April - Track, Soccer, Vegas!

Casey got asked to join this years FFA donkey basketball on April 2nd He got to play with the teachers. They lost their first round to the Firefighters / First Responders group, and won their second game against the high school FFA students. Casey named his donkey Turbo, because it kept jolting forward at random times with or without Casey securely on it's back. It's been a handful of years since Casey has played and we've never taken Alice before so the kids had a lot of fun watching the chaos unfold. Alice's teacher was also a part of the game and she loved cheering for Casey and her teacher We even got her to go pet a donkey at half time. 

Alice started soccer practice the first week of April. She had her first game last weekend on the 13th and her second game yesterday. Her team won their first game 3 to 2. Alice did well and got in there when she played forward. She had a harder time as a goalie (she didn't want to grab the ball, just kick it). Her team lost their game yesterday 0-5 (It was when Casey and I were on our trip to Vegas). She got stepped on earlier this week in practice while tying her shoes and had cleat marks and bruises on her wrist all week, then to top it off she got hit in the face with a ball during yesterday's game. Poor girl. . . We'll hope for a better week this week. 

It was Conference weekend on the 6th and 7th. The kids spent the day Saturday making a giant coloring page with me, and doing puzzles while we listened to conference. I made cinnnamin rolls and 6 dozen rolls for the Darrington Easter party the next day. Sunday Morning we watched half of the morning session of conferences at home, then listened to the rest in the car on the way to Raft River. We had a delicious lunch with everyone, and then watched afternoon conference together. After conference we had hoped to do our usual Easter hunt, but the winter weather had continued into that weekend so Grandma switching things up with some Easter messages and then sent them to go find their Easter goody bags hidden in the house. We ended up playing at Casey's aunt and Uncles new home / shop / gym for a while before we headed home. The kids had a blast playing around together!

 

Kendal and Peter had their first Track Meet on the 9th. Peter won in the sixth grade mile race and did well in his 800, 4x400 ,and triple jump. Kendal PR'd in her mile and triple jump to start off her season, and did well in her 800! They were in Gooding and played against two other teams. Both the Boys and Girls came out on top! This past week they were in Oakley (on the 16th). Pete improved in his triple jump, and worked hard in his other events! Kendal got another PR in triple jump and did well in her 800, and mile. She was able to get a 4 x 400 team together this past week. They did ok, but hopefully with more practice can crush it as the season goes on. Both boys and girls teams won, but it was a harder meet with six teams total vying for top spots. Besides a cold / blustery day in Oakley and a few windy practices they've had decent weather so far for track. . . Let's hope it continues. This week they're home for their meet and I get to go watch! 

For Pete's activity on the 10th. His group went and picked up trash near Shoshone Falls. This past week the tried disc golf in the wind at the middle school (didn't work to well, but still a good time according to him.)  Kendal had a spa night on the tenth and raced "vegetable cars" this past week against the teachers group. Kendal won one of her races!

last weekend was the first sunny Saturday we've had in a long time. We got some spring cleaning done in the garage, and Casey got the lawn aerated and fertilized. (We plan on adding seed next month). Our tree was really showing off that weekend, and made me so happy to see blooming! (Simple Joy's)

For Casey's 40th birthday we planned and scheduled a trip to Vegas to see Garth Brooks. Casey has been a die-hard fan of Garth Brooks since he was a little kid and has had this on his bucket list for years and years. We had to wait till basketballs season was over and Garth Brooks took a break after December and just started shows up again this week. We left at a quarter to 5 in the morning on Saturday to fly out of Twin at 6:30. We stopped in SLC and made it to Vegas at 8:45 their time. Casey and I dropped our bags off at the hotel and walked around for a while enjoying the sights, a few stores. We ate at a Guy Fierie's Favertown Sport's kitchen and had some delicious Mexican pizza. Afterwards we went to the museum of Illusion. It was a cool place that the kids would've loved, and we had a fun time doing all of the interactive things it had to offer. We had some ice cream and decided we were done walking for a while. We went and rested in the hotel before we ate an early dinner and made our way to the concert at Cesar's palace. They locked our phones for the concert so no one could video, but we have access to photo's of the show that I'll have to add later. It was such a fantastic show. Casey was in heaven singing along to the songs with the rest of the crowd and soaking in the amazing feeling of seeing his most favorite singer live! Garth told great stories, sang his amazing songs (and more), and we even got a treat by having his wife Trisha Yearwood come out and sing some songs with him / for us! We were seriously beyond ecstatic with the whole performance!! Afterwards I dragged Casey back out among the Vegas Chaos to see the water show in front of the Belagio hotel, then we headed back to the hotel and tried get in a few hours of sleep before we were up at a quarter to 4 to get to the airport for our flights home. We made it home at one this afternoon. This is the first trip Casey and I have taken together since becoming parents. It was definitely a whirlwind of a weekend, and I'll be paying the price for lack of sleep for a few days, but it was 100% worth it, and a truly unforgettable birthday celebration for Casey!

finishing out March

Kendal and Pete ended their basketball camp on the 14th of this month. It was a good way for them to keep up with some skills and learn new skills while they waited for track to start. Track started on the 18th. After having a wet / snowy week their first week of track practice was warm and beautiful! Both launched themselves into long distance stuff so Pete hasn't had much time to train in other things to see what he'll do this season. They had one week of track before we started spring break, but Casey still had them training and running during our break. Alice took advantage of the warm week to get a kite flying session in as well as learning to ride the bigger bike! 

We ended 3rd quarter at the middle school on the 15th, and started the new quarter on the 18th. I have Kendal for my library aid this last quarter. I indulged her and she's in there with two of her friends (Becca, and Alicyn). Kendal is also in GI to finish her school year. Pete got put in AG, and then PE for his last quarter. All three kids received good grades for this past quarter. Alice continues to blow numbers out of the water. (She topped her reading score at a 5th grade reading level.) Kendal got all A's and Pete got A's and one B! Below is Alice's current obsession when she's at the middle school - doodling on my Promethean. The other pictures are of art pieces that Kendal did in class 3rd quarter, and were displayed in the art show on the 18th. 

 St. Patrick's day was on a Sunday. We all wore green to school on the 15th, but didn't do more than wear green to church for the actual day. 

The middle school had a ro-sham-bo day the Friday before spring break. All of the students had a competition for beads playing rock, paper, scissors with each other at the end of and in between classes. It was a fun way to usher in spring break. That night we had an ice cream taste off to start off our own spring break! Mint won thanks to all three girls choosing it as #1 with fluffy peanut butter / chocolate as second which is what the boys chose. We also ushered in March madness by making brackets and going head to head to see who will win! Alice was taking her cheering very seriously last week as we watched games over the weekend.  Currently our standings are. . . 

 

Other pics from before spring break: Pete built a tank, my cute girls, and Alice being our su chef lately. 

Monday of spring break had us doing a spring cleaning around the house and Casey started on the cabinet doors for my book case. (He had started them last summer and I didn't love how the door sat so he scrapped it for a time.) I love how they look, just need to find handles. We ended our night with some family Wii time. 

Tuesday I did a de-clutter day while the kids finished cleaning the basement toy area. We dyed Easter eggs and had everyone had a movie night after dinner while I studied. 

Wednesday we headed to Logan to finish out our spring break with family! We got to see cousins at dinner and played at my parents that afternoon. Thursday morning I went to take my first ABCTE test up at the USU testing center. This was the content test (all of the subjects and their sub subjects). I have been studying since September and cramming this past month trying to learn and retain all of the things for Math, Science, History, and English. It's been overwhelming trying to learn all of this content with only having evenings and weekends to fit in study time. I felt ready, but nervous about the amount I needed to remember. I also thought there was an essay portion to this test and have been working hard writing practice essays in preparation. I said thought because I was wrong and found out at the testing center. After working on my test for 2 and a half hours I clicked end test (thinking an essay portion would pop up next for my last hour) only to have the system stop. I went into to the test proctor room and a TA told me I was done and I got a printout saying I passed. I was so confused about missing out on part of the test and was instructed that if I left the test was considered done - meaning I would have to re-do the whole test if I left. So I sat there an hour longer with 4 phone calls to ABCTE / test people only to have the USU test guy come back and say it's the second test (that I still have to take) that has the essay (not both tests like I originally thought). I was overwhelmed and stressed for that hour and it took some of the joy out of passing my test, but I did it! I passed test one and I'm ahead of the curve with all of my essay prep for the second test! Casey and the Kids played risk at my parents that morning after Kendal did a driving session with Grandpa, and when he got my first nervous text and came up to get me not knowing I was stuck in the building till things were figured out so he drove around campus for a bit. Everyone waited to celebrate with me and we all went to Chick Fill A for a very late lunch to celebrate. Casey and Grandpa took Kendal and Pete to do baptisms for the dead that afternoon while Alice and I went for a visit with Nana. We got to spend the evening with cousin time as well! 

Friday Morning Kendal went driving with grandpa, and I took my mom around to a few stores. After lunch Casey, My Dad, Kendal, Pete, Tony, and David went to the shooting range. They had a fun time doing something new with Grandpa. Alice and I played games back at the house. Casey took Kendal and Pete for a run after shooting and we got to spend more time with cousins that night. We also did a doughnut taste off. We picked four doughnuts and had everyone order their favorites. Lee's doughnuts won with Krispy Cream coming in at a close second. 

Saturday morning we followed David and Anica to the Lee's around the valley so the kids could do a simple Easter treat walk through each store. Nothing epic, but the kids got some goodies and cousin time in. Casey and I took the girls to see Nana before lunch while Pete got some play time at David and Anica's house. Andy and Kim came up for an early Easter lunch and we all had a nice afternoon together eating, hanging out, and playing Farkle and Apples to Apples. It's my Mom's birthday this coming week and we got to sing to her yesterday as well! We got talked into eating at Culvers before we left and got home late last night. 

Easter Sunday! The kids were up early to find their baskets, and goodies. They knew they couldn't collect eggs until their baskets were found, and they had no luck finding them; however, they did a scavenger hunt that the bunny put together and found some hobby rockets that we've spent part of this afternoon putting together. We went to church and had a beautiful sacrament meeting full of the spirit and messages of our Savior. I love all that was shared! Before we came back home we did a mini testimony session together sharing our testimonies of Christ together. The kids came in and ended up finding their baskets and eggs (with a lot of direction from Casey on how to thoroughly look for things, because heaven help them they were being very casual with their efforts). We're now having a casual afternoon together to finish out our Easter Sunday / Spring break. 

(The palm leaves we made last Sunday and have had them up all week. We wrote on them what we would say to Christ if we saw him today.)