Back to School

Yesterday, my children went back to school.  It is always bittersweet for me...we have fun in the summer but I am happier and more at ease with routine and order....there is nothing orderly about summer!  I feel like my kids are ready to get back to it, too.

 

Each of my children also grew a foot over the summer, I swear!  Olivia's summer clothes are getting too small and Alec...well, he's officially 1 1/2" taller than me, and growing...he is wearing the same size shoe as Aaron...YIKES!

 

Where does the time go?  When you find it, will you let me know? 

I would like to go get some of the precious time spent with my little children back!

 

Oh, well.  I'm learning it's all a part of life and you just have to enjoy where you are in the journey.

Here's where we're at....

 

Back to School Pictures 2014

 

 

Alec

8th Grade

aka:  Mine (that is what Olivia calls him!)

 

He leaves at o'dark-thirty before anyone else is up.  He's an early riser, though...always has been...so I never have to push him out of bed...thank goodness.  Alec is a happy teenager, so far.  He's learned early to march to the beat of his own drum (pun intended) and do his own thing....and he does it well!

He has a heart of gold and a dry sense of humor (which I love)....his shirt gives him away :)



 

Emily

6th grade

aka: "Mama-ly"

 

Olivia couldn't have found a better way to say her name...she really is a "mama" to her and Livvy is going to miss her so much.  Who am I kidding?  I'M going to miss her so much....she is my right arm!  She gets milk, changes diapers, entertains...she is the best!  If Olivia can't have me she wants her "Mama-ly".  Emily is growing out of her "little girl" self and into a young woman...it's happening before my very eyes!  Although... she is just as stubborn and bull-headed as ever!  She is such a sweet girl and lately I have been reminded of the saying "Save a girl...save the world"....No worries when it comes to Emmy...she is strong, unmovable, smart, beautiful, funny, responsible, compasionate....

She will save the world :)

 

 



 

Carter

1st grade

aka: "Tar-Tar"

 

Carter.  Carter.  Carter....Lately, I can go from wanting to ring his neck to the next minute trying not to cry from his sweetness...he plays with my mind...lol!  Hopefully, we will get through this stage quickly. I know most of it is just him growing up and defining his independence... and me not wanting to let go!!!  I just want my little boy to hang around a little bit longer, okay...thanks.

He was the most excited about starting school...he was keeping track on his calendar.  This boy loves to learn and do projects.  He always wants to be doing a project....it's exhausting...Can I use the glitter?  I'm going to make a cage for my bug!,  Will you read my story?  It is never ending......so hopefully,  Mrs. "H." can just keep him busy...lol!  He LOVES sharks and can tell you ALL about them.  He will be gone all day this year and I would be lying if I didn't admit I cried when I walked away from that classroom...Carter and I have had the best time together...precious time....I am going to miss my little buddy :(  I'm happy for him, though.....Carter-man you are going to rule the school!

 

 

Olivia

Mommy School

aka:  Livvy Bean, Livvy Lou.....Stinker

 

She is such a little Stinker!  Believe me, she has everyone wrapped around those little fingers.  We can't help it....she is adorable!  She is our baby!  She is spunky and full of life!  She likes to cuddle and sing.  She LOVES to be outside and running around....she's actually very coordinated and very strong.  Nothing slows her down.  She is now sleeping in a toddler bed and the gates are down from the stairs.  Looks like she is going to grow up on me just like the rest of them!

We start our adventure together this year....we are going to have so much fun...and by fun I mean naps, quiet walks, books, laundry, making meals...routine, routine, routine.  Olivia and I both need it this year!  It is going to be lovely :)

 

 Traditional picture on the sign. 

 

I have a good feeling about this school year!

All my kids have great teachers, schools and friends. We feel very blessed to have landed in SE Boise. I feel so blessed to be able to be the mom of these four amazing people! I love being a Mom...it can be so mentally and physically tiring...I would never say it is easy...but it is my pleasure to spend my time mothering. I thank my Heavenly Father almost every day for granting me the blessing of having a family and being able to "stay home" and devote my time to them...He knows my heart :)

 

 

Saying our "Good-byes".... 

 

Off I go to put this house back together after all the wear and tear of summer days.

Good-bye summer.......Hello Fall :D

 

Around here.......

Hello.

 

How about a new post?

 

It is starting to feel like summer around here!  Especially, considering there are only 3 more days left of school and then they are ALL mine!  My brain hurts.  I am tired...May has been busy!  I am ready for some lazy dayz of summer.....Ha!  I try to picture myself relaxing with a book,  sipping on some lemonade...but usually my summer days don't include sitting down with a book and lemonade so why would it start now !?!  Oh, well......

 

I have been going on bike rides and it feels sooooo good!  They opened a new park just down from us a couple years ago and this Spring has been my first chance to enjoy it, considering I was pregnant and then had a new born baby...BUT, Livvy is ready now!  She loves it!

 Under Park Center Bridge...I thought it looked cool....

 The river hasn't been very high this year.  Sometimes it will bo up on that sand bar but it hasn't ever made it there this Spring.

 

Here is the picture to prove I went to Lady Antebellum!!!!!!!!

Years ago, Josh Groban came to Boise and the whole time the concert was going on, I couldn't believe I was sitting at home when he was, literally, 15 mintures from my house...TORTURE...lol!

 

So...when Lady Antebellum announced they would be coming to Boise, I KNEW I wouldn't be doing that again....no way!  They are my band!  Can you imagine the torment knowing they were that close and I wasn't there !?!  Besides, Charles and I have been working on these songs for a while now, we needed to finally sing them together...LIVE ;)  See in the picture how he is looking right at me....he is thinking "Thank you, Amy Jo, for coming here tonight and harmonizing with me just like Hilary".

SO FUN!  TIME OF MY LIFE! 

 

Alright....enough about me.

 

Olivia is now officially in Nursery...OH HAPPY DAY!

She is soooo ready!  She is done walking the halls (so is her mom!)

She just walks right in and doesn't even turn around....

This is a picture of her with her first Nursery Project :)

The Happy/ Sad Face Paper Plate....she was so proud to show it to everyone. 

 

This baby girl is so adorable that it is ridiculous!

She is starting to talk (mostly like a dolphin) and she sings! 

More of her personality comes out every day.

 

How should I put this nicely....

She is...self-motivated....determined....and very independent.

She wears me out!

 

She reminds me of Fancy Nancy....

Have you read these books?  You should.  It is my Livvy to a T.

 

Sometimes the clothes she ends up wearing just reminds me of Fancy Nancy :)

"It's a Fancy Nancy Day"

 

 

 

 

She decided after we got back from spring break that it was time to start feeding herself.  I know, it probably was time but I DREAD this stage.  It is soooo messy!  But it has to be done.

So.....Hooray for wiping up my counter, floors, chairs and child several times a day!

 



 

I try to fix her hair, most days...... 

 

By the end of the day, it usually looks like this....

We think she looks like a "Who" from Dr. Suess...

"Livvy Lou Who"

 

She likes to hide.

This is her favorite spot.  Those two little feet poking out make me happy!

 

Where's Olivia? 

 There she is!

However, this week she came up missing.  Where did I find her? 

Hiding under Carter's balnket....on the top bunk!

Oh, my!  She is spunky! (Again...I said it nicely)

 

She also likes to pretend to talk on the phone right now.  The other day she handed it to Alec and he answered it like it was so normal to pretend to be talking on this phone....I had to laugh!  I don't care who you are....if a toddler hands you a phone...you answer it!

 

She is adored by everyone. 

Everyone smiles when she makes her grand enterance down from a nap "Helloooooooo".

She brings happiness and love to us all!

 

Lets update Alec next :)

 

I don't have very many pictures of him :(

He is growing, growing, growing.

 

He is busy with his piano and scouts.  He is the patrol leader and does a good job at following through on those responsibilities.  He made one of the VEX Robotic teams for next school year...he's super excited about it.  He is also deacons quorum president (there's only 3 of them ;) and takes that job in stride, as well. 

 

He just finished what will be his last official "swim lesson" of his life this past week.  He is a beautiful swimmer (he doesn't like me to say that...he prefers to be called "an awesome swimmer")...he truly is!  Knowing it was the last day of swim class for the year, one of the other moms came up to me and said "I have to tell you....I have been watching you and your boys this year and there is just something about you guys....you have good boys...they speak nicely to you...your oldest son has held the door open for me and my girls every time the opportunity has presented itself.  Thank you for raising decent men."   WOW...that caught me off guard!  My first thought after she told me that was  "He better have"...and then my next thought was of my sweet Alec and how much I love him :)

 

Here's a funny story about Alec....

 

We were cleaning up the family room and I asked him to fold up the afghans.

 

He said "Mom, this has been bugging me for a while, but when you say that...you sound racist"

WHAT???

"It sounds racist....you know...people from Afghanistan"

LOL!  That's all I could do....was laugh.

 

Here are some pictures of his most recent camp out.

They went to "Little City of Rocks".

He is almost done with his camping merit badge :)

 

Alright...enough for now...I hope to get to the other two kiddos tomorrow.

 

 

  

We've had a WICKED good time.....

     About this time last year, Broadway's Beauty and the Beast came to Boise.  A young man who grew up in our ward (I was his primary teacher!!!), Christopher Brand, was going to be in it! After having served a mission and graduating from BYU he went to NYC to pursue his dream!  You have never heard anyone sing like Chris...he puts the microphone down and fills up the room with his unbelievable talent!

Read this.....

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/04/26/2551915/boises-christopher-brand-is-living.html

 

     So, it didn't take much to convince me to get tickets ( I love going to things at the Morrison Center....I love musicals).  I took my kids, too... They look up to Chris and I thought it would be fun for them to see him perform.  It was a blast!  A lot of people from the ward had gotten tickets, too.  We were all seated fairly close together.  Chris had his own cheering section ;)  The show was beautiful, funny...just excellent!

 

 

     While at the show, this was placed in my hand....

..

 

*GASP*

Oh, my!

WICKED was coming back to Boise!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Aaron and I had gone when it had come to Boise the first time.

I loved it!  The story...the music...the sets...the costumes.  It had it all!

I resolved I WOULD see it again.....someday.

 

Of course when I got home, I informed Aaron of this important news :)

He didn't really want to go see it again.  BOO!

 

I mulled over it for weeks. 

I really, really, really....really wanted to go see it again and had decided it was something I wanted my children to see, too.  More mulling, weighing options....

 

      Aaron and I had always talked about getting season tickets when we got old....haha!  When we would find ourselves at these kind of events, we would always see older couples and say....

 

"Some day...some day, in the future when we are old, we will be able to get

season tickets and come enjoy all these shows".

 

So...I finally decided "To Hell with it! We aren't getting any younger!"

We have no idea what the future holds.

I am going to take this opportunity and run with it :)

 

And I did. 

We bought 3 season tickets for the 2013-2014 Broadway in Boise!

I even talked the guy into getting our tickets for WICKED up 3 rows closer and more in the center than our tickets to the other shows (he told me they don't usually do that...)

Well, dude....this gal's on a mission :) 

 

     The rest is history...the kids have taken turns coming with me and we have had the time of our lives!  Music reaches me like nothing else in this life!  The voices that come out of those people are unbelievable...sometimes I get all choked up and can't help but cry.  I always feel so happy and uplifted when I leave those shows (except for Chicago...I left that show fast before anyone I knew saw me, my kids didn't go to that one,...haha!) Seeing Sally Struthers as Dolly was a chance of a lifetime...she was phenomenal. The lead in Memphis had a voice like nobody else I have ever heard....I'm serious.  The Adams Family....eh, wasn't our favorite but still fun. The time and moments spent there with my children have been worth every penny to me.

 

Well....last night was the night.

We went and experienced WICKED.....

 

 

A bit blurry....checking out the pit :)  They always like to go down and look in it. 

I think they imagine themselves down there :)

 

 

     Grandma gave Emily a pair of Theatre Glasses for Christmas.  I covet them. She looks so darn cute sitting there watching the show!  In fact, I borrowed them to get a closer look at Sally Struthers and messed up where she had them set just perfect for her...yikes!  She was so upset...lol!  She won't let anybody else touch them now. 

 

She's told me "Just think about the shows these glasses will see in my lifetime"

 

 

Waiting for the show to start with butterflies in my tummy :) 

And then the moment was finally here......

 It was everything in which I had hoped! 

The show was perfect.

I just love the message of WICKED...how she was so misunderstood and such a lovely person, really.

How sometimes, most times, people aren't who they are made out to be and you never know what battles people are fighting.  And, in the end...it is our relationships and those we know and how we influence others that matter the most. 

 

Here's to WICKED and all the shows...

Because we knew you, we have been changed for good :)