it felt like everyone around us was mourning the end of summer, but i for one could not wait for summer to be over and the structured routine of school to start!

gabriel started at his amazing preschool and a few days later moses started kindergarten. we had our special back to school dinner before either of the first days. the boys got to chose the menu and they made special decorations for the little table in grandma’s basement.

we talked about the joys and challenges of school, and made some goals!

then we went out to the backyard for a last swing of the summer. i’m so proud of these two wonderful boys and how resilient they were through so much change, and how brave they were in starting a new life and at new schools.

gabriel, the preschooler:

here’s how i described gabriel on his first day of preschool 2021: these days, he’s very into board/card games and somersaults. he continues to have an amazing mind for puzzles and to idolise his big brother (even though he’s often a bit beat up on…). he has come to love swimming and working on writing his name. he is a sweet heart that freely shares and watches out for others, and he’s a chatterbox that is occasionally extremely particular about things. he tells everyone he spends time with the name of his school and his teachers and i am so excited to watch him grow this year. so lucky to be his mom!

that afternoon we went to play with wright cousins south of provo and we stopped at these fun posters in downtown provo. we felt like true provo-ites with the kids starting in provo schools!

moses, the kindergartener:

how i described mo as a new kindergartner: these days, he’s very into legos and superheroes. he continues to have a major sweet tooth and to give his rapt attention to any story. he can read and write sentences and enjoys doing math in his head. he is incredibly creative and loves arts & crafts. his energy is unparalleled and he has a lot of passionate opinions. he is thrilled to go to the same school his daddy teaches at and i am so excited to watch him grow this year. so lucky to be his mom.

i had to take some photos of august and eve in that same first-day spot right outside the door from the backyard into grandma’s basement. i got a couple of them both smiling, which felt like quite the feat! there was some crying, and a lot of evie crawling away (hence the last photo of only auggie, ha!).

here’s what i wrote about the babies just after their brothers had gone back to school: they are just slaying us with cuteness and they bring impossible amounts of joy to our family. eve is on the move – crawling and getting into everything. about 90% of the time she’s alarmingly quick to smile and laugh … and when she’s sad you know it. she babbles really loudly, has six teeth, loves to eat pretty much anything, and is a total tease constantly stealing her twin’s binkie or finger foods. august continues to be the chillest baby ever, and as it turns out his sweet contentedness has earned him a place in a bit of physical therapy to encourage more movement and muscle development. he is super cuddly and super smiley, loves eating slices of bread, has four teeth and is often found waving his hands like he’s conducting a symphony. when he gets in a giggly mood his chuckle is just the best thing ever. for me, having twin babies gets more and more challenging, but it also gets more and more fun. i feel so lucky to be eve & august’s mom!

the first days of school felt like a great milestone to reach and then to officially start a new chapter of life for our family.