For almost 13 years...

You've been a dad.

You've mourned when the kids went back to school (not).

You've helped them be their best.

You're not a bad looking fellow.

You've helped them when they're sick.

You've taught them about family.

You've been by their side.

You'd travel to the top of the world for them.

You've taught them new skills.

You always make room on the couch for them.

No matter how many there are.

You've always been there on those important days.

Always able to get a smile.

From the very start. Happy Father's Day!

Check out this website...

http://boston.com/bigpicture/

Great pictures of stuff in the headlines. I'm not big into watching the news and keeping up on current events, but this sure makes it a little more interesting..

More Pictures

I'm going to be taking some family pictures for a friend at this location and I'm a little out of practice so I took the only willing participant in my family and we headed off to the farm...not the funny farm although lately I'd qualify for that.

Look who was watching us in the background, just past the fence post.

The cost to me for her cooperation was a picnic 

on the lawn with graham crackers and frosting. 

A small price to pay, I guess.  :)

UT State Qualifier

The Utah State Qualifier was held in our little town at the high school. The kids travel close to an hour for training three or four times a week and almost always have to leave the state for tournaments, so to have one in our little town was awesome. It's usually held in a college gym, but they were having a hard time finding one available and so Mike mentioned that we'd be able to get our school gym. I think around 75 kids competed. Michaela didn't have anyone in her division so she automatically qualified. An exhibition fight was arranged for her with a 14 year old girl just so she could get more experience. Michaela fought really well and beat her. Michaela is in the blue helmet and chest guard. 

She is doing a back kick here.

This is Dallon. He only had one fight and won. He is in the red with the scary face.

Injured...

These are the knees of the fearless one with blond tangled hair and blue eyes. The one that's sporting a chocolate milk mustache right now and a scratch down her cheek from the cat. She runs like the wind, chasing butterflies and dodging the Robin that's protecting it's nest and dive bombing her. She usually has my grace and dexterity (NOT), but she took a spill in the driveway on Sunday night and banged these knobby little knees up pretty good. On Monday, she was having a hard time walking and I thought she was being a little dramatic so I made her try and stand up straight. Her little knees started shaking and then I felt bad for doubting her pain. I'm sure she didn't break anything, but the kneee on the right was a little swollen so I spent the night sitting by her while she watched Charlotte's Web and then we played in Photo Booth and these pictures made her laugh and laugh. Anything for my girl. hee hee

One more thing...

Michaela and Reagen have been sharing a double bed for the last couple of years, but lately they seem to be staying up later whispering and giggling so we decided to put the bunk beds back up. It should help them get more sleep having their own space and it should also help avoid this from happening.

Long Catch Up Post

Bear with me as I catch up on the last few weeks and all the "good stuff" going on in life.

I can't believe that the last day of school is this week. It seems like we were just buying school clothes and getting ready for a new school year. Reagen just graduated from preschool this week. She will miss Miss Janet. She is one of those teachers that was put on this Earth to teach little kids. She has so much patience and loves each one of the children. If you grew up in Grantsville, you know Miss Janet and she probably taught you in preschool.

It's kind of sad that we will never have another preschooler. Mike and I are both feeling a little sentimental about it, but not quite enough to make us want to have another baby. You just realize with your youngest that it's that last time you'll experience all of this fun stuff. We know with the blink of an eye, they'll all be grown up and doing their own thing so we are trying to enjoy everything that they are involved in now.

Spring has been busy with softball and soccer for Michaela. Soccer just ended and her team is going to play in a comp league in the fall. We are really excited about that (not sure how we'll fit it all in, but it always seems to work out). They are nine and ten year olds and they played in the twelve year old division and still went undefeated this season. They are so fun to watch because they know each other so well. They usually make sure everyone on the team gets to score. They are all really good kids and good friends.

Softball is coming to an end this week.  It's been a great learning experience for Michalea. I'm sure she'll play softball again in the future, but I'm not so sure she'll ever do the cheers and chants that the girls on the team do. It was funny watching her watch the other girls. She looked at them like they were crazy when they were screaming their little guts out.

Part of what makes softball so fun is the ballpark treats!

Dallon has been training really hard in TKD. We just got home yesterday from the Young In Cheon Tournament in City of Industry, CA. It is a really fun tournament that is outside under a big horse arena pavilion. It's up on a hill surrounded by trees. We stayed at a hotel on the same hill and got a really good deal through the tournament. Both Dal and Kayla fought two fights. Kayla pointed out (if you get ahead by 7 points they end the fight) the first girl and then had a better match with the second girl. She ended up losing by two points. It was hard for her to lose but also good because it got her fired up to train hard for the Jr. Olympics in July. 

Dallon fought great. He got rocked by a hook kick to the head by the first kid, but we saw him give Will a grin and we knew he was ok. He ended up  beating the kid. The second kid was 138 lbs. compared to Dallon's skelator 90 lbs. and Dallon pointed him out in 43 seconds. Their teammates did really well, too. I think everyone medaled.  A lot of us went out to eat after, it's kind of a tradition after big tournaments. It's like a big TKD family! 

We were there from 9:30 in the morning until 9:00 at night. Reagen is such a trooper and keeps herself busy during these tournaments. She enjoyed some roasted corn on the cob and caramel corn. I guess we sit a long time and eat a lot...not a great combo. We've been dragging Reagen around to all of these tournaments ever since she was born and she is always so good. It won't be long before we are watching her compete. We drove to CA, which took around 10 hours and she was so good in the car, too. I think she does better than me. 

On the way home, we stopped in St. George and Chad and Ash were kind enough to let us take over their basement. The kids had a great time playing with their cousins and hunting lizards. Steve and Deb were staying with Scott and Pam so they came over along with Ryan and Angie and we had fun visiting with everyone and laughing over stupid stuff.

This pic is somewhere between Mesquite and St. George. I think this is the prettiest part of the drive. On the way down, Dal threw up right before this point. Fortunately, he made it into a WalMart bag because we coudn't pull over in time. When we did pull over and he got out the wind was blowing and it blew his slober across his face and gave us all a good laugh. He's such a good sport that he was even laughing. Poor boy.

Mike also discovered Red Bull on this trip. He was like a giddy school boy! He drank one each day that we were driving and couldn't beleive how good it made him feel, but since he hasn't had caffeine in almost a year, it played a mean trick on his stomach and he spent most of last night in the bathroom. Good thing it didn't hit sooner in the van or I'd have a really good poop story to tell everyone and you know how I love a good poop story!

Spring is FINALLY here!

Fun with fake poo.

Maybe we just have really simple minds and are amused by the stupidest things, but we sure had a good time with a fake poo that I borrowed from my friend Penney at work. I took it home and laid it on the toilet seat with a little piece of ripped toilet paper (to make it look more authentic). It took forever before someone went in there, and that lucky someone was Mike. I hear him yell, what in the he** is that? I played all innocent and was like, what are you talking about? Dal and Reag came running in behind me to check it out and we all started laughing when we looked at it. It was this big old terd on the seat. I asked Dallon if he did it and he says all disgusted, NO! So I asked Reagen and she said, I didn't do it, with great big eyes, so I blamed Michaela because she was at soccer practice. I walked over to it like I was examining it real close and grabbed it and threw it at Dallon. He about jumped into the tub. Mike knew as soon as I touched it without rubber gloves and a half a roll of toilet paper that it must not be real. We all laughed until we cried (remember, simple things for simple minds).

Of course, the fun couldn't end there. Mike took it over to his mom's, poor nana is in her 80's and he thinks it's just great to play practical jokes on her. He laid it on her floor and then called her back and asked her if she was losing her mind. She was so upset that she was going to stay home from her Elderly Singles Activity at the church that night. Mike finally told her that it was fake and all was fine again.

Michalea missed out on all of the fun and so we had to put it in her bed for her to find that night...good times.

A few shots from yesterday and today...

There's no such thing as bored if you have a stick and some dirt.

When I got home from work today she was out feeding the horses in the field next to Debbie's.

She was bound and determined she was going to get in with them.

If I wouldn't have showed up, she probably would have climbed in taken them for a gallop.

I love her little freckles or "frankles" as Reag calls them.

Note to self...

When the alarm clock starts blaring and you roll over and turn it down and think why is that stupid thing so dang loud...it's actually so you get your butt out of bed so that you don't sleep through the soft FM100 music and have greasy 2nd day hair and have to drive at warp speed to get to work on time. It's been one of those Mondays.

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope all you mothers have a wonderful day full of obedient children, no dishes to wash, and possibly some chocolate. All of you are great examples to me whether you have young kids, old kids, a baby in the belly, or just nieces and nephews. I watch your excitement to be a mom or the relationship you have with the children around you and I learn from all of you.



I also want to pay tribute to my mom today. In the short 15 years that I got to spend with my mom, she taught me valuable lessons about life, unconditional love, and courage. I treasure the moments I had with mom that at the time seemed like little everyday things...helping her grocery shop every Thursday while Amy had piano lessons, running to 7-11 to get a big gulp and nachos, laying in bed watching tv with her. These are some of my favorite memories.



It's taught me that it's not the fancy vacations or the expensive shoes that your kids will remember, it's just the simple things like playing in the yard, reading stories, Sunday dinners, and bedtime kisses that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. I realize how precious and sometimes short the time we have here is. I think it makes me try a little harder to be a good mom. I try to be grateful for all the diapers I've changed, for all the little bums I've wiped, for the hours spent in the car driving kids where they need to go, for the sleepless nights washing sheets that have been puked on, for the little hand prints all over every window in the car, and for all the scraped knees I've got to bandage over the years. These are the things that someday we all will miss.



Enjoy your day! Love you all.

You Will Be Conquered...

Who knew...

Mike came in this morning while I was still in bed and said, you better go and see what your boy did. I have to admit that my first thought was, Oh No! What did he do?

 Memories of Michaela's hair tangled all up in a little hand fan, courtesy of Dallon came to mind. I mentally prepared myself and got up and wandered into the kitchen and there was a plate filled with two huge pancakes, scrambled eggs, and toast. He had made me an early Mother's Day breakfast. He knew that Saturday he'd be leaving for TKD before I was even up and on Sunday's I always beat him out of bed. Holy cow! It was delicious, too. He makes fluffier pancakes than I do. Who knew this cute kid could cook!

Also, who knew the kid could drive? I took him and Reagen to hunt lizards yesterday afternoon and he asked if he could drive up the mountain side (just a bumpy dirt road). I thought he was kidding so I'm like, sure. He jumped right into the driver's seat and off we went! I guess he's growing up. Let's just hope that in four years he's still this excited to drive the family van.

I've been tagged by Ade..

20 Things I Love Right Now...

1. Sleeping in on the weekends.

2. Cocoa Pebbles, I crave them all the time.

3. Watching Reagen dance during the commercials of Dancing with the Stars...hilarious.

4. Sunsilk anti-flat shampoo. Had a buy one get one free coupon, tried it, love it.

5. Olive Garden bread sticks and alfredo sauce. 

6. Having no where to be and nothing to do.

7. Going for a walk.

8. Blogging, way funner than I imagined.

9. Shopping for baby clothes (for family, not for me).

10. Going to lunch with Mike.

11. Getting to hang out with my friends yesterday.

12. Watching Office. (had to steal this one from Susan)

13. Painted toe nails. (only fair to steal one from Ade, too)

14. Sitting around in the yard when it decides to be a nice day.

15. Finding all 3 kids playing together. Rare, but nice.

16. Homemade cards from my kids.

17. Finding a killer deal.

18. Watching Michaela teach Reagen some of her soccer moves.

19. Spending time with family.

20. Any type of organization product.

I tag anyone that hasn't given us their list of 20 things. Come on, get on it!