Cub Scouts, Here we come!

We officially entered the world of Scouting when Davis turned 8. It has definitely been a whole new world for me, but thanks to my Scouting Pro sister-in-law, Stacy, she has walked me through the entire program. She went to the Scout store and picked up everything for me...the shirt, the scarf, the book, the belt, the patches, etc. There's so much to know! Stacy even told me where to put the patches, and unfortunately told me the wrong place for one of the patches, (though she insists she didn't.) During a pack meeting, the boys were all lined up in front when I noticed one of Davis' patches was completely in the wrong place. Stacy was sitting next to me and we started laughing so hard we could not stop for about 10 minutes. It was so funny and so embarassing! (And if you think I have gotten around to fixing it, you're wrong.) Davis has loved every minute of Cub Scouts so far. I just can't believe how many more years of Scouting I have to go......

This was the Raingutter Regatta where the boys had to make their own boats and sail (blow) them across the raingutter. It was very exciting and so fun to have his cousin, Ben, there to compete against.


To see some exciting competition, click on the video below. He first competes against his friend, Zack, and then his cousin, Ben.

Healthy Competition

"Tantalizing Tastebuds"

For those of you who know my sister-in-law, Melissa, KNOW that she is the most amazing cook. Well, I am pleased to announce that she is finally doing what we have always encouraged her to do... sell her yummy treats! She started a blog to advertise, but is only selling it locally right now. Check it out at tantalizeyourtastebuds.blogspot.com

The Phantom of the Opera!

We finally got to see "Phantom" with our tickets Don gave me for our anniversary in February. I hadn't seen the production since I saw it in High School (in the super cheap seats). We had amazing seats this time and even got to move up to the third row with Don's parents after the intermission. I have loved and listened to the music since high school and it was a spectactular show. The costumes were beyond amazing, and the music was incredible. I loved it!
Don's siblings and their spouses were all there, too but we were spread out all over the theater. Don and I were actually on our way to a little getaway that weekend, so we stayed in Seattle that night and flew to Dallas, Texas the following morning to decide if Don would take a job offer out there. It was such a great trip for us! We definitely needed some time together as Don had been traveling so much. And since the sun was shining in Texas, we decided we'd take the offer! (Well, the sun wasn't the determining factor, but it definitely helped!)

In Memory...

When we returned from my sister, Ginger's, Memorial Service, Don's parents came over and brought us a beautiful tree for us to plant in Ginger's name. I was so touched by this sweet gesture. We were anxious to plant it, but knew that we would probably be moving some time soon and didn't want to plant it in our yard and then have to leave it there. So, we asked Don's parents if we could plant it in their yard, knowing that their lives were a bit more stable than ours. And we knew we would always be back to visit them so we would get to see the tree grow and thrive.


It was a sweet experience for me to see my husband and children each take their turns to dig the hole. It began to get dark before we were finished digging, so Don sent us all into the house and finished it himself. I remember peeking through the window to check on his progress only to find him sitting beside the tree just weeping.


I love to see that tree each time I go to Don's parents home and know that it is alive and thriving, just as Ginger still is.

First day of School and Derek!

Yes, I am just now posting my first day of school pictures! I am trying to catch up, okay?

The kids were very excited for their first day back as always...the new backpacks and pencils, shoes, and lunch boxes. Everything was so clean and nice! Ginger was starting 6th grade, Gillian 5th, Davis 3rd, and Ryan Jane was my little 1st grader! I was happy to be keeping my 3 year old Ethan home with me, debating whether or not I would be doing a co-op preschool with him. That first day back was so sad for him. He was Davis' little buddy all summer long and sure missed him. It hadn't even been an hour before he started asking if it was time to pick up the kids. Then he proceeded to ask every 5 minutes for the rest of the day. Poor kid. Several times during the day he would head upstairs for a minute, then be back down. I had wondered what he was doing, but didn't find out until I went into the boy's room and found one peanut butter cracker and one pretzel on Davis' pillow. At first I was mad that Ethan had been eating in his room and had even dropped some of his snack, but then realized he had purposely placed them there. When I asked him about it, he said, "I'm saving them for my brother". So sweet!
The kids woke up that first day of school to Uncle Derek! Derek is my youngest brother who currently lives in Utah. He had come into town for a few days for a visit and the kids were so sad to be leaving him for the day, even if they were anxious to start school.
We had so much fun with Derek here. We packed in the fun, probably exhausting Derek in the process. We took him on a ferry ride into Seattle and spent the day at Pike's Market. He came out to eat with us on our traditional first day of school dinner out. He was here for our Stake Conference and even taught our Family Home Evening lesson for us on Monday night, which was inspiring and sweet. We have missed Derek so much and absolutely loved having him all to ourselves. I just had no idea how much that boy could eat!

We also took Derek to the BYU game against the University of Washington. It was an incredible, exciting game and a beautiful day as well. The game got tight there at the end, but BYU came out victorious! Stacy, Steve, his dad, and our friends, Danielle and TJ, joined us, too. Ah, the good 'ole days at BYU!

Labor Day

It's tradition to gather together as a family for days like Labor Day or Memorial Day and spend the day barbecuing and enjoying the outdoors. We lucked out with beautiful weather and Craig put together a huge Triathlon for all of us to participate in. There were contests for everything...from shooting the most baskets...to throwing a football the farthest...to putting a golf ball...to running a mini marathon, etc. It was quite competitive as you can only imagine with the group we were with and a lot of fun.

We also celebrated the September and October birthdays. Always a must for family gatherings.

Isn't this the best shot of Ethan? It cracks me up!