I have to take a break in my chronicals of the cabin for this....

When I told the kids today we were going shopping for school supplies, I could have sworn they heard me say we were going to Disneyland because I heard shouts of 

"This is the best day of my life!"

"This is going to be so awesome!"

"I'm like, in such a hurry"

I told them they only like it so much because they don't have to pay for it. 

I wish I had remembered my camera because they were quite cute each pushing their own cart and checking things off their lists. One of the few drawbacks to their school is the LONG list of supplies they need. 1 full page each. When I was a kid, my mom went to the supply room at the school and purchased a pencil box, crayons, scissors, and maybe a couple folders. Today, nearly 3 hours, 3 shopping carts full, and $395 dollars later we left Wal Mart. Yep, that's why I don't get excited about school shopping. 

The reciept, about 2 feet long, 

courtesy of one of the rulers we bought.

When I really think about it, I guess it is a small price to pay for their education, and a good deal more worthwhile than a day at Disneyland, which incidentally, that total would have paid for.... 

My consolation-- 

Best purchase of the day 

 a $5 reading lamp for each to clip to their bed

(Jordan's first one-- aah simple pleasures)

Duck Creek Day Three:

Monday was my birthday and I got the royal treatment. It started with waking to the kidlets yelling the Happy Birthday song outside my door. While JJ cooked some fantastic omletts, the kids spent the morning bringing me little Happy Birthday notes and drawings. One of my favorite quotes is from Laney " You are the best mommy in the whole wide Uneverise! I love you! You are the best if I could choose any woman in the whole Uneverise I would choose you. You are wonderful. I would never want you to die..." She also wrote 10 things she loved about me, # 9 was " I can't hate you." very sweet. There were even hand and feet massages while Vanessa did my make-up. I was quite pampered.  Of course that was just in time to go spelunking through some muddy underground caves. They reminded me of past Nutty Putty days. These were smaller though, which was a good thing since we forgot the flashlights. Thank goodness for cell phones and cameras, or we'd have had some disappointed little explorers. There we three caves. JJ , Terra, Isabel, and Simona were the only ones who ended up exploring the bat cave. Appearantly Isabel and Terra were terrified! So much for never being afraid of anything ever again. The other caves you had to crawl through which led to these......

This pretty much sums up our first few days here.

It explains all the laundry we've done and Isabel's melt down at how all her clothes "are being ruined-"

Isn't that supposed to be my line? She was just being dramatic, mud washes :)

There were some tight squeezes. I'll never forget laughing with Vanessa about our butts being too big!

 We stopped by a river and washed off our feet

 The kids are lucky to each have a cousin their own age

Jordan and Adahi 

6 months apart and about 6 inches

Laney and Chilali (shilaylee)

Isabel and Terra

Poor little Honovi, missing her buddy.

 I guess I missed the memo 4 years ago on having a girl.

Simona and Jordan two little pals

Love these girls

A lovely Birthday, I guess 32 isn't so bad. I just try not to think about 40 looming in the distance.

Adventures of Duck Creek: Day Two

We took a day hike at Cedar Breaks on Sunday and got more than we bargained for. It was a beautiful place that reminded me of a mini grand canyon. The trail started out strolling through sunshine and meadows and ended up shlopping through mud, crossing snow patches and then it started raining and hailing which I termed "railing" half way through our hike. Honovi (4) was my buddy and was no easy task trying to help this little pixie through the muddy trail without us sliding on our butts. It's no secret that I am not the most coordinated.   By the end we all looked like a bunch of rats who survived a mudslide only to drown in the river.

Cedar Breaks Utah

My last day being 31

Other Highlights:

That morning the kids packed back packs to go see the horses. Laney asked me for something Chilali could use. I told her to share her backpack, She explained it was too full. I think they packed enough stuff for a week.

Going on an expedition

Grandpa took them to see the horses.

Adventures of Duck Creek :Day One

JJ's parents recently acquired guardianship of 5 of their grandkids. With Zach being home,  they are starting over with a family of 6 again.  As crazy as it is, they are happy to step in for their family.  Since we hadn't seen these precious cousins for 4 years, we rented a cabin in Duck Creek Utah for week of bonding time.  And bond we have. The kids were instant friends starting with our Friday night 2 am check in that woke their sleeping cousins, created much giggling and one grumpy granny--oops.

I have to say this place is awesome! A spacious cabin with great mountain views of pine trees and marsh fields. There is plenty of room to roam and explore--something I feel my kids have been deprived of too much in their childhood. The kids have had two rules: Explore with a buddy and stay within sight of the cabin. Being set on a hill they have had plenty of space for adventures....

 Isabel and Terra (born two weeks apart) are two peas in a pod. They came back in the first hour of the morning telling us about their adventure trudging through marsh waters and a barbed wire fenced to see some horses of a neighbor. They felt so empowered from the whole experience, they swore they would never be afraid of anything ever again. When I suggested that maybe I should accompany them in the future to ask permission to pet the horses,  Isabel said, "I don't know Mom, it's pretty intense. "  Appearantly too intense for me.

The TerraBell Duo

(See all the knotts)

Unfortunately, these too (nicknamed TerraBell)  are a little too clever for their own good sometimes. Later in the morning, Terra wanted to climb up a tree out front. Unfortunately the nearest branch is about 12 feet off the ground. Isabel said she didn't think that would be safe --good girl. But once convinced, she masterminded the plan on how to get her up-- doh!. There was some thin nylon rope laying next to the tree. They tied the rope to a frisbee and threw it over the branch, then they tied one side of the rope around her waist with about 10 knotts (" to be safe") Then all the kids pulled on the other side of the rope hoisting her up until she could climb onto the branch. JJ's mom and I were in the kitchen making sandwiches for lunch while all this happened right under the noses of JJ and his dad, noses which were buried in their smart phone and laptop respectively. They were on the deck with a clear view, but didn't notice until she was already in the tree. JJ at least had the sense to grab the camera before reprimanding them with the admonition of "very clever, but very stupid!"  

Crazy Girl in the Tree

Our other Favorite Memories of the day

Aunt Vanessa the Make-up Guru of the family

did rainbow eyes on all the girls. 

Spending time at the lake

The girls caught these Dead fish with their bare hands!

While we took rides on a friend's pontoon boat

JJ and Mikey went about building their own

JJ and the girls trying it out

It wasn't as stable as he would have liked, but he only had some thin rope and an hour. Give him a day and He would have had a sailboat :)

Even setting aside the fact he's my husband and best friend,

 there is no one I would rather be stranded on a desert island with!

The kids all got a wooden box from Grammy to decorate to be their treasure box

Every night the kids share treasures they found from their day!

Needless to say it's been a hit

And of course the best part,  just spending time together...

JJ and his sister Vanessa

Isabel with Grammy

I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive at how it would be with all of us in one house together for a week. 

-- But I have been pleasantly surprised...... so far.

Cha Cha Cha Changes

The time has come, the kids are finally out of school! Hooray! But with that, came the realization that my little Jordan is going to be a 1st grader. I'm entering a new era of life in which my kids are all full time schoolers.  Part of me is excited as I look forward to some new opportunities for growth, but the other part is astonished at how quickly it's all happened.  I felt the full significance of this as Jordan came striding in to the march of "Pomp and Circumstance" wearing his little graduation cap and I got this horrible flash forward to the last of my babies graduating and going off to college. That was when the tears came pouring down my cheeks no matter how hard I tried to stifle them.  After all, I met JJ 12 years ago and it hardly seems like any time has passed.  But before I start hyperventilating, I try to remind myself, it is some time, and to enjoy it while I've got it.  Especially precious moments like Jordan asking me as we walked into Scooptacular to celebrate, "Mom can you tell them that your son graduated Kindergarten today?" He was so proud of himself, and I couldn't have been prouder of my little kiddo.  I am so grateful to have those 12 years left.  Now that it is Summer-- let the games begin!

Oh, how I love this little guy!

With his teacher Miss Coffey

And Mrs. Rosendahl who filled in when she Miss Coffey became acting Principle.

He loved them!

I am also super proud of my Girls. Laney was the student chosen in her class for the Principle's Award representing Academic achievement and Character for the year! Way to go Lane!

Isabel got a certificate for being in the top 10 of the school for AR reading points with 322-

courtesy of the land of Fablehaven and Percy Jackson. Great Job Isabel!

Most of All, I am proud of their good Character...

And here they are, wearing it with pride!