November

Friday Nights and Saturdays throughout the fall were spent at the soccer fields. I just posted one of each of the boys because I didn't think anyone really wanted to see all 600 pictures I took over the course of their games. It is all in an attempt to get the perfect shot, which I never quite got of Matthew and Andrew, there is always next year. Andrew had a fun season despite the coach thinking they were 16 not 6. Brandon had a 180 degree switch from last year- a coach who actually coached, a coach who knew the game, a coach who was complementary, calm and had integrity. And to top it off they actually won some games. Matthew had a "character building" season along with Brian, who had a "character building' year as his coach.

Andrew

 Brandon

 Matthew

 The last day of school before Thanksgiving the school has a Turkey Trot. Each grade runs a fun 1/4 mile run, with the highlight being the 5 & 6th grade Turkey Relay. Each class fields a team of 8 and each person runs one leg down with a ten pound turkey, drops it off and runs back. We realized the determining factor was how well the girls could run and unfortunately for Brandon's class I don't think any of the girls in his class made it past a slow shuffle.

We grabbed the kids after they had each run and headed out to San Deigo for Thanksgiving. Craig, Gayle and their four kids had come down for the weekend as well, which made for a delightful time at Grandma and Grandpa's. Generally, we are either the only ones there, or the only one with older kids so this was a treat. Late night capture the flag games ensued everynight- each of them trying to sneak outside with a flashlight they had seripitously obsconded from Grandma's stash. Lots of running and hollering and plenty of, "take it outside boys..."  Craig and Gayle have three boys, two are twins Brandon's age, and one daughter, who basically is just another one of the boys.  Thanksgiving morning flag football was the game....

They are all getting to the age where they can actually understand plays drawn out on a palm.

 We spent one morning at the Mormon Batallion Visitors Center. We give a 5 star rating to their gold panning. We've panned for gold numerous places, but these were by far the biggest nuggets we've found

My great- grandfather,and the boys great-great- grandfather,  Edward Bunker, was one of the members of the Mormon Batallion.

 Playing at the beach one afternoon.



October in Pictures

I had a goal to take one picture a day for the month of October. As with most goals in my life, we almost make it. Most days we got a picture, but a few we didn't. I appreciate most the everyday images, eating breakfast, finishing the last bits of a project. When Brandon was little, and even Matthew, the camera was always within reaching distance becuase there was always something you want to remember. Now, that doesn't happen so much. So it was fun to capture some of the everyday moments of the kids when they are a bit bigger.


Brandon- Student of the month (he's last in the 3rd row back)


Matthew leading skip counting at school.


Zach's 3rd birthday.

Curious George cake.

The last session of General Conference. Boy can it get a little hairy!

Caught in the act. My fault I left the milk on the bottom shelf. But I'd like to know whose fault it is that he learned how to do it.

William Gateway Airport you can get right next to the runway and watch all the planes take off. Saturday mornings are full of take offs and landings!

Zach couldn't hit the hammer hard enough to move the bell, so he decided his hands would be better.

Marking off clues in the corn maze.

One of the reasons to love AZ.

Driving down this dirt road I popped a tire.

Looking down the road where we found a place to pull off.

Finally winching up the popped tire. What an eventful day!!!

Matthew mugging in a self portrait. I think he just wanted to be like Eric and Emily with his thumbs up!

Playing hide and seek at Tonto National Park. Apparently Zach didn't quite get the hide part. Can you find the other three and my mom?

Cliff dwellings built in the 1300's. Pretty awsome.

Playing in the driveway before soccer practice. A blessing that all three had a practice on Thurs. evenings. Only one trip to the fields on that day!

I loved going to the fields if only to be outside for the sunsets!

Fiddling with my apperture.

Helping me can applesauce- or maybe not.

Finishing breakfast and getting ready for school.

Putting the final touches on an Early Explorer Report on Coronado.

Matthew's response to the daily(or weekly as it goes some days) question.

Andrew making a sign for the soccer game" We will rock you. We will dammg you." He wanted it to say "damage you", but it came out looking a little more like something else.

Counting the loot.

Percy

Zeus

We have no idea what Zach was. Not a big deal because by the time we left for the ward part thirty seconds later, he refused to have anything on.

Any guesses who we were?

Overheard....

Andrew: Mom, don't put that sneeze stuff in the present bag.
Steph: Sneeze stuff?
Andrew: You know, the stuff you blow your nose into.
Steph: A kleenex?
Andrew: No, the other word.
Steph: A tissue?
Andrew: Yep, the tissue paper.

We live a mile and a half from a dairy farm, which we drive past a few times a week. As with most young kids and animals, you are always asking them what sounds the animals make, and with a few we animals we talk about what they produce or provide for us. A few years ago, we toured a dairy farm where they told the kids that brown, or jersey cows, make a creamier milk, which in turn produces a better ice cream. The following conversation was between Zach and I as we were driving past the dairy farm one morning.
Zach: What do cows make?
Steph: Milk
Zach: What do brown cows make?
Steph: Ice Cream
Zach: What do bees make?
Steph: Honey
Zach: What do fly's make?
Steph: Nothing. Fly's don't make anything.
Zach: Yes they do, they make peanut butter!
Hmmmm...... ok Zach.

Aggieland

Aggieland was beckonning to us to come visit. Jenn and Cameron had their first baby, a little girl, Tess in August. We counldn't stay away for long. So September found us slowly wilting with the humidity in College Station. Humidity is it's own beast. Just like temps above 110 (which we had left behind). But the neighbors had a pool we could play in and being able to see everyone was well worth it

A happy boy. Propel and Fruit snacks.

Hanging out in Jenn's training room at Texas A&M.

The only reason I put this picture in is to profess my love for my car, which is NOT a minivan. I'll give you minivan drivers props for storage capacity, but other than that, I couldn't wait to get back to my car. Now, often our purchases meet our needs for the moment but not for the long term. I will agree that a minivan is good for small kids, easy to get in and out of....but Brandon who is 11 felt cramped each time he had to get in the back seat, and they all complained they were sitting on top of each other. He would do anything he could to make sure he had one of the captains chairs. After driving that minivan, Brian and I were both grateful we had made a good long term purchase, one that fits our family. I'm off my soap box now.

The real reason we headed to Texas- Tess' Blessing. Zachary loved her. This is the first time we haven't had a new one when we had a 2 or 3 year old. I forogt how much they love little ones. It brought back many sweet memories!

There was a slight misunderstanding about going to the football game. We had a few little boys (and big boys) slightly disappointed that this is where they had to stand. No ticket scalpers were to be found either, very strange. At least we tried!

But... all was not lost...thank goodness for Jenny and her connections. Monday, the boys got to run a lap around Kyle Field, so the sad long faces of Saturday were quickly replaced with excited cheers and boundless energy- Matthew is in the background running.

We stopped at the Houston Space Center before leaving for home. This was mission control until the 1980's including Apollo 13.

Full scale mock up's of the International Space Station and Space Shuttle where the astronauts train. Much smaller than I anticipated. Cool to see. But grateful my feet are on earth

Saturn V Rocket. The Saturn V carried all Apollo missions into space. The intracacies of all the wiring and tubing was incredible.

Size comparrison of Matthew and Andrew with the rocket- I couldn't even get the top into the picture.