Homecoming

This past weekend was Homecoming. Emery is now in High School and can go to these dances. She went with a group of her friends. I like how comfy shoes win for a lot of the girls now. 

 Kylee, Emery, Kyrie

Emery and Cailey

Cam with with his girlfriend Cailey. He went to Men's Warehouse to get his suit. Looks pretty fancy, and it went well with her dress. 

One Sunday, they both wore their suits to church. We have two very handsome young men. 

Cam said they practiced doing different dips before the dance to show off. Cam said people were impressed. 

The Menu

One of my favorite decor purchases was this menu board. It's super big, takes up a lot of space, but I really like having the meals written down We don't always eat what's listed that day, but pretty close. Usually it's Emery or me who put it up, this last time I had Jackson put it up and he decided to draw pictures that go along with each meal. A few he wasn't sure what they were and guesses with a random photo. 

Special Night

Jackson wanted to do a smash room for his special night, but when we went to sign up, we saw you have to be 13 to do them. A new Lego store just opened here, so he decided to do lunch, get a few sets and then we watched movies and put them together. An easy but fun day. 

They took much longer to build than I thought they would take, but I wasn't into Legos when I was a kid. 

Roof

 There is a tree in our front yard that has gotten really long and anytime the wind blows, we can hear the branches on the house. It gets annoying to hear, but no way I'm getting up that high to cut them. Camden has no fear of being up high, so he got that job. I don't even like seeing the kids freely walking that high up, but he didn't mind. 

Homecoming

 Camden was asked to homecoming today in first period. He knew she was going to ask him, so he made a sign to answer her back. The one they are holding is the one they made.  Have to love Cam's... They are both excited, if you can't tell. 

First Day (and a Few Last First Day) of School

I have never really been the type of mom to dread or hate or be sad by the kids getting older. Some times you miss, and loved during, but I've been excited for each  new thing they are able to go and accomplish. Doesn't mean they don't make me sentimental, but I love seeing them grow. This year is going to be an interesting one. While 4 kid started school this year, by May, two of them will be done with High School and their time with me daily will pretty much be done. This time next year it could be first day of college, mission farewell, or just moving out.  I'm not sure how ready for them gone I am. Cam likes to remind me a lot all the 'lasts' that happen and Beckham mentioned yesterday that he only has 2 special nights left. Ugh, that one hit me the hardest.... so far. 

Here is a prospective, I lived with my parents until I was 18 and I got married. Right now Brad and I have been married 18 years (so half my life with my parents and half with the love of my life.) and only about a year of that were we alone before we had the boys. 18 years goes too quick, and I right now, don't think that's long enough for my emotions. 

Beck wanted another first day picture. First day of his last semester! He is very excited and really loving his choice to finish online. I left a semester, and while we both know things we'd miss out on, I loved it and never regretted it. He spent the day with us shopping and going out to lunch. 

Jackson is the only one not in High School. This year he has a few classes with friends, which made him very excited. He also is changing to the Bass Clearnet, which he can't wait to try out. 

Emery started seminary this year and since going to Renaissance, it's early morning with Camden. Getting up at 6 am just for a picture is 'so' much fun. Emery was nervous for the first day (she may not admit that) but is loving it so far. Camden is loving his last year in High school. He may be a twin, but how they want to spend their senior year is a little different, and I love seeing each of them doing what they love. 

Eevee got stuck in the blanket, she just had to make it onto the 'first day of school' post somehow. We had to cut the blanket to get her out. 

Beck thought that we would let him come with us to make the posters, but he did not. We did them the day before this time. There is a video from Ohio where the new cast tries to hype the kids up for testing and they say phrases that kids today use, but still sound a little out of touch. It's the best, so we did the same, along with some of their favorite things. 

"One Hundo P Chances of Success!!" Jackson's

"Be on Fleek and get that Gucci Goal" Emery (Beck said we did not use this one right)

"Senior year gonna be Turnt" Cam

"Say 'bye Felicia' to that school stress!" Beck

Cam posted on Instagram. 

We did most school clothes shopping after school started and then went to dinner this weekend. Cam brought his friend Cailey along since she hasn't been to a Hibachi grill before. We tried a new one and it was really good. 

This is going to be a different end to the school year, but it's going to be good. May or may not let out a lot of tears, both happy and sad, but still good. 

End of Summer

Another summer has come to an end. This one went by quick, mainly because school started a little earlier this year. They will get out earlier for summer next year, so that will be nice. 

We had a few chances to watch babies this summer and Emery was a huge help. She loves to babysit, but doesn't get a lot of chances to do so. Jack loved her, she defiantly was his favorite person. 

Emery had a last summer sleepover with Avery. They did their own version of girl dinner. They added coloring to the noodles as they cooked and the pasta sauce too. Colors weird, flavor is normal. 

Luna, just because all too soon, these turdy dogs will be the only ones home. 

I did get older, 3 more years and I'll have 4 in front of my age. Brad and Emery got the perfect cake. Goes with my love of Mean Girls. 

Greyson came to Boise for a day and was able to hang out with the boys. I love seeing them together, and how it seems 'just like it used to be'. They even played Minecraft for quite a bit of time. 

Beck's Trip

 For a year Beckham worked and saved to pay for a school trip to Europe. They went to Germany, Switzerland and Austria. We were proud and impressed how hard he worked to pay for the trip. Also, he pretty much went alone. He knew kids on the trip, but he was going because he wanted to go. He packed the night before they left. An international flight put off until the end. He has a calmness to him that I will never have. I would have had to be packed or have piles ready to go, at least a week beforehand. It all worked out well and he packed what he needed. 

I made Brad take him to the airport. Leading up to it I had to stop myself a few times from getting emotional, I knew I could not drop him off and cry a little. So I hugged him goodbye and cried while Brad dropped him off. Waiting for the 'we landed in Vienna' text took way to long to come, but they made it safe and he had a great time. 

A few pics the teachers sent. 

This is now Beck's account of his trip. 

"On about the 6th day we made a detour on our way to Germany to a small town on the edge of France. We were given free time and a group of about 7 kids found a cat café. I assumed it would be like a regular cat café, but instead it was a gentleman's house with 8 different Persian cats. As we were there, the man explained the names and differences between his multiple cats. After about a half hour we left to get with the rest of the group and head back to Germany."

"This was a massive statue of a lion carved into the wall of a very large cliff. It represented a group of men from WWII. The story was along the lines of a captain being away from his soldiers as they were attacked, and his sorrow for his party resulted in the statues. The lines within the cliff side are intentional to the art piece, representing arrows falling toward the sad injured lion."

"On one of the final days, we went to one of the largest churches in Europe. The place was gargantuan in comparison to everything around it. The funny thing was right next to this castle was not only a McDonalds, but a Five Guys nearly directly in front of it."

"This was on the 4th or 5th day, where we went on a tram and a train up to the top of a very large mountain. It was about 7,000 feet in the air, and there were clouds of fog surrounding the entire area. There wasn't much up the mountain except for a few hiking areas where you could go higher up the mountain."

"During one of the first days we went to Salzburg, Austria which is known because it is where The Sound of Music is set. Though I have never seen it, there was a bike tour around town that showed us the different filming and set locations for the film. This photo was in front of the abbey that the lead character left."

"For the final and most unexpected photo, it is the line for security check in the Denver airport... at 3:30 in the morning. We were there because the previous flight back home got cancelled and we needed a hotel to stay at for the night. Though it looked and was very long, I didn't have to walk through it. One of the other students on the trip needed a wheelchair accommodation and I was given the job to push the wheelchair. Because of this we were aloud to cut through lines and it only took about 1/2 and hour to traverse the entire line. But after that I got to the plane that would eventually take me back home.

Over all I really enjoyed the trip. Everywhere we went had beautiful scenery and phenomenal food to go with it. The experiences were fantastic, but I am glad to be back home for a while."

The souvenir Beck made me. I've never had anything with my name spelled correctly on it.