The loot!!!

We are a candy loving family. We love sugar, sugar, and more sugar. Halloween is made for people like us.

One year I challenged myself to go without candy. I can't remember the result, but I do remember I surprised myself. I think I mostly did it.

I am not going without candy. My children are not turning their candy into the dentist for money. We will eat it. All of it. All 20 pounds of Kit-Kats, Reese's, Snickers, Twix, and more. We will enjoy the Laffy Taffy and Skittles. We will let the Whoppers melt in our mouth and break the 3 Musketeers into pieces. We will savor the Peanut Butter M&M's and eventually get desperate and eat the Crunch and Jolley Ranchers.

We will also try to brush our teeth a lot so they don't rot. We will take the dog for long walks so we don't get fat. And, we will not buy candy until 2013.

Yes. I said it. We might crave Junior Mints and Smarties. We might wish we could have a Blow-Pop. But we will suffer through. We will sacrifice and endure the hardship. We have all agreed.

Wish us luck!!!

Rain-gutter Regatta

The Cub Scout event of the Fall was last week. Mason and Joe worked feverishly (the night before) to creat a masterpiece.

The races began and it was clear the competition was stiff. With the exception of a few kits that came without rutters, a lot of dads and boys were ready to compete.

Mason ended up winning the "fastest looking" boat, losing out by a fraction of a second for third place.

Halloween Costumes

My boys wouldn't win any contests this year. At least I didn't spend any money.

Tanner was himself for the school parade and a baby for trick-or-treating.

Mason was a mummy for the school parade and a football player for trick-or-treating. At least the uniform got some use this season:-)

Star went as herself.

Pumpkin Carving

How nice to have children old enough to carve their own pumpkins (and scoop their own goop). We eagerly awaited the "Great Pumpkin", who never arrived. It made me sad.

Tanner wins the award for the year with his creative nerd pumpkin. Glasses and braces.

Happy Halloween!!!

Best of...Worst of...Week 11

Rachelle
Best:  Halloween Party, Primary class today, Working from home on Friday, Tanner's football party, sugar cookies, changing of seasons, Brave football victory, World Series
Worst:  changing of seasons, Friday practice for Primary Program

Joe
Worst:  snow and freezing cold football practice on Thursday, watching Kearns get away with penalties,
Best:  weather warming back up, Halloween this week, talking with Max and Sharla on FaceTime, fun Halloween party at Taylor's house, Football party and motivational speaker

Tanner
Best:  snow and cold football practice, beating Kearns, Football party, Training Table after beating Kearns, 49er's beating Seattle, keeping up on my homework
Worst:  getting smashed by #90 (how could a 260# 11-year-old play in my league?!?)

Mason
Best:  Pine Wood Derby, Halloween sugar cookies, putting on my football pads and playing in the backyard with Tanner
Worst:  Getting in a figth with Tanner

Braves 9-0

20-13 versus Kearns

They did it!!!!!!! It wasn't easy. They fought hard and they did it. Kearns has a big line and defended our run. If we can defeat Viewmont next week, we may meet them again in two weeks.

Good job Braves!!!

Really?!?

These are from yesterday and today. Guess it is time to pull out the sweaters.

Best of...Worst of...Week 10

Mason
Best: camping, wedging wood, making a big, big, big dam,
Worst: missing Tanner's football game, gross moss on the bottom of the hot spring pool, the big, big, big dam flooding the island

Tanner
Best: winning my football game (even though I wasn't there...it is always good to win), same as Mason, finding a good book to read (Chomp)
Worst: missing my football game, the big, big, big dam flooding the island, having to leave from camping trip

Rachelle
Best: two days away from work, camping with Spangenbergs (they are so easy to be with), Tanner and Mason being great boys on the trip, camping with Star (she is such a good dog)
Worst: lots of laundry (of course if I were a really good person I would have on my best list the fact that I have a washer and dryer), eating too much food and gaining 2 pounds (I could also turn this around because we did have a lot of good food)
Joe
Best: camping trip, Tanner getting well again, my truck making yet another camping trip (still going strong at 170,000 miles), decent week at the dry cleaners
Worst: $25 fee to get into the Teton's and then not even having water, losing a tenant at the apartments

Braves 8-0

41-0 versus Jordan

We can claim nothing with this victory. We were here:

Best of...Worst of...Week 9

Tanner:
Best-winning my football game, doing good in school (no new missing assignments), almost getting over my sore throat, missing football practices
Worst-sore throat/strep throat and fever, missing football practices, Sunday clothes

Mason
Best-being me (awesome!), Tanner winning football, reaching AR goal, finding football cards at All-A-Dollar
Worst-Mom won't let me buy a lot of football cards

Joe
Best-Confirmation that I was in-tune with the Spirit, Cool Fall temperatures and the beautiful leaves, the opportunity to use my priesthood to bless the lives of those I love, Tanner's football game
Worst-tanner getting sick and missing 2 days of school, Sister Jackman passing away

Rachelle
Best-Fall, working from home on Wednesday, Decorating for Halloween with Mason, Tanner getting the Rudy award at his football game, Winter blankets on my bed
Worst- Tanner being sick, Star whining and waking me early on the weekend (come on, you could wait until 7!)

Braves 7-0

41-6 versus Hunter

Coming into the game both teams were undefeated. The Braves were the lucky ones to walk away still undefeated.

Hunter scored their 6 points in the first minute of the game. Uh oh. They shut us down on our first offensive drive. Uh oh. Tables turned when we intercepted and scored 6 plus the point after. There was no looking back from there.

After each game the coaches award the following: player of the game, the Rudy award (player with the biggest heart), hardest hit, and iron man. Tanner is not the star of his team and with the exception of when the entire team receives an award, Tanner has never been named. Coach today gave Tanner and two other boys the "Rudy" award for playing sick and/or injured.

I hope this meant as much to Tanner as it did to me. It might be easy to win, but I know this whole thing hasn't been easy for Tanner. He wants to be a star, and he isn't. He wants to play defense, and he doesn't (much). He wants a little fame and glory, and
he gets none. Coach didn't need to recognize Tanner today, but he did. Thanks!

Best of...Worst of...Week 8

Joe
Best:  trip to Phoenix, Tanner's team winning again, Mason's B-day party and celebration of his 9th birthday, General Conference, visit from Curt, Katherine, and Zach
Worst:  having to take the bus and walk home from the airport

Rachelle
Best:  Phoenix, cooler temperatures, General Conference, Chinese food dinner on Saturday
Worst:  getting sick from Chinese food dinner

Mason
Best:  Birthday Party, Tanner winning his football game, getting babysat by Trevor and Angela
Worst:  It's all good:)

Tanner
Best:  Mason's b-day party, winning my football game, getting babysat by Trevor and Angela, getting a balloon, getting goldfish crackers, getting a new kicking tee (thanks Mason)
Worst:  not being able to find my cleats and missing my practice on Tuesday

Braves 6-0

45-0 versus Viewmont

We finally had another home game (even though we were the visitors) and it was great to have Dit and family and Kelli and family come cheer us on.

Also fun was staying to watch half of Evan's game. What a star he is. Way to go.

More uninspiring pictures follow.

Best of...Worst of...Week 7

A week late

Mason
Best: being babysat by the Blanchards
Worst: Tanner and Evan fighting

Tanner
Best: winning another football game, getting a fumble recovery and a kick-off return
Worst: little kids

Rachelle
Best: flying away to Phoenix, Tanner's football game, celebrating Mason's birthday with his class, having a good friend named Jana, Birthdy FaceTime with my mom
Worst: missing Mom's phone call, unsettling decisions at work, business (this is getting old)

Joe
Best: Tanner performance in the football game, getting two home inspections last week, freedom in Phoenix, drive to Apache Lake and Superstition Mountains
Worst: another bad week at the dry cleaner

Mason

Tanner gets a lot of pub because if football. Well, I also have a son named Mason. He is like no other. Someday I hope to have just a fraction of his confidence.

Phoenix

Joe and I were lucky enough to leave our children for 5 days to vacation together. That alone should be enough for any parent to be envious.

We enjoyed pool time, movies, a ghost town, sleeping in, a trip to the temple, mountain and lake adventures, quiet dinners, good books, and each other.

From what I understand, the boys enjoyed cousins, fighting, lunchables, football, Angie and Trevor, birthday cake, Scouts, and homework. Star enjoyed the kennel.

Thanks to everyone who made this happen. It was great!

Braves 5-0

55-0 versus Stansbury

After a long drive to the middle of nowhere, we were rewarded with an Brave victory. It isn't getting old to win, but today was difficult as we shared the sidelines with the other team, behind the opponents bench. Dumb setup.

What we witnessed was class act coaches encouraging, coaching, cheering, and lifting defeated 11-year-olds. They made several mistakes and repeated them several times. The coaches didn't berate or belittle, they built. It was awesome.

Also awesome was the fact that Tanner had two touches, big ones. He caught a kick-off return and ran it back for positive yardage, the last defender tripping him up at mid-field. But no, that wasn't enough, Tanner also had a fumble recovery.

It was fun to have Lucy join us; maybe she is our good luck charm;). More fun was Tanner having the chance to be proud of himself. Way to go buddy!