Eden Rose is One!!

September 17th this precious little flower turned one.  And in true fourth child form, the event went nearly unnoticed.  Life is crazy town.  I'm sure she understood.

Ryder and Tessa helped me manage to snap a couple shots to mark this momentous occasion at the park while Linley was in cheerleading practice.  Because that was all the free time we had that day.  Or any day really.

She is a full-fledged walker, and it is sort of completely adorable.

She is getting her molars, which is far less adorable, still believes screaming is the most effective form of communication (even less adorable) and loves to give loves, which really trumps all else, cementing her status as completely perfect.

Mom and dad and Megan and Amanda were in town this weekend for the Donny Osmond Home launch party (it. was. awesome.), so we did a teensy, tiny birthday celebration then.

The birthday girl would have rather been in bed.

Or doing anything other than eating cake.

She refused to touch it.  Which was only semi-devastating.

She is such a dreamy little baby.  Spicy and sassy and beautiful and sweet and completely scrumptious.  Our life really is a little sparklier with this little miss in it.  Love you Eden Rose!!

Apples are Awesome

Two weeks ago we found ourselves feeling especially Fall festive.  We bundled up and headed to the local Pick-Your-Own Farm.  

On the menu: honeycrisp apples.  

                                               It was a happy way to spend the morning.  
                                Well maybe an hour of the morning.  If we include drive time.

The best part was the apple crisp we made and devoured that night.  A $40 apple crisp.  We're so fancy.

Happy Autumn!

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

 September 4th marked a momentous occasion for these cute creatures.

The start of a new chapter.

 Not only was it the first day of school, but the first day of school in a different school, in a different town. My mommy powers assured me they were all a little apprehensive, but they refused to let me know.

Ryder and Linley are attending Thomas P. Hughes Elementary while Miss Tessa is a student at Mary Kay McMillin Primary.

The big Fourth grader.  He came home from his first day ecstatic, proclaiming, "I am so nice and mature this year!!"

Way to go kid.

 Lucky for Linley, this elementary school begins in 2nd grade, so everything was new to everyone in her class.  She came home proclaiming this school to be the best ever.

Let's keep it that way lady.

 And then there's the Pre-Ker.  The confident sassafrass.  She hated having to wait a few hours after dropping the kids off before she got to experience school herself.  She still hates having to wait.  Impatient little beast.

She came home her first day announcing, "we did NOT go to the gym, we did NOT go to the park, and we did NOT go to the library.  But I still had fun."

She didn't have high expectations or anything...

I suppose going to school in Berkeley Heights, and doing several after school extracurriculars in Berkeley Heights means we really are beginning our life in Berkeley Heights...we're just still living in Summit.  Commuting several times every day is pretty crappy, but the kids really are in love with the schools and I think the house will be done before I die, and we are all making fast friends, so we plug along.  Speaking of close friends, the gas station attendants and I are on a first name basis and I finally updated my playlists, so it's not all bad?!?

Hello Fabulous Football

There was one more uber important reason for our visit to Virginia.

BYU Football's opening game against UVA!!!

My parents drove up from Georgia to join us for this most celebrated event.

Forecasted was a sweet, sunny 85 degree day.

We had front row seats.

Our team was ready.

It was going to be epic.

And epic it was.  But not for any of the reasons I had hoped.

First: It was freaking hot and humid.

 Then immediately at the end of the first quarter, the game was shut down.  The stadium closed.  And every single 61,000 persons escorted outside.  To find shelter.  In a gym.  With no electricity.  Because there was a storm brewing.  A most unwelcome fierce thunder, lightning wind and rain storm.  Because ruining two Halloweens in a row isn't enough: mother nature has to take my football games, too.

We waited in the gym until the rain slowed enough to venture back to our car.  Allen and I and the 4 children left to grab dinner, then dropped Allen and the two littles off at the hotel for baths and bed.

Shortly thereafter, the two bigs and I joined grandma and grandpa back on the field for the last half.

Which was played in the POURING RAIN.

We were drenched.  Soaked.  To the bone.

 And then, we lost.  A soul-crushing-stupid-should-not-have-happened-full-of-if-onlys loss.  

But man, we had a crazy, stupid good time.

Epic.

So Long Sweet Summer

Before summer approached her rapid end, we decided to take one last sunny getaway.

This time to Virginia Beach.

 We split our time swimming at the pool and frolicking at the beach.  

 And that beach was gorgeous.  Flawless.  Pristine.

 The Boardwalk was adorable.

 And 3 miles long.  Which we pedaled.  And panted. And sweated.  And so slowly conquered.  

 The waves were positively dreamy.  Surfable even.  The kids were in whiplash splish splash heaven.

And no beach vacation is complete without gut-busting blizzards.  Dairy Queen never disappoints, you know?       

 And just like that, our love affair is over.  Already looking forward to smooching summer's sweet sunny face next year.