215/365

There was the most beautiful sunset tonight.  This picture doesn't even come close to how pretty it looked.

The kids had to do posters of some of their favorite things. I wish I could have taken better shots of them, but here they are:

 Kaden's favorite things: (from top to bottom)
I learned how to surf behind the boat this summer
I love Planet Play
I make the BEST brownies
My favorite place is Moab
(the other ones you can read pretty good)

As for Avery's:

214/365

 She made it!!! The day is FINALLY here!

 Here's a look on how the day went:

7:00 am :  I hear movement in Avery's room
7:27 am:  Avery comes into my bedroom fully dressed with her school bag on.
               ( keep in mind, school doesn't start until 1:00 this afternoon)
8:15 am:  I finally roll out of bed and walk in to see Avery just sitting on the couch with her bag still on
8:45 am:  Brian rolls out of bed and the first thing that is said is, "Daddy, I'm going to kindergarten today!"
8:55 am:  I take Kaden to school and Avery wants to come
9:05 am:  "Mom, can we go check out my classroom again?"
9:06 am:  We see her classroom. It's all ready to go. Avery goes in and finds her desk and giggles when I show her where her backpack will go.  Then she says, "I can't wait to come to kindergarten today!!"
11:30 am:  (mom) "OK Avery, we only have 5 more minutes till we have to go out to the bus."
                  (avery) "How long is 5 minutes?"
                  (mom)  "Count to 60, five times
                  (avery) "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, .........................etc. etc. etc)
12:39 pm:  Avery is jumping up and down as she sees the bus. She gets on, waves good bye and has the biggest smile on her face. She is one excited little girl. It is so fun to live that excitement through your kids eyes.  It makes the little things in life become really big things. It's these type of moments that are my favorite.
4:15 pm:  Avery and Kaden get off the bus. It is at this point that I realize how grown up she's gotten.
               She runs off the bus into my arms and says, "Mommmmmyyyyyyy!!!" (yes... it made my day)

The day was pretty great. Avery didn't want to even talk to me about the day. She was too excited I think to pin point what exactly she liked the best. I know she loved it though. When I put her to bed tonight she said to me, "We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow huh mom?  Because I have schoooool tomorrow!! It is so much fun!"

Oh I love this little girl.



She didn't want a backpack... she wanted one that looked like a purse.


We're sad she isn't on the same track as Sam and Carter, but these two cuties (Dax and Josh) will be her new buddies.


After a perfect first day of school. Kaden told me she wouldn't stop hugging him on the bus.

213/365

Tomorrow is the big day!!! Avery will start kindergarten.  She is so excited she can hardly stand it.  The last week she's been counting down every day.

We told her that today would be a good practice run for tomorrow, so this morning she came out of her bedroom brushing her hair and said to me... "Mom, I'm all dressed, my room is clean and my bed is made"

Then the cutest conversation with Kaden occured:

Kaden: "Avery, you want to go out to the bus with me?"

Avery: "You mean, like go out to the bus and practice for tomorrow?"

Kaden:  "Avery, that's probably a good idea.  That way you will know what it's like. I talked to Parker and he said it would be ok if I sat by you on the bus the first day of school."

Mom: "Kaden, you can sit by her for as long as you want."

Kaden: "Well Parker said I could only do it for one day, but Avery, if I'm not sitting by him I will sit by you whenever you want OK?"

Avery: "Thanks Kaden"

212/365

(ok... so I didn't take this picture, but this is where we were at. Isn't it beautiful?)

Dinner in the mountains was quite an adventure today. We invited our friends the Featherstones to come up with us. Avery was super excited to be with Carter! (as seen on previous posts.. Carter is the boy who gave her a rose for valentines day)

We headed up there and is began pouring rain. By the time we were to the canyon, everything was drenched.

Being the adventurous family we are, we decided to stick with it and find a place with a pavilion. We went all the way to the top of the canyon.... no luck AND it was still raining. So, we decided to head down the canyon and find a nearby park to eat where we wouldn't get drenched.

Wouldn't you know, we get out of the canyon and the sun shows up and the rain stopped. Ahhhh!

So we head BACK into the canyon and decide to stay rain or shine.

I'm so glad we did. The smell was worth all the driving and craziness alone. The fresh rain and pine needles combined.... it was like the best smelling Christmas ever! I love that we can be up in the canyons and enjoy the smells, trails, air, trees and views within minutes of our house. It made my day.

211/365

Here is the cute bike we got for Brighton this week during my shopping spree.

$70 bike for $7.00 bucks.   Not bad.

210/365

My turn for Late Over again....
(Don't you love how all the girls are posing cute and the boys are all making goofy faces?)

Tonight we went Frog Hunting.

I LOVE my neighborhood!! We were able to go to 4 out of the 6 ponds in walking distance from my house and find 8 frogs.  All the kids named their new pets.

Abby and Riley are the proud owners of Lilly and Lightning
Garrett and Camri are the proud owners of Frogger and Sally
Kaden and Avery love Lilly and Hopper

It was a fun night.

208/365

Avery doesn't start school for another week, but she did get to meet her teacher today and do some pre-kindergarten testing.  She was so excited, she could hardly wait till 2:00 (the time of her appointment)

I can't believe she's big enough for kindergarten. She was so proud to be in the classroom. She checked out her desk, looked at all the fun things in her new class, and even got tested to see how much she knew.
During her testing, she stopped her teacher and said, "Oh my gosh.. I must be really smart. I'm getting all the answers right".   (Avery, you are sooooo cute)

Avery and her kindergarten teacher, Miss Crane

207/365

After the worlds longest summer vacation, (ha. ha. ha) of a total of 3 weeks, Kaden started 2nd grade today. His teacher is Mrs. Wilcox.

Kaden was very nervous to go to 2nd grade because he was worried it would be harder than 1st grade. 

When he got back from school today, he ran in the house and said, 

"2nd grade is soooo much easier than 1st grade!!!)

(Kaden? why are you growing up so fast?)

 The new backpack for 2nd grade

these were taken later this week at back to school night

Here's Kaden's teacher... Mrs. Wilcox

 (nice kool aid mustache buddy)

206/365

DEALS. DEALS. DEALS!!!

Ok..... this could get addicting.

17 Shirts

1 Helicopter Toy

7 shorts

1 Swimsuit

1 Pair of Swim Goggles

5 Skirts

2 Bikes

1 Bike Horn

60 Crayons

2 pairs of leggins

1 pair of shoes

(97 items total)

Total Retail Value:

$915.35

Total Spent:

$216.87

Total Saved:

$698.48

OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! 

I think it was a pretty productive day.

205/365

Happy Birthday Uncle Jordan.
This sunday was fabulous.  I took a 3 hour nap.  Ahhhhhh!

199-204/365

Ahhhhhh Beautiful Lake Powell.
This trip was so much fun! For the first time in the life of the Sohm Family Lake Powell Trips, we enjoyed the sand and the sun on a houseboat.

It was sooooooooooo much better than camping in a tent.  We're moving up in the world :)


Thanks mom and dad for a wonderful trip and always sacrificing your time and money to do special things together as a family.

Here's our boat... The SeaClusion

our youngest houseboat guest. 

Meilei is just 9 weeks old.

Gosh I have a hot husband!

I love this picture.

 Brighton surfing.

 Avery surfing

and best of all..... Kaden did it all by himself!!! Way to go buddy!!!!

 Stupid carp. They never learn.

And this is the reason my parents bought the houseboat.... and continues to do all these fun things for all of us. 

2 little monkeys jumping on the bed.......

yes... the baby is cute, but look at that water!!!

The me that was once skinny would have left my baby all alone to go get a ski run in.

I need to get skinny again.

(not to leave my baby alone in the water... but to have the confidence to ski again. I miss it)

Kaden was the best lizard hunter.  Isn't he cute? 

I miss my iguana.

Our house boat even had a pool.  We're living the high life.

(smile)

Two of the best moments on the boat.  I love that my dad is surfing with a broken foot! 

His face is HILARIOUS!!!

 Thayne and Nicole decided it would be a fun trick to see if they could surf at the same time.  It actually worked! Nicole, you are awesome! Way to stay balanced squatting for so long.

198/365

Wedding Cakes Done. Bridal Show Done. Church Done.  House Cleaned and Laundry Done.

Lets get the car packed and get to bed.

Tomorrow is Powell!!!!!!

197/365

Bridal Show seemed to be a bit of a flop this time. Only 8 brides scheduled consultations. I bet at least half won't even show up.

grrrrrrr.

But the kids were happy. We stayed true to our Saturday tradition and had pancakes for dinner and a movie party.
Life is good.

196/365

Wedding over with. Now on to the bridal show... then lets get to Powell!!!

This grooms cake was a fun one to make

195/365

Poor little guy. Getting teeth is the pits.
He was chilling on the floor when all of a sudden I heard a loud scream and came by to see this sad little face.

(yes, that's blood)

194/365

Ahhhhh!! Too much to do.  I've never packed this early for a trip before.  I'm 5 days pre-trip and I'm almost all packed.
2 cakes. a bridal show and trying to get my family ready for lake powell all in one week.
I gotta stay organized or I'm never going to make it.

193/365

Today was Connors 9 month check up.  How did he get to be 9 months old???
  19 pounds.  38%  Length.. 27"  9%   Head Size.... small.... 7%
Short and chubby and cute as can be!
He's growing up too fast.

We had a little photo shoot while waiting for the doctor.

189/365

Tonight Brian and I ditched our kids and went to see Toad the Wet Sprocket.
We are officially old.  This band hasn't made a new album in 15 years, and we still love them.

So I dare say we are stuck in the 90's?   Probably.

I love this picture of us. Brian was getting so irritated with me because it took me about 20 tries with my phone to try and get a shot of us.  He finally gave up and did it himself.

188/365

Dear Brighton,

I am completely, totally, 100% in love with you.

Those eyes? Those dimples? That smile?  What else can I say? You melt my heart.

3 1/2 is such a perfect age.

Here are some of the reasons I love this stage:

-They have their favorite "comfort" toy... Brightons is his "guankey"
-He can't be just holding his blanket, he has to have specific corners. One in his thumb sucking hand, the other in the hand that goes to his face.
-They pretty much potty train themselves
-They say cute things like, "Mommy, are you happy?"
-They are not shy and talk to everyone
-Once again.. that smile. those dimples. those eyes.
-They love you more than life itself
-They turn into social butterflies and are hilarious with their little friends
-Pretty much everything that comes out of their mouths is hilariou8
-Every early, early morning, I have a cute little guy jump in my bed, cuddle up to me with his "guankey" and fall back asleep.

187/365

The kids always know that if they go to the store with dad, they will end up with a treat.
Today was Brights turn.

If dad gives them the treat.... dad gets to clean up the mess.