Put on Your Uni and Deal...

It's uniform season.  

If there is one thing I hope my heart soaks up about them in this stage it's the way they look in their unis.  Their whole countenance changes.  Their posture improves.  They have more confidence bursting from their grinning faces beneath their oversized hats when they're in their unis.  

They just feel so darn big.  And sometimes - in those moments of brilliance on the field, they act big too.  Kael and Dax are both playing machine pitch ball this year.  It sounds more intimidating than it actually is and I'm happy they feel like they've advanced to the next level.

Ace will start coach pitch in another month.

I would like to maintain that baseball, aside from being America's pass time - is this family's pass time {Sans the seeds or the chewing tobacco}.  It's fun and it's sort of important to us.  In fact, Ryan and I played on a coed softball team together for years.  He rocked short stop or third base and I would vacuum up everything he fielded over on first.  So to be back on the diamond with our little fellers just seems like the right way to spend a Friday night, you know?

We love a good game, an awesome fielding play or a stellar hit.  We love spending time placing ball after ball on a tee (that isn't even sarcastic).  We love coaching little students with spongey minds on the proper way to field a ground ball or call off a teammate when going for a pop up.  And we love the time outside it affords us as a group.  Having a passion of ours evolve into a family passion is a pretty sweet full-circle moment.  And we're enjoying this spot we're in.

Go get 'em boys!

We'll be right here behind home plate cheering you on...

Except when we aren't... :)

Hang in there tiny fan club. 

XO

Here Ye, Here Ye...

Take a look at these two...

They'll soon be out in the mission field working at a temple in Mexico!

And this is how they feel about it.  :)

So happy for you, Grandma & Grandpa Gardner!

You'll do amazing work.  Thanks for setting such a great example.

Easter Eggheads...

Our Easter weekend happened to coincide with the opening of baseball and soccer season.  So instead of a little road trip, we hung around home and mowed and trimmed the lawn in between games.

Kael and Dax are playing machine pitch ball this year and Ace will soon start coach pitch.  All of the big fellas are playing spring soccer and Ryan is coaching or assisting on any given night.  I am chasing Boone and finger swiping his mouth when he ingests gross things from the bleachers and the ground respectively.  :)

When we weren't at a ball field near you - We participated in the neighborhood Easter Egg hunt.  Booner Bear did justtttt fine thanks to all the tween girls he wrapped around his fingers and coerced into following him around to hold his basket of eggs.

We basked in the spoils the bunny brought us.  

The Easter Bunny included some geodes in the boys' baskets this year so they cracked them open in the wee morning hours and loved finding their sparkling crystals inside.

I was crushing hard on the included eye protection.  I mean - could you die?

And Boone - ever the happy little camper - was just thrilled to be there and have an animal punch ball to experience.

Hi There Blue Eyes.

We colored eggs and all of our fingers outside (because this ain't this mama's first rodeo).

 We truly just enjoyed the nice spring weather - the budding leaves - the quiet time at home as a family in between bursts of hustle and bustle.

I am grateful for our Savior and the reminder of seasons, growth and love.

Happy Spring.

Looking Back on Spring Break...

We uprooted ourselves last week for spring break.  Ryno has been working like crazy on a new client and we had no school.  He needed to burrow in and concentrate and we needed to play and yell and let loose -- {that is a lethal combo in case you didn't know.}

So we hauled everyone's blue roller bags to the back of the car, kissed Daddy-o goodbye, and hit the road en route to my parents place in St. George for the week.

It was a disruptive start for some reason.  I forgot the baby backpack to haul Boone around in, so we had to stop and borrow from a good soul.  And we had extra bathroom breaks and other mayhem, but I was determined to make the extra chaos an exciting twist because Lord knows it was going to continue all the live long week.  :)

Whelp - when you're out of your house and away from the laundry list of projects that need to be done - come rain or shine, you make a week away a nice restorative break - solo or not.  :)

We hiked.  We dined on Happy Meals.  We watched movies all curled up in one big bed together.  We swam and played at parks and wreaked of sunscreen and shmooshed strawberries (thanks Booner), and I took pictures of it all with my camera and my heart.

Per usual, one of my favorite afternoons was an unplanned stop at the city center park.  They all took to the water like little fish despite the cooler temperatures and soon we had a happy little diaper clad baby and three shirtless boys running around, looking at the Merry-Go-Round, jumping off steps and petting people's pups on the big grassy common area.  I love those sweet and simple moments.

We got a couple of gorgeous sun-filled days sandwiched between some cooler and windier ones.  And those days... well, we made the most of our time at the pool and out on the sidewalk with our chalk and at the new park.  And it was sweet.

There was more water at the Red Cliffs Recreational area than I have ever seen.

Water + Lizards + Red Dirt + Fruit Snacks = Happiness

That's a real scientific formula in case you were wondering.  :)

These little groms... you guys - they are human mountain goats.  I love it.

I'm not gonna lie.  I looked like a homeless troll a good portion of the week.  But we made a bunch of new memories together, improved our swim strokes, and added a few new hikes to our belt.

And Imma gonna keep 'em all so we can do it again sometime soon.