Faces on a Rock and Faces We Love

School is in full swing and we are (mostly) loving it!!  Katelee is excited to be in her junior year and was welcomed home to the Riverton pack at Homecoming with Hudson!  

She and one of her besties, Rian, were in the same group and they had a fabulous time.  They carved pumpkins up the canyon, had dinner, the dance and hung out after.  

She's hyped to be in the prime of high school-knowing what she's doing and not burned out or ready to move on yet!  

While she is in the middle of her HS years, she may have already hit the peak of all high school experience with championship in the Powder Puff competition!  

Boom!! Seriously some of the most fun games to watch in all her sports careers.  She had some awesome runs, interceptions and was a start flag football gal!  

Grant and Dave were eating up the tackle football game with BYU.  

They got to connect with Brian and Gattlin, so that was extra fun.  

Brenna and I had the most exciting date night at the Taylor Swift Era concert movie.  We watched it in the IMAX surrounded by other swifties dressed up ready to party and boy did we.  The theatre was a real concert...minus real Taylor, but there was dancing, screaming, conga lines etc

It was the best date-besides the time I ran back to our seats for a quick break/drink and looked over at a little girl staring terrified at me because I sat in the wrong empty seat!  haha!  I moved up to my row quickly, before I drank out of her beverage, don't worry!

We still try to continue our Sunday traditions of one person has a lesson and one person gets to have the Sunday.  We have a rotating list of whose Sunday it is.  Whoever the lucky person is, they get to choose an activity that is mandatory for others to participate in (within reason- and it can't be anything everyone will hate) A month or so ago, Harrison chose basketball out front with each of us wearing a team jersey.  It's best you don't see Dave and I squeezing into the ones we had on!  We were lucky enough to have Grant around that day and he wanted in on the game!

These awesome autumn days people keep choosing canyon walks/drives and we are loving it.  

Of course in the age of Digital Phone Photography, we stop soooooo many times to snap pictures.  

I am never the one to say "lets take a picture"  but I hear a lot of "take a picture of me" from these pretty faces, so I consent to their demands...and then I get sick of it and say 'no more pictures!' Speaking of cute faces....

This girl got her braces off and talk about an instant glow up!

We walked into the ortho office with a cutie patootie and came out with a beautiful babe!  Brenna got her dance pictures shortly after so luckily they were brace free too!  

Her team this year is called Ventra and has mostly the same girls as last year, with a few new additions to take the place of a couple who moved on to other endeavors.  These girls have been so great to Brenna. 

We can't wait for another awesome dance year! 

For years I have been suggesting one of our trips should be to South Dakota to see Mt Rushmore and go to the Badlands.  I was a wee gal when I went, but I had fond (but vague) memories of the place.  My suggestion was often met with scoff (especially by the older two children) saying they didn't want to go see faces on a rock.  Well, I finally convinced Dave we should just go and I thought everyone would be pleasantly surprised at how fun it would be!  Grant is officially graduated and an adult, so our trips now are by invitation that he can accept or reject.  He had to work and so he politely declined...probably not really disappointed anyway.  Katelee pointed out that when Grant was in high school he got to miss our road trip to Colorado, so we negotiated that she could opt out of one trip.  This is the one she was adamant that she wouldn't mind missing.  So, for Fall Break, we packed up the other two kiddos 

(who have no choice in the matter) and headed to good old South Dakota.  We drove straight to Mt Rushmore the first day and LOVED it. 

 It was perfect timing- we got there late afternoon and got to see the sunset as well as we finished our walk abouts.  

The weather was fantastic, the little visitor center was informative and provided a great place for Dave to snooze while we watched the fascinating movie on how Mt Rushmore was planned and built.  It really is so cool and in a gorgeous area.  

The next day we explored the Badlands.  South Dakota has miles and miles of literally nothing.  We had planned to visit Wall Drug-an old west shopping mall of sorts and for every mile that had nothing there were dozens of signs hyping up the glorious Wall Drug.  

It certainly lived up to the expectations of every western gear, supply, souvenir you could ever desire.  It also provided some great entertainment with the cowboy puppet bands and great places to continue our trip filled with jumping pictures.  

As soon as Dave had experienced all he could take of the western world, we made our way to our hikes in the Badlands.  

They were so fun!  It was like we were on another dusty planet.  

The best hike had this giant ladder to climb and it was our favorite part.  Well, going up was our favorite part, Harrison took a bit of a spill at the bottom coming down.  It was hard to tell when to stand up and it was super gravely.  But, some kind English grandparents helped him until Dave finished his descent.  

When we had stayed in Montana on our way to Idaho this summer, we had eaten at a Pizza Buffet called the Pizza Ranch.  Harrison was beyond thrilled to see this chain restaurant also had a location in South Dakota and couldn't wait for Dave to partake in the deliciousness the Pizza Ranch had to offer.  I still regret that decision as I was the only one without lactose intolerance problems that had to endure the next few hours in the hotel room listening/smelling the effects of the Pizza Ranch.  

The next day was spent in the Black Hills looking for animals on the Wildlife Loop-

Hiking around Sylvan Lake, 

driving through the exciting tunnels and taking the breathtaking scenic routes on our way out towards Jewel Cave.  Dave was certain he was not going to be okay with this part of the itinerary.  But, I explained to him it wasn't a cave you had to crawl through, but he would be in awe of it.  I was totally right.  

Claustrophobia never set in and all of us were blown away by the cave and just imagining what was below us as we traveled to our next stop in Deadwood City.  It was super rainy and we got in late, so we didn't do much there but go to dinner, which was a-ok.  We got up the next day to make the drive home and made a stop at Devil's Tower.  

We hiked around Devil's Tower and even got to see rock climbers scaling one of the sides, which was so impressive.  We drove home and hugged the two we missed.  After showing them pictures, I am sure they wished they had come ;).  We definitely missed them.  It was such a fun trip- the world is full of unique places and we can cross that one of our family trip bucket list.  

We got back in time for Halloween and it's activities.  Harrison and I went to the Rodeo Grounds for the spook alley.  We are getting so brave.  

We hit up the pumpkin patch near our house.  We are still missing our old pumpkin patch that used to have a little corn maze and a tractor pull.  It is now a new home development.  Boo.  But, we at least got some fresh gourds and a pic of a little vampire.  

We are down in numbers in most activities, including the Witch Hunt.  But, these two had fun for half a second until they fought as you can see on Harrison's face-he was not thrilled to be in a pic with his sister.  True to life memory right there folks.  

Brenna capped off her final Lagoon visits (I think she hit 16 with this one) during Frightmares.  It gets so crazy busy, but it is always a good time there during spooky season.  

Halloween night finally arrived.  This stick figure man was ready for trick-or-treating!  

But first, it was our neighborhood eat before you treat.  Harrison and I went...see if you can spy him in this photo!  

Brenna was a yeti- thanks to Grant's old pajamas we pulled out.  She did go trick or treat for a bit with friends.  

Katelee had a party and all her gals were dressed up like deer.  So adorbs.  

These are the faces of Halloweeners before the excess sugar and miles of walking got to them! 

 Harrison got lots and lots of candy.  It's slightly revolting.  But, better candy than paper.  Yes, you read that right.  I saw him put a little piece in his mouth.  When I asked him why he was eating paper, he started moving in slow motion and replied, "You didn't see anything!"  I think he was focusing on the trick part of Halloween...but I know it was no illusion!  Yay for another fun October!

Fall Season Kickoff

Our favorite season is here again!!  We love the smell, the feel, the color, the activities.  This pic is from a drive we took up the canyon at the end of September and it doesn't even convey the bright yellow colors intensely enough.   We are so lucky to live by the breathtaking mountains!  

We loved going to Snowbird at the beginning of the month and spending our annual Petrick family time.  Gage came and introduced his fiancee to all the peeps and Emmalee and Bucky were able to surpise us all with a stay as well.  Blake and Lindsey made it for a few days, as well as Caleb-so the week was represented by each family of the clan!

The Activity Day boys got to volunteer at the Healing Fields by assisting in putting up the flags for the 9/11 memorial there. 

They did such a great job and worked hard in the hot sun.  The camera crew that followed the helpers around seemed to be in our vicinity a lot, so Harrison was sure he would get on the news.  Alas, it only caught Dave and the most shy/unassuming of the fellas- little Cameron.  Harrison was not pleased, but I think he will one day remember it was about the service and not the minute of fame.  Ha! 

Fall sports are always being watched at our house-whether in person or on the tv.  We all get a turn to attend a BYU football game with Dave 

and this month it was Harrison and Katelee that each went. 

Harrison loved his game and Katelee...well...she continues her streak of never watching a good/winning game 

 

The cougs started out strong, but lost it in the end.  Harrison was so upset as we were viewing it at home.  He started yelling, "I blame Katelee!"  And he legit meant it.  She did get to sit by a boy that caught her eye and they stopped at a restaurant that served gluten free crepes prior to the game.  So, I would still call the date a success.   

Super Sevens rec league lacrosse started and Katelee is loving playing with her buddies as we watch beautiful sunsets and time Harrison as he laps the fields over and over.  

With sports and school beginning, so do the fundraisers and shelling out of all the money...I actually won't complain about the Swig cards we buy/sell and the color run at the elementary school is one of this boy's favorite events.  I had to work this time around, so i didn't get to spray the young runners with the chalk.  I didn't miss out on the neon colorful boogers that accompanied that but I really was sad to not see Harrison and the other kids enjoying themselves so much! 

Maybe it is the crisp air, the onset of our familiar and healthy schedules, the routines, the traditions that seem to be prevalent as we get into autumn and holidays, who knows- but it is a time of year we love and we are enjoying all the moments, well...maybe not all the moments- like the ones where we are picking up endless leaves for hours and hours.   But, overall, it is the best!

 

A Decade Dude

August is the month this little bro reached double digits!!!  A whole glorious decade with Harrison Carl McArthur blessing the world with his presence.  But, before that could happen we had a few other things that wrapped up the summer.

We love volunteering for United Way's Stuff the Bus event.  It's a gathering where donated items are 

put out on tables and we assemble backpacks for students/refugees who will need them for the school year.  This year Dave and Grant couldn't come with us.  

But we still stuffed the bus like no one's business.  These were some hard working peeps!  

Harrison had a jazz basketball camp with his friend Tate.  They got to meet one of the Jazz players...whom I should know, but alas, I don't recall who it was.  The Jazz Bear was there to pump them up and now they should play like NBA professionals after two days of hard work, I am sure.  

These Activity Day boys loved getting to have a pool party at our friend's house in the stake.  I tried to talk Harrison into doing his birthday party there, but he opted for a movie night with these

but he opted for a movie night with these turkeys...

It was before school had started for most of the boys.  We took Mason, Paxton, Tate, Gage, Ryler and Cameron to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I mean, I thought they would be thrilled- it is a blast from my past.  The new reboot would be fun, right?  They told me they were not sure if they would like it but after the show- all I heard was how epic it was and some even reviewed with the comments it was the best movie they had ever seen.  So, TMNT blew them out of the park!  

Parties concluded, camps wrapped up, the weather started to cool down and it is time to start school!  Yippee!!  I mean, everyone was excited but sorry to say goodbye to sleeping in.  I totally agree.  Brenna had to finish up some do-able items on her summer bucket list.  So, the day before school, we found some trees she could climb.  

Girlfriend is 13 years old, but I still had to push her bum up when she got scared.  I am not going to suggest this item to check off for next summer!

The first kiddo to kick off the 23-24 school year is our High School Junior Katelee!!  (Technically, I started the school year first since I had to head back to work before the students came...but I didn't take a first day pic) ;) 

Katelee is in her middle year of high school and has a really challenging schedule this year.  She is taking some AP and concurrent classes and jumping into full academia while not missing out on any social events.  She is going to keep her job at Tilly's and plays Sevens for Lacrosse right now.  The high school season doesn't start till the spring with practices beginning winter.  She is so great and we are soaking up all the minutes we can with this cute high schooler.  

The not tree climber extraordinaire, but dancing queen Brenna started 8th grade!  She is officially in the middle of the pits of junior high.  But, she is excelling and currently is afraid of boys, so her focus stays mainly on dance and getting straight A's.  

Harrison started school before his actual birthday, so he began 4th grade as a 9 year old and then just a few days later, he is a decade man.  

He is really excited for his teacher and class this year.  He is very smart but mostly his focus is on recess.  

 

We love celebrating Harrison right as school gets started for the year.  A lot of exciting things are beginning and no one is more thrilling than our Harry boy.  He is an artist/designer always tapping into his creativity.  He asked me to play hangman in church one Sunday recently and when I started guessing incorrect letters, I was confused as an oval was drawn on the bottom then what looked like a rectangular slicer.   It took me a second to put it together so I asked Harrison what was going on and he told me it was a guillotine.  No other child has ever asked me to play guillotine-man.  But as I missed letter by letter, the little man's head was put in a drawn basket.  

Harrison is still into logos and designs- he wanted to decorate the chalkboard for his birthday whishes and you can see it is full of his favorite icons at the moment- Mr Beast, the Rams, Golden State Warriors etc.  All drawn by our favorite bball player.  

He asked for an Olajuwon jersey for his birthday and a BYU cake.  We had to laugh when Dave brought home the cake and we saw how the Costco bakers interpreted the Y request.  The quotes are the best. 

The cake brightened our day just like Harrison always does- you never know what you are going to get!  He is so in tune with people's feelings and spreads joy wherever he goes.  He did ask at dinner one night how many 'swears' he gets a month.  When we jokingly told him one, he, without skipping a beat just blurted out, "hell."   At least he asked permission before he just let a stream of profanity out.  It is going to be a good school year and a great new decade for our caboose!