March is Definitely Madness!

This month started so warm, it felt so great. I decided to plant my garden, and the boys worked hard to finish their hole in my garden area before I began my own digging. I am pretty impressed with this hole they made. I have a hard time going deeper than a shovel deep, and this hole is pretty deep. They have been working on it since the garden came out last fall. Who knows where all the dirt went, one of the mysteries of life . . .

 Graham dressed up for Career Day - all I can say is that he is a nut. Being a professional swimmer was his idea, and he certainly looks the part. The shirt makes me chuckle. I happened to find that on clearance earlier that week, and he hadn't even worn it yet, it was perfect for this outfit. Watch out Michael Phelps!

I got to go to the Museum of Natural History with Kate's class. It was a ton of fun. I had a cute group of girls, and we joined with another one as well. How fun to hang with your Best-ies on a field trip!

 Graham had a playgroup at our house in March, and the trampoline was a big hit. The static in their hair cracked me up. They were having a great time together. Graham is happiest when he is in charge of telling everyone the rules of the game he just made up. I am sure he is in heaven.

 Grandma's Easter Party, hanging with the ladies. We had a fun evening of games and food. The kids look forward to it all year. Thanks so much grandma!

 Coloring Easter Eggs. We had a beautiful sunny day after the Downtown Provo Temple Dedication to do our stylized Easter Eggs. We tried the marbling technique with mixed results. It was interesting to try, but most of us would rather just do it the old fashioned way.

 I was in charge of a Run Club for the elementary this month. I ran and helped the kids every lunch recess for 9 days accomplish many miles of running. After school everyday, I logged everyone's progress, and then awarded them milestone cards (5K, 10K, 1/2 marathon, etc). It was really cool to cheer the kids on, and believe it or not, as a school, our miles combined would have made it from our school to the statue of liberty, and beyond! What a cool endeavor for me, because I love running and love sharing a love of running with others.

 Last Friday was our school Jog-a-thon. The kids had all worked so hard, the 1 mile race was a big reward. There was a finish line arch, High School cheerleaders cheering them on, music blasting, fun dancing together and a killer cool down station. But, my favorite part was standing near the finish line and cheering on all of the kids who had worked so hard at run club. Some needed a little extra push to finish, some I am just amazed at, others learned they can do hard things if they keep on trying. Wow! What a reward. I felt like I was their number one fan, and that was fun.

 Graham didn't get to be in the run club, but he did get to do the Jog-a-thon. He did great. He also was my helper through so much of it, and I really appreciated that.

Starting in March I am coaching Graham's soccer team, competitive soccer starts for the girls, and I am running a Draper Regional Young Woman Basketball Tournament. My time is a little scarce, but I am enjoying the sports. It is really fun.

And - then there was Easter. What a neat day with these cute kiddos. They are my pride and joy. What a pleasure to be their mom and enjoy teaching and sharing sacred experiences with them.

Can't wait for next week - Spring Break. I need a break, so bring it on!!!

February is Full of Fun

Here is what we have been doing in February.  The kids and I (plus a friend) all went to the Provo City Center Temple Open house our first Friday in February. It was a day off from school, and the perfect day to go see the temple.  The kids are so sweet and good. I gave them all the option if they wanted to go or not, and they all wanted to come. Even Audrey, who was going with her Young Women group the next week. It was beautiful and peaceful.  I have made it a goal of mine to make time to go to the temple with my little kids. This is my only way to spend time with them there until they are older.  Audrey, Chad and I also spent the following Friday doing baptisms in the St. George temple.  What cherished opportunities I have had this February.

I was in charge of Graham's kindergarten Valentines' Party, and I LOVED it. I think I am hooked. Until now, I have helped in the classes of my kids, but stayed away from planning the parties. I don't know why . . . it was tremendous fun! And, of course, Graham loved it as well. Anyway, I think I am hooked, and I will sign up again next year (I didn't actually sign up this year, the mom that did needed me to take over, and what a good thing).

The kids were glad to attend a Valentine's party, their first in several years. We are usually in St. George already, and this year they did the parties on Thursday before the long President's Day weekend.

And then there was soccer.  President's Day always brings tons of that. This year we had both Audrey and Kate in the same tournament in St. George over President's Day weekend. They played tough, but it resulted in a ton of ties, and frustration that they didn't play for the championships. It was good bonding time with their team at team parties and hanging out in between games. Our family did the usual Dixie Rock visit, and the weather was amazing. It was a welcome break from the thick inversion here in the Salt Lake Valley. We all loved the trip.

With the early finish to the tournament, there was time to do a family hike on Monday. We chose to do Water Canyon near the southern border of Zions. It was a beautiful canyon, and a good hike. Audrey was pretty tired, after playing her heart out in the soccer games. Then we drove the long way home.


Graham's birthday was in February. He partied with 11 of his best friends. It was a Ninja party. He had a ton of fun, and they were all pretty excited to hit punch balloons, swing inflatable swords, and sneak through a laser maze. The ninja pinata was a hit, and craziness was a ton of fun. The only sad part is that he is so old now - I can't believe he is 6 years old!!! We need time to freeze for a bit until I can catch up.





And finally, we had one of the most magical days of skiing at Solitude. It was a beautiful day, I loved skiing with these kiddos. The older three took me on some adventures that I never thought I would do (beyond the expert only boundary . . . .) Anyway, we all survived and it was very fun. We are going again this next week, and I am looking forward to it more than usual.

January Cruise to Paradise!

January started out with ski days and snow, but we had a wonderful vacation away from the crazy Utah snow.

We went on a cruise to the Western Caribbean! We took the whole family, and it was a grand adventure! Here we are relaxing on board.

Here are the girls at the ancient Mayan city of Tulum, near Playa Del Carmen while our ship docked at Cozumel. It was pretty amazing to see the ancient buildings and here about these advanced people.

 In Belize, Graham and I did a trip to swim with sharks and eels together.  It was really fun to have an adventure with him! The water was so shallow, we could both touch as we explored around a reef.  In this picture, we are sitting on a swinging bench eating lunch in a small island city by our snorkeling spot.

 Chad and the older three kids went on a Cave tubing tour and a zip line adventure together. It looks like a ton of fun!

We also snorkeled around the island of Roatan. It was so much fun swim in clear waters and experience a whole new part of this world.










Even on sea days we found fun things to do.  Here is our origami artist discovering the art of towel folding.  He LOVED learning the new folds.


Now we are back to snow and regular soccer life.  What a fun diversion, it makes me smile to remember what fun we had.

Christmas and traditions

   This Christmas has been really fun. I felt like there was plenty of time and it was a joy to make and buy Christmas gifts. I don't know if I have ever felt that much peace. I think having all four kids in school for part of the day really helped.
  One of my favorite parts this year has been seeing how loving and kind the kids have been with each other. They all made thoughtful gifts for each other. Audrey and Kate did a daily gift exchange. And the gifts they all four purchased for each other were some of the biggest hits. Their kind, sweet, giving spirit made it a special time.
   Following EVERY Christmas tradition is another important aspect of our Christmas. Over the years, we have accumulated quite a few, especially on Christmas Eve. Almost our whole day is planned out :). It makes it tons of fun to remember past years, and it involves the kids all making sure we don't forget anything!
   Christmas Day was an amazing freshly snowed white Christmas. There were quite a few fun surprises, and lots of sweet moments. Later, grandma and grandpa stopped by, and we shared dinner with them. Later, we played new toys together.
We have enjoyed some time with the whole Iverson clan the last couple of days. Hanging out, breakfast, basketball, soccer, date night and sledding. It has been wonderful to be together.
  Looking forward to a wonderful new year! 2016 will bring some wonderful new opportunities.

Warm and Cozy Thanksgiving

 It was a beautiful Thanksgiving day!  Thanks so much to Julie and Jen's families for joining us!  I had a ton of fun with you guys, the food was amazing, and I have good memories.  Thanks so much!

Audrey and I teamed up in November to redecorate her room.  It has been a long time coming, because we realized how many things were going to have to be changed.  I needed a little more energy.  All of Audrey's furniture and accents were black, and she wanted to change to white.  Painting the walls grey was pretty straight forward, it was how to convert all the black to grey that had me worried.  A little elbow grease and creativity, we got the job done.  I think she really enjoys it!

Before, circa January 2012

After - November 2015 - all art work are originals by Audrey!

Grey walls, Navy Blue with a touch of accent Coral

Cozy and nice for a 14 year old girl growing up quickly!

Halloween has invaded!!

Here are some funny sights to be seen around the Iverson's house.  Parties, Parties Parties!  And so much fun.  Here are the kids at Grandmas pumpkin party, a huge hit with the younger set!

Below are the creatures we saw leaving for school Friday, October 30th.  Who are they and where did they put our children????  What a fun season!

A little September magic

 This month has been a blast.  With school back in session, routines are returning, and every one is adjusting well.  Graham had a playgroup at his house with all of his neighborhood friends.  There are 8 boys, so I will only need to host one week every other month. But the catch is that it is a LOT of boys when it is your turn!  We did a little crafting for our turn.  It kept them busier than I thought it would.  They are all good boys.

September is Audrey's birthday. She celebrated with a chocolate cheesecake with her family, and a night of bubble balls with her friends.  It was a lot of fun to celebrate with her.  She is 14, and a very smart young lady.  We are blessed to have her.
  
 Kate's competition soccer team started in the highest division this year.  Since they were a new team, that meant being demolished in their first games, and it has been hard to see them be outplayed in every way.  Her coach has been great, giving them achievable goals, and we have seen the team growing and learning every game.  As a confidence booster, they did a tournament over Labor day weekend, playing lower division teams.  And, they came through well, getting their first wins and going on to win the tournament!  They tied the 2nd place team in regular tournament play and in the championship, beat the same team by about 4 - 0.  They did so well.  We are so proud of them.

Audrey and Kate, Chad and I all went to a BYU soccer game with Audrey's soccer team.  Then following that, we went to the BYU Football game versus Boise State.  What a fun night!  Here is Audrey's team down by the field at the soccer game.

We have watched and cheered hard for three kids at their own soccer games, and we have cheered for Carson at his cross country meets this September.  What a fun month.  We are in the groove and loving school and fall sports.