Happy 7th, Rachel!

Rachel's seven!!!!

We had a friend birthday party for her. Since we don't have a cool, fun backyard anymore (at least not yet.....) we held the party at the local park. The playground is awesome and fun was had by all. Here she is with her requested pink cupcakes.

Opening the gifts. She got some cute ones!

A little Bingo

The gang

Oh, how we love our Rachel. A few things about Rach at age 7: *She keeps her room IMMACULATE. All the time. It's amazing to me, actually. She never needs any reminders and on Saturday, when it's time for all the kids to clean their bedrooms, she just smiles because she knows all she needs to do is dust a little and vacuum because everything else is done. :) She loves having her own space--a little too much sometimes, since she hardly lets anyone in her room! *She still loves to color and draw. *She is great about doing her homework and reading every day. She doesn't read voraciously like Emma does, but she enjoys it. She especially loves reading the Friend magazine. *She likes to write little notes for all of us in the family. We love it! *She is definitely competitive with Emma. *She likes to ride her scooter far more than her bike. *She's been having cheese quesadillas in her lunch nearly every day at school. *Her favorite foods (besides cheese quesadillas) are cereal, bagels and cream cheese, cheese and crackers, (hmmmm....seeing a trend here?), and mashed potatoes and gravy. *She feels the spirit a lot and sometimes it moves her to tears. *She is in the Lindon city children's choir this fall and loves it. She can't wait for her upcoming Christmas concert! *She doesn't like to be away from home for too long. *She joined the running club at school! Twice a week, they run at recess and earn little charms by meeting running goals. She is so excited about it. *We love her sweet spirit and super tight hugs. Our family wouldn't be the same without her! Love you so much, Rachel!

September

We did a few unique activities in September, the first being a trip to Promontory Point to see where the Transcontinental Railroad was connected. The drive was longer than we anticipated and the weather was a bit drizzly AND Max decided to get a sick tummy while we were there, but nevertheless, we are glad we went. We walked around the little train museum, watched a short video about the railroad, and my favorite--watching a re-enactment of the "Golden Spike" ceremony! The actors wore period clothing and and had props and everything. It was pretty neat and I'm glad the kids got to see it. The actors:

Luke got to hold the golden spike!

Poor Max was sick in his stroller for this one.

After visiting Promontory Point, we headed over to Brigham City to check out Peach Days (we were not too impressed) and to visit some graves of Ben's ancestors. Ben already posted about this, but here is another picture from the cemetery. I always love visiting cemeteries. I know, I'm weird. It just helps me regain perspective about my life.

The girls have been wanting to do a bake sale/lemonade stand for awhile now and I always put them off. I told them when we got moved in and settled a bit, we could do it. We did it on a beautiful day in mid-September and their good friends joined us for it. The girls wanted to donate the proceeds to Primary Children's Hospital and so we are headed up there this Saturday to donate it in person. They earned $50!

Sunday dinner at Sue's house. The kids always beg to pull out the dress-ups. Sue has the best ones! The kids can dress up for a full hour and be completely entertained.

Isn't Max adorable???

Blowing a kiss! Love this boy.

First Day 2013

My cute girls on the first day of school! They attend Aspen Elementary now and despite a difficult first few days of adjusting, they both really enjoy their new school. I am impressed with all of the activities and events Aspen offers. Emma is loving being a part of the drama club--I'd say drama comes pretty naturally for her! :) Notice the new "Bobs" shoes on the girls' feet. Yep, I caved and bought them trendy shoes for back-to-school. Emma, my shoe-lover, is thrilled!

My big fourth-grader.

My big first-grader.

Waiting in line on the first day. Rachel has adjusted so well to first grade! She absolutely loves lunchtime and handles the long school day very well.

Here's to a great school year!