Seeing Green

Before I post about my Seattle trip and 1/2 marathon, yesterday was an EXCITING day for us!  We finally got our grass for our back yard.

BEFORE

(I didn't take too many before pictures because I couldn't find the camera so I just grabbed my phone)

Then this truck pulled up with all this beautiful green on it and...what a great sight!

AFTER 

(they installed it within about 2 hours)

the red pad is for the hot tub

 back here we will put a swing or sitting furniture and have a real fire pit for roasting things.

 need to get the tramp put up and the basketball hoops.

 the little hole here is all ready for a gas fireplace



We are all a wee bit excited to have a back yard to play in.  I can't wait for all the trees, bushes and flowers to be planted!  I LOVE trees, so there will be LOTS of them.

Our front walkway also was done when they poured all of our back cement. It finally looks complete.

It looks so much better.  Now they will come finish the waterfall in the front and everything will be done. (don't look too close at the grass.. it REALLY needs to be mowed!)

A special thanks to my hubby who worked his tail off getting the sprinklers ready for sod to be delivered while I was gone to Seattle all while taking care of the 3 youngest kids. He even cleaned the house before I came home. What a guy ;)

Long time away..

MAN... I have a LOT of catch up to do!

Where do I start?  I will go back to 2 weeks ago and start with the baby shower I hosted and Fathers Day. 

On June 18th, I hosted a baby shower at my house for my friend Martie who is having a baby the end of July.  It will be here first and we are very excited for her!  She is having a little boy. 

 Gracelyn, Sheri, and myself

 Kayla and Rylee-- she was my partner in crime in planning the shower.  I love this girl!!

 Whitney, Kara, Martie, Kelsey, and Anna

 Most of the gang.. don't they look like a great group to hang out with :)

 waiting to open presents.  She will be such a great mom!

These were the awesome cupcakes Kayla hooked us up with for dessert.  They were gourmet and man they were the best cupcakes I have EVER eaten!

We had a great afternoon eating, opening presents, and just hanging out.  It was a wonderful afternoon.

After the shower, Sean and Tayler went to the Real Salt Lake game and the rest of us did some last minute Fathers Day preparations. They had a great time together.  Soccer is definitely their thing!

I am sad that I don't have any pictures from Fathers Day.  I woke up with the WORST sore throat so I called someone to help out in the sunbeam class and we all stayed home from Church (Jackson was still really sick too).   I made breakfast and then we opened presents.  I had each of the kids write their own card and then think of a gift that they wanted to buy for their dad that was specific to them.  It turned out so cute!

Jackson picked out this cool wet vac/vac for his car.  It is an awesome little gadget. He didn't really have a say.

Jayson and Sean's saying is "you got Jimmered" so we found a #32 BYU shirt for him. Jayson was so excited for him to wear it!

Rylee is into his cooking so she picked out a new griddle.

Tayler loves to read and listen to music with Sean so she gave him a gift card to Barnes & Noble and i Tunes.

I tried to make it all about the kids and their dad.  I think he was happy! At least I hope so. I spent a great part of the day thinking about my dad and what a wonderful example he was to me, but I really think about him often, not just Fathers Day. 

The next night we took Sean's dad out to dinner.  He is a wonderful man.  He shaved his head and beard.  It was fun to see him and have an evening to be with him as well.

After we went to dinner I went to the InstaCare because I was still so sick and my trip to Seattle was quickly approaching and my half marathon was looming in the back of my mind.  I was wondering how I was going to run 13.1 miles not being able to breathe.  Thankfully the Dr. put me on an antibiotic for my sinus infection and gave me a decongestant so I had a chance of breathing.  I started feeling better Tuesday night and then Wednesday morning got hit with a bad case of the stomach flu.  I really thought all the cards were against me going to Seattle, but I did go and I even finished my Half Marathon (miracle).  I will blog about my trip tomorrow.  It was wonderful.

Postponed Memorial Day

Due to the RAINY and SOGGY weather that we had Memorial Day weekend (actually the whole month of May), our plans to visit my Dad's grave were put on hold for a while, but yesterday was the perfect day to go.  We arrived just as they finished mowing which means that our flowers would be safe and stay on the grave for a week.  I bought each of my kids a pinwheel to stick on the corners of the grave and Tayler and Rylee attached a note to theirs. 

This year my mom brought scrapbooks of my dad growing up and when they were married to show to my kids.  It was so sweet & special and they loved it so much.  I thought it was an awesome idea.

 

Grandma also bought the kids bubbles to play with while we were there. It was the perfect gift! They each had their own bottle and couldn't have been happier.

It is such a fun tradition to go each year.  I love it!   We had a wonderful day with my mom.  I sure love her!

The pinwheels just kept spinning.  It was fun to watch them.  At one point only one would spin at a time, and all of them took a turn one by one.  I told the kids that Grandpa was talking to each of them individually.  They thought that was awesome.  Then Jayson started singing "Praise to the Man" and Rylee said.. "you know the best part of that song is death cannot conquer."  So true Rylee, so true!  We are grateful for our knowledge that death cannot conquer us.  We WILL live together once again.

Playing with the bubbles..

 Tayler and Grandma were having a bubble war..

 The fountains were not on yesterday, but the grounds were still pretty as ever.  There is something so peaceful about that cemetery.  While we were sitting at the grave someone started to play the bagpipes. It was beautiful.  What is it about bagpipes that brings that feeling of peace? 

( yes, Jayson is wearing a boutonniere left over from a previous funeral.  A bit morbid I know, but he loved it. He told me that is what they were to weddings too).

After the cemetery we went to Old Navy for a while and then went to lunch.  It was a fabulous afternoon. 

Last night we took the kids to the duck park to play and feed the ducks.  I thought my camera was still in my purse, but sadly it wasn't so I didn't get any more pictures.

The kids were SO ready for bed when we got home.  I love days like that.

** p.s.  we found out today that TAYLER MADE the competition team!  10 girls made her team.  We are so excited for her.  She will do great.  Her best friend Jessica made the same team so it will be so fun to watch them together.  Way to go Tay and Jess!  **

Rylee's kindergarten graduation

Rylee had her LAST program for Kindergarten yesterday and her graduation! I did get a little choked up when her class walked into the auditorium.  I can't believe she is done.  Has it really been a year already? It seems like it flew by.  She has had an amazing year, and the things she can now do is astonishing.  I have LOVED, loved, LOVED her teacher.  She is fabulous in every way.  I am so thankful Rylee had her. 

They sang the cutest songs

We checked Tayler out to come too.. she was such a proud sister.

Our cute neighbor girl, Olivia, found us and came to listen to Rylee too.  I love that! I've decided that Jayson can't make a normal face.

They did silhouettes of all the kids with their certificates.  I thought they were so dang cute.

Rylee's good friend, Isabel. They had a great year together. I wish I would have gotten more pictures with her other cute friends.  She had some great ones and knew each one so well.

 Jayson is happy to have his buddy home again.

Rylee's awesome teacher Mrs. Willmore.  They had cookies out on the playground after the program.

Just for fun: This is Rylee just starting at the beginning of the year!

We are so proud of you Rylee!  You have amazed us by what you have learned and how much you have grown.  Now we're moving on to 1st grade. 

(funny story:  at Rylee's last Parent/Teacher conference Mrs. Willmore talked about everything she had done, etc. etc. and then said, "now I have some bad news"  Rylee all of a sudden got big eyes and didn't know what she was going to say-- she looked REALLY nervous. (I was a little nervous too). Well she said " the bad news is: you have to move on to 1st grade and I will miss you so much."  Rylee smiled and laughed a sigh of relief.  It made us all laugh).

 

Competition Try-Outs

Yesterday Tayler and her best friend, Jessica, tried out for a competition soccer team in Kaysville and they both did AMAZING! My heart was beating fast just watching them. They have another day of try-outs tomorrow as well and then they will decide on the teams.  I am so proud of her abilities. 

She and her dad have worked almost every night together to improve her skills.  She is a good little player and really enjoys it.  Sean wrote her an email that I printed out for her before the tryouts.  She cried.  It was sweet.  They have an awesome bond.  She chose her Georgia shirt as good luck.

They played a little game of 3 on 3 with last years team and they totally held their own.

Hopefully tomorrow will be just as great.  We'll keep you posted.

Go # 2626 & Jess ( i don't remember her number). 

p.s. she doesn't have glasses.  She was just messing around with mine.