Back to School

School is back in session here in Southern Utah.  Always starting way to early.  While summer can be crazy with the kids wanting constant entertainment I'm always sad to have them return to school.  I do love having a schedule back though.

 Bailey began her second year at Lava Ridge and is officially a seventh grader.  Wasn't I JUST in seventh grade?  Lucky for her the "awkwardness" of being twelve either hasn't hit her yet or I'm guessing never will.  Although these pictures don't show it she is also a brace face.  Even with the metal smile she just seems to get prettier and prettier. 

 Caleb began 4th grade and Easton began third.  I seriously cannot believe my boys are that old!  When their older sister began the higher elementary grades we thought she seemed so old.  The boys are still my babies.

 I allowed the boys to choose their own outfits for the first day (which if you know me is a HUGE thing).  They would choose sporty shorts and t-shirts as opposed to the closet full of nice jeans and collared shirts but oh well.  They looked like studs!

 This is the first year I didn't walk them into their classes.  They wanted to ride their bikes and I learned I had to let go a  little so off they went.

 Peyton was quite disappointed last year when she broke her leg because she could no longer attend her ballet class.  The fall session of dance began and Peyton's leg was healed so she was crazy with excitement to go back to dance. She looks forward to her class every week.

 Peyton also started preschool!  Another one of those things where I can't believe she is that old!  She couldn't wait! We didn't end up getting her in the preschool that had the rest of the neighborhood kids in it but we LOVE the preschool she go into.  It was more of a fluke that she even got in but it is DARLING and she is in heaven!

So twice a week I am officially all alone!  Okay, well, maybe I haven't been at home alone yet.  With going to lunch with Mat and running errands I actually enjoy the few hours a week kid free.

The joy of sisters...

So we have this older sister in our house who likes to give makeovers.  Only one problem.  She only has one other sister who isn't always around when Bailey gets in her makeover giving mood.  Caleb thinks it is hilarious to comply.

 While mom and dad don't find it all that funny for their nine year old to put on a dress and let his big sister style his hair and makeup, we do admit he makes a pretty cute girl.  The only saving grace in this scenario is that we used to do the same things with our brother growing up.  Hopefully it's just a rite of passage...

 However, Peyton is around often enough that she gets made over as well.  She LOVES having Bailey do her hair and makeup.

 Of course Bailey gets out the camera and makes her "clients" model their makeovers which they love as well.

 I love that my kids like each other and play so well together.  They don't know it but they really are the best friends that each one of them has.  They can play longer and have funner with each other than anyone else. 

How did we ever end up so blessed?

Summer Vacation...CHECK!

We aren't much of a summer vacation type of family.  We prefer to vacation during the winter when lines at amusement parks aren't as long and use the summer for camping.  We want the excuse in the winter to escape the cold and head to warmer weather as well. 

 A couple of years ago however, Mat had work up north and we took the kids to Park City for the first time.  We loved it then and have been back every summer since!  We couldn't let this summer pass up by with out a trip to the cooler weather and all of the awesome rides.  We were planning on spending most of our time in Park City but our first morning there we woke up to a ton of cloud cover and rain.  Knowing the rides in Park City don't run in the rain we headed down to Lagoon instead.  It turned out to be a perfect day at Lagoon.  The rides were minimal and it didn't rain once.  It stayed cooler in the morning and warmed enough in the afternoon for the kids to play at Lagoona Beach.

 We found out that Peyton was in fact made from the same mold as the rest of the kids and couldn't get enough of the fast rides.  Every ride was followed by her asking "Again? Can I go again?"  She was able to get on a few roller coasters and older kids rides and loved them all the more.

Bailey had asked if she could try out the sky swing so we told all the kids they could go together.  Easton was still a bit uneasy about it so Mat had to face his fear and go with the older two.  Of course after Easton watched the three go by he wanted to try it out as well.  Next time for him.

 We were able to go on as many rides as we could handle at Lagoon and we even ended up staying until an hour before close.  We never last that long.

We stayed up in Park City the following day along with the rest of the world.  It was packed for a Tuesday but we got day passes none the less.  We love the alpine coaster but the line was super long so we only rode it twice.  Of course the kids loved the Olympic bungee and made it look easy once again.  All three older kids were able to work in triple backflips and awed the crowd with their skill.  Peyton particularly loved it.  She got a really good operator that let her bounce really high and she didn't want to stop.

 We had one minor hangup during the trip.  Mat stayed back with Peyton while I took the kids up one last run on the Alpine slide.  There was a moose nearby that caused us to get stuck on the lift.  It would have been fine except we had another rider with us and my kids were getting super antsy and it started getting cold.  By the time we reached the top the moose had left so we started of on our sleds.  While I was sliding down the hill my cell phone came loose and was sliding around on the sled.  I tried to grab it while I was still in motion and took a tumble (in my skirt) on the slide.  I came down the mountain a tad scraped up and quite humiliated.  No one saw the crash thankfully but Mat and the kids had a great time laughing at how clumsy I am.  We gathered up the kids and started walking to the parking lot and I started to feel itchy...

By the time we got into the car I was really itchy.  By the time we got to the hotel I was MISERABLE!  It felt like the inside of my skin was on fire.  I quickly dashed up to our room and showered to tried to get whatever I was allergic to off me and it got worse.  Mat was gone to buy some allergy medication and I could feel my throat starting to close off.  I looked in the mirror and the bottom half of my face looked like the joker from batman.  My lips and ears were very swollen and I was in fact still miserable.  Bailey was freaking out wanting Mat to come back and all the kids were worried.  I took some medication and just tried to calm myself down. Mat stayed close by ready to call an ambulance while I kept saying it would be fine that he needed to take the kids somewhere else so they didn't have to see me like that.  Mat gave me a priesthood blessing and about 10 minutes later I started feeling some relief.  I was still talking funny but I started to be able to feel part of my tongue and could tell the worst was over.  I took another shower and realized that the medication was making me very drowsy.  I went and layed down and within the hour I was almost back to normal.  Seriously, I was scared.  My kids were scared.  I've never felt so out of control in my life.  I am very grateful it did not become more severe.  We decided that when my skin scraped along the slide that I must have gotten fiberglass particles in me and had an allergic reaction to it.  I felt 100% better the following morning. 

We had such a fun time I felt awful to ruing our last night in Park City.  At least it will always be a memorable vacation right?

 Who'd have ever thunk that I would have a family full of amazing runners?  Since running certainly isn't one of my passions I could never have guessed we would be entering so many races.  If you had even asked me last year at this time I would have been doubtful.  It all started last year when Bailey began 6th grade.  She had run the mile in elementary school and ran with a time similar to what I would run it in when I was in school.  The first time she ran it in 6th grade however, she was 5 minutes quicker than her previous times!  Of course the gears started turning.  I quickly realized she had her dad's running abilities and her mom's competitive spirit.  A GREAT combination if you as me! We entered Bailey in the Swiss Days 5K and she did quite well.  Of course then her school had their annual "geckathon" and we encouraged her to give it a try.  Both times taking a solid 2nd place.  At some point the boys asked if they could run as well. In January we entered Caleb in his first 5K and Easton in a one mile race along with Mat and Bailey.  All of them did awesome with Bailey being the only one placing but still not taking first.  After the January race Bailey mentioned she'd like to try a half marathon.  I asked her if she LIKED to run or if she was running for her parents benefit.  She said that she liked it and would like to continue to compete.  We made a deal that day with all of the kids that if they ran one race each month for a year that they would receive a nice reward at the end.  Easton decided after his first 5K that running wasn't for him and that was okay.  I don't want it to be something I am forcing.  Part of the deal is that the kids can't just show up and race.  They need to actually train.  We gave them each a race distance to work up to with Bailey's being a half marathon.  All summer long Bailey has gotten up at 5:30 am to meet the cross country team at the high school at 6:00 to run.  She has run mostly with the A group which runs the longest distances and she has been happier and started to get really fast.  Up to this point the only race she had taken first in was the Dogtown 9K and it wasn't a great race for her she just happened to be the only one in her division.  She seems to always take second.  Caleb always seems to walk away with medals and does well in his division so we really wanted to see Bailey do well for her half.  Caleb ran the 5K in Bryce Canyon while Mat and Bailey were coming down the course of the half.  Caleb didn't run his personal best but he still took a first for his division.  After Bailey crossed the finish line we anxiously waited for the postings to see what she placed.  Every thirty minutes new times were posted so when we saw hers we were bummed.  Yes, she had taken first but was the  only one in the 12-14 year division.  I knew there were 11 year olds on the course and I couldn't believe she was the only one her age running.  Surely there were 14 year olds that had ran?

 We of course waited for the awards anyway.  Caleb deserved his first and Bailey did too even if she didn't have anyone in her division. Both kids ran with awesome times!  Caleb couldn't wait to run up and receive his medal.  Bailey was a tad more reluctant.

 When they finally called out Bailey's name they also called out a second and third place in her division!  We were so excited!  I went and looked again at the times.  There were actually 7 kids total in her division and were all 14 years old except Bailey.  We didn't see their times the first time because she was more than thirty minutes ahead of the second place winner!  She took her first WELL DESERVED FIRST!

 I am truly amazed at the runners in my little family!  They rarely complain about running and seem to really enjoy it.  It is merely icing on the cake that they are GOOD at it!

 We couldn't get a room in Bryce Canyon because we had decided too late to run it so we hitched up the camper and camped in a campground for our first time.

 It was definitely not the typical camping trip.  Not only were the campsites pricier than I would have thought but we were so close to the rest of the campers.  It was nice to have the pool to cool off in.

 The kids loved trying to guess which country other families were from since most of the fellow campers didn't speak English.

 We had a blast.  The kids asked if we could please stay longer and while we would have loved to we knew we had to get back to daily life. 

Overall a very successful weekend all around!

Top TWELVE reasons we love Bailey!

With my little girl turning twelve I felt it was appropriate to dedicate a top twelve list to her so here goes:

12.  Bailey's hilarious!  Once she gets you laughing it's hard to stop.  She's super smart but can be air headed about silly things and will definitely make your side hurt from the silliness she participates in.

11.  As mentioned before, she's smart.  Bailey gets great grades at school and always has.  She doesn't have to put much effort into her school but certainly doesn't complain when she does have homework.

10.  Bailey is very easy going.  She's just happy for whatever comes along.  Sometimes to point of frustration.  If you ask her what she wants she really doesn't care she just wants everyone else to be happy.

9.  She's our "built-in babysitter".  Now that she's older it is SOOO nice to be able to run errands or go out on dates and not worry about finding a babysitter for the younger kids.  The only problem we face is that other families are starting to catch onto the fact that she's old enough and they actually pay her so we don't get our freebies as often.

8.  Bailey is creative.  She likes to mess around with mom's crafts and while her creativity can be messy at times we love watching what she makes.

7.  She's kind-hearted.  Anyone that knows Bailey knows she cares more about others than herself.  She wants everyone to be happy and is very loving and sweet to everyone.  You don't ever catch her saying negative things about anyone and I doubt she ever even thinks negative things.

6.  Bailey is super helpful.  She gets her chores done and never fights me when asked to do them.  Once in while she forgets to do them but never complains even when extra chores are added.  We tease that Bailey is Peyton's second mom.  She's always concerned about her baby sister and watches out for all of her family.

5.  Bailey is considerate and polite.  I have these closer on the list because they are two things that are SOOO Bailey.  She is well-behaved and respectful when she needs to be and we never worry about her getting out of hand. 

4.  Bailey is athletic.  She doesn't care for traditional sports much but she is uber-competitive and if needs be she has no problem playing sports and showing how amazingly athletic she is.

3.  Bailey is BEAUTIFUL!  She small for her age but that just adds to her charm.  She really is quite stunning and I catch myself often looking at her and wondering how such a pretty little girl could be my daughter.

2.  Bailey is TALENTED!  Everything she does she makes look easy.  Once she decides on doing something she is usually the best at it.  Whether it be cheer, running, or competing against her family, she can do it all!  Most kids get one or two things that they are good at and focus on those strengths.  With Bailey it's hard not to want to put her in every activity because it is so fun to watch all of her amazing abilities.

And the number 1 reason we love Bailey is...

SHE'S OURS!  Bailey chose us to be her parents!  This incredible daughter of God chose our family to be a part of.  She's such a great example to each one of us and we are all truly blessed to have her in our lives!

Happy 12th Birthday Bailey!

Trying to keep up this summer...

So many fun things happening around the Holt homestead this summer.  I admit the first week that school let out I was filled with anguish thinking about the forthcoming 3 months.  Well, we have one month left of summer vacation and I wonder where the time has gone...So here's the run-down, quite out of order, of everything we've been up to.

 To celebrate the 4th of July we have always swam and spent the day barbecuing and such in my parents backyard.  Well, with the move that wasn't an option this year.  My parents were still planning on hosting a barbecue but Mat and I volunteered our backyard since it was a fairly nice day.  Bailey and Mat had began the day with an 8 mile run and it was even somewhat cool out. Nevertheless the kids still wanted water so my dad brought over the "slip n' slide".

 Basically a 20 x 40 foot piece of visquine.  We ran two hoses and covered it in dish soap.

 Eventually the sinkhole in the backyard helped pool the water enough to bring out the skimboards.

 Peyton and cousins were happy to sit and play with blocks and barbies all day.

 Of course the kiddos could barely wait for the sun to go down to begin lighting the fireworks.  I'm not even sure they watch them.  They LOVE lighting them though and if that's what they want, we just sit back and enjoy the show!

 Bailey and her friend were finally able to make their sparkler heart. Peyton loved sparklers and lighting the bigger fireworks as well.

 Although Bailey ALREADY had her present (her cruise) and wasn't supposed to have a party we couldn't resist.  And by we I mean ME!  I got it in my head that she needed a surprise party and immediately the theme, and decorations all popped into my head.  Once the planning in my head starts there's nothing you can do but embrace it if you're Mat.

 Aunt Amber made another beautiful cake for dear little Bailey.  Seriously we are so lucky to have Amber in our family to make such cute cakes for us. 

 Chantry invited Bailey over to play for the day so that we could decorate and get ready for the party.  We asked Bailey to be home at 7:30 to babysit and told her the boys were in the backyard.  She was so embarrassed her eyes were literally filling with tears.

 We played minute to win it, doge ball, and lover's leap.  Had cake and began an outdoor movie. About 30 minutes into the movie we heard the thunder crackle that said we better move the party inside.  We should've began clearing out then but sure enough a minute later we were all scrambling to get everything inside as well as all of the guests.  All of Bailey's friends decided it would be more fun to get wet so then they all headed back outside while the torrents of rain came down.

 Despite some efforts of clean up the night before the next morning the carnage that was left in the backyard was extensive.  Overturned cake plates, spilled popcorn bags, and my precious tissue balls were all sopping wet and made the backyard look like a disaster had hit.

 Of course what is summer without a trip to Pine Valley with the Nelson clan?

 The usual picnic spot was under construction so we had to hike down to the water which was still ice cold from the snow runoff but we had a blast.

 Peyton found a tractor and was quite miffed that there were no keys to be found for it.  Apparently she was going to take her cousins for a ride like she does in her barbie car.

Mixed in with all of our summer fun Bailey got to attend her first girl's camp.  Although she hadn't turned 12 yet she was able to go with our ward to Lake Powell!  Lucky girl to spend her first week at girl's camp lounging around on houseboats and being towed on a tube and learning how to wakeboard!

 One very fun part about summer was having so many cousins come to town to visit.  We are very fortunate to have most of our family live close but in the past two weeks alone we've had visits from ALL of our cousins coming to play, swim, and laugh with us.

 While Bailey was at girl's camp I had another one of my "great ideas" that Mat loves me so much for.  I thought it would be fun to finish decorating Bailey's room for her.  It took about 10 hours and money we really shouldn't have spent on her but it turned our DARLING!  When she came home from camp she was so exhausted she could barely talk but she loved it!

Our summer still has many fun and exciting things to look forward to.  With the Bryce Canyon half marathon this weekend, school shopping in Vegas, and a quick getaway planned to Park City, I'm afraid the next month will fly by far too fast.