New Things

These past few weeks have been full of new things for our family. Every single one of us is doing something that we weren't doing two weeks ago. It is crazy how sometimes you are just chugging along and  then all the sudden your changing it up and figuring things out. I told Kylee recently, "This is new. We are trying it out. Seeing what works and what doesn't. Sometimes we will do it exactly right, and sometimes we will do it wrong, but its OKAY we are trying something new and living life." That is how I feel about a lot of our life right now. Some days are awesome we totally nail it and other days are really not that great, but we keep learning and trying and doing our life and that is what matters. Without further ado, here is what is new.

Me-My new things mostly revolve around my kids. I am once again doing drop-off for school everyday, but luckily I carpool with a great friend, so I don't have to pick-up everyday. We recently started having a couple extra kids come over after school on Mondays and Tuesdays until their dad can pick them-up. It is still kind of in the air as to weather or not this will be a permanent thing for the year, but we will see its kind of interesting. I am now home with just the twins while the big girls are at school. So, I actually get some cleaning done, and am starting to pick-up a good book every now and again, again. I also decided to coach Tia's soccer team. So, beginning Thursday I will officially coach soccer. I am excited but nervous about this prospect. I don't know the skills of soccer like I do other sports, so not only am I trying to coach, but also trying to figure out the skills of playing the game, so it should be interesting.

Tia, Abby, Kylee, Kade, and Me. Yep, me and my possy.

Guapo- Gaupo is doing many of the same things, but he found out today he gets to start hiring, again. The Children's department stole one of his employees. He still loves his job and the people he works with. His new thing is his truck. We (mainly he) bought himself a 2004 Toyota Tundra. He has been wanting a truck for a LONG time, but sincerely looking for awhile too. We haven't really had the budget needed to get what we needed in a truck, so Gaupo was dutifully waiting and watching and looking. Then two Saturday's ago, he found this one. It was in our current budget, had a clean title, and seemed like a good truck. He test drove it Monday and then spent time negotiating after that. I wasn't able to go with him which he said worked in our favor because he would always call and check with me and that made the guys more nervous he said. Anyway, he worked out the deal with them and we went in the following day and bought it. He has been in love, and that love is fueled by his children's love for his truck as well. Tia the day after we brought it home came downstairs opened the door and looked in the garage and said, "I just needed to make sure it was still here." Yep, its still here. It has made a few trips around the block, just to let the kids ride. I of course had to take it for errands on Saturday, so yes we are enjoying and will be more practical with its use soon, but we are spoiling ourselves for a bit. He also did his first private sale yesterday, selling his civic. He was once again please with what he got and, so overall its all good.

Gaupo and his Truck

Kylee- Kylee has started the second grade. I can hardly believe she is that old, but she is. So far school seems good. She at least likes her teacher and doesn't seem to be having the social struggles she had last year, so I am hoping this year goes well. She still doesn't really go after her homework and reading, but we are getting better at that and a lovely lady in our ward gave me some good ideas to make it more fun and hopefully stick in her brain a little better. Kylee is also trying soccer for the first time. She was really unsure that first practice, but she gets better and better every time I see her play. Gaupo mentioned that at the last practice she stuck with the scrimmage better than the other girls on her team. I am proud of her for keeping on trying. Its new to her, but she keeps going and I think she might end up enjoying. She has a great coach who, loves coaching and soccer, so I am very pleased with that.

Kylee First Day of School.

Tia- Tia started Kindergarten and is there ALL day, and she loves it. She has come home very tired this week, but happy. Today I heard her singing the days of the week song and her favorite thing is purposeful play. It kind of like free play, but you have stick with the activity till the time runs out, but I think you get to choose what you want to do. Anyway, she loves it. She eats her lunch really well at school and she has had no problem going. However, she did get sick this last week and sent home at noon on Friday. She wasn't happy about that. Tia is also doing soccer, but hasn't started practice yet. It should be a very interesting experience for her. Part of me wonders if I should have not coached and just let her have someone else, but oh well. Whats done is done and we will learn from what we do.

Tia first day of school.

Kade-Kade is offically a DOC band baby. He got his helmet almost two-weeks ago. It's kind of stinky already, but oh well we will survive. He wears it super well and doesn't seem to mind it too much. Kade is scooting and rolling still, but his torticollis seems to be doing better. He doesn't quite have full left rotation yet, but it improving and is getting more comfortable with it. He can do the right tilt, but still building strength their, but he is still increasing in his motor ability, so its going well. He is rocking back and forth on his knees sometimes, but hasn't quite figured out the crawl. He loves eating solid foods and has started to do finger foods. Mostly he gets puff and cherrios, but he loves it all the same. Kade is quite the noisy kid. He babbles, but he also make raspberries, and let you know if something isn't right. He sometimes makes noise just to be noisy. 

Kade rocking the helmet. (He reminds me of the old guy in up in this pic.)

Abby-She is officially a crawler. She still scoots when she is over tired, but other than that she crawls and has almost mastered how to get into the sitting position. She is even working on the speed crawl. Luckily she is tiny, so it takes quite a bit of crawling to go a long distance, but she is getting faster and is figuring out how to climb up to things, and overall I don't think I have much time till I am in major trouble with all the things she can do. Abby also love solid food, puffs and cherrios. Abby has also started to be quite the talker. I don't know that she still makes as many and definitely not as much sound as Kade, but still definitely babbling and making sound.

Our smiley Abby.

Yep, we are all growing up here. Life is quite the adventure and sometimes just wears me out,but I love my kids. My heart gets so full of love and concern for them its amazing. Sometimes I am surprised that I can love and care for others as much as I do for Gaupo and my kids, but I do. They make my heart so full. In the words of one of my friends, "I am one blessed lady."

Kade and Abby in their Simba and Nala jammies.

Kade and Abby in their first cart ride.

Tia and Kylee matchy-matchy.

To Arizona And Back

We officially made our Arizona trip and it was so great. It was filled with family, fun, and warmth. We started our trip on the 19th of July and met Oma and Papa in Albuquerque, NM at a quirky, but clean Air B&B. We got there before my parents and checked out all the rooms and beds and setup camp. We got the twins down and let the girls stay up until Oma and Papa arrived. Then the girls went to bed and Gaupo and I stayed up and visited with Oma and Papa for a bit before Gaupo went to bed. Then after more visiting we all went to bed. It was actually a very quiet space and nice to have our own spaces, a kitchen, and a living space that wasn't part of a bedroom (like at a hotel).

Saturday morning we said good-bye to Gaupo, who drove back to Colorado, and we traveled with Oma and Papa to Pima. Its always kind of a slow drive with a nursing baby, but we made it home by about 2ish, which isn't too bad. Klaire and Curtis were visiting for Grandpa Pollock's funeral, and so we got home in time to see them, and visit with them for a bit. The first thing the girls wanted to do of course was swim, so once I got the twins down for a little nap that is what we did. After swimming it was dinner, baths, and bed. 

Sunday was quite the day. We were trying to adjust to being an hour back, plus coming off of travel, so it was crazy. At church we were quite the circus. It was 4 kids verse 3 adults and really the adults needed reinforcements, but we survived and no one is to worse for the wear, but it was quite the revolving bench. Sunday dinner was good and it is always fun to have Papa Ross up to join us. It was nice to have the meal during the twins nap time, so I could just enjoy the food and the visiting.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were just nice relaxing days. I read some books, and the girls played. We went swimming twice a day. Just kind of lived our life but at my mom and dad's house. I had a chance to make cookies while my mom took the girls shopping. It was really nice just to be home. 

Wednesday night Kara, Seth, Ross and Levi came. They were suppose to come in the morning, but Ross was sick, so they had to wait. But we are so glad they came. Thursday the kids played and played. We tried to tone down the playing a little to give Ross some more time to recoup, but it was still quite the play fest. Thursday night Klaire, Lindsay, Roxy, Allen, and Betty all arrived. So Friday was even more cousins and playing. I am so glad my kids love playing with there cousins because it really does give me a break because they just play and I can visit with my siblings. It is AWESOME! So much playing and swimming and visiting. Linsday brought a few of their games from home to play and the girls had fun playing and learning some new games. Games are kind of a thing for us this summer. The favorite being Mancala. Tia plays that game as often as she can and she is good at it. As a bonus, it has opened up her ability to play other games too. 

Friday afternoon, everyone that was coming was offically gathered and we watched a movie together and just enjoyed. Saturday was four-wheeler rides, more playing, swimming, and enjoyment. Plus, Klaire gave all us girls haircuts. The girls we cut short and they were a little unsure of it, but they love it now. I just just off about 3 inches, but it is really nice. Sunday was church again and it went a lot better than the week before. Dinner was good, but then we had to say good-bye to Klaire and then Kara and her family. It was so fun to be together, so it is always sad to break it apart and go to our own homes. Jack and Lindsay stayed and we visited and played a game and then went to bed. Monday was more of the same fun and games. Tuesday dawned with Lindsay sick and a farwell to Jack and her crew. They planned to go home Tuesday anyway, but it was still a bummer that Lindsay got sick. My girls were pretty sad about having their cousins leave, but they survived. 

After the Bryce's left, we took my mom to the temple and walked around and got some pictures, went swimming, and then went to pick-up Oma from the temple. Oma was kind enough to go with me to Wal-Mart, so that I could go school shopping. We got the girls supplies. It was so easy everything was there the isles were empty of people it was awesome. The girls also got a a cool shirt. Overall it was going well, until we were going to check out. The twins were getting hungry and tired of the stroller and I knew I needed to leave, so we are heading to the checkout with a ticking time bomb (the twins and kids verse 2 adults), well we were almost there and some stops and asks, "Are those twins?" I politely reply yes, and happen to be holding Kade at the time, so they come up and of course check him out and touch his hands. Finally, we get past them (I actually kind of had to walk away while they were still gawking and proceeded to the checkout. I really didn't want to do self-check, but it was kind of the only option, so while i was doing that time officially ran out. The girls started wanting to help check stuff out, both twins were crying, we were trying to get stuff paid for, all in all we turned into a circus. However, we got it all and made it to the car and home, and my shopping was done.

Wednesday and Thursday were more just being home, swimming, and enjoying. The girls got there bubble bath on Thursday and loved that. My dad spoiled us and took us to Hawaiian Ice and we got icees for a good-bye treat on Thursday night. Kylee told me, "Hey mom we did this on our last night year last year. Its kind of like a tradition." I said, "Yeah, it is. We could probably make it one." She said, "yeah, but then we have to come every summer." I replied, "I think that would be okay." So, maybe we do have a new tradition of Hawaiian Ice on our last night, and I really hope we have the tradition of going to Arizona every summer, because sometimes I just need to go home. 

Anyway, Friday we headed back to Albuquerque to meet Gaupo. We stayed at a pretty rough Days Inn. It was really cheap, but the guy that was checking people in didn't know really what he was doing and messed some things up. My parents room was pretty nice, but our room was kind of run down. However, everything got worked out and we had a good stay and we headed home on Saturday.The drive was pretty uneventful. We did stop at a cool park in Colorado Springs and it was so beautiful it was really hard to get back in the car, but we needed to get home. We arrived home and got all unpacked and now we are here to stay for awhile.

Overall it was a really great vacation. A couple of things were decided on this trip. #1 Meeting in Albuquerque works really well. However, my mom has deemed that the real name should be Albu-qwirky. This is mainly due to funny places we stayed. #2 We Bryce's love our cookies. While I was there I made cookies (we ran out). That same day I called Klaire and she was making cookies. Then when Kara came she made some cookies (mainly because she was craving frosting). The cookies she made happened to be the same ones (a swig cookie) that Klaire made the day before. Then when Jack came he had stopped by Crumble Cookies and bought a party box to share with everyone. I even think that earlier that week like Monday Kitt made monster cookies at her house. We were all filling the cookie vibe for sure and we got some good cookies from it. #3 Backyard swimming pools are awesome. I loved being able to put the twins down and then go swim with the girls. This summer I taught them to play Marco Polo, Carlot, and Sharks and Minnows (their favorite). 

I am so grateful I got to go to Arizona. It was good to be home, so fun to see family, and fun to relax. It was a really good finish to our summer. Here's some pics.

Me, Kylee, Kade, Tia, Abby at the temple.

Me at the temple. I went to two sessions while I was home. Yeah!

Kylee, Kade, Abby, Tia

Tia

Kylee

Tia playing Oma in Mancala.

Kylee, Tia, and Oma on the Golf cart.

Kade and Abby.

Kade, Tia, Abby, and Kylee at the park.

Kade on the slide.

Grandkids gathered for the choosing of Papa's conference goodies.

Abby's feet in Oma's hands. My mom has been wanting a pic like this forever!

Tuckered out girls after a good vacation.