From Summer to FREEDOM...

The irony isn't lost on me that when Tuesday, August 20th hit, I sent my boys from summer vacation to "Freedom".

Freedom Elementary, that is.

They cleaned up pretty dang nice, if I do say so myself.  I love every one of those little faces and I was resistant to send them to 4th, 3rd and 2nd grades and Preschool.

We had one heck of a ride this summer.

Dax has Mrs. Dibb and is in 3rd Grade

 Kael has Mrs. Alston and is in 4th Grade.

Boone is stoked to experience school for the first time ever and he goes every Tuesday and Thursday morning to 3-year-old Preschool at "Teacher Brandee's".

Ace has Mrs. Adams and is in 2nd Grade.

Ryan and I had the annual back to school talk and RyGar gave the boys blessings.

We decided on the theme, 

"Don't be the Same, Be Better"

We hope these little dooooods always remember there is room for improvement and that some of the best lessons and forward strides are made along the journey, in moments of informal learning.  We hope they make goals then work to achieve them.  We hope they'll not blend in to the crowd but will stand out for reasons of good.  We hope they'll remember to build others up and stay confident.  We hope they'll always remember they are chosen sons of a Heavenly Father who loves them and that we love them too, SO very much.

Now go get 'em boys!

XO

We RUN Summer...

Another quick peek into some of our summer highlights:

1.  The fellas secured an hour of play time on the Jazz Court.  I still don't know how but it had something to do with our neighbor, Jason and ALL my boys were in Heaven.

Especially the big guy in the middle.  ;)

2.  I ran my first half-marathon by participating in the American Fork Half.  13.1 miles is no joke.  I have to say I respect the distance, but I also trained HARD for the race all winter and spring.  I finished with a time of 1:56 and I felt pretty good about it.  

3.  Our big boys secured a couple of steady lawn mowing jobs and filled in here and there when neighbors were on vacations.  They impressed us with their sense of responsibility, their dedication to their job and their customers and their pride at work well done.   Proud of you fellers.

4.  Booner took more naps in the car than any of our kids combined.

{Possibly}

And this image of him dreaming and drooling represents an overarching theme for us this summer...

We played hard, we lived happy and we slept well.  REALLY well.

We adored you, Summer 2019.

Gardner's do Bear Lake...

August marked the Golden Wedding Anniversary for Ryan's parents.  So to celebrate, we gathered the entire Gardner clan at Bear Lake for celebrations and FUN!

Robert and Janice are such amazing people.  We are lucky to have them in our life.

They make the best Grandparents!

Can you even believe this handsome crew is mine? 

Swoon

I'm the luckiest gal on the block!

RyGar and Me

Kaelster (Age 10)

Daximus (Age 9)

Ace Face (Age 7 - almost 8)

Booner Bear

Age TROUBLE

Just Kidding - 3

 Ace had an eventful week at Bear Lake.  He is the best kayaker and does some amazing sky high feats on the tube.  :)

 Booner loved boating.  Especially if he wasn't "FA-REEZING!"

 Dax caught a little lizard friend and possibly a slight concussion on a major whiff on the tube.

 Kaelster loved the ice caves.  He also loved boating and tubing.

It was so fun to spend time with cousins and friends recreating in the beautiful 

"Caribbean of the Rockies" and celebrating The Gardners.

Bear Lake - We'll be BACK!

Field of Dreams...

Maybe you've gathered by now, but we are a baseball family.  For some reason the game of baseball resonates with my soul.  It feels like the greatest stories of redemption come out of the sport of baseball.  It is a constant battle against your own best and the stuff inside your head.  And hello, "there is a home plate" in the world's greatest game... and in baseball, as in life, all good things happen at "home".

This year our boys have become warriors.  Battling on the field and at the plate and putting in the work almost every day at practice and at home.  It has been a pleasure to watch them grow and develop.  And we have watched them grin in the highs and fight tears in the lows and come out victorious after experiencing both.

This year we had two little dudes step foot on the Owlz field for the "Field of Dreams".  They donned their uniforms, adjusted their hats and ran out on the field with a minor league player who works for the same dream my dudes have.  

Be still my heart.

We have never met a baseball player that didn't treat our gents like one of their own.  We have never met "legends" like Cory Snyder, who didn't offer great words of advice and encouragement as they shook our little ballers hands'.  And we've never had a boy of summer who didn't get a little bit happier at the sight of a well-manicured field.

We are proud of Ace and his Cubs team who had an undefeated season.

We are proud of Kael and the Real Athletes who are working better as a unit with each practice.

We are proud of Dax and the Grays, who earned several championship rings.

And we are proud of Boone, who gets drug to every single game and finds a way to entertain himself and win friends.  :)

Keep doing the work boys.  You may get to play on your own field of dreams - but for certain, you'll make lasting friendships and learn the value of practice, effort and teamwork in the meantime.