Soccer Tournament

This year Gavin tried out for a competitive soccer league and made it on a team. They have a really good coach...he's strict and expects a lot from the boys, but he also really likes the boys and doesn't make it so winning is everything, but just wants to see them do their best and improve over time. Gavin has gotten so much better and built up his confidence. He really loves soccer. Gavin is my little bundle of energy so running constantly during soccer is perfect for him. His coach has the boys running 2 miles a day to build up stamina which means that I'm usually running with Gavin which is good for me too...even though I dread it some days! For the kids first soccer tournament they didn't have their uniforms yet so they just all wore red shirts. Our team is a level 5 out of 5 meaning that they're on the lowest skill level. For the tournament they competed against level 3 and level 4 teams (teams above them in ranking) and won the whole championship for their age group! So cool! That was really a boost for the boys feeling like they can do it! It's been really fun to watch the games...I get so nervous for our team and especially for Gavin...as a parent you just want to see them excel and be proud of themselves. It's even more funny to watch Jason watching the games...he can't sit down...literally!...has to stand up and is way into the game :)

Gavin proud to win 1st place in the tournament.

Go Gavin Go!

Typical Saturday Afternoon

A Friend Visits from California

In July, a good friend of mine (really she's more like a sister to me!) came to visit from Califoria. It was so great to see her! She's the kind of friend where we could pick up just where we left off as if no time had passed at all...friends like that are the best! I just love her, and it was so great to see her and get to know her kids a little bit too :)

My cousin, Corinne, and her family came for dinner the second night Danelle visited so they had a chance to catch up too:)

Somehow Danelle and I ended up matchy matchy both nights! haha  Don't we look cute! 

Danelle took a picture of Jason and me...we have so few pictures together since it's usually one or the other of us behind the camera taking pictures of the kids, so I thought I'd better post this one :)

Here's a picture of all of the Danelle's kids and my kids minus Owen who was already down for the night by this point..not sure if Aidan wet his pants or if they're just wet swim shorts from playing outside...we'll just say the second one! lol

Gavin's 9th Birthday!

In July Gavin turned 9! Where has the time gone?! Seriously! He's such a sweet, funny, outgoing, energetic, friendly boy! We love our Gavin :) This year all the kids had just a family birthday party. I told them they could have friend parties next year...I think every other year is a good deal and probably about all I can handle for friend parties! lol

Here's Gavin blowing out the candles...I forgot to buy candles so had to improvise!  I know...lame! But, you'll notice that I did remember the other decorations :)

Gavin got a few video games and lego stuff...as they get older the presents they want get more expensive!  But, the kids have a lot of fun with the video games and legos.

Dirt Biking

Jason's brother, Travis, and his wife, Trudy, have dirt bikes for their whole family...so fun! My kids get so exited when we get invited to join them for a great dirt biking adventure! Connor is our craziest dare devil who could live on 4-wheelers or dirt bikes. Gavin loves it too. Aidan is happy to just take one quick turn as long as Uncle Travis doesn't let go! lol

Aidan all geared up and ready to go!

Here's Connor in the blue shirt.

Aidan (above) and Connor (below)...can't you just feel their excitement?!

Pioneer Weekend

Over Pioneer Weekend, we had a neighborhood get together...it was so fun...so chill and not stressful...most of the people there were from our Ward (Church) but not all...but it was way less stressful than planning a Ward activity...no one was technically in charge...the event was announced on facebook and on notes on doors...anyone who wanted to come was welcome to bring their own chairs and a treat to share and fireworks if they wanted...we met on a side-street by some empty lots and someone brought a blowup water slide and someone else brought a bounce house...so cool! We all had a blast!

Fireworks!

Gavin getting in on the snacks.

The water-slide and yes some young women convinced me to go down it with them!  I was the only adult to go down it until I convinced my friend Emmie to go down it with me too :)

My sweet Cheeky Monkey and me watching the fireworks.

Owen

Don't you just want to squish his little cheeks?!

Connor Broke his Wrist

This happened back in June, but I don't think I posted about it yet...After Connor's baseball game he went to play at the park and fell off the monkey bars and landed on his wrist...I took him to urgent care where the wrapped up his wrist and told me to go the hospital for an x-ray...we found out he had a fracture in his wrist...we had to wait a few days for the swelling to go down and then go back for a cast. Connor was kind of excited for the cast...to be able to pick the color and have everyone sign it, but a couple of weeks later when he was invited to go dirt-biking with his Uncle Travis (one of his favorite things in the world to do!) and had to decline because of his broken wrist, he was ready to get that cast off! lol Connor was actually our first child to break anything...after 9 years of being parents...not too bad! Here he is showing his cast.

I drew a monkey on his cast because that's his nickname...also I just realized that's how he broke his arm falling off of the monkey bars...so it definitely fits! lol

Forgot to Post about Girl's Camp!

Last year I got called to work with the Young Women at Church just after they got back from camp, so this was my first year going. I was really excited because I knew it would be a great chance to get to know the girls better...we have almost 40 girls! I'm a leader over the Beehives...the 12 & 13 year olds and we have 17 of them so I'm always kept busy with them and didn't even know some of the older girls. I was so glad to get to know all the girls and spend so much time with them...I just love them! It's been such a fun calling for me to spend time with and teach these girls and learn from them too!

Here we are on our hike to the lake...most of the girls did great...we had a few girls complain, but we also had one really awesome girl who was tired herself, but gave piggy back rides to some of the girls who were struggling...she spent most of the hike back to camp carrying someone!  Wow!  What an example of charity.

These lovely ladies...what can I say...I love them and admire them too! Two of them were recently released from their calling and I'm seriously going to miss working with them so much! They're such good examples!

Here we are in our cabin playing games...love these girls!

On Thursday, we had to do skits...the girls all divided up into groups, and the leaders were supposed to come up with our own skit. The theme of camp was B.O.O.T Camp...Building Our Own Testimonies. For some reason, we as leaders just couldn't come up with a skit! The bishop was really starting to stress...out of desperation we tried to get an internet connection and look for ideas online, and we still couldn't find anything good. Finally, about 20 min before skit time we came up with the idea of having the bishop be the drill sargeant and yell orders that we "misunderstand" while his back is turned and then line up like we're listening when he turned around. These aren't in order, but here are some of our "mistakes" as new recruits....

"Rear March!"

"Attention!"

"Fall In!"

"Attention!"

"Ten Hut!"

"Bare Arms!" and "In Step!" and "Double Time!"

"Drop and Give me Ten!"

"Fall Out!"

To end it we sang a song to the girls that one of the leaders wrote...we sang while she played the guitar...even though we were stressed until the last second with no good ideas for our skit we pulled it off, and the girls liked it! Success!

Visiting Sherri, Pat & Baby Miles :)

Last week I was able to fly to California to help Sherri and Pat with their new baby! So fun! Miles Douglas Crandley was born on June 29th...Sherri went 13 days past her due date and had a 34 hour labor! Poor girl! She also lost a lot of blood so her milk took extra long to come in which meant lots of time nursing and pumping and supplementing feedings and very little sleep for the new Mommy and Daddy! Luckily, things are going a little more smoothly now and Miles is just the perfect, sweet little baby :)

Here are a couple of pictures of my kids when I was dropped off at the airport. When I was gone a couple of weeks earlier for a week at Girl's Camp Owen took a while to warm back up to me when I got back home. It was so sad. He wouldn't look at me or let me hold him. I don't know if he was upset/confused that I hadn't been around, but it just about broke my heart. The picture here of Owen is of him smiling right after I pointed at him and said, "Don't forget me this time, okay?" lol