Cathcing Up...

While it was fun to post the entire France trip the way I did, I really got back logged on my blog with all of the stuff that has been going on before and since the trip, so I've got a lot of catching up to do!  Here are just some of the happenings of the last few months:

1.  While we were in France, the boys had their first day of school.  Happily Grandma was there to get them off on their first day, and even get some pictures for their absent parents.  What a year!  Two in middle school, three in elementary (NO kindergarten - hallelujah!), and one preschool.

2.  Upon our arrival home from our trip, we presented the boys with their surprise - that 5 lb. loaf of dense genuine French bread we packed home from the wonderful Poilane bread shop in Paris, and a huge tub of Nutella.  They were so excited, especially Nathan who had begged and begged us to bring some home to him!  They all gathered around and waited in gleeful anticipation for a thick slab slathered with the chocolaty Nutella.  But in the end, they mostly licked off the Nutella, and the heavenly crusty morsel of sourdough perfection pretty much ended up in the trash.  Kids.  Good thing we can get more Nutella at Costco, 'cause we won't be getting more of that bread.

3.  Our scouts took a long backpacking trip through the mountains a few weekends ago, hiking about 13 miles in two days.  The boys get all the credit because Dennis drove, and met them at the other end.  I stayed home and painted two bedrooms all by myself with 4 more kids underfoot.  Good times.

4.  We attended all the back-to-school nights, but Caleb was the only one to let us take pictures.  He combed and gelled up his hair himself for the occasion.  First grade is SO exciting, and Caleb proudly showed us all around his new classroom.  His teacher, Mrs. MacIntosh is super nice, and he was happy to run into his Kinder teacher from last year, Mrs. Cathcaart, who told us she just thinks he is the GREATEST kid ever (and she has had all of our boys.  Hmmm!)  He is pretty terrific!  It is going to be a great year for that boy, I think.

5.  Dennis was excited to attend the outdoor Suns/ Warriors exhibition game held here at the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens with his friend Jeff.  He borrowed my good camera with the zoom lens so he could get some great action shots.  Oh, he got some action all right.

He got this shot:

And this one:
And this one:
That man is getting a little too good with that camera of mine!  No wonder he and Jeff were so excited to go!

But he also got a few shots of the game as well.

6.  Nathan had his first band concert of the year this week.  I had to walk all over trying to catch just a glimpse of him and his sax and that was the best I could do.  But they sounded really great, especially for being just several weeks into the school year.  There is such a huge difference between an elementary band concert and a middle school concert.  My parents also came, and we all enjoyed ourselves.  Great job, Nate!

There are a lot more things to blog about, but they require their own posts, I think.  (I took over 400 more pictures just yesterday!  Yikes!) I wish things would just slow down a bit so I could catch up, but that is NOT going to happen; not this time of year.