Bronson and Camden

Okay, so since I'm about 3 months behind I thought I would do a quick catch-up on some of the crazy things my kids have been up to.......plus, different kid= different adventures.

First off...... Bronson.

The boy who in his first week of school finds out that golf season already started in the summer and contacts the coach to see if he could join the team. #nofear

Coach told him to go shoot around with the team and it turns out anyone who can hit a ball will make the team. But when it comes to an actual tournament or match the coach will only take the top six from that last week of practice. Bronson made it every time. He's the only 9th grader on the high school team as well. It was so fun dropping him off at the course every day.

And even MORE "fun" trying to get a picture of him.

"Mom, stop taking pictures."

He also tried out for the 9th grade basketball team and made that. They had THE BEST fundraiser. Ford had us go and test drive a vehicle. For every car that was test driven, the team got $25 or something. Ummmmmm, how easy and fun was THAT!?

Bronson came with me and he chose the Mustang....... but he didn't think he would be crammed in the back seat for the test drive. haha

He got student of the month for the whole school (8th and 9th grade) in October. He didn't even TELL me. We found out from a teacher! Anyway, I wanted to get a picture of him in front of the sign.

BIG SURPRISE......he said no. 

I told him I would even give him a treat if he stood there. 

Nope.

Then he suggested I buy him a large shake from Steak N Shake and then he would.

Um, MY turn to say NOPE.

#idontnegociatewithterrorists

Soooooooooooo, I had Kellyn and Everly stand in front of the sign..... and the "B" apparently.

Bronson is a super responsible kid when it comes to his grades (4.0).....when it comes to his belongings and especially clothing, not so much.

One morning, 15 minutes before the bus was going to come he said, "Mom! I forgot, I needed my practice gear washed for basketball today."

"Huh, well, too late to do that now!"

"But Mom, if we don't wash it, we have to run extra."

"Welp, it looks like you'll be running."

He didn't take me seriously and threw it in the washer. Then he looked at Brooks and said, 

"Dad, when the clothes are done being washed can you just bring it by the school?" (it's right by Brooks' work)

I saw a mischevious look come over Brooks..... "Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure I'll bring you your clothes."

When the clothes were done Brooks puts the practice clothes in THIS bag.....and it's HUGE. Then he sticks the baby doll in it hanging out.

And as ONLY Brooks can do, he sweet talks the front office lady to CONVINCE her to let Brooks actually walk the bag to Bronson's class.

When Brooks gets there he announces loudly in front of the class that he brought Bronson's bag for him and held it up. Brooks said our son's expression was PRICELESS and it was everything he hoped it would be.

We were hoping that would help CURE him of his forgetful nature.....guess we were wrong.

The next week he left his lunch. Brooks came to the rescue again and removed Bronson's lunch from the brown bag and delivered it to him in this.

For some reason it's EXTRA satisfying when we prank the family prankster. 

Even if he's a prankster (and a good sport) his younger siblings still love him. Here he is with Miss Iley May. #hergiggleiscontagious

#torturingbrother

There was a 3-way tie for who the 5th man was going to be to go to the State Golf tournament. They battled out and Bronson got picked to go to State.

Brooks drove forever far away (with Camden) to watch.

Aaaaaaaaand it was probably Papi's worse golf-playing ever. Thankfully this kid has a great temperment for golf.....or at least that's what Brooks says.

This picture was taken AFTER the scores were posted too. 😂

The men-folk decided to find another manly restaurant to eat at before Priesthood session....why not try out a Hibachi Grill. Camden doesn't even LIKE rice and he said it was good.

And speaking of Camden......that 7th grader walked up to the basketball coach (try-outs were last year) and asked if he could be on the team. Camden had to go to a solo-tryout and made the team. Thanks to a lot of checking back with the coach........afterall, the "squeaky wheel gets the oil" right?

Besides golfing a ton Camden has been spending quite a bit of time fishing. 

What's funny to me is they rarely CATCH fish.......but it doesn't deter them from thinking they are going to come back with a full cooler.

Look how hopeful they look (bless their hearts) with the bait-shrimp and WD-40 they made me buy.

#familyofwannabefishermen #sorryfishermen

And they came back with an empty cooler of melted ice.

I kept feeling like my freezer was unnessarily being robbed of its ice. I mean if they CAME back with fish that would be one thing, but they usually didn't. 

Finally they made friends with Cody in our church here who actually CATCHES fish. He led them to one of his favorite spots.

They were clearly so proud of themselves.

And instead of catching and releasing them they brought the smelly things home.

Because who doesn't want a free petting-aquarium for your baby?!?! (Wynn)

A KISSING aquarium too. Nast-Y!!!! #bothusingthetongue

Camden measured the fish......you know, to see who "won"......

And then Brooks' anatomy lesson started during the gutting session.......on my back porch.

They aren't allowed to cook (or eat) the fish in the house (I can't STAND the smell) so they tried cooking (they called it "smoking") them on the charcoal grill thing that's in our garage.

Apparently they didn't turn out so good since they forgot to skin the fish. 

But hey, memories and good-family-smelly-togetherness, right?

First Day of School

Another new school year.....another new school for these rascals. They are such good sports.

Aleeya is the oldest at her K-4grade school this year being a big ol' 4th grader.

Iris- 3rd grade

And good ol' Roycey is starting 1st

All in the same school still. yay

Even BETTER, they are all in the same BUS with the older kids too!!!!!

Bronson is SUPER excited about THAT!

This Freshman (at the Junior High)

gets up every morning and goes to Seminary at 6a.m. (Scripture/Gospel Study classes). Then he comes home, eats, showers and heads on the same bus as his 6 year old brother. 

He's LIVING the dream!

9th grade

Bronson wouldn't let me walk them ALL the way to the bus stop (which has since been moved to the front of our house!....you know, numbers move bus stops)

But I DID make sure I stayed in sight-range for him. Hopefully he was looking out the window watching his mother dance as the bus pulled away.

Because something IN me just lets LOOSE after a long summer of crazy noise, messes, a move, boxes, teasing and irregular schedules.

I danced.....

and danced......

and jumped!

Camden and Emerson ARE assigned to take the bus as well, but decided this year to ride their bikes every day to school (all schools are close to a mile away).

These two get to stay home another half hour and get home a half hour earlier because of riding their bikes.

7th grader-too-cool-to-smile

6-grader-beaming-smile-man

All six of the kids got home from school and had a great first day, liked their teachers and found friends. Phew. I like what I'm seeing!

And I GET to stay home with these four precious girls.

I think most of the reason I love when school starts is that I get back the simple time with young kids. You know, the magical time of the day when you tell them grapes and cheese are for lunch and they all cheer (or run to their high chairs). If I did that to the older kids......well, let's just say it would be LESS "magical". 😏
I raaaaaaaarely leave the house during the day. Something important would definitely have to come up for me to go out. I prefer the hermit-state during the day to sit back and enjoy the show in my own home. There's enough running places once everyone gets home as it is.
The babies thankfully still take morning and afternoon naps. Kellyn and Everly both take an afternoon nap. And the rest of the day we fill it with book/snuggle time, learning letters and making disastrous messes. It's the stage where the backyard and garage are enchanting lands every day! The girls are really good at disappearing, yet they reappear for "feeding time" (yes, I worded it like that because sometimes I feel like a seal trainer throwing out fish) They usually are off busy playing house, Barbies, church, store, TEACHER (OH YES! SOOO much teacher), grocery store and dress-up.
I think that's why I've never sent any of my kids to a preschool....
THIS little stage is too magical and precious (and messy, I know)

So yes, BRING ON THE SCHOOL YEAR and don't judge a dancing Mom.

Arkansas Adventures

A couple nights after moving in we decided to go have dinner by Lake Dardanelle which is only a few miles from our house. It's actually a cool lake that hosts a ton of bass fishing tournaments and one that was broadcasted on ESPN recently. 

The twins LOVE watermelon

They get so juicy and sticky though! (Wynn in front)

They also like finishing off chicken wings. :)

I see little curls.......

Right by where we are eating is a "beach"/swimming area that the kids really enjoyed.

The water actually feels dirty ish. I know, I know, it's a LAKE, but maybe it felt like that since the temperature was close to bath water. None of that bothered the kids though.

Brooks and I made a VERY strong mental note to not take the twins there for a looooooong time. They love water TOO much and it's so hard keeping track of two babies head diving in all the time.

Once again......moving boxes used for a fort/battle-shield.

The babies play outside most of their awake-time. As funny as this sounds, they keep using the doggy door and go out in the (fenced) backyard whenever they want. It's like the door was MADE for them......and I don't have to deal with flies coming in or AC going out the door.

With all their outside-ness they are always looking like this.

(Iley)

Thankfully we can just hose them off.....AND they get hydrated at the same time!

Have I mentioned they love water? hahaha

My mom gave us some chalk balls which were a BLAST to play with!

The best part is, you can line your kids up and have REASON to therapeutically throw something at them.....and they are smiling after! 

This picture is my favorite......

Aleeya happened to have hit him a *cough* certain place *cough*, and there's proof! :)

Not EVERYONE enjoyed it the whole time though.

We got a family membership to the Golf Country Club here. It's nice to just drop the boys off and say, "See ya in a bunch of hours!"

Cute little golfer.....I call him the Blue Plaid Monster #outfitshouldbebanned

The country club is about five minutes from my house (farthest place I have to drive too. 🙌)

THIS is actually part of my drive there....... it's beautiful here.

There's a stream down the road that the kids keep walking to and bringing back "friends" to put in my vases. Ummmmm. #stinkingmyvasesup

Bronson has missed all the fun because two days after we moved here he flew out to Utah for 2 weeks. OF COURSE he's the worst at sending me decent pictures (even though I LOVED seeing pics of his calf and shoe to appease my "one pic a day sent to me" rule, it wasn't exactly what I had in mind). I'm grateful my sister-in-law snapped these of Bronson with his cousin Jacob going to EFY.

That was only a week. He spent the other week being spoiled by grandparents, hanging with other cousins, aunts/uncles..... all while pulling as many pranks as he can. #icantsendhimanywhere

He really had a great time being on his own and living the easy life.

Glad he enjoyed THAT, because the minute he walked through the door, he was put to work putting toether a trampoline. #welcomehomepunk #dontthinkhemissedus