Zoo Trip... or should we call it the baby animals extravaganza??

Words can not describe the cuteness of this baby!

Our very own monkeys take every opportunity
to climb that they can find.


Note the baby giraffe behind the gang.

Dancin with the radio crew.

We just could not wait... but the day finally arrived to go see the new baby elephant at the zoo. Little did we know there were lots of baby animals to visit... elephant, giraffe, snow leopard cub, 3 tiger cubs, and more. It was a really fun day. There was even a bonus; radio disney was there giving away lots of cool trinkets! What more could we ask for.

Noah's first day of kindergarten--Sept. 11, 2009

Noah was really excited to start kindergarten and to ride the bus with Lucy... until the day arrived.... and then he became pretty nervous to say the least! He became more and more nervous the closer we got to the classroom. Once he made it to the classroom he hung out in the back. He is a pretty shy little man and it takes awhile to warm up to new things. Now Noah is starting to really enjoy his new kindergarten class.

Swiss Days 2009

Kennedy, Melissa, Emily

Elle, Lucy, Madison

Emily's favorite part about swiss chorus is being in the parade.

Beautiful ladies just before we go get in line for the shuttle bus.

The kids had fun admiring their shadows before it was time to go perform.

Another year of the fun and craziness. The girls decided to be in the swiss chorus again this year and they practised all summer long with their friends. They did really well on their solos.

We are so proud of them. And don't they look fabulous too!

August family camping trip

It took some time and effort but Emily was successful.

She was very proud of her catch.

Noah doing his Yoda impersonation

Hike to the beaver dam

We had fun camping in the Uintas at Carter Creek. The kids had fun hiking, fishing, bug catching, exploring, and roasting marshmellows. It was a little rainy at times but still lots of fun. We want to go there again and again! It was our first time camping in an RV trailer and the kids thought it was pretty cool.

August Family Fun

Our 2nd annual hike up Mt. timp

One of our favorite parts is seeing the mountain goats

Family bike rides

Family picnics

August was a very busy month for our family. We were trying to check everything off of our lists of things we needed to do to get Paul ready for Afghanistan and things we wanted to do together before he left. We didn't quite get everything done we wanted, but we made a valiant effort and had a great month together.

1st day of school--Sept. 1, 2009

It's the tradition.... first day of school... amid the craziness... haul the kids out onto the porch and snap a picture. Don't forget the backpack too. Jack and Emily left so early that this year we forgot until after school. Does that still count? At least it was still the first day of school. Lucy met up with her buddy Elle before school and that helped with the first day jitters. Little Noah has to wait another week until his turn for the first day of kindergarten. Oh boy! The kids all had a good first day and they are excited about their teachers and classes. What a relief!

family garden

We decided to grow a big garden this summer. We got the kids in on the fun too. They have really enjoyed it and we have realized what fun it is to watch it grow. I never knew how cute vegetable plants could be. It is a really satisfying feeling to watch the results of hard work.