School's In!

It's the same story. I love being back on a regular schedule, but I miss the ease and spontaneity of summer. For the last month I've actually had to pull out my calendar and USE it because things were already getting crazy busy and school hadn't even started yet.

The boys started back to school on Monday and we are all adjusting to going to bed early and getting up early.  With Caden starting Jr. High school, I think I was just about as nervous as him!  It was just fear of the unkown, but he is loving it and he's doing great.  We went to great lenghts to make sure he would be organized, and STAY organized.  So far he's doing well and he really likes all his classes.  His favorite class so far is his Pre-Algebra class.  Go figure!  Granted, it's only the fist week, but this is great news!  Here's hoping that it continues to be his favorite class!

Jace is a big 3rd grader this year and he has moved from the K-2 building to the 3-6 building.  He likes his teacher and enjoys school.  He wasn't as excited Caden or Jack, but he was pretty happy about moving over to the big kid school.

Jackson is in 1st grade, which means he goes all day long.  He was so funny the last week of summer.  He literally did the count down.  "Ah, I have to wait 7 more days until I am in first grade!"  He'd ask me the day and then do the math, "Okay, mom , 3 more days and I get to have 3 recesses!"  On Sunday night he said, "Finally, tomorrow I can eat lunch at school!  And I get to stay there all day like my brothers!"  He was so dramatic about it all!  He's a funny kid.

I walked Jace and Jackson to their classes and Jace couldn't get rid of me fast enough.  Jackson was almost as bad.  At least he told me to have fun at home where Jace just walked away!  Ha ha!  I am glad that they enjoy school.  I would much rather them be involved and be happy to be there instead of being clingy and sad about me leaving them.

At the end of the school year last year, we finished reading The Book of Mormon as a family.  We had gotten up before school to read almost every morning.  It took us two years, and we finally finished it the week of Jace's 8th birthday.  The kids were so excited, especially Jace who was able to have the entire thing read before he was baptized.  We didn't read this summer because summer is always so busy, but we are back to a schedule, and we have started reading The Book of Mormon all over again.  I'm hoping this year we won't have as many interruptions and we can read the entire thing in one school year.  It's been neat to talk to the kids and to hear that they can feel the difference from days that we read to days that we miss reading.  Especially Caden.  He says he can really tell.  I'm glad my children are gaining their own testimony of the importance of scripture reading. 

Here they are on their first day of school!

It's That Wonderful Time Of Year Again!

Caden had a major eye opener when he played football for the first time last year.  He was playing with and against boys who had been playing for 4 or 5 years.  Mark and I very quickly realized our mistake.  And although Caden did okay, we decided that if Jace and Jackson wanted to play football, we would start them younger so that they are learning to hit when all the other boys are learning to hit and it won't be as intimidating.

I know Caden had fun playing last year, but I wondered if he would want to play again this year.  Jace was really excited about it and when I talked to Caden, he was really excited too.  So we signed them up, they stuck it out through conditioning and we are now into our season.  Our weeknights are busy with practices at different fields and our Saturdays are filled with games in different cities, but it's so fun watch the boys learn the game, get involved, and play a sport that they are learning to love.  They were playing outside the other night and I was able to sneak this picture.  It was cute to see Caden giving Jace pointers!   

Caden is wide reciever and Jace is a starting lineman.  They both played their first game at home on Saturday.  Caden's team won 26-0 and Jace's team won 21-14.  They both did really great in the game! 

GO KNIGHTS!!

On a side note, Jackson was really mad that he couldn't play this year. He's too young so we explained that he could play next year when he was a little older. When we took the boys to weigh in and pick up their pads, they were playing kind of rough with each other.  After watching Jackson, one of the coaches told Jack that he was really aggresive and that makes a great football player.  When he asked Jackson if he was signed up to play, I had to laugh because Jackson sounded so dissapointed when he told the coach he had to wait a whole year!  Oh drama!

Californ I. A.

Right after we got home from North Carolina, we did some laundry, packed a few suitcases, threw them in the Yukon and headed out to my old home to visit my sister Kelly and her cute family.  It was so fun to see them all and to catch up.  Her kids are all so big now!  I can hardly believe it.  They were just little ones when I left on my mission!  Now Mike is going into the army and Dallas is graduating from high school!  It's creeping me out!  We mainly hung out at her house, had a few BBQ's and of course went to In-N-Out.  The kids played at the park next door and Mark and Tom blew some things up in the back yard (don't ask...).  We went swimming and made the trek out to LA so the kids could see the Hollywood sign and experience the Griffith Observatory.  Thanks for letting us drop in you, Kelly!  We had a great time!  Love you guys!

Griffith Observatory

You can barely make it out through the smog, but that's the Hollywood sign over our shoulders to the left. Lol!

Mark and I with our boys, Jackson, Caden and Jace

Me, Dallas, Jackson, K.C. Kristie, Jace and Kelly

I kinda adore this man!

Caden and Kristie.  I LOVE this picture!

All the Cousins!  Jace Gertge, K.C. Norton, Dallas Norton, Jackson Gertge, Mike Norton, Caden Gertge and Kristie Norton

Kelly and her kids...not so little anymore!  Kelly, K.C., Dallas, Mike and Kristie

My nephew Mike introduced my children to the wonderful world of Beyblades.  He earned major cool points from my kids.  They played the whole time we were there, and Kelly and Mike sent my boys home with their very own, plus one to take to Gage (Kim's little boy).

Uh, yeah...this is Tom and "...when you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It's for fun."

Now here we see a perfect example of an accident waiting to happen.  Jackson wanted to drive Kristie's chair and Caden and Jace thought it would be fun to strap on to the back and go for a ride!  Notice the knot on Jace's forehead in the next pictures.  I'll let you figure out what happened next....

At the park next to Kelly's house.

Jace's Bobcat

We  went out for ice cream after Jace earned his Bobcat in Cub Scouts.

Topsail Island, North Carolina

In July, Mark and I went to North Carolina with Chris and Joanne Hayball.  We stayed on Topsail Island, just across the street from the beach.  It was so beautiful there and SO RELAXING!  We laid out at the beach every morning and then did a little sight seeing in the afternoons.  It was such a nice break!

In Willmington on the U.S.S. North Carolina

Mark and Chris showing off their guns

Mark and Chris showing off...

Joanne and Chris

I thought this lake was so pretty with all the lilly pads and the greenery so I wanted to stop and take a picture.

Little did we know what was lurking in the waters there.....

Uh, yikes!  The thing was HUGE!  It was like 8 or 9 feet!

Joanne freaked and jumped up on the car!  It was a little intense, but way cool to see a croc so close!

Near Orton Plantation, at the visitors center at St. Phillips Church.

St. Phillips Church

What a hottie!

We did part of the walking tour in Willmington.  The houses there were amazing!!

Fishing off the peir at the back of the house we stayed in.

Just sit right back And you'll hear a tale A tale of a fateful trip,

That started from this tropic port, Aboard this tiny ship.

The mate was a mighty sailin' man, The Skipper brave and sure,

Five passengers set sail that day, For a three hour tour, A three hour tour.

Thats right, friends, it's the SS Minow!

 

Poplar Grove Plantation.  It was so pretty!

At the Turtle Conservation Hospital

I know, I know, mock me all you want.  I should be mocked after going....

Mark, Chris and Joanne talking to our neighbor in front of the beach house.

View from the back of the house.

View from the front.  The walkway to the beach is in the middle.

Topsail Island Beach, North Carolina

Hanging Out With The Steeles

Our dear friend, Petrina came out to Utah from Texas for her yearly visit.  We met up at the Gateway and took the kids to see Dispicable Me.  After lunch we went swimming at Fort Williams in Lehi.  It was fun to catch up and watch the kids have such a good time together!

Austin, Caden and Kyle

Jace and Jackson

Kyle and Jackson

Jace and Collin

Mark torturing Austin 

Jackson and Kyle