quote of the week: priorities

I am also trying to remember this over these next few days:

"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a (wo)man should run faster than (s)he has strength."

Mosiah 4:27

braving the cold

We intended to go last week--when the weather was amazing. But, the week was crazy and it didn't happen. It is supposed to just get colder as the week goes on, so we just went. I checked the boys out a little early from school (the girls are off track) and we headed to Thanksgiving Point.

These three like spooky things, so they went in the scary clown spook alley. Drew and I waited outside because we don't do scary stuff. I like Jessi's face in this picture. I think she was having second thoughts.

She didn't love it the first time, but she and Bev decided to "face their fears" and go again. Jessi ended up going another five times. After he came out, Christian said, "some people take Halloween too far" and "clowns are creepy."

They all did the Speleo Kave--a pretty small box that they had to crawl through.

We went to watch the pig races and the announcer asked for kids to nominate the prettiest mom in the crowd. I got picked-- because my kids were the loudest. I didn't realize that I got picked to kiss a pig. The poor little guy was squealing and the crowd was yelling for me to kiss him--one guy yelled "on the snout." I wasn't about to go there, but I gave him a little peck on the head. Afterward, Drew said, "You're a good sport, Mom."

Then Bev got picked to cheer for a pig.

And Jessi got picked next.

Then we did the corn maze. It was getting cold, so we got some hot chocolate and Mike got the map on his iPhone and we headed out.

The pig snouts (prizes for participation with the pigs) were a big hit.

It was a good time and a cold time.

Solitude Lake

Great weather = another "last" hike of the year.

We watched as the sun set behind the mountain.

We went with these fun people--Katie, Courtney (and their parents.)

Drew walked around the lake, and, of course, climbed some rocks. He's that black dot in the middle.

It was a fun hike. Mother Nature rocks.

quote of the week: be present

Jessi's letter

Last night, while we watched Biggest Loser, Jessi made this "surprise" for her dad.
She sat by him and read it to him. This is the translation:

"My Family Tree"

"I love my family. My family is nice.

My favorite thing about my family is adopting me.

I'm happy that my mom and dad adopted me.

I cannot imagine anything I would want more than that, for adopting me.

Thank you."

As we all sat and listened to her express her feelings, I just thought how lucky we are to have her. I told her that I wanted to keep the letter forever. Mike told me that I better pack a Urim and Thummim too.

This morning she practiced writing the words "thank you, adopt, then and that."

As I looked at the picture of all of us, she told me that she especially liked Bev's hair over her eye. She also said that I should start wearing more bows and flowers in my hair.

time to put on my big girl pants. . .

Sorry, bad picture, but I had to snap it before I spooked Mama.

There's a mouse in the house, and these two are stalking it. Now, I like to think I am a strong, independent woman, but it's sad how quickly I become a scaredy cat when I know one of those critters has infiltrated my home.

We live next to a field, so every year when it starts getting cold, we get at least one mouse. We have people come and spray consistently. We have little high frequency buzzers that mice aren't supposed to like. They still sneak in.

I am setting a trap today. I need to buck up and deal with it like a grown up...like my grandma did when I was a little girl, and I saw her whack a mouse to death with a broom. (That memory is burned on my brain.) So, today, I am channeling Grandma B. That mouse is a gonner.

last chance hike

When we learned about the good weather this weekend, we planned a hike for Sunday afternoon. I can't think of anything I like better than hiking with these guys.

We started our hike at the end of Little Cottonwood Canyon, past Alta Resort. We intended to hike to Cecret Lake, but the trail there was muddy. So, we hiked the Albion Meadows Trail. It was a little more than three miles round-trip.

Being the leader is very important to child #4. On the way up, she kept a good 20 feet ahead of the rest of us. Anytime anyone got close to her, she picked up her pace.

Whenever we hike, Mike always challenges the kids to look for wildlife. At one point, Christian announced that he knew there were some wild animals around because. He found proof in the "droppings" on the side of the path.

The kids all touched and walked in snow for the first time this season.

Whenever we hike, they always look for a spot to "rock climb." Drew was not very enthusiastic at the beginning of the hike. Then, he saw the right spot and just took off climbing. He announced, "now this is a good hike."

Little Miss got stuck "rock climbing."

Jessi and Christian are such good hikers for being so young. About a half of a mile to the end of the hike, Jessi started to cry that her legs hurt. Mike picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. She is so independent and wants so much to be a "big girl" that she always just keeps up with the others. Mike reminded her that he used to carry the other kids when they were little.

On the way down, Bev found a new pet. She thinks she will keep it until it becomes a butterfly.

It was a perfect afternoon. I wish Fall would last longer.

football maniac

To say that Christian loves football is an understatement--it is more like obsessed. He can't wait to turn eight--not to be baptized, but because then he can play tackle football.

The night before a game, he gets his jersey, shorts and lucky BYU hat ready. He talks to Mike about the plays they will run.

Whenever we watch tv., this happens. Mike sits in the chair and plays catch with Christian. Yup, throwing footballs in the house.

At his game this week, I got some of his plays on video. He has no fear and will do anything to get a flag.

Right before I got my picture camera out, Christian dove for a flag and got hurt. He came out, got a drink and sat for a minute. Then he was ready to go back in.

"Coach, I'm ready to go in." "Coach...coach...coach." Coach (Dad) brought him in for the next play.

I love the field where they play. We can see the Jordan River Temple and the pretty mountains. This week's game began at 6:30, so the sun was setting. It made the mountains glow.

Right before half-time, our team fumbled the ball. Christian ran over, grabbed the ball and took off.

I was cheering while shooting, so the pictures are blurry.

He ran the length of the field to score.

We got these cool reflector sticker things. He wanted me to write the name of their team on them--Thunder Storm.

Mike talked to them about the plays they would be doing.

Then, on the first play after half-time, the other team kicked it off. One of our players missed it, and Christian picked it up and ran. I know it's blurry, but I love the look on his face.

He ran some more.

And, scored again.

I don't know what he will do when the season ends. His idea is hockey. My idea is a rest.

quotes of the week

This book has been on my list to read for a long time. It is quoted often by Church leaders and is on all of the lists of "most influential books ever written." So, when it was my turn to pick the book for book club, I picked it. I am so glad I did. I have never underlined so much in a book--it is full of great thoughts and insights. I loved the book and highly recommend it. There are way too many quotes to choose just one, so I am sharing a few from the chapter, "The Great Sin."

"Now what you want to get clear is that Pride is essentially competitive--is competitive by its very nature...Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If everyone else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest."

"Nearly all those evils in the world which people put down to greed or selfishness are really far more the result of Pride."

"The Christians are right: it is Pride which has Been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began. Other vices may sometimes bring people together: you may find good fellowship and jokes and friendliness among drunken people or unchaste people. But pride always means enmity--it is enmity to God."

"The devil laughs. He is perfectly content to see you becoming chaste and brave and self-controlled provided, all the time, he is setting up in you the Dictatorship of Pride....The devil loves "curing" a small fault by giving you a great one."

In describing what a humble person is, he said, "Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. he will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all."

soccer girl and other saturday activities

Back when Bev was four, we signed her up to play soccer. She hated it. She said it was too cold and that she didn't like chasing the ball. We decided it probably wasn't her thing. Then, she wanted to try dance and tumbling. After a few years, she quit those and did karate. She got back into tumbling about two years ago, and she is loving it. About that same time, Mike was coaching Andrew's soccer team, and she asked if she could play. She played with an all boys team, and had a blast. She has been playing every season since.

She plays goalie for at least half of every game. In the first game of this season, she was on the ground stopping the ball, when she got kicked in the head. I thought this would scare her and make her a little more hesitant to get in there and stop balls. It did not.

She doesn't get them all, but she gets most of them.

When she is playing goalie, and has to throw or kick the ball in, she sometimes yell out the person's name that she wants to get it. While back in goalie, she cheers for her team when they make a good play.

Saturday, her game was at 8 a.m. and it was cold.

So cold, in fact, that Kiki didn't even mind using the Utah blanket.

We then busted out of there to catch the last half of Andrew's football game.

Jessi pretty much stayed under the blanket and played with my phone.

At half-time these two ran to Kiki's flag football game. Jessi and I made it to the last half of that after Drew's game ended.

Football goes a few more weeks, but Bev and Kiki's seasons end on Saturday. I will miss watching them play, and they don't want it to be over, but we are ready for a little less craziness around here.