September 2021!

September was the month of cross-country meets. Wasatch Charter had another robust girl's team this year and they all enjoyed running together.

Most of the Wasatch Charter Girl's team

Hallee at her first meet of the season, obliterating all competition.

This girl if fierce!

We had Simon with us for a couple of days while Sean and Kim were living in a trailer, awaiting their new home to be ready for move in. Simon is the ultimate cheerleader (he was up in a tree, pumping his fists in the air, cheering on the runners with complete abandon and jubilance) and made friends with everyone as he passed out freshly picked apples that we'd gathered from Shirleen's tree to the spectators and runners.

Simon, sleeping over in Sean's bed. They were so cute together.

On Labor Day, Casey rented a little sailboat for us to practice our sailing skills with on Willard Bay. There wasn't much wind, but we had fun anyway. We dubbed it "subtle sailing" since our movement through the water was so slight.

Bear had a blast splashing, running and romping and was a natural swimmer. Late in the day, we loaded the entire family (including Bear) on the boat and subtly sailed out to some deeper water where we took turns jumping in and then lurping our way back into the boat.  When I jumped into the water, Bear became super nervous and ran to whatever side of the boat I was on and finally jumped in, attempting to rescue me. He was concerned for my safety. That's when I knew that he loved me. Sweet puppy.

Just look at that cute little sailboat! It was small enough to fit into the back of Casey's work truck for transport, although a bit heavy and cumbersome to haul up and down the beach, but we managed.

September was a blur of cross-country practices and races. Hallee ran an entirely undefeated season. No soul beat her in any race that she ran this year at any level of competition.

Sophie ran a solid season. She continuously improved her times and got stronger both physically and mentally, although she didn't get to run varsity this year, which I know was disappointing to her. She is intrepid and I know that she will continue to put in the work to improve. We are so proud of the effort that she's put in.

Most of the Skyline cross-country team along with Coach Tom Porter, Assistant Coach Sue Nielsen, and Assistant Coach Hannah Larkin.

The continuing progress on the "pod"--what will one day become Grandma White's little home.

The Skyline girl's cross-country team.

Zeke made a new friend this year--Zach--a boy who moved here from Texas. His mom, Angela, works at the school, drawn here by the Waldorf philosophy. Zach loves to fish and he and Zeke took up after-school fishing in Big Cottonwood Creek in the park next to the school.  Zeke often came home after school with tales of all of the fish they'd spotted together in the creek during the day, ready to plan another after school fishing adventure. On this day, Casey went to collect Zeke and found him like this: fish slung right over his violin in classic Zeke fashion. He is 100% boy.

In September, some of the adventure friends hiked up to the pond above Willow Heights up Big Cottonwood Canyon. We found a big bull moose up there.

Sarah, Ryan, Jen, Carlynn and I

Hallee is part of a group called the Compassionate Campus Crew at her school where she teaches mini-lessons in various classes about emotions and how to manage them as well as offering a listening ear if someone needs to talk. The advisors asked if I'd come be part of the gourd as a parent advisor. At one of our meetings, Sean was playing in a nearby school play yard, entertaining himself while I was busy with the students. At one point during the morning, he came over and told me that he'd built a "grasshopper trap" then he casually returned to his play. When we finished the meeting, I asked him to show me his trap. He led me over to a contraption, stuck into the sand, constructed with sticks and leaves. I bent down to examine it and sure enough!! There were not one, but two grasshoppers in his trap. Sean is obviously a guru.

Sean loves grasshoppers and will often carry one or two around with him during the day. Sometimes he'll have a few in a glass jar, but her prefers to mostly carry them around bodily. I'll often find them in the living room carpet or on the table, sitting next to him while he eats.

Sean's highly-effective grasshopper trap

Our growing puppy, Bear the beloved.

In September, I took all of the kids to visit the Salt Lake Temple renovation project. We studied the massive excavation and foundation, the scaffolding, watched worker guys hustle around and then had lunch in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

Sean with some of his friends.

One of Casey's employee's, Jared, agreed to construct a wainscot from our salvaged brick for Grandma's pod.

Not sure what this means, but there it is. Lindy, future McD's manager and lovin' it!

These are the Wasatch Charter girls that went to the UCSSAL State Championships: Hallee, Elsie, Flora, Bennie, Finley, Natalie, and Delcia (the coach, Janessa Erdmann's, daughter).

This kid burned it up at state and beat her closest competitor by a full minute, taking first place at the championship race. The Wasatch Charter girl's team also took 1st place in state, winning back-to-back titles. The boy's team took second in state--a huge accomplishment for them too!

Our strong, speedy, victorious Hallee. We are hoping that she will have some girls to challenge her in the coming year. She makes winning look way too easy.

The Nelson's back porch has been a hot bed of activity over the summer. As the weather has grown colder, the kids haven't slowed down and often still play back there in t-shirts and shorts and most often without socks and similarly unshod. Hence the break to warm up under some blankets together.

Sean and I, took Bear for a hike up Porter Fork in Millcreek Canyon to check out the amazing display of autumn color:

Just a boy and his dog.

On September 30th, Sophie ran in the JV regional (divisional) race with several other schools. She ran in the 3rd position, just behind the two fastest girls for nearly the entire race. She fought so hard and ended up medaling in 10th place and nailing down another PR. The JV girls team placed 2nd, the highest placing of any of the Skyline teams that day. We are so proud of her and the tremendous effort that she puts in consistently.

Sophie, focused and determined.

The divisional medal ceremony.

Hallee, Lindy, Zeke, Sophie, and Sean. The younger kids wanted to skip the first part of school (and brave the frigid temperatures) to go cheer on their sister.