The Arave family....... Lovin' Every Minute!
Sunday morning Saydee and I pretended we were running a diner. I was the cook and Saydee was the waitress. She took the orders and served the food and I cooked. She had so much fun and Mike even played along. It took me back to when I was a kid, we used to do stuff like that all the time. I guess everyone still has a little bit of a child inside - we just need to let it come out!
Order up!
Friday night we went to the horse races at Sandy Downs with Mikes family. We usually go every year and every year we look forward to it. Mike's cousin Kammi and her husband pony the horses and it is fun to go and watch and bet. This year I actually won something. I made a $2 bet for a horse to win (just based on the fact that I liked the color of the horse) and it won the race and I won $10. It was great!
Saydee and Mason are enjoying some nachos - to get the full racing experience ya gotta eat the food!
3 generations of horsemen!
Yesterday was Saydee's 1st day of 1st grade. She was so excited! This year she is going for a full day of school and also eats lunch there. She was a little nervous about full day - she said to me "is it going to be dark when I get home?" - funny huh! I had to reassure her that full day was just until afternoon. She had already met her teacher and already knew a couple of kids in her class and she was ready to go!
While we were waiting for the bus she was super hyper and was practically running in circles! Hopefully she calmed down a bit by the time she got to school.
Saydee has had so much fun showing her horse all summer. She shows with the Eastern Idaho Paint Horse Club in the walk-trot classes. Her age group is 11 and under and she is definitely one of the youngest in her group. She holds her own though, she usually placed 2nd - sometimes 3rd. They keep track of points all summer and at the end of the year (usually around November) they have an awards banquet and she gets prizes for what ever place she gets. She loves it and is definitely a natural at it!
At the end of each class they line up in front of the judge to get placed.
This is during her class - doesn't she just sit a horse like a natural! We do have a couple more shows this year, but they aren't with the club. We will be showing at the Eastern Idaho State Fair and there is a Halloween horse show in October - so stay tuned for more!
Mason is 100% boy - not doubt about it, no ifs, and, or buts (or is it butts - j/k). He had the time of his life on this old tractor parked at Mike's aunts house. He literally spent hours playing on it while we were there. He asked everyone if they wanted a "wide." Saydee was the only one to take him up on it.
He would pull levers and push buttons and just thought he was somebody up there. (P.S. - I do comb his hair - that bed head is just after a nap in his car seat. But I guess just another reason he is 100% boy, he could care less about his hair-do when there is work to be done on the tractor!)
Nothing says summer better than family reunions, and the Arave's don't mess around. They reserved a shelter at Tauphus park in Idaho Falls and all the family was there. There were at least 150 - 200 people. It was potluck and they did a small family history presentation. We had a lot of fun visiting and watching the kids play with all their cousins!
Individual family pictures were taken - here is the Ralph Arave bunch!
Saydee enjoyed a Sponge Bob ice cream
Mommies little helpers....
it's so hard to find good help these days!
I had a favorite book when I was little about a little girl that helped her mom. I think it was called "Mommy's helper." I still have it to this day and this moment completely reminded me of this book. They were having so much fun - it was teamwork, Saydee handed the clothes to Mason and Mason put them in the washer. It was hilarious, I'm so glad I was able to capture it and keep it forever - just like my book!