Fall

Fall is definitely in the air. At least in the mornings, as we have still been getting up to around 90 in the afternoons, but I feel it coming. And the leaves are starting to change. It's magical. We have missed it. Fall is awesome in Ohio. Summer and spring are gray and cloudy, and winter is cold and miserable, but fall just about makes up for it. I'm not looking forward to winter, but I am really excited for fall.

Allie started a gymnastics class once a week at the Mapleton rec center. The best part is what she chooses to wear. This purple number is my favorite. Her teacher is helping her slide her hands across the bar. It's been really fun, but I must admit that she has been more emotional than I expected her to be. It's as if it's Damon sitting there, scared to participate, instead of Allie. But she's getting more used to it now and I think it's good for her.

Damon finished up his soccer season last night. Jeff and I were both amazed at how much he has progressed in just a few short weeks. He even managed to score a few goals, which I never would've thought possible when he started. Last night, all the players on his team got a trophy and you can't imagine how proud he is of it. Jeff wasn't home when he went to bed last night, so he crept in early this morning to show it to him.

He asked me if I have any trophies from when I was a kid and if he could see them. I wonder what I saved...all my stuff is in a box in storage, so we won't be able to get it out and reminisce, but I love that he cares.


These are Damon's cousins that played on the team with him, David and Sammy. You can tell that David was struggling with a bloody nose all day yesterday, and if you look closely, you can see Damon has dried blood on his arm. That's kind of disgusting.

What do you think of this face? Does it say, "don't mess with me?," or what? Kyla has become our little spitfire. She refuses to be pushed around and has learned to throw tantrums by screaming, "NO!" when she isn't happy. It makes me crazy.

But I love watching her personality develop. She is definitely the most adventurous of the kids at this age. She loves being outside, and is surprisingly capable for being so small. I peeked out the window and saw her throwing a tennis ball to the dog two days ago, and yesterday I saw her carrying a rabbit under one arm like she had been holding it for years (both pets are my in-laws, but they are right outside our door, so they feel like they are ours). She loves animals, and gets so excited when she sees them (and rabbit scratches don't seem to slow her down much).

Last weekend we stopped in Brian Head on our way to St. George so our budding photographer (Jeff) could take some landscape pictures. It was quite cold at the top of the mountain, and Allie only lasted long enough to take this picture before she headed back to the van to wait.

Kyla would've outlasted us all. Even though her hands were freezing and her nose was red, she didn't complain at all, but instead was THRILLED to be out of her carseat (which she doesn't care for at all). I love how tough she is, and I hope she will always be willing to tag along with us on fun adventures.