Riley is in Preschool!

With a new outfit and new shoes, Riley was excited to start her day! She goes 3 days a week from 9-10:30 and it's fun watching her learn new things. :)

Lunar Eclipse!

Sue took these pictures of the lunar eclipse we had last night.  Cool...

First day of school!

So I know it's been a couple weeks, but I thought I'd share our 1st day of school pictures. This year Jett is in 6th grade, Tucker is 4th, Dallas is 1st and Charlotte gets to do joy school!! It's been a whirlwind but we're starting to settle into our routine. We love PHA and work hard to be there - this year I'm teaching 2nd grade language and 3rd grade history - it's a lot of studying and prep but I'm really enjoying it so far. I love having all my kiddos at the school and everyone is having a great time!! 

MacKay-grams

This is probably my favorite picture from our MacKay Fam Reunion over the 4th of July. Just joy:) 

Goin' for distance!  We were on our way home from our wards annual Pioneer in the Pines dinner and Ethan had to GO! Haha!  Couldn't resist sneakin' a shot! 

We had an uncharacteristicly "cool" (below 100) day in August, I decided to harvest grapes!  Three laundry baskets full and about 95lbs later, I filled my crisper drawer and gave away two coolers full at church!  Whew! 

"I'm doing Susan's hair!"

"I have the biggest penis!"   Boys!😆

Hangin' with our cousins at the park!  It's always soooo much fun when Mylie and Brynlee are in town.  We all went to the park with Becca, Shannon, Sharie, and Kinzy.  Afterward we took advantage of Cafe Rio's free kids quesadillas--(not sure whether they made a profit off of our party or not!). What a crew! 

Ever since Jake got Legos for his birthday it has been Lego mania around here!  Since Mylie and Jacob both turned 8, Grandma and Grandpa MacKay decided to treat them to a special trip to Legoland!!  They had THE BEST time! This is a set he brought home-- completed in record time of course! 

Lots o' driving with Bray in half day Kinder this year.  Suzy's got some serious car hair!

I LOVE kid creativity.  Making car ramps before church!:).

Arrrr!  It's Talk like a Pirate Day matey!  Free donuts at Krispy Kreme! 

Enjoying Idaho Backcountry

Friday, 6 of us went up and over the Boise Ridge to Placerville, then Garden Valley and on up through Crouch to Silver Creek Plunge Hot Springs.  It's 150 mile of dirt roads but sure a lot of fun in a large group.  We spent the night, waking up to 27 degrees of frost and cold and a clear blue sky.  What a wonderful part of the world we live in.  We talked quite a bit about all the places we want to explore.  There are so many miles of back-country in the Northwest I'm not sure I'm going to live long enough to see it all.  But we are going to try ;o)..

Silver Creek Plunge is a wonderful setting for a family reunion.  I would like to suggest it for next year??   It takes planning and WAY AHEAD reservations... and would be a blast for all the kids.

http://www.silvercreekplunge.com/

Happy Birthday Braden!!

Can't believe this big boy is SIX!!!  It seems like yesterday that Jake was the new kindergartener, and now it's Bray becoming the big man!  Braden continues to be my snuggle-man-- although the now he insists that no one be watching!  He is my most sensitive and also my most stubborn child.  Bray adores his baby sister, looks up to his big brother, can out-eat adults when cheese pizza and salad are in the menu, and loves to play with his friend Davis. 

We sure do love him!  

First Day of Cub Scouts-- for BOTH of us!

He had a blast!!  And I feel a great weight off my shoulders that everything went well and the boys in our pack are awesome! Yay!!!!!

Scout uniforms are so not cute. 

First Day of School!

So far, this school year has been a year of firsts for both boys.   Braden started kindergarten, and they both started a new school.  I was very happy with Discovery Charter when we first started.  Jake's kindergarten teacher there, Miss Ayala, was absolutely fantastic, and his 1st grade experience with Miss Rivera was equally wonderful.  However, I felt there were a lot of holes in that schools' curriculum-- no consistent music classes, "seminars" were a joke, not as organized as I would like-- and I hadn't heard super things about some of the upcoming rounds of teachers.  A friend of ours told me that she was applying to American Preparatory Academy, and I realized-- this is the same charter school that Mylie and Brynlee attend in Utah!  I didn't even realize they had a Vegas location-- and better yet, it was located closer to us and nearer to Grandma MacKay's house!   So, I applied, thinking it might be a nice option, and against all odds we made the lottery!

School has definitely been an adjustment for both boys.  It's definitely the opposite of Discovery-- highly organized, uniforms, high expectations, and procedures for everything.  However, it also has consistent music, art, and PE classes, and the boys have already been learning a lot.  I volunteered in Jake's classroom last week and I really like his teacher-- very firm in her expectations, yet also very positive and fun.  I love that Jake comes home every day with new learning jingle, bits of American history, or a memorized poem.  Their little "ex-ex-excellent" cheers are adorable.  And, both Jake and Bray are excited about being "builders, not wreckers"-- one of APA's themes.

I don't know a lot about Braden's teacher yet, as I haven't been able to volunteer in her class yet.   I can tell he's still working through his shyness.  Most days he tells me that he looks for Jake on the playground-- and they don't always have recesses at the same time.  However, he said last week that he made a new friend, and he too has been coming home with fun little cheers and prizes from the "treasure box."  I have high hopes for him as he navigates his way.

Anyhow, enough rambling.  Here's the cuteness....  or I suppose I should say handsome-ness for these big boys!

Top of the World

Yesterday, Bruce and I took off early so we could get back to work in the afternoon.  We went up Bogus Basin Road, out the Boise Ridge road, down to Placerville, and on into Garden Valley the back way all on dirt roads.  Then just a few miles along the South Fork of the Payette and then up a pretty gnarly road toward Deadwood Reservoir.  We ran out of time so just had lunch up on top of Scott Mountain near the Deadwood Lookout.  This is a Rental Cabin with Reserve America BTW...  I am finding there are a LOT of rental cabins with reserve America all over the Northwest and many are old tower lookouts.
Anyway... Here is the view.  I always get very thankful for where we live and the beauty that surrounds us.  Our Earth is the crowning gem of all that is beautiful throughout creation.  We just have to appreciate it...

PS...you are probably wondering about the Harley and why another bike!  I am selling the Yamaha 450 and the Sailboat to pay for the dual sport Kawasaki.  There are 5 friends that have all gotten dual sports so definitely want to explore Idaho backcountry and beyond with great friends.  The Harley will be for Sue and Me to do some long distance touring.