The First "Days" of School.....

Back in School!!! Yeah!! Eli started on Monday....his second year of preschool.


The first day was a breeze for him....it helps that he returned to the same classroom and same teacher from last year! When asked what he learned the first day, the only thing he could remember in great detail was the snack choice for that day.......I guess we now know what is important!



This little lady sure wishes she was going to school this year too.....



Ana and Eli are at different schools this year...for various reasons...so they will definitely keep me hopping and on my toes, bouncing back and forth between two schools & two schedules.



Today was Ana's first day of Kindergarten. SHE LOVED IT!! Although, I think came home a little exhausted. 7 hours at school can be a little long when you are not used to it!




Ana sitting at her desk....ready to learn!! We had a fun morning, finding her desk, putting all her school supplies away and putting her backpack in her locker!

The end of Summer....

We've had some gorgeous evenings the last few nights......some nights to enjoy just being at home and in the back yard! School starts Monday (HOORAY!!)....and with that comes another busy Fall of activities, school, structure and schedules......and as much as I am excited for all of this to begin....I will miss these "quiet" evenings at home in the backyard with no where to be and nothing to do!!

Montana.....in August....

I really have not been very good about taking pictures when we visit Montana or anytime for that matter it seems anymore....but here are a few from our recent visit....from my phone and/or other camera......


Ana and Ema.....and 1 of the many rides they took in at the Montana Fair....a fun precursor for what's to come in October!!



Eli of course took some convincing (when doesn't he).....but he too made it on a few rides....

Then on a totally different night while visiting in Billings....Grandma bought some passes to this great indoor playground/fun house.....the kids had a BLAST....it is something in the dead of winter that I wish we had in Rapid City.......but don't let this big slide fool you....It was FAST.....too fast for little Adi by herself...so I hopped right up there and went down......and practically FLEW through the front window of the building....pretty sure I went airborne over the whole last "hump" of the slide and landed on the blue mat at the bottom......and yes...I was not jumping up to try it again...once was enough for me!!




The "stairs" to the top of the slide and other parts of the play gym....

Camping, Camping, Camping......

Although this post really doesn't contain near the amount of pictures in comparison to the number of days we actually spent camping.....it does contain a few of the pictures from the end of July into August....we had the camper set up for 21 days at Hart Ranch...and we spent a good amount of those days, evenings and at times even over night at the camper.







That's right...even our own camp fire now!!.....No place but the community fire pit at Hart Ranch to have a fire....so we bought our own propane fire!

Pictures "we" worked hard to get.....

While in Billings this past week....we had our "turn" at getting some updated pictures!! Thanks to my awesome cousin Kalin Brook Photography....she managed to get great pictures even with my overly difficult, un-willing to participate or really smile for that matter children!!


Ema is usually our "wild-card" as to whether she is really going to cooperate or not....guess this was a "good" day...I think she did the best of ALL of them!!




Yup....this was my four lovely children posing for a picture together......lovely isn't it!?!


And this would the MOST un-willing child of ALL TIME!! Good grief she was not about to sit still and be told to look at the camera and smile.......she would tilt her head back and say "Nooooooooo".....


So this became our "group-kids" photo...and I must say...I quite like it!!



Yup....this would be Adi's "portrait"....a little different from the others...cause again.....she just wasn't going to have it....so this would be day 2 of the photo shoot....and we managed a quick smile/laugh out of her.....


And now...let's throw ALL six of us into a photo and try and get a good picture....OH MY WORD!!



And in the end....we did actually get a few pictures that are great.....Thanks Kalin...I love them all!!

Ballerina's and more haircuts.......

Ema's "new do"...I know this one is blurry....but this is the smile I love from this girl.....


And this is currently Ema's awkward...(ask her to smile for the camera and this is the smile I get) pose....we are going to have to work on this quick before "real" pictures this week.



Ana was enjoying "re-living" the days of ballet tonight....


Yup - Adi...ask her to smile for the camera and this is what you get.....1 sock and all......


My two wanna-be ballerina's tonight....


Ana's "new do"......I just love, love, love her hair short......

Haircuts, overalls and beads.....

Eli was in desperate need of a haircut, although we had "toyed" with the idea of growing it shaggy long.....it didn't last too long.....but I didn't necessarily want to give him a complete buzz....so he agreed (amazingly) to let my friend Faith come over and cut it....of course he was bribed with a bowl of candy.......but this was the first time EVER in the history of his life...he didn't cry over a haircut!!


BEFORE.....



AFTER.....Thanks Faith...it's so much better!

Ema dressed herself yesterday.....(yup she went in public like this)....she told me she wanted to look like Dennis the Menace.....great!!


And Adi...there really are just no words to describe Adi these days.....diaper, beads, and prior to climbing on the couch she was wearing purple rain boots....about 4 sizes too big!!