Back to School

We survived the first week of school! It is always so hard to get used to the early morning routine! The elementary/middle school bus comes at 6:55 and Elayna is up at 5:30 for early morning seminary before school. I am always sad when my kids go back to school. I love their company during the day and my big girls are such a huge help with the two little ones! Next year, Lorelei will be joining them at school and it will be just me and Ben at home.

This year Evan is in 2nd grade:

Avery is a big 5th grader! She got glasses this summer and I think she looks so cute in them.

Kyla is in 7th grade.

Elayna is in 11th grade! I'm glad she still lets me take back to school photos of her! She turned 16 on the second day of school. Normally, school starts after her birthday, but this year school started a little earlier. It was a bit of a bummer to have school on her birthday.

Here's to a wonderful year of school! The years go by too fast. Next year, we will have a senior in high school and a kindergartener!

beach house

At the end of July, we spent three days at a lovely beach house on the Bolivar Peninsula with my sister and her family, and my parents. We had a wonderful time! The beach is one of my favorite places to be. I love the sound of the waves, the ocean breezes, and just being in the water. We brought a bunch of boogie boards and a fun inflatable boat that the kids had a blast with. The best thing about the beach house was that it was only a few steps from the beach. We stayed in the yellow one in front.

We had beautiful views from the balcony!

The kids loved finding these crabs in their shells. Evan had a whole bucket full of them. He wanted to take them home, but we made him put them back in the water.

Laila named this one "Big Harry"

Ava with her mermaid tail

Bennie stayed busy with his bucket and shovel

early morning seashell collecting

getting ready for some evening fishing.

Lorelei's favorite time to be on the beach was evening. She spent the majority of the day playing in the beach house with cousin Dahlia. I love how they are best buddies.

the teenagers had a blast on the boat, until it got a hole the second day :(

one last jump for joy! hopefully we can squeeze in one more beach trip before school starts