Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Happy Birthday Arlyssa!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COUSIN! WE LOVE YOU! (L-R: Gabby, Carli, Rachel, ARLYSSA)

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Visitors

KOCH FAMILY, YOU MADE THE BLOG...TOLD YA! HA!We were so happy to have Dave, Laura, and Savannah come visit us for the day! Anthony and Dave use to work together.

It was a nice, fun, hangin' out kind of day! We laughed the whole time The kids played. Miss. Sav kept us quite entertained!And of course we had to go out to eat.Now that they know what a nice, easy two hour road trip it is to see us, SURELY they'll make a habit of coming to visit!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Happy Birthday Melanie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COUSIN! WE LOVE YOU! (L-R: MELANIE, Arlyssa, Monique)

Friday, August 26, 2011

Downtown Night

I'm really liking our downtown now. It's really turning into something.
Last weekend, Deyanira and I went downtown for Mexican food and of course margaritas. We then went to a local play, which was very good. Very thought provoking! We each came away with totally different thoughts, doubts I guess.Wonderful night.
Our little girls were happy to see us return. They had been at my house, which was full of loud boys.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Happy Birthday Aunt Dee

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT DEE! HERE'S TO A WONDERFUL DAY! I LOVE YOU!(Christmas '10 my aunts and me: Diane, Terry, and DEE)

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Happy Birthday Shawn

Today, my little brother turns 32. Happy Birthday Shawn! We love you!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

First Day of School!

Sunday night we brought out the books for Carli.
We all slept good. Woke up great! And we were ready to welcome the new school year!
They all got dressed and ate at the back to school table. It had their school colors and mascots.
Austin was very ready to go back to high school!Couldn't wait to get on that bus!
Tyler, not so much ready to go to eighth grade. He walked slowly to the bus.
Carli did surprisingly well. She never whined or complained. Very cheerful! She was ready to give her teacher her apple.She couldn't wait to use her rest towel (not sure why it looks this way? It's hot pink, orange, light pink, and purple).
She was anxious to put on her new outfit and take her back pack and lunch box.


She held my hand only in the parking lot. She walked in front of me all the way to her classroom.
She went straight in, gave her teacher a hug and her apple and headed to sit in her desk.Okay, that was too quick and easy! She did WONDERFUL! No clinging. NO TEARS! I didn't even cry! Unbelievable!
So, the kids were off to school and Anthony and I? We went on our annual back to school breakfast date! We've been going since Austin started school...12 years ago!
Anthony then went to work and I headed to home to a very quiet house.

Monday, August 22, 2011

HOLD ON!!!

FIRST, a look back at Austin's and Tyler's Kindergarten pictures, cause this momma is feeling a wee bit sentimental this morning.I can't relive their kindergarten memories without mentioning that TYLER cried all day long, every single day, for three straight weeks! Aw my sweet Boo Boo!

NOW, onto today. It is the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, I love the first day of school!
BUT WAIT!!! HOLD ON!!! I'm not ready for one of my kids to go this year!

I thought I was kind of ready. Turns out, I'm not!
My last baby is starting kindergarten TODAY!

How did this happen SO FAST?

I obviously blinked! Everyone says,"DON'T BLINK! Before ya know it, they'll be off to kindergarten!" and it is so very true! I KNOW THIS! I've sent two other kids off to kindergarten! I mean, man, look at how tiny my boys were! They were such babies! It seems like just yesterday! Now they're 17 and 13!!
And yes, each time I cried. TODAY is NO exception!

I'm happy for Carli to be growing and thriving!! I know this next phase in life is going to be so fun! I loved elementary school with the boys. But it just happened too quickly. She is totally my lil' shadow/my side kick. I'll miss her. I know she'll do just fine! SHE's SO READY!

EVERYONE, here's to a HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL POST TOMORROW!
Hopefully I'll get good pics of everyone and everything.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Happy Birthday Chris

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRO! YOUR SIS LOVES YOU!

Friday, August 19, 2011

All done!

Carli had "Meet the teacher" last night. She already met her at our home visit, but this was a chance for them to bring their school supplies, see their classroom, meet their classmates, and us to fill out paper work.
Carli brought her teacher some personalized hand sanitizer.I also took her teacher this paper to fill out. Being a mom of a 17, 13, and 5 year old, along with teaching preschool for six years, I know quite a bit about teacher gifts, and this makes gift giving so much easier (Here's the link if you'd like to go and print out one for your self.Carli and Daddy sitting at her desk. I forgot to get one of her and I and then her and the teacher.The secret room in the library. It's where the librarian reads to the classes.
And this would be Carli's 2nd tooth. She lost it last night 15minutes before we left for meet the teacher. As with the first tooth she lost a couple of weeks ago, this time was just as traumatizing for her! D-R-A-M-A! But this time, she managed to spit it out and not swallow it like before!

So...
Check ups, clothes shopping, supply shopping, schedule pick ups, athletic gear pick up, meet the teachers, haircuts, DONE! Last time for Tyler hanging out at "teen night". No more staying up very very late and waking up very very late!! No more eating all day long. It's time for ROUTINE! I'm ready. Austin is ready. Tyler is not ready. Carli is back and forth. It's been a good, lazy summer (but and extremely hot and dry! ICK!). We're all done! Bring on the school year!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

School shopping!

So we're pretty much done with summer...This year, since we have THREE kids in school and in a school district that has no uniform (ugh), Anthony and I took each child to do their school shopping. It was very nice to have time alone with each of them, PLUS, there was no chaos and fighting! NO Tyler, a puppy is NOT on your school supply list! Although all of us have tried to convince Dad it is :(Carli's FIRST SCHOOL SUPPLIES!

We have everything bought for ALL of the kids! Haircuts just done! I believe we're ready!

Pictures tomorrow of Carli's "Meet the teacher" at school, Tyler's schedule pick up and "Meet the teacher, and Austin visiting his classroom.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Happy Birthday Kayce

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER IN LAW KAYCE! WE LOVE YOU!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Sweet lunch dates

One of my favorite lil' families were passing through town and so we met up for lunch. (Lindsay and I)
(Olivia and Carli)(Baby Julia)

I'm so happy Carli and I got to see them...we've missed them SO MUCH!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Remembering Grandpa/Great Grandpa

Today marks a year that we lost our Grandpa/Great Grandpa. We miss him so much.
We love him, we want to make him proud, we love each other, and those things are what has kept us strong this past year without him and will continue to do so.Yesterday, the family (this is maybe half of us-we were missing quite a bit) got together to celebrate him. We all had shirts made, ate a wonderful lunch and yummy cake. It was such a nice day! Everyone enjoyed it!Thank you Grandpa AND Grandma for creating this fabulous family!And a big thank you to Kathy, Penelope, and Sonja for dropping off Rapunzel. Carli thought she was so cute sitting by the door!