Back 2 School...7th grade, 3rd grade & 1st grade...OH MY!!!

It's that time of year again...everybody is back to school...new grade...fresh start!!!  Feels so good to have a nice routine settling in...but I have to admit I LOVE summer and it was hard for me to let go!!!  The girls are at such good ages where we can pack up and hit the water park (my fav summer activity) without NEEDING that second set of hands!!!  Tall enough for slides and all the FUN the water park has to offer.  Lets be honest...I can't wait for next summer!!!  

Seven Peaks Water Park...our favorite spot this summer!!!

Ava grabbin' a snack

Snack time!!!

Kaylinn avoiding my photo op!

The view...not too shabby either!!

With that said...I have to remember that every season has its pros...I am so proud of our girls and I LOVE watching them grow, learn and become more & more independent...SAD face...yet happy they are successful at becoming independent!!!  Oh the bittersweet of being a parent!!  They make me happy every day...so I will grasp to those moments and remember that next summer will come soon enough...and we will ENJOY it to the fullest when it gets here...until then I will ENJOY today!!!

She started middle school last year...but for some reason 7th grade...eek!!!

Well these two are well on their way!!

lining up...excited for first day of 1st grade

Had to get a silly pose in there!!

checkin' to see if any of her pals are in her class...

YELLOW day...perfection!!

I can only hope that homework time is ALWAYS this easy!!

Cheers to another year under way!!!  I am sure the girls will give us many proud moments and we will soak each and every one up!! (and blog about it)

12?!?!?

Catch up blog post #2...Bailey's birthday month was a blast...which included a trip to Omaha and Sioux Falls!! Her month ended with a fun spa themed birthday with a few of her closest friends. We did masks, ate cake, ice cream & pizza...and had LOTS of girl time!!  I can't believe that next year we will have a teenager...no words to describe how fast the time is flying!! Here are a few pics to give a sneak peek on the fun that was had...

prepping for masks

even the cake had a spa day...

mask time...should have given better directions on staying clear of the eyes...

I am thinking Christmas card this year?!?!?  LOL...even dad had fun and pampered himself!

We couldn't be more proud of Bailey...she is growing up so fast!  Happy Birthday Bailey...we love you!!
Well that was short and sweet...only have a few more posts to do and I will be caught up...then to a more consistent schedule of posts!!!

Camping...and a little soccer!!!

This past weekend we headed out on a TWO day camping trip...eek...I am still not sure I am ready for that...but it happened anyway.  We headed to Great Basin National Park...which ended up being a beautiful place...honestly is there a non-beautiful place in the mountains???  I think not!!! The girls had a blast...but very much like their mother...they were ready for a hot shower and their own bed once returning to Sandy, UT...however while there we took advantage of all that the park had to offer!!  Only thing I couldn't get a great pic of was the amazing stars in the sky...honestly wish I would have had a book with all the constellations...we would have been able to spot them ALL!!! (hmmmm I bet they have one on Amazon Prime?!?!?) Here are a few pics of our tent and our Lehman Cave tour...you cannot go to Great Basin National Park without doing that tour...it was AMAZING!!!

Our tent(home) for the weekend...

The girls in the cave...it was super sunny and hot outside the cave but a chilly 40 degrees underneath the Earth's surface...was such a neat experience and learned a TON!!!

On the road again...once again the view doesn't disappoint...

Little camper is tired out...

Once home there was no rest for this household...which is NORMAL.  We were back to summer schedule ASAP...gymnastics camp, swim lessons, laundry, gardening, running errands, laundry, Wimbledon, World Cup soccer, Kaylinn starting soccer(pics included) & now laundry begins for our trip to SD...WOOT WOOT!!!  Yes more laundry and groceries in the summer for this gal...but I love every minute of it with the girls home.

Perfect weather for Kaylinn's first soccer game!!!

Kaylinn's cheering squad...honestly NEVER a dull moment!

Like I said we are headed to SD for our next get away and couldn't be more excited!!!

Summer is Here & eMotion Dance Recital!!!

The girls and I ended the school year with a bang!!!  Remembered to take pics, went out to lunch and ended with movie night!!!  We are ALL very ready for summer...time to relax, catch some rays, swim, camp, try new things & explore more of Utah!!!

First year of middle school complete...7th grade here she comes!!!

Hard to believe my youngest will be a 1st grader...as you can see we are lovin' life so no complaints here

#toocoolforschool

slip-n-slide is of course the ideal time to show off flexibility...HA!!!

movie time...Smurfs 2!!

Ava and Kaylinn had their end of year recital to top off the last week of school...what a show it was!! So glad I decided to buy a DVD of the production...we will be able to relive this wonderful day over and over and over again!  Ava had 3 dance numbers...hip-hop routine ROAR, jazz routine PEACOCKS & she was a lost boy in the full ballet PETER PAN!!  Miss Ava is quite the performer...those of you that know her will not be surprised by this...she LOVES the stage and the girl has moves like Jagger!!  LOL!!  Kaylinn had a jazz routine OH SO QUIET and was a fairy in the full ballet PETER PAN!!  I was extremely impressed with how well her group of 5 year olds did...AMAZING and so proud!!

Hip-Hop costume...in character ready to ROAR!!!

Ava close up!!

Sister Love...Kaylinn not feeling it at this point...she was a teensy angry that she is ALWAYS last!!!

Jazz routine costume...a little mouse for OH SO QUIET...Kaylinn was wanting some photos after I told her she could pick location!!

PETER PAN...fairies

Kaylinn certainly looks like a ballerina!!

PETER PAN cast

PETER PAN main characters

PETER PAN...Lost Boys 

Another pic of full cast...with Miss Allison...it was a wonderful production...LOVE eMotion dance!!!

I can't begin to even come close to showing my appreciation and gratitude to the girls' school teachers, dance teachers and coaches...they love them as their own and push them to do & be their best!!!  THANK YOU...your efforts and passion for what you do do not go unnoticed by this mom!!!

May...birthday month to birthday par-tay!!

So I have always loved going over the top for me on my birthday(especially since I became a mom), which then turned into birthday week and then birthday month...to be honest I totally deserve it!!!!  And I don't feel bad admitting that...as a "super" mom and wifey it is SUPER fun to just celebrate ME!!!
However this year I started thinking my girlies and hubby are just as SUPER as me so I decided to start birthday month for them as well!!!  Plus they are more into my birthday month...knowing they will receive the same royal treatment during their month!!  And honestly it is so much fun making others feel so special!!! So first up...MAY...Ava and Kaylinn...who happen to share a birthday...most of you know that but just a fun little fact to throw out there. I mean how many people share a birthday with a sibling?!?!?! (crazy enough my dad's sister do...is that something that runs in the family???)
My plan is to do a small gift each week...since we all have birthdays at the end of our birthday month this works out really well...birthdays that never end!!!  For Ava and Kaylinn I did weekly gifts of sunglasses, socks & sandals(slides is their real name???, so much lingo you have to learn as a parent to stay "cool"), books and swimsuit & towel(in their fav color).  As the girls get older I really try to get gifts that fit their personalities...not what I would want...which is hard...however when it really fits them it is so wonderful to feel that you "nailed" it when you see that look of pure JOY and appreciation on their faces!!!

Sunglasses...week one...little upset I didn't take pics of ALL weekly gifts...I guess I can't do it all...LOL!!!

And we topped it off with a birthday party on the last day of May...we invited some neighbor friends and I truly believe fun was had by all!!!  I honestly didn't even realize that we had 12(I think I counted right??) kiddos here that we were entertaining.  What I was most amazed by is the thoughtfulness that went into the gifts for the girls...so incredibly thankful to have landed in the neighborhood we have...the girls got things that just screamed who they are!!!  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

Ava's ballet shoe cake...BEFORE & AFTER...I let them chose what they want every year!!  And then somehow make it happen.

Kaylinn's cake...OLAF...BEFORE & AFTER

Cake's complete and ready to eat!!

Presents!!!

Cake & ice cream...yes PLEASE!!!