I forgot how beautiful spring is!  Our apple tree has been in full bloom all week and the tulips have hung on and the sky is blue and the sun is shining -- and the air is soft and warm and doesn't bite you when you come out of the house.  *sigh*  So.  Lovely.

Beth and Ben stayed busy all week playing with friends and staying out later and later after dinner since the sun was still up and begging them to stay out and play!

On Tuesday, Cali and Chey had their 6th Grade Track Meet!  Chey ran the 400 and the 800 and Cali ran the 100 and the 800.  Then they both placed in both!  I guess we have some more fast girls on our hands!  They participated in the AIM festival for piano this week, too.  They got tested in theory, sight-reading, technique, ear-training, and performance.  I'm glad they're learning that stuff!  They also landed a babysitting job Saturday night this week and they loved doing that!

Ben ran in the lollipop race and won a . . .

Mariah played in basketball games Monday and Thursday nights and trained with the track team after school.  Fortunately, her school work has been lighter so she's been able to do all the exhausting activities she loves!  She left for an overnight track meet Friday at 3:00 and we didn't see her again until after 8pm on Saturday!  Plus, the lovely weather left and it rained on her all day Saturday.  She came home wet, homesick, and exhausted, but she ran fast!

Megan worked Friday and Saturday and does not like overnight trips so she stayed home from the track meet this weekend.  She did train all week, though when she wasn't working!  She and her friend Alyssa had an anti-prom party after work Saturday that included lots of junk food and movie watching!

Sarah worked and worked on a certain gold dress this week so that it would be ready for prom on Saturday.  She actually only worked on it very little at home and got it all done at her school sewing class, staying after school a few times, too.  Her home ec teachers were great resources!  I'm so impressed that she took on such a big project and did so well on it!  She went to prom on Saturday with Jakob.  They went to the zoo in the morning with their group, then returned home to get dolled up.  When the boys picked them up again they took pictures up the canyon and then came to the high school for the "Senior Promenade!"  Then they went out to eat, out to the dance, and finished up at the nickel cade.  Fun times!  She said she had a great time!

 

 

Kevin continued to coach Cali and Chey's softball team practices.  Grandpa Jim even came to help him out.  Ben did, too!  Jim was much more helpful but they're all welcome additions!  Kevin also attended the Republican State Nominating Convention as the state delegate this Saturday.  They voted on governor and state delegates and other things.  Kevin really enjoyed being a part of the process.

 

 

I went hiking with my friend Robin on Friday!  We hiked the Y!  I almost DIED . . . But we made it and then we hung out at the top and talked about all the other mountains we'd like to climb.  So watch out, there might be more hiking pictures to come!

 

Last week when we got home from our trip, Sarah found her room looking like this!  It was Jakob's way of asking her to prom.  Fun, huh?  Megan helped her write a poster to answer the boy and Sarah put glowsticks in his lawn.  Prom is this Friday!

So . . . we made good use of the balloons!  Grandma Gazdik came over last Sunday to share a birthday dinner with Benjamin and we decorated with lots and lots of balloons!  We also had a nice dinner and birthday cake with ice cream.  It was a fun evening.

Saturday we also made use of the balloons as we had Ben's friend birthday party.  With 9 other little boys and 1 patient little girl, we had balloon relay races, team balloon gathering, balloon stomps, and balloon sweatshirt stuffing competitions!  It was pretty fun.  We also had pizza and presents and cupcakes and, of course, a pinata.  Ben and his friends had a loud and crazy time!

Also on Saturday, Megan had a track meet where she had to run the mile when she prefers the 800 and then had to rush back from the meet an hour away to get to work.  Then she had a hard time at work and the customers didn't leave until late.  She came home feeling angry and defeated and picked on!  So, she and I went to the bookstore.  Barnes and Noble can make people like us feel better!  Today, though, she is sick, sick, sick.  Poor girl!  I hope she doesn't have what her father had!  She sure works herself hard!

Also on Saturday, Mariah had the same track meet.  She had to rush back to practice with her shooting coach and she rushed from there to go to a birthday party which included going to the temple together.  It was a crazy day for her, too!  She was glad to get home and go to bed!

Also on Saturday . . . just kidding!  I think that winds up the Saturday stories.  Although, Kevin, after going for a run in the morning, buying pizza for Ben's party, driving to West Jordan to pick up Meg and Mariah from their track meet, and taking Mariah to practice shooting with her coach, came back home and took Cali and Chey to practice pitching.

Yep, it's that time of year again!  Kevin and Cali and Chey had two official softball team practices this week afterwhich they were all sore.  Lol!

I could also tell you about Sarah's Saturday.  She worked from morning until midafternoon, then went to see the new Saturday's Warrior with Hunter per his request, came back for some dinner, and left to go ice skating with Allyson, Kam, and Jakob.  I guess she had a busy day, too!

On Saturday, Cali and Chey helped me with Ben's birthday party and later in the afternoon went to the track with their friend, Logan, to practice for the Hershey Track Meet coming up this week.  After dinner, they watched Teen Beach Movie again because sometimes you just gotta, "Surf, surf crazy!"

On Saturday Bethany had some friends who could play for a few hours at a time but found herself at loose ends in the afternoon when the twins were gone and Ben was still playing with friends from his party (EIGHT hours people!  EIGHT HOURS!!)  Bethany so rarely is by herself that she hardly knew what to do with herself!

By then, I was blocking out all the commotion, reading in a chair while cushion forts were built around me.

Sometimes, you just gotta.

We had a great time with the Gazdiks in their California home on Sunday but said goodbye Monday morning to head to the beach!  First, though, we stopped in China town!  We did some shopping and had fantastic Chinese food before heading to our campsite by the beach.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we took our wetsuits, boogie boards, and sand toys and headed to our favorite spot at Salt Creek Beach.  Oh the fun that ensued!

Meg and Mariah even did some running with Dad!

 

Julia and Sanae joined us for a couple hours!

Wednesday night, we went looking for a fun spot to have ice cream and happened on a Ruby's Diner 50's style.  We all had milkshakes and loved it!

On Thursday morning as we put the last of our camping supplies into the van, it started to rain!  Great timing!  How lucky were we to have great weather while we camped!  We did some shopping that morning and had one more farewell glimpse of the ocean before driving to Grandma and Grandpa Elton's house in Las Vegas.

We had a great visit with my family in Las Vegas.  Ben's birthday was on Saturday, so on Friday, we took him to the Lego store.  Grandma got him some Legos and his cousins Liam, Ezra, and Roxabelle all came, too!

We met at Amy's house that night and ate pizza and visited and let the cousins play.  Amy let Cali, Chey, and Beth sleepover so they could spend more time with their cousins.  We all loved spending time together again!  We picked them up Saturday and drove on home!

Since we were in the car for a large part of Ben's birthday, the girls tried to compensate by singing him as many birthday songs as they knew for as long as they possibly could.  It all got pretty hilarious.  They are nothing if not supportive of each other!

Sadly, Kevin B. has been very sick since about our third hour on the road.  We keep waiting for it to get better and each day he continues to cough and hack and look completely miserable.  :(  In spite of it all, he took us each place we wanted to go and suffered through so we could have the vacation we planned.  I wish he could have enjoyed it, too, but I am grateful he gave us this vacation even though it was hard for him.  We love our dad!

Late that Saturday night, we finally managed a party with cake for our big man Ben who turned 6 years old!  We love that kid, too!

Happy Birthday, Ben!