Caramel Apple Night

Every year we do caramel apples.  This awesome tradition started years ago with our dear friends, The O'Neils.  We sure miss them!

Choir

Livi is in Honor's Choir this year and is really enjoying it.  Over the course of several days, they had some people come in and teach the area honor choirs from each middle school.  Here she is after the performance with her BFF Kabree.  (I spy Grandma Uschi giving bunny ears)

Rosie's birthday

Last month, I was at a sleepover with the Young Women leaders in our ward.  I LOVE them!  We played a game where we passed a card around and voted for things (Who wears the oldest clothes?  Who do you think would be the best at telling jokes? etc)  There was one that EVERYONE voted for me...least likely to bake.  It fit so well, but bothered me so much.  I cook, I don't bake..well.  I have made cookies perfect one day and then they are runny the next time.  I don't know WHAT I do, but it happens every time.

I decided that to prove everyone..and myself that I COULD bake, I decided to make Rosie's birthday cake.  It turned out awesome.  It was a 3 layer chocolate cake, with chocolate buttercream frosting in between the layers.  Because we didn't account for the high elevation, it was sinking a bit...here comes Grandma Uschi to the rescue.  She added a chocolate ganache top.  It was so good!

This is a bad picture, but it was fantastic.  

Since my parents were going out of town for the weekend, we had 2 parties for Rosie.  The first one Addi, Bri and Jenny came.  Then on Friday we had one with Iris and Terry. Here is the 2nd cake I made.  The icing was a litttllleee thick in between layers.  HA! Oh well, live and learn.

Football

I love Football.  I really do.  Before my Junior year of high school I didn't really understand it or like it, but Mr. Johnny Walker changed that.  He was my P.E. teacher and rumor had it, he played for the Eagles.  I don't care if that is true or not because he was awesome.   He was a big, buff black man that was fun, but didn't take crap from anyone.

He took quite a few weeks and taught us about football.  The ins, the outs.  It was life changing.  Laugh at me if you want, but I truly felt an instant connection to it.  Don't get me wrong, I still don't know all of the rules, but I have a fierce loyalty to the BEARs.   Since I got married, I have added the Broncos into the mix. (Green Bay Packers is a swear word in our home).

So, when the paperwork came home for football, Spencer and Mac were very excited and I was finally a "Football Mom."  It was really cool to see how Spencer and Mac evolved over the season.  For Spencer, practice was 4-5 times a week for 2 hours.  It was record high temperatures this summer, so it was brutal to be in full football gear in August.  Mac was in flag football, so his practices were twice a week for an hour and 15 minutes.  (Add in Livi's dance down town, moving, YW, etc and we were SWAMPED with driving.  It was actually pretty stressful and very draining).

I am not sure how we are going to do it next year, with Livi in high school, but since she gets to have her license (WHAT THE HECK!?!?) it might help with the carpool thing.

Here are some highlights from the boys: