Just had to share....

I loathe school fundraisers. I am happy to donate to most causes and if someone is selling something really good (like girl scout cookies or boy scout chocolate covered caramel corn) then I am there!! My kids school pushes magazine sales like crazy every year. You can opt out and do their no-hassle fundraiser for $25 per family. I choose this every single year but the school continues to torture my children by offering prizes to kids that choose to sell magazines and they actually shed real tears when I won't let them sell the magazines. Anyways...Faith was selling cheese, sausage, cookie dough and other stuff for band. If she sold 10 items over the weekend then she received the giant candy bar you see on the right. If she sold 15 items total then she also received the 5 lb. bag of gummy bears on the left. She managed to sell exactly 15 items. I have to admit the chocolate is good and the gummy bears are very soft and yummy as well. What you see in the center is the cheese and sausage duo that was bought by my very sweet neighbors and my parents for $17.50 (which I am embarrassed to have Faith deliver to them). I thought it was going to be large...nope. If I was either one of them I would choose the huge candy bar or 5 lb. bag of gummy bears for $17.50 over the tiny cheese and sausage duo. I just found it all slightly amusing...but mostly ridiculous. One of the other jr. high bands in town was selling food too but they had the option of selling 15 items or donating $35. That is a better idea. I would rather donate $5-$10 than get the tiny cheese and sausage duo. Okay... I am done.

School Open House/Grandparents Night

On Tuesday night Sawyer and Eden's school had their annual Open House/Grandparents Night. This is a night to show off their school! It is always very crazy and crowded but we go every year anyway because the kids really look forward to it. The teachers usually have the kids make something or display some of their work for us. I love the kids' school. They have had amazing teachers every year. I feel so thankful. I didn't get a picture of Eden with her teacher because she has three kids that all had activities going on that night. Kyle's parents attended with us and I didn't even get a photo of them with the kids :( although the school took one that I will have to wait for. Sawyer and Eden both really like their teachers and classes. Here are some pictures! Also...Faith was able to visit her 5th grade teacher (there is a a great mutual love between them). Faith was in true jr. high form texting during most of the open house. She also met up with her pal, Emma. I also have to add how much I appreciate Sawyer's teacher this year...she is SUPER organized and sends several emails home a week with reminders for the parents and she always has skyward up to date with the kids grades! She was meant for me....cause I need lots of reminders! Fourth grade is very busy!!

FUN Weekend!!

Back in the summer, I did a garage sale with my pal, Jenny. On one of the days we were working on setting up, her daughter and I made a little trip to Subway for some lunch. While there, a radio station was set up inside and you could put your name on for free tickets to Six Flags. I virtually never win anything but thought I would sign up while waiting. A few days later I received a phone call from the radio station saying I won the Six Flags tickets, a t-shirt and four Subway sandwiches! Yay me! I have to admit I was pretty excited. Anywho, we used those tickets last weekend and had a GREAT time! It was SO FUN!!! Kyle and I hadn't been to Six Flags since our one year wedding anniversary. It was a little on the cool side reaching a high of 65 but NOT crowded at all! I am now leaning towards doing all family activities in the cooler weather. No fighting crowds or lines and no whining children or adults about the heat and humidity! Six Flags has a ton of roller coasters. My kids will ride almost anything! Faith WILL ride anything and everything. It is nice that the oldest three meet the height requirements now. Eden met all but one or two of these. Also, they offer the parent/rider switch like Disney so the other parent doesn't have to re-wait in line with the kids to experience it with them. We spent 10 hours of FUN at Six Flags. Even Beckett was a good boy. For the first time we let him out of his stroller and he stuck very close. It was so nice for him and us! A couple of odd things happened while were there though...F, S, E and myself were waiting in line to ride "The Screamin' Eagle" and a girl got stuck in her seat. He harness would NOT come undone. It took at least 20 min. for them to get her out. After they got her out they had to run all the cars several times before they let anyone on. We left because it was taking so long but Kyle and the kids went back later and rode it. There were mechanical issues again when waiting to ride "Mr. Freeze." All of a sudden everything just became silent and the cars wouldn't go. It only took about 10 min. to get it up and running. We were 3rd in line and I was happy because I wanted to make sure the riders before us left and came back in one piece. So...twice in one day.

We spent the night in a hotel and the next day went to the zoo...which is FREE!! It is a super nice zoo! We also REALLY enjoyed it! They had some fun activities set up for the kids and we saw a lot of great animals. Again it was cool out but was a very beautiful fall day and small crowds! It was great to be together as a family..with just US! The kids get along so well and are all best buddies when it is this way. We actually considered leaving Beckett at home with grandma but Sawyer and Eden acted like it was the most cruel thing we could do to him. I always feel he takes away a lot of the fun for them (or maybe just for me). It is nice to know that they love having him around!