The last week of summer was full of cold rainy days.  Kids broke out their comforters and jackets...and we had the elementary school fun run. 


I was helping with the drinks station at the finish line so I couldn't run it.  Girls helped me collect and load up a bunch of drink coolers and we hoped the rain would stop for at least a little bit.  And right before the race started the rain did stop.  I was proud of Allison who ran the whole thing.  She had a nice super athletic friend who left her friends to run with Allison.  Allison was feeling the pressure to not stop and walk.


And Allison went back to run to the finish with Robyn who was taking a more walk and talk approach with her friend.


Earlier that day had been my big Praxis test that I had been studying for.  Getting into the testing center required more security than going through the airport! But I passed and now I am done.  School is going well and I am getting into the swing of studying and taking tests and writing papers.  Its fun to learn things and then see it in application at school.  It does make for some busy school days though.  I appreciate so much the efforts my family makes to pick up the slack for me.  There is something immensely comforting to come home to a clean kitchen where everyone has eaten and cleaned everything up.


Last Sunday we tried a new fall outing with the family going up to Silver Lake up Big Cottonwood Canyon.  It was gorgeous and cold.  There is a one mile trail around the lake that is accessible for Taylor in his stroller.  And then we shivered and ate Allison's BLTs and cookies.


One of Jeremy and my favorite Provo restaurants, El Azteca is closing so Jeremy and I got to go out to a great Mexican dinner one more time and stop by to walk around the chalk festival.  Our dates don't need to be long but it sure is much needed just to get away for a little bit and relax away from our to do lists.


We have had some cousin time lately.  We had a sleepover one night last week while Jason and Kelly went on a date.  Kids loved running around, eating pizza and watching movies.  Then last night all the girls got to take the train up to SLC for the women's broadcast.  The train was much better than taking a car and fighting traffic like we did last time.


We had planned to go to Cheesecake Factory for lunner but found out that 3 in the afternoon is too late to beat the crowds.  So we compromised and got cheesecake to go and hit up Kneaders for lunner instead.  We learned last year that you don't try to go out after the broadcast!  It was ComicCon weekend so it was a strange mixture of amazing costumers and women in church clothes walking around City Creek.  And all the girls had to get their lips done at the MAC counter.


We didn't get into the conference center this year and ended up watching the broadcast on those super hard seats in the Tabernacle.  It was still an awesome time minus one very grumpy missionary who didn't let Kelly sit with us till the broadcast started.  I love building these traditions with our girls.  While we had our girl night, the boys were building their own traditions - nachos and the new Terminator movie.


Life is busy and happy.  There are all the extra things that get fitted in like shoe shopping for kids and pruning all our trees.  Eventually everything gets done or it wasn't important enough to worry about in the first place.