The Story Of My Life

{The World's Greatest Touchdown!!}

Flag Football is the bomb! We had a great season! The team was awesome! All the kids and their parents were really, really nice and that makes all the difference in the world. It was the first time Breck played the game and he did a fantastic job! He really enjoys it, so much so that he asked it he can play again in the fall. When we told him he had soccer in the fall, he thought for a moment before replying, "I can play both, right?" Good times!!

And of course, he had the world's greatest coach...his Dad!

His last game was the best! As parents we try everything we can think of to motivate our kids to try their best. Breck has so much potential as an athlete. He just seems to hesitate. On the way to his last game, out of the blue, came a brilliant idea (yet not an original, look here ), a "motivational" idea! I told Breck that if he pulled an opponents flag I would give him $5! He got so excited about the prospect of $5 that I couldn't resist "motivating" him with a little more... I told him if he scored a touchdown he could buy a new Nintendo DS game! The boys eyes lit up!

The "motivating" factors started to work almost immediately! During the first half when our team was on defense, Breck pulled the "$5" flag, stopping a touchdown run! He yelled, all the way across the field, "Mom...that's 5 bucks!" The mom's sitting around me gave me a questioning look? Which lead me to explain my brilliant "motivational" idea to them resulting in a few laughs and giggles! I knew that pulling the flag was a big deal, I mean we are talking 5 bucks, so I wondered what the second half would bring?  

The second half was when "it" happened. The play was a fake pass to another receiver and then to Breck! It was glorious! Breck reached out and caught the pass with his fingertips, pulling the ball to him, and cradling it as he ran up the length of the entire field to score the world's greatest touchdown!! I will forever remember the ear to ear grin and the excited & surprised saucer eyes he had on his face as he ran full speed (we are talking Donte Stallworth speed) up the field as Summer & I jumped up and down screaming, "Run Breck, RUN!!!" while the other Mom's chanted "DS, DS, DS, DS." It wasn't the winning touchdown in the last second's of the superbowl...it was BETTER!! IT. WAS. AWESOME!! So awesome!

That night, with a new $5 bill in his pocket, Breck & I headed out to Target to buy him that new DS game!!! As we walked through the store, hand in hand, chatting about the details of "the world's greatest touchdown" I could not have been more proud as I glanced over at Breck and saw the pride in his eyes and the biggest, sweetest smile on his handsome little face! He was happy with his effort...happy with his success...happy with his reward...and he felt GOOD...GREAT in fact...and really, isn't that what life is about?

{Birthday Girl}

Summer had a great Birthday!  We celebrated as a family with a scavenger hunt!  Her Dad made her some yummy crepes for breakfast and we went to Outback, her favorite restaurant, for dinner!

Here are some pics!

Summer LOVES the flower clips the Knighton Girls made for her:)

The traditional birthday door with all the scavenger clues on it!

Her new stufffed bear from Grandma Myrna...it carried a fun suprise in it's pocket...a gift card to Barnes and Noble!

Summer got her first manicure/pedicure...well the painting part anyway!

Our traditional family photo and a photo of the Birthday Girl!!  We love you Summer and hope you have a wonderful year!  

{Where in the World?}

So I hesitate to even put up the crafty things I do...one of my sisters makes fun!  But WHATEVER!  I have been crafting lately...sigh...such joy:

For Leadership:  

You know those "to do list pads" that are everywhere for a dollar?  My friend Blythe came up with the idea to make a cover out of cardstock and add some ribbon!  Super idea!  I made a few for leadership...everything else is from the activity I did back in February!

These next photos are of a "mini" ( I use the word lightly as there were over 70 pages total) album I created for the departing PTO president!  I will not lie...these were super, super hard to give up!

There is more...lots more!  I loved every minute of this project!  I did have a few tears in the beginning stages because the creativity thing for me can be frustrating.  It doesn't turn off and on when I want it to!  It just happens when it happens! And when it did...I was thrilled!!!  Jumping out of my skin happy and excited!  These albums are probably my favorite project of all time..and like I stated before, super tough to give up.  I wanted to keep them for me, but alas it wasn't meant to be:)

Here is what my new project table looks like when I'm finished being "creative" (and this mild):

I LOVE this table!  Vallen got it for me for my B.day:)  I love this table so much I would ask Vallen to go back in the house during a fire to retrieve it...okay, not really, but you get what I mean!  Ideally there would be a fabulous "room" to go around it; but for now it works great where it is ...in my dining room!  I keep meaning to take a photo of it when it's clean, which NEVER happens, and frankly that makes me smile because I LOVE to have a project continuously going on:)  So here is the photo from online, only mine's in black!

This is where I've happily been the last week!  I'm off to start the other 50 things on my list...

1. Make DVD for Summer's 5th grade class!
2. Finish 52 journals for Breck & Summer's classes 
3. Shop for Summer's Birthday
4. Set-up "everything' for Summer's Birthday (I can't be more detailed as she reads my blog!)
5. Finish end of the year gifts from the PTO for 36 teachers & staff (not sure this is going to happen)
6. Father's Day! 
7. Ward Conference for Orange 2nd 
8. 40th Birthday for a friend ....

The list goes on and on!   Let's just say I'm busy!  And ain't it great:)  Each and every day I feel so blessed and happy to be alive and living my life!  It's truly a dream come true!  And in the words of the wise John Bon Jovi, "I'll sleep when I'm dead!"

Hugs! 

PS.  Vallen is right...they look best without ribbon!  Oh well, right?!  It's done now!

{Stake Talent Show}

The kids volunteered to participate in the Stake Talent Show!  A very talented woman in our ward organized the entire skit.  The kids just had to attend a few practices and the performance.  They were excited to participate and to be on stage performing...UNTIL the actual night of the show.  They had some serious stage fright...super serious stage fright!  I am so proud of them because at the last second they gathered all their courage and performed fabulously!  It was awesome to watch!  

Their performance was to the song "Galaxy" by Clint Black.  Breck was "The Speed of Light" and Summer was "A Star"!!  Very fitting to each of their personalities:)  The guy standing next to Breck aka "The Milky Way" is our home teacher Patrick, he is heading to BYU in the fall and is a great, great example to our kids.

Here are the pics: (Someday I might post the video, it was super cute)

{Surf & Sand}

Did I tell you we went to Surf & Sand?!  Yep.  It was awesome!  Each year Vallen has a convention in Laguna Beach at the Surf & Sand Resort.  It's only about 25 minutes from the house so we load up the Sienna and join him!  We love it there!  The kids especially like all there is to do AND of course room service!  The weather was perfect (sorry Mom)!  We had a great time.  Here are the pics:

Summer lounging on the balcony in between doing her homework!  She is such an academic girl!

Breck lounging on the balcony asking if he could jump from the chair he is lounging on to the pool below!  What???!!  Can you just imagine what the future holds for me when he is a teenager!  Crazy kid!

The most handsome man in the world!!  He was busy with meetings, dinner appointments, and more meetings; however, he did take an hour to hang out with us!  

The view from our "penthouse suite." Yes, it said penthouse on the door!  Only the best baby! Whatever, right?  A room is a room?  Or is it?  LOL!

The view from the beach!

Playing in the "Surf & Sand"!!  

Swimming in the pool that felt like a bathtub!  I have always thought it was so funny that hotels have a pool right next to the beach! 

 Breck & I watched the sunset, which was awesome!  We also saw a pod of dolphin swimming, playing, and jumping near the shore!  We slept with the sliding glass doors open so we could hear the ocean waves hitting the shore.  It was relaxing and so peaceful.  We wish Vallen had more conventions there each year so we could join him.  It's such a nice mini vacay!  

*UP*

We took the kids to see the movie "Up" today!  It was sweet, smart, and funny!!!  I cried.  I am continually blown away at the talented group of people that work for Pixar!  Their creativity has no bounds.  I can just imagine them sitting around bouncing ideas off of each other, acting like kids, and feeling the adrenaline rush that comes from a superbly great idea!  I am amazed at the awesomeness of their creativity.  It makes me smile:)  If you want to see a great "adventure" head to the movie "Up"!  It rocks!

*Memories*

I came across this picture from August 2005.  I cried.  My sweet little ones are going up too fast.  Way, way too fast.   They are my heart...my soul...my life!  

*What's Up?*

Right now, for me?  Let's make a list shall we?

• I have a cold sore the size of Texas on my lip!  It's only the second time I've had one in my life and it is painful.  The entire left side of my face is tingling and weird!  I am not a pretty sight.
• The final countdown begins for summer vacation!  The kids and I can't wait!  We are really looking forward to some R & R! 
• End of the school year projects include: making 52 journals, making a scrapbook for the PTO President, end of the year DVD for 5th grade, helping to decorate the District bulletin board, last Scrip order (it's my final one!!), field day for 1st grade, end of the year teacher & staff gift, and final PTO meeting.
• Exercising and dieting...again...to prepare for some fun summer time activities (Hawaii??).  
• A trip to Disneyland & California Adventure NEED to happen in the next week (We finally broke down and bought annual passes, so we should probably use them, right)! 
• Advertising for 4th of July Flag Rising Ceremony for the Stake! 
• Planning Summer's 11'th Birthday Party! 
• Finishing Summer's School Album from Kinder to 5th grade! 
• Father's Day! 
• Girls Night Out to celebrate summertime birthday's! 
• Planting & Fixing up the backyard!  
• Ordering and installing new carpet. 
• Fixing the paint in the house...big, big task!  I do not like painting! 
• Planning Mom's 60th Birthday (I'll be calling/emailing everyone about this one, so please be thinking of some ideas!)  
• Stake Conference Booklets. 
• Vallen's 40th!! 
• Planning a family vacation!  

Need I say more?   Life is busy.  I really do love every minute of it!  I just wish there was more time in a day to accomplish it all.  The kids are doing great!  Vallen is doing great!  We are ready for the summer to begin!  Good times:) 
  

**Summer Loves to...**

It's teacher appreciation week for our school.  Each day the kids are assigned to bring in an item.  Monday was a flower; Tuesday was a thank you note; Wednesday is a special sweet treat; Thursday is a school supply for the classroom; and on Friday they present a memory gift and have a little party!  It's really fun and the teacher's get pampered...they deserve it!  If I haven't said so before our school is awesome!  It really feels like a private school.  The teachers are fabulous.  The PTO and community support is amazing!  I am happy to celebrate the wonderful teachers at our school, it's the least we can do with all the time, effort, patience, kindness, and dedication they have.  This year is particularly sad because of the budget cuts.  We have 12 teachers that will be leaving our school at the end of the year, that's almost half of the staff!!  It will be a very, very sad day.

Anyway, Summer was asked to create a scrapbook page for her teacher's memory book about the things she loves to do most.  We took the following photos:

 

Summer LOVES to:

• Cook!  She loves to cook! It's a talent!! She makes cookies, chocolate-chip pumpkin bread, Scandinavian pancakes, and smoothies! She is great at following recipes and is constantly looking for new ones in The Friend!  
• Play the piano!  She is quite the pianist!  She has even played  "Popcorn Popping" and "Book of Mormon Stories" in Primary.  We love to hear her play!  It fills our home with such a sweet spirit! 
• Read!  I can not tell you how thrilled I am that Summer loves to read!  It's a favorite past time and she can cruise through a book in a day!  Her room is filled with books she loves!  At night when I tuck her in she has not less than 5 books stacked on her night stand!  She joined a Book Club at school and LOVES it!  She has even recommended books for me to read!  We have decided to start our own Book Club over the summer time:)   I can't wait!
• Listen to her IPOD!  She loves music!  She can be heard singing along to High School Musical, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, Rascal Flatts, Journey, and Taylor Swift!  "She hears Music wherever she goes!"   
• Emailing her friends!  This is new!  A true sign that she is getting older!   

Doesn't she look gorgeous!  A true beauty, both inside and out!  I love Summer for so many reasons, too many to list, but here are my top 5:

• I love Summer's sweet testimony of the gospel and how she wants to always choose the right. 
• I love how she is a good friend to others! 
• I love how committed she is to being modest in her dress! 
• I love that she wants to grow up and go to BYU and be a Mom!  I am amazed that at the age of 10 (almost 11) she has the commitment, motivation, and drive to achieve all her hopes and dreams!
• I love Summer because she is a true gift to our family with her sweet smile, her strength to do right, her love to be the best person possible, and her desire to have a happy life! 

Summer is a fabulous girl and a fantastic daughter!  I can not believe she will be heading to middle school next year.  I can remember, like it was yesterday, when I would hold her in my arms as she napped!  I love being her Mom!  I'm excited for the potential her future holds!  I love you Summer Daye! 
  
  

**Happy Mom's Day & Other Stuff**

It's Mom's Day!  Have a great one to all the Mom's out there!  Love you!

Today has been a great day!  My hubby is awesome to me and so are my sweet kids!  They gave me some amazing cards, bouquet of flowers, balloons, mentos & a pen (Summer's finds), a Mom's Day poster, homemade notepad & basket of coupons, and a new pink Ipod Nano!  

We had Earth Day on April 22nd.  The kids school celebrated by having an art show where they created nature items from recycled trash.  The kids got really creative and with our help made a flower and a snake!  

Leadership meeting was this Thursday!  It went wonderfully!  I believe everyone enjoyed themselves!  I can say that for me it was a Spirit filled night.  I enjoyed giving my message and sharing my thoughts about magnifying our callings and creating unity within our presidencies.  Here is my talk: Download Brighten The Corner Where You Are (just in case you are so bored you need a little light reading).  Our theme was based on this poem titled "Brighten The Corner Where You Are!" Download LEADERSHIP Brighten The Corner Where You Are  Once again I appreciate and love the women I serve with, they are amazing!  I am so blessed to call them my friends and sisters in the gospel!  Love ya ladies!

NEXT!!  Lots of things on my to-do lists...life keeps moving and I am so, so thankful for that:) 

Hugs!