Colorado

Nate was so nice and let me fly to Colorado. He stayed home and watched the kids. I will be getting my paybacks later when it is the Elk hunt. My nephew Hunter turned eight and got baptized. I was so glad I was able to be there. My brand new little niece Elsie also got blessed. Thanks Laurie for getting it all in on one big weekend.

Hunter James Morrill

Elsie Jayne Morrill

My sister Laurie and Elsie

The Morrill Family

Ember, Jeanie, Dad, and nephew Zack

Ember, Katie, Jen

Katie, Laurie, Corinne (aka mom) Jen

It was so fun to have time with my sisters and family. It was a short trip, but very fun. I enjoyed staying a few nights at Laurie's house, and a few at my dads. I was so glad I was able to be there for those special events. That's whats most important!

First Day of School

Aspen started another year of preschool. She is going to a new school with her friend Jasmine. I have been so impressed with her teacher Mrs Karen. She uses a lot of music and singing. Aspen loves it. It is really weird to be alone three days a week.

Sage started third grade and LOVES his teacher. He was really lucky and has almost all of his friends in his class. It surprises me how much he loves school. McKenna started first grade and really enjoys it. She has made a lot of new friends and loves lunch time.

I thought I would really enjoy the kids going back to school. I was really surprised by my own reaction. After I sent Sage and McKenna off for the first day, I really enjoyed spending alone time with Aspen. But after I took Aspen to preschool, I had a major breakdown. I came home and cried and cried. I felt really lost. For eight years all I have done is kids. With them gone all day it is way to quiet and lonely. I felt like I got a glimpse of how it will be when they all move out. I will probably become one of those crazy moms that bugs her kids all the time. I keep asking Nate "what should I do all day?" I'm not crafty and fall asleep if I read, so what should I do. So I got a great idea....I want to go back to school. I am going to slowly get my nursing degree. That way I will have something to do when they get older. I think it would be so rewarding to help people and be somewhere where I can talk to people. I have my call list when the kids are at school, I go from one person to the next. I always have to be talking to someone. Kinda crazy I know.

Carpool is now what I do most of the time. Taking Aspen to preschool, picking up the other two from school, then off to dance or piano lessons. Sage and Mckenna are taking a hip hop class together and love it. Aspen is loving her classes. She is taking a ballet-tap combo, and a jazz-tumbling combo. McKenna is taking quiet a few and hopefully will drop a few. Sage still has his huge passion for piano which is great. It will be a very fun but crazy school year.

Girls Night Out

It was that time again for our monthly girls night out. We went for ice cream around seven and talked till midnight. It was so much fun. I am so lucky to have such great friends. All my friends from my ward, my co-op friends, my cousins, sisters, mothers, aunts, just everyone!! Its something that I have been thinking about alot this last month. I am so fortunate to have so many wonderful women in my life. I treasure all of the friendships I have and hope I am half the friend to them that they are to me. Every day lately I have been waking up in the morning and I cant stop thinking about all the people in my life and how much I love them!! Thanks everyone who is apart of my life. I love you!

Some new dews

The girls were wanting me to make up some new hair styles. So here are the results. McKennas I created somehow. Aspens was inspired by the X's on the hair blog. Kinda fun. So now I hear everyday "I want my hair in X's" or "I want my hair in an S".

Hunts Cabin

My cute friend Chandelle invited my kids and I to her cabin. We had a blast. My friend Zildy and her kids came too. The cabin was up Weber Canyon and had a gorgeous view. We had so much fun visiting while the kids played. We took turns taking kids on four wheeler rides and saw Moose and Deer. It was so nice for the kids to have one last vacation before school started. We did a kick off for the Olympics and Zildy helped the kids create their own flags. I could not believe what the kids came up with.

I saw this sign and loved it. I was laughing so hard. I told the kids I was going to make one and hang it in our kitchen. Mckenna burst into tears and cried "then you will never feed us again and you will use the sign everyday." Then I called Nate and told him about it and he was funny too and said "well babe I think you have to cook to be sick of it." Sad statement but true. I go through spurts with cooking, and definitely have tried to avoid it this summer. But no worries I have plans to repent and cook again.

This was the other sign I fell in love with. I was laughing so hard and called a family meeting. I had the kids sit down and told them we were making some changes. I read them the new rules and all three started crying. Mckenna said "our life won't be fun anymore, cause all we will do is clean clean clean." It was seriously funny. I was being quite a hoot. Later when we got home from our trip McKenna came to me and said "I have thought about the rules and they don't seem so bad, its what we already do anyways." Pretty funny stuff!!

Me (Katie), Chandelle, Zildy

Here is the group of our kids. These are the same kids we do co-op with every Friday night. Christine was not able to come with her two darling kids, they are also in our co-op. We missed them.

Happy Birthday Aspen

Happy Birthday Aspen. Aspen is growing up so fast. I can not believe she is four years old. She is so much fun and has such a spicy personality. I don't know what we would do without her sassing all of us all the time. It makes me so sad she is growing so fast. I will never forget my pregnancy with her. I am so grateful to all the people who helped our family during that time. I really was surprised I lived through it. All the pain and sickness and IVs and staff infections were so worth it. I would do it again for her in a heartbeat. She is like a little light that brightens our family.

She wanted to have a pool party just like Sage did. So we had a small family party. It was perfect. She had the time of her life. She loved that the whole day was about her. She was so pleased with all of her presents. We also had a mini party up at my grandmas house with all of her cousins, grandmas, and Aunts.

Zack, Sage, Aspen, Katie, Sammy, Mckenna. Up at grandma Myrlenes house.

Aspen with her pink princess cake

Aspen, Cayson, Tylan

Aspen with her pony "Pinky Pie"

Nate and Aspen

The chips might have been the highlight of her day!

It was my moms 60Th birthday. We had a huge party for her, and it was so much fun. All four of my siblings were there with all of their kids. We watched a DVD of my moms life, had a huge dinner, and went swimming. My Aunt took family pictures and I cant wait to post them. Happy Birthday mom!

Happy Birthday Sage

I can not believe Sage is now eight years old. I remember being pregnant with him like it was yesterday. I remember Nate and I on our date at Letherbys when my water broke. I loved the whole experience of labor and everything in between. I could not sleep for two days because I was so excited he was finally born. He was such an amazing baby. I remember the day I had a really strong feeling come over me... and I felt I knew he was going to be very tenderhearted and close to the spirit. That has come true. Sage is the one in the family that is always feeling promptings and wanting us to do family building activities.

I am so proud of Sage and feel so blessed all the time that he is my little boy forever. It has been a wonderful birthday for him. Celebrating it up at Bear Lake, getting baptized, and having a little friend party. He invited his cousins and friends from school. We had cake and ice cream and went to the pool for his party. It was so much fun. I love you Sage!!!

Nate playing with the kids at the pool

Kami, Nick, McKenna