Father's Weekend

Byron's Adventure Race fell over Father's Day weekend.  In preparation he and I took 2 mountain bike trips the week before, in the morning while M & S were at their theatre camps. The first trip was to Bountiful Pond...super easy didn't really prepare him for much but we loved seeing the pelicans, egrets and other water birds! Second trip, we took his friend up to Firebreak road in the hills.  This trip was more in line with real mountain biking, but Byron said the actual race mountain biking was waaaay more difficult than what we did.  The scariest thing about our little jaunt in the hills were the lizards daring back and forth on the trail...I DID NOT want to run over any reptiles so I was skittish.

Darin's birthday gift came in - his new bike! So he and I also rode up to the hills.  All I can say is that I need to work up to Darin's rides...he is tough on a bike and goes too fast.

Darin took work off on Friday to take Byron and his friend up to Park City to the training clinic for his race. Both of them loved being up there in the crisp mountain air!  Byron loved his training.

Grandma and Grandpa came up that evening.  Soren, Miriam and I got to take Grandma out to one of our favorite "girlie" restaurants to finish out her birthday gift from us.  Then Miriam and Grandma went to see Miriam's ballroom teacher perform in Crazy For You.  While they were gone Grandpa arrived in his very cool Buick Riviera so we cruised on down to Tony Burger so he could get some dinner.

Saturday Byron got picked up bright and early to get to his race, Grandpa got up bright and early to get his car ready for the car show.  Luckily we got some photos and updates from Byron's friend's mom throughout the day.  He was totally worn out when they got back! It was a challenge which was exactly what we wanted for him...a challenge that he could push through.

He said he would love to do it again next year.

While Byron raced the rest of us had a leisurely Saturday. We biked around town, Darin and Soren put together a solar robot (thanks Grandma!), spent some time down at the car show snarfin on junk and lookin' at the sweet rides.

We ended our night celebrating Grandpa and Grandma's anniversary at Twigs with Damon and Gwen.  Everyone came over to our house for German Chocolate Cake afterwards and we stayed up too late tinkering with the car or shooting the breeze. 

Hello Summer!

Our first week was a bit rough.  Everyone had to get use to the idea that no school didn't mean no work.  We have never had a summer where there was no work so I don't know why this is such a hard transition every year, but it is, and this year was no exception.

 The kids are still waking up by 6:00 every morning.  Maybe this will end as the summer goes on but for this first week we were all up bright and early.  I decided on a whim that we should all ride bikes to a park while it was so cool and beautiful.  So we spent our mornings riding, and playing returning home around 9:30 to get on with chores and stuff. We can't do this all summer because of classes/camps which is a bummer, but I am glad we did it while we could.

We used those birthday groupons for FlowRider.  The kids had a blast, but said it was hard.  

Byron's friend invited him to participate in a Kids Adventure Race this weekend.  It looked so fun, we wanted Byron to be apart of it, but it was also expensive.  As mom's we asked that the boys both contribute some $ to the experience.  So they sold Otter Pops at the last two baseball games and made their goal!

We got some Alicia and Parker time at a local Splash Pad.

My kids love following Parker around giving him fist bumps.

We met cousins at Lagoon!

Saturday evening was windy so Darin and I took the boys to the park to fly kites in the sunset.  

All in all we are off to a good start!

The End

Soren's ballroom season went out with the cutest dance to I'm Still Standing from the movie Sing. 

Soren has such good rhythm! 

Hugging their teachers.

The last week of school was so good for these two. Field trips, Mountain Man Rendezvous, Buy and sell days, and of course FIELD DAY.  I was so glad Dart side was there because Byron didn't want to get wet....that leaves bubbles, limbo, corn hole, or throwing balls at the dunk tank.  But #blessed Dart side was there for hours of nerf gun fun for those non-water people.

Miriam had Lagoon Day, Yearbook day, and ended the year with the Ballroom Banquet. 

Shirt signing fail.  Byron wanted kids to sign the Rendezvous shirt he had made...but didn't want kids signing it while on him, well...the Sharpie bled through to the other side of the shirt.  Soren wore his shirt, but lost the sharpie markers so his teacher had the kids use Crayola markers which washed right off with the first wash.

Oh well...it was cute for the day it lasted.

Neighborhood Welcome Summer Party! Miriam was off doing her own park waterslide party.  That girl has has one heck of a final week.  She is actually not all that excited about it being summer, she is totally happy going to school.

The first weekend of summer we ran to Price to celebrate mom's birthday! My mom doesn't ask for much, so when she asked to have a garage cleaned out it was the least we could do.  So we did some hauling, and then planted some flowers. Some work followed by cousin time and a BBQ.

We will do more celebrating when they come stay with us for the Bountiful car show!

Memorial Weekend

 It rained most of the weekend, which bummed me out because all I wanted to do was take Darin to Patsy's Mine and Flag Rock.  I think Miriam had call backs for next year's play, and possibly this is when Darin took Byron bike shopping,  at some point we all went to see Solo, but it's all kind of running together in my mind. However, Monday was free and clear with rain only forecast for the afternoon.  

So we did it!

We made it to the flag

We explored the mine

I took lots of photos of wild flowers on the way down.

We stopped by Dick's Market for their freshly grilled Ribs + corn and salad (which meant I didn't have to cook).  I was one happy woman!

Then it did rain.  Hard.  So I took a nap.  When I woke up we delivered our flowers to family who are buried near to us, and while doing so, thought of all those loved ones who have gone.

and then it rained again....

LPA's Dance Recital

The final performance of all the dances through the year + a few new ones the new team will learn next year.

Miriam, Savanah, Max and Josh choreographed and danced a small group number as well.

(no photo...kind of chaos after the recital)

Miriam found out she was chosen to be the girls captain for next year! She is over the moon excited.  Her good attitude, and hard work have payed off big time.  

We were lucky to get to see both sets of Grandparents for the performance.

For the first time ever we let her stay up till midnight partying with the team at IHOP.

Miriam said to me the other day "I can't believe how much a life can change in just one year"  and it's so true in this case.  Miriam walked into her first ballroom team meeting terrified and intimidated,  she felt like everyone thought she was stupid and didn't want her around. 6 months later, she is one of the captains for next year!