Now that we are out of school - we can sleep in and play and have our days to ourselves. Well, we are watching movies and lounging on the couch.
Well, we are lounging on the couch until we need to meet our friends at Airborne for some trampoline time!
We met our friends, the Kearl's, so that we could jump to our hearts' content.
We bounced and climbed and played dodgeball and tried the obstacle course.
But, most of all, we didn't have to worry about homework or teachers or assignments!!!
It was so much fun!!!
Plus, we love to hang with the Kearl family!
Each time we try the obstacle course, we get a bit better, a bit further along the course or a bit stronger on an element. We'll get there one day and finish the entire course .... eventually.
Later that day, we played in the yard, played basketball and just hung out.
Reagan grabbed the golf cart and drove around the circle a few times. She squealed the tires (which I think actually scared her a bit).
Oh yay!!!! We LOVE summer break!!!!! It's our time to enjoy, to relax and to play!!!!
We went to the Hale Center Theater again. This time, we saw Matilda. It was super cute. The Shapiro's friend - Chris - who usually accompanies us was out of town, so, they brought another friend - Nadia. The three girls posed in front of the poster - so cute!!!
It was really a funny play. The schoolmaster lady was played by a man and he was hilarious!
After the play, we headed to The Habit for some burgers and fries. Steve convinced Cole to try some hot peppers. I think he agreed to pay him a few dollars. He was so funny as he reacted to the hot pepper. Silly boy!!!!
He may have earned himself some dough, but I doubt it was worth it!!! Crazy!!!
It's here!!! It's here!!! Finally!!!! It's the last day of school!!!!
Reagan and Cole have grown in leaps and bounds this year. They have grown physically, but they have also grown mentally and socially and spiritually and emotionally. Love them!!!! Now, they are mine.... all mine for the summer!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!
After school was over (they had a half day today), Reagan's friend Tiffany had a party at her house. The girls watched movies and did hair and ate. Reagan came home with a braid that she loved.
Later that night, Cole's friend Kaden had a party at his house. I didn't get a picture, but the boys barbecued and jumped on the trampoline and watched a movie.
I don't remember if I previously posted a picture of Reagan and Cole's school pics for this year. In case I haven't, here they are. (I know they are technically at different schools, but they used the same photography company - I'm not sure why they look so different in the background and lighting. Oh well.
Yep - peace out 5th and 7th grades.... we are outta here!!!!!
We headed to the Draper Temple again to perform baptisms for our ancestors. We've been able to get here every month so far. I hope we can keep up with my goal of one visit per month with Reagan and Cole and one visit per month with Steve.
I'm so grateful that Reagan and Cole are excited to do this work for our ancestors and that they think it is important. They make the time to go ..... so does Steve. I love them!!!
We headed back to Hale Center Theater for the production of Steel Magnolias. I had seen the movie, Steve had seen some of the movie and the kiddos knew nothing about it. It was well done. Cole, however, was a bit disappointed. He said "Mom - there isn't even one guy in this play." Sorry Cole - this one is about a group of girlfriends and their relationships.
I really am glad that we have gotten these season tickets. We SO enjoy seeing our friends the Shapiros and it is a great reason to get out and get to the theater.
BTW - this was a crazy weekend for us. The night before the theater, we hit the movies to see End Game. Truly, Cole was the one who wanted to see it. The rest of us were along for the ride, but it was a very good, very long, very exciting movie. So fun!!!
Plus, our Steele Magnolias show was in the evening, but that morning was our Piano Place Recital. (I already posted about that..... mistakenly out of order.) This whole end of the school year thing brings so many events, recitals, concerts and parties. However, we LOVE for it to be the end of school and the start of summer break!!!! Woot Woot!!!!
I guess I got a bit out of order by posting the piano recital (June 1st) before this. Oh well - as long as it gets in the blog.... we're good, right?
Our school announced a talent show. Cole and his friend Luke (who is in his class and also takes karate with us) decided to put together a nunchuck routine. They based it largely on the nunchuck form that they learned in karate class, but then they added kicks, throws and a challenge sort of thing.
They practiced for a few hours at Luke's house one week and then at our house for a few hours the next week. They tried out and made the show (maybe everyone did???) and they continued to practice. Their sensei even let them practice during karate class.
Then came Talent Show day - on May 23, 2019. They called their act The Red and Black Ninjas. They chose a song (much like the songs they hear in karate class). I went to work their audio and Steve filmed them.
They did GREAT!!!!! They performed well, stayed in synch and when they did their Fortnite dances (yes - from the video game), the crowd went WILD!!!!! Check them out......
I'm not sure if the school has ever had a nunchuck routine for the Talent Show, but now they have and it was awesome!!! Way to go Cole and Luke!!!!!
The Piano Place has a summer recital and this one is very casual. (The winter one is formal.) The students wear their Piano Place t-shirts and jeans or shorts or whatever.
The theme for this year's summer recital was "Music is....." The students each had to decide what music is to them and they recited that when they introduced themselves and their song.
Reagan was up first. Her song was Tale as Old as Time from Beauty and the Beast. She said "Music is communication of all moods."
Cole was up next. His song was Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin (he only knew part of it). He said "Music is exciting."
Of course, we filmed their performances. They both did great!
Keep it up Reagan and Cole - we love to hear you play!!!! xoxoxoxoxo
Oh - and Reagan's teacher, Hailey, came to support her and to watch her recital. Thanks Hailey!!!!!
Reagan has really enjoyed being in choir this year. She made some friends and learned a lot and she really enjoys her teacher. Reagan has worked really hard to have her voice do what she wants it to do. She has grown in leaps and bounds this year.
They had an end of the year concert and, in addition to each of the choirs singing, they brought in some guests. The choir director of Salt Lake Community College came to sing with them and another director of the college came to play the ukulele for one of their songs. Then, they had a local rapper come and do a song with them. So fun!
What a fun concert! It was great to see Reagan having so much fun during the songs and serious in others. She did a great job. We are so proud of her and her hard work this year.
As is my MO with these things, I had to make a little video with snippets of Reagan's concert:
I LOVE our Spring Decor!!!! It's so fun and bright and colorful.
My favorite new decorations for this year are the bunnies. They are fuzzy and colorful and they stand over a foot tall. I LOVE them!!!! (My friend at Bath & Body Works told me about them before they arrived. Then, I bought the ones that went to her store. After that, I had to go to two other stores to round out our collection of the bunnies. They are SO fun!!)
I think the bunnies (and some new candles and soaps) are the only new decorations this year.
I still love these flocked trees with their colorful ornaments.
I moved some things around to different places.... gotta shake it up, right?
Reagan wanted to have a birthday party. She didn't have a theme or a planned activity - she said "I just want to hang out with my friends." Well, I can do that! So, we chose a cute, colorful invitation and she handed them out at school.
The day for Reagan's birthday party finally came. That was after Cole's final football game that morning..... whew!
She had originally decided on 15 friends. We planned to have it outside in the yard and she estimated that several of the girls wouldn't be available, so there would be less than we invited. Well, we invited 25 and 22 came. Well, it's all good - it's in the yard. Who cares that we have a ton of girls? Well, it rained and rained and rained. So, we had to bring it inside. We had planned on outside games and had to re-think.
Our friend, Andrea, was on hand to help and she suggested we split into teams and do lip synchs. I had a bunch of Lancome make up from all of my gift with purchases, so, we set out bins of makeup and gave the girls gift bags and they filled them up with make up. Then, they divided into teams and went to different places in the house to put on makeup and to plan out their lip synch songs and routines.
Then, each team performed their lip synch. They had chosen such different songs and each team had different routines. Loved it!!! Reagan's team performed a Taylor Swift song. Sophia's team performed a Christmas song. It was so fun to see the different teams and what they chose.
After the lip synchs, we had chocolate ..... lots of chocolate!!! Reagan had said that she wanted a chocolate fountain and so I found tons of things to dip in the chocolate.... fruit, cookies, marshmallows, candies, pretzels..... everything I could think of. These girls had pizza too! Lots of pizza and lots of chocolate! It just doesn't get better than this!
After we had eaten, it had stopped raining and we headed out into the yard. The grass was wet, but it wasn't too cold and it was partially sunny.
I had to snap a pic of all of the girls. Only after we took it did we realize that some of the girls were missing. :(
The yard was just gorgeous, especially with the mists of rain on the mountains and the greenery from all of the rain we have had recently.
The girls played and explored the yard and took pics with each other and just "hung out" like Reagan wanted :)
After being in the yard, we came inside and opened presents. Many of the girls wanted another pass at the chocolate fountain, so, we started it back up again. Then, I realized we hadn't cut the cake. I ended up cutting it and sending pieces home with the girls. Oh well - they had no shortage of sugar at this party.
Their make up bags were their take home gifts and everyone was raving about how much fun they had. Several of the parents who came to pick up their daughters made a stop at the chocolate fountain before they left. I love it!!!
Andrea was amazing and was SUCH a help! We are a good party team!
At the end of the day, I can't believe that this girl is 13. A teenager!!!! What?!? I can't believe it. It seems like she was a toddler running around in dress up shoes just 5 minutes ago. Well, her feet are my size now, so, she actually WAS running around in dress up shoes (MY dress up shoes) 5 minutes ago. Well, if we must venture into this teenage time...... let's go.... we'll do it together Reagan. Happy Birthday - Daddy and I love you more than words can say. xoxoxo
Once again, Cole signed up to play flag football through a local rec center. We were lucky enough to get our favorite coach (whom we have had for the past 3 years). Yay!
Cole was lucky enough to play quarterback a lot, but he was also given the ball a lot. He can really turn on the speed and run fast when he needs to.
I was also impressed at how well he can stop short and switch directions. He could see guys coming to get him when he had the ball and he could stop on a dime and head the other direction to try to avoid them.
His coach said to keep running until the ref blew the whistle - even if he thought his flags had been pulled. Well, he kept running on one play even when his flag AND his pants had been pulled!!!! :)
He is also a great catch! He could get balls that I thought no one could catch.
Sometimes, he would play defense. He was pretty good at that as well. Aunt Brandi came to watch a game even with a hurt shoulder.
Our coach could't make a game and he asked Steve and another dad to step in to coach. Steve was the defensive coach and had a great time. I loved seeing him out there on the field with Cole.
Our coach is awesome! I loved having him year after year to coach Cole because he knew Cole and he knew what Cole's skills were and where he could help the team. He is such a nice guy and so positive and supportive of Cole. He's great!!!
This entire time, Cole has been playing up with other boys older than him. They have now gone past the age limit of the rec football program. So, who knows what will happen next year. Maybe Cole will play with a new team and coach or maybe he'll find something else to do. Either way, we have had a great season and had a lot of fun.
"Mom on the Run" is the title that best describes me these days. After practicing law for 11 years, I had two little ones and am now a full time Mom and loving it. With a 14 year old and an 12 year old, life is full and crazy. Each day we "run" whether it is to the gym, shopping, guitar, karate, piano, school, lunch with friends, institute class, family activities or church functions. Reagan and Cole keep me crazy busy and we have lots of fun.
Steve (the love of my life) and I have been married for sixteen years and we live in Sandy, Utah. Playing with the kids is our most enjoyable hobby these days. We also try to fit in snow skiing, walking and hiking, and playing in our yard. We love to spend time with Steve's three daughters (and their spouses/kids). We traveled much more before we had our kiddos, but still try to travel when we can. If we are away, we can most often be found on one of the Hawaiian islands and we love to spend time at the beach.
