School Days

I just wanted to share some pictures of Ashtyn's first days of school. She had her first day of school on Sept. 14. I am in a group with six moms and six kids. We have school every thursday from 9:15-11:15. And we rotate which house and who teaches every week. It is great. There are three boys and three girls.(First Day-just before we left to go to school) So it works out pretty good. And I love all of the moms in the group. We all go out once a month together and have a "Girls Nite Out" which usually consists of going out to dinner so we can all just sit there and talk. So one of the moms dedided she wanted to do it and so she started talking around and asking other moms that had three year old kids, that weren't already in a group, if they wanted to form a group. I was just going to work with Ashtyn on my own but she asked me if I wanted to do it so I said I would think about it and I decided why not. So it ended up that there were six moms in our group that weren't already in a group and so we now have a preschool group. Two of the kids are two but will be three shortly. Ashtyn has loved every second of it. I knew that she would. Before this she was already talking about when she would be big enough to go to school and ride the bus and all that fun stuff. The schedule is set up so that they have an hour of playing, twenty minutes of lesson time, fifteen minutes for a snack, fifteen minutes for a craft, and then whatever time is left we can do show and tell, singing time, and reading time. Then we made up a schedule so that they are learning a new letter or number each time and also another little subject: bugs, music, colors, shapes, birthdays, holidays, etc. We even have five field trips on the schedule: fire station, Krispy Kremes, Greenbluff, Bowling, and Manito Park. I think it will really be a great start for Ashtyn. There are going to be some really fun things that we are doing. And I am excited for her to be with good people too.

The Fair!

We went to the Spokane fair this year. It was lots of fun. We love to walk around and show the girls all the fun animals and tractors. They loved it, especially Hailey. Her little expressions everytime she saw a different animal she would just get so excited. We saw pigs, horses, cows, llamas, sheep, rabbits, ducks, geese, snakes, chickens, little baby chics (SO CUTE), bees, and goats. Of course almost all of those there were mamas and babies. Then we watched a lumberjack show which was fun to see. They had four men that competed against each other. Dressed to play the part, they chopped logs, sawed logs (with old two handed saw and electric chainsaw), they also log rolled for real in a big pool, they threw axes at targets, and climbed a tree and cut down a chunk off the top. We really all enjoyed watching it. They also had a little part where one of the men (just for fun) took a chainsaw and cut out of a big chunk of log a chair. He only used a chainsaw and he knew just where to cut to make four legs and then a tall back. It was cool. One of the best parts of a fair is the food. We had the best corndogs ever. Hot, crunchy, delicious. We were glad we could go and enjoy it this year!!

Sewer Fun!

All of the houses in our neighborhood are all currently on sceptic tank and now the city is busy putting in sewer lines that we will eventually have to pay to hook up to. Sounds like great fun right. Everybody loves unexpected money withdrawal, and it doesn't always go to what you would really like the most. Our road has been a dirt road for about a month now. And so far we are enjoying watching the tractors, especially the girls. First some big trucks came in and tore out the pavement. It is amazing how fast they can crunch it all up. Then they were in here measuring things and putting sticks in our yards to mark all the gas lines and such. Then they came in with humongous tractors and dug a big hole to put the pipes and concrete tubes down the center of the road. Then they covered that all up and then a couple of days later they came back and rolled up grass in a big square in our front yard and came and re-dug another big hole that went from the middle of our front yard to the pipe in the middle of the road. Then they covered that all up and rolled the grass back down. They have to do tests and make sure all the pipes are working correctly and that it all passes inspection. And now we are waiting for them to put a new concrete curb and fix up the rest of the edge of our lawn. Then they will pave our road and then in a little while we will have to pay to come have someone dig up our yard again and hook our house up to the sewer and get rid of the sceptic issue. Great fun!! It truly has been fun to watch the process even though it has also been a pain. The girls have been fascinated with each and everylittle truck. I think the most annoying was the roller that comes and flattens all the dirt back out. It vibrates and jiggles our house so much I tought I was going to loose my mind from trembling. I guess it will probably be a better system when we are all said and done, just need money right!!

Our Camping Trip!

Okay so we finally got to go camping again and it was great. We made up a gift certificate for my mom for her birthday back in July that said we would take her on a trip with us. So we decided it would be camping. And we went to North Idaho. Wow it is beautiful up there. We went to Round Lake. And it was perfect. The weather was perfect, the place was perfect, the fire was perfect, the quiet was perfect, the people were perfect. Everything was just PERFECT. So first we picked a spot that we liked and then we set up camp. We had fresh water close by and the hike to the lake was pretty close too. After we got all set up we headed down to the lake and boy was it fun. The lake cannot have any motorized boats on it and so it was so quiet. Just people in canoes and little blown up rafts, or just people sitting on the dock fishing. Right by the water they have made the perfect little beach for kids. It is sandy and soft and tons of fun. We took the kids down there and they played and played and just loved it. Hailey didn't say anything for like three hours she just sat there and dug and splashed in the water and just loved it. Then we enjoyed the wond just sit and watch the fire. We even had someerful campfire. It is so fascinating to wildlife experiences including a squirrel that wasn't affraid of us. He knew what he wanted and it was OUR food. He came up to our picnic table and was eating RUNTS of all things runts it was hilarious. This picture is of our little MISS ATTITUDE, who was in full force the first night we were there. She did this and I grabbed the camera as fast as I could. She'll laugh about it someday. And of course our cute little dirty chub chub. We slept good and then the next morning once again enjoyed the fire. Then we cleaned up camp and headed down to the lake for a quick dip before we headed for home. It was the best 24 hours we have had in a while.

The Look!

"The Look" is by Hailey May.
This is her thing. I have never had a kid do this to me like she does. She has certain times she does it. For example when I say her name because she is getting into something she shouldn't or about to do something she shouldn't then she looks at me like this. And usually I just laugh because it is so cute and so funny. So now she will do it when we do it to her or if I laugh she will do it more. It is adorable and we love it. It is one of the things that makes her her. So these pictures don't do it justice to seeing it in person but they are pretty good.

Being Home!

Well, now that we have been home for two weeks we are finally settling back in. The day after getting back, poor little Ashtyn was sick for almost a week. Fevers, achy body, tired, ear infection. Here she is passed out on the couch, she fell asleep at like 7:30 and we carried her into bed and she didn't wake until nine the next morning.
Poor girl. She was finally on the mend and then Sam came down with a nasty cold with a sore throat and the gunk that is usually associated with being sick. In the midst of all of that we have worked on some home improvement. Our gutters for one. Since we moved in we basically felt like we didn't have gutters because everytime it rains, the rain comes pouring down in a little stream that covers the length of the house. Pretty hard not to get wet. So we had some family over and they took them down. Sam took a look and talked to a roofer and figured out what we needed to do. We had two options (1)Tear off half of the roof and reroof it so that the shingles overhang enough for the water to go into the gutters or(2)"the cheaper red neck fix" of just getting starter shingles and tucking them under the very bottom edge of the roof leaving only 1" hanging out. So of course we chose option #2, wouldn't you. Cheaper and quicker, plus our roof is fairly new so what a waste of money. We'll do it right in five(or however long a newer roof lasts?) when we need a new one. So with the help of myself Sam climbed up the ladder and put in some shingles in the front and the back of the house, stuck them down with nasty black glue tar stuff. And then we scrubbed the facia board and repainted it because water has been running down it for two years or so and so it was just gross with water lines. Now it is a beautiful white. It is great how paint can change something so fast. Then we had another pow wow with fam and put the gutters back on. If you look close in the next picture (I know the picture is dark), but that is me crouched at the edge of our roof trying to help tuck the edge of the gutter up under another little piece of metal. It wasn't too bad. Getting up there was the scariest part but once I was up there I was fine. It was actually pretty fun to be up there HELPING the men! I was quickly relieved of my duties by Carson who was worried I was going to slice a finger. What a sweetie! Hee, Hee!It feels good to have it done now, the right way. Maybe I can make it to the car now without getting drenched on the way.

Our other project was putting a firepit in our backyard.
We like to go camping and our favorite part of camping is having a fire. So since we don't get to camp very often we decided to put a firepit out back. Sam went to Spaulding Auto Parts and found a huge tire rim from a big truck.

Only $10 not a $80 like you would pay for a nice one from Walmart. Well, we got it in the perfect corner of our backyard so it feels like we are out away from life and we just sit and watch the fire. Of course there is also the delicious smores and hot dogs and other misc food items that are an occasional must with a fire. We love it. So if you are ever near our home, come on over and we'll start a little fire and relax as we sit in a trance watching the fire lick the logs. You'll love it too!

Our Vacation to Idaho!

Okay....I am finally catching up to the real world. I had to share some pictures and stories from our vacation to Idaho. It was great. We made a week out of it. We started by visiting some friends in Boise for a night and caught up on life and our kids. It was great to see them again. Here are our kids together.Next we headed for Aunt Barbs to stay the night before the big reunion started. It is always fun to be at her house. It is beautiful. Her house and its surroundings. We got there and just hung out with family and took in the beauty of their backyard. Then it was off to the reunion to enjoy the family and festivities! Whoopee Ding!! It was great. It was fun to see everyone and catch up. We loved seeing everyone and their kids. We loved every part of the reunion. We were fed spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. WE are ready to conquer life all over again. Here are the sisters in all their glory. They sure are amazing!! Seperately and together. We sure love each one of them and Grandma too. We loved stading tall moments, we loved the games, we loved the scripture from each family, we loved each sisters presentation, we loved the kiddie time, we loved doing the dance and the balloons, we loved talking with each of you. We loved it all! Thank you everyone for your hard work. Especially you mom!! After the reunion we went back and stayed with Barb one more night and enjoyed talking with all the fam their. Here is a cute picture or our kids with Little Sam Phister...They were cute playing together. Then we headed up to Idaho Falls to spend some time seeing some of my family. My dad and my grandma. It was great to see them. It has been a while. My dad is out on a farm and they loved seeing the goats and horses and cows. We even fed the goats some apples. It was great. My dad lives close to Redge and Cindy, so we bopped over and visited them one night too. It was fun to see them and their nice house. While we were in Idaho Falls we also decided to go by the temple and visit the visitors center to see the new Joseph Smith movie. It was fantastic. And it was fun to show Ashtyn and Hailey the temple where Daddy and Mommy got married. We were also able to visit one of my old college roomates. After IF, we headed on our way out. We decided we had to drive through Rexburg and check out all of the changes, most important on our list was to see the construction being done on the new temple being built there. So we drove up through Rexburg. Wow, the temple was amazing. First of all it is huge. And we just sat there in awe. It is a beautiful temple on a beautiful hill in the "not so little anymore" Rexburg. It kind of reminds me of the Nauvoo and Kirtland Temples.Isn't it amazing. We were excited for all the people around there, they will get to enjoy such a beautiful blessing of a temple even closer by then before. Pretty Neat! We were then headed to Anaconda which is the halfway between Idaho Falls and Spokane. It is only eight hours if you can go straight. With kids we opted to just do half the trip and camp near Anaconda, MT. Well, when we got to Anaconda, it was so smokey we couldn't barely even see the mountains. We all really wanted to camp, but felt it might not be the best idea in such conditions. So we weighed out our options and decided it would be best to just plough through. We would get home about midnight, because we hadn't planned on going the whole way and hadn't left Rexburg till mid afternoon. So off we went. We were ready to just be home. We stopped in Missoula to stretch and eat and gas up. When we gasssed up Sam cleaned off the window and then we went to a place to grab a bite to eat. After we got back to the car he got looking at the windshield because it looked dirty and he thought that was weird. So we got to looking and it was ASH. It was so smokey that there were light bits of ash falling from the sky like snow. Obviously not enough to notice until brought to attention but wow, we couldn't believe it. We were glad we were getting closer to home. So we arrived home at about 11:45. Pulled the van in the garage and crashed. Needless to say we all slept soundly in our beds, all night long. It was a great trip. We had fun. WE loved the van that we were able to rent, especially the dvd player inside. There was room for all of us and all of our stuff. It was perfect. It makes us want to get our own. We were able to see a lot of things and a lot of family and friends and it was great! And now we are very glad to be home safe and snug!!

Last Precious Moments!

These were some pictures from our last precious moments with the Mauzy's. I returned from Utah on Sunday evening Aug 20 and then we woke up on Monday and headed to help the Mauzy'x pack up. It was great seeing them after being gone for so long. But then reality set in and I realized we were helping them pack to leave. Not just on a trip but to leave and be gone. It was a day full of emotions. All day long friends and family were buzzing around helping them or coming for their last goodbyes. There are many who love the Mauzy's and there will be an empty spot in many Spokane hearts now that they are gone. WE are sure glad we have modern day things to keep in touch. Anywho, here is the cutest pictures that we took at the very end of the day.

Flying!

So here is the girls flying on the airplane. It was Hailey's first time and Ashtyn's first that she remembers(actually her fifth and sixth). The first is on the way. They were so excited. It was all new. They loved not having to be in their car seats. And take off was great. Hailey learned how to say what an airplane says after take off. It was a little exciting. Ashtyn looked at me and was checking to see if she should be nervous or excited at what was going on and I just smiled and said here we go watch out the window and watch everything get smaller and smaller. So she did and we did great. Coming home was the other two. It wasn't so great a flight. They were great till we were up in the air. Then Hailey was doing the I want this so I'd get it for you and she wouldn't want it so we try something else and nothing worked. The books, the blanky and the binky were the best. Ashtyn had trouble with her ears the whole time. I got her to chew gum and yawn and all the tricks but she would be fine and then it would really hurt again. The last ten minutes which was landing and then waiting for the door to open and to be able to get off she was crying the entire time. For five of those minutes she was crying for Daddy. Talk about embarassing. Everyone knew me and my kids by the time we got off. I was the crazy lady hauling around two bags and two kids that were unhappy and just ready to be home. Thank goodness for being home. WE had a great time but it sure was good to be home.

Visiting my Sis!

August was a busy month for the McComas fam. Our first adventure was my girls and I going to Utah to visit my sister. She just had a new little baby in July. Little Logan Michael Lourenco. Isn't he adorable. He was so fun to be with. We were there visiting for ten days, which was a humungo time to be away from our Daddy, but we don't get to see this little family much so we wanted to make it count. We also got to see Logan's big sis Brynnley. She was very fun for all the girls to play with. They had a lot of fun. There were little tiffs every other hour or so but they played really good together. Aren't they cute together? We were able to do a couple of fun things while we were there. One of our favorites was going to an acquatic center. The kids loved it and so did we. There were parts of the center that were for every age of child. It was the best place I've ever been that was so oriented to kids and what is best for them to have fun for so many ages. We also got to go to Uncle Mike's soccer game, play at a fun park, go out to a local pizza place for good pizza and good ice cream cones too, and just be together. It was a great time.