Future track stars?

 Once school soccer was over, the kids jumped right into track. Because they're both athletes, and used to hard work, they were able to pick things up pretty quickly.  However, we did learn that "track shape" is not the same as "soccer shape".  They were so sore after nearly every practice.

  It was really fun learning all about the track events.  The track team at Walden is pretty chill and allows the kids to compete in whatever events they would like to try.  Aiden spent most of his time running the 300 meter hurdles and then tried long jump and triple jump a few times.  Taylor is one of the fastest girls, so she was put on the 4 x 100 meter relay team, the 100 meter, and had some success on the long jump.  Taylor is naturally a fast runner and the coaches have been very encouraging to her.  They told her she has the natural talent and, if she works hard, will be able to run track in college.  They was exciting to think about.  We will see if she sticks with it and is able to juggle track and soccer over the next three years.

Aiden and Taylor both qualified to go to the state meet.  Aiden qualified in the triple jump and Taylor qualified for the and long jump and the relay. They both did okay at state and I am proud of their success having never done track before.  

This month, we also spent a day in Phoenix attending the Mesa Easter Pageant.  Spring is always busy so we've never been able to go before.  I am glad we made the effort to go.  We met Tanner and his kids and the Clarks came.  Emma even drove down with her friend Athena.  It was really fun to hang out with everyone all day.  We went to an aquarium and played at a park. The pageant was amazing. It was really fun. I am so grateful for family time!

The Mesa temple has a new visitors center which is awesome!  These kids dressed up as Book of Mormon characters while we waited for the pageant to start. (we randomly saw the Hubers there so they hung out too)

Spring also means Prom.  Aiden went to Mormon Prom with Alissa Spear.  They had a good time.  It was fun to see him all dressed up.

For Aiden, 3 down and 1 to go. For Taylor, 1 down and 3 to go

 The High School soccer season ended a few weeks ago.  The boys made it to the semi finals after getting an unexpected and highly emotional win against Ironwood in the quarter finals.  They lost to Salpointe in the semis.  Salpointe has won the state title for the past 5-6 years and are nearly impossible to beat.

While the Walden boy's program is a bit of a chaotic mess, Aiden had a really good time playing this season.  He is comfortable and confident on the back line and enjoyed having some other strong players back there to help carry the load.  Because he wasn't stressed about his play time, he was able to just enjoy playing the game and being part of the team.  The team's skill level is a great fit for Aiden.  It was fun to see him enjoy it so much.  With that, though, came some emotional losses.  I've never seen Aiden get so upset about a loss.  He was nearly inconsolable, thinking the score was his fault.  It was hard to see him so upset, and we had to remind him that this is a team sport, he doesn't carry the load himself, and that he can play a great game and still lose.  The score isn't the whole story.  We are so proud of the player he has become.  He is a smart player who makes quick and accurate decisions.  Most of all, he has a love for the game that has enriched his teen years immensely.  Can't believe there's only one more year of soccer for him.

Taylor's season ended the same way Aiden's did, with a loss against Salpointe in the semifinals.  The trouble was that Walden girls had beat Salpointe last year to claim the state title.  So, this loss felt like a let down and was pretty heart breaking for the team.  But, the season has been an incredibly positive and motivating experience for Taylor.  She saw the upperclassmen playing and was inspired to work towards that level.  At the end of the year banquet, she was awarded MVP of the JV team, which was very flattering.  Coach Jose, said he wants her to work on her technical abilities during the off season (especially working the ball under pressure) and she is creating a plan to make it happen.  It's so fun to see her work hard.  She's pretty disciplined and self motivated.

Amidst all that soccer, Taylor worked to prepare for the piano ensemble concert.  I'm not going to lie, it was rough trying to get that song learned when she really had no time to practice.  Teri, her teacher, was so good about giving her extra lessons when Taylor was available in order to make sure she made some progress each week.  When ensemble weekend came, she had it learned and enjoyed playing with her two besties again.  I am not sure she will be able to do piano again this next year.  To be honest, I'm very concerned about the amount of commitments she's got her Sophomore year, but we will see.  She is a multi-talented girl with lost of passions and drive, so it's hard to hold her back.  

Emma also performed in the ensemble.  They have an alumni piece and she decided to learn it in Flagstaff and come down to perform.  I am proud of her willingness to learn new songs in the middle of all the college stuff she's got going on.  It was really fun to see her play.

More Sports with a very exciting announcement!

This month, my sports watching reached an all time high during one 24 hour period in which I watched:

 Aiden play in the 4A Boys soccer tournament (they won that game but ended up losing to Salpointe in the Semifinals). 

Then I watched Taylor get a few minutes in the 4A Girls soccer tournament (they also won but also ended up losing the Semifinals to Salpointe-their nemesis).  

That night, I went to a BYU/U of A basketball game with Brent (BYU won and the U of A fans weren't very nice about it).  

The next morning, we all drove up to Phoenix to watch the US Women's Soccer team play in a tournament (we also won lol).  It was a busy 24 hours!

A week or two later, I got an important phone call from Sydney.  She has been admitted into the MDT program at BYU!!!  I can't put enough exclamation points after that sentence.  I immediately started crying happy tears.  I am so proud and grateful!  Not only has she worked so hard over the years and continued to work toward this goal even while feeling discouraged and overlooked.  But, she is one of the few people who will get to live her dream.  She has wanted to be in the MDT program every since she heard about it.  She has dreamed about how awesome that would be.  And now, she gets to live that dream.  

Mia decorated her dorm door to celebrate.  So fun that these girls have had each other this year

This is the latest photo I have of Sydney.  All dressed warm and ready for a fun in January.  

I have been telling people that I had a list of worries/concerns as a mother if she wasn't accepted into the program.  I also said there was a separate list of worries/concerns if she did get in.  Now I just know which list I can toss and which one will stay on my radar for the next four years.  I pray that her experience is all she has dreamed about.  I pray she feels encouraged and challenged at the same time.  I pray she has to most fun ever!  I pray she is surrounded by good people who lift her and see her for all she is, both on and off the stage.

Love Me

 I was talking to Taylor the other day about how weird its going to be when the girls start getting married.

 "We're going to have complete strangers join our family," I said.  "They're suddenly going to be my son-in law and you'll have a brother in-law."

"That's not weird to me," she said.  "What's weird to me, is the fact that someday Emma and Sydney are going to love someone else more than they love me."

Happy 50th Anniversary!!

To celebrate Grandma and Gramps' 50th anniversary coming up, they took all of us on a big trip.  The only way to get all of us together, was to go over Christmas.  It's amazing to me that, besides Wyatt who is serving his mission in Nashville, every other person was there.  Of course, that means we have to take a photo to document it!

You'd never know, but Grandma was sick and passed out minutes before we took this photo.
We went to an all-inclusive resort in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.  Endless food, just feet from the ocean, nightly entertainment, and lots of Pina Coladas made for an excellent week. 


 Honestly, I didn't have my phone a lot of time because we were in and out of the water so much.  So, photos are a bit scarce.  But, here are some highlights: We explored a nearby city a few times and got lots of steps in. We ordered a ton of virgin drinks at all hours of the day. I got so sick for about 36 hours and missed some of the fun while I was in bed.



 We went to an adventure park called Xplor and swam/rafted in underwater caves, drove ATV's, ziplined (Taylor was sick and threw up in line for the ziplines.  The paramedics were called and she got checked out.  After a sitting for a while, she felt better and we finished the circuit). 

Brent was able to secure a 14 foot Catamaran and take us all sailing.  This was kind of a bucket list item for me and I really enjoyed going out on the turquoise water. We went on a snorkeling adventure and saw sharks, lobsters, star fish and hung out in crystal clear water while sting rays swam around us. 







 We went to a neon themed dance party and discovered that Aiden loves dances and is happy to stay late to the party after everyone else has left. 


Emma took the guitar from a local street band and played/sang a solo in Spanish!  It was pretty cool. 

 We learned that coconut water isn't that great. 

We all agreed that the resort food was "quantity over quality" with a few exceptions. 

 After 7 days, we were all anxious to get out of the humidity so our clothes could finally get dry and all the kids learned that 7 day trips do actually require more packing that our typical 5 day trips.

These three girls are the best.  I love that they've grown up together!

There was a lot of family time with our small family of six.  We occasionally did larger group activities too.  It was wonderful being able to have a trip with my adult children.  I'm really enjoying this stage in our family.  I can only hope that when Brent and I have our 50th anniversary, we will get to celebrate with all our favorite people too.

All I ever do is watch sports (and I love it!)

November means the beginning of high school soccer season.  Once the stress of tryouts are over, we get a bit of a break from all the driving and instead spent our evenings watching games twice a week.  This year, Aiden and Taylor play at the same day/times but at different locations so Brent and I are going to have to split up each time.

Aiden is a starter for the Varsity team, playing a killer defensive game on the back line.  He is having a really good time, which is so nice coming off the disappointment that has been his club season this fall.  He is such a great player and just really enjoys playing good soccer.  

This is what happens when you slide on a turf field.

Taylor is a starter for JV and a sub player for the Varsity team.  She is having a really good experience.  The girl's team is a group of kind, inclusive, supportive girls and they've been so good to the new Freshmen.  They won the state title last year, so they're great players who are well coached and it's a great experience for Taylor to be a part of the team.  She is mostly playing defense on the Varsity team, which is a new position for her.  The coaches have given her great feedback and we can tell they see a lot of potential in her as a player.  Also, the girls had a professional photo shoot (because-girls).  Here is our super model soccer player. 

High school soccer also means Brent is on the field multiple times each week.  He loves reffing high school soccer.  He enjoys the knowledge and physical skill it requires.  His goal is to get 4 miles in a game this year.  So, he is basically watching or reffing soccer 4-6 days a week.

We also spent a day going to Phoenix for a BYU/ASU football game.  It was so fun to go to a Cougar Football game. 

It was a close game with a crazy ending.  The clock stopped with 1 second left but the crowd thought the game was over (with an ASU victory) so they rushed the field.  It took a good 20 minutes to get everyone off the field so we could run one more play.  It was a hail Mary that would've been amazing, but we couldn't complete the pass, so we lost.  We had to console ourselves with some Cafe Rio after the game.

Also, Aiden passed his driving test and is officially a teen driver.  Heaven help out insurance bill, but so grateful to not have to drive him to his 6 am soccer practices.

 

Autumnal Anger

You know how some people struggle with seasonal depression?  During September/October in Arizona, I suffer from autumnal anger.  This is what I am now calling the crankiness that I feel because of the extreme heat so late in the year.  And this year, it was especially bad.  We were at soccer games in  mid-October suffering through 110 degree weather.  It was ridiculous.  To make matters worse, everyone else in the country is pulling out their sweaters and boots and enjoying the fall colors.  This year, Brent was in Boston for two weeks enjoying their beautiful season.  He went on long walks and sent me photos of the fun of Salem in October.  Thanks Brent-just add some lemon juice to my paper cut.  

After a long, hot weekend in Phoenix for soccer, I decided I'd had enough and we were going to Flagstaff. The kids were on fall break, so we packed the car, booked a hotel room and left.  We went on a hike, had dinner with Emma, swam in the hotel pool, and then spent a day doing a really fun and intense ropes course.  We hurried back so Aiden could make soccer practice the next day.  Even though, we came home to more heat.  It helped me reset and get my autumnal anger under control. 

The next weekend, I took a car load of kids to the BYU/UofA Women's soccer game.

Finally, the week of Halloween, it started feeling like fall.  Taylor dressed up for soccer practice.

And then dressed up for Homecoming.

And both kids dressed up for Halloween.  Aiden went to a few parties dressed as Parry the Platypus

And Taylor (aka Cookie Monster) hosted some friends over for a scary movie and trick or treating.

And then there were two....

Taylor turned 14!!!  She isn't allowed a party, but talked me into a "non birthday potluck picnic" at the church the day after and all of her friends brought her "non birthday presents". Taylor is still an organizer/planner/stresser/achiever.  She sets goals and works hard at them (she earned $100 doing soccer workouts everyday this summer).  She is very much into social media trends even though she doesn't have social media.  She can be easily "influenced" when it comes to skincare or makeup.  

For her birthday she got a phone, which she has been dying to have.  I will admit, it is really nice to be ale to track and get ahold of her.  But, she is also in full teenage mode, full of attitude and anger most of the time.  Unfortunately. I know that this part of her will probably be around for a few years and I shouldn't take it personally.  Even so, I love talking to her and hearing about all the things going on in her life.  She's so fun!

First day of school for these two.  I don't even want to think about the fact that Aiden only has one more of these. Taylor was super nervous about going to high school for the first time.  But, I think she was over it by lunch time.  She is rocking her Freshman year and enjoying longer lunches, new teachers, and making new friends.

And this boy has turned 16!!  Sometimes I look at him and think "who is that man standing there".  He is really growing up.  I feel like he has found his stride the past few months.  He does what does what he needs to with less nagging.  He loves to do things with his friends and is always the one to plan their weekends (which he sometimes gets tired of doing).  He likes to play Fortnite on the PS5 with Noah and Alex. He is surprisingly cautious and careful as he learns to drive (which I appreciate).  He talks to me more than he used to and he has learned to be a kind and thoughtful brother to Taylor.  I am so proud to be his mom!

We threw him a glow in the dark party in the church gym and he had a blast!  There were at least 30 kids there decorating t shirts, playing volleyball, painting their bodies with neon paint, playing hide and seek etc.  Love that he has friends like this!

The day after Aiden's birthday, Sydney and I headed up to BYU for her college drop off.  We drove up a friends car which was small and slow so it was a long drive (but that meant I got to fly home).  It was weird dropping her off without Brent and it was weird doing over several days.  She saw a few of her roommates in passing but hadn't really met them much.  When I left for the final time, she was home alone with no plans for the evening.  My heart was so worried she would be lonely.  I called Brent and cried for a bit about it all.  Then an hour later, Sydney texted me a photo of her and her roommate at the football game.  It made me feel a lot better.  

The first few weeks of school have been a bit overwhelming and stressful for her.  She's trying to find her people and figure out what classes will be best.  She's got Nauvoo missionary and MDT auditions due in the coming weeks so that is stressful too.  But, she got to go to Sherise's house and celebrate her birthday with them, which was a really nice distraction/break.  Here's to 19 years old for this amazing girl