Hero's Cup for Kade

Kade's soccer team played in the Hero's Cup. It is based in Mesquite, but his age group played at Shivwits Soccer Complex and Crimson Cliffs High School. I was happy it wasn't in Mesquite and happy we could stay in St. George. He had quite the desk setup so he could do homework in the way there. We left Thursday at lunchtime. We got checked into the hotel around 3:30 and had downtime for a nap. We grabbed dinner and went to his game at Shivwits. It was windy and cold there. His team played so well, but we lost 0-1. It was a premier team, so it was cool that his team could at least hang with them. 

Friday morning I went on the best run. I wasn't sure where I was going to go, so I just kind of went where the wind took me. I like running out 3 miles, and it took me to the steps. I ran up and down, then back to the hotel, for 6 miles round trip. It felt so good, but my quads were so tired! They were tired and sore for a few days too, so that was crazy. I haven't been that sore in a long time. 

Then Kade and I went to the temple. 

His next game was at Crimson Cliffs. His team didn't play well, and it was kind of sad that we couldn't connect passes and play a team game. It was more like individuals dribbling down the field. 

There was a team pizza party that night. I wish I had taken a picture. It was a fun party. The parents were at one table. The players were at other tables, and the coaches were at another table. I was happy Sharon Gamble went with Drew because she is fun to talk to. We had fun chatting with the other parents. 

We had to get up early Saturday morning. I ran around St. George, then we checked out and went to his last game at Shivwits. His team played really well, but we just couldn't score enough to win. 

Kade's team hung with the top teams. It is fun to see their progress after only playing together since June. 

Kade and I went to Fiesta Fun and enjoyed bowling, mini golf, and arcade games. It was fun having one-on-one time with Kade this weekend. 

We stopped at In-N-Out on our way home, and Kade took advantage of his desk/table setup. 

Random Monday off of School

The Monday after Halloween and Daylight Saving Time was a day off school. Kade had soccer and Lynnlee had something so I took Tag and Sienna to do activities on the GetOutPass. First we went to Lowe's Air Extreme. 

Then we went to Provo Beach. I did the ropes course too, but finished first so I could take some pictures. It was fun having some one-on-one time with Tag and Sienna. There are things that we used to do with James, Lynnlee, and Kade that we haven't been able to keep up with Sienna and Tag now that the family is busier in a different way. So it is good to take them to do fun things to make up for that. 

Christmas Decorations

Our kids are the best! When Marshall and I went to the Addams Family musical, we thought we would come home to a dark, quiet house with all our kids asleep in their beds. The kids had other plans. While we were gone, Kade put up the tree and garland. Lynnlee put out the snowmen. We got home around 1:00am and walked in the door to a beautifully lit up room by the Christmas tree and garland. It was magical and made me so happy! Decorating for Christmas is hard work. I enjoy decorations but I don't enjoy how tiring it is. The kids surprising us took a weight off.

Tag's Fall Season

Tag had his last game of the fall season on Halloween. They ended with a win. So his team finished with 2 wins, and the rest were losses. It's ok though, because this is the first year for 11 v 11, and it is a difficult transition. Also, this is a new team, so they are learning how to play together. It will come.

Halloween costumes, Halloween, and Carving Pumpkins

Lynnlee had a few costumes this year. She was Mavis for the dance, Michael Jackson for school stuff, and Bella Swan from Twilight for Halloween with her friends' group costume. 

For FCCLA, they helped with the trunk-or-treat at the high school.

Chewbacca is Chewbacca

Bella Swan

Big Mouth Monsters

Hunter and Deer

Kade and Hayden went trick-or-treating

Sienna went with Audrey and Emmie. Thank goodness for friends!

Tag and Gio went crazy! Tag got 24 pounds!

I reserved tickets for Addams Family at The Ruth with our GetOut Pass and thought it was 10:30 AM on Halloween. Turns out it was 10:30 PM on Halloween night. The kids didn't want to go so Marshall and I went. It was fun and a high quality production. Very entertaining!

We carved pumpkins the Sunday before Halloween but never got pictures. So then I randomly took pictures the next weekend after church.

A snail was enjoying this pumpkin.

Fall decor

Lynnlee carved one for Sadie's and one with the family

BYU Women's Soccer Game

It is tradition for Marshall's and Lynnlee's soccer team to go to a BYU women's soccer game. This year it ended up being a rainy night and it was the same time as our ward Halloween party. Lynnlee and Sienna stayed to go to the ward Halloween party. The rest of us battled the rain. We had ponchos and rain coats so we stayed dry. It was a great game and BYU beat U of U so that was awesome!

James in Villa Del Rosario

James and his companion opened a new area called Villa Del Rosario. It is a small town a couple of hours east of Asuncion. There is no ward and no branch. There are three members, a mom and her two kids. The member lives 6 miles away. They don't have a car or bikes. The first time they walked there was very rough for him. The difficult thing is that after they walked there, met her, gave her a spiritual thought, they had to walk 6 miles back. Round trip was a couple of hours. So crazy! 

One of the Sundays they had members from a near by town join them for church at the member's house. 

James said the chocolate milk there is so good! They had pizza one of their first nights there. He said his companion makes a really yummy chicken dish for lunch every day. I think his companion is a great trainer and good at many things. Elder Romero also got rid of a wasp nest by lighting a piece of toilet paper at the end of a stick. He put the smoke near the wasp nest and was able to get rid of the nest. 

They were the first to move into this apartment, so they had to set up their washing machine; well, his companion did. 

My Mom's Birthday

My Mom's birthday is October 28. We were going to have an October birthday family dinner on the Sunday before, but my Dad was still mad, so we didn't get together. It was sad. 

Ali organized a sibling lunch. Kasey couldn't make it. The rest of us met up at Aubergine. It was fun to catch up with Betsy and talk about how much life has changed since my Mom passed. 

We miss our mom so much! She truly was the heart of the home. It is so hard to not have her in our lives anymore. 

My mom loved sloppy joes so I wanted to make that for family dinner. Since my kids don't like those, we had hamburger soup instead. My mom also liked that and she taught me how to make it. We had popcorn for dessert because my mom loved to make popcorn and she made the best popcorn.