Lying

I just remembered this story and wanted to record it here, even though I have it written down
somewhere.

In Salt Lake this summer, Gracie got a hold of a fake cell phone.
G: Grandpa, who should I call?
Neil: Call Santa and tell him all the things you want for Christmas and tell him you've been really good all year long
G (thinks for a minute): That would be lying.

Haha. Btw, the thing that reminded me of this conversation was a recipe I found for fake coal made of rice Krispy treats:) In her defense, she really is a very good girl and although her mistakes may seem glaring to her, I am really proud of all the good things she does.

Wildlife in Fort Collins

I went on a little run this morning and when I got back my house felt sooo hot. so I opened our screen door to let some air in. That was when I saw 5-7 raccoons make their way from our Back garden area to our empty dog run. They were big too... Like medium size dogs. I have also seen foxes in my backyard (even though our fence is a pretty secure wood fence that keeps a dog in fine).

We also see tons of squirrels, a change from Utah, where they are not all over. I see at least 10 fat squirrels a day and would see more if I sat and watched. They steal all the nuts from our two walnut trees.:( I actually think that is what the raccoons were looking for as well). 

The Wheels on the Bus

Gracie woke up on day 2 of Kindergarten complaining that she was sick and didn't want to go to school. Then it really came out that she was just nervous and the day had seemed a little long the day before. She had a special talk with Justin, our resident long-time student and he gave her some tips and encouragement. Then we went to the bus stop, with the plan that I would follow behind and meet her at the school to help her find her way.

 At the bus stop we met a cute little friend who is in Gracie's Kindergarten class. I followed and she got to class without any problems.

 After school, I went to pick Gracie up. I had a long day without her and was sure she would be worn out and want to come with me. When I gave her a big hug she said, Actually, I just want to take the bus. So she did. Then she informed me last night that I don't need to follow her to school or pick her up anymore :( I thought she might need me a little longer, but she was the same way when she left me to go to nursery. She didn't even look back.

Her little bus friend drew her this picture yesterday. TRUE FRIENDS! Gracie also informed me that I didn't need to pick her up at the bus stop either and she could just walk home without any help. I'm going to still pick her up there though.:) Her afternoon bus driver is German and I'm excited to get to know her a little better and teach Gracie a few German phrases to surprise her:)

KINDERGARTEN!!!

 Our happy Gracie is off to Kindergarten. She was so excited and met her teacher the day before at a fun little picnic. We got there a little early and at the recommendation of a good friend I left my two younger kids with a sitter and just took Gracie. We walked into class and got her all situated. Her seat was next to a cute little boy she knows from our ward and her teacher is super nice and cute.

 Then it was time for me to go, and my eyes filled with tears. They had a nice little set-up of bagels and juice outside for the kindergarten parents to visit and talk to the principle. I talked to some nice moms, but my appetite was gone.  I was really surprised that I got so emotional. I think that I took Gracie's readiness to equal that I was ready too. I wasn't. :( I miss her. Gracie is doing full day Kindergarten so it is a long day having her away. Today is day 3 and she is an old pro now. (more on that in the next post).

Study buddies

 Justin is back in school and studying a lot. He does rotations/ clinicals all week long and doesn't have class, but studies a lot about the subject he is working on that week. The past 2.5 weeks have been his imaging  rotation so he has been doing ultrasound, radiology, and other similar things. On Saturday he pulled out his horse bones and the kids wanted to help. I love the learning opportunities that my kids have to learn the same things Justin is learning. How many bones can you name in a horse leg? I think Gracie and Gunner could name more than I can.

This was the same day. We LOVE popsicles around here and Maisy loves to say her version of the word popsicle. It's more like hmmmhmmmCULL but it is surprisingly very effective and understandable:)

Monkey Baby

 Maisy learned a new trick the other day. By learned, I mean that she learned it on her own. When she get hyper or finds the perfect bar, she'll debut the trick. She is almost like a little puppy. The first day she did it, I  wanted to show Justin. When he got home I said, "Should we show Dad your trick?" She knew just what I meant and ran upstairs to Gunner's bed to show him.

Maisy's trick at the park.

Don't mind the unmade bed. My kids are so drawn to climb on beds that I've freshly stripped of sheets:) Maisy is such a happy girl and I love to see her try new things. This girl is a climber and she is usually not content unless she is climbing, exploring or flipping over something.

Swimmers

 We've been enjoying the pool and Gracie has learned to swim without floaties or a life jacket. This was a lot of fun and we found ourselves going to the pool almost daily to help her practice. She loves swimming from one side of the pool to the other. She is growing up so fast. Gunner is also getting braver. He loves it when I hold him and we dunk under the water together and hold our breath. He also loves jumping off the side.

Maisy loves being wrapped up in a towel and then buckled in the stroller for a strait jacket effect :)

Carrying my burdens

 If you didn't remember, our trip to Utah was in our Nissan Sentra. It was a good choice considering the many miles we drove it to Salt Lake, Boise, Salt Lake, St. George, Salt Lake, St. George, Salt Lake, and home to Fort Collins. But... space was tight. I am used to not having room at my feet, but I truly had no room at my feet. So when I started to get a little whiny and uncomfortable Justin asked me to hand him the food bag:) This was probably not very safe, but he drove like this for awhile so I could stretch my legs and it made me smile. What a nice hubby! You may not be able to fully appreciate this unless you saw how totally packed in and crammed we were:)

LeBaron/ Bentley/ Ivins Reunion

 We went to a great reunion with my family and all of my dad's first cousins. It was conveniently held in Hurricane/ St. George/ Pine Valley so we had a fun time without having to go to far to enjoy the excitement. Did you know that my great,great, great? Grandmother, Margaret Mckean Ivins (later Maggie Ivins Bentley) taught school in the Pine Valley chapel?

 This is me with my 2nd cousin Leah. It was so fun to see her. I bet it has been 10 years.

 There was a face painter there who was extremely talented. My kids loved that, and the hair braiding and nail painting and crafts galore.

 Plus, there was a  splash pad about 10 steps away from the Hurricane Community Center where this all took place. It was perfect.

 This is proof that we were there. It was SO HOT. Can you tell Maisy was fading?

And one last quick picture with Leah and Cousin Tom! I didn't know that either of them were coming and it was such a happy reunion to see them both.

Pioneer Day in Pine Valley

 We got to the chapel early for a pancake breakfast and then listened to Larry speak about pioneers and Pine Valley. We also listened to Jeff (Justin's brother) play the trumpet in the band.

Ryder and Maisy preparing for the big race.

Gunner's race

Gracie's race

Justin and Jeff

Barton Reunion

 We went camping on Cedar Mountain with Justin's extended family. It was so much fun.

 We loved watching races and games on Saturday.

 The swingset was  a highlight for all of the children there.

 Gunner was a little scared to catch the water balloon the Justin threw to him in the water balloon toss.

More fun on the swingset. Maisy's scared face is the gift that keeps on giving. I always ask her to make that face for me.:)

 Justin and his cousin James were the winners of the men's horseshoe competition.

 Carol Ann and Karma (The boys' moms) were the winners of the women's competition.

This was a familiar sight during camping. The kids loved running of to play with cousins.

Enterprise Rodeo

We had a  great time at the enterprise rodeo. We ate way too much licorice, stayed up way too late, and Maisy had a ball playing in the dirt. I keep thinking that my kids will catch a chicken one year at the chicken chase but we had no such luck.

 Gracie got all dolled up for the rodeo with her second cousin, Kayla, who also lives in Pine Valley during the summer.

 She asked me if she looked like a 6 year old. :) (she is 5 yrs 9 months here)

 All of us.

 Maisy kept flirting with the old man in front of us. She climbed down by him and then rested her hand on his knee.

 Justin and Gunner in the grand entry.

Gracie and Kayla in the grand entry. Kayla's dad, Ryon, is in the black to the right of them.

Immunizations

 The cows needed a few more shots, so a little crowd came down to the corral to finish things up. Gracie and Gunner are in heaven every time they get to go and help Justin.

 Three generations of cowboys:)

A typical summer evening in Pine Valley

Step one: Eat dinner quickly (pbj's are fastest:))

 Step 2: Fetch the horses

 Step 3: Saddle the horses and start riding or spectating.

 Gracie on Ossum (pronounced Awesome) and Gunner on Bow Tie (see his neck?)

 My cozy spot on the water truck

 Maisy's dramatic scared face. She does it on command.

 I have yet to mess with this picture for better lighting, but don't you love it? So happy.

Miss Gracie. Justin had fun coaching her a little and she really is getting pretty good at riding.

Last Step: Ride as long as you can and put off bedtime:)