Kanaraville Falls with the 'other' Morris'

 We were so lucky to be able to have our cousins come down and want to do this hike with us.  Even though we've done it before, its always so fun to take some new people through.  Next time, we'll just remember not to go in September....cause we froze.  It was nice till we had to get into the water....then the water FROZE our feet.  These poor kids all kept going for 3+ hours in wet, cold, cold water.  Luckily Anne was sweet and carried Jaq almost the entire way, Seth braved the whole thing and Michelle and Emily (cousins) were troopers.

 It took a great deal of peer pressure from her older cousins to go up this ladder, but she did it and we got up to the next fall.

Afterwards we went home and defrosted our feet, met up for Jaq's soccer game and then went to a park and Cameron and Lisa bought us Dickey's barbeque.  We love this family. It was such a fun, quick weekend but we are so grateful they came to come spend it with us. 

It's the FIRST day of SCHOOL!

 Jaq is SO ready and nervous for her first day of first grade!

 Seth cannot believe school is here and wishes it wasn't but is nevertheless ready for 3rd grade.

 New teacher to the school.  Don't know what to expect....

 Jaquelle and Mrs. Hart.

 First day giant cookie tradition!  Eat up!

Happy 9th Birthday MR. SETH

 Its Seth's 9th BIRTHDAY!!!! And we are ready! Jaq and I made a Y poster out of cardboard and then poked blue christmas lights all around the "Y." It looks pretty cool when its plugged in.

 We signed him up for the Cosmo Kids club which got him football and basketball tickets to some BYU games.  But we didn't have the actual tickets in our hands so Cordelle made these!  They look way cooler than the actual tickets do!  Pays to have a previous graphic designer as a dad.

 Other gifts included an ipod loaded with none other than DAVID ARCHULETTA whom Seth loves!  But the huge box of dominoes seemed to be the icing on the cake.  This kid has become a domino finatic this summer.  Later that day we went to the Aquatic Center as a family, had cake and ice cream and came home and watched "Home."  What a great day for a great kid!

Seth at 9!

Seth is SO all boy.  We're not sure where the macho, football kid came from but we think its pretty funny.  He LOVES BYU and everyone knows it.  He lives and breathes football right now and would watch it all day if we let him.  His love of football is actually trumping a lot of soccer practice time and I think he might want to stop soccer and pursue football much to his mom's worry.  He wants to be a wide receiver one day and is constantly all suited up with his BYU footbal helmet out in the backyard practicing.  He also has been learning the ukelele and is doing quite well at school.  He is super smart in math and has discovered quite the challenge in parts of speech and breaking down sentences but nonetheless is my kid who needs the least amount of nagging or reminding to do his homework.  He is also the first to get up and get jobs done in the morning.  He is super responsible and the darn cutest thing in the world.  He still loves to talk before bedtime and snuggle with his mom.  Even at 9 he begs for date nights and family game nights.  He still loves any types of games and has recently mastered dominos and a game of flick football.  He is my super obedient kid and will almost never put up a fight when I ask him to do something, even if he is in the middle of doing something else.  I feel so lucky to be his mom but really cannot take any responsibility for the good kid that he is.  I love you Sethers.

ITS AUGUST!!

 Getting ready for our basketball court!

 This was a funny story.  One Saturday night Cordelle took the kids on a drive while I worked on my Sunday School lesson.  He drove up this road not too far from our home, tried to four wheel drive some places, but it was pouring.  Because of the slick mud he fell into this ditch on the side of the road and got stuck!  Jaq was panicking but they learned a good lesson on praying and getting help.

 Chief Police and friend Jackson Ames came and rescued them and all was well.

 Craig came down to help start putting in the basketball court, so Karen decided to come down and can peaches and apple sauce for me!  I was so grateful!  2 days of canning and we got so much done!  Hurray for awesome Mother in Laws!

 Cordelle and Grandpa after the first pour.

 

 SUU watermelon Bash!  Kids got to meet all the athletes and eat free watermelon. 

 This picture of Thor (above) was actually in the Newspaper's front page of the Sports section!  My kids were so excited they were famous!  Poor Collin was terrified of Thor and now all of Cedar City knows it. :)

 So this happened.  That is my bucket of sugar to which Collin dumped an entire bottle of cinnamon into.  I tried to get most of it out to preserve the rest of the sugar, but even when I thought I had gotten it all, Seth made kool-aid that ended up tasting quite cinnamony. :/-

 Last day of summer!  Means lunch at the park and snow cones at the Tikki shack with the Frisby's and the Christians.

 pretty sunset one August night

 Date night at Shakespear festival play (sponsored by the Leavitt Group)

Haha!  And I don't know where this picture came but I found it in my photos.  Probably one Cordelle sent me from work!  love it!

Happy 3rd Birthday Collin

 

 It was a fabulous Minion and Cars Birthday for Mr. Collin!  Followed by parades and all sorts of festivities for the 24 of July.  Grandma and Grandpa Morris and uncle Scott joined us for the parade and games in Enoch, followed by nighttime neighborhood fireworks!  What a day! 

(He didn't stop playing with those cars for 3 weeks! Seriously.)

 

 Jaq at the climbing wall on the 24th celebrations in Enoch.

 Squinting for pictures in the bright sun.

 Aren't these pictures the best?  They are totally mid air!  Jaq was so nice to go down with Collin.  They both got soaked and then froze the rest of the day at the park.  It was nice weather but certainly not a warm day.  But that look of pure joy can compare to little else.

 And it wouldn't be Collin's birthday without a watermelon eating picture at the park!  Man does he love watermelon!

This was supposed to be a horse race, but he insisted on walking as SLOW as possible all the way to the end line and then back.  It was too funny.  There was no rushing this great stick horse experience for him.

A little about Collin:

Since it is Collin's birthday I just want to take a minute and remember Collin at this age.  He really is the joy of our home.  He is my little Sunshine and I cannot get enough of him.  I have never had a kid that I seriously cannot get upset with.  He can do no wrong, because he is so quick to say, I'm sorry mom, or give me a hug and say, "maybe next time, I will do that."  Ha!!  He LOVES to sing, and I can't get enough of it.  I love the time we have together and am SO blessed with his cuddly, mom-loving attention I get.  He is OBSESSED with cars. (Yes, the cars from the Disney movie Cars) but also any type or kind of car.  He can play with cars on the floor for HOURS.  Hours.  Its crazy. He also still loves to swing, and play soccer and anything with his older siblings, although the frustration is great when he tries to conquer dominoes like Seth.  Seth and Jaq constantly are trying to get him to side with their favorite college (Seth BYU and Jaq SUU) to which he diplomatically now cheers "Go "BY" -"SUU." So glad he is in our family!

JULY ins and outs....but mostly outs.

 Seth and the girls with their mobile Lemonade stand!

  Me and the Seth Man

 Nice little picture message Cordelle sent me while I was gone!  Haha!  Isn't this the truth!

 The mystery goose ache.  I can't remember what happened.  But such is the life of a kid in the summer.

 We decided we needed to get out one weekend with just us since we totally have a trailer, the mountains SO close and nothing better to do!

 And this picture....is at the Cedar City Temple Groundbreaking!  Cordelle was asked to design all the invitations and posters so we got to take our turn digging at the Ground Breaking!  So COOL!

 Temple Site

Mom and Collin being silly.