September Doings

School started and life got BUSY. This month seemed to fly by and it feels like there is always something either with school, track, young women's, and just life. It has been so good though and the girls are thriving at school and it is always nice to get back into a routine. 

The evenings for the most part have still been pretty nice so we still enjoy playing outside in the yard which means riding bikes with friends, afternoon strolls through the neighborhood, and of course fun in the yard which usually is gymnastics, playing with some sort of ball, or bubbles.

We went to the annual Labor Day Parade in Black Diamond with lots of cousins again which is always fun. McCall was so cute waving to everyone and waving her little flag she got. 

I spent one day getting all my canning done- peaches, pears, and pear jam! It's so nice to have the cupboards stocked again.

I know most people deep clean in the spring but for some reason this month I have been on a deep cleaning and get rid of mode. A project that has been on our list for awhile was to take our big area rug into the garage and carpet clean it which let us move the couch and it was like a search and find under it. It felt so good to get it all clean!

The girls got free tickets to a Seattle Storm basketball game by completing the summer reading program through our local library. We took public transportation to get there which the girls loved and thought was so fun, got some Dick's for dinner, and then enjoyed the game from the very top of the stadium. The city and Space Needle were so pretty in the evening. It was such a fun outing!

We had fun with Nona and Pops and had a birthday party for President Nelson to celebrate him turning 100. The girls loved putting 100 candles on the cake and everyone helped blow them out.

One week we had some rock painting fun with the young women and we had them do one gnome inspired rock and then we hid them the following Saturday at the gnome trail in Maple Valley.

We have enjoyed our garden this month! Jalapeno poppers for game day, homemade salsa, stuffed peppers, fresh strawberries are always a must, roasted red potatoes and so much more. 

Sometimes I take it for granted but I love being so close to this amazing park. It's a favorite place to go and walk and I really enjoy going there with McCall during the school day since there is hardly anyone there.

Baylor lost her first tooth! It's been loose for awhile but she won't let anyone touch it and then one Saturday morning, it just fell out when she was watching TV. She was so excited and even more excited about the tooth fairy!

Nate has been on a selling kick and getting everything listed he has bought in the summer.

Paige started track. For this first meet, she did long jump. Her best last year was 10 feet and she jumped 10 feet 8 inches at this meet!

It's always a bonus when Paige and Brett compete against each other so we can watch both of them.

It is so fun to watch Paige interact and cheer for her teammates.

Then this past week was her second track meet and it was a hot one. The track at this school has a small grassy hill to sit on to watch and Baylor and McCall kept entertaining rolling down the hill over and over again.

She had a disappointing day for long jump but it wasn't her fault. I could tell her legs hurt (she has been dealing with shin splints) and her run wasn't her best but the person running the long jump was scratching a lot of people. Paige ended up scratching all four attempts and was devastated and she said she knew that she didn't scratch at least one of them. She watched some other people go and found out that if somone fell after they jumped either forward or backward (didn't stay on their feet) then the person would scratch them which is incorrect, but it was a learning experience for Paige and her teammates were great at cheering her on and comforting her.

She tried the 200 long hurdles for the first time and did amazing. I knew she was nervous and I was super nervous for her. She got 2nd in her heat and really enjoyed it.

Her friend Emily was super excited for her along with other teammates which was sweet to see.

Then we ended this month with a fun watermelon carving activity.

Now onto October and the fun holiday season of the year.

Rattlesnake Ledge

For our anniversary, I decided to go on a hike just Nate and I. For me, it was a way to reminisce a hike that we did on our honeymoon (this time with running shoes versus flip flops). Hiking Little Si has always been on my list, but the Nate and Nate's parents suggested Rattlesnake Ledge. Looking at pictures online and reading about them, I decided to do Rattlesnake Ledge because of the view of the lake from the top versus just a view of the valley. I packed us a lunch and we went on a pretty warm day so it was a good thing we went in the morning once we got the girls to school.

First up is the daunting view of the mountain you are about to climb (picture on the left).

There are some amazing boulders that you pass by towards the beginning of the hike. It was a slight uphill most of the way and is very well maintained. It was pretty humid so we got pretty sweaty. It was a 1.9 mile hike up to the top. It was really nice to just have it be Nate and I. I love hiking with our girls but this one would have been a hard one for them. I know there would have been a lot of complaining and we would have had to carry McCall. So I was grateful it was just Nate and I! We just talked as we made our way up the mountain.

We made it to the top and what a view! It was incredible and so worth the effort to get to the top!

We enjoyed the view for a bit and then found a safe place away from the ledge for Nate's sake to enjoy our lunch.

Then I ventured to different spots at the top and Nate was the photographer since where I was going made him nervous. It truly was amazing to see!

Then we made our way back down and stopped at a few places for some pictures. It was much faster getting down but much harder on my shins (I felt it for a few days!). 

View from the lake at the bottom and view of where we were which was kind of crazy to see.

It was a beautiful morning spent with Nate and we live in such a beautiful part of the world!

15 Years!!!

As I was doing some organizing this week, I was listening to music and this song ("You Say" by Lauren Daigle) came on. When I listened to the first part of this song and the chorus, it reminded me so much of Nate and who he is for me. 

"I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I'm not enough. Every single lie that tell me I will never measure up."

"Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low. Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know."

"You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing."

"You say I am strong when I think I am weak."

"And you say I am held when I am falling short."

"And when I don't belong, oh you say I am yours."

"And I believe. Oh I believe what you say of me. I believe."

The thing is when I read all the lyrics to this song, I realized it is very much about our relationship with our Father in Heaven and what He thinks of us and what He can do for us. It made me love it even more the fact that I thought of Nate when I was listening to the words. A marriage relationship is very much like our relationship with God. We trust each other, we rely on each other, we love each other, and we do life together. All those things I do with Nate and I do with Heavenly Father. 

I'm so grateful that we found each other all those years ago. In the scheme of things, 15 years really isn't that long, but it has been long enough to know that Nate and I are perfect for each other. We are a team and we want the best for each other. We've experienced a lot of things is these 15 years that I will cherish forever.

He truly is my rock and helps keep me grounded and reassured. He always brings humor and keeps me laughing. He brings out the best in me and listens to the thoughts that run through me head. He helps me make sense of things and lets me vent about the things that frustrate me. I love our late night conversations, our afternoon/evening walks, the little things we do or say that only we get, and the family we have created together.

I hope our girls find husbands that are like their dad. Someone who complements them, shows up for them, loves them through it all, and is the best dad to their own children. That's what I have in Nate and I'm grateful that they have his example of what a husband and father looks like. He is one of the best!

Happy 15 years! I'm eternally grateful for you! I'm grateful that you are the one I get to do adventures with, go on road trips with, figure out parenting with, do the mundane things with, and just to do life with.

I heart you and I love you!