September

I've been teaching Hayden's Sunbeams class, this year, which has been a lot of fun. The Primary Presidency decided to call a young couple to be their new teachers, but wanted to transition them in/me out so as not to cause too many traumatic problems for the sunbeams. So, I got to teach with the new young couple for a few weeks. This one week, the lesson was about ways we can help take care of our home. I brought toy brooms, dishes, a wash cloth and duster, etc. Then kids got to pretend clean. Then, for added fun, Brother Yates challenged them to walk around the room balancing all this stuff on their heads. Haha, it was pretty funny! Hayden did amazing and kept it on his head the whole way across the room...while sweeping.

 Labor Day Triathlon! The kids were still recovering from the long weekend of camping in the woods and not getting nearly enough sleep. I couldn't bring myself to wake them up and drag them to another race, early in the morning. So Brian went by himself, and I drove up separately, once the kids woke up. By the time we got there, he was already on the running portion.

Our area got hit with mosquitoes really badly, for a few weeks. It was so bad at school, that they started having indoor recess! (That and because of smoke, some days too)

One morning, Katie came to me and said "did you see my unmatched eyes?" A little confused, I looked over at her and saw that she had one totally swollen eye! From a mosquito bite!

It stayed swollen for DAYS! Poor thing.

 Hayden started his online preschool, as well, and already knows so many letters! He is doing so well!

 Getting ready for the school carnival auction. I got stuck wrapping each basket. It was a long night.

 But the view from the house we were working at was amazing!

 Donuts and cousins! We had Granddaddy and all my local siblings come to Krispy Kremes and then hit up the park for family night. It was a really nice evening.

 We got to babysit my two nieces. This little Sophia munchkin kept pulling herself up on the couch, I couldn't believe it! She's so tiny!

 Rachel decided to use some scrap would and make a little shed for herself in one of our window wells. I made her saw the board herself. It was pretty cute. Okay, I did help. But she worked hard on this project of hers.

 Renaissance Academy Fall Carnival!

 We had this magical afternoon, when the kids were all just enjoying each others company. I was so happy to hear their happy voices and see them getting along so well.

 Maliya and Rachel were playing some sort of race to get chips. I'm not sure.

 Katie found this stray cat hanging around our house (it was kind enough to catch a mouse in our garage, for us!), and she insisted I take a picture of it by the pretty flowers.

 Our peach tree has grown like crazy, this year. So crazy, that it got too big and half of it ripped in the wind. We taped it back together, staked it, and trimmed a LOT of excess branches off, so that it wouldn't catch the wind, quite so much.

 Hayden loves helping dad with projects.

 Smores with friends!

 And a beautiful sunset.

 Katie had her VIP day and got her book full of compliments from her classmates. This is one of my very favorite traditions in Mrs Dominguez's class!

 And, apparently, Maliya wanted to jump in with Katie and make a crazy face...nothing new.

 We had a friend of Brian's from work and his family over for s'mores. Wouldn't be complete without swinging on the rope hanging from the neighbors pergola...

 Hayden continues to do so well with school! He got through the capitol letters and already knows several of the lower case versions.

 Field trip to the Dino mueseum with Rachel!

 Brian's companion in his 11 year old scout calling got released and the replacement...doesn't come. Which means that we all get to scout as a whole family :) Hey, girls are supposed to be able to join scouts now anyway, right? ;) They were doing a fitness thing this night.

 Mother Daughter Activity Days evening. The girls got to show some things they have done in Activity Days this year and enjoy treats. To avoid problems for people who have gluten intolerance, all the food was gluten free. It included lots of fruit and two kinds of cookies: both were oat cookies. Maliya is allergic to oats. She decided to suffer the consequences and have her very first-ever-in-her-life no bake cookie.

 We painted the shed. Painting is -apparently- the one chore that all kids are happy to help with...and sadly, parents are less excited about kids helping with that one in particular. I did let them each take a turn with my brush, though. While I relaxed in a camp chair and watched...

 Get that girl to work! We have revamped our chore system a few times in the last year. Currently, they have a cup full of Popsicle sticks that have a chore and an associated monetary value for that chore written on each one. They have to do 3 chores, but they can choose which ones. If they want more money, they can choose harder chores. If they just want to be done fast so they can do other things, they can choose easier chores that aren't worth as much. Also, they have to have their room clean before they can pick. First person with a clean room gets first pick of the chores. It's working out pretty well, I think.

 When the kids get my phone:

 And don't forget one of dad, wrapped in a blanket and ready for morning prayers.

 Sitting and waiting for mom to come pick them up from school...cuz this looks comfy, right?

 We are taking each of the kids on a Mommy and Daddy date, one at a time. We took Rachel to Cafe Rio, and Katie chose to go to Chik-fil-a so she could play on the toys.

 Riding bikes in the canyon for Grandma Lisa's birthday! It was a gorgeous evening!

 And more bikes in a different canyon for our anniversary! The kids got to sleep over and Aunt Brynnie's house. Brian and I enjoyed an easier mountain biking trails with lots of gorgeous colors, going out to dinner, and a movie at home. Then the temple in the morning. It was a great anniversary!

 And the kids had fun with cousins!

Rachel got to go to "just add chocolate" for a birthday party for Hannah. She had such a great time!

And she got to go to the Fox Hollow Fall Carnival with Hannah, too! Such fun!

 See that wrinkle, on the left side of my forehead? That's my morning time wrinkle. It's there almost every morning. It's only a matter of time until it's an all-the-time sort of wrinkle.

 I found these gems in a little notebook, presumably from when Maliya was in second grade, or shortly after.

 When my kids get my phone at church, they immediately start with the pictures (probably because I won't unlock it, so that's the only thing they can do with it).

 We have had some beautiful sunsets, lately!