School Starts...... FINALLY

I am SOOOOO ready for school to start.

The kids have had a fun summer I know, but as far as I'm concerned I'm MORE then happy to say a BIG FAT FAREWELL to it and I'm glad it's over and we made it through.

Bring on schedules, consistency, regular naptime for kids, early mornings and early bedtimes.....and NO MORE MOVES.

New year, new schools.

This year my baby boy starts kindergarten.

He reminds me of how Bronson was before he started school. Just READY to go and counting down the days. Here he is with his teacher that he absolutely loves.

First day of school and still upholding the family tradition of Brooks taking them to IHOP for breakfast. Here they are at 5:45 am.

They were the only customers there when it opened at 6.

My sweet kindergartener..... not even the LEAST bit sad to leave me.

#thefeelingismutual

Iris starts 2nd grade and is so excited to "be the teacher's best student"

#letshopeso

Aleeya in all her fashion-glory starts 3rd grade.

Emerson is ready to rule-the-school as a 5th grader.

The school won't know WHAT hit them.

 (The first day he came home and told me about the American Ninja Warrior course he created on the playground on reccess and showed everyone how to do it. The next day he organized the sharks and minnows game. This kid is destined to be president....or a dictator)

Camden is starting middle school!!!! 

WHAT THE?!?!?! #6thgrade #chickenlegs

 And yes, we've purchased a lot of SL Cardinals apparel. When in Rome......

Thankfully this handsome boy is in the same school as Camden so they can watch out for each other. 8th grade just got a lot cooler since this kid moved in.

At the bus stop.

The elementary school starts a hour before the middle school does.....and you can BET Bronson and Camden rubbed it in Emerson's face about it too.

Royce has been "WAITING his whole LIFE" to ride the bus and finally gets his chance.

While at the bus stop I remembered to ask two very important questions to Royce.

Me: Royce, did you remember to wear socks? (he hates them)

Royce: Yep.

Me: Did you remember to wear undies (another hated clothing item)

Royce: *pause* Uh....... I will next time.

Hope he doesn't get depantsed at school......

The BIG 12

Camden turned the BIG 12 on August 2nd.... a Tuesday. Which is significant because he got to go to Young Men's at the church that night BECAUSE he was 12. (He said it was the "best church activity ever")

He wanted a "Coke Cake" and a big ol' deck of Yu-gi-oh cards on top.....that incidentally when you take it OFF, half the cake comes with it too.

He also got to pick dinner...... Scones and a mango fruit salad and meat.

Along with his junkbox it is the age where we give them all their camping stuff too with Boy Scouts in full swing now. His back pack, sleeping bag, mess kit, flashlight, airmattress to sleep on, etc. He was (CLEARLY) excited and actually got to use it that weekend on a church camping trip.

And then I look at the above picture AFTER posting it and think, "Maybe I should've cropped out Royce with his wandering hands.......then again, maybe not."

Camden said he would rather have a "nice" fishing pole and bait instead of spending money on a friends-party. I felt like dancing around the room when he said that. SOLD!!!!! It's hard moving to a new area right around your birthday w/o having met too many people.

Camden also received the Aaronic Priesthood the next Sunday. Beforehand he needed to have an interview with the bishop. After walking out of the interview the Bishop said to Brooks, "You have a VERY honest boy here."

Ummmm, thanks? I mean THANKS!

But I can't help but wonder what provoked that comment. :)

I'm so pleased with who this boy/manchild is becoming.

TIME TO MOVE!!!!

It feels like we JUST moved!

Oh wait, we DID!

Brooks obviously worked during the day so the boys and I tried to get what we could done. The boys seriously brought all the bins and junk up from the basement and loaded it in the truck. By themselves.

They really were rockstars. I actually had a few neighbors say that they couldn't BELIEVE what good workers my boys were as they watched them out the window. And how kids nowadays don't know how to work much. 

Well, I don't know about THAT, but I WILL say they are going pro in the moving-department.

Here the boys and I are running over a load to the new house. 

I promise, they really like moving and lifting heavy boxes in the dead of heat. It's super fun.

I was pretty impressed with myself I backed this truck into the driveway. So I had to take a picture to document my success. It actually didn't feel much different then the Yeti. But THIS had a good A/C and better mirrors on the side!

While the boys and I unloaded at the new house my new and good friend Patti came and stayed with the other kids. She also brought them all McD's for lunch, popsicles, Rootbeer and icecream and later pizzas for dinner.

I have met the most kind people here! 

We moved over 4 days and after Brooks and I finished one night at the old house, I couldn't help but look at it and think, "This is huge. How is it that THIS doesn't 'fit' my family by law....

....and THIS does?!?!"

Here is our new home. Which actually feels more like home to us and less of a beach-house/vacation feel like the last.

I had to document Everly asleep on the floor as Brooks and I were trying to clean up the old house. We were all kinda exhausted.

I DO love looking out my new HUGE window over the sink though.

It's easier to spy on the kids this way.....as they play with their newly caught turtles, shooting their guns or something.

Speaking of guns, they got them. And Brooks too. I love it when it's dark outside and they go out to play war, boys vs. Dad. They all have names and Brooks' name made me laugh. It's "One Shot".

Pretty accurate too. haha

Then I will hear a YELP and others laugh. Then more silence until the next one hits the mark.

They leave a nice welt as Aleeya can testify.(She was a tough cookie wearing googles out there and playing with them. Never even cried.)

All in all, this home seems to suit us better in that the walls aren't all white FLAT paint and the neighbor gap is larger. Not to mention a neighborhood pool and pond my kids love. 

So NOW, I think we are settled and it feels good.

Month in Ballwin

Knowing we were moving in a month didn't stop the kids from still exploring our neighborhood in Ballwin. In fact, SOME exploring and having fun lead to the police at my door but I'm jumping ahead of myself.

Remember those baby rabbits Emerson could "catch"? Well they started growing up. They would walk down the street to check on them a lot. This is Everly and Kellyn's first time seeing them.

There were wild rabbits everywhere. And regular deer in our backyard.

One SUPER big con in the neighbhorhood for me was how stinking close the houses were. It's like I could touch one with one arm and mine with the other. Well, almost. But maybe Michael Phelps or someone could.

Here we are walking and you can see how close the homes were. AND how cute those four feet are sitting in the same seat.

Wynn does the funniest thing with her eyes. Most times when she is awake she gets this perma-shocked look on her face. It cracks us all up.

I WILL say, I will definitely miss this jetted bath. I've never had one before and now I see it as a requirement in my future home. I loved it (and so did the kids)

The boys caught some cool turtles too

(and Emerson LOVES doing selfies. It kills me. And reminds me why he will NEVER have his own phone/camera.....until he's like 27)

They also caught a baby snapping turtle. 

Great. perfect pet. Because they don't grow bigger or anything.

I just love this picture of Bronson with the twins. 

They both started smiling but I STILL have yet to capture them both at the same time. Probably an impossible dream I think.

Here's "Smiley-iley."

And there goes Wynn.

When Brooks comes home he is usually put on "twin-duty". Dinner/night is their onery time and he can keep them both quiet. That is IF he gets home at a decent hour. This getting home between 7-8 (one night at 9) reminds me why training/fellowship stinks.

But we will take him when we can get him. He's a master at getting them to fall asleep

They really are so precious though. I still find myself staring at them and not believing there's two!

The boys found a pond through the woods too. They left at 6am one morning and my fishermen came back with this!

The bass was pretty BIG too!!!!!!

They were planning on cooking and eating those.

Then they went back for a little catch and release.

Emerson even caught a catfish

They looked up online how to filet a fish and how to cook them. Everyone thought they were so yummy. I tried ONE bite and it wasn't bad. But again, I'm not a seafood person.

(Emerson with his selfies again. #bannedfrommyphone)

I caught this sweet picture of Kellyn praying.

I rely on prayer a lot, and ESPECIALLY have this month.

Speaking of prayer, I caught Royce out on the porch, with a bowl of broken up bread and praying over "the sacrament" before consuming it....and passing it to his siblings. So sweet.

Our street actually has quite a bit of cul-de-sac traffic. The boys decided to sell shaved ice for $1 a piece. They bought the sugar (to make the syrup), the cups, straws and ice....because we don't have an ice maker. #1stWorldProbs

Then those smart businessmen hired their younger siblings. They promised Iris and Aleeya 10% of the earnings if they would each go a block in both directions and hold up signs so people knew to slow down. You can BARELY see them. haha

After 4 days of selling they made $210!!!!! 

After paying Royce the promised $6 and the girls their 10% the boys made out with a haul and with big plans to buy some airsoft guns. #Luckyme

Oh, and Missouri got a nice ol' heat wave for a week. Funny how the air conditioner ALWAYS goes out on those weeks with temperatures in the 100s. The poor kids don't have windows in the back of the Yeti either. We made a lot of stops to QT for slushies when we HAD to go out.....which we avoided. #REDFACES

And because I just have to.

I can't stop taking pictures of the twins. 

I don't ever want to forget them being this size.

Iris to the rescue!

Royce actually took this picture of Wynn on Brooks' lap during dinner. Her face looks so angelic.

Oh, and the police at the door. Well, some person way down the road called the cops on the older kids who were swimming in some run off water from a large rainstorm. The cop came and talked to them and then came up to the house. My LEAST favorite thing is seeing a cop on my doorstep. She said that there wasn't any sign that they couldn't swim in it so it was fine with her but it might be a tad dirty water (ummm, yes, water out in nature on dirt and roads tend to be) and the neighbors were concerned the kids might get sick. 

Pretty sure the cop had MORE important things to do that day. Wish the unknown neighbor would've come to ME or the KIDS instead of bothering the police-woman.

I realize it takes a village sometimes, but there are SOME aspects of this "village" that I will be glad to move away from. I can't wait to live on 5+acres and never worry about neighbors and letting my kids be kids.