Makenley's New Hair-do

A few years ago Adelyn donated her hair to Locks of Love. Makenley always thought the was pretty neat, however she wasn't really interested in doing it. She would say when I can cut 10 inches and still have my hair really long then I want to do it. Well a week ago she changed her mind. We were doing her hair and she said mom how long would my hair be if I did locks of love? I said probably right above your shoulders. She said K I want to do it. I told her lets give it a few days just to make sure you don't change your mind. Well she didn't change her mind. In fact she asked me about it EVERYDAY since! So on Saturday we did it! Before the big cut! I was a little sad to say goodbye to her gorgeous hair!

Good thing it was for such a great cause or I might have been SUPER sad! She was so, so excited to do this!

Here she is holding up her hair!

It turned out so cute! I am proud of her for making a very selfless choice to help a little child in need. Someone is going to get a very pretty wig from her beautiful hair! BONUS:NO MORE TANGLES to brush out!!

The 10 cent Basket

You know when you look all around the house and there is just stuff everyone...and NONE of it is yours! This happened to me last weekend. Sunday afternoon I looked around and I had just had it! I told everyone to come in the family room I announced that everyone needed to pick up your own stuff! I let them all in on a little secret...I am NOT a maid! So everyone cleaned up their stuff ( including my oldest child Corey!). I told them we now have a new rule. I will pick up the house at the end of the night and put everything that I find in a basket. In the morning you will be able to buy the stuff back from me for 10 cents. If your name if Corey you will pay me $5 for anything I find! They were not to sure that I was serious, however in the morning they realized I was totally serious when this is what they found! I gave them a break this first morning. This was the final warning! It has been a great way to motivate clean up by reminding them they don't want to find their stuff in the 10 cent basket! It has worked great I am not finding people stuff all over the place and I am not feeling like a maid!

5th Grade Camp

This is my fifth grader getting ready to leave for camp...overnight camp.....my fifth grader!! We do not really do sleepovers. Occasional sleepover once in a great while with a cousin, that's it! so needless to say this was a little hard for me! ( Addy wasn't so sure either to tell the truth!)

It turned out she had a really great time! Nervous for nothing! She loved the ropes course, watching a movie with all the 5th grade girls and getting hot chocolate half way through the movie, and making up skits! (She told me all about the skit sounded super funny...to a bunch of 5th graders that is!)

FIRST day of school 2010!

It is once again time for school to begin! I can not believe how fast summer flew by. My little ladies were all super excited to start school. So here it goes another year of Manila Elementary! Adelyn is going into 5th grade. Her teacher is Mrs. Dibb. She is in a 5th/6th grade combo class. She is really excited for school this year. She is already having fun with student council and is looking forward to doing lots more stuff this year with student council.
She looks WAY to old. I can't really handle that she is so big!

Kenley heading in to her class!

Makenely is in 3rd grade. She is in Mrs. Long's class. She's so excited about her teacher. She has lots of friends in her class which is always a fun thing right?!

My big 3rd grader! AHHH! What has happened to my little girls!

Alexiya is in 1st grade this year. Her teachers name is Mrs. Frischnect. Her students call her Miss Frish. She is sooo happy about starting school, especially because school this year means school lunch!

Here is my Lexi walking into her class.

Maycie starting school!!!! AHHH! I can NOT handle that she is in kindergarten! She was cautiously excited to start school. She is really happy to have Mrs. Butterfield for her teacher this year. She already feels comfortable with her since she spent lots of time there last year with Me and Lexi.

My big KINDERGARTNER!

The girls all had a wonderful first day at school! Everyone loved their teacher. Maycie handled her first day wonderfully. Only person in tears first day of school....me.

Let the fun begin.

Darrington Family Trip-Camping Style

Each year we take turns planning a family trip. It was Mike and Jill's turn this year. They planned to go camping at Jolly's Ranch. We headed up the canyon for a great few days of camping. It is no secret in our family that Corey and I are not huge fans of camping. However we had a wonderful time! The kids all had so much fun together.The kids playing in the creek. They played forever building things in the sand and walking in the creek.
We had a Darrington family Olympics. It was a blast. Jared, Isabelle and Caleb getting their soda rocket ready.

The kids watching the Olympics.

Todd and Sadie

Mom and Dad working on their strategy to get their soda to go the highest.

Us getting ready to let our soda rocket to win!!

We played chubby bunny. Makenely got quite a few marshmallows in her mouth!!

Kenley

Addy taking a mud bath! Beautiful.

The kids singing and doing a little dance.

Some of the creations Kenley made in the mud.

Lexi

Having a headstand contest. Randy, me and Addy were the last ones standing. Addy won!

Playing red rover

Caleb and Grandpa sharing dinner together.

Maycie always good for a pose!

All of the kids! This was such a great trip. The kids had so much fun riding bikes, playing in the creek, playing tag on the playground, having cartwheel contests, playing card games and so much more.

Great trip...Thanks Mike and Jill for planning it!!

Happy Birthday Maycie!

FiVe!!! Blowing out the candles on her pinkalicious cupcakes.

Checking out the goods!

She told me she wanted shoes, clothes, earrings and make-up! She is not girly at all!

Super excited about her new earrings.

I can hardly believe that my baby is officially FIVE!! I love this little girl so much. She makes me laugh with all the funny things she says. Like on the morning of her birthday I asked her if she felt bigger like she was five. She said I don't know but my feet were tingling this morning so I think that means I am big like five! She is a funny kid. She has the brightest smile you have ever seen and loves to show it! She showed her smile a lot last night at Chuck e cheese!! (Yuck!) She loved it and we had a great birthday!

Yellowstone

Some of my family decided to load up the kiddos and head to Yellowstone so we decided to join them. We went to my Aunt Jeanette's cabin the first night ( thanks Jeanette and Rod!!) and then headed out to the park. Stopping for square ice cream in Swan Valley on the way to Driggs.
The kids feeding the chipmunks that lived under the little cabins we stayed in in Mammoth.

Happy kids!

Me and the girls at the falls.

The falls again BUT this time Maycie is the Photographer!

Makenely took this on of My Mom and Me and Maycie.

Oh so pretty! I didn't take a ton of pictures. Didn't really notice until I got home. I think I was enjoying the scenery and the time with the kids I kind of forgot! That's ok I have lots of memories in my head.

Top Ten Yellowstone Moments....

1. Staying at the Old Faithful Geyser Basin for 2 1/2 hours waiting for the Grand Geyser....TOTALLY worth it! So beautiful and the kids were champs waiting so long!

2. Seeing the two young buffalo's fighting! Hitting heads, scratching feet the whole bit. Then hurrying away when one of the bigger buffalo's came up to them.

3. Trying to find all the USA state license plates. All but two...Rhode Island and South Carolina!

4. Watching a bunch of people being really stupid getting way to close to an elk herd. One guy got stuck in a corner with his backed turned with an elk breathing right now his neck. Little scary. Some people not so bright!

5. The kids "art" all over the road at Keli's campsite.

6. Seeing a bear! I can not tell you how many times I have been to Yellowstone and I have never seen a bear! Super excited!

7. Having the buffalo's cross the road right in front of us. The kids loved it!

8. Getting to spend hours and hours in the car talking to my mom.

9.Listening to the kids get so excited to see any animal.

10. Watching my kids enjoy nature. Even from the car.

Makenley

This little girl had a super big day last month.....
She wanted to get baptized!

Love this little lady! I am super happy for her for this big decision she made. I know she is excited to have the holy ghost and to share her testimony.

End of School Year

Another school year is over! I can hardly believe it! Seems like just yesterday I was taking Adelyn to kindergarten and in just a few short months I will be taking Maycie to "the big kids school" to start kindergarten. Makes me a sad. They are all getting way to big. Can't we just freeze life for just a little while? If anyone figures out how to do this let me know! The girls all absolutely loved their teachers this year. So did I! They were wonderful. Lexi didn't want me to put this picture in...but it's the only one with her and her teacher. Oh well! Lexi and Mrs. Butterfield. (Hoping Maycie gets her next year, fingers crossed!)

At the end of the year the school does a Dance Festival. Each grade does a different dance and then performs it on the field for the other students and parents. Lexi was extra excited about it this year. She has watched it for so many years I think she was just so super excited to be IN it this time! She danced to under the sea. She knew all the actions perfectly and sang to the song the whole time. I was so sad I could hardly see Makenely! But she was jammin' and did an awesome job! The whole time Adelyns class was practicing her dance she would tell me mom it is so weird and she would show me a new move they learned that day. I have

say they did have some funky moves! She did great and had a huge smile on her face the whole time, such a performer! Adelyn loved her teacher, Miss Kunz. She was so great! SO nice and positive with the kids. Addy learned a ton from her and Miss Kunz always made her feel like she could do anything she put her mind to!

Mrs. Deaver and Makenley (and Chelsie! He he!) Kenley loved her. I love a teacher that can balance being nice with keeping her class in check and not allowing it to be crazy! All the girls teachers had that this year! Mrs. Deaver was great for Makenley. She had lots of fun ways to keep the kids motivated. Soda pop math, Friday fun club and Deaver dollars.

Apparently when you are in 4th grade you are officially old enough to wear sunglasses and hats during the Dance festival. Seems to be the thing every year!

Addy decided she wanted to run for Student council for next year. She had to write an essay, fill out a questionnaire about what she felt it meant to be a good leader and good example. Then they had to have an interview with two teachers who are over student council. The student body voted. Also the students trying out had to have good grades and the approval of their teacher to run. She made it!! She was so excited! I am so proud of her for being brave enough to try!

Maycie hates, HATES, to be in front of people! I think she was just so happy to be done with graduation that she couldn't help but smile!

This pictures says it all! She was trying so hard to be brave. When she first walked in she had a smile on her face and it slowly faded! Thank goodness for cute Miss Amber who knows she is terrified of being in front of everyone. She was really sweet with her.

Mrs. Jodi, Maycie and Miss Amber.

I feel so bad for Maycie. She really does love school. She loves to sing songs she has learned at school. She can repeat all sorts of poems she has learned at school. BUT when it comes to getting up in front of a big crowd of people...NOT her thing. I totally understand how she feels. I was so shy when I was little. Corey on the other hand gets bugged with it. He doesn't have a shy bone in his body so he doesn't understand the fear.

She sat up with her class. Did not sing one word. Did not do any actions. Nothing.

BUT she stayed up there and only cried for about 1 minute when she walked in! It is an accomplishment in my book! Last year during preschool she didn't make it through one performance and stayed at her graduation for maybe 3 minutes!

Who knows maybe next year we will actually see her sing songs with her kindergarten class!

We had a great school year. Lots of learning and loads of fun! However I am so excited that school is done. I love my kids being home with me!

Let the fun begin!