Quote of the Day

I was cooking dinner and listening to a long story Brynn was re-counting, while telling Hudson to be quiet because he was "singing" as loud as he could, Tanner was on the laptop and Bryson was spelling something to him. Tanner didn't quite catch it but I did and told Bryson what the word was. Cryptonite. . . or some other long word that started with 'C'.

Tanner: "Good thing your mom is super smart, huh Buddy?"

Bryson: "That's okay Dad. You're really good at sports."

Glow Show, Dawn Patrol and Mass Ascension

Well, this weekend was busy- full of fun stuff. Especially The Great Reno Balloon Races. Amy and Jared came up to experience all the festivities. Tan's boss is a bit of a spaz and wakes up at 4 am every morning so he staked out a great spot while the rest of struggled to function that early. The Glow Show starts at 5 a.m. with a wannabe synchronized light show.

Love this one: Bryson was hungry (and therefore extremely grumpy) because he didn't want all the delicious food we brought.

Dawn Patrol begins a little before 7. There was over 50,000 people there and they call it the "world's largest pajama party".

The National Anthem

Five B-something's off in the distance.

Love this shot too

After the 5 B-whatevers, some other planes came from the opposite direction and when they were directly overhead one broke out of formation. I think that signifies the lost soldiers. Right?

Directly under one of them

Mass Ascension

Aww, cute!

The clouds made for some pretty cool sunrise shots

This one was right in front of us

The energizer bunny is 15 ft. taller than the Statue of Liberty

Approx. 100 balloons floating over Reno

Sometimes they touch down in the neighborhoods, like this one

The Wells Fargo wagon floated right over us and we could hear him saying hello to everyone

One of his naps during the day. We still need to catch up on some zzzzz's

Drum roll please. . . .

My Favorite of the day. Seriously, though, this is my happy thought. Her face says sooo much. Bill was able to get one of her half-smiling and he said he'd give it to me. Not sure if its a good idea to hang out with your boss when you wake your family up at 4 a.m. Fortunately Amy let Karen love on Tristin all morning so that helped a lot.

KinDergArTeN!!!! WOO HOO!

The Difference between boys and girls:

Boys: wake up and grab a shirt and shorts and put it on.

Girls: lay out their clothes weeks ahead of time, not only for the first day of school but for the entire week.

Boys: wake up and eat immediately, because if they don't they'll DIE!

Girls: wake up and take their sweet time before they want breakfast, then eat as slow as possible, then decide half way through that they're not hungry after all.

Boys: look into the mirror and walk right out of the bathroom

Girls: have to watch every single move you make while doing their hair, won't sit still and move their head all over the place and a half an hour later their hair is finally complete.

Boys: grab their back pack and bolt out the door.

Girls: mosey around making sure for the thousandth time that their folder is still in their Hello Kitty backpack, then take another peek in the mirror and mosey out to the car, not in a hurry for anything.

Boys: get in the car and say school was "good"

Girls: start talking the second they get outside and tell you every. single. thing. that was done during the day with enough animation for a Disney movie. And if you're lucky you'll get the play-by-play at least one more time.

This is Huddy stomping on the bushes because he thought he was staying as "schoowul, wiff his horthey pack-pack". Mad as a hatter that we took him home to the boring ole house with us.

So long Summer

Gone are the days I can lay in bed till 10 with my children

piled all around me watching a movie.

Gone are the days we don't get dressed until just

before Tanner gets home from work.

Gone are the days I can take the kids to do whatever, whenever.

Gone are the fights that start the moment

we wake up and last until bedtime.

Gone are the days I have all my children all

around me all. day. long.

Yesterday my eldest started First Grade. On Tuesday Brynn will start Kindergarten and I will be down to 1 child for half the day. What will I do with myself?!?!

Though I do look forward to my children in school, this is such a strange feeling. For the past 5 years it seems I have been busy with my busy ones all day and occasionally feel the need to disappear. It will feel so weird not having them here with me all day.

Hunter and Jack from Kindergarten, neither of whom are in his class.

Huddy stood in line with him the whole time while waiting for the teacher. He thinks he's going to school too, with his "hoathey pack-pack" (horsey back-pack)

ward bbq (50's style)

Malayia, Nani, Cosette, Brynn

Shoulda won the bubble blowing contest

The Hula-Hoop Contest

The only ones in the ward who dressed up. as always.

The men's hula-hoop contest