Are you ready for some football...

Ummm...I guess.

No, really.  I think I can handle it because he is so darn excited.
So darn excited.
And he has my heart.
So that means I'm in.

Our #55 plays offensive guard for the Highland Hawks Freshman football team.
 

He has never done this before.
Full contact football, I mean.
He played flag for his Jr. high team and really enjoyed it but until this summer he has never put on shoulder pads and started knocking people around.
He had practice every day during the summer.
It's an oven here in the summer and still he gave everything, every day.
He would come home absolutely beat, pop some ibuprofen and go back for more ~ with a smile on his face.
This was new to me.
I've seen Davis work and work hard.  It's what he does.
But my eyes were opened to whole new game and more than that, his desire to become a great football player.

The first time I saw him dressed out in his full gear was a bit emotional.
Isn't that crazy??  It was hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that
Here he is.

If I could tell the coaches something about Davis I would tell them that in my son you have a young man that will give you everything he has and then more.  He will listen, he will learn, he will work.  He is coachable without complaint.  He will be a leader.  He will set an example.  He wants to win.  He wants to play.  He may make some mistakes in his young football experience but he will correct them and try his very best each and every down.  On the field you will wish you had a whole team of kids like him.  Off the field you will wish the same.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are now 0-4.
It stinks.
Every practice, every cramp, every ache, every bruise, every effort.
No victory.
 

But Davis does his job and he does it well.
I worry that with each defeat he might get discouraged and feel like he isn't getting back what he is giving.
His reply when I express anything of the sort,
"Mom, I just wanna play."
It is incredible to see him in this light.
Play on, big D, play on.

We love this place...

We took a chance to get out of the heat and headed for the hills.
Woods Canyon Lake is one of our favorite spots.
And to up the excitement level and increase the outdoor experience there will
undoubtedly, without question, guaranteed
be elks.
Not an elk but elks, roaming through the campground.

 

Target shooting is always a part of the fun.
This spot.  The tree.  The sky.
 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite parts is when the kids go off exploring together.
I can hear their laughter way off in the trees long before I can see them coming back into camp.  It makes me smile every time.
 

Well hello there beautiful bird. Yes, please join us for breakfast.
(Just don't touch my bacon!)
 

Did I mention it rained?
Not just a sprinkle either.
It came down it torrents with deafening thunder that sent us scrambling for the trailer.  We hunkered down for about an hour and when we finally dared to peek out we found ourselves surrounded by the rushing water.
 

 

 

A brief interruption for a reminder to my kiddos...
If you forget to put the travel first aid kit back into the truck before you head out on a campout, hopefully you have remembered to bring some lavender oil.  Thanks Maddie, for having that in your makeup bag.

Cooper was spared the likes of having three fingers looking like ET calling home because of the healing effects of lavender oil.  After grabbing the top of the blazing gas lantern, I quickly dunked his fingers in ice water from the cooler. Maddie grabbed her lavender oil and I splashed a generous amount right into the water.  After in and out of that for about 20 minutes, I coated his fingers with the oil.   My family gives me a hard time about the oils I use and insist they use from time to time.  But we saw first hand what it did for a very serious burn.  What could have been a very painful night of restless sleeping or even cutting our trip short, Cooper slept peacefully through the night and when he awoke he fingers bore no sign of the incident.  Oh, and we said a prayer : )


The lake was beautiful.

And so is my family.

 

 

 

 

While this child whittles his artistic abilities into a stick of wood...

 

...these children hunt for crawdads.

Cooper was thrilled to have his sister's undivided attention.

 

Meet Fransisco and Fileepay.
(Ya, I spelled it that way on purpose)

I love our family time.
It is priceless to me. 

Simply put...

Cooper is working on his Faith in God goals.

He wanted to I told him to write a poem about a principle of the gospel.
He chose prayer.
He was having trouble getting started so I gave him the first little bit...

Each night before I go to bed...

He quickly added,

I kneel and say my prayers.

I asked how he felt when he said his prayers.
He was able to put the rest together.

Each night before I go to bed
I kneel to say my prayers.
They make me feel warm and good,
They keep the worries from my head.

I love this boy.