Zach's first day of school.

Our Baby started Kindergarten today.. Zach was soooo excited for school to start.. I think he told anyone that would listen that he was starting school in the fall.. He was a little disappointed that he was not starting school at Spencer's old school as he calls it... I think he truly though he would get to go to school with Spencer if he went there.. We started Zach at the neighborhood school this year. He has so many little friends his age and friends from pre-school I just couldn't bear to see him loose contact with them my going to the charter school.. Best of all I don't have to drive all the kids to 4 different schools.. Busses for teens, Bike for the girlie and carpool for Zachy...

Daddy made special pancakes for Zachy's first day and the big kids benefited as well.

Zach and his pal Mia. They are in the same class this year.

This is what you get when you ask little boys to have their picture taken... These guys were in pre-school together and are great friends.

Zach and his cute as a button teacher Ms Palmer.

Zach is always trying to find a way to get to his favorite restaurant.. "RIVE GARDEN". We decided to get on board with this idea. Dad worked from home and how many times do you get to celebrate the first day of school especially with you last kid going of to school.. Bitter Sweet for sure.

Zachy we love you so much. We are excited for you grow and mature... But we would love to hold tight and never let you go as well... Please be patient as we try to let go of our baby..

Love Mom and Dad.

BACK TO SCHOOL

BACK TO SCHOOL!

Have I ever told you that I have an addiction to school supplies... It's true I {LOVE} clean and new supplies.. New CRAYONS are my favorite.. I will only buy CRAYOLA brand.. I have a hoard of them in my office closet.. I love to give crayons as gifts as well.. When I was little I think on of the coolest gifts I ever received was a box of 120 crayons with a sharpener on the back... I really didn't want to share...

Andrew is a Junior this year

Spencer is in 8th grade.

Abbie is in 6th grade...

Zach will start Kindergarten next week... How sad is that... Where did the time go.. We were just dying last night as we talked about how fast the kids have grown up. And how in the world are we old enough to have kids almost done with school... We must be young at heart to feel so young still.

Andrew is playing Football again this year. Spencer just finished Swim team and Abbie is about to start a new competition dance team in a week... so get your game on we are about to get crazy again..

This year is huge for our family we are in public school. We have been in charter for years and with lots of prayer and though we decided to go public. The kids were so excited to not wear uniforms this year. We had a great time school shopping and getting new wardrobes for school.. Abbie will ride her bike to school or walk with friends. Andrew and Spencer can take the school bus. And I think I will let Abbie of the hook and take Zach every day. He is the king of distraction.. We have 2 parks in our neighborhood that he WILL get distracted by to and from school... Besides... He's my baby and you know...

So what will I do with my self while they are at school? STAMP! Well maybe.. I will have to shower and clean the house... And last night I actually joined the PTA(totally not my thing I like to just be in the class room) and signed up for loads of volunteer hours at the school.. Not a big deal really we had to give lots of volunteer hours to be a part of the charter school. The best part about being at the school... You really get to know the kids that your children are friends with. And see what is going on in the classroom...

Best of Luck to you all for a good school year.

Hugs

Brooke

I really wish that I could keep the kids home for ever.. I really hate it when summer is over :(

Spencer's First Swim Meet.

This year Andrew is playing Football for the new High school "Westlake"
so we have no big summer vacations planned.. The week Andrew has no Football is the week Spencer has scout camp.. So Spencer decided to tryout for the Lehi swim team.. He worked so hard to learn all the strokes and he made the team. Today was the first meet and he did FABULOUS!I LOVE THIS PHOTO IT'S SO COOL.

Click on the picture to enlarge.. I love that you can see Spencer in action and the world around is blurred.. It's a cool effect. Spencer is second from the right.

Spencer took 2rd in the 100 backstroke... Second in the 50 Freestyle & 3 in the Freestyle 100. Way to go Spence. You are becoming a great swimmer... I am so proud of the hard work and dedication you have toward swimming..

THE BIG WINNER!
(Sorry for the burly picture not sure what happened.)

Happy Birthday ABBIE!

Daughter of GOD.

Love adventure.
Totally rock at the rip stick!
Love my Doggie.

Got to be a flower girls
for the first time.
Love to craft with my mom..

11 years old today!

Abbie has been busy sense her last birthday. This Summer she tried out for a competition dance team and made it. She added lots of dance hours to her list and just finished 2 competitions and placed in all dances.. This last year Abbie was in a school play called "Suessical the Musical and was the cutes purple platapus ever. Abbie is always looking for someting to be involved in.

Sense Abbie is surounded by Boys it's jump in and show them who you are.. Abbie's big brother Spencer got a "Rip Stick" this last year Abbie just jumped on it and started riding it aroundthe island in the kitchen and before you know it! BAM! she was a pro... She totally impressed the grown-up neighbor men who couldn't do the "Rip Stick" to save their life. That is one of the things that I admire most Abbie. She is not affraid to just jump in and go! Abbie is more agrasive at sports than her brother are. I dare say.. She may not be as good but she really is great at sports. Abbie would win a metal for determination... When she played basket ball a little over a year ago she was the best little guard on the team.. She would make the offense so mad they would try to karate chop her arms just to get her out of the way.. She was like a fly on honey, she was not backing down. I have to say it was so fun to see the face of the person she was guarding... Pure frusteration (he,he).

This summer Abbie got to be a flower girl for her Aunt Gingers wedding... She and all the girls were so Adorable. Abbie's big request was to get her hair straightned for the wedding.. Kinda funny most people are curling there hair for special ocassions...

A few days after Abbies and moms birthday we sent to Disneyland.. That was amazing of course.. We had a birthday party at the Disney Hotel and had a special family dinner party at Goofy's kitchen. We had balloons, cake, singing and a badge that said we had a birthday dinner with Goofy.. They even gave us party favor bags. Sense it was our b-day we got to wear badges around Disneyland all the employees then have to wish you a happy birthday.. It was cool.. They don't just say happy birthday they ask you about it ect.. COOL! They only bummer about Abbie's birthday at Disneyland was she is now concidered an Adult.. So basicly we have 5 Adults and one child now... Talk about exspencive :( The 5 year old can eat more that she can.

Abbie is a litle crafter.. she has here own little craft corner that she enjoyes collecting craft supplies. She even has her own die-cut machine. She sometimes doesn't her craft area because she hates to clean it.... so sad...

Abbie is totally over Hannah Montana! She says :
"she is totally in-appropriate! She is dating a guy that is so much older that her mom! I am so done liking her!"
I say darn whatever... at least we were not old enough for the whole Britney Spears stage!

Abbie just started a new school a few weaks ago.. She is now at the neighborhood school and not the Charter school. She is really having a great time getting re-aquanted with the neighborhood friends.. The teacher asked if anyone new Abbie and over half the class rased their hands.. One of the major bummers for us is... She was 1 of 18 kids in here old class.. Now she is # 38 YIKES!!!! That sucks.. Public school for you. Abbie misses her old teacher but is really enjoying her new teacher and friends.. She even get to walk to and from school when she feels like it. I now have all 4 kids at different schools.. Weird!!!

Abbie is a really sweet and tender hearted girl.. She is always striving to make good choices. Abbie is a very creative and lively person. She can be really shy sometimes.. One of the best examples is.. She is great to dance at a Competition, but having to sing at an audition... Yikes.. Stage fright.. Abbie has developed a little reading bug lately. She keeps checking out books at school reading them at night and finishing them. Then next day exchanging them for another. What a cool new thing for Abbie. What an improvment. We love reading bugs... Abbie is a party planner.. In January our little doggie had his first birthday with us..(we have no idea how old her really is) so Abbie decided to have a party.. It was a family night and she printed out pictures of bones and paw prints then cut them out and pasted them all over the wall. She made a special little banner for the doggie and placed his bed just under the festivities.. We even played games she had planned.

Abbie really enjoys Activity day she loves her leader and friends there as well. I am not looking forward to this next year.... WHY? Because that means she is getting older. The next thing you know she will be in Jr High.. She is not old enough of tall enough for that.. I am not ready for all that.. It all just goes to fast...

Abbie we are so proud of you and wish you a very
HAPPY 11th Birthday..
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
and
all the boys.

Happy Valentines Day

 

What a great way to start the day.. Andrew asked me to keep Dad up stairs in the morning and even told Zach to wake him up not dad. Andrew had planned to make Breakfast for Valentine day... (How cool is that) When dad woke up I tried to keep him and eventually said what is andrew doing that I can't go Down stair for? Is he making  breakfast? I finally had to say yes... He then said I have to go down because the High priests are cleaning the church this morning. Drats... We tried... It's the thought that counts. 

 IT TASTED GREAT! HEART SHAPE PANCAKES AND ALL!

Andrew's 16th Birthday

Hot date for lunch on my 16th b-day! Were going out again tonight for dinner it went so well.. She might be bring some other guy along though.. Rude! 

That's one cute 16 year old.

Stay tune to see how the date went.

Road Trip!!!

Guess where we are going tomorrow!!

We are secretly packing tonight and waking up the kids in the morning and heading to St George for Lunch... We have been so busy we fell like a little surprise is in order.. We wanted to make it a really long weekend but dad was way to busy with church.. so.... The kids have been lamenting about IN-N-OUT BURGER for some time now.. They were just saying the other day... "Wouldn't it be cool if there built one in our town." I said "YA" 

So a little road trip we go.. We will drive 5 hours for a Yummy Lunch...Play with the kids, Spend the night play, Have another Yummy lunch and drive home..

See ya Later

Hugs

Brooke

Abbie's Winter Dance Concert

Ouch you go girl!  Abbie worked really hard to do splits in every direction. She is the only one in her class that has pass of all her splits!! I use to be able to do this. I would really hurt myself if I tried it now.

I LOVE the dance her team does with this stick.. It's such a lively song and with all the pounding of the stick it just makes it that much cooler. This recital was a great practice for Abbie's team they are preparing for a competition in March. They have 1 big performance before the competition. They will be the half time show for the "Utah Flash" game on March 9th if anyone want's tickets they are $8.00 our cost. That's a awesome deal.. 

Flowers form the family :)

Abbie has really improved so much this year in dance.. She is learning more technique and setting goals and working hard to met them. Abbie said after the performance last night. "Mom if it doesn't cost to much money can I take dance again next year too".  Lucky for us here director has chosen both competitions this year in Utah. We won't have to travel long distance.. That will probably bode well with dad saying yes to another year of Competition team... We are proud of Abbie' she is working hard to develop her talents.. She can be so shy sometimes. She  tried out for a competition music group this at school and got so scared she cried:( She just tried out for the school Musical again this year.. She did a little better cross your finger for her.. She had such a blast doing the "Suessical the Musical" last year She really want's to be in the Broadways showcase this year. Abbie is a great group performer she is not so much into solos, I think that's why she has such at auditions. Cute little thing... I am the same way.. I don't know what possessed me the day I raised my had to sing a solo for our Spring Ensemble performance in high school.. But it was good for me.. I really grew so much..

Abbie We Love You!

Happy New Year 2009

Not a bad way to start a new year!

For new years this year we were invited to go to "Tucanos" Brazilian grill downtown SLC... We had a great time with the Driaza's and Anderson's.. We got to shop for new outfits and get all dolled up.. Tiana even said as we picked them up... "This feels like we are going to prom"... Regan said " I even got to borrow the mini Van he,he.." It's great to have kids old enough to baby sit! We shared the kids (babysitters) with all our group. We had amazing food, Brazilian music and dancing.. We danced our socks off... From the dance floor we could even see the "First night" fireworks.  All the employees passed out sparkling cider and we got to toast in the new year while balloons and confetti/streamers dropped from the ceiling... And of course a real new years kiss and first dance was sweet!