Things We Miss(ed)....

I guess not sleeping in on a Saturday morning can end up being quite productive. I love my sleep but this morning (at 4:30, couldn't sleep anyway) I realized how much I had to get done before church tomorrow and decided to check off some things from my to do list. So here I am at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning doing the 4th or 5th thing of the day, already. Wow. Even I'm impressed.

Here's just a few of the fun things from the end of our summer and start of the school year. 

Things we miss and things that this poor abandoned blog missed: 

The 4 of us were all together again! I have the prettiest sisters. They are the best of the best and I love any time we get to spend together like this!! Wish it happened way more often though.  

Heritage Day in Cardston was a blast from start to finish. We ended it off at a Family Dance and watching the fireworks. It was an almost perfect day spent with my side of the family. One of the best times ever. We camped in the parents driveway and enjoyed being with all my siblings (even if we were missing one bro and his fam) and all the cute nieces and nephews.

We also had a great camp trip with the Alston family to Surveyors Lake. Definitely want to do that again!

My beautiful long time friend, Jilly and I on one of the days spent on the beach. 

We were glad we had bikes there and the campsite had this super fun tree with a swing for the kids, a park not that far from where we were, a beautiful serene lake only a steep walk away. Campfires at night were a blast trying out all different kind of campfire desserts and treats. Shared meals were delish and showers every night were fantastic. The kids finally got to see a turtle from the lake up close and personal on the last day we were there and also got to see a nasty looking cray fish while it gripped a rock in its sick claws. We tanned, read, talked, slept pretty good and just had an around good time with Jill and Ry and the fam. 

Kinlee passed her swim lessons and overcame a lot of trepidation in the process. She now swims (with a lifejacket, this is big) across the deep end and jumps off the low diving board, slides down the water slides and does a pretty good back float and swims and good several meters without stopping. Thanks to a great swim instructor! 

Not sure what's up with Kinlee's tongue but in the few days that Dani stayed with us while her parents went on an Anniversary getaway these baby dolls never left these two cute friends sides. 

We swam at the waterpark like crazy and I don't know if I had more fun or they did but I know I had a blast with these two girls. 

Summer brought in a lot of produce...just not from our sad excuse for a garden harvest. We got a lot of delicious produce from our cute little 82 year old neighbour lady. 

We painted our house grey! And we love it!!
Now it's for sale though. 

Mont turned 31 and I turned 32 two weeks apart. We went to Great Falls school shopping, dinner at Jakers and every minute of the day was fantastic in every way. I couldn't stop just feeling so grateful for my little family and the amazing people they are and how very lucky I am to have them in my life. It kept my mind off of the discouraging parts of turning one year older. 

This summed up our summer, how we feel about each other, my birthday day and another year gone by absolutely perfectly. 

The day after getting home from Great Falls some of the best people in my life spoiled me with gifts as well. I was so grateful and felt so loved!

Then School started. We had our Back to School Breakfast. I introduced Kinlee's 2012-13 School Year Theme (picked from the words of her Fathers/School Blessing given the Family Home Evening before School Starts) and served up the traditional fruit and cream filled crepes before rushing out the door to start the first full day of school. Josie (our fourth member of our family) joined us, naturally.  

haha...this was fun...this was the first day of Preschool two years ago...except with the fun twist of an iPhone App that makes you laugh...face juggler is hilarious! This was creepy...still is. 

Lauren got baptized. I was honoured to give the Baptism talk. She was so beautiful and I was so proud of her!

Here were her large group of fans out to support her on such a big day. 

We had more fires and evacuations when a big wind aggravated some grass fires etc in the area. Milk River residents were evacuated to Raymond where they took refuge overnight in a couple of the LDS church buildings.

Also another natural disaster hit us .... well not us luckily...but near enough...

A Hailstorm hit Cardston with a vengeance. It looked like a riot took place in the town with the evidences of baseball sized hailstones damaging cars and houses everywhere...even the Temple had it's share of damages. 

And lastly, another tradition on the first day of school. A picture of the mom with her growing baby...

She's definitely growing up far too fast for this mom. Sometimes I think I might be the saddest mom in the world. And then I look at my precious daughter and I dismiss such a thought. She's beautiful and though she's not perfect, she tests the boundaries, pushes buttons and has her quirks...she is everything to us and with these fleeting years those imperfections will pass and everything that will remain will be found in her and my role as her mom!! She is the absolute greatest gift I've ever been given! I'm a mom and she's mine, forever. What more could I ask!?