9 year old State Champions

Peyton's allstar team went undefeated in 7 games to take the 9 year old state champion title! They started in Stansbury Park at the district tournament beating Hillcrest, Taylorsville and Riverton. This gave them the #1 seed going into the state tournament. There they beat West Jordan, Hunter/Cyprus (in extra innings by 1) and Murray. In the championship game they played Taylorsville. They had a great start with their bats and kept their momentum the entire game. What a relief it was to have that game over with a win!Since they won, the team was invited to Fowler, CA for the Western Regional tournament. There they got to play against the best 11 teams from California, Arizona and Nevada. For Peyton and some of his teammates this was a once in a lifetime opportunity because they won't be playing city league anymore. Needless to say they were so excited and looking forward to the trip.First thing in Fowler we went to the Opening Ceremony/BBQ with all the other teams and their families. From there we went to the field for the skills competition. Peyton got to participate in 2 events. The first one was the wheels category with 3 teammates and they took 3rd place. The second was around the horn with 3 other teammates. It was a fun night for them. The next day the games began. They beat Nevada and Arizona their first 2 games and lost to Fowler in the third game. Going 2-1 in pool play seeded them 6th in the single elimination round. They played Clovis, CA and lost. So, they ended up with 6th place (out of 12).It was such a great trip and the boys had so much fun. I'm so proud of them for working their hardest and doing their best to make it that far. What a great accomplishment!

And that's the ball game

Baseball has finally ended! It was such a crazy, busy and fun season :) Kasen was so much fun to watch this year. His team didn't do so well, but he learned a lot and he finally got to play "real baseball" like his older brother. He had a lot of fun with his cousin Tyson on his team and his dad as his coach. He played 12 games winning 4, losing 7 and he had 1 tie. His team finished in 6th place overall. He also made the allstar team again this year and his team won that game too.

Ok, try and stay with me on this one. Peyton played on 3 teams this year. City league, Super league and AllStars. He had 4 teammates that played on all 3 teams with him. He also had 2 other teammates that played on his super league team and 1 of them was on his allstar team and the other was on his city league team. Confusing I know, that's about how the season went until we were finally down to one team and one uniform.His super league team played in a tournament in February and the official season started April 18th and the last game was played on July 24th. He played 28 games winning 22 and losing 6. His city league team played up a year, so he was an 8 year old playing against 9, 10 and some 11 year olds. Boy, did his team hold their own. They played 14 games winning 12 and losing 2 . His team finished in second place overall. This leads up to his Allstar team.He played 11 games winning 9 and losing 2. His team went undefeated in 7 games to win the 9 year old state champion title! That was a great day! For winning the title they were invited to the Western Regional tournament in Fowler, Ca. to play against the top teams from California, Nevada and Arizona. There his team won 2 and lost 2, taking 6th place out of 12, not to shabby if I do say so myself.

Wow, what a season. I thought that after sitting thru 66 baseball games I was ready to move onto football, but I'm a bit sad that it is all over. Especially Peyton's teams. We are so dang lucky to be associated with some great people. We have such a great baseball family (i call them my family because i spend so so so much time with them). I love them all and am so grateful that they have incredible boys that are some of the best friends Peyton will ever have. I've said it once and I'll say it again. I am so grateful for the lessons they are learning, for the life long friends they are making and for the memories they are creating. I am so blessed to have these 2 incredible boys with amazing talent. I am so dang proud of them for all their hard work and dedication. It was a crazy 3 months with 6 games a week, but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way! I can't wait until next season!

Dance with all your heart

Kylie LOVES to dance, actually love may be an under statement. At any given time, at any given place you'll find her dancing. Even right in front of the TV (where Josh is watching sports) she'll dance her little legs off. He used to get mad and then realized that that wasn't going to stop her, so now he just watches around her. Kylie dances and does tumbling at an amazing studio. She loves all of her little dancer friends and has had some awesome teachers. She has 2 recitals a year, one the end of May and the other is right before Christmas (both of which Josh and the boys whine about having to go to). Then I not so nicely remind them about how many basketball, baseball and soon to be football games she sits through......a week! 2 a year won't kill them.
This year her teacher told me what a great job she is doing in class and suggested that she try out for a competition dance team. At first I was a little hesitant because I'm not sure I could handle another "team". I though about how much she LOVES to dance and about how much I let the boys do, so I let her do it.....and she made it! She is now a Sunsation. She has already had 2 dance camps and will have about 5 competitions starting in February.I am so excited for her! She is such a natural and will do an amazing job. I'm so glad that I have a little girl to mix things up a bit from the sports world.

Schools out for the summer

This school year went by so fast. Peyton finished 2nd grade, Kasen finished Kindergarten and Kylie finished her 1st year of Preschool. They all had such great teachers and are all great students. Peyton had a week of fun at the end of the year with activities like a read-a-thon, scooter day, wet-n-wild day and field day. The day before school let out he had an awards assembly and we got to stay and eat lunch with him. It was neat to see all the awards he got for his work through out the school year. I'm excited to see what 3rd grade brings!Kasen had a Kindergarten program the beginning of June. He sang a lot of songs, read some poems and had a slide show. His last week of school he had field day. I "got to" coordinate field day for grades K-1st and put together 10 games for the kids to play. It was a lot of fun! He is so excited to start 1st grade....actually he is excited to eat lunch at school and have 2 recesses. As for me, well I'm still trying to get used to the idea that he will be gone all day. Kylie had a great first year of preschool. I couldn't believe the day had come when my baby would really start school, when she was born it seemed so far away. Her last week of school she had a year end program. And just like Kasen's, she sang a lot of songs. It was really cute. She is my only one who actually sang along with the songs and didn't just sit and look at everyone else. She was so excited for her program, she had those songs memorized. She sang them all day, everyday, everywhere we went. Next year she will be learning so much more and I am glad that she is eager to learn!

Runners to your mark

So, as if we weren't busy enough with baseball we signed the boys up to run track. Peyton ran last year and loved it so he wanted to do it again and when Kasen found out he was old enough he wanted to give it a try.

Peyton runs the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m. He is especially good in the 400 m. Kasen runs the 50m, 100 m and 200 m. I love to watch him run, he makes his little legs go just as fast as they can go but he looks like he is in slow motion....so cute!They are both great runners and I'm so proud of how hard they both work.

When did life become so CRAZY

I've been really bad about updating my blog lately, as well as keeping up with the laundry, making dinner, cleaning the house etc, etc, etc.
My life has been so super busy the last couple of months. One week we had 4 baseball games, 2 track meet, dance camp, 2 field days and lunch day.
So, this is a quick update to let you all know that we are still alive and well. I will be updating from clear back in May, but not sure how I will post everything- by month, kid or activity. So stay tuned because it will be coming....ALL of it!!

9 years of marital bliss

Happy 9th Anniversary to Josh and I. I can't believe it has been 9 whole years. It seems like yesterday that we were hanging out at the baseball house in Ephraim watch ESPN over and over and over.
Josh and I met in 1999 while we were at Snow College. Josh was in his 3rd year and playing baseball and I was entering my first year. We lived across the street from one another. My window was like a front door to their house. I met some of his roommates on day one but I don't remember ever meeting Josh. One night my roommates and I made the guys in his house dinner. Spaghetti actually and come to find out that he loves spaghetti but he likes it with certain noodles which we didn't use and he thought it was gross. As we were all sitting around the table reintroducing ourselves there he was *sigh* good old Jones. That's what I knew him as and called him until Justin heard me one day and made fun of me.
My roommate Camille and I would hangout out at his house every day and I got to know more and more about "Jones". I remember him coming over and inviting me to go and watch him play intramural basketball. If I knew then what I know now about him and basketball....sports in general it might be a different story ;). We played intramural football together and I asked him to a girls choice dance. I remember one night some girl was over at his house and was going to ask him to the dance. She would go into a room where he was and he would leave she would follow him and he would turn around and walk into another room. One of his roommates told me what was happening so I called Josh and told him I needed him to come over right away. He had to sneak out of his house so she wouldn't follow him. I meet him outside my apartment and asked him. Funny now that he said yes since it was two of the things he hates the most crowds and dancing.
This all leads up to that one fateful night. Sometime in September or October I was leaving for the day to go up north and see a freind off at the airport for his mssion. Most of the day my roommate Camille had been calling me and giving me updates on what he was doing. My plan was to stay in Provo for the night and head back to Ephraim the next morning. Well....then I got a phone call and it was Camille. I'm not sure how the whole conversation went but I remember her saying that she asked him "if you like her wink once if you really like her wink twice" and Josh said "wink, wink". I got in my car right away and headed home. We hung out with a couple of his roommates all night and just talked and talked and talked.
We meet each others families at Christmas time. Well he met my mom and I meet his entire family. Not just his Dad, Mom and Brothers but his Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts and Cousins....all in the same night. When we drove up to his Grandparents house and I saw all those cars I was terrified. He hadn't given me much warning so I didn't have much time to process it all before going inside.
Josh said I love you first. We were in my room and he was waiting for me to get some things together before we went to try and find some haunted house by Gunnison with friends. I remember him saying something like "I have never had a feeling like this before. It's so weird. I love you." I just keep getting gathering my things. Didn't say a word. I was speechless....shocked. He said "I'm going to go now." I felt horrible and was stumbling over my words. "No don't go, I'm so sorry, it took me by complete surprise and I just lost my train of thought. I love you too!"
We never had a proposal. We were just kind of said "let's get married" and sort of started planning. Josh's brother was married in April and when we got back to Ephraim from his wedding we just went into plan mode. We didn't even think twice about it we just started getting everything in order. We had the wedding all planned by the time I got my ring. It was the day before school was out and where on our way up north to get my dad's truck to take back to Ephraim so I could haul all my stuff home. On the way we stopped at Provo Towne Center and went to look at some rings. I wasn't planning on getting anything that night but I found one that Josh and I agreed so he purchased it. He wouldn't let me wear it out of the store and I was like whatever I was just happy to have a ring. When we got back in the car he took the ring out and finally asked me to marry him. Even though the wedding was planned and it was only about a month before the wedding it was still romantic and brought tears to my eyes.
June 16, 2000 Josh and I were married in my hometown of Monticello, UT. I am so blessed and grateful to have him in my life. He is such a great guy. I love you to much Jonesy! I look forward to becoming one of those cute old couples I always tell you I love so much! It doesn't get better than this!