This and That

Lincoln is doing very well in school! He received 100% on all his spelling tests so far this year. He is also doing really well in completing his homework every night. He does math, spelling, and reads for 20 minutes each day.

Marina also does homework when Lincoln does. She is learning colors, numbers, shapes, opposites, matching, letters, sounds, and more. She can now write her name and most of the letters. She spends lots of time finding letters, numbers, and shapes all around her. She is very smart! Here are some of her words.

Marina says that when she grows up, she wants to be a spy, a mom, and a big sister. I am thinking not in that order. Marina does practice spy missions (usually tickling missions) pretty oftern to get ready to be a spy. Lincoln wants to be a biologist.

Labor Day Fun

We spent Labor Day weekend with the Pauls in Morgan (near Salt Lake). The kids had a great time. They have perfected a 'robot' dance, which they were eager to show as many people as possible.

We also got to celebrate Lincoln's and Ryan's birthdays while we were there. Lincoln got a birthday cake that looked like Lincoln Lake, and that was perfect, since the kids also spent lots of time playing at the lake with their cousins.

2nd Grade, 7th Birthday, and a trip to Salt Lake

Lincoln started the 2nd grade on August 20. Here is Lincoln ready to go to the bus stop on his first day of school. This is Marina who was very excited for Lincoln's first day of school. She can't wait until next year when she gets to go to school too. Lincoln is in Mrs. Jensen's class, and he has kept a perfect homework record for the first two weeks - let's keep that up!

Lincoln celebrated his birthday with his friends the first Saturday after school started. He wanted a pirate themed birthday party, but said it could be eclectic since he also wanted a bounce house (thanks to grandpa and grandma Paul!). The kids jumped and jumped. Then they had a pirate treasure hunt, decorated cookies, and jumped some more! Lincoln got some very fun presents - Indiana Jones Legos, a Wii game, and and Iron Man toy. He also got a snow cone maker that he can't wait to try out.


The next week, we went to Salt Lake City together. Ryan and Kami attended a fundraiser for the Davis Reads program. Ken Burns was the speaker, and he previewed his new documentary about the national parks. It looks really good, and Ken Burns is a very articulate speaker. We really enjoyed the evening. Ryan then had to go back to work, but Kami, Lincoln and Marina stayed in SLC with Grandma Valene and Grandpa Bob.

Lincoln and Marina had a cousin born while they were in Maine - Ella - they got to meet her for the first time and they became as instant of friends as a 2 month old can make.

We had so much fun in Salt Lake! We got to play with grandma Valene (she's pretty fun!) and play at a place called Jungle Jims. Here are some photos of all the fun they had there.

We all got to go Ella's baby blessing and their other cousin, Kyle's birthday party.

Then as if we had not been having a ton of fun, we went to the zoo. Marina loved the Giraffes, the zebras, and the tigers. I don't think it was just that she likes stripes - they also had babies to look at. She loves babies (of any species). We had a great time!

Welcome Home!

Lincoln and Marina had quite a week. They traveled from Owls Head, Maine to Cedar City, Utah in one day! They then had a great time rediscovering everything in Cedar City. Lincoln got bunk beds, so the favorite new game was to jump from the top bunk onto the love sac (giant foam bean bag).



































Lincoln and Marina flew with their aunt, Kara, and then Evelyn and Grandma Paul stayed for a few days in Cedar City. We all spent time at the Iron Mission Museum.














Marina went to the doctor for her four year old check up, and she had to have her finger pricked. She was very brave though, and got a bugs bunny band-aid when it was over.



















Lincoln and Marina also had fun discovering their new fish aquarium. They have two bala sharks (named scaley and hailey) two tiger fish (named tiger and tiger), and a sucker fish/algae eater (named rosie according to Marina, and named suckie according to Lincoln).















Marina wanted a pink cake with a rainbow for her birthday, and she got it when she got home (along with a Dorothy costume and some Wizard of Oz books). We'll get a photo of the costume soon for the blog.
















We had a welcome home party for the kids with their friends in the neighborhood. We had a bouncy house (thanks grandma and grandpa Paul!), and the kids had a great time!











































































Lincoln and Marina had a great week! They were exhausted when it was over!

Back in Cedar City . . .

While Lincoln and Marina have been playing in Maine, there have been some fun changes at home. First, are photos of Lincoln and Marina's carrots and cucumbers. They planted them before they left, and they should be ready to eat soon when they get home! The yellow flower on the cucumber plant is where the cucumber will grow. Here is a photo of Lincoln's new bunk beds in his room. The furniture is re-arranged so he can have the "love sac" (giant foam bean bag) in there too. Marina's room has not changed a lot, but now she has curtains on her windows and a ceiling fan for her light. We (the house, Ryan and I) are very excited for Lincoln and Marina to come home!

Memorial Day Fun

Lincoln and Marina went to their grandma and grandpa Paul's for Memorial Day weekend. They packed every minute with fun! On Saturday morning, they went on a hike in the hills around Mountain Green with their cousins. Here is a picture of the cousins just before the hike. (Marina with her cousins Will and Julia). Lincoln loved the hike and became the 'king' of the hills, rock piles, and concrete blocks that he found. Marina liked to be carried for the hike but liked to climb things with her brother.

That afternoon, we went to visit their other aunts, uncles, and cousins. They had fun on the swings and with the tetherball at "Grandma Valene's" house. The rest of the weekend was spent with cousins and family. They played at Lincoln Lake (in the Paul's backyard), saw Night at the Museum 2 (which they both loved!), and had lots of good food.

They spent lots of time in the car, but were very good about it. This is Lincoln with a toy top that he got on the last day of school. Lincoln completed the first grade with flying colors! He received the Presidential Fitness Award (which he loves to point out was signed by Barack Obama) and was promoted to the second grade. Marina loves dolls, stuffed animals, and clothes in any combination. This is her doll that she can dress in lots of different outfits. She also likes to dress her stuffed animals and change her clothes many times every day. Marina loved seeing her baby cousins. She got to hold baby Petra (she grinned the entire time) and play with baby Kyle (who can now crawl). She is very affectionate and gentle with babies. She also talks for days afterwards about how cute they are.

Marina now has a rock friend called Rocky, of course. She carried him all the way to Salt Lake and back. She is very concerned when she thinks she may have left him behind. She does a great job taking care of him.

Lincoln and Marina are very excited to fly to Maine tomorrow. They'll be there through August 11, and can't wait to go. They are so excited to see all their grandparents on the east coast. They will have a great summer!

Whew! What a Week!

The first grade is winding down for Lincoln.  This week, he had his first grade program.  He did a great job showing what he had learned this year (he's the one in the red striped shirt if the photo resolution doesn't really cut it).  Lincoln has five days of school left, and he is very excited to finish the first grade.  He is also very excited to spend some time in Maine this summer.  Lincoln got to go camping with his dad this week too.  They put a mattress in the van to sleep (Lincoln thinks that is more fun than a tent), and Lincoln slept really well.  He spent almost two hours playing King of the Hill on a dirt pile with some other kids, and  brought a lot of that dirt pile home with him.  

Marina has been having fun with lots of different things lately.  She has an incredible imagination, and most recently has used it to create a best friend.  Marina's friend is Sara.  Sara is in high school and has two kids (!!) named Emma and Ethan.  Marina found a scrap of material and wanted to have a bow (pictured) because she is a princess.  Marina also decided that she was a horse (her favorite animal) and ate her dessert accordingly (pictured).  She now knows all her letters and can't wait to practice them more.  She is also very excited to spend some time in Maine this summer.