Highlights From September

September was a very fun month! We packed in a lot of great activities with friends and family. April is loving her preschool co-op and enjoyed getting to learn about the letter 'B' for bubbles. 

Pete the Cat and Piggie were married in a private ceremony. Please don't be offended that you weren't invited. It was a very close-knit family affair with a limited guest list.

The happy couple.

My three cuties after church! I love taking pics of them when they're all dressed up!

Jamie reading a book in her school library.

My mom came to visit! We LOVED having her here! It felt like she was just popping over from her house in Buda! We miss Grami so much and appreciate her coming to see us all the way from Utah.

The weather was so gorgeous on the Saturday Grami was here, so we spent a lot of time outside soaking it up.

Grami also read so many books to the kiddos while she was here. They liked to all pile in her bed!

Jamie and April insisted on color coordinating their outfits to match Grami for church. Red, black, and white!

Even Ryan matched! This was the best pose I got of all 3 kids and Grami. Lol.

Making cake balls with Grami!

I miss you, MOM!!!!

We played kickball with two other families from our ward. It was kinda muddy from all the recent rain, but everyone still had a good time.

Me and my friend Katelyn.

Ben got a "Pie in the Face"! as a member of the Bishopric after the Children's Primary program. The kids performed so well!

Jamie pointing to her sidewalk chalk heart she drew at school. 

Our neighborhood put on a little "National Night Out" activity, and Jamie liked pulling the kids around in this little train.

Then they got to go on a real train ride!

Jamie's teacher asked the kids to take a picture of their passion. Jamie said her passion is dancing, so we got this awesome shot! 

The Start of School and Our Trip to Dallas

Jamie started First Grade! Her teacher is the sweetest and we loved getting to meet her on "Meet the Teacher Night". Jamie is so happy to be back in school again!

 First Day of School Pic

In case you're wondering why Jamie's class is in front of a sign like this, there is a mural in Austin that says, "I love you so much" and tons of people like to take pictures in front of it.

Second Day of School

Third Day of School

Fourth Day of School

Fifth Day of School!

We decided to take advantage of the long weekend after the first week of school and take a trip to Dallas to visit Grandma and Grandpa and Grandma Millie. The kids were pretty good on the road, though we wish Ryan would have slept more!

We went to this awesome mini-water park about 5 minutes from Grandpa Daniel's house and everyone had such a great time!

April and Daddy.

Jamie and Daddy.

Me and Jamie. I was so proud of the girls because they conquered their fears and went down the big green slide!

Once they went down it was hard to tell them to stop! 

That same day we went out to eat at this great pizza and pasta place close to Grandma Cynthia's house. There was a man playing the piano there and Jamie went up and told him, "Your voice is amazing!"

 After dinner, we walked around the canal and kept our eyes open for ducks. I love this shot I got of the kids!

Ben and his mom.

We went to church with Grandma Cynthia on Sunday and everyone looked so great, I had to take a few pics!

Jamie with Grandma.

This was the best family pic out of the bunch. Not quite sure what April's doing with her hand. We had a great time in Dallas and loved getting to visit with Grandma Millie on Sunday! (We didn't take any pics with her this time though).

April started going to our church Preschool Co-op group this week! She was so incredibly excited to go!

Love this pic!

She learned about the letter 'D' and dinosaurs. She is still singing the song she learned! April is so happy to be going to Preschool, even if it's only once a week. I am so grateful to my friend in the ward who got it all organized and going!

Nebraska Trip!

A few months ago my best friend Whitney and her family moved from Texas to Nebraska. When she was here, she lived 5 minutes away from me, and we would hang out at least once, but usually twice a week. We missed her and her kiddos so much that we decided to take a road trip to Nebraska to go and visit them!

We stopped in Dallas on the way there to break up the road trip. Here are all the kids coloring at Grandpa Daniel's kitchen table. 

While we were in Dallas, my friend Kailee and I got to meet up with our kids at a nearby splash pad. She and I worked together at BYU at the Classical 89 radio station. I am so happy she moved close to Dallas so I can see her when we go there!

Here is Jamie with Kailee's daughters.

Me and Kailee got to talk and catch up while the kids played and it was so nice!

The kids had an awesome time and were totally worn out at the end.

The next day we made the 9-hour drive from Dallas all the way to Crete, Nebraska. We were so happy to get to the Hills' house and get out of the car! The first night we were there we roasted s'mores in their front yard. 

Whitney and I are convinced that April and Asher are supposed to end up together. They were born only one day apart and are best friends!

Jamie and Weston hanging out.

Ryan sitting next to Annabelle.

Baby Wendelin chillin' in the stroller.

The next day Whitney and I took the kids to a cool splash pad/park where they got to play and we had a picnic.

Asher and Ryan had the same exact swimsuit!

Playing at the park.

That evening after we put the kids to bed, Whitney showed me the downtown Lincoln area! It was so fun getting to walk around downtown Lincoln (without the kids) and talk without being interrupted.

They have this really cool old railroad crossing in the middle of the "Hay Market" so I just had to pose!

Getting ice cream at Ivanna Cone. It was so good!

Checking out this cool hotel downtown where Whitney and Aaron had their wedding reception!

We walked along this bridge/walkway that led from the Arena all the way to the baseball fields. It was a really neat way to see the city!

Standing outside the actual train station. 

We took the kids to the Lincoln Children's Zoo the next day!

We watched the penguins swim for a little while.

The Petting Zoo area.

They had this really cool skunk show, where an employee at the zoo talked all about skunks and shared some facts most people don't know about them.

The kids were all about these photo ops. Haha!

The flamingoes were super fun to watch.

The kids had a great time digging for fossils in the dino pit.

                                         The biggest hit by far was the butterfly pavilion. 

Everyone wanted a butterfly to land on them!

Annabelle was the first to get one on her finger.

Then Wes got one.

It wasn't long before Jamie attracted one.

And April, too!

Asher got a turn!

Whitney said we had to ride the train at the zoo, and I'm so glad we did! It was so much fun!

That afternoon the kids all watched Whitney fill up the little swimming pool.

They had a little pool party!

Whitney got a picture of all the kids together on the last day. We were so sad to leave! We had such a wonderful time in Nebraska and were so grateful to the Hills for hosting us.

We stopped in Dallas on the way back and went out to dinner with Grandma Cynthia. Jamie got another Birthday gift! Her own ruby ring.

She loves it so much! 

We also got to visit with Ben's Grandma Millie for a little while before the kids had to go to bed.

We had an awesome time on our trip, and everyone was exhausted at the end of it!