1st Day of School

Wow, what a day. Yesterday was the first day back to school, there was a lot of changes. First they changed the start time, and dismissal, for the schools. We had to adjust our usual routine to be sure we were on time.

Ready to start the day

Second, Jacob began middle school this year, 6th grade. It is insane that we now have a middle schooler; kids in 2 schools. He has his first locker and schedule to follow. He is in all the regular 6th grade classes; math, science, social studies, language arts, and as well as homeroom and beginning band. Jacob decided this summer that he wants to learn to play the trumpet so he has had a couple days now of learning something very new. We live so close to the elementary school but not so much to the middle school, so Jacob is also riding the bus home for the first time. He was excited to have some friends on the bus with him. It drops them near the elementary right before it lets out so he met us there to catch a ride home. He had a great first day and really enjoyed the new school. Today he had another change when they switched his schedule a little but he rolled with it, he will do great in middle school.

Jacob off to a new school

Camryn is in 2nd grade this year and she is so excited! She has a super great teacher. She is the teacher Jacob had for Kindergarten and 1st grade and we love her. She has some friends from the last 2 years with her and she feels pretty good knowing the ropes already. Camryn practically jumps to school she is so excited for class.

Camryn so ready for 2nd grade

And the next big change, Bailey started Kindergarten yesterday! We now have 3 kids in school. She was not nervous at all and was excited to be in the same room that both Jacob and Camryn had Kindergarten. She has the same teacher Camryn had for Kindergarten, another of our faves. She has school every other day so she gets to eat lunch at school as well. Today was an off day for her so she has only had 1 day of school, but that is great because she was tiiiirrrrreeeeeddddd this morning to get up and going. She had a lot of fun yesterday and said she just didn't want anything to end but she also did want to go home at the end of the day. I am so glad for her excitement and hope that tomorrow she will be able to get up and going. It is very early for us night owls.

Bailey is eager for Kindergarten

Camryn showing Bailey the ropes of the playground

Isaac has the big change of being the only kid at home for the first time. It will be interesting tomorrow. Jeff was off yesterday to take the kids for their first day and to enjoy the fun of it all. Bailey was off today and home with us. So, tomorrow will be the first time all of them go and leave him and I home all day. Hopefully he will enjoy being the helper and not miss them too much. I will probably have a lot of "Cars" and superhero play time in my day :)

After we picked everyone up yesterday we got to sit at home and listen to them all tell us about their day and ask each other questions. It was so fun and relaxed. Then we went to DQ for Ice Cream for Dinner-plus some chicken strips for some real food.

Ice Cream time, a first day tradition

It was a really great first day of school! Today went well too and we are off to a good start for the year.

Sheri

Summer Is Over?!!

Wow, where has the time gone? I can't believe that today is our last day of summer break and last I wrote it was the last day of school!

We have kept so busy, but it was so much fun!

A little recap of our summer before school starts tomorrow:

The day after school ended we headed out for vacation-First to Denver, CO

Colorado National Monument

We were so excited to see the Stengels again! One year home with Isaac and Addy was so long to be apart. Isaac ran to give Addy hugs and kisses as soon as we got to their home, he just loves his friend so much. We understand, we were all thrilled for some time together (though we sorely missed Caleb who was feeling ill that week-next time will be sooner!).

As it was for our first dinner with Isaac & Addy, we had pizza together

Sorry for the blur, but these 2 were having too much fun to sit still

Jacob wanted a stop at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science

With the Denver cousins at White Fence Farm

A trip to the Denver Zoo

Swimming

Next, we drove to New Mexico and stopped at the Capulin Volcano

It was very cool, we "hiked" down into the center

Then into Texas to the Lyndon B Johnson "Texas White House"

Finally we arrived in Wimberley TX at my dad and stepmom's house. We spent the week with them and the Indiana cousins, my brother Scott and family made the trip as well.

6 out of the 7 cousins slept here (and they did so great!)

While in TX we attended my cousin's wedding and enjoyed a Trotter family reunion. The kids loved dancing at the reception and spending time with all the 3rd cousins. Here is the chicken dance:

More dancing

The beautiful couple

A fun day at Sea World, for our girls especially

After all the fun with family it was time to start heading home. We had a stop at Carlsbad Caverns

Then spent the night in crazy Roswell, NM

Back home we celebrated Jacob's 11 birthday

And the 4th of July

Then Jeff & Jacob headed out with the Boy Scout Troop for camp on the Oregon Coast, what a great time they had. Jacob worked on 4 merit badges, they visited a falls and museum on the road, they slept on the beach one night and so much more.

The rest of the kids and I went to South Dakota while they were gone and visited my grandparents, uncle & aunt and other family. We visited Flintstones Park, Story Book Island, shopped in Keystone and of course had ice cream at Mt Rushmore.

At home again the girls attended VBS which gave us time for doing things with just the boys, however that meant we weren't there to get any pictures.

Then we celebrated Bailey's 5th birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese's then cheesecake at home

For our last trip of the summer we headed to Lander, WY to visit Jeff's parents. We had a very relaxing time and so much fun on the lake.

There were so many fun things we did this summer; Jeff took Jacob and Camyn to Roaring Springs for the day, they earned a free entrance for reading at school.

Camryn & Bailey had a friend over for their first sleepover, it was so fun and they all had a great time, where was my camera?

Bailey got glasses last week

And we went to the Discovery Center in Boise for our last summer activity.

So, now the backpacks and lunchboxes are ready for tomorrow. School supplies purchased. All the kids are registered for school. We've been to the open houses and met the teachers they will have. One last afternoon and evening relaxing. Tomorrow we begin the new fall schedule, new teachers, homework and earlier start time for school. Soon all the activities will be starting up, but... We sure had a great summer!

Sheri