Back to School

Although I don't miss being in school, I do miss getting ready to go back to school. The new outfits, new shoes, and my favorite, back to school supplies. We would wait anxiously for the ShopKo ad to come out announcing that the bins in front of the store were full and come on in. The whole gang would pile in the minivan and leave with sackfuls of 20 cent paper, 10 cent folders, dividers, 99 cent packs of pens and pencils. If my mom was feeling especially generous we each got our own pack of highlighters but usually we had to share. Two per child, one pack was plenty for five kids. Trapper Keepers were also a rare but much coveted luxury.

Nothing was more exciting than arranging each binder and stuffing our pencil pouches to the brim. Even after I graduated from college I continued this autumnal tradition for Mark which he politely accepted and then rearranged everything once he got to school. Apparently engineers are too good for pencil pouches.

Now that no one in my immediate household is in school the sphere of back to school giving has extended. My mom is an elementary school teacher and 'gets' to go back to school every year. Lucky girl. Well, in honor of her valiant pilgrimage back to the ghetto of Ogden to teach those eager young minds my sisters and I give her a few new outfits to send her back in style. Here she is posing in her new duds. What a hottie, huh! I tried to get her to sport her 'school bag' with the ensemble to get the full effect but she wasn't going for it.

Construction

My blog has been experiencing some technical difficulties so I have called in professional help. Bigger and better coming soon.

The Valley

For the first 15 years of my life in lived in Huntsville or as the locals call it 'the valley'. I can see now that referring to it as THE valley is a little pretentious considering most people have no idea where Huntsville is and you then have to go start naming landmarks like Snowbasin and Pineview as reference points. Anyway, my grandparents still live there and the family held on to my great-grandmother's home even after she passed away and it has become a family gathering place. The home is right across the street from the park I spent many recesses in and adjacent to my elementary school so the whole ambiance is very nostalgic and I love going back there. It has a huge shaded yard, little white wooden house, and the quintessential covered front porch complete with vinal covered rockers. The perfect down home setting.
Last Sunday we headed up for dinner with my dad and the fam.

You can kind of see the house and park in the background of the boys lounging in miss matched patio furniture.
Mark and Jackson went four-wheeling on the road. That is perfectly acceptable in these parts.
Just some fun in the yard amidst the shaded woodland.

Summer Fun

I'm not sure whether it was the nudge from Jackson's child developmentalist to initiate more socialization and structured play or the realization that summer's end is drawing nigh, that prompted me into action. Either way the recreational activities had been kicked into high gear.

I thought it was only appropriate to start with the token splash park pictures. Jackson was going to feel very left out when in years to come as he peruses through his blog journals with his friends and he is the only one without a summer of 08 splash park montage. So here he goes.

Apparently it got a little too loud at one point.

I was under the impression that it was a "get wet only if YOU want" kind of park. Apparently the 9 year old old punk with the water cannon had other ideas. Thanks for the pic Lee Lee.

Next we hit the slopes of Rohmer Park for some old fashioned ice blocking. Jackson loved it. He would laugh hysterically the whole way down and then run back up the hill for more.

This particular hill was especially inverted. (No matter what I do I can't get this picture to go the right way. Jodi always looked better on her left side anyway.)

And last, some quality time at the park. Lot's of time at the park. This is Jackson's favorite pastime.

A Decade Past

Last night we celebrated our 10 year high school reunion. Mark was a class officer back in the day so he had the great pleasure, along with the others, of planning this blessed event. They did a wonderful job and had a great turn out. Decorations, dinner, raffle, prizes, dancing, and good ol' fashioned catchin' up. Mark and I won a prize for being Laker Lovers (those who did not venture out of our graduating class gene pool to find their eternal mate) I think that was the description on the award.

Mark and Cody sharing a tender officer moment.

The BHS BFFs now.....

...and then. When Alanis Morriset was in her prime and floral prints were all the rage.

Group of happy young couples.
And then....... Not much has changed: darker hair, less hair, and child bearing hips.

Christmas in July

A couple of weeks ago my mom called me and said that she had an inside source on a garage sale that was selling a bunch of Thomas the Train stuff. Jackson is in love with the little British fellow so I thought, why not. We scored a train table, toy box, movies, and other misc. accessories. We also hit KSL classifieds and finished out the collection with all the tracks and buildings. All this for under a a hundred dollars. I was thinking that was even a little much UNTIL Mark and I went to Toys R Us and were browsing the locomotive section. Holy Hannah Montana this crap is expensive! I am new to the toy train world and had no idea that someone in their right mind would pay 12 bucks per train, not the whole train, just per car. And up to 5o bucks for the buildings that don't do a single thing. We figured that if we would have bought it all new it would have been about 600 dollars, what!!
Kudos to all of you rich and self sacrificing parents out there who splurge for your children's interests but as for me and my house we are sticking to garage sales. Ain't too proud to buy used.