Spring Sports

 Spring sports are in full swing, Saturday we had a full day of soccer and baseball.

 Not sure what we will do when Zoe decides she wants to do what her big bro and sis do!

She already plays baseball with Sage and says she wants to do soccer and be on team tumbling (heaven help me)

 Despite her size (not surprisingly, she is really small) she is a great little player!

 Two long games on Saturday...

 Two tough losses.

At least he is learning how to lose (and he is such a cute little dude).

A few more weeks of crazy and then at least school is out...

why must everything be in May, piano recitals,

dance competitions and revues, sports, lots of school events.

Summer can't come soon enough for me!

Easter in sunny St. George

We headed south for Spring Break, Easter Weekend...it was busy Sage had his first baseball tournament down there but the weather was beautiful and we had a great time!

We took Sophie with us, here she is before her hair cut...poor thing probably couldn't see much! 

Here is Sophie after...just in time for St. George!

The girls partied it up and played, dyed easter eggs and generally did their best to avoid baseball.

 Lucky for us the Easter Bunny found us...Zoe's bed head is amazing and looks like this most mornings!

 Sage had to share the eggs on the hunt with his sisters!

 We went on a hike in Snow Canyon on Easter, it was lovely!

St. George never disappoints...we love it!

Gracie Girl is 8

Grace turned eight in March!

It's great to be eight and she is such a great little girl.

She still loves to play with friends...

She is the best big sister to Zoe, they love to play school.

She is the smartest and most motivated little girl, she loves to write books and read to Zoe.

(Now if only we could get Grace and Sage to get along)!

She is busy, but it hasn't worn her down at all...

Team Tumbling

Dance

Piano

Soccer

Loves it all and is good at whatever she is doing!

Grace makes me want to be a better person, she is my inspiration.

I love you to the moon and back, my sweet Gracie Girl!

Take me out to the Ball Game

About the same time Grace started team tumbling, Sage started comp baseball...which is a whole new ball game compared to what we have done in the past.

 They have been practicing indoors since January

 Right off the bat (loving the puns ha ha), they had a tournament in St. George over Easter weekend. Thank goodness it was warm because the games here are freezing!

 Sage is, of course loving it, practices one night a week with double headers twice a week plus a few tournaments thrown in...that's a whole lot of baseball!

 He is learning a ton, catching, pitching, playing outfield, second and learning to hit, steal bases and I guess everything there is to learn at this age.

 I love living where we live but when we add 20-30 mins just to get to everything...

Let's just say I am trying to figure out how to do great things in my car!

Life is crazy around here, why must everything happen in the spring...soccer, baseball, tumbling, dance and piano recitals, school events!

I can hardly wait for summer!

Tumble Girl

We took a big step in January...

Gracie started team tumbling, right in the middle of competition season, way before her momma was ready for it!

She has been tumbling in rec classes for a long time and she has always told me she is not interested in team tumbling. I asked her just after Christmas if it might be something she wants to do in a few years, knowing that there is often a long waiting list at her gym for team.

I made the mistake of asking about it with Grace standing there and the answer was...well we have some spots right now, she could start tomorrow!

Of course Grace was ready and willing, I had a slight meltdown that evening trying to figure out how to fit in two nights a week for an hour and an half.

For an 8 year old she is already busy with soccer, dance, piano and tumbling...there are only so many hours in the day after school and I do have two other kids, one of which is equally busy!

On the way to her first meet, she was so nervous...I was shaking like a leaf waiting for her turn, JJ had to hold the camera.

She tumbled like a pro, I had no need to be nervous, she took second on floor!

She loves it and amazes me every week with what she can do.

We went to four meets over the last few months...she placed really well in all of them.

She was born to do this...

Now I just have to figure out how to keep up!

Dominican Republic

JJ and I went to the Dominican Republic in February with friends...no kids attached!

It was beautiful, amazing, so much fun to spend a week with great people.

We hiked, rode four wheelers, enjoyed the beaches, ate a lot, laughed even more, feared for our lives and had an absolutely amazing week!

We all fell in love with the swing at our house, I want JJ to build one for our pergola...it is on the schedule this summer. 

Look at my hot hubby...loved spending a week with him!

And you can't beat this...we got to this private beach by boat after attempting to whale watch but mostly getting beat up in the waves and fearing for our lives (seriously).

Our boat captain (a crazy, young Dominican) climbed the trees and broke open fresh coconuts for us.

I am smiling because we survived making it to the island...apparently I didn't realize we had to go back! I would have paid good money not to have to get back on that boat! 

Saying goodbye on our way to the airport...until next time.

  

I can never get enough of the sand, sun and ocean!

Thanks to our parents for shuttling our munchkins around and taking care of them, we never have to worry about them and that makes going on vacation all worth it!

Papa Lester

Papa Lester turns 90...

We had a big party for my grandpa Lester, he turned 90 in January...

He is amazing...still has the house my dad and his brothers grew up in

He still has a beautiful yard and very bountiful garden...his key he says is to keep moving and ALWAYS be positive.

Here is Grandpa with all of his great grandchildren (minus a few).

It is not very often that we are all together all dressed up!

Winter

 It has been a long, cold winter...because I am so behind posting this it is mid-April and I am freezing!

 Anyway, we enjoyed our new puppy, some skiing, and some sledding despite having a pretty crappy snow year! Can't wait to see the sun.

Sophie

Introducing...

Sophie Sugarplum Fairy

She was sitting next to a box (she would not sit still in it)! When we went downstairs, the kids were all VERY quiet at first I think they were all in shock and did not believe she was real!

She was instantly loved by everyone!

Santa had a very hard time waiting for her to come...she was picked out long before she came to live at our house!

It was worth the wait seeing Sage, Grace and Zoe meet our new puppy Christmas morning...so magical!