Spring Break

But First...Byron's team did so well in Battle of the Books.  A team he was kinda bummed to be on since no one he had requested ended up on his team.  His coach says none of the kids really knew each other, but this was a benefit because there was no "super star" everyone deferred to, everyone stepped up to answer the answers they knew, and sat back to let other answer the ones they didn't.

Okay, now Spring Break.

First of all...the bad news.  I hadn't planned or purchased ANYTHING for the holiday and was making plans with family the week of.  So, Thursday, my first free day to prepare I got up early to run all my Easter errands.  Then my car died.  It had to be towed, and because everyone was taking Saturday off for Easter holiday, it wouldn't be ready until Monday...actually Tuesday. 

So...plan B, we do our own thing.

and then we hit opening weekend at Lagoon.  Soren rode all those rides that caused so much heart ache in 2016.  We purposely skipped last year just to make sure he grew enough.

It's my favorite thing to be with my kids when they experience fun things for the first time!!

Our Kentucky friends were out visiting for part of the week so kids got to play and I got a dinner out (along with some General Authority stocking...it was hilarious!)

I saw rain forecasted at the end of the week so I ran up to the hills before they got muddy

Then I took the kids up to Patsy's Mine and the Flag Rock hike.

The boys are pretty awful when it comes to morning piano practice.  They play their songs, but with such bad attitudes.  So I made a deal, if they could have happy practices for the 2 weeks before Spring Break I would take them to Get Air.

It wasn't perfect, but there was enough improvement for me to take them.

Plus one more Fizz.

Miriam had a ballroom performance that night at West High....which is very close to so many yummy restaurants.   We hit Chip, for the most delicious chocolate chip cookies ever!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies are my always and forever very best favorite treat.

Saturday we cleaned.

Sunday we churched.

We also regrouped for the last 2 months of school.  Rededicated ourselves to strict 9:00 bedtime for the boys 9:30 for Miriam. Rededicated ourselves to do family gratitude, and story reading before bed. Life is so much more peaceful when we have structure.

Gem State

3 hour bus ride up to Idaho Falls for both of us since I went as a chaperone.

It actually went by really quickly, I made instant friends with the other chaperones and the bus was the nicest one I have ever ridden on.

Straight to bed that night which included the kids being "taped" into their rooms.  After 10:30 their coach came around and made an X across the door, and then removed it that morning at 6:00 am.  If the tape had been broken they had some splainin' to do.  

7:00 am there was a rehearsal in the lobby of the hotel.  That hotel was SO GOOD to put up with ballroom dance kids! 

Before performance moment of silence. 

Then a whole morning of performances!

LPA had a 1st place sweep. All dances took first except for the one that was disqualified because it had too many swing moves for the category it was in...but they gave a score anyway and it was the highest. I loved how cool their coach was about being disqualified...he totally went with the judges and was fine with their decision.  I love the positive attitude he shares with the kids. In the end, they did give us a trophy for the disqualified dance, but it's not official.

Photo above is from "Mr. Smith" a novelty dance (my favorite!)...I need to add that to explain the kiss.  But Miriam's friend and sometimes partner Josh is adorable!
He has been a good friend to her this year.

That afternoon was the team photo shoot by the Snake River (which ran right behind our hotel)
Miriam is going to miss all those 9th graders. There are only 2 8th grade girls on the team, so if she makes it next year it will be a whole new group of girls.

I took that opportunity to explore the falls a bit.
So nice to be alone for a little while with the sounds of rushing water rather than the beat of music.

Found some sand...my soul soother.  Not that things were bad, it's just hard to be around people you hardly know 24/7.  Thank heavens I liked my roomie. 

You can relax on a snake by the Snake.

The next morning were the syllabus events.

Miriam and Josh again made it to the semi finals in swing.  She was really excited about Fox Trot with Brayden, but they stepped outside the line and were cut. Hopefully they will get another chance to enter that category. 

The whole team hit Starlight Rollerskating.

Even the chaperones skated or bladed.

Chaperones + Max

We went back to watch some of the kids compete in Open Events and then had a pizza/pool party till midnight.  Clarification: Kids had a pizza/pool party till midnight the adults talked and laughed all evening.

I was missing those boys like crazy for 3 days but they loved their guys weekend alone.