July Fun and Water Games

 Here is what we have been up to this July. We all ran a 4th of July 5K, getting tons of PR's. Very cool to see.

We watched a ton of soccer scrimmages, and spent the day at Lagoon! Our annual trip to lagoon was a ton of fun, especially now that Graham can ride almost everything! We rode the Cannibal 4 times!

We redecorated Kate's pink room, and now it is a mint room. This was really fun. Kate worked hard with me to get this all done in a couple days.

Graham did swimming lessons, Kate and Graham did soccer camp, Audrey went to girls camp, and Carson went to scout camp.

Here is Carson with a fish he caught at scout camp. He earned his Fishing Merit Badge!

Chad ran a half iron man triathlon at Utah Lake. The swim was officially cancelled because of poisonous algae in the lake, but Chad got up early and swam at 24 hour fitness the 1.2 miles, then showed up at the race to run the rest. He finished and got a PR!

 It is Chad's birthday in July, Happy Birthday, Chad!


Our most amazing event was our week in Lake Powell. We had some friends invite us to Lake Powell, and we had never been, so it was AMAZING! Tons of boating and skiing, and beautiful scenery, and swimming. What an amazing trip.

 We did a little playing at 7 peaks and Lindon Aquatic Center in July as well. Here is Kate doing a lily pad crossing.


To end to the month, we did a mall scavenger hunt, and a little foot golf at Mulligans. What a fun month.

June Brings Summer with Full Force . . .

The last couple weeks of May were so fun. The girls had tons of soccer games to finish their seasons. There were some sad goodbyes as well as the teams had tryouts and the teams changed.

For Audrey's team especially, it was moving when they did their CHAOS cheer one last time. "Chaos on three . . . one, two, three, CHAOS!" not a dry eye among their loyal fans.



We had end of year awards assemblies, field days, and a fun school carnival.

Carson had a band concert. It is so fun to see him play the trombone. He has done really well with it.

We also hiked in Capitol Reef during Memorial Day weekend. It was a ton of fun.

The last day of school party, what a blast!

A memorial for Mom King. We miss you!

Kate's birthday party, fun night.

Our first tournament as a newly formed team. We got 2nd place, not a bad start!Graham playing Tball.

Carson running the mile in a track meet.

April Showers Bring Flowers and Fun!

We spent spring break in Texas, and that was such a fun trip. We stayed at Grandpa and Grandma King's house which they call the Glen Rose Farm. It seems the perfect location for a family reunion. All of my siblings and their families made it there. The farm had so much for the kids to do, and, Elaine was great at coming up with fun activities as well. We also took some day trips and explored some dinosaur fossil sites in the area as well. Happy Times.

Here is Audrey driving around in a sports car - we found she is a crazy driver. She also drove the golf cart around and got it stuck in the river bank at one point. She LOVED driving.

Carson and Graham wrapping rubber bands around watermelons to make them explode. We caught the action of one watermelon exploding on camera and that made us us laugh to watch again and again.


They also exploded coke with mentos, launched water balloons, and played tons of volleyball together. One night, Grandpa took us all on a hay ride with his tractor. What a fun trip!

We had tremendous weather until Saturday, our day at 6 Flags when it poured rain several times during the day. We got pretty lucky, however, because by evening, the park was pretty empty and we could walk onto all the big coasters. It was really fun. Graham especially was loving the trip because it was his first time doing so many big rides.

 The week after spring break was Carson's 12th birthday party. He had 15 friends join us on a space mission at Discovery Space Center. It was REALLY fun. Since Carson loves board games, we made him a Monopoly cake. We have also played several games with him this month, including Monopoly twice.

Carson also got the priesthood this month as well, and has already done baptisms for the dead with his youth group. He is growing up!

Talented Audrey was in the Canyons/Jordan School District Art Show. Here she is with her art that was on display at the South Towne Mall. It was really cool to see her project on display. She has loved art, and has done quite well with it as well.

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.