What Is Up With Those Pierce's?

September has been a very bad month, if we're speaking in blogging terms. It seems like the first part of the school year kicks my butt every year. Getting into the swing of things and getting all of our extracurriculars up and going again leaves me pretty much wiped out. So, for the record, here is a rundown of what we've been up to.

Will - He is so much fun and he is everywhere! He is crawling like a mad man and will pull himself up on anything that stands still long enough. He is still a little cautious once he's upright, but I can definitely see him walking before one; if only to try and keep up with Jack. He has adorable dimples and is about the happiest baby I could have asked for. He has developed an interest in toy cars and Nerf bullets (must be related to Jack.) He is transitioning to real food and I'm trying my hardest to get him to drink from a sippy cup. His first tooth came through yesterday. He loves the dog. Watching him clap to show his approval of anything truly warms my heart. He says Mama and Dada and loves to sing.

Jack - LOVING kindergarten. Doesn't so much love the "homework." Jack is finally getting used to going to school every day again. He still loves riding his bike. He loves playing with his friends. Jack spends his afternoons playing video games, jumping on the trampoline and doing the monkey bars over and over again until the big kids get home from school. He is in gymnastics and finally gets to do all of the fun stuff like the rings, the vault, the bars, etc.... He just got back from a Boy's Weekend with his dad, his grandpa and his uncle and cousin in Dallas. They went to a Rangers game, saw the Texas Book Depository, ate lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, went to Rally Day at the Cowboy stadium.... got their pictures taken with the cheerleaders which made him uncomfortable because you could "see their boobs." He came home with a new football jersey and lots of stories about the fun things they did; especially swimming at the hotel.

Allie - Is so excited to be in Mrs. Braegger's class in the fourth grade. She has lots of friends and is really excelling in her work. I think she is really coming into her own; although she has started to be a bit pretentious about her abilities. I need to find something this girl is not good at to knock her down a peg or two. In all seriousness, however, my little Allie is a light in my life. She is so helpful with William; a fact I noticed after she went back to school and I found myself exhausted trying to get things done. Will lights up when she enters the room and she is all too happy to feed, change or get up with him in the mornings. He's almost as big as she is, but she'll carry him anywhere and she is the best at putting him in his car seat. She is going to make an awesome mama some day. Allie is also loving sewing. We put the girls in lessons at the first of the summer and they have just taken off and run with it. Here they are with their new sewing machines.

The girls have been working feverishly on costumes for Halloween.

Here is a picture of Allie with hers.

It's going to be awesome when we get the whole thing together. Allie is back in the Salt Lake Children's Choir for another year and doing gymnastics as well. This girl is intense, but makes life so great.

Erin - This girl has got it going on; and she seems to know it. She has really started to cop an attitude lately and is going the extra mile to be grown up. I am so not ready for us to be at this stage in the game. Erin is a good kid, however, so all I can do is cross my fingers and hope for the best. Erin is on the Student Council at her school and it has been the vote of confidence that she needed. Her teacher told me the other day that "Erin is the kid now that she's always been meant to be." For the first time in a long time, she is excelling at nearly everything in school and is even reading a bit without being prompted..... I'll take whatever ground I can get on this one. She is eagerly playing the cello in the orchestra and is so excited to be doing so. She is also singing, doing gymnastics and sewing. This girl is the barometer of the household..... if she's happy, life is good, but if she's not, watch out. Oh, and as a brief mention, here are the photos I blogged about a while ago of Erin and my Grandma Jones.... what a resemblance, eh????

The girls and I also just spent a weekend in St. George with Grandma, Aunt Shanna & Leah, my aunts Suzy & Lorelei and cousins Cassie & Sarah. We drove down and saw The Little Mermaid and Grease at Tuachan. The plays were wonderful.

While we were down there, the girls went shopping with Grandma and I got my hair done.

Not the best photo, but a new look, nonetheless. It was kind of nice to be able to sit in a chair and not worry about doing anything for a while. Which brings me to.....

Bek - I want to say that I haven't been busy, but I sure feel like I have. I feel like I have been chewed up and spit back out. Trying to constantly get caught up on housework, run the errands, take care of kids.... fix cars, drive carpool, make lunches and dinners. Ughhh. I'm also working on our family costumes for our DisneyWorld trip this week (we're going as Alice in Wonderland.) I bought a bunch of fruit and have canned pears, peaches, made salsa and have to work on apples this week. I have zucchini growing like nobody's business and am trying to get the yard ready for fall. I love this time of year, but it nearly kills me. Back to school events, projects, book reports, parent meetings. These are the "no big deal" things that add up to a big deal. Add to that this new self-improvement kick I'm on (see previous post) and all I really want is a nap. I have applied for a couple of jobs to work from home. No word yet on whether they will pan out, but I'll keep you posted for sure if they do.

Matt - Always busy, traveling a ton lately. He has done so much this year. The garden is wonderful, the landscaping changes in the back yard, although necessary, are above and beyond. He built me a flagstone patio that I have been wanting since we moved here. Add to all this the Mr. Mom duties he's taken on while I've been gone and his recent experimentation with baking (pies, breads and cookies) and I'm sure you'll agree that he's got it going on!

As a family in September we went to the Utah State Fair. We looked at quilts, canned goods, art work, wood work and handi-work. We saw the animals; fawned over the chickens, loved the sheep, watched a cow get milked and a man herd geese.

The kids went to the Hands-On Little Farm, took a ride down the Big Yellow Slide and had so much fun at the Lego tent.

We ate yummy, roasted corn on the cob. Allie and her dad shared a plate of ribs. Mom got her funnel cake fix and we all danced along with the Square Dancers; although we stopped short of joining their ranks. I love the fair. It is one of the highlights of the year for me.

Life is good at our house. We are fully engaged in wonderful things, and trying our best to get along with each other. We are looking forward to our first Disney World vacation in TWO YEARS, and can't wait to see Mickey. We are also looking forward to our new deck being finished and a backyard reveal that will knock your socks off; or at least pull them down a bit.