Over October

October is over but it was the beginning of so many things! Besides Halloween and Eliza's birthday, October also brought soccer season, football games, violin lessons for Eliza, General Conference, and some cooler weather! Here's a quick recap of our October:

I always look forward to conference.  And the kids always look forward to our semi-annual candy-crazed conference bingo tournament.  Here they are in action.

This month the BYU football team came to Houston!  Nate helped host the team which meant we got VIP parking at the fireside.  We didn't get VIP seating unfortunately.

Nate also snapped a picture on his phone with Bronco Mendenhall.  It's our only claim to fame.

The boys headed to the game the next day at Reliant Stadium. 

They attended the tailgate party before the game.

BYU won by 1 point.  It was an awesome game.  You can see Clayton, Isaac and Brig high-fiving the players as they walked by here.

I had a fun time looking through all the pictures they took.  I even spotted a few celebrities.  Let me point some of them out. . .

Soccer season is in full force!  Clayton and Isaac are playing on the same team this year, which is convenient for scheduling purposes but complicates things in other ways.  Isaac is the youngest player on the team.

It's hard to get a shot with both of them in it.  I love this one after Clayton just stopped a goal.  Both boys smiling.

Go Clay!

Isaac as team captain.

Clayton plays an awesome goalie.

Brig is also on a soccer team called the "Flaming Tigers".  Brig lives and breathes soccer. He is all over the field.

The girls love cheering for the boys at their games.

They have made lots of friends.

And have even gotten a little into the sport themselves.

The cooler weather this month meant a lot more time outside!  Brigham is still the best bug hunter and lizard catcher around.  Here he is showing Eliza his newest find.

A baby snail.

The boys set up a Star Wars obstacle course in our backyard with sound effects and everything. We were entertained for hours on end.

Inside, Eliza is having a princess picnic with daddy.  She is expecting a baby lion in this picture.

Nate played the part perfectly.

This month Clayton taught a reluctant Eliza how to play checkers.  He discovered the age old bribe: candy.

Our flowers in front are all in bloom.  They didn't last very long though.  Eliza picked every single one.

They ended up in her hair and in cups of water around our house.  She definitely has a place in her heart for fresh flowers.

Brigham learned to whistle this month and so far I think we have heard the whistle rendition of every church, piano, movie, and folk song imaginable.  He whistles constantly.  We're all hoping that his enthusiasm for whistling dies down a little when his two front teeth finally grow in.

Eliza is still enjoying ballet class with her two best friends.  They got fitted for costumes this week and we are all eagerly anticipating their ballet and tap concert in the spring.

Fall is in the air and so is fall cooking!  All my favorite soups and spices have come out!

 Of course, even with cooler weather, there is still always room for ice cream. . .

I got my hair cut.  This only happens once a year so it's a pretty big deal.  I really really like it from the side.  From the front it still looks like Dora.  No matter how hard I try, I just can't escape the Dora look.

Eliza started violin lessons this month.  She takes lessons with her best friend Naomi from a very amazing violin teacher - ME! :)

I had to special order a violin (from Amazon) for her since they didn't carry any small enough at the violin shop here in Houston. When her violin came in the mail, she said, "Ohhhh look!  It's a baby one!"

Yes, it's very cute and tiny.  I'm as much in love with it as she is.

I am so excited to have another violinist around!  When she's not crying, whining, twirling, or flopping around, Eliza is a delightful student.

This is a beautiful sight caught on film!  Just as we were getting ready to head out for an early soccer game on Saturday morning, Eliza and Brig found time for a spontaneous concert.  I love Brig in his soccer uniform (cleats and all!) and Eliza in her pajamas.  The music in front of both children is not the music either one is playing.  My proudest moment of this video is when Eliza stops mid-performance to adjust her bow hold - proof that our first and only violin lesson (at the time of this video) was not a complete waste!  Enjoy!