Sunday Pics...

Here's me trying to get some good pictures of my kids while they are all dressed up. The boys did pretty well, but Alanna wasn't going to cooperate for anything. She thought it would be fun to run from the camera instead! Oh well!

Williamson Family Reunion...

The last weekend in July, we enjoyed a relaxing family reunion with the Williamson side at a cabin in Heber. It was a little crazy with all of the little cousins running around, but it's just going to get crazier every year with all of the new babies. The cousins all enjoyed playing at Deer Creek Resevoir in the inflatable boats - even though they weren't in the water! This wasn't the best lake for just swimming - the boys all came out of the water covered in algae. Jackson looked like he had a hairy chest because of it!

Cousin Peter...

We were so lucky to be able to meet my little nephew, Peter,when he was less than 24 hours old! The boys have been anxiously awaiting his arrival, as we all have been (especially Andrea since he was 10 days overdue!). He was a whopping 9.12 lbs, and I believe 22 inches. I guess it shouldn't be a huge surprise since his dad is 6'5", and his mom has tall genes too, but he looked like a three month old baby! It will be so fun to have cousins on my side of the family finally. Being able to see this sweet little guy is good preparation for what is soon to come at our house. Alanna loved tickling Peter's toes, and the boys were fighting over being able to hold him.

1st Grade...

Can I believe Jackson is in 1st Grade????? Yes! I have been waiting for this day for a long, long time! I know many parents worry about their child "holding up" for an entire day of school etc., but this boy needs constant stimulation that I can't give him ALL the time! I was hoping that perhaps he would be a little tired by the time we got home from school - maybe want to relax and have a rest. No such luck with this boy - he is just always a ball of energy!

The day before school we went and met his teacher, Mrs. Stott, and we LOVE her! She is everything you would expect a teacher to be, and she really goes the extra mile with the students. She warned us that the beginning of the year would be a challenge to our kids because she expects perfection, and they weren't used to being challenged in kindergarten. We have had some good laughs at the level of perfection expected from our little first graders, (she is a huge stickler on penmanship!), but I'm glad that Jackson is learning to do his best at all times. We are carpooling with some friends up the street, and so far so good. I'm still nervous about how it will be after the baby comes. It's worth the 40-45 minute drive round trip so far though! The only downer is that he and Preston are both going to new schools and are not together! We broke their three year streak of attending school together, and I think they are both a little sad. It's a good thing that they are right across the street from each other and can still play - when their homework is done :)

Three Little Monkeys Going to the Park...

It's been so much fun watching our three kids all being able to play together outside this summer. Alanna has no fear and wants to do whatever her big brothers do. This is what I love about having kids so close together in age. We went to the park plenty while James was gone on a "fishing" trip with his brothers for several days. He had fun minus the ravaging mosquitos and bugs that were feasting upon them. We missed him and were happy to have him return home a little early, and I think he missed us too.

Ultimate Babysitters !!!!

One Saturday in July, Uncle Luke and Aunt Andrea volunteered to watch our kids for the whole day while James and I attended a Glenn Beck event my parents invited us to. This is why I don't ever have to hire a teenage babysitter - my siblings are the best! They had a whole day of events planned like watching the original Star Wars, chalk drawings, paper drawings, Legos, and they brought their own ingredients to make their special fruit smoothies that the kids love. Jackson, Paul, and Alanna were in heaven. The only reason they were happy to see us home is that we took everyone out for dinner for Jackson's b-day! These pictures of the chalk drawings don't do them justice. When I saw them I thought they were pretty cool - but just typical of Luke's artistic talent, no big deal. But... everyone who came to our house for the next two weeks were just mesmerized and would study them like they were in an art museum. They should see his real stuff, not just his doodling :) We are so lucky to have such fun loving supportive family close by!

$ Store Fun...

The kids all got some money from their Great-grandma Perkins for their birthday. We spent about 45 minutes at Walmart trying to decide what to get, and then Jackson said he wanted to go to the dollar store so he could get even more toys. They all had fun meticulously picking out items at the dollar store. At one point they hit the candy aisle and wanted to spend all of their money on candy - I had to limit them to one item. Paul and Jackson both chose cotton candy in a bag and were so excited to try it. After a few bites, they had had enough and decided to save it for another day. Alanna wouldn't even touch the stuff - she acted as if she were scared of it.