pumpkin

this is my best friend since junior high, allison, and her son brandon. he was tired, but happy!! such a cutie, almost makes me want another one, but not quite....!



the girls doing the maze. rachel is taking the lead and getting them out of there!!









it was a really fun maze, even tat and i went through it, just to prove that we could do it faster than the kids!!









there were goats and cows the kids got to feed hay to. it was really cool. i had never seen a cow's tongue come out and scoop in the food before.


there were lots of fun places to take pictures of the kids in. the triplets (almost) posed together a lot. such cuties!!














and andrew rounds out the crew while caleb is in school.

rachel got to pick out her own pumpkin, and loved decorating it with stickers. very fun and worth the money spent!!







our kids hanging out with aaron and ajs kids. watching tv in our room.


grandpa gresko made rachel this rocking chair, and she loves to sit in it. especially when no one is watching her do it!! she is such a silly girl.

tree destruction

the picture order is backwards, sorry!!

for anyone who doesn't live here, the last few days were filled with freak rainstorms almost like hurricanes. for natives of this lovely hot desert, we had no idea what to make of the horizontal rain and hail, crazy high winds, and booming thunder. all we knew was that it was loud, and we should probably stay inside!! when i finally did have to brave the rain, and go pick up the kids from school, i noticed uprooted and broken trees littering the roads, but assumed we got away unscathed. i was wrong. the kids have a music class after school on tuesdays, so i was didn't come back home, but nathan called me and asked if i had seen our tree. i told him i hadn't noticed anything, and he told me to just wait and see it. after class, we came home through flooded streets, and more downed trees, just taking in the destruction, and wondering what awaited us at home. we pulled into the driveway, and saw that half of the huge pine tree in the front of the house had cracked and broken, and was literally resting on our roof. i called our landlord and was assured someone would be here soon. we were afraid to have the kids in the back bedrooms, so the girls were in caleb's room, and the boys on the couch. if that tree fell anymore, it would go through their roofs. luckily, we had an uneventful night, and it wasn't until 3pm the next day that the workmen showed up. we got home, and they were on the roof, chainsawing the limb down piece by piece. they had wrapped heavy duty ropes and straps on to the tree, to lower it down, and scared us by telling us not to go in the main part of the house. according to one guy, if it goes, it is going straight through the roof, no question. it was a nerve-wracking few hours, but they finished around 7pm last night. needless to say, we said many prayers of thanks for our safety and being watched over!!
on a side note, my sister had 2 windows broken by the hail, and my parents had the neighbors tree break and fall over into their side, crushing the block fence, and sitting on their roof as well. thankfully, only property was damaged, and no one was hurt!! but what a storm!!!

my colby

ok, so it's been a long time since i have been hit with a vertiginous migraine (the doctor's fancy name for all the misery going on!!) and i was not expecting it when i did. thursday was a normal fun day, but that night, i was hit with a migraine. hard. friday morning i woke up still pounding, and now we got to add the dizzy, head spinning nausea to it. not my idea of fun. i slept off and on all day, not getting out of bed. nathan had to work until after 8, so the kids and i were on our own. colby had pack meeting at 6, so around 5 i asked him if he wanted to go, so i could call someone and set up a ride. his answer brought tears to my eyes. he told me it was his job to take care of me and the other kids, and that was way more important than going to pack meeting. he said, what if caleb and rachel did something they weren't supposed to? or you needed something and couldn't get it. i am going to stay here and make sure everything is ok.

i don't know what i did to deserve such a sweet boy, but i am grateful every day that i have him. he is still a silly kid, that acts like a kid much of the time. but when he needs to be, he really steps up and is the man of the family. i was so proud of him and his willingness to serve his family. he is such a tenderhearted and loving boy, i love him so much!! and now he is 9, and moving from wolves to bears in the cub scout program. he is doing so well in everything he does!! we love you colby!!

accomplishments and birthdays

ok, there have been many accomplishments in the last few days, and i thought i would mention a few of them here. i made this dress yesterday, with minimal mistakes and frustration!! anyone who knows what a hard time i had making rachel's dress, knows that this was HUGE for me! i only had sandy's help once, and that was pinning the zipper in place. i came home and sewed it in, and even did the decorative lace on my own. i am very proud of myself!!

















grandma gresko's 60th birthday was on monday, and her being here to share it with us was an accomplishment in and of itself. she has thought her time was coming to an end a few times, but lucky for us, she has been wrong. it was such a blessing to have her still be with us, so we could celebrate her birthday together!! we love you sandy!!!














































then we have colby's 9th birthday, and rebekah spinning in her skirt. she likes to twirl.





swimming fun!! rachel and daddy snuggling

rachel, and then caleb.

snuggling mom
and rachel with her hair done and in a cute outfit!!

stitches and school pics

rachel fell off my sister's bunk bed and bit through her bottom lip and had to get stitches.

here she is trying to show it off, but not doing a very good job!!


then her posing with her new picture for the wall.

and colby with his school pic that i took before he went to school for picture day (i'm too cheap to buy a package! )

and rebekah

and caleb











and monica got a ladder for her birthday to reach the super high places in her new house, but has a fear of heights. here she is trying to overcome it!!

at the restaurant for her dinner with the kiddos

taryn and rachel in a basket being entertained by alissa

school days again

so my little man caleb started school this year. official school anyway. he is a kindergartener. i had debated many times back and forth if i should start him or not, since his birthday is july 13, he barely makes the cutoff. first, i was thinking, well, he's 5, of course you start him!! then, oh no, he's so little and immature!! then back, and forth a hundred times. well, i finally decided that i would start him. they offer all day kinder, and if he was doing horribly, i would pull him back to half day. seems like a good plan, right? so the big day is coming, and he is not happy about it. you ask him about it, and he hangs his head, talking about the mean teachers, and how he will miss being home and watching tv and all of it. the night before, i get no sleep, but he wakes up happy and energized, and so excited, i am shocked!! he gets dressed early, no arguing that i am making him a "cute" shirt! his backpack is packed and ready to go, and he is asking if it is time to go for an hour!! finally, we take a few pictures, and go. he runs out of the car, without a backward glance! success!!

a few days later, still going strong, i get a phone call from the teacher. oh no, a phone call!! what has he done already to warrant a dreaded phone call?? i don't actually answer it, but listen to the message later. she tells me how great he is doing, and what a joy he is to have in class!! she actually tells me i made the right choice putting him in this year!!! that is music to my ears!! i was just thrilled!

and colby and rebekah are happy with their teachers. they both have friends from the ward in their classes, so they are doing well and making friends. this has been a good year so far for them. and i am very grateful for that. they were all nervous switching to a different school. and i was nervous for them. but now we are less than a mile away from the school, so once it cools off, we can walk!! yahoo!!

birthday fun!!

fearless rachel waiting for the water to drop on her. but notice the age difference between her and the other kids??

after swim team was over, they had their party. here they are loving every minute of it. rachel isn't afraid of anything!!! colby posing on the bar.



caleb

racel swinging away


caleb turned 5!! he got some really cool stuff for this birthday. we did the birthday party at grandma mcnelly's house, and cousin andrew got to be there for the cake and presents. it was very fun!! colby was a little excited about the presents too, in case you can't tell! :)