Soccer, pears, school and silliness

My kids love having Rachel around. She was here until school started and loved to make us tasty things to eat. After everyone leaves in the morning this is where you’ll find us until we have to crawl out of bed to go walking. Thank goodness we’re going with a friend and so we have to be ready or Spencer and I might stay in our pj’s all day.Nothing like a little sunshine to warm you up in the morning.Rachel made us this delicious and fancy lemon cake. The Albertson’s joined us for a slice that evening. When Ken shows up for Mark soccer games he only gets to watch for a little while… Abbie is just the best…she’s keeping the sun off of Neil for us while we watch Mark play.I think this is the funniest thing. Before the boys can play they all have to lay down on the grass with their feet up so the refs can check and make sure that no one has spikes in their cleats. To me, it looks like they are playing a game at the birthday party or posing for a fun picture.We had friends from the ward show up for two of Mark’s soccer games. They were so awesome to come and cheer him on. I totally spaced getting a picture with the Fisher’s but here’s the first groups of cheerleaders at the only cold game Mark had this year. Two years ago when he played soccer it started snowing at his last game, this year it was plenty warm still.Rachel and the kids helped me hurry and put these hippo cupcakes together for the Activity Day girls. They were so EASY and turned out way cute. The girls loved them.Jessie was picked to be on the 6th grade student council this year. After she turned in her form her teacher from last year had to approve of her being on the list for consideration. She was so excited to be chosen. They had an assembly at school where each of the kids introduced themselves. Jessie decided to sing her intro that she wrote to the tune of Yankee Doodle. She did an awesome job!!! I could have never sung in front of the whole school. Abbie and Spencer especially LOVED her song. Spencer sang it to me nonstop all the way to Provo and back…now her song wasn’t all that long so I think I heard it some-hundred times that day. :-)

We had our annual remembering Brian fall cookout on a beautiful evening up at Whiting Campground. Our usual spot, number 22, was taken so we were in a different one this year. We ran out of hot dogs, so Ken and Scott drove down the mountain to call Steph, who was still on her way, to pick some more up.Check out this pear! These were both off the same little tree in the back yard. One is normal size and the other was enormous – and quite tasty I might add.Our cannas did amazingly well this year. They even had a few visitors to them! Isn’t that so cool. I told Ken I want to put up another humming bird feeder right in the front window so I can see it when I’m sitting on the couch feeding Neil. We had one little hummingbird that would rest in a branch in the white birch tree, right in that front window, and it was so fun to watch for him to come back each day.The city’s annual Harvest Moon Hurrah was on a beautiful day this year. Abbie’s all ready to go to. They had these fun picture things, some murals for the kids to paint (we were a little too late for these), a storyteller that was awesome, balloon artist, hay/wagon rides, live entertainment including a juggler that was totally impressive, caramel apples, etc. Jessie loved her balloon hat, Spencer got a parrot that hung onto his shirt, and Abbie got a turtle bracelet. Mark loved the juggler, and was amazed when he started juggling knives. He dropped one knife on his first attempt and I sat there thinking that the hardest part for me would probably be just letting the knife drop instead to reaching out to try and catch it.