Dear H, O and B,

We are having a great fall break!

We started with a camping trip to Fool Hollow Lake with the Wielands. It was a totally great time!

After camping, we came home for a day, anf then we headed up to Flagstaff! We had a great time there and we went hiking at Red Rock Crossing (one of our new favorite places) on our way home. The leaves were changing and it was just beautiful!

Nothing gives me more joy than making memories with you.

Love you,
Mama

Dear Hayden,

Today, you are NINE.

This is a special birthday because in addition to having both sets of your grandparents here, Aunt Andrea and Uncle Darryl are visiting from North Dakota, so they are able to celebrate with us, too!

In lieu of having a party this year, you elected to spend 1:1 time with a few of your friends, instead. You had a grand time, and it was a perfect choice for you.

I really cannot believe how quickly time has passed! You are wise, compassionate and kind. We are so blessed by you!

Love you,
Mama

Dear Bennett,

Today is the last first day of preschool! Today, you start your last year at Miss Sue’s preschool. I know you are going to have a great year. She always has such fun and exciting plans for you! Can’t wait to see all the ways you will grow this year.

Love you,
Mama

Dear Hayden and Owen,

Today, you headed back to school! Hayden, you started third grade with Miss Trujillo and Mrs. Hurley. Owen, today is your first day of kindergarten with Mrs. Kanter and Ms. Adame. You were both very excited to go!

Like every year, this is a very happy and very sad day for me as your mama. I’m constantly in a state of either wishing I could keep you little and being so excited to see who you grow into! So, I’m happy that I have two confident smart kids heading to elementary school today, but sad that your little years at home with me are over, Owen.

You both had a great day and you are excited to go back tomorrow!

Love you,
Mama

Last night, Hayden, you read some kindergarten books to Owen and told him how great kindergarten is!

This morning:

After School:

Dear H, O and B,

We spent the last week on our annual road trip! We left last Saturday, drove to Auntie Kim’s house and stayed there for a few days for a visit with Great Grandpa Rog, Auntie Kim, Uncle Jon, Ben, Mireille and Madi. While we were there, we played games, went to the beach, saw the annual 4th of July Fireworks show in Solvang (which you all LOVED!), went to the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum and celebrated your 4th birthday, Bennett. It was so nice spending time with our family and we did so many fun things! After our time in Santa Maria, we headed to Anaheim to spend a day at Disneyland. We ended our trip with a full day at Coronado Island on our favorite beach, and one night in a modern hotel in downtown San Diego where we stayed on the 15th floor! This is one of the best vacations we’ve ever taken — It was an absolute blast and it was so fun to make these memories with you!

Love you,
Mama

Dear Bennett,
Today, you are four. You are such a fantastic four! You are silly, smart and kind. Every situation is a party to you – even life’s less exciting experiences! You have a lot to say about everything, and your opinions are usually well thought out and wise. When you really want something to go your way, you call me “Sweetheart.” You are quite a charmer! Dad says his favorite thing about you is that you are not afraid to be who you are.

Here are your answers to some questions about who you are right now:
What is your favorite color? Green
What is your favorite food? McAlisters
What is your favorite TV show? Yo Kai Watch
What is your favorite place to go? Disneyland
Who are your best friends? Jacob, Luke and Josiah
What do you want to be when you grow up? An astronaut

Like every year, we are on our annual road trip for your birthday! We are at Auntie Kim’s house this week, paying a visit to Grandpa Rog and having lots of summer fun. Today, we went to the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum, and had pizza and cake with out family (including Great Grandpa Rog) at Auntie Kim’s house. Last weekend we celebrated you and Grandma together with Grandma and Jiddoh. Then, just before we left home, we had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle party with Jacob, Luke and Josiah. It’s been so fun to celebrate you.

Benny, you bring us so much joy. Your face lights up my whole world. I love you, Sweetheart.

Mom

Dear H, O and B,

Our summer fun continues! This month’s highlights: we went down to see Grandma and Jiddoh, did a lot of swimming, and visited the Science Center. Hayden and Owen, you are playing summer league basketball. Also, we made a chocolate factory as part of our summer of sous chefs! We’re keeping busy but enjoying the downtime that summer brings, too. This time with you is so precious!

Love you,
Mama

Dear H, O and B,

This weekend was the annual family camping trip with the girl scout troop! It’s always a fun time for us because everyone has awesome families and we always have an awesome time! This weekend was no exception! It was really warm during the days, so we went swimming at a local pool in Prescott. Other than that, we walked around Lynx Lake, did some water activities and had a great time with our friends at our campsite!

Love you,
Mama

Dear H, O and B,

We’ve had quite a few silly moments this spring!

Bennett, you and I have visited Emmie, Josh and Addie Lou quite a few times this spring, and Addie Lou adores you!

Owen, a couple of weeks ago (in the middle of May), you came downstairs and shouted, “MERRY CHRISTMAS!” so loud that I jumped!

Bennett, one day, I asked you to put on a pair of shoes and head out to the car. When I got to the car, this is what you looked like!

Hayden, I went outside one day to see what you were up to. When I asked you what you were doing, you said, “Just taking down this robber!”

Bennett, one evening, it was very quiet upstairs as everyone was getting ready to go to bed. all of a sudden, we heard VERY loud mariachi music! As soon as I ralized it was coming from Owen’s room, I headed in there and found you jamming on the stereo like a DJ!

One night, before bed, you all decided it would be funny to have underwear on your heads! It really, really was!

Owen, at Christmas time, you got a pretend shaving kit in your stocking. You use it often and it is just so cute!

Bennett, there is a green wig and a green hat inside a cabinet at Nana and Papa’s house. You wear them well!

Owen, in your Easter basket you got a game called Poop. It’s a hilarious game and it brings out your famous laugh!

The three of you bring SO MUCH JOY to my life. So much that it flows over into other areas of my life.

Love you,
Mama

Dear H, O and B,

Summer is here, and we’ve kicked it off with some somber and sentimental activites. We’ve also started our “Summer of Sous-Cheffing” so that is a blast!

We attended a benefit BBQ for Officer David Glasser, who was killed in the line of DUte here in Phoenix on May 19th. Dad and I knew him and his parents. It was very sad to hear of his passing and we wanted to support his family in some way. There were hundreds of police officers at the BBQ. It was extraordinary to witness the ways that a community bands together in the face of such devastating loss.

We kicked off our cooking extravaganza with homemade chicken nuggets and pizza rolls:

We posted flags at the veteran’s cemetery for Memorial Day:

We took a trip to Butterfly Wonderland with Kristi, Hannah and Hailey — which was fun because they had never been there before — Hayden, you were quite a tour guide!

We also started talking about prayer as a lifeline (we created a prayer wall) as well as started working on some of our academic stuff — handwriting, counting money, etc.

I LOVE having you all home with me for the summer. Making memories with you is my favorite thing to do.

Love you,
Mama