Ryan saying 'hi' and the girls playing in the backyard. I love how much better it is having the slats up. Our garden flopped, we have a barky dog next door, but hey, there's a slide, water and a little car. perfect.

p.s. Sorry about the sideways movie, I'm still new at putting videos on and I didn't want to change it. Oh well, bend your necks, sorry Mom.

This is the card that Laura and Eden made for my Dad's birthday on the 10th. It says, and I quote: "Grandpa, Happy birthday, I love you. you are the best"
Happy B-Day Grandpa!

September 1st, 2009 Laura's first day at kindergarten... She's in Ms. Tran's afternoon class, so after lunch each day we drive the half-a-mile to the school and walk to the playground where they line up. She was so excited and only a teaspoon nervous. We'd already been to her classroom and she'd already talked to her teacher a few times. When they were walking away she kept turning around to wave and yell goodbye.

Making a new friend in the line.

Ok, I admit it, I walked by her classroom just to make sure. Of what I don't know, but they were all so cute sitting around while Ms. Tran wrote 'Are you excited for school today?' on the board. Laura was right on the front row where she likes best to be.

Eden brushing her snappy dollies' teeth. Good hygene is so important.
With Laura in school we've been spending more time together. Her favorite thing to do after we drop Laura off is to go shopping. This girl loves the stores and is actually very good about not pulling things off the shelves or begging for treats. So we usually do run a few errands together.
Also on Wednesday afternoons we have a few of the other little girls from the neighborhood over for a preschool music class. I'm basing it on the Kodaly method so for the first little while we'll just be discovering the basics of music: fast and slow, loud and soft, the beat, different instruments, etc. After that we'll do basic solfege and rhythms. It's been really fun to see how much of a leader Eden actually is. She loves to show everyone to their cushion and pick the songs. Last week I had to actually put her in time out because she wouldn't sit still to listen! Add music and singing and four other little preschool girls and it gets pretty wild:)

Another afternoon a week we're also doing a little preschool session with the alphabet and numbers and a few joy school lessons thrown into the mix. Maybe next year I'll put her in a preschool but for now we're having a great time at home.

August 26th, 2009

Happy 1st Birthday RyRy!



chcolate cake: check!



toy tractor and tools: check!



happy little guy: check!

We spent Ryan's birthday at home and had our little party as a family. Just the way we like it.

Happy Birthday to me!
I am now older than one box of candles?
Woah
But I love the way the girls put them on my strawberry shortcake.

.
My birthday really was a great day. The kids were wonderful all day. Brent went to work late so he and the girls could make me french toast for breakfast. Then I sat in bed and read a book.
That is my ideal way to spend a day:)
Also my family spoiled me and got me a Women's Camelback for biking and hiking, and my very own little ipod shuffle. You'd think I have an athletically minded husband or something;)
Plus we rounded out the day with pizza. I think I've had the same birthday dinner and cake since I was 4 years old!

Playin' in the backyard. Ryan loves to crawl in and out of our little slide tower. And of course having a ball in your hand makes it even better.

August 3rd, 2009
A rainy Saturday afternoon

August 8th, 2009

Brent spent 4 days backpacking in the WindRiver Mountain Range with his friend Jake Andersen. They hiked about 50 miles in 3 days. These pictures pretty much speak for themselves.

A one year old's eye view.

A few more pictures from the reunion:
My Aunt Dianne brought a whole load of western apparel and we had a fantastic time dressing up with our families and taking old fashioned photos.
Above left : Allie, Laura, Emma and Krista
Above: the infamous tew girls, Abby, Sarah, Maren and Ellen.

For the reunion this year my Mom asked me to write the Melodrama. I had so much fun making Eliza and Henry win over the evil Shagnasty. Who knew that a nonalcoholic saloon could get a hero into so much trouble. It turned out, well, about like you'd expect from those crazy Jemmetts! Our modest dancehall girls danced a fantastic tew-step, Dad was a hillarious villain, the heroine was sweet and Tim was a hysterical in his too-short overalls. Hurray for stock endings and good sports.

We have a new cousin!
Little Addison Jane Stafford joined my sister Maren's family on July 8th.
The kids and I headed to Idaho and spent just over a week at my Mom's house helping with Maren's other three girlies.
These pictures were taken a month later at the Jemmett Reunion.

Jemmett Family Reunion '09
This year the girls and I went by ourselves to the family reunion, Brent was hiking in the woods with a friend. But we had a great time anyway. This year's reunion was packed with all sorts of great things to do:
eating (of course, Navajo tacos and birthday cake)
The favorite four-wheeler train
visiting in the shade(it was great to see so many people)
Grandma Bucks
volleyball
lawn ball
playdough
treasure hunts
old fashioned photographs
The traditional Melodrama
and an auction where the little kids tried to outbid the Grandma's
August 2009