Building the Temple!

One afternoon, the kids worked together and built a "temple" with the extra paving stones in our backyard. They were super excited, and they all wanted a picture next to it!

Scott's 34th Birthday!

Scott turned 34 years old! Scott was able to slip home for a quick birthday lunch, and the kids were so excited to eat and celebrate with him! 

When all the kids got home from school and Scott was home from work, we got to open presents and play with all the birthday balloons!

We actually had our city power picnic for dinner (post to follow!) and then we ran home for some birthday cake!

Stake Conference

Scott and I were able to attend Saturday night session of Stake Conference together, and it was wonderful! It was our first Stake Conference together, with no babies, in years! We put the boys to sleep right before we left, and we sent everyone else downstairs with a movie. We had a phone to call us, if an emergency--and we were 5 minutes down the road (if that!).  

Summer Book Challenge!

Scott and I wanted to keep our kids reading this summer, so we offered up our summer book challenge. Each book our kids read, we would give them $1. I tried to take a picture of each book finished, but I didn't do a great job of it--here is what I have!

Macey wasn't as excited as I was about this challenge! She read a solid 3 books, and she called it good. (Although, she did power through 40 books her 5th grade school year, so maybe she was taking a well deserved break...? We are 6 weeks into the new school year, and she has already read 3 more books!)

Cooper totally took advantage of this, and he read the most books. (He also, finally, had proper motivation to try out the Percy Jackson series--and LOVED it! That success alone made this challenge worth it!) Cooper read 12 books!

Jemma read a lot, but she still hasn't found her jam. She started so many different series, but she just hasn't found a groove. She read 6 books (and started many more)!

Quinn read every night before bed...but he couldn't remember what books he read or when he read them! So...we averaged that he read around 10 books!

Corn Harvest!

It was a strange year to have a garden! We were working new land, in our new home, figuring out planter boxes, and trying to get watering down to a science! The last two weeks before harvest, we watched as our corn just started to die in rows. I was so afraid that we weren't going to get much off our stalks. And then, for the first time...ever, we had 2-3 ears of corn on almost every plant. And, it was good looking corn--not a lot of hilbilly corn cobs. I think we counted 60 cobs of corn! Blessings! The kids always love to help with corn harvest--it's fun to watch their excitement! 

Lucy's Kindergarten Testing!

 The first day of school (for the big kids) was also Lucy's Kindergarten testing day. Lucy and I got to sneak away, just the two of us! She did so well with testing. She was a little nervous at first, so her teacher had her run to her letter rug and sit on the correct letter. After that, Lucy seemed to open up just fine!

First Day of School!

 The first day of school arrived! Everyone was SO excited to go to school! 

Macey started 6th grade! Middle schoolers aren't allowed to bring backpacks around the school, and they all have a giant binder that holds their supplies! She also gets to tote her lunch, gym bag and flute to her locker every day!

Macey was given a father's blessing before school started. I just kept thinking about how grown up she is getting! I could feel the blessing was for her, and I feel could feel her connection to it. The biggest take away was her counsel to look for and identify the ways that the Holy Ghost speaks to her. She was urged to establish that relationship--especially because this is the school year where she will be attending the temple for the first time. She was also told that as she walked the halls of the middle school, she would be blessed to have "angels on her right and her left". As she becomes connected to the temple this year, she will feel more connected to her ancestors who have gone on before. They will be the angels that accompany her down the halls of her middle school every day.

We did one last glance through Macey's binder, and I found this picture of Jesus Christ slipped in her pockets. I asked, "what is this there for?", and she told me that she wanted to hang it up in her locker so if she was having a hard day, she could look at Him and feel better. This girl! She is so good!

Cooper is starting 4th grade! He is officially the oldest Bagley at the elementary school! Cooper has Mrs. Smith this year. He was SO ready to go back to school. He had been waiting for this day all summer long! Cooper is my kid that loves school and learning. 

Cooper's father's blessing before school started blessed him to become a leader. He was counseled to search for people in the scriptures that he admired and then write down what qualities made them good leaders. He would not be afraid to stand up for other people and he would succeed this school year.

Jemma Caroline is in 3rd grade! Her teacher is Mrs. Tanner. She was excited to get back to school, but she was also a little nervous too. She didn't know too many people in her class this year. I wasn't too worried about her! Jemma is always quick to make friends!

Jemma's father's blessing before school was hard. Maybe she interpreted it differently, but her blessing talked about how hard this school year would be for her. She would struggle, but it would be okay. She was blessed with the Holy Ghost when she was baptized, and He would be there to help when things were hard. It's never easy to hear that someone is going to struggle--you are supposed to protect your kid from this! She was blessed to learn another way this year, and that would benefit her for the rest of her life.

Our buddy Quinn is in 1st grade! He is so quiet, until he feels comfortable with the situation. I still worry about sending him into new situations (that's what moms do...worry, right?!). Quinn made a buddy at the end of last year. They had a couple play dates this summer, and we were so glad that he had a buddy in his class!

Quinn's flather's blessing before school started tore out my heart a little bit too. Quinn is so quiet, and if we aren't careful, Quinn easily slides through the cracks. We try to purposefully check in on him, because he doesn't offer up information like everyone else does! His blessing counseled him to watch for those around him that need a friend--and become their friend. He was told that he knew what it was like to be alone, so to search out others who were alone, and be their friend. He was told that all he had experienced was for a reason, and he would become who Heavenly Father needed him to be because of it.

Harper was CONVINCED she was going to school with the big kids! She was CONVINCED she was going to preschool--she still is--4 weeks into the school year! We have had SO many talks about it. That first day of school was hard for her. All of her friends from the summer went to school and left her. It was a good thing that Lucy stayed home that first week of school, or it would have been even harder! Every day, she packs that pink back pack with "her kids". We put a snack inside, just like her siblings, and she has it as a morning snack!

Oh, and Owen and Charlie were there too! They didn't really notice anything too different!

A picture of Quinn and his friend Luke!

Jemma's 3rd grade class under the balloon arch! (She is right in the middle!)