HAWKINS BUILD A HOUSE!!

It is FINALLY HERE! After 16 years in the little farm house WE ARE BUILDING!! September 3, 2015 we dug the hole for the new house.  This has been a VERY LONG spring/summer of getting plans drawn-up and finalized and getting building permits.  What a nightmare! But it is finally time! I tried not to talk about it much during the summer for fear it wouldn't happen if I did.  But the hole is dug...now it is a real thing! Yay!!

 We are making a road from the new house out to the shop behind the old house.  It was a requirement from me to Ryan since he isn't letting me build on the farm.  I told him all along Life Is Better On The Farm! He didn't agree, so with a little give and take we are putting the house between our little farm house and our rental house with a back road to the farm. 

 I would SERIOUSLY follow this guy ANYWHERE! He doesn't even know how much I love him!

 These 3 littles couldn't get enough of this giant machine digging the hole.  It was amazing, not gonna lie!

We are so excited for this next step in our lives!

 

First Day of School

Here we are AGAIN! Off to school for another great year!

 Don't worry mom, we took some back to school selfies so you don't have to take any pictures of us! Hahahaha!

 Fat chance of that kids! Back to school pictures are part of back to school!

Dallin is off to Middle School! Ahhhh!!! He was SOOOO NERVOUS! I drove him on the first day with his friend Nate and they were doing some "deep breathing exercises" when we pulled into the parking lots! HAHAHAHA! Cute boys! It has been a big adjustment for Dallin.  He hates the swearing in the halls.  I knew he would and I am grateful it bothers him.  I would be more upset if it didn't.  He has had to adjust to some of his friends finding new (not so good) friends.  That worries him for them. He is a great kid and wants what is best for those around him.  He will do well at the Middle School and be a good example to others, I know it!

Rhett in 5th and Laiklie in 3rd. These 3 started August 31st this year and Oakley started a day after on the 1st of September.  The first day at the high school is freshman only and Oakley was STOKED she was a sophomore this year and didn't have to go! ;)

 This year her and her besties have their drivers licenses which makes it a little scary and VERY, VERY NICE! It has been wonderful having her driver herself back-and-forth between volleyball and dance.  She is a great little driver and it has been so helpful! This year at school she made the JV Volleyball team and that already is keeping her so busy! Proud of her for making the team and the commitment she has made to them.  She is a great kid!

Dance Shoes

I tell people all the time that Oakley dances her guts out and I don't know if they really know what I mean by that. I am not joking though! This girl dances HARD and when she dances she never dances half way....she always dances full out.  She dances like she means it and here is proof!

 We bought Oakley a new pair of clogging shoes ($70) in May just before our Lagoon Competition and by August this is what they looked like! :(

We knew she was going to be in the studio ATLEAST 3 days a week again this year and so in July we bought her a 2nd pair just to have on hand. Thank goodness because we needed them obviously! Problem is....by September THEY LOOKED JUST LIKE THIS TOO!! What am I going to do with this girl?! We glued one pair back together and it is holding temporarily. The first pair we sent back to the company because we had them for such a short time and they refunded our money.  Also a blessing.  I am praying we have figured out the problem and are working on fixing it, because I HAVE to be able to keep this girl in shoes to dance this dance she loves so much!

Sanddunes 2015

We were able to hit the sanddunes one day this summer.  We went with our clogging friends Kasandra and Erica's families.  We went to pizza pie café and then over to the dunes.  They kids, even though they don't know each other very well, had a great time together.

I don't know how you can't love the sanddune! It is always a great time! :)

Disaster Strikes as The Fort

I don't even know how many years we have had "The Fort" and I don't have ANY IDEA how many kids have made mud pies out there....I lost count a LONG time ago! I do know that this little fort is loved by MANY! So this summer when we watered and one of the dead trees toppled over we were devastated. :(  The kids went out and helped me get things cleaned up.  I figured we would be finished with the fort and even started throwing away a lot of the pots/pans and dishes.....but just days later Laiklie had a whole group of little girls back out making mud pies again as if nothing had even changed. I think the fort has taken on a different look, but it is still very loved and will be for many years to come.

Fair Week

Oakley's clogging teacher got a phone call a week before the county fair in August and got asked if she had any cloggers that would like to clog in the talent show.  Oakley and Brooklyn are kind of her "got to" girls so she called and asked them if they wanted to dance.  These girls LOVE to dance so of course the answer was Yes! So off to the talent show at the fair we went.

 They were placed in the Junior Age Division with a couple VERY TALENTED girls.  One of the girls was a fiddler and one was a music composer.  After watching the other two perform we were sure we were getting 3rd place. :) Then Oakley and Brooklyn came out and as they started to dance the crowd went wild.  The sweet little old people in the audience LOVED the cloggers! Sometimes as their moms we forget just how incredibly talented they are.  At awards time we were surprised that WE WON!! These two cuties got FIRST PLACE!

 As part of their winnings they got $25 to share.  Hahaha, $12.50 each.  Perfect! Enough to buy them both ice cream! :) Then they also got these great yellow Farm Bureau t-shirts! HAHAHAHA!! We loved it! We totally made them put them on for pictures! Also because of the win they got to go dance at the Eastern Idaho State Fair! Yay! So proud of these two girls!

Also on fair week we got to babysit Memory since Yvonne had just had baby Ember.  We took her up to see our cousin JD and Kiana's pigs and other animals.  She loved it! We love her and just can't get enough of her! What a fun girl and a fun age!

Grain Harvest 2015

This year we were so short handed at harvest time that I ended up having to drive one of the grain trucks for the crew.  SCARY! I switched off and on between the 2 flat nosed trucks. I drove the empty one to the field and the full one home over and over again. I told them ABSOLUTELY NO on driving the semi! No thanks! I promise they didn't want me to either! hahaha! One of the flat nosed trucks was easier than the other....and one had so much mouse poop in it I couldn't hardly concentrate on my driving for fear I'd see a mouse.  I HATE MICE! I kept telling them "first mouse I see and I'm out!" No joke either! I don't do mice!! Luckily we made it through without any mouse sightings!

 Driving one of these trucks fully loaded across the highway having to shift half way across with cars flying at you was TERRIFYING!! I also had to drive it through town to the scale to be weighed one time.....also super scary! I am very proud of myself for being able to jump in and help when I was needed.  These guys put in LATE, LONG HOURS and I am grateful that I have the skills to help.  I am also a professional at making sandwiches for the crew too! :) and sometimes the best help at harvest time is the lady that brings sandwiches! True story!

 Jason and JD just before midnight one night trying to get it done.  I drove the truck but WOULD NOT unload without help and Jason, JD and Dallin were usually the ones there to help me. 

 Here is my boy Dallin.  He is such a hard worker and such a good kid! I am so proud of him and the man he is growing up to be!

And then there are these 3 guys! Ryan and his little brother Dale work their guts out! My boys couldn't find better examples of incredible hard working men anywhere! Stan shows up every once in a while to make sure we all still know he is incharge. ;) Love him too! So glad to get through another harvest without any problems or accidents.  It is always a worry to me and such a blessing to get through it!