Wound

This is Lyle's toe on Tuesday:

 By Wednesday morning, the darkening had become one big bubble all the way around his toenail, he had a fever, and he wouldn't walk. 

We took him in and the doctor opened it up and prescribed some antibiotic.  Likely an infected hangnail. OUCH!!

Somehow we still made it to the kids' walk-a-thon that evening.  It was a perfect fall afternoon.  While we were there, Talmage was trying to sell pumpkins to the passing traffic out on the road. 

Sariah in full stride.  She kept going the whole time.  Bryant took the "hare" approach, a lot of laps fast and then quit to hang out with friends before the time was up.

By Thursday, Lyle's toe looked like this, and I hadn't even gotten a full dose of antibiotic down.  I HATE (and I use that word very rarely and intentionally) trying to give little guys medicine. 

 

Yesterday, the kids sold their load of pumpkins in 2 1/2 hours.  We'd gotten the load Thursday afternoon.  Makaley had come to earn some money, so I had 7 kids in the cab of the truck in addition to myself.  They were singing and laughing---it was an adventure.  Yesterday though, Dad's pick-up broke down on the way home and so we were stranded on the side of the road for a little over an hour.  Brought back a lot of memories for me.  The kids did well for the first 1/2 hour making jokes like this:

 

Mom: Darn, I don't have my chapstick.

Bryant: (feigning agony) Now we have nothing to eat!

 

The second 1/2 was much less pleasant.

 

Talmage went to his first priesthood session of conference last night, and tonight, James asked the kids questions about conference as we dished out our traditional cinnamon rolls.

Rain or Shine

Rain or Shine, it's Harvest Time.

 

Friday after school, in the rain, we loaded up for our first day of pumpkin sales. 

I was impressed and grateful for the incredible help these kids have become. 

A several hour project has become one we can do in an hour or so.

This is our 7th year, Sariah couldn't even walk the first year Grandpa suggested we take his leftover pumpkins into town to sell.

 

 Harvest is so fun...really.  Look at all those colors.

 

 Found our signs in storage (fortunately).

They sold for about 4 hours at the soccer fields and were pretty much sold out. 

(Glad it only rained for about and hour and a half of the time.)

36 Years Old!

It wasn't quite the blaze that this picture shows, but it was a good little glow. 

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Mia Martha

 New Arrival on September 10th...Mia Martha.  Sariah got to ride up to Moses Lake with Grandma and Grandpa and see her brand new cousin!

 

They started harvesting the potatoes in the field below the house. 

Hyrum loves to glean.  He says it's like an Easter Egg Hunt.

Up until the last week, we've had beautiful weather.  Took a few last walks.

 

I couldn't stand to see all the wood scraps from the house just being thrown into a burn pile. 

My "little" project grew into a whole pumpkin patch, but it was fun.

Hanging onto Summer

 The evenings and nights are turning crisp, but the days are sure pretty.  We're trying to soak it in before hunkering down for winter. 

I'm actually trying to use these last few weeks of beautiful days to potty train when the outdoors make life a little more convenient.  Of course, while I ran to go get gas and Rex and Lyle stayed with Aunt Blaire and Aunt Taneil at the park, they both had messy pants accidents.

 

 Rex and Lyle

 

On the way back from the property one day, I ran right over the top of this guy on the road not realizing what it was until it was too late to stop.  I flipped around, jumped out of the van, waved down three oncoming cars, picked him up and put him in the back of the van.  Thanked the drivers of the stopped vehicles and headed home to kids getting off the bus.  Yes, I am the mother of five boys!

They named him "Tank."

Talmage is working on his Reptile/Amphibian merit badge so it was good timing. 

  Couldn't put it off any longer, Rex and Lyle had to have hair cuts.

 

 Celebrating Kyra's birthday on Labor Day.

 

Had a few cousin swaps this week.  Hyrum had his first night away from home by himself up at Uncle Dax and Aunt Jen's.  Sounded like it went well.  Hayden stayed with us the last few days.  He has grown up to be quite the little gentleman. 

As we were setting the table last night, Hayden was counting up the people.  He said, "Six boys and one girl."  Bryant's response was something like, "She doesn't count, she's the mom."

I had to laugh, but I'm really glad that I know that's not true. 

I feel more than ever that a mom counts! 

We had six boys on our bench for Stake Conference today. (Sariah was at Haley's).  We didn't have to leave the room once.  I think that's a first in many years of Stake Conferences.

First Day of School

Grandpa says, "another generation."

Talmage's first day of Junior High,

chauffeured to school by his 7th hour science teacher, Grandpa.

 Sariah finally got to wear her "school clothes" (much more fashion sense than her mother ever had),

Rex and Lyle lucky to have shorts on,

Bryant comfortable and at ease (thank goodness),

and Hyrum, armed and dangerous.

The toad hasn't eaten in almost a week, we thought we better let it go, good-bye "leopard."

Wells Family Reunion

Mom and Dad went to a lot of effort to keep us together as long as they could. 

The highlight was Moses Lake Waterpark.

 

 For Rex and Lyle it was their first visit and an absolute blast.

 

Over and over again, heads going under only a few times.

 

Rex, "swam" so much he wore the skin off the tops of his feet and toes.

 

Lyle and Rex.

 

Hardly saw the other kids all day...I guess they are growing up.

Bryant, Reichert, and Damon.

 

And ice cream cones afterwards...of course.

 Everyone was together for the whole week, Kase and Brielle made the trip from Mississippi and thus the family complete.  No empty chairs, just the way we like it.