UTAH, Part 1: Mapleton Days

On June 8th, which was the last day of school and Beckam's birthday (nothing like adding one more thing to an already busy day) we headed off on our annual journey.  Just like years past, the kids did great traveling the 35 hours, but unlike other years, we spread it out over 4 days instead of 3, including a stop in our old stomping grounds of Denver to reunite with the Dart family.

The reason we went to UT earlier this year was to celebrate Nate's littlest brother, Skyler get married to darling Mandy.  We were SO happy to be there and witness such a great couple be united forever.

If Sky wouldn't have snatched Mandy up, I'm pretty sure Jaxton would have.

She just melts my heart.  Enough said.

BFF's!

Sky and Mandy with all the nieces and nephews.  Good lookin' crew, eh?

Cuteness at it's finest.

These 4 fella's clean up pretty nice.

All three of them hold my heart in their hands.

My #1 girl.

And we still love each other.

He's not too bad on the eyes plus he's got skills on the b-ball court.  I think I'll keep him.

I like to title this one "Passion" -- we look so intense.

After the wedding was over we filled the next 1 1/2 weeks in Mapleton living it up.  We hiked the "Y," the older boys went to a BYU basketball camp where Jaxton's moves were described as "impressive" and where Mac earned the Cougar Award for his age group,

went to an insanely crowded and uber hot chalk festival,

visited the awesome Spanish Fork splash pad and park,

learned stuff at the Life Science museum,

ate out at about every restaurant in Utah county and just hung out with family.  Good times!

And maybe the most exciting thing was that Nate and I spent our first night away together since our 1st anniversary.  We headed to Park City and did more in about 18 hours with just us two then we could have done in a week with our whole brood.

Stay tuned for UTAH, Part 2: Petersboro

Feels Good to be FIVE

FIVE years of wonderfulness . . . where has the time gone?

Beckam has managed to become the cutest, sweetest, kindest, cuddliest, smartest, most imaginative, tech savvy, ball playing five year old around!

And what better present for a five year old than sticking him in a van with 5 other people for 4 days while we travel 2200 miles? Did I mention he's quite the trooper?
He makes me one happy momma! Love you forever big guy! 5 year stats: 42 lbs. and 45 1/4 inches tall

School is COOL!

Mac had a fabulous 2nd grade year.

We loved Ms. Merrill, in fact, I've had my eye on her ever since I saw her interact with her students back on Mac's first day of Kindergarten and I remember thinking to myself, "If only my children could always have teachers like that." How thankful we were when Mac was assigned to her class -- she has exceeded all of my expectations. I took such comfort in knowing that each day I was sending my child to school to be watched over by someone who really truly loved him.
Mac was given the "Future Game Show Host" award because Ms. Merrill said that "he's full of personality, he can talk to anyone, he always has something to say and a good question to ask."  Miss Merrill also wrote, "Mac is a special guy who has made life in Room 20 much more interesting!  I have enjoyed watching him grow as a learner and leader this school year.  Mac is very curious about the world around him and is always asking questions.  His playful personality and sense of humor brighten each day.  He has shown growth in all three academic areas and has worked hard.  I will miss him next year."

Jaxton also had an excellent Kindergarten year.

I think his teacher, Ms. Sutton, lived and breathed Kindergarten. Jaxton was always doing something exciting and hands-on in class and Jaxton was always coming home with a new Ms. Sutton joke. Just like Ms. Merrill, I felt like Jaxton was loved every day he went to school. He excelled and learned beyond my expectations.  Ms. Sutton said, "Jaxton has worked very hard this year to be the greatest kindergartner at this school!  We are very proud of the progress he has made.  He is a great asset to our classroom.  He works very hard and is interested in learning new things daily.  Jaxton was a delight to have in class."

Spring Sports Round-Up

Mac came to me one day and said, "Mom, can you copy this?" What I saw made me smile. He had made a flyer, advertising a basketball camp that he was putting on. He took the initiative to pass them out around the neighborhood and to some friends at school and took charge of the entire process. I kindly took care of a post-camp snack each session, but other than that he ran the entire thing.

This was his "registration table" for anyone signing up on the first day of camp.

And here's Coach Mac on his first session of camp with his three participants. He's already got big plans for next years camp -- you're not going to want to miss it!

Beckam was finally old enough to play on a baseball/t-ball team this year. He was considered their "big hitter," which the coach would yell out when he came up to bat (yes, a proud moment for me every time it happened). He loved everything about baseball from his uniform, his teammates and snack after, to the actual playing. Go Beck!

Jaxton on the other hand got bored with baseball. Even though he was awesome (i.e. scoring 3 home runs in 1 game), he didn't like all the standing around in between batters. We tried to explain that things would speed up as he got into the older leagues, so hopefully he'll stick with it. He was a huge fan of the snack after each game and practice. BONUS!

Mac did great as well. He started out the season strong and after a small mid-season slump, he was able to finish strong. He was even awarded the game ball twice, one of which was after he hit a crucial double at the last game of the season. His competitiveness and true love for sports continues to amaze me! For the last few months he's been waking up an hour early every morning before school so that he can watch Sports Center and catch up on all the latest sports happenings. I'm pretty sure Nate loves having someone to talk sports with and keep him company while watching games on T.V.

Happy Spring Sporting!

My RUGGED Side

Months ago I received an e-mail from a friend, Brooke, suggesting that a bunch of us sign up for a 5k mud and obstacle race called the Rugged Maniac. I jumped at the opportunity, 'cause honestly, I have always wanted to do a mud race and I hadn't seen my "down and dirty" side for a while.
Here the crew is, (minus Jesica who opted to run with her husband), all ready to go.

We raced together as a group for about the first half mile until my competitive side got the best of me.
I waded through muddy water, climbed up muddy hills, hoisted myself over walls, pulled myself up nets, LEAPED OVER FIRE,

crawled through underground tunnels, shimmied under lots of barbed wire, jumped from pole to pole, climbed over even bigger walls, lost my shoe in some mud, waded through more water, clambered up more muddy hills, crawled through more tunnels, SLID DOWN A GIANT MUD SLIDE and WAS COMPLETELY IMMERSED IN MUD WATER,

plus tack on over three miles of trail running in heavy, mud coated shoes and clothes with eyes that stung from who knows what and that, my friends, is the Rugged Maniac.
Here's what was left of the crew. Don't we look tough?

Except for some cuts and bruises I fared pretty well.  It was even exciting to find mud in my ears, nose and hair for about a week after.
It was good to get in touch with my "down and dirty" side.  Until next year.

Check Us Out!

Nate and I are moving up in life. For us that means that for two Friday's in a row we had a babysitter come watch the kids while we went out. Our first Friday extravaganza was to see the Broadway show "Wicked." It was pretty much awesome!

The second Friday out we redeemed Nate's surprise Christmas present from me -- a zipline tour for two (love those "we" gifts). It was a completely new experience for me and one that I totally loved. We could be in trouble, though -- I think I'm addicted to getting a babysitter once a week and going out. Once a week is so much more fun than twice a year!

This is sweet Jilli doing what she does best, being sweet!

Jaxton has lost three teeth in the last month, which puts him at a grand total of five teeth lost. Front teeth missing is one of my favorite looks!

Apparently Mac's workout plans are working. Checkout the biceps on these fella's. Lately they've been mastering the skill of pull-ups, something I don't think I could ever do.

I just realized that I have no pics of Beck in this post, so here's a shout out to him. We've been talking a lot about being proactive and responsible in our family and tonight Beckam walked straight in from a ballgame, right upstairs, brushed his teeth, put his jammies on and was quietly waiting in his bed to read scriptures. Proof that all that yakking pays off sometimes. Go Beck!

Mother's Day

Years ago I was told that Mother's Day was the least attended Sunday of the entire year. When I asked "why" I was told "Women don't like going to church and feeling guilty about all the things they are not doing, especially on Mother's Day." I've thought about that statement over the last few years and I've come to the conclusion that I completely disagree.

It's true, that the entire Sunday's program is usually "mom centered" and that we are bombarded with stories of fabulous women who have changed the lives of their children and others through their kindness, patience, wisdom and grace. I've decided that while I may not measure up to these women in the world's eyes, in my children's eyes I am that person. (You've got to love children's naivety.)

Because I am the one woman that my children spend the most time with, they blindly think that I am the bravest and strongest, that I run the fastest and longest, that I make the best cookies, that I'm the most creative, that I am all-knowing and that I do for others far more than I do for myself.

I love that I can do something completely out of my comfort zone, like play in a basketball game and never make a single point, yet from the sidelines I hear a chorus of four little voices cheering, "Go mom! You're the best!" I'm not sure how long my children will think I'm wonderful for -- my days could be numbered for all I know, but for now, I'll take it and enjoy every moment of it.

Here's to the incredible women of the world that will inevitably be recognized over the pulpit year after year and to the regular women who are anything but "regular" in the eyes of their own. Happy Mother's Day!