4 Random Items

Random item #1:
A couple weeks ago, at Connor and Mylie's school, the kids earned a "crazy hair day." Mylie was especially excited about this priviledge (despite the fact that most days her hair already looks a little crazy.) This was the result of our crazy hard work on her hair. She was pretty proud of it.
Random item #2:
When you live in a coaching family, sometimes family night looks like this:

At least everyone is engaged, right?

Random item #3:

Although I really am a scrooge about decorating for holidays, I did do one simple thing this year. I bought three cute little pumpkins and let the kids each draw a face on theirs. We then put those up on top of the entertainment center and called it decor.

(Disclaimer: Although Mariah is shirtless, her hair is a bit unkempt, and she has marker all over her arm, I really do love her!)

(No, they didn't do another crazy hair day at school.)
Connor was pretty proud of his finished product.

Random item #4:

Mariah learned a new trick this Sunday. Pretty cool!

Simple Pleasures

Monday was a BEAUTIFUL day--with highs near 80--and I didn't have volleyball practice, so the kids and I took advantage of a little daylight together and harvested the potatoes. We were so excited about how many potatoes we got, and how BIG some of them were!
Also, on Monday, I pulled up the rest of the garden plants. While doing that, I discovered a little bit of broccoli and peas that were good. I was shocked! In October?!? Anyway, I decided to mix them in with our carrots and potatoes and enjoy a wonderful vegetable medley in October. Pretty sure that's the first time I've done that with my own fresh veggies. So fun! Team this up with some Alaska salmon and homemade bread with raspberry jam, and you have my favorite meal I've had in awhile.

Today, however, the weather is not so beautiful. In fact, it's been snowing almost all day! But what better way to spend a snowy, blustery day than having a dance party with friends?

Mariah just LOVES her "best friends." These twins are actually Mariah's cousins. They live here in the valley so they get plenty of opportunities to play together. They just love each other!

On Sept. 28th . . .

. . . happiness looks like this.

I'm LOVING this summer-like weather!

Lovin' September

September has been a fabulous month so far! We didn't start school until after Labor Day this year, so the first week or so of September was still summer around here (aside from the fact that I spent most of the three weeks before school started in the gym coaching volleyball). On the day before Labor Day, the kids were able to show off all their hard work on the piano this summer. We hosted a very small recital at our house, where they performed a couple songs each along with two cousins and Tessa.
It was fun for them to get to show how hard they had worked and how much they improved. They were really proud of their songs.

On Labor Day, we had one last hoorah at Seven Peaks. We would have been pretty sad about this, but they were running a special on the passes and we were able to renew and upgrade our passes (adding another water park and a ski resort) for just $30 apiece, so there will be more hitting the slides next summer. Yippee!!! Olivia went with us since she's living in Provo now. We were able to see her apartment there at the Y, which was fun.

School started the next day, and both Connor and Mylie were so excited to go! I have never taken Connor to school on his first day (Tony always did since he was going there anyway), but this year I took them both. I missed Back to School Night for a volleyball game, so I felt like I really should take them and see their classrooms. But as soon as we got into the school, they both said "See ya!" and ran out to the playground, leaving me with really nothing to do but go back out to the van and go home. Oh well. At least they both are loving school! In fact, Mylie had a field trip a few days ago, and when I told her I was coming, she said, "Ah, Mom. Now I won't get to sit by my friends on the bus." I told her I was going anyway, and we actually had a great time together.

Of course, this change for Mylie has created a change for Mariah as well. She's gone from getting to play with this buddy every day . . .

. . . to hanging out with this buddy.
(Although, whenever I try to call her my buddy, she corrects me, telling me that she's Dad's buddy! I feel so loved lately.)

And I didn't want to miss out on all the change, so I decided to change my hair in a pretty drastic way. We cut off over ten inches and donated the hair to make wigs for kids with cancer. I like the new cut--it's a lot of fun! I just don't like how it flaps in my face during Insanity (another change--and a fun one so far!)

Finally, I can't write about September without mentioning the AMAZING Indian Summer we are having here. I kind of feel like we deserve it after last spring, but it's been fabulous. September is almost over and we havn't had freezing temps yet! I just picked fresh corn and tomatoes for our dinner today--on the 25th of September! Life is good.

It's GREAT to be 8!

This past weekend was a huge birthday bash for Connor! I felt so blessed that I didn't have any volleyball on Friday OR Saturday (the only weekend like that of the entire season), so I was able to be home and do this special birthday for him the way I really wanted to. Tony had staff trainings on Friday, but the kids were off school. Before Tony left in the morning, we let Connor open his presents. Usually for birthdays, the kids just gets one gift from us, and it costs under $10, but since this birthday is such a special one, he got a couple things that he REALLY LOVES!!

He got new scriptures, a new small hymnbook, and a scripture case, complete with scripture marking pencils and reading charts. He's been really busy reading from his scriptures, and has told me thanks for the scriptures over and over! He loves them!

Tony has been coaching middle school football this year, so of course, Connor has been to all the practices, and is LOVING football lately! So this jersey was about the best thing Tony could have given him this year. They got new jerseys for the team, but a bunch of them came in sizes MUCH too small for any 7th grade boy, so now a whole gang of little kids are running around with these sweet jerseys!

For his birthday party this year, he was allowed to invite some school friends as well as his cousins, and we had the swimming pool all to ourselves.

Needless to say, the kids LOVED the party!

Finally, Connor was baptized on Sunday. This was such a special day, and we had so many family members attend. Connor is so excited to be 8!! Connor is growing up into such a good boy. He has a sweet testimony and so much faith. I am so proud of him!

BUTTE Kicker

Two weekends ago, the Micheli family hosted the 1st (Annual, hopefully) BUTTE Kicker 75 mile relay race. It was a team relay with four teams involved this first year. We did it on the back roads between Fort Bridger and Evanston. The views were beautiful, the weather was nice, and we had SO MUCH FUN doing it! (Oh, and the t-shirts were awesome, too.)

Our team was made up of Tony and myself, Tami and Casey, Mom and Dad, Olivia, and Connor. We covered the course in 10 hours, 49 minutes. Nobody had to run over 12 total miles, so it wasn't too tough on anybody, but we all had a great time.

Our whole team, minus Connor, and plus a few cute little kids
Here are some of the action shots of the day.Go, Connor! He did a great job for us, putting in four miles total.
Come on Livi! Casey made her sprint to the finish for this handoff.

It was fun to be teammates with Tami again.

It took quite a bit of persuasion, but we finally convinced my dad to join our team. He helped us out a bunch, doing four miles total, and I think he had a good time, too.

Girls Weekend

After I'd been home from AK for a couple days, I got to spend a quick weekend with two of my favorite people ever--the Bishop twins!
These crazy girls saved my life as a lonely college freshman with no friends (or roommates, for that matter). They invited me to spend Labor Day with them, and were my absolute best friends from there on. I ended up LOVING my college experience in Laramie, and they were a huge part of that. So, of course, now 12 years after we first met, we had a great time getting together--catching up on each other's lives and remembering all the fun we had together in college.
This was only my second pedicure ever. The tiniest little Asian ladies did them, and they did a great job! The picture below is proof that we really haven't changed at all in the past ten years or so, just like we thought!

Our fun weekend included shopping in Park City, lunch at Cafe Rio, staying at Little America in SLC, a short visit to Temple Square, pedicures, some mini golf, and dinner at Olive Garden. Saturday, Annie had to head back to Arizona, and Beth and I slept in, and then hit Costco before going back home. We had a great time! I love these girls and hope we get together again soon!