Back to school party and the first day

The weekend before school starts we always do our traditional back to school party!  Frankie builds a tent in the family room while I take the kids to pick up pizza, root beer float makings and a movie.  This year was just as exciting.  I hope they are this easy to please forever.

Here they are in the tent ready to watch the movie!

This year Sera didn't even try to sleep all night in it.  Alexa fell asleep then went to bed when we did and boston made it until 2 am when he woke up and his sisters had left him.  Poor kid needs someone to stick it out with him.  In a few more years Beck will join in!!

Sera on the first day of 4th Grade

I can't believe she is in 4th grade already.  She has Mrs. Rabara and is very excited about it.  It is to hot for Knee highs so she picked red shoes as her fashion statement.  They are very cute!

Alexa is in 2nd grade this year with Mr. Berg.  She is a social butterfly.  She loves everything about school and everybody in it.  She is also very into fashion.  I am in TROUBLE!  Her outfit was picked and designed 100% by her, including how I had to do the hair.  Good thing she knows what she is doing.

Boston is in ALL DAY kindergarten!  He is loving it.  He has Ms. Steingraber and is so excited about eating lunch at school.  What a stud!

This is Boston in line to go into class.  I went to give him a hug good bye and he said, "I don't know why my eyes keep watering, it must be because it is hot."  (as his lip was quivering) "mom, can I have one more hug, I think I need it!"

He almost made my eyes water, I think it was because it was so HOT!!!

I am sure we will have a great year.  The kids love school and always work so hard.  Now, I get to enjoy my time with just one kid at home, it has been a LONG time!

Swim Team and Alexa Style!

Sera and Boston did swim team this summer and loved it.

Sera did a great job.  I couldn't believe how much she improved this summer.  She loves to swim.  She did freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke in the prelims.  She finished all of them in the top 25.  We are so proud of her!  Only the top 16 went to the finals.  She was so close.  Way to go!

Boston surprised us by loving swim team also.  He was great.  He did freestyle and Butterfly in the prelims.  He qualified for the finals in Butterfly and as alternate in freestyle.  I wish I could put video on with my computer.  During his butterfly race he started to loose his shorts.  Without stopping he reached back during his stoke and pulled them up.  It was great.  He surprised us all with his form.  He did AWESOME!!

Swim team was not Alexa's thing this year.  Maybe next summer.  For now, she would rather stay home and be Beckom's second mom and style anything she can get away with including her baby!

She loves to make the boys look like girls.  Some day they won't like her for this!

A necklace, bracelet and a bow!

Life would get boring without Alex!

4th of July trip to the cabin!

The boys at the cabin

A few weeks ago we went to the Cabin with Frankie's entire family.  I think there was 32 of us with half of that kids!!  CRAZY!!!!!

The kids love it when they can be outside in the nice weather all day.  They rode quads, went for walks and exploring and we only saw them when they were hungry.  Great times.

To celebrate the 4th we took the kids to the little parade and Fire work that night.  I forgot my camera but the kids had a great time.  We did the traditional homemade ice cream and BBQ.  Pretty much just watched the kids enjoy themselves.

Alexa was in the trees behind the cabin for an entire day.  She kept collecting things and we could hear her building, but she never came in.  She didn't play with the cousins, she was doing her own thing.  When she finished she came and got me.

  This is what she was doing....

Building a club house.  She called hers the TIGER CLUB.  If you look close there is a whole bunch of writing on the stick next to her.  She cleared the ground, sawed limbs and decorated with anything she could find.  After she finished, the club idea took off and the cousins joined in the next day.

Here is Boston with his.  He didn't have a lot of patients.  Noah and him got side tracked A LOT!!

It still turned out great!

Sera and Lauryn worked on there club for a long time.  They made a nature path behind it and everything.  It was really neat.

It was a fun trip.  I love seeing my kids have so much fun and being creative.

Beckom is 6 months

Beck turned 6 months in June.  My cousin took these pictures of him while we were on our trip to Utah.  Thanks Bri!

He is such a joy in our home.  He is easy going and loves to smile.  If you talk to him he will smile even in the middle of a cry.  The kids adore him, he is wrapped around daddy's finger and  is attached to mom.  Now if I could just get him to sleep at night I would have to say he was the perfect baby.  I guess I will have to settle for close!

At 6 months...

Weight: 15lbs 6 oz

Height: 25" (still short)

Sitting up

Rolling all over the family room

Does the back crawl or back worm (as the kids say)

Starting to do a slight army crawl

Not a great sleeper

Always smiling

BAM triathlon in Midway, UT

This was a great race.  It was perfect weather (cold water, sorry Frankie), beautiful location and Frankie did a GREAT job.  I am always amazed.  Each race he does, he improves.  The kids love to watch him and cheer him on.  They get nervous every time he swims and don't take there eyes off the water until he comes out.  The run on this course was really hard and Frankie did Awesome!   I am so proud of him and the inspiration he is to our kids.  Sera is asking to do a kids Triathlon.  We are looking in to one for next year for her.  What a Great example he is to all of us.  I love you and am so proud!

Summer Vacation

In June we went to Midway for a family vacation and a triathlon.  I forgot my camera battery so thanks to Liza I have a few pictures.  We got to stay in a beautiful house with great friends and have a fun week.  The weather was cold but the kids loved it.  We went to seven peaks, had deer drinking from the creek in our back yard, played on a rope swing, went for walks, visited family, and ate great food. It was a great way to kick off summer!