This N' That

Here are a few pictures of some fun times during the early fall months:

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When I wrote about our Eclipse trip, I forgot to mention that we went for a short hike as a family.  We went to Cress Creek.  Grandma and Grandpa Gee and Aunt Linda all came with us. It was great!

L-R: Grandma, Nicole, Me, Alison, Grandpa, Quinton, Josh, and Bronson

The family

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Soccer time. Again.

It seems like we spent a lot of time at soccer fields this year.  Me especially because I went to the boys' practices as well as their games.  We didn't always get to sit together like this, though.  We had to divide and conquer a few times when the boys had games at the same times.  

Bronson is adorable out there!  

Josh is getting pretty good.  This is the first year that they have goalies.  He discovered that he kind of likes playing goalie.  I think that's insane!  

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I am...was...still am...never will again...okay I am...trying to get my health in check.  It's been very hard.  I hate it.  Did I ever mention that in the late summer I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes?  My fault, I know.  It's not bad - barely within the range - but it still scares me.  Anyway....I've been trying to be better about my sugar (and all carbs) intake.  One day, I opened the freezer and found this note on an ice cream container. 

"Don't eat the sugar!"  I'm glad Nicole was looking out for her mom's health.  I learned later that Bronson had been going around church and our neighborhood telling everyone who would listen that his parents are really sick and if they don't stop eating sugar they could die or something.  We had a little chat with him to explain that A) we're not dying any time soon and B) we don't want everyone knowing that we're trying to eat better.

On a related note, I started trying to Crossfit at home.  I became a huge fan of watching the Crossfit Games a year or two ago.  It's my thing!  I seriously love it!  Once I became strong enough and brave/crazy enough, I decided to try their work outs too.  I can't do most of the stuff they do (I "scale it down" to my level) and I don't have some of the equipment, so I improvise.  This is my "medicine ball" made out of bags of rice and beans in a pillowcase.  It works.  I learned the hard way not to use bags of powdered sugar in there.  Messy. 

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Bronson, Joshua and I ran in their school's fun run this year.  Bron and I did the one mile.  Josh went with Walker and his dad on the 5k.  The rest of the family cheered us on.  Alison was a volunteer.  Her job was to clap for people and encourage them to keep going at about the 2 mile mark.  She was awesome at it!  It was fun to watch her high five people and say cute kind things to them.

  

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One evening, the young women did a service project.  They called certain families in our ward (especially the ones with lots of little children) and offered to babysit for the evening. They said, "You go do something fun."  How sweet is that?!?!?  The "something fun" we did was to attend back to school night at the Jr. High, but hey!  We didn't have to bring the boys, hire a babysitter, or have one of us stay home so it was amazing!  The boys, meanwhile had an absolute ball!

Here are some of the kids having a snack.

Bronson and Josh playing Red Light Green Light.

Craft time.

Anything with balloons is fun!

Nicole came a little late because she was at back to school night with us, but she stayed for a while and babysat. 

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David and Alison have discovered a shared love.  Hiking.  I am happy for both of them!  I'm glad they have this time together and I'm glad that it's something healthy.  I'm also glad that it's not me. Hiking has never really been my thing.  I like the theory of hiking.  But when I start actually walking up a mountain, I remember that I hate it.  So I'm glad they have each other as hiking partners.   

They hiked up Mount Ben Lomond this year.  It's quite a hike!  I've never done it.  It's around 16 miles long.  They left early in the morning and got home late in the afternoon.  

It was a beautiful hike, though.  And the views were spectacular.  

Here they are at the peak!  I was super impressed with them for doing it. 

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I won't bore you with too many details about our communities C.E.R.T fair, which involved "the Amazing Race."  But it was a HUGE ordeal!  I was on a competitive team.  We took second place.  Since I busy kicking butt, David had to keep track of all the kids while they ran around.  

But I think they had fun. 

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I probably shouldn't love this picture because its of all three boys zombied-out in front of their tablets in a messy room, but I can't help it.  I think it's pretty cute.