We had a girls night out tonight.
While Darren and N worked in the yard, we went to see High School Musical 3. Actually I tried to talk both of my boys into coming with us but for some odd reason they didn't want to come.
We really enjoyed the movie. I am a big fan of the franchise.
After the movie we went and bought the soundtrack from the movie. Also went to Maurices and found the cutest little black dress on clearance (yeah!!) for Emily to wear on our cruise next September.
Got to shop with my girls.
Had a great time.
Feeling very blessed to be a mom.

It is a great feeling as a parent to be humbled by your own child.
E1 has been training hard with the swim team since mid-September. They lift weights each morning at six for an hour and then swim for two hours after school.
She gets herself up each morning and has arranged her own ride to the school.
She rushes home at 7, eats, changes, and is back out the door to catch the bus to school at 7:20. She is home long enough after school to grab her bag and ride to the pool.
I am just so proud of her. It also hurts me. I can see how tired she is. She has sore muscles. It has been hard to juggle practice with her school work. She has lost weight (or maybe just toned up even more than she already was). Her skin is already just destroyed and we have had to start using special cremes to counteract the chemicals. She always has a clean chlorine smell to her. She has worked so hard. I just love this girl.


Her first meet was Tuesday. We swam against Juan Diego and they absolutely destroyed us. But I have to brag that E1 set a new Richfield High School speed record in the 100 yard breast stroke.
The record has been held since 2002 and E1broke it by two seconds.
In her first meet of her freshman year.
What a girl.

I know hard work does not always get rewarded in such a big way, but what a great thing for her to have happen. I would be proud of her even without records and ribbons. But it was such a glorious moment for my little baby dolphin who is now a Richfield Wildcat.

One of our fall family traditions is to visit Sterling Hansen's pumpkin patch in Elsinore. Mr. Hansen is just the nicest man - every year I get as much pleasure seeing the joy on his face as he runs his pumpkin patch as I do picking out a pumpkin. I hold him in the highest regard.
Our family visited last week during the UEA holiday. We rode the haywagon to the fields and then each picked out our perfect pumpkin. We also gathered indian corn, fun mini gourds, and some unique varieties of squash to make a great Thanksgiving centerpiece once Halloween is over. I also got a spaghetti squash and a huge banana squash (which reminds me ... it is still sitting in the garage and I need to take it to mom's house for her to bake and bag for me. I seem to be squash incompetent or honestly more like squash unmotivated).
We also rode the tractor train and the pentawhirl. All this for the bargain price of $15.00. The kisses from Mr Hansen's dog were free.

Last week was our Daddy - Daughter date for Achievement Days.
E2 asked Grandpa to come as her date while E3 asked Darren. We had a princess theme with a fancy dinner. Then we taught the dads and girls to waltz. They were really really good sports about the whole thing even though I'm sure they wished they were home watching the Utah game (hoping they would LOSE to Oregon.....)
ANYWAY
It was fun for me to see how cute Darren is with the girls. Grandpa showed up the 20 other dads by giving E2 and E3 wrist corsages to wear. They really felt like princesses.




















It was fun for me because I kind of got to go on a daddy daughter date with MY dad, too :)!! Found this picture of a date when I was 8.

TIME FOR THE GREAT PUMPKIN

I LOVE FALL!!!!
Darren and I had the chance to go with N last Friday on the Kindergarten field trip. This is one of the great things about working four day work weeks. Or course N did not really seem to care we were there as soon as he saw his buddy, Will!
The air had that great crisp fall feel to it. We rode the hay wagon out to the fields where N proceeded to find the perfect pumpkin. He only dropped it three times on the way back.....
We are hoping to get the rest of the family out to the patch soon but the weather on the weekends does not seem to want to cooperate. We are keeping our fingers crossed for a late indian summer.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, MY FRIEND

E2's team, the "RABID CHIPMUNKS" won the city league soccer tournament last week for the 6/7/8 grade division.
I was so proud of E2.... she had not played for years so I was worried she would even "keep up". She had a great season and really worked hard. She even got $10 out of me for stopping the ball with her head. This was quite a feat of courage for her :). WAY TO GO!!!!