Feeling of Fall

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms."

This line is from one of my all time favorite movies, You've Got Mail. I was thinking of the newly sharpened pencils as I started putting this post together. It just feels like fall. School is back in session, it's turning cool and the harvest is on.
We have been enjoying so many good things not only out of our garden but from my parents garden as well as farms and orchards around us. I made a batch of blackberry jam using aplums the boys picked at a neighbors house. It's really the first time I've succeeded on my own. Yippee!! We have also enjoyed some beautiful corn from our bigger garden. This year the children sold the corn door to door and earned over $28. It was kind of their end of the summer fund raiser. (We have such kind and generous neighbors.) And then there has been one of my favorites, watermelon, a first for us here. They are so juicy. I love them fresh from the vine. We have also been enjoying carrots, broccoli, peppers, cabbage and onions. We are waiting for what looks to be a great peach harvest this year as well. I love harvest season! I'm already making plans for next year. I love this time of year!

Bonnie at Three Months

It's taken me a while to get this out because I'm in complete denial. I wish she would stay little for a lot longer, but it's going by so fast. She's so stinkin' cute though and is becoming so much fun right now.

She is noticeably becoming a little social butterfly who loves any and all attention. She babbles with us all the time, smiles from ear to ear, has an even temperament, loves being outside, taking walks in the stroller, looking at books and sucking on her hands. Khora started calling her Bonnie May and it's kind of stuck. (Not sure where it came from though.)

I went out and bought a new swing. You don't wind it up or use batteries, it has a power cord. Nice!! It has saved me from holding her when she sleeps because she sleeps really well in it, which is about the only time she's in it. She has a nap in the morning, sometimes just cat napping though. then she likes to play. In the afternoon she usually gets in a nice long nap which is a nice break and helps when we're doing school. She often sneaks in another little cat nap sometime before betime. She must be in a growth spurt right now because she's been eating a couple times during the night. She certainly is getting bigger. I love her chunky little legs and could just eat those chubby cheeks!

Carnival Time

The carnival was in town again this year. I love small town things like this because I'm not freaking out the whole time that if my three year old runs off to get on a ride she'll be lost forever. The kids really seamed to have a great time! It was fun meeting friends there. Dennis got suckered into winning a stuffed dog for Khora. The kids went on the scary rides on a bet, and . We did get rained on but it made it fun when we got home and had hot chocolate!

(This is Khora showing off the puppy that her daddy got suckered into winning for her)

(Bonnie taking her a little cat nap.)

(Khora and Daddy on the Ferris Wheel)

(Kids going on ride. After they got going it blew off Isaac's hat so Jacob held onto his.)

Can you believe that is' hot cocoa season already. We've had it in the morning a couple times. It's nice. . . if it doesn't get colder. I hope we still get a nice Indian summer. It just seams unusually cool. Not that I'm complaining, 70's are so nice and I love the cool nights, just as long as we don't get. . . dare I say it . . .frost.

Owls Game

We went to our first Owls game and made a great night out of it. We got dinner on the way up and ice cream on the way home. When we got to the stadium the first thing that the girls wanted to do was to say hi to the mascots. The balloons caught their attention pretty quickly though and they ended up spending a lot of time in line getting balloon poodles, hats and flying mice. The boys were really getting into the game and enjoying the spirit of baseball. Dennis spent a lot of time running around with Khora who was pretty excited about everything, except the game going on below. There was a woman sitting next to me that asked if Bonnie was always this good. "Yes", I said, "she is!"

They had a great fireworks show after the game which we all ooo-ed and aaawwed over. I busted out the glow sticks, mostly so I could keep track of our kids in the big crowd as we left, but they love them too. I thought that 9 innings would make for a really long night and brought a few card games along, but I didn't need them at all. I think we'll leave the girls home next time though. Maybe Dennis and I would actually watch more of the game that way.

Santaquin Days

Three words, busy, busy, busy!!! Santaquin days are so much fun. There are so many things that we get to do as a family it's becoming one of my favorite summer activities. Monday we started things off with the movie at the park. It was the first time I've seen Planet 51. Kinda funny. It makes for a late night, but . . . it was cool outside.

The next thing we participated in was the mountain bike race. Jacob and Isaac did the youth course and did a great job. Their practice runs on Monday and Tuesday sure paid off. Jacob took 1st place and Isaac took 2nd. (I was just thrilled that Isaac's chain didn't fall off like it did on the practice days.) Dennis rode the course with then just in case Isaac had bike trouble. Both boys finished with good times. Jacob at 23 minutes and Isaac at 26 minutes. Dennis did another great job putting it together this year. He spent a lot of time making maps, organizing and finding sponsors. Breaking trails with help from the city guys. It really is a lot of work to put together.We had to do a little tag teaming. Right after the boys finished their race I packed them into the van and we headed to scouts so that Isaac could earn his Summer Time patch. (For going to Pack meeting in June, July and August.) The boys changed into their uniforms on the 15 minute ride there. We had to pack everyone up again after the awards so that the boys could make it to the awards ceremony back at the race. They were excited to get their subway certificates. Isaac also got a new helmet and Jacob got a new bike pump.

Friday was Rodeo night! Dennis was on a team with a couple others from the city for the steer dressing contest. They've never done it before, but since some anonymous person(s) paid the teams entry fee and was so nice to enter them into the contest, they were good sports and gave it their best. Luck wasn't exactly with them since they drew the biggest, meanest steer. It was so classic and unfortunately, when we got home to watch the video I took of the whole thing, we discovered that I didn't take a video at all. Nothing but a blurry picture of the start. So nothing at all the remember that wonderful experience. Good times!!! And the glow sticks from the dollar store were a definite do over for next year!!

Saturday was the parade. We had fun watching it with our friends the Wallace's. Jacob got to be in it this year with his baseball team. Just one comment, otter pops shouldn't be allowed!!!

We enjoyed some time at the park, the girl had fun watching the concert and the boys checked out the car show. We ended up coming home with three frogs this year from the cup game.

(Jacob riding in the parade with his team.)

(Teddy enjoyed the parade too. His favorite was the horses.)

We also had our last family reunion of the year on Saturday night. It was great to see our family again and catch up a bit with aunts and uncles I don't get to see much. Dennis and Omner had a good time as tennis partners this year, and the kids had fun playing grandma's fun hat game. Not sure who it was funner to watch, the kids or my mom. My mom has so much energy!! She's amazing!! (Khora and cousin Kaysen sharing some Skittles after the hat game.)

What you can pack into a week!! I'm ready for school to start now!!!

So Blessed

Whew. . . what a whirlwind of a weekend! I think I could sleep for a couple days. Friday we went to our Cluff family reunion up at the Heber Valley Camp. This year was granddad Cluff's 100th birthday celebration! It's very beautiful up there and not too far away. Dennis and the boys went on the challenge courses which they said were a little scary but lots of fun. There was a big suspended bridge and a zip line. We all had a good time on the lake with the boats paddling around looking at the wildlife on and near the lake. We saw a doe and her little spotted fawn, a beaver swimming in the water and a couple ducks with their ducklings in tow. Isaac said he even saw a moose. Our kids had lots of fun playing with their cousins and running around and it was good to catch up with everyone there.

Saturday morning Afton fell off the top bunk in the cabin onto the concrete floor. She hit her head and there was a lot of blood coming out her left ear. We had Dennis' cousin who is a nurse try to look at her. Dennis, Tim and Kevin gave her a blessing then we drove her down the mountain to the hospital. I found out later that after we left the others gathered together and had a prayer for her.

On our way to the hospital we were on a long stretch of road with lots of stop signs that my husband was obediently stopping for at each one. I gently told him "don't stop just go through them." Just as he was picking up speed again, out popped a little fawn that ran into the middle of the road before it decided that it was going to turn around and we almost hit it as it was going back. After that I said, "maybe you better stop at the stop signs."

They looked Afton over in the ER. The CT scan, showed that everything was "normal". She had a concussion and a laceration on her ear drum. She was doing good so they cleaned her up and we drove back up the mountain to be with the rest of our children. I ended up sleeping with her in the van since she was already asleep and it would be more quiet and less interrupted. Needless to say Dennis and I didn't get much sleep that night, so after breakfast and clean up we drove back home. I kinked my neck and it's been a bit sore the past couple days.

We had a Sorensen reunion that night, but decided against going. Grandpa Sorensen took the two boys with him, but the rest of us stayed home to rest. Afton had a hard time keeping anything down Sunday, but was doing much better that night, and as Jacob said she was "acting more like Afton."

I have really learned the power that comes when people are unified in prayer in behalf of someone. I have felt that power during this experience. Things could have been so much worse. We have been really blessed, and I'm so grateful to have Afton with us. I love my family so much.