Emmett's 1st Soccer Game of the Season

 

Logan's First High School XC Invitational

 

Labor Day Weekend at Blake Island

For the first time since 2020, school started the week before Labor Day weekend.  As a result, our annual camping trip to Blake Island happened after the kids had already gone to three days of school.  This actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I was still in Utah the weekend before school started this year which meant that my kids would have missed joining Chris and his family out on the island for our annual camping trip with them.  Although I was still super tired from this marathon trip and getting the other three kids off to school, I managed to summon enough energy to shop, pack, and head out on this camping trip as the solo parent this past weekend.  Since there was rain in the forecast for Friday and Saturday, we decided to push back our departure and left on Sunday morning and returned on Monday evening.  Although the kids were disappointed that we didn't get to spend two nights on the island like we have done the last few years, it helped me find the motivation to pull off this trip with less days and meals to pack for.  Overall, we were blessed with some beautiful weather and had a fun time being out on the island with Chris, Natalee, Trenton, Brynn, and her boyfriend, Zach who were visiting from Utah.  It was fun to meet Zach for the first time and spend the weekend with this group at a place that we love so well.  Here are some pictures from our time out on the island...

September 6th:

After getting out to the island and eating lunch, we set up the tent and then hit the beach because it was so hot.  Several people put on their swimsuits and went out and played in the freezing cold water because of how warm it was.

Logan and Emmett.

Ella decided not to pack a swimsuit, but later on, realized that she should have brought it along.  Here she is cooling down on top of one of the pilings in the water.

Emmett playing in the sand after swimming.

The teenage boys talking on some driftwood.

Around 5 o'clock, we hopped on Chris' boat for the ride into Seattle for the evening.

Like last year, we enjoyed walking along the waterfront and the kids loved playing at the amazing park again.  Here is Ella coming down the jellyfish slide.

Emmett hanging out on one of the swings that remind me of stingrays.

We then walked over to Ivar's restaurant to eat fish and chips for dinner out on the water.

The kids then enjoyed throwing out left over fries to the seagulls.

Logan, Emmet, Ella, Trenton, Zach, and Brynn walking back to Chris' boat in the marina.

September 7th:

After a good night's sleep all cozy in our tent, the kids started the day by piling on top of each other on the half deflated air mattress.

After breakfast, Brynn and Zach took the kids around the campground playing an epic game of Bocce ball.

After some more games in the campground area, we ended up on the beach to skip some rocks.

And take the annual cousin picture on top of a log.  

It's kind of sad to think about how much this picture has shrunk over the years.  And if it hadn't been for Brynn visiting from Utah for the weekend, there would have only been four cousins in the photo.  It's hard to see everyone growing up and flying the nest.

Our annual mommy and kids photo on the beach, minus Lia for the first time ever.  Sniff.

My mom and some of Natalee's family came out to join us on the island for the day on Monday.  Here is a picture we snapped with grandma and her five grandchildren.

The kids enjoyed playing a game of baseball with the group after lunch.

Ella up to bat.

The group went back out to the beach for the second afternoon in a row.  The boys ended up jumping into the water from a large fallen log on the beach.  Here is Emmett leaping into the air!

Trenton, Logan, and Emmett all walking out on the log.

Logan jumping in.

Ella decided to follow the boys and jump into the water in her clothes.

Logan's 1st PHS XC Race

After training with his high school's cross country team since the beginning of June, Logan had his first unofficial XC meet this afternoon.  His high school hosts a meet at the beginning of each season in September at Wildwood Park for runners from just their high school.  His coach does this so that everyone has a chance to run in one race before official meets begin the next week and to give them a baseline time.  Since the Wildwood Park course is very difficult, full of many hills and trails in the woods, I didn't know what to expect from Logan.  However, he rose to the occasion and stayed in the first pack of boys during this 2.7 mile race.  I was able to see him four times during the run and watched him slowly pass a few boys each time.  By the end, he was in ninth place as he ran past me which meant he was two places away from a varsity spot on the team.  Although I didn't make it to the finish line before he completed the race, I learned from another mom that he finished at 7th place after passing two boys on the last hill and finished it in 17:37.  I was so blown away by this as it is so difficult to be in the top seven runners as a freshman, especially on the boys team which is typically so much larger than the girls team.  I was so proud of Logan and this huge accomplishment, especially during the first meet of the season.  Well done, Logan!

Logan running past meet me as he ran up one of the many hills on this course.

Another unique aspect of this meet is that the coach hosts a second race for any friends and family of the XC runner who want to participate.  After learning about this the night before, Emmett said that he wanted to run in this second race, but I knew that he would need a "chaperone runner" to go with him through this 2.7 mile course in the woods.  Luckily, his good friend, Kenzo, from school and his running club, has a mom who enjoys long-distance running.  So after giving her a call last night, we learned that Emmett could do this race with Kenzo and his mom.  It was so fun to cheer the three of them on as they ran around this lengthy course, especially since Emmett has never ran more than one mile at a time.  He is so athletic and in shape that it was no big deal for him to finish this difficult course.  He was all smiles when I found him at the finish line.  Well done, Emmett!

First Day of School!

After being home just one day from taking Lia to BYU, I had to turn around and get the three other kids ready to go to their first day of school.  Although we had completed all of their school clothes and school supplies shopping before I left, we still had a bunch of things to do yesterday to get them ready to head out the door today.  For the most part, everyone was excited to return to school to see their friends and to get back into the swing of things.  Emmett was excited to start second grade and have Mrs. Engle as his teacher who lives just four doors away from us.  Ella was ready to begin junior high school for the first time and be at the same school as her dad and brother.  And although Logan was not excited to return to the work load associated with school, he was ready to see his friends on a daily basis again.  Overall, everyone had a great day and I was so happy to hear everyone's positive reports as they returned home in the afternoon.

Logan and Ella posing on the porch before heading off to their one year of junior high school together.

Logan

First day of 9th grade

Ella

First day of 7th grade

Emmett

First day of 2nd grade

Dropping Emmett off at school that morning.

A happy Ella getting in my car after picking her up from the bus stop after school got out.

Emmett running to me after being dropped by the bus.

My 2nd grader all smiles as he walked towards me from the bus stop.

Lia

First day of her freshman year at BYU

At the end of the day, Lia texted me some pictures that she and her friends had taken that evening after their first day of school which also fell on September 2nd.  She had a successful first day and made it to all four of her classes, although she was late to a few of them due to her classes being so far apart on campus.

Lia with her friends in front of one of the two main entrance signs to BYU near her dorm complex.

From left to right:  Melissa, Lia, Claire, and Lyndi

Lia and some of her friends standing in front of Chipman Hall.

From left to right:

Claire, Hayden, Lia, Lyndi, Daryn, and Melissa