Our Graby is officially 9

How did this happen so quick?  I remember this day 9 years ago and it seems like yesterday!  Gray is truly a blessing in our family.  He is so funny and is always making us laugh.  He is a little grumpy if he is tired and a little picky with his food.  He has the kindest heart and is the best big brother to Tag.  Our family is so lucky that Gray is in it!  We celebrated today with his favorite dinner of tacos, some presents, and then cake with blue frosting.  Happy Birthday my sweet boy!  I hope you always know how much we love you.

Last Day of School

Today is the last day of school.  I am sure that I say this every year, but this year went the fastest ever.  All of the kids had a great year!  Luke's school year ended yesterday, Harlee and Nash got out of school at 10 am, and Gray and Tag got out at 10:45am.  Harlee came down to enjoy the popsicles on the corner.  Such a fun tradition.  Here's to an amazing summer and hoping that time will slow down!

Gray's 9th Birthday Party

It is a party year for Gray so a few weeks ago we started planning.  He wanted to have his party at Airborne in Pleasant Grove.  We got the invitations out and Gray was so excited.  He ended up inviting 9 friends and 8 friends were able to make it.  It was such a great turn out.  They jumped for almost two hours and then had pizza, cupcakes, and presents.  Gray was spoiled by his friends and they all had a great time!  I am so happy that Gray has such amazing friends and that he was celebrated today.

Harlee's 6th grade graduation

Today I was fortunate to attend a little graduation ceremony for Harlee.  There are 5 six graders in her class but one was not there.  So the four graduates were honored.  The class had made videos for these graduates answering questions about them: If Harlee was a color what color would she be?  What will Harlee be when she grows up?  What have you learned from Harlee?  It was so amazing and brought tears to my eyes to hear how highly her classmates spoke of her.  They spoke of her quality of leadership, her laughter, her kindness, and her desire to help others.  They were then given a succulent plant from Miss Jaylene.  It was such a special little ceremony and I am so thankful for the opportunity Harlee thrive at Ignite this year.

It's Tradition!

Well they had Monday off of school so of course we needed to head to Chubby's for lunch.  Everyone was excited except for Gray since he does not love their hamburgers.  We talked him into trying the chicken nuggets and he was a happy guy!  I love these little traditions and I love all of the time that we get to spend time as a family enjoying amazing beer battered fries!  Doesn't get much better.  Love these peeps!

Sunday afternoon in the mountains

We really wanted to hike on Memorial Day but the weather is supposed to be crummy.  We decided to go today.  We went up to American Fork Canyon and we hiked around Silver Lake.  The weather was perfect for the first part because it wasn't too hot.  On our way back it began to rain but it did not break our spirits.  We still had so much fun enjoying the beautiful scenery and spending time together as a family.

See you in two!

Today we were so lucky to be able to attend Carson's farewell.  He is going to serve the people of Washington for the next two years.  He gave an amazing talk and spoke about focusing on the light.  I cannot believe how grown up he is!  When Joey and I met he was the baby with a pacifier in his mouth.  How is he old enough to go on a mission?  The Washington people are so lucky to have Carson ministering to them the truth.  He is such a great example to all of us.

Date with Har

It is May which means it is Har's turn for her date with Joey and I.  We started the date by going to Color Me Mine to paint.  Harlee and I chose to paint a cereal bowl and Joey painted a pencil holder.  We had so much fun painting and chatting.  After painting we went to Olive Garden for lunch.  This was Harlee's choice and I was not disappointed.  We ate way to much pasta and breadsticks while we talked about everything including her upcoming trip to girl's camp.  I love this special one on one time.  Harlee is seriously the best daughter and I am so lucky that Heavenly Father sent me His best.

The art of running

For a while now Har has been talking about wanting to run.  I told her that I could teach her how to run.  So we decided to start today.  We would run one minute and walk four.  We did this for an hour.  So excited to do this together all summer.  Love spending time with my favorite girl. 

Pet Day

Today Nash's teacher said that they could bring their pet to school.  We signed up for a time and we were supposed to come for 15 minutes.  The ride to the school was eventful with Ike whimpering and shaking.  I knew that this might not a perfect visit.  We made it to the classroom and Ike was terrified.  I ended up sitting in the middle of the circle and each of the kids took a turn coming up and petting him.  Ike could not have gotten out of their fast enough.  You would think with the chaos he is surrounded by daily, this would have been no big deal.  Maybe next time he will relax and show off his tricks. 

Traverse Mountain Dance Festival

Today was the Traverse Mountain Dance Festival.  The weather has been so wet lately that they decided to hold it in the gym.  They had the A Track perform at 8am which was perfect.  I loved that the groups were smaller.  I was lucky to get a front row seat on the stage which just happened to be the ideal spot for the ways that Gray and Tag faced.  Tag perform second to last.  His dance was to "Try Everything".  I was a little nervous as Tag came in with his fingers in his ears but the nerves were quickly calmed when the music started.  Tag did amazing!  He knew every step.  I may have had tears in my eyes as I watched him perform.  I cannot believe how wonderful he is doing in mainstream school.  I am so proud of him.  Gray was the last number to perform.  The 3rd graders performed to "Faith" from the movie Sing.   Gray was towards the front and did such a great job!  That kid has rhythm.  He knew every step and I loved the embarrassed smile on his face.  I am so proud of these cute boys.  I am so grateful that they have had each other at Traverse this year.

Harlee's Dance Recital

Tonight was Harlee's dance recital and she did an amazing job!  I LOVE watching her dance.  She performed her hip hop dance Bills, her jazz dance Queen, and her lyrical dance to I Hope You Dance.  She is truly a beautiful dancer and I love these moments when I get to watch her perform.  Darolyne came to cheer her on and Joey was able to get there right as it was starting.  What a perfect little cheering squad for our favorite dancer.

Game Night

Last night Joey and I were watching the American Idol finale and Joey told me that I needed to go take a picture in the dining room.  I walked to the dining room and saw Harlee, Nash, Gray, and Tag all playing Monopoly together.  They were laughing and having the funnest time together.  So cute!  I love that all of these kiddos are so close in age and have so much together.  Nothing better than getting to live with some of your closest friends.

Dance Competition

Today Harlee had her dance competition at Timpanogas High School  I was so excited to get to go and watch her perform.  Mimi came also to cheer her on! She performed two hip hop dances: Bills and Imma Be.  Then after an hour break she competed her two jazz dances: Queen and I Hope You Dance.  I loved watching all of the dances but I have to say that I teared up a little as I watched her do the lyrical dance.  She is a beautiful dancer and a beautiful girl.  If only she could stop growing up!  She ended up getting 2nd place for Bills and 4th overall.  She was awarded 1st place for Imma Be, 1st place for Queen, and 3rd place for I Hope You Dance.  Amazing!  Another great competition for the books.

Traverse Mountain Fun Run/5K

This morning we had the Traverse Mountain Fun Run/5K.  I was going to go and run the short course with Tag and then Gray was going to run the 5K with his friends.  I got into Tag's classroom and he was jumping up and down, so excited to see me!  Love this boy.  We walked to the course and got going.  Tag pretty much ran the whole thing!  I kept asking him if he wanted to walk since his mom might have been ready for a break.  He agreed to walk for a minute if we could tell funny stories!  So cute!  We made it back in under 30 minutes and Tag was rewarded with a popsicle.  We then waited for Gray to come in and Tag high fived everyone as they approached the finish line.  Gray came in a lot sooner than I thought he would.  He finished in about 39 minutes.  Such a champion.  I was so proud of both of them and so grateful I could spend this time with them doing hard things.

Goodbye Snaggletooth

For the last few weeks Tag's front tooth has been hanging a little lower than his other teeth.  I didn't think it would hang on as long as it did but it finally came out today.  He was so excited for the tooth fairy visit and I was excited about the new cute little lisp he has.  Can't believe my baby is growing up!

Mother's Day

Seriously what a perfect day! I was showered with love and I felt so special.  I woke up to delicious breakfast of French Toast, bacon, and cinnamon rolls.  After eating the deliciousness I was given way too many gifts.  I loved all of the clothes, treats, and money but my favorite gifts were the cards.  I teared up as I read their sweet words.  We then all got ready and headed to church.  After church I got to relax and take a nap.  Then we enjoyed a delicious dinner Joey made.  We had fajitas, homemade rice, and beans.  He bought the favorite Oreo Trifle for dessert.  So yummy!  I am so grateful for the five blessings that call me Mom.  I learn so much from them each day and I love them so much.