Tidbits

A few other random happenings of late:

Give Lexi an apron and a vacuum, and that girl is all business.  Too bad she still makes more of a mess than she cleans....

Ty started up fall soccer.  That kid loves him some soccer!  Thankfully this year he is tolerating his time to sit out a lot better than last season.  Such a cute age to watch those little dudes run around the field.  Ty is especially fond of his newly discovered talent of snapping.  Yep, he has mastered the two handed double snap.  Now as he plays soccer he runs up and down the field snapping his fingers the whole time!  So funny!

The kids' school had a running fundraiser for their school.  Each student was to find sponsors to donate either a flat fee or a certain amount of money per lap run.  Well, too bad I HATE soliciting.  Hate it.  Did I mention I am really not a fan of going out asking for money?  Yep, I am.  Especially when I have 3, count it, THREE children doing the same thing.  Needless to say we didn't contribute a whole lot.  Huge thanks to Aunt Connie for being in the right place at the right time to take pity and cough up some cash.  I was going to call the Grandparents but kept putting it off and then it was too late.  Oh well!  I know, I need to adjust my attitude!  I did contribute, however, and will continue to add some dollars throughout the year. 

Unfortunately my shopping trip took a bit longer than anticipated and I just barely missed Ty run.  Sorry Ty man!  I'm sure you did awesome!  At least I got to give him a post-run hug.

The family headed over to farmer Dan's across the highway to pick me out some tomatoes to bottle.  It was kinda fun.  Look at that cute bunch!

Thanks to Ma and Pa Otte we had those maters bottled the next day!  So glad to be closer to family to help out in this arena!  Of course I have to give a MAJOR thank you to my dear mother-in-law who, between corn, beans, and chicken spent plenty of hours canning in my behalf.  Of all those hours I only contributed a measly hour or two.  I need to even out the score!

We made an impromptu trip down to the State Fair.  While Jacob was checking out the sale, we made the rounds around the fairgrounds and the kids each picked out two rides.

We then proceeded to pay the most ridiculous amount of money for the most ridiculous cheeseburger and corn dog known to man.  Guess we'll know what NOT to do next time.

This little piggy went to the state fair:

Ty had a project at school to interview a community helper.  We decided that Grandpa Israelsen fit the description perfectly, so Ty and Jacob headed over to interview Grandpa.  Grandpa did a great job, Ty was just a bit on the distracted side during the interview.  But, we at least made a fun little poster and ended up with a really great picture.  Thanks Grandpa!

We have yet another neighborhood cat who has decided it wants to be adopted by us.  I think Lexi would take the cat over us any day!  She LOVES this silly thing.  I can't believe how well this cat tolerates being toted around by a 3 year-old.  The other day I couldn't find Lexi.  After a bit of detective work I found her hiding in her bedroom closet with the smuggled-in feline.  Nope, NO CATS IN THE HOUSE!  Love them from a distance, please!  I admit, I'm a softy and can't help but buy cat food.  Jacob just shakes his head and calls them welfare cats- they need to find the mice.  Fine then, I'll only give them a little bit of cat food so they will still catch a mouse or two.  Compromise?  Yep!

 

Mutton Bustin'

Ty was super disappointed when we weren't quick enough to sign him up for the mutton bustin' at the fair.  When we found out that he could do it for the Mt. Sterling Stampede over Labor Day, we made sure we got in line to sign him up!

He was so darn excited.  He even practiced on a goat or two in preparation.  It was so fun to have family come out to support the big event!

Grandpa getting his focus all situated:

I decided to record instead of take pictures when Ty was riding.  Even though his ride was less than 2 seconds, he was super tough!  The sheep tripped coming out of the chute and Ty was too far forward so he rolled right off.  In his own words, "I almost cried, but I didn't." 

He and Grandpa had some good times scoping out the rest of the riders:

Way to go my little cowboy!

A Special Day

We knew that shortly after Allie turned 8 we would also be able to celebrate her choice to be baptized!  The first Saturday in September was the day of the Stake baptisms.  Allie was a bit nervous, but I think she knew she was making a great choice and was doing something very special.


Oh my heart!!  This picture is just.....oh how I love it!

It was such a treat to have so many family members who were able to make it.  For me, there is the most unique and incredible spirit that comes when I walk into a chapel full of family members who are there specifically to add their love and support at major milestones in our family.  It is really past description to describe this spirit.  It's even more tender and vibrant than any other meeting for me.  Hence, I was very emotional throughout the whole baptism.  The whole meeting was so sweet and so touching.  The whole time I kept coming back to the thought that even though my heart knows that baptism is such an amazing and beautiful ordinance, I feel that I barely even have a small glimpse as to the magnitude and the great eternal consequences of it.

My only regret was not being able to fully enjoy all the of the people who came to love and support!

I was so excited to be able to finally host a big family function at our home and have everyone over to our place for a luncheon after the baptism.  The night before was pretty sketchy with the weather so we decided to set everything up at the church.  Of course since we did that the weather ended up being very nice.  Oh well.  C'est la vie!

I was so concerned about getting lunch going for everyone that I failed miserably at taking pictures and just enjoying the afternoon more.  Needless to say I've given myself a little chastisement and taken a mental note for future baptisms.  The focus should be more on the ordinance and family, and not a sandwich.  Perhaps one of the most frustrating things about parenting is realizing that there is no other way but to learn as we go!  I can only hope my children are extremely forgiving....

Thanks to Aunt Connie we salvaged a few pics:

For the lunch, Allie really wanted to have little treats scattered on the tables.  Lexi scoped it out and made a beeline for the tables and was one happy little chic.  I won't even count all the wrappers!  All throughout the baptism something looked really off about Lexi, then I finally realized I had completely forgotten to curl her bangs!

 

  Allie's baptism was just a prep, however, because the following day we had another beautiful event as we all got together again for little Oakley's baby blessing.  She is the sweetest little baby!  It was so wonderful.  Aaaaaaaand, no pictures from me.  Again.  But, BUT, we took great advantage of having all the family in town and had family pictures done.  They really turned out great.  Even if we all ended up with a few mosquito bites!

I don't want to brag....oh whatever, yes I do.  This is the cutest bunch of grandkids ever to exist on the face of the earth!  Even if little Kai isn't feeling the love.

 
I just love this one of Jacob and his siblings:

An Israelsen family get-together isn't complete without someone sharing a video or two.  It usually ends with all the boys erupting into really contagious laughter.  At the same time I was taking this picture there was another group sitting on the couch huddled around a phone laughing at another video. 

 
Thanks family for a perfectly perfect weekend!

SCHOOL!

The 3 months of summer are behind us and we are off and running into a new school year.  Still not quite sure where the summer went, and I'm still not sure I believe it's September.  Whether I like it or not, here we go!

Miss Kenna D is leading the pack and going into 4th grade.  Kenna is kind of a big ball of sweet and sassy.  She has such a tender heart yet at the same time can throw down some major attitude.  Leaves me throwing my hands up in the air frequently.    

I won't complain too loud, however, because she still wanted me to take her to school the first day and let me take a picture!  I love that she will still hold my hand, too.

Close behind in 3rd grade is Miss Allie Gal.  Allie still stays pretty clammed up in public, but deep at her core is a sweet little lady who has plenty of spunk.

She too still loves having mom close and I got to take a pic at her class too:

Love that these two have each other:

A week behind the girls in starting school is Mr. Ty who is now an official Kindergartner!!  He was beyond excited for his new adventure.  It wasn't until the night before his first day I finally found out what time the bus would come pick him up for school in the afternoon.  I was doing fine until I found out that he loads the bus an hour before school starts and is on the bus almost another hour after school.  This one brought me a little lump in my throat, I'm not going to lie.  I wasn't anticipating him being gone that long!  Suddenly all those crazy mom thoughts start to pop up:

-Will he be ok on the bus that long?
-He's going to be so hungry!
-Will he be nice in class?
-What if he poops his pants?
-Am I ready for this?

Unlike his sisters, this dude was determined to ride the bus the first day.  He had no need for mom dropping him off at Kindergarten!  I admit, it was probably best.  I would have just fought tears all the way through the school. 

The morning before he got on the bus the first day was just agony for Ty.  He popped right out bed, got dressed in his new school clothes and shoes, got on his backpack and was ready to go!  I'm pretty sure every five minutes he was asking if it was time to go yet.  It was a looooooong morning for him!  Finally the time came and we headed out to meet the bus.  Seeing his excitement made it a lot easier, but after he drove off I had to have my moment.  Still can't believe he's already going to school, but it's so fun to watch him learn and grow.

 

Goodbye little buddy!

Off he goes!

Here he is waiting for the bus with our darling little neighbor girl, Allee.  She's in his class.  She's also a good 7 months older.

However, I won't lie.  Having Ty and Lexi separated for a while is a very good thing.  Very good.  Those two are quite the pair and I can't keep my eyes on them enough.  For instance, they disappeared last Saturday and discovered mud (again):

After incidents like this, it is a bit of a breath of fresh air to have a change in schedule. 

Now Lexi and I will get used to being little buddies and keeping the fort down while the kiddos are off on their learning adventures!  Have no worries for poor little me, I will still have plenty of adventure with this little monkey:

Master the Tempest is Raging

Sometimes being a mom feels like being on a battlefield.

CLEANING

 is the 

WORST

 battle.

Just because we show pigs at the fair doesn't mean I have to raise them as children.  Some days I sure wonder.  Asking my children to clean is like they suddenly have gone deaf.  The response I get to holding them to their jobs is like I am going to cut off one of their limbs.  Possibly two.  And goodness can they scatter when suddenly it's time to unload the dishwasher.  We're talking superhuman speed.

This morning I wandered down to the depths of the basement to the living area shared by Ty and Kenna which is supposed to be a bedroom, but looks more like a war zone.  How is it possible?  How.  Is.  It.  Possible. that such a mess can happen in such a short amount of time?  I'm baffled.  Astounded.  Speechless.  

I opened the door to the closet.  Bad idea.  The following picture is actual documentation of Kenna's side of the closet.  Warning!  The following image may be disturbing to some viewers!  (That is, unless you're a fellow mom.  Then you may be wondering how I got in your house to take this picture because it will look so familiar.)

Really, Kenna?  Really?  You who has a very specific method of how to put on your blankets and tuck you in at night?  THIS is the same girl?  How many times have we reviewed "how to clean your room?"  5642 times (per day) isn't enough?  And to think you threw a fit this morning because you couldn't find your shoes.  

And the battle continues. 

I can only hold out hope for when my children are grown and someday all my incessant attempts at teaching them to clean comes to fruition.  Then, THEN,

 the 

WAR 

will be

WON

August...so far.

Well, so sorry July but you are getting the shaft on this one.  Don't get me wrong, you really are a dear friend, not to mention full of plenty of important and noteworthy events.  This year you even included a cruise to Alaska!  Unfortunately we will have to cut our losses on a July blog post and part our ways.  It just ain't gonna happen.

Ain't ain't a word and you ain't s'posed to say it.  Say ain't 5 times and you ain't goin' to heaven.....

Sorry.  I just couldn't help myself.

We'll back up to the first of August.

August = Fair.  Yippee-oh-ki-yay!!  The Cache County Fair!  Can't you just hear the fiddles and banjos in the background?  Stomp them boots y'all, it's time for the county fair!  August 2015 goes down in the history books as our first official year at the fair.  Here's the breakdown:

Ya gotta wash yer hog:

 What?  You don't wash pigs for family home evening?  Weird. 

Next, refine the swine:

Pick you out a prime piece of real estate:

A little TLC doesn't hurt either.  It's a family affair, remember:

Get all gussied up and enter the ring!

Oh the nerves about did me in!  I was so proud of Kenna and Princess!  Yes, this particular pig is named Princess.  This first day was the market show.  Princess wasn't the hottest hog in the show, but was just perfect to give us a year to get our feet wet.

Still, a blue ribbon and $11 is good enough!

Oh thank heavens for a fabulous father!  Thanks to him, Kenna had this great opportunity.  Me, well, I just basically show up and cry.  And snap the photos.

Nothing says fun at the fair quite like finding a used, discarded plastic spoon to play in the dirt with. 

Digging or yoga?  Could be both.....   

Finally the first day of showing was over and we could just kick back and relax a bit.  Ask me just how much I LOVE this picture:

Since the weather was going to be possibly stormy for the next few days, I decided Thursday would be the best day to hit the rides for the kiddos.  With the exception of Ty who decided to not cooperate and lost his chance at the rides.  Darn.  We had to circle the carnival rides a few times until the girls officially decided the two rides they got to go on.  Yes, just two.  I'm not interested in taking out a small loan so my kids can have unlimited rides at the carnival.  Such deprivation!! 

Lexi wasted no time in hopping right up in front of the roller coaster.  You go girl.

The first day of the fair was topped off at the rodeo with some friends.  Giddyup!

 

Day 2 at the fair was Fitting and Showmanship.  This time we had to wait around quite a while before Kenna's group came up.  What a crew!  We just about needed to invest in a tracking device for Ty and Lexi.  Those two could disappear so quick.  Ooooooh those two...... 

No question who Kenna belongs to.  She looks just like her dad here!

Once again Kenna did us proud and rounded herself up a 3rd Place ribbon!  Not bad for a first year!  

Let's not forget the Pee Wee show!  Allie and Ty were excited to hop in and get their share of all the pig- showing excitement.  Not to mention the thrill of pocketing 2 bucks for showing!

 Many thanks to earning a bit of money, Ty lucked out and got a chance to pick out one ride to go on:

I've pretty well decided that Cache County would fall to pieces and cease to exist if it weren't for this gentleman here:

We personally refer to him as Grandpa, but he is sure a talented fella and does a LOT of great things.

Jacob and I got a babysitter for Friday night and went to the rodeo again.  Well, we attempted to go to the rodeo.  It started out with a pretty good rainstorm which put the rodeo back a good half hour or so.  So, we just ventured out to check on the pigs and made it back in time to watch Benson, Lee, and Daniel in the wild cow ride.  Sorry boys, I don't even have a good pic to put up of your adventures!

Saturday at the fair was the sale.  After two days of chasing Ty and Lexi all over, I decided to stay home with the littles and sit this one out.  It ended up being a pretty long day for Kenna and Jacob, and the ending of our first adventure at the fair.  Adios Cache County Fair!  See you next year!