Summer 2011

Our summer was crazy. There's no other word for it. Starting the middle of June, we traveled somewhere every week for eight straight weeks. Finally in the middle of August, I said, "Enough! We're staying home!" because school was starting.

In a nut shell: here's summer.

Tanner turned 12 the very end of May and we had a great big party at The Craze Fun Zone with a bunch of 12-year-old boys. They ate a lot of pizza and played a lot of games and I didn't take a single picture. I'm still trying to figure out why I don't have any photos. Bad Mom Moment #462. 

Shortly thereafter, Tanner was ordained a Deacon. Grandma and Grandpa Stocking were able to come up for the ordination.

As did Nana and Papa Millington.  We are so grateful to live close enough to family to have them here for such special occasions.

This is the day of his ordination. Don't look at me. What I want you to look at is the top of our heads. And I have high heels on. Tanner is so tall. He likes to tease me ("Mom, I can totally see right over your head!"), but I like to put him to work (i.e. dust the top shelves).

Braxton went to CSI Music Fest again. This year the choir got a real treat. The BYUI Mens and Womens choirs (the ones in black) came up and sang with the music fest participants. Braxton was the lone percussionist in the band and that was a lot of fun for him.

Kilee turned nine in June and wanted a berry pie for her "cake." We had a wonderful little party with family and friends and she got some great fingernail polish.

My younger brother, Dallas, and his little family came to visit in July. We loved having them here. My kids are still making Royce's frowny face.

Right after Dallas left, my sister Monique came with her kids. We had so much fun with Porter and Elahn and they were so good while they were here.

The end of July we traveled to the old Millington homestead for the family reunion. This is Nana and Papa with all the grandkids. Aren't my nieces and nephews (and my kids, too) totally cute? I have an awesome family.

The reunion is a great time to see all my siblings, which really only happens every two years.

McKay reached a very important milestone in August: he learned to wipe his own bum. That's a very important part of being able to go to kindergarten, you know. Seriously, though, turning five is another important requirement for kindergarten.  He received his first backpack for his birthday. He was (is) so proud of that backpack. Isn't that the cutest face?

Also this summer, Randy had a birthday, I had a birthday, and we celebrated 16 years of marriage. I spent the summer training for a half marathon and ran the Mesa Falls half marathon the end of August. I have no pictures of any of those events. Sorry. The excuse for the marathon is that I was actually running it and didn't worry too much about pictures.

The good news, now, is that I am caught up. The bad news is that I am caught up. What do I post now?

Baseball - 2011

Tanner had a great regular season baseball team. Several boys from our neighborhood were on the team as were a lot of his friends from school. Tanner played first base and he pitched.

 

At the end of the regular season, there was a little tournament. Tanner's team won the first three games, then lost on a Friday night to a tough St. Anthony team. Since it was a double elimination tournament, Tanner's team had another chance to to win. We came back Saturday morning knowing we could beat the first team we played, which we did. His little baseball team was now playing in the championship against the same team that beat Tanner's team on Friday night. In order to win, though, they would have to beat the St. Anthony team twice. Would you believe they did it??? Three games and nearly 7 hours of baseball later, Tanner's team had won the upper valley baseball championship.

Here's the team, lined up after the big win waiting for the awards ceremony.

Tanner is high-fiving his coach. Which one is taller?

Tanner's incredible little baseball team. Five of these players (including Tanner) went on to play on the All-Star team, coached by Tanner's regular season team of coaches (including his dad). It was a great baseball season for Tanner.

During a Baseball Game

Poor McKay spent a lot of time at the ball fields last spring and summer. He learned how to entertain himself for the most part. Sometimes, though, when he wasn't too far away, I was amused by how he chose to play.

Who knew that sitting in a rut all by yourself was so entertaining?

Spring!

Spring means finding the spring jackets and then going back and forth between winter coats and spring jackets. It also means that our lives started to get a little more hectic.

Braxton ran track again in junior high. He did the 800 M and the 1600 M runs. He enjoyed the running the workouts.

Spring also means baseball. Tanner played on a great little baseball team this year. This is one of the things I was most impressed with. Before each game, the boys would walk out in the field a little bit and "take care of business." More about baseball to come.

Braxton, Kilee, and Tanner all participated in a Musician's West piano competition. This is them outside the concert hall. It was a beautiful day outside. The boys were pretty bummed to have to be spending a Saturday in church clothes.

Kilee performed very well and made it to the finals. She got to play on a great big stage in a fancy recital hall. She was soooooo nervous but she played beautifully.

Kilee's dance recital meant we had one more thing to cross off the calendar. She loved dance and did both ballet and tap.  In the picture above, she is the girl in the center.

So- that takes care of spring. Now then - summer.

Winter 2011

In an attempt to catch up, here's the highlight of winter.

Braxton turned 14. He requested cheesecake for his birthday cake. Excellent idea, if you ask me.

One of favorite gifts was from Dianne. She gave a gift that is traditional in her family. I'm sure you see why it was a hit.

*For those of you who may not know Dianne's mom and Randy are cousins. Dianne was up here going to college. She's currently off track and not here and we miss her!

Shortly thereafter, Braxton was ordained a teacher by his dad.

Nana and Papa came up to be with us on this special day. We are so grateful that they made this trip.

Um - that about sums up the winter. Soon to come: spring. (Since it's fall and all....)

First Day of School - 2011

School started way too early this year. I was not ready to send my kids back to school. Ready or not, school did start and away my kids went.

My baby is in kindergarten. I'm a little sad about that.

The Princess is in 4th grade.

This clown is in 7th grade. Can I just point out how big his hands are? His hands and feet are bigger than his dad's. He's also nearly six inches taller than his mom.

This guy is too cool for my camera, a clear indication that he is a freshman in high school.

All together being crazy.

This photo is the perfect illustration of my two older boys. Tanner is hugging them all and Braxton wants no part of it.

I drove McKay to school and here he is at his table and ready to learn. I shed a few tears on the first day, even though I got to stay with him until the end of his first day (a whopping 40 minutes later). However, You should have seen me on the second day when he rode the bus with his big brothers and sister. I stood at the window and cried.

A lot.

Mother's Proudest Moment

Today our primary had a special guest. Sister Ginny U. Smith from the Primary General Board came to visit. I normally go to Sunday school, but because I had to make a stop in the library, I was late and classes had all started. I paused outside the primary door to check on my youngest and saw Sister Smith speaking to the children. I stayed to listen.

She spoke to the children for a few minutes about missionary work and then the sharing time focused on missionary work. She took a seat in an empty row just behind where I was sitting next to McKay. A member of our bishopric talked about his mission to Japan and then a sister in our ward talked to the children about her conversion at the age of 17. They were both outstanding in a room full of wiggly children. At one point, the sister asked the children who was going to grow up and be a missionary. Most of the children raised their hands with excitement.

That cute little boy who I was sitting next to said loud enough for everyone to hear, "Not me!" Then he turned to me and said, "Mom, I'm going to be a bus driver."