Well, tomorrow our lives change forever...Abby enters kindergarten. Abby and I have both been excited for this day for a long time. She is so excited about school and learning. (She says she's excited to "do her studying".) I know that it is time and I am anxious for her to learn and experience new things. But, the last few days it really hit me that this is it: she's not just mine anymore. For almost 5 years I have been with her pretty much all day every day: I know what she sees and hears and does. But, now she's entering the "world" (granted, it's only kindergarten for a few hours a day, but humor me), and I'm having kind of a hard time! I won't let Abby see it, but I'm sad tonight, and I'll probably cry a bit tomorrow.

Now I understand moms who say they cried more than their kindergartner did. But, I'm sure we'll all be fine...I can't wait to pick her up after school tomorrow, put the little girls down for naps, and hear all about it. I guess that will be special, too. =)

(Boy, how am I ever going to send my girls off to college?!)

We had our first real family vacation this month, with a trip to Bear Lake. We had so much fun, and the kids did fantastic! The weather was perfect and the lake was more entertaining than I even expected it to be. The girls loved collecting sea shells, digging in the sand, and, my favorite, playing in the water that was only to our knees! (It was so nice to not have to worry every second that they were going to get in over their heads, since the lake is so shallow for so long. Perfect for little kids and their worrier moms!) We took the trip with James's parents, Rachel, Jake and Shell, and kids and really enjoyed our time together.

The view from our condo. I haven't been to Bear Lake since I was a kid, and I didn't realize it was this big!

Playing in the "waves".

Brynn was in heaven in the sand. =)

James and Rick made a great likeness of an alligator.

Even Ivy loved the water...She was a real trooper.

We can't wait to go back next summer! (Oh, and the raspberry shakes were wonderful. Thank goodness I'm back on dairy again...Just in time.)

It's been a long time since my last post...oh, well. =) Here is a smattering of pictures showing what we have been up to the last little while:

"Driving" the tractor at Wheeler farm (what cute girls!). My mom invited us to her work party there...It was a fun night with great food and family.

Looking at the pigs (nice view of the pig, huh?!)

Brynn, pointing which way she is going to flee. (But, to her credit, she came back every time! She definitely keeps us on our toes.)

I just thought this one was funny. I'm in so few pictures...Why then do I have such an annoyed look on my face? I promise that we were having a great time!

Brynn and Ivy playing peek-a-boo...
Both Abby and Brynn will do just about anything to get Ivy to smile and laugh...It just melts my heart (and can easily take away an annoyed look, like the one above).


To be continued...

This morning I decided to be a less obsessive mom and told the girls they could play in the mud. (After the torrential rain and hail storms we had yesterday, our yard is abounding in mud.) Abby started laughing and said, "Mom, are you joking?!" I guess that means I don't let my kids get dirty often enough. I assured them that I meant it, and they could get as dirty as they wanted...such excitement followed! They just couldn't wait to really get dirty, and boy did they! It was so fun to watch, though, and the screaming in the shower afterward was even worth the fun.

So cute, even when dirty!

Ivy just turned 6 months old yesterday...wow, these past few months have been a whirlwind! It's amazing how, when a new little one joins the family, it's hard to imagine life without them. Ivy is such a blessing to our home...Abby and Brynn just can't get enough of her: it is so sweet!

Still a little baby in a big chair! Ivy loves baby food (except for green beans...not much of a surprise).

Hanging out in the saucer...

Look at the size of that mouth! She is definitely teething.

Ivy is so happy to be a "big girl" in a big girl chair. So cute!