Life in SLC: Travel, State Championships, and Other Fall Things

Hello Friends & Family! We are enjoying a sunny, warm day today in Utah--a perfect day for a birthday :).

Samuel Scott turns 4 months old at the end of next week! That's a third of a year already. Hard to believe! It was about this time last year that we found out I was pregnant. Thinking back to those days seems like a different lifetime. Samuel has changed our lives in many positive ways, but parenting is not without it's challenges. I continually remind myself that God will not give me more than I can handle. We enjoy Samuel's smiles & giggles, and watching him learn to use his hands!

At the end of September, my parents traveled to Utah to be here for Samuel's baptism. We are so thankful for God's promises to Samuel and that he has called him his own. Mom & Dad were able to come to a (cold) cross country meet to cheer on Olympus! We also went to Red Butte Gardens, one of their favorite places in Utah and enjoyed some nice walks with Samuel.

Samuel's baptism

Samuel wore the same outfit Todd wore when he was baptized

Bundled up at the XC meet

Red Butte Gardens

Sadly, Todd's Grandpa Mitchell passed away at the end of September. He was dearly loved and will be greatly missed! Todd, Samuel, and I traveled to Iowa for the funeral. Although the circumstances were sad, we were happy to see family.

Grandma Irma with Samuel

Grandma Kathaleen with Samuel

Jeff & Bonnie with Samuel in his baptism outfit

Our cross country season concluded its regular season on a high note! The Olympus boys' team won state! They raced SO well at the state meet and are now ranked #10 in the country! The girls didn't have their best day at state, but still finished 8th! We are excited for our two post-season races in Arizona (Nike Southwest Regional) and California (Footlocker West Regional). If we do well enough at Regional, there could be a third meet in Oregon (Nike Nationals).

Happy coaches after winning state

We took our first family vacation during Todd's UEA break. We went to Rocky Mountain National Park and stayed in Estes Park. Although exploring a National Park is much different with Samuel than what we're used to, we really enjoyed it! And if you need a recommendation for a place to stay in Estes Park--just ask! We loved it!

Bear Lake

Elk in Estes Park

Dream Lake

Emerald Lake

Sprague Lake

Samuel and I spent last week in Michigan with my family! We had a wonderful time doing lots of fall things...watching Michigan football, carving pumpkins, going to Robinettes, etc. I was able to see some high school friends as well. The weather and fall colors were beautiful! What a great week!