First day of 1st grade!

i couldn't really talk much about this day leading up to it. i've been really sad about it all summer. i didn't want to let go. having her gone all day sounded so scary for me. but she was more than excited! she made a countdown chain weeks before the first day of school and has been so looking forward to her social setting again. she made it so much easier on me with her anxiousness and excitement!

the night before, auntie hay came for a sleepover so that she could do brooklyn's hair extra cute. this meant so much to brooklyn and it totally amped up the excitement of the day!

she wanted juice and waffles for breakfast and she really wanted to pack a lunch but she tried school lunch out for the first couple of days. 

auntie hay did her hair really cute, we took some pictures, and then loaded up into the van to take brooklyn to school.

we parked across from the school because they do a big flag ceremony with everyone in the school parking lot, so i got to hold brooklyn's hand and walk across the street with her. i asked her if she was excited and she said, "a lot excited and just a little frightened." it gave me a lump in my throat, but i knew once she got started she wouldn't be scared anymore. when we approached her teacher, she gave brooklyn a huge hug and brooklyn immediately relaxed. then she saw friends from kindergarten and all was right in the world. i waited until i thought she was ok without me and i left. trying really really hard not to cry! and i didn't. got emotional, but i didn't cry!

she had the best first day and every day after that. she loves her school, classmates, and her teacher. she wants to go to school on saturdays and sundays. i'm so glad she loves it! she is going to have such a good year!

the school is doing a harry potter/magical theme this year and you know james is eating that right up!

first week back to school...

the first week of school at our house was exciting! every day brooklyn would wake up, eat her breakfast, make her bed, get dressed, and declare she was ready for school. unfortunately for her, school doesn't start until 12:45 (bless afternoon kindergarten!). she's slowly gotten used to going later now. but she can hardly wait to go every day!

she gets to ride to school with two other friends in our ward. not only that, but these three cute girls get to ride to school in a big red jeep. top down. it's adorable and they think it's the coolest. i'm also lucky enough that brooklyn gets a ride home most days as well. kendall misses her while she's gone, but she likes having the place 'to run' by herself. adalyn is a good little play buddy in that she doesn't take any of her toys, she doesn't boss her around, and she mostly just watches her. kendall loves it!

it's been nice to get back into a nice routine after a crazy summer of having a baby and moving (more on that later). we thrive on routine, and it's been nice to be able to still have our slow mornings for one more year until brooklyn's in full day school. 

our family has entered this next stage of life so fast! i can hardly believe i have a kindergartener! as much as i loved getting new students and learning to love them as their teacher, i prefer to be on this side of the classroom. being a mom and not a teacher is what i dreamed of for years and even though it's hard to send my little girl out into that big scary world without me, i am so excited for her! she's beyond excited, so how can i not be? she has big plans for her little life. she has so much she's looking forward to, and that helps her emotional mother be excited right along with her. 

but it's hard, and scary...

so here's to all the moms out there, sending their little ones out into world to discover and learn on their own. without us. we get to cheer them on from the sidelines and be their biggest fans! and i think the short absence makes our hearts a little fonder for them. 

home from the hospital + preschool graduation

once home from the hospital we were showered with flowers and delicious meals. i'm serious, we were spoiled! my mom came for a night and helped me with the baby and james was able to focus on the girls and have some good time with just them.

things were a little different for me this time around. my iron levels had gotten extremely low before i delivered and i had no energy. when i got home from the hospital i literally had no energy to spare. getting out of bed was a serious chore. my doctor prescribed a high dose of iron and i diligently stayed on top of it. thankfully about two weeks later i was starting to feel way better and my energy actually existed!

brooklyn's preschool graduation was just a couple days after we got home from the hospital. she had looked forward to this event for weeks. she thought it was so cool to be graduating like her dad did. the graduation was a cute little program and brooklyn was in her element performing every song and rhyme. 

she loved preschool! and she loved her teacher miss angela. she had perfect attendance and seriously didn't want to miss school for anything. i'm really hoping her experience with kindergarten is the same.

she was lucky to have her grandparents come to be in her cheering section. i know she was extra excited to have them there. and i was so grateful to have them there as my mom had kendall on her lap the whole time so that james and i could be taking video and pictures. but kendall was awesome and literally didn't move a muscle. she can't wait to be big like her sister and go to preschool too. with a backpack of course!

after the program there was a 'pizza party'. brooklyn loved being able to hang out with a few of her friends and eat some pizza and brownies. 

as sad as i am that she's already done with preschool, i am so excited for her to go to kindergarten. she asks every day when kindergarten is starting and she's so anxious to go. she's my big helper and i don't know how i'll get along without her while she's at school but i'm sure we'll adjust. 

we love you brooklyn and are so proud of the smart happy nice girl you are!

james' mba graduation.

james has really been done with school since december, but didn't officially graduate until last week. we'd planned for him to walk in logan at that graduation but it wasn't until may and we found out that the graduation in brigham city would be sooner, so with baby girl coming in may, we opted for the brigham city one.

we had a great evening celebrating james' success and accomplishments over the last two years.

we're proud of this guy! and i told him when we got married i'd find a way to make him an aggie!

the graduation was a lot smaller than it would have been in logan so it made it short and sweet. and with kids, that was nice!

my parents met up with us before and treated us to dinner at maddox. we stuffed ourselves silly and then waddled over to the graduation. it was so nice to have them there. my mom basically had kendall out in the hall the whole time letting her run some energy off. their support meant a lot too.

we also had support from the jeremy ruesch clan. james was glad to have his brother there for this momentous occasion. it was so nice of them to make the trek up to brigham city to support us.

man it felt good to have this night come. the two years james was in the mba program really did go quickly. but having him gone two nights a week was hard on this weak mama. i like having him around. we've definitely enjoyed the fact that he's not working on projects or papers anymore when he gets home from work or on saturdays. as good as it feels for me to be done, i can't imagine how he feels! after all, he did do all of the school work.

he surprised me with roses and one of my favorite treats that night too. i loved both and felt bad that i didn't get him anything. he wins for being most thoughtful.

brooklyn was obsessed with the flowers. as soon as we got home she wanted some put in her room.

i'm so grateful for james' example of the importance of education for our girls. they won't remember him being in school, but i can promise you we'll tell them about it. i hope it gives them the desire and motivation to pursue and love education as they grow up. they'll never regret it.

i really am so grateful for the opportunities that have allowed james to gain an education. we truly feel so blessed and are happy to add this chapter to the book of our lives together. it's something we're proud of, grateful for, and obviously happy to have finished.

lastly, it was fun to reminisce about james' road of education as we drove up to brigham city. pictured below shows that i was basically pregnant any time something momentous happened:

left to right: pregnant with brooklyn when he graduated from the u with his bachelor's degree, pregnant with kendall when he started the mba program, and pregnant with #3 when he finished the mba program.

and with that, a bump pic that is a little outdated now but taken the day after the graduation.

h a p p y  s a t u r d a y 

we've been a little busy.

this week has been crazy. it has honestly flown and i feel like we haven't stopped for a second. right now, in this moment, i am finally having the time (and energy) to write out a blog post. we really love being busy. not to the point of exhaustion where we fall asleep on the couch in clothes and make-up until 1:30 AM, but we really like being busy.

here's a breakdown of our week:

monday/MLK day

work

shopping with my parents and sister

lunch

more shopping

make dinner (with guests: kayla and judd)

more work

tuesday

work

cleaning to-do list 

run errands

have cereal for breakfast

james = school

me = work meeting

work

wednesday

more cleaning to-do list

get ready

SLC w/chels & ellie

lunch

trader joe's

wanship to see whit & livi (also, chels was getting her hair cut)

home at 6

james = homework

me = yw's

brooklyn = does a very good job of entertaining herself

me = fall asleep on the couch at 10

thursday

wake up, no internet = no work

breakfast

brooklyn = tub, dressed, teeth brushed

vacuum house

get myself showered and dressed

run an errand

go to chels' house + internet = work

home

make dinner

clean it up

james = homework/school

me + brooklyn = exhausted

friday

on the docket for today is an overnight-er in coalville 

north summit high's production of les miserables to support the youngest

hopefully not a super late night

saturday

we'll see...

maybe a nap.

h a p p y  w e e k e n d i n g

the run around.

our tuesday was a busy tuesday. we ate breakfast, got ready, and then headed to coalville. our first stop was grandpa jerre's office. while we were there brooklyn entertained the secretary, drew all sorts of things on the white board, played with liv, at butterscotch candy, and talked our heads off.

next stop, grandma diane's classroom. brooklyn and liv had fun running around and hiding behind the big tv. brooklyn also got terrified by the cna class doll annie. she was terrified. oh boy. praying for no nightmares tonight. 4 nights in a row, come on!

then we headed to parents' house to have lunch. brooklyn stayed with auntie ween and i jetted off to a friend's house to work on some choreography for a performance coming up in may. more about that later. 

then, we raced home to make james his favorite dinner before his first day of grad school. brooklyn slept and i enjoyed a beautiful sunny drive, planning out my every move to pull this meal off in thirty-five minutes. james was only stopping by home long enough to eat. the pressure was on.

i totally did it. cajun pasta with chicken was a success. the chicken a tad dry, but good all the same. 

as james was rushing out the door i made him stop for the traditional first day of school picture on the porch. he was thrilled but such a good sport. brooklyn obliged to be in the picture as well.

with the whole night ahead of us, brooklyn and i ran a few errands, crafted a little, and then put our v-day decor. i don't have much of it, but i love all of it. i look forward to valentine's day every year. even when i was a single college girl, it was a great excuse to eat a bag of juju hearts and watch a romantic comedy. now, i look forward to take out, spending the evening in with my little family, and opening little gifts from each other. such a fun night.

h a p p y  w e d n e s d a y