Award Ceremonies

We are close to the end of the school year and it is time for the annual Awards Ceremony! Both Reagan and Cole received awards and we were so proud.

Cole received an award for winning his class' Young Author award. He also received an award for being a class finalist in the Math Bee and for representing his class in the Spelling Bee.

Reagan received an award for winning the Second Grade Speech Festival and for attaining the Challenger School Fitness Challenge (running, sit ups and pushups).

We are so proud of them for receiving their awards. They worked hard this year and they had a very successful year. They were so excited to receive awards with their friends and to make us and their teachers proud. Love them!!!!

Still Another Lost Tooth

We continue to have teeth just drop out of our mouth. Crazy, right? It's not quite that dramatic, but with little effort, Reagan pulled another tooth out. She again wanted the Tooth Fairy to leave her tooth (not sure why Reagan wants it anyway, but ...) and to put glitter on the money she leaves. Reagan says that the glitter makes the money special since it is the Tooth Fairy's glitter, but it makes the money so special that she refuses to spend any of it - or even put it in her piggy bank. Nope - she leaves it in the ziplock back that the tooth is in and that the Tooth Fairy left her money in. Oh well, maybe someday she will pull out that money and spend it. If not, I'm ok with that as well :)

Tryouts for Blue Knights ..... Year 2!!!!! and KNVB Camp .... Year 2!!!!

So, we've been in Blue Knights Soccer Club for a year now. We had tryouts and I was far less concerned than I was last year. Part of that is because I'm familiar with the Director of the Academy as well as the coaches and many of the parents and players. The other reason is because we are the big kids this year. You'll remember that last year, Cole was 5 and he was U6 (or Under 6 years old). They combined the U6 and the U7s last year, so, we were playing with kids that were a year to a year and a half older than us. Well, now, we are the U7s, so the little kids are playing with us.

There has been a fair amount of drama this year with a new club, Apex, starting up and several coaches and players leaving Blue Knights to start up Apex. There was this whole scuttlebutt about whether to leave, whom was leaving, why people were leaving, etc. At tryouts this year, I was sitting there hearing lots of people saying that they were going to try out for both clubs, see what happened, etc. I was considering whether we should do that as well. Cole did great in tryouts and I knew that he had learned quite a bit over the last year. At the tail end of the tryouts, the main coach was trying to tell the players to do a certain move. He was getting frustrated and he called out "Cole! Where is Cole?" Cole went up to him and he said "Show them how to do it!" I knew right then that we were staying. His coach knew him, knew his skills and obviously thought enough of him to have him teach others. Yep - that's what a year gives you. (BTW - I have since heard that the other, new team doesn't have enough other clubs to play, so they are playing rec ball. Looks like we made the right choice.)

Well, the other change for this year is the way the teams are formed. Instead of having 2 "A" players, 2 "B" players and 2 "C" players on each team, making each team well rounded and equal, this year, there is a "Gold" team, a "Silver" team, and a "Bronze" team. The Director of the Academy said that last year's format was frustrating to everyone. The "A" players were frustrated to have "C" players on their teams and the "C" players were frustrated because there was no way they could keep up with the "A" players. This way, the "Gold" team can play other "Gold" or "Premier" teams and be better matched up. I'm more than proud to say that Cole made the Gold team with some of his favorite co-players. It's going to be a great year!!!!!

The first "event" after tryouts is KNVB camp. Blue Knights brings in coaches from the Royal Dutch Football Association and they put on a week-long camp for the players. I remember this last year and thinking how much Cole had to learn. I still think that, but I know how much he has learned in the last year.

 He had fun at the camp although it was hard for him, energy-wise. He is still battling this sickness and he has stomach cramps and little energy. Toward the end of the week, we learned he has giardia, which is a parasite. They think we got it in Hawaii :(  He is now on meds, but it will take a while to get back the weight he lost and to get his energy level back to normal. He was a trooper, though, and pushed through it to participate every day.

Now that camp is over, we are back to twice-a-week practices. I guess there are some summer tournaments, which are optional. We will have to see what our schedule is and how Cole feels about doing a tournament (we've never done one before).

Overall, we've been very pleased with Cole's experience at Blue Knights so far. I know Cole will learn even more this year!!!

Reagan's Baptism

 I can't believe it - I can't believe it! There is no way that Reagan is eight years old and old enough to be baptized. When did she grow up so much? No fair! No fair! Well, even though I wasn't ready, Reagan was and she was SO excited to be baptized. She talked of it for months. She invited everyone who would listen to her talk about it and she told everyone how excited she was. I must admit that her enthusiasm was contagious. I was excited about it as well and preparations began :)

First, we had to get her dress. We went one day to look at dresses at White Elegance. They had 4 or 5. I just wanted to get a feel for what we were looking at in terms of style and price and selection. None of the dresses really wowed us, so, we left. I started looking online, but thought that it would be pretty hard to find the right fit, color, etc without seeing it. We ended up going to a different White Elegance that had more than double the selection of baptism dresses. Reagan saw one right when we walked in and it took her breath away. She just sighed "Mommy .... " as she held up the dress. I made her try on at least 5 dresses. She saved that one for last. Every other dress had some sort of flaw - "It doesn't feel right", "It's not my style", etc. Finally, she put on the last one and she loved it! I must admit that it was my first choice as well. She twirled and twirled in it and kept checking how she looked in the mirror. It was floor length with some gathering on the sides and a flower on her waist. She LOVED it and, so, it was a no brainer for me.

A few weeks after we bought the dress, we headed to Temple Square to take pics with our favorite photographer - English Photo. Allison always does an amazing job capturing our children's personalities in their pics.

Allison then made an invitation for us from the pics we took. It incorporated the colors I decided to use (white & baby pink with touches of bubblegum pink). It was perfect!!

I had various pics of Reagan, throughout her life, printed up and I put them in pink picture frames to display on the table at the church. In the middle of the table, we put our Lladro Christus statue. We also borrowed everyones' white tablecloths to use at the church and in the yard. My friend Kelsey has a mom with round tables and umbrellas and tents that we were able to use to put in the yard for lunch after the baptism. I copied my friend Stacey's program that she used for her son. Kelsey's sister and her husband helped me make it pink. There was a 5 x 7 pic of Reagan in her baptism dress (taken on Temple Square) with velum over it with the program information on the velum. In the bottom pocket, there were three levels of cards. Two were the words for the opening and closing songs. The other one was a Thank You note that Reagan individually wrote. They turned out beautifully. I was so pleased. We also found a great white with pink chevron ribbon to tie around it. So cute!!!!

We were the only ones having a baptism that morning (another group was following a couple of hours later) so it was just us. It was wonderful. I opted to have children be the entire program. Cousins, and a niece and a nephew played the piano, conducted the songs, gave prayers and gave talks. Cole gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. He had been practicing for a month or so. At 5:30 that morning, he threw up all over. We cleaned him up and then let him go back to sleep. By 10:00, he was feeling great and asking for breakfast, so, we went ahead and let him come to the baptism and give his talk. He did great. He used his props and needed very few prompts to say his fairly long talk. We were so proud. Steve's bro David took a pic of Cole giving his talk - doesn't he look cute?

Both of our dads were the witnesses and Reagan wore a white dress for the actual baptism. I think those white jumpsuits are not exactly cute, especially for a girl. Hazel was a great member of our ward who was an amazing quilter. She made several white dresses for the primary before she died. Reagan wore one of those. Apparently one of her feet came up, so Steve had to repeat the baptism. That time, they both made sure she stayed under :) While Steve and Reagan dried off and got dressed, we showed a video with pics of Reagan throughout her life. I tried to be prayerful about the music that was behind the video. We had a few families there who were nonmember friends. I hope they felt the spirit and enjoyed being there.



After the baptism was over, we headed back to our house and had a luncheon in the backyard. We served Cafe Rio type salads. We had tortillas, romaine lettuce, pork and chicken, beans, rice, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, tomatillo dressing, tortilla strips, and cheese. We served a pink punch and water. Everyone who asked what they could bring were asked to bring a dessert, so, we had a great dessert table with many assorted yummies. We served everything on white platters and had white tablecloths with baby pink topper tablecloths that my friend Jennifer made for me. We had pink tissue paper balls hanging under the umbrellas on the tables and pink Chinese lanterns hanging under the food tents. We also had little pink and white picture frames with pics of Reagan in her baptism dress on each table as well as fresh flowers in pink and white vases. The pics that I had on the main table in the Relief Society room were brought down (not the Lladro) and put on the big rock that we have in the yard.

It looked so great!!! It was perfect! Although it was crazy for me (and for Kelsey), I think most everyone had a great time. I think the food was great and that there was plenty of it. I think the yard looked beautiful and that Reagan felt like the most special girl in the world that day. So many family members came, but so did many friends and lots of ward members. We filled that Relief Society room. I think we had about 75. I'm so appreciative for all those who traveled far, who helped cook or helped walk food up and down our steep hill. I'm glad for those who helped beforehand and for those who helped that day. The weather was perfect and we had a great day. Cole did have a little breakdown in energy. At one point, I looked and he was laying on the grass on the hill. I asked what was up and he said his stomach hurt. He wouldn't get up and walk. Kelsey and I each took one arm and we lifted him up and got him into the house and onto the couch to lay down.

My friend Kelsey was amazing! She helped SO much. She helped me think through the menu and got me most of the recipes that we used that day. She helped me get the ribbon and the flowers using wholesale accounts from friends. She arranged all the flowers and brought platters to serve the food and to keep the food warm while we served it. Her mom brought the tables and the umbrellas and the tents. Kelsey and her family worked so hard to put them all up. Then, Kelsey helped me that morning to put everything together. We were pretty stressed when it came time to leave for the baptism, so, Kelsey insisted on staying at the house to get everything ready. Also, Kelsey made Reagan the cutest book for people to sign. It had pics of Reagan and ribbons on it and pockets to put cards in and things to remember. Reagan loves it!!

I can't thank Kelsey enough for all she did to help me put this day together. Jennifer cooked all the chicken to serve and made the tablecloths for me. So many people helped us put this day together and we are so grateful for all the help. Unfortunately, in the craziness of the day, I didn't take many pics (unbelievable, right?). I handed the camera to a friend and then another friend and asked them to take pics, so, I have what I have and I'm grateful for what I have :)

I'm so thankful that Reagan wanted to be baptized, that she was excited about it, that Steve honors his Priesthood and could baptize her, that so many family and friends came to celebrate her, that Cole was well enough to attend the baptism and give his talk, that we have the gospel in our lives, that it didn't rain, that we had enough food, that everyone seemed to have a good time, and that technology will help us remember this special day. Thanks to everyone for coming and supporting Reagan. 

Reagan - we are so proud of you for making the decision to be baptized and for the sweet, beautiful girl that you are. Love you always!!!!!

Happy Memorial Day!!

For Memorial Day, we headed to Park City!!!!! We had a great time eating and playing. 

We rode the Alpine Slide - with this being Cole's first time driving his own sled - gulp! Reagan and I went at the same time and she went faster than last time, but still not all out speedy. She did, however, have a big 'ole smile on her face!!!

Cole, for his first time, went side by side with Steve. Although I couldn't take pics of his ride down, he also had a big smile on his face when he reached the bottom :)

We were going to ride on the Mountain Coaster, but Cole wasn't feeling up to waiting in the line in the heat. He has been sick lately and didn't have much energy. In fact, on the drive home, he fell asleep. He was exhausted. Hope he feels better soon. Until then, we'll keep taking things slowly :)

 It was a great day. With Cole being sick all weekend, we were ready to just get out and get some sun and see some gorgeous scenery. Park City certainly delivers for that.

We talked, on the drive up, about Memorial Day and the reasons for it. Reagan and Cole had an assembly at school about Memorial Day and were more than happy to "teach" Steve and I about the holiday.

Happy Memorial Day Everyone!!!!

Another New Fun in the Backyard .... Double Gulp!!

When I was growing up, we had a Jeep that we would use now and then. I don't remember why we had it or where it came from, but we would use it to go driving in the hills in Scottsdale or on hikes or on random occasions. With 5 kids, our entire family didn't all fit in it, and both of my parents had their "usual" cars, so, most of the time it just sat. One day, we were driving in it and we had gone for a picnic. When we were returning to the Jeep, I jumped into the driver's seat and proclaimed to my Dad "I think today is the day I should learn how to drive." He looked at me, agreed, and got into the passenger seat. I was 11!!! I totally remember thinking "I can't believe he said 'yes', but .... let's go!" It was a stick shift and we spent the next hour or so (while the rest of the family hung around) teaching me how to drive. Well, that started something huge. I wanted to drive all. the. time. My Mom was totally against it - it being against the law and all:) However, my Dad was all for it. He had worked on a farm as a kid and had driven at 14 or something. Plus, he always said that when we asked him something, if it was at all possible to say "yes", he would. Sweet for me!!!! Well, I would find reasons that I needed to drive. We lived in a subdivision in Paradise Valley that my Dad had developed and there were only a few houses built, so far, on the property. So, it was pretty vacant. Plus, my parents owned the water company that serviced that subdivision. I would help them read the water meters every month. That was my golden opportunity. If they would let me drive to go read the meters, neither of them had to drive me around to each lot and wait in the car for me to go and read the meter. Score! They agreed. 

Well, after a few years, I was pretty good at driving. Plus, my parents would let me drive at random places like when we were up at our cabin in northern Arizona or if we were on one of Dad's job sites. Once in a while, if Mom was super busy and one of my sibs needed a ride to a friend's house, they would let me drive them. Crazy, right? Well, once my friends were old enough to start getting their drivers' licenses, I would ride with them to various activities. However, none of them had the experience behind the wheel that I did, so, my Dad said that riding with them was more dangerous than just letting me drive myself. So, at 14, I was driving myself to dances or to friends' home or to run errands for mom, etc. There were rules - I couldn't speed, I couldn't take anyone in the car with me, etc. but I had logged some serious time in the car. Then, on my 15th birthday, my parents bought me a Ford Bronco. It was tan and cocoa brown and had "Stacie" on the license plates. Oh - and it had a car phone. Nobody had car phones then and I was instructed only to use it in an emergency. It was super cool. I drove myself to school - and to Driver's Ed, which was a laugh. Since we had early morning seminary, I always had a front spot at the school and I thought I was "all that". My parents used to say that it was my car until I ever copped an attitude and started telling people it was "my car". If I did that, I would lose it. We would take it as a family often and I ended up taking it to BYU when I left high school early. It got me through the snow that first year and was a great, safe car for me and my friends. I always loved that I got to drive early, but always thought my parents were crazy for letting me. What were they thinking, right? I swore that I'd never do that.

Well, apparently Steve has no such compunction because he has started letting Reagan and Cole drive our golf cart. True, it isn't exactly the same as giving them the keys to a Jeep, but they aren't 11 yet either. I was scared watching them drive around our circle with Steve sitting shotgun. At least, at that point, Steve was pushing on the pedal and could stop or break at any time. Then he let them drive around the yard unaccompanied. Uggh!!!! What if they drove off the hill and into the creek? What if they crashed into a tree? What if? What if? What if? Truth be told, they were very cautious drivers...even if Cole did back into the picnic table. 

I guess I just need to get used to this new fun that we have, but as a mom ..... it's killing me :)

Before Reagan drove by herself, she ran up into the house and grabbed her purse. I asked her what that was about and she pulled out her "Driver's License" that she had been given at the Autopia ride at Disneyland.  She explained that she couldn't drive without her license. Well, at least someone around here is following the rules :)

Happy 80th Dad!!

Six months behind Steve's Mom, Steve's Dad celebrated his 80th birthday this year. Once again all the sibs and spouses got together. It was great! We had a barbecue and caught up with each other. Then, we had a slideshow of pics of Dad and it was so fun to see him when he was so young.

Each of the sibs and spouses told a favorite memory of Dad and told what they admired about him. Just as with Steve's Mom, it was so touching to hear all of the sibs talk so tenderly about Dad. Plus, he is such a softie that he was bawling as well. I love to hear the stories each of the sibs tell and to hear Dad narrate about each of the slides. So fun!

We are so blessed to have all four of our parents still living, within an hour's drive and in good enough health to have a relationship with Reagan and Cole. They love their grandparents so much and are thrilled to see them.

One of the bonuses of putting together the slideshow was that we were able to get copies of Dad's pictures and some of Steve growing up that we didn't already have - LOVE those!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!! Here's to many, many more!!!!!

Recent Hikes

With the weather getting better and better, we've been trying to be outside as much as we can, given our crazy schedules. We usually play in our yard or take hikes close to home. The hike to Bell's Canyon Reservoir is a big favorite of ours. We can be up and back in just a couple of hours and the trailhead is only a few minutes' drive from our house.

 Another recent hike started at the park by our church. We started out at the playground and then started walking around the park. When we reached the trailhead which goes up to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, we decided to head up the mountain. We kept going higher and higher and brush became more and more dense. Reagan and Cole loved it. We could only go so far as I had to be back for a family baby shower, but the time we spent up there was great. I'm sure we'll head back there soon.

We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful area with so many opportunities to hike. Steve keeps saying "This is as green as it's going to get." I hope that isn't the case or at least that it lasts a good, long time because it is beautiful now.

Just being in our yard is wonderful and we have views of the valley and the mountain that are gorgeous. We have nicely manicured grass and we have wild, natural trails through the yard. Reagan and Cole love to explore with Steve or to just play in the yard. Friends keep asking if we are heading out of town when Reagan and Cole get out of school. The truth is that we usually stay home in the summer. It is so beautiful here in the summer and the fall. Really, our travels are usually to get out of the snow and the cold and head to warmer climates :)

So, welcome summer! We're glad you're here. Let's play!!!!

Reagan's Spring Program

Reagan was up next and her Spring Program was all about music. They recited poems and songs, they sang songs, they danced and acted out little skits. It was great! Reagan and her best friend, Sophia, were each holding umbrellas and crossing the front of the crowd as the class sang "Singing in the Rain". They were so cute!

Reagan's teacher said that she gave Reagan the longest part in the Spring Program since Reagan had won the 2nd Grade Speech Festival. She did great - they all did. Reagan adores her teacher, Mrs. Hone, and is thrilled to do anything for her to make the program better. They practiced and practiced and their efforts showed in the final program.

Once again, after the Program, we returned to their classroom to see their Young Author stories and the work they had on the wall. Way to go Reagan - this was a great Spring Program. 

Here's a little sampler of Reagan's Spring Program: