Summer is Over

First day of school- July 09
Honestly I can not believe how fast the summer flew by. I'm not ready for my kiddos to have already started school. I'm sure it will be nice to be able to get things accomplished but I miss them already. They have both thoroughly enjoyed their first week of school. Tate is in all day kinder and B is in 4Th grade. Tate has Mrs. Strickland and I think she is going to be perfect for him. He is such a sweetheart but can be wild and crazy more times than not. I was worried if he got a teacher that was to relaxed he may not think he had to be on his best behavior. His teacher seems to be nice but strict and I am perfectly happy about that. B has Mrs. Bernier and is so happy with her. I was very impressed with her also and know that Brooklyn is going to have and awesome year. She finally got to be in the same class as Madison and is so thrilled about it. B has been such a sweetheart to Tate at school and is very concerned for him. I am so thankful that they at least have this 1 year at the same school. I know that it makes it easier for him knowing that she is there.
Tylee has done pretty good at home without them here but I can tell she misses them. She has gotten into things a little more this week than usual. I am sure that it is just out of boredom. I am not to worried about that though because I am getting ready to knock out my mile long to-do list. I have this list that has just been growing for about a year because I had no desire to take all my kids to run these errands. Now with the 2 gone it should be smooth sailing and I am so excited to finally get my house done! We had such a fun summer and I have to say that I have had a rough week with them gone. We swam nearly everyday and had a blast. I love to swim but my older kids make it way more fun. Something about Tate starting kinder this year has been tough. I miss my little love bug when he is not around. I miss B as well but have just gotten used to her being at school. I am already looking forward to fall break:) I am so blessed to have good kids. I am so proud of my kids and am excited to see all the progress that will be made throughout this school year.

More Lake Powell

Look at how stunning this girl is. I can not beleive how old she is. I love and miss you B.

4th of July

July 4Th was good as always. Chad had the day off on Friday and was able to golf and hang out with us at moms. I hurried to get to McDonald's by 1030 because I needed my egg McMuffin and large Dr. Pepper. I know great breakfast but as for now its works for me. We got to moms about 1045 and were able to catch them teeing off. So since I'm a dork with my new camera I took some photos. I had to laugh because Ty was yelling go daddy as he was in his back swing. I quieted her before Ricky hit his ball though. From the sounds of it I'm not sure her cheering really made it worse but Chad enjoyed getting out there with Ricky, Jared and Wayne. We were quick to get in the pool from there and swam till late in the evening. It was fun to have all the dads home to play with us. The kids enjoy having their dad around and love to play with him. Plus it allows for me to actually relax:)

Jared and Wayne were along for the fun as well. I think they were hiding behind the tree so Chad and Ricky didn't hit them!Martha Stuart, aka Michelle made these yummy treats and I had to document their perfection. They are cupcakes with a brownie in the middle to look like the hamburger. The fries are sugar cookies and then yummy frosting for the fixings. Seriously sis, your amazing and so creative. I know it was not your idea but I could not pull those off if I had to. I'm glad at least one of us got the creative gene. Your the worlds best Holly Homemaker:)On Saturday we were back at mom and dads for more swimming and eating. Its a good thing mom loves to swim since her grand kids are always up for it. We barbecued for dinner and then headed to Urrys for the annual firework show. As always there were plenty of yummy treats to eat and the company was even better. Its so cool to be right underneath the fireworks and to actually be able to feel them. I can never seem to get all of my kids smiling and looking at me so these pictures of them are just OK. Plus Ty still has not figured out how to smile on command. B and Ty were excited to wear their matching necklaces to the festivities. We made them for all the little girls and they were so stinking cute. Thanks again to Michelle's creativity!

I have to say that I am so grateful for the freedoms that we have in the United States! We are a fortunate country and have so much to be thankful for. We live in a world that has undoubtedly been created by the hand of God. Having just been at LP I am amazed by the beauty that surrounds us. The moon and stars have always fascinated me and they were amazing out on the lake. Its small and simple, but these things provide me with peace and joy. I appreciate the brave soldiers and their families who fight for our freedoms. It is a job that only one who is very courageous could do and that I would not want to have. So many sacrifices have gone into our being able to live the lives that we do. We are blessed beyond belief!

LP 09

Once again Lake Powell was amazing! It was everything I could have asked for and more. It was truly relaxing, fun was had and great memories were made. I loved having B there with us this time. Ty stayed home with Aunt Am, Michelle and my parents. As much as I missed her I was able to relax and not feel the worry of having her there. Thanks to you guys for loving her and treating her kindly in our absence. Randa did not disappoint with theme nights. We had Hawaiian night, Mexican, Italian, Hollywood, Mardi Gras, Baseball Night and Western night. Decorations and costumes were all out and made it such a blast, not only for me but our kiddos. The food was awesome no thanks to the Cummard clan but we do our best to help out in other areas:) I wish I didn't bite at cooking but lucky for us Randa and Wayne and Chea rock in that dept.

Jared signing autographs on Hollywood night. Everyone strutted down the red carpet and Chad was doing the interviews. It was hilarious and the kids thought it was so fun. Wayne pointing to his fans, aka Chea:)Joelle looking stunning because she is. I love her hair color!!

Tate couldn't quite do the strut like the others. He tried but was a bit out of his comfort zone.

Enough about theme nights, there is a ton more to talk about. We did plenty of tubing, wake boarding, riding the wave runners, fishing, game playing, site seeing, dancing, laughing and just chilling on the boats. We continued on with the tradition of hiking Hole in the Rock and seeing Rainbow Bridge. I was glad we got to do them again so that B could see them. We also went to the Sand Hill this year. The talent show was full of fun and laughter as we watched our kids perform. Cletus did visit again this year and did not let anyone down. He sang a song from Phantom which was fantastic and passed out gifts to all the kids. Good Job Cletus!B had 2 talents, the first was singing and dancing to Eye of the Tiger. The second was some nice sounds she can make. I was laughing so hard and boy did she make me proud:)For the most part the trip consisted of taking it easy one way or another!

B spent a lot of time fishing. The boys were so kind and taught her how to fish since I am no good in that dept. She did end up catching 2 big fish and was elated! This was a picture I took as we were coming down Hole in the Rock. By this point we were all so hot I think we were running down so we could swim. The picture below is our family as we had just finished going up. We had a long ball contest which I thought was a blast. It was so funny to see the kids give it their best in one form or another. I cant say I hit to shabby but with the comp as fierce as it was I didn't finish so strong. I think Chad ended up winning this one! Go team CDC!

There are way to many pictures to post as you can see. I think I took somewhere close to 1000 pics. I was having fun enjoying my new toy. Since this post is already eternal I will close it out by saying how fortunate we are. We have such great friends who we can totally be ourselves around and have fun. It doesn't get any better than Lake Powell for me. I'm not sure who decided that Disneyland was the greatest place on earth because for me its definitely LP. Thanks Lambs and Larson's memories were made and we cherish the time we get to be with you guys. Till next year................