And then there were 33. . .

days until its really over. No really, this time I mean it. NEVER AGAIN. Seriously.

Yeah, I don't exactly believe me either.

Off to the airport to send him on back. I swear when he comes back next month that I will permanently kiss my license-to-single-parent goodbye! I am, however, going to plan something big. Something expensive. Something completely unattainable and far off in the future and big - did I already say that? Well, it will be big. And it will completely erase the pain, depression, stress, heart ache, and stress - did I already say that? Well, it will. It will erase them from my overworked, frazzled, single-parented brain. and heart.

:) The Bahamas?

Photography class.

We (Ash, me, mom) are taking a little weekend photography class. We all have decent cameras, but none of us knew how to use them properly. It has been amazingly enlightening to learn how to manually manipulate our settings - and it has also given us all a new respect for photographers. After only one 4-hour lesson, we are all able to take a test shot and based on the result, change our settings to get a great picture. We still have more to learn about lighting, staging, composition, etc. - but I love that now we can take a picture and keep the focus only on our subject with the background out of focus. Supposedly our last class will show us some photoshop techniques to help us round out our skills.

School Rules!

We are so excited to be back in school this year. Adeline started Kindergarten. If you ask her what grade she is in, she says, "No grade, just Kindergarten." :) She loves the whole school concept - can't wait to wake up, make her bed, get dressed, run away from me at the door, etc. I just envy her enthusiasm to start the day.

Grandma Hunter has a tradition to take the new Kindergartener for a shopping trip. They picked up a few school clothes after a yummy breakfast together.


Mrs. Pierce is Addie's teacher for the first month while her real teacher, Mrs. Iraci, is out on maternity leave. Both teachers are very sweet.

Guthrie is moving up to the second grade. He is so excited to get into school again after missing the last month of the previous school year. His teacher, Ms. Palmer, is very sweet. We're hoping he can learn not to talk in class - but if that doesn't work, maybe she'll love him for his brains.We had fun at "Meet the Teacher Night."

Their first morning. I totally dig having uniforms -makes the getting dressed part a snap.

We signed all the kids up for gymnastics for the three-month stint that we'll be here. Sullivan and Caelan had their first class on Monday morning. It was a total hit! (Pictures were taken through the observation window - not the best.)

We all LOVE having Mallory take care of our hair needs. :) She trimmed, colored and cut more than her fair share of heads this week. We LOVE you, Mallory, and we all think you're the best beauty school girl, ever. :)

Guthrie decided to read for 30 minutes instead of the required 20 - He definitely doesn't get that from my genes. Well, maybe the love of reading - but definitely NOT the whole 'above and beyond' thing.

Never to be left out - Sullivan is "reading" too.

Aunt Ashley told me that he stunk. I swear he smelled like roses - but if making him stinky gets her to bathe him then stinky he will be.

My kids are seriously doomed when it comes to soda. I pray that Sonic's $0.99 drink deal never ends. We even left a comment for the manager at Sonic here in town. "We will come here for corndogs for the kids as long as you keep the dollar drinks. Otherwise, your food kind of stinks and we'll have to go elsewhere." Think it will make a difference?

Look at his face in this one - it looks like its made of moldable clay or something. hahaSullivan cried when I dropped the kids off this morning (day 2). I told him that was the "big kids' school" and I would take him to the "little kid school." His response was a crying, "I'm not little!!!"

Thankfully he forgot all about it when we pulled up to his "school." We are so excited for him to be in preschool this year. :)

Someone techy

Will someone PLEASE tell me how to fix my pictures? They're all cut-off with weird white borders. Poo

. . .

I have put a lot of thought into how exactly to start this. . .which words to use. . .how to convey what I'm really feeling. . .
The words just fail me. This is SO hard. I don't want to whine - so that's the extent of my essay on life without Kyle.

We escaped the heat last weekend, which thrilled the kids. They spent a lot of time outdoors and seemed to enjoy it.

Aunt Ashley is a pretty rockin' baby soother. She's training him to chill on the couch.

My beyond cute cousin, Kassie.

Me and Tru.

That's not scary at all. Not even a little bit. Okay, its REALLY scary. G went with Gma and Gpa to shoot guns, something he does often, but somehow always when I'm not around. Probably better that way.

S'mores around the firepit.

Addie and her head tilt.

Just funny. All those chins are courtesy of 4+ months of breast milk so far. I'm pretty proud of that considering that I've wanted to stop nursing him every day since Kyle left. We're still hangin' in there - probably because he won't take a bottle. Someday I'll thank him for that.

Next FHE lesson: Chivalry

My cute mom.

Checkin' the tonsils. Yep, lookin' good.

Addie G and her cousins, Ainsley and Caelan.