Girl's got moves!

Miss Kinley had her big dance recitals on Saturday and I'm telling you--this girl's got moves! We didn't realize that her 4 performances would be split into two different sessions, so we literally were there most all day! As exhausting as sitting through all that has been in the past, I have to say (as did my mom and dad) that the show was actually quite entertaining. The studio had its big 25 year celebration and the talent from the older kids was amazing!

After multiple studio changes and drama trying to fit in, I am so proud of this girl. We almost threw in the towel a few months ago when the drama was at its peak, but I'm so proud of her for sticking with it. She was the very youngest in her ballet and her hip hop dances (a couple of the girls were Kaiya's age!) and she not only hung in there, but she really knew her stuff!

She is going to take a break from dance and try some other things like soccer and volleyball and if she wants to come back to dance someday, she can. We all just needed this break!

Here are my two favorite of her performances. The videos are horrible quality, but you can see enough to see how great this girl did.

Belle of the Ball

Imma Bee

September

Ready for the show

My cute bee

After the show

Lots of proud observers

Meanwhile, Coop has been so knee deep in baseball, that I don't know how this kid does it. He has at least 3 games a week and another 6 hours of practice. And he still can't get enough! He played in a tournament this last weekend with all sophmores and juniors in high school with a handful of freshman and incoming 8th graders and just did great. Even had a 2 RBI double to help his team win one game. He is being coached by the high school head coach and getting some amazing exposure. Crazy to think that high school is just not that far away! He wasn't thrilled to leave baseball, but he's off to scout camp this week. I'm not as nervous as I was last year, but I still don't love him being gone.

Just a slight height difference

Our other big event of the week was Bennett's homecoming. He brought his girlfriend, Casady, home with him and we got to spend a whole day with them. Bennett got to see a little of Kaiya's gym practice, Kinley's recital rehearsal and one of Cooper's games. The kids were in heaven! He is off to Boston now, playing in the prestigious Cape Cod league until school starts. What a week it was!!

Snuggle time

Watching Kaiya at gym

Just the girls

Sibling shot

A rare time with all of us together

Coop and Papa

Lots of lasts

This last week was filled with lots of lasts . . . last spring baseball tourney for Cooper, last spring gymnastics meet for Kaiya, and the last day of school. Now, if we could just have our last rainy day, I would be thrilled!!

Cooper's last baseball tourney was not pretty, but the boys had a great time. It was in Colorado Springs, so it meant a hotel stay, which was the best part for the boys. They lost their first two games in an ugly fashion and hung in there in game #3. Coop couldn't get his bat going, so he came home pretty frustrated, but he has an entire summer of baseball ahead of him! He will be playing for the high school's 'C' team, which blows my mind because these kids aren't in high school yet! I hope they don't get swallowed whole!

Pool time--best part of the tourney!

Getting a needed pep talk

Cooper finished the year with a 4.0 somehow. He was about as fried and burned out with school as I've ever seen him. More than the grades, I am just so proud of this kid. Middle school is rough! He gets teased for getting good grades, but plugs away and blows it off. He got so many awards at school at their awards ceremony that I lost track, but the best one was a student of the year type award.

Kaiya's last meet was her best yet!! She improved her all-around score by 2 full points and won both bars and beam. It was fun to see a smile on her face and all the hard work paying off. She, too, was ready for school to be over, but it has been funny the last couple days to watch her walk around in a daze--the gym was closed this week, so with no school and no gym, she is a lost soul! She had so much fun playing with friends after school.

Vault and bars champ!

Best floor routine yet

Playing with chopsticks at dinner after the meet . . . nice face, dad!

Last day of school fun

The girls has field day on Monday and had a blast. Kinley's teacher made their last day of school so special. I have absolutely loved her teacher. They came home with a little scrapbook of photos and writing samples and it was fun to see her progression. She even has a reading group going for the summer. We will miss her so much!

Fierce competitor

Can't beat a Popsicle on Field Day

Last day of 4th and 1st grade

We will miss Mrs. Zamudio sooo much!!

The final 'last' was the last day of Erika's time in her 20's. We celebrated her 30th birthday one day early. She's such a special part of our lives. I think my brother knows how lucky he is, but we remind him pretty regularly anyway.

Birthday girl

Fun times

Feeling like a ping pong ball!

Last Saturday was about as nuts as it gets for us. Schedule of events was as follows:

1) Piano recital for Kaiya in Boulder @ 10:30

2) Baseball game for Cooper in Louisville @11:15 . . . moved to 1:15 . . . and finally played at 2:15 due to rain.

3) Gymnastics meet in Bouder @1:00

4) Baseball game at 6:30 in Louisville . . . rained out.

Somehow, all of those events ended up being within 20 minutes of each other. How lucky is that? My dad joined us for most of the day, which was so nice. Kaiya did a great job in her recital--for as little as she practices, she's getting pretty good!

So poised

Cooper's team lost, but he felt like he made good contact with the ball. They put him in at 2nd base for part of the game, which he never plays, so he was a bit out of his element. He was just so bummed to have the weather ruin yet another tournament. Where is the sunshine????

Kaiya's meet went really well. Her only bad event was floor--she just looked so tired. Everything else was awesome and she even stuck beam!! There were only 2 level 6's at the meet, but she won, so it still felt good!!

1st place! (even if there were only 2)

A little wobbly, but she stayed on!!

It was Kinley's turn for some of my time on Monday at her 1st grade field trip to the zoo. I had worked from 3 pm to 3 am the night before, but managed to get up and go with her. I was questioning my sanity, but I think she told me about 10 times how happy she was that I was there. Her group was so well behaved and we saw so many animals in 2 1/2 hrs, including a baby orangutan that was literally hanging onto its mother's back and sitting on her head. Made me think that we really aren't all that different from our primate friends! :)

My last 1st grader to go on the zoo field trip

I just loved this picture . . the mom completely oblivious to the baby hanging all over her!

After the zoo, I turned around and joined my dad and brother and my dad's stockbroker at a Rockies game, sitting in the owner's seats. Front row, baby! It's the 3rd time I've had the privilege of sitting in those seats and it never gets old! Gourmet buffet beforehand and the Rox pulled off a come from behind win, so it was a great finish. What a week!!!

Up close and personal with Tulo from the front row!

April catch-up

I have been really diligent about trying to update the blog once a week, but since I left my camera at my dad's house on Easter, I had an excuse to take a little break. But, now I have some major catching up to do!

Both of the older kids have kicked into high gear for the spring. Cooper's baseball tournaments are almost every weekend and Kaiya has 3 gymnastics meets, which means some divide and conquer for the two parents. Cooper had a tournament two weeks ago that started off miserable and ended on a high note. They are playing teams that often have 100 kids try out and only the top 12 or so make the team. Seriously, some of the kids are almost double Cooper's size. Not sure how we are even supposed to compete. After day one of getting our butts handed to us, the boys found themselves in the consolation bracket as the last seed. Well, these guys played their guts out and made it clear to the semi-finals, losing by just one run in the last inning. Such a heartbreaker, but so fun to finally have some success at this level! Cooper had the best day of his life at the plate (11 RBI in 3 games!!!) and was just hitting the snot out of the ball. He caught all three games as well and was one tired puppy! The video is one of his best hits of the day.

Castle Rock tournament--11 RBIs in 3 games!!

Solid hit!

Kaiya had her first meet last weekend as a level 6. This is a huge jump from level 5 because every event had a new skill added. She now tumbles into a back flip on floor, does a back flip off the bars and tumbles backward on the balance beam. She was super nervous, but just did awesome! Beam was her nemesis, as usual, but even that wasn't nearly as bad as she thought it was. Enjoy the videos!

Kaiya and her teammate, Maddie

Level 6 bar routine

Floor routine--her best score of the day 8.35!!

Other April highlights . . .

--We had a really nice Easter with my dad, brother and his wife despite the fact that I had to work the night before. :(

Easter morning

--The kids all got to have one friend stay over this last weekend as a reward for good behavior. It was the first time Kinley had a friend stay over and they were so cute and got along perfectly all weekend. Kaiya got to have 2 gym buddies and Cooper had a good friend stay as well. It was a packed house and I felt like all I did was feed them round the clock! I did take them all swimming, too. Whew!! I was wiped out by Saturday night! I am so grateful for my kids' true, good friends.

Love these girls!!

Kinley and her best buddy

--I started swimming lessons in anticipation of attempting a triathlon in August. A good friend of mine is teaching me to swim and thank goodness she is patient! We have had lots of laughs and I've returned the favor by helping her train in the gym with some other friends. I can finally swim the required 1/4 mile on my own, but I am still super inefficient. Could be a long few months getting ready for this thing, plus I'm considering the Warrior Dash in August as well.

--I accepted a position to be the camp nurse at a gymnastics camp for Kaiya the last week in July. We will head to Lake Owen, WI where Kaiya will get intensive gymnastics training and lots of fun on the side and I will get to run in circles being the camp nurse. It was quite the application process (they even called my references!), so we are happy to be going. Kaiya's $1,200 tuition is waived and they pay my expenses, so it's a great deal! We're both excited.

--Kinley is gearing up for her big dance recital at the beginning of June and then she's looking forward to trying some different things this summer. Can't believe the kid only have 3 1/2 weeks left of school! We are all ready for a break from all the homework, lunch packing, getting up early, etc!

--Cooper was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society last week. He has worked his butt off for his good grades (despite the fact that it gets him made fun of by some of his athlete buddies) and we're proud of him for sticking to it. He also got selected to be on the yearbook staff and to be a WEB leader again, so he will be helping to be in charge of first day activities for the incoming 6th graders. So proud of this kid! He has taken some serious heat from his buddies about being a "goody" because he cares about his grades and likes being involved in the school, but he's finally getting better about letting their comments go and recognizing that it's OK to be good in school!

A perfect getaway

Spring baseball and gymnastics season is upon us, so I took the opportunity last weekend to go visit my best friend, Lori, in SLC. It was my birthday gift and I couldn't have asked for a better one! We both have our big 40th coming up next year, so we're saving up for a big trip somewhere (NYC, Cancun . . who knows!). We both have super busy kids and this was our only weekend to squeeze it in, so we settled on a quick weekend in Park City. Well . . . Mother Nature had other plans and Utah ended up in the midst of a massive spring storm. We almost had to cancel, but decided to just stay in Salt Lake instead and it turned out perfect.

I got in on Friday night and we got dinner in a great downtown spot and then went back to our hotel and crashed. Saturday, we woke up to more snow, but decided to be adventurous and go for a long run in the snow. Using my trusty iPhone, we found a trail in South Jordan that goes along the Jordan River. It was amazing!! So amazing that we returned and did it again the next morning. We can solve a lot of the world's problems on a good, long run. :)

On Saturday, we slept in, went shopping, found another great spot to eat, and stayed up til 2 a.m. talking. Life just doesn't get any better than that! We have been through so much together--college, the births of all of our kids, job changes, life changes, the aging process, vacations, and everything else in between. We talk several times a week, even when life is too busy to even have time. She is a central part of my life and I wouldn't be who I am without her! She gave me a little plaque that sits in my room that says, "A best friend is someone who can sing the song in your heart even when you've forgotten the words." I think that about says it all. :)

Paved running trail along the river!

The only picture we thought to get all weekend. Oops!

Spring Break 2011

This year marked the 30th year that I have been going to Scottsdale for spring break (missed a couple in college and right after having Kinley, but that's it). I never get tired of it and I look forward to it every year. It is truly like a 2nd home for us. I am so grateful to my dad for hanging onto it and for vacating the place for a week so we can use it. I have so many of my own childhood memories there and it is still so odd to be the parent bringing my own kids there.

This year, we had the added highlight of being 4.4 miles from the Rockies Spring Training facilities at Talking Stick (which are just amazing!). I jogged to it one day--how nice is that? Cooper was in heaven and even though we got there at the tail end of spring training, we still got to see 2 games and to see the players working out. Our weather all week was absolutely perfect, too--mid to high 80's (although it hit 96 on our last day there).

We drove again this year since airfare was so expensive and although it's a long drive, the kids did awesome. We left super early both times (5 am) and got in at a decent hour. The drive is very scenic and with a few naps squeezed in, it's just not that bad at all.

I will keep the details brief, but here is a day-by-day recap of our trip:

Fri - Left at 5 a.m. and drove straight through. We only stopped twice and got in to Scottsdale at 6 pm. We ordered pizza from our favorite local spot, went to the grocery store and then hit the pool and hot tub.

On the road!

Sat - We went to check out the Rockies new facilities and to see if we could get tickets. The place is unreal! There is an entire field just dedicated to bunting! We struck out (no pun intended) at the ticket window, but only because no one was there. We watched a little of the minor league games and just walked around the whole place. The afternoon was spent at the pool and then we grilled some steaks for dinner. I found out that one of my college teammates was in Phoenix as well, so we met them for ice cream at the famous Sugar Bowl that night. So fun!

Cool story behind the cooperative between the Indians and the spring training facility

LOVE the view of Camelback in the background--we climbed the smaller peak on the left!

By the minor league fields

More fields!!

Sun - We headed back to 'The Stick' again to see if we could get tickets. I was pleasantly surprised that it was a very easy run--only 4.4 miles door to door! We were able to get tickets and went to the game. We got there early enough to see them warm up and take batting practice. So fun to be that close to the action and the players. We had to cool off in the pool afterward, of course, and then we stayed in for dinner.

In front of th Rockies' entrance at Talking Stick

Love my Tulo fans

Watching batting practice

Ianetta and Street

Just a gorgeous stadium

Sugar Bowl!!

Mon - The big Camelback Mountain hike. In years past, we had to do this in shifts. Kaiya and I would go and then Cooper and Doug because Kinley was too little. Well, this year she decided she could do it (I had my doubts--she hates walking long distances) and she was right! She never complained once about being tired and did the whole 3 hr hike like a champ! It's over 3 miles round trip and the last part is a straight free climb. It has quickly become a family tradition and it's so fun to be able to go as a family. After we cooled off at the pool again, we got cleaned up and went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner and then to our new favorite spot--Yogurtland (home of the best frozen yogurt anywhere!)

On the way up

At the top looking over the valley

We made it!

Proud sis

Tues - We split up a bit this day and the boys went to a second Rockies game (killed me to not go, but had to take one for the team) while the girls went shopping! The girls had saved some of their gift cards from birthdays/holidays and used them there. We really had fun and they got some cute things. That night, we ordered in food and watched a movie.

Wed - This was our annual duck park day. The girls played on the playgroud, the boys played catch, I got to go for a long run, and everyone was happy. They love feeding the huge geese and ducks that come and eat out of your hand. We spent the afternoon at the pool again (can you imagine how green the girls' hair was by this point?) and then went out to dinner.

Thurs - I enjoyed the most relaxing birthday ever! Other than going for a run, I was a total bum. Sat by the pool, read my book and just enjoyed the sunshine. The kids can literally play in the pool all day, so I can't complain! We went to a local Mexican food place that night that was fantastic and then to the yogurt place again.

Fro-yo-aholics

Fri - Our last day there was 97 degrees and Opening Day for the Rockies. So, our day was spent between cooling off in the pool and watching the game as well as doing laundry and cleaning up the place for departure. We took the kids to Benihana for dinner and then left at 5 am on Saturday to head home.

Many hours logged here

What an amazing week!! No driving all over for kids' activities, no work, no stress, no homework. No wonder the kids almost cried when it was time to come home!! Glad we get to go back in a year.