34!

Football vs. West Jordan

Cam is already loving this football season. They won their first real game today against West Jordan, 27-0. In the first part of the game, one of his teammates got hit pretty hard. He took a helmet to his wrist and had to leave the game to have it x-rayed. It was broken but he'll still be able to play. Good thing because he's the back-up quarterback! Cameron sacked their quarterback once and tackled their running back behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 5 yards! We were happy to have Uncle Chopper, Dave & Tisa there. Madi wore her new tutu and told everyone she was a cheerleader! 

Football

It's football season again. Cam was thrilled to be drafted by his coaches from last year, the Jeffersons. They have been practicing hard and had their first scrimmage Saturday, which they won 28-0. 

Cameron is wearing #65 this year, with an X on his helmet, playing both offensive & defensive lines. This is the only pic we took and pretty much the only time he wasn't on the field. 

Broadway Kidz

At the beginning of the summer, Gavin auditioned for a production called Broadway Kidz. We didn't know what to expect but we went to the Amphitheater (walking distance from our house) and he was prepared with a short vocal solo (Take Me Out to the Ballgame) and we were told he'd learn a simple dance routine. After his very brief audition, they told us to keep checking their website and my email because they may have call backs. 

They didn't have enough boys audition so instead of call backs, they sent out a plea for boys. I asked Owen if he wanted to audition. He said no. Then minutes before the audition time was over, he told me he'd changed his mind and we rushed back to the amphitheater. (Luckily, his kindergarten teacher had taught him an awesome version of "I've been Working on the Railroad" and he was comfortable with it.) The director informed me that Owen was the only boy in his age group to audition and he had a part for him. And he also said Gavin had made it too!

So we started an entire summer of rehearsals. Honestly, some days the boys were exhausted and didn't want to go but they pushed through it. They got to march in the Draper parade, performed at the Draper Amphitheater for 6 nights, and made some great friends and memories. 

The show was officially called Broadway Kidz Hit the Books. They told nursery rhymes and other stories and interlaced them with songs. Gavin's biggest role was the Hickory Dickory Dock Mouse. His costume was hideous but he sang a solo "Too much Time on my Hands". He was also in the scenes from Hunger games & Harry Potter. Owen was a sheep in Little Bo Peep and he was also in the Harry Potter scenes, appearing as Professor Flitwick and leading the Harry Potter choir. 

They were happy to have many important people come to their show. I really should've taken a picture with the boys and those who supported them each night but I didn't so instead, a list. 

Opening night, Friday: Callie & Ivie, Rick & Jane, Natalie

Saturday: Mrs. Bell, kindergarten teacher of both boys

Monday: Dave & Tisa, Spencer

2nd Friday: Gavin's Primary teacher

2nd Saturday: Spencer, Natalie, Cameron, Harrison, Madison, Callie & Ivie

Closing night: Gavin's school teacher

Before the performance tonight I asked the boys if they were glad they had done it and if they wanted to do it next year. Gavin immediately said YES! Owen wasn't sure but on the way home from the show, he told me he was looking forward to next year. 

Keeping busy

Besides school and work, here are several things that keep us busy:

1-Spencer is serving in Young Men's so every Wednesday night, he's with them at their activity. He is also traveling a lot for work. 

2-Natalie has 25 piano students and teaches lessons every day after school. She is also serving as the Additional Relief Society Meeting Coordinator (aka enrichment or homemaking) and our ward has an event once a month. 

3-Cameron's football season has started...practice every night, first game/scrimmage this weekend. He's trying to figure out how to get his homework done, go to practice, have a little fun, and get enough sleep during the week. 

4-Gavin has been doing a program called Broadway Kidz and is finally to the performance portion. He has performances Friday, Saturday, and Monday. More on that later. He is starting Flag Football after Labor Day. 

5-Owen has also been in Broadway Kidz. Lots of rehearsals this summer. They've had fun but will be relieved when it's over. He starts Fall Soccer next week!

6-Harrison rides his scooter, loves to watch tv, always wants to play mom's phone, and goes everywhere mom goes...which can be exhausting. He's the only one of our kids who won't be enrolled in something this fall...

7-Madi talks on the phone all the time, whether she's pretending or often she'll beg to call "Caddie", Miley, or granny. She keeps track of where everyone is each day. The other day she asked me where dad was. I told her he was at work. She replied "Portland?" (Spencer went to Portland 3 times in August.) Madi is starting a 3-year old dance class after Labor Day. She tried on a hand-me-down leotard with an attached skirt and insisted on wearing it all day yesterday. She stood on the air vent and we got a little Marilyn Monroe action...the pic is dark but I was teaching piano when this happened so I just took a really quick shot.

First Day of 1st Grade

Owen started first grade today! I know everyone says it but, where has the time gone? He was so excited to take a lunch and plan to be at school all day. He decided to be part of the French Immersion program at the school (like Gavin) so he'll spend his mornings with an English teacher learning reading, spelling, math, etc and his afternoons will be completely in French. The first part of this program is a bit of a challenge but this was his choice and he is ready for it! The twins are already confused, home alone with no brothers. Madi has asked me twice already (we've been home for 10 minutes) where Cam is, where Gavin is, where's Owie??? Then she went into where's dad? Grandpa? Granny? This is going to take a little adjustment :)

First Day of 3rd Grade

Gavin started 3rd grade today. He is so energetic and was very excited to go back to school. As we walked together to the school, he kept saying things like "I missed walking to school", "I missed playing with my friends at school", "I missed eating lunch at school" and on and on. He's going to have a great year!

Back-To-School Dinner

I've seen numerous people post about having a special back-to-school dinner and introducing a family theme so we decided to join in the fun. Last Sunday, I told Spence that I'd like to come up with a theme for the school year and present it at a special dinner. He was on board. I did some research and came up with several themes but narrowed it down to "Listen and Obey." 

So this week, we prepared our Sunday dinner and got the kids seated. Spence then walked around and blindfolded the three school-aged boys with one of his church ties. We made their plates (Ranch-style pork chops, mashed red potatoes & gravy, steamed asparagus & yellow squash, roll, Ginger Ale) but didn't tell them what was on their plates. After a blessing on the food, we told them to begin eating. They were confused and super giggly. We tried to guide them through their plates but finally just let them take their blindfolds off. (We were attempting an object lesson of making them listen carefully so that we could help them through a trying time by eating blindfolded if they obeyed our instruction.) Then we explained our family theme and how it could be applied to the upcoming school year...It's important to listen & obey your new school teachers. They know what you need to learn to progress. 

And how it could be applied to our family...it's important to listen & obey your parents. They know what you need to learn to progress. 

And how it can be applied to life in general...we are blessed with the Holy Ghost. If we listen and obey His voice, we can be guided in the right direction. He knows what we need to learn to progress. 

We then gave each of the school goers a cute tie charm. I attached it to their backpacks, in hopes that when they see it, they will remember to listen and obey immediately! School starts tomorrow morning!!!

Madi's First Mani/Pedi

While my parents were in town for a very short visit, I proposed that the boys go to a "boy" store like Scheel's or Cabela's and the girls could go get pedicures...a necessity after the flip flop months. So that's what we did. 

Spencer, Grandpa Rick, Cameron, Gavin,  Owen, and Harrison went to McD's for lunch, Scheel's for a little boy time, and to JCW's for ice cream cones. 

Meanwhile, Granny Jane, Callie, Ivie, Madi and I went to Jada's Nails for pedicures. After taking a few minutes to pick our polish, we got seated in their comfy massage chairs. Madi wasn't getting a full spa pedi so the nice lady, Cindy, polished her finger & toe nails first. She sat pretty still and was very excited about her sparkly polish. Then Cindy got to work on me! She gave me a neck & back massage before she even started on my feet! That was a bonus. 

Callie & I were giving our mom a hard time about always choosing the same color of polish. She said she liked Madi's color so she decided to have the same. Then when it came time to polish mine & Callie's, we both decided to have the same as well. So we all walked out of there in Madi's choice! It looked cutest on Madi...

First Day of Middle School

Cameron went to his first day of Middle School today! When we first moved to Utah, we learned that they kept students at the Elementary School for Kindergarten-6th grade but when our city built a new middle school and a new high school, they changed it so that 6th graders go to the middle school and 9th graders go to the high school. So, as a 6th grader, Cameron went to school today. It's just a 4 hour Orientation day for 6th graders only but he practiced riding the bus and he'll get to walk through his schedule and figure everything out. I'm not sure who was more nervous, Cameron or his mother!