First Day of School

After the longest summer of their lives, the first day of school finally came!  We were all a good mix of excitement and nerves.  By drop off time, I think nerves were winning a little.  But my kids are brave and they did awesome!  Here's to a great year at our new school, Nooksack Elementary School!

My Fifth Grader!  I can't believe it.  His last year of elementary school.  I am not ready for that...

 My Third Grader!  I moved and started third grade at a new school too.  And check out her awesome new backpack.

 My beautiful children.

 I can't wait until they have friends and feel happy to go to school every day to see them.

 I hope the school is as good as I've heard it is.  I think it will be.  And I think it's going to be a great year for learning, growth, and fun!

This and That (and a lot of selfies with Cooper)

He was pretty excited to get those wall stickers up.  They are so old though, lots don't stick very well anymore.  They used to be Ethan's when he was this age.  So Cooper may or may not be getting new construction ones for his birthday...

 Everson Park has an old school merri-go-round.  Cooper ran around pushing to two older kids for a long time shouting, "I love to push this baby!  I want one at home!"  They all took turns pushing and thought it was the coolest thing ever.

 Oliver's favorite thing was the freaky old tall tube slide...

 Hooray for big brothers!

 And Cooper has been one to snuggle with lately.  And he always wants pictures and he always wants me to keep all of them!  And post them too...

 Man, I love this kid

 He ALWAYS falls asleep in the car in the afternoon nowadays.  Since he spends nap times playing instead of sleeping.

 Todd and I really enjoyed visiting the Vancouver Temple.  The drive home, however was a nightmare.  Between a wreck on the freeway and customs, it took over 2.5 hours to get home.  Pretty discouraging, but I think that was not normal.  It should be closer to 45 minutes total.  The temple was beautiful though, and it felt like home to be there. I love the temple so much!

 The kids were busy...

 We had a lovely FHE walk in Whatcom Falls Park this past Monday.  Love that place, even when it was the driest I've ever seen it.

 Baby loves

 and more Cooper selfies...

 Lots of times I wish I could have a break from my kids.  This moment was not that moment.  I was so grateful to have them all wrapped around me.  I'm so glad I have them in my life.

 My bookends reading books together

 One stylish girl

Crab Fest 2016!

We have a very nice neighbor/ward member who just so happens to be a crab broker.  Or something like that...all I know is that a Sunday or so ago he asked us if we wanted fresh crab for free and how could we pass up on that?!  I knew they were going to be fresh when he showed up at my door, but I didn't realize they'd be so fresh they were still alive!  Ack!  They kind of weirded me out a little bit.

 They sat in my sink for awhile, until Grandpa and Nana came to help cook them up.

 Ethan named each one...how nice...and the girls had fun picking them up.

 Cooper kept acting like he wanted to, but in the end said, "I can't, it's too creepy!"  Lol.

 In the end, all the older kids tried the crab and liked it.  I thought it was so delicious and cracked legs until my fingers were sore.  It was yummy and fun and unforgettable.  And like Cooper said, just a little creepy too.  :)

When Mimi Comes to Town

When my mom came to town to see us and our new house, she had two goals in mind.  Only two things she wanted to do while she was here.  First, to love and help me in every way she could.  And second, to love and play with my kids.  Yes.  That is exactly what she did.  My incredible wonderful mother spent the week ripping down wallpaper, painting, and playing with all her heart.  Two blueberry pies might have been eaten as well...it was like Christmas when she came, and I cried when she left.  The greatest gift in life is time spent with family.

Mimi brought my sweet niece Kate with her on the trip.  What an incredible joy that was for my children!  Though they kept looking for Quinn the whole time.  It made us miss him dreadfully!  And seeing Kate made me miss Raelynn so bad it hurt.  Oh wait, that's how it is every day...

Mimi sang hymns with the kids

 Cooper is the most fantastic helper.  He loved scraping off the wallpaper.  Though my mom did the most.

 Throwing rocks in the Nooksack River

 The cows across the street...

 playing cows that night...lol!

 Blaine

 Amazingly delicious strawberries by Kate.  Dipped in sour cream, then brown sugar.  You should give it a try.  It is SO GOOD!

 Cousin friends

It felt like they were here two days, not a week.  I guess it's because I'm so used to seeing my mom every day that it just felt normal again to be with her.  It didn't feel like she was visiting at all.  I am very grateful for the week she spent here.  And glad Kate came too.  We got a lot done.  And face to face talking is just so nice.

Love you Mom!  Can't wait to see you again.

Goodbye Cast!

She was really nervous to get the cast off...

 and rightly so!  It took FOREVER to get off, was stuck to her bandages on the inside, and was overall slightly traumatizing for her.  By the time it was off and they were going to pull the pins out, she was crying and terrified.  Taking the pins out was much easier than taking the cast off it turns out.  Though much more bloody.  Good grief, I can't believe how much blood was squirting out of my baby's arm.  Like I said, slightly traumatizing...

 We had to leave this bandage on for a couple days.

 When we took it off, I wasn't prepared for what I would see...

It looks much better now, but is still stuck in the bent position.  She has a very very slight range of motion.  We are going to have to help her slowly but surely force straighten it.  It's not relaxing and straightening on it's own.  Poor girl.  She really doesn't want to have to do therapy.  I thought it would straighten on it's own, but it just isn't.  She's been really brave though, and I know it will be as good as new in a few weeks.

Peaceful Valley, WA

My beautiful children in a beautiful place.

Thoughts from a girl who lives in Washington

So yeah.  I live in Washington now.  I still have to remind myself it's true every single day.  It's been around 23 days and it still almost doesn't seem real.  I have moments that are very real and moments where I can't figure out where I am.  But here are a few observations, confessions, and thoughts (in no particular order).  And if you skip to the next post that actually has pictures, I won't feel bad:

It is exquisitely beautiful here.  There is something about the trees that make my heart sing.  The ocean sings to me as well with almost the same intensity.

The gray days seem peaceful to me, not sad.  The view from my bedroom window is particularly beautiful on cloudy days.

And for the record, there have only been like 3 cloudy days since I've lived here.

I've been sad plenty though...but have had some wonderfully happy moments too.

I'll just say this, I'm very glad South Jordan isn't Sodom and Todd isn't Lot or I'd be a pillar of salt.

The corn fields that are everywhere...I didn't see that one coming!

There are no stop lights in Everson.  I have to drive at least 20 minutes (in some directions much longer) to find the first one.  I don't mind that one bit.  I enjoy seeing 8 cars or less on my drives to town.

Everyone here is very nice.  Even my kids have noticed and commented on the niceness of people here.

Everyone here also said it was quiet in Everson.  They did not mention the roosters that live next door that are anything but quiet.  I don't like roosters.  At. All.  They have robbed me of the very reason I love early morning hours:  silence.  Silence is beautiful.  I sort of wish they would die.  Ahem.  Sorry.  But honestly, I've never loved the sound of the bathroom fan as much as I do now.  You never know though, maybe someday I'll get used to the roosters.

One thing that doesn't take even a second of getting used to though, is the blueberries.  The mountains and mountains of cheap and so amazingly delicious blueberries.  I've made two blueberry pies, blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, and gorged myself on the fresh ones just in the last few days.  I LOVE blueberries.  These are not like store bought ones.  These are so completely incredible.    If I'm a really pretty shade of purplish blue next time you see me, you'll know why.

Apparently people in Washington only like Wonder Bread and its various awful relatives.  Sorry to those who like wonder bread, but really it's awful.  I miss my Harper's Homemade Bread.  Like every single day.  I haven't found a loaf here I like yet.  Maybe I'll have to start making my own bread.  I've heard cooking at sea level is a dream.

The Lord has blessed me and my family in tremendous ways.  I have seen so many miracles.  And even in my saddest moments, I can feel the Spirit whisper how it's all going to be ok.  He told me I'd love it here and I believe Him completely.

Harbor Days

Saturday afternoon was spent in the most wonderful way.  I should have taken a picture of the drive to the ocean.  A little road lined with the amazing trees here that always take my breath away.  I shall never tire of drives through the trees.  

Harbor Days in Blaine

 With Grandpa and Nana!

 I really like Blaine.  It's such a fun little place and the ocean is so beautiful.  The ships and boats at Harbor Days were really awesome too.

 Cooper was only sad that we couldn't "walk around on the boat for free"

 But this spectacularly located park made up for it.

 See that land in the background...that's Canada!

 Whoever put a park right there by the ocean was a genius.  The kids were happily playing while the adults sat and watched the tide come in.

 Then on the walk back to the car, we may or may not have pigged out on the incredibly delicious blackberries that grow everywhere.  We all had stained fingers and happy faces.

 We also had fun climbing on the orca whales with The Peace Arch in the background.

I think it was my favorite afternoon since being here.  It was just fun and beautiful and delicious and happy.  All very good things.