Hello Fall!

Where has the past month gone?!?  We have been soaking up all that fall has to offer, including school, sports, fall fun, and more.  We had our last waterskiing day a few weeks ago.  We spent the day taking out all the lifts and docks, but thankfully the weather cooperated, so we could show off our skills one more time.

I have to say my favorite part of summer was learning to waterski long line on my own.  Not only did I go from the boom to long line, but I also went from having my skis connected to having them untied and apart.  I made huge strides and told my parents that next summer I plan to barefoot (ha!)

Cooper couldn't stand the thought of not being able to keep up with his big brother and cousins, so the little athlete also learned to waterski (boom, long line, skis connected and now without the connectors).  Seriously, there is nothing this 5 year old can't do.

Once the boats and lifts were out, we decided to spend some time in Grammy's kayak.  We assured our parents that we could do it all by ourselves.  Mom ran up and down the shoreline like a nervous wreck the entire time.

Oh look, we survived!

Soccer flew by this fall season.  Mom was the head coach for Cooper's team (Blast) and Daddy assisted since she wasn't positive how much demonstrating she could do.  They were a great duo and Cooper's team was undefeated.  Cooper scored 3-6 goals every.single.game.  Sadly, since they both coached, there are hardly any pictures of Cooper this season (oops!)

And here is my team, the RANGERS... we had more of a 500 season.  We won, we lost, I didn't really care either way.  I just looked forward to the popcorn at the end of the game.

I played defense mostly this season, but probably work best in the mid-field.  I had my moments, but didn't score a goal.  We played 7vs7 on our field and our games usually only had 1-3 goals total.  Competition is getting intense in U-8 :)

We had a soccer Mom Saturday and gave the Moms "Goodies" from a nearby bakery along with a soccer Mom pin. I am certain my Mom will wear this wherever she goes (and I am being sarcastic).

 School pictures arrived.... 

And so did an angry elf.  His name is "Evil Elf" by the end of the week thanks to a rigid, busy schedule and a tired out Kindergartner.  We hope this will change as he settles in more.  Thankfully, Cooper is doing great at school, he just saves this for home.

We went to Kalahari for two days because ironically, our parents both had conferences for work in the WI Dells.  Dad's conference was a 2 day and Mom's was only a 1 day conference, so they took turns in the waterpark and indoor amusement park with us.  We attempted the huge rock climbing wall.

 And didn't make it to the top (it was way more fun to fly down from the wall)

 We played mini-golf, although clearly you can tell we are used to golfing outside on a course.  We were taking full swings and our golf balls were flying everywhere.  Mom made us quit.

We went on the ropes course- Cooper conquered the little kid one and I was JUST tall enough to go on the big kid one.  Thankfully, they have helpers, so Mom just stood underneath and nervously snapped pictures.

 And what do you know, I did the entire thing and lived to tell all about it!

 Everytime we go to the Dells, we eat dinner at Buffalo Phil's, our favorite restaurant that delivers food, milk and bloody mary's on a train to us.  It is a win-win for everyone!

 The pictures are blurry because the train moves fairly quickly and also was shooting bubbles (below) at us.

 Needless to say, we were zonked at the end of both days.

 The next day was the weekend and we headed to Green Bay for a wedding.  A PT that works for Daddy got married, so we headed that direction and geared up for the ceremony, reception and more swimming.  Here was a sad attempt at a family photo (disregard my chipmunk face)...

 That's better, minus Cooper's untucked shirt.

 Seriously, we needed sleep....

 After swimming at yet another hotel pool, we headed home and it felt good to be home sweet home.

We love the fall sunsets.  Something about the crisp air makes the sky appear even more breathtaking. Cooper and I were riding our bikes (hence the helmets) when we noticed the sky and raced to take pictures with our tablets.  Mommy loves how we appreciate the simple joys in life.

Our parents and their neighborhood friends attended a fundraiser event for the Y.  It benefited their Strong Kids Campaign and included a comedian, band, great food, drinks and camaraderie.  We enjoyed a night with our babysitter back home.

The next day was the BIG day, our annual photo shoot.  We went to Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis to meet with Mom's cousin, Kristin.  We had our fall clothes all picked out for the balmy 80 degree random day.  Thankfully, we met early enough in the morning so that we didn't roast.  These were just taken from Mom's cell phone- the professional photos will be uploaded soon in it's own post.

 This past weekend was the "shack weekend" where we pretend there is a ton of work to be done, but mostly just ride around on tractors, 4-wheelers, bobcats, etc... We are the 4th generation to enjoy the shack, outhouse and all.  It truly is our heaven on earth.  Our Dad is SO lucky to have two boys who love going there as much as he does.

The tree stands have little wood burning fire places in them (can you say spoiled!)

 Great Grandpa Woody)

 We dressed for the event

We logged wood and chopped it for the wood burning stoves and for the shack since that is the sole source of heat... brrr... it was only 20 degrees on Saturday morning in northern MN!

I Spy Cooper!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Mommy decided to soak in the quiet... she went to HH with her girlfriends, had a massage, went shopping, conquered many projects, went to her first fitness class post surgery AND squashed 35 pounds of cabbage for the kraut fermentation process.  She might be OK with us leaving to hunt and prepare the shack once a year :)