Cornbelly's Passes Round 3

It's that time of year again!  Time to break out the Cornbelly's passes.  It is so nice that the kids are all out of school earlier this year so we were able to get there earlier than normal.  We got there around 3pm and the fun began!  We started with the sack slide and then over to the blob.  Poor Tag was a little bummed because he is not quite tall enough to get to go on the big side so we went to the new area with a fun dress up castle.  The rest of the time there was spent on the slides, the new rides, walking though the scary area and then enjoying some cold beverages.  Minus the fact that Gray and I got a little sick on the Barn Swing it was an amazing time.  Cannot wait to spend many more hours at Cornbellys this season!

Student of the Week

Tuesday morning as Gray was leaving for school he let me know that he was Student of the Week.  He told me that he was supposed to have a poster yesterday!  Love these fun surprises!  We got the poster done and then on Thursday morning he reminded me that I needed to come and read to his class on Friday and I needed to bring them some treats.  We got some push pops and Gray chose a book.  He wanted me to read "There is a bird on your head".  I got to his school at 12:30pm on Friday and I got to read to all of his classmates.  They all loved Gray's choice!  What a fun experience to come and spend a little time with Gray!  Happy Student of the Week!

My baby has one less tooth

When Tag came home from school he told me that he had a wiggly tooth!  He was so excited!  It only took about 5 hours and that little wiggler was out!  He came in my room to show me and he was so proud.  He put his tooth in a baggy and put it under his pillow.  He was so excited for the tooth fairy to come that he could not fall asleep.  He must have finally fell asleep because she was able to grab the tooth and leave him two dollars.  He could not wait to show everyone what was under his pillow when he woke up this morning!  I seriously cannot believe he is old enough to lose his teeth.  My baby is growing up!

Homecoming Sunday

This morning we were blessed to go and listen to Brennan's homecoming talk.  He was so poised and calm-I can't believe how much he has grown over his mission.  He spoke about the importance of making time for Heavenly Father.  He challenged us to study the Book of Mormon and reminded us that any answer to any problem can be found in that book.  He spoke of loving everyone as the Savior and Heavenly Father love them.  He shared a few experiences from his mission.  My favorite was of a time when they went to teach this young man.  They were going through the discussion when all of the sudden his companion got hit in the face with a flip flop.  The young man mentioned that his mom was not happy with him taking the discussions.  As they left Brennan mentioned to his companion that he did not think they should go back but his companion felt differently.  Thankfully he listened to his companion and they went back.  Three of the boys were baptized as well as the mom.  What amazing experiences he got to have.  I pray that my children will want to serve missions and grow to love the people they are asked to serve.  What a special day!

Bren is HOME!!

 

 

 

 

This morning Elder Lovelace returned from his mission in Asuncion Paraguay!  He served an amazing mission and is such an example to all of us.  Tara flew in about 30 minutes before him and it was so fun to see her also.  It was so fun to watch Bren come down the escalator.  I got a little choked up thinking it will not be too long before my kids are walking down after their missions.  So proud of Bren- two great years served!

First Grade Field Trip

Today Tag had his first field trip of first grade.  They went to the mountains in Provo Canyon to spend the day exploring.  He was so excited to go!  I was a little nervous that he would be too tired since Joey got up to go the bathroom at 1am and Tag was still awake watching tv in his room!  I encouraged him to be happy and to have fun.  Thankfully it sounds like he did.  When he got home the first thing he said was "Mom I missed you so much but I got to see Smoky the Bear!"  So cute!  I am so grateful that he gets to have these experiences. 

Harlee's Project

A few years ago we got a bench for free.  It was pretty ugly but Harlee had a vision.  She asked many times if we could work on the bench and life was just too busy.  Last Sunday we stayed home due to sickness so in the afternoon Joey went out to organize the garage and Harlee went to work on the bench.  The next day we went to Hobby Lobby and she chose some fabric that would match her room.  She painted the bench white and we recovered the cushion.  It turned out so cute!  I am so proud of her!  She worked so hard and completed this new piece on her own!  It is beautiful!  It looks brand new and will make a perfect addition to her bedroom.

Everything to the Fullest

Since today was September 11th, Gray and Tag were told to wear red, white, and blue.  Whenever you give Tag an assignment he goes full out in the most literal way!  He ran down and told me he found the perfect shirt that had all of the colors!  WOW!  Then he balanced the blue shirt with the red shorts and blue tennis shoes.  So cute!  I love this picture of these best buddies.   I can never say enough how grateful I am that Gray made the selfless decision to go to Traverse Mountain with Tag.  It has made the new school exciting instead of scary for Tag.  Gray is so good to watch out for Tag and make sure he is safe.  My heart bursts every time I think about it.  I cannot believe we are here!  Tag is thriving in mainstream school and I am so happy for him.

Another great night at Red Butte

After a crazy weekend of running and recovery we earned ourselves another night out!  We were so excited to go to Red Butte for the OAR and Matt Nathanson concert with some of our favorite people-Justyna and Landon.  I have to admit that after Brandi concert, the entertainment was a bit of a let down but the company did not disappoint!  And honestly to just have time to escape from reality and snuggle with Joey in the beautiful scenery is amazing!  I love that we do this every year and I cannot wait to plan our two concerts for next year! PS- this might be my favorite picture of Joey.  He is actually smiling!  Love him!

Best Sister Award

Joey and I spent a lot of time in bed today recovering from the race.  Luke and Nash went to open gym and Gray was playing with a friend.  Harlee decided to spend some time with Tag.  She got out the Pie Face game and they had the best time.  She even let Tag cover her face in whipped cream.  She is seriously so good to him.  She loves him and always includes him in the fun.  I am so grateful for their relationship and the blessing that they are to each other.

We Earned the Mug

Today Joey and I completed the Big Cottonwood Half for the fifth time.  This year was by far the hardest race we have ever done.  Life has been so crazy with busy work and taking care of five kids so training was definitely on the back burner.  We did most of our training on the treadmill and did not do any long runs together.  So sad!  To top it off, Joey and I were fighting awful colds.  I was feeling better but Joey was still so sick.  Last night we were talking in his closet and I thought he was for sure going to tell me we shouldn't do it.  But Joey is not a quitter, definitely an attribute I have learned from him.  So we got up at 4am and made our way to the race.  The first 9 miles were beautiful and we were running well for not training.  I kept checking in with Joey and he wanted to keep running.  The last four miles were a little rough.  Joey was feeling so dizzy and his legs were cramping.  I did not know if we were going to make it but we held hands as we walked closer to the finish line.  When we got to where we could see the end, we ran across the finish line.  We finished in 2:30 which is the slowest we have ever run this race.  But regardless of the time, I have never been more proud of Joey.  He is such a trooper.  He never quits even when it is hard.  His commitment and dedication are so admirable.  I love him so much and I am so grateful that we can accomplish hard things together.  It might be really tough for me to talk him into doing this race again next year....