Back to School

Sicilee started Junior High this year. She was nervous...I was nervous. I kept asking her "how are you going to get between classes and not get lost? What if your locker jams?" She did fine her first week and is really enjoying 6th grade and her new freedom. She was so excited that she could chew gum in school. That was a highlight. She and River ride the same bus home. She was telling me yesterday that 4 boys have asked her to "go out" with them. That's not a highlight of 6th grade. I was telling Penny about this and she was sharing one of her jr. high romances and it cracks me up. Maybe she should blog about that. Great story!
A huge HUGE part of the first day of school is "how to do my hair!!!" Just like we've been planning what to wear, we've been planning the hair-do. So Sis opted for the curly look. We love Aunt Darci coming up to help us out with hair-cuts and highlights.
Our first day of school morning was a complete caios. Sis thought she allotted plenty of time but she ended up missing the bus. Haddi was still recovering from the flu and was on the fence whether to even go to the first day of school. Indee was my trooper. Up at the crack of dawn, ready to walk out the door, and so excited. Indee's biggest concern about 1st grade was the lunch idea. I hated to break it to her...that they didn't serve cheese tacos for lunch everyday. Me and Haddi had to sit her down and tell her that there were no cheese tacos, that you only had one choice, and that they made you eat stuff on your plate. She asked me if she could take some cheese and tortilla and make her own there. We received a lunch menu and she's worried about it every morning.
Had went for the curly hair also. Haddi did end up going to the first day of school and she has Mrs. Agnew. She has a bunch of girls in her class and the biggest class in Tetonia which equates to a lot of drama.
Indee loves headbands. So we did the messy bun and headband. Indee's hair looks so red in the sun like that.

When you die....I want.....

Chad and I inherited a clock from his grandpa Jack and it chimes and is beautiful and old and we love it. We cherish it. It was chiming and Sis asked about it.

"Where'd we get that?" says Sis.

I reply "from grandpa Jack and it was his mom's before that...it's really old".

Sis "oh, can I have it when you die?"

Me "ummm...."

Sis: "actually, I want your hair stuff"

Hadd: "I get the irons"

Sis: "Well I get half of them"

Had: "Well I get the other half"

Sis: "I get the flat iron and the other curling iron that we just got from grandma"

Had: " I get the spray stuff and the other irons"

This goes back and forth a few more times...

Taylor (sis's friend): "You guys will probably have your own by the time your mom dies" (thank you Taylor!)

Anyway, cracked me up...I was sitting there listening to them banter and trying to remember everything they were saying. I guess hair stuff is important to a 11 year old and 9 year old. If I die tomorrow, sis gets the flat iron.

Relaxing after a hike...kick your shoes off and chill.
The views were amazing.
Weeping Rock...the water was weeping out of the rock.
A little side trip on the way home through Cedar Breaks. Speaking of brakes...Ours started on fire on the way down from Brian Head Ski Resort. We had to make an emergency stop on the side of the road and then pour Mia's apple juice and Chad's Mountain Dew on our brakes. Flames were coming out of our wheel well. Yikes!

Skidmore Family Reunion 2008

Zion's National Park. Who's ready to do some hiking?The kids loved this...the Narrows...hiking thru the river.
Sicilee and Jade cooling off.
And some more hiking up to the Emerald Pools.
The water was coming over the top of this cliff and misting down onto us. It felt really good.

A Great Day on the Lake

Jackson Lake (the Grand behind) and Faren on the wakeboard.
Taun wakeboarding
We had our throttle floored and he was flying.
I hope you all don't tire of Mia and her "Cheeze it face". She's always happy to be along for the ride...well the boat ride...she is so awful in the car! She's the best kid and then you strap her in her carseat and it's like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde.
I can't tell you how much I enjoy summer days like these. Good company, good water, and GREAT scenery. I don't ever want summer to end.

HE DID IT!!!!!

Ever since we moved here, Chad has been campaigning to climb the Grand Teton. There is a guy in our ward who has climbed it multiple times. He FINALLY called Chad on Wednesday night at about 8 p.m. and on Thursday morning, Chad was on his way. He was like a little kid on Christmas Eve. He was all giddy and jittery. He couldn't focus and said "Taun, help me get ready. I can't think straight."

He attempted to climb the Teton about 5 years ago with my brothers, Val and Faren. They didn't make it to the top because it had rained the night before and turned to ice. They were also with amatuer (spell check plz) climbers who didn't know what they were doing. I have a bunch of pictures that I wanted to put in a little scrapbook for him, but he didn't want me to because he didn't reach the top. He came within about 200 yards. Now I can finish his book and he can be proud of his accomplishment.

Isn't this picture awesome? You can see the shadow of the Grand and off to the right is Tablerock.

This is the very top...you can kind of see the little circle on the rock that marks the highest point. Good Job Chad! Not many people can say they've hiked the Grand.