A season of change

I feel like I have been dreading and longing for the day that all of the kids would be in school.

I was notified a few months ago that kindergarten was changing from a half day to full day.  I wasn't too happy.  I had gotten a little teary eyed back in January when I registered Alexis for school, but knew that two and a half hours went by REALLY fast.  After a busy summer I thought I was ready for everyone to head to school.

I wasn't expecting the tears to flow after dropping Alexis off for her kindergarten orientation. She gave me a huge hug and said that it was ok to leave now. I walked backwards, not taking my eye off of her. She turned, smiled and blew me a kiss.  As I watched her walk inside I tried to hold myself together. Then I called my sister, Ali, and really lost it. I'm sure in a few hours I will be loving the peace and quiet. Until then I will reflect on the eleven years I always had a child at home with me.  Eleven years!  I don't want to sound like an old lady, but where did the time go?  

First day of school

Trevor was pretty beat after his first day of 2nd grade.  He was nervous, but absolutely loves school.  I hope that it translates to a great year.  

Second day of school

As Jacob says, he is the king of the school this year.  He's a big, bad 5th grader.  He didn't skip a beat and started volunteering with the cross guard on the first day of school.  He was thrilled with his teacher.  He was hoping and hoping that he would get Mr. Paul.  We have heard wonderful things about him.  Jacob will probably have a picture for the third day of school.  I choose to give myself a free pass. :)


On a lighter note, we have had a wonderful summer.  It has been filled with swimming, minecraft, swimming, and more minecraft. :)  Seriously though, my boys would play all day long if I let them.  Jacob qualified in four events to swim at the state meet at the University of Minnesota at the end of July.  We all went to support him.  We stayed at the Residence Inn in Edina.  It made me rethink my "I do not want to stay in Minnesota" mentality.  It is a beautiful area.  Attached to the hotel is Edinborough Adventure Park.  I wish I would have known about this place when we first moved here.  It is a fantastic indoor park that is owned by the city of Edina.  The kids had a blast playing inside.

Poor Jacob had been really sick the week before the state meet.  He had a load of blisters on his tonsils.  He is my go, go, go boy.  When he doesn't want to go I know something is really wrong.  I wish I had a magic wand to just make it go away.   Being sick and facing a meet in a huge nautitorium was incredibly daunting to him.  The first day was really hard.  He was disappointed and at times wanted to go home.  After that first day we weren't sure how his final event was going to turn out.  It was a relay and his team was predicted to take 2nd overall.  Jacob was the final swim out of the four.  To say he was nervous would be a complete understatement.  I was just hoping that he would swim well.  His teammates were rocking it.  They swam so fast.  Then it was Jacob's turn.  He jumped off that block as hard as he could . . . and swam his heart out.  It was his best time ever.  When he touched the wall the marquee showed they had taken second.  He threw his hand up in the air and his face split into a huge grin.  When he walked to the award table to retrieve his medal the printout showed that they had taken first.  The other team disqualified because the last swimming jumped off the block too early.  He was ecstatic.  Wayne and I were thrilled that the meet ended on such a positive note.

A few days after the meet we all flew out to Utah.  We had this planned for a while.  Wayne was only going to be able to stay for the weekend because we knew that he would be interviewing for jobs and he needed to save his vacation time for possible interviews.  After we booked the tickets Wayne was offered two interviews.  One in Orlando, FL and the other in Eugene, OR.  It worked out beautifully that they were able to interview him while the kids were in Utah.  We were able to leave them with family.  They absolutely loved it.  I did too.  I didn't worry about them once.  It was a great time for Wayne and I to check out the area and be together.  Now we are narrowing things down.  This is a great, scary, stressful, nerve wracking, wonderful decision we are faced with.  Hopefully Wayne will have a contract in process by October 1st.  

Wayne back in Minnesota, the kids and I in our rental car in Utah.

The ONLY picture we took in Orlando.  The airport!  It was busy from the beginning to the end.

Lexi's favorite time with Grandma Ormsby.  Dancing as a hula girl.  Grandma knows all kinds of moves.

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Playing at the park in Orem.  Alexis and Aunt Meg.

Jacob and one of his first friends, Ethan.  They haven't seen each other in six years.

Virginia girls:  Andrea, Danielle and me

Trevor running through the fountains at Gateway

Jacob at Gateway

Alexis laughing and loving it.

I love this picture.

After lunch with Grandma and Grandpa Ormsby we went with Grandma to Jungle Jims Playhouse.

Alexis used her tickets for these, um, beautiful fangs.

Trevor's favorite ride.

 Meg flew back from Utah with us.  A few days later my Dad flew into town.  It was wonderful having them here.

At Kasson pool.

Meg and Dad hanging out at the pool.

Dad enjoying his relaxation time.

When my Dad's dad was seventeen years old he was diagnosed with hemophilia at the Mayo Clinic.  At 44 he passed away, I believe my Dad was 20 years old at the time.  I obviously never knew him, but I never heard anything but wonderful things about him.  His faith, tenacity, and love are all qualities that he portrayed.  My cousin, who also has hemophilia, wrote a book about my grandfather.  In that book is a picture of him in front of the Mayo Clinic.  We took a picture of my Dad in what we believe is the same location.

Dad in front of the Gonda

Wayne and I in front of the Gonda

Meg, Dad and me

Gonda building.

On September 2nd Trevor turned eight years old!  He received a huge pack of science projects.  This one was mining for gems.  We also launched a very awesome rocket.  He is waiting to pull out the volcano. We are so lucky to have this smart, determined, sweet boy.