It Finally Happened!!!

Kate finally learned how to ride her bike without training wheels!!





I'm so proud of her! Now I've just got to get my 3 year old out of diapers!

Exploring Natures Wonders: Mesa & Cave Falls

This summer we did a lot of jaunts up north. Frequently, we took off on an adventure just spur of the moment. That, in and of itself, was quite fun and refreshing (esp. for a ultra, super, duper planner, like yours truly).

Here are some captured moments of our goings on:


This little friend joined us for lunch before we started hiking around to see the falls. I could tell that he had suckered many before us into giving him part of their lunch because he was not too afraid of us and hopped right up on the picnic table where we were eating. You can imagine how excited the kids were (I thought it was really fun, too).

Here we are at the view point of Upper Mesa Falls. It's incredible that we can go through life missing these amazing things and not even know it. One of my favorite things about the falls was that because of all of the spray, the side opposite us looks like a slice of a tropical island. I'm sure it's got it's own ecosystem and all. I don't know why, but I thought that was pretty amazing to see out here in Idaho.

This is us at Cave falls. A bit of a drive away from Mesa Falls, but very worth it. It was pretty tucked away in the forest...almost into Yellowstone. The water was COLD! You know that feeling when you eat ice cream too fast (brain freeze), well that's how my feet felt when walked into the water...painfully cold, but luckily, limbs have this amazing way of going numb, thus making it more bearable to walk around in the fresh water.

This is just a picture we got also at Cave Falls...isn't nature just incredible?

After all of that hiking around, we worked up an appetite. And what better place to feed a ravenous appetite than at Big Jud's?




For the record. We only had ONE hamburger. It was just in two different pictures. I would have had to come home and not eat for a week if I had downed half of that thing by myself! So, yes, we cut it into quarters. :) Boy, we were stuffed!

Chillin' in the Pool

We went up to play at my sister's place and the kids spent hours in the pool. I might mention that Aunt Brittany was nice enough to pull the hose around back from the warm water hook-up in the garage to fill the pool. Spoiled kids. They definitely don't get that kind of treatment at home: nothin' like a pool full of ice-cold water to splash in. But not this time. Maybe that's why they played in it so long instead of taking a quick dip for about 10 min. then claiming that they're done. (After I just spent the last hour hauling the pool out there, unfolding it, trying to keep the sides up while filling it, etc.) Whatever the reason be it the temperature of the water or the company or both, all the kids became little fish for an afternoon.

Chuck E. Cheese Adventures

My dad has started a tradition of taking the grandkids to Chuck E. Cheese for combined birthday extravaganzas. (I think it'd get a bit much if we went there for each and every birthday separately.) This time the bash was to celebrate Emma & Molly's (Kate's cousins) birthdays.

Here is Kate with her two cousins her own age Becca and Molly. They were just enthralled with the blue screen effect and being able to see themselves on TV actually in (or rather, in front of...) a show!

All the kids had a blast! Thanks Papa John and Grandma Karen!

Kate's First "Official" Day of Kindergarten

Kate's first day of Kindergarten was an open house type setting yesterday, where I brought her with me to meet her teacher and drop off her school supplies.



Today seemed more like the "real" deal with the watching her walk off into the building without me. I didn't know quite what to expect out of myself as far as emotions. I'll just say that I'm pretty proud of myself for not crying. However, I'm not sure if I didn't get all teary eyed because I was being a "cool" mom or if I was just already emotionally drained from dealing with Andrew throwing up all morning. Either way, I think I should still get to count it.