September Activities

Our Labor Day weekend was spent in Bella Vista, Arkansas with family.  We had lots of fun hiking, swimming, visiting, playing games, and eating meals together with everyone.

Mom and Ernie's cousin, Wanda, came to visit us all one day.

Eric and Silas spent some time fishing together.

Sarah got her braces off early in September.  She was thrilled...three long years of braces was a lot, but she did well wearing them and caring for her teeth while she had them on. She was especially glad to get the braces off one day before school pictures were taken for this school year.

Volleyball continued for both of our girls. They had some great fans in the stands cheering them and their teammates on.

Popee and Nanee even got to come to one of Sarah's home volleyball games.  Nanee was feeling alright and she wanted to come watch and be a part of her grandkids activities. She and Popee have always been some of their biggest supporters.

One of Sarah's favorite teachers, Mrs. Leeper, and her daughter, Sarah's friend, Hayley, got to come support her too.

Aunt Lindsee, Phoebe, and Haylee were there cheering for Sarah too.

We had a broody chicken for at least one month. So, we decided to try giving her some chicks. Our plan backfired in a stupid big way... That big broody hen was not thrilled with chicks at all and we ended up with all three chicks in a brooder box in our house.  (This may have been one of the dumbest, on a whim, decisions Eric and I have ever made.)  That hen experienced those chicks for only a few minutes, got over being broody in those few minutes, and we got three smelly chicks in our house for the next 8-12 weeks. 

We let each one of the kids pick one chick.  Silas picked a black Australorp that he named Comet.  And, both girls picked New Hampshire Red chicks.  Sarah named her chick Dolly and Phoebe named her chick Kevin (from the Disney movie Up).

Eric and Phoebe prepared the coop for the chicks... Remember this only lasted a short amout of minutes before we realized we could not leave them in there with the hens.  We weren't sneaky about placing the chicks in the coop and the big hens did not like the new little fluff balls.

Inside our house, our cat, Lucy, was very curious about the chicks.  She wanted to see them up close a couple times and since then has mostly ignored them.

Below, left to right, Kevin, Dolly, and Comet.  Cute and oh so smelly.

We had an Opossum fall down in our window well.  My hero, Eric, climbed down in there with a trash can and big net, and caught it.  Then he released it out in our yard to go eat more bugs.

I turned 45 this year on my birthday, September 22nd.  Unfortunately, I was sick on my birthday and for a day or two after my birthday.  So we celebrated the next day by eating popsicles and opening my gifts. Below, is a beautiful painting that Sarah painted for me.  I had seen something similar when we were in Colorado in August and had showed it to Sarah then.  She recreated it perfectly for me.  A beautiful meadow with Colorado Aspen trees and their leaves changing in the fall.  (One of the most beautiful sights you could ever see in your life.)

About a week later, Eric made me a delicious birthday cake and they sang "Happy Birthday" to me.

The chicks are getting bigger.  We take them outside for little bits of time when we clean out their box.

One day, late in September, when we had them outside, Kevin kept trying to sit on our shoulders or hide in our hair.  It was pretty funny.

The kids introduced the chicks to our dog, Jessee.  They all seemed to like each other.

All three kids particpated in See You At The Pole (SYATP) at their schools.  Eric helped lead SYATP at Phoebe's middle school.

Phoebe was selected as one of the September Athletes of the month at her school.  They are selected by coaches and teachers at their school based on academics, athletics, and leadership.  Way to go, Phoebe!!!

Phoebe and her friend Haylee participated in "Decade Day" during spirit week at their school.

We attended the Homecoming parade with friends.

Sarah rode on the volleyball float with her teammates and threw candy to the parade goers.