1st day of 1st grade!

Makenna started 1st grade this year!  Here is her first day of school... 

I'm trying to make this a tradition... haha she seems to like it.

In front of door picture

You can see her teacher, Mrs. Roberts in the background here.  She has been SO great!  We really lucked  out again.  Can we just look closely at this picture?  Yes she is the only white kid in this pic.... is it weird that I kind of love that?  I love that my kids have grown up with so much diversity.  Sometimes I forget that we are the minority here...  :)

End of the Summer

After our amazing trip to California, we only had 3 weeks left of summer! 

Sadly, 2 days after we got back we found out our sweet 15 year old niece, Joy, was diagnosed with Leukemia.  It was heartbreaking news but we felt at peace that it would be ok.  It has been a hard road so far but as far as we know the cancer is now gone!  She still needs Chemo every week for the next year so the hard part is certainly not over.  She has to come down to Albuquerque every week for a few days.  Every week.  So hard.  We have been able to visit with her and are happy she is doing so well!

This is at the Playground for the sick kids at the hospital.  Such a fun place for them.

The Olympics started and to kick it off we went to a fun Opening Ceremonies partay.  We had olympic themed food, games, and watched the opening ceremonies of course!  

I became quite obsessed with the Olympics watching them every day.  I love the swimming, sand volleyball, and the gymnastics.  

We still played in the water lots and went to the pool as much as possible.

For Stacy's birthday we went out to Tucanos with Stacy and her roommate Amber.  We just love both of them and are so glad they are so close by!  Such a fun night.

We went to Hoots and yes this is the best picture I got.  I am so lame with picture-taking these days...

We also took a trip to Explora with a bunch of friends!  It was really fun.

A week before school started I realized we still hadn't camped all summer!  I called up the Johansons who we had planned to go with and they were in!  So the weekend before school started we went to the Jemez mountains to go camping.  We were looking for a spot and happened upon a dirt road.  We slowly recalled that this was the exact spot we had gone camping at just a few years before!  The spot is AMAZING!  Completely private, yet already set up for camping with a man-made firepit, and AMAZING views.  We really lucked out.  

 the kids spent a lot of time in the camper where they also slept!

 Camryn was stuck in baby jail.

Happiest baby ever.

This sequence of events perfectly summarizes what the men were up to...

gorgeous

 Jace and Spencer

family picture

The kids went down pretty good and we stayed up talking.  I love Jeff and Erika so much.  They are so much fun!  We always get so giggly around them and stay up way too late.  :)

The kids played a bunch the next morning while the adults packed up after some yummy breakfast burritos.  

My sweet girls.

 The Burns joined us and we went on a hike.  It was a perfect hike for kids, only about 1/2 mile or so.  The waterfall was really pretty.

After our hike we went down the mountain and had a picnic.  Then we let the kids get in the cold water.  They loved it.  It was a nice hot day so that water felt great! 

 

  My kids started to have meltdowns so we decided it was time to go.  It was such a great camping trip though and the perfect end to our summer.

Summer Part 2- California

I knew I was going to go to California in the summer, but I wasn't sure how it was going to work out since little sis was getting married after school started and we weren't sure we wanted to take 2 trips, but I decided what the hay!!  I really wanted to do a long trip this time, so we packed up and went!  We ended up staying for 3 1/2 weeks and it was the BOOOOOOMB!  Best summer ever!

 Getting ready for the loooong drive!

 We are obsessed with mom's green backyard and the yummy lemons, blackberries, and blueberries to pick!

 While Scott was still there, we had some beach time of course!

 grandma/Cami time at my 2nd cousin's wedding reception

The streets of Palm Springs

 Scott had some business to do while he was there, so my mom watched the older kids and took them to the San Diego fair that day (mom I need those pics!!) and Scott, Cami, and I went to Palm Springs which I had not been to since I was a kid.  It is so awesome there!  I would love to do a mini vacay there next time we're in Cali... It's like fancy Cali resort style...  So cool! 

Then on our way home we stopped at Idyllwild to see Scott's BFF from high school.  It's a little town in the mountains and it's where a lot of rich mountain-dwellers live.  There is a really cool vibe.  We went to this awesome local restaurant and they were playing Jazz music.  It was AMAZING!!  BTW, this is the town where the American Idol dude Casey Abrams is from.  I could see why.  Our friends that live there teach at this private school there that some famous people send their kids to.  Such a fun, but very different, life they live!

 Justin and Scott

 On our drive home

Scott left the next day to go back to New Mexico.  We did so many fun fun things while we were there the next 3 weeks!  Here's a boatload of pics to prove it!

 Architecture in downtown Carlsbad

 

 sand castle

Going to the fireworks on the 4th!

At the Legoland fireworks... worst ever!!!  Don't even get me started...

I got to spend lots of good quality time with one of my best friends Megan.  It was so awesome cause we haven't been able to hang out a lot since I've been married, so it was awesome to hang out whenever we wanted!  It was like we never left!  We went to the pool lots...

 

My kids were obsessed with boogie boarding!  It was so cute and they both were really good by the time we left!

 Sunday walk with my sis... riding razors...  haha so fun!!

The cutest dog ever CHARLAYYYY!!

They even have hot air balloons in Cali

Duh more beach time!

Wicked with sister and mommy!

We went to Legoland for the last hour free.  It was super fun and the kids even got a souvenir!   

lego dude

My bee friend

Mormon beach day

We got to see my old friend Amy from Jr. High days!  It was so fun to see her and her adorable little guy.

We went to chick-fil-a way too much for customer appreciation week and of course Cow Appreciation day.  I hope to never miss it for the rest of my life.

We went to Jazz in the park at the park a block away.  We danced our little hearts out.  Oh how I wish there was something like this in NM!!

THIS is the best burrito in the world.  You can only find burritos like this in Mexico, or from Mexicans that live in California!!!  

My favorite thing to do on this earth... lay on the beach

this is what a beached-out baby looks like

Girls night with my high school best friends at cheesecake factory.   

Mickey mouse at Disneyland with the olders!

Look at Jace's poor little face!  I felt so bad when I saw this!  He acted so brave the whole time and even said it was fun afterward, but as you can see he was freaked out!!  Ignore the part of the picture with me in it!!  bahaha

About halfway through Jace decided to sit back and enjoy the ride :)  it was so adorable 

We had such a fun day at Disneyland!  Thanks mom for watching Cami!  

We spent a day with Kara in Mission Bay

We went to see my childhood home, where I lived till I was 11, which looks almost the exact same!  My parents bought this house new, so they planted that tree and that ivy.  :)

Took my kids to my elementary school!  We took many a picture in front of this mural as kids!

All babies love the beach!

strawberry pickin

I love that these kids are buds!  They have so much fun together!

This was Cami's baby jail at the beach!  It worked out pretty good!

Scott finally came to pick us up and I realized how much I had missed him even though we were having so much fun!  We went on a little date to see the new Batman at Dad's theater.  

Driving back home.

It was such a good trip!  I feel like it filled a huge hole in my heart that has been there for years!  It was filled with lots of family, friends, beach, and good food.  All my favorite things!  I decided I am going to make it a tradition from now on... :)