madalyn's first day...

madalyn's first day of...being alone in the afternoon. it's really not too different for her because she goes down for her nap right after wesley leaves and wakes up when they get home. BUT, she was still enjoying all the excitment of this "first day" business and wanted her turn in front of the camera!


madalyn - 2 years old with a gatorade mustache.

wesley's first day of school

wesley also started school on monday. he goes to preschool mondays, wednesdays, and thursdays. he loves it already! but it's torture waiting for noon to get here before it's his turn to go to school!


wesley-4 years old

such a handsome boy! when did he get so big?

little chick preschool. he had no reservations about walking right into school. he's ready! and excited to make new friends. he is especially happy his friend from church, macoy, will be there with him

owen's first day of school

owen started school on monday. his first day of 1st grade. he has been counting down ALL SUMMER to when he doesn't have to take naps anymore.


owen-6 years old

so excited!

sitting at his new desk. right in the front row.

his teacher's name is mr. mckinney. and owen seems to like him alot. two of owen's favorite people are in this class with him: his neighbor and best friend, carson, and his good friend from kindergarten, elijah (i grew up with his mom).

i think it will be a great year for owen! as soon as he learns how to operate on less sleep. (;

batgirl?

madalyn takes after the boys in the fact that she LOVES to dress up. here she is in her favorite tutu and the batman hat/cape. usually she throws on a bandanna and cowboy hat to give it a little more personality. (:

madalyn

really...does it get any sweeter?

gmr

the pink team - maddy, kevin, wes, ellie, me, gabby, kayla, and grandma freidenberger

the purple team - brandon, collin, natalie, emily, sami, halle, charles, and jamis

racing our boats

the pink team building our boat




pink team devouring the ice cream sundae. good thing we had kayla! she was unstoppable!



the red team won! it was such a great race. everyone was VERY competetive and that made it even more fun. at times opposing teams were blocking exits with vehicles, or doing their best to try and lose "lost followers" (because some of us had no idea where some of these locations were) by leading them through alleys and sharp turns, and there was even a flat out wrestling match in the cemetary (see dirty pants above). it was AWESOME!

thanks hollingsworths (and everyone who helped) for making this such a memorable reunion!

gmr

"meeting strangers" in certain sections of walmart. interviewing them and getting our picture taken together.

ice-blocking down the hill on campus

justin enjoying lunch

one of the tasks was to purchase lunch items while trying to keep the total cost closest to mom and dad's wedding year and then bring it to a park to share. the teams that succeded in nailing the the total got a three minute lead once the game resumed after lunch. there was quite an assortment of food: produce, arby's, mcdonald's, fried chicken. it was great!

gmr

the prize! the traveling gnome was awarded to the winning team!

all of us figuring out our game plan when our clues led us to the transit station.

racing through walmart

not moving quite as fast as the red team...but, still moving. (;

gmr

the orange team - megan, blake, keagen, micah, melissa, and dad

part of the red team - jaram and kate

part of the green team - ben, spencer, and blake

part of the purple team - emily and collin

gregg manwaring family reunion

the second weekend of august marked the 9th gregg manwaring family reunion. katie and chris were in charge and did an AMAZING JOB!

we all invaded logan, UT that friday afternoon/evening. we were each in charge of picking up a large pizza to share. we had the best of logan's pizza joints represented. it made for great taste testing and an awesome dinner. it's just not friday with the manwaring's with out pizza for dinner. (;


natalie and her pup charlie

blake and melissa

after dinner we packed up and drove to the martin harris pagent in clarkston, UT. the weather was perfect for us and it was fun to be together.

saturday morning the boys woke up bright and early and did 9 holes of golf together. and then we all enjoyed a fantastic breakfast of eggs, bacon, pancakes, hash browns, and fruit.

after we fueled up on food we were told to surrender all our electronics (cell phones, ipads, gps) and then divided into teams. they then pulled off the greatest AMAZING RACE throughout logan, utah. the race started at 11 and ended around 4. it was so much fun. we raced through puzzles, to the transit station, onto buses, into stores, through museums & cemeteries, up hills (and down on ice blocks), through fast food drive thrus, searched for parks, built boats and raced them down streams, and devoured ice cream sundae's that filled a kitchen sink. (; it was a blast and they pulled it off so well.

the city of logan was good to us as well. it must have been crazy watching 40 people with different bandannas on rushing through various places. but, everyone was mostly entertained and nice to us. especially the bus driver who teased us with which doors he would be opening first and the mcdonalds manager who KINDLY held up my brother's-in-law car at the drive-thru while we left him the dust. (: it was FANTASTIC!

surrendering our electronics (for some this was VERY difficult)

mom was on the blue team

holley manwaring family reunion

this past weekend was the holley manwaring family reunion (my dad’s parents). my aunt eja and uncle neal were in charge and did a great job. the theme  was “reminisce and remember” which is something my 93 year old grandma LOVES to do! AND something we LOVE to do with our grandma.

it was held in blackfoot, ID. a place that holds a LOT of history for our family. my ENTIRE little family was sick for the thursday night and friday night gatherings but we managed to make it for the saturday activities.

we missed the yummy breakfast but made it right in time for the bus ride. YEP, they chartered two school buses that took us around town and the outskirts of blackfoot to see important landmarks and hear great stories about how my grandparents met, homes they grew up in, raised families in, danced in, worked in, and played in. I LOVED IT!

brandon, collin, and emily

dad and mom

madalyn’s first bus ride. she was such a good girl during this long ride.

jarom, alyssa, and elena

amber, justin, and truman

our bus load – such a fun ride!

a pound and a thumbs up! owen and ogden

wesley’s first bus ride

halle and ellie

truman really had a great time on this bus ride…until they had to put the windows up because he almost crawled out. (;

baby amelia…the newest gregg manwaring family member

I even managed to get a little smile on camera

the matriarch – grandma eva

these cousins had a great time riding together

ogden, carter, owen, and wesley

 

after our tour and some lunch we went and played in the water for awhile. the kids had a great time and the weather was perfect!

alyssa and halle were so good to help keep an eye (and arms) close to madalyn as she was as fearless as EVER! wish I would have thought to bring her life jacket.

madalyn and halle

madalyn

owen

madalyn really did love the water! I guess she has spent a good amount of time in it this summer and is feeling a little too comfortable. time for swimming lessons I guess.

they also had a LOT of fun in the sand

alyssa and madalyn

soaking their feet in their mud bath

madalyn, wesley, halle, owen, carter, and alyssa