And there goes June........

We are settling into summer well.  A month in and we have already done so much! One of these summers we will just hang out. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Anyway, last week we hung out with Lynnli and Coltman for a couple days:

Then yesterday during our "school" hour we learned about spies. Amelia and Cooper grabbed their spy gear and followed two top secret missions to retrieve a stolen red diamond and money stolen from a bank. They did a great job, even avoiding capture from the enemy spy and dodging enemy fire (water gun).


Agent Amelia and Cooper:

Cooper dispatched the guard Billy Bob Joe with his ninja moves:

Cooper also had scout day camp this week.  He had a great time and passed off a lot of requirements. We try to almost have everything completed by the end of summer, because once school starts our free time is at a minimum.

It was a pretty hot day, so when he came home he stripped to the skin, grabbed his water, and relaxed for a bit in the recliner.  Later, he used his savings to buy an Oreo shake to help continue the cooling off. 

We also attended an air show that was fun, although the traffic getting out was a pain! It did give us time to chat and visit with everyone we knew that passed as we inched out of the parking lot. 

Next up, 4th of July festivities!

Summertime Fun!

Two weeks into summer and we've already played hard. We have gone to the drive in movie:

Frequented the spray park:

When they get cold, they lie on the hot cement with a towel over them to warm up.

Rode the carousel:

And had numerous picnics:

Amelia has also started summer ballet and Cooper has scout day camp coming up. In July we have camping with family, the 4th of July parade and rodeo, Amelia's first girls' camp, and lots more. This summer will be over before we know it! Stay tuned!

It's Official, Hell Has Frozen Over!

Why, you ask? Because I just ran a 5K and lived. Not only lived, but did a pretty dam good job! I can say that because I ran in the Dam Marathon, 5K. This year they had new dam courses, so new dam records could be set. The dam kid that won 1st place had a time of 16:35.....he ran 5:45 minute miles! Yaaaaaahhhh, I didn't. I posted my time below, but first you'll have to scroll through my story and pictures. :-) Take your dam time, this is an important moment in time.

Before the dam race: It was nice and cool, and I wasn't too worried--my first goal was to finish, and my second was to do it under 40 minutes.

The race started. I went further back in the pack to avoid getting tramped. Good thing, 'cuz once that starting horn sounded, a cluster of 17-18 year old took off. Like, sprinted. I don't think they ever stopped, hence the amazing new dam record. Those dam kids were pretty dam fast.

I handled the first dam mile like a champ, with help from Jon rocking in my ears. I did fine up until around 1.75. I was getting REALLY damn tired, so I walked for one minute. Exactly. I timed it.

After that, I started jogging again. Mile 2 went well--and just for the record, I don't believe there really is a "runner's high". I think you just go so numb that you can't feel the pain anymore. This occurred from dam mile 1.50 on.

At 2.90, the course went uphill and I continue to jog up it, intent on passing the dam little 12 year old runner in front of me. I made it to the top and saw the dam finish line. I passed Mile 3 and picked up my pace, mostly to make sure that 12-year-old wouldn't catch up. It was a slight downhill, so I was really picking up speed.

As I neared the dam finish line, an official jotted down my bib number and as I approached the finish line the MC announced my name and what race I had run. Luckily, my age was kept out of it. Amelia, Cooper, and Andy were waiting for me and Cooper gave me a high-5 as I passed. It was a lot of fun to cross the finish line with the dam volunteers and spectators yelling and ringing cow bells.

After I stopped running, I received a dam medal and went into the Runner's Corral which was stocked with water, fruit, smoothies, bread and chocolate milk. I felt super special as I collected some dam watermelon and water. All the vendors were congratulating the runners, and it made the pain (which was coming back now that my "high" was over) worth it.

 

I came out of the corral and was almost knocked over by Cooper. To be honest, it wouldn't have taken much to knock me over. My friend Shari was there and Ben, Kim and the boys showed up a few minutes later.

I have to say I'm relieved the dam race is over. While I wouldn't use the word "fun", it was an amazing experience and I'm proud I accomplished it. It is immensely gratifying to achieve a goal I've worked hard for, and to push myself past the limits I thought I had. Maybe I didn't get a runner's high, but I certainly had a "I-finished-and-did-pretty-good" one. While I doubt I will ever become a hard-core runner, I think I"ll certainly run a few more dam 5Ks before I die.

Who knows.....maybe even a dam 10K.

Here are my stats:

I finished in 34 minutes, 55 seconds. My pace was 11:15 a mile. I was 88th out of 126. For women, I was 40th out of 68. In my age class I was 6th out of 8th.

End of School Year and Memorial Day Weekend!

Whew! What a week! First off, Amelia cut her hair in a sassy bob:

Next, after a week of field trips, dances, parties, and more parties, the last day of school came:

Whenever I say "funny pose", Cooper hears "attack Amelia".

This is a picture of Amelia's last day as a middle-schooler---this fall, she's be in 7th Grade, that's the JUNIOR HIGH.

I tried to get Cooper's picture at his last day at Kennedy, but as I told him to pose a friend called his name and I lost him:

Luckily, I nabbed him after school:

He is officially a 4th grader!

After school we celebrated, as always, at Pizza Pie Cafe:

Saturday we visited family in Blackfoot and helped mom pack up her classroom. On the way home we stopped at Freeman Park to see the 1,000 American flags set up for Memorial Day to honor the men and women who serve(d) in the military. It was an amazing sight! The wind was blowing a bit, and the sound of all the flags snapping was pretty cool.

 Unfortunately, on Sunday Cooper caught a 24-hour bug so we spent  the day relaxing and cleaning the bathroom. :-)
 
Monday we visited Joey and Jojo at their campsite for a bit, grabbed some lunch, prepped our flower garden, then hit the opening day of the spray park and carousel.

Summer has certainly hit in a big way! Next up--scout day camp, girls' camp (yikes!), soccer, rodeos, parades, camping, summer ballet, and lots and lots of fun!

Recitals and Field Trips!

We are winding up the end-of-the-school-year-activities!

Amelia had her spring violin recital last weekend. She did a wonderful job! I apologize for the music stand blocking her violin. We weren't sitting in a good place so you can't see a lot of her bow work, but she still sounds nice. She was first, so the owner was talking a bit, then she was so nervous she started without the accompaniment. If you want to hear her play perfectly start 38 seconds in. :-)

                                        


Today I went on a field trip with Cooper's class to the nature park. It was a crazy few hours but lots of fun. Luckily the rain stayed away for that part of the day. Here's some pictures:

His friend Brayden had photobombed him.

At the nature park.

I wish I had more, but I was in charge of 7 third graders--all of whom were ready to be free for the summer!

Next up: Amelia's day at the park, Cooper's water party, and the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!

Swan Lake 2016

Amelia had her spring recital last weekend, they did Swan Lake. She had two dances--one in the "gala" before the actual ballet and one in the ballet. She danced on pointe for the gala.

She. Did. AMAZING!

I usually have a hard time watching my children perform because I get so nervous for them. I shouldn't, because they always do so well. In the Swan Lake, she was a Hungarian with shoes that "clicked".  Again, she did fabulous! I ordered a DVD, but won't get it for another 3-4 weeks. I look forward to watching it over and over.

Cooper did well, lasting all the way through the middle of the ballet. I woke him up for Amelia's second dance (she was the very last) but when I looked down at him after she had finished, his eyes were closed again. After the ballet was over, he told me he didn't see anything. Good thing we ordered that DVD. :-)

Here's my darlin' after the ballet on the stage, graciously accepting her flowers.

Cooper still waking up:

He's up! And here they are together:

Finally, Amelia "the star" as she put it. No self-esteem issues there!

Today Cooper had his field day and I volunteered. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures. Why, you ask? I had 6 rotations of 20-30 9 year-olds for an hour and a half. You're lucky I can type and post this blog. :-) We both had a lot of fun!

Next weekend: Amelia's violin recital and end-of-the-year parties!

End of the Year Craziness!

The end of the school year is near and with it comes a lot of recitals, plays, activities, and field days. This week, Amelia had her spring orchestra concert. She did a fabulous job and plans on sticking with the violin through junior high next year! She loves her teacher, and he'll be teaching at the junior high next year as well. Here she is before the concert:

Isn't she just photogenic?!

 Because of her short stature, I only saw her from the waist down--I blame the cellos for blocking my view. Speaking of stature, she had her well check last week and is growing, just slowly. That's alright with me, her personality makes up for it!

In Cooper news, he had a Mother's Day lunch at his school last week. I was happy my schedule worked out so I could go. He was so much fun to have lunch with, and very happy when I was understanding when he wanted to go to recess afterward.
 

Cooper also had a well check and he's growing a little faster than Amelia--he's only two inches shorter than her, and normally hits a growth spurt in the summer. He wears an entire shoe size larger and is looking forward to the day he can look down to her.

That's it for now. We have Amelia's "Swan Lake" recital this weekend--her first one dancing on pointe. She's thrilled. I'll post pictures when I can. Happy May!