Peaches

Yesterday we got an email that a family in our ward that owns the coolest farm, tourist site, etc... in town was inviting anyone from the ward to come pick peaches for free. They just asked we made a donation to the youth in the ward. So Brent woke up Hannah this morning at 6am and they went and picked peaches. I was the lucky one that got to cut all of the peaches and freeze them for later. Yummy. Hannah thought it was so much fun. I remember being her age though and thinking that growing food was pretty cool! Here are the fruits of her labors!

Ahhhh Sisters...

So we have this sort of joke or saying now about sisters and how well they get along! Brent asked me probably three years or more ago when Liz and i started getting along. Took me about three seconds and I said probably when she got married. I then asked Liz when I was talking to her the same question and she replied with the same time period. Although I was quite a mean big sister, I'm the first to admit it, I couldn't live without my sisters now. So I hope that these three little girls will grow up and find the friends in their sisters that I have in mine! Here's some cute pics I took of the oldest two this morning before we left for swim.

They even played and did funny faces and were getting along quite fabulously. It didn't last all day, but I'll take my moments!

Last day of School - Hannah

I'm going to go kid by kid so they each have a memory or two of the last days of school. Hannah just finished 4th grade and it was a wonderful year. I saw so much academic and social growth it was wonderful. She's always excelled in school, but I love how she always keeps working and does her best. She had soooo many home projects to do this year and sometimes she stayed up and finished even when her mom had pooped out and fallen asleep on the couch. Hannah has been playing the piano all year and swimming year round too. She also played her first full season of soccer as a real big kid and learned so much. Here are a couple pictures from her last day of school!

Hannah and her teacher Mrs. Baber! She was perfect for Hannah this year, we were very lucky!
Hannah and two of her good friends, one of who couldn't stay still and turned out a bit blurry!

First day of school 2009. About a week before the girls were supposed to start school at the school in our new neighborhood I got a job as the librarian at a school about 15 minutes away. At first we were going to keep them at the community school, but that would have meant more time alone and away from me and it just didn't feel right when they could come with me, so we enrolled them at my new school and they got about two more weeks of summer.

Emily started 1st grade this year and Hannah is in 4th. Now that we're into the school year a couple months I can say I'm very glad for the decision we made. They've done great at their new school. I am very pleased with their teachers and I get to spend time with them in the car each way and before and after school. I get to be involved in their education and still get to see them when they get sick and am right there if they need me. It's worked out really well. We're hoping Rie will get to go with us next year! I can't find the picture of her first day of school, but when I do that post is next!

Hannah's Birthday

I can't believe that Hannah is another year older. This has been such a big year for her and she's been handling things quite well. She started a new school and has made instant friends. She puts up with the fact that she doesn't get to play with anyone outside of school because we live too far away and don't get home until too late every night and she's been such a great big sister and helper to her mom! Brent and I have actually been using her for 1-2 hour babysitting jobs too, it's been SOOO nice. Can't wait until we can leave them a little bit longer. Everyday I see her I can't believe she's mine and that she's getting so grown up. It's fun and sad at the same time. I'm so proud of her and all her hard work at school. She is one fine student and most of the time we have to go into her bedroom late at night and turn off her light because she's staying up past her bedtime to finish a good book. It's hard to get mad when it's for a good book! Happy Late Birthday Blog to Hannah!

Hannah's Twist of the Tongue

Hannah and Emily on opening Night after Hannah's big debut!

So I don't have very good pictures of this and I wish they were better, but they'll have to do. Hannah was in the school play this past year and she loved it. I was so proud of her to try out. Third grade is the first year you can try out and she had to sing a song by herself and then do a part in front of the teachers. I couldn't believe how brave that was. At first she was just in the chorus which she was bummed about, but I kept reminding her that a lot of kids didn't even make it and it was her first year. Anyways, kids dropped out during the year and so she got a part as one of the judges for a contest they had in the play. She was so cute and did such a great job. Her teacher told her she was the loudest judge, you'd think she'd be loud with me as a mom. The play was the last day of April and it was fun to see it put together. It was a musical called "A Twist of the Tongue". Very cute and many thank yous to those teachers that met with the kids two days a week all year and pulled this play off! Hannah's sad she had to leave her school because of friends and drama club. Hopefully the new school will have something fun!

Our Good Friend from our old neighborhood came to see Hannah, oh we miss Stephanie and her family! The next best thing to grandma or grandpa coming.

Who is that bad photographer? Oh, the mom, with a bad camera! Sorry, but she's in the middle of the heads with the white shirt on.

Hannah's Baptism

Hannah was baptized on July 26th in Provo. It was a wonderful day and we are so grateful for all the family who made an effort to be there. Brent flew in that morning at 6am so he could baptize and confirm Hannah. At the baptism Hannah was a classic 8 year old, I think! She was making telescopes with her program lying down on her dad and when it was time to get baptized she all of a sudden had to go to the bathroom. Then she was baptized twice, the first time her foot popped up! Rie couldn't stop talking really loudly the whole time and wanted to get in the water with her dad. Then she said the confimation prayer along with Brent just like the dinner prayer at home! It was classic. We are so proud of Hannah and her choice to be baptized and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! Thank you to the 14th ward for helping us make it a special day and thank you to grandma and grandpa great, grandma vicki and grandpa pete, aunt amber and uncle stan, cousins randy, nathaniel and austin, grandma gayle and uncle max, mom's cousin Heather, dad's cousins jen and doug and their boys, aunt sherryl, and our friends the tennis's! I hope I didn't leave anyone out, if I did let me know and I'll add you to the list! Here's a slideshow of the day! Hannah was baptized in the dress I was baptized in 25 years ago in Wellesley, MA. Then she had a fun after baptism dress to wear!

Eight is Great

Hannah turned 8 on July 18th. We have been in Utah and so we were able to celebrate with some family here. I actually forgot my camera and had to get a couple pictures off my dads camera to write the post. She was so cute in the morning. We had french toast for breakfast and then opened presents. She got some fun things, but her expression was the best, she said, "I didn't know I would get this much stuff!" It's amazing how the $ spot at Target can bring joy to an 8 year olds life! She was planning on going to Seven Peaks, but I checked online that day about tickets and it was one of three nights they were closed for a special party! So Grandpa Pete took Hannah and Emily to see Kung Fu Panda! Then we had sloppy joes for dinner, she had requested the dinner with chili on hamburger buns. Grandma and Grandpa Great came for dinner and we had a great time! Besides not having her dad with her, it was a wonderful day! I am still so shocked to have an 8 year old. She is so helpful and we are very excited for her baptism this coming Saturday. I'll write more later.