Beautiful Summer...

Today marks the first day of October. I can not believe that it is October already! It also marks the end of one of the busiest months of my entire life! We Pyper's had quite a few things going on during the month of September. 

Tucker started school. That was big! I love being in a routine again and love that he has afternoon kindergarten (more to come on that) so that I still have my lazy mornings at home with my babies. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to be rushed out the door in the mornings. I will be sad! 

Ben is busy busy busy at work (more to come on that, too!). It is such a blessing! We're talking he is out the door every morning by 7:30 at the latest, and not home sometimes until 8-9 pm! He is a hard worker that one, and we appreciate it! 

Tucker started soccer, so there go my Tuesday and Thursday evenings. He loves it and you know there is more to come about that! :) We are officially a soccer family and he loves and so do I! 

Ben is busy as the Young Men's president in our branch. I am in the Primary presidency. Youth activities, temple trips, Activity day's with the girls and presidency meetings fill a lot of our evenings, and it is even harder when our chapel is a half an hour away! But we do love serving in our callings, and are definitely in the throes busyness with them! 

And I just looked back today at my photography schedule over the past month and realized that I had 11 sessions in the month of September. That is a lot for this VERY part-time photography gig I've got going on! Some days I feel as if I'm barely holding my head above the water and at any moment will just drown. But most days I enjoy the busyness and I love filling my time doing things that I feel good about and enjoy. 

I have learned a few things this month, that there is a delicate balance between keeping myself busy 'anxiously engaged in doing good' and being overwhelmed. I've learned that I just need to say no sometimes. I want to do it all and especially with Ben being so busy as he's been lately, I can't do it all! Like in photography, I want to just do every shoot that comes my way. Anyone who calls, whenever they need me. But I've got to set limits for myself because I was getting to the point where I wasn't even enjoying it because I was so stressed out! I've still got the whole month of September to blog about, oh yea-major event in September--our 9th wedding anniversary! Totally can't believe that it has been 9 years!  Anyway, because I don't like a blog post without pictures here are a few summer shots I took to say adios to summer:

{All with my point and shoot camera.}

{I loved the way the sun was coming through this tree in my dad's back yard.}

{And most while driving in a car...shhh....}

{some good cloud days}

The fires in Washington state have been so bad this month that even here in Spokane, miles away it is smokey and hazy:

Adios summer, we will miss your lazy days!

**And I do understand that a lot of families are going through even more craziness than we are, with twice the amount of children and activities. This post was in no way meant to be a complaining session. Just some things I was thinking about this late night as I couldn't sleep and realized it was the first day of October!**

**Oh and also a HUGE THANK-YOU to my dad, Kathryn, sister Kayla and brother in law Jason for totally stepping in and helping a ton with my kids in the evenings when we've had photo shoots or meetings or activities! I seriously don't know what we'd do without family close; it is such a huge blessing. We love you!**