Time for school!

Today is the first day back at school for my kiddos, Zander is in 1st grade, Aidan started Jr. High (how did he get so dang big!!) and Dylan started his Junior year in high school.  Aidan was by far the most excited to go back to school, he loves school and I love that!  They are all 3 starting a new school this year, so it will be an adjustment but one of Aidan's best friends from Mesa actally moved up here over the summer and will not only be going to the same school as him but is also living less than a mile from our house!  That was very exciting news for him!  I had to surpress my motherly desires and not follow them in to the schools to get 1st day of school pics but I did manage to snap a couple of Aidan and Zander when we were leaving this morning, Dylan wasn't with us so I just got the 2 of them but I am adding a great picture of Dylan and his dad here just because they are so handsome :)

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I love the way Zander looks up at Aidan with that loving look.... I just love those boys so much!









Zander is off to first grade,
Aidan to 7th....... AHHH Junior High!!!











I am so happy to have finally got a normal smile out of Dylan, (and him and his dad look great together!) he either makes a goofie face or..... makes a goofy face when I try to take his picture, which I guess is true Dylan!  He makes us laugh every day.  I really love that boy and am so glad to have him in my family!  He is a chip off the old block so he got a ton of amazing traits from my perfect husband (Can you tell I love him very much to!)






When I came home from orientation with Aidan last night this is how I found Zander... I wonder who helped him get up there!!

Summer Time

This summer has been super busy, mostly good, and gone by way too fast!
We got moved into our new home in Lakeside, we love it..... the kids really really love it!  The crazy things boys will do when given a big back yard never fails to amaze me!  This summer we had the 4 boys home all summer, it was great... they got along well and didn't have a moment of boredom!  Adam helped the boys make the first ever "Staley Family Ninja Training Course" in the yard.  First they made a 1/4 mile bike track, once they got good at riding that without crashing they decided to kick it up a notch by building a couple of jumps and a bridge that you ride up and across, that was just a gateway into the rest of the yard.  Next came a "Skywalk" which consists of cimbing a big tree, then 13 feet up in the air they took a 2X10 and attached it to 2 trees so you climb 1, walk across this board crazy high in the air, then climb down the other tree.  I guess climbing down took too long because it wasn't long before a rope swing was added, which they could take on the way down, then the trampoline got moved under the rope swing so they could jump off and (hopefully) land on the trampoline.  My dad came over and thought the kids were training for Circ. De Soli so he dared them to learn to bounce on the trampoline and land on a platform in the tree, it took Dylan no time to master this skill.  Of course the safety net on the trampoline had to come off in order for some of these tricks to work....  The boys got really into the show American Ninja Warrier and would watch it every week then spend the next few days trying to re-create the obstacles.  They made some contraption where they would run on these big rocks that were set at an angle and your feet could never touch the ground, then you have to jump up and grab onto a bar that was suspended by rope between 2 trees and swing out on that then jump off on the other side.... that worked well until the rope broke with a small boy on it, no worries, he had a few scrapes but was back up in minutes!  They would set up the garage with boxing bag, pull up bars, sit up area's, things to jump over and spend hours with the 4 of them going through this course. 

Dylan climbing the pegboard & Zander on the rope swing

 Aiden lounging and swinging

 Aidan W. chilling in the tree and Zander and Aiden T. snuggeling

Aidan W. swinging... looks like Tarzan to me, this is pre-haircut.... and here is the after shot 

My boys, I love them so much!!

Zander had 2 weeks of swimming lessons and actually learned to swim, I am so proud of that little guy! Aidan got a hair cut, thanks to the prompting of a certain cute girl he has eyes for, and looks fantastic! Adam studied hard and took the bar exam, and I got a promotion to office manager at the real estate office I work in. Dylan and Aiden Tanner took their 1st solo (almost solo, just the 2 of them, no adults) camping trip which made me nervous but they loved it! Zander also lost his 1st 3 teeth within a week of each other, he now has the cutest smile and the funniest lisp I have heard in many years! They sure are growing up fast!


There were a couple of events that kind of rocked our world in a not so good way, the day after mothers day Adam's dad went into the E.R. with what we thought was a back problem and we found out he had stage 4 renal cancer. Our hearts were broken at this news and only 5 weeks later he passed away. He was such an amazing man who would do anything in the world to help anyone he came across. He changed me so much as a person and taught me the skills that have me in a job I love today. I hope above all else that my kids all have fantasitc memories of their pop-pop who was so loved by all of them. My mom has also had a rough go of it health-wise, she has been in the E.R. 4 times this summer and is no longer able to work which I am sure has her pretty depressed. Aidan has decided that he can ride his bike to her house to visit her and keep her on her toes, and I think she enjoys that time with just him.

Next week the boys start school, 3 boys at 3 different schools, on 3 different time schedules..... wish me luck, I might need it!!