High school soccer Take 2

 Yeah, let's just start with this!  The best thing that came out of Whitney's sophomore year of soccer......was this friend group. :) She made friends with them last year, but since she was still a 9th grader at the jr high, she didn't see them much the rest of the school year.  I knew they must have liked her, because they came to her birthday party months later, but I was thrilled to see them welcome her to high school with open arms.  She immediately started eating lunch with them, hanging out all the time, and even switched her schedule to be in classes with them.  They are great girls and I'm so grateful for their friendship!  Suzie, Abbey, Bella, McKell, Whitney and Brinley. Oh and a pic of them holding their "little Whit" since she's "so young" compared to them.

More fun pics

Hehe cuties.  Whitney and McKell love. Kell is the youngest in her family so I think she is the most in need of a friend!

Looking good on the field. Salem JV starters in blue- Suzie at Right Back, McKell and Whit at Center Back, and Abbey at Left back.  They were a tough back line and never got scored on when the 4 of them were in together! 

When the YW came to Whitney's game one time.....and Whitney reffing!

Whitney and Abbey were voted JV team captains, it was so cute.  Here they are doing their captain responsibilities, and team huddle.

This was fun- their first region home game went to a shootout!  Whitney had dressed Varsity (she did for a majority of the games) so she's out there with the team watching, and then erupting in cheers when the goalie saved a PK for the win!!

Shooters team pic after the Maple Mountain game! Megan and Abby were on JV, but didn't get as much playing time as they would have liked.  Rylee was on JV for MM but ended up being the F/S Goalkeeper! Wild.  Whitney was "JV starter, Varsity Bench" and Ashelyn and Ruby were on Varsity but only played 10-20 minutes per game.  Whitney wasn't happy that she wasn't on Varsity, but she played at least 75% of every JV game, plus a little Varsity, and got her Varsity letter, and got to be with her new Junior friends.  So.....she ended up with a pretty good deal I think!

Eric and Whitney went to an RSL game :)

First weekend of November, we went to a tournament in Mesquite and the girls took 2nd!  It was awesome.

Whit with a long stride in Mesquite, and at a BYU football game that Eric was randomly given tickets to!

A couple of great action shots of our #4!

Whit and Ruby with their first soccer Varsity letters! And Whitney with her favorite girls.

Suzie, Whitney, Briana, McKell, Abbey, Bella, Abby, and Kylie

Yay Varsity letter, repeat JV defensive MVP!! and paper plate award of White-knee because of her tan from her knee band lol.

The whole team! She's on the middle row.

The JV team- top middle

JV captains Abbey and Whitney!  Great girls, great friends, a great sophomore season. 

Great Grandpa Murray

Eric's Grandpa passed away the week before Labor Day.  They scheduled the funeral for Tuesday, the day after labor Day.  Which worked out perfect for us!  It was a crazy 5 days for me, but Monday after the Triathlon we drove up to Pocatello!  Elizabeth had flown in with Damon and Wade, and we all went to the viewing, had dinner and stayed in a hotel. Tuesday morning at the family prayer, they got this amazing picture.  Grandpa's body in his casket, Grandma in the middle of the front row, and ALL of their grandchildren!  Only Elizabeth and one other had to fly, the rest live within a 5 hour driving radius. Top R to L: Clint, Casey, Chris, Randi, Trent, Aaron, Tyler_, Eric, Ryan, Dayna, Jordan. Bottom Row R to L: Jeneille, Anna, Raelynn, Elizabeth, Garrett, Grandma, Kurtis, Alisha, _Russell_, Heidi. (I knew all of them that day, but now I've already forgotten a few....oops!)

Pallbearers, including Kurtis and Ryan.

Family picture that almost didn't happen- it took a lot to convince Whitney to miss soccer practice to come to the funeral.  In the end it was a good experience and I'm so glad we didn't just let it go.

The kids had a great time swimming at the hotel!  Here's Owen, Cleo, Maris, Vivian and Naomi playing a fun game.

We made it!

Grandpa served in the military- so he got a military funeral.  I thought Owen and Cleo were so cute saluting. And then Grandma asked Eric to dedicate the grave!  (Other grandkids got to speak at the funeral.) It was a special time, he did a great job.

Our Murray boy in front of the beautiful headstone.  

And Owen LOVES to play with Wade!  We all do, but they are little buds. 

We will miss Great-Grandpa a lot.  We made sure to get up to see them once a year.  He was always excited to show us his treasures, drive the kids around on his golf cart, and give us the treasures of his stories.  Education was really important to him, since he only went to school through the 8th grade. All of his kids went to college, and he rewarded his grandkids for good grades.  He lived a good life and is loved by his posterity.

And here are two random photos that were missed in other posts.  Katelyn and Whitney being silly one night, and when I was on top of mount Timpanogos I called Eric, and he later showed me he had taken a screenshot right after. So cool!  I couldn't find this pic for the life of me when I wrote that post, so I'm just adding it now because I randomly found it. 

Half the fam Murray Triathlon

The morning after I got back from California, was the Murray Family Triathlon!  Since the older kids hiked the Narrows, I told them they were off the hook for this one. I didn't do it so I would be able to help Emma and Maris.

Here's Emma starting- she wanted to do the backstroke!  But then the next girl started catching her, so she turned over and booked it toward the finish :)

Oh, did I mention it was pouring rain??  It was.  We had an hour lightning delay.  Then they finally started but it rained the whole time. Brave athletes!

Emma finishing the run, and done!  great job!

Here's Maris breaststroking! and riding her bike.

She had to do a long 2.5 mile loop- I was worried about her being on her own, but I couldn't go with her.  She did great!  And here she is finishing her run with a sprint!

done, yay! 

Eric rocked the swim, and bike,

and here he is running and giving the girls 5's. You can see the raindrops in the first picture!  I love to see him run actually.  I'm so proud of how far he has come! 

Cuties with their medals, and Eric took 2nd in his division!  Way to go. 

And then we hurried home to change and pack up for our sudden sad/happy trip to Pocatello.