Piano Recitals

Always a treat to hear Rian play and express her wonderful talent.  She is amazing and has learned so much.  

Technically, Rae's recital was the next Saturday after my Triathlon, but I decided to combine this post. 

Rae and Trinity

Raegan and her teacher, Shannon Ipson.

Memorial Day Hike To Diamond Fork

For Memorial Day weekend, we went up Spanish Fork Canyon to Diamond Fork Canyon to hike to the hot springs.  It was a beautiful day... But everyone else in the area had the same idea, it was completely pack of people.  Dah, I should have known.  I don't remember it being so long, so the kids were expecting something a bit shorter and I felt bad that it was longer when they complained.  I went with my friend a month earlier but I guess when I was distracted in conversation, the hike didn't seem as long.  It was still beautiful and nice to be together.  I think they still had fun, except, the hot springs were over flowing with people so we didn't get to get in.  Also we had to get back to BBQ with Troy and Kristin.  That was great too.

"oh no, don't fall...!!"  hahaha

Hidden Talents

I have to brag about my girls.  These three pictures show Rian's ceramic pieces from 9th grade.  She is so creative and did a fabulous job.  I'm so impressed by these...  I basically had told her I wanted these.  Luckily for mothers day she did give me the blue spiral one.  I'm so extactic!  I love them.  The house I have on a shelf in the front room and the others she has in her room.   Im glad we can share our love for art.

Tarin also was able to make some art piece in 6th grade.  I love these simple pieces.  I have to display them all.  She worked so hard and it shows.  I love her adventure and crafty creativity.  I'm so proud of my kids.

May Is Busy, But Fun

Another crazy month.  Soccer, end of school year events and...just crazy!  Every May will look like this.  But its been great to see all our kids accomplish so much and be shaped into wonderful people.  They grow up so dang fast!  I love them so much!

Soccer, and rainy day... Ammon is in the yellow jacket dribbling.  Poor little Raegan was having a hard time with how cold the rain was.  It was really tough.  She's number 5 in the blue and white striped jersey.  But that day they did win.  She was strong.

Tarin, had cleared up later in the day.  She had a great season too. 

Jarom had a band concert.  He's been first chair in baritone most of the year in Concert Band.  He's really impressed me how great he's magnified his talent of music.

Yes, the cat has missed me.  When I'm substitute teaching or out running errands, she gets lonely and starts bringing out the toys off of Raegan's bed.  I love finding this pillow in the hallway.  I see it as a term of endearment...a sign that I am loved.  I love our cat.  She really has been my little buddy through so much.  Loves me unconditionally.

Love the spring rain showers.  Looking down Grandview road I had to stop and take this pictures.  Looking over Utah Lake toward the mountains, its just so grand.

Attended the Draper Temple.  It was amazing.

Had an impression to get my kids involved in swim team.  I'm a little sad I hadn't thought of this a few years earlier.  It's pretty expensive, but wish I had done it anyway.  I'd love for Jarom to be involved, so I tried to get him to the pool to practice his strokes.  His freestyle looks awesome, and backstroke is great, but it's the timing of breastroke and butterfly that held him up.  Kicking myself I hadn't continued to teach my kids.  Its the same story with Tarin.  I will put her into swim lesson this summer to get her ready for next summer to be on the team.  I hope so.  But this season, since Raegan is young enough, she only needed to know freestyle, backstroke and breastroke.  She was able to tryout for the team with accuracy in these three.  She will learn the butterfly this summer.  And... SHE MADE IT!  She did a great job!  So excited to share my love of swimming.  Next year I do hope to get Tarin, Raegan and Ammon on the team.

Raegan did a powerpoint presentation in class about the Scientific Method.  Thank you Trent for helping her out with this.  Luckily it was a simple year for scientific method, but so glad Trent helped her...I'm so burned out with that stuff...  But she did a great job putting her slides together and presenting.

Award ceremony for 6th grade.  Tarin is in the blue jacket and orange shorts.  This also included student council awards.  She did a great job this year.

Lo-osing Teeth

It finally happened!  With a lot of prodding from Ammon for us to keep working on it, it paid off!  He was extremely happy and couldn't wait to get to school to show it off.  Tooth fairy made her rounds, and sealed the deal.  I love seeing his cute smile with two teeth missing.  He really is a cutie!  I'll miss when they grow back in.

I think this picture he got really close and it made him look really round...hahaha, kind of funny.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was great.  Breakfast was special, spa time with the kids was special (they gave me foot message, hand message and a facial.)  It was a good day.  Tarin made this cute assembly on the wall for me.  For the next few days it was fun to casually take a treat off the wall.  I love my kids.  And Thank you to my wonderful husband for always making this day a good one, even when things were rough.

Payson Temple Open House

The Payson Temple was complete and was having it's open house.  Time slots filled fast and just scheduling a time to go was getting down to the wire to the end.  Finally, we found a weekend and I felt impressed to invite our interested neighbors.  They are from the Czech Republic, but have been living in the United States for awhile now.  They are familiar with the Mormon culture and share many beliefs.  I asked them to come, and they all agreed to come.  Simon and Pavla Prazak and their kids and Simon's mother, Jitka Prazak.  It was a wet, very cold and rainy day.  Kind of hindered the experience, but I think overall it sparked interest and the spirit could be felt.

At the visiting tent on the temple grounds.  Later we went out to Culver's for dinner together.

(front) Jarom, Trent, Raegan, Natalie Prazak, Ammon, Tarin, Rian

(back) me, Pavla (red scarf), Jitka, Ryan, Simon, Erik

Sort of... Birthday Lunch

Tradition with birthdays, is to check our kids out of school and take them to lunch.  They love being checked out, and then being treated.  It's their day that we celebrate them, so they are worth every minute we can give them.  Because Tarin has a summer birthday, she doesn't quite get the experience on her birthday.  This last year has been busy, and I realized she hadn't had her celebration, so I worked out for Trent to surprise her and take her out.  He had just returned from a business trip that morning and was taking the rest of the day off.  He doesn't usually get this opportunity, so I asked him to do this.  It was a good day for both of them.

Cycling Adventure

Mosida?  Where the heck is that?  Let's just say it was about 18 miles south down Redwood Road from Saratoga Springs, where we live.  This day marked the furthest I had ridden down that road (and back, about 37 miles).  It also was with Tia White, my biking buddy.  She has been amazing to jump start me and teach me road biking.  The day before we had done close to 40 miles, so in two days we totaled close to 70 miles!  Whoa!  I was impressed with myself.  It's great to have a friend on this journey.  I'm feeling better and better about my triathlon end of the month.  Biking was the one thing I wasn't skilled at, but feeling more accomplished.

Temples

I just can't get enough of the beauty and importance of temples.  They are apart of my life and I hope to always be worthy to attend such a wonderful piece of heaven.  With the Timpanogos Temple closed for maintenance and cleaning, I saw this as an opportunity to hit the Oqur Mountain Temple in Herriman, the Jordan River Temple in South Jordan and the Draper Temple in Draper.  I like trying the other buildings.  

Jordan River Temple

Elder Bruce C. Hafen wrote an amazing article in the September 2015 Ensign (yep I'm behind on blogging, today is really October) called "The Temple and the Natural Order of Marriage".  Amazing article and worth the read!! In it he quoted Hugh Nibley saying, "The temple is built so as to represent the organizing principles of the universe.  It is the school where mortals learn about these things... The earth temple [is] in the middle of everything, ...around which all heavenly motions revolve, the knot that ties earth and heaven together." I love having such a wonderful place to go and not only help our ancestors reach salvation by doing their work, but a place for peace and meditation.  It keeps my mind open to revelation and staying close to God.  It maintains my spirit while I go through times that test my testimony.  I know God lives, and I know He is close.

This day, I loved coming out the front entrance of the Jordan River Temple after a storm blew threw.  This picture just doesn't cut it... the pristine sight of color, cleanliness, and gorgeous mountains framing out the vast Salt Lake valley, then big, white fluffy clouds accentuating the big blue sky... oh it was breath taking.  I had to sit among the tulips out front and bask in the bright warm sun of the day.  The Son, was symbolic to me that day.  Always there even during the storms but comes shining through and brightens the soul.  I am a witness...

Gentle Soul

This little guy has so much love in his heart.  He's a creative, constantly moving, sweet soul.  He had gotten some M&Ms and wanted to experiment with them on the back deck.  The wheels are always turning in the bright mind of his. 

But with little boys, comes the constant teasing he gives to big brother and sisters.  Tarin in particular he seems to target...likewise with Tarin.  Its like she has it out for him.  But underneath all that goofiness, he has a sweet tender heart.  He made this for her in particular.  He worked on it for awhile and was so excited to show her.  I hope Tarin notices how much he loves her.  She's a bit caught up in "the annoying" part of little brother, but I hope she sees he's not all "bad".  You just have to stop and see the good.  Good is what he is.

To add to the goofy, he can have a lot of courage.  I showed him a funny video of a kid that tied his tooth to a car and his brother drove off and took out the tooth (quick and easy).  He's been dying to get this tooth out, wanting to be like all the other 1st graders (our kids' teeth fall out later then normal) and have his two front teeth gone.  We've been working on this even when it wasn't really loose...but it was now getting close.  He wanted to try tying his tooth to something...the door?  We did try, but the floss wasn't strong enough and it snapped twice.  Part of me was relieved, because it wasn't quite ready to come out yet...but just shows you the fun personality he brings to our family.

Goofy Glasses

What do you do when you are at soccer games most of the day?  You start getting goofy with the things around you.  Ammon and I decided to have fun with daddys stuff in the car...hat, sunglasses... love this little guy.

"New Car"

Meet CiCi, our 'newest' addition.  The car Trent had been driving was a leased car for the company his parents owned.  With that dissolved, we needed to find a car fast.  I was at the mechanic having them look over a prospect car (which turned out to be a dud) and they mentioned they had a 2000 Toyota Celica they were trying to sell.  The engine had been rebuilt and many other components were also recently replaced.  Although it was an older car, we were looking for something that we could pay low cash for and was reliable.  We decided to do it. 

Everything inside was original, including the technology.  Last car was push start and keyless with bluetooth.  So to compensate, Trent bought a new stereo with blue tooth capabilities.  Bring a little new with the old.  It was a good buy and a fun sporty car. (BTW they don't make celicas anymore, so she's a classic) ;o)

14 yrs Of Bliss

Jarom has become a honorable man.  He makes me smile when I see his face light up telling a joke or enjoying a fun conversation.  He's taller then his dad and has a giant spirit and a huge heart.  I love having him around, and I love how he towers over me to give me a hug.  I love my boy, and love watching him grown into such a quality individual.  He worries to much and can be terribly hard on himself, but... it shows how much he wants to learn and grow.  Don't grow up too fast, but always remember how much I admire and adore you.  Happy Birthday!  A great day to celebrate... YOU!

Making his cake... Again, not much talent in this house for cake decorating, but I can tell you, we sure have fun making them!!

Illuminati cake...  don't ask, it's this kick they are all on about the illuminati ;o)

oh, the drama ... hahaha