Grasshoppers!

Grasshopper season has long been underway...and it's a favorite in this household! Mac and Nate can spend hours hunting for them and quite good at catching them. I love watching them tiptoe around the yard and then "pounce" to catch one.

Well today Sam surprised them with a grasshopper that he found in Sterling on the Eastern plains while walking a job site. Check it out..


Grasshopper catching takes some finesse..you can't be afraid to get dirty...



...or afraid of heights


Or afraid of the size! This one is ginormous compared to Nate's hand


Or Elly's hand


or even Sam!


The kids weren't scared though


they liked him a little "too" much


even building the little guy a house.

I for one, though, kept my distance...and am hoping it escapes to another yard tonight!

Nate's a Big Kindergartener!

Well, it's official...I've got two in school. It was much harder to keep it together dropping Nate off for kindergarten, so I was very thankful for my big, black sunglasses!


Can I get a smile?!


Nate's first day!


Talking with his teacher Mrs. Mitchell


All ready to go in!


One last pic with Mom...


...and in he goes for his first day.

His teacher gave us a poem that read,
The First Day
I gave you a little wink and smile
As you came to our school today.
For I know how hard it is to leave
And know your child must stay.
You've been with him for five years now
And have been a loving guide,
But now, alas, the time has come
To leave him at my side.
Just know that as you drive away
And tears down your cheeks may flow
I'll love him as I would my own
And help him learn and grow.
For as a parent, I too know
How quickly the years do pass
And that one day soon it will be my turn
To take my child to class.
So please put your mind at ease
And cry those tears no more
For I will love him and take him in
When you leave him at my door.

She gave this with a box of tissues, so needless to say, this didn't help me keep it together all that well on an already emotional morning! Ah well, he had a great day and I'm excited for him.

Mac's First Day!

School has officially started! Mac's first day of first grade is today. When I asked him what he was most excited about, it was to ride the bus. So of course, he wanted to ride on his first day. After he got on the bus, Nate, Elly and I drove to the school to meet him. It was crazy! Since our neighborhood school was combined with another school about a mile away, we doubled in size. I think all the parents were in a bit of shock of the chaos of kids running around. Here's some pics...


First day of school!


The bus is in his sights!


As the bus drove away, Mac waved with a HUGE grin on his face.

The school starts kindergarten in two groups, so Nate starts tomorrow. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle both the boys in school every morning! Mommy might need some tissues!

One Unforgettable Trip

We were fortunate to take a 5 week trip this Summer. We left our home on June 7th and didn't get back until July 10th. We had such a great time with family and friends...it is definately a trip we will never forget. I wanted to get out a post about it before school starts, which is....tomorrow! Just in the nick of time. :) Here's a glimpse of our trip...



We headed to Yellowstone, with a quick stop in Cody, WY where we saw a gunfight between some cowboy legends


It was a little loud


We camped in Yellowstone for 3 nights, and thankfully were not visited by any bears!


Camping was a bit chilly, but smores always warm you up!


Sam made the boys bows and arrows. They were taken everywhere through Yellowstone.


Including on our bike/hike to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone




The boys were awarded Junior Rangers different things they did around the park, the ranger announced it in front of the whole visitor's center...it was awesome!


We stayed with one of my best friends from college, Anna and her family


The boys had a great time together!


We then went on to Clarkston, WA and stayed with my best childhood friend (since we were 8!) and her family. Again the kids loved all their new friends!


We hung out one day at the Snake River


I think this was Elly's first time at a beach!


Friends since the second grade. Has it really been over 25 years?! Wowzer!


In Olympia, where my whole family stayed for J and Kristina's wedding


This is our view from the front door.


Sam and I with the bride and groom


Beth and Bill with 5-month old Gus


The proud parents with the groom


Mac with his cousin Morgyn, her mom's maid-of-honor


My sister and best friend!


After the wedding we stayed in Seattle. Here we are visiting with one of Sam's good friends, McKanna, from high school.


We loved their view from their backyard!


Another of Sam's good friends with his new baby boy Brecken.


This picture just can't help but make you giggle! We stayed with my sister Beth in Seattle and we got to have lots of time playing with Gus.


We got to take care of Gus two days. The boys were a huge help. Mac loved feeding Gus.


Before we left Seattle, Grandpa Glaser took us to a Cubbies-Mariners game. Nate's new favorite player is Ichiro!


We always have such a great time in Seattle and appreciate Beth and Bill being such loving hosts!


We then headed to Oregon for Sam's sister, Lizzy's wedding. We stopped in Astoria, OR on our way there.


Mac was the ring bearer and Nate helped Elly down the aisle as the flower girl


The boys did a great job...Elly struggled staying at her post. :)


She did a great job keeping tabs on what guests were arriving from the bridal suite.


Elly and her Aunt Lizzy, the beautiful bride!


The dashing couple and a gorgeous venue


Nate with his Grandma and Papa Eliason


Mac was quite the dancer...here with the mother-of-the-bride...


and here with Elly and cousin Cade.


Sam with his beautiful sisters


After Lizzy's wedding, we stayed in Olympia with my brother (the other newlyweds) and got to catch one of Morgyn's soccer games, as did Gma and Papa Glaser.


Grandma Kathy and Nate


Elly with her cousin Carter


From Olympia, we flew to Juneau to spend time with Gma and Papa Eliason...here are the boys with Mendenhall Glacier behind them.


Papa Jim let them play in one of his tractors


They loved scooping the dirt!


Spotted a bald eagle


Sam and I got some time away to celebrate our 10-year anniversary. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in downtown Juneau.


Went on a hike to get a great view of Juneau


When we got back the boys were ready for some fishing


The boys took turns driving with Papa...


and looking for whales.


Guess who caught a fish?!


These fish are sure tough to reel in compared to the ones at City Park!


Prize fish


Bruise brothers


We also caught some crabs. My camera broke on the crabbing trip, but from the size of this leg, you can tell how huge these things were! Galen, another of Sam's friends from college that lives in Sitka, joined us for the day of crabbing and eating.


Nate enjoying the fireworks in Juneau. They set them off at midnight because it's not dark until then. The boys were half asleep when we woke them to catch the fireworks.

Our camera broke while we were in Alaska, so didn't get pictures for the rest of our trip. After Alaska, we stayed with friends in Yakima, WA and Boise, then camped at Lava Hot Springs, ID.

We had such a great time catching up with friends we hadn't seen in a while, as well as spending time with our families. Thanks to all of you that let us stay at your homes and for making our trip so memorable!

Now it's time to move on from the Summer and start yet another school year.