Today was field day for the big girls. I loved this shot sequence of Rebecca doing the water balloon toss with Neely. She was making all of these lucky catches.
Until this one….
I don’t know if it’s because I’m mean, but these make me smile every time I look at them!
Tonight Ashley had her dance rehearsal. She LOVES these! She enjoys the attention of the older girls, the make-up, costumes, lights, the audience watching her, and running around with friends. It is pure heaven for her.
For me it is the complete opposite! I HATE these! I don’t like sitting quietly in the dark audience not being productive. I don’t like how they don’t stay on schedule. I just don’t have patience for rehearsals!
Even though I hate these rehearsals, I love my Ash!
AND that’s why I sat there for hours tonight.
Spring sports are slowly but surely winding down. It has been so fun to watch each of them in activities that they excel in.
I was talking with my oldest, Jacob, the other day about how important it is in our lives to have times of failure. IF we always won. IF we always had great success. IF it was never hard. Would we truly appreciate the wins and triumphs? Would we really double down and work hard to achieve something that we struggle at?
I’m grateful for those times that are difficult, and when my kids have to struggle because it makes them work even harder. AND all of that extra practice and time they put into something makes them better people in the end! :)
Here are some of our highlights from the Spring sports…
Blizzards canceled a lot of Nathan’s track meets this year. He rocked the 800m. He also loved his 4 x 400 relay. Those boys were FAST!
Jacob is a freshman, and made the 100m butterfly seem effortless in the 5A school division! He also swam the butterfly in the medley relay. He leaves for State on Thursday. :)
Everyone knows my feelings on soccer, but these three LOVE it! Kaylee is by far the smallest and youngest on her team, yet always gives it her all like she is just as big as the rest. Her team made it to the State Cup semi finals. Rebecca does try-outs this year. She plays a mid field striker position and can send through balls like no one else is on the field!
Then the YMCA volleyball finishes up this week. These two turn their team’s would be losses into wins each week. I am amazed at how they can save a ball anywhere on the court!
So there you have it for Spring sports! We have Ashley’s dance dress rehearsal tonight. :/ That will have to be another post.
So grateful for all of the coaches out there that help my children. They not only teach them a sport but teach them values that will benefit them for life. ESPECIALLY, the value of hard work!
I was spoiled today by Stephen and the kids. It was a wonderful day filled with gifts, notes, and sweet little acts of kindness. I sure love each of these sweet faces!
The other day Miss Jerrica and I were busy making cards for grandmas for Mother’s Day. It was fun to pull out the paints and enjoy Jerrica’s giggles. I learned that she quite the perfectionist!
We folded them up and stuck them in the mailbox. I sure love my mom, mother-in-law, and my grandmas. AND all of the other women that have mentored, taught and loved me! I know that includes quite a few aunts, teachers, leaders, coaches, neighbors and friends.
Happy Mother’s Day!!!
Words can be cutting, but oh how they can be uplifting!
Last week when we went to Ashley’s art show, she wanted to find her art teacher. There were TONS of people, and I told Ash that we shouldn’t bother her. She then showed me a Thank You card that she had made for the art teacher. It was the sweetest card expressing appreciation for putting on a “fabulous” art show. We found the teacher. She took the time to read the card and give Ash a huge hug. She later told Ashley that her card was the only card she received thanking her for the art show.
Nathan came home from a track practice to find this on his bed. I can only imagine that it made him smile at her spelling and the thoughtfulness of her making his bed.
I got this text last week from Jake, and of course it made my day!
Kind words and compliments can be very easy to give and yet make such a lasting impression. Kaylee had these words on her soccer evaluation.
She came home and looked up “tenacious” on the computer. :)
I love seeing a person’s face change when something nice is said to them. I love how I feel when compliments are given to me. I love how I feel when I give a compliment to another. I wish that more kind words were used in our society. I know that we all could benefit!
“Kind words are easy to give, and make such a lasting impression!”
We discussed our FHE flowers. I’m not naming names, but I have one child that hates to read. This particular child made no effort reading her scriptures this last week, and was honest in not watering her flower.
I told her that I was sad it died. She said, “Mom, it’s just a plant! I have been too busy to read.” I then asked her what we were comparing the plant to and what happens to us spiritually when we neglect our prayers and scriptures. It led into a really good conversation with her!
I hope my kids don’t die spiritually. I hope that I can teach them all that I need to before they leave home. Oh how I hope and pray for them daily!
The weekend was FILLED! The big girls had a volleyball game, Ash had her art show, Jake another swim meet, YW service project for Kaylee, track for Nathan, soccer games in Denver for Nathan and Rebecca, State Cup for Kaylee, date night for Stephen and I, parties with friends for some of the kids, …
The only thing caught on camera though was the backyard soccer. The kids came home from their soccer and immediately went out late Saturday afternoon for some more.
I love the mixed emotions in this one. Jerrica had just gotten hurt and was being carried over to me. Kaylee was giggling at the words Jerrica was using to describe her injuries.
Kaylee is on a mission to get her strike stronger. I just wish that she would grow a little to have some more power. She is just so small!
There was a bit of holding and slide tackling, which is what you have to resort to when playing older brothers.
Here Nathan whallops Bec on the side of the head before the picture. Those two can’t get along, even with Kaylee in the middle!
Busy weekend, and the week doesn’t look any less busier. :/
I have said before that I’m a drowner and my Jacob is a swimmer. Yesterday I was able to sit and watch him in action. He is awesome! His favorite stroke is the butterfly, which is a difficult stroke. He rocks it. Here is a video of his IM swimming all the strokes. He is second up from the bottom, lane 2. You can see how good he is at that first butterfly stroke, the breast stroke not so much. :)
I’m just so proud that my little freshman can hang with some of these huge seniors!
Tonight he has a pasta party/ Iron Man movie theater night. He has really enjoyed his swim team!
We did the incline with the Mason’s over spring break. It was Rebecca’s first time and she ROCKED it!
We did this one around the dinner table as we were eating dinner.
I started out with thoughts from Dallin H Oaks talk on Spiritual nourishment…
“We know that our physical bodies require certain nutrients to sustain life and to maintain physical and mental health. If we are deprived of those nutrients, our physical and mental vitality are impaired and we have a condition called malnutrition. Malnutrition produces such symptoms as reduced mental functions, digestive disorders, loss of physical strength, and impairment of vision.”
What are some signs when we are physically hungry? Then I continued with the talk…
“Our spirits also require nourishment. Just as there is food for the body, there is food for the spirit. The consequences of spiritual malnutrition are just as hurtful to our spiritual lives as physical malnutrition is to our physical bodies. Symptoms of spiritual malnutrition include reduced ability to digest spiritual food, reduced spiritual strength, and impairment of spiritual vision.”
What are some of the signs when you are spiritually hungry? Then more of his talk…
“We know the principal sources of spiritual food: prayer, studying the scriptures, attending inspirational meetings, singing the hymns, serving in our callings, fasting, partaking of the sacrament, and making other covenants, such as in the temple.”
We then talked about what it means to feast versus snack. We read and discussed 2 Nephi 32:2. When we are hungry we feast. When we are spiritually hungry and depressed, we too need to feast on spiritual nourishment and not just snack.
At Stake Women’s Conference a couple of weeks ago someone shared how her father had given all the kids a plant. They could only water it AFTER they had read their scriptures. No reading, no watering, and thus plant dying. I LOVED the idea, but knew I needed a plant that needed daily watering.
I decided on cute petunias in peat pots. Peat pots really dry out when sitting by the window, and need daily moisture.
The kids have their flowers and challenge. We shall see who is able to keep theirs alive, and in so doing are keeping themselves alive!
Saturday morning we were driving around to games and swim meets. Ashley proceeds to inform me,
“I broke up with my boyfriend yesterday”
“Oh really” ( I didn’t even know she had one)
“Ya, he threw up all over in the classroom”
“So you broke up with him because he threw up?”
“Ya, I was thinking that I really don’t want him to throw up on my Prom dress when we get older”
I just can’t believe the things this girl thinks of! Who thinks of Prom, as her little boyfriend is throwing up in THE FIRST GRADE!!!!
Rebecca is a reader. She is always devouring books. Her best friend Neely, and her decided that they were going to read the Harry Potter series. Rebecca finished this weekend!
She has been watching the movies, acting out parts with the little girls, and making a Harry Potter scrapbook/journal with Neely. She is one big Harry Potter fan right now! :)
Here’s your tip of the day.
My girls had been going through toothpaste like no tomorrow. Every night when they would come down asking for more toothpaste for their bathroom I was thinking, “WOW, these girls are sure brushing their teeth A LOT”.
Well, then I was up cleaning through drawers and cupboards in their bathroom. I found THIRTEEN tubes all twisted and half empty in their drawer. I’m a clean freak, SO I grossed out. I did manage to take a picture on my phone to share with my dad because he is a toothpaste freak.
My dad always had one of those T toothpaste things you put on the end to roll it as you go. When he was here last I showed him the picture of the drawer, and then shared with him my remedy.
He was quite impressed!
It’s actually working to solve our toothpaste problem. The girls no longer have their huge twisted, toothpaste everywhere, tubes galore, and yet can’t get any out problem. :)
Love you Dad!
Everyday I drive the kids to school and around to their activities.
Everyday when they get out to leave I say one of two things.
“ROCK your Day!”
“Be your Best!”
Every time they look up and smile at the saying.
An everyday thing that I don’t want to forget! :)
Kaylee has been the secret student for the week. I thought this was a fun idea, thanks to Alesha. We bought her teacher Diet Coke (her favorite) and put it in a fun summer cooler.
I finished the Kitchen House. LOVED it! I’m in somewhat of a depression that the book and characters are over.
Nathan has been busy with a group project doing a poster for ‘To Kill a Mockingbird”. We went out to our fence and took a picture of the ‘jeans that were left neatly folded on the fence’. The girls in his group were in awe of his picture, so now he is just a bit more into photography. ;)
My artists are still being artists. I can’t believe how much all of these kids draw! Rebecca colored a cool picture over spring break. She said the stem of the big mushroom took FOREVER.
Jacob made a nice Green Lantern picture.
I have some new recipes I need to share, but that will have to wait until the next random post because I’m too tired to type them up.
Kaylee had a Young Women’s activity tonight. Along with their spa night, they all had to write something nice about each other. Everyone commented on how pretty Kaylee is, mentioning her hair, eyes, smile…
So after reading all of this, I ask Kaylee if she thinks she’s pretty. With her little attitude accent she says, “Well I sure know I’m not ugly!”
Kaylee received her Faith in God award last month. So proud of her dedication to goals and getting it done!
She is already working on her Personal Progress for Young Womens. She makes me smile that she already has plans for her goals and projects. She is lucky to have close cousins that have texted and helped her out with Personal Progress ideas!
Proud of you Kaylee! The more goals you set, the more you will be able to accomplish in life!
This weekend was run, run, and RUN! I had Women’s Conference, Nathan reffing at El Pomar, Saturday swimming for Jacob, games in Denver for the big girls, birthday parties for friends, and a late night dance for the boys.
However, last weekend was a little bit different. After soccer games we had this little window of time. Time actually stood still for a bit. Pretend play and laughter floated through the air. I sat on the warm grass talking with Stephen about this and that. Then the kite came out of the garage. There is something about sitting there watching a kite fly that is mesmerizing.
Nathan thought it would be fun to try and punt his soccer ball up at the kite to see if he could hit it. He could. Then he tried throwing the ball at the kite. Let’s just say Kaylee wasn’t too happy about him interrupting her kite flying session.
Jerrica was obsessed about the idea of “riding” the kite in the sky.
When we came inside Baker Becca had a pan of brownies in the oven.
I sure don’t mind time standing still when I have a brownie in hand. I just need my weight to stand still as well! :)
Ashley had a cute movie star song that she was able to wear sunglasses and acted like she was all that! I think it helped that she was able to stand by her BFF, Hayley. This was her favorite song of the entire performance….
