Manwaring Moments: September Happenings

All of September in one post right here for your reading pleasure:

First weekend we went and visited Rich and Rachelle and the kids in Twin Falls. Such a fun time! We went out to eat at a place called Custer's, and with having 7 littles with us I think it went alright:) The next day we took a hike by a waterfall, and ran into the man who owns "Zip the Snake" zip-lining, and gave an amazing deal, so we ALL went. Even Jonathan.

Up by the waterfall

Cousins...with James.

Jack didn't want to take a picture, and Jonathan is in the hiking backpack.

He finally let me take his picture, and notice his ninja gloves.

Just regular mittens with the fingers cut out, given to him by Elisa.

They are a treasured commodity now :)

At Zip the Snake getting outfitted

Even our 18 month old, and he was so excited.

Best picture, in order from youngest to oldest

James was fearless, and was always the FIRST person to go!

You can't tell here, but all the cousins made a cousin train (except Jonathan who went with me). What is impressive is that Jack went, and he was "nervous"(crying to screaming the first three zip-lines with Nathan holding him) all the other times. But Elisa said he could go right next to her, and she held his hands, and he actually went...AND liked it!

Not pictured...we did send our youngest by himself on the third(shortest) zip-line. But one of the guides was there to catch him and Nathan went next to hold him. He is also fearless, but I should know this by how much he climbs on things.

Jack started preschool at 2 different preschools this year, and so goes a total of 4 days a week. He has special friends in each class too.

Sporting the Broncos for the school year

Jack and James participated in a 5 race running series call Healthy Kids Running Series. You also earned points overall. Jack got 2nd for the Boys Preschool age group.

He thrives on competition. See him eye this boy running just a little a head of him...

...so he puts on another gear and speeds a head and finishes before this kid.

Most races that's all he needed to push it to finish strong.

James, he is getting it.

The first race was all about learning how to pace yourself (his was half a mile!)

Nathan raced with his team in the LOTOJA 206 mile road race from Logan, UT to Jackson Hole, WY. In the Cat 4 men, it came down to a sprint finish. Nathan and his teammates Quincy and Darrin were in the lead pack. It looked like Quincy had it, but then with only about 70 yards to go took a turn into a parking lot for cars, while the finish line was the other way. Doh! Nathan pushed hard, and ended up taking 3rd. Darrin was right there and took 6th. Not too bad, and for all of the ONE.source guys it was a first LOTOJA.

I was his support crew and had to make sure I was in the right place to find him at the aid stops, get him two new water bottles and any food he might want, then off he went. I think his stops averaged 7 seconds. In a 9+ hour race, and that was 5 times, that's not too shabby.

He did great and I was proud, and a good lesson was learned at the end of the race. I saw him finish and hurried down to see him come out of the chute. I congratulated his teammates too, and waited for him to see me so I could give him a big hug. He talked to his teammates and the other guys who had just finished. I tried to get his attention. He did not acknowledge me, until I had walked away that he realized his mistake. I think it took this incident to understand that he does that at most races. When he came and found me he was so apologetic, and we had a good rest of the time in Jackson, but it wasn't without some tears.

We stayed in Jackson that night and the next day, at an great find of condo. Friends from Mountain Green who also participated in the race, the Wilkinson's, stayed the weekend as well.

Breakfast before the awards was shared with the ONE.source team, then we got to see the team represented on the podium!

The weekend of LOTOJA was also the Sunday that Kira gave her farewell talk before starting an 18 month mission in Atlanta, Georgia. We went on Monday night after we got back to go and see her as she left on Wednesday for the MTC.

Cousin tickles

Jack and Kira, both second children

My parents both went, and Kirstin and Taylor, but I don't have a picture with them. They actually watched our boys that weekend while we were in Jackson. Mom stayed another week to visit, and we went to the Ogden Fall Festival on Saturday. Kirstin came too, she's such a good sport for driving so much.

There was also the Harvest Moon Crit at the festival. Nathan took pictures of the team, but didn't want to do that race again (he did last year, and there are lots of sharp turns with no room for error).

While sh was here there was another Healthy Kids Running Race

This running series was put on by Kristen Guymon, Erika's sister.

She asked me to take pictures of all the kids, and it was fun to see kids get better and work harder each week.

Jonathan eating some of the racer's snacks :)

James and Grammies putting a picnic caddy together with nails and a hammer.

It was Kirstin's birthday while she was here(also why she stayed) and we all went out to dinner at Red Lobster. The birthday girl wanted endless shrimp:)

Dinner went well, and our kids ate well too. I was talking to Nathan about "what if" Jonathan threw up in the restaurant (he's got an easy gag reflex, so if he starts coughing...he might throw up but we never know!), ie. where would I catch it, run outside, etc on the different scenarios. It is good to be prepared! At the end of the meal, he was getting fussy so I had picked him up and was walking around with him. He had drunk 2 cups of the milk for him (I figured out each was 8oz). He coughed, and I recognized the little lurch that he does right before...yep, throw up. LOTS. Red Lobster's plates are more bowl shaped, so as we had just talked about, I grabbed one and held his head over it. 16ozs of milk is a lot to come up, plus food he had eaten. And we caught it all! Mind you this is happening about the time the servers come out to sing Happy Birthday to Kirstin. Awesome timing as usual. Then, just as he finished we put a napkin over the bowl (which was very full), and the server came out to take plates. I told him, "be careful with this one, it's full of throw up". He sorta laughed, and I said, "no, seriously, my son just threw up but we caught it in the bowl". "Really?! Wow, thank you, I'd be the one cleaning out of the carpet if it hadn't been caught".

And that's why we don't go out much as a family to eat during this stage of life!

I still get to take care of my favorite horse Chex every other week. James likes to go riding too with me! Talk about a dream come true. And all the boys like to go to the barn.

We had a Family Night hike up at Snowbasin to check out the fall leaves, and they were beautiful.!

It's a tradition from Nathan's family to take hot chocolate and subway sandwiches to go see the leaves, one tradition that I'm glad we carry on.

So this happened...

I heard Jack and Kellen out on the tramp laughing and having the best time.

Little did I know that Oaklee had brought over some colored chalk from the color run that had just been in Morgan the day before, and they were having the best time on the tramp as it was being thrown all over. Also was hosting a baby shower for a neighbor an hour and a half later! Everyone had to stay outside, Oaklee did clean up the trampoline, and the boys got a bath. Because why not, right?