September was full of fun!

James started first grade and loves it.  It is much more self motivated and intellectually challenging so he is much more engaged than he was last year.  The teacher is giving points to each student for good behavior and hard work.  He and one other boy are jockeying for most points. I am getting to volunteer in his class again on Wednesday's and I love it. The girls started back to mother's day out and are doing great.

Mallory and Kinley are really enjoying each other.  It is so fun to watch them be sisters.  They LOVE to make each other laugh.  They also love to make each other cry but I'd say they laugh more often.  Mallory has learned to count to 10!  She knows several letters and their sounds.  She loves reading and singing.  I have been dreading the day I have three talkers and it is upon me.  She has just as much to say as the others and to prove it when the big two are talking to me at the same time she'll come up and be louder and repeat what they are saying as if she is coming up with it on her own.

Below she is helping me sew cafe curtains for our new kitchen makeover.  We painted the walls a color that was supposed to be grey but ended up more blue (it is the wall behind her in the pic) and got yellow and white chevron fabric to make curtains.  It turned out ok, not what I was going for but it's cute enough and the most important thing is it is clean and new.  No more fish oil or spaghetti hand prints on the wall!  We also painted the living room and hallway walls ceilings and trim (all the same colors they used to be).  I think I could live here forever now!  

Kinley was playing with these magnetic prince and princess one day when we got winter stickers in the make with a kids magazine subscription offer.  She was putting the winter stickers on their hands and feet and face then I walked by and saw that she took the red "yes" sticker (the only on one the page, the one used for saying yes to the subscription) and put it on the princes privates.  I mean really? ! She is the one that asked when she could get a "sepsy"ring. (Sexy ring which is the opposite of a purity ring)  Lately her ornery things have been to dig in candle wax, play with ceiling fan blades from the bunk beds, pick my gerber daisies, and dig holes in the yard.  Her sweet things have been teaching Mallory how to properly pronounce things, learn to count and say her alphabet.

Josh and I went to Lanai Hawaii Sept 10-17.  We stayed at the Four Seasons Resort.  It was AMAZING.  My favorite part and Josh's third favorite were the cabana boys that brought icy towels, fruit kebobs, salmon wraps, cool mists, and pina coladas!  We went on a 2 hour hike, snorkeled for about 30 minutes, took two sunrise walks, and did nothing the rest of the time.  Below is our view of the sunrise.

This was us at the top of the island after our hike.  We obviously didn't do the view justice but it was breathtaking.

This was the last night at the fancy dinner they have for us.

This is where we ate breakfast everyday.

We officially love Edward Jones trips!  We can't wait for many more years of free travel!

James also FINALLY (he and Josh have been looking forward to it for three years) started Cub Scouts.  This is him shooting his first BB gun and bow at the Scouting Fall Festival.  He is completely enthralled with everything scouting.  In two weeks he and I go on the Mom and Me campout.  I'll let you know how it goes without daddy.

I love Kinley's face!  We babysat Levi and Ezra for 4 days while their parents were in Dallas.  I love that we can do five to serve our friends but I love that I don't have five under 7 all the time.  You moms of many have my deepest respect!

This tickles my heart!