milestones

Luke had a read-aloud in school the other week.  Parents were invited, and I was curious to see how it would go.  Luke hates to talk in school, much less read out loud.  It is a huge source of anxiety for him, and he avoids it at all costs. 

Luke knows how to read, and is a good reader, he just doesn't like to have to talk at school very much. 

I was blown away, when I got to the school, and Luke not only read every word into a microphone, loud and clear, but he was the main character, and had a LOT of reading to do.  I ended up wiping silent tears away through the whole thing.  It was such a big deal to see Luke doing that, with confidence.  My heart just about exploded for this adorable, freckle faced, blue eyed, blonde haired boy of mine.  He made a big milestone that day, and I am so proud of him.

taking a well deserved bow

mollys nose ring

For about two weeks, Molly was constantly complaining of a "poke" in her nose.  I figured she just had a cold, because her nose was also really runny.  Then, she started getting random bloody noses.  I thought it was just because she was constantly picking her nose, because it was bugging her.

FINALLY, it dawned on me one day that maybe something was in her nose.  (hello, mother of 5 here, how did I not think of that first!)

I got a flashlight, and looked up her nose.  I saw a really weird speck of something that looked like a tiny piece of metal.  What on earth!?!? 

I had Molly blow her nose over and over and over again, and finally this popped out!

I could not believe what I was seeing!  Molly just kept saying, "see, I told you something was poking my nose!"  I just could not figure out what the heck it was, and how on earth it got way up in her sinuses/nose???  Unbelievable.  It looked like part of a key chain hook or something.  It was metal, sharp on the ends, and look totally uncomfortable to have shoved up your nose!

But hey, if this is the only nose ring Molly every has, so be it.

winner winner chicken dinner

Mary had her huge National cheer competition in Las Vegas in the middle of February.  It was one of the most fun trips we have had!!!

We stayed in a super nice timeshare with Alina and Kelly Posaki, our good friends.  They were so much fun to hang out with.  We shopped and shopped and ate and ate and laughed and talked, and Kelly and I screamed our lungs out while our girls cheered their hearts out up on the big stage.  Team Level 2 nailed both routines both days!  It was so awesome.  They came away with 2nd place.

Team Level 4 had a mess up on Day 1, but they nailed day 2 and they won!!!  The awards ceremony was unbelievable!!!  They had lights all over, smoke, confetti, a cheer and tumbling show, music, a red capet, and the works.  It was a night Mary will never forget.  It was amazing to see them crowned National Champions, get the medals and their Jackets, and live in the moment.  There are not really words to describe it all.

The four of us had so much fun together, and the girls came away as National Champions.  It was about as perfect a trip as we could ask for.  We can't wait for next year!

We had to find a place to stay the last night, because the awards were so late, and the only place that had a room was Trump tower. ha!

Yeah baby!

getting their awards and walking the red carpet

National Champions

Tumbling show during awards ceremony

 

 

sam completes a duathalon

A few weeks ago, Sam's friend Blake Sweat invited him to go to St. George with he and his mom and her boyfriend to participate in a duathalon. (bike and run race).  Sam was so excited to go!  Mainly, because he would be able to spend an entire weekend in St. George with his best buddy. 

They had so much fun!  They swam, they went shopping at fun stores, they hiked, and they completed the race!  The race was not easy at all.  It was a 3.5 mile run and a 10 mile bike ride.  I was so incredibly proud of those boys for finishing it.  Karli, Blake's mom, said that it was a hard course and she wasn't sure the boys could do it.  She was very impressed with the boys and their determination.   My favorite quote from Sam was, "mom, it was so hard and so fun!"  Music to my ears!  Lesson learned.

Sam and Blake have been best friends for 5 years, and their friendship is so special.  I love that they got to do something like this together.  Hopefully there will be more in the future.

stiches

Sam came running down the stairs last weekend, and told me that he had cut his hand with his pocket knife, and that it was deep.  He had his hand wrapped, but by the trail of blood following him and even more blood pooling from his hand, it was no question.  We wrapped his hand up in dish towels and headed out.  I found it amusing that when I asked William to get a towel for Sam, he asked, "a red one for blood, right?"  Ben looked up from a book he was reading to Molly, asked if any tendons were cut, I replied no, and they went back to their book. Obviously this was not our first rodeo.  haha!

Mary came along for the ride and took pictures and documented it all.  Typical.  Sam was tough, and came away with 6 stitches.

 We came home, I went to the gym, the kids carried on with what they were doing, and the day went on.

Poor Sam.  Probably not as dramatic as a kid would hope for, but hey, we have 3 boys in a row and very active girls.  Such is life around these parts.

show off day for molly girl

Molly's gymnastics held a little practice meet for the girls her age last week.  They called it show off day.  The girls got to show off all of the skills they have been learning, and at the end they all got a medal.  Molly has caught up to all of the girls who have been in the class for 9 months.  Molly has been in the class for 4 weeks.  She is doing awesome!!  She loves "mastics" and is very much a perfectionist in the gymnastics gym.  She is such a cutie pie!  We have to drive down to All American Gymnastics in Linden (35 minute drive) twice a week, but it is totally worth it to watch her have so much fun working so hard and reaching goals.

sammy boy turns 12

Sam turned 12 a couple weeks ago.  We had a great time celebrating him and the great kid he is.  Mary and I took him to lunch on his Birthday, and he got to open presents, play with friends, and have cake and ice cream with the family on the big day.

That weekend he had a party with his friends.  There were 12 boys to be exact!  We had pizza and cake at our house, and then we piled all of the boys in our cars and drove them over to the rec center for the next couple hours.  They played soccer, basketball, tennis, and every other game you can think of.  Sam has a great group of friends and it was so fun to see them all together having fun.

Jesse, Jace Phillips, Bransen Rausi, Blake Sweat, Try Cherry, Gavin Anderson, Luke Thorne, Drew Thorne, Gage Anderson, Ethan Hubbard,  Peyton



Sam had "dirt and worms" for his Birthday cake.  I LOVE that he asked for this.  He has had this every single year since he was 2 years old. 

Sam already got the priesthood and became a Deacon in January, due to the new church policy that all boys turning 12 within the year.  It is still so special to see him passing the sacrament each week though.

Sam LOVES to play with friends.  He is very good at soccer and currently plays for the Rangers with his friends Ethan Pearson, Gavin Anderson and Payton (can't remember last name).  He likes to ride his scooter and go to the skate park and learn new tricks.  He loves to do "challenges" of any kind.  Drinking hot sauce, bottle flipping, pranks, tricks, weird foods, etc.  He just got busted by the principal last week at school for bringing ghost pepper hot sauce to school, and being the reason kids were skipping class to hold their mouths under the drinking fountain, and kids going home from throwing up in class.  lovely.

Sam is very fun loving.  He is a very good and loyal friend, and he is quick to laugh and tell stories.  Sam does not sit still...ever.  He is always pacing all over the house when he is talking, eating, thinking, or pretty much doing anything.  He does not sit at school either.  His teachers let him stand in the back of the room.

Sam is a great kid, and I have loved watching him start to turn into a good young man.  We love him so much!!!

Happy 12th Sammy boy.