Looking back...

Some lessons I've learned over the years...

It's not smart to stop and smell ALL the flowers

Flaunt it while you've got it!

Vacations make it better

Sleep is a luxury

In the end - Family matters most

Looks like winter...

So I'm posting a few last summer pictures that really didn't end up anywhere else...

Alix got some sparklers at the Macbeth Family Reunion. 6 boxes. Notice how many girls are doing sparklers? That's right. One. Stinker.

One bribe of ice cream later...

Nice form Tom! Super fun times at the reunion this year...

Pucker up baby! Tom had a lot of fun cleaning all the sticky that was left behind off his car... Not my fault. He's the one that taught them the car is also a seat... Thankfully, none of them can climb onto the suburban's hood...

Brooke going down the new & improved slide...

It was a good summer. Please don't let the rain be here already... Please?

On Your Mark... Get Set... Go!

The girls' first day of school was today... (I'm not a cryer, I'm a celebrator!)

Brooke

Is in 2nd grade this year and LOVES her teacher already. Thank goodness. Love this girl so much! She's at a nervous stage of life right now and I just pray for her to be confident and strong. She is sweet and wonderful and a good friend. She is a ray of light to our family. Best biggest sister ever!

First day of kindergarten for the the twins! How did that happen? Brooke seemed so old when she started kindergarten and Alix and Erin seem so little... They were excited though and not nervous at all. It might help to have your best friend/sister in your same class...

Erin

My little sensitive one. She is wonderful and kind, but easily hurt. She is very confident and my girliest girl... Clothes MATTER to her! She is a little mother to Sam. She's always willing to play with her or help her.

Alix

My funny gal. She's destined to be the class clown (it was even mentioned in her blessing last night). She loves to laugh and to make people happy. She is enthusiastic and positive or grumpy as a bear - there is no half way!

Now I know there are a few of the twins together but they are so darn cute...

Tuckered out from a full day of school...

(I will admit that I didn't cry when they were getting on the bus, but sitting here writing about my sweet, sweet girls, I did have a tear or two slip out of my eye... I love these girls so much. I want so much for them to be happy and know they are loved. How is it possible that our Heavenly Father trusts us with these amazing spirits? I feel so honored and blessed to be their mother. Please don't let me screw them up!)

Ridiculously Proud...

Of this cake...

I made it for my friend's daughter's Sweet 16 birthday party. I think I might be getting better at this... Thanks to Aunt Linda for the fondant recipe in the family cookbook. I use it a lot. I've modified it a bit to make it easier for me to use, but it tastes delicious and turns out great! (Love that cookbook - thanks to all who put it together...)

This is what the girls did while I was busy...
Now I'm off to go and sweep a few pounds of sprinkles off my floor...

America's Got Talent - the Puyallup version

I've got skills. Let me explain...

Brooke had fallen (again) and was bleeding from her majorly beat up knees (it's been a long summer for her...). I was rapidly walking into the garage for my "medical bag" (makes me feel like I might still be a paramedic if I call it that...) when with amazing skill and dexterity I stepped on the edge of Tom's push broom. (See where this is going?) I nearly knocked myself unconscious when the handle came flying at my face at 100 miles and hour! I was stunned (literally...). I couldn't see for a minute and I had tears running down my face and I was doing this awesome mix of hysterical laughter and sobbing. I freaked the girls out a little since they thought I'd accidentally shot myself by the sound the handle made when it hit my forehead... I was sure I was going to have a broom handle shaped bruise up my face... Sadly, it still hurts. It's still a little swollen, but curse my very strong blood vessels! No bruising. Makes this story a whole lot less fun to post!

See? Told you I had skills...

lesson learned...

I learned today that you cannot believe all that you read on Facebook. (really - I probably knew that before, it just hasn't backfired so badly until today...) I read all about this awesome carnival that was going on today in Pioneer Park. Clowns. Cotton candy. Face painting. Games. Food. It was going to be great. So I get the girls all excited and bribed them to do quite a few extra chores in anticipation of a great afternoon. Off we went...

The carnival isn't until August 24th.

Oops.

The girls were so mad. Especially Brooke. I had to let them swim fully clothed in the wading pool and get them giant doughnuts from Pioneer Bakery before we were all friends again.

Master of Invention

It is the greatest thing being married to a man who can fix or create anything. His latest "invention"? A water slide in the back yard. It's great. No wonder the neighborhood kids have all moved in...

Brooke trying it out for the first time

Nice splash Brooke!

Tom and I barely fit...

Not sure why this loaded sideways, but you get the general idea...

Tom has actually made some improvements since these pictures were taken. He found a much longer, steeped slide at a garage sale for $5 and so the slide is even better. And the trampoline is on the other side of the pool and the kids all jump from it into the pool. Now I'm off to replenish my supply of Otter Pops...

And I thought I looked so good...

Here is another self-esteem building quote of the day...

Whilst driving in car, the girls were asking about when I used to work in the jail.

Erin & Alix - "Were the girls pretty that were in jail?"

me - "No. They looked hard and used up." (try explaining that to your children...)

Alix - "So they weren't pretty?"

me - "No, sweetie, they weren't."

Brooke - "Well, did they look like you then?"

Quote of the Day

While sitting in the bleachers at Tom's softball tournament...

Erin - "Mom, you're getting a big wart on your face." (really it was a little pimple... thanks for noticing sweetie.)

Brooke - "Guess that's why you always have to be the wicked step-mother or the witch when we play princesses."

Pride is no problem when you have four loud children...

The "good" mom vacation guide - part 2

1) Never give your baby your soda while driving

2) Use appropriately sized dishes at all times

3) See rule number 2

4) Play with children your own age

5) got nothing, but aren't we all cute?

6) Leave nature in nature

7) Stay off the rocks

8) Snakes are not your friend

9) Don't pick the neighbors flowers

Here is the second part of our vacation. We spent a week in St. George, UT with my parents and had a really nice time. Even though it was 113 degrees hot. We almost died. But the girls loved to see where Gram Samoa and Pop Pop live. It was worth the drive and we'll definitely go back. In the winter. We swam. We explored. We played. We used tiny dishes. We rode Pop Pop's '47 Willy's Jeep. We had a great time!

(mom has most of the good pictures on her camera, so you might just be so lucky as to get two posts...)