Vance's 1st Day of Kindergarten

As some of you know, Vance has been protesting against going to school for quite some time now. Usually, he simply and calmly has stated, "I'm not going to kindergarten," or, "I'm still not excited for kindergarten." Tevye and I have been confident that once he got into school he would love it, but still, Vance had me a little bit worried for that first day.

Well, the day finally arrived, and not only did he refrain from protesting, but he also was very excited. It helped that I told him I would take him to Wendy's for a frosty and lunch right before school- to celebrate, not to bribe (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it). My mom came out that day to take Caden to soccer practice after school (I had a doctor's appointment), so Vance was excited to have her and Caden accompany us.

Unfortunately, Caden wasn't feeling well that morning and ended up puking right before we got into the car. Thankfully, Mom was able to stay home with Caden while I took Vance out. Vance was very bummed that they couldn't go, but in the end, he and I had a really nice time together (and I brought some Wendy's back for Mom and Caden after dropping off Vance).

Since we were in a hurry, I let Vance eat his frosty first- he thought that was awesome!

While we stood in line waiting for the teachers to let the kids into the cafeteria, I could tell Vance was a little bit apprehensive, but he was courageous and didn't let on to that fact. He walked right up to the teacher and told her his name, gave me a hug and kiss, and took off without looking back. When I picked him up at the end of the day, he was as happy as could be and very talkative. His only complaint was that he didn't get to play with the play dough and had to settle for the bears and blocks instead. Also, he figured out who the two trouble-maker kids were in class ("naughty" as he called them) and said that they didn't get a pretzel or m&m's like the rest of the class. Vance really like that he got to eat the pretzel and m&m's.

I am so proud of my Vance-man! Their is something about his personality that captures my heart. He will do great this year!

Silverwood

Recently, our good friend Ryan invited us to go to the lake on his nice boat. I opted to stay home, but Tevye took the boys and Calee. As you will tell from the following pictures, it was an enjoyable day, and they all had big grins on their faces when they returned home. Thank you to Aunt Calee for trying to keep them covered in sunblock- the burns were minimal.

Captain Ryan in his natural environment.

Tevye catching air on the wakeboard. He hasn't had a chance to do that in a very long time.

Calee showing off her moves.

The boys loved, loved, loved riding on the tube!

If it weren't for Tevye's grip, Caden would have gone flying for 20 feet or so. Thank goodness for life vests!

Vance held on really well to the handles.

Splish, Splash

A couple of weeks ago, my mom brought my nephews, Nolan and Cole out to visit us. I was so excited to have them over! Since it was so hot, we took the boys to the pool in order to cool off. Coincidently, Tev's sister, Calee, showed up right before we walked to the pool, so we were able to invite her to swim, too. She is always fun to play with!
They had a great time. Thanks to the Scouting program, Nolan is CPR certified, which was a relief to me, since I am not (I really should look into doing that, though).
The boys played with the kick boards and diving stick, and then, Vance came up with the idea of "group jump." He kept trying to get all of them to jump into the pool together. "Come on guys," he would announce, "group jump!" He kept calling for the group jump until everyone kindly obliged him.

I love Nolan and Cole so much! Nolan is a teenager now, but he still takes the time to play with his younger cousins and is so patient with them. Cole is a sweetheart, and he has a way of making us feel so loved when we are with him. I am so grateful that Caden and Vance have them as role models in their life!

Caden's First Day of 3rd Grade

I can't believe how early Caden's home school is starting this year! We are just now finishing up his first week of school. The third grade curriculum seems to be a lot more involved than last year's. Caden seems to be most excited about learning French this year. For science, he has to keep a weather journal in which he records his observations from morning, midday, and evening each day for a few weeks. My favorite school moment from this week has to be when Caden and Vance worked side-by-side making Beaufort Wind Scales. Caden was so patient while teaching Vance what to do, and Vance was loving doing a big-boy school project. I appreciate Caden so much for just hopping back to work without complaints. Caden, you are an awesome boy and a super student!

Horton Hears a BBQ

Our friends (and Tev's co-worker) Dave and Paula invited us to their annual BBQ cook off this year. We had a great time, and the food was wonderful! The boys spent the entire time in the pool. I found a nice shady spot in which I set up "camp." It was nice to spend a relaxing afternoon with Tevye and the boys, and we enjoyed talking with friends. Thanks Dave and Paula!

Swim Class

This year, Vance was old enough to take swim lessons, so I put him in the same class as Caden. In the days leading up to swim lessons, all Vance would say about it was that he didn't want to go. He later told me that he was nervous about jumping off of the diving board like Caden did last summer. Once his first class was over, however, he did not complain one bit, but rather looked forward to going each day.I love Caden's happy face when he is in the pool.

Vance has mastered the art of using the pool noodles as a floatation device.

Last year, we made friends with the boy on the left, Matthew. He is right in between Caden and Vance's ages. It was so neat to see him again this year!

Pioneer Day

This year, we actually went to the ward party for Pioneer Day. Our day was a very busy one, packed full with running errands, so relaxing at the park that afternoon was refreshing.

The boys loved that watermelon was on the menu. Vance was very good at the sack race.

Even Tevye participated in the shoe-kick competition. I think he came in 2nd.

Then, it was time for the watermelon eating contest. Originally, the contest was meant to be for the adults, but nobody wanted to do it. So, they opened it up to the kids. Almost all of them wanted to participate. Caden was especially eager to do it, but Vance was off playing with his friend on the rocks. You can tell that Caden meant business by taking off his shirt to avoid the inevitable juice stains. At first,he started out with little nibbles. After about a minute of that, he switched to smashing-mode and just shoved it into his mouth. That technique proved to be a winner!

Caden with the first place ribbon!

It is nice that we can celebrate our pioneer heritage these days with friends, food, and games. I am so grateful for those who sacrificed physical and emotional comfort to pave the way for those who want to live the true gospel of Jesus Christ.