What we have been up too...

 We have been loving the new yogurt place, Yogurtlicious! We seriously have been there like 5 times and it just opened 2 weeks ago.

 September 9th my dad and gaga (aka Uncle Scott) came out to baby sit Carter.  When they came to pick up Carter at the airport we were invited to go and check out the DC10's that are based at Castle right now for the fire season.  We got an awesome tour! Last year we had to take pictures from a distance but not this time.

 Papa on the wing!

 It was huge! What an awesome play ground for the day!

 We also saw the air force 1 that is parked at Castle now.

Gaga's birthday was September 5th so we celebrated on the 9th with Casper hot dogs and cupcakes.  Happy Birthday Gaga we love you!

On 9/11 Peterson asks the kids to wear red, white and blue.  I think it's a wonderful way to honor all the lives lost and to remember what happened that day.

I took my little man on a date lunch that day. (Also loving our new Panera! Merced is actually getting some great new things!)

 Friday September 12 Titi came to town for the weekend.  We just love having her visit! We shopped, ate out, and watched movies all weekend long!  She also got me to take out all my fall decor and decorate the house.  It may still be 95 degrees but at least my house looks and smells like fall.  We got so busy that I totally forget to take pictures :( I did get a couple cute ones playing around at Target.

Saturday was our niece's 1st birthday party so Spencer and the kids went to that while Titi and I had a whole day to shop in Modesto and a nice dinner just the 2 of us.  It was so much fun!!

Titi also helped me with the Primary bulletin board.

 Today Aubrey turned her room into a beauty parlor and this is what happened......

 He will probably kill me for this when he gets older.  They had so much fun being "sisters" all afternoon.  I even got a manicure from Ms. Aubrey.

Camping

A couple years ago we went camping in Ripon and to the hot air balloon festival Labor Day weekend.  We thought it would be fun to do it again and to invite a few friends to come along.  We had our camp sites booked and our group all ready when I got the phone call Thursday night that the camp ground in Ripon was CLOSED!! Yes they closed it because I guess branches were falling and there had been some structural damage.  We were so bummed!!! Well after much research we found McConnell State Recreation Area which is right next to Delhi about 25 minutes north of us.  Spencer had a job site he was working on in Delhi so he went and checked it out Friday morning. It was a miracle that they had 2 sites right next to each other, flushing toilets, showers and most of available labor day weekend on such short notice!  We were all very excited that our plans were back on to camp.  So us, The Hamilton's, The Callisters and The Chu's headed north for a camping adventure.  

 The kids had a blast playing all together! The adults had a great time too!

 After an awesome BBQ (thanks to cook Spencer) we went on a night walk all together.

 After a campfire and smors we got all the kids to sleep except Payton (poor Ryan) and had fun playing spoons and shanghai all together.  Friday night we decided that instead of doing the hot air balloon festival we all just wanted to hang out at camp.  We would have had to wake up really early to see the hot air balloons and since we were up pass midnight it made more since to skip it this trip.  Saturday morning we woke up and enjoyed breakfast made by Spencer. 

 The kids played while we all cleaned up and talked.  

 Then we ventured down to the creek.

 There were so many tadpoles and frogs it was too cool! Carter was the one that would catch them he was really into it!

 Then the kids went swimming....

 and some daddy's too.

 It was really fun camping with friends! 

There is a huge group area at this campground and we all had said it would be fun to try to get an even bigger crowd together next time and maybe make it an annual trip.

First Day of Preschool

Well here we go again for year 3 at Merced Parent Preschool.  I just love this program and I guess that is why I will put up with the crazy teachers and endless hours of volunteering lol!  I can't ask for a better school for the kids.  I love the families, making up my own curriculum, enjoying parties and  basically the whole idea of the school so much I will just bite my tongue and deal with Mrs. Robbins for one more year.  Carter was very excited to start back up and will tell everyone "I'm going to the red school for just 1 more year and then I'm in kindergarten." Please Carter lets not rush that!!  We have decided that Carter will do a private half day kindergartner since I can't go through that separation anxiety again so that makes for a little less stress about the future.  But again lets not rush that and just enjoy this next year.  Carter's first day was orientation day on Monday August 25th and then officially started Tuesday September 2nd.  He loves it and is making lots of new friends and enjoying time with his best "old" friends too!   

 I love how Aubrey wanted to help in this picture. (She assured me she would be hiding her face lol)

 I figured out that getting a picture of my guy standing still was pretty hard that day.  Isn't the climbing picture so him?

The first day was just the kids that mom's work on that day.  Carter is a ladies man on Mondays! I love the friends I get to work with this year!!! My bestie Murun, Susan, Hillary and Karissa we are all friends so this will be a lot of fun!

Our first day and the last 2 days have been great.  Like last year I don't want him to go every day.  I really want to cherish this precious year we have together but at the same time want him to be social.  We are going to try 2/3 days a week and see if that works best for our family.  My planning days this year is animal week and under the sea week.  Murun and I got lucky and got to do our special project before school started.  We cleaned the shed and got the class room ready for the school year.  So much easier then a party and it's nice to be all done.

My kids beyond flattered me this week.  

Carter was asked to paint a picture of his family and he did this: 

He said he just wanted to paint mommy in a black dress! So cute!!

I got to volunteer in Aubrey's class on Tuesday this week.  It was fun to meet some new friends and be in her classroom.  It was nice not having to wait until November like I had to for kindergarten.  

Every day in 1st grade they have been working on their letters and letter sounds this was her letter "K" day:

 She said, "I asked my teacher if I could write my favorite "K" word, Kate and she said yes so I did" Look at that cute picture!

I just love my kids more than word can express and this just makes me feel like a really special mommy!