Update on the Fam

Here's a little family update for ya.

Nate and Michelle
Celebrated our tenth anniversary in August! Thanks to lots of kindnesses from lots of people, we got to go on an overnighter in Logan. What a blessing to have a marriage worth celebrating!

We also recently ran the Huntsville Half Marathon. It was Nate's first, and he killed it, man. He ran it in an hour and forty two minutes. Can you believe that!? He's so fast! As for me, I finished and ran the whole time, but it was tough! My time was somewhere around 2:35 But I'm proud of myself for making a hard goal and sticking to it. I've wanted to run the Huntsville Half since I did my first one four years ago. The mountain scenery was just as pretty as I'd hoped it would be. It was a blast to do it with Bri and Mason and Mason's parents.

Addison

This boy is keeping us hopping! He's doing very well in his 3rd grade class and loves going to school each day. He's also in piano, cub scouts, and running club at his school. I miss having him around without anything to do! It seems like between homework and everything else he's always got something going on, there's not much time to play. He's recently had his first "real" jobs for a neighbor, and so he opened a savings account. One of his favorite things to do is to strap on his roller blades and use his stopwatch to time himself going around our culdesac.

Greased lightning at his school's Paw-a-thon. He loves to run! He says, "Mom, when I'm about to start running, I get a fizzy feeling in my stomach because I'm so excited."

Lunacy on a date with Mom.

Bryn

Our Brynny is becoming more opinionated and independent in a lot of ways. She's doing great in second grade and loves her teachers. She's also still a lover of the great outdoors. She's very anxious to turn 8 so she can be in activity days and do fun stuff like Addison gets to in scouts. She's doing running club with Addison, which makes me proud. She is a great pianist, and is diligent in her practicing each day, but also plays for fun all the time! She also loves to read. I frequently find her awake early with her nose already in a book when I go to wake her up for school.

Running hard at the Paw-a-thon.

Leah
Leah is enjoying ruling the roost at home while the big kids are at school. She is so patient with her little brother, and I love to hear them talking and watch them interacting with each other. She loves Primary and was in her first ever Primary program a couple weeks ago in church. Leah started ballet at the beginning of the school year and looks forward to it every week. At the library, her favorite books to check out are chapter books - more specifically, Boxcar children ones and Fairy Magic books. Every day when we get Asa down for a snooze we'll curl up on the couch together and I'll read a few chapters out loud. I love it. We're also doing joy school with a couple friends from the ward once a week for her and Asa.

She calls these her "chili pepper-red" boots.

Asa

This child is so full of energy! He is slowly starting to be a better listener, use manners, and follow certain rules that we're focusing on with him. He loves to be outside. We have a little hill at the end of our driveway that he rides the scooter up and down over and over and over again. He also loves to look for acorns and grapes with Leah. His top two favorite books right now are Go Dog Go and Are You My Mother? His favorite thing to eat is fruit - any kind. I get to teach music in the nursery on Sundays and Asa loves singing time in there! He knows the songs we sing really well!

He spontaneously gives himself "haircuts" sometimes.