{Back to School}

I usually call the first day of school "Mama Trauma Day," but I just can't do that this year. I survived the day completely untraumatized, and so did the girls. Sheesh, we must all be growing up!

This summer went by so fast! We had so much fun, I'm sad that all that time with my big kids is over. Reality is starting to set in. I had the mental schedule all laid out. Summer, school starts, baby comes (just about a week for me!!!) then Louis starts preschool. Our lives are going to be flipped upside down from those lazy summer days. I'm so glad we had them, I tried to soak every one in. I may just be the only mom not excited to send my kids back to school this year. *sob*

Elizabeth started 5th grade this year (say WHA?!?) and made the move out of the elementary school to the Middle school. OK, saying that out loud does seem to be causing my heart rate to jump up a little, but it's probably nothing that a few deep breathing exercises couldn't keep under control. She loves the team of teachers she has, and is lucky to know a lot of kids there already since she's attended 2 of the elementary schools in the district and been in the Discovery program. I have a feeling she's totally rock this year -- as long as she doesn't get lost.

Caroline is in second grade and was so ready to go back to school this year. She has a new teacher and one of the new classrooms that was added onto the school, so she's thinking she's pretty hot stuff. She also gets to start in the Discovery program this year, and I just know she's going to love it!

Umm, when did my little girls grow up so much?

{To the Zoo!}

Nana invited us all to the zoo!
What fun, all the grand kids at the zoo!
By the time we got out of that crazy place, I kinda think we just took one zoo through another zoo.
But we had a lot of fun doing it!




If they ever take out this drinking fountain, I swear I'll never take pictures at the zoo again.






The goats enjoyed a good pampering. It always kills me that they spend so much time with the goats at the zoo when we have goats here, at the house, all day, every day, day after day, after day. Perhaps I should invest in some of these fancy little brushes.

Elyse is so sweet. This is what swans look like, and "you know what? When you put them together they make a heart of love."

We heart the zoo.

{Cheva-Yea! Part 4!}

For our last big hurrah, we took the wheelers up to the sand dunes to play up there, while the rest of us do what we do best... wait for turns and play in the water!

Golly, I love this little bobble head.

I forgot the buckets and shovels again, so I taught the girls how to make drip castles.

All that beautiful water, and all the kids wanted to do was dig in the mud. They made a couple of little "hot tubs" that they were very proud of!

Beautiful Immer. I miss her so much already!

{Cheva-Yea! Part 3}

We spent one gorgeous afternoon at Ririe Reservoir on the jet skis -- which I didn't get very many pictures of... too far to walk, I guess. ;) The kids loved taking turns going on rides and trying their hand at driving! They're all so brave!

The rest of us played by the docks and ate a picnic while the kids waited for their turns.

I forgot to pack buckets and shovels. In fact I forgot them every time we went anywhere this week. Eh, Caroline don't need no stinkin' shovels.

More great future wedding photos! Andre gave Elizabeth a little snorkel 101 class, and they had a blast looking around. They even were surprised by a red salmon!

Which inspired Todd to throw on his mask and fins... but he water was pretty cold, and he had a hard time committing to actually getting in.

Brr!

{Cheva-Yea! Part 2}

As promised, the pictures of the kids on carousel and at the spray park! These kids are water babies, I swear they lived in their swimming suits!

{Cheva-YEA! Part 1}

Our bestest friends, our Washington family, finally came to visit us in Idaho! They might tell you it was more like a vacation to Yellowstone Park and a little stop at our house, but I know better. It was so great to see them again! It took no time at all and the kids were best friends again... it made me so happy! We squeezed some serious amounts of partying into 5 days, so I'll have to break up the posts.

Here's our crew (a little early in the morning, but the only picture I have of all of them together)!
Naomi, Louis, Isabelle, Elizabeth, Araiana, and Andre



The few minutes we were actually at our house, the kids were busy playing Wii, chasing the animals, and cooling off in the ditch. That's how we roll... the little plastic swimming pool I bought got a leak and I just never got around to replacing it. So now we're ditch people. It's important the Chevaliers got the true Idaho experience.


Which is why we also had a BBQ and bonfire with a few of our great neighbors... that turned out to be so big and hot that the kids couldn't even get near enough to roast their marshmallows. So we made them their own tiny fire on the side.




Always the hostess, I was ready for them with all the fixings for smores. (After seeing all the pictures of this week I am now enforcing a strict "No Pictures of Alynn Below Her Shoulders" policy. My own mother was there! Why didn't anybody remind me to sit up straight?!? This is 3 weeks before my due date, by the way.)



For one night we divided up and Todd and Jeremy took Elizabeth and Andre on a camp out with my brother-in-law, niece, and dad. Immer and I were secretly thrilled not to have to go camping! They had a blast at Sheep Falls on the wheelers, fishing, and shooting.





Check out Andre back there loading magazines for Elizabeth while she shoots. That's the beginning of true love, folks. They have the same birthday, and we've been telling them for years that they will get married -- I'm not sure Andre even knows he has any say in the matter! Won't this picture be perfect for their wedding video?


It was a pretty dusty trip, so when they got home the kids convinced Todd and Elyse to rinse off a layer of dirt with them on the trampoline with the sprinkler on underneath!

While they were gone camping Immer and I took the other kids to the spray park (more on that later) and on a picnic to the nature park. You know sometimes when you go to the park there's that weird kid that talks to everybody and anybody and is wearing a box on his head for a hat?


Um, yeah. Now that's my kid.
Goob.