Must've been a slow week

Luke wore his Chewbacca PJ's to school on pajama day -- love this silly boy.

Friday I went to his room to help the kids build "bone bridges" using Qtips for bones.  We tested their capacity by using chocolates for weight.  

Josh's last game was Saturday. He and Kyler had a great season!  It was a muddy game. :) 

We brought two football friends over (Kyler and another Josh) after the game, and they played baseball together.  Boys being boys.  

Luke built a blanket fort to watch football in on Sunday.

I asked him to pick a board game and when I came over, he had this set up for me.  Perfection 

We built a nerf gun target stand with PVC -- he did the valuable task of cutting the pieces.  

We practiced for Halloween -- oh this could be my favorite costume of his ever.  Love the glasses and hair so so so much! 

Birthday Week!

We began birthday week with Skelly looking for Champ. 

Tuesday night Luke had his last football game of the season.  He was quarterback for half of the game, and was so much fun to watch!  Can you hear him? 

I love that he's got his eye on the defenders here. 

Going long! 

He runs with a purpose. 

I think he's playing defense here...or maybe just catching his breath. 

Look at that form! :) 

Love the arm swing...

he's got time in the pocket...

And launches it down field.  He played well, it was super fun to watch! 

Josh went on a field trip to Drinking Horse mountain on Tuesday.  Nick, on the right, and Aden, on the left, are his best friends in 5th grade.  Nick's mom chaperoned, and I'm so glad she sent this picture.  Josh looks so happy here. 

Wednesday was my 42nd birthday. The boys and I started our morning off right, at Starbucks!  

Look at this pretty cupcake!  My friend Carol brought it to me at work -- red velvet with cream cheese frosting is straight from heaven! :) 

Wednesday night was Cub Scout night at the Manhattan Corn Maze.  It was sheer chaos. 

We went through the maze with cub scout dens, so Luke came with Josh's den and we traipsed through the maze for over an hour.  Luke and I thought we might grow old in there. 

We started at about 6:30, plenty of light, and ended around 7:30 in pitch black. 

They hiked nearly 4 miles, and they saw 8 deer.  None were close enough to shoot, but it was a great first day of hunting!

Unfortunately Josh got a high fever Thursday afternoon, and wasn't really himself until Friday night/Saturday morning.  He missed a day of the kid-only hunting days, and he was pretty bummed. 

Skelly got kind of creepy toward the end of the week. 

Luke and I went to breakfast on Thursday when Josh and daddy were hunting.  We went to the Western and had biscuits and gravy with a  side of sausage.  We loved sitting at the counter. 

Luke and I played board games and had a lovely time together in the morning.  His friend came over after lunch for a few hours, so we made the most of our one-on-one time while we had it. 

Friday was a strange kind of a day. Josh was sick in the morning, so Mike went to work. After he came home we all went to lunch, and then I tried to do some work at home.  Mike took the boys shopping (out of my hair) and I took Ruby for a run.  It was so pretty at the Regional Park -- I love running in the fall. 

Saturday we went to the Cats game with our friends.  Those two yayhoos are so silly.

My parents were in town Friday but had to go home to Kalispell on Saturday around noon. My dad woke up with shingles, and was too uncomfortable to stay any longer.  I feel bad for them, we'll have to have another weekend together soon!

Sunday Josh went hunting again. He's pretty happy to be out again.  This time they went with Tom and Gabe, and Gabe shot a 3x4 mule deer.  It was a good day!

Look at all those cockleburs.  That's just his gun...imagine what we can't see on his camp pants!

Luke and I had another nice day together.  We played Fibber and Monopoly Empire.  He won at all the games.  

After we went to lunch and did our grocery shopping, we came home to play in the playroom. He had his Star Wars toys out.  This is a situation we haven't seen lately -- time at home with no agenda.  Yay for the end of football season and some  free time. 

Hilerie

I met Hilerie in Idaho Falls for the weekend. This is a view from our hotel room.  The fall colors were incredible!

We took a bike ride along the river on Saturday morning, and we loved the sculptures and benches along the way.  

So pretty!

We loved the benches too.

The temple is really pretty, even if you're not a mormon. 

Hilerie decorated our hotel room with birthday stuff all over! The first night she even had luminaries (with battery operated tea lights in birthday bags) to welcome me. 

 A table full of gifts!

We went to see The Accountant, and as we were leaving we saw this fun photo opp.  I love this smiling face. :)

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Snow?

Josh got his football pictures back, and this is our quick sneak peak.  I LOVE that he's smiling now.   

Smelly looking for some cardio...

Tuesday we got a bunch of snow!  Our trampoline is 4 days old, and has 4" of snow on it. 

The view out my work window. 

Tuesday carpool.  I usually take 2-4 boys to football practice and the view of my backseat just makes me happy.

Josh woke up like a boxer on Wednesday morning.  He has a stye in his upper eyelid, and got some antibiotic drops and was told to wash his hands a lot. 

Wednesday Josh had cub scouts and was explaining how hydroelectric power is made.  Mom and dad are very proud.

Thursday after school they shoveled the trampoline.  Seems like a very Montanan thing to do.

Smelly Skelly needed a bath.

Sneak Peak of Ruby's halloween costume.  The pom-poms swish when she walks. It's amazing.

Same day -- Luke is reading Christmas books at bedtime. 

Friday was Bobcat day at school, so Skelly did his part and was wearing a Bobcat hat, holding a Cats football. 

Josh played offense this week at his football game.  Look at that intense face.  

He's got a nice, deep athletic stance.

Kyler looks intense too!

And still, we measure the places on the line with arm widths.  Melt my heart.