Schoenbar Shootout 1st Place Champions

The middle school kicks off the each season with a home tournament. Five teams come from different islands to play. This year Sitka, Wrangell, Craig, and Metlakatla attended the tournament. Games started on Wednesday night and went until 11:00pm on Saturday. We had kids everywhere! Each players' family needed to house 2-4 other players. This is a tradition here since the only teams we can play are from other islands. In addition to the housing, host families are responsible to make sure that their players have breakfast, lunch and dinner. Schoenbar Middle School is too far away from restaurants for the kids to watch, so parents have to come and go all day. It's quite the event! I was at the school on Monday for 3 hours, Tuesday for 3, Wednesday for 5, Thursday for 7, Friday for 11 and Saturday for 16! Travis was gone hunting for a week so poor Dylan had to take over. He was a trooper.

I couldn't believe how amazing Aaron played! He has grown leaps and bounds in strength. He's tall, 6 feet, but his arm span is even longer. When he is boxing out a player they don't stand a chance. He's also one of the scrappiest players on the court. He's always knocking the ball away, or causing a jump ball. He and Colton, the other post, work really well on help defense. It's a great group of boys! This year they won 7 out of the 8 games they played during the tournament. Aaron scored an average of 9 points each game! I was so proud of him!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN
Okay, so I'm not a huge fan. Don't get me wrong, love the sugar cookies. Hate the work. I'm not a good seamstress and that stresses me out. I hate paying so much for a costume they'll only wear once. I guess you could call me the scrooge of Halloween. I don't even put up a single decoration.
My kids on the other hand, well they are super creative. Take Dylan. He decided this year to be "Mountain Dude". That is what Aspen calls Mountain Dew. He came up with the costume idea and everything I needed to get. Thank goodness for scrapbooking crap, we were able to make the sign. I also found a t-shirt and green basketball pants he can wear for more than one night. They were both on clearance, not a normal find at WalMart. The end result: a very cute "Mtn Dude."

Then there is Morgan. She had it in her head a month ago to be a character from one of her favorite books, Warriors. She had the ears and the tale from her Mouse costume and she just added the rest. Travis helped her with the painting and she went to town. She looked soooo cute. Travis is the Halloween guru. He even made a huge gigantic spider to hang on our front window. Very cool!

Jayden was easy. He wanted to be a golden knight. That was it. So we gathered everything we had, spray painted the old shield and called it good. Thank you Jayden.

Aspen got a little spoiled to say the least. The tiara is from her birthday. The wings were a butterfly I found in a garden shop. The skirt is handmade by a friend. The shoes are from the Disney store and she loves them. The shirt I'm kinda proud of it. It took me less than an hour to sew and with no pattern and no swearing. Quite a feat for me. The end result is a beautiful Tinker Bell. Love it!!!

It's My Birthday!

Aspen turned three on the 21st. We had four friends come over to a small party. She loves Tinker Bell so that was the theme we went with. She got dressed up in her favorite Tinker Bell shirt and I put her hair up with a tiara. We played two small games, let the kids play with the balloons and then had cake. This cake was 8" round and cost more money than a sheet cake. Good thing she isn't spoiled.

2nd Place Ain't Bad
Saturday Aaron and Dylan played in the Championship game. It was an unusually beautiful day for soccer. It was clear and 55 degrees, no rain and no wind. It was crazy considering the night before it was pouring and blowing so bad it would move the ball on it's own. Both the boys played hard. Aaron has been sick for almost two weeks now and hadn't gone to school on Friday. Usually I don't let the kids play when they haven't gone to school, but his team depends so much on him that I bent the rules.

Dylan was one of the youngest players in the league, but you wouldn't have known this by watching. He played so tough! He'd charge the ball no matter the opposing player. There were a few times that he'd go up against a girl two grades older and try to be polite. He learned quickly that they wouldn't give him the same courtesy. After a few games he'd run over anyone in his way. Is it bad to say I was proud of that?

I'm glad soccer is over, not that there is a lot of time before basketball starts, but it will be nice to have a break with the kids.

Heather Christensen
A woman of talent and unselfishness. I am ashamed to admit that I never spent a lot of time with Heather. Family get togethers with the Tippetts-Christensen clan can be quite a handful. I do remember how fun she was. She was always laughing with the kids or helping Annette out in the kitchen. She would help Jana or Kara or Natalie with the kids. Heather never did things for herself. I remember in High School how talented she was. Even then she was busy helping with the band or the choir or anything else she could. She was so smart too. Juggling AP classes with her busy schedule. I never saw her just relax and take time for herself. It was always about others! I know that she is already in heaven singing with the angels. Our prayers are with everyone down south.
We love you HEATHER!

Grandparents
I cannot say how important they are, that's obvious. I can say how much my kids miss them! I know without a doubt that we are supposed to live here. We call Ketchikan home. Yet each time I visit I realize how envious I am that my siblings children are growing up with these amazing people.

They get the day to day love. They get the birthday and holiday love. They get the learning, the hoping, the support. Am I doing the right thing? In living here am I depriving my children of knowing their grandparents?

Every time we visit I have to remind the little ones who their Grandparents are. It breaks my heart. They don't love them any less, they just don't know them. I can't replace this time. For some of our loved ones I know that is a short time. I show them pictures and tell them stories. I tell them the naughty things I once did to grandparents and help them understand that they, their grandparents, love them unconditionally and completely.

Yet, this doesn't bring me peace. It doesn't make the pain go away. I'll I know is that I love these people and they love my children. Our Heavenly Father sent us here for a reason and he will help heal these wounds. For now, I just have to keep showing the pictures and telling the stories. For those of you who do get to be close to your parents and grandparents - cherish it! Don't take it for granted!

Sisters
On Thursday we took a drive with Grandma and Grandpa up Provo Canyon. It was absolutely wonderful. There wasn't any traffic in the canyon. It was a perfect 74 degrees.

We ate lunch at the Dairy Keen in Heber and then went to take hoards of pictures up at Wasatch Golf Course. The girls were so patient. Aspen was so funny. She posed and giggled the whole time. Now if I could only convince Morgan that she is beautiful and that smiling won't kill her!