A "Courageous" Weekend

A couple of weekends ago, we loaded up the cars and headed off for the city.

Two car loads of country people, filled to the brim, out for an evening on the town!

The fall colors were at the brightest, already,

and the air flowed half summer sunlight and half autumn joy!

What is our favorite thing to do when we have time to kill?

Absolutely! Play!

We dropped by a park filled with trees and discovered our inner child again!

After thoroughly investigating this weird looking play thing that bounced up and down,

we immersed ourselves in a wonderful game of football.

I can't remember who won, but it doesn't matter when you're spending time together!

Sioux Park was so beautiful that day!

Out on our prairies there isn't much green grass to play in.

I thought it was so glorious to take off my shoes and run through the greenness! 

Sweaty, thirsty, and wonderfully exhilarated, we headed down to the creek

 for some cooling off time before the next game event on our schedule:

Ultimate Frisbee.

A word of warning to the wise:

That creek is FREEZING!

So freezing you can take your melted candy bars, still in their wrappers,

soak them in the water for a few minutes and you'll have a nicely hard

treat again!

Hello Dearest!

Who knew by that sweet face she'd whop the tar out of us in Ultimate!

Just like sisters!

Billy contemplating a crossing to the dam.

I don't blame the contemplating part,

the rocks were the only warm things out there!

I'm so thankful Big Bro has a friend like Roby.

 Roby can make him laugh like no other!

And Big Bro LOVES to laugh!

Don't you, Big-Lil-Bro? :)

Billy and I could not resist the beautiful scenery.

We found some very lovely places to snap a few pictures.

Alaska Man: Kayla! Kayla! I got something you just got to take a picture of!

Ohh, this is so great!

Me: Show me.

Alaska Man: Okay, I'll do it. But take the picture really fast because I can't hold my breath very long.

And he proceeds to plug his nose, lay down on the concrete and dunk his head into the creek. 

Our feet washed, faces cool, throats watered down

we headed back to the field for some ULTIMATE!

And as I said before, the TeenPact kids who consist of Roby, Dearest, and Big Bro,

whopped the tar out of Billy, Laureli, Ethan, and I.

Shamelessly. Oh so shamelessly.

(Ultimate is TeenPact's game! They have tournaments at National Convention)

Only when Daddy got in the game did things turn to our favor.

 I think we ended up with a equal scores. :)

Momma brought us cookies and candy bars, tea and fresh, cold water.

We all beaded down in the shade by the picnic tables and chatted.

I settled down in the grass nearby

and contented myself with snapping photos of those things which I love.

Autumn and family, including Roby and Laureli.

Well, it was still awhile before the movie began so

like all children we just had to entertain ourselves or subdue to boredom.

We decided to try the DEATH CRAWL.

From "Facing the Giants".
 But the only ones who ever got off the ground

without their partner rolling off on take off

were, guess who . . .

Roby and Big Bro. :)

I am just about sure now the Death Crawl was designed for guys' backs only.

The Death Crawl nearly a complete failure,

the next thing that came about was a game called,

Heist Someone On Your Back and Run to the End of the Field and Back As Fast As You Can Without Dropping Your Partner or Otherwise Losing Them.

That was a hit.

And what is a get-together without a human pyramid?

After the picture, the humans tumbled to the ground, laughter riddled with

bouts of, "Ow!" *laugh* "Ow!" *laugh-laugh* "That hurt!"

"Your knee was right on my spine!"

"Well, someone else's knee just about broke my rib!"

But there were more laughs than complaints!

Laureli, I'm so glad we sat together during "Courageous"!

I might have broken down and bawled right in the middle of it if you hadn't been!

You kept my courage up!

And then it was off to the movie!

We got there early and got our tickets, which Mrs. Tangwall had reserved for us.

I'm very glad we did because the theater was packed!

The Kendrick Brothers movies are better and better every time!

I have never watched a movie where I felt like crying for the sheer TRUTH of it!

In truth, there has never been a movie made where the TRUTH could not have been more explicit,

more beautiful, or presented in a such a beautiful way.

I hate being preached at, and I know the world does, too.

But I wasn't preached at and I wasn't the only one in that theater crying either.

Or laughing. I have never heard so much laughing in a theater before!

It was wonderful! Praise the Lord!

 Laureli and Roby got to spend that night with us and the next morning, since they hadn't been in awhile,

we went to Cascade Falls.

 The colors were fewer here, but still SO beautiful!

 It was a very bright, warm day, but the water, which is usually warm,

was COLD! Interesting.

 I hadn't planned on swimming, but I did.

I couldn't resist the urge to jump into the deep, deep water,

hear the rumble of my splash in my ears.

 I've always loved the Falls.

The first time we ever went we weren't dressed to swim,

but swim we did and it was October then!

 On the way home we stopped at the store for some groceries and I fell asleep.

When I woke up I found THIS against my window.

We must have picked him up somewhere unawares. Looks like he's stuck there for good, doesn't he?

*shakes head* Robert, Robert. :)

 So there you have it.

Everlasting friendship.

Everlasting love.

Everlasting joy.

It never grows old.

Roby and Laureli got to stay the night again so we could take them to church next morning.

When we got home from the Falls we played more Ultimate and then

 two huge rounds of our version of Smuggler that night. Whew!

You can bet our house was the quietest house that was ever quiet on a Sunday afternoon.

Except for the gentle snoring coming from all the rooms. :)

Have a wonderful day!

Happy Autumn!