Raingutter Regatta

This year our Cub Scout Pack held its first Raingutter Regatta. Our preparations for the Pinewood Derby have become rather extensive, but the Raingutter Regatta was a new experience for us. We had a pretty busy week leading up to the race, so we were glad that making the boat turned out to be significantly less complicated than making the car.

Brooke and I were a little unsure of how we were going to manage all of our activities on the night of the Regatta. Tanner had cross country practice, Trevor and Kaden had soccer practice, Brooke went to Tanner's Meet the Teacher Night at the junior high and I had a stake meeting. The Raingutter Regatta was right in the middle of all of the chaos. Can you say overbooked? Well, with the help of some friends, we were all able to make it to and from all of our activities.

I took Kaden to the Raingutter Regatta and we had a lot of fun. Since it was a new experience for all of the boys, they spent less time focusing on the competition and simply enjoyed the experience. Each boy had to blow into the sail of their boat to push it down the raingutter waterway. I loved watching Kaden's face as he blew his boat down the raingutter. At one point, he blew the sail and it spun around on its mast. Kaden's reaction was great.

Kaden ended up coming in second place, which he was excited about, but he would have been happy regardless of the final results. Everyone had a great time!

Money, Money, Money

Right now, money is on our boys' minds. Tanner has been the ring leader. There are a couple of lego sets that Tanner had his eyes on and so the requests for money began. Once Tanner started asking they all decided it would be a good idea to ask.

Well, we know the value of hard work so we told them they could earn money by doing jobs for us. They started doing some jobs for small amounts of money, but it wasn't enough. That's when they remembered the Lemonade Stand. The only problem was that it has been so hot here this summer. Many of the days they wanted to do the stand there was a heat advisory and it was simply too hot to be outside for any length of time (even if you were selling lemonade).

So a couple of weekends ago it finally was nice enough to do the stand (don't get me wrong it was still rather hot). The boys were all very excited. They all worked together to create and color a sign.

Then we went to the store to get supplies. As soon as we got home the boys went to work making the lemonade and setting up shop.

During the slow times the boys got creative. Check out Trevor cutting leaves with the fan.

The boys all did a great job. They really got into it. Whenever they saw a car they would start calling for the people to stop. It made me laugh every time. Check it out!

Even Austin wanted to get in on the fun. He enjoyed watching the boys calling to the cars. By the end he was even calling to cars!

The boys hard work paid off. They each made around $7. Good work boys!!

Cross Country Starts Again

We weren't sure if Tanner would want to do Cross Country again this year. During the summer he wasn't so sure. One day while my sister was visiting, Tanner was talking about Cross Country. My sister told him that if he drank pickle juice he wouldn't get cramps. To that Tanner promptly announced, "I'm doing Cross Country then." We were all very surprised by his declaration, but we didn't say anything. We are glad that Tanner made that decision. We know that he has a lot of potential and we hope that he will see that through the course of this season.

Last year Tanner wore an old pair of Tennis shoes. It was his first year and we weren't sure what Tanner would think of cross country, so we didn't get new shoes. This year before the season started Tanner and I had a talk. I told him he should make some goals for this season. I also told him that I thought new shoes would help him with his running. I told him we would be willing to get him new shoes, but only if he was serious about working hard this season. Tanner thought about it for a while and then he came to me and told me that he needed the new shoes.

The new shoes have been a good motivator for Tanner. They are a good visual reminder of the goals he has set this year. Chad and I have both been impressed with how hard Tanner has been working at practice. It has been great to see him come home to tell me that he worked hard at his practice or that he only walked a little (that was a struggle last year).

Last night was Tanner's first Cross Country Meet. I think we were all anxious to see how Tanner would do. Tanner's goal was to keep up with the main pack of runners. Chad and I gave Tanner some quick reminders and tips and then it was time for the race to start.

Tanner started the race well - he was with the main pack. As the runners disappeared behind some trees we all found a place where we could cheer Tanner on as he came back around. The boys are really good at cheering for Tanner. The first time they saw him they started cheering and running along the sidelines with him. I love to see that!

As we saw Tanner coming around he was still in a good spot. He was staying focused! As he neared the finish line we were all cheering loudly for him. He did a great job. He sprinted to the end. When he was almost there he started grabbing his stomach. He was working so hard that he was really starting to feel it. He did a great job all the way to the finish line!

We were so excited for him. We were even more excited to find out that he came in 14th place. We were really excited with how well he did. We found out later that the top 20 kids get a ribbon. Tanner was pretty excited that he got a ribbon at his first meet!

Congratulations Tanner! You did an awesome job. You are going to have a great season. Keep up the good work. We love you!

Hanging out with Cousins

We were able to go do many fun things while we were in Utah. We all had lots of fun going places together, but sometimes it's nice to just hang out at home.

The boys lost no time once they got together. One thing that is amazing to us is how the boys are able to pick up right where they left off (even if years have passed). Mason and Tanner are the best of friends and they are so much alike. They both love Legos. Before our trip we found out that Mason had a huge lego set that he was bringing to Utah to put together with Tanner. Mason was so anxious to put it together, but he was determined to wait for Tanner. The second they got the chance Mason and Tanner raced downstairs and started the lego project. We didn't see them very much until they finished putting the whole thing together. It took them a day and a half I think. They were so excited when they finished. They raced upstairs to show off their masterpiece!

Kaden and Zac are a lot alike as well. They both love sports and being outside. They also do a great job of including Trevor and Devon. These boys spent most of their time in the backyard playing football and baseball. They even enjoyed running through the sprinklers one afternoon.

Austin and Arie had fun together. At first they checked each other out, but by the end of the trip they were having fun together. They were really cute with each other. Austin kept trying to give Arie kisses.

We also had the chance to introduce our boys to some of my cousins, Aunts, and my Uncle. It was so fun to see all of them again and catch up. It has been seven years since we have seen them. Everyone is doing well. We got to meet my cousin's new baby. She was so cute! It was a great reunion.

We had so much fun catching up with our cousins. Hopefully our next visit will be sooner rather than later.

We were sad to leave, but now we look forward to our next visit.

What a View!

One of the things everyone loves about my parents' new house is the view off the balcony. They overlook the valley, which includes Utah Lake and the Timpanogos Temple. I loved seeing the temple every morning while we were there. What a wonderful start to your day!

I also loved the view at night. The temple is so beautiful when it is all lit up.

A couple of nights I went out on the balcony to take some pictures of the awesome view. The first night I went out I enjoyed taking pictures. Some turned out good. I was excited to see them on my computer. Unfortunately, something happened and those pictures got erased. So I tried again on another evening. Much to my surprise and delight a fireworks show started near the temple. The fireworks show was part of the American Fork Days. It was really cool to watch and really fun to photograph. Chad also had fun taking pictures after I was done.

The night before we left to go back home we drove (about 3 minutes - how nice is that!) down the road to walk around the temple. Unfortunately, the temple grounds were closed, but we had a nice stroll around the temple. It was neat to take the boys to some temples while we were in Utah. We live about 2 hours away from the closest temple. Usually the boys stay home with friends while Chad and I go to the temple. So the boys don't get to see the temple very often. I love that they were able to walk the grounds of the temple. It was beautiful and I know the boys were touched.

Sundance

I know I have started almost every vacation blog post this way, but Sundance is one of our favorite spots! It is so beautiful and serene. When my sister asked me if I could take their family picture sometime while we were all in Utah, Sundance popped into my mind! Close to the end of our vacation we finally headed up Provo Canyon to visit Sundance.

On our way to Sundance we stopped at Bridal Vail Falls. The waterfall is part of the beautiful scenery you can see while driving up the canyon. We didn't stay at the falls long. We walked up to the base of the falls and took in the scene while Mom, Dad, Tanner, Mason and Zac dipped their feet in the water.

After seeing the falls we headed up to Sundance. I have always loved the drive. It is so green and beautiful. When we arrived and I got out of the car I took in the fresh mountain air. I love it! We found a perfect spot by the water to take our pictures. The kids did a good job considering it was the late afternoon and dinner was on the horizon.

After the photo shoot we stopped to take a couple more pictures. The scenery was just calling to us. Isn't it beautiful!