Saturday Mornings

This is how we spend our Saturdays in the fall and spring--going to Jordan's soccer games. We had exceptional weather and an exceptionally good game. Here's the loudest mom on the sidelines. Crazy lady.

Jordan is celebrating with Isaac for scoring a much-needed goal.

I love this next shot. It's of Jordan trying to block a kick.

I guess I can understand why he's tired after a game because he runs so much.

Loving the Last Days of Summer, part 2

It's always a treat to visit Bryce Canyon. This is definitely one of God's majestic works of art. The only way to really experience Bryce is by hiking among the "hoodoos." We h iked a trail that took us down to the bottom of the canyon where we were able to walk under tons of rock, thru a slot canyon and zig zag our way back up to the top. Of course, the younger bodies zipped up the trail much faster than the old ones. We definitely got our cardio workout. It was so worth it. I want to go again and hike more of the trails.




End of summer also means more fruit from my trees. With the help of Allie, I've bottled peaches, have 24+ bags of frozen peaches in the freezer, not to mention the raspberries and nectarines. Becki and I just love nectarine cobbler. I can literally eat 1/2 a pan in a day. Apples are next and I'm going to bottle chunky applesauce next week. That's another treat I love...baked apples with cool whip. Sooooo good!

Math 1050 is giving my older kids a lot of study time at the table. I'm sure many of you can attest, there's a lot of groaning. But I'm very proud of them for doing this. It is a great example for Jordan. They constantly are telling him, "Jord, make sure you take as many classes as you can in high school so you don't have to do this when you're out of high school!"

Loving the Last Days of Summer

I have a love/hate relationship with Labor Day Weekend. I love the colors of autumn and anxious for the really hot weather to be done with, and yet I feel sad to see the summer come to an end. I guess because it means another school year is starting, another year is coming to an end, and I'm getting a year older. Anyway, our family LOVED this Labor Day weekend. Check it out.



I've got lots more pictures to work up and do. I'll try to get them on here in between mom duties.

Girls Will Be Girls and Boys Will Be Boys

Even in the puppy world there are differences in the way each gender acts. Take Maisey, for instance. Here she is, fresh from her grooming appointment. It's as if the photographer is saying, "work it, work it." As her hair is gently caught in the breeze she demurely looks over her shoulder to give us the "I am beautiful, aren't I?" look.
Then there is Cohen--Becki's dog.





He is definitely like most males. There's 2 things he thinks of. You know what the 1st is, and the second is food. And he LOVES food. Dinner is snarfed down in less than 20 seconds while Maisey might take 5 - 10 minutes to eat hers. Thanksgiving or family get-togethers are his favorite because he gets to eat all the food the little kids drop on the floor. We have discovered he likes to get his 5 a day in. He loves lettuce and broccoli. Cohen has a summertime favorite--watermelon. He will wolf that down too, seeds and all. Oh, and peach pits also.

Water We Been Up To?

As you can tell by my title, getting wet has been included in many of our activities. Jordan survived scout camp 101. I know it was successful because he earned 5 merit badges, came home tired with a collection of mosquito bites and a bag full of dirty clothes.
The family has enjoyed being out on the kayaks so much. Almost every Friday Mark & a son or 2 have gone to Pineview to beat the heat. Usually I found a good reason to stay home; shopping, laundry, too hot, etc. But I caved and went along on the last trip. I must admit, I thought it was much more fun than laundry or shopping. What was I thinking?

Jordan and his neighborhood friends have made their trips to the swimming pools, practiced belly flops, and had balloon water fights as well. Such are the joys of summer. None of us are really ready to see it come to an end. Why does summer seem so short and winter so long?

Reverting To My Childhood

I've had the same mountain bike for close to 20 years. It has gotten me where I've wanted to; it has served it's purpose. Naturally, with something that has been around that long, it tended to not always be in the best working condition. Last year when Dan bought his new mountain bike and I took it out for a couple of rides, I was amazed at how much nicer it is to ride a newer bike with better gears, brakes, seat, etc.

So a few weeks ago Mark & I went out "just looking" for a new bike for me. (You know where this is going.) Aaron hooked us up with one of his buddies who happens to work at a bicycle shop. He gave us a super deal on a new bike. I just love it. Despite the hot weather, we have still managed to get some rides in. Some of the new subdivisions around our house have lots of walking paths, plus there are 2 relatively new trails close by also that go for miles. This makes it incredibly easy to get a good ride in without having to fear for your life on the streets and roads.

Sometimes when I'm out there riding my thoughts go back to my childhood when I was riding my bike up and down gravel roads. Oh, blacktop is so much nicer. This time I'm not wiping out and pulling gravel out of my knees. It's much more enjoyable this time around. It does a body good.

Say, Ahhhhhhhh!

I would say I have hit the jackpot. Ahhhhhhh! I've got tons of apricots on my tree, peaches are plentiful on my one tree and my loaded raspberry bushes are beginning to ripen. That's one of the things I like about summer. Yeah, the peach fuzz itches after I've picked the peaches, and the raspberry bushes have scratched my hands and arms. But it's all worth it. Peach cobbler, peach and raspberry jam, dried apricots, raspberry & peaches w/cottage cheese. Am I making your mouth water?