Tennis, anyone?

Emma has been playing spring tennis on the Middle School team.  She loves to be involved with her friends and this is a good way to get exercise and be with friends. Emma's friend, Aspen, is playing and they like to be partners. She doesn't love tennis like she loves volleyball, but she is giving it a try.  I didn't get any really good pictures, but here are a few pictures from her match last week.  I am glad she likes to be involved and is willing to try new things.  I love to watch Emma play!

Soccer!

Dallin loves to be involved with activities and using his energy.  He wanted to play soccer this spring.  He is really good at getting after the ball. He and his friend, Adam, have had fun playing together.  Last week Dallin played really hard and scored a goal for his team.  I love watching him play soccer!

Parkside Marathon 2015

All of the elementary schools here do a really cool program to help the children stay active and be healthy.  The children run laps around the school grounds throughout the year.  They have to run a certain number of laps to qualify to finish the marathon at a celebration at the end of the year.  MaryAnne and Dallin each qualified to run this year.  On Friday (May 1st) the school held their marathon celebration. Every student in MaryAnne and Dallin's classes qualified to run. I loved taking Joshua and Lydia to watch Dallin and MaryAnne run.  I planned ahead and took treats to keep them happy and occupied, but we left them in the car.  Joshua and Lydia did well without the treats and liked watching the runners. I always get emotional when I watch our children participate in activities. It was neat to watch them run! MaryAnne looked so happy every time she came around the track and Dallin looked determined to get it done fast.  It is a blessing to get to cheer our children on as they learn to run the marathon of life.

Priest and Laurel Prom 2015

Princess Emily and Princess Julia

Julia and Matthew ready for Prom

The group from our ward visiting before dinner

The youth from our ward at the dance

I think that it is a really great idea that our Stake does a Priest Laurel Prom. I love to see the youth all dressed up and ready for the occasion.  I love to look at the hairstyles and the pretty dresses.  I talked Neil into going for the second year in a row.  It was on a busy Saturday.  Neil had been in Laramie at a conference.  He met us at the dinner.  I drove the youth from our ward over with Sister Graham.  Matthew had a track meet in Sheridan.  We didn't think he would get home in time to go so Emma and I drove to Sheridan to bring him home.  It was a miserable day for a track meet, cold and rainy.  We watched him run the mile and then headed for home.  We got home about 4:30 and then had to get ready and be to the church at 6:00 to go to the Prom.  I thought Matthew looked very handsome in his new suit.  Julia looked beautiful.  I don't think everyone else from our family had  a great time at the prom, but I loved being there.    Matthew had had a long day and was pretty worn out that night.  It might have been a better plan for him to just stay at the track meet.  I was glad he asked Emily  Clark.  It worked out well, she and Julia love to spend time together.

By the numbers

Neil and I celebrated our anniversary yesterday.  Neil is a math kind of guy so I decided to figure out the numbers for him.  We have been married 24 years
                                                                      288 months
                                                                     1252 weeks
                                                                      8766 days
                                                                    210,384 hours
                                                                   12,623,040 minutes
                                                                757,382,400 seconds and counting into eternity

Thanks Neil for the wonderful days, months, and years.  We have had many adventures together and many wonderful times and memories.  I am looking forward to new memories and adventures this year and in the years to come.  I truly love you with all my heart.  You are my best friend and everything I ever hoped to find in a husband.  Happy Anniversary, sweetheart!

Here is a slideshow of our 24 years together.  Hope you enjoy watching.

Oklahoma Thunder experience

Matthew really loves the OKC Thunder and Kevin Durant.  For Christmas we decided we wanted to give him and experience more than just things.  We decided to get him tickets to watch the Thunder play the Jazz.  It was a fun gift to give him.  We got four tickets so David, Dallin and Neil went along for the fun.  We went to Utah on Friday March 27th so they could go to the game on Saturday the 28th.  It was wonderful to see my mom and dad, Rebecca, Ben, Dawn Micheal, and Tyler, Nate, Zac and Samantha.  We had a wonderful picnic together before the boys left for the game.  Some of us went to the park and played ultimate frisbee for awhile.  There was lots of pool playing going on too. 

While the boys were gone to the game Grandpa watched the younger children and the girls and I watched the Womens General Meeting with Grandma.  It was a great meeting and I loved being there with my mom.

The boys had a great time at the game.  The Thunder made the game close, but couldn't quite pull it out. I felt bad that Kevin Durant was out with an injury so Matthew  didn't get to see him play.  Maybe we'll have to do it again another time.

Sunday morning was my mom's birthday. I was glad to get to see her and tell her happy birthday.  We went to Sacrament meeting and then headed home.  It was a  wonderful, but fast trip.  I'll post pictures when I can.

A beautiful day for a track meet

Yesterday Matthew had a track meet here in Powell. It was a beautiful day for a track meet, except the wind did come up at times through the day.  Matthew ran three events the 4x800 relay, the mile and the two mile.  It was his first time running the relay.  He ran a 2:20 for his leg of the relay.  I thought we should call the team the Stormin mormons since all four boys were LDS.  Julia didn't think they would appreciate being called that.  They did an awesome job! Cody Akin ran the anchor leg and they barely won by about a step.  It was an exciting race to watch.  I love to watch Matthew run and yell for him. He didn't have much time between the relay and the mile.  Last week he ran a personal best at 5:23.  This week he ran a 5:29, but that was after just running a fast half mile.  He barely beat Ezra Andreasen in the mile.  Ezra returned the favor in the two mile and just out lasted Matthew.

Neil was there for the relay and the mile race, but had to go to Cody for a fireside in the afternoon.  He had to miss out on Matthew running the two mile.  I am glad he is willing to serve and sacrifice. 

I took pictures at the track meet, but I'll have to post them later when I find the cable to get them off my camera.