Football Update:

After football practice last night, Ethan (& the team) went to coach's house to watch the film.

He found out that he actually got the sack! So he earned his first sack sticker--they get paws & I think skulls for sacks/tackles & something else (I forget so easily!)
I'm still learning 6-man football! But he deserves this smile & sense of satisfaction on a job well done!


I am amazed at how much Ethan has improved each year he has played football. As a pre-teen, he was definitely NOT into sports--he was very studious & LOVED to read--always going through flashlight batteries.

Even when we moved to our small town, he didn't participate in many sports--he tried 1 year of basketball in middle school, but didn't get much playing time for all of his effort.

But he has stuck with sports, playing football in 10th-12th grade, and basketball 9th through now. And he has developed his ability & talents!

He travels Friday to a small town in Montana that is about 6 hours away. They leave between 9-10 am, play at 7 pm, and then travel home to arrive around 4 am. Wow--what a road trip. I am just grateful that this is the only long away game this season!!!

More of Homecoming Week...

Ethan played in the Beefcake volleyball game--his team won (best 2 out of 3).

Most of the action shots were blurry or didn't turn out.

The winning beefcake v-ball team.

The bonfire--I took Zane after he got home from football practice (the fire was already going.)

I brought Callum along so he could see the fire too.

Ahhhh--there is Ethan.

It is hard to get a picture of Ethan--so I will take what I can get.

Callum hung out with Ethan for a few minutes.

Brienna holding Benjamin (next to Ethan).

The Senior Class of 2010!! Yay--I got a picture of Ethan!!! (He is in the front with his hat on backwards)

I was glad I was there at the right moment (they posed for a yearbook picture).

This is Zane's game (in IF)--he is #25.

He's in the middle of the pack--they played a bigger school, and overall did really well--even though they lost.

But they scored 3 touchdowns, and no one had scored against the other team yet this season.

Now we are back home, ready for the football game. Zane had our school colors sprayed in his hair (orange & black).

Ethan is in the middle--he started as defensive nose. We play 6-man football, so it is quite different than 8 or 11-man football.

My parents met us in IF (with my sister Pamela), to first watch Zane's game. Then we all went home to watch Ethan play. He is blocking in this picture (#30)

Here he is rushing the quarterback.

At half time, the Senior class officers received the spirit stick for the week of homecoming.

Ethan receiving high fives after sacking the quarterback (alright--he told me it wasn't officially a sack because he carried him over the line of scrimmage). But I was excited (& so was he).

The end of the game. Ethan keeps improving each week, and this was an excellent game for Ethan.

Benjamin jumped into Ethan's arms--he had missed his big brother all day!

We won--60 to 20.

Benjamin went right to Grandma & Grandpa! Thanks to them & Aunt Pamela for watching him during the game so I could take pictures!!

Grandma reading a book to Emmalee.

I didn't get pictures of the floats & parade, because I forgot to leave my camera with Brienna to take pictures while we were in IF at Zane's game.

But it was a wonderful, exhausting week, and I think Ethan will have great memories of his Senior Homecoming week.

He did go to the dance (stag) for a short time, but then a group of the kids went to a friend's house to watch a movie. So no dance pictures either.

Homecoming Week

The kids had school spirit week in prep. for Homecoming on Saturday.

Emmalee wore an orange outfit to school one day (school color=orange, white, black)

(Notice what her shirt says---so, so, so TRUE!!!)
Wild (Crazy) day was on Monday--Brienna was mismatched.

Zane wanted blue hairspray & wore things upside down/mismatched.

Tuesday was Cowboy/Indian day--Zane was the cowboy (borrowed Emmalee's stick horse)

Brienna was the Indian--I braided her hair. Ethan made a headband too, but I was WAY too slow with the camera.

Emmalee had to find something out of the dress-up box too. She thought it was funny to wear "fake hair", but laughed even more when she saw herself in the mirror.

Movie/TV Star day was Wednesday--Brienna picked a childhood PBS favorite character from "The Big Comfy Couch"--she was Loonette the Clown. She also had the big clown glasses that Loonette put on to read.

Zane was Caption Hook from Peter Pan.

Ethan couldn't decide who to dress up as, so he didn't dress up (not like I could get a picture of him). I suggested that he be an "extra" from the movies, but he didn't listen to me!

This is the closest I got to getting a picture of Ethan during spirit week--coming the house from early morning seminary Monday morning (crazy/wild day).

Then he made sure to avoid the camera after that.

Thursday was class color week--Ethan's was yellow, Brienna's=white, & Zane's was hot pink. I didn't take any pictures of them Thursday.

Today they have been decorating their floats & Ethan is getting the wood for the bon fire tonight. He will be playing in the Beefcake volleyball game later this evening too.

New Pet, Injuries, Benjamin, & Football

Zane got a kitten from a friend. Emmalee loves playing with him!

Emmalee shut her finger in the front door. It bled for a couple of hours--I took her to Urgent Care to see if she needed stitches (she didn't).

It still looks yucky!

Zane chipped 4 of his teeth--not playing football. He was at home doing high-knee kicks & his knee hit his chin quite hard.

So that was 2 trips to the dentist to get them fixed.

Here is Zane's fixed teeth.

Benjamin is now 10 months old--and loves to walk & push toys.

He is getting a ride on the mini 4-wheeler Callum bought at DI.

Thank goodness someone cleans at our house!!!! :)

All tuckered out after a long day at football games.

Ethan playing football (#30 white).

Nice block, Ethan!

Zane at his football game.

I am still working on other pictures..... more to come...... some day!!!