Go Ahead and Play with Your Food

Cross Country

The team got first place out of five teams.

Adam got 5th overall (the short kid on the other end usually places first every race but placed second today, he's 15 or 16, not as young as he looks)

Lots of Stuff

Tyler's church directory photo. He goes to a different church than we do. Most of you probably know that from a few years ago if you were following the blog then.

Jeff has been doing lots of training in preparation for going overseas in November.

He's also been doing some running. He ran an 8K (4.96 miles) in 28:00 and won this trophy.

That's him in front wearing the long black track pants. He goes to D.C. to run  on the army ten-mile team in October.

Adam had a local track meet Saturday.

He ran the 5K in 18:21 or something like that.

Sometimes the JV run is an open run meaning anyone can run. My crew was hoping for that, but it wasn't. However, the coach said they could shadow the team. So they left 30 seconds after the high school/middle school boys. One of our neighbor's sons is home for a while and he ran with my guys--barefoot and in long jeans!

Here comes Kaleb at 31:16--ahead of at least 12 of the cross country team!!

Tyler was just behind him.

Jasmine

Here are the runners-Kaleb, Tyler, Jordan, Jasmine, Jessica

In the afternoon four of us headed to a beach. You don't normally think of racoons as being beach animals, but many have lived in the jetties since we've been coming here. They raised babies here and they wash their food in the salt water. Blah.

It was beautiful weather but some of our crew decided to stay home. Adam had things he wanted to do before the home coming dance and Ty just wanted to do nothing.

Adam waiting to be picked up for the dance. His date had his tie. The girl in the picture below is not his date, so I hope someone took pictures of him with his date.

Everyday Life

Yesterday late afternoon/evening I walked around with the camera to give you a view of what our every day life is really like. This is a pretty typical day.

Jasmine practices drums 30 minutes a day. Most of the time she practices on her practice pad because her drum is at school. She brings it home on Fridays and practices on it Saturday.

Adam and Kayla doing their exercises together.

Adam seems to be having more fun than Kayla!

I made this apple dumpling recipe from the Duggar book, but changed it some.
2-3 cans crescent rolls
3 apples cored and sliced
butter or margarine (it doesn't say how much so I used one stick of Blue Bonnet)
1 1/2 cups sugar (I cut this down to 1/2 cup!)
1 tsp cinnamon (I just shook a bunch in!)
12 oz of mt dew or sprite

Unroll the crescent rolls. Place 2-3 slices at the wide end. Roll from the wide end to the small end. Place in 9x13 pan.  Melt butter in saucepan. Add cinnamon and sugar. Pour the butter mixture over the dumplings. Pour the soda over the rolls. Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes. Ours got a little brown but were still fine.

Kaleb with his dumpling.

Adam!

Yeah, she really hit him. They are siblings!

Jessica cleaning out her snorkel gear.

This is what I have put together for our family portraits so far. Normally we have the guys in blue and the girls in pink/rose. I was looking through old portraits. I have three different sibling portraits taken in GA where boys are in blue, girls in pink (in two of them Jessica is the only girl!) There is one newer sibling picture taken before the twins got home where they are in maroon and black for a Christmas portrait. All that to say I'm trying something new. I still need a shirt for Rick. The purple skinny jeans are Jasmine's. I'll either get her a white shirt or one that is a combo of the blue and purple shown. If Jeff shows, he'll be in white. The purple blouse is mine. I need to get an outfit for Jessica. Kayla will either match Jasmine or be in blue and white.

Everyone has a job. Adam washes and Tyler dries. Jessica sweeps and mops the kitchen floor. Jasmine vacuums. Kaleb collects and takes out trash. Kayla sets the table. She has the easiest job.

Tyler with his room mate.

Jasmine vacuuming.

Rick going over spelling homework with Kaleb.

Stretching out for a one-mile run.

I'm taking them through the stretches I do before I do my leg weights (therapy for my knee). There was a lot of complaining : ) Then they ran a mile to the gas station, and I picked them up and bought everyone a soda. Adam has a cross country meet Saturday. The JV race is an open race meaning anyone there can run the 5K with the team (but only the team members get the awards and it's team awards not personal awards). A few of mine plan to run the open run.
It's homecoming weekend so besides the meet, Adam will be going to the football game and the dance. I hope to have photos to post next week. 

Kiara is in puppy school now. She's working on sit.

After homework is done, the kids can have a half hour of media--Wii or Netflix or a short DVD--if they've had a good day. 

Jessica is finally settling down to her homework. The reading for two of her classes is quite  challenging.

So that's how our days normally go.  But of course it will change because we've just entered soccer season, and of course Jessica works some evenings. Adam has cross country practice after school every day. This is the first year we haven't been in dance since we started eight years ago.
What season is it for you?