Shadow Your Student Day aka Ditch Day

For six years I have been blessed to attend what is known around these parts as Shadow Your Student day in Junior High. Okay, maybe blessed isn't the word, but I've gone faithfully for six years! I didn't want my girls to be the ONLY one in Junior High without their mom there (I told Steve next year he's taking the morning off to participate). Besides, Haley thinks Andie is missing her childhood (Rylee and Haley stayed up late Andie's 12th birthday eve to decorate while Steve and I were sleeping.)

So this morning the alarm clock went off at 5:45 so I could shower and get ready for my seventh year in Junior High. Sigh.

But then a marvelous thing happened, the federal government shut down Jack (as Brooke would say). My friend Kristen Bloomfield texted me and said, "The government is shut down, they can't tell me what to do, Julie and I aren't going to Shadow Your Student Day!" Now technically, as Andie would later explain, the state runs its own education department (see, school is good!) but I had to explain to her that the Obamas are trying to tell even the schools what to do! That Michelle Obama is trying to tell us what to serve our children for lunch. Andie said, "Well take a look at our food Michelle, see the grease on our pizza!" Just love my little conservative.

I digress.

After Kristen's text came in I looked hopefully over at Andie and said, "Bloomfields are ditching today. They want us to go to In-n-Out with them for lunch." And as we like to say reminiscent of Duck Dynasty "she gone." And that was that.

We ran to the school to turn in a math assignment and then quickly hurried home so Andie wouldn't get pulled in by the bustle of excited (uh huh, sure) students as they made their way to class.

Upon arriving home our doorbell rang and my first thought was, "They found us! We're sunk!" But it was only lovely Julie Bloomfield at our door with a tin of nice warm cinnamon rolls. "Happy ditch day," she said.

Happy, happy, happy!

And here are the cute girls at In-n-Out.

Hey! We weren't the only ditchers either!

Twin Day

Here in Arizona for some silly reason the junior high schools hold what is called "Twin Day."

That's all fine and good if you have someone at school who is not already going to be a twin with someone else. But when you ask your friend if she'll be your twin and she says she can't because she's going to be twins with someone else, Twin Day stinks.

I've had four girls go through junior high, I hate Twin Day.

Last night on the way to soccer practice (Andie's 9th hour of soccer training for the week) she told me that she texted one of her big sisters, Haley, to see if she would be her twin, all the way from Utah.

The conversation that followed in the car on the way home from soccer as the two were discussing what they would wear for twin day made me cry.

I love Twin Day.

Thank you Haley for making a 7th grader feel like she's got the coolest twin ever.

Soccer is Upon Us

It's soccer season again. The fields are gearing up for approximately 2,990 children, all registered by yours truly. The fields look amazing (thanks in part to none other than Haley Carling).

Andie has even started playing for her Junior High team, in 105 degree weather nonetheless.

We head up to Flagstaff this Saturday for a tournament where we officially kick off the season!

Temple Work is Tiring Work

This morning Andie and I were up at 4:00 a.m. so she could attend the temple with her Beehive class. She left at 4:30, got home at 7:30 and now is doing this:

Oreo is real tired too, he was up early with us.

And then Brookie got up at 6:00 and was out the door at 6:30 to do temple work with her Mia Maid class.

I think somewhere in there Haley left to go to work at the fields.

It's only 8:28 a.m. here and already the house is up and running. Except for me. I'm still in my jammies.

Brynn and Andie

While their older sisters were off having fun at EFY this week, Brynn and Andie were having some of their own!

There was lots of swimming, movie watching, Barbies and X-box.

We're so grateful for cousins!

EFY

Yesterday these two cuties left for EFY in Provo, Utah.

I miss Brookie (and Ellie) already! They were very excited.

This was also Brooke's first time on a plane! I asked Steve to take pictures.

He didn't.

But Rylee did send this from good ole' Provo to verify their safe arrival.

Yay, they made it!

Have a super fun week Brooke and Ellie! We love you!

Happy Anniversary!

Last week my mom and dad celebrated their wedding anniversary. I love my parents. I'm glad they're my parents.

So we are going to take a stroll down memory lane. Get ready for picture overload. Where convenient (and by that I mean where I can remember) pictures will be explained.

This is the day I graduated from college. She's cute!

This is also the day I graduated. I know this isn't a picture of mom and dad but boy do I look young. Just sayin'.

Yep, graduation. Okay, enough of that.

This is mom and dad at Steve's graduation.

Steve graduating. Yay Steve! Not sure what Rylee was looking at.

Rylee and her best pal, grandma.

She likes grandpa too.

1993. I believe this was taken at Brecken's blessing.

1993. Somewhere in Colorado I think?

1997. Christmas and Brookie's blessing.

1999.

2000.

2001. The infamous first day of school breakfast. Miss those!

2002. Happy fourth and happy birthday Andie!

2003. Gainey Ranch.

2004. Gainey Ranch and the gondola ride! Miss that too.

2004. This was when we had our little family reunion and went to the Homestead for brunch. So fun. The following picture is not of grandma and grandpa but it was too cute to pass up.

2005. Fun times in Moab!

2006. First day of school!

2007. Christmas.

2008. New Pool!

2009. Andie's baptism. I cannot figure out how to get this the right way. I will keep working on it but it had to make an appearance.

Sadly, the pictures seem to end here. I guess we'll just have to keep taking more when mom and dad return to the valley!

Happy anniversary!

I love to see the temple, I'm going there TODAY!

This 12-year-old got her temple recommend Sunday! 

And so today, July 11th, we headed off to the Mesa Arizona temple so Andie could perform baptisms for the dead. Nate, her good friend, and the Thornton cousins came along. It was fun for Brynn and Andie to attend the temple their first time together.

A group of good looking kids!

He's cute too!

This is the tree our wonderful primary planted almost five years ago when I was first called to serve as primary president. It's still alive!

The wonderful morning ended with visiting with our stake president and his wife as they were leaving the temple and then donuts at Bosa's! A sweet tradition.

Where Does Time Go?

I was sitting at my computer this morning before my walk and this picture flashed across my screen.

One is getting ready to attend her first mutual activity tonight. The other is getting ready for her first flight to Utah to attend EFY with her cousin.

And they're both taller.

Beauty School, Swimming and I Love You's

As I was looking out my window the other day this is what I saw:

Haley and Andie washing each other's hair. After a nice (warm) swim the girls like to wash their hair outside rather than take a full on shower in the middle of the day. So, we have a hose out back and some shampoo that the girls use to clean up after a swim.

The other night during a family swim, Haley was trying to take Andie away from Brooke (it's a constant battle here sometimes.) Andie turned to Brooke and put her arms around her neck so Haley couldn't take her. The look on Brooke's face was priceless. It looked like she had just won the lottery! To have Andie favor her over Haley, now that's saying something!

I also noticed the other night after Rylee and Haley were done talking on the phone (we miss Rylee!) that they said "I love you" to each other.

I couldn't ask for more.