2nd grade fieldtrip

On MOnday I got to join Ame on their

fieldtrip to Utah Botanical Center in Kaysville.

I actually found it quite interesting, fun and

informative. I think the kids did as well.

They learned about lifecycles and got to have a popcorn relay.

We also learned about all sorts of insects
and plant life.

The kids got to explore life from the pond

and PLAY with bugs!

As you can see Ame was lovin' this...

and proud of the things she captured (and then let go)!

This is Ame new friend, Layla.

She is a really cute girl, and her mom

is the 4th grade English teacher in

the spanish immersion program, so

Ame will have her in a few years.

I can already tell they are going to be

best pals! I am so glad, cuz those first few days

were hard for Ame. Joining a class where

everyone already knew eachother.

After exploring at the center for a few hours

we headed to the park to enjoy more of the

beautiful weather and have a picnic.

I am so glad I got to join Ame for a fun day

before things gets crazy next month, and my life

is A LOT busier!!
These times together are so special.

Oh CANADA

Our trip to Canada was much anticipated for months and months, for reasons of financial to getting passports for everyone (which is a cost in and of itself), to where will we all stay, to travel arrangments, etc, etc. But dispite all the challenges we may have faced to get there, it was sooo worth it!! We had an incredible time. Uncle Jim was a terrific host and we got to do soo many fun things in the short time we were there. We felt like the LUCKY ones, because we got

to stay with Jim and Great Grandma

(as well as my parents). They have an

amazing home and the yard is NEVERending,

perfect for our little explorers.

They spent hours and hours just enjoying the outdoors!

We LOVED just sitting around with various members

of the family, talking and listening to stories.
We had great adventures each day.
Friday we got to go see where my dad grew up
and he said it was like the TWILIGHT zone,
because it was just soo different.
We also got to visit a farm, that had some amazing
corn mazes. B4 we set loose in the mazes the kids enjoyed some playtime.
It was quite funny TRYING to
keep us all somewhat together and NOT losing
the kids (who would have LOVED to run off on their
own, we just may not have seen them again).

Nalu was a trooper, sitting it that darn stroller soo much.

One of the mazes was a trivia one with clues.

Good thing we didn't rely on the kids for directions.

We would have NEVER made it out!

This was the site around just about every other corner...

they told us as we were getting our BRIEFING before

entering the maze that there was a watch tower

if we got lost, thank goodness we didn't need help

cuz NO one was watching?!

there were LOTS of animals to get fed too

another of our adventures and I think one of the favorites

of most, was visiting my uncle Mark's ranch.

Kaipo fell in love with all their kittens and chased

them around for hours.

Ame definitely discovered a NEW love.

If we had the $$ I know she would be in

Heaven to have her own horse and to take some

lessons. You should have seen this girl...

if she wasn't riding she was helping the younger cousins

enjoy a ride on the pony.

Kaipo broke away from the kittens for a bit

to a take a few rides himself.

it took quite a bit of convincing (or forcing) to get

Ash anywhere near one of the animals.

He did ride with dad and helped brush the horses,

but that was about it. Anytime one of the kittens or dogs

looked at him or got near him he was NOT happy.

Mom even took a turn on the ol' horse

One last ride for the horse lover!

The BIG day was on Saturday.

The party was held at a place with all

kinds of restored buildings. It had an old

jail...

an old school, horse drawn school bus, trains, tractors.

Soo many neat, fun things to check out and explore.

We had to drag the kids away at then end of the day.

They had a BLAST!

even some old dressups

oh these cousins are cute!

the main reason for our visit was to honor

the amazing woman of all these siblings

(missing just a few). It was soo fun to see

them all again, and their families. Don't ask me

to name them all (I CAN keep most of them straight).

I am soo glad we could be there to celebrate and honor

Great Grandma Asplund. She is such a fun, loving woman

still at age 90! She is a true beauty!! I just can't begin to

imagine birthing, let alone raising all those children.

WOW. WOW. WOW.

Thanks mom and dad for making it possible for us to be there.

It was truly a trip we will always remember and cherish!

And we are already planning on taking Great Grandma up on her

offer to join her again in 10 more year!!

Another one off...

Ash OFFICALLY started his first day of preschool/joyschool today.

He was SUPER excited up until the the moment

I said I was going to leave and then he

started crying and saying

"Mom, I need you..."

After several attempts of trying

to convince him he was OK to stay with

his friends (those he goes to nursery with

on Sundays) and the teacher this week

is Teacher Diana, who I visit teach

and he goes with me a lot to their house

to play with Hyrum, I thought I was going to

have to either stay or take him home

with me. But we started talking about

our trip to Canada and he got excited

to share all the fun we had, then I was able

to SLIP AWAY and from that point on he

had a Fantastic Time! Here are 6 of the 7 cute kids we

get to have Joyschool with this year.

Should be a fun and adventurous year!

can't forget the other

of course we can't leave out a little

blogging about our sweet Nalu boy,

just because he is soo darn cute! just enjoying a little chicken noodle soup

(baby food style)
And when we were least expecting it,
tonight while mom was reading stories with
Ame and Kaipo, Ash was playing with Nalu.
Well I looked up and away he was going.
FINALLY crawling!
we have been encouraging this for
weeks/months now. I guess he decided
it was worth trying out.
Of course when we got the camera out
he wasn't performing quite as well,
but here he goes...

oh yeah and nice fall by Ash off the chair at the end

(hence the reason for the quick camera turn off)!

Back to School and whole lot a new...

Sunday we had our traditional (going on our 2nd year)

back to school kids choice dinner.

The menu included:

Maui chicken, carrot rice, corn on the cob,
and homemade french bread.

and ice cream sundae's for dessert.
Before bed the kids each received the most

important part of our back to school traditions-

*a father's blessing*

Here they are bright and early, super excited for school.
these are the kind of pics I got after sending dad
outside with the kids & the camera
(and several others just like this one).

(Good thing mom took a few pics of her own)
Kaipo is soo ready to finally start school.

I think he is even more excited that he

is starting the Spanish Immersion program,

which means half of their instruction is

in english and half in spanish.

All of the kids have been practicing

their spanish CD (that Ame's teacher gave her

to use over the summer).

Ame, on the other hand, has been filled with much anxiety

about her first day in the Spanish Immersion Program.

She will spend the first half of the day with Mrs. Eskelson,

who is her spanish teacher and their instruction is

COMPLETELY in spanish.

Then the afternoon is spent in english with Mrs. Smith.

Ame came home SUPER excited for what this

year has in store for her. She was soo nervous because all

the other students have been in this program since Kindergarten

and so of course have the advantage in speaking spanish.

Ame is such an GREAT student and soo at the top of her academics

that I think this year will give Ame the perfect challenge,

and she definitely won't be bored because everything is

soo easy (as it has been the past 2 years).

And Ash couldn't be left out,

even though we aren't starting

Joy School until after Labor Day.

He kept saying "what about me..."

as all the focus was on the other 2.
oh how we LOVE Ash!!

talk about smart...this kid is amazing!

(more about him later)

Ame all ready to learn SPANISH!

Kaipo already enjoying kindergarten!

I got to spend the first day WITH him.

We rotated around centers doing lots of fun acitvities

and beginning of school stuff.

The rest of this week is Kindergarten testing

so he doesn't officially have his FIRST day until next week.

The anticipation of the first day is over

and now the FUN and LEARNING can begin!!
Before we know it, we will ALL be fluent spanish speakers

(thank goodness dad already is so

he can give the rest of us extra help).