Visit with Future

A few weeks ago David invited our family to join him at his visit with Future. We met with Jessica and Dave at a park in CDA to see Future. Future's Siblings Clarity and Raife were also there. It was good to spend time with Future as a family. Jessica is doing very well. She recently graduated from a rehab center. We all have high hopes that she will be successful in her sobriety. It was awesome to see Future hanging out with my kids and his parents his grandma and us. It was very cool to be part of such a healthy interaction between all of us.

Future and Grandma

Future & Jasmyn on the tire swing

Kaleb Future and Jasmyn

Dave & Future get the nerf guns out

Dave helping Mason with the nerf gun

Tim & Mason shooting me with the Nerf gun

Future & Dave

Jessica & Future

Jessica with Raife, Future and Clarity
Before we left, Grandma wanted to show the kids the bear statue in the park.

I look forward to the next visit we have with Future, Dave, Jess and the rest of the family!

First Day of School!

It is Fall again. And with Fall comes the start of school. This year Kaleb is in the AM session of Kindergarten. He loves his school and his teacher. He enjoys being independent and figuring things out on his own. This school is much more strict about parents being in the classroom. Kaleb has essentially found his own way in the school and classroom. I am very proud of him!

Here is Kaleb on the first day of school! He is wearing his "kindergarten smile"!

Jasmyn is in ECEAP. ECEAP is what "HeadStart" was for me when I was her age. Early Childhood Education and Assessment Program. It is run by the school district. Kaleb and Future were in this program last year. Jasmyn is a bit slower in transition to be in the school alone. Last year she went to preschool from Feb to June, but Future was in her class. This year she is alone. Well I say alone, but really there are about 4 or 5 returning preschoolers from her class last year in her class this year. So really she isn't "alone", but she is alone in that no one from her family attends with her. Her teachers are the same as well. We feel very blessed to have her back in Ms Casey's class with Ms. Melissa and Ms Carole. These ladies are just wonderful and really love Jasmyn! We are thrilled that Jasmyn is back in the same program.

Here is Jasmyn on her 1st day of school! She looks so big!

And of course we had to get a group shot so Mason wouldn't feel left out! He is still a few years away from preschool!

On the first day of school Kaleb's class made these puzzles! They are so cute!
And they came home with this poem attached! Such a cute idea!
Here is Jasmyn playing at school in the doll house with Ms. Casey
Kaleb and his teacher Mrs. Sine

This year is going to be about me letting go I think! LOL! Last year in the ECEAP program that Kaleb, Future and Jasmyn were in, parental involvement is a crucial part of the program. They level of my involvement will continue with Jasmyn in her ECEAP program. Kaleb on the other hand will not get the benefit of my involvement in his daily schooling. His school principal told the parents at orientation that for the first 6 weeks of school we are not allowed to volunteer in the class or school. They feel that we parents will disrupt the progress of the children learning to follow rules, procedures and also learning to see the teachers and principals as authority figures. Well they didn't actually come out and say those exact words, but the message was the same! LOL! Not only that but we have to pick up our kindergartners out side of the school. So no chatting with the teacher or seeing the classroom. We pick up and drop off in a valet line outside. The first day of school I tried to go inside to pick him up and the principal would not let me past the double doors! LOL! I kinda feel sad because I really got to know the preschool teachers last year just from pick up and drop off. It is amazing that the 5 minutes a day of small talk can really ease your mind about leaving your kids with them. I really believe that the kindergarten rules are more for getting the parents to let go of the reins or "cut the cord" so to speak than it is for the kids! LOL! Or at least that is the case for this Mom!

Kaleb, Jasmyn & Mason have never been left with any other adult that wasn't a parent, grandma or close friend for any amount of time. I mean we have babysitters like Katie, Roselyn, Katie and Shay, but they watch the kids for a few hours at a time a few times a week. Kaleb has never been away from me for any length of time ever in his little life. Neither have Jasmyn or Mason. So it was as difficult for ME to leave them the first day of school as it was for them. So being able to volunteer in the classroom last year eased my mind as much as theirs.

This year with Kaleb in Kindergarten will be lesson in letting go. I am not sure I like it so far. But he seems to be thriving in it and adjusting quite well. I am happy for him and proud of him. But at the same time.... a bit sad for me! My babies are growing up!

Katie

Katie is our friend and babysitter extraordinaire! The kids love her. We love her. She loves us! She spent quite a bit of time over the summer with us. We hung out and BBQ'ed and even spent the 4th of July together in Sandpoint with my family.

Katie is a Senior in high school this year. She needed a photographer to take her Senior pictures. I happen to know an extremely talented and beautiful photographer! So I called my dear friend Megan Owens and she was happy to schedule a photo shoot with Katie. I was able to join Katie and Megan at their photo shoot. It was a privilege and an honor to see Megan and Katie work so well together to take such beautiful pictures. Katie is a beautiful girl to start with, but Megan really brings Katie's inner beauty out in these photographs. I am posting these pictures with permission from Katie. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do.

This one is my favorite of the whole shoot! She looks so beautiful and I love the metal wall behind her. The colors look awesome. It is just my favorite!

Here are 2 that capture Katie's personality. She has such a coy smile on her face.

These 2 pictures are just fun. The graffiti on the wall is rebellious and has great texture. Love them both!

This is my other favorite! She looks so grown up and sophisticated. She is simply beautiful!

Rainbow & Sara's 33rd b-day

On August 21st I was at my Mom's in Post Falls. It was rainy and cold, but after the rain passed we got to see the most beautiful rainbow. We could see both ends of the rainbow but it was so massive I couldn't get the whole thing in the picture on my camera. When I saw the rainbow I immediately thought of my best friend Sara. She has a special connection to rainbows. So I took a few pictures of the rainbow just in case Sara did not get a chance to view it herself.



The next day was my friend Sara's birthday. She was coming over to my house to spend the day with us. I wanted to bake and decorate a cake for her but I had no ideas or creative thoughts. Well, that is until I saw the rainbow pictures on my camera! So I decided to make Sara a Rainbow Cake for her 33rd birthday!

I need to work on my writing with icing skills! LOL!

My kids, Her kids and I sang Happy birthday to her.

Sara Blows out her candles!

Sara and her kids.

L to R: Sierra, Keagan, Sara and Rowan

Here is a group shot. Thank Goodness for my self timer on the camera!

L to R: Sierra, Jasmyn, Kaleb, Keagan, Sara, Rowan, Mason, & Jen

Happy Birthday Sara! We really enjoyed spending your day with you! We love you and wish you many happy birthdays for years and years to come!!!!