Memorial Day Weekend Part 1

We went to Fillmore for Memorial Day Weekend. We had a fun filled few days with all the family. Friday and Saturday night we stayed at my sister Mandy's house, we pitched tents in her yard and kind of had like a little camp-out. The kids had a blast.

Saturday we played some games-my sister Tiffanie made an obstacle course. We all enjoyed that-it got pretty competitive when it was the adults turn ;)

 My Mom, Jeff, and I built a water blob for the kids to play on...I have to say it was one of the highlights-they loved it and played on it until it finally got a hole. The only one who didn't like it was Bryce-he was so not digging it.

 We had previously all made flags and we brought those to represent each family. I think they turned out pretty nice.

 Bryce couldn't hack it and had to take a nap during some of the activities.

 We also made all of the kids these jersey shirts. They had their name on the back as well as their number in order of grand-kids. Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Grandma all got one to that said Coach Grandma or Coach Grandpa on the back.

 Later that afternoon we spent several hours at the baseball field. We played a game...then when we had all worn ourselves out with that-most of us went to the motel to swim while the men stayed behind and had a home run derby-needless to say they were all sore for days after.

  When we didn't have stuff going on or planned we ate and visited. The kids had fun jumping on the trampoline, shooting bow and arrows, riding the 4-wheeler, visiting Tyler and Sam's puppies, swimming at the motel (where Grandma, Great Grandma, and Aunt Sandi stayed), and sleeping on the trampoline. We also made a trip to the cemetery to visit the graves of both Landon and I's Grandpas who are buried there.

School's Out for Summer

   Well it's official summer vacation is finally here. My kids official last day was yesterday, Wed. 21, 2014, although Tanner has really only gone a few hours all week. Just here and there when he felt like it, cause they weren't really doing anything and grades were final-which he knew. It wasn't worth the fight for me to send him-cause I knew as well it was pointless-I mean they weren't even taking roll.
   Tanner had a great school year and has loved being at Dixie Middle School. George Washington Academy gave him a great start and foundation, but he was ready to move on. He finished off this last trimester with 6 A's and 2 B's. Overall he has had a good year, with mostly A's and just a B here or there. We were kind of worried about his anxiety with the transition to the bigger school, but he has actually done really well, and hasn't had any real problems with it. He is still pretty quite and shy, but has found a good group of boys, mostly kids from his baseball team, who he hangs out with at lunch and will periodically go to something with after school. I can't believe if but we know have an official highschooler on our hands-9th Grade WHAT?!
   Chloe had a fun last week of school. No uniforms all week-Yipee. They had a talent show, field day, 4th Grade Party, and a class party.For Chloe's talent we put together a short little video of her swim meets and she took in her medals and ribbons to show. The class party was yesterday. I was able to go in and help. We served brunch. Three of us made breakfast casseroles and served those along with other breakfast foods-surprisingly the kids all ate the casseroles really well. Then Chloe's teacher handed out awards-Chloe got the "helping hands award". Her teacher said she didn't know what she would have done without Chloe to help her during the year. Chloe has loved her teacher and has done so well this year. She got straight A's this trimester and received straight A's every trimester except for the first where she got a B in once subject. I can't believe how grown up our little


girl is getting-is she really going to be in 5th grade in a few months?!

Bye Bye Binkie

So Bryce had decided, all on his own, that he is done with binkies. He just one day up and decided he wouldn't suck on one anymore. This is for the most part a good thing right ?!I don't have to take it from him later on, which I would have done anyways between 18-24 months. The only bad part about it is that I can't pop it in his mouth to keep him quiet during church or give it to him if he is really upset-which would have been nice today at nap-time or last night at bedtime-ha-ha! Oh well I really am glad that he self weaned from it cause I know that this isn't usually the case and that it can turn into quite an ordeal to get some kids to give it up.

Last 2 Softball Games and Party

Well the softball and baseball seasons have come to an end-you would think that would mean a sigh of relief and time for a nice relaxing summer. So not the case around here as next week starts up swim team-with early morning swim practices 4 days a week, and summer ball-with a grueling 20 something games schedule in two months.
Chloe played her last two softball games. The first game she did a phenomenal job with her pitching, the best I have seen her do. She got to pitch two innings during that game. She also got a couple of hits and also got hit by the ball right in her back pretty hard-there is a pretty nice mark there now.
Her last game was kind of rough on her. Her coach told her she was pitching, now all season only Chloe and one other girl have ever really pitched, and they would each pitch like 1 or 2 innings each game, however he ended up changing his mind and letting some other girls who hadn't had a chance to pitch. Which is fine she was just sad cause it was her last game and she really wanted to pitch-she loves it. She also had two at bats-the first one she got a nice hit-an RBI, but the second one she struck out, she doesn't do that very often-so she was really sad. She played 3rd base for part of the game and did really well there, stopping balls that came to her and even getting an out.

Chloe's coach gave the girls each a trophy after their last game-he has been great!

 The day after her last game her coach held a team party. They had a bbq and played water baseball of course. They hit water filled balls, 1st base was an ice cube they had to sit on the whole time they were there, 2nd base was a pool they had to get in, 3rd base was a bucket of water they had to stand it, and of course you had to slide on the slip n slide to get home. It was fun for the kids.

 You can kind of see Chloe sitting on the ice cube in this picture.

 She had a great season and really enjoyed it, so I'm sure she will want to sign up again next year.

Sick

Last week a few of us came down with some sort of weird stomach bug. It hit fast and hard and lasted for about 12 hours and then was over. Tanner had it first. Then the next night it hit me. I went to bed early and just laid there in pain. I was so sick. Chloe was so sweet after awhile she came in with some small cans of sprite-she had walked over to the grocery store right next to our house, and used some of her own money to buy me some sprite to help my stomach feel better. She did a good job taking care of me.

Poor girl that act of kindness should have exempt her from getting sick but the next evening she caught it. Luckily it was a fast moving bug-the next morning she woke up and proclaimed I am better now-and she was. 

At least Landon and Bryce never caught it. 

Tired, Tired Boy!

We looked over and he had fallen fast asleep while eating his french fries-I guess it was way past nap time :)

Last Little League Game

Last week Tanner had his last little league game. Could it actually be his last little league game ever-we will see? If he makes the high school team next year then the answer is yes, so we will see what happens. Fingers crossed that it is, not that we don't love little league, but we really want him to make the team.
Although Tanner's team lost-he played a great game, and they didn't lose by much. Tanner had 3 at bats-he hit and got on the first time, got beamed and took his base the second time, and struck out the third time. He pitched the entire game-he might have only done this one other time. That is a lot of pitching for a kid his age. He did really well and had several strike outs. It was a fun season!!!

 Tanner's biggest fan has got to be his little bro....along with Great Grandma Marshall who makes it to as many of his games as she possibly can.

 Tanner's team-The Cardinals (why does he always look so happy in pictures?-most of the other boys are smiling aren't they?!)

A video of one of his strikes...

Mothers Day

I had a nice Mothers Day. Landon and the kids made me breakfast in bed-it was a yummy breakfast of waffles. Of course then they all had to climb into bed with me.

After breakfast they presented me with a brand new baseball mitt-so that I had one to take them down to the park and play catch with them. I can only imagine what my summers will entail now-hours and hours of pitching to the kids, throwing them balls, and playing catch. HaHa! No seriously though I love it, it is a really nice mitt, and I am glad that my kids want me to play with them.

Of course we all went to church. Then after church we went out to my Grandma Marshall's for dinner. My sister Mandy was there as well. Landon barbecued us up some tasty steaks. It was a nice day!

Birthday Parties for Cousins

Last week my niece and nephew Taleor (6) and Braxton (3) both celebrated their birthdays. Their birthdays are like 3 years and 3 days apart, so it is easy to have a party for them on the same day. My sister made their cakes. Frozen inspired and Cars.

We had a bbq. Tanner seriously ate like 5 hot dogs-haha!!!

When Braxton opened his basketball hoop Bryce thought it was for him, and we couldn't drag him away from it. Guess I know what to get him for Christmas.

The kids had fun playing with all of their cousins-even my sister Mandy and her kids were there.

Kisses from the "Misses"

Last week we were sitting around watching our favorite show "The Little Couple" when we heard something repeatedly hitting the front window, we were like what in the world?! A few minutes later we decided we had better investigate. We went out and this is what we found all over the front door and window...

The Young Women had "gotten" Tanner. They like to do things like this to people periodically. I think Tanner was a little bit embarrassed, but kind of liked it in a way-cause he didn't demand we get them all taken down immediately or anything like that. What fun girls and leaders.

Tonaquin Nature Park

Last week we went to the Tonaquin Nature Center with some of our friends. In all the years we have lived in St. George we have never been there. It was kind of a neat place and I think we will definitely go back. There is a nice duck pond, hiking trails, a park, and tennis courts.

The kids all fed the ducks. A first for Preslie and Bryce-they were enthralled.

 Then we took the little kids over to the park to play. Another first for Bryce-swings! Once I got him in it-he loved it and cried when I took him out.

While the kids played at the park-Chloe and Brydee tried their hands at some tennis. A few days earlier they were in the garage playing "tennis" with some really small raquetball rackets-they wanted to play real tennis, so a trip to the DI produced to rackets that they could play "real tennis" with. They had a fun time.

The weather was perfect and it was a nice little outing. Best part when we got home-both the babies took a nice nap for me :)