Off to School!

There are things I like, and things I don't like about school getting started back up. I LOVE having my kids home during the summer. I love hanging out with Bailey all day. She's been my shadow all summer, and she's always a huge helper. I love that they can stay up late hanging out with friends, and playing night games. I love that we can go on vacation and take trips. We never seem to get it all crammed in, and then before you know it, they are heading back to school. I do like getting a routine back, and that 'new start' feeling that the beginning of a school year brings. I love that school starting means the cross country season is upon us. I love how excited they get. You get the picture...mixed emotions!

Bailey's first day of 6th grade. Her last year of elementary school....it's sad and exciting all at the same time.

Good luck Bailey! I hope your 6th grade year is all you hope it will be!

I'm really having a hard time with the fact that he's now a Junior in high school! Wasn't I just that age? When I realize this is the year he will be taking ACT test, and really thinking about college, it gives me anxiety. How can he only have 2 years left?!?

When it's time to take Sawyer's pictures, I always have to say, "Let me get a few good ones, and THEN you can be goofy."

Good luck Sawyer! Have fun, and make the most of it!

DARE Summer Challenge

Bailey completed the DARE Summer Challenge! The DARE kids are challenged to either walk/run 100 miles over the summer, or bike 300 miles. Bailey did both! The walk/run challenge was no problem, but we were gone a lot, so the biking was a little harder. She had to do some long rides, and be very dedicated to make up for the times we were gone on vacation. That even meant riding through awful wind on several of the days. They had a big awards ceremony for the kids who completed the challenge. Bailey was excited to get a trophy!

The kids in the district who completed the challenge!

Bailey with her big trophy!

Bailey with Deputy Miller.

Way to go Bailey! We are VERY impressed and proud of your hard work and dedication!

Backyard CampOut!

Bailey had been wanting to do a backyard campout all summer long. Our schedules have been a bit crazy, so it didn't get fit in until the week before school started. Bailey, Marlee, and Shaneesha had their own little end of summer bash! They stayed up most of the night playing games and eating candy in the tent. They even got up and did a crazy song and dance around the tent at the stroke of midnight. I slept on the couch with the window open, so I could make sure they were safe. I kept waking up to burst of giggles. I love these girls! What topped off the night and made it perfect, was that Bailey finally got her 6th grade teacher assignment delivered. All three of them are in the same class!

Bailey and Mars setting up the tent.

Shaneesha, Marlee, and Bailey

They made smores, and roasted starburst around the fire pit.

What a great way to end the summer!

Got Mud?

The Mud Run is one of my favorite meets of the year! This year was extra fun, because Bailey got to run it too. Even though she is only in 6th grade, she's going to run with Rocky Mountain Middle School for the cross country season. I'd say she started off the season well....SHE WON! It was so exciting! And Sawyer's team got last, which is what they try to get every year :)! They also won muddiest team for the 2nd year in a row.

Bailey and Emma before their race started.

The first time through the mud.

Bailey was toward the front of the pack when they went through the mud the first time, and she did great up the sand hill and across the sand ridges. When she came off the hill, she was in 3rd place. I was freaking out! I asked her if she knew that she was in 3rd place, and she nodded yes. She had that look in her eyes that she gets, and I knew she was going to go for it.

The second time through the mud, she moved into 2nd place, and I knew she was going to win it!

Coming into the finish line. She won by at least 30 seconds!

She ran her little heart out! I am so proud of her! She won her first middle school race, and she isn't even in middle school yet!

Emma got 4th place, and she's a 6th grader too! These two are going to be quite a team.

Happy to be done!

The whole Rocky Mountain girl's team.

Showering off.

Here's Bonneville's team before their races started.

Seriously the funniest picture EVER! Man I love this guy!

Going up the sand hill. They secured last place at this point, so they were all happy :)!

The traditional jump off the hay bail!

Sawyer and Reynold.

They were swimming and back stroking through the mud. I love that the whole team stays together.

Wow!

This was their last time through the mud. They were running in slow motion to the finish line.

Sam dragging Sawyer across the finish line.

All done!

The boys won a mud pie for getting 'muddiest team!'

Now that the fun meet is over, we are ready for the real meets to start. It's gonna be a great season!

'Sew' Cute!

Bailey finished her summer sewing class. I think her last project was the cutest! She made a scripture bag.

Thanks Esther! She learned a lot, and had a TON of fun!

Smore Date

Me and Mark have had some really fun dates as part of our 'Date of the Month' club. But, I must admit that our smores date was not one of them. We were supposed to make smores in the backyard, and then go for a moonlit walk. Mark was in a big hurry, because he wanted to watch 24 (he has a man crush on Jack Bauer). So, we didn't even wait for it to get dark, we only had about 10 minutes worth of fire wood, and we skipped the walk all together. Oh, and since I'm complaining, I didn't realize my marshmallow had caught on fire, and I grabbed it and burnt my finger pretty bad. Do you feel bad for me yet?
It wasn't all bad...we did invite our furry friends, and they had a great time eating marshmallows :)!

I had some yummy marshmallows! I stuffed Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and Rolos in them, and then roasted them. It makes a delicious, gooey mess! Yum!

She was so excited to be on our date with us!

Haha, what a dork!

BC-XC Camp 2011

Building Champions Cross Country Camp
Sawyer attended Brett Hill's BC-XC Camp again this summer. It is an awesome, 3 day running camp. He had a blast, and learned a ton!

Day 1- They got set up, went on a run, had a meeting with the Utah State coach, and got to know the other campers.

Day 2- They went on a trail run, and attended several clinics (nutrition, shoes, the science of running, and goal setting). Then they divided into 4 teams, and it was time for The Amazing Race!

Ready for the Amazing Race!

They ran to a lake, and had to get their whole team across using one small raft. If they got their butts wet, they had to start over. Once they were across, they had to run to a stream and find 4 gold rocks. Next, they had to put a puzzle together.

At the 4th station, they had to run into the woods and find a tepee. Once they found it, they had to take it apart, carry the logs out of the woods, and rebuild it. Next, they ran to a rope swing. The whole team had to swing across and land in a certain area. If anyone landed outside of the area, the whole team had to start over. Next, they ran to a big barrel and some buckets. The kids had to run the buckets to the stream, fill them up, carry them back, and dump them in the barrel. They had to do this until the barrel was full. The last station was hard! They had to get a team partner, and piggy back each other up a steep hill. Sawyer piggy backed a girl almost all the way to the top, and then he couldn't go any farther. His legs wouldn't work anymore. So, the girl had to take him the last 10 meters or so. They crested the hill with her carrying him, so it looked like she hauled him they whole way up the hill. Pretty funny!

Sawyer's Amazing Race team at the finish line!
Day 3- Conquest Peak!

On the last day, the runners have to conquer Conquest Peak! They run a 2 mile run, and climb 700 feet!

Sawyer running up Conquest Peak.

Once everyone makes it to the top, they get tee-shirts, and a take a group photo around the sign.
Such a great camp!