Miscellaneous August Pictures

Bentley and Eden's 1st Day of School!

After a lot of agonizing over the pros and cons, we have decided to say goodbye to Tierra Antigua Elementary School and hello to Coyote Willow Family School.  The school just finished construction and will only have 180 students this year (and only 240 when it's at full capacity).  They can stay at this school through 8th grade which I'm hoping will help avoid some of the heartache of the middle school years.  The kids will now be in a program that is 80% in school and 20% homeschooled.  More than anything, I am just so excited to have them home with me more and the ability to be very involved in their educations and learning.

Bentley is starting kindergarten and this year he will be in a K-2nd grade class with Mrs. Wong.  He will be expected to master the kindergarten curriculum, but will be exposed and given the 1st grade curriculum if he is ready for it (which I know he will be).  I just can't believe it's already time for him to start Kindergarten!!  He is so ready to get in and be a "real" student.  Eden has been his teacher at home a lot in all their games of "school" so he has been adequately prepped for this.  He is more than ready for what they will throw at him.  I know he is going to be a very eager learner.   As far as I am concerned though, the fact that my boy is spending more time with someone else than me is so sad!  I'm not ready to let go of him, but it is comforting to know I am sending him to a school that will challenge him.  

Eden is in 3rd grade this year and will be in a 2nd-4th grade class which I think will be perfect for her.  Her teacher is Mr. Doug and she is excited about the new dynamic that having a male teacher will bring.  In his welcome letter he said he loved spending time with his family, playing board games, and reading.  When Eden read this she said, "mom, he sounds just like me!"  She is very excited.

She is nervous to change schools because she was really getting settled in over at Tierra Antigua and knew a lot of kids from her classes over the years.  Fortunately, many families from church have also moved over to this new school, and her best friend Avery Haslam will even be in her class so that was definitely an answered prayer.  She says she is nervous and excited, but mostly just excited.

Dropping them off on their first day was so hard and exciting all wrapped up into one.  I loved that when they posed for this picture, they were holding hands.  These two have a special bond and look out for each other.  I love that they love each other so much.

The courtyard outside all the classrooms was still under construction.  It's so exciting to be starting at this school from day one!  I am excited for the many new adventures coming our way!

Just like the kids, I am both nervous and excited for this new school.  I love that I will have them home with me more.  I missed Eden so much when she was at Tierra Antigua because it felt like the days were so long, and I wasn't very involved.  I am so excited for this opportunity to be very involved with their school experience, and I'm grateful we will have homeschool days to continue all our fun adventures all together.

So now, Tuesday - Thursday from 8-3 it's just me and these two cute little girls (who also happen to be holding hands for their picture).  I am excited for the time I will have with them while the big kids are at school.  We have many fun things to look forward to.  :)

These girls are two peas in a pod.  I love spending time with them too.

Olive's 1st Day of Preschool

To say this little lady was ready for her first day of preschool is a total understatement.  I already know that only one day a week is not going to be nearly enough for this little social butterfly, but I'm not ready to give her up for more than that yet.

Take a look at that smile!  Pure excitement!

She made sure her backpack was full of anything she may need.... toys, shoes, necklaces, and lots of snacks to share with her friends,

Good luck to you this year Olive - I know you will love this!

Eden and Mom

Eden - I love you girl.  You have matured and blossomed so much this year.  I love that when we are together, it's like I'm hanging out with a friend.  You are so much fun, and I am so excited to see what more you will accomplish this year.  3rd grade, here she comes!

Clinging to the Final Days of Summer Break

It's the final weekend of summer break... next week we get back into the routine of school, homework, packing lunches.... blah blah blah.  So until then, we were going to live up every last unplanned minute we could.  We decided we needed to take dad to experience "the beach" we recently discovered.  It was a beautiful evening enjoying the sunshine and being together, with nothing to do or accomplish.

I wish we could always have summer break...... :)

Grandpa's Surprise Party

Grandpa's 60th birthday!!  We told him that we were going to throw him a big birthday party and he hated that idea, so instead we just showed up at his office one with cake and ice cream to have a little surprise gathering (NOT a party).  I think he was ok with that.  :)

The kids thought it was fun to go see his office and all the interesting things he has hanging on his walls, and they even found quarters in his desk which was a highlight of the day for them.

Then over the weekend we were able to really celebrate his birthday with dinner and a movie at the new Flix brewhouse.  We ordered our dinner and had it served while watching the movie.  It was definitely a new and different experience.  We had a lot of fun.

Happy 60th birthday grandpa!  You're looking and feeling better than ever! :)

The Day at "The Beach"

Well it's the final week before school starts, but we found one more super fun place to explore.  I kept hearing about this "beach" down in the Rio Grande, but I hadn't ever actually figured out where to go.  So a bunch of families from church were heading out there one day, so I decided to tag along and I'm so grateful we did!  I'm actually bummed we weren't hanging out here more over the break.  This was such a blast!  The moms hung out under our umbrellas and visited, and the kids all played in the water, dug in the sand, and floated down the river.  It was so much fun!

Bentley even found a cute little toad friend, and they spent the next couple hours building a toad house and tunnels in the mud along the water bank.

It's certainly not a beautiful beach overlooking the ocean, but these kids sure didn't mind that brown water.  It was so much fun.

Eden was very excited about the towel dress she created, and insisted that I take a picture of it.  She's such a cutie!

We've been here for many years, but there are still new adventures coming our way all the time!  This one is definitely a keeper.  We can't wait to spend more time out here enjoying the "beach".