A New School Year

Kate is a big first grader this year! I am mostly jealous of her new wardrobe and think she is, quite possibly, the cutest girl in the whole school!

Meanwhile, Coley is beginning his PhD in preschool (technically it's 3 years he will put in, but that's pretty much the same thing, right?)

Kate loves school. Cole (often referred to as 'Buster' around here) doesn't. He cries, "I miss you, Mom! I want to stay with you!" And it mostly breaks the mom's heart.

Anyway, we'll give it a couple months to see if things change. I'm guessing it will. In fact, today when I picked Cole up from class he said, "I'm not done yet, Mom!" That was good enough to calm my heavy heart.

Bear School

Cole LOVES his big sissy. He hates when she leaves! He asks repeatedly if we can go pick her up until she gets back. And then fights with her like crazy once she's home (it's a complicated kind of love).

Next school year will be hard for Brother Bear (this is something we quickly recognized this summer). BUT...we did sign him up for a couple days at 2 year-old preschool! Yay! This means his world will not end after all!

We went to meet his teacher at Kids Village. I had heard great things about this place, but upon walking in, I was SOLD!

Upon entering, there's a courtyard; and in the center is a giant tree house that little people can go into.

Surrounding this tree house is an entire "village" with shop facades, that are actually classrooms.

 

And while I recognize how very shallow it is to assume that a place decorated so dang darling equates with good teaching, it made me super excited for Coley! It's gotta be like going to school at Disneyland. Even Kate agreed, "Yeah, Cole's school is going to be more fun than mine."

 

Cole got to try out his classroom, as well as meet his new teacher, Miss Jessie.

In addition to his homeroom, Cole gets to rotate to two workshop classes in a day. His workshops are: Arts & Crafts, Science & Computers, Cooking & Nutrition, and Music & Movement. We visited each classroom, and the kids got to do little activities at each. 

Yep, someone is excited for his "Bear School" to start! What a big boy!

Canyon Thursday Close

We did it! We got in touch with our outdoorsy-side for the second year in a row! I’d like to thank Dave’s family for the push to do it…mostly because it’s both fun and rare that you get to thank someone publically, unless you’re a celebrity, of course;)

Anywho, our last Thursday there, Dave’s brothers busted out the fishing gear. This was especially nice for our kids since we really don’t fish here in the Blackhurst home. Kate and Cole got to catch several fish, and our nephew, Zac, even caught a bat. So gross! The kids were delighted though!

It was super fun for the parents, too, who got to witness yet another child squeal over catching his first fish. So dang fun! -- I remember Kate’s first time, too, and there’s really nothing better.

Another nephew, Caleb, caught a fish and cooked it on the spot. Kate helped him eat it, which was right up her alley.

 

Great night for sure!

Wyoming Girls Camp 2013

There was no limit on fun at this year's girls camp. Here's the caravan making it's way to beautiful Smoot, Wyoming:

 

The car ride included, but was not limited to, one carsick young woman, a vomit and 30 minutes of cleanup pulled over on the side of the road, and 2 hours of girls belting out show tunes. Yep, I was having the time of my life;)

 

Here is our beautiful retreat. Breathtaking, really. We had 2 smaller cabins (the priesthood in one, and the camp director's babysitter and baby in the other), plus one large cabin (where the leaders and girls stayed). There were Razors to cruise around on. Showers and beds (for the leaders to use), a large kitchen where awesome meals were cooked for us, and, of course, bathrooms; yeah, we were roughing it.

 

The girls got to row, swim, and paddleboat on the pond:

 

And slip n slide into it too:

 

 

Our awesome hike to Periodic Springs. I used to go here as a kid with my grandparents so it was fun to go back after a decade+ of not visiting:

 

Our Young Women's President has served for several years. I think she is anticipating her release and decided to go out with a bang. She booked a river rafting trip for us all:

 

She planned a picnic and shopping in Jackson Hole for the afternoon. And then booked the Alpine Slides. There's a reason she's been in for a long time;)

*Side note: We just missed old Harry Ford who took his son up to ride; totally bummed about that one! But had a party, nonetheless!

 Best girls camp ever!