August 09/Summer is over!

The kids got one more pool date after school started before the pool closed Labor Day weekend. As you can see from the girls' expression, they were none too thrilled about summer being over. They drowned their sorrows by playing ROCK BAND on the wii at the Jacobs' house.

August 09/Haiti Mission Trip Reunion

In August, we hosted a little get together/reunion for those that went on the mission trip to Haiti in May. We shared pictures, visited, ate and had a group discussion with Charles, the director of the Eden Garden orphanage. We have decided to make Haiti an on-going international focus of our missions ministry and we are planning another trip for January 2010. Raising $10,000 for the drilling of 2 new water wells is our first project, to replace the current well which is contaminated and making all of the kids sick.

Pause music player at bottom to watch this little scrapbook show

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Nate's concern for his mom

So I mentioned that I numbed my loss on Nate's first day of school by running errands. I forgot to mention that when I pulled into my first stop, I unlatched my seatbelt and then automatically hit the "open" button to let my little man out of the back seat. But he wasn't there! It was one of my first "a ha" moments of the day.

Nate overheard me telling his Grandpa this story and about a half hour later, with a quivering lip, says to me "Momma, I'm sorry I wasn't in the back seat when you opened my door yesterday". I assured him that it was ok, that he didn't need to feel bad, and that this was part of life and an exciting next step for him. To this, he angrily replied "Well it's all my school's fault! Actually, it's all my teacher's fault!"

Nate's First Day of Kindergarten

The dreaded day has finally come- the day my last little baby left me for school! Nate hasn't been that excited about going to school, telling me "I'm going to cancel school so I can stay home with you" and things like that. I was surprised when we woke up excited for school today!

Sabrina said that when Nate got on the bus to come home after school, he was hanging his head looking sad. When she asked what was wrong, he said "I don't want to go home. I want to stay at school! It was so much fun!" (We'll see if he still feels the same when the whole writing/reading/schoolwork part kicks in as he said that today, they just played!) His positive response was not at all what we were expecting, so we're pleased!

1st day of school pancake breakfast, Part II
Ready for school - as you can see, he convinced us to let him keep the mohawk a little while longer.
That's Nate putting out his "turbo rockets" so he can walk fast to the bus stop.

Off went my babies! Come back!
Sitting with his Sissy on the bus.
That's me fake crying, you know, for the picture. I held up better than I expected (it may hit harder later) and decided that rather than staying home in a quiet, empty house, I would head right out to drown my sorrows the way I know best - with retail therapy!

Coming home from school

Popsicles were today's after-school treat, then dinner and bike-riding again!

Nate Learns to Ride His Bike

Pouting at one point when he fell off.

Look at him go!

A little late, but he finally made up his mind that he could ride without training wheels on Monday after being petrified of the idea previously. I think seeing the little girl at the bus stop (who will enter kindergarten with him) riding her bike without training wheels had something to do with it. Hey, whatever it takes!

Sabrina's First Day of 3rd Grade

Sabrina started the 3rd grade on Monday. After a few tears of sadness the night before about the end of summer and all things fun, she woke up happy and ready to dive in on Monday morning. Dave made her his traditional 1st day of school pancake breakfast (a ritual started 6 years ago when she started preschool) and off she went.

What was to be my last day at home and special lunch out with Nate (He starts on Tuesday) got upstaged by a playdate offer with his best bud, but how could I say no? After school, we welcomed Sissy home with a plate of peanut butter-chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies (whose decadence was balanced by the whole wheat flour, flaxmeal and oat bran I added which is why my kids call me the "SNEAKY CHEF"). Then we had the dinner she requested (tofu and egg rolls), watched the rest of a movie we had started ("Nim's Island") and then watched Nate learn to ride his bike without training wheels for the first time!


Chocolate-chip pancakes with whipped cream and strawberries for breakfast, Daddy's specialty.
How did my baby girl grow up so fast? Doesn't she look like a teenager here??!!
Hugging brother goodbye
Front row seat! Welcome home cookies!

Back-to-School Night at DCES

Miss Shaffii

Nate found his name / Glad to have his big sissy to show him the ropes

A few days before school started, we attended BACK-TO-SCHOOL night at Deer Crossing. The kids both got to meet their teachers, see where their desks were, and dropped off their school supplies. Afterwards, we enjoyed the pizza picnic put on by the PTA. Hard to believe that summer is over already!

THE END OF A GREAT TRIP....

View at the Jackson airport

Minneapolis airport

Snacks and DVDs - life is good!

Last few shots of the kids in Wyoming

We flew home Monday morning from Jackson to Minneapolis - we enjoyed the good life in first class with unlimited snacks and real glasses but then all slept on the second leg from Minneapolis to Washington Dulles in our crowded economy seats :o) . You know it's a good vacation when the kids tell you they'd like to move there and hubby said he'll never forget it and that he can't even pick out his favorite thing about the trip because it was all so incredible.

Now it's back to real life with work and loads of laundry and meals that we have to cook ourselves, but memories from this trip to last a lifetime!

DAY SIX: Moose spotting!

We drove back from dinner in Moose, WY, searching near and far for the elusive moose in the areas where the locals suggested we might see one. You would think that Moose would be abundant in a town called "Moose", but not so. Our rafting guide said he hadn't seen many this year, and had not seen a buck in about a year. I was pessimistic and down-trodden as usual.
It was nearing dark and we had almost given up when Dave decided to turn down one last road. "Oh well, maybe next time", I sighed, when all of a sudden Sabrina yelled "DADDY! MOOSE!". There, out in a marshy pond we saw him - a BUCK moose, with velvetty antlers. He was laying down with only his head showing and could have been easily missed, but Sabrina's keen eyes spotted him in the distance. We got out of the car and just watched him. We weren't sure if he was standing, stuck in the bog, or laying down. We made all kinds of racket (grunts and howls) to get him to move, but he stayed still other than his ears moving when we would make noise.


Finally, just before it was almost too dark to see him, he stood up. What a mammoth creature, with the sweetest eyes and beautiful dark fur and fuzzy antlers. He didn't seem interested in us at all, and made his way closer to where we were, grazing on the grass around him. He was about 20 feet from us at the closest point, and we stayed there until it was too dark to see him, and for the camera to pick him up. This made our day and our trip complete!

DAY SIX: Jackson Hole/Snake River Rafting Trip

We had our cobbler dessert at Dornan's in the teepee

Morning fish on Flat Creek with a big catch!

Sabrina was not quite sure about this whole "chuckwagon" concept - that's my girl!

Dornan's Chuckwagon in Moose, Wyoming

Beef stew, mashed potatoes & carrots cooked over the fire

You couldn't beat the view at this place!

Scenery on our Snake River float trip

Lunch at the MANGY MOOSE

View from our hotel across from Flat Creek where Dave was fishing. Sabrina said she wanted to enjoy her "coffee on the porch" (hot chocolate)

Saturday night arrival back in to Jackson Hole after a gorgeous drive through Idaho.

After having our drive through Idaho on Saturday (with dinner in Driggs), we drove over the Teton Pass and back into Jackson Hole for our last two nights. Sunday we had a relaxing morning at the hotel (see view from our room) while Dave spent a few morning hours fishing for the last time. This time he caught 8 fish! He really learned a lot from his fishing lesson with Sydney & Erik back in Montana and the fish were a little more cooperative this time!

We had lunch at the MANGY MOOSE in Teton Village, and then spent the afternoon on a "Scenic float" trip on the Snake River for a few hours. Nate was a bit concerned at first, but by the end of the trip he was ready for some whitewater which he will be eligible for when he's 6. We saw 9 bald eagles and some cows, but no moose yet. Since we had seen the buffalo, antelope, elk, deer and bear, we were still holding out for the moose.

We had dinner at Dornan's Chuckwagon in Moose, WY which has been there for 62 years as a popular spot for those traveling between Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. I had read about as having a spectacular outside dining view with mediocre food - strangely enough, we were sold! It was the old chuckwagon style, cooked over a fire and not exactly my kind of food, but it was a whole "experience" and the view was worth it!