My Not so Perfect Post (as if I have a perfect post)

Don't you hate it when you read other people's blogs and they're so darn perfect? Well, that's definitely not me. And here is proof.

Seriously, how do I keep my kids from getting toothpaste everywhere??


Note from Author: I really do clean my house. In fact, the sink looks much better now, but everything else is the same (I'm busy blogging). I just feel like I clean my house/pick up after my kids all day long. I just get plain tired of it.
Ben actually apologized to some members of the Elder's Quorum the other day because they came over (unexpectedly) and the kids had their toys all over. Heck, I think as long as it's just toys it's no problem. I am not one of those people all done up and house perfect when you come over. And I'm OKAY with that.

Now, off to go do more laundry...

Hike Hike Hike

I've mentioned before Ryan's new favorite thing is hiking. Ben decided to take Ryan on a harder hike without Mom & Ethan. They went up to the 3 lakes in a row up by Brighton. Ben said he was only going to take Ryan to Lake Mary, but Ryan kept wanting to go on. So they went to Lake Catherine and Lake Martha too. 5 miles people!! My little boy hiked FIVE miles!

He loved it! Ryan and Dad are studs!

Gosh it's pretty up there.

Relay for Life

I participated in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life in Tooele County this year.
My sister was a team captain and let my crazy self on her team. I had an awesome time. I'm excited to do it again next year.
You're supposed to get donations, then walk/run around the track all night (and resting some). I only made it until 2 p.m. (I still had to drive an hour home). Needless to say, I was tired last weekend!

BIL-Jarom, Nephew-Jordan, Sister-Summer & Kell-Spice

They had the survivors lap which Summer got to participate in.
Then they had the Luminaria Ceremony at 10:30 p.m. Summer spoke, then we took a silent walk around the track (besides my cell phone going off...it was silent...oops!) looking at all the lit up bags around the track of people who have fought cancer or who have died from cancer. It was a very cool experience. My heart goes out to all who have lost loved ones.

I guess you have to purchase the bags-I wish I would have known, I had a couple other friends/family I wanted to add to the ceremony.

Thank you to all of my friends/family who donated. I was #1 for my team raising funds!!
Wa Hoo!

School Work

I love the work Ryan brings home from school.
I think it's so cute he wrote out "hotdog".

And he drew a picture of what he liked to do:
Hiking.
He said it's Ryan & Dad hiking up the mountain with their backpacks on (the green part that looks like wings). They are hiking to the waterfall on the other side of the mountain.
Oh so adorable!

Tooele County Demolition Derby

I love the Demolition Derby!
I love Races (like Nascar)
I love Hockey Games
I love Monster Truck Rally's
I love Mullet Hunting.

Ben thinks I'm crazy for liking "trashy" sports, but I just think I'm well rounded. :-)
If you have not been to a Demolition Derby, you are missing out for sure.
The Tooele County Fair was this last weekend so I talked Ben into going to the derby with my family. I know deep down it is his new favorite thing.
What could be better than cars crashing, snow cones, cotton candy, and good old fashioned mullet hunting?

Both of my boys loved the derby. They were so good the whole time we were on the bleachers. And they had fireworks after the show, so that was a bonus for the kids!

My Mom, Ryan, nephew Shad, Ethan & My dad

Checking out the firetrucks.
That's when you know you are at an awesome event, is when you have a firetruck and ambulance waiting for someone to get hurt.

My nephew Jordan, and my sister Summer.

My boys are excited to go back next year. Feel free to join us!

We left and Ryan said, "this is the best day ever." Either we have not done much with Ryan, or he takes after his mom, and loves these crazy events!

Swim Lessons

Ryan's
Swim Lessons 2010

Ryan's First Day of Kindergarten

Ryan started Kindergarten on August 3, 2010. I can't believe he is in school now. He rides the bus to school, but we drove him the first day. He has been so excited to go. His teacher's name is Mrs. Marquard. He had his pre-kindergarten evaluation a week before school and his teacher said he did awesome! He is such a smart boy. He loves to ride the bus to school. We are in PM kindergarten so he gets excited to go to the back of the bus on the way to school. But I make him stay in the front of the bus on the way home when the big kids are on. He is doing very well, we're just trying to work out homework bugs. He does NOT want to work on homework when he comes home, so I let him have an after school snack and relax for about 15 mins. Then it's homework time.
It's pretty weird to not be able to just get up and go somewhere when ever we want to. We now have to worry about school.

Ethan wanted to go to school too!
Ryan chose to wear his awesome R2-D2 shirt.

Getting up the nerve to go say hi to some friends.

Standing in his class line waiting to into the school.

Walking into school. I only cried a little. And Ben made fun of me...so nice.
It was nice that Ben worked from home that day so he could take Ryan to school with me. Ethan was so sad he could not go to school with Ryan, so we stopped to get him a slurpee on the way home.

Ben gave Ryan a father's blessing before school started. And we talked to Ryan about what that is, and that he can ask for one whenever he needs to. Last night, right before bed Ryan asked Ben for another Father's Blessing. Ben asked what what bothering him, and Ryan said, "Well, some kids are being mean to me at school, so I would like a blessing." He is so sweet. Ben gave him a blessing.
Why do kids have to be mean? We've talked to Ryan about staying away from the mean kids, and to not be friends with them. What more can I do?

We love Ryan very much, and we are excited for him to be in school.
He's getting so big!

Ryan's New Favorite Thing

(In reverse order)
HIKING
It's official, Ryan loves to hike. He just cruised up that mountain, we were the slow pokes.
We went to Donut Falls for a family day before Ryan started school. The kids loved it. Ethan's favorite part were the donuts we ate at the top of Donut Falls. We are defiantly seeking new family friendly hikes if you know of any.

The Falls. Although we did not let the kids hike up the rocks...so not safe!

Halfway there.

Ethan wanted to be carried most of the way. Dad is a trooper, carrying the backpack and Ethan.

You can tell he has so much energy and is itching to keep going. But I'm a Mom, I have to take tons of pictures!

Seth & Kaytlin

Ben's brother Seth got married on July 29, 2010 in the Salt Lake Temple. Here are many many photos of that day. Above: Ben's Dad, Mom, Brother Seth, Brother Marshall, Ben, & Brother Peter.

Ben's family: 7 Brothers, 2 Sisters

Some of the In-Laws...Waiting...and Waiting (those darn pictures)

Cousins. They are super cute!

Temple, Lunch, Reception

All of the Clegg Family...gosh we're getting huge.

I love my handsome boys! They were so good for the reception & the pictures. We even got Ryan to tuck in his shirt for 30 mins...that's record breaking for sure!

Ethan held the door open for every single person to come back in from taking pictures. It was SO cute! I just stood there and beamed with pride!

Ethan with his Grandma Linda (and Kaytlin's Grandma in the blue).

We're happy for Seth & Kaytlin.
And we're excited to add one more sister-in-law into the mix (hopefully she can handle all of us, we're pretty crazy).

Pioneer Day & Hole Peeing

I'm finally blogging about Pioneer Day. We worked in the yard during the day. We went to Cafe Rio with Rob & Kandis & girls, then to the splash park to play, then ice cream and fireworks at our house. We had a great time. I think we should do something like that every year. It was very low key...my favorite.

Ben, Rob, & Kandis

Ethan with baby Malin.
Raygan and Ryan were way too busy playing to be in any pictures!

Ethan is now potty trained. It is awesome. He has not even wet his pants during the night or during nap time. I love that my boys did so great potty training! Although, Ethan thinks it's super cool to whip it out whenever he can. He said, "look Mom, I peed in a hole."
Side Note: he did not know I took this picture. I did not want him thinking I was "proud" that he peed outside...but I could not resist a photo opportunity.

I love kids' creative minds. If only I could be a kid again...

Call the Witch!

I have so much to blog, and so little time. So this is what you get for now:

Ryan is struggling with running errands with me lately, so I took the Wii remotes away and told him he does not get them back unless he is good at the store, then helps me clean his toys when we get back.

Was he good at the store? No

Did he help me clean his toys? No

Did he throw a huge temper tantrum and kick me? Several times

Did he say, "I'm going to call the Witch and have her cook you up for dinner?" Yes (and that was the nicest thing he has said to me all day!

First day of Kindergarten tomorrow! YAY!! (and Boo, because even though he was mean today, he is still my sweet little Ryan and I'll miss him).