this boy can flip

When it comes to tumbling and flipping, Mary is usually the topic, and rightly so.  She is an amazing tumbler and has worked very hard to become such.

There is another tumbler in our family though, that has quietly honed in on his own skills, and is very gifted!

Sam has taught himself, a front flip on the ground, a standing back flip on the ground, a double front flip into a pit, and just today, he got his back full twist on the trampoline!!!  It took me 5 years of serious gymnastics training to be able to do that.   Sam has had no official training, and he just started trying it this week! 

The amazing thing about it all, is that Sam has had no coaching or classes.  It is all self taught.  Mary has helped him a lot along the way, and he spends hours out on her gymnastics mat or on the trampoline, but the fact is, he is pretty darn gifted!

There is a gym opening here soon with a class called "Big Air."  It is for boys that want to learn how to do flips and tricks for snow skiing, snow boarding, skateboarding, or just to flip.  Sam really wants to take the class, and I can't wait for him to do it.  He is so good already!

Sam has a lot of talent in that body of his.  He is less aggressive and serious as some of our other kids, so it can get overlooked at times, but when Sam really goes for something and puts his heart into it, he is pretty darn amazing!

Way to go Sammy!!

back full twist

im a gym spectical

I had quite the interesting week at the gym this past week.

On Monday, I decided to try out a new water bottle.  It has a straw built into it, and a spout that flips up.  Half way through my run, I was tiring out, so I decided to mix up some zip fizz in my water bottle.  I went over to the drinking fountain, poured in my zip fizz, added water, shook it all up, and placed in in the cup holder on my treadmill.

I ran another mile, and then decided to get a drink.  I waited that mile, because zip fizz is very fizzy...hence the name.  I wanted to give it time to die down a little, so it wouldn't be so bubbly in my stomach.

I stopped running, grabbed my water bottle, tilted my head back, opened my mouth, and flipped the spout open.

It was basically like a massive geyser of zip fizz went off.  I guess you could describe it as shaking up a can of soda and the opening it...times 10.  Zip Fizz came spraying out of the spout so fast and so hard that I shrieked.  It was spraying all over my face, my hair and my clothes, and it wouldn't stop spraying.  I didn't know what to do, so I turned the water bottle away from me, and it continued to spray all over the treadmill and the girl next to me.  She started screaming, so I ran my water bottle...still spraying everywhere, over to the garbage and let it continue spraying in there.

Pretty much everyone in that area of the gym was completely undone, they were laughing so hard.  It was a sight to behold.  I was drenched, and literally dripping zipfizz off my face and hair, the treadmill was dripping, there was a trail of zipfizz leading to the drinking fountain, and my ENTIRE water bottle had emptied out everywhere.  Somehow the straw, the spout and the fizz acted like a syphon.  It was unreal.

I have been going to this gym for 5 years now, so most of the people there are good friends of mine.  Luckily, I was not embarrassed, but it was unbelievable!  A couple of my friends were laughing so hard that they could not even talk.   Pretty much everyone there that morning was laughing or kindly teasing me about it the rest of the time I was there.  It didn't help that my shoes were squeaking on the treadmill the rest of my run, because they were sticky and the tread was sticky and damp. I joined right in the laughter.  I can't imagine what that must have looked like.  It would have been hilarious!

I spent the next little while washing my face and hair, drying out my clothes, and cleaning off the treadmill.  The entire time, I was laughing along with everyone else.  A lot of people offered to help clean the mess. 

Oh man...it was pretty epic.


During all of the mayhem, I didn't think to take a picture.  I finally thought about it once the mess was pretty much all cleaned up.  The only thing left to clean was part of the tread on the treadmill.  This is probably 1/10 of the mess I made.

On Saturday, 5 days after the zip fizz incident, I went in to do cryotherapy after my workout.  The gym was pretty busy, and again, a lot of my friends were there.  I was done with the cryo "freeze" part, and I was lying back in the chair with the "boots" on.  I have posted a picture of them on here before.  They are black boots that zip up from my toes to my hips.  They hook to a machine that forces them to massage my legs by filling with air and squeezing them in different spots.  I LOVE the boots.  They are like a deep massage that works out all of the lactic acid and fatigue in my legs.  I am usually in them for about 25 minutes.

There was a guy next to me, also in the boots.  He had headphones on, and was completely relaxed, eyes closed, enjoying the massage.  There was also a person in the cryo tank on the other side of the wall from where I was.  Aside from us three, the two people that work there were also in the room.

The cryo room is in the gym.  It is just separated by a glass door and a wall. 

I was all settled in the boots, getting relaxed and closing my eyes, when BAM!!!!  It seriously sounded like a bomb went off, and my right leg immediately felt cold and free.  The noise was so loud that the guy snoozing next to me flew out of his chair, boots and all.  The two workers ducked and frantically looked around, the guy in the cryo tank yelled, (poor guy was naked, freezing and helpless) and people out in the gym either duked, yelled, or looked over to where I was.

Yup, it was me again.  Right in the middle of it all.  The boot on my right let, had just blown up...literally!  It blew off my leg and into the wall next to me.  The material of the boot is very, very heavy and strong, so the force to blow that up had to be incredible.  I had no idea what had just happened, but I was scared to death to look at my leg.  I thought that maybe it had blown off, but I felt no pain at all.  I finally glanced down, and my leg was still there and perfectly fine.  Once I realized I was ok, I just began laughing.  People were completely freaked out.  It truly sounded like a bomb went of in the gym.  The employees at the cryotherapy, who are also my friends, were horrified that I had been seriously injured, but I assured them that I was fine.  People were running into the room asking what happened...and there I sat.  One boot on, the other boot across the room.  I just waved.  Yup, it's me again.

This one took a little longer for people to laugh about, but once they did, it didn't stop.  It was too scary at first, but once we all figured out that everything was ok, and we started re-living everyone's reactions, it was hilarious!

I guess in all of my time at the gym, things are bound to happen.  Apparently, this was my week.

go lukie go

Luke's first soccer game was last Saturday.  He shocked us a little with his natural talent and his speed.  I wasn't sure if it was just a good game for him, if he was just excited, or if it would stick.

On Tuesday, he scored his first goal!  The game was another 3 on 2, with Luke's team having 2 players.  Luke stole the ball countless times, dribbled it down, and took a shot at the goal.  He had a hard time slowing down and aiming correctly for most of the game.  When he finally did, he got his fist goal, and it clicked!!  He was sooooo excited!!!  He ran hard the entire game, and showed some great skill and speed. 

We have always told our kids that they could earn $5 for every goal they score.  The older three kids scored maybe once or twice a season.  I did not tell Luke about this reward, but right after he scored his first goal, he came running over to me, beaming, and asked for $5.  haha!  He remembered that from last season when William played. 

Luke decided to save his $5, and see if he could score another goal on Saturday.  That would give him enough money to buy this minion that he has been wanting for months.  He literally counted down the days to his next game.  I was worried that he might not score a goal, and that he would be so sad.

Well, Saturday came, and Luke played his little heart out!!  He sprinted up and down the field.  He stole the ball, defended his goal, dribbled the ball, and just played so hard.  He scored 3 goals!!!  After he scored his first goal, he threw his hands in the air, squeezed his little eyes shut and cheered.  He was SO excited.  After his other two goals, he would flip, jump around, and cheer.  He would soak it all in.  It was adorable!! 

After this game, I realized that this could be a very expensive season if he keeps this up!  I decided to try to have him pick something out that he really wants, and then we will tell him how many goals it will take to earn it. 

His next item is a Lego set.  He already has 2 goals from his last game that we did not pay him for, and he needs to make two more goals to get the lego set.  We will see.....

Luke is a very good soccer player.  I'm not sure where he got it from, but he shows some natural talent aside from being very, very fast.  He has a little bit of foot work, he is aggressive, and he can dribble really well for his age.  He also seems to really love the sport.

It is so much fun to watch him play.  He works so hard, but it is obvious that he is having fun. 

I love it when my kids find something that they enjoy so much.

Luke LOVES his minion "Bob."  He takes him everywhere and sleeps with him.  It was a hard earned toy!

Go Lukie Go!!!

arrow of light

Thursday was a very special pack meeting for Sam.  He passed off his weblo and he also earned his Arrow of Light.  He graduated to Boy Scouts.  Sam has been really blessed with some great scout leaders since he has been in the Boy Scout Program.  Having good leaders makes a huge difference.  Sam also has a lot of boys his age, in scouts, so they have a lot of fun and really enjoy it.  I have definitely helped him along the way, and made sure he in on pace to earn what he needs to, but most of the time, he works on his belt loops or badges willingly and with a good attitude. 

 

They let me draw all of the symbols on Sam's face while they explained the meaning of each one.  Since he earned his weblo, and his arrow of light, he had symbols ALL over his face!

 

putting the pins on me.  Molly refused to stay in her seat, and Ben wasn't there, so she got to join in on the action.

Sam walking across the bridge from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts and receiving his new bandana.

adding his name to the names of others who graduated on to Boy Scouts.

His arrow of light

I am so proud of Sam and the young man he is becoming.  I love the scout program, and all that it has taught him.  I am glad that he recognizes the special program that it is, and that he is pushing forward in it.

a spring saturday

Spring and fall are NUTS, but also really fun.  This Saturday was kind of our kick off to our busy spring season. 

I got to the gym for a workout at 7:00.

I rushed home, and we all went to support Molly and Luke for their first soccer games of the season.  It was Molly's first game ever.

Molly's team was so cute!  They had no idea what boundaries were, so they would kick the ball out of bounds, and then just keep on going.  It was hilarious!!

That is Molly kicking the ball about 20 feet outside of the field.  (the white line and the orange cone) ha!

Molly's coach was great with the little kiddos, and he did his best to explain to them how to do things.  At the end of one of his explanations, Molly rose her hand an announced that it was her Birthday.  Her Birthday is in September....it is April.  :) She is hilarious.  Oh Molly.

She did a great job running around and trying to kick the ball.  The more she learns the game, the better she will get.  It is so cute and fun to watch this age though.

This is Molly's coach teaching her how to throw the ball in.

And this would be Molly setting the ball down and kicking it instead.  hahaha!

Luke's game was going on at the exact same time as Molly's.  Ben and I and the other kids just took turns watching each game.  Their fields were right next to each other, so that helped.

Luke did amazing!!  Two of the kids on his team didn't feel like playing, so it was 2 on 3.  Luke's team was the one with just two players. 

Luke ran and ran and ran....and he is FAST!  Luke is very fast.

Luke is very athletic, and he ended up being a great defender.  He could kind of read where the ball was heading and think ahead.  He is still young in the sport and has tons to learn, but he is already a smart player, and his speed is amazing! 

Huge kick in.  Go Luke!

Luke smiled through the whole game, even though he was really tired by the end.  He had a great time.  He got two shots on the goal, but they both just missed.  He wants to get a goal so badly, I hope it happens for him this season.  He is such a cute little guy out there, but he has some serious skill!

After Luke and Molly's games, we all rushed home, and tried to deep the clean the house for about an hour...then it was off to Mary's cheer competition in Salt Lake at the Salt Palace.

Mary is the middle flyer

Mary is second one over from the left.

Mary, Alina, Hadley

Mary and I spent the rest of the day at her competition.  Her team did well, but they just aren't quite as competitive as the other teams in their group.  They did a great routine, with just one mistake, but it cost them unfortunately.  It was Mary's last competition with this gym and with this team.  She had a fun time doing this with her friends, and learning a lot about the sport.  She is really excited to try out at another gym in a couple weeks though.  Her best friend will be trying out with her, so she will know someone. 
This gym is phenomenal and has incredible athletes!  Their teams are highly competitive and very, very good. They already know Mary is coming and they said that they are excited have her.
I can't wait to watch Mary grow and progress in the sport, which I know will happen at this new gym.

While Mary and I were at her competition, Ben took the other kids over to Sam's soccer game.  Luckily, his game was here in Heber this weekend.  Ben said that Sam did great, but his poor team just got slaughtered.  Dang.  As long as Sam is progressing and happy, that is all that matters though.

After we all got home, I finished cleaning the house, and we all just kind of crashed.  Big day!!!

Molly drew this picture last night.  I had to document it, because of her amazing detail for being only 3 years old.  She loves to draw, and she is actually really good at it!


The person on the left is Ben...complete with eyebrows and a clef in his chin.  The one on the right is Molly, complete with a ponytail.  They are fishing.  They are also mad, because Ben isn't sharing the fishing pole.  haha!

So, there you have it.  Welcome Spring...and all of craziness that comes with it!

spring break 2018

This year for spring break, we decided to go on a trip.  Normally, we stay home, spring clean 1/2 the day, and then do something fun the other half of the day.  This year though, we were itching to do something bigger, and fun, at a new place.

Ben and I decided to plan a trip to San Diego.  Best decision ever!  We had so much fun.  I am so glad we decided to make this trip.

We left Tuesday morning, and drove ALL day.  I had been pretty sick the past few days, and as we drove, I was feeling worse by the hour.  The kids did fantastic in the car.  It was so great to have them all old enough to not have to worry about bottles, diapers and inconsolable babies crying.  It was a long drive, and they did so well.  It made me realize that bigger trips are becoming more and more doable.  That is a great feeling.

We got to the hotel pretty late, so we just crashed.  I was feeling terrible, like really, really terrible.

The next morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and headed to LEGOLAND.  I ended up dropping Ben and the kids off at LEGOLAND, and I went to the instacare that was conveniently across the street.  I was extremely sad to miss seeing the younger boys experience LEGOLAND.  It was something that Luke had been looking forward to so much, that he was sleeping with the LEGOLAND magazine under his pillow each night.  I wanted to badly to experience that with him, but I was very sick, and I knew that if I was going to be able to play with my family and have energy to keep up the rest of the week, I had to get some meds.  It's a good thing I did too.  I ended up testing positive for Influenza B.  Along with that I had a terrible sinus infection, bronchitis, and an ear infection.  Yes, I was very sick.  The doctor was awesome, and he knew that I was on a trip with my family, so he seriously hooked me up with the most powerful medications he could give me while keeping me conscious. haha!

This was my cocktail for the week.

 

After my doctor appointment, I went to the Costco next door and grabbed a pizza and snacks for my family, and then I picked them up from LEGOLAND.  Luke absolutely loved it, and told me that he wants to live there.  The other kids had a great time too.  It was really busy, because it was Spring Break in California, so 1/2 a day was plenty of time for my family to get a good look around, do a ride, and then be ready to move on to the next adventure. Unfortunately, no pictures were taken.  Actually, LOTS of pictures were taken, but none with any of my family members in them.  haha!  Mary and Sam took pictures of the scenery.  Oh well, at least they had a good time.

Everyone at pizza, and I took my meds on our way to the zoo.  By the time we got to the zoo, I was already perking up, and the kids were fed and ready for the next outing.
The San Diego Zoo was awesome!  We took a tour of the zoo on a bus first, so we could see everything.  The zoo is huge, so we wanted to get an idea of what they had, before we walked ourselves to death trying to get to everything.  The bus had seats on top, and the kids thought it was so cool to ride up on top.

After the bus ride, we went around and saw all of the kids favorite animals.  Molly has been wanting to see giraffes for a really long time.  It is her favorite animal.  She was so excited to finally see them!!  She talked to them, waved to them, and was so sad when it was time to go.  It was adorable!

Sam got to see all of the reptiles his heart desired, William got to see the tiger and the lion, Luke got to see the elephants, Mary was happy to see all of it, and I got to see the hippo!  I love hippos!  I think it ended up being one of Ben's favorites too.  We see so many more animals too.  It was such a great zoo.  We stayed all the way until closing time.  The weather was perfect too.  Not too hot, and not too cold. 

After the zoo, we headed back to the hotel.  The kids swam, and munched on some junk food that is a hotel must have, :), I took a serious dose of cough syrup with a narcotic in it, and we all had a fun time hanging out at the hotel.  It ended up being such a fun day.  The kids did really well too.  They walked and walked and walked.  Molly and Luke were rockstars and worked their little legs all day long.  It was so fun to hang out with my crew all day and have fun together.

The next morning we got up, ate, Ben and I worked out a little, (Yup, I made it to the gym after 5 days off from being so sick), and then we headed off to Knotts Berry Farm.  The drive was really long, and there was traffic, which was a bummer.  We had planned to spend the whole day there.  My family loves rollercoasters, and the place is huge, so we figured we could easily make a day of it.

The place was PACKED!  It seemed like everyone in California was there.  There were lines for everything, and the lines were ridiculously long.  We decided to divide and conquer.  Ben took Mary and Sam to the bigger rides, and I took the three little ones to the kid area.  We both ended up spending the next 90 minutes waiting in line for one ride.  It was terrible.  I waited in line for 45 minutes just to get the kids pretzels with cheese and a drink.  We waited in line for bathrooms.  We waited in lines for tickets.  We waited, and waited and waited.  The one ride I took the three kids on, they absolutely loved!  Molly and Luke laughed and laughed and laughed.  William liked it too, but he was ready for a bigger ride.  Mary and Sam did one ride as well.  After the rides, we met back up as a family, and decided to leave.  It would be another 2 hours waiting to do another ride, and the place was chaotic, loud, crazy and frustrating.  We were so bummed to have used up the 2nd day of our pass, driven so far and waited so long, but it just wasn't worth it.  It was discouraging, but we made the best of it.  We went back to the hotel and the kids had a great time swimming, watching shows, and we just hung out.  We were all exhausted anyway.

The next day we headed to Coronado Island to the beach.  It was amazing!  The Island, the beach, the views, the adorable houses, the cute shops, the whole thing.  It was the coolest beach town and beach I have ever been to.

We bought boogie boards, bought chicken and snacks, and parked ourselves on the beach.  The kids played and played and played.  Mary, Sam and William boogie boarded non stop.  Luke played in the water and dug around in the sand, and Molly did a little of everything.  It was perfect weather, and I just laid there on the beach, soaking in the sun, and loving it.  It was everyone's favorite part of the trip.  We stayed until dusk, then we shopped a little at the fun shops, let the kids collect sea shells, got ice cream, and called it a day.  We were all so sad to leave.  In fact, we loved it so much, that instead of heading home the next day, we decided to stay one more day, just so we could go back to that beach again.

It was that awesome.  We had a blast again the second day on Coronado Island as well.  The kids got fried crisp though, and this time, we were ready to go when the time came.



The seagulls there were crazy!  Molly was eating a bag of carrot sticks, and she walked just a few feet away.  A bird walked right up, grabbed the bag of carrots and tried to take off.  It ended up dropping the carrots all over the sand.
This infuriated Molly, and she just started bawling.  She was so upset!  hahaha!!  She could not understand why a seagull would take her food.  She ended up yelling at and chasing any bird that came near us after that.
Unfortunately, about 30 minutes later, another bird grabbed our bag of rolls and got away with it.  Argh!

The morning of our second beach day, I was still groggy from my meds, and I was walking in the hotel room to get something.  I walked right into the corner of a suitcase, and it split between my two toes.  I heard the snap of my pinky toe.  It dropped me to the floor for a while.  It KILLED!!  Go me.  I am pretty graceful on narcotics apparently. I was on a roll this trip.  Geesh!  Luckily, the pain was kept under control, due to my meds that I was on from already being sick.  It has been a week, and it still throbs most of the day, but hey, we still made it to the beach, and still had a great time....purple toe and all.

When they would catch a wave, they would just laugh and laugh and laugh.  It was so fun to see.

Luke gets cold really easily, and he hates it.  He got cold at the beach, so he dug a hole, got in, and buried himself with sand.  He sat like that for a really long time.  He said it was how he could stay warm.  :)

We headed back home the next morning.  It was a full day of driving, but again, the kids did great!  We got home exhausted, a little disoriented, but happy, content, and closer as a family.  It would say it was a best family trip to date. 
I hope there are many more to come.