Spring Volleyball

We LOVE sports at our house! (This week alone with will have 3 soccer practices, 3 outdoor soccer games, 2 indoor soccer games, 3 volleyball games and 2 dance classes!) I just love seeing the kids try new things and I'm so grateful that our city offers such a variety of things to do. The kids bring flyers home from school and we definitely sign up for a majority of them.

When the girl's brought home a flyer about volleyball and expressed interest, I thought it was great! They are both on the same team and we just love it. They go one night a week and have 1/2 hour practice and then 3 games in a row. It's really low-key and no pressure and both Emily and Lindsey have really enjoyed it. Our coach, Leslie Stauffer, is a friend from our neighborhood and she's so cute with the girls.

Great job girls!

I love that Emily stops and smiles whenever she sees the camera!

Emily serving




Lindsey getting ready for the ball

Lindsey serving (they let the girl's serve from the front line)

Indoor Soccer

Kate & Jack are finishing up a great season of indoor soccer! My sister Becky told us about the rec center that she worked for doing indoor soccer, so we thought we'd give it a try. Jack saw the flyer and immediately asked if he could play. Kate is too young to play soccer through the Murray Rec Center, so I talked her into trying it out as well.

Kate is such a hoot to watch. She is usually pretty willing to run around, but she definitely stays on the "outskirts" of the pack. If Tinkerbell could play soccer, that would be Kate. We have loved watching her try and smile each time she runs down the floor.

Kate warming up

Pre-game goalie warmup

This picture says it all - she's the little blonde at the very back.

And the true motivator for playing indoor soccer: THE TREAT!!!

Happy to be looking at Princess things on the side-line

Now, Jack....he is completely opposite! Jack lives for sports. He wants to play all of them, he wants to practice all of them and he talks about all of them. He's had a great time playing indoor soccer (but is excited to be starting outdoor soccer soon!). He is so intense and just runs with all his might to kick the ball. He's scored several goals and just lives for Saturday mornings.

Pre-game smiles

I love his form

Way to go, Jack!

Kate's dance class

I have posted pictures before of Lindsey & Emily's dance class, so I figured I better post them about Kate's dance class too. Kate took a dance class last year in Columbus and she LOVED it. My fingers were crossed that we'd be able to find something in Utah that we loved just as much, and we definitely have!

The three girls take dance from Murray Community Dance and it's fabulous!!! They each take a class one day a week, it's so, so, so affordable and Emily & Lindsey do 2 shows a year (the spring one is coming up!). Kate's class is 45 minutes once a week and it's definitely a highlight of the week for her. A couple of times a semester, the parents are allowed to come in and watch, so these pictures are taken from observation week.

Miss Danielle (who come to find out, Jon taught when he was a math teacher at Murray High School) calling roll.

This is Kate and Ava (Ava is Kate's friend and is in her preschool as well). They are holding their thumbs up and wiggling their bums - cutest thing ever!

At the bar (they start with tap and then 1/2 way through, change to ballet).

Her little class

Ava & Kate

Learning how to skip

Great work Kate!!

Becky's Wedding Day - Reception

After the wedding lunch, we went to my mom's house for only about 1/2 hour before we needed to go to the reception for more pictures (I'll post those later). Becky & John's reception was in the East Building by the State Capitol Building. It was absolutely gorgeous! My mom has such vision and some of her good friends did the flowers, and they were absolutely stunning! We had a wonderful evening! What a treat to see so many friends and family - we love them all so much! We had a band and they were great! Lindsey danced most of the night and it was fun to get out there and all dance together. The kids were so great at clearing tables, taking gifts and just being cute. We were all completely exhausted by the end of the night, but it was so worth it!

The first picture is my mom's shoes! She is so funny and even though these are not very comfortable shoes, she loved the feather!

This carriage was brought in by a family friend and so we put in the gifts in it. It was really fun!

This is actually an ice sculpture with fresh flowers on it. It was on the food table.

Lindsey & Candy - dancing the night away

Kirsten not only took most of these great pictures, but held Hannah when she FINALLY decided to take her first nap of the day.

And then Kate decided to take a nap too!

Becky & John's first dance

My mom and brothers - Mike & Peter

Becky & my dad

I love this picture - this is my uncle Stan and my aunt Pat - aren't they cute?

Emily enjoying the dancing

Cutting (and smearing) the cake

Throwing the bouquet

The winner....Riley!!

Getting ready to toss the garter

Becky saying goodbye to the kids

Lindsey with Becky's bouquet

The happy couple!

The Only One

Conversations with Kate are always interesting. Tonight, I had given the kids a bath and afterwards, I was combing their hair and clipping their fingernails. While Kate was having her nails clipped, she said this:

Jack is the only boy.
Lindsey is the only one with bangs.
Emily is the only one with glasses.
I am the only one with blonde hair.
Hannah is the only one with diapers.
Mom is the only one with earrings.
And Dad is the only nice one.

Becky's Wedding Day - Luncheon

After we had pictures done at the Temple, we walked over the food court at the mall to get the kids a little snack. The Mortensen's had arranged a wonderful luncheon at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, so after our snack, we headed back there. (On the way,we noticed an older lady at the Lion House, who had scraped her leg on the outside steps and was bleeding quite badly. We left Jon there to take a look and went to the luncheon. He was only several minutes behind us, but I'm sure that lady appreciated knowing that she should head to the ER for some stitches).

The lunch was delicious, the kids were SO good (you really would have never guessed there were kids in that room), and some wonderful and kind things were said about John & Becky. You really can't say enough about those two and what amazing individuals they are! Thanks to the Mortensen family for a fabulous lunch!

Hannah and her pappa