Homecoming and an injury report.

The Bruins had a great game Friday night.  They beat Miniko (last year's conference champs) by five touchdowns.  Yea!  Dallin played right tackle and did a super job.  At one point we could see a scuffle on the field and some of the team members pulled Dallin back.  It turns out that the opposing team piled on the already tackled star running back.  Right in front of Dallin.  Duh. I think if I were a player, I would like to have Dallin around--he has no tolerance for anyone beating on his teammates.

Landon had a great game too--for almost one quarter. 

Looks like he has torn the meniscus in his 'good' knee.  I could tell he was injured immediately.  He started limping and favoring his right leg right after a tackle in the first quarter.  Darn.  His knee is swollen double its normal size and it is super painful to bend.  And it is a nice shiny purple color on the back.  The father of the running back on the team (the same one Dallin fought for--see above) is an orthopedic surgeon.  He's also in my parents ward.  He took a look at Landon's knee and ordered a set of x-rays but we are betting that they won't find anything on the x-rays.  We will need an MRI.  

We were just in the office of our regular ortho surgeon on Thursday making shoulder rehab plans...  

Landon's shoulder still hurts like crazy.  

Have I mentioned how much I hate injuries?

Landon's knee didn't stop him from having a great time at the Homecoming dance!

Such cute, nice girls!  The boys got new suits.  Actually their first suits!

For some reason the dance was at the beginning of Homecoming week this year.  We are sad Landon won't be playing in the Homecoming game! Maybe next year...

I'm sure he will find something to keep himself busy!

Happy Fall Y'All!

Today's the first day of Autumn!  I love Fall. 

We had a great stake conference this weekend.  Stake conference is one of the two Sundays a year that we get to have our dad sit with us.  It's nice to have a second lap for the tired heads to rest on! Jackson made it through about an hour and twenty minutes before he started saying, "Ready home, mom." We rotate him through the bench pretty well.  Each sibling has something he likes--Jenna always has mints in her bag,  Benson loves to take him out for a drink or help him color, Dallin, Austin and Landon bounce him on their knees and/or turn him upside down.  It works for all of us.

Our stake president gave us three challenges:

1.  Have a fast of gratitude.  Have a family prayer and truly thank the Lord for our blessings.

2.  Fast and pray for moisture.  Our reservoirs are empty.  We really need a big winter!

3.  Pray for missionary experiences

I personally felt prompted to pray to have a desire to do missionary work before President Hansen said anything.  Within the next month or so we will have one set of missionaries in every single ward in the stake!  I know this weighs heavily on Rustin's mind and soul.  There is more than enough work to do but we really need to help our elders out!  I honestly don't know where to start to share the gospel myself.  I'm sure the Lord will help me figure it out if I ask.

 In the mean time we are enjoying the beautiful early Fall afternoon.  The kids have been lounging wrestling on the trampoline and basking in the warm-ish sun. And they just made cookies.  Of course.  It isn't Sunday afternoon without cookies. 

The best part of this evening is that tomorrow there is no school. Hooray! 

The usual.

We had such a nice almost-Fall weekend!

 We spent the weekend in Pocatello.  Dal and Lan had a game at Holt Arena on Friday night and Rustin's cousin Alex had a wedding reception on Saturday so we took the whole family and stayed at Grandma Geisler's house.  Darren and LoaLee came up with Jotham and Jamie's kids and Aunt Jill and Uncle Terry joined us at the game.  We lost to the very formidable Highland team (#1 5A school in the state) but the kids all played well and we had fun watching.

As for the injury report:   Landon's un-injured knee took a hard hit and is still swollen and bruised and his un-injured shoulder has been hurting all weekend.  We hope he didn't injure it trying to spare his injured shoulder...  Dallin had a great game.  No injuries--just the usual bumps and bruises.  Rustin and I were chuckling as we watched the players come out of the dressing room to load onto the bus. Almost every player had an ice pack taped to a body part--knees, shins, backs, elbows... Football is ridiculous.  But fun.

The weather was in the mid-seventies with  a soft breeze the whole weekend.  I love Fall! We went down to Ross Park where Rustin and I spent many a Saturday in our dating years!  When we went out to load everyone up in the suburban, we realized we made the critical mistake of leaving the boys football gear in the back of the suburban all night.  Holy locker room!  Thankfully Grandma had some febreeze...

The rock here is as slick as a slide--I'm sure generations of playing children
(including toddler Dallin and Landon!) have polished it like nothing else can!

Ross Park was perfect.  The kids climbed around on the rocks and we laid in the grass. Rustin laid with his head on my tummy and Jackson could not stop jumping on top of us.  The kids sat around and talked and laughed like only cousins can.

Austin is missing from this picture because he had just split his brand new shorts from waist to hem...

The big boys chatted with Grandpa Hatch about who to take to the Homecoming Dance and how to ask them.  Thankfully Dallin's phone died so he would quit texting long enough to chat...

Rustin and I watched Jackson play on the playground equipment.  I think he's only been to a park twice... Poor youngest child!

We had a great weekend!

That 's my girl

Jenna wrote an awesome essay about Fall in school.  I completely agree with her!  As soon and the end-of-summer---my-kids-are-leaving panic subsides I completely embrace the cooler nights with the hot days.  Maybe I'll stick this up on my mirror at the end of next summer...

Don't you love the curly q 'h's?!

I have accomplished quite a feat this week--I am almost completely caught up on the laundry.  Fifty thousand dirty camping blankets, jackets, sleeping bags and all!  I even organized and re-stocked the storage room.   I have Jason Borne to thank...  

And I am working on big plans to make my evenings easier.  I hope to complete it by next week!

Friday Night Lights

TFHS against Hillcrest (Idaho Falls)

Dallin and Landon played in their first varsity game Friday night!  

I am surprised at how much I enjoy watching football when my kids are playing.  

This game definitely helped in the excitement department.  

We won in quadruple overtime.

Have you ever seen a game with four overtimes?!

At the end of regulation time they were tied  12-12 so each team got four downs starting at the ten yard line to try to make a touchdown.  We both scored every time until the final fourth time around when our team ran the ball in for the two extra points and then they kept Hillcrest from scoring. 

Landon started as the Mike (middle linebacker) and Dallin started as the right guard on the offensive line.

  Landon ended up playing on the offensive line almost the whole game as well because one of the linemen dislocated his shoulder.  Kind of ironic because Landon has been fighting with an unstable shoulder all year.  He first injured it last spring playing rugby and now it keeps slipping around in the socket with the occasional partial to complete dislocation.  Ouch.  Really ouch.  He said he felt it pop in and out 6 times during the game.  The last time it slipped,  Landon's brace had come off so it (the humerus bone) moved more than normal and left him screaming with pain until it slipped back.  And then he played the four overtimes.  

I'm super frustrated. So is Landon. 

 We bought every extra protective piece of equipment we could find--gloves, forearm pads, extra neck braces, shoulder brace, knee pads...

 Have I mentioned that I hate injured kids?

So back to physical therapy.  With our fingers crossed!

Exciting changes!

 School started again!  

We start late here--Tuesday was our first day of school.  When budgets got tight in Idaho a few years ago they cut the school days by three or four so they could pay the teachers less.  It was really a big sacrifice by all the teachers so that our district extra-curricular classes could all remain intact.  Drama, chess, soccer, choir, football--we still have them all!
Along with three recesses a day for elementary kids.
I love our schools!

 High School

 Elementary

However, I don't love sending the kids back to school.  I really, really hate when school starts.  I get this physical reaction.  My heart beats faster and I have this constant subtle feeling of impending doom.
I like having the kids home.  I think having them here helps me stay focused and on task.  The start of this Fall was better for me though.



I have been excited for all the great activities the kids have and I am a little more confident in my ability to manage all the crazy schedules all by myself.  

Middle School

My driving life is a little easier this year because---
We bought our own optometry practice!!
Rustin is no longer an employee!!
Rustin's new office is right up the road from the middle school and they both start at 8 AM so Austin gets to ride with his dad instead of on the bus.  That gives him enough time to get piano practicing done before school.  Yea for both of them!
We bought into Gary and Jared Walker's practice--Eastland Vision Clinic.
 Rustin and Jared both work four days a week and Gary will come in on Thursdays and Fridays when Rustin or Jared is out. The office is brand new and beautiful with an on-site lab and a fantastic optical shop.  Rustin's schedule is already packed.  What a blessing! 

So Jack and I are home alone until 3.  

Jack MISSES his kids. 

 He drags me all over the place trying to get me to play with him.  

'C'mere Mom, C'mere.'
All. day.
But he smiles and giggles and snuggles so all is well.