School is Back in Session!

Miss Emma is now in full-day school! She started 1st grade at Lincoln Academy. Her teacher is Mrs. Leeflang. She was SO excited to start school. Emma is SUCH a social butterfly. She LIVES for playing with friends.

After her first day of school, I picked her up and she said, "Mom, you said I was going to be at school ALL day!" I replied, "Well, instead of after lunch to afternoon, it was breakfast to afternoon. So that's what we call all day school." Emma then said, "I thought it was going to be until dinner time!" She was so sad that I had to pick her up and she could't be there until bed time. That's how much she loves people and new experiences. I love that about her.

Reese had to wait all the way until after Labor Day for her first day of Preschool at The Little Redd Schoolhouse. Her teacher is Mrs. Redd- the same that Emma had her 2nd year of preschool. I carpool with my next door neighbor Jill Skoy, so Reese and Dean are in the same class. They are so cute together and listening to their random conversations in the back where most of the time is not true just makes my day :).

Lake Chelan, WA- Or Should I Say PARADISE

Oh, Lake Chelan. How we love you!!! I am SO grateful my Uncle Mike and Aunt Joyce are so kind to allow us to vacation to their summer home in Lake Chelan, Washington. It is absolute paradise. You walk out the back yard and can jump right into the lake. I won't write too many details about the place because I've blogged about it at least two other times. Nathan and Steph and their family weren't able to come this year, but everyone else was able to be there. With having 9 kids under the age of 7, everyone got along surprisingly well! We had such a wonderful time and just wish it wasn't a 14 hour drive...but even so, it is worth it!!!

TEN YEAR NAUVOO REUNION!!!!!!

It's been TEN years since I went on my performing mission to Nauvoo, IL. Ten years!! That's crazy to think about.

That summer of 2006 was one of THE best summers of my entire life. I performed with 19 absolutely incredible people (the other Young Performing Missionaries) and those 9 sisters of mine are forever some of my best friends. I grew in so many ways and learned a lot about myself. I was able to perform anywhere from 3 to 7 shows a day and work so physically hard and grow emotionally and spiritually in ways I didn't know was possible. I was able to be uplifted by dozens of senior missionaries and other full-time missionaries. It was definitely one of the best few months and I am SO grateful I was blessed with that opportunity.

So the end of July there were 8 of us YPM's that were able to gather with some of our family members and be back in that spiritual home of ours. I am so grateful Cade helped make it possible. Those that were there were:
Carly Pedersen (Porter now)
Kimberly Wigwam (Lochner now)
Dani Jorgensen (McFarland now)
Matthew Morgan
Shane Steel (was there for a couple months doing the pageant)
Paul Wells
Brian Dodge
and me :)

We were able to go to all of the main shows (The Promise- when we were there was called High Hopes and River Boats, Just Plain Anna Amanda, Rendezvous, and Sunset by the Mississippi), attend the temple (which Cade and I used for our new anniversary temple since I wasn't endowed in 2006), watch a couple vignettes, see both the Nauvoo Pageant and the British Pageant (there was only the Nauvoo Pageant when I was there), see a couple sites, sing with the YPM's in the grove of trees and just spend time talking with them. I love those people so much.

Lucy came along with us and she was a trooper. We flew to St. Louis and then had a 3 hour drive to Nauvoo. Lucy is NOT a fan of her car seat so the flights were pretty good, but the drives were kind of long. She did really well though for only being 5 months old! I was also grateful to spend that time there with Cade and share some of my memories with him. He came out and surprise visited me that summer of '06 but it was such a quick trip he wasn't able to see too much. Unfortunately he got sick the day we flew to Nauvoo and wasn't feeling too great most of the trip. But he was a trooper too and helped me have a wonderful experience reminiscing on that amazing summer.

High Adventure with the Teachers!

Cade's church calling is an advisor to the teachers quorum so he got the opportunity to plan and go on High Adventure with them! A week long scouting/camping/man time. It was a lot of work to plan but he had a great time getting to know those boys. They went down to Lake Powell area and did a lot of kayaking, swimming, boating, camping, etc. Cade loves his calling and always puts 100% into whatever the Lord needs him to do.

I on the other hand had all 4 girls to myself for 6 days. Luckily I went to my moms for 3 of those days...a saving grace. We had fun going to the Strawberry Day's carnival, doing swimming lessons, and hanging out at Gma and Gpa Bleak's house. I don't remember the last time I wasn't able to talk to Cade for several days in a row (poor reception) or if I have even done that in the last 9 years, but I sure missed him!!