Summer Vacation!

We have tried to be patient for our turn for summer vacation. All of the other schools around us got out 2 weeks ago, but since we have more time off during the year, we got out later. We have been excited for our summer to start. Although, Adam keeps reminding us he would love to go to school everyday of the year. 

 Adam and Tessa wrote Thank You notes for their teachers and instructors. I love seeing their handwriting. Considering they didn't know any cursive at the beginning of the school year, they have beautiful handwriting! Both of their teachers think so too!

 Our favorite "School is Out" photo. 

This school is so amazing. When I got to school to pick them up, I found the entire student body gathered out in the parking lot. I didn't know what was going on, so I rolled down my window to see if I could hear anything. Then I heard everyone singing the National Anthem as the Principle lowered the flag. What an amazing way to end the school year. 

As Adam and Tessa got in the car, one of their teachers (Mrs. Heaton) grabbed them and gave them a hug and told them how much she loved them and was going to miss them. It was so sweet to see. Then they both hopped in the car and my sweet Adam burst into tears. These kids know and feel a difference at this place. I am so grateful they are students here. It has truly blessed our family!

Yesterday evening, we kicked off our summer with a fun party with the Riley's. We made S'mores, played games, and had fun visiting. 

 The kids love the jumping pictures! 

 We had fun trying different kinds of s'mores. 

 It's so fun for Jodi and I to watch our kids play together. We never would have thought 15 years ago, when we became friends, that we would always be so close, As friends and neighbors (practically). But I am so glad that we are!!

 Caleb just wanted to crawl all over the yard. And eat rocks. 

 Adam and Tessa had excellent grades all year long. So Daddy and I thought that deserved something special. We surprised them with a fun lunch at Brick Oven. 

 The rest of our day was spent swimming and enjoying our first official day of summer. We need to get a smaller pool for Caleb. He was dying to play in the water with the big kids. 

 They were having so much fun swimming and playing with the water guns. We had neighbor kids peeking through the fence to see where all the happy noises were coming from. 

 Thankfully, I get to stay home with these crazies all summer and have fun and make memories. We have so many fun things planned. I am afraid this summer is going to fly by and we will run out of time. But, we are going to do our best and make the most of our time together.
Welcome Summer! We have been so excited to enjoy you!

What's Been Happening....

Here's a look at what's been going on at our house lately.

Adam started Bears! He loves Cub Scouts and we are grateful he has great leaders who work hard with these boys. He looks so grown up. 

 I started babysitting on Thursday's. Since we have some girls here, we might as well invite all the neighborhood girls over to play. Gwen loves having her bff, Presley over to play. This past week they had a Princess Ball. 

 Caleb LOVES his Daddy and especially loves to snuggle with his Daddy. If it gets to be close to bedtime and Eric is holding Caleb, I always find him asleep and cozy next to his Daddy. 

 We made an early morning doughnut run before school on National Doughnut Day. The kids were ready for school and had all their chores done by 7:10am so they could get a doughnut before school. 

Caleb loves to play in the pantry! We had lots of paper plates at his level for a while and he thought they were the best toys ever.  

 Ma, Pa, and Uncle Ben came down to watch the Cultural Celebration for the Payson Temple Dedication. The next day, Adam, Daddy, and Mommy got to attend the Dedication. We are so excited and grateful for our new Temple!

 The cotton is out in full force this summer and Mommy is not feeling good with her awful allergies. 

 Caleb went from hating the bathtub, to never wanting to get out of it. He heard the girls getting in the tub last week and bolted for the bathroom and almost flipped himself in the tub before I got to him. He's such a stinker!

 Mommy and Tessa had our dear friends move away last week.

 We will miss Stephne and Camdyn a lot! 

Saying Goodbye

 It has been a sad few weeks as we have prepared to say goodbye to Mamma and Bampa as they packed up their house for their big move to Florida. We will miss this house, but we will miss Mamma and Bampa so much. It is going to take some time to get used to not having them 10 minutes away. We will miss our time with them and the kids already miss their fun house and backyard. Thankfully, we get to see Mamma and Bampa next month, but Florida feels so far away now that they are officially gone. Hopefully we will still get to see them often and thank goodness for Skype and cell phones and computers. Our kids have already made plans to have Sunday be their special day to call Mamma and Bampa. 

We love you, Mamma and Bampa. Good luck on your new adventure!

Our Day with the Dinosaurs

Saturday after our chores were done, we headed up to Thanksgiving Point to spend some time with the Dinosaurs. The night before, Eric and I broke down and let the kids watch Jurassic Park. We were worried it would be too scary, but Tessa thought it was the coolest movie ever. 

Tessa and Adam both wore their shirts from their Dino Dash to the museum. 

 Gwen was freaked out by everything. Even random noises sent her running back to us when the kids were building their own dinosaur. 

 She finally cheered up when they got to play in the sand. 

 Tessa was in her element. She sure loves her dinosaurs. 

 And then we got to the shark. Making Gwen get close to it made her scream and run for her life. That made the rest of us laugh. 

 As always, Caleb was perfect and had fun watching the other kids run around. 

 We finished our day by digging up some dinosaur bones. 

The kids are already planning our next trip back. We are lucky to have such a fun museum so close to us. I don't think Tessa is going to get sick of dinosaurs anytime soon. 

End of the Year Show What You Know

 The school year is finally coming to an end, which means end of the year programs. Both Adam and Tessa participated in their end of the year Show What You Know programs. Their classes performed several songs and poems that they memorized throughout the year. It is amazing to see what these kids have learned. I am pretty confident they are both smarter than I am.
Both Adam and Tessa were blessed with wonderful teachers this school year. Adam's teacher, Mrs. Gregson, gave Adam the Most Optimistic Award. She said she loves that he always says that he is "Great!", no matter what is going on, and that he hasn't stopped smiling the entire year. She told me that she told her husband if they ever have a boy, she hopes he is just like Adam.

Tessa's teacher, Mrs. Hernandez, has often told me throughout the year how sweet and kind Tessa is. She told us she is blown away by how smart Tess is. Mrs. Hernandez is a rock star...she had a baby 8 weeks ago and hardly missed a beat of school. Tessa has loved her as a teacher.

Switching to such an amazing school has been an amazing blessing for our family. It's been a lot of hard work and some serious commitment, but we have no regrets. We love APA!

Tessa's Solo



Last week, Adam and Tessa's school had a very special assembly for Memorial Day. 2 days before the assembly, I got an email from their choir teacher, letting me know that Tessa would be singing a solo during the assembly. Tessa hadn't said anything about this solo, so I was surprised to get this email. When I asked her about it that afternoon, she said, "Oh yeah. I auditioned and got the part." Like it was no big deal!
Eric and I were able to go and listen to her sing. All the First Graders sang, "America the Beautiful" and Tessa sang the 2nd verse. I was so nervous for her, I was shaking (hence the blurry pictures). She stood there and sang with such confidence! We were so proud of her. She will not perform for us at home, so I don't know why big crowds don't phase her. She has a beautiful little voice. She is one talented girl!