October
It's fall. There is no denying it now. The hunter boots are out, yo! Leaves are on the ground. It is time to embrace it and enjoy it because...winter is coming. :)
Cross Country was still going strong in October:
Bryn killin' it at one of her meets.
At this particular meet she came in 4th after a mad sprint to the finish line with the girl in front. Bryn passed her. I can't believe what a determined little runner she is. She works hard and tries to improve at every meet. She has had a spectacular XC season.
Donuts were in order!!
The first of October brings General Conference and we enjoyed every minute. It is like it's own special holiday that happens twice a year. Everyone looks forward to it. We have so many little traditions that go along with conference. I love it. So many wonderful talks and messages were shared. It was fantastic...plus you get to eat great food and stay in your jammies all day. Win, Win!
Pumpkin Waffles with Buttermilk Syrup!
Coming in HOT at the finish line at her first district elementary school meet!
Elle and Bryn were both on their school team. They were so much fun to watch. Also Bryn had fun running at the meets with a bunch of her church friends who go to other schools. They are all serious little runners and competitors.
The weather was cold and rainy for most of October. It was the rainiest October on record for our area. (Our basement flooded.) Cold, wet, rainy, weather means one thing...SOUP. My family had been begging me to make my Grandma Ellersick's homemade chicken noodle soup for weeks. I make it exactly how my grandma does...vegetable free.. and the kids pick out the chicken and give it to Tyler to eat. It all works out. :)
This is a recipe that came from my Great-Great-Grandma. She taught my Great-Grandma Miley to make it and she taught my Grandma Ellersick to make it...who taught my mom...but I learned to make it from my grandma. It brings back so many memories of being in her kitchen with her at the lake. (Her noodles were much prettier.)
So you can get the full bubbling effect:
We went to the Lucky Vintage Fall Festival. My friend, Celeste, who owns Chaps restaurant, and now half of the magazine Flea Market Style, has the most darling little shop that she runs with her daughter-in-law, Meghan. They had a bunch of vendors (several friends of ours), live music, food trucks, and publishing giant Jo Packham of Where Women Create fame as a special guest. Jo is amazing. She is the founder of the best-selling magazines...Where Women Create, Where Women Cook, and Where Women Create Business. She also has a publishing company called Chapelle, Ltd. and puts on wonderful conferences called The Creative Connection. You can find her website HERE.
We met my mom there and had fun visiting with Celeste, Meghan, and Jo.
Jo, Toby Keough (vendor friend who was featured in one of the magazines) and my mom.
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| Family Time! |
We found some great finds!! Ailey and Bryn loved shopping in my friend Penny's booth. I love that all of my children have a great appreciation for antiques and all things vintage. They are also very savvy shoppers.
Bryn thought this would be perfect for Aunt Stacey who had a Monkey Doodle as a child and so we had to text her a pic!
I bought some cute clothes from my friend, Rebecca, of Peace Within. Love her!!
Bryn got to pet a Shetland pony. She declined a ride. She is leery of farm animals. Ha ha! We enjoyed a great day with good friends, great food, and great finds.
I decorated for Halloween. This doesn't always happen. It is such a busy time of year for us. My kids hate it when I don't. Last year it didn't happen and they let me know of their displeasure all month so I made sure to do it early this year. I love surprising them when they get home from school with changes in holiday decor. :)
Bryn had her best race at Manito:
Here she is heading for the finish line at her last city meet. This was her best meet yet! She had a total home course advantage. This is the park where her team practices and it has the steepest hills and the hardest course. Bryn did great! Bryn was one of the youngest kids on her team...most were 3rd and 4th grade boys...but she kept right up with them at practice. Tyler and I would usually do our own 3 mile course while waiting for Bryn. Once when we stopped to watch her, she saw me and waved, and her coach screamed, "BRYN!! STOP WAVING AT YOUR MOM!! MOVE IT!!" Ha ha! He really pushed her and she kept improving.
In the picture above... Bryn was refusing to let the girl behind her pass her. Bryn came in 3rd. Her very best race!! Bryn crossed the finish line and told me,"I came in 3rd and Heidi came in 4th." I asked her, "How do you know that girl's name is Heidi?" and Bryn said, "Because the whole race her family was yelling, 'Heidi, beat that girl! Heidi, kick her butt!' (Just a reminder that the race was for 2nd graders!!) There are some *interesting* parents out there.
Bryn was so excited to get a ribbon!!
We went out for breakfast to celebrate at one of our favorite places the Rockwood Bakery!!
Lest you think that all we care about is Bryn's XC season and not Kameron's...
Kameron and the lone XC picture that we were allowed to take and post. Good thing it's a cool one!
Kameron makes me laugh. He does not enjoy us yelling and cheering for him at his meets (we ignore him) and he does not enjoy us taking pictures or filming him or being too excited at the finish line. (Again...we ignore him.) It is absolutely hilarious because he is the most exuberant cheering/yelling/coaching from the sidelines/picture taking/video filmer of Bryn!! He could also give Bryn's coach and Heidi's parents a run for their money. I can hear him yelling, "PICK UP THE PACE!!", "MOVE IT BRYN!!" and "GET OUT OF THE PACK!!" at each meet. Ironic, n'est pas? Brothers...but Bryn loves having him there and loves sharing this sport with him.
This season was rough for Kameron though with his knee issues so I am glad that the season ended on a high note and he that got to run in a few meets towards the end...and that we even got a picture!!
Bryn did really well at her elementary school district meets and qualified for All-City. The city teams also go to the same All-City meet as the elementary teams which was kind of fun. She didn't qualify for All-City through her city team...they were super strict. They only took the top two boys and girls from each age group and Bryn was 3rd. She wasn't too crushed though because she already knew that she was going. Most kids who ran on city teams were also running on their elementary school teams which made it rough from them at All-City when they had to decide which team to run for...their elementary or their city team.
Bryn had an ABSOLUTE BALL at All-City!! She did fantastic!! It is such a big festive event with a DJ, huge crowds, a big balloon finish line, and all kinds of flare and prizes...shirts and pins. While waiting for her race to start she was madly dancing with her friends to the music the DJ was playing. I was afraid that she was going to miss her race!! She loved having so many people that she knew cheering for her! Family, friends, members of our ward/stake who also had kids running, teachers, parents of friends, her city teammates. and her city coach. He was there coaching the city team kids who were racing but he was also coaching and cheering her on too. It was a glorious day all around for her!!
Elle came to cheer her on and to help us celebrate!!
In other news...
We all got flu shots and treats for our bravery. :)
Rebecca, Ki, Celeste, and Mom
My mom went to Portland (on a girls trip with our friends Rebecca and Gladys) to represent Sisters Creed at Junk Bonanza. This is a big vintage market put on by Ki Nassaeur of Flea Market Style Magazine and now our own Celeste (also of the newly relaunched Flea Market Style Magazine). They are both co-editors-in-chief. So exciting!!
The New Flea Market Style Magazine is out right now!!
We have also been enjoying the beautiful fall colors all around us. Spokane is a beautiful place!!
Kameron had his Fall Band Concert. He is in the premier band (Wind Ensemble) and the premier jazz band (Jazz Orchestra) and both are absolutely fantastic!!
Kameron performing with Jazz Orchestra.
Trust me...they loved it. Band concerts tend to go long and they were lulled to sleep by all that amazing music!!
See! They are awfully proud of that big brother of theirs.
We have kept up with our hiking this month! We have hiked basically 2-3 times a week. It has been such a fun thing to do as a couple. We have hiked together all summer long and now through the fall. We are going to miss it once winter comes...but we do have snowshoes. :)
How gorgeous is that?!
And...for the most exciting news of all....AILEY GOT HER BRACES OFF!! Woohoo!!
Look at those pretty teeth!!
And look how far they have come:
Bear with me...I am too lazy to go looking for the original picture. So a screen shot it is! But you get the idea. Pretty amazing and worth every penny!
We also made a trip to Green Bluff to our favorite pumpkin patch:
Kameron was with us but he was a few farms over waiting in line for flaming hot pumpkin donuts!! He didn't care about getting a pumpkin this year. He was in it purely for the donuts!!
I guess you never get too old to have your dad pull you around in a wagon. If Reilly was there she would probably be in it too. :)
We finished out the day with dinner from the Greek food truck. Delish.
Reilly is doing well and still enjoying her life in Provo. She joins us for Sunday dinner via Facetime every Sunday. Isn't technology grand?
It's like she never left. We did switch her spot at the table though. I have to say hearing her bellow from the Ipad..."Prop me up!! Hey, over here!! Prop, me up I can't see!! What's going on ? Show me!!" Makes me laugh and makes our family feel complete even when we are 700 miles apart.
Ailey is surviving middle school. She likes it! She loves choir and stays busy with that and math club. Drill Team is about to start and she can't wait!! She has also been very busy with young women and her calling as 1st Counselor.
So add to that...we've all had miserable colds, yet another car repair on the suburban (ugh!), a super fun date night (another post), fun lunches with friends, a million activities with church and school, I've been prepping for a big Christmas show, and oh yeah...HALLOWEEN...and that was our October.
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