Cannon is 9!

Today Cannon turned 9!

It's hard to believe that 9 years ago we were just welcoming Cannon into this world!  But there are no regrets and we have loved every minute of the last 3,285+ days!

Cannon has always been our rule follower.  He's has a type A personality and things are pretty much black and white with him.

Cannon enjoys school and loves learning.  He is very well behaved at school and wants to please everyone.  He is a perfectionist and sometimes that is difficult when it comes to getting started on something is open ended or when he has a long assignment to finish.  :)  But is work is amazing!

Cannon is also a very good friend. He loves everyone. Cannon has a very caring heart and he will help anyone that needs it without being asked.

Cannon is extremely creative and loves to "think" about things.  He tells us all of the time about the things he thinks about.  Cannon asks a ton of questions and wants to know how everything works. He often thinks about building an engine or car or something else and can tell us about every detail about what he will have on it and why.  

Cannon has become a good reader and has fallen in love with a variety of genres.  He has really enjoyed the Harry Potter series and is going to start on the Land of Stories series.  I still like to read to him at times and he tells me that he really enjoys that.  :)

Cannon has improved his skills and confidence at soccer this year.  He really enjoys playing and we are proud of him for his dedication and hard work.  He practices twice a week and has games on Saturday's.  It's been great to watch him and his teammates.  We love that Cannon has found a sport he enjoys and is continuing to work hard to improve.

We love Cannon so very much!  He is the best first born child!  We love being his parents!
Here's to another great year!

Enjoying every moment!

Birthday Fun!

Saturday we celebrated Cannon turning 9 with his friend birthday party!  This is always a fun time, especially for the birthday boy.  Having a party and enjoying time with friends is important!  It means a lot!  Cannon really wanted to have a party at the house this year, but I talked him out of it.  (Okay, I pretty much said no!)  So we booked a couple of lanes at the bowling alley and those boys had SO MUCH FUN!  I just stood back and watched with a smile on my face.

Enjoying every moment!

Soccer Saturday

Today was a great day for soccer!  It was a beautiful, crisp, fall day.
We had to split up again because both games were close in starting time and the fields they played at were not at all close.

Cannon played in Tacoma.  Grandpa and Chris went to that game.  The team played well and had a ton of shots on goal.  Cannon had a couple.  Not too many went in, however.  (I honestly have no idea what the score was!) These are some great shots from Cannon's game!

Colson played up in Enumclaw and the team again, played great.  They won 8-2, with Colson scoring 2 goals and playing excellent defense!

The boys resting and having a treat on the back deck after their games.  

Enjoying every moment.

Off to the Pumpkin Patch

Sunny, fall days are the best!  Of course, we took advantage of the beautiful day and headed one block over to the best kept secret in the valley:  Spooky's Pumpkin Patch!  No crowds at all and lots of pumpkins to choose from.  The boys loved petting the cows.  We got some nice pumpkins for the front porch.  Decorating will come at a later date.  Fun times!

Enjoying every moment!

Leading Up to the 'Storm'

Last week, a big storm was predicted.
There was a lot of talk about being prepared.
There was a lot of talk about this being as big as the Columbus Day Storm.
There was a lot of talk about high winds and power outages.

So we prepared.  Actually, I was kind of excited that we may be forced to light some candles and play board games in front of the fire.

On Saturday, Colson stayed in his jammies all day.  Both of the boys soccer games were cancelled.  The fields were a total mess of mud and water.  It had been raining off and on for the last few days and it was somewhat windy Friday night into Saturday.

Colson and I made some pumpkin cookies.  This was the SIMPLE recipe.  One can of pumpkin mixed with one box of cake mix.  That's it.

I also put some chicken in the crockpot with pesto and tomatoes.

And I got out to cut some of the gourds we grew.

I also accomplished all of my chores that included power!  Laundry, vacuuming, computer work, etc.
However, the storm never came.  As it traveled from the Pacific towards us, it moved north and the big storm ending up being nothing.  It was actually a decent day.  Warm at times with the sun peaking out here and there!

Enjoying every moment.

October Happenings

A lot has been going on around here in October.  Many things are just the normal, every day activities that keep us busy, with a few others sprinkled in.

Soccer has been keeping us busy with practices for both boys in the evening time during the week and then games on Saturday.  Cannon has practice Monday and Thursday.  Colson has practice Tuesday and Thursday.  Chris has been taking Cannon to all of his practices and I've been taking Colson.  Both boys have improved tremendously and their skill set and knowledge of soccer continues to grow.  It's been a positive experience for all.

Weather has been hit and miss as is usual around here during October.  A bit of rain didn't stop Cannon from doing a bit of rollerblading.  He's had these for awhile and has only tried them a handful of times.  I remember the first time was more like walking in them as he held on to me.  So he has improved tremendously!  Keep practicing!

It always makes me smile when I see the boys deep in creative play.  I love that they are working together.  I love that they have toys spread out.  I love that they aren't playing their tablets!

Colson LOVES football.  He loves to watch it on TV.  He checks scores all of the time.  During the off-season, he counts down the months until the football season starts again!  He also loves to play football, both indoors and outside. He'll play 'forever.'

Chris and I attended the Banquet and Auction for the Rainier Hills Young Life organization.  White River has Young Life Groups at the middle school and high school.  It was a fun evening with good food from Dickies BBQ, some fun, amazing speakers and an auction.

Chris just got a new RC airplane.  He spent a number of hours going through it, putting it together and reading the directions.  The living room looks just like when Cannon and Colson have their toys out!

Enjoying every moment.

Husky Game

Hello Husky Stadium!
We were blessed to receive tickets from Greg and Brenda to attend the UW vs. Stanford football game.  This was a huge game.  Both teams were ranked in the top 25.  The game was being televised on ESPN on Friday night.  The stakes were high!

Both Chris and I were able to sneak out of work early so we could make it to the 6pm game.  We parked at the new Des Moines parking garage and hopped on the Light Rail.  This was a popular way to travel because our train almost filled up as we got on...and we still had many more stops to go!

It took us about 45 minutes to get to the game on the train.  We get off right at the stadium.  Well, after riding three different escalators up, all we had to do was walk across the way and we were in the gate!  Simple.

The Dogpack (UW students) were there early and in full force decked out in their purple.  

It was a beautiful evening.  We both had on T-shirts and a sweatshirt the whole night.  I never had to take out my vest, gloves or hat!  (But I was prepared!)

There was a sell out crowd with well over 72,000 people.  It was extremely loud the entire game.  We didn't realize how loud until afterward when our ears were ringing!
The Huskies jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back.  It was total domination over Stanford and the final score was 44-6!  The place was rocking.  I was on a high the entire game and still the next day!  That was the best game and the most amazing atmosphere to be in.  We've gone to Husky football games before, but this one was the most exciting!

It was great to be part of such a great night!
Enjoying every moment!

(Last) Weekend's Happenings

Cannon made breakfast Saturday morning for everyone.  He made me a mini pancake!  So little and cute!

Both boys had soccer games on Saturday.  It was raining off and on, but we all survived without getting soaked!  Colson's team won 11-7 and Colson scored one goal.  Colson is continuing to improve!  He loved his oranges for halftime snack!

Cannon's team played well but lost 5-2.  Cannon did a good job in all of the positions he played.  He ran hard and stuck with it.  There is room for improvement for the team and I know they will continue to improve.

The boys and daddy played with Legos Saturday night.  They are building some amazing, creative trucks and trailers.

And some other Weekend Happenings that didn't get photgraphed:

We went out for a bite to eat after the soccer games.  Nothing fancy, but Wendy's was fast and simple. Chris and I took a quick trip to Costco for a few items.  It was crowded, but we got in and out.
Chris and I also watched a movie after the boys went to bed.  The Martian wasn't too bad.
The Seahawks didn't look too wonderful today and lost to the Rams 3-9.  It wasn't pretty.
Natalie came over for the afternoon and hung out.  The boys played with her on the trampoline a lot!
Chris built some stairs so the boys could get up on the trampoline easier.
Harley doesn't stay in the yard.  She wanders all over the place...and won't come when we call her!
Chris also worked on the motor home and I did a tiny bit of packing for our upcoming trip.
Crockpot meals for dinner on both days.  Saturday:  Pulled Pork       Sunday:  Homemade chilli

Enjoying every moment!