The Happenings of August

Well folks, September is here.  Fall is speeding this way.  I always miss summer but am grateful for the fall.  Fall means long pants, boots, scarfs and hoodies.  Not to mention the holidays, decorating, parties and food.  Sounds good to me.  August was a busy month getting ready for school and enjoying the last few weeks of summer vacation. 

Early in the month we went boating with a few of our neighbors.  We are so grateful for the neighborhood we moved into.  There are so many great families and friends for our kids to play with.  We went down to Yuba lake overnight and had such a great time.  The girls had so much fun playing in the sand and jumping of the little pier. 

The kids playing in the water

Every year for the past 4 or so years my parents and I have bought tickets to the Parade of Homes.  I enjoy seeing all the new homes.  I'd like to think that I get a lot of new ideas when I go through the homes but I would be kidding myself.  I've lived in my house for about a year and a half now and my walls are still pretty bare.  I don't know why, but I can't seem to get anything put up on the walls around here.  I don't know if it's that I don't want to pay too much for something that's just going to hang on my walls or the whole commitment part of it.  If I hang something up it's permanent, right??  I should probably give Nate a call or something to get things rolling around here.  Haha.  Anyway, Emma was our photographer during our Parade of Home visits and here is some of what she saw.

I had her take a picture of this because I want tile in my kitchen.

August was a month of many birthdays. My mom, Nikki, Meg, Cole and Kwinton J all celebrated their birthdays in August. (And that's just on my side of the family) We went to Red Robin on my sisters birthday, which was also my nephew Cole's birthday, and they brought him out a GIANT piece of ice cream cake. He was so excited! He was nice enough to share with all the kids.

Look how happy he was!

At first Kwinton didn't want cake

Then he tried some and love it!

I am saving this pic to blackmail Cali later in life

Everyone got a taste

Then I had a root canal . . . on a tooth that I already had a root canal on years ago.  It got infected.  Grr!!!  Although I really do love my new dentist, I still hate the dentist.


A few weekends ago we took our City Passes and went up to This Is The Place park.  We chose just the right day because they were doing civil war activities and the kids had so much fun.  We made sure to get up there as soon as it opened so that it wasn't too hot for everyone and it made for a really fun day.  We still have a few activities left to do on our City Passes.  I think it was the perfect gift from my parents. 

Have you ever seen kids with such focus.  They really thought it was interesting.

Pulling wool

Sam trying to go live with the goats.

The shot a cannon and the kids thought it was so loud.

Gabe made an awesome soldier

They they made their own sacks.

Then it was time for snow cones.

One night we got together with my dads family.  We had a lot of fun chatting and hanging out.

My dad, his brother Greg, and his three sisters, Marsha, Cindy and Mitzi.

Then I started my school.  I know, it's sad, I'm 31 years old and never got around to finishing my associates degree that I started just after high school ended.  I've gone here and there throughout the years and really thought I would finish just before I got pregnant with Hannah.  But then I did get pregnant and haven't been back until now.  When I went into the counselor I expected him to tell me that my credits were too old and they wouldn't count but he told me they still did and I was so close to being done that I could take classes part time (while Hannah is in kindergarten) this Fall and Spring semester and be done.  Sounded good to me.  I don't have much to do while Hannah is going half day anyway and then when she goes full time next year I'll work full or part time.  Anyway, needless to say I'm the oldest person in all my classes at SLCC.  I'm so old, haha. 


Next, Emma started her 3rd grade year.  She looks so big in this picture.  I can't believe how beautiful and smart my little girl is getting.  I love you Emma!!!

We had a family reunion for Dan's family at the park a few weekends ago.  I forgot my camera but we had a lot of fun playing in the water and playing kickball.  Hannah had so much fun playing with her little cousin Sidney that was born the same month as her.  They are so cute together.  I stole this picture, that my sister in law Kathy took, off of Facebook.

Before I leave you I want to tell you about my garden.  Why??  Because I am so proud of it.  No, it's nothing big or grand, but I planted it and things are actually growing!!  I'm so excited, can you tell?

My garden!!  Don't mind the patch of dead yellow stuff, that was spinach.  Apparently it grows really fast and if you don't pick it immediately it dies.  We learned this the hard way.

My green beans did really well.  I've got about six bags already frozen and they're still growing like crazy.

My bell peppers are just getting started but I can see a lot of them coming.

I've got a lot of carrots that should soon be ready to pick.

The green onions are doing good too.  I picked a couple the other day to use in the dinner I was cooking and they were excellent!

My tomatoes are just getting started too.  Soon we will have too many to know what to do with.

This sad looking plant is my pumpkin.  It may look really sad but I'm so proud of it because it is a survivor.  My pumpkins were first planted on the side of my house and not in my garden because I figured they would take up a lot of room.  They were growing really good until one day the guy that came to check the water meter STEPPED ALL OVER THEM.  I was very angry and sad.  I did notice that after, although all the other pumpkin plants died, this little one was still trying to hold on so I decided that I would give it a better chance and life and dug it up and re-planted it in the back garden with the rest of the veggies.  I honestly thought it would just end up dying too but look at it!!  It really wants to live.  We'll see if we have any pumpkins by Halloween, that is my hope.

So there you have it.  That is what has been happening around here.  I hope everyone out there is doing good.