Gage Plays Jr Jazz Basketball

The past few months Gage has played Jr. Jazz Basketball. I really want my kids to try a lot of different sports and activities so they can figure out what they enjoy to do. Well, this past year I have found that Gage doesn't enjoy basketball. He did a lot of running and put his hands up in the air, but he just wasn't into it. Gage dreaded going to the games. This is his second year playing and I told him it could be his last.

Here are some pics of Gage being number 5.

It's hard to tell, but this is one of the few times Gage had the ball.

Mike was the assistant coach.

Tanner was very hard to take to the games. Here's my mom trying to entertain him on the walk way above the courts.

Landen loved going to Gage's games because he knew he could play his DS.

Just Dance!

My friend Heidi got the Wii game Just Dance for Christmas. Mike and I had so much fun playing it, I had to go out and buy it. You pick from 3o different songs and mimic the actions of the dancer on screen. Up to 4 people can play. You get points for whoever dances closest to the real actions.

The Bairs came to visit and the kids played it for hours. It is actually really good exercise and hilarious to watch!

Brandy even joined in on the fun.

It was so cute when they all shook their booties. These pics really don't do it justice!

What's A Webelos?

Working Sundays limits my ability to fulfill many church callings. I have done Girls' Activity Days which didn't turn out very well. I had a hard time bonding with the girls and understanding exactly what activity to think of. I was the young women's sports coach which I actually liked, but it didn't last long. After about 9 months, they called a new Young Womens' Presidency and released everyone involved with any sort of Young Womens' calling. A few weeks ago, I was called to be a Webelos Den Leader. What the heck is a Webelos? Well, I quickly found out that it is a scout that is 10 years old.

Mike hated scouting growing up and has not been particularly supportive of this calling. I have 3 boys that will eventually be scouts so I am trying to have a positive attitude about it. I know Gage especially will be really into earning badges. My only problem is, I don't really understand how it is a church calling because I am teaching them about camping and first aide.

Well, I actually have had a fun time so far. I definitely understand boys better than girls and they can be really funny. My partner is great to work with and I only have to teach every other week.

Today, we had the Blue and Gold Banquet. It is the yearly birthday celebration for scouting. We had a cake auction to help raise money for the scouting program. The boys help me decorate a gumball machine cake which happened to sell for the most amount of money. $50! I have to say it made me feel good that my idea raised so much money.

Hopefully, I will be able to be a good Den Leader and the boys will think I'm "cool." Gage is already saying he hopes I stay in 3 years so I will be his leader when he's 10. I'm not making any promises.

Sick Day

Today, Gage got to go to school in his pajamas pretending to be sick. They learned all about sickness and good hygiene. They were told they could bring a special stuffed animal so Gage had to bring his favorite pig.

Landen Will Learn To Speak What?

It's official. Landen got into the Chinese Immersion Program at Syracuse Elementary. Well, I actually think everyone that turned in their application on time got in. Mike and I have thought really hard about this and hope we are doing the right thing. Landen will go to an extended day of kindergarten where half the day his teacher will speak Chinese only. The second half will be taught by a different teacher in English. This Chinese Program is in its second year and still working out the kinks, but I have heard really good things about it. Sometimes I wish they were teaching Spanish, but they say Chinese will be beneficial in a more global way. Supposedly by being in the program, the kids will be ready to take the AP Chinese exam by the 9th grade. After that, the hope is the kids will be able to start high school learning a different language.

Landen is such a self learner. I know he will do great in this program. He is already a great reader and loves school. I only worry about not being able to help him at all. Wish us luck!

Mini Vacation To Layton

My parents and I had plans to take the kids to Bear Lake for a weekend of skiing and tubing, but it just never worked out. The kids just love the idea of staying in hotel so my dad let us use some of his Marriott points and we stayed in the Layton Marriott for the weekend.

Mike took Gage skiing on Friday. On Saturday, my dad and Mike went skiing while my mom and I took the kids to a movie and played on Classic Skating's bouncers.

We had a great weekend playing, relaxing, and swimming in the hotel swimming pool. Maybe next year we will make it farther than 10 minutes away from our house!

Hard Goodbye

In October, Mike's brother Matt decided to take a promotion that would move his family to New Mexico. Even though we had a few months for this news to sink in, it was still really hard to say goodbye.

Noah and Tanner are only a week apart and have become such good play buddies. They aren't quite sure what's going on tonight, but I know they will miss each other.

All the brothers. Mike and Matt have gotten really close since they started running together. Now Mike's running buddy will be gone.

The kids were really upset about having to say goodbye.

The girls. I know we will see each other a few times a year. I guess New Mexico will be a vacation spot for us. Although, I hope they find some fun stuff to do.

Random Cuteness

Here are a few pics I have taken that I think are pretty cute of the kids.

Don't mess with Tanner when he is sitting in his Scooby Doo chair and watching tv. He is completely zoned.

I love how Gage can read. He is so cute when he reads to Tanner.

Tanner fell asleep after church one day. He always lays with his arms behind his head like that. I love it.

Tanner is always breaking his train track. It drives me crazy. He is reading the instructions to try and put them together by himself.

Grandpa Tom frequently stops by on his way home from Salt Lake with a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. They are sooo messy and he gets the ones with the sprinkles on purpose!

Sledding!

We get plenty of snow but never seem to find a good day to go sledding. So today was our first trip of the year. We usually go to a local high school and use the hill made by their football stands. It is perfect because it isn't too steep for at least Gage to walk up by himself with his sled. I was a little nervous about how Tanner would be. This would be his first sledding experience. We hooked up with the Lessigs and had a great time!

Tanner absolutely loved it! Poor Mike had to carry him and the sled up the hill over and over again.

I can't believe all three of us made it down in one piece!

Landen and Ava rode together but weren't quite sure how to both help carry the sled up the hill.

They were soooo cute together!

That's hard work!

The big race. I am not sure who won. I think a few started before I said, "Go."

Gage and Zach took off by themselves. They probably should have been wearing helmets the way they were scoping out the jumps.

Somehow, I noticed Landen weasel his way out of carrying the sled. Poor Ava toughed it alone up the hill with the sled for the second half of riding.