Cooper hits a 3rd grade homerun...

Cooper and 3rd grade did just fine together!

Major thanks to a superior teacher who fed him oodles of confidence and lots of opportunities to succeed.

Thank you Mrs. Riddell : )  You are a keeper!

Following in his sister's footsteps, Cooper tried his hand at basketball for the first time this year.  He was able to be on a team with some good friends and they turned out to be winners!  Who knew??

It helps to be one of the tallest 3rd graders : )

Of course the highlight of Cooper's spring is baseball.  This year he played in the Minors division on the Riverdogs team.  Dad was coaching which always makes for a better learning experience for Cooper and any other boy that plays for the love of the game.  Although Coop has been hitting the ball off his Dad for years, this is the first year they hit off of other kids their age.  Real baseball begins.  Cooper decided he wanted to give catching a try and well...it fit him like a glove.

Congrats on a super 3rd grade year Cooper!  You made us so happy with all your hard work and efforts both inside the classroom and out.  I know that you have no idea what this means.  By putting this year behind us you have moved from the primary grades to the intermediate grades.  Which means that you are growing and I officially have no babies at home any more.  But if it's okay with you (or not) I'll hang onto the fact that you're my baby no matter what grade you are in school.  Even when your Senior year is looming in front of me...my baby you'll always be.  We love you most!

Cooper's summer is packed with fun!  Scout day camp, a little basketball camp, family vacation, lots of swimming, lots of popsicles, friends and sleepovers, lazy mornings, memorizing all his multiplication facts, helping his brother with gates and most important to me is being my Wednesday night snuggle buddy.

Ahhhh!  Summertime!!

7th grade comes to end...

7th grade and Davis totally agreed with each other.

He enjoyed, albeit some more than others, his classes and always came home with rave reviews from teachers about how he was an "excellent student" and was a "pleasure to have in class".  We saw #4 and #17 on the comment list of his report cards consistently.  That does a momma's heart good : )  After having lots of fun on the school football team in the fall, he decided to give wrestling a shot.

Davis learned a few things like...

* he does not like wrestling

* wrestling will whip you into your best physical shape quicker than anything else

* what doesn't kill you makes you stronger

* wrestling is just as tough mentally
* sometimes when you want to quit, you learn the most about yourself when you don't
* winning a match feels pretty darn awesome

There aren't words enough to express how proud I was of Davis during this experience.  His coaches put him in a difficult position but he handled it better than I think many others would have.  And if he never does it again at least he can look back on this and hold his head high.

He played Juniors Little League in the spring with Dad back coaching.  That was a good thing.  Davis is long and lean and hitting the ball hard.  Lots of fun to watch!  Exteme failure on my part getting pictures of D's season.  And on the night I did come prepared, the umpire told me I couldn't have a flash on my camera.  What?!?!

At the end of each quarter Davis was recognized as a Golden Scholar.  At the end of the school year, each GS was acknowledged in a ceremony.  I must admit, my heart was pretty happy : )

Davis!  Congratulations on an incredible 7th grade year!  You didn't let anything stand in your way of success on every level.  We are so grateful that everything you appear to be on the outside, you truly are on the inside. 
We love you most!

Davis' summer is loaded with activities.  He has a baseball camp at the high school every morning and a week at Scout camp where he will add to his already overflowing merit badge list.  He is getting the paper work together for his Eagle project and will have that accomplishment done before school starts again.  He has a summer job refinishing gates so he can keep saving for his mission and hopes to have a good chunk in his bank account at the end of the summer.  I'm sure he'll have some great adventures on our family vacation to Lake Tahoe with the cousins - together they manage to keep it crazy!  And there is always a creative project going on...you would be amazed at what this kid can do with any of the following...duck tape, painter's tape, an exacto knife, some survival rope or any other odds and ends from around the house.

His summer will be BIG!!

Summing up her Junior year...

Maddison had to excute a 10 step Rube Goldberg project for her Physics class.  If you aren't familiar with what that means exactly, you should google it.  People out there get extreme!  Not us.  Just simple and small enough so we could do it right in our kitchen.  But a simple A means exactly the same as a complicated A!  I think in this clip Cooper says "take 25" but I'm pretty sure we were in the thirties by the time it actually worked from start to finish.  It took up a good four hours of a Saturday morning.  Be sure you watch the slow motion clip after the real time.  Brent's roar of success is the best! 

Some other highlights of Maddie's Junior year included another great year of Highland Hawk basketball as #32.  She played on the JV team and really excelled.  She was co-team captain and was a defensive powerhouse each time she hit the floor.  When the defense would break down Coach would call on Maddison to get the team back on track every time.

It has been so rewarding to watch her develop as a player.  In 8th and 9th grade, at 5' 8", she was one of the tallest girls.  She played post and handled it well.  As a Sophomore and Junior the other girls playing post continued to grow but Maddie maxed out.  Still Coach played her at post even though most of the girls she played against had her by five or more inches.  She really had to make some adjustments and figure out how to play a tough post position at her size.  She figured it out alright!

And what girl doesn't want to go to their Prom??

Maddison went with her long time friend Jake.  He's a cutie and super fun.

She has managed to maintain her 4.0 through it all.  I take that back.  She might have 3.98 (haven't received her final report card in the mail yet) due to a 1st quarter B+ that her English teacher gave to her.  Gotta love teachers that mess with a clean track record just because he can.  And because I don't want to spend one more breath on this waste of human space, I will leave it at that.

Maddison Joy!  Congrats on a wonderful year : )  As always, you have made me and your daddy so very happy.  We love you most!

She'll keep busy this summer by working at the neighborhood Dairy Queen.  Go ahead and pay a visit...you'll never get ice cream with a side of gorgeous smile quite like this : )

She'll also stay out of trouble by taking part in a summer Highland basketball camp and playing on the high school Varsity summer league basketball team.  She has already been on the Pioneer Trek (more to come about that) and will spend a week at Girl's Camp and make lots of time for friends and late nights.  She'll take the ACT a couple times, come along on a family trip to Lake Tahoe and will fit in turning 17 in less than two weeks.

She has big plans.

BIG PLANS!!

a little bird once told me...

Every spring a mommy bird comes to our backyard and builds a nest on a small ledge high on the patio.
She works hard.
Back and forth she flys bringing a twig, string, feather or whatever else she feels will make a comfortable home for her soon to arrive little one.
It's an interesting process to watch.
I've seen her move one twig multiple times until she finally lets it be.
No wondering they call the final weeks of a pregnancy "nesting".

Once the baby's crib is finished to her satisfaction, the mommy-to-be will settle down and wait.

Soon the baby bird makes his appearence. 

After lots of attention and care the mommy will leave the baby to find nourishment.

Her first instinct...feed my baby.

It always surprises me that once the feeding begins it is not much longer until the mommy coaxes her baby from the safety of the nest.  She leads by example and soon her baby follows her to the edge and then she teaches her little one to spread his wings.

And then the once carefully constructed nest is empty.

I enjoy watching the process every spring.

I feel the mother in me relates to the mommy bird in many ways.

Build a home that is safe and comfortable.

Feed my babies - physically, mentally, spiritually.

Bring them to the edge, give them three squeezes of the hand and then watch them fly.

The process happens so quickly.

It stings my heart.

A refreshing monsoon...

On May 9th the rain came down.
It nearly flooded the back patio.

Buckets were falling from my roof top.
Usually the kids want to be out and play in this stuff but today they watched from inside.

Proof that water does come to quench the desert.

Progress...

photo here

I found this picture of the Angel Moroni arriving on site at the Gilbert Temple.  There was no announcement made (on purpose) of when it would arrive at the temple grounds but it looks like it came yesterday.  I thought it was amazing to compare the size of Moroni next to the workers.

I can't wait to get over there and see if for myself.

As for my personal progress in preparation for the trek...

Physically I have been keeping up with my walking and no soda.  Well, let me clarify the no soda thing.  In my home I have not had any soda.  I did have some when I went to lunch with Brent on his birthday last week and another time while I was out running errands I did partake.  My walking came to a stand still last week on Wednesday night when my throat started really hurting and waking up on Thursday I thought I'd like to cut my head off my my shoulders.  I took a percocet and used my oils liberally for the next three days to get through work and the days events and responsibilities.  It took a slight edge off but I truly can't remember hurting so much.  I could feel the pain all the way into my ears.  After getting no sleep on Saturday night I woke up Sunday (mother's day) and went to urgent care.  I was waiting at their doors when they opened.

Diagnosis...Strep throat.

Crazy!  I can't think of the last time I had strep.  Y E A R S ago for sure.

Anyway, thank goodness for the power of modern medicine.  After two days of antibiotics I am, thankfully, feeling so much better.

So that was the long way around to say that I haven't been walking as of last Thursday but plan to get back to it tomorrow.  Happy day : )

I have thought a lot about how easy it is to take my day to day good health for granted.

I go to bed, wake up, go about my day.  I go, go, go.  Form here to there.  To this thing and and then that thing.  I express my gratitude for a healthy body in my prayers but probably more out of routine than realization.  Myself and my little family are truly blessed to be healthy and not have any out of the ordinary illnesses that we have had to deal with.  A cold here, allergies there and the flu on occasion.  We truly are blessed.  As I've said my prayers over the past few days, my expression of thankfulness for my health is sincere and heartfelt. 

I am still reading and wondering with awe at the many stories I come across in regards to the early saints and my own pioneering ancestors.  It fills my heart to overflowing.  How did they do it with raging sore throats?  And that seems insignificant to know that it was much worse.  I found a journal entry about my Grandpa Willie.  I did not correct any spelling or punctuation...

"November 2, 1856 - Bros. Willie, Woodward, & Christiansen staid behind to bring up the sick. This morning we had not teams enough to haul the feeble that were left behind. After a short time several teams came on from the Valley & picked up the sick. The brethren that staid behind were late into camp. Bro. Willie’s feet were in such a bad condition from frost that he was unable to walk to the Camp; a wagon was sent for him."

And another comment stated this...

"This entry noted that President Willie and two other men stayed behind to help the sick. There appears to have been trouble getting everyone into a wagon. Through all they had experienced, President Willie kept leading and helping his company, although frostbite was taking its toll on him and he was having a difficult time walking."

Thank you Grandpa Willie for your faith, your courage and your testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ that kept you moving ever onward, ever forward.

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Trek is only 15 days away.

Preparing both in body and mind...

Day three was a repeat of day one and two.
Day four I mixed it up a bit and did a 20 minute Turbo Jam workout.
You know...one of those cheesy DVD workouts that I bought probably 9 years ago after I had Cooper.
Still no soda and that may prove to be the toughest challenge of all.

One of my favorite parts of all this preparing is reading so much about James G Willie, captain of the Willie Handcart Company.  He is my grandpa a few generations back.  Reading one thing leads me to another thing, then another link to another link.  Truly...the hearts of the children turning to their fathers is a beautiful thing.

photo here

*note the spelling of his last name is different in the photo than most records that mention him and the company.  it may have changed when he came to America (from England) at the age of 21*

Here is just one story I recently read as told by Betsy Smith Goodwin, a member of the Willie Handcart Company...

I will not dwell upon the hardships we endured, nor the hunger and cold, but I like to tell of the goodness of God unto us. One day, especially, stands out from among the remainder. The wind blew fresh, as if its breezes came from the sea. It kept blowing harder until it became fierce. Clouds arose, the thunder and lightning were appalling. Even the ox teams ahead refused to face the storm. Our captain, who always rode a mule, dismounted and stepped into the middle of the road, bared his head to the storm, and every man, as he came up, stood by him with bared head—one hundred carts, their pullers and pushers, looking to their captain for counsel. The captain said, “Let us pray.” And there was offered such a prayer! He told the Lord our circumstances, he talked to God, as one man talks to another, and as if the Lord was very near. I felt that he was; and many others felt the same. Then the storm parted to the right and to the left! We hurried on to camp, got our tents pitched, and some fires built, when the storm burst in all its fury!

journal excerpt here

I'm grateful to know that Grandpa Willie was a man who knew God and spoke to him in prayer like he would speak to a friend standing beside him.

Day two...

Seriously.  Two consecutive days.
I feel good about that.

Walk - 38 minutes.
then
20 jumping jacks.
15 lunges (oh. my. i. am. sore)
10 push ups.
each x 3
and
no soda.

This makes me feel good because when I'm out on my little walking route I'm getting passed by moms with babies in strollers and old men walking their dogs.
But hey!  I'm better off than those on the couch : )

Carry on!

30 days...

Day One...

35 minute walk
then
20 jumping jacks
20 lunges
10 push ups
each x 3
and
no soda

In 30 days I will be leaving on a Pioneer Trek.  I do not want to be the weak link.

Wish me luck on my 30 day walk to physical and spiritual strength.

Have I Done Any Good?

Pause my playlist music and enjoy!

I bought a little yellow bird awhile back.

It was love at first sight.

I incorporated him into my Easter decor but didn't want to put him away when the eggs and bunnies were taken down.

So I came up with this entry display.

I'm still working on something to put in the glass jars but

I gathered up some books from around the house and tied them with twine.

Honestly is was more about color than content : )

With Mother's Day around the bend I thought it would honor two beautiful mothers...

who we love deeply and miss everyday.

Tradition...

MLB Opening Day is something we don't miss around here.

I would love this job.  Maybe when Cooper leaves on his mission.  Will I be too old??

America's favorite passtime : )

The flyover...goosebumps every time.

Our Diamondbacks!

(what's with the guy and his head in my shot!)

Kennedy throws a strike on the first pitch.  This will be a great day!

Grandpa Brown joined us for the annual event.

As always...if you need us anytime soon,

look at the ball fields!