We had Young Women in Excellence on Tuesday of this week.  Savannah, Megan, and Mariah all earned  ribbons and they each spoke about their value projects and what they learned.  They are growing into beautiful young women with beautiful testimonies.  I was grateful for a chance to celebrate them and hear their voices and thoughts.  It was a neat night.

Savannah returned to cross country this week after not feeling well last week.  She ran in the meet on Friday afternoon and ran one of her fastest races ever with a time of 22:10 on a three-mile course! Pretty awesome!  She also worked twice at Funfinity.  One of those times was Saturday afternoon at the Orem store which is  right next to Deseret Book and gets swamped with all the ladies attending Ladies Night during priesthood session.  They had about ten employees manning the little store and Savannah thought it was great fun.

Sarah finished her tennis season on Thursday with the district tournament in Salem.  The weather was super cold with drizzle on and off.  The girls huddled in cars when it wasn't their turn to play.  Ben and I watched Sarah play from the warmth of our own car.  Sarah and Allyson won their first match but lost their second.  We weren't at all sad to pack it up and head home to get out of the weather, but she will miss the tennis due to the end of tennis season very much!

Megan had two tennis matches scheduled this week but one got cancelled because of the bad weather.  We were all bummed because it would have been a home match!  She and Allissa won on Wednesday, though!  She continues to enjoy her Chinese class and very much dislike her math class.  She frequently blames me because I made her take honors instead of  regular math!  She'll be glad one day, though, right? . . . right?

Mariah played in her last soccer game on Wednesday night.  It was  the championship tournament game.  They were playing the only team they had lost to during the season.  Mariah's team arrived on Wednesday really motivated to play and you could tell!  They played great and scored the first goal making the score at half-time 1-0.  The other team scored during the second half, though, and  the two teams  ended the game tied.  Do you know what that means??  Shoot out!!  It was so exciting!  At the end of  five shots on goal, the score was  again tied so they did five more shots on goal and Mariah's  team came out on top!  They  became city champions!  So exciting!

Mariah on the far left.

Championship t-shirts!

Mariah also ran in a cross country meet on Friday afternoon.  She ran one of  her fastest races ever finishing  fourth overall.  It was  pretty fun to watch!

Cheyenne had gymnastics and piano on Wednesday.  That is our busiest day!  She does a great job keeping her and Cali's room clean.  She is also taking an interest in doing her own hair and does some pretty cute hair-dos!  Chey still loves her bunny, Buttercup, and feels  very badly if she doesn't play with her everyday.

Calianne also had gymnastics and piano on Wednesday.  If other little girls  don't show up at our house to play, Cali calls them and invites them over.  She is still a little scared of her bunny, Skittles, but she plays with her and has her friends play with her, too.

Bethany has gotten used to kindergarten and is doing really well.  This week was elephant week!  I got to be Mommy Helper on Monday.  Kindergarteners are  so, so cute!  Bethany is the cutest, though.  When at home, much like her social 4th-grade sisters, Bethany is always playing with a friend!  We are reading Little House in the Big Woods every night.  She is so sweet.  Whenever she inadvertently does something we don't like, she is immediately contrite and full of apologies.

Benjamin is full of energy!  He likes to pull all the cushions off the couch and all the blankets out of the closet.  He also likes to watch tv shows and play on the ipad.  He only likes to be outside if  someone is  with him.  If we tell him no about something, he says, "But I  LOVE you!"  Smart kid, huh??  Is this one of those side-effects of  growing up in a house full of girls?  Namely that he learns what will get said house full of girls to do anything for him?

Kevin is enjoying being home.  He and I had a no-sugar week and he has been feeling better because of it.  He's been running again, too.  He went over six miles on Saturday and felt good.  It is fun for him! 

I had the carpets cleaned Monday morning!  I love it but it is a lot of work!  I also got to go to tennis lessons again.  My backhand is pretty wild!  Not in a good way.  :)  Also, I finally finished the quilt that my mom and I worked on while she was here.  I am really happy with it.  I think it is pretty fun!  The tents and canoes are open so you can use the quilt as a play mat with little dolls.  There's  even a little bag sewn onto the side!  Pretty and  practical!  My favorite!

This weekend we listened to General Conference on TV.  It was awesome and Kevin and I were so pleased as our children gathered around us without urging, to listen, as well.  I love these awesome kids of ours and I love the church that gives us such principles of happiness and peace!