The First Day of School

It's hard to believe that the kids are starting school again. Cole had his first day of Junior High on Friday. And the other two started on Monday. We all had mixed feelings. The summer was lazy and fun at times. But we are ALL looking forward to getting into a routine and making it through another year.
The house will definitely be a lot more quiet for me. Maybe I can be more productive on my Hillside hours...

The Great Debate

The topic of conversation in our family for the past few weeks has been Cole's old backpack. He has had this thing since the first day of Kindergarten. We debated whether or not he should D.I. it or keep it another year. In the end the decision was made to "use it up and wear it out." I'm not sure if the longevity of this backpack is due to the quality of Northface or because Cole takes such good care of his things. It's probably a little bit of both...
We'll see how much longer it lasts.

Now What?

Over the past few months I have been slowly ordering food storage from lds.org. Also, on the second Saturday of every month our ward cans. It has been a great opportunity for our family to get prepared. But with all this long term food storage I am unsure what to do with it. Right now it just sits on a shelf.
A few days ago I came across this blog on food storage. It is a great reference for anyone out there who has long term food storage they want to use. Check out my links on the side.

Lagoon

Last week we went to Lagoon for Mark's annual company party. We got there pretty early so we were able to get on the rides fast without waiting in line. At first Keri was a little hesitant about the big rides. But after a little coaxing she was having fun...
The best part was riding on the old roller coaster. The kids kept commenting on how old it was because the paint was chipping and the metal was rusting. They joked about how cool it might be if they were on the ride when it stopped working. I didn't think it was that cool...
We validated our passes to come back again within 3 weeks. Wonder if we will...

Boot Camp Girls

Young Powerpuff girls
Originally uploaded by bigdogintn2001

A few months ago I signed up for boot camp. Yep! That's right! I'm now on week 11 and I have seen great results. I've lost 10 pounds and 12 inches overall.
Although some days are tough I somehow manage to get through it. I definitely couldn't have gotten this far without my two boot camp friends, Tracy and Amy. Every morning they are waiting for me at 5:45 am. Knowing that they are outside ready to kick butt has motivated me to get up and keep going. Once we are there Adam, our trainer, takes over. The best time is driving to boot camp half asleep, listening and sharing stories about our lives. The worst is getting measured on Fridays. Thanks guys for letting me tag along and not laughing too much at my mediocre fitness level. (There are a lot of exercises I can't do yet.)
And remember, "What happens at boot camp stays at boot camp...":)

Wanna Be Dancing Queen

On Saturday I went to see the movie, Mama Mia, with my sisters. We had so much fun!!! By the end of the show we were dancing and singing in our seats. It's hard to believe that I knew all the words to the songs and could sing along...
Does that date me, or does that mean I just like old music? Dancing Queen, SOS, Take A Chance on Me, I Have a Dream etc. are all on my Ipod. I love ABBA!!! And this just proved that they will remain one of my all time favorite groups.
I wonder if they need a backup actress for one of the dynamos on the broadway show. If they do I'm so available!!!

Mark's 40th Birthday

On July 31st Mark turned the big 4-0!!! We had a little party for him today with cake, ice cream, and lots of games...
Cole made a comment that stung a little. He said, "Well, Dad, you're officially 'middle-aged.'" (OUCH!!!!)
Thanks Mark for all that you do and all that you are!!! You rock!!!