The Gates of the Mountains

After school on Friday (August 30th) we took off to enjoy an evening at The Gates of the Mountains.  It has been on Mckay and my bucket list for a while now!  With it being Labor Day weekend we were not sure if it would be over crowded but it turned out to be perfect.  The weather was great and so was the company (Our family, Maren, Wade, and Dick, but we missed Sarah who was still out of town dropping Megan and the kids off in Indiana).

 

Brielle wasn't very fond of having to stay in a life jacket on the boat ride, but with her blanket in tow she had fun riding on the boat.

We thought we would later need the canoe so we towed it to a cove and dropped it off while we went farther up river.  Turns out we didn't need it because we all fit just fine on the boat.  But McKenzie had fun being pulled behind the boat in a canoe with her dad for a few minutes.

Taylor and Payton enjoying the beautiful scenery while watching for wildlife.

We found the perfect spot to have a picnic dinner.  The kids had a blast exploring around!

It was so fun to go somewhere new and enjoy nature as a family.

Then our trip got a lot more exciting as we were getting in the boat to head back.  Mckay spotted a brown bear getting in the water to cross the river and come to our side.  We think it may have smelt our food.  We wanted to get a little closer to see it even better.

Then the bear got a little spooked from us and turned back around and back to shore.  We followed him for about 30 minutes.  It was awesome watching a bear in the wild.  Since the shore line was cliffy, he had a hard time getting out of view.  It was fun to enjoy the beauty of Montana.

The kids each thought it was great...it was like the perfect "Welcome to Montana" view for them.

Back to School 2013

Oh how it is already for this time of year to begin again?  August 28th was the start of yet another school year.  Each year I have serious anxiety and get supper sentimental about the kids going back to school.  I know they love it, but I just love having them home with me.  I know, I know, and yes it gets a little loud and crazy with them at home...but I truly consider them some of my best friends and we have a lot of fun together!  We do everything together and I wouldn't have it any other way.  As I watch them grow, I can't help but think, someday I will look back at these child-rearing years and think that these years came and went in the blink of an eye.  I can see that it is already happening and I have really been trying hard to embrace each moment and not wish through this phase of life.

This year is especially hard to send them to school because it is in a NEW school.  This will be their first year attending Fairfield Elementary.  They will be the NEW kids.  I was a NEW kid once and it didn't seem to be that big of an adjustment, so I am hoping for a smooth transition for them as well.  I think it helps that they are still young and excited to go to school.  Not to mention they have each other and are often each others best friends.  August 27th was a meet your teacher night.  This got the kids even more thrilled to be going back to school and everyone has been so welcoming.  They brought their supplies, looked at the school again, met their new teachers (both seemed really nice), and saw a few new classmates.  It should be fun for them and it definitely helps having them so eager to go.  With all of the recent changes in our lives, I have been so impressed with how the kids are responding.  Payton has been Grandpa's little irrigating helper and has really enjoyed doing this with his grandpa.  McKenzie loves to ride the golf cart.  Life is good!

Kenzie and Payton ready to go to their NEW school.

Kenzie, my little 1st Grader!

Payton, my good looking 2nd Grader!

As a tradition, Mckay and I always load all the kids in the car and drop the kids off for their first day of school.  We enjoy taking them and watching their excitement.  It is also nice to have Mckay there for moral support (I may have shed a few tears).

Looking good!

Happy as can be!

Mckay and me

We watched the kids play on the playground a bit before the morning bell rang and it was time for school to start.

Payton on the monkey bars.

McKenzie's turn.

What a fun place.

Spending some time saying goodbye to their siblings!

Payton and Kenzie are in line waiting to go inside with their classmates. 

Taylor running to give them a hug as they returned home on the bus.

Reunited once again!  Can you tell they missed each other!

 

Some things they have told me about school so far:

Kenzie stated that she is still the smallest kid in her class.  I guess someone asked her if she was in Kindergarten.  She says she is even smaller than most of the Kindergartners.

Payton said that everyone thinks he is funny and they laugh at the things he says.  He enjoys playing soccer with the kids as well!  I think some of the older boys he met at his first boy scouts activity(September 4th) have been nice about including him and making him feel welcomed.  He also got invited to Miles Allen's Birthday Party and had a blast with the boys there!  Although one day he told me about something that happened at school.  When he got home he took his shoes off right away and ran upstairs to put them away.  I was grateful/shocked that he was so quick to do that without being asked.  Later that night as we were picking out his clothes for the next day, he mentioned that he didn't want to wear those shoes tomorrow.  It was then that I found out why he was so quick to put away his shoes.  I guess at some point he had stepped on a treat left behind from a Dog on the playground.  Payton was upset and said that the kids had laughed at him when it happened.  I told him I would clean them all off so they would be as good as new, and that they kids were not just picking on him (although as a mom I felt is pain and wished I could have taken that embarrassment from him).  I also told him that they probably would have laughed at anyone who stepped in it, not just him!  Now it seems like water under the bridge.  I guess Kenzie sums it up well when she said, "I wish that dog wouldn't have done that!"  We ended up getting new shoes for Payton anyway and these ones tie so he is excited about that.  For the most part the kids are making new friends, loving school and church, and Payton is so excited to be attending Boy Scouts Wednesday nights and is making even more friends there!

 

They are both started to get to know more kids at school/church and often play with each other at recess too!  I think that it is great they at least always have each other to count on!

Playing Hard Before School Resumes

We have had one goal in mind recently:  Soaking up our time together before Payton and McKenzie return to school (aka: having fun together).  I know they are excited but we are sure going to miss each other once they go back.  On our list of fun things has been: swimming, picnic at the parks, playing outside, golf cart/4-wheeler rides, library visits, ice cream cones, Dollar Store (Is it possible for kids to ever get tired of that place?), and play dates with cousins/friends.  It sure has been another adventurous summer!

 Side note:  On August 25th we were making the long car ride back to Montana.  McKenzie bit on a water bottle and then began to freak out a bit.  I guess when she bit the water bottle it made her tooth wiggly.  She was so scared to have her first wiggly tooth and even more scared to have it pulled.  I tell you this girl hates pain!!  Well the very next day I pulled her tooth out and she was feeling much better as she anticipated a visit from the tooth fairy that night (Aug 26th)!  It was pretty easy to pull out and must have been ready since she already has a new little tooth popping up in its place.  Pretty cute way to start first grade, missing a tooth and a fun little grin.

Pretty cute if you ask me!

 

The kids have sure loved having their dad live so close to work.  We get to see him for lunch nearly everyday!  Most of the time he comes home (well to Swensen's for now anyway) for lunch but we also enjoy meeting up with him at the park for a picnic and time to play.

Eating their food.

Good times and fun memories!

Payton and Kenzie on the Teeter Totter.

Mckay helping Brielle up the big ladder to go down the slide.

Oh how I love this little face!  Taylor loves the Teeter Totter as well.

Another popular thing at the park in Choteau, is the little stream that runs through it.  The kids think it is great to walk in it and cool off on a hot summer day!  What would it be like to be a kid again and not have a worry in the world.  I sure do love being their mom!

Last Summer Splash!

Amongst all of the other activities this busy weekend visit, we were able to sneak in one last summer swim at the Vale Swimming Pool with my family.  I did take the kids swimming at the Choteau Pool with some of their other cousins earlier this summer and they loved it.  They absolutely love swimming and could never get enough!  It is a little sad to see SUMMER coming to an end so soon, but I welcome FALL and the cooler weather and the fun changes at the same time.

McKenzie, Dad, Whitney, and Aubrey. 

Kenzie has really improved at swimming and gets more and more comfortable every time she goes swimming.

Brielle holding on to the edge by herself.

Brielle, Mckay, and Payton. 

Payton is nearly underwater the whole time and loves to go all over the place.

Daniel, Mom, Michelle, and Ashlee

Kaden and Taylor loving floating around and relaxing in the pool!  Taylor just loves his float jacket and goes all over the place in it!

Kenzie and Ashlee

Dad, Mckay, and Mark

Kaitlyn, Brielle, Aubrey, Whitney, and Michelle (once the little ones tried out the kiddie pool there was no going back to the big one).  They were having too much fun being independent!

The men playing games.

 

Allyssa and Payton with their grandparents.
 

It was a fun family day, we all had a blast!
Then we went back to my parents for some dinner while the girls hit a few stores.  We spent the night before returning to Montana the next day.

A Visit to the Dentist

During our short trip back to Idaho the kids had their visits with the Dentist.  So far my kids really like going there.  It was nice to have all 4 kids check out clean and cavity free!  Yahoo!!

Brielle actually allowed the Dental Assistant to do quite a few things.  I was pretty surprised!

It helped that they gave her a new pink tooth brush, which she absolutely loved.

Taylor's turn in the hot seat!

Good job Taylor!

He is actually pretty funny to watch...he just busts up giggling when they are polishing his teeth.  Funny kid!

McKenzie is getting new back molars that needed sealed, but everything else looked great.

Going to the Dentist is super fun for Payton.  As of now he hopes to be a Dentist when he grows up.  I think he likes to check out what he might be doing one day.  He also had great looking teeth!