labor day…misc pictures

this might be star valley picture overload, but there are just too many I love.  my girls are helping pick up all these tree branches that aaron trimmed.

this boy FINALLY is big enough to get up in the tree.  he has been watching his sisters do it for years, so he was pretty excited when he figured it out.

   

aaron was trying out a little photography

 

i thought these flowers were so pretty, but my kids were not about to get any closer to them…a little too scared of the bees.

 

  

it was so nice to relax and spend a little time together, away from the craziness of school starting and routines again.

labor day…picnic at swift creek park

on Sunday, we packed a picnic and headed to the park.  it was right at the base of the canyon, with a creek running through it…so pretty.  my kids played with this blanket more than the actual playground toys.

paige and morgan were a bed for carson.

 

cooper, sherry, aaron, grandpa lindberg, and grandma lowry

 

cooper finally warming up to sherry.

 

i wished we had all dressed nice and fixed our hair, it would have been the perfect spot for some family pictures.

cooper rode and rode his little bike.  he hasn’t figured out the pedals yet, but he still can go pretty fast.

 

 

labor day…aunt sherry’s driving school

when we visit star valley in the summer, my kids love to go down in the field and help grandpa change the water.  this year, aunt sherry gave them all a little turn to drive grandpa’s truck in the field.  morgan was a little timid to give it a try, but thought it was pretty fun.

 

paige wasn’t so timid to give it a try, and she loved it.  (sherry is running the gas and brake, they are only steering)

 

 

 

labor day…trip to star valley

for the long weekend, we decided it would be fun to head to grandpa lindberg’s for a few days.  the weather could not have been prettier, and it was so fun to hang out on the farm. 

sherry, great grandpa lindberg, and grandma jackie.  these two daughters are so sweet to spend so much time helping their dad with his crops.

a little family shot.  my kids were dying to climb up on top of the bales of straw.

 

cooper on the vroom vroom, as he lovingly calls it.  this kid would drive all day on that thing, if we would let him.

 

grandpa lindberg.  you can tell he is changing the water, because he has that wrench in his back pocket.

   

sherry, morgan, and carson.  paige was hiding so i couldn’t get a picture of her.  grandpa had three big cans in the back of his truck…he would tell the kids to get in the back of the truck and sit on their cans.

i snuck this picture, sherry is trying to get out of the shot. (i think it might be the rubber boots making her camera shy, but I really think they are sweet.)

first day of school

The first day of school came a little too quickly for us this year:( We were not quite ready for middle school, a routine, or homework. We are slowly adjusting, but we are ALL missing our lovely summer and freedom.

Paige is starting 4th grade.

Paige and her friend Saige waiting to head into class. It was way too sunny to get a good picture.

Carson is starting his first year of staying at school the whole day. For some reason, starting first grade makes him seem so much older than when he was in kindergarten. This year he is lucky enough to have his best friend Owen in the same class.

I didn’t take Carson to his class, because I was trying to get Paige to her class, and Morgan to middle school on time. Aaron took Carson, and my sweet neighbor took some pictures for me.

This little lady is going into 7th grade and trying to figure out how to keep track of 9 teachers, lockers, and where to catch the bus. I am a little sad all my kids won’t be two blocks away at the elementary school, but we can’t keep her in 6th grade forever:(

cousin fun at the zoo

The weekend before school started the Copes came over from Boise for a little visit.  One  of the mornings they were here, my sister in law and I decided to take most of the cousins to the zoo.  A few of the mom’s had some other stuff going on, so Seri and I took 12 kids with us.  I thought we were pretty brave, but the kids were fabulous, and three of them were 12. 

This monkey put on quite a show for these kids.  I parked Coopers stroller facing the glass so he could check out the monkey, and a second later it came flying down and sat on the ledge of the window…face to face with Coop.  He SCREAMED his head off, that wild monkey scared him to death.  I had to face his stroller away from the cage the rest of the time we were standing there.

Loving all these cute cousins checking out the huge tortoise.

 

Gabe and Kinlee

They were ALL trying to fit in the nest at the same time.

   

We took these 12 hungry kids to eat at Sam’s club after we finished up with the animals.  I am still laughing at all the crazy looks we were getting from our fellow shoppers:)

weekend away

For Aaron’s birthday, we decided it might be nice to sneak away for a night. My parents were kind enough to take our kids for a few days, so we could get away and relax.  We decided to drive the long way to West Yellowstone, by driving through Jackson and Yellowstone Park. 

We first drove through Grand Teton National Park.  We saw 1 little dear, and were lucky enough to drive by a black bear.

 

We came into Yellowstone through the south entrance. 

Lewis Falls

I am sure I have been to most of Yellowstone in my life, but their was so much I didn’t remember.

Upper Falls

 

We walked down to the brink of the Lower Falls.  It was so pretty.  I loved watching that water head right over the falls.    

 

 

 

Yellowstone Grand Canyon

 

   

I didn’t get any pictures, but that Saturday night we went to the Playmill in West Yellowstone, to see the play Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.  It was really funny, and we had a great time.  We spent the night in West and then the next day we drove the Yellowstone’s upper loop.

Dunraven Pass

 

Downstream from Tower Falls. 

 

The Roosevelt Lodge, our lunch spot.

 

The only buffalo we saw in two days of driving in the park.

Outside of Mammoth Hot Springs

   The  Veteran geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin.

We had such a nice two days.  It had been a long time since we had traveled without 7 duffel bags, a pack and play, and a diaper bag.  We loved being able to relax, and spend some time by ourselves.  Thanks to my mom, who actually tried to take all 4 kids to church by herself, we really owe you:)