Happy Birthday, Zach!!

My first born turned 12 yesterday! Now, I really feel old! Zach has been such a sweet kid. I am very proud to have him as a son. What a great helper and great friend to all!

I let the kids each pick out one present for Zach. Kacie picked out this over-sized, lighted, pink clapper. She insisted. I thought it was too funny. Zach was super sweet and acted really excited about getting it. By the look on his face, that was a real stretch to do! But, like I said--he's such a sweetheart!

Happy Birthday, Zach! We are sure blessed to have you in our lives! Thanks everyone for the gifts and phone calls!

Happy Halloween!

We had a fun night carving pumpkins yesterday. Nate and Kacie had fun drawing faces on apples. Somehow the pumpkins all ended up looking alike--guess they were all from the same family!

Completed works of art!

Nothing says Halloween and pumpkin carving like a good caramel apple!

Cleaning out the pumpkins is always the worst part!

Pumpkins (and apples) are finally done!

Have a great Halloween everyone!

Football Season

Its a new year of football for Zach and Brayden. They both love to play and I enjoy watching them. Both teams have a winning record. Brayden's team is heading to the playoffs and Zach's team will go if they win their next game. Just thought I'd share a few pictures of my cute football players.

I am the lucky one who gets to wash these uniforms--thank goodness for bleach!

Zach is playing defensive end here--I think.

Father and son. Brett is able to help coach Brayden's team this year. I think he really likes it and so does Brayden. I give Brett a hard time about wearing a red Madison cap. Brayden's team stomped Sugar this year, so I think that makes it a little easier to wear the Madison hat.


Don't mess with me, man!
Brayden, ready for action at safety!

Too Funny!

My kids are always making me laugh. I usually don't write down or document in any way all the funny things they do. I decided to get this one on the record. Haley was playing down at the pond at the entrance of our subdivision. It was getting close to dinner time so I was going to get in the car and drive down to get her. I didn't need to when I saw her walking home. I called to her to run cause it was time to eat. She started running--a little slow and awkwardly I thought. When she got closer I realized why she was running slow and awkward. She was wearing pants that can roll up and become capris. The straps to button the pants up were tied together. My first thought was that the neighbor boys who she was with had tied her pants together and she couldn't get them untied--and how dare they do such a mean thing to sweet Haley. However, she informed me that she did it to herself because she wanted to wade in the pond without getting her pants wet. So, instead of rolling them up and buttoning them how they were designed to do, she rolled them up and tied the straps together. They got wet, and she pulled them too tight and she couldn't untie them. She walked the 1/2 mile back to the house like that--like a penguin! Maybe it's just me and the sight of seeing her waddle up to the house, but it cracked me up!


Love you, Haley!!

Weekend Getaway!

I had the chance to go to Sun Valley with my mom and sister this last weekend. We decided to meet up there for a little getaway. While we were there we participated in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society fun run/walk. My grandma Josephine Luman died in her early sixties from MS. I was only 2 and so don't have any memories of her. We talked about grandma as we walked and I learned a lot about her. She taught school with her sister in a two-room school house in Kansas after high school. Later, she joined the army where she was a dietitian and also where she met her husband. She was an intelligent lady which explains why my mom is also very intelligent. It was a fun time even though it rained on us most of the way. Besides the fundraiser walk we did the usual "girly" things. We went to the spa, did some shopping and saw the movie "The Women".

Here is the 3 of us before the walk (and rain) started.

The mountains were beautiful! This picture doesn't do them justice. Thank you mom and Laura for a great weekend! Debi and Anjela--we missed you! There's always next year!

Pocahantas

Isn't every girl a princess? This was a fun quiz to take. Thanks Brigit for sharing! I am questioning its accuracy because I don't think I really fit the description--do you?

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

What princess are you?
http://www.greatestjournal.com/quiz.bml?Q=16354

September Birthdays

Nate had his fifth birthday on Sep. 4. He and a neighbor friend are playing with the bubble BBQ he got. The kids had a great time making and then chasing the bubbles.

Brayden turned 10 on the 12th. We took a group of his friend to Green Canyon to swim. He has some really great boys for friends. They had a blast swimming. You can imagine the "chaos" at the pool with 6 boys playing football in the water. Sorry if any of you were there and got totally splashed!