No More Diapers!!!!!

I swore that I would never do a potty training post, but I am so excited that I just have to say no more diapers at the Houghton house.  Ethan has mastered using the toilet all in one week.  YEAH! 

Kenadee and Conner Start School

The first day of school has come.  Kenadee and Conner are both in school.  I can't believe summer is over.  Ethan may as well enroll  since I am at the school almost every day and he has to be dragged along with me.  Somehow I got roped into being on the PTA board as the treasurer.  I am so glad that my kids love school.  They have both said that they wished it was longer.  Let's see how long that lasts.

Kenadee's 7th Birthday

Kenadee has turned 7 years old.  It scares me to think of how fast she is growing up.  She reminds me so much of me and that is the scariest part of all.  She is totally independent and does not like to be told what to do.  I have a feeling that her teenage years might be a little rocky, but we love her just the same.  She is my my little sidekick.  She comes along with me where ever I go.  I can't explain how much this girl means to me.  She had to have a great big birthday party and invited 12 girls.  Talk about crazy, but she had lots of fun.  Then we met up with all of the family at the park to continue the celebration 

Yellowstone

The kids and I headed down to Yellowstone with out Kyle this year.  He had to work and the kids just could not miss the chance to go.  We met up with the rest of my family and had a lot of fun.  Kenadee and Conner fed the bears.  We saw tons of wildlife.  Of course we had to see Old Faithful but, I think the best part for them was that all their cousins were there.  Thanks Bruce for letting us stay at your place. 

Lagoon

Grandma and Grandpa Houghton took Kenadee and Conner to Lagoon for the Westland Construction work party.  They have not stopped talking about it since.  They had so much fun.  As you can see from the last picture the were completely worn out.

Swimming at Grandma Georgia's

We have had some great times this summer swimming in my mom's pool.  It is said to see summer coming to an end.  Kenadee is my little fish and can stay in the water all day.  She is a great swimmer.  Conner really mastered swimming this year.  He is solid as a brick and I didn't know if he would ever be able to float, but he finally figured it out.  Ethan will get in for about five minutes and then he is done and just wants to run around and look for bugs.  

HORSE RIDE AT GRANDPA'S

Kenadee loves horses or any animal for that matter.  She'll take any chance she can get to ride at Grandpa's house.  Conner and Ethan don't mind the horses.  They will ride here and there, but Kenadee is my true cowgirl.  Grandpa took her on her own special ride for her birthday.  She rode out of the arena and up the mountain on her own horse.  I think that was the best birthday present she got.

EIGHT YEARS DOWN ETERNITY TO GO

This is Kyle and I eight years ago.  We thought we knew everything, but really we had know idea what was ahead of us.  We recently just celebrated our anniversary and it got me thinking about how I became Ellen Houghton.  We definitely shocked everyone when we started dating.  People would do a double take when they saw us together.  I remember being at a bridal shower and the girls there were talking about how Kyle was dating someone new and could you believe that he wasn't marrying his high school girlfriend.  I just sat there and didn't say a word.  I wasn't ready to say that I was the new girl.  A while back I handed my debit card to a cashier and she looked at it funny and said, "your last name is Houghton" and I said yes.  She was confused because she thought that I had married someone else.  It is funny to think about how surprised everyone was but truthfully I think Kyle and I were more surprised than anyone.  Neither one of us had each other in their long term plans of life but here we are eight years and three kids later.  I feel very blessed for what I have.  I am very lucky to have Kyle in my life.  He takes his role as husband and father very seriously.  I continue to look forward to what the upcoming years will bring.