While the kids are away Mom will play? Or climb a mountain

So I decided a couple of years ago, that when all my kids were in school I wanted to hike mt. timpanogos by myself.  Just take a whole day and do it.  Hiking with friends and family is fun, but I wanted to run as much as possible and just go for it! So, on Whitney's first day of school (the ALA kids' 3rd day) I did it!  The only thing I had to arrange was Eric taking them all to school- I was back before they got out!

I started at 7am, it was so lovely.  I ran any time it was flat-ish. passed a few people on the way up.

here's a crazy leftover avalanche that wasn't there the last time!

I just adore those flowers!!

The meadow is so gorgeous! And I had to stop and throw a snowball for fun, at one of the 3 snowfields I had to cross. In late August!  We just had so much snow that year.

Super fun part- the one little climb you have to do towards the end.

And I made it in just over 3 hours!! Hi Utah Valley.

Hi Heber Valley!

Me with the shack in the background.  I sat up there and ate a snack- then started down. 

The way down only took about 2 hours actually- I ran a lot of it and it was so fun! I stopped to get wet at the waterfalls, and actually sat in the freezing river for an ice bath at the end!  It didn't last long though, it was so cold it hurt pretty bad.

This was on the way home- Eric had been worried about me being up there during a thunderstorm, but I was safely down 2 hours before they came.  This was a crazy cloudburst though!

Anyway it was an awesome experience and I totally want to do it again. I just felt so free and capable. Everything was so beautiful and I could see and enjoy it at my own (fast but appreciative) pace!

First Day of School

Katelyn's last first day of school!  Regular school anyway. Wow!!! She has such a fun schedule this year. Only a few real classes- mostly just fun stuff. AP Calculus BC, Drama 4, MDT/(spoiler- second semester she switches to Choir!!), CE Financial Literacy, trying Theater tech for the first time, Elementary Drama TA for Ms Millet (so cute), Improv troupe, Political Science, Piano lab, a couple of free periods where she comes home for lunch.....you get the picture.  Super cool senior year.

Owen's first day of 6th grade- last first day of elementary school!  Crazy. He has Mr. Monsen for English, (same as Whitney had) and Ms. Mora for Spanish.  He's great, she's not great, but Owen's having a good year. Especially with Show Choir as his elective. :)

Maris' first day of 4th grade. She has Mrs. Boren, who is a really good and creative teacher. She is learning a ton and having fun.

Emma's first day of 1st grade, all-day school, and Dual Immersion!!! First day of getting up early for school!  It's been rough, as predicted.  but in about January she will get an alarm and that will help some. But she has Mrs. Killpack for English, who is pretty good, and Sna. Collado for Spanish who is the sweetest lady ever from Spain.

All the ALA kids going to school, and Whitney going to soccer practice. (her school started 2 days later)

Cuties with their new kicks (Emma- yellow star and rainbow high top Vans, Owen- low burnt orange Vans, and Maris Pink Nikes) and Katelyn with her new, BRIGHT yellow Jansport backpack! Her old backpack had lasted 3 or 4 years. 

The school had a SUPER cute first day welcome, with the HS football players high-fiving everyone and a huge balloon arch and fun music- it was hype!  And here's Emma with her kindergarten besties who also got into Dual Immersion- Haylee and Charlotte.

Sophomore Whitney ready to go take on High School!  Even though she already felt like a high schooler because she took 2 classes and played 2 sports there last year.... it's real now haha.

Whitney is having a fantastic Sophomore year.  Taking a bunch of Junior classes like Math 11 and U.S. History and Spanish 4 and Anatomy, plus Honors English 10 and Sports Injuries and Sports Psychology. She also got to do the Soccer Conditioning class and *surprise* the Lacrosse Conditioning class! More on that in the next book. She is also loving Floriculture and Greenhouse class. Oh and of course she is taking Seminary! She has a great group of friends (the Junior soccer girls) and is happy.

So here we go 23/24 school year!

And now it’s August

This was from Whitney's last game in the Spring- just forgot to include it.  

beginning of August means- Lagoon day!  I had Emma and Katelyn re-create this picture from 6 years ago (*tear*) But actually, Lagoon is SUPER fun now!  More on that later.

On Lagoon day, Maris had a tournament game! So I drove her up separately.  Her team did great and made it to the semi-final, but then tied and lost in a penalty shootout!  

This is her team running up and hugging the goalie after they lost the shootout, so sweet. And Maris with Cleo, who was playing in the same tournament.

I went on a fun bike ride with Owen and Maris one day.

And then this tragic thing happened. :( Katelyn was driving on Spanish Fork Center Street and a car in front of her stopped suddenly at a crosswalk- Katelyn was able to stop in time, but the big truck behind her wasn't paying attention at all and rammed right in to her. The 3 younger kids were all in the car, and the airbags went off and one of the doors wouldn't open and it was scary!  Katelyn called me and I was there in 2 minutes (we were on our way to Old Navy in separate cars) to comfort everyone and get through the whole process. Whitney took the kids over into the shade by a church while I talked to the police and EMTs.

Katelyn was devastated because she was attached to that car.  Eric liked it too.

Luckily this scrape on her arm was the only injury for anyone in the accident.  And the truck got all the blame, and we ended up getting a fun new car.  And Emma and Maris got to check out the inside of the policeman's car! But we all miss Teemo, especially his 4-wheel drive capabilities.

Eric got a chocolate cake with CHOCOLATE frosting for his birthday (the only kind worth having in his opinion!) and we celebrated him. 41!

Owen played in the Shooters Friendlies and scored his first Club soccer goal! (In the less than 10 minutes he has ever played forward in Club!) I didn't get the goal but here he is in the middle playing up. He was so happy and did awesome.  Also because they were winning by so much, he played goalie for a while at the end of the game!  So he got to score a goal and save a goal in the same game- awesome.

And Eric and Emma asleep during a movie. :)

Me and Maris before the Salem Days Race-

And after with our first-place age group medals, woo-hoo! We stayed for the breakfast and raffle and I won a big worklight thing.

And I broke 22 in the 5k, yay!  And Maris ran her fastest mile.

 Can't even remember when this was- but we had a fun can-am ride in Hurricane! Me, Eric, Emma and Whitney.

Oh and here's Maris killing it in her race!

Okay so Lagoon? Is way more fun when all your kids like and are tall enough for the roller coasters!! I just don't have pictures from all the big ones- Cannibal, Wicked, etc. because you can't take your phone on those. Also, Whitney is'nt in the pictures because she didn't get to go with us!  She had a HS soccer game- in St. George!- that day.  So we let her go with Grandma and the cousins back in July. 

Cute Emma- still likes the little kid rides too.

Emma, maris and owen on the carousel. 

The raft ride!  Fun getting soaked! At least it was a hot day.

This was Emma's first time doing ponytails on herself, heehee.  And August is peach roll season!!! Sadly our neighbors cut down their peach tree, so we won't be benefitting from that anymore :(