October Decorations

Our family of ghosts dancing around the tree

graveyard

Ruby and Joe in the graveyard

The front porch

Our yard

Chad with his ghost buddy

Joslyn with the ghosts

Our front porch

Joslyn and Chad

Carving Pumpkins

Joslyn with her cleaned out pumpkin

Chad digging in with both hands

Ryan cutting out eyes

Courtney feeling the "guts"

Joslyn - soccer

Joslyn "The Rock" Ockerman, as her coach calls her, was the "best defender in the league". She scored 4 goals also.

It looks hot, but it was freezing cold!!!

Halloween

Chad is going as Wolverine from X-Men

Ryan had to dress up as a ghost, for Zoo Boo.

Joslyn is going as Ginny Weasley from Harry Potter

Courtney loves her velvet hooded cloak I found at Wal-mart and her crow, Captain.

Thank heaven for teachers!

September was a busy month and October is proving no different! Ryan got done with soccer. The varsity team beat Preston 4 - 0 to win a trip to state next week. Courtney is done with cross-country. She really improved her times. Joslyn is just starting soccer, their first game was cancelled for snow, but we're hoping to play this weekend. Chad is just Chad. He keeps himself and me BUSY!!! They had parent-teacher conferences this week and were out of school part of the week. They are all doing GREAT in school. Ryan's French teacher said with astonishment, "He does everything I ask of him." Courtney is getting moved to an honors Literature class, her teacher called her, "A diamond in a puddle of mud." Joslyn is doing well, not so much talking and is fantastic at math! Chad is progressing right along and learning his letters and their sounds. His handwriting is good and his counting is right on target. I do so admire teachers!!!

Family Motto

I'm into embroidering sayings, me and Courtney are having a great time finding new ones. But the next one I am starting is our Family Motto, which is
Obedience
Charity
Kindness
Eternal Family
Righteous Choices
Manners
A Happy Home
Neatness
They spell our last name. The kids have had it memorized for a couple of years now, so I am going to make it into a wall hanging for our family room.

Ryan with his Grandma and Papa, who traveled all the way from St. George just for this!

Ryan and his 2 Scout Masters - Reid and Spencer

Ryan and his Scout Masters and his Young Men's leaders - Rick and Lynn

Ryan with Scout Masters, Young Men's leaders and Zon and Jeff, friends

Courtney, Jessica, Ryan, Craig, Chad and Joslyn

The Order of the Arrow doing the flag ceremony. They take apart the Pledge of Allegiance and talk about what it means

The one in the red is Cole, he played soccer with Ryan for a couple of years.

Tennison reciting the Scout oath

Cake forRyan. The eagle is a magnet. It was marble with raspberry filling.

KIDS

Ryan had his Court of Honor on August 19th, exactly one month after his birthday He had some great leaders who participated in his court. It was a great night with grandparents traveling from far away to be there.

School has started. YEAH But who knew the first day would be so crazy?? Ryan's bus stop wasn't were it was supposed to be, so I had to drive him all the way to Century - 20 minutes round trip. Craig had to take Courtney to her bus stop then drop Joslyn off at her school, all the while, Chad McKay slept soundly through it all at home. So not the morning I had planned Then wake Chad up to go to the doctor by 9:00, to see about his arm. He has a slipped capella. There is a little ball - bone, that helps your elbow bend, and when it does, it scoots out of the way, well Chad's doesn't. It's sitting on the inside growth plate, hence this is why Chad's arm is bowed, only the outside growth plate is growing. But the doctor says we're just going to wait it out. The other option is surgery, which I don't want to do, but I do want his arm straight and have full range of motion, he still can't touch his shoulder, he's about 20 degrees too short. So come home from the doctor about 10:30, then Craig calls and tells me the kids have 2 hour early release. WHAT?? We just got them all thereJoslyn needs to be picked up at 12:49 (why the weird times?) Courtney will be dropped off at 1:19 (again, come on? round up or down) And Ryan had an away soccer game, so he left school early, about an hour, to go to American Falls. So I pack myself up about 3:45 (no weird times for me) and drive the 30 or so minutes to A.F. and watch our JV team cream their varsity team, 4 - 0. They did get beat yesterday by Hillcrest, in Idaho Falls, but it was a good game. They were supposed to drive to Hailey today, about a 3 hour one way trip to play Wood River, but they have evacuated their school, because of the Ketchum fires. His next game is Friday, when Burley comes to town.
Chad starts kindergarten today He's very excited So am I The kids seem to like their schools. Even Courtney is doing well. She is going to go out for cross-country tomorrow. She has a whole class, where all they do is read, she thinks she's died and gone to heavenJoslyn is having a hard time keeping all the boys names straight, but she did get 100% on her first spelling test I am actually looking forward to this long weekend, it will be nice to relax

Before pictures

Dayton City Park

horse shoe pits

the before pictures

nice horse shoe pits

Ryan with his finished project

Finally done!!!

Ryan's Eagle Scout project

It's finally done!!!

pipe and board system

fianl view

Ryan's 15th birthday!!!!

Ryan is 15!