Where has the time gone?

Wow what a month! (and it's not even over yet!) We've had a lot of firsts this month that I've been just plain too busy to post about! Earlier in the month Scarlett had her first day of pre-school, then her first soccer game. She's also riding her two-wheeler without training wheels, though I think she started that last month. I had my first day ever teaching pre-school (a separate occassion from Scarlett's first) and had my first day (this year) of directing the elementary school choir. Next year I'll actually do the choir AND have a child going to the school! Asher cut his first tooth and took his first steps! (I've got to tell ya, that child is growing up WAY too fast, and no he's not even 9 month old yet!). We bottled pears from our own tree for the first time (along with the salsa, grape juice, peaches, etc. that we normally do). I think poor Avanlee is feeling a little left out. She's growing up so fast and is sounding so grown up, but the things she's developing don't have any visible milestones. She'll get her chance at some more 'firsts' soon. She and her sister DID participate in their first talent show this month. Avanlee did a summersault (woohoo!). Kyle has officially been made the Scout Master over the regional Special Needs Scout Troop in our area. It's been a crazy end to a fabulous summer. On top of all of our 'firsts' we've been playing church volleyball, Kyle's been working on some side jobs, and I've been put in charge of our neighborhood's collections for the Pennies by the Inch organization for Primary Children's Hospital. It's funny how busy you can get and at the same time think things will let up soon...because in reality it never really lets up at all. It's amazing how the longer someone lives and the more experience a person gains, the greater their capacity to do things becomes. With each new job accomplished comes an expansion of self. One year you think you can't possibly do one more thing and the next year you find yourself doing three times as much. I'm in awe of humankind's ability to progress and adapt and credit a loving Heavenly Father and Savior for this miracle of life.

Here are a few quick pics of some of what's been going on:

Scarlett's first day of preschool. Three other mothers, along with myself, are taking turns teaching preschool to our daughters this year and they're having a blast! Scarlett asks almost everyday when her next day of preschool will be.
Here's Scarlett (complete with pink soccer ball and pink cleats) on her first day of soccer. She was so excited.

Guess who was a TOTAL natural...?

It was amazing to watch her play for the first time. With no real prior practice or experience she got out there and scored 5 or 6 goals...even when her own teammate decided to start playing goalie!

This was just a super cute picture I had to post. They both kept making faces while I took pictures and played so well together, I just had to capture the moment. It isn't everyday that you see them playing without it ending in one of them crying.

Happy Anniversary to us!

We had a great/busy weekend and were able to sqeeze in a date for our anniversary. Here's the cute man I married 6 years ago. He and the kids are the best things that have ever happened to me and the best choices I've ever made. He's an amazing husband, father, provider, and friend. He's spiritual, a hard worker, loving, loyal, and a lot of fun. Everyday that we're married, I feel more and more blessed to be with this man.
Here I am in my happy place. My life couldn't get any better.

For those of you who don't know, Kyle has givien up quite a bit to be with us during the difficult and time consuming period of life that is having young children. He doesn't rock climb, backpack, hike, fish, golf, ski, or much of anything else quite as much as he used to because he wants to be around to help. He understands that this season of our lives and the lives of our children is short and he wants to be around for it.

Our date stared out with dinner downtown at the best Macaroni Grill in the state. Yum! Then we drove over the Ensign Peak monument. We hadn't been there since July 5, 2002...the night Kyle proposed.

We hiked to the monument at the top of the hill at almost the exact same time we did more than six years ago. The flat place next to us in this pic is where Kyle had a blanket laid out with a cooler full of fresh fruit, Martinelli's cider, and the biggest rose I'd ever seen waiting for me. He'd hidden the ring in the rose, and this is where he asked me to marry him at sunset.
This picture is dedicated to Lara Deppe who is a little obsessed with taking pictures of feet.

Here we are with a view overlooking the city.

Awwww, aren't we cute?

We hiked down just after sunset (very trecherous...I'm considerably night blind). We went to the Hard Rock Cafe for dessert, picked up the kids, went home and watched 27 Dresses (a cute movie for an anniversary date). We had a great time revisiting those memories. I love you Kyle!