The Beginning of our Summer

Summer is off to a really great start! It has been packed full lately, and we are less than two weeks in! We've created so many fun memories with the kids and spent a lot of time outside, so I'll call it all a win!

One morning I took the crew up to Silver Lake. This place is one of my very favorite spots in Utah! The drive up the canyon itself is just so gorgeous, it leaves me in awe every time. And once we got out the car, Chase even kept remarking on how amazing it is to be up in the mountains and how beautiful the scenery is! We met the Bennetts up there and the kids had a really great time together. Chase, Ryder and Hudson kept track of the little guys as they ran ahead and climbed on all the rocks, while Alyse and I very slowly walked around the lake with very independent one year olds.

Every time we visit here I promise myself we will be back SOON! 

Lila had her 15 month well check and she's perfect! She was 21 pounds and 30 inches, which puts her right around the 40th percentile in both. She did NOT like the doctor assessing her at all! Even though he did the whole exam with her in my lap, she was super unimpressed with his stethoscope, or flashlight, or touching her in any way. She's very friendly to people from a distance, but she is very selective on who can touch or hold her and when. She's definitely a mama's girl! 

Hudson's baseball team won the 2nd grade championship! It was so exciting! They were a talented little team, and although Hudson didn't add many points to the scoreboard, he loved being part of it! He cheered for his teammates, had so much fun in the dugout, and had a lot of courage to keep getting up to bat even after so many strike outs. He was thrilled with his trophy! Right after they won, one of the coaches came and got all the parents and families to come out onto the field to make a tunnel for them to run through. It was so fun to celebrate with them! 

 I'm sure Chase was a little jealous that Hudson's team got to the championship game and won! His team got out in the first round of the playoffs. However, instead of showing any jealousy, he went to the other extreme of being SO excited and enthusiastic for Hudson that it was almost a little annoying. I was proud of him though, and Hudson really soaked up the attention. And I love that Hudson couldn't even put his donut down for me to take a picture of him and Richie with their trophies!

Memorial Day and the End of School

Memorial Day my parents opened the pool! Davis has been asking to swim since about February and he was ALL OVER IT! Lila surprised us by mostly really liking the pool and she lasted for a long time (although she didn't love her life jacket).

I wanted to do something fun as a family on Memorial Day morning, and this is what Ben came up with! Family bike ride on the legacy trail. It was seriously so fun! Ben and I don't have bikes, but Chase wanted to roller blade anyway so Ben rode his bike. And then I just pushed Lila in the stroller. It was beautiful and lovely and a great way to spend the morning!

It got so hot that the last week of school the kids were in the pool or the sprinklers every day! This is the best part of childhood.

And then the boys finished up their school year! What a year! Definitely not a typical year and one we won't soon forget! From starting on hybrid schedule, to four days a week, lots of remote learning, masks every day (until the last week!)- these boys had a positive attitude through it all! Yes, they would have loved to go 5 days a week with no masks all year, but they didn't complain. They really made the best of it and have a new appreciation for school.

They had such great teachers this year. Hudson had Mrs. Evans (who Chase also had in 2nd grade) and we love her so much. I might have colluded with Richie and Hyrum's moms to all request her so the boys could get another year together and it was so great. I love that he has these sweet friends. He also made so many new friends and tells me all the time about the girls who chase him at recess (Becca, Megan, Lyla) and he's well aware that they chase him because they all have crushes on him. His reading really took off this year- he started reading short chapter books and ended the year being able to cruise through much harder, longer books. He did so well in math, too. And I always loved seeing his writing. He's really gotten into art this year as well, always drawing different characters or ideas. I love his creative little mind.

Chase had Mrs. Blankinship, who was really nice and really pushed him (a first for him). I didn't request a teacher for him, but he managed to get in the same class as all his best friends anyway, which made the year really fun. Chase struggled a lot with perfectionism this year and being really hard on himself, something we are working on. He was one of only 10 kids in his grade to finish the "read across Utah" challenge, 29 books of varying genres. He finished it by March. So he got a book of his choice and to attend a special waffle breakfast. This kid just devours books, and truly enjoyed the challenge. They also did a lot of science this year, which he really loved. He disliked his music prep class, and tried to form a class boycott against it. It didn't work, their teacher made him go anyway, but she was proud of them for using their vocab words (boycott!). Otherwise I think he really loved 4th grade. In fact, he told me once school was out that "I'm so excited for summer, but I'm sad that 4th grade is over."