Reece reunion

I was in charge of my family reunion this year.  I thought we should get at least a little away since the last few years have just been in Provo.  And maybe people would stick around the whole time.  As it turned out, not so much.  But we had fun in our short time together. 
We headed down to Zions Park Sunday about 1 p.m.  Then we had to turn around and go back cause we forgot the crockpot with dinner in it.  So about 2 p.m. we were on the road again.  We had cabins reserved at Zions Ponderosa, and they turned out way nicer than anyone expected, so that was a big bonus.  And the kids LOVED the pool.  It had 2 levels and 2 slides and 2 hot tubs.  Pretty fun.  So of course we went swimming the second we got there.  Then we watched "The 3 Amigos" on the wall outside which was a blast cause some guy was laughing his head off and it all made us laugh harder.  The next day we went to Zions and it was absolutely beautiful.  I wish we could have stayed longer, but the kids were done by midafternoon.  We got back and went swimming again and had dinner and then played games at the barn.  The next morning was crazy insane windy so we cleaned up and got out.  Short but sweet.  And my turn's done for 6 years.  Woo-hoo!

 The kids were so excited about the squirrels but I scared them by telling them they bit.  Didn't stop Scott from getting this closeup.

 Amber earned her junior ranger badge at the park and this is her getting sworn in.

 On our hike up to Emerald Pools.  It was beautiful.

My mountain climber.  1 foot off the ground.

Princess birthday tea party!

Livi wanted a princess party solely so she could borrow Amber's red dress and wear it.  And there were to be no boys this year.  We did a really low-key party as it was 2 days after school let out and I hadn't had time to recuperate yet.  But I think it turned out cute.  We played "magic wands" with some sticks and balloons.  Then we had lunch and cake and opened presents.  And then I had Livi tell the story of the Princess and the Pea which she'd learned at school and we played "Find the Pea under the Pillow."  She loved it.  Her only disappointment was not getting a rose like Alyssa.

 Tea party fit for a princess

 All the pretty princesses

 Where's that pea?

5 candles!

End of school year 2012!

I don't think I have ever been so excited for school to end.  I really loved my job this year, and will miss the kids and working in the school so much, but I was getting worn out, and summer came just in time!  We spent the last couple weeks cleaning up the classroom for the new teacher coming in.  The last day of school our kindergarten class did the Hokey Pokey at the dance festival.  Unfortunately, Scott got that on his phone and is holding it for ransom for when he wants something.  And he'll definitely get it, cause I don't want anyone to see that.  I was really sad leaving for the last time (and turning my time card in for the last time), but being busy helps you forget. 

The kids were all students of the month again this year.  And Lyssa's last days were exciting.  We went to an awards ceremony where she was presented with The Hope of America award.  Scott and I were so proud!  Neither of us would have dreamed of getting something like that so it's great to be able to live vicariously, right?  Then I went to her 2-hour 6th grade graduation.  It was tortuous watching the talent show and all the preteens try to lipsync to their favorite songs but forgetting half the words so just mumbling.  I forgot the camera, which was a bummer. 

Christian's teacher did an end-of-year showcase of all they'd done.  She was an awesome teacher and Christian really blossomed in her class.  For a reward she would buy her students a kids meal from any fast food place and then they got to eat with her in the classroom.  For a boy who never gets a kids meal of his own, he was in heaven. 

Amber's year was a little tougher.  It was her teacher's first year, and he had 17 boys in his class.  I went and visited once and we'll just say it was chaos.  But she's really adaptable and did fine.  She's starting to love reading, and I love watching her read. She was also excited to be starting her times tables.  She was in an after school science club and really like it.  She says next year she wants to take ballroom like Alyssa.

It was fun visiting Livi's class.  Since I was at work the same time she was at school I didn't ever get to visit.  She loved showing me around and introducing her friends.  What a blessing this preschool was!  They did such fun activities and she liked it.

Plans for next year: Lyssa will be in the PUPS program at Provo High (aaaah!), Christian will have the same 5th grade teacher Alyssa did (I like her), Amber will start 3rd grade and ballroom, Livi will be in grandma's kindergarten class, and I will be doing a round-robin preschool with Soran and baby-sitting Joshua while Xela teaches.  Whew!  First I'm going to enjoy some down time this summer! 

Livi and "that silly boy Ryker."  There were a lot of days she came home and talked about him.  First crush?

 I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee.

 Livi's best friend Wendy.

 Christian's end of year showcase.  He was 1 of only 3 students who were able to solve the teacher's riddles throughout the year and sing all the counties of UT in under a minute.  He was quite proud.

First night of summer vacation--sleeping in the tent in the living room!  How did I get so many kids?

A dozen years

 Trying to get out of the foam pit.

 Pizza!!

 Presents and the lemon cake she requested.

 There are so many candles!

 Kidnapped!

Riding around Macey's in the grocery cart

As weird as it is for my baby to be turning 3, it's almost more surreal to have my oldest turning 12.  My time with her is 2/3 done, and it makes me sad.  She is turning into a lovely young lady, though, and it makes me proud.  She wanted to go to Lowe's Extreme Sports for her birthday, so I took the 8 girls over there and they played hard.  Then we went home and had pizza and cake and opened presents.  The favorite was a rose from Phantom of the Opera, which Alyssa has been dancing to in ballroom.  It was so popular Livi kept asking for one for her birthday, too.  Then they watched Percy Jackson.  And then the YW came over and kidnapped her and dressed her up in weird clothes and put a blindfold on her and took her to the grocery store where we got ice cream.  Those girls are crazy, but I love'em!  And now we get to hang out together every Sunday and Wednesday night!  Yeah!!

Amber's baptism

 All dressed in white.

 With Mom and Dad.

 Amber's cake at the luncheon we held afterward.

Such a pretty girl!!!

I realized I didn't post pictures from Amber's 8th birthday party.  Just for the record, she had one and we took pictures.  I think Scott erased them in his enthusiasm of getting ready for Universal Studios.  So, sorry, Amber!  You wanted to go to Pizza Pie Cafe and watch a movie at home and have a sleepover, which is just what we did. Anna, Arian, Aliya, and Kayla were there. 

You got baptized May 5th at the church.  It was a nice baptism, and we all felt the Spirit.  You looked beautiful in your white dress and the pearl earrings you picked out just for the occasion.  We're so proud of you and the sweet young lady you are turning into.  You are so anxious to please people and want to give the right answer all the time.  Love you, Amber!

Fairy Tea party

 Livi found a fairy.

 Soran doing the fairy dance.

Fairy tea

Alivia's preschool threw a fairy tea party for the girls and it was so cute!  They did a bunch of activities for the girls, and they got so much stuff.  They had a really good time looking for fairies, flying with fairy dust, reading fairy stories, dancing with streamers, having a tea party under the trees and fairy "fishing."  It made up for the fact that I forgot to take her to the library tea party.  The funny thing was she was so disappointed that they didn't let her go to the boys' pirate party they had the next week!



My baby's 3!

 Soran on her 3rd birthday. 

 Scott and I each decorated one.

 Opening presents (all the kids are excited).

Blowing out 3 candles (sniff sniff)!

Soran said she wanted a butterfly princess party, so on her birthday we went to the park and had a big dinner with the grandparents and cousins.  We played a couple games and decorated coffee filter butterflies.  Then she opened presents and we had birthday cake.  It was a gorgeous day and everyone was just happy sitting outside and soaking up the sun.  She was born on Earth day, and every year we plant a tree or another plant.  This year we gave Aunt Holly a lilac bush.  

I can't believe my little baby is 3.  I used ot make fun of people that carried around their 4 year olds, but I can totally see myself doing that!  She just seems small compared to my other kids.  And I have no one else to carry.

Soran is a sweet girl.  She is always happy and runs everywhere she goes at breakneck speed.  If she tripped, I think she'd skip a couple times before she stopped she's going so fast.  She loves to play dress up.  Oh, and one funny story I wanted to get down.  The only clothing she'll wear longer than a couple minutes is her swimsuit.  Well, it got really dirty so I put it on the washer to wash.  She saw it and started putting it on.  I took it from her and put it back on the washer and told her to leave it until it was clean.  She said okay, and then while she was climbing back up the washer to get it told me to go away.  I took it and threw it behind the machine, which is about 10 inches from the back wall.  Later in the day we're all sitting and eating lunch and she disappears.  Suddenly I heard a muffled voice yelling help.  I went into the laundry room and there she was, stuck behind the machine, trying to get her swimsuit.  That girl is determined.

I love you, So-So!  Happy birthday!

Spring Break

 Amber on her first time around the rink.

 Christian's first time around the rink.

 This is not a great picture of Soran, but the little ice skates are so stinking cute I had to put it on.  She's a lucky girl that I didn't kill both of us.  She was actually very sturdy on her feet.

 About an hour later.

Christian looked like an epileptic on skates.  He'd wiggle his legs all over trying to move.  It was pretty funny.  But he got going fast by the end.

We didn't die, although near the end there I was wondering.  The last month of school and work were busy, so I've got a lot to catch up on.  First, spring break.  I don't remember everything, but we did go ice skating and the kids loved it.  Alyssa had gone a couple weeks before so she took off as soon as we got there, but the rest of the kids were nervous.  But they took to it quickly.  By the end of the hour and a half they were pros.  Not like their mom, who really wanted the walkers which were only for kids 4 and under.  They really wanted to go again, but Scott does not ice skate.  So we'll try again next year.