March 2024

The kids got in one last skiing night before night skiing shut down for the season.  They love skiing and Shane loves to take them.  And I love staying home and having a night to myself.

March started off with the end of the basketball season for Siena for Lone Peak Bantam.  It was a rough season for sure.  They didn't win any games and the team wasn't that unified in their approach with many players not showing up quite a bit.  I don't blame Siena for being frustrated even though she still enjoys playing.

March always means Battle of the Books competitions.  Siena and Aria teamed up with Annie again and this time invited Ryder Daniels from our ward and his friend Beckham Brockbank.  The girls carried the team a lot, Annie helped and Ryder a little.  Beckham knew one book but he knew that book inside and out and was so excited anytime a question from that book was asked.  They ended up winning the school competition again and went to the district competition.  They did great again at district and came in the top 10.  

Jaron also did Battle of the Books again and even though he so wanted to win or at least go to the finals, it just wasn't in the cards for his team and they lost in the quarterfinals.  I think Jaron felt a little pressure to win since his sisters had won 3 years in a row but different schools do it a little differently and made it a little harder to win.  Mostly I'm so proud that all my kids always read the books multiple times and really love this program.

March also means Knowledge Bowl competitions.  Jaron did it at Westfield so he wasn't on the same team this year as Siena and Aria.  The subject was History and boy did they ask the hardest questions.  This is also a program we have loved being a part of and sadly will be our last year.  Both teams did really well and they always learn so much from it.

The leprechaun traps are still always so fun and why do I feel like these will be ending soon as they get older.

Our ward did a missionary month in March.  The first week we had a cultural night where the kids went to each room for about 10 minutes and learned about different missions.   They asked me to teach about Australia and be a 'mission leader' for the month.  After the cultural night they all got passports and a mission call.  One week they learned how to do a door approach, we had a night where we went to members homes and taught them about the first vision.  We also took a tour of the MTC. It was such a fun month.

The best part of March was Jaron was in his school play, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  He decided to try out back in December and had to sing a solo.  All his friends did it and even though this isn't something Jaron loves, Jaron was a TV Kid and did 2 dances in it.  He didn't love putting on the makeup but was so good about the whole thing. I'm so glad he did it and I think he had a good time even though a lot of the practices were long.  It turned out so great and all the kids were so talented.  I was impressed how well it turned out for 5/6th graders.

Easter was early this year but we dyed eggs and did our usual Easter traditions.

We used our free passes from a read a thon to go to the Butterfly museum one night before they expired.  Always a fun time trying to hold the butterflies.

February 2024

 I hosted Activity Days for Jaron's group of older boys.  We did a Valentine heart attach activity and they each decorated hearts to decorate their house for their family with cute notes.

Jaron had a soccer tournament in St. George with his Surf team.  We always have such a fun weekend besides just playing soccer.  Jaron's team went to the finals but ended up losing in a very tense emotion filled game.  The lines on the field were terrible and our keeper stepped out of the line and they got a free pk from it and that just set everyone off.  But they played great and we had a fun weekend.  We even got to go to the Red Hills Temple Open House.

A fun young women activity for the girls making dessert pizzas

Jaron played on a Jr Jazz team with a few fiends.  He doesn't love playing basketball but it's good to just get out and do other things.

The kids had a knowledge bowl practice competition.  For the first time Jaron and the girls aren't on the same team and went up against each other.  I think Ridgeline won but Jaron's team did really good.

The rest of the month was spent preparing for our crazy month coming up.

January 2024

Jaron did a science experiment on how the PSI levels in a soccer ball affect how far the ball will go.

Lots of family came out to support Jaron at one of his indoor soccer games.  Jaron loves indoor soccer and it's always fun to watch him play.

We went with the Pace's to an ice sculpture event at The Riverwoods in Provo.

Aria still loves her birds!

December 2023

 We have so many things we do in December that are the same every year but I still feel like I need to document them as our 'traditions'

Our annual gingerbread house decorating.  Yes I still only buy them one and I love the time they spend together.

I won the Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert ticket lottery this year.  Only Aria wanted to go with us so we invited Brigitte as well.  It was so good and I always love when I get the chance to go to this concert.  And I love that Aria wanted to go, she loves Christmas music!

Shane got out Grandpa South's train a few days before Christmas.  The kids love this tradition and always have fun playing with the train.  And of course our annual sleep under the Christmas tree the night before Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve was on Sunday so we went to Church and took a family picture and then went to my parents for Christmas Eve.  We had a yummy dinner and the kids still wanted to act out the Nativity.

Christmas Day was spent at home hanging out after all presents were opened.  Then we went to my parents again for Christmas dinner.  I am usually so bad at getting pictures on Christmas but here are a few I did get.

The week after Christmas we went to Quincy to visit VaLois.  Jim her husband passed away a week before Christmas so we wanted to go visit and offer her support.  It was a good visit, low key.  We didn't do much, went on a few drives, went bowling and just hung out being with Grandma.

We drove home New Year's Eve day and got home in time to eat our traditional piezookie and ice cream and ring in the New Year.  Looking forward to what 2024 has in store for us!!