Pitter, Patter!

Last week, my neighbor had a birthday. I sent Taylor and Jessica to her house with a card and gift. They got to the end of the garage and realized it was starting to rain ... big rain drops, pitter patter!! They refused to go out in them. So, I got them an umbrella as the drops came down a bit harder. And off they ran, sharing the umbrella.

And then, Tay decided she didn't mind the rain so much ... and she ran ahead of Jess!
She even ran back to get Jess!

But Jess was quite content under the umbrella and even wanted to pose some! Isn't she cute?
But where did she learn to shake her bum at the camera? : ) Oh wow, are we in for it when we have 3 teenage girls!

In case you ever wondered ...

Yes, we are loyal Cougar True Blue Fans! Go BYU!!!! This is our family flag raising ceremony!! It was missing the Fight song music, but it was in our hearts! And don't put it past us to add the music next year! I did sing a rather rough rendition of it that morning! This was just prior to Steve and I leaving for the home game on Aug 30th where we watched our RANKED Cougars beat Northern Iowa and racked up over 500 yards! Go cougs! This past week, the RANKED Cougars played Washington and again WON! Wahoo! Longest winning streak in the nation and its just going to keep on going! We now await next Saturday when we play against UCLA.

Notice the red skirt ... we couldn't find a skirt that matched BYU blue except her red and blue skirt and since she must have a skirt ... well, its red but she's a Coug at her heart!

The morning of the game, I went to pick up the girls at my parents house - where they had stayed the night. On the way home, as we were all dressed in our BYU shirts, Jessica asked if we were going to BYU. I told her that mommy and daddy were, but not the girls. She replied "Why not?" I told her that we just had 2 tickets. She told me "Alyssa will give me a ticket" so she could go. The faith a 3 year old has in her big sister's "tickets". So cute. Not sure that any of them are ready to sit through a 3-4 hour game. : ) Maybe in a few years.

Alyssa and Mrs Guthrie Powell

Alyssa's kindergarten teacher was a young single lady who had just moved here from NC. I was her room mom and she and I got to be pretty close friends during the year. We've kept in touch. Alyssa really loved her. She announced last spring that she was getting married! We were so excited for her. We hosted a bridal shower for Kim and then attended her open house a couple weeks ago. She looked beautiful and we were glad to be a part of her special time! Congrats Kim!

Taylor and her 2 wheel bike!

Taylor has officially learned how to ride a 2-wheel bike! Its really quite cute! She has to use Jessica's bike though because it is smaller. Tay's bike is just a tad too big for her so she can't stop and start very well on it. Jess is content to let Tay ride her bike ... and Jess just rides one of the little tricycles or even tries to ride Tay's bike!
Have you ever noticed that Taylor ALWAYS has a skirt on? She chooses her own clothes and RARELY can I convince her to wear anything other than a skirt. I think I might be investing in a lot of tights this year because I don't see her being too happy about wearing pants this fall. When we went school clothes shopping I picked up a pair of jeans and she told me she didn't want them. I did convince her to let me buy them for cold days but she also reminded me she could wear tights. I think it is cute!

Some awesome friends and food!

A week or so ago, I got an invite to a birthday party from my friend Dani ... but the party was at Michelle W's house for me, Carol and Angie! How fun! Today was the day! I didn't think to take my camera and I don't think anyone else took pictures either (what? all of us bloggers and scrapbookers together and we didn't take pictures?). But I at least have to share the details. THANKS to all of my friends who helped with the party and who came!

They had an amazing spread for lunch for us - watermelon, avacoda eggrolls, fruit dip with cinnamon chips, pasta salad, green salad, chicken kabobs, homemade rolls, Brazilian limeade (Tucanos/Rodizio style!), and of course, Michelle W's FAMOUS chocolate cake that is absolutely to DIE for (did I forget something?). I started my South beach diet this week again, and it got left at the door when I walked in. Oops! : ) She even had hot dogs for the kids! Wow, what a lunch! I was so full, I didn't even eat dinner. Just wasn't hungry.

Thanks to all my wonderful friends for making my birthday a little more special and fun! Love you ladies to pieces!! I really can't imagine a neighborhood I'd rather live in!

First Day of Kindergarten!! - with a new picture

I was a little nervous and I think she was too! But we made it and all went well. She is upstairs now playing school so she must have enjoyed it. She made a bathroom sign - evidently her teacher has a one-at-a-time rule for the bathroom. So, when you leave to hte bathroom you flip a sign over to red and when you come back you turn it back to green again. She made a sign for us!! : ) Too cute!

Since I left my camera at my parents' house last night, I planned to take pictures with my digital video camera that takes still shots. But, guess what, the battery died in that! Fortunately, I have great friends who have kindergarten kids this year and are as camera happy as I am!! I'll add more when I get the rest from another friend and when I get the few off the video camera - haven't learned how to do that one yet!

This morning, we went to the school and parked so I could walk her in to her class. After our pictures outside, we went in the classroom, hung up her backpack and handed off some supplies and things to the teacher. Then we got a nametag for her, found her cubby and started to read stories on the rug. Taylor chose a book about SHARKS. Yes, there were lots of cute little kid books and Taylor chose a book of facts about sharks with all their big teeth and eating animals. Go figure! When it was time for parents to leave, she sat on the rug with her friend Makenna. She's growing up so fast!

After school, she was calm and happy and content with her day. The teacher gave her a bag of M&Ms and a list of questions for mom to ask depending on what color M&M she ate (teacher's name, favorite thing, new friend, rule she learned, story she heard etc). It was fun to spend some time talking with her and getting HER to talk!

This is Tay holding her "getting to know me" page. It was her very first assignment. It has all of her personal info (name, bday, likes, favorites, friends etc) plus a picture of her and one of her family. I wrote in all the info in her favorite color marker (purple) and helped her add the pictures and then she colored all the clipart that was printed on the page. She really had fun doing it and was quite proud of it.

This is Tay and her best friend Makenna. Aren't they so cute together? They are in the same class - by coincidence - and I am very grateful.

This is one of my favorites ... you have to notice the little upturned nose like she is turning her nose up at the idea of taking a picture. Tay is GREAT at making this face and does it ALL the time! : ) This truly captures one of her common expressions that I want to save to show her what a stinker she was at this age.

Even though she is getting so grown up she is definitely still my little Tay! I sure love her to pieces. She's always my one to cuddle and give me hugs and kisses and want to sit on my lap. Jess and Alyssa do it some, but Tay is definitely a mommy's girl.

Olympics!

I love them!! What an amazing opportunity for people to be involved - to compete, volunteer, watch etc. Its just impressive to see people excel at what they do. My husband and I have watched so much though I think I'm ready for them to end. We recorded the closing ceromonies so I'm headed to watch them now. I'd sure love to be a volunteer or at least get to watch them in person someday! We saw a couple of events in 2002 when winter Olympics were here in SLC and it was amazing. There was just so much energy and excitement in the air in the city during that time. I dream of being a part of it somehow (obviously not competing...) someday!

Go Taylor Go!!

Taylor is now riding a 2 wheel bike!! I am so excited for her. She does GREAT when she is on Jessica's bike (its smaller than Tay's bike) without the training wheels. She rides around the block and up and down the street like she its nothing at all. When she is on her own bike ... well, that is a little tougher. Evidently, its just a little too big for her so she has a hard time stopping and starting and thus doesn't like to do it. We'll work on it though.

I left my camera at my parents house tonight so I can't post pictures of her, but I will add some tomorrow. AGHHHH!! I just realized tomorrow is the first day of school for Taylor and I don't have a camera!! I've got to figure something out by 9:15 tomorrow.