first day of school!! first day of school!! (via my phone)

zoe lane started 5th grade!! (that's middle school in these parts! what?! i know. right?) but it's just 5th and 6th together in one school, so really it's like a sr. elementary school. she is making some great friends in her class. it is fun to see her happy and comfortable.

jakob started 3rd grade. but he didn't want me to walk him in. (excuse me?) i am happy that he feels confident on how this school works. and that he knows some of the kids in his class. and that his teacher adores him.

sweet little riley grace face is in afternoon kindergarten. she is super excited about school. it helps that half our neighborhood is in her class. no joke.

maxwell rees started preschool at the university.  he goes tuesday and thursday mornings and is (usually) so excited about it.  (riley went with us for orientation and now informs us over and over that "at max's school, they don't learn anything.  they just play.")

boy names

remember how i changed maxwell's name on the birth certificate? (without telling the daddy!) we had called him "benjamin" the entire time i was pregnant and then i just went and changed it to a name i had only mentioned once in passing! what is wrong with me? but he is a maxwell. no doubt. but this little guy, we have no clue what his name is. we like classic names (that have been around forever) but that are still cool. or cool in a nerdy way. there are names we love, but just won't work, for whatever reason. like luke: i adore the name luke. but "luke sloop" will never work. just say that out loud and you'll understand. sam: in college, i was in love with a boy named sam. enough said. oliver: ring ring. "hello?" "is oliver there?" "oliver who?" "oliver clothes off." every time we talk about naming this littlest one "oliver", that naughty joke runs through my head. and i just. can't. do it. so, for now, we are just calling him "the baby". something will sound right. or it won't and i'll just end up changing it to whatever i want at the last second.

where the magic happens

and by "magic" i mean falling asleep at 9:00. on to the master bedroom. basically the same as kansas and texas. but here you go, anyway:

and just so you know, there was a giant basket full of laundry waiting to be folded. (you can see the indentions in the carpet.) but i just kept pushing it around the room so it was conveniently out of the shots. sneaky like a fox.

and these are a few of my favorite things:

i got the picture for mother's day a couple of years ago from an etsy store. (if i remember which one, i'll let you know.) the bird was for christmas last year from west elm. i made the curtains from micheal miller damask fabric. and i'm waiting for the perfect picture to put in the black frame on the nightstand. (i know you noticed that, leah.)

nana and grandad

nana and grandad came to visit all the way from north carolina! we went to mesa falls and west yellowstone and rigby lake and jenson's grove and blackfoot and idaho falls. we had a beautiful time with them. i'm pretty sure we all need naps now.

the big news

can i get a whoop-whoop!? my due date is january 13th and we can't wait!!for those of you who requested "pregger" pics, i don't have much of a bump yet. i just look chubby. the only real difference is my new ghetto booty and that my you-know-whats look like i got implants. and if those are the kind of pics you were talking about, we really shouldn't be friends anymore.

the darby's

our besties came to visit all the way from canada over the 4th. we were SO excited to have them here. and to meet their newest little addition. she changed things for max. he loved her. and i was thrilled. he kept asking "where's that baby? i like her." thanks little one. you've changed our lives.

mesa falls

mesa falls is beautiful. and always has some dried animal poop to play with. nice max. (jakob was staying at nona's and wasn't the least bit upset he missed this little outing because "who wants to see a bunch of water go over a cliff?")

beaverdick park

i know. i know. the absolute worst name for a park ever. they should really name it something else. anything else. moving on. we went to go check it out, and it was flooded. completely underwater. the monkeys were thrilled. because it is pretty awesome when your bum skims water when you swing.

please disregard riley's "sport's illustrated swimsuit model pose". where does she come up with these things?!

the spray park

we usually like the spray park here. it has 3 slides and a giant bucket that dumps water on you (max is not a fan) and there are always friends to play with. but let's be honest, the water is freezing! the monkey's teeth are constantly chattering and they always end up wanting to go over to the swings so i can push them forever and ever and ever.

the carousel

riley and max get free passes from the library to ride the carousel. they love it. and that makes me happy.