Remember-ing our September-ing

And thus it begins: a string of outdated posts from the days of morning/afternoon/evening sickness, that has happily transitioned now to mostly a little morning/mostly evening sickness. I'll take it!

Starting with all the festivities from Clyde's seventh birthday at the beginning of September:

I think this marks the second or third time we've dangled crepe paper from their doorway, but the boys have grown intensely attached to it and refer to it fondly as if it's been a tradition in our family from day one. I love easy to please kids!

Clyde wanted a Captain America cake, and I figured the shield would be the easiest aspect for me to recreate very poorly but have it still be recognizable:

I'm calling it a success! Poor Chuck would have done a much better job, but he was at church meetings so I got called up from the minor leagues in his place :).

Clyde was thrilled with his gifts and his party guests and his special day in general.

And he got an extra dose of birthday cheer at the end of the month at his classroom celebration!

Mr. Eilers is very smart and uses the last Friday afternoon to celebrate all the birthdays from that month - so September babies Clyde and Yaneli were the stars of the show :). I took in cupcakes and hung out to watch the kids play the elementary school classic "Heads Up, Seven Up". In case you were wondering, it still happens sometimes that eight kids stand up even though only seven kids' thumbs were touched, haha.

September meant soccer started for Clyde Monster:

This season was kind of rough for all involved. The younger brothers were NOT fans of being dragged to practices and games, and Clyde was on a new team/new coach that never really gelled completely.

I got to step in and coach one game, which was fun and a totally new experience since the U-7 level comes with a lot of changes: a bigger field, bigger goal, four kids out at a time, a referee, and coaches on the sideline.

Here are some action shots, along with his official unofficial team photo: Coach Maria, Zach, Hunter N, Hunter H, Asher, Davis, CLYDE, Jackson, Joey.

We had a couple of random/beautiful rainstorms in September and I was slightly obsessed:

You're welcome that I pared down the dozens of pictures I took to these five. I just love watching rain pour down!

Mid-September was when we found out that I was pregnant. I'm planning an in-depth, reflective, spiritual, probably oversharing, rundown of how we arrived at this occasion in our family but it was a very happy if slightly scary day when we found out for sure :).

I love the picture of the older boys matching as they headed to school - that was the day that the zillionth pregnancy test came out clear enough that I felt confident in saying I was indeed pregnant. Looking at this picture reminds me of what a gift my children are and how blessed we are to be able to add another one into the mix. Aaaand that delicious breakfast is what Chuck made me the next morning. I really really love him!

September was a very Scout-y month for Chuck; he went to Wood Badge early in the month (a blog is forthcoming on that; I'm going to force Chuck to help me write it!) and then the last weekend our ward attended a stake Camporee, woo!

Troop (Crew/Team/etc) 101: Brother Izatt, Brother Swallow, Brother Berthelson, Devin (? help me Maren!), Brother Haws, Justice, Jared, Caleb(?), Bishop Fleshman, Tristin, Brother Murphy, Brother Nelson, Brother Gray, Brother Swenson.

And finally, that same Saturday was the General Relief Society broadcast so I put together a carpool of some friends so we could all attend together:

Tiffany, Grace, Kristen, Jennifer, LeAnne, Maren, Lara, Jana.

As always, the broadcast was excellent. President Monson told a beautiful story that I will butcher if I try to recount exactly, but the main point was that a woman followed a prompting and took homemade bread to a woman she barely knew and that action had an incredible impact upon the recipient. This was especially meaningful to me since my friendship with Lara began last March when I showed up on her doorstep at 9:30 at night dressed in my running gear, bearing (sadly) not delicious homemade bread but instead muffins from a box :). I had met Lara a couple of times before, once at church a couple of months previous and once when I visited their home as Abby's primary teacher a couple of years previous, but really didn't know her at all. 

What has followed has been such a fun and beneficial (primarily I think to ME) friendship. I have been so amazed by Lara and her courage and determination as she fights colon cancer (remember the Relay for Life from July?). I have been inspired watching Lara and her husband Austin interact and cherish and support and serve each other. And I have been grateful as they have brought our family delicious treats - cinnamon rolls and sugar cookies!! (Austin is much better in the kitchen than I am!)

As we drove home, Lara brought up the similarities in our story as compared with the story that President Monson told and I felt so grateful again that I went along with a prompting to knock on someone's door late-ish at night and offer some silly muffins. I think a lot of times we feel inadequate when we're presented an opportunity to step up and do something or we dismiss those feelings that would prompt us to action because we're worried about how those actions will be received. I've been trying, especially in the last few months, to trust Heavenly Father and put myself out there more.

Okay, and that was September! You're welcome!