Back to School

Yesterday was the first day of school. I think it is my least favorite day of the year. Though they would never admit it, they were excited to go back. Both were in great moods as they got ready to go.

Annie is in the 4th grade and has Mrs. Hellman.

Being a 4th grader at our elementary school means that she is the oldest grade in the school. Next year she will be at the middle school!

Emma is in the 2nd grade and has Mrs. Garrett

Do they even look related?



Both girls had a great first day of school. It was very quiet around here without them. Jake was running through the sprinklers and it still feels so much like it should be summer vacation and they should still be outside playing instead of stuck in a desk. It always takes a couple of weeks to adjust.

Muttin Bustin'

Jake was so excited to ride a sheep in the fair this year--until they opened the gate. He sat on his sheep and as soon as the gate opened he let go. He began to cry. He cried harder when the little GIRL who went after him rode the sheep clear across the arena.

We'll try again next year. Regardless, he looked adorable.

A Kraupp First (days 2 through 5)

The day after the bike trail and the gondola rides, we went to Silverwood Theme Park. The first ride of the day is shown below. Jake, Justin, Megan, and I sat out while the others rode. Jake wasn't tall enough, and judging by the look on Emma's face she was wishing she were a little shorter. (They are all in the last car)

Megan and Justin were troopers. They kept entertained in the stroller we rented, but by the end of the day they were d-o-n-e. Megan seemed to find a lot of joy in harassing Justin. He adores everything she does, even if it is waking him up from a nap (which she did).

Jake is a fan of the circle rides. This one was his favorite. I loved it too, mostly because when he thoroughly enjoys something he starts expressing his love and admiration to whomever he is with. I loved the many gushings, "I love you so much" and "You're such a nice mom".

Amber, Annie, and I loved this ride that takes you who knows how many feet in the air and then drops you. I was really proud of Annie.

Jake wasn't sure we should be going so high in the air...

Of course the rides for the little ones were a hit. Justin and Megan were huge fans!

On the kids roller coaster:

More kisses. I love the look and Jake's face--he was just melting.

There was a real train ride that took us through the park and then out to see the nature around, some animals, and a little train "robbery". Don't worry, Justin didn't take long to adjust.

On Sunday we decided to lay low. The idea was to go play on the beach, but it was a little cold and windy. We drove around the resort. This picture is for Toots--geraniums and evergreens--we knew you would love it.

Still waiting for it to warm up I had the "wonderful" idea to take the scenic road around the lake. What we thought would be fairly quick turned into a couple of hours on windy roads. I wasn't anyone's favorite person.



Annie was the most annoyed. Maybe it was because she was turning green?

This is exactly how Annie used to drink from her cup. A little off to the side so as not to miss anything.

By evening it was warm enough to play on the beach. Admittedly, I have an issue with swimming anywhere where the bottom is not visible. So, I let everyone else play and enjoy the water and became only slightly belligerent when Travis tried to force me in.

The kids were so dirty from the beach that they had to ride in the back of the car on our way back to the house.

Our final day in Coeur d'Alene I didn't take any pictures. We went back to Silverwood to finish the rides and to try out the water park. I left my camera at home.

Early the next morning we left Coeur d'Alene and went home through Lewiston where we met my great Aunt Sharon and Uncle Jay for breakfast.

We were given a very friendly greeting as we came into town:

After breakfast we went to Pomeroy. Pomeroy is a little town in Washington where my mom grew up and where we went often as kids to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Even though they have passed away, I could not be so close and not stop. It was really nice to be there, though my heart ached missing my grandparents.

After a quick stop at the flower shop, we headed up to place some flowers on their gravestone. The cemetary where they are buried is unique. Even as a child it fascinated me that there was wheat as far as the eye could see and right in the middle of it all was a cemetary. It isn't maintained, and that is part of the charm, but now that my grandparents are there I sure wish there was a way to fix it up just a little.

Megan is named after my Grandma. They share the middle name of Deane. Grandma passed away just a two months before the twins were born. She fretted and worried about me carrying them, and I was able to tell her that the two little boys we thought were coming were actually a boy and a girl and that we would be naming the little girl after her. The name fits Meg just perfectly and she has a lot of Grandma's spunk.

After our short time in Pomeroy it was time to go home. It was a really fun few days away. Thank you Amber for coming with us! There is no way we would have been able to do this without your help.