Sugar Cookies

Yesterday was opening day for hunting and so that left all of us women without husbands. So we decided to all get together and make Halloween sugar cookies. What a fun day it turned out to be. It was me and the girls Emily and Karyn

and Sarah for a little while.

The kids really enjoyed playing in the dough. Emily and Karyn got a little taste of what it is like cooking with kids. Nothing turns out perfect, too many helping hands. We made a double batch of cookies, that gave us lots to frost.

After the sun went down the men all came home and we rented a movie. It turned out to be a great day.

Fall

Our garden is just about done producing, it is getting colder at night and things will be freezing soon. Last night we went out and picked some pumpkins to put on our front porch.

The girls have enjoyed watching them grow all throughout the summer. All the weeding paid off.

Natalie wanted a tiny, baby one. This one is not even orange yet.

Madalyn had hers picked out a long time ago, the biggest one in the garden.

Morgan just loved being in front of the camera.

Fall is in the air, I'm not sure I am enjoying the colder weather but Garrett loves it he thinks it smells like hunting season in the morning. I would be ok for cold weather for about a month but after that I can't wait for summer.

29

Yesterday I celebrated my 29th birthday, I can't believe that I'm that old. I think next year will be hard turning 30. Garrett was nice enough to watch the kids for me so I could go to Tri-Cities and go shopping with my mom and Emily. He ended up watching Kyla and Hunter also cause Jande had her baby on Sunday (a boy Brayden Lane). It was tons of fun, I have not been shopping with no kids in a long time. We enjoyed a great lunch at Olive Garden. Garrett and the girls got me a kitchen knife set and a necklace with all the girls names and birth stones on it. It was a nice day.

Soccer

For the past 2 weeks Madalyn has been playing soccer. There are 8 kids on each team, 4 kids play at a time so it works out great. Our first game was against another Mesa team and we did great, Madalyn played very hard.

We played a really hard team next and the kids didn't have very much fun. The kids were giants compared to us. In fact Madalyn came home and said she was never playing again. The next day she had another game and I had to promise her gum to get her in the car to go to the game. I didn't want her giving up already.That game was so much better they were more on our level and the kids won. Madie was so excited that she scored. She loves it now. I hope she continues to have fun. The kids think the best part is the treats at the end of the game.

SIX

Madalyn turned SIX yesterday. She is growing up so fast.

We took cupcakes into her class on Tuesday, it was fun to see her with all her classmates. Madalyn made the cupcakes Monday night, she decorated all 26 of them by herself. They have a large class.

This year we did a horse cake. It was a big hit, she loved the green hay and the river running through it. This year we decided not to do anything too big. She is having a friend over on Friday and Grandma Jenks came for dinner last night. Madalyn was ok with that until we got ready for the cake. She wanted to know why everyone was not coming to her birthday party then she started crying and said it was not a true birthday unless everyone was there to sing and have cake. I felt really bad, she is such a social person she really wanted everyone there. All last week she asked all my family if they were coming to her party, and she wanted to call Hadley to make sure they were coming. She would not let us eat the cake until everyone could come over. It took us awhile to get her to stop crying. So her cake is in our freezer.

She did blow out the candles.

For her birthday she got: PJ's, Ariel costume, leapster 2 and game, shin guards for soccer, paints.

She was very excited to get the leapster 2.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADALYN!!!!! WE LOVE YOU AND HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT DAY.

“I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk’s lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden. I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.” Marjorie Pay Hinckley

I just love this quote from sister Hinckley, she is just amazing.

Poor Natalie

I'm such a bad MOM!!!! Natalie has always had ear problems, she had tubes put in a year and a half ago, well they fell out this July. That was a good thing cause they are only suppose to stay in 10-12 months when they are that young and growing so fast. Anyway, about a week ago she started feeling not so good and puss came out of her ear a few times. I would ask her if her ear hurt and sometimes she said yes and other times she acted like nothing was wrong. So Thursday after another great and successful fishing trip she was just screaming saying she wanted to go to the doctor, so I took her in and they told me she had a really bad ear infection and that the ear drum had ruptured. I just felt so bad, I just began crying. I hate knowing that I should have taken her in a long time ago. She also has to have surgery next month on her thumb, she has trigger finger. That girl really knows how to rack up the medical bills.
Madalyn started soccer this last week. It will be really fun to watch, I'm sure we will all get some good laughs. She is loving school, and thinks her teacher is the coolest. It is fun to see her starting to read. I'm staying busy with my kids life, and Garrett's busy hunting and fishing.

Salmon Fishing

Today I went fishing with a John McDonald he is a paramedic from work on my shift. I had a great time as we caught 4 salmon within about 2 hours. We ended up with five salmon but we had to work a little harder for the last one. The biggest salmon was 37 pounds the others were 27,20,18, and 12 pounds. Hopefully next time I can take the family and we can actually catch a salmon. I want Jilayne to catch one, she would really love it and the girls would go crazy over a fish that big.

Morgan thought that it was really cool that the fish was taller and bigger than her.

Now we get to eat salmon.

A new Beginning

I guess the day finally came, Madalyn has started school. Today was a big day for her, she was not scared at all. I got up at 6:00 this morning to make pancakes (her favorite) for breakfast. Man was that hard for me to wake up that early, as I was doing that I got thinking I'm just beginning this early morning routine school stuff. I still have so many more years to go. Madalyn gets on the bus at 7:15 and school starts at 8:00. She goes to Kindergarten all day and everyday.

She looked so grown up as she was walking out the door to go on the bus. I got a little teary eyed but not bad at all. I thought I would have a hard time, she was so happy to start this new step in life. How could I be sad for her. My kids are growing up so fast. When Madie was a baby I hoped this day would come as fast as possible but now it is here I wish she would stop growing up so fast. She is such a good girl, always wanting to CTR and make her parents proud.

I think this is her new favorite color. When we went school shopping that color was all she wanted to buy. I love that color on her, she looks very cute.

My three princess, all standing by Madalyn on her first day of school. Natalie didn't like the idea of being at home with mom for 2 hours while Morgan went to school. She cried as we left Morgan as school, saying" Nana big girl I go to school" after we got home she did alright with just mom but we were both ready to go get Morgan so she had someone to play with.

Madalyn your dad and I are very happy with you. You have become a great leader and friend to everyone you are around. We love you and are excited for this new beginning.

Finally

Morgan started preschool today, she was so excited to FINALLY get to go. Natalie thinks that she is big enough to go to school also.

Morgan is ALL GIRL she picked out her outfit today. Ever since we went school shopping and she got this new dress she has always said that is what she is going to wear the first day of school.

Morgan is excited to meet new friends. She doesn't know anyone in her class yet. It is a good thing she is not scared to make new friends. She thought she was really special last night when Garrett gave the girls father's blessings before they started school.

Morgan with her teacher Mrs. Gray.