New post, anyone?

So, it has been about 5 months since I posted last and I figured it was time to post again. About what? I have no idea. This has been a whirlwind of five months and I am glad we are where we are. Summer was fun and the kids enjoyed their pitching machine/ fastpitch/ t-ball (depending what age group). Michael did soccer again in the Spring, so he didn't get to play pitching machine with a group from our ward. I think he would have had a good time, but he chose soccer. That took up all of our June and the first days of July. We headed to SLC a bit later than I wanted to because Molli and Hannah had tournaments that went in to July.

Andrea and I didn't run a 5k for the 4th of July this year, our first time in four years. I kind of missed it, but we were needed at the parade route for one reason or another. Molli, Michael, and Hannah stayed with Aunt Andrea and Nana and Papa for the 4th of July evening festivities while the rest of us went back to Idaho. Robert took the other kids to Menan to watch the fireworks there. I, on the other hand, stayed in Idaho Falls and invited a friend to come watch me play in the orchestra that played right by the fireworks by the river. It was really cool and I hope to do it again next year.

Towards the end of July Michael and I ran a 5k and then Michael, Molli, and Hannah ran a kid fun run. That same day we headed down to St. George for Daniel and Erika's baby blessing for Mayli and stayed in a condo there for two nights. It was fun to be there. Then our adventures led us to a resort in Las Vegas with my family. Shan, RJ, Jaycen, Ryan, Andrea, Nana, and Papa were all there and we missed Celeste and Lorell with her family. Family was coming and going throughout the week, but we were able to be together for a little bit, anyway.

Later on in August I took all the kids and me to spend a week in Hyde Park with Grandma and Grandpa. They loved helping Grandma in the garden, we went to the zoo and had a picnic at a park. We went to the Aquatics Center for a swim and on the last day they went camping with Grandma and Grandpa and Ben and Becca. Robert came up for the night and we stayed in the house with Jonathan. It rained the whole night while they were camping so I was glad to have been somewhere dry.

School started after Labor Day and I think the kids have gotten the teachers they were supposed to get. I never recommend teachers or ask that they don't get a certain teacher. Being PTO president again might have something to do with that. We just had our first Parent/ Teacher conferences and there wasn't a "B" for any of my kids :), so I guess they are all doing well. Some A-'s, but that is okay.

Robert has been busy at work, sometimes having to go back after the kids are in bed and staying into hours that no one should see on a clock at that time of day. The kids went trick-or-treating there this year and had a good time.

I have been busy with PTO, of course, and taking the older kids to swim club (which is now thankfully over) and picking Molli up from orchestra. Amongst other things, I was asked to play as a substitute for the Idaho Falls Symphony twice. We just finished the second concert last night...... and it was hard. I wasn't the only one saying that, either. With another orchestra I have played with, we did a concert with Mindy Gledhill in October. I enjoyed that one and Robert got to bring Molli to it. She had a good time, too.

Well, that about sums up our last five months. Oh, I guess I should also mention that baby Esplin #7 will be joining us towards the end of March. We don't know a gender yet, but the kids all want it to be a girl. A girl for the last one would be great. We just told the kids last week we were going to have another baby (Robert and I have known since August). I waited so long to tell people because I have heard a lot of people suffering miscarriages and even still births lately, and I didn't want to seem haughty taughty, for lack of a better word, that #7 is on the way and I have no problem getting pregnant and carrying it to term.

If you made it this far reading this super long post, I congratulate you. I will post a few pictures now and if you skipped to these, I don't blame you :)

            

Molli swinging

Hannah swinging

Evan at bat

       

Hyrum at bat

At the Museum of Idaho

After running a 5K and a kid's run

      

At the Condo in St. George

Mayli's blessing day

       

Hannah and Hyrum at a museum in Las Vegas

Happy Jonathan

     

Molli, Michael, and Hannah after a triathlon

Robert cleaning out the gutters

       

After the Mindy Gledhill concert

Evan as Batman for Halloween

        

School's Out!

 

I thought it would be cool if I did comparisons of the kids on their first day of school and to their last day of school 2012-2013.  Here it goes:

Molli's First Day of 5th grade

Molli with Mrs. English

Hyrum's first day of Kindergarten

Last day

Hannah with Mrs. Oberhansely

Hannah's first day of 2nd Grade

Michael's first day of 3rd grade

Michael with Mrs. Drouin

This was Evan on the first day of school, even though he didn't go

 It was a good school year. I loved all of the kids' teachers and they were just perfect for each child. Being PTO president was an adventure, and because no one wanted to take that post for next year, I will remain PTO president for another year.

Hannah also got baptized this month. She was excited that it took place on her birthday. Robert baptized her and confirmed her and it was a wonderful blessing.

The family who attended Hannah's baptism

The other family picture was really blurry, so this will do.

The others from the ward who attended her baptism were Bro. Williams from the bishopbric, Sis. Porter, the primary president, and Pres. Gordon. We love Hannah and we are glad she chose to be baptized.


And last but not least, Molli had a 50's Dance Party on the Wednesday before school ended. She and Grandma made her skirt together. Robert invited us to a Dome Raising next to his office, so the kids were a bit late to school the second to last day, but it was a cool experience. We even got to go inside it.

Molli with her friends Kennedy, McKayla, and Isabelle.

The starting of the Dome Raising

It was kind of cold

It is getting there

Real close....

Jonathan couldn't handle the excitement

And it's done

heading inside

looking up to the top of the dome at 36 feet

Inside

We are ready for summer to begin. A busy month of ball games for four of the kids and summer school (and softball) for Hannah. Life is good.

Hannah's baptism pictures and a trip to the Fire Station

I decided it was time to get Hannah's pictures taken so we could mail out some announcements for her baptism. Here are a few of the ones we took:

 I can't decide which one I like best, obviously not the ones that are crooked. Then I did a photo shoot with the kids around the temple grounds:

I really like this one

Each kid had to have a chance holding Jonathan

Evan loves Jesus

We have a picture like this when Molli was getting her baptism pictures taken

And here is the one taken in 2010 for Molli's baptism pictures

The kids are collecting shoes for a project at school to have them donated to Africa. Hannah collected 12 pairs and I collected 65 more pairs. I guess I was saving them for a project like this. Here is a small portion of what we gathered:
 

Michael needed to go to the fire station to finish off his Wolf badge in Scouts, so we made it a family outing (minus Robert who was in Minnesota at the time).

We had a good time, but if you ask them what their favorite part about the fire station was, they might just tell you it was the vibrating clothes dryer. I couldn't pull them away from that. :) 

We also went to the Museum of Idaho on Monday for an exhibit about carousels. I didn't think it would be cool at first, but I was definitely wrong. However, I forgot to bring the camera and my phone died when we got there. So, no pictures this time, but I hope to go again soon and the kids can't wait to go back to the little kid room and dress up/ play as pioneers and mountain men.

As a side note, a few days ago, Michael scratched his eyeball with a branch or something and he is now on antibiotics, but when we went to the doctors they had me take a cool picture of what they did to check out his eye. Maybe I can post it from my phone, if not, it will be on facebook and hopefully here later.

Life is good :)