Time goes Marching on...

We started the month off by watching my nephew 

Ashton in his school play! That boy can sing!

We always love it when Grandma Jo and Grandad have us over for FHE.

Hollie and Gavin have been taking ice skating lessons this winter

and have been dying to show off their moves.  We took the family to the rink 

and watched them skate circles around us.

 

Mark had his last orchestra concert. He's saying good bye to the cello. 

Next year he wants to play the euphonium in the band.

 

 I spent three days sitting on bleachers watching Hyrym and Allie dance at Gem State. 

I cheered for my favorite couple 340 every time, but the judges must 

not have heard me, he only got a few call backs.  It was a long competition.

Hannah was chosen once again to represent

 her school at the Writers and Artists Festival at USU.

Here she is learning how to do print making:

Mark and Hannah also went on a grand bike ride together through Benson.

We eventually met up with him at Sugar Park.

  And ... we celebrated St. Patrick's Day!

I think Hyrum died a thousand deaths when we picked him up 

at the High School after track that day. He said there was "WAAAAY 

too much green" and refused to be in any of our pictures.

Hollie made a fun Leprechaun Trap for School.

We had corned beef and cabbage for dinner.  

That first bite took a little persuasion.

But in the end they all agreed it was pretty good. 

And, thanks to Grandma Elva and the McBrides.

I kissed 'em all because they are a wee bit Irish 

Spring Break 2017

Arches, Hammocks and Family sums up our trip in three words.

 When the temperature was forecast to drop below freezing,

it took all my persuasive powers to convince the man 

to postpone our camping trip by one day.

Regardless, that first night was still pretty dang cold. 

But we bundled up, and survived that first night and 

by late morning the next day the weather couldn't 

have been more perfect for hiking in the high desert. 

We started off playing a game to see how far away our fellow hikers on the trail 

had come to visit Arches (Switzerland), but that soon changed into 

seeing who could run into the most people they knew from home.

We stopped for a minute to talk to Glen and Christine Harris and family, as they waited in line for the rest room. And unbeknownst to us, Gavin slipped away and cut inline for the bathroom just as we were heading to the car.  We were pulling out of the parking lot before we missed him.

Running back in a dead panic, I run into Glen coming to get us. Gavin had locked himself in the Bathroom and couldn't release the lever to open the door.  Christine was talking through the door, patiently trying to explain how to open the lock.  Sometimes friends are the greatest blessing!

Our favorites were, of course, Delicate Arch:

By late afternoon the kids were hot and tired and 

we almost missed out on our next favorite, Sand Arch, 

 

The nice cool walk in-between the fins was a welcome

 respite from the sun and the fine red sand... 

well, lets just say Gavin could have spent all day there.

 Mark was a wild spirit, full of energy, 

he literally ran circles around us, 

climbing every rock and hill in sight.

Back at camp, we enjoyed having found the perfect campsite for our

hammock-crazed kids.  Lots of small trees, shadowed in beautiful red rock

 next to the Colorado river. They had a hammock city built in no time.

 The weather even warmed up enough for the kids 

to sleep in their hammock that second night.

We spent a lot of time being lazy...

  

napping...

  

and reading books...

The next day before we headed out we did a little catch up at the visitors center.

And all the way home Gavin pointed out the Arch on the Utah license plates, 

reveling in the fact that he had been there and had actually touched it. 

It was fun watching the world get just a little bit bigger for him.

The month of luv

Hollie celebrated 100 days of School:

Hannah started guitar lessons:

Hyrum had a dance competition at Thanksgiving Point.

He invited Raelyn to come watch him and I'm counting that as his first date.

  But he might say that Sweethearts was his first date:

He had forgotten her corsage at home and so I was able to 

sneak a quick pic just as they were headed into the dance.

Doesn't he look so handsome in his new suit?

She later gave him some pictures of the pre-date activities

Gavin reveled in his first school valentines:

The girls loved getting flowers from their Dad, but I have to chuckle because I think Jotham might have enjoyed giving his girls flowers just a little bit more. Oh, did they feel special.

We also enjoyed all the family at Lila's baby blessing.

Went and tried out the new Cherry Peak Ski Resort:

It was Gavin's first time on ski's and he was scary good.  He'd be coming down the hill and you'd think he's not in control, he's NOT in Control!  And then start to panic... but then last minute, he turns, and comes to a complete stop right where he wanted to, completely in control and having the time of his life. 

 We enjoyed Hannah's choir concert.

At the Utah Classic Competition at Skyview 

Hyrum's dance team took First Place!