Bees Game

We usually go to a Bees game or two each season. And since Rachel and Trevor had played (softball and baseball) this year, we especially wanted to go. We went with some friends and did watch some of the game....but there is always more to the experience than just the game....

 

Rach and BFF Abby

 Trevor with best bud Jacob and brother Will (on the train)

 Rachel and Abby on the train

 The family got to "meet" THE Bee

 Aubrey got some "ice-in" as she calls ice cream

 Baby Nate loves the ice cream too!

 Will and Aubrey

The crowd of us! (Ducking out early-those games are long!)

Summer Fun on the Boat

We know that taking the boat out is a lot of work, but we always enjoy it when we make the effort! We can go out with just our little family, but it's always more fun to invite others to come. Here's a sampling of the fun so far this season:

The kids like to surf with Dad; This is Utah Lake early season-June14th 

 Still Utah Lake; Emily on the surf board

 Rach and Trev in a cute moment together...notice the nice smooth water behind! Dreamy conditions-kids who are getting along and good water :)

 Rach and Aubs

Now this is Pineview Reservoir in July. Darren and little orphan Aubrey in the water

She likes it! No, she didn't, plus the sun was in her eyes....

 Trevor loves to jump off the boat into the water. He gets brave and jumps from the top, not just the back deck

 I think Aubrey sat with "Papa Hyte" the whole time!

 Rachel surfin' with Darren

 Aubrey is happy to get a hold of someone's soda

The only way I was letting Aubrey on the tube was if her Dad went so the other kids piled in too.

 Cousin time! Also Pineview but beginning of August. Grant and Trevor

 Ethan was trying to get Rachel in the water. Notice how I take a picture instead of helping? Hey, it's all in fun-then I jumped in and they both followed!

 Aubrey takes her driving responsibility seriously-hey! Eyes on the lake!

 We are anchored at the shore and Trevor was jumping off the boat into the water. Well, he said he was going to do a flip so I took a picture, but he chickened out halfway and did a massive belly flop. But it was funny anyway!

 Rachel got very brave and wanted to surf by herself. So Darren took her on the deck and I just started really slow and she was able to stand for a few seconds. Wow! Really brave!

 Pineview has the best beaches for playing. We were camping for a few days so we took time off the boat to play in the sand.

 Emily and Trevor swimming by the boat

 Best part of any boating day is when the little ones crash! Aw, sweetie!

Ragnar-Wasatch Back

This is by far one of the craziest things I have done. I don't think words will really do it justice, but I'll try. This is a 200 mile relay race. 12 people on the team-2 vans/6 people per. I was with 5 other totally awesome ladies-who again, words can't do justice for. Drama free and they were amazing! How it works it that one person is always running. You have 36 "legs" and they vary in length and difficulty-factoring in hills/elevation gain and loss, time of day. We all had challenges, that's for sure! The "baton" is actually a slap bracelet that you hand off. The exchange points have parking (usually) for the van to come and drop off one runner and pick up the other. You also were able to "support" your runner by leapfrogging them-driving ahead a mile or two and cheering for them, asking if they need anything, that sort of thing. There were a few legs that were "no support" like if it was a busy highway or if the running route went off-road. And did I mention it's 200 miles? That took our team an impressive 32 hours and 54 minutes. Seriously. (And that really is a great combined time).

 This is my van (Van #1) before any of the action started. Up at Utah State Campus in Logan.

 

 Here's me before my first run (almost 7 miles). I was runner #3

 I'm just getting started and feeling fine

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This is after we had all completed one run and had handed off to the second van (they were also fabulous, but we of course didn't see them as much since they were running when we had downtime and vice versa).

 

 This is at Snow Basin which was where we started back up again with run #13 (back around to runner #1-who was Tammy-in the safety vest). This is all the ladies on the team: Lindsey, Tamarynn, me, Allison, Tammy, Jen, Amber, and Kirsten.

 After our van had all done two runs (I think most people liked their 2nd run in the cool evening/night the best-I know I did-plus it was my shortest-only 5 miles), we headed to South Summit HS and sleep in the hallway. That's me on the right in the back of the picture. I actually slept (yeah, 3 hours was totally awesome) and that is more than I can say for some of these gals.

 This is me heading out on my final and third run. I guess I was concentrating, I don't really know what that look is.

 This was considered a "non-support" leg because you can't cross the highway. But my awesome team was there to cheer me on (from the other side). And throw me a bag of ice (which I did not catch) that was totally the best because it was so hot! I shared with anyone I passed. This picture doesn't really do this hill justice-it was kindof never-ending. 

 This is the hand off to Tamarynn at the end of my almost 8 (hot and uphill) miles. You can see where I chose to store the ice. At one of the aid stations, I had a volunteer throw water in my face and I threw a cup on my head. Felt divine! 

 

The finish line! The last runner was the guy on the left with the green shirt. We (our van) stuck around in Park City (showered at Allison's parents house there) so that we could run in with him and get our medals and stickers. This is our whole team! 

 Hard but awesome. I was super super sore for a couple days but now I'm feeling fine and looking forward to the next challenge.

12 years....

Darren and I just had our 12th anniversary! Weren't we babies when we got married?? I'm sure my mother will agree with that!

So instead of the "standard" date night, we opted for something different...that was heading up to Ogden to the Salomon Center and doing the Ifly (which is the simulated skydiving-you are in a tunnel of air--like free falling, but more safe...in theory). It was still scary to me, but fun. We also did the flowrider, which is the surfing. Seriously, a young man's sport. I was ready to literally throw in the towel after 20 minutes because I was being physically abused by the water, but I stuck to it and even improved some. To get an idea of the violence, you have to see when Darren wipes out because if the water is doing this to him, imagine what it did to me-I'm half his weight....

Glad we did something different...even if I did have whiplash and my body was sore for a few days.

Preschool

I just can't say enough nice things about the wonderful preschool and preschool teacher that Trevor has this year!.......obviously, I'm joking! But isn't that how this post is supposed to start?
It's going to be sad to send my little buddy to Kindergarten in the fall. For as much grief as he gives me at school, he really is a sweetie and I've loved seeing him learn and grow these past 2 years at school. I know he'll still be with me some, but it's just a strange transition for me. Talk to me in 2 months...maybe he'll drive me insane this summer...

This is his preschool graduation! He said his parts in front of all those people!

This little gal

This little Aubrey is so cute. She also gives me a run for my money. She has such a fun personality that she can captivate a room. But she is also in that fun pre-two stage and she can really throw an awesome tantrum. I always have to take sleeping pictures of my kids to remind me of their sweetness and innocence. Aubrey is a "skin-baby" and she will put her little hand down the shirt of anyone who holds her-regardless of age, gender, etc. It's sweet and embarrassing all at once. And if no one else is around, she does it to herself....

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She also can make a mess in a second flat. I know it's the age, partly, but it's just so fast! I was cleaning out closets (finally), getting the winter clothes put away. I walked into the laundry room to put away hangers and this is what I came back to.....she then proceed to "try on" the clothes. She likes to dress herself and it's pretty hilarious.