Preschool

Kelsey started preschool today. She was so excited and I was happy for her, but right now it is hitting me that this is the beginning of the end. Soon she will go to school for real and my little girl won't be little. I'm going to stop there because I'm getting sad.

I am doing a preschool swap with some ladies in the ward. There are 5 of us so we teach less than once a month. We are doing a letter of the alphabet once a week as our focus and then are trying to incorporate other things too like shapes, colors, numbers, name recognition, basic writing and other things like that. I'm really excited to do it! I don't know how, but I am going to incorporate clogging  into my letters (thank you Diana!!)

Today was "All About Me!" I just loved her answers
Favorites:
Food~ Pancakes and Spaghetti
Color~ Pink
Hobby~ ("What is your favorite thing to do Kels?")~ Play with my friends
Place~(Where do you like to go?) On a date with Dad

Its cute because I would have answered totally different:
Food~ Pomegranate and pizza
Color~ Pink
Hobby~ Read and dance
Place~ Library

Please stop growing up Kelsey. I love you so much and want to always be able to hold you. I love that you love me back and still think I'm hilarious.

Ethan's Birthday

Ethan turned 29. His last birthday in the 20's. It was kind of a sad affair.
He actually left for Seattle the day of this birthday so it really was a sad affair and very anti climatic.

He did make him eggs though so all was right in the world

The Sunday after his birthday we had a birthday dinner with Aunt Kay. She brought some cake that her dog got into so that made for a fun story. It was a very low key affair (sorry Ethan!!!!) but we love Ethan so much. He is sometimes the only positive person in the bunch and we need that. He makes me a better person every day. I don't know how he survives with us crazies but he does and does so with grace. We love you Ethan! Thanks for choosing us for the long haul

BYU vs Nebraska

Awesome game. It started at 12:30 and ended at 4:30 with a Hail Mary pass. It was sad to lose Taysom again but in a small way we were expecting it. Poor guy. Three seasons lost to injury. I really do feel bad for him. Aside from that, the hail merry was pretty exciting. Right before Mangum threw the ball I was like "this would be exciting but this never happens for our team." It was so fun to eat my own words!!!

Madison was a little unsure of Ethan. Shes never had the opportunity experience Ethan during a football season. Its a lot to take in. I understand Rooster.

Some times the cheering gets loud but we all learn to get used to it. You will too Madison :)

I can't find the picture but I loved it when the BYU played hugged the ref. Super cute

End of Summer

 Life is good and some times I just need to remember that!

Our AC has been broken all summer (we didn't know because of previous bad AC units) but we finally got it fixed at the end of August. The day they fixed it they had to turn it off all day. It was brutal. 

 Ethan and I went on a date to Rudy's smoke house and Target

We can't wait for winter and since its coming very slowly we decided to escape to Flagstaff for a day to enjoy being outside. We just needed to get out and walk around.

This is on the way up to Flagstaff but I love the landscape in Arizona

At the trailhead

  After lunch and our hike we just played outside at a park. It was so much fun and so comfortable!

Madison wants me to hold her all the time and cries when I don't. We have found that selfies calm her down, but since I can't see the screen, we find some gems on our phones. This one is my favorite

 Swimming lessons ended at the end of August and they were such a huge success. I am so proud of Kelsey. She ended being able to confidently jump in the pool, swim to the side, jump off the diving board, put her face in the water, grab a ring at the bottom of the pool with help, get out of the pool from the side (which made me almost pee my pants because it was so cute and funny. The determination was epic) and float on her back. Best four week activity we have ever done in her little life. My favorite part was watching her put on her gobbles and wear her swimming suits.

Madison loves to watch me drive
I always tease Ethan because he forgets to wear his wedding ring. He most recently forgot to wear it when he went to Seattle and so we had some fun with Kelsey and the ring.

 Can't get enough of this hat!

I get the stare down a lot lately...

 We wanted to do a picnic for Labor Day but it was 105. We made do. Labor Day ended up being really fun. Ethan had to work in the morning but after our picnic, we went to the park and met this nice old man and his dog, Ethan played one on one with some kid, and me and the girls got to swing. I just love that the mornings and nights are finally dropping to the 90s so we can get out side some. Winter is going to be AWESOME!!!!

My thoughts so far

We completely love Arizona. I guess I shouldn't say we because Ethan has never said that and Kelsey and Madison don't really express opinions as far as weather goes, but I LOVE Arizona. We have made it through peak heat season so I feel like I can officially say a few things about summers here. Now don't be fooled, its still hot. Like 100-105 and will be like that until October but for the most part, our mornings are in the low 80s and we even have had a few nights bellow 100. It is starting to get really pleasant around here.

I can not even begin to describe the heat. It really is something you just have to experience. Other places are hot, REALLY HOT, but I think the difference with Arizona heat is that it never goes away. It never stops being hot. When the sun goes down, the temperature will still be in the high 90s- 100s. Its very common to go to bed at 10:30 and have it still be 105 outside. When we wake up in the mornings and try to exercise at 6/6:30 its already 88-95. Its just crazy. That being said, its not like we are running around outside. It really isn't too bad as long as you have a pool or stay indoors, but like the winters everywhere else, that gets old. We just want to play outside.
Like everywhere else, you also learn to adapt. We honestly think that 100 now is not too bad and that 85 is comfortable. You really do just get used to what you do. It feels normal to be 100-105. Its only when its above 105 when we start to be like, "Its hot today."

Once it reaches 110, even natives hide. That is a new hot. Every part of you is hot from the bottoms of your feet to your eyelids. Its absolutely impossible to get comfortable. You just deal with it because you literally have no other choice. We used to say "Arizona. Cool! We can swim year around, " but now we understand that that is ridiculous. For one, we now think that bellow 85 is cold. Its also ridiculous because the water is roasting. It is so un-refreshing this time of year. It makes total sense we just never thought about it. Its like swimming in a bath tub. Most people stop swimming around this time of year because its just not enjoyable anymore.

As hot as it is, we don't have high humidity so we really feel like we can get used to it.

 So those are my thoughts on the heat. Here are some other quick thoughts:

~The drivers are TERRIBLE! I've lived in Provo and I can easily say that I have never seen as many bad drivers in one place as I do here. Dear Utah, I am so sorry for thinking you had bad drivers
~  Arizona has a TOOOOON of farm land. Who knew!
~There is a golf course on ever corner. Not really but pretty close.
~ The sunsets at 7 and rises at 5 (good morning to us as our girls wake up with the sun)
~ There are cacti everywhere and like a million different kinds
~ Most parks have covered playgrounds
~ And Arizona has the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. We don't know if its because of the heat or because there is nothing to block the sun or because of other things, but Arizona sunsets are beautiful. The sky in general is always so blue and beautiful. Even when storms are rolling in its just breath taking. I try to take as many pictures of the sky as I can.