August 2015

These two ballerina sisters started back up with dance this month.  It was kind of tricky finding a class that they could take together, but I did it.

Wayne took the Bryn and Jaymi to the ward campout this year while Kaelyn and I stayed home to do the New Parent breakfast for the Down syndrome foundation.  Bryn was a real treat of a sister and dumped a shovel full of dirt on Jaymi's head.

They even had a ropes course and zip-line for everyone to do the next day.

Bryn was super bummed that she didn't get to do it because she was too small.

We had a great turnout at the New Parent Breakfast.  I'm really enjoying coordinating them and getting to meet the new parents and tiny little babies.  I remember being so scared and feeling unprepared those first few years after Kaelyn was born so it feels good trying to help them through those times and let them know they are not alone.   This month my amazing pediatrician Mitzi Conover came and talked about different medical checkups we should do early on and things to watch for.  She was so sweet and has such a great personality for working with children with special needs.  We have been so blessed with great pediatricians for the girls and for us as parents.  My cute friend Oakley also talked for a bit about what she has learned in the last couple years and I thought it was just great!  She has such a great attitude and personality.

Jaymi's kindergarten teacher Miss Sue invited us to a little group of her past students and the activity this month was a swim party at one of the family's home.

Jaymi and Miss Sue

I took the girls to the Local Down syndrome summer party and they had fun doing bounce-houses, playing with friends and getting their faces painted.

Jaymi is a major fan of the costumed people everywhere we go.  She thinks she is at Disneyland and always demands a picture.

Dressed them bright and the same so I could keep track of them easier.

For the Bonner Sibling reunion this year we went up to Swan Valley Idaho.  It was a beautiful valley with a fun lake for us to boat and play on the beach.

We did a tiny little hike to see these fun waterfalls.  The kids loved climbing up and down this hill.

Jaymi was a little brave girl helping us to convince her cousin Kinslie to go out and water ski with her dad, uncle Will.  It worked!

Wayne's still got it on the water skis and wakeboard.

The day after we got home from Idaho we went down to Huntington to the Hall reunion.  The girls loved being up the canyon, playing with cousins and sleeping in the tent.

Kaelyn was in heaven walking all over the place.  She sure kept us busy and on our toes.  I'm afraid the days of her chilling content in the stroller may be gone :(

Selfie time...

The kids loved the little games they got to play.

Jaymi had her yearly check up with the Neurosurgeon to look at her neck.  Sadly it has gotten worse and we are most likely going to do surgery this fall.  Its kind of fun going to the doctor with her because she seriously makes friends every where.  Every time I turn around she is playing with or talking to someone new.  I do love that about her and wish some of it would rub off and me and I wouldn't be so shy and insecure around people.

The girls finished off another year of Horse Speech Therapy this summer.

Then we drove up to our friend Kristen and Max's house for a Ds playdate.  Jaymi was loving this cute little baby boy.

Kaelyn and her little friend Lola.

I can't believe Summer break is already over and we are back at the grind.  Bryn was so excited for her first day of school and that she gets to go with two of her friends from our neighborhood.  I was so excited to have other moms to carpool with!

She is still going strong with Gymnastics and continues to love it.  In her coaches words, "She is killing it".  She is a year or two younger than all the other girls in her class but is hanging just fine.

This is a pretty sorry picture but I had to document the night that my friend Sarah invited me to the Kelly Clarkson concert with her.  Her mom won 20 tickets on the 16th row and it was so much fun!  Kelly is one of my favorites and she did awesome!

Kaelyn has been putting her foot down on some of the activities I usually take her along with, today was gymnastics.  She spent the whole hour and a half trying to escape the gym.  I was a sweaty mess after chasing her around.

The last week of summer we headed out to Neola to go camping up the Uinta Canyon with the Rasmussens.  Jaymi was just a little excited as we got closer to our destination.

We went for a little hike and my mom dropped baggies with treats along the way for the kids.  That sure kept them entertained and content as we went.  She said its something that her dad did for her when she was a little girl.

This little girl was exhausted and fell asleep on daddy while we hiked.  Its not very often that she will fall asleep anywhere but her bed so I was enjoying the cuddles.

Its so nostalgic camping up the canyon I grew up camping in with my little family now.  I love it and remembering times with my brothers, parents, cousins and Grandma Lois.

Jaymi and her buddy Papa Paul.

The littles snuggled up in the tent.  We are sure getting lots of use out of our new ten this summer!

Grandma LaJean teaching the kids how to play baddmitten.  Wow, talk about  patient lady.

Cooking up some tinfoil dinners.

We took up the projector and the kids had a little movie night.

The movie goers with their popcorn.

Kaelyn was a lucky girl and got to sleep in the camp trailer with Grandma LaJean on her new air-crib bed.

Her sleeping positions never fail to amuse me.

Jackie teaching the girls her dance from the Nutcraker ballet

Bryn thinks she is Kaelyn's personal little pack mule.  I'm not going to lie, it comes in handy some days.

Bryn and Quinn the cousin twins

Kaelyn backseat driving us home.

I love watching these try play and interact with each other.  There is a whole lot of love in that bed.

Bryn and I sending Jaymi off on her first day of Second Grade!

We will have to see how long their teacher keeps these two buddy's desk's next to each other?!?

Kaelyn was not letting me take her first day of school picture so this is the best I could get at the end of the night on her first day of 1st grade!  Yep my tiny little squirt is in 1st grade and loves every minute of it from the time the bus picks her up until it brings her home at the end of the day.  I keep feeling like I'm forgetting her and wondering what she is doing and where in the house she is before I remember that she is at school.

We got to have our buddy Blake over for a play date the other day and he was loving Kaelyn's swing

Bryn and I went on a mommy-daughter date up to the Utah Volleyball game.

I even convinced her to go out on the court and give the team high-fives.  She was so small none of them saw her there to slap her hand, she was a good sport about it and found a few of them after the match to get high fives.  I love when my shy little girl comes out of her shell.

We finished off the month with the Annual Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome.  This is always a fun day for the family and everyone loves wearing their matching shirts throughout the year.   We liked to joke that this is Kaelyn's first year that she can actually WALK the walk by herself.  Really she took like 10 steps and then climbed in the stroller.  She knows whats up! 

Jaymi and her cow, there were like 6 of these guys floating around the place and you better believe Jaymi was right there next to one of them every time I turned around.

One of our favorite parts of the day were holding tiny little baby Joon.

I voluntered to head up the Reeces Rainbow booth again this year and thankfully my friends young women's group volunteered to help me out. They painted faces, played games with kids and handed out brochures.  It was so nice having them there!

Grandma and Grandpa surprised us by coming.

Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Will and their family, and Uncle Michael joined us on our team this year too!

Our cute friend and "nanny" Kaili is leaving on a mission in a couple weeks and we are going to miss her so much!  She helped me with the girls so much this summer, especially Kaelyn so I didn't have to chase her around gymnastics and she could play and have fun at home.  We look forward to hearing her mission stories and following along in her newest adventure in California!