Last post was about our start of school and here we are with nearly 2 months under our belts. Without a doubt, gone are the lazy days of summer! Just in the last month, we have run from scouts to soccer to tennis to tumbling to dance to play practice to diving to activity days to piano...and that's just the kids extra curriculars! Phew!
We got to start out the month with one of our favorite annual traditions-Snowbird! While we don't own a time share, we love to enjoy the generosity of others! Ha!
We swam, played on the playground, slept over, watched movies, walked, ate a lot, played games and hiked. Dave tagged along on the big boys (nice way of saying 'old guys') hike! Just kidding, they left Dave eating their dust, I hear. This is Dave, Jason and my cousins Craig and Mike. Chris must be the photographer. He is the yearly hike organizer and each hike is always a doozy. Chris had Dave believing they were leaving at 5am and you should have heard the grumbling at our house! Everyone got a good laugh when Dave found out it was actually a 7am departure time.
Later that week, I went with Paige and my mom to Denver to visit Brad's family and go to Time Out For Women. We had a short busy visit listening to messages and being uplifted. I can't get over how Alofa thinks she is a human baby. She gets carried around on Haley's hip like a toddler... a very heavy, hairy toddler.
Dave and the kids were delighted with the surprises and treats I brought back. We found a really fun candy store downtown (right next to the 8th medicinal marijuana shop on the block!). The store had outrageous novelty sweets and snacks. There were tons of popcorn flavors-dill pickle, beer, birthday cake to name a few-not mixed together, of course! I came home with bacon flavored mints and cheddar flavored crickets. Each of us tried the crickets...I was the only one to gag!
Dave was gone for a lot of the month-traveling to Michigan for a football game, Spokane and DC for work. He got back just in time to attend a football game with Grant and Brent and Max and Carl who were in town for general conference. Katelee also got a football game with Dave last week.
As we all seem to feel, we have been running, running, running. Dave and I are not great at making time for dates with each other, but we got a babysitter one night and ditched the kids while we went to the state fair. I felt a little guilty going without them, but we had a great time. We enjoyed the people watching, the crafty buildings, the cows as big as a house, we could not enter the pig den...we tried but the stench was too much! Dave is not a big carnival ride kind of guy, but he agreed to go on one. I picked the tall 'Zipper' that encloses two people in a cage, spins around really high, making the cages rotate upside down quickly. I was SHOCKED when he said he would do it with me, but totally stoked. He went to buy tickets, I saved our place in line and met a dad and son waiting behind us. The dad left for a few minutes and I watched the little boy for him. As we got closer to the ride, Dave and Nathaniel (my new 6 year old best friend) started talking about the ride. Then, Nathaniel's dad joined in. The dad and Dave started to get cold feet. This ride was no joke, neither did it look too reliable. Dave, ever the negotiator, started to propose and idea that if he could sell his ticket, perhaps I would enjoy being locked in a cage with this unfamiliar 6 year old.
I laughed at his proposal, sure it was a joke, but no. The dad and Dave agreed that was the best plan. And that's how my date shuffled me off to a stranger.
As we entered our cage, I was just shaking my head and laughing. We rode up and did fine, but when those little baskets started spinning, we had one unhappy 6 year old. I was certain I was about to be puked on by someone else's kid as I was locked in a metal cage rocking upside down. I rubbed this boys back and my thoughts raced between, 'I'm gonna kill Dave.' "This is a wild ride!" to "Poor boy, it will be okay." to "Is it awkward that I am hugging this crying child?" to "Why did his parents do this to me?!" But, we survived and Nathaniel told me he will NEVER ride that again!
Our own boy has been busy finishing up his soccer season with the Smurfs. While the name of Smurfs matches the blue uniform, it seemed a little fluffy to me. However, we are so glad that was the chosen name and not "Devil Kitties" like Grant suggested. This team is so great! The coaches, whom we have had before are so positive and encouraging and really push the kids as well. Our team is a U11 team and their division plays U11 as well as U12 teams, so while it looked like some of the other teams may either eat them or plow them right over, the Smurfs fought hard each game.
Grant also earned his WEBELO! He will be getting his Arrow of Light this month. He has been a super scouter!
Balancing school and family life and homework and activities is hard. The times we are home and together, I want to be positive and filled with love. I want my kids to feel confident and supported so when they are out in the world, they never doubt their value. Brenna's kindergarten schedule has been great but challenging for her. She asked me one day if I knew what the word 'lonely' meant because sometimes she feels like that at school. Break my heart into a million pieces. I want the world to be nice to my loves and yet, I know it won't always happen. I am so grateful we had general conference last week. I do not doubt the love our Heavenly Father and Savior have for each of us. Their have answers and guidance ready for us through revelation and prayer, scriptures, apostles and prophets and especially the personal relationship through the Holy Ghost. I want all my kids to know that. Brenna did take notes and while her notes said the following...'dear president Monson you are friends with me'....dear Henry B Eyring you are handsome...'dear Russell M Nelson you are a big fan of me' (I asked her if she meant she is a fan of him, and nope, she meant it that way)...she still felt good listening during conference! How I love this little family of mine!
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