School is in Session!!

Today was my kids first day of school and on top of that a new school and a different school for each of them!! The small town of Mattawa has outgrown their schools and keep having to build new ones. Now they have an elementary school for Kindergarten (Can you believe Chelsea gets to go!) and 1st graders (there will be 10 all day kindergarten classes this year with about 20 kids each!). Then there is the Intermediate school (which Morgan is in along with her cousin Ben) for 2nd through 4th grades. Then the middle school (Collin is in 5th grade along with his cousin Regan) that consists of 5-6th graders. Then the junior high (7-8th) and High School!! I can't believe my kids are in different schools. They also wear uniforms here but it is pretty easy for the younger kids. They can wear jeans, skirts, shorts etc (in jean fabric, khaki or black) but they have to wear a polo shirt that is white, black, burgandy or gray (there sweatshirts have to be those colors too). Morgan was bummed but it will make things easier in the morning when they are so limited in the shirt choices. I took the kids to school this morning and the girls both got the teachers I was hoping for but Collin (because the new school didn't get his transcripts yet with his test scores) wasn't able to get him a schedule. He finally ended up with a home room but had to retake the mapps test so they could get him into the correct math and reading classes. Should be interesting to hear what he has to say when they get home in an hour. Chelsea will be in all day kindergarten starting next week. Today she got to go to her classroom to take and assesment test. She said it was fun but it made me realize I've failed as a mother this summer since she could no longer recognize some of the letters she knew while in preschool!! Guess we've got to jump back into reading and writing at home more ASAP!!

I managed to take a few quick picture in the driveway before we rushed off to school. Can't you tell in all the pictures that Collin was so excited to be going back to school instead of staying home on the farm?




I took a picture at breakfast in case we didn't have time for one afterwards! I did manage to make a good one - homemade buttermilk pancakes and buttermilk syrup and sausage. This is a favorite at our house. Sadly I didn't have time to do the girls hair cute! Hopefully I'll get myself up earlier tomorrow so we can get everything done. It was just so hard to make my wake up time so early after a lazy summer of late nights and sleeping in!

Family

This weekend we spent a lot of time with the Calaway family. Cameron's brother Bret came up from St. George, Utah where they moved last summer to have his son, Kellen's mission farewell in Tri cities. Kellen is going to San Juan, Puerto Rico (the same mission that our other nephew, Dallin went). I took Collin to meet up with Corbin and Conner (Brets boys that he really misses seeing- they used to live like 2 miles from us). That night the Calaways had a family dinner at Anthony's for a combined thing for Kellen plus Cameron's oldest brother, Jeffs 50th Birthday( sadly the only picture I took of him didn't turn out!! Bret and Jeffs family came along with all the high school age cousins and all the adult Calaways. (Plus a few of Jeffs family on his wifes side). We had a great dinner and then all the adults went to the Columbia River temple afterwards. I wish I had taken more pictures (or I had a picture of me- I'm always the photographer it seems).

Bret & Val

Jordan, Kellen, Corbin, Janae, Derek, Conner, and Devin

going around the table starting at the left -Joel (cut off), Jill, Kelli, Barbara, Jacob, Karalee, Bradly and Nicole (both cut off) and Jalyn

Karalee, Bradly, Nicole, Jalyn, Austin, Eric, Joel, Jill and Kelli

The table I sat at - starting with Courtney in black, Bev, waiter (in my place), Cameron, Calvin, Val, (Jane and Kerry not showing), Gigi and Kip


Sunday we went to Lakes ward for the farewell and then dinner at Erics house (yet another of Cameron's brothers - there are 6 of them). We had a great time visiting with everyone. Just the week before our neice, Kendra, got married (Courtney's daughter) and we got to visit then also. I hear there are more exciting events coming up this winter and I'm happy that we'll get to have more happy reasons to get together then. After we left we stopped at the church again when our old ward was getting out and got to talk to our friends there and hear about the new bishopric that was just put in that day.

If anyone has more pictures from this weekend (like one of Jeff or Brets family) please email them to me. I was just looking at these pictures on my blog and realized they were all fuzzy in the same spot. So I looked at my camera and sure enough there was a Mia sized finger smuge on the lense. Got that cleaned off now so hopefully future pictures will be clearer.

*new addition* I just borrowed these pictures from Barbara and Jill's blogs: Frist is Jeff and Kellen at the combined 50th birthday/mission farewell dinner. Below is Corbin and Conner - the cousins that Collin wishes would move back to Washington!

Farming

For those of you who don't know - We're hay farmers! Here is a line up of some of our equipment ready to bale this field of Alfalfa hay in Othello. Cameron would probably be annoyed that I took this picture to post on my blog because he doesn't like to show off. But I think they (C&K Farms) have a pretty nice line up of equipment and tractors.


This is where Collin spent lots of his time this summer (remember he is only 10 years old)!! He loves to drive tractors and he spent numerous hours on this rake tractor over the past 3 months.
This is my nephew, Jason, who came up from SLC, Utah to learn firsthand what life working on a hay farm was like. In the 2 weeks he was with us he also raked hay and spent more time on this than he probably cared for! He did a good job but Collin was glad that he left since he took away his position sometimes. This is the hot, studly hay farmer, Cameron, that I am so lucky to be married to!! Again he didn't know I took this picture. He works hard for our family and on his farm. This was him in a hay field on Radar Hill.

When your Dad is a farmer you end up with all kinds of fun toys to ride on! Mia got to ride in this big loader with Cameron while he was putting more gravel down on our driveway.

Campout!

Rebecca came to stay this week with her kids. Collin decided they needed to camp out in the back yard complete with fire and making smores. While Rebecca was here we also went swimming and played at the river & park. We just enjoyed hanging out together and the kids made my house look like tornado hit it! I wish Bec lived 2 min away instead of over 2 hours but I'll take what I can get. I hope they never leave the Seattle area for a warmer climate. Thanks Rebecca for making the trek out to the farm to see me and my new temperary lo cal!

Breaking Dawn

Loved it! I finished it yesterday after reading as much as possible since I bought it Saturday afternoon. We took a quick vacation to Silverwood in Idaho this week so I didn't get to read it as quickly as I would have liked. It was an addicting book that I could hardly put down - although I am not a good writer, I think I'm a good editor and was surprised on some of the mistakes. My favorite mistake I caught was her saying she made pancakes for breakfast and then it said that Charlie looked up from his cereal bowl! I thought she said she made pancakes - why did he have a cereal bowl? Anyways, I hope you all take the time to read this book (or series for those of you women really behind in the game) asap. Then call me so we can discuss it!

Back Online . . .

FINALLY!! Things are up and running and we really getting settled into our life back on the farm. We have the whole internet thing worked out except I still need to get a wireless internet thing for my computer so for now I am working on Cameron's laptop. I'm feeling pretty well unpacked (but am avoiding our house in Tri-cities knowing that I have things to pick up from there that don't have a closet to hide in here). I can't believe school we'll be starting in just a few weeks. I don't feel ready for that at all. I've been consentrating on the move and our house plans that I haven't done much about getting the kids ready (or registered for that matter) for school in Mattawa! Guess we'll be going school shopping asap!

I'm excited because my first real visitors are coming tonight - Scott and Debbie Ashton will be the first of our friends to come see us in our house here. Then on Monday my sister, Rebecca will be coming with her 4 kids to stay for a few days. It will be a bit crowded but sooo fun to have her visit.

I need to get busy before my guests arrive. I have lots of pictures to post so I will hopefully get those online next week.