A Touchdown

Brad and I had to split up to get the kids where they needed to go again tonight. Luke and I ended up at Ryder’s football game and it was a great one to be at! Ryder played quarterback and ran it in for a touchdown! It was fun to watch. He LOVES playing football!

Mutual

Kade had a fun activity tonight for young men’s. They all combined with the other ward and met at the skating rink. Kade had a blast. He really enjoys the activities and I’m grateful they’re going on.

Ryder had football practice tonight. He’s making so many friends and having so much fun. 

Smart Kids

Ryder has been in piano lessons for two weeks now and he already has the Star Wars theme perfected and memorized. I credit his desire to learn and practice. Every chance he has he’s at the piano playing the song. Before school, after school, right after prayers and before bed, every second he can. He told me tonight that he loves playing the piano. That makes me happy. It’s fun to have someone in the house who loves playing as much as me. 

While Ryder was playing away tonight, Tenley was trying to teach Luke how to read by writing words on cards and then drawing the picture of the word on the card as well. Luke knew what each one said. It was cute!

Tenley’s Art Collection

Tenley art collection is growing quickly! I don’t think we’ll have enough wall space in our whole house to hold all of her paintings. I’m glad she has found something she enjoys though! 

Athletic Kids

We had to split up again today and I don’t like doing that. I just really don’t like missing one of my kids’ games. Brad took Kade down to Helena for his soccer games. In order to play this weekend they had to play a team two years older than them. The first game was ugly but by the second Kade’s team had improved and were competitive. Kade was goal keeper for half the first game and all of the second. He had several great saves. I even had texts from friends at the game telling me how great he was doing. It’s so fun seeing him excel at something he enjoys!

Tenley, Luke and I were able to watch Ryder play football. He does a great job on the field and is aggressive. And he really enjoys it.

This afternoon Tenley and I went to watch the High School girls volleyball team. It was a great game and we loved watching it. Our team won in three games! It was great to get out with Tenley.

Luke picked us some green onions for dinner. They were as big as him! I also made calzones for the first time in years. Brad and I used to have those almost every week! The kids really liked them. 

Fall

I love the fall. I love the crisp air and the warm shining sun. I love the colors of the leaves in the trees. I love the new start of school and sports. It’s been a great fall this year in Montana. Last year it felt like we only had one week of nice fall weather and this year it’s been around for a while. I’m loving it! Brad, Luke and I enjoyed a nice walk and a lunch date out today.  And then we had a fun family night in because we had no sports to run around to! It was a nice break.

Sports

Our Thursday’s and Saturday’s are going to be really busy over the next several weeks. Ryder had a football game at 5:30 tonight, Kade had soccer practice at 6, and Tenley had basketball practice at 6:30! I definitely could t have done it all without help from Brad and help from friends. All the kids had a blast I was just really sad to have to miss Ryder’s first football game. Brad said he played well!

New Dish Scrubbers

My grocery store included a new dish scrubber in my order this week and ever since Ryder saw it he has been begging to do the dishes for me. He scrubbed the sink full of dishes after dinner tonight without complaint! It was sweet.

We also enjoyed a beautiful sunset tonight during his football practice.

Walks with Luke

Luke is such a happy little boy. He loves going for walks and going to the park and we finally got out today after too many days home with other sick kids. It was nice to get out for a walk! Luke talked most of the time asking me so many questions about the cars and the trees and basically anything he could see. He is a curious little thing! We were the only ones at the park but he plays pretty well all by himself. He’s just content even if he’s alone. We came back home and found a huge hobo spider on our driveway. I really hate spiders but Luke was willing to help me kill it. I’m sure we looked like a funny pair trying to kill the spider but I’m pretty sure we succeeded. 😬

Tenley’s Artwork

Tenley brought home a painted canvas from art today. She loves art and she can’t wait to fill her bedroom walls with more canvases! 

My Kids

Sometimes I think it’s sad that we have such little kids while Brad is Bishop and so busy and consumed with other things. Like tonight, we sat down to watch a movie as a family and less than a minute into it he had to leave to take a phone call. We just have to laugh about it all now.

But most of the time I’m grateful that our kids are little because they are my little buddies right now. We are getting through this together. I’d be super lonely without them.

Kade’s Goalie Skills

Ryder had football practice this morning and then Kade had two soccer games here in town. He was able to play goal keeper for half of each game. The second half of the last game got really exciting. The teams were tied 2-2 with two minutes left in the game. Kade was goalie and the other team had a break away and they game straight for Kade. He hesitated a minute and then went for the ball and blocked the kick! It was a great block and a pretty exciting way to end the game!

Friday

I always look forward to Friday. It’s nice to go for walks with Brad. Ryder was with us today because he’s still coughing but he is feeling much better. 

Kade had his first ever late night with his friends tonight after soccer practice. I picked him up at ten and he said he had a lot of fun. It’s crazy to see him grow up like this! 

High School Soccer Games

It’s been many years since I’ve been to a high school soccer game, but I took Kade to one tonight with his friends. He really loves soccer and it was fun to watch the game with him. When I left Brad was playing football in the backyard with Luke and Tenley was getting ready to go to basketball practice. It will be a crazy few months with all these sports going on but the kids seem excited about it.

Flag Football

Football season has started and Ryder is so excited to play! He had his first practice tonight and was happy to find two of his friends from school on his team. It should be a fun season for him!

Ryder’s Piano Playing

Last week for Ryder’s piano lesson Miss Jody let Ryder choose any song that he wanted to learn. Ryder chose the Star Wars theme song and he’s been playing it several times every day since. She gave him five measures to learn by he’s already learned the whole first page! And he can’t wait to learn more. I love watching him challenge himself.

Art Classes

Kade had an orthodontist appointment in the morning. It was fun to check him out of school and have some time with him. I got to see Ryder playing at recess when I went to pick up Kade and he was having a lot of fun. It looks like he’s made some good friends.

Tenley got to have her first real and official art class this afternoon. Maryellen is her teacher and has the class in her garage that she’s converted into a studio. It’s pretty great and I’m excited for Tenley!

The American Spirit

Sundays are still one of my favorite days of the week even though Brad is busy and gone most of the day. I like the change of place and I love going to church and catching up with my parents. 

We watched Music and the Spoken Word during dinner like we always do. Today they had a special edition for the 20th anniversary of 9/11. It was a touching tribute and seeing some of the pictures from that awful day had me tearing up. But it also left me feeling grateful to be an American. We have strong and courageous people in this country. The American spirit is amazing. 

Rush Soccer

Kade has made a goal to play goalkeeper in high school soccer so we decided to put him in a traveling competitive league this year. The families have all been great and the coach is a former high school soccer coach so I think he’ll learn a lot this season. The first two games were today in Missoula. We had to wake up pretty early to be there by 10 but we made it just fine. It was a beautiful morning because it had rained last night and the smoke cleared out. 

Kade played goal keeper the whole first game and was only scored on twice. The next game he played midfield. He had fun. And we had fun with our friends. Ryder was with his little buddies at the playground the whole time. Tenley hung out with some of the girls and learned some cheers. It was a fun day!

Luminaries

Today was such a fun day. We kept Tenley home from school even though she said she was feeling fine. We didn’t want to risk it. So she came on a walk with Brad, Luke, and I. The smoke is still here. But the river is still beautiful. 

After the walk, Brad and I went out to lunch at my favorite cafe. It was so good. And it was nice to have a day date out. 

Kade went over to a friends house tonight and when we went to pick him up we got a little tour of my friends new home. It has an amazing view of the river and is a beautiful home. 

Then we went back down to the river to enjoy a concert and the first ever Big River Ruckus event. They had Luminaria lighting the path which was beautiful. The bluegrass band, Lil Smokies, was really good! My Dad would have loved it. It was a fun night.