Back-to-School

The Back-to-School Feast...
We had whole grain pasta w/ roasted tomatoes and fresh Parmesan.
Then we had a LOADED green salad (my kids love green salad) fresh, homemade french bread with sparkling lemonade! YUM!

We even pull-out Jer and I wedding china! The kids love it and I like to actually use them!

Each year we have a new theme that we carry through-out the year! This year we both felt really strong that this theme was the best for us...Believe and Be.

We want our little cuties to feel and know that because they are children of God they can Be anything as long as they believe in their selves and their divine potential.

I look at my children and I see endless possibilities! I begin to understand the look i my parents eyes when they looked at me with so much love.

A couple of years ago we started a tradition of having a "Back-to-school Bash". Anyone who spends any amount of time with our family quickly realizes how much my kids LOVE to dance and sing and be really silly!
We have a fabulous feast followed by a back-to-school fashion show then Jaron gives the kids blessings and we talk about our new family theme for the school year! It is a family favorite! The kids look forward to this special occasion all year long!

Ayden's Preschool 2010

Ayden doing apple art for the first day of preschool!!!

We love our preschool group! We have Ayden, Ethen, James, Scarlett and Nathaniel.

Big A all ready for his first day of preschool!
(Isn't he handsome)

Each year, since I've had children, we have done preschool. Most years we have been blessed with great friends to do it with which makes it even funner. Well, where we live in a very transient area with air force and army families I decided to try to organize a community preschool. It is mostly members of our church but not entirely. Originally I thought...maybe ten mommies will be interested. I serve in the Relief Society so I kind of thought I new where the needs were. Well, the preschool group has grown to over thirty moms with some having two children in the group. Of course we have divided the groups and we get together on Fridays for fun field trips like the bakery and the botanical gardens but it really has been a blast!
I was pretty overwhelmed at first. We had a meeting here at our house for the mom's and the house was completely full! It makes me feel good though that no little cutie is sitting at home looking for a friend. These kids are all friends and they have LOTS of fun!

Tommy & Ayden

I love this picture of Ayden and Thomas. They are the best of buds and Ayden has proven to be such a great big brother. He holds his hand whenever we walk into a store or the library and hetries to "tenderly" teach him the ropes at him! Really they both LOVE playing swords and wrestling so they a great time!

Schools In!!!

School's Starting!!!
Ott Elementary 2010

Miaja & Chase headed-out for their first time going to school together!!!
(Chase was SO excited!)

Miaja & Chase
in front of
Ott Elementary

Chase-Kinder 2010
His teacher is Mrs. Kotzer. He was so excited to find-out that she's expecting twins!
(Chase is OBSESSED with the classic Parent Trap and Daydreams of us having twins)

Miaja- 2nd grade
Miaja's teacher is Mrs. Rodriguez. She loves her and although she really wanted her grandma Vorkink to be her 2nd grade teacher (grandma teaches 2nd in Utah), she has decided that Mrs. Rodriguez will be a wonderful too!

I am so excited to see Miaja and Chase both loving school this year and getting to share the experience together. I never got to have a sibling in school with me so I get really excited to see my kids have each other! Their teachers have both told me that they are pretty cute when they see each other in the halls. Miaja always gives Chase hugs and Chase always blushes, (says his teacher), and Chase has been over-heard telling his class-mates about his "really fun sister in 2nd grade"!
I know that this blog is way over due but I do have to add that it was really hard to see Chase walk into his class for the first time. As the boys and I walked out the door Chase looked back just for a minute and he did the most adorable, sweetheart thing ever, he blew me a little kiss. We quickly had to leave because I knew I was going to tear-up even more but it made my day and also made me realize that although I wouldn't have him right next to me all day for awhile he was still my little boy.
2010 has already proven to be a wonderful school year!