FAll

Fall this year is absolutely beautiful! The colors are so vivid and bright, I love our house in the fall.  We have so many big, huge, trees that it is just a haven of color.  The kids have spent hours raking and playing in all of the leaves.  I love that it is a time to prepare. Prepare for winter, get everything taken care of and put up and get ready for the slower days of winter. I love the crisp cool mornings.  I am a sucker for the fog that rolls in across the valley, most days its doesn't creep up this far, but it is beautiful to watch.  I love the smell of wood smoke, the feel of sweatshirts and boots.  Fall is like 1 last breath before everything goes to sleep for the winter.
All 3 boys are playing football and are loving it.  Chas is coaching Beckett and Carson, and Brady just finished his last year of middle school football.  He had a great year playing center.  Its fun to watch all of them play.  The girls both played volleyball and both had great seasons.  They improved so much!

Just breathe

Yesterday I got mad and was so frustrated and was venting my frustration when carson said, "Mom, just breathe, remember.   count to 10, in through your nose, out through your mouth."  Oh my heck this kid.  He makes me laugh every day!

Self Talk

The other day carson told me, "Mom I had to do some self talk today.  I told myself, just focus on coloring, don't listen to them."  The other kids were apparently goofing off and he was trying to stay on task.  We used to call that talking to your self, now it is "self talk" sounds a little more normal?...
Made me smile.
We had family in town this weekend, it was cold and miserable, but Ez and Linz braved it and came out to watch Beckett and Carson play football.  Carson had a nice "flag pull" and said, " I was just so excited, i pulled it and then slammed it on the ground!"  Beckett caught a nice touchdown pass, turned over to us and jumped in the air with a punch, he loves it when grandma cheers!  It has been cold and rainy the past week or so, but this week has just been beautiful!  The sun is out and the fall colors are just amazing.  When I was in school in Hawaii i remember how much I missed the fall.  I had my mom send me some leaves to hang up on my wall.  Fall is just amazing, another testament to me of our Heavenly Fathers love for us.  Now that football and volleyball are over with, basketball open gyms are starting.  Everyone is so excited! our favorite sport of the year.  We try to capitalize on nights when everyone is home, which isn't very often, but last night the kids played outside until dark.  The boys love it when Brady is home to play with them.
One of the quotes I can't stop getting out of my head lately is "Sharp rocks at the bottom? yep. Bring it on!" from Emperors New Groove.  Don't like the movie much, much but that quote has always stuck with me.  He doesn't care whats coming, he can do it.  Just bring it on.  I tell myself that often when things get tough, or the hill is too high to climb, or I am feeling overwhelmed or whatever is hard.  Reminds me to keep going, I can do this.  Also I loved Elder Ellis' quote from conference, "Hard is good."
Love the gospel, love my family and especially my Savior who suffered and died specifically for me. 

Walking and teaching seminary

Yesterday I got to teach seminary.  It was so fun.  I taught myself how to make a power point presentation, which turned out pretty good.  I love being with the youth.  They are just so good, they have so much to deal with and for the most part, they handle it pretty good.  By the time I got home, I was pretty tired, so what do you do when you are tired, you go outside and exercise.  So I took the little kids with me and we walked up to the green gate.  Both the kids and I have been feeling like we don't spend enough time together, so it was nice to take them up and we could all chat on the way up.  Emree is a chatter box when it is just her and I, I love it!  We have only gotten a few nice days this fall, and this day was one of them.  Sunny warm, with a little nip.  It was beautiful!

Beckett

B: Mom I am going to skip playing soccer at recess today.
Me: WHY?
B: I am going to sit on the sideline and eat so I can get fat.
Me: WHY?
B: So I can be big enough to play tackle football next year.
Me: Laughing hysterically...." If you want to play that bad, you can play."

A couple of weeks ago we were talking about how beckett should maybe play another year of flag football before tackle, he said no way.  He was fast enough to out run guys who can tackle him, we said we'd have to talk about it.  So he came up with his own solution a week later...hence the previous conversation! Such a funny kid.