Southern Utah University (who we now cheer for) played Utah State University (who I cheered for as a student there and through my childhood) in Logan. We took the family and spent a night with cousins in Riverton then on to Logan to see Bobbi, Grandpa John, Sarah, Bergen, JD and the FOOTBALL GAME.

The weather was perfect for an evening of football. The game was exciting with great back and forth offensive plays with SUU doing a good job of keeping up with the Aggies. Toward the end the Ag's ran away with it but we all had a fabulous time and enjoyed the atmosphere with popcorn, snowcones and soda.

Half-time was a great opportunity for the kids and Brad to play hot potato with the football the boys take with them EVERYWHERE.

Cairo looked so cute on Friday as she left for school. I just had to catch a quick photo of her in this great little outfit we got for a school year that will include colder weather.

Eastern Sunset...

The sunsets here are spectacular. However, as I looked off our east deck the other night I noticed the sunset was creating a beautiful view of the eastern mountains as well. Amazing.

Sam's Tackle on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1BZjYb2TLk

Sam Makes a Tackle

Sam actually got to play in a game on Saturday morning. Sam, Jack, Charlie and I took off headed straight west into Nevada to a small town called Panaca. It took about an hour and a half to get there but it was a beautiful fall day and I had my 3 boys who are

football crazy

in the car.

There was nowhere else I'd rather be.

(Brad stayed home with Cairo because she had her first tennis lesson that same morning.)

Sam was put in the game playing several different positions, just trying to get a feel for the plays and field positions.

In this video you will see him make the first tackle of his career.

He is easy to spot because he is the only guy on the team with a gold helmet.

Sam is so happy to be playing football. He looks so grown up in that uniform. I cannot believe he goes out there and crashes into other bigger boys and comes off the field smiling.

Wednesday Night Lights

The boys have officially started their football season. Brad coaches Jack and Charlie and their 1st and 2nd grade flag-football team.

Jack scored his first touchdown last night in the game. The play went off just as the coach had designed it. I was so proud and shocked to see scrappy Jack with the ball tucked under his arm running like crazy, the right direction and crossing the goal line. What a night. Charlie is a great defensive player and is great at returning kicks. He got a few punt returns that wound up gaining yards for the team.

Brad and Charlie helped out with the chains at Sam's game after the flag-football game. There was so much support for this 5th-6th grade football game. The parents all pitch in to make it happen.

The boys getting ready for their big night. Putting on their shoes. NO cleats in the house..

Charlie loves to wear Sam's helmet.

Sam's First Football Game

Wednesday night lights in Cedar City. Because Sam joined the team late and is still learning the plays he wasn't played in this game. He supported his team. Helped with the chains and learned the plays so hopefully he can play in the next game on Saturday.

Girl's Weekend at the St. Regis at Dana Point

The View from our room...Ahhhh palm trees. I didn't realize how much I was missing them until I saw them. They gave me a tug back to Abu Dhabi. But I was home. With some of my favorite women, my Mom and sisters. I needed to feel the sand, the sun and to see those palms.

Barb's ideal vacation breakfast. A danish from the hotel bakery and good Diet Coke.

The Sand, the Sun...and Trader Joes for lunch. We couldn't ask for more.

Sarah and Bergen

(who got to join her Mom on the weekend due to her great behavior and youth.)

Eating, another of our favorite things to due on vacation.

The beautiful St. Regis hotel in Dana Point. Our home away from home for 3 nights. What a vacation. Girl's weekend at the St. Regis is a dream we've had for years. Finally we made it happen.

Jenn on the beach, checking on things back home.

Beach Baby

Beach Feet

I LOVE Peaches!

What is not to love about peaches? Their color, their soft fuzz, the occasional dry leaf left hanging from the stem. It all makes me smile. As a child I would get in the car with Mom and drive through Sardine canyon to Brigham City, Peach Mecca. We would buy bushels of peaches to take home to Logan and bottle for a treat during the winter months. One autumn day I remember laying the backseat of the car with the peaches. I loved the way they smelled and their nice plump bodies. I wanted to climb into the bushel baskets and become part of the peaches. (The memory is so clear I can smell the peaches as I recall it.) Two peaches were held gently in my hands as I rubbed my cheeks with the soft fuzz. By the time we arrived home in Logan I had a rash on both cheeks! Its a funny memory to think how miserable I was with little pieces of peach fuzz stuck into my cheeks. They had become part of me.

I still love peaches. It's unconditional.

Peach season means peach cobbler.

Grandma Watts used to make such great peach cobbler. I'm so happy she took the time to teach me how to make cobbler. As summer days would shorten and school would begin I always had a nice peach cobbler to look forward to as an after-school snack. Either Mom or Grandma would treat me with a cobbler through the entire peach season. To this day, my favorite dessert is Peach Cobbler.

The past 3 years I've missed peach season because we always returned to Abu Dhabi before peaches were ready. This year I've loved making Peach Cobbler while wearing Grandma Watts' apron. I've also branched out to make home-made peach ice cream to serve with it...

Never enough peach on peach flavor.

The only bad thing about peaches..They signal the end of summer. The beginning of fall and the coming of winter months. We haven't seen winter for 3 years. Already we are feeling the cold seep into our bones. American football season is beginning and the kids are living an All-American lifestyle in a beautiful, clean, small town.

PS: I did freeze some peaches so I can enjoy the flavor of late summer sometime in the middle of winter.

Grandma Watts' Peach Cobbler

4-5 peaches, peeled and sliced

1/2 C sugar

2 Tbl. Corn Starch

3/4 tsp. Cinnamon

3/4 C water

Mix and pour last 4 ingredients over peaches in a casserole pan

(Grandma always made it in a tin bread pan but I've started making it in a ceramic casserole dish)

Be sure the liquid mixture comes to the top of the sliced peaches.

Mix separately:

1 C Flour

1/4 C Sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 heaping tsp. Baking Powder

2 heaping Tbl. shortening

Cut into a grainy mixture and add milk to make a dough type consistency

Drop mixture on top of peach mixture, covering completely.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min. or until golden brown.

Thunderbirds Boosters

Living in Cedar City allows us to be part of the athletics at Southern Utah University. The kids are part of the Thunderbird Kids. Before every home game they lead the team out onto the field. This first game of the season was against rival Dixie. The teams haven't played for over 40 years because last time they played there was a riot after! SUU won convincingly.

Sam Turns 11

This is the first birthday in 3 years that Sam has spent in Utah with cousins and Grandparents. He had a great time. Fortunately, his birthday always falls close to Labor Day weekend and this year it was on the Saturday before. This made it possible for Aunt Joleen to come from Las Vegas, Grandma and Grandpa Cook to come from Orem, Bobbi and Grandpa John from Logan and Cory, Angie and kids from Riverton. We had a fabulous time celebrating both Sam's and Grandma Cook's birthday.

Sam and Grandma blowing out their candles

The Cakes.

Bobbi and Grandpa John stopped in on their way to St. George, spent the night Friday in order to take Sam to breakfast on his birthday. They went to his favorite restaurant: IHOP.

Barbie and Ken???

Otherwise known as Cory and Angie. Cory is Brad's younger brother. In addition to looking like models they are great fun to hang out with. Their kids and ours get along great and everybody has a friend. Thanks for the great weekend guys!

This is why we came home!

Hiking with cousins on Labor Day

We had a fabulous time with Cory and Angie and kids. We were thrilled they would make the trip to spend the weekend with us to celebrate Sam's birthday and to hike and hang out and make up for lost time. We are all ready for more hiking. Especially in the water!

Kolob Canyon