18 Year Anniversary in Bryce Canyon

Originally, we had planned to hang close to home over Memorial Day Weekend, thinking we would be packing up our home that had sold and moving. However, the home is proving a little more difficult to sell with increasing interest rates so we last minute snagged a campsite at the Ruby’s Inn Campground and planned a little trip with our little family down there for Memorial Day Weekend and D and I’s 18th year anniversary. When we first arrived I grilled hot dogs inside the trailer because everyone was starving. We bought a disc with all 3 Sandlot movies for the trip since we had hook ups and had a Sandlot marathon watching one movie each night. 

 The first day we all rode bikes from our campground all the way to Red Canyon Visitor’s Center. 

 We assured the kids the 12 mile ride would be all down hill and super easy. It was not at all that way, it was mostly uphill with only the last 3-4 miles down hill and had a super strong headwind we were riding into the whole way. Every kid wanted to quit at two different times Camden flung himself on the ground and refused to go no further. 

 Derek ended up riding back to the car and said he would come pick us up. Liv asked Siri how far the visitor’s center was and when we found out it was only 18 minutes further all the kids pushed through, finally made it to the downhill beautiful fun part of the ride and hopefully ended on a high point. I was so proud of how well they all were able to do that really hard thing.

 We decided that meant eating out for lunch. We hit the pool at our campsite, then Derek made Smash Burgers for dinner. Then, we took the kids to their first rodeo. Derek and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it and I cried every time someone got hurt. (I hate rodeos for the record). 

 The next day, per request I made biscuits and gravy. We had to get creative with how to cook this biscuits since we forgot the dutch oven. We drove down to Red Canyon and did a short but beautiful Arches Trail hike. Since it was our anniversary the kids made us take a kissy picture. 

 Then, we came back, ate lunch at the trailer, and rode the bus into Bryce Canyon and walked along the Rim. When we got back to camp we grabbed our bikes and hiked on the bus again. The boys and I rode bikes from inspiration point down to our campsite that ride really was mostly downhill and totally fun, D and Liv did another walk along the rim, but poor Liv got a bloody nose that lasted forever. Then, the boys and I hit the pool/hot tub again. That night we all ate at the buffet at the Ruby’s Inn and then each kid got to pick a souvenir at the gift shop. We made s’mores over the gas fire of our trailer stove because it was too windy to do outside. The next morning we headed back home. It was a great way to kick off the summer, and spend time with and celebrate the incredible family Derek and I have created in our 18 years of marriage.

Spring Sport Update

Camden finished out his soccer season. He really loved played and tried out for a competitive team (Carter too which they didn’t end up making, but he wants to play rec soccer again next year). 

 The boys are playing little league baseball. Derek got roped into coaching when they were in need of a coach. It has been a busy spring with lots of nights at the ball fields. Dakota and I enjoy sitting in the grass and watching. Liv likes to sit in the dug out and keep pitch counts. 

 Liv roped two friends (Bentley and Wren) into playing softball with her. She really really wanted her dad to coach. She event used her opinion paper writing skills that she had learned in school to write a one page opinion paper about why he should coach her softball team. 

 When her team also ended up in need of coach Derek relented. He is super buys coaching both baseball and softball and our evenings are super packs going to games most nights of the week, but it is a super fun way to spend the end of spring evenings.  Liv has been practicing almost daily to pitch.  Her Dad said he wasn't going to put her out there till she could throw strikes.  Finally the last couple games he has let her pitch and she does so great.  She is probably one of the best pitchers on the team.  She throws several strikes and is pretty accurate. It's super fun to watch.

Misc. Spring Stuff

Derek and I were invited to an 80s prom murder mystery night in honor of Geoff Hill’s birthday. All D’s high school buds were there and we were transported back into their high school years. 

 Derek invited me to enjoy some courtside jazz sweet seats with him one night. It was sort of a fun experience to hang under the bleachers eating to our hearts content and then watch a game front and center. 

 Ariel Cook came to town and she Annie and I walked to bridal veil with our kids. We had a miny book group discussion about a book we had all read. Cam got to come too (since he had stayed home supposedly sick, but not very that day with me). Kota loved playing in the water at the bottom of bridal veil. 

 Liv is into the ugliest clothing styles. She insisted she loved and needed these Mom jeans that I recently bought for her. 

 My boys continue to be a twin jumble on the regular.

 Liv and I had a double play date day. First we went to see Hallie play Verruca in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at ACT, then we went up to Hale in Sandy and saw several of Liv’s friends in School of Rock. 

 And in other play news. Liv twisted my arm into auditioning for ACT’s summer Sound of Music Play. Like filled out the audition form for me, signed me up, stuck a sticker on me chest and pushed me into the room with a song to sing. I went along with it. It was so scary I was literally shaking through the whole audition and was still so overwhelmed after that I missed my turn driving Liv to a Rise Up performance and then again on the way to the boy’s soccer game. We both got callbacks which we had to send in by video because we got COVID. The cast list was just posted this weekend: Liv has been cast as Brigitta and I have been cast as a Nun/Party Goer. So I guess we are doing a show together this summer. 

 I’m a little anxious about it. She seems super excited to tell everyone that she got me to audition for a show and we are doing a play together this summer. The whole process gave me a much great appreciation for my talented, brave daughter and all the auditions she does frequently with ease and with so much greater talent than I.

End of School Year Events

It’s crazy how fast the years just fly by. This school year has now come to a close complete with all the fun end of school year events. Pretty sure the kids just play the whole last 2 weeks for school. We attended the art gala. I spent several hours of my life decorating for it. All the kids walked around the school and showed us all their art from the year. The school wide project was a cool origami project. 

 

The boys’ class had a campout read-a-thon one day and you could bring all things camping. Camden totally decked himself out for the occasion. 

The kids all danced like champs in their class dance festival. Then, we all had a picnic lunch together. Well, Liv ditched us all for her friends. 

 Then, I helped run a field game station for the boys class as the rotated around to different field day outdoor games.

COVID Round 2 and Grandparents' Visit

Babi and Papou decided to come up to watch Liv’s final Improv performance for her acting company. It was a blast watching her acting company perform improv games at Comedy Sportz. They had us all cracking up.

 They also attended the boys egg drop event at the school. Both boys designed an apparatus to protect an egg that their principle threw from the roof of the school. They were quite excited about it. 

 Babi and Papou went with Dakota to watch. 

 Carter’s group was the only egg that broke. While here they also got to catch one of Camden’s soccer games. Unfortunately while they were her Geroge became sick with a fever, they ended up leaving early, went home and tested positive for COVID. Babi got it a few days later. Dad was supposed to come out the net week and I warned her that all of us might come down with COVID while he was here, but he decided to brave it. Sure enough the day he arrived I started not feeling so great and also tested positive for COVID. I didn’t feel great, but weathered it much better than the last round with COVID. Dad was a huge help, he took the boys to a trampoline jump place and made dinner on my worst day. Despite COVID and me not being able to go to work, I was able to get in 3 hikes with Dad: We did Big Springs, the boys and I showed him the secret waterfall hike, and then Dad and I hiked to the outlook above Dry Canyon.  

 Dad also got to see a boys baseball game, and a really windy softball game. And then, I hit day 5 of symptoms and was able to wear a mask and go to Camelot with Dad and Liv at the HCTO (the whole reason for Dad’s) visit. After that buys few days, we sent Dad home and he then tested positive for COVID the next week. Not great. We were definitely all COVID sharers, but had a great time during all that COVID sharing. So maybe it was worth it?

The House is Coming Along

The house we are building is really coming along. It is fun to walk by each day and see what they have done. 

 After Jeff Garner got all the concrete poured he spray painted a love note for Liv. A big heart around her name and Blake (his grandson’s) on her future bedroom wall. Liv was not at all entertained by this. It is now all framed out and kinda fun to see how the house we designed is taking shape. We are persistently having to make decisions what color door hinges, floor, cabinets, etc. Currently it seems like the house is sort of dormant until our windows arrive at the end of July.

End of the Year Performances for Liv

Earlier in the spring, Liv performed her last acting monologue. They focused on acting for film. And after each kid did their monologue they would give them notes and have them do it again incorporating the notes they had given. Then, she wrapped up her vocal tech solo performance she did a monologue from 101 Dalmations and Sang Hey Mama from Hairspray. She knocked it out of the park as usual. 

 Afterwards, I took her too MDT friends for ice cream and we wondered the mall. Then, they came back to our place watched Westside Story and made friendship bracelets. Rise Up filmed their last music video of the year: Electric. Liv was a back up dancer in a long a yellow coat. 

 And they performed at a charity event Audrey sent us this cute pic of Liv and her waiting back stage to perform. 

 Liv placed 3rd place in the HCTO vocal adjudication. Scoring was focused a lot more on acting skills this year. All the 5th grade classes in the area performed in a huge Hope of America tribute in the Marriot Center. They all got t-shirts and were seated in a way that created an American flag and performed several patriot tribute songs.  It was actually a very neat event and I can’t wait for the boys to do it again in 2 years.

 Liv’s dance company performed fantastic in two different dance competitions. Liv said the dance competitions were her favorite part of dance company this year. 

 Liv also did a fabulous job in her end of the year dance recital. She has grown and improved so much in dance this year. 

 The boys were incredible supporters. 

 Her final MDT performance of the year was a medley of Rogers and Hammerstein songs. She has a solo in Do Re Mi from sound of music and did fantastic. 

And then she wrapped up this year a COPA filming the end of year music video. She and her two friends all carpooled up together.