Waistband stretches...

So we have expanded our family....More details to come!  :)

AND I went running tonight with a friend who wants to start up.  IT.FELT.FANTASTIC!

Isn't it grand...

I love being a mommy.  Let me get that out there right now.  I love everything about it.  With that said, I need to VENT for a moment.  I am SOOOOO glad school has started.  The last two weeks have been torture.  My kids are at each other's throats all the time.  And MAN, they can say the meanest things to each other.  I have to keep reminding my girls that they are blessed to have each other.  My sister didn't come along until I was 13, so we weren't exactly best buds.  I was a mother figure, more than I was a sister.  In fact, as I blog about this very crazyness that affects my sanity, my kids are running through the house SCREAMING and throwing water at each other.  Now, I don't allow that to happen, but as you can see, THEY ARE NOT LISTENING.  Then they come up and want me to make hot cocoa and popcorn.  WHAT?!  Are you serious??  Oh goodness, bedtime comes early tonight!  So, is it just me, or are other's children possessed with end-of-the-summer-kill-each-other-at-all-costs evilness?
Again, I love my children, but bedtime is calling ALL OF THEM.
Thank goodness kindergarten starts in 5 days....

I think I should be disgusted

Conversation this morning:

Diva:  Mom!!! I am OUT of tolett paper (purposely misspelled so you can "read" how she pronounced it.)
Me:  Okay.  Lolo!  Can you get your sister some toilet paper?
Lolo:  NO!
Diva:  Never mind.  I got a piece (flush in background as she is saying this).

Note to self:  don't touch Diva's hands until I am POSITIVE she has washed them.

I have a 3rd grader!

                Sporty started 3rd grade this morning.  My goodness-it seems like yesterday he was born and up all night screaming and wailing....  :)  I love this kid!

Oh yeah, he would like to thank his Uncle Nick for "getting rid" of this side pack.  Sporty thinks it's the COOLEST bag ever.  Plus, it was in BYU territory, so it had to have touched a BYU football desk, a coach, maybe even a player!  Sporty loves BYU football.

Annual Lagoon Day

So Friday was Zoo day, and then Monday we were off to Lagoon.  This was the first year Trevor came for the full time.  Usually he is back to work and then comes later in the evening.  Trevor is not a Lagoon fan-never has been and probably never will be.  That's okay, I am, so the kids have someone to ride the SCARY rides.  We decided this year to go swimming-I haven't been swimming there since college.  The kids had a blast.  Trev and I took turns taking Sporty and Diva down the slides and then all of us would relax on the lazy river.  In fact, Z man fell asleep on me while we floated and I wish I would have had a picture of it.  He looked like a delicate angel sleeping in my arms.  We ended up going around the river about 9ish times and people would "oooh" and "ahhhhh" every time we would pass.  I totally played it up, too! 

Baby Z had tubes put in a month ago, thus the pink wax in his ears.  Oh yeah, like the bloodied nose?  Courtesy of the sidewalk-thank you Mr. sidewalk.

Okay, again, I am not a professional photographer-this picture does not show Sporty justice when it comes to his VERY FAIR skin.  He is so white, he looks like he still has a t-shirt on his body.  He is definitely Trev's boy.

I know what to get Lolo for Christmas-her very own TUBE.  She had more fun bouncing around on that thing than she did with the swimming.  I would be better off just buying the box instead of the toy inside the box.

Introducing.....Liza Minnelli!  Diva cannot get enough of the spotlight.  Seriously girl!

Now on to the rides!   Sporty's favorite ride is "The Spider", but this year he mustered enough courage to go on (drum roll please....) The Colossus!  He loved it.  In fact, we rode it about 4 times.  He even was brave enough to come with me over to "Wicked".  However, when we got over to it, it was CLOSED!  I was very bummed.  Last year I couldn't go on it-I just had Z-man, so I was really looking forward to riding it this year.  Better yet, riding it with my COOL son!

Yes, that is Trev sitting there in the swing along side Lolo and my niece, Cousin K

Sporty, Cousin D and Gpa Roger. 

The mini tidal wave with Sporty, Lolo, K, D, Diva and E

Again, Trevor enjoying Puff the Magic Dragon.  He was a cool dad to take the little ones on these rides.

My niece A rode the little boats many times this night.

Diva has met her match when it comes to Cousin K.  Both are spotlight HOGS!  But both are blasted darling!

Cousin E and Lolo.  My silly camera delays WAAAAAY too much.  They were smiling and then turned their heads, so, of course, that is when the picture gets taken.

Sporty and Cousin D.  This made Sporty a bit nauseous.

Sorry so hard to see.

So until next year, Lagoon, adios!

Ol' Wise One

Sporty overheard me discussing piano lessons with a friend of mine.  I was looking into finding him a teacher, because momma and son plus practicing the piano DO.NOT.MIX!  So when we got home this is how our conversation went:
Sporty:  Mom, why are you looking for a piano teacher?
Me:  Because you need one.
Sporty:  Why in the world would you PAY for me to take lessons when you can keep teaching me?
Me:  Humph, isn't that the million dollar question.
Sporty:  Huh????

Tender moments...

The last two weeks have been very busy, but it has been chaos in our household.  I think the kids sense when school is going to begin and then they go all psychotic on each other, on me, and I think they are going mortally wound each other before school even gets here.  But tonight when I came home from the gym, this is what I found...

Lolo had crawled into bed with Diva.

Both girls have their kitties (little blankets that were given to them as infants) and Diva has a HUGE drool spot.  So sweet!  It's times like this that I have to stop and remember what's important in life.  I love my family.

The ZOOOOOOOO

So next on our CRAZY adventure we were off to the Zoo.  Last Christmas Gma Net gave us all zoo passes, as we all like to go to the zoo, and often too.  So I head out with my 4 bundles of crazy joy to join my sister-in-law and her 3 kiddos, mother-in-law and father-in-law (what?) and 3 of my other nieces and nephew, and my OTHER sister-in-law and her son plus spouse (what, hubbies were invited?) .

We wandered around the zoo, seeing what you see at the zoo, and enjoying the nice summer morning.  We rode the train, rode the carousel and really had a good time.  My kids love the zoo.  They don't like to stay in one place for very long, so thank goodness we have a pass.  We ended up only staying for about an hour and a half.

Z-man gets this look a lot when his sisters are holding him.

Baby Zuri-the hit of the zoo.

The last time we all went, we saw the baby giraffe and then it died a few days later.  I hope we are not bad luck!

Diva actually took this picture.

I forgot my real camera so all of this pictures are with my cell phone.  Plus, I am not a photographer.  I am the reason photographers have a job.

Now it's off to shopping.  Every year we go to the zoo, then out to lunch, then on to shopping.  Gma Net buys every grandchild who will be starting school a new school outfit.  It's a fun tradition for all, but especially a generous tradition from the grandparents.  The kids all got darling clothes and Gpa Roger was especially grateful to be there (I am saying that with sarcasm.)  He was a trooper helping watch all the kids, though.  However, he said next year he was going on a loooooonnng horse ride.  Rog, that's why Trevor NEVER comes.  He finds something to do on that day. 

Then, after we are all finished shopping I let my kids run through the "fountain" and get sopping wet-clothes and all.  It's always hot when we go, so this is their reward for enduring to the end.

Thanks grandma and grandpa.  Until next year...

We've been busy, part deaux

Good morning-Next STOP???   YELLOWSTONE

Tyler actually shouted something kinda inappropriate right here, but I will spare you the details. It was funny.

Don't anyone fret-we were in bumper to bumper traffic right here-plus, I was hanging out my sunroof.

They hated the smell-I am surprised they even smiled for me.

I think someones finger got in the way....

Are we a sight or what......WHAT!  Gotta love Lolo's expression.

Lolo was feeling a little left out in the picture department.

I know it's hard to see but that is a bear cub up in the top left quadrant of the picture.  I was surprised that mama wasn't close by...

Cousin B with Cousin K, Sporty, Diva, Cousin E, Lolo

Doesn't everyone have this picture with the Falls in the background????

My mom and dad-oops, sorry about the strange sun rays on Ted's face.  They have been married for 38 years!!!!

Which one is not like the other......

Me and my daddy-yes, I said daddy.  I have ALWAYS called him that.

It's moment's like this that I am grateful for being a mommy.

Big Springs...it's hard to see, but there about 8 FAT and camouflaged fish just in this picture alone.

Diva and Sporty at Big Springs

Waiting for Old Faithful

THAR SHE BLOWS..

I had to throw this one in...Tad having one on one time with Cousin E

There were 3 bucks grazing by the stop sign...and for whatever reason I only posted 2 pics...

Ok, this is REALLY BAD, but it was getting dark.  There is a mama bear with 3 cubs.  You can see a black speck (yes, speck) in the lower left quadrant.  They were so cute to watch.  The cubs were jumping on each other and rolling around while Mama watched them.

Sandi and Diva rafting down the river that was right out the back door of our cabin.

Bonnie, Cousin B and Sporty

Just for looks..

Lolo's turn

We had a great time up in Island Park and in Yellowstone. We saw LOTS of bison and elk.  We even had a bear come by the cabin we stayed in.  I will admit THAT freaked me out a bit.  It's one thing to see them up on a hill from the safety of your car vs seeing them walk right by the cabin-I didn't want to go outside!  Next on our busy schedule... THE ZOO, SHOPPING, LAGOON, and THE DAM!