Moving On and On and On (maybe???)

At the beginning of this year as part of Zach's Honors Science class he was required to participate in the school science fair. Zach and Eli decided to pair up to do the bare minimum to get a good grade and nothing more. They did their research and put together a nice board and off they went to present it at school. The boys did there project on Pinewood Derby Cars to determine which is faster on the track three wheels or four wheels. Seemed like a simple project to me and maybe not up to 9th grade level. The boys presented their project and laughed when they were selected to MOVE ON to the district level.


Last week was the District level Science Fair, and Emily and I went with the boys to set up the display. When we got there we noticed that they would be competing with 9-12 grades. I was not sure our project was up for the task. We laughed as the boys could not even say most of the words on the displays around them.


I went to the award ceremony to pick up the boys, and we chuckled at the names of projects and at how many boys were dressed in tuxedos (no lie). I sat by one of Zach's science teachers and she was saying that many of the kids had a good chance of moving on again, Zach and Eli were not one of them, and we both chuckled at their project as well. When during mid chuckle the boys were chosen to MOVE ON AGAIN. Only one other ninth grade team from their school was selected. So here we go again, they must have rocked the presentation, is all I can say. I texted both Kevin and Emily the news and both responded with, I can't believe it REALLY???


We head to BYU for Regionals at the end of the month, this next time I will take pictures of the competition, and competitors.


As for the answer to their project: three wheels is faster if you were wondering.



I love how they dressed for the occasion, (loving the lightning bolt Eli) also notice how the guys around them dressed. Also, love the look of unbelief on their own faces.

Skiing Adventure

Saturday was a beautiful day for February and I decided to join Zach on a trip up to Sundance to go Snowboarding, or skiing. I decided I would ski, after all I had taken two lessons and best of all I had found skiis and boots at a yard sale this past summer ($5 for the whole set). No rental for me... I had borrowed my sister-in-laws snowboard just in case the ski thing did not work out. Kevin did not like the idea of yard sale skiis and my inexperience heading up the mountain, but I assured him I was fine remember the lessons I told him. It really was beautiful weather for night skiing and all was good. Even skipped the bunny hill with toe rope, I was more advanced than that. About forty feet into our first hill I sat back a little too far and somehow ended up laying on my back with my knees totally bent and I could not get back up (we did not practice this scenario in the lessons) and I could not undo my feet. Zach had to back track UP the hill to save his Mom. I am sure he was thrilled he did not go with friends. Zach and I undid my boot and I stood up and I snapped my boot back in the binding and the binding broke. I was at the top of the hill, GOOD GRIEF. I take the skiis off and undid the tightness of the boots for the long walk down. A guy stopped and insisted on taking the skiis down for me, after I had walked halfway mind you. When the guy got to the bottom he sent the snowmobile first aide crew to save me, GOOD GRIEF!!! I told the snowmobile first aide guy, I am fine! I broke a binding I was not hurt. His response to me was "Get On Already" so I rode the snowmobile down and Zach and my brother were at the bottom. I told them I was going to switch now to snowboarding after I made my phone call to Kevin that I had just rode the snowmobile down the mountain, and what I should do now. Kevin is all concerned until I tell him the whole story, and then he can't stop saying how he told me so. Yard sale skiis need to be checked out by a professional or something like that. So glad that I took an alternative so I had options and the night was not ruined. Also glad that I did not get hurt, just a little hit to my pride from making such a scene. I think there are a couple morals to the story. First moral, two ski lessons does not make one a great skiier. Second moral, $5 skiis are not a great deal necessarily. On the plus side I really improved on snowboarding and I am starting to walk four days later without wincing from being so sore.


My Brother Cody

Zach and Cody

End of summer update

Here is a long recap of the end of summer. We have been super busy which is why we have not posted sooner. We last left off with Zach breaking his arm (in two places in fact) this ended his football season. He started the summer in cast because he broke his thumb the end of May playing football and he ended the summer in a cast too. He only had 3 weeks in between the two casts.

Zach attended a pioneer trek the day after he got his cast. He pushed the handcart instead of pulled (I hope).

The Splash Park we still love it and we love it more after 5:00 pm when the crowd has died down. $2.00 Tuesdays at Thanksgiving Point

A couple of days and Grandma and Grandpa's where Zach would say "I only have one hand" everytime work needed to be done. He was a trooper.

The one hand did not bother him at all when it was time to ride 4 wheelers imagine that...

We went to This is the Place State Park

I made a couple of new friends with guns always a plus...

We played lots and lots of bowling... Kevin and I were on our first bowling league for the summer and with that we got six extra games a week each to share with the kids so we went every week for our date night and again every week with the kids. Zach had to get creative as he had to bowl left-handed (stupid broken arm)

Carson celebrating a great pick up. We can't wait to do this again next summer.

School finally started, which only adds homework to our already busy life.

Carson turned 11!

Our new favorite thing is using our Pass of all Passes for the next year we have already been four times.

Lots and lots of football did I say lots. Carson is playing tackle for the first time and even though Zach's season ended early Kevin is coaching with the freshman team so everyday of the week someone is doing football.

We went to the State Fair well the ones not involved with football went to the State Fair. We rode the crazy carnival rides, and had a blast.

We saw lots of animals too many if you ask Zach, but I always want my moneys worth so we went down both sides of the animals just in case we might have missed something.

The day has finally arrived to get the final cast off (right Zach) after many many doctors visits and tons of x-rays he is free at last.

We attended our schools 1k and 5k fundraiser. It was fun to try something different as a fundraiser. Carson's football team had their 5 seconds of fame when they spent the whole day filming a commercial with a human sized tongue. Nothing is more cool than that when you are 11. More info to come soon. (Yes that is an adult man in a red unitard with a large tongue costume)
Consider yourself up to date with what we have been busy doing. We also spent a lot of time at the pool I guess I did not take the camera this year. Thank you to all the family and friends who attended many of these things with us.

HEY

hey blogger friends I am looking for an outdoor movie projector for an upcoming block party does anyone have one I can borrow?

24th of July

We spent the afternoon getting sprayed with foam, rinsing off and doing it again. So much fun, except for Zach who only could watch due to breaking not one but both bones in his arm. Post more Monday after we go visit the Doctor again.




We spent the evening at an outdoor concert featuring Emerson Drive. We had a great time and enjoyed spending the day together.

Vacation

Our vacation this year was packed with activity. We usually drive this in one day but split it up this time which allowed for some extra time to stop at Martin's Cove. We have passed by this spot so many times and have never stopped.

We thought we would give Zach some extra practice in before his Pioneer Trek at the end of the month.

Next we went to a family reunion on Kevin's side.
Lexie winning money in the traditional duck race down the creek
Kevin making homemade sausage the Italian way (the only way)
Carson catching a fish in the pond.

Fireworks at Grandma's gets all the boys big and small excited....

Spending the day at Great Grandma's Ranch taking pictures and searching for star rocks and bullet rocks.

During our trip we did several more things like checking out the local swimming pool, an alpine slide, Mount Rushmore, hiking, and tubing the creek which resulted in this.

a broken toe, but I would do it all again.

We love visiting Kevin's family there is so much to see and do and loved ones to do it all with. Thanks for the great visit!!!

Family Adventure

Last year I checked off an item from my own personal bucket list, I went snowboarding for the first time. I have lived in Utah my whole life and never really experienced the snow in this way before I had never been skiing, or snowboarding. As an extension to my own bucket list item, I found out about a great program at Park City for the Utah locals to come and enjoy the snow like never before. It included a 3 hour lesson a lift pass, and rental all for $25 what an opportunity for our family (and convenient after a tax return refund I might add) to enjoy an adventure together. I quickly signed us all up Kevin, myself, and Lexie to try skiing and Zach and Carson snowboarding.

We started early in the morning and set out for the mountain. It was snowing lightly which only added to the excitement. We got all the equipment situated and fitted, ate a quick lunch at the car we had pre-packed and off we went. Kevin and I were together but each of the kids were separated into their own age group and in their own lesson. The lessons only had 5 people per group and lots of one on one.

As Kevin and I were in our lesson, which seemed like such a slower pace than either of us wanted Lexie's group kept coming by and we could shout encouragement she had passed us like 3 times before we even had two skiis on yet. Kids pick this up so fast. Zach started in a lesson one and they said when he comes back to sign him up for lesson 4. Carson did great and moved up a spot and Lexie did great and moved up a spot.

After the lessons the place seemed to be deserted and night skiing had started and our passes were still valid, so we went up the lift with the kids and enjoyed watching all the new things they had learned. Lexie surprised Kevin and I the most she absolutely loved it and probably would have stayed the longest. She did fabulous and really picked it up fast. She keeps asking if she can go again next weekend.

The best part of the whole day was that it was an adventure that we all did together as a family. Kevin and I are enjoying this stage of our family where we can really start to do things we enjoy as a family, and we are able to try new things which lead to new adventures.

Thanks to our great friends Kelli and Kelcy who shared the info and the day with us.