BYU Football Coach's Show

Jaxon got invited to attend the BYU Football Coach's Radio Show by one of his friends.  He got to see Coach Bronco Mendenhall along with JD Falslev in the press box at the BYU football stadium.  Coach Mendenhall and a BYU player record a live radio show there every week with KSL.  Jaxon loved it and couldn't stop talking about it.

Jaxon with his buddies in the press box.  Coach Mendenhall jumped in to join the picture!  I love that Jaxon is acting all casual about it.  The week Jaxon attended just happened to be the same week as rivalry week with the University of Utah.

Jaxon and his friends checking out the view of the field from the box seats.  Jaxon even came home with a bag full of BYU give-a-ways that he received for attending.  It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience and he loved every minute of it!

Crazy Weather

We have had an abundance of rain lately, but I won't complain. It is much needed rain. But just check out some of these storms we have had recently:

Josh and his friend out playing in the rain with umbrellas.  It was a downpour.

Another afternoon we were traveling through Orem to get to a BYU football game.  The clouds were spinning and looking quite scary.  We were beginning to wonder if we were going to be visiting the Land of Oz instead of Cougar Stadium.  So we swung by my parent's house to wait out the storm and what a storm it was!  Check out the waterfall coming off their roof just right of the trampoline.  It looked like Niagara Falls!

It caused a flood under the trampoline and in their garden as well.  I had never seen so much rain all at once here in Utah!  The roads were all flooded and parking lots had turned into lakes.  There was just no where for all the water to go!  We thought about not going to the BYU game due to the nonstop rain, but we called Jaxon who was at home and he told us, "You have to go!  You know "we will fight, day or night, rain or snow'!"  So we went to the game and had a great time thanks to Jaxon, and thankfully the weather had cleared up.  Crazy weather.

12!

Yesterday was Jaxon's twelfth birthday. Hard to believe this giant teddy bear has been part of our family for that long!  Yesterday was a busy day with soccer and football games, but we made sure we had time to celebrate!

I'm 12!

Presents and bonking on the head along with some pretty good wish giving.

Jaxon received some new ties to go along with his suit that he gets to wear now that he is a Deacon and passing the sacrament at church.  He wore his suit and blue tie to church today for his ordination.  He was so handsome he brought me to tears.  He also received a couple of much wanted video/Wii games.

Earlier in the week we had Grandma and Grandpa over.  Grandma had made Jaxon a birthday cake that was very tasty!  She had even hidden a coin in the cake just as her mom used to.  She did it when I was a kid too.  It was a fun walk down memory lane.

As part of his birthday we got to go to the BYU vs. Utah game.  We were all wearing new royal blue game day shirts.  Sadly, it wasn't much of a football game.  Thank goodness there were Dippin' Dots to make things better!

Twelve Things We Love About Jaxon:

1. His love for sports and staying active.  We just wrapped up soccer season and we are starting flag football season this week.  However, his true love is basketball.
2. Jaxon really knows how to clean a toilet!  As much as he hates it, he is good at it.  (You're welcome future wife!)
3. His tender heart.  He can't stand it when someone is left out, or when someone is being rude.  He is the first to jump in and make someone feel better and stop the rude behavior.  He is a great friend to all!
4. His imagination.  He likes to have dart gun wars, Harry Potter wand duels, build forts, have Lego battles and run around outside all while using his imagination.
5. He knows how to give a sincere compliment.  Just ask all the 5th grade teachers.  They looked forward to seeing Jaxon every morning just to hear what kind of compliment he would give them.
6. He is quick to get his homework done or quick to get his jobs done so he can spend his time having fun.
7. His contagious giggle.
8. He likes my cooking.  What mother doesn't love that? His favorite is Creamy Mashed Potatoes, which has been renamed "Jaxon's Favorite Potatoes".
9. He is self-confident and likes who he is.
10. His desire to serve and help others.  
11. People know that they can rely on Jaxon to do what he says he will do.
12. His hugs.  After all, he is my giant teddy bear!

Happy Birthday Jaxon!  We are so grateful for you and love you more than you will ever know!

Notes From Kayden

So last night Kayden didn't get his way. He wasn't happy. (Shocker.) He locked himself in his room and only came out to deliver the following notes:
 

Just in case you can't decipher his kindergarten handwriting and spelling it say, "My mom and dad mean to me."  I didn't know whether to be offended or impressed.  He had never spelled words let alone a whole sentence!

Then he gave me this picture.  He explained that this is a picture of our house and that Suki (the dog) is inside and at the end of the driveway (bottom of the picture) is him leaving the house.  All I could do after that was laugh!

Soccer Sara

My niece Sara has moved from New Jersey to the Promise Land to play soccer for the Utah State Aggies!  She invited us up to their home opener game and a team/family dinner.  We couldn't say no to that!  We had a great time watching the Aggies win their home opener and it was a huge bonus spending time with Sara after the game.

Sara with Josh, Kayden and Jaxon on the soccer field.  McKay couldn't make the trip with us due to football commitments.

Jaxon and Sara post game.

Kayden told Sara, "I'll give you a hug and you hug me.  That will be a good picture!"

Demolition Derby

Who doesn't love watching cars crash into each other on purpose? Our family went to the Utah County Fair's Demolition Derby and enjoyed exactly that. We also loved it when the cars would flip over on their sides or roofs. It was great entertainment for all and we can't wait to go back next year!

First Day of School 2013

After a busy summer, the boys finally headed back to school:

McKay on his first day of 8th grade.  He is so glad he won't be called a "sevy" this year.  He also has the new experience of ridging the bus to school instead of carpooling.

Off he goes to the bus stop.  He wouldn't let me go with him, so I snapped a picture as he was on his way to the bus stop.

Josh all set for 3rd grade with Mrs. Knight and Jaxon all set for 6th grade with Mrs. Moedl.

Once the boys were off to school, Kayden and I headed to the zoo with some friends.  Since he is in kindergarten this year, he started a week after his brothers.

The zoo added a bunch of Lego exhibits along with a play area full of giant Legos.  Kayden had a good time building towers.  All day long he asked me to take his picture.

Kayden and his good buddies checking out the rhinos.  Kayden always had his zoo map in hand.

Having some fun climbing the rhino statue after lunch.

Polar bear statue--mom take my picture!

Now with the lion statue--ok mom?

How Kayden measures up to an orangutan.  He is as big as an adult male!

One of the new Lego exhibits at the zoo.  That's a lot of Legos!

Just monkeyin' around the zoo!

 

Finally the day came when Kayden got to start kindergarten with Mrs. Calton!  He was so excited to finally put on the new shoes that had been sitting in his closet for so long!

All the boys starting afternoon kindergarten that live in our neighborhood.  Out of all these boys, not one of them is in Kayden's class!

Kayden acting cool with his best buddies.

Lined up and ready to go!

And in he goes!  He had been waiting for this day for a long time!  Finally he gets to go to the same school as Josh and Jaxon!  It's going to be a great year!