Out in the Fields

Seing as how we are doing things all out of order anyway, I thought I would include how we spent our Spring... Baseball and Track!

 For the second year in a row, Kellan decided he wanted to play spring baseball.  This year he got put on the team that he spent all of last year trying to beat.   It was a tough season with some intense coaching and some nail biter games. They played many club teams as there weren't enough league teams in their age bracket.  They ended up winning the championship for the league as well as the most wins in the season. I was able to take a lot of photos and share them with the team.  My favorite part of this baseball season was the boys.  We saw growth and improvement in every one of them.  Some had to learn how to handle being yelled at by coaches.  Some had to learn how to be team players.  One had to learn how to be tough enough to play with sunburn, bloody nose, and scrapes.  Kellan learned how to be smart on the field and take coaching to the head but not to the heart. He is now going to school with three of the kids from his team and I hope that they all try out for the school team as we had one awesome group of kids! We have also all grown in our love of the all American sport of baseball and look forward to games with much more anticipation.  Kellan is hooked on recaps and watches the major league season with great interest. "Take me out to the ballgame!"

After running cross country in the fall, Bennett decided to join the track team.  He ran the 100m, 200m, long jump, and even ran in the relay in his final meet.  He learned a lot about track events and even more about himself.  He does not quit easily.  He has more stamina than speed.  He tries his best every time.  He now knows how to run from starting blocks. He now knows that you get the best of three jumps in the long jump.  He knows how to lengthen his stride and how to be a team player in a sport that is usually all about individual placement.  He broke some PR's and had a great season while making some new friends. My favorite part is the personal discipline he learned in getting up early for practice, trying again and again even when he felt frustrated or slow.  He is in a much bigger race, and as far as I am concerned he is in the lead!

I am so proud of both of my boys and the skills they are developing.  They are learning personal discipline, the love of exercise and sports, how to be a team player, how to take coaching, how to get up and try again after less than your best and how to "get your head in the game".  So many life skills that I see in two young men who are making me proud on and off the field!

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end..."

Summer is not a period of time, but a way of life here in Arizona.  We have "summer" from March until October.  However, break is something that comes to an end and as we headed off to a new year of school we took a moment to commemorate our excitement, nervousness, silliness and growth.  Bennett has gotten so tall that it is not as hard to believe he is an 8th grader! One more year until High School and a year of challenges it will be.  He is running cross country  again as well as moving up to Geometry and the "B-Pod".  He has a great year ahead of him and I look forward to watching him grow, even more...

Kellan was a bit anxious and as always he conquered anxiety with humor.  He is now in middle school with 7 teachers, subjects, A and B days, and two best friends at the same school! Andrew Menlove decided to join us and Gavin stayed in the district after considering a move to a different school.  Kellan was just moved up to Advanced 6th Grade Math and can't wait for an awesome year with Band, PE, friends, and fun.  He thinks he'll give cross country a go as well and is hoping to try out for baseball with some friends this spring. I think he will excell with new expectations, challenges, and a whole lot of fun to be had!

Our Elenna girl is in Second Grade now.  On a great SAFARI adventure this  year.  She is thrilled to be placed in Mrs. Smith's class and can hardly wait for the challenges that lie ahead.  She is being pushed a bit by mom to try reading some more challenging books and taking her time to improve her penmanship this year.  She still sees all of her friends at lunch although she doesn't have many of them in her classroom this year.   Animals are one of her favorite things, so this year's theme is something she can really get into.  Lets go wild and learn something new!          

I can hardly believe that these three are my little ones! Let's all grow together this year! I am so excited that we are off to such a great start!

swim team

Summer here is long and hot and the pool is the ONLY way to stay cool.  The boys were both ready for a challenge in swimming and Bennett is looking to go to High School Swim Team next year, so we thought it would be a good time to start.  Due to Scout Camp, Family Vacations, and so forth they only competed in one meet, but had an awesome summer of getting up EARLY (5:45) and getting in a good swim before breakfast.  We made friends with some of our neighbors because of it too.  The best part about swim team was the coaches.  Coach Denise and Coach Brandon were/are the best you can get.  We loved their motivation, kindness and great technical support in helping our boys be better swimmers.  I can hardly wait for next season.

Summer Fun

Elenna Was Here... And so were the rest of us.
Oceanside Beach July 2013

 

 We spent two days lounging on the sand, boogie boarding in the waves, making sand sculptures, snacking, roasting marshmallows, taking photos, taking walks, taking naps, rescuing lost children, and generally adoring our time at the beach with our cousins.  We spent one day at the beach before they got there and enjoyed that too, but it was definitely a case of "the more, the merrier"!

We also spent all of one day (9am to 9:30 pm) and several hours on a second day at Sea World.  A good time was had by all at shows, rides, and touch tanks around the park.  We discovered how much we loved MANTA! The older kids rode it eight times over the two days and Elenna was very disappointed to be about a half an inch short of the limit.  She went on the gondola over the harbor with Dad and Uncle Gordon and got to ride on Atlantis multiple times. We were soaked and sunburnt, tired and happy at the end of our adventures. 

The killer whale show is always amazing and the baby stole my heart!

Berry Picking in Carlsbad made for some delicious toppings on waffles and ice cream the next few days.

We went to the Farmer's market, Sea World, Old Town San Diego, The Mormon Batallion Center, Shopping at the Company Stores, to visit the Midway, out to dinner at MiMi's and In-n-Out and so many other outings.  Some of the best times and not soon forgotten were those where no one picked up a camera or posed or rode on anything because we were sharing in songs at the piano, prayer, meals, and other wonderful moments in which we grew closer as a family.