A Trip to Bear Lake, A Back to School Feast, and The First Day of School!

 Well, here's just a bunch of pictures from our last week of summer. Rachel and I decided we were going to take the kids up to Bear Lake for a few days the weekend before school started. I was so excited to do it because as I've mentioned many times, summer was CrAzY. School was so busy for both Andy and me, and our kids were neglected, and I just wanted to take them to have fun and relax and reward them for being so awesome and helpful all summer. 

Bear Lake is beautiful. Rachel's in-laws cabin is right on the beach, and it has it's own private beach access. The kids would just walk down to the water whenever they felt like it. We went canoeing in the freezing water, but didn't do much swimming. The kids played in the water from the beach and just had a good time with their cousins.

 We goofed around, played games, and relaxed. Here is 9 of the 10 kiddos between Rachel and myself.

 We napped a lot too. Here's baby Owen, #10. The oldest and the youngest are quite smitten with each other.

 And the two BFF's. They loved squirting stuff. We finally made them turn the hoses off when the grass was flooded.

 Me and my girl. I kept joking that I looked like a cancer patient with my head-wrap on. Pretty ironic that only one week later we were in the ER with Magnus.

 This cabin was built in the 60's or something like that and it is sweet. Totally awesome and retro.

 Of course we had to head over to La Beau's for fries and shakes.

 We tried to cook our hot dogs over a fire, but both Rachel and I have pretty pathetic fire-building skills. The microwave works just as well. It worked well for s'mores too ;)

 Cousins!

Back To School Feast

Our theme for the year is "I Love to See the Temple"

 I wanted to focus the importance of temples and forever families this year. I wanted my kids to know my testimony of the temple. We were also getting ready to have the Ogden temple re-dedicated, so I just felt like a temple theme was very appropriate. It is also a special year for our family because Laylah gets to go to the temple in May when she turns 12. I am so excited for her.

I am so thankful for inspirations from a loving Heavenly Father. I am so thankful I was inspired to teach my children about and focus on temples this year. Forever families are one of my favorite things about the gospel. Especially after all that we have been through with Magnus over the last few months, the fact that we have a temple theme is especially sweet.

We had white balloons and white crepe paper (and my sweet sign! Haha) for decor, plus some beautiful flowers Rachel brought.

On the menu was steelhead trout, twice baked potatoes, Sarah salad, strawberries, and rolls. It was amazingly delicious.

 Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting finished off the evening nicely.

I taught the kids about the importance of temples and shared my testimony of temples. I also showed them THIS video. I first saw it in a YW lesson that my friend gave, and that's when I knew that I wanted our theme to be temple related so I could show my kids the video. I cry every time I watch it because I can feel the spirit so strong and just know that it is the truth.

We had a great little discussion afterwards and I felt so full of pride for my kids that I could just burst. They are all such amazing little spirits.

Bear Lake was a blast.

That is, until Monday morning when we were supposed to get up, clean up, pack up and head to Lagoon. I woke up with the worst case of vertigo I have ever had. I have gotten it occasionally, but never this bad. I couldn't move without the room spinning and twirling and tilting around me. Even when I closed my eyes I felt like I was in a washing machine. I was so sick to my stomach and literally wanted to die. Poor Rachel and Andy (who had come up Saturday evening to join us) had to do everything themselves while I lay on the couch wishing I were dead. Rachel suggested that a chiropractor could help (both she and my dad get vertigo as well, apparently it is a lovely inherited trait) so I made an appointment with one. The plan was we would meet my family at Lagoon, drop the kids off, and Andy would drop me at the chiropractor office, and I had arranged for a ride home from Rachel's mother-in-law (who could really be my mother-in-law too.... my kids even call her Grandma Val ;) Then he would go back up to spend the day with the kids while I went home and missed out on the all the fun and slept my misery away. 

Anyway, whatever the chiropractor did worked (after it made me want to throw-up everything I'd ever eaten), when I woke up around 10 PM, I felt a million times better. Rachel and Andy had both sent me some photos and I had fun getting to see how much fun the kids were having. 

Another crazy thing that happened that morning was that Magnus threw-up. I've mentioned that he has always had a weak stomach, so we weren't sure if this was just one of his weird episodes, or if he was really sick. We kept an eye on him all morning and he seemed fine by the time we dropped the kids off at Lagoon, so we let him go. He had so much fun. I'm glad he got to do it.

Anyway, kind of a crappy end to our fun trip, but I am still glad we got to go!

First Day of School!

On Thursday August 21st, the kids woke up bright and early to head to their first day of school! Laylah is in 6th (boo hoo, jr. high next year!), Jonah in 5th, Daphne in 3rd, and Baron in 1st. It is SO weird to have 4 kids at school all day. Magnus was supposed to have a first day of school too, but we pulled him out of his preschool after he was diagnosed. I have never sent any of my other kids to two years of preschool and was just doing it because I was worried he would be bored. But he has been fine. All of his therapy and appointments keep us busy enough! And he will go to preschool next year :)

Sweet new duds...

 We couldn't find any of Jonah's friends! I promise, he has some ;)

The kids all love their teachers, have loved being back in school, and are all doing amazing! They all got straight A's on their first report cards this week (except their was ONE B among them.... guess who ;) and we have Parent Teacher Conferences after school today, so then I'll get the real dirt ;)

Haha! Just kidding. My kids are awesome and I sure love them.