My Boys

I was uploading pictures and found a ton of pictures of the boys. Apparently they had some fun with the camera one day. S is growing so much. We are pretty sure that he will pass his brother one day. He is full of energy and there is never a dull moment when he is around.

T just finished his first year of Jr. High and LOVED it! I'm so glad he had such a positive experience, I was a little worried at the start of the year. He had a tuff lesson to learn this year with his soccer team. He ended up quitting mid season because it was turning out to be a negative thing instead of teaching him and helping grow in sports. He had a coach that was very intense about the sport and wanted it to be the boys' life. If they missed he was really hard on the boys. I felt we were very committed and T missed maybe twice. He ended up hating practice and came home crying almost daily. I've always taught the kids that if they start something they have to see it through to the end. But, when he came home upset so many times in a row, I felt that it was my responsibility as his mother to step in. So, DH and I decided that he needed to be done. His whole person changed. He was much happier and his self esteem was much better. He loves soccer, loved his team, and loved playing, but it got to be a very negative thing for him. He was very torn, but in the end it was the best decision for him. I hope he continues to play the sport and love it. He is a great player and I hope he always knows that.

Activity Days Recognition Night and a Lions Game

The girls had their activity days recognition night. There was a yummy ice cream bar and the girls each took turns telling what they've enjoyed about activity days. After we got our ice cream, we rushed off to J's game. She really is enjoying softball this year.

M finished all her requirements to earn her Faith in God Award. She will be going to Young Women's in July, so she finished just in time. She's really enjoyed activity days and I'm so grateful that she's had such wonderful leaders who have helped her grow and learn.

Can't Wait!!!

The premiere is tonight, I can't wait!!!

DFJHS Field Day

T ran his first 5K this morning. I was really proud of him for doing it. He didn't train at all and he finished in like 25 minutes. Way to go T! Maybe next year I'll have to run too.

Rainbow

I guess one good thing about all the rain we're having, is getting to see beautiful rainbows!

Hershey Track Meet, Take 3

M had her track meet on Tuesday. It was freezing. I keep wondering if it really is Spring, and if so why won't it stay. She did really well and had a fun time! I can't believe this is her last track meet and next year she will join T at Jr. High. CRAZY!

Cutest Statues

Aren't these two of the cutest statues you've ever seen?

JUMP

A couple of weekends ago these cute girls were at a dance competition/convention in SLC.

They had a blast! Friday they had classes from 2-10 with only a 30 minute break. Then we got up and competed in the morning, bright and early. Luckily they did have a bigger break so we had time to get some lunch. Then we went back to the convention center for the awards ceremony and then more classes. When classes were over at 9, there was a final showcase. By the end of the night the girls were exhausted (and so were the moms). But, they had a great time and I'm so glad they were able to go and have such a great experience.

I'm sure they will always remember this weekend!

Poor Car

R was driving home from work on Friday night and got rear ended on the on-ramp. Then, he hit the car in front of him and that car was able to get out of the way, but then R hit the next car too. He said he was trying and trying to put on his brakes, but they wouldn't work. Luckily for us the cop sited the van (the one who hit R for all 3 cars). The driver of the van said that he was taking off his boot and realized that he wasn't slowing down enough. R was going under 5 mph and the driver of the van was going about 30 mph, so R got hit pretty hard. The important thing is that he is okay. It could've been much worse. We took him to the hospital and there is no serious damage. He does have whiplash, a nice bruise from the seatbelt, and will be very sore for a while. The insurance adjuster came out today and said it will be a total loss - not at all surprising. So, now we have to find a new car. Too bad that one was going to be paid off in about a year and our car payment was only $100. Hopefully we can find something close to that. We are just smiling and saying it could've been worse. Time to count our blessings, right?!

May 5th

I can't believe that 2 weeks have passed, and I still haven't posted about S turning 10. May 5th was a busy day for us. S had his track meet which is always fun. Then we had all our regular Thursday stuff: homework, dance, babysitting, reading, cooking dinner, and on top of that M had a school play she was in and it was S's 10th birthday. He really wanted lime green VANS and was so thrilled to get them. His expression was priceless! I can't believe my bubba is 10! How on earth does time go by so quickly? S has really grown a lot this past year in many ways. He had a tuff first half of 4th grade. His self esteem was pretty low and he was not a happy boy. We tried a few things and finally figured out what needed to happen. We switched his class half way through the year and it has made a world of a difference. It's like night and day. It's been one of the best decisions for him. I only wish we had done it sooner, but at least it's done now. He's a happier boy, he's doing extremely well in school, and he has a more positive attitude among many other things. I feel so blessed to have S in our family. What an amazing boy! I can't even begin to explain how much I love him. Happy Birthday to my 10 year old!

M was in a play about WWII.

She played one of the girls that helped "smuggle" kids to save them.

Here she is "saving" J!

Part of the cast taking a bow.

The kids did a good job!

Costa Rica

WARNING: SERIOUS PICTURE OVERLOAD

Armadillo outside of the condo DH stayed in.

3 of 24 crocodiles that the guys were throwing meat down to from a bridge.

Pizza Hut in Costa Rica, funny.

Zip-lining through the forests of Costa Rica.

The crew.

Flying over the ocean in a helicopter.

Another view from the helicopter.

He thinks he's the pilot!

This is the sign that was posted in front of the Tabicon resort.

Some of the guys at lunch.

Waterfall at the base of a volcano.

The guys before the hike to the waterfall.

I sure wish I was there with DH to enjoy all the beautiful views!

A plane that was shot down during WWII.

There was a restaurant built around it and inside the airplane is a bar.

Just another pretty view.

Some of the guys did a bit of fishing. They caught tuna and mackarel (sp?).

Trampoline

Everyone is enjoying many hours of jumping fun on our trampoline!

Misha Gabriel

M has been at a dance competition/convention all weekend. On our way up to the hotel last night, Misha Gabriel (the hip hop instructor) got in the same elevator as us, and was standing right next to M. She had a huge grin, so I asked him if I could take a picture. He was super nice and the girls had huge smiles for the rest of the night!

Hershey Track Meet, Take 2

S had his track meet on Thursday.

He had a great time and we all got some sun! Hope the weather stays warm:)

Hershey Track Meet, Take 1

J had her first track meet ever on Tuesday.

The weather was cool, but not too bad and she had a great time!

FHE Sculpt

For FHE last night we talked about the importance of Sabbath Day Observance. We do good at keeping the Sabbath Day holy, but we aren't quite as good at being reverant during Sacrament meeting. So, we mostly discussed how th at is part of observing the sacrament. Hopefully something will stick in the minds about what we discussed. After the lesson we played what we call "Church Sculpt". The kids each had to sculpt something out of play dough that has to do with the church. T sculpted the scriptures, M a lesson manual, S sculpted Elijah, J did Nephi, and I did the Liahona. It was fun to see what everyone came up with.