Feeling Generous?

Today is NieNie Day!!! Please help support this amazing family.
Go here to join all the fun!

There are MANY great auctions going on with all the proceeds benefiting the Nielson family.
And don't forget them in your prayers!

First Day of FIRST grade!

Mckenna is now in 1st grade! Here is her first grade photo shoot taken by Kyle (yes, I got mad at him for having her lay on the sidewalk in her new school clothes!) I can't believe that she is already a BIG first grader. I was surprised at how different first grade is than kindergarten. They expect so much more out of them, when really they are just a summer time older. When we went to curriculem night Mckenna's teacher was talking about how they would know their multiplication to 12 by the end of the school year.....WHAT???? Starting in September she will also have about a half hour worth of homework every night. She is only 6 for crying out loud! I am blown away by how much she has to learn to learn this year. She is already getting extra crabby and emotional. She has pretty much kicked Halle out her room at night because she claims to need her sleep because 1st grade is much harder than kindergarten.
Here she is with one of her friends from her class last year. They are happy to be in the same class again this year. Mckenna was pointing to their teacher from last year, we will miss Mrs. Standage, she is an amazing teacher!


On a side note: Halle is a little night owl and usually is up later than me, so no one really wants to share a room with her. Whatever room she ends up in, you can guarantee that she will keep them up until at least 9 or 9:30. Sometimes we keep her out of the bedroom until the other kids fall asleep, but she doesn't seem to mind too much because she gets to stay up late with her dad and eat cereal. Halle usually doesn't fall asleep until between 10pm-11pm.

NieNie Dialogues

One of my favorite blogs to read is NieNie Dialogues. Stephanie and her Husband were in a private plane crash last week and are in need of prayers and support. Please check out her blog by clicking the "I read Nie" button.

Claire's Blessing day

Claire was blessed on August the 3rd. Kyle's mom has made each of my girls a Blessing dress, this year she made it and sent from Palmyra, where they are on their mission. As usual, the dress was perfect! Thanks Marie!! We are lucky to have almost all of our family here in town with the exception of my Brother Matthew and his family (they are in Texas) and Kyle's parent on their mission.


It was a wonderful day. Kyle gave Claire a beautiful blessing. Claire did great during the blessing. She just laid there and looked up at the men with her big blue eyes! She is a keeper that's for sure!

Prepare yourselves....

I have some time and Kyle finally made these pictures accessible from my computer so I have a ton of posts to catch up on!

From Kyle!

Kyle got this beautiful necklace and earrings to celebrate the birth of Claire, our last baby. I sent him an e-mail awhile back that had a link to Lisa Leonards etsy shop and told him that if needed any idea's for gifts for me, that I would love something from her shop. I was totally surprised and so happy when he presented this to me at the hospital the day after we had Claire.
I love it so much! (I do have to send it back and get the names re-done because she placed the stars wrong), it is the coolest gift ever!!! I still wear it and get a ton of complements on it! I have a great husband!

I am a baby too!

I think that I mentioned it before, but when we were going through the baby clothes for Claire, Halle kept trying to put on the clothes. I told her they were for the baby and she said, I am a baby too. Well, she pretty much uses all the baby things like the swing, bouncy seat, etc. I guess it helps that she only weighs 22 lbs at 26 months old and can fit in everything still. Well, the other day I had put her down for a nap and put the gate up in her door. About 10 min. later I walked down the hall and noticed that her door was open and she was not in her room. I started looking for her and finally found her in my room......guess where she was.........

Yep, in the baby bassinet!