September

We decided to take the pool down over Labor Day weekend.  We started draining it on Saturday-the perfect chance for Brynn and Ivy to play one last time as the water level got lower and lower.

We had made plans to go camping after church on Sunday overnight until Monday evening but the the forecast did not bode well for camping unless we wanted to camp in the rain, which we did not.  We also didn't want to sit home all weekend so when Justin got home from meetings that Sunday, we drove up to the cabin.  Then we sat around at the cabin all weekend.  Haha.  We did take a quick drive up to Tony Grove Lake, ran outside in the pouring rain to take a picture, ran back to the car and drove back to the cabin to sit around some more until we drove home.  Stockton had a cold so he opted out of the drive.

I finished reading A Star Witness, the 3rd book in our Nancy Drew series, to Ivy.  We own the 4th book but none after that so we'll see what series she moves onto when these are finished.

Ivy loves the Zoey and Sassafrass audio books.  She was listening to one and got the idea to make a bug house.  She worked hard until she was finished and then kept it under the back deck to see if any bugs would come live in it.  I'm not sure how successful she was.  She moved it the next time it rained and it hasn't gone back out.  (It maybe got lost...I admire her creativity but all the glitter stresses me out. ;))

Molly doesn't have a lot of extra time to work but she occasionally still works on the weekends.  She enjoyed the murder mystery night and dressing up as a flapper.

with Elayna Knowles from our ward

Molly loves when friends come to cheer her on.  These girls came several nights to support Molly-this particular night was cold and rainy!

Grace Vellinga, Molly, Khloie Kelsey (also from our awesome ward)

This is how Stockton's baseball season went: at the beginning of August, he was asked to play with the younger team that he went to Cooperstown with.  His June birthday gives him a chance to play with his grade or the one lower.  He was excited to play with them, he likes that team.  They started mid-August and he was able to play a few games with them.  We have a video that someone got just by chance of him making a diving catch in center field and it is amazing.  Then we found out the high school coach was putting some teams together for a fall league.  Stockton was hoping he could do both teams but a lot of the games conflicted so he had to quit the younger team and focus on the high school team.  Since his goal is to play high school ball, this was the obvious choice.  He is the youngest and the smallest out of all the boys so the exposure was good for him.  Stockton is a hard worker, pays attention, and is very coachable.  He is also a smart baseball player and always knows where the ball needs to be played.  He is a smart batter, not as powerful as others, but can get a walk or a base hit often.  He has really liked Coach Jacobsen and has learned a lot from him this fall.  The season went through end of October, they'll play in a St. George tournament in November, and they will continue to practice through the winter with tryouts being the end of February!

 

I'm fast-forwarding a little.  Molly went to Homecoming over her birthday weekend (post to come) and then ended up asking the same kid to Sadie's two days later.  The kids ask so early here so she couldn't sit around wasting time.  He responded to her the next day while we were at a game in Salem.  He blew up this kiddie pool, filled it with water and Gatorade and three beach balls that spelled out the word "YES".  The poster said "Sadie's would be so CHILL with you."  I cleaned it up the next morning and realized how long that may have taken him.  Molly said that he definitely one-upped her...again!

Brynn got to take a break from school work to play some games.  This was a privilege earned by having all her work done.

I don't know any of these other girls

Molly got her date with Justin.  They went to a Thai place in Park City that I had heard about from a friend.  They each got a curry dish and enjoyed every bite...and the leftovers they brought home.  

Brynn is a cold sleeper, which means we find her ready for bed wrapped in her snuggie or her oversized girls camp hoodie.  It makes me sweat just thinking about it, ugh.

Utah showed off her colors spectacularly this September.  Justin was anxious to get back to his favorite spot for hunting golf balls so we did that one Sunday evening.  The girls hunted with Justin while Stockton and I hung out in the apple orchard and waited for them.  They brought the balls home and counted them-they had found 214 golf balls, which was five more than their previously-set record.

I spy a Brynn

One of Brynn's classes planned and held a carnival. Brynn had to take soda and candy.

Brynn and our neighbor, Corbin Anderson

Here is a sneak peak of Ivy's Halloween costume.  I bet you can't guess who she is!

Ivy had a clogging performance at Cornbelly's on the last Saturday of the month.  We went down early to Stockton's baseball game in Pleasant Grove, watched him for an hour, and then left him to get a ride home and headed to Cornbelly's.  We watched her performance and then walked around for a little bit.  There was a lot to do but it wasn't super exciting without a playmate.  We hadn't planned to stay all day so we left not too much longer after she was finished.

That night the kids set up the tent in the living room and had a sleepover.  It was a perfect activity for Conference Saturday night/Sunday morning and I think they should do this every Conference weekend.