Back to School

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to school. We all mourned the easy going summer days. I love having my kids home and there is an actual ache in my heart when it is time to send them back. I was a little lost those first few days. I missed my kids. It does make it easier knowing that they like school and that we go to an amazing elementary school.

Zac is in second grade and hit the jackpot this year. His three best friends are in his class, along with other friends he enjoys. His teacher is great, too. He still comes home filthy from his recess adventures. He is learning and gaining confidence. He made a goal to read 8,000 minutes this year. He is on track and will make it as long as we can keep finding Star Wars books to read.

Third grade has been a bit of an adjustment for Sariah. Her best friend moved and her other favorite friend is in another class. She is making new friends and is still as social as ever. I get regular phone calls from Sariah just to let me know how her day is going. The secretary recently called with a "message" from Sariah. I guess Sariah had tried to call, the phone was busy and the secretary promised to keep trying. Sariah needed me to know that she was in charge of the treat for family night and she wanted chocolate chip cookies and if she waited until after school to tell me, I would not have time to make them. Dad stopped for cookies on his way home and we had a little chat about appropriate uses of the phone at school. I love that girl. And I love the secretaries and teachers at school who love her, too.



My sweet Ally started Kindergarten! Can I really have three kids in school? Yikes. She was beyond ready. Ally LOVES school and her teacher. She has the same teacher Zac and Sariah had; she's amazing. Ally is a great reader. Her favorite books are Dr. Seuss and Magic Treehouse. Just the other day she was whipping through a new book and she looked at me and said, "You just can't stop this great reader!" I love that confidence. She got to decorate a paper doll Ally to bring on her first day. She thoroughly enjoyed that project and all others that have come home since. I have learned to let her do it. Any suggestion I make is immediately rejected, even when she asks for it. She'll say, "Mom, what color should I color the house?" I'll say, "How about blue?" Ally: "Naw. I want to color it red." She definitely has a mind of her own. She is a social butterfly and probably needs a calendar to keep track of all her play date invitations. What will Jr. High be like? You are right; I don't want to know.

And Brook? She was just as excited as the big kids. She keeps me company and helps take care of Sam. She loves to help me run errands while the kids are at school. But her favorite thing is when she can have a friend come over and play. Before I even know it she'll be off to school herself. Time goes too fast. I just have to soak in these days when the world is still full of wonder for them. It will be gone in the blink of an eye.

Hodge Podge

Warning: This is a long post and the events are not in any kind of order. This is a collection of moments from Spring and Summer 2010 that did not merit a post of their own, but that we wanted to remember. Ally and Zac took swimming lessons. They did well. It was our first time at the public pool (previous summers we have gone to a private pool) and I liked the convenience of having lessons at the same time every day for two weeks as opposed to dragging it out over a month. Sariah and Brook opted out this time.

We had the chance to catch up with some of Joseph's Illinois friends. The kids had a blast running around in the fun backyard. When Brook, Ally and cousin Rachel hopped in the bucket together, I couldn't resist. It turned out to be one of my favorite pictures of the summer.

We caught the Onion Days parade on Labor Day. It is not as big or long as the 4th of July parade, but the kids love it and we love that it is so much less crowded.

Sariah loves her grandparents. In third grade they put on a program just for grandparents. This is the picture we sent to the slide show.


One night we decided to have "kabob night." We had kabobs with grilled chicken, veggies and pineapple. The kids built their own fruit kabobs to go with it. We even thought about dessert kabobs. They never made it past the planning stage. Maybe next time.

We spent a lot of time in the water. Brook and cousin Benjamin had fun in Grandpa's backyard even after the pool had drained.



With a new baby, we decided not to try a "real" camp out in the canyon. We pacified the kids with a camp out in the backyard. Sam was so impressed he fell asleep when we went out to visit the kids. The kids were beyond excited. They wanted to stay up until it was completely dark so they could see the stars. We played UNO and read books. That was a bit of an exercise in frustration as the kids were HYPER. Sam and I slept inside and Brook joined us after an unsuccessful try in the tent. When it did get dark, it was a little much for her. Props to Joseph for sticking it out with the other three.


We discovered a new favorite family activity. Joseph has a projector in his classroom that is hooked up to his computer and projects onto the big screen. We can put a movie in and pretend we are at the theater. The kids love it. We have even watched a football game online up on the big screen.

Brook and Ally are great friends. They can lose themselves for hours in their games. One morning they had their dolls all lined up on the couch. Another time they were playing dolls and Brook told me I could play. She said I had eight kids and they were all crying. I asked her what I should do. She said, "Take a nap."

Zac lost teeth left and right. I kind of miss his big toothless grin. His permanent front teeth have grown in now and make him look too grown up.

We got a new kitchen table. It was bittersweet. Our old table belonged to my great grandparents and then to my grandparents. I have many memories of eating at Grandma's house at the yellow formica table. My grandma let us borrow it when she moved. We've used it for about 9 years. It was hard to give it up. My kids were 5th generation Walkers to eat at that table. Imagine all the family meals shared around that table. Yes, I am sentimental about those kind of things. I do enjoy our "new" hand-me-down table. It fits our family and our space better. In this picture, Joseph is working on grading papers for the online class English class we "teach." It has been the perfect side job for us and has been an amazing blessing for our family.

A rare pregnant picture. That is one regret I have; I do not have many pictures of me while I am pregnant. I am one of those weird moms that truly enjoys being pregnant, aches and pains included. This one is about a month before Sam was born.

Ally and her friend are hilarious together. I am not sure which superheroes they are here, but it was a great game. Although, they have since informed us that they have "broken up." Not to worry, they are still great friends and us moms still hold out hope for the future.

Batter Up!

What would summer be without baseball? (I'm sure Joseph would have a witty answer for that one.) We kicked the summer off at the ball fields two nights a week. Zac played his last year of T-ball. Part way through the season, they had the choice of using the tee or having it pitched to them. Next year it will be all coach pitch. Zac was thrilled, even though his team was the Angels, not the Braves. It was fun to watch him improve his skills this year. He is a smart player who really understands the game. Thanks to Uncle Chris and his cool camera, we caught our little leaguers in action.



Joseph was able to coach again this year. He loves baseball, which is where Zac gets it from. I think he loves it even more when the boys see him off the field and call him "coach."


Ally also decided to play this year. The pre-Kindergarten league is called Rookie League. They have a clinic for the first two weeks and then they play a few games. She was a delight to watch. She also improved her skills. It was great to see Zac and Ally practicing in the yard, getting pointers from Dad.

She insisted on having her hat down at all times, almost covering her eyes. I am surprised she could see.


I love this picture.

Aunt Emily, Uncle Chris, Grandma and Grandpa were on the sidelines to cheer them on. How cool to have your own fan section.

Brooklyn loved running around and occasionally paused to cheer her siblings on.

Sariah loved the social aspect of the ballpark, watching the games and chatting with whomever she sat by.

Sam was a trooper to be hauled around. He was only about one month old when the season started. He actually slept through most of the games. Just give him a few years and he'll be running the bases with the rest of them.

Under the Knife

Joseph celebrated the end of summer by having surgery. He had a ganglion cyst on his left wrist. It would come and go as they tend to do, but his was rather large. It came to stay during the summer and he decided to have it removed. It was a same day procedure. The nurses all commented on how large it was and the doctor said it was "textbook." In fact, he took pictures and video during the surgery that he plans to use in teaching med students. Joseph has some of those pictures on his computer. Maybe he'll add them later. We don't have the video, but I got to see it. I watched them lance and drain the cyst. It was gross and strangely fascinating at the same time.

For three days after the surgery, Joseph had to ice his wrist and keep it elevated. He had to wear his bandage for two weeks. It could not get wet . For two months he was supposed to restrict his activity and be careful about what he lifted, including Sam. Joseph was not a very patient patient. But he tried to follow the instructions and put up with all of my reminders to take it easy. We were both glad when he was back to "normal." Wrestling five kids is a lot easier with four hands.

His incision is barely noticeable now. I am grateful for Joseph's big, strong hands. Having him "out of commission" helped me remember how much I depend on him and appreciate the little things he does for me everyday.

Sweet Dreams

I have been collecting pictures and planning this post for a while. Brooklyn takes after her big brother and has trouble falling asleep sometimes. She plays, reads, sings, asks for drinks of water, asks for stories and anything else she can think of to stay awake. Finally she wears herself out and falls asleep in the middle of whatever she was doing. (It reminds me of the little girl in Monsters, Inc.) We have found her asleep in some pretty funny positions. It makes me wonder what little game she was playing when exhaustion finally won. She often falls asleep with books. Pinkalicious is a favorite.

This time she had a book but she had gotten into her pillowcase as well.

She is a mover. We find her sideways, upside down, diagonal, whatever. She also likes to sleep on top of her comforter and just use her blanket. This night she didn't use either.

That is her Strawberry Shortcake doll she is curled around. My legs would ache for days if I fell asleep like that.

I think this might be my favorite. It made me giggle.

The very picture of comfort itself.

Most mornings she wakes up bright eyed and bushy tailed. But other mornings she can be a bit grumpy. Whatever adventures the day may bring, they usually involve princesses and the color pink. When we went to get her hair cut, she asked for a "princess hair do." She was quite pleased with the result.

She loves her Sleeping Beauty dress and often couples it with a crown or the pink pioneer bonnet, which she insists on wearing backwards.

Thank you for making me happy and keeping me on my toes and for eventually falling asleep each night. I love you, Lou Lou.

5th of July

As Sariah keeps reminding us, this year we went to the 5th of July parade. The grand parade was held on Monday this year and that was just fine with us. It made the perfect ending to a jam packed week. As per tradition, Joseph camped out with the Smith family to save our seats on the parade route. Last year they braved the rain; this year was the cold. You are my heroes. Thanks again. The night before the parade is almost like Christmas Eve at our house. The kids have a hard time falling asleep because they are sooooo excited. By the end of the day they are 100% worn out.

It was a special treat to have my parents and Brian with us this year. Grandma and Grandpa Anson were there, too, and Marc and Liz and Emily and the Smiths and Pucketts. Watching the parade with family is what makes it so fun. After the parade we had lunch at the Brick Oven (yum) and then headed to the Ansons' for naps, more food and fireworks.




I think 4th of July is one of my favorite days. I am grateful for traditions that bind us together. Another great 4th, I mean 5th.