First Day of School '09

The girls have been so excited for the first day of school.

I have to admit, so was I, except for for Aaliyah starting the big K.

Abbie started the 8th grade.

She stated to me a couple weeks ago that this was going to be the best year ever. I love her bright outlook on the year and hope that it is enjoyable for her.

Shelby starts the 6th grade.

She is on Student Council this year. Shelby is such a social butterfly and always ready for a party so this is right up her ally.

Aaliyah is starting Kindergarten.

The first week she went to school on Monday and then she had testing on Tuesday and then had the rest of the week off. She did so good at her testing. Her teacher said she was above the level where she should be and was very impressed.

Ashlyn is going to start preschool. I look forward to having some one on one time with her while the others are at school. I'm so thankful I have the opportunity to be able to be home with my girls.

So starts another school year! I hope all your kids have a great year as well!

Thankfulness.....

1. Another year of learning and growing

2. Excited children

3. Shopping for new school clothes!

Where Has The Summer Gone?

This SuMMeR has flown by!

Where has it gone?

We have had such a great time spending time with each other it is hard to believe that school is starting in just a couple weeks. I can't say that I'm not excited. I love the first of school. I love the feeling of "newness".

I love the fall time. It is my favorite time of year.

Layne and I celebrated our anniversary in July by going to the sand dunes. We had such a great time with each other. No kids for a few days, and being in the outdoors is a great way to celebrate if you ask me.

We had a great time! Year number nine!

I can't wait for our 10 year. Here we come Hawaii!

This week we had Layne's sister watch our two little girls so we could spend some one on one time with Abbie and Shelby. They were so excited to have Layne and I to themselves. I wish we would have taken pictures, but I didnt think about it. Odd.

We went shopping, out to lunch, more shopping, out to dinner, more shopping...you get the idea? That was day one. They we watched three movies that night. Then the next day we slept in until 10:00 am and then the four of us went to Lagoon. We never have been to Lagoon with just the four of us. It was so much fun. Then we came home and played their favorite board game, Clue and then we played UNO. Then Layne played salon with them...yes Layne. He painted thier nails. THEY LOVE WHEN HE PAINTS THEIR NAILS. I know....funny. He does a great job on them. Then Abbie made us dinner so she could pass off a YW goal. Then more movies for tonight.

It has been lots of fun!

Its nice bonding with them without Aaliyah and Ashlyn around. I do miss those girls though. I can't wait to see them and give them loves!

THANKFULNESS......

1. Summer Time

2. Family

3. Opportunity to spend time with each other

Summer Fun

This summer has been crazy busy with fun things and not so fun things. There is so much to blog about and catch up on, but I only have a few minutes here and there to do so. Over the next couple weeks I'll try to get caught up.

Here are some pictures of our Moab trip.

This was one of the more fun trips our family has taken together!

We want to go back as soon as possible!

We swam, hiked, played games, and just relaxed. We rented a home and it was gorgeous and so comfortable! We did not want to leave!

Thankfulness.....

1. Family Vacations

2. Fun Memories

3. Happy Kids

Kindergarten Roundup Flashback

Today we had Kindergarten roundup for Aaliyah.

I'm sure every mother goes through this when one of her kids is getting ready to start the

BIG K.

Has it really been 5 years?

Can't be.

I remember like it was yesterday laying in the hospital bed holding Aaliyah for the first time, putting her in the SUV to come home for the first time, putting her in her crib for the first time....as so on.

Is she really going to start school?

yES.

Do I like it?

No.

She LOVED hanging out in the K class while the parents did their registration thing. I loved watching outside the door when she did not know I was looking.

She was happy.

Mom, not so much.

The first day is not going to be easy.

Which then started my thoughts back to the day that we took Abbie to her first day of Kindergarten.

At that point in my life Abbie had been a part of my life for almost 3 years.

I was so glad I was able to take her to her first day of Kindergarten.

I can remember what she had on. I can remember her walking in holding her oversized backpack. I remember her sweaty hand holding mine. She was nervous. I was suprizingly nervous. Since Abbie was not my biological daughter I thought this was going to be a breeze. That particular time in our life I was staying at home taking care of Abbie and Shelby during the day while I finished school.

We got really close.

I was going to miss her.

I look back at all the years that have passed by.

Abbie is 13 now.

A gorgeous 13 year old.

Today I found myself not thinking so much of Aaliyah as I thought I would, but how much Abbie is a part of my life. She is so talented. So kind. So loving. So artistic. So forgiving. She loves to draw. She loves to read. She loves to watch any kind of movie with me. She is such a great sister to her three other sisters. She loves to cook.

She loves photography.

She has the best imagination.

I'm so proud of her and the decisions she has made to help her life go a certain direction even at age 13. Some Sunday mornings I will get a text on my phone when she is staying with her mother for the weekend, to see if it is Fast Sunday. She has a strong testimony. She loves YW. I walk in on her working on her YW goals and reading the scriptures.

Ive never had to ask her to it.

She has some wonderful friends.

Tonight she is out with them.

The house seems just a little empty that she is not around.

I just want to let Abbie know that even though I'm her step mom, she means the world to me.

I can't imagine my life with out her.

Her laugh is infectious and loud....I love it.

So here is to Kindergarten Roundup and the trip down memory lane today.

Thankfulness.....

1. Memories.

2. Aaliyah.

3. Abbie.

Turning 5 Ain't So Easy

On Monday, Aaliyah turned 5!!

We had such a fun day!

We had both sides of family come for dinner, a pinata, cake and ice cream.

She got some new pet fish (Sherbert, Froto, and Spots), barbie dolls, makeup kit, computer games, clothes, new earrings, DVD's...and much more!

Thanks for coming everyone!

Aaliyah was in Heaven!

(Little did she know that the next day was the trip to the Doctor for her Kindergarten shots.....We let her just enjoy her birthday...that is for another post.)

Thankfulness......

1. Aaliyah!!!!! I love that girl!

2. Family and Friends so close.

3. Great weather Monday night!

California 2009

We had the opportunity to go to visit some family in California this past week.

We had a great time! We went to the zoo, the beach, Scandia, rode motorcycles, swam....and swam some more in the pool and sat in the hot tub.

Great times and lots of great memories!

The picture below, Ashlyn actually got out of the hot tub to pose for this.

She is so cute!

Gratefulness....

1. Family vacations.

2. Memories

3. Sun dresses :)

Just a little bit older

The past 6 months Aaliyah has been asking us if she could get her ears pierced. We kept putting her off, thinking that she would just forget about it. We figured she would get in the chair and freak out, then we would have wasted our time.

Well we were at the mall last night. She asked again. We explained to her that it hurts for a small amount of time and then it's over. She still wanted them done. I told her I would only let her do it if there were two ladies there to do it at the same time. Lucky for us, there were.

She wanted them. She wanted the pink sparkly daisies. She went through with it. Not a tear was shed, not a peep out of her mouth. I was amazed. I'm still amazed. I thought for sure we would have a scene.

Nothing.

Perfect.

They look great. She is so proud of her new studs :)

Gratitude.....

1. Aaliyah and he sense of style...you all know she has it :)

2. Not feeling as weak as I thought I would watching.

3. Feeling the need to blog .... just a little bit again!

The Heart Truth

If my Grandma (Madonna) Richins were still here I'm SURE today would be her favorite day! To say she loved the color red was a HUGE understatement. Red was Grandma Richins!!! Today the only problem she would have had is to decide WHICH red outfit to wear...here is why.

Today is National Wear Red Day! It is a day when Americans nationwide will wear red to show their support for women's heart disease awareness. This observance promotes the Red Dress symbol and provides an opportunity for everyone to unite in this life-saving awareness movement by showing off a favorite red dress, shirt, or tie, or Red Dress Pin.

So slap on your red and go out there girls and strut your stuff!

I know if my Grandma Richins was around she would....who knows...Maybe she is in heaven wearing her favorite red nightgown as we speak.

Thankful for.....

1. The color red. LOVE IT!

2. Memories of Grandma Madonna.

3. A BFF that lives 2000 away, but still manages to brighten my day!

Discovery Museum Fieldtrip

Aaliyah has the best fieldtrips with her pre-school.

If work permits Layne or I try to attend all of them with her.

Her school went to the Discovery Museum at the Gateway.

Our schedules worked out that the four of us were able to go together.

This is only the second time I have been there. What a super fun place!

Pilot Jorgensen and her Crew....Don't they look tough :)

Ashlyn thought she was in heaven...and then she saw the babies. I thought she was going to die!

Ashlyn and I concentrating oh so hard on our VERY important scientific test with cupcake holders.....

Anything that involves a ball going in a hole...Layne is there to help :)

Donuts .25 cents, bananas .10 cents, oranges .15 cents, milk $1.55.....Your total comes to $152.33. :)

Future news anchors for KSL...don't they look like naturals?

Thankful for.....

1. Fun filled days with my girls.

2. Free fieldtrips :)

3. Spanky's Sandwhich Shop!

Where did January go?

I had very good intentions of keeping my blog up to date for the few readers that I do have for 2009. Hmmm. Well January has come and gone. I am looking forward to Valentine's day. Not that I have any big plans, but I love showering my girls with love :)

I guess to catch up on what has happened in January. New Years was uneventful. I watch the NY celebration with Aaliyah and Ashlyn. It was 10:00 p.m. our time, but they didn't need to know that. We had yummy snacks and played games and had our own little New Year's party and were in bed by 10:15 p.m. Perfect.

My baby Ashlyn turned 3 on January 17th.

Ashlyn has really grown into a little girl this past year. She is the funny one in our family....she gets that from her mommy :) We all know how funny I am. She is big into doing everything by herself. Helping me make dinner, clean up her toys, and hoarding all her toys in one corner of the house. She makes me happy and I love her!

We had a Tinkerbell party for her 3rd birthday. She is...well WAS a huge Tinkerbell fan. Everything had to be Tinkerbell. Then she put on her new Tinkerbell dress-ups and was so sad when she could not fly. I think that did it for Tinkerbell. We have now moved onto Snow White. Sounds safe. Thanks for the Tinkerbell cake Emily! She loved it!

Layne has taken Shelby and Aaliyah ice fishing a couple times this month. I am thankful that a couple of my girls like the outdoors so they can keep Layne company doing what he loves to do.

Overall it has been a good start to yet another year.

I hope the rest of you are making the most of it!

Thankful for.....

1. My family.

2. Good health.

3. "I'm thankful we don't live in a box" said Aaliyah.

Me too Aaliyah...me too.