AUGUST, First Days of School, Rett's 3rd

Did I ever mention we have a fish? Grandma and Grandpa Garner bought the kids four fish about six months ago and three didn't make it past a week. But FRUMPY is still going strong. Who feeds him every day and cleans his tank every week? That's right... Mom. But the kids still like having him around. He's a good little fish, always on the move! And he can eat. Hence his name being quite appropriate.

Both kids started school the end of August. Rett goes to Joy School twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, for two hours. And Abby is in afternoon kindergarten with Mrs. Key. They are both loving it and look forward to going each day.

We do Joy School with four other moms and their kids. So I teach five kids once every five weeks. This is a picture of Rett with Kinley. She is one of two girls who are both so sweet.

This was Rett's first day at Miss April's class.

I can't believe little miss Abigail Joy goes to school now every single day! Kindergarten could not have come faster for her. She loves it - the classroom setting, the kids, recess, and even the homework. She looks forward to reading every night and her handwriting is coming along quickly. Her first choice is still arts and crafts though... she can't get enough of creating.

Abby and her friend/neighbor Elle

Kambria and Abby... both in Mrs. Key's class this year. Abby took preschool with Kambria and Elle last year. Kambria's mom Mrs. May was their teacher and they live just down the street from us.

Everyone lined up waiting to walk inside their new classroom with Mrs. Key.

Just one Sunday before church!

We had a few days in August where it poured rain. Several people had issues with flooding, but we were grateful we could dance in the rain instead of clean up the mess like it brought to so many others.

We decided it was time to sell our beloved 4Runner because it just wasn't going to fit three car seats very comfortably. So we shopped around all of August for a minivan. The kids were super excited about getting a van like their cousins and to have a movie player in the back. But when the day came to trade the 4Runner in, the kids were really sad. We all were. They hammed up their sadness a bit in the next few pictures.

But once we sat in our brand new minivan, we were happy again! It only had 13 miles on it so we took it for a long drive around town on it's first night.

The funny thing is, Rett was probably the most excited about getting a "van like Cohen's". We just so happened to buy the car TWO days before his 3rd birthday. So ON his birthday, we loaded everyone up and took a drive to Zion's all while Rett and Abby watched a movie on the new movie player.

Abby prepared her own gift for her best buddy... a special drawing she did for him and a chocolate kiss!

He could not have been happier!

We saw a few mountain goats while driving through the park.

We had to make a quick stop at our favorite candy shop!

Rett's only request for his birthday dinner was hamburgers. Salad, homemade fries, and corn on the cob made his special dinner complete. Matt made dutch oven peach dessert and we invited our friends Sue and Kevin over to share with us. They gave him the movie Ice Age and we watched part of it while we took a ride in the new minivan.

Kids being kids...

This picture was taken with some random girl's phone and she forwarded it to us. But this is a picture of Abby and Matt on a daddy-daughter date earlier in August. They saw Hairspray at Tuacahn and loved it! They always have so much fun together.:)