Spokane Interstate Fair - Emma's gone viral!

Shortly before we left Utah, and we were talking about moving, Emma asked "Well, what are we going to do about the Fair? We can't go to the Fair!" I assured her they have a fair in Washington, and that we'd go to it. We go to the fair every year, since the State Fair was the first date Dave and I went on, for sentimental reasons. And it's just "karats of fun" (which is the slogan for the Spokane Interstate Fair)! We love the fair, so we went a few weekends ago. It was just about as large as the Utah State Fair, the state fair up here is in Seattle, I believe. We did the usual...checked out the animals, looked at the exhibits, saw some shows, the usual.

Ziggy - yahhhh Ziggys! Ziggy's is a hardware store up here, and the kids loved their mascot. He handed out candy and was pretty funny! This pic was taken right after Emma was dancing with Ziggy, she's in the stripey shirt.

Lucy's first trip to the fair!

Happy times!

Cal liked all of the classic tractors and trucks the best!

They had a kids tractor pull that Emma decided she wanted to do. We were kind of surprised, but she's really broken out of her shell in the last few months.

The tractor pull was a bike pedaled one, they added weight to a cart attached to the trike. They let 3 to 8 year olds do it.

Here she goes! Emma pedaled 50 lbs., and made it about 12 feet out. She said it was fun!

Emma got her ribbon and a piece of candy for participating. She had a good time.

We watched mutton busting (an event that happens at rodeos similar to bull riding, where kids hold onto sheep as long as they can) earlier when we first got to the fair. We asked her if she wanted to do that but she told us "no way". So we didn't bring it back up again. Later on, we walked by the stadium where we watched the mutton busting. Emma said, "I want to do that!" Really? We asked her and made sure she really wanted to do it. She said she wanted to. So they were starting their last mutton busting show of the night right then and Emma was the last of 36 to sign up, we barely made it. Dave and Emma went down to get fitted for a vest and helmet and I took the younger kids and went to watch her from the stands. Here she is waiting to get her helmet on and secure.

Putting her helmet on and getting a little nervous.

Daddy making sure Emma was ready to go. While they were waiting, Dave was "coaching" Emma and trying to help her. She did get a little nervous, but still wanted to do it. She didn't chicken out, which was good. Some kids did, other kids got bribed with candy or Barbies to do it.

After watching 35 other little ones do this, it was Emma's turn! They put her on the sheep, opened the gate, and that sheep went! It was a fast sheep she was on! She stayed on the length of the stadium, for more than 6 seconds, which was the qualifying time to be a finalist! Cal said "Emma made it!" He was quite impressed! I was, too! Many of the kids fell off right after the gate opened, or made it about half way and fell off, crying. Emma got off and was just fine, though her wrist hurt a little bit. The people who were helping the kids out were really nice. And then as Emma was coming back, all of these little kids standing outside of the gate were giving her hi-fives. It was cute! She thought it was pretty cool. "Aunt Amy and Uncle Kolby would be proud!" (one of her favorite sayings lately...he he!) We went to a rodeo earlier this summer that my sister and her husband were in. I guess she's our little cowgirl. We even went and got her some cowgirl boots this week! She earned them! (:

The family wanted to see the video, so we went to post it on Facebook, but it wouldn't upload. So Dave put it on Youtube. Emma's now online! He he! I tried to put the link in for Emma's Youtube video, but it wasn't working for Blogger. So just copy and paste this address into your browser if you'd like to see it!

It's kind of fun! Last time I checked, there were fourty views.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0KSKmBqA1s

Good job, little cowgirl! It was a memorable night for everyone, and mostly for Emma!

Labor Day Weekend!

The end of the summer is coming....NOOOO! It's been so nice and warm here every day, we've loved it! I'm one of those girls that could live in summer forever. Labor Day weekend was a blast! The fun started out on Friday, getting a package from Grandma Di! The kids were so excited! Inside, school supplies for Emma, an outfit, and Littlest Pet Shops toy, gummy candy for the kids to share, and then a toy for Lucy and Cal. It was a blast! On everything, Grandma Di put a little sticky note with a fun message. Emma wanted to keep the sticky notes, and we had fun reading them all. Thanks, Mom!

Grandma also sent some outfits she made, well Lucy's anyways. She finished the other two kids outfits before we left, but didn't quite finish Lucy's. She's been on a mission to use up all of her scrap materials. She's so great at taking something like a scrap, or something old, and making it into something beautiful! So here they all are in their cute outfits. They look like little island cuties! My dad got the material for Cal's outfit when he went to Samoa.

My girls, so sweet!!

Grandma also sent a package of little gummy candies with hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza, fries, colas. On that sticky note, she wrote that they can have a gummy picnic. They were so happy and had so much fun doing that!

Later that night, Morgan and Kyle came over for a cousins sleepover (well, they're second cousins, but still call each other cousins. One day, Emma was saying, "So they're your cousins like Tayla is my cousin, but I'm still their cousin, too? Why are they so much younger than you, Mom?" I had to explain everything to her. I think she's got it now!). We grilled hot dogs and ate chili dogs, cheese & peas salad, fruit salad, and chips. Then we played like crazy, read some books, watched a short movie, ate snacks, and the kids actually went to bed at a decent time!

Kyle and Cal playing ball in the toy room. Cal idolized Kyle! And Kyle is so good with Cal!

Emma and Morgan playing with little princesses. They look like they're concentrating very hard here!

Having fun playing!! I thought it was kinda funny that the girls jammie style matched, and the boys matched as well.

They all do so well playing together, we never have squabbles or fights. They just start making up games, like this one below together. It's way cute!

Saturday, we woke up and made blueberry muffins and orange juilius, then we got all ready, rode bikes outside, and then went to the park to play for a while. After that, it was the BYU vs. Ole Miss football game at Dave & Suz's home. We had a yummy lunch and snack foods before the game. Dave was so excited for football to start. He's always following BYU football on KSL or Cougar Tracks. My Uncle Dave gets kind of into the games and yells a lot, which I've always known. It's always kind of made me giggle. I asked Morgan what she and her mom do when footballs on. "My mom and I usually stay upstairs while my Dad and Kyle yell," she responded. My Dave doesn't quite yell like that, but he still gets into it. So the Dave's enjoy watching the games together. The moms and kids watched some of the game, but we went for a walk around the block for a while, and just talked and played outside. Dave and Suz have been so good to us! We went over and had FHE with them one night, and went downtown last weekend to Rocky Rococo Pizza, and they're always calling to check up on us, and we get together quite a bit.

Saturday night, some friends in our ward who live a few houses away from us, Peperli and Derrick, invited us to go with them and another couple to Pig Out in the Park. It's a huge event at Riverfront Park they do each year, where food vendors from all over come and you basically do what the title says, pig out! They also have bands playing, the only band name I recognized was Marcy Playground. I think there were lots of local bands from the Northwest. Emma and I got Chinese food, it was yummy!

Lucy got baby food...which she's loving. Except for the meats. She gags on those sometimes. But can you blame her? Have you ever smelled that stuff?

Daddy got southern barbeque. On the little BBQ trailor, there was a sign that said "Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." We thought that sounded familiar, and I immediately knew who said it! President Hinckley, of course. We had to support that booth after that. Also, there was a bee that kept coming around as we were eating on the bell tower steps. Dave kept trying to shoo it with his hat. It made me giggle, as it reminded me of the Toys 'R' Us experience a few years ago. He he! Some of you will know what I'm talking about. Luckily, he kept his shirt on this time.

Cal wanted pizza, so he gobbled that up. He loves pizza, but enjoyed playing with the extra pair of chopsticks I got even better!
Dave gets along really well with Aaron and Derrick. They are cool guys. Aaron is going to Gonzaga to get his Masters in Religious Studies, and Derrick is going to Spokane Community College for Radiology. The kids loved being by the bell tower, the color of lights on it were changing that night, it looked cool. They all wanted to get up on this ledge, so they all took turns getting up there.

Hello down there!

The kids were all so cute playing together. The park was so crowded though! And it was hard to get everywhere with our little stroller caravan!

We topped off the night by getting dessert. We tried homeade huckleberry (those berries grow in abundance here) ice-cream and chocolate dipped turtle cheesecake. Yum! It was a fun and tasty night!

Monday, actual Labor Day, we slept in, and then we went to the annual ward picnic for lunch. It was fun talking to some people and getting to know some more ward members!

Wheee....crash! The kids playing at the park during the picnic!

We topped off the weekend at a Peperli and Derrick's, the same friends who invited us to Pig Out in the park, at a BBQ. They made some tasty brisket, and we all brought things to share. Two other families were there, and they also invited the Elders that serve in our area, so that was fun to talk to them. The kids all had so much fun, they have a fun backyard with a swingset, slides, and a playhouse! And the other families are so great. We appreciate their friendship to us and making us feel so welcome here! It was a great weekend!

Emma's First Day of Kindergarten!

It's official: Emma is a kindergartener! She's been waiting for this day for a long time! She's been so ready for a while, as many of her older friends have been going to school for a couple of years or so. She has always longed for the day when she could grab her backpack and say she was going to school like Daddy! Emma woke up bright and early, at 7 a.m., which is not like her. Which is exactly why we chose afternoon P.M. kindergarten. She's not a morning person! Let's just say she was excited! The night before, she picked out her outfit and wanted her hair crimpy, so we put it in a bunch of braids the night before. The night before (and several weeks leading up to school), we also read "The Night Before Kindergarten," a book that Grandma Sue gave to Emma. It's a cute book, and helped Emma get a feel for what would happen. Emma asked for crepes for breakfast, so we made strawberry crepes, yum!

I always loved the first day of school and all of the new stuff you get that comes with the first day! Emma does, too! As I mention, Emma picked out and sported a pink Hello Kitty sparkly graphic tee, some shorts, and her pink converse sneakers. Her backpack is a pink sparkly Disney princess. Her hair, as I mentioned, is crimpy, to which she stated, "Aunt Amy would be proud!"

Here we are at Shiloh Hills! We drove the first day, but usually walk, as it is a close distance to our house.

We thought it would be fun to go get a little more familiar with the school before we dropped Emma off, so we went to the school and explored and went and had school lunch. Emma was already doing more playing than eating with her cafeteria food. That's what you do, right? Here she is making an E with her fries.

Cal had a great time in the cafeteria! I don't know if he had more fun eating or more fun trying to run along the benches before I pulled him off!

Miss Lucy ready to drop her sister off at school!

Going to her class, what a big girl!

Emma got Mrs. Campanella, or Mrs. C for a teacher. From what we understand from all of the neighbors, she is the best! And we believe it! We were impressed at Back To School Night, and Emma just loves her!

Emma went in, found her nametag and put that on, and began playing with playdough. She was put in the Green Family with three other kids. Each day, they rotate and sit by different kids. She walked right in and started talking to her classmates, and her teacher. That made me happy, because previously, she could get really shy and not talk at all. But we've been working with her, and I think enrolling her in dance, and doing some other things really helped her break out of her shell. When I go to pick her up, she'll be talking to the other kids and saying goodbye.

Cal thought kindergarten, a.k.a. "Emma's school" was pretty cool. He especially liked the reading loft! He wished he could stay! But we have a good time with the two of us. We play a little while together outside, or ride bikes, or play with toys, then I read him a couple of books and put him down for a nap. It's good to have some one-on-one time with him. I'm trying to get on this new schedule now with school. But it seems if Cal's asleep, Lucy is awake and vice-versa. Plus, it's hard because by the time we get Cal down, we have to go get Emma soon after. So we've gotta get used to this. It will come, I'm sure.

Goodbye, Emma! We'll see ya in a few hours! I must say, I was very brave, and didn't cry or all-out bawl like I thought I would. I kept it together. I got a little emotional and teary-eyed, but didn't full on cry. That's pretty good!

When I picked Emma up and asked her the classic question, "How was your first day of school?" Emma enthusiastically replied, "I love kindergarten, Mom!" (:

Of course, now that she's in school, we need after-school snacks! The first day, it wasn't a very healthy snack, but they were good! I made these apple pops, using Oreos, red candy melts, green gummy candy, and M&Ms. Emma and the neighbor girls who came over to play after school were delighted!Happy apple!

I think this picture she colored pretty much sums it up! Emma has enjoyed her first week, and loves going to school, feeling so distinguished and grown up! "I go to school like Daddy and Uncle Marko now," she tells me. "I've got to go to school now, buddy, but we'll play when I get home" she tells Cal. She also thinks it's pretty cool she gets to do homework. She has a folder that has a couple of things to do each night, like count the steps in your house, write your name, draw a picture of your teacher, count to 20, find something in your house that begins with a certain letter, etc. I wonder how long she'll enjoy doing homework? Hopefully, she'll continue to develop a love for learning all of her life!