Rewind: First DayS of School in NY

Wednesday, September 5th was the first day of school in our new state.It also happened to be Megan's 8th Birthday!

The girls were all nervous and excited to start school. Mostly because they were so bored all summer! Some were more nervous, others more excited...

My four girls on the front stoop.

She looks so much older than just a fifth-grader! She got a new haircut just the day before.

She was difficult to get to smile nicely, and not goofy. She was really happy it was her birthday!

Miranda was beyond excited to FINALLY start school, begin Kindergarten, to ride the bus, all these grown-up things.

I wanted a "measuring stick" so I took a picture in front of the garage. It was so sunny and bright, tho!

Just waiting.

After Zoë, Megan got on the bus and drove away, Miranda burst into tears and ran to the front step. I had to explain to her (again!) that the bus was going to come back and and pick up both of us and we would ride the bus to Kindergarten together this first day. She was slightly placated, and then was nervous again when we got to school and met her teacher. I don't think it was anything like what she was expecting.

Nica started preschool a week after her sisters did. After her being B-O-R-E-D at home with me for a week, she was SO ready to go to school! Super excited, and ready to go. I still remember when I told her later that week that she would get to go to Kindergarten "next fall". She was so excited that she wanted to tell her sisters right away.

Nope, not a mistake or a typo. See explanation below...

The girls did great in their new school and classes. The only thing was that every day Megan would come home, without homework (which was definitely NEW for me!) and said how boring everything was, that it was too easy. I wondered if it was just a start-of-year review, until the day she came home and mentioned that some of the kids in her class were just starting to read. Megan was not being challenged, and she was almost a year older than everybody in her class! (entrance for K in our area is the end of November!). After talking with my mother-in-law, and discussing it with Travis, I talked with Megan's teacher and the principle, and got her tested. She was just right for sliding into third grade. So, the Monday of the third week of classes, Megan started third grade!

All of the girls, even with their hiccups and fits, have done exceptionally well in their classes. Some are a little more challenged than others, but all of them are doing great- academically, socially, emotionally, etc.

Rewind: Megan's Birthday

Megan's birthday fell on the FIRST day of school this year. On the day she turned 8, she also started 2nd grade. I took pictures in front of our house as we waited for the bus to come.

Megan goofing around.

Megan wanted a pokemon cake for her birthday. She wanted a Pikachu cake, specifically. I found some great examples on the web, and put together this cake:

Since Megan doesn't much care for fondant, she specifically asked for frosting only. It actually made the cake easier in many ways...

I tried to get a "good" picture, but mostly got "Goofy Good" pictures.

We had a quiet evening with just our family. She got to open presents, skype and chat with family. We had her big party to celebrate her birthday with her friends just before we moved, in Indiana...

Rewind: Megan's Baptism on October 13, 2013

We were so blessed to have wonderful family come for Megan's baptism. Grandma and Grandpa came first and we got to do some fun things with them (Stokoe Farms!) and then Nana and Grandma Winkie came in and we got to do some fun things all together (Palmyra!). And, on Sunday, October 13, we all got together on the day Megan chose to follow the Savior's example and join His kingdom through baptism. It was a wonderful day, and I'm so thankful for all the family and friends who helped make it wonderful!

Our Family on the morning of the baptism.

Photo of everybody!

Travis was able to perform this ordinance for his daughter. I think both of them were pretty nervous and excited!

Our home teacher, Brother Heel.
We also were able to have a nice lunch after the baptism.

Zoë's primary teacher, Sister Steele and her husband were also at the baptism

.

The cake I made for Megan's baptism. It looks so yellow! I guess that's just the utter cream. In case you can't read what it says, "A Child of God ~ Megan ~ 10-13-2013"

I let Megan cut the cake. It was my favorite: silver white cake. It's made with buttermilk and is so dense, sweet and rich. And  is a beautiful white.

Nana was hard to take pictures of! Here she and Grandma Winkie were enjoying some cake.

Grandpa and Brother Rob Baldwin were the witnesses who made sure no toes are stray strands of hair popped out of the water.

A more relaxed shot of our family.

We were so glad to have Grandma and Grandpa here!

The girls loved talking with Grandma Winkie- she's a great story teller!

Such a happy, creative, beautiful Daughter of God!

Rewind: Veronica's 4th Birthday

I am very far behind on updating my blog, so I will just have to stick with major events. Here is one of them! It seemed so quickly after we moved in that I was trying to unpack and make a cake. Of course, I let Nica choose what kind of cake she wanted and while unpacking she saw the Castle Cake. UGH! This thing is SUCH a beast! And makes sooo much cake. Good thing we had invited all the neighbor girls to come over and help us eat (we still had cake for almost a week after!)

Veronica helping me make her birthday cake. She is rolling out the fondant for covering the bases of the cake.

Nearly 8 hours of labor, lots of sugar, marshmallows, frosting, food coloring, sprinkles, rolling, shaping, dipping, piping, cutting... and Nica had her beautiful Castle Birthday Cake.

With a rainbow and butterflies (both elements were requested specifically before hand). Oh, the inside of the cake was pink swirls.

We had a Pinkie Pie Pony Party, complete with a Pinata. We used a mop handle. Travis hung the pinata from the deck and here we are under the deck waiting to crack open for all the prizes.

First Swing!

Dad did a good job of moving it around.

Megan and Katarina were asked who was going to go next, and they both pointed at each other at the same time! The other girls, from left to right, Hannah, Avery, Hailey, and Emma. Sitting on the steps is the mother of Hannah, Hailey, and Katarina.
Not pictured, but also at the party, were the Maxwell's (Ian, Shea) and invited but coldn't come were the Feehan's (Olivia and Ava).

Zoë was able to break open the leg of the pony and let all the prizes spill out.

Birthday Cake! After singing, the girls ate some cake and then Nica opened her presents.

At the end of the day and party, I wanted to get a picture of the girls in front of a stationary something that would help me measure how much they grow from birthday to birthday. They were a little uncooperative in just looking at the camera. but, this definitely shows their personality!

This shot also shows their personalities!

You might notice that there are still lots of things left up and around the house from unpacking... the boxes in the corner, lamps on the floor. The paper in the bottom right corner? Those our our "couches" to see how our room would look with furniture!

Happy 4th Birthday!

I Dream of Buses

Veronica came to me this morning, after her sisters climbed on the bus and said, her nose pressed almost to mine, her eyes wide open, "I dreamed I rode on a [school] bus! And now I know what color is on the inside!"

"What color is the inside of a bus?"

"It's red and orange! The top is red and the bottom is orange. And there is some black, too."

I wonder how well she will remember her dream when she rides the bus in the fall. So excited and scary to think my youngest will be starting Kindergarten in just 8 months! *sigh* I'm going to miss her. Just as I have missed each of my daughters as they started school.