Football season is here again!

Fall is my favorite time of the year, and since I was a kid I've loved watching BYU college football.

We'll be there at BYU's home opener with My sister Wendy and her husband Justin and my college roommate and BFF Nate Jones this Thursday night.  I won tickets from a BYU contest and my sis has season tickets and invited Cheyn.   It should be fun as the staduim recently had giant video boards put in, everyone will be wearing white, and WSU will be coached by BYU alum Mike Leach.

Watch the game on ESPN if you can't be there @ 1015 EST.

Every year I post about BYU football and predict their record for the upcoming season.  I'm usually within 1 game of picking the number of wins-except for in 2010, but that was a disappointing season.  I try to be rational which is hard for a fan.

This year I pick BYU to finish with 11 wins including their bowl.  They beat WSU and OSU at home. They split the Utah, ND, BSU, and GT road games.  They win everything else easily.  It will be a fun season to watch as their QB is a scrappy gamer, their WR's are amazing and their defense in fierce.  This will be the best BYU team since 09 and I expect them to finish in the 10-20 range of the final polls surprising many.

Go Cougars!

Picking Fruit

We went to Happy Apple Farm yesterday and picked some blackberries, pears and Jonathan apples.  

Sam did a great job finding the ripe blackberries but only a few made it to the bucket.  

We were amazed at how filthy Sam got. 

Glenwood Springs with the Hills

We met the Hills last weekend in Glenwood Springs and enjoyed the hot springs.

We had a wonderful time together!

Sam thinks Benjo is the coolest!  Here they are playing on the "BONK beds"

Sam actually went down the green slide in the background.

Emilie

Elisabeth 

Everyone loves Luke.  The kids had to take turns holding him.
He loved the attention.

LUKE's photo shoot

I wanted a few pics with my long hair before I got it
chopped off and donated it to Locks of Love.

Our favorite thumb sucker

Uncle Branny and Aunt Claire

Branny and Claire came to visit.  We went on two separate trips to the zoo and took almost identical pictures.  You would think it was from the same trip but Bran came before Claire and Claire stayed longer than Bran.  So, we were lucky to get two trips.  

MONKEYS

BIRDS

AND GIRAFFES

Luke and Bran really look a lot alike.  Someone saw Bran carrying Luke and commented on how rewarding being a father is.  Branagan looks more like Luke's father than Ryan.  Bran enjoyed the moment and didn't correct the observer. 

We also went to our favorite place, Manitou Springs, for ski ball, Deal or No Deal and Horse Races.

Of course, they spoiled our boys with love and attention.  Sam prays for them and asks when they are coming back every day.

Rocky Mountain High

 We had a great trip with Renee and Kami to the Rocky Mountains.  Here we are in Estes Park where we took a tram ride to get great views.   Renee grew up coming here to feed the chipmunks and now she got to share that with Sam.  What a lucky little guy!

  We had a picnic in the Rocky Mountain National Park and a beautiful scenic drive.  It dropped down to 45 degrees and rained on us so there was no hiking.  We still had a blast.

In honor of my father….

The Stanley opened on July 4, 1909, catering to the rich and famous, including the RMS Titanic survivor Margaret Brown, John Philip Sousa, Theodore Roosevelt, the Emperor and Empress of Japan, and a variety of Hollywood personalities.  The hotel and its surrounding lands are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.    The Stanley Hotel also hosted the horror novelist Stephen King, inspiring him to write The Shining.