Lovin the Weather...

Well, after 4 months of being in Utah, I've decided I absolutely love the weather. Given - Winter has not reared her ugly head yet but I hear the snowfall in Herriman is not nearly as bad as other parts of the valley.

Russ helped me yesterday go through more boxes in the basement. Let me just say: Baseball! Everywhere I turned, there was some type of baseball equipment. I counted the number of bats and found we had 15 baseball bats of varying sizes and weights as well as a couple t-ball bats. I didn't begin to count the baseball pants or jerseys or helmets or gloves. It suffices me to say we could outfit an entire baseball team with practice gear and equipment! Luckily for us, Chandler will start t-ball in the spring. As he begins to outgrow said equipment, we can pass it on to others.

Taylor has decided he is our resident baker. I found an easy cookie recipe and he has it memorized and down to a science. Last weekend, he made cookies. They didn't last long. Boy were they yummy! Russ is recruiting Taylor to make cookies for his hometeaching families.

Another recent development is that our three older boys are playing flag football. We couldn't get them registered for regular football and were too late in the season to get them on a baseball team. They had their first practice on Saturday and will have another practice on Tuesday after scouts. Of course Russ is an assistant coach.

I'm so glad that the boys have a father who looks for ways to be involved in their lives. I realize they are at the age where they still need mom but are looking to dad for more direction. I suppose it is the nature of the beast and part of a boy's normal development in growing up. :)

Speaking of growing up, Chandler is finally sleeping in his own bed! After a week of doing so, we took him to Wal-Mart and bought him his very own bike. He thinks he is super cool and as big as his siblings now. (He even asked if he could ride his bike to school like everyone else!)

Looking ahead...

My mom is coming in a week to visit for a little while. I am frantically trying to get more of the boxes cleared away and things put in place before she gets here. What is left over, I'll work on after she arrives in hope that I can put everything away before more family arrives the following week. Mom has not seen many of her cousins in 20+ years. While she is here, we are going to host an open-house, small family reunion type activity for them. I hope the weather cooperates and stays as beautiful as it is today.

Looking into Autumn

Russ and I have enjoyed the fresh fruit stands and the many farmer's markets off the side of the road. We went to Herriman's first annual farmer's market today and bought fresh squash, tomatoes, peaches, corn, potatoes, peppers, honey and some preserves. Afterwards, we found a little mexican place that makes breakfast burritos. Ahhh - and they weren't bland! We love exploring this area and finding little gems.

Though it is still a bit premature to say fall is here, we're getting excited for the change of weather. I particularly love the crisp air and the ability to open the windows, airing the house out. I've not experienced autumn in Utah and only hope that it lasts a long, long, LONG time. The winter snows have me a bit gun-shy and I'm not particularly looking forward to living them for months at a time. (At least the locals claim winter never ends. We'll see....)

Tanner is turning 12 October 1. I can't believe it has been 12 years already! I remember bringing him home from Seton Hospital after 3 weeks in NICU so happy he was finally with us. Now, he is in and out of the house slamming doors behind him as he grabs a football, a bat, an airsoft gun, or one of his many other "boy toys". As a mom, it is fun to watch the parade of followers he has with many neighborhood boys and of course, his 3 younger brothers in tow.

We're excited that so many family members are coming to visit us next month. Actually, Grandma Curry comes on the 28th of this month with Granny and Bampa Johnson following in early October. Robby and Paula with their children will be flying out the middle of the month and are staying for a little over a week. The kids are thrilled to have the opportunity to see some of these cousins and grandparents again. We are sad the rest of the family can't come but understand finances. Still, I don't know how Tanner will react to not having Kristin around for one of his birthdays. It will be different for certain!