good back packs.

We also only bought like 1 or 2 new outfits.

But seeing as Samantha would be taking lunch for the first time, a new lunch bag

was a must have...along with some stylish new shoes.

They were all very excited.

But as the anticipation, then realization set in...

Samantha went a bit downhill in her excitement...

She's getting a bit concerned here...

Kristen is simply...ear to ear happy!

They all came home happy,

having had a great day.

Samantha said it went by SO fast.

Though Kristen reassured her that feeling

wouldn't last for long ;)

and the legend continues!!!

I consider myself warned.
I was told, when Doug and I were married
about the curse.
The Monson Curse.

That is...
if something can go wrong,
it will.
And not just in the usual way.
In extra. special. ways. =}

If you've followed my blog at all...
you may recall, some of the more
memorable events.

There was the trip to Disneyland
The spring we started our own business


actually...that's all I can remember off the bat.
But anyway, I'm sure your familiar with the
ever exciting, never know what's waiting around the corner
summer we have had.

Well, the black cloud of July ended and with it
came a fun and relatively smooth August.

It wasn't meant to last.

Yesterday, in a lovely 105 or so degree Las Vegas summer day,
it happened.

The air conditioner blew it's last hurrah.

It took me a few hours to realize
somethin' weren't right.

The screaming and buzzing of a burning motor,
that was producing no breeze
confirmed what I was fearing.

After a difficult night of heated sleep
I quickly called a repairman.
They promised to arrive....
sometime
today.

This afternoon when our thermostat
read 88 degrees, they arrived.

They repaired.
They took my last dime and the kids college fund...
And they promised the sweet relief of COLD air.

I could feel it coming.
It was sweet.
And refreshing.

But once again,
it wasn't meant to last.

This is where the "extra special way"
comes into play.

After cooling the house to about 81 degrees.
The dreaded thermostat,
it started going back up.

YES.
Back.
Up.

It will be another heated night (and not in the good way!)

They (the repair people) have promised to put us
at the utmost of importance first thing tomorrow morning.

But instructed, if I don't hear from them by 8:30am,
I'd better call. (that makes me feel all warm and cozy...for real)

Seriously people, I DO have a life!
and waiting for repair people aint IT!

Toodles
Hope your nite is ever refreshing!

Girls Week

The girls(that means Jack too) and I had a super fun week.
We were super lazy, super piggish, and NOT super productive!

We stayed up way too late every nite and slept in plenty long in the mornings.
We ate lots of junk. I only cooked dinner twice. It. was. lovely.
I, personally, drank lots of diet coke.
I did not scrap as much as I thought I would.
Maybe I was just slow and un-inspired, but I only got 4 layouts done.

Here they are....

I actually spent a lot of time just snuggling with Jack.

We have been on a Harry Potter kick around here and

he has been wanting to watch them with me.

That boy is just growing up WAY too fast for my comfort

and I want to soak up whatever babyness is left in him.

We also built lots of scary castles, played pirates, knights, trains,

and did lots of swimming.

The girls played barbies to their hearts content, had many a singing & dance shows and made LOTS of messes.

I had a little partner (or two) in bed with me all week.

Which is just fine by me. I love snuggling with my kids

and really....aren't they just the sweetest when they sleep???

We did a bit of school shopping as well. Took the girls out

to get ALL their bloody supplies and a first day of school outfit.

It didn't look like I bought a lot of stuff but the bank account says otherwise!

Amongst all that fun stuff I did manage to purge 4 garbage bags for the DI.

Unfortunately, the playroom aint lookin' ANY betta!

It was a fun week but we are SUPER glad to have our boys back.

I'll report on them later.

the tale of a boy and his bike

On that infamous trip to Utah for the 4th o' July,
the car was not the only thing that got "broke".

Here is Doug and his (not so) little friend ready for a fun day
of biking at Sundance....

4 or 5 rides down the mountain

and about 3 hours later.....

the high end mountain bike has turned into

a clown bike. Or as Doug likes to put it

"I taco'd my tire"

I guess that's what happens when you hit something

flying down the mountain and do a somersault in the air,

bike and all. Fortunately, Doug fared better than the bike!

We all had a good laugh over it and tried not to think about

how much new rims were going to cost!

Little did we know, this was JUST the beginning!

*********************************************************************

As if the bike, the car, and the plague were not enough......

To top off our disastrous July, a few weeks ago we woke up on Sunday morning

to a flooded garage and partially flooded house.

Yay.

Our water heater decided not to leak like everyone else,

but blow instead.

Shooting a hole in the wall and

blasting water EVERYWHERE for hours!

Needless to say, we did not make it to church that day.

And with my bronchitis in tow,

we proceeded to clean up for the remainder of the day.

Got a new water heater installed and.......

eventually, we will get to repairing all. the. other. damage.

Here's to August and hoping we fair a little better. ;)

Some Good Stuff

I am planning on doing a lot of this...
this week. Scrapping.
Doug and Nathan are at Scout Camp.
It's just us girls...Jack will have to be an honorary girl this week....tee hee hee

We may have to include some work as well. Daddy is ready to cleanse the playroom in his own way!!! It's time to sort through, clear out and clean up some things. After all, school will be starting before we know it. Time to get back in business...soon.

Where the heck did this summer go? How can it be nearly over????
I feel like we have spent the entire summer fixing the messes we seem to keep getting ourselves in. Uuuhhhggggggg.......

Sometimes I wish I could go back in time to when we were a little more naive to the ways of the world and just be in these moments...

This is one of my most favorite layouts...ever.