First Day of School

Miles ready to start 3rd grade!

Carter and Miles ready to head off.

Carter the 1st grader. School ALL day long. Sheesh!

Backpacks. Carter got a Star Wars Lego backpack and lunch box. Miles scored his awesome Lego backpack at a yard sale.

Miles at his desk in his class room. It is pretty close to the teachers desk. I think she wanted to keep an eye on him.

Miles with Mrs. Steiner. He had her last year. She moved up to third grade this year and we couldn't be happier for him to have her again. Miles is a smart kid but he has a hard time focusing sometimes. Not ADD, just a daydreamer. We started this year with a teacher that knows his struggles and us knowing what his teacher expects and how she works. I think it will be a great year for all of us.

Carter at his desk. He was so excited to see his desk. Kindergartners just have tables. No place underneath to put things.

Carter with Mrs. Stenberg. Another teacher we are very excited about. Miles and Carter had a preschool teacher named Mrs. Karen. I LOVED her! She was such a good preschool teacher. In fact I cried when Carter ended preschool because I had no more children to send to her. Well, Mrs. Stenberg happens to be Mrs. Karen's sister. And we have heard NOTHING but wonderful things about Mrs. Stenberg. I think it is going to be a good year.

A week at the cabin

Quinn ran the Bryce Canyon Half Marathon on the 17th of July and we really wanted to go to the parade in Panguitch on the 24th so we decided to stay for the week rather than drive 4 hours each way again during the week. I always love the sight of the lake as we are driving there. When we see this we know all we have to do is drive around the lake and we are there!

Quinn and Miles out for a ride on the RZR.

Miles was doing all sorts of posing with Rubber Duckie.

Miles even rode with Rubber Duckie in his seat belt to help keep him safe.

We took a trip to Bryce Canyon on this trip. I always think it is farther than it really is. From the cabin to Bryce Canyon it is only about 40 miles. Not too bad. We went with my sister Becky. Her two boys Dane and Hunter. My sister in law Sarah and her two kids Tate and Grace. As Americans we definitely felt like we were in the minority. Europeans love the wild west and can't get enough of stuff like this.

Carter, Dane, Miles and Hunter sitting on a bench. Go another ten feet and it is straight down. I'm surprised more accidents don't happen here.

Some guy was there feeding a very friendly chipmunk with sunflower seeds. Quinn was with the boys where all this was going on. I guess the crazy guy gave some of the kids sunflower seeds and they fed them to the chipmunk. I'm sure it didn't have any diseases.

Miles hadn't had a turn to try and feed the creature. The guy with the sunflowers had left so Quinn thought they could trick it and give it just an empty shell. Well it took the shell and then kept trying to eat. It nibbled a little on Miles' finger but did not break the skin. I spent the rest of the day and night worrying that my kid had rabies.

Quinn and our boys went on a hike along the ridge along with Becky and her boys. I didn't think I would make it in the heat and Sarah wasn't about to tackle that with Tate and Grace. So we drove and met them at the end. Quinn, Miles and Carter at the end of their hike. They had a good time.

Here I am all decked out in my country/cowgirl attire (the shirt and hat anyway) waiting for the parade to start.

The boys are anxiously waiting for the parade to start. They have plastic bags ready for all the candy about to be thrown in their direction. My favorite is the ambulance that throws candy out with a band aid taped to each piece. I like to yell - go kids! Go! We need more band aids! My mom came with us so I am strategically placed in the shade. The heat does do a number on me but she fusses over everything when she is around. I do like that she takes care of me. I still need my mommy even though I am thirty slur.....

Miles and Carter with their cold drinks and bags. So excited. Have you liked how crowded it is? One of the main reasons I love this little town parade. So relaxed. Not crowded. Just fun.

I like this picture of our little family. Too bad I didn't put the bag down. We had a good week and look forward to doing it again sometime.

Bryce Canyon Half Marathon

Several months ago my sister Cassandra decided she wanted to run the Bryce Canyon Half Marathon. She tried to get everyone else to do it as well. My brother Jason (who has already run a Marathon) decided to do it. My mom offered to watch their kids if Heather ran so she was in. Quinn had wanted to do it but didn't have much time to train. He got family peer pressured into it. He was pretty worried because he didn't get to train as much as he really needed to, but he went ahead and did it and didn't do too bad.

Quinn got up at 3:45 and he and Cassandra left from the cabin to catch a shuttle bus from Panguitch to the race. Apparently Cassandra was the most excited one on the bus. Quinn said he would run the race again but didn't want to ride the bus with Cassandra again. Oh sad.

I got up at 4:45 so that I could get to the finish line and take pictures and cheer. The route started right by Ruby's Inn near the entrance to Bryce Canyon and ended in Cannonville. I passed runners shortly after the race started. I missed Heather and Jason but I did see Quinn and Cassandra and was able to wave at them. Quinn is in the blue shirt behind the lady in green. He did it!

I had to wait for a bit at the end but was glad I didn't miss anyone. Jason came in first at about 1 hour 45 minutes. Cassandra was next around 2 hours 20 minutes. Quinn was in just after her and then Heather was just after that. They all did so well! It was exciting to watch people finish. Some were runners that do this regularly. Some were really accomplishing something they had never done before.

Jason

Cassandra

Quinn

Heather

Quinn being so proud of his medal.

I will be there to support. Can't/won't/don't want to always participate.

The Fountains at the Gateway

I went to the Gateway with Miles and Carter and my sister in law Sarah and her kids Tate and Grace. We thought taking them to the fountains on a hot day would be a good idea.

Miles loves water and loves to get drenched any time he can. I think he is part fish.

I took a picture of Tate and got the "shut up" finger. If I didn't find it so funny...

Sometimes I like to call them Ebony and Ivory.

Miles and Carter are strategically waiting for the fountains to come on.

Carter in action.

Grace enjoyed crawling around until she got to the area that wasn't wet. Then it was a little too hot.

We had a fun time. My kids could have stayed for several more hours but I was not up for that. Neither was Sarah. It is fun to watch them run around trying to get all wet and enjoy the fountains.

The rest of California

After Disneyland we headed down to Carlsbad. We spent one day at Legoland and two days at the beach. We had a really fun time at the beach despite the fact that it was a little cold at times. That is what happens when you go in early June.

Miles discovered boogie boarding. He spent the entire day the second day on the boogie board. That evening I had to basically feed him at the restaurant because he was so tired he could barely stay sitting up.

I spent a little time out there with Miles. I didn't spend nearly as much time as he did and I was exhausted. Quinn was proud of me for putting my book down and getting out in the water. It was cold at first. I was hesitant.

Carter spent the majority of his time in the sand - not the water.

We did put sunscreen all over him... except where his swimsuit pulled down from bending over all day. Poor guy.

We spent my birthday on the beach. Miles wanted to make a sandcastle for my birthday. What cute boys.

Quinn enjoying the warmth of the beach...

On our way down to Carlsbad we stopped at the Newport Beach Temple to walk around and check it out.

This is Carter pouting/throwing a tantrum/being stubborn...

What a good looking family.

What cute boys.

The front of the temple.