the activities never cease. saturday afternoon josie (third chair, cello) and zephyr (fourth chair, percussion) were part of the all-region orchestra concert. with tryouts all day last weekend and practice all day this weekend, 
it was a time-consuming event for them. students from hutch far outnumbered those from the other schools--a tribute to the quality music programs at their middle school.
friday night was mesa's amusing school play, an audience-participation murder mystery. mesa played the unlikeable, sharp-tounged guest of honor who falls face first dead into her spaghetti soon after the dinner begins. between the shows and all the rehearsals, we've gotten quite adept at picking pasta and sauce remnants out of her hair.
i got to keep the cutest little 7-month-old today while his family moved. he is so mellow and personable...you just can't help but grab the camera. before i even got him out of his carseat, the milk was splattering everywhere, much to his amusement. and although you can't see the actual smile in this picture, look at those laughing eyes. no, i don't miss the high-maintenance days at that age...but it is fun every now and then.
i just set my desktop background to this photo, taken last year on a colorful october afternoon in connecticut. while the fall here has been extremely mild and pleasant in its own right, and we did get to leaf-peep briefly in oregon this year, there is nothing quite like a stroll through macedonia brook state park for some splendid fall foliage. makes me homesick for a moment.
well, not texas exactly...but thankfully that didn't matter. what a week! yet another reason to gather with friends and family in celebration and last night topped them all. wow...it was riveting, amazing. this is just the beginning. now let's unite behind this impressive and inspiring leader--and let the change begin.
heather left today after a fun-filled week of parties and beautiful weather in lubbock. while here, she did her usual animal loving and rescued a tortise-shell kitten...temporarily named hallie (for halloween)...and took it to the vet to get a splint on her a dislocated paw. although she would love to keep the adorable feline, her housing situation isn't compatible with a cat at the moment. so if anyone nearby doesn't have more than they can handle already and wants a cute addition to the family, let us know!
another fun night as harrell and crabtree hooked up for a last-second score to beat #1 texas in one of the most exciting games in memory. zephyr got to attend, as he has every home game for the last six years. the rest of us cooked out and watched it at home with friends. even the non-sport-aholics among us admitted it was worth tuning in. we topped off the evening watching snl and using the sp baby name generator to figure out what we would have been named if we were sara palin's kids. "copper catfish" here, signing off...
the morning-after view of the site of our backyard halloween party with the boo-tiful people. the fun lasted until past 2 a.m. with friends both old and new, neighbors, kids, babies, and trick-or-treaters. the weather was perfect and it was a great way to kick off an event-filled weekend. tonight, we have another excuse for a gathering as tech plays #1 texas in the biggest football game in red raider history.
we did a photo shoot this weekend that included three adorable, high-energy kids. we should have put the cameras in sports mode to better catch them in action! occasionally we did manage to capture a moment of repose, as in this photo. love the perspective, the piercing gaze, and the colors.
