2 Triple B's

I'm talkin'

BasketBall Banquets

Last week, M had her banquet at the school.  It was a Mexican Potluck.  Surprisingly it was very good food.  You know, pizza is always a safe bet, so when you start changing that around, you never know what you are going to get.  So I was happy that it all tasted so good.  They handed out certificates and turned in their uniforms.  It is always sad in a way--because this makes it final, especially since this was her last BB season in middle school.  Next year, the big guns!  She had a great year.  She started almost every game and really gave it her all every time.  She struggled with not being in the click that most of the girls were a part of and because of that, they never really worked as a team and didn't have a very good year.  But for her personally, I think she was one of the most consistent players-always working her hardest and trying to be positive with all the girls no matter how they treated her.  I was most proud of her positive attitude that she maintained through most of the season.  Way to go M!  You really did do a good job this year.

Last night, was J's banquet held at ITZ.  This one was far more interactive and much more fun for the whole family than M's.  (No offense M)  Of course, this activity wouldn't be an activity in our family if it didn't conflict with another child's activity going on at the same time.  T had his induction ceremony into the National Honor Society at the high school and M had a surprise birthday activity with her new YW class.  We had to divide and conquer, like usual, and so my hubby went with T since I was the coach for J's team and needed to be at the party more.  I sure hate having to miss even one event that is happening in any of my children's lives.

Anyway, the guys actually made it just in time for the presentation so that was good timing.  Each of the girls received a cool basketball with the school name imprinted on it.  As a coach, I got a basketball with the signatures of all the girls on my team.  That was really cool-I'm sure you all wish you had one. :)  I made the girls certificates and another mom had taken team pictures, so we presented those to them.  We had all  the girls there but one of the 14 on our team so that was nice. 

We had a great time playing the games and riding the rides. 

I lost the guys as usual to the same certain game they play EVERY time they go there.  They use all their points but they love it.  I think they might be just as happy playing there as the little girls.

What concentration on their faces!

I am glad that season is over-----now on to track!  (It will never end, I just know it)

Double M's for my Double M

Weird title to this post but it is perfect for today because M (nickname M&M) is no longer a Beehive but a Mia Maid.  Get it ----Double M!  HAHA!  Ok, I guess that was lame but can't deny it was creative.

Yes my oldest daughter turned 14 today and she was so excited.  I am not sure why it is better to be 14 than 13, but she was counting down the days and finally it arrived.  And the first present she got this morning was a 2 hour delay for school-she was thrilled.  Next came a breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon and she was off. 

I decided that she should have some fun today, so I surprised her by pulling her out of school early to go shopping for jeans, after a stop at Sonic for a slushie of course.  Yea, I know there is 3 inches of snow on the ground and it is in the 20's, but the sun is out--doesn't that constitute a cold slushie????  It was nice to have some one-on-one time with her this afternoon.

Tonight we headed to Red Robin for dinner (gotta love those coupons for free burgers) to celebrate.  YUM!  We had the waitresses sing to her and so that is always fun and embarrassing.  On home we went to open presents and enjoy some more family time.  I always am the one to buy the gifts and there is always 5-one from each family member.  But today she had 6!  K came home from school today and called me to see if she could use some paper to wrap M's gift.  She had come home and made her a gift out of paper.  What a sweetheart to think of her big sister.

Hope you had a great day M!  Now we need to go out and spend that certificate real soon.

HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY!

Gotta Love the Loooooong Weekend!

Being President's Day today, there was no school.  AND they had a half day on Friday, so we have had plenty of time to do plenty of things.  You gotta bet we spent our time having some fun--read on for all the details..........

Of course, any one who is any one knows that a very important movie came out on Friday and if you are on the ball, then you have already seen it....right?!  I'm talking

"Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief"

I took M on Friday afternoon and we just happened to run into a friend and her daughter, so it was fun to enjoy a movie with them.  YES, it was good if anyone was wondering.  I have not read any of the books and of course M has read them all, several times, but I really did like the movie.  She was disappointed in the way they portrayed some of the things, but she liked it enough to say she wanted to see it again.  Maybe I ought to read the books one of these days.

Also, on Friday we watched the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics.  Everyone has been eagerly awaiting the start of the Olympics ever since Christmas when we got the Winter Olympic WII game.  We have played that a ton and it has gotten us in the mood to watch.  So we had a nice evening watching that (even though it is always way too long)

  

M and I got the opportunity to help out a friend of mine who was packing up her mom's house to move.   M needed some service hours helping out an elderly person and I just wanted to help my friend out, so we went over first thing Saturday morning.  We emptied the kitchen and started on one of the bedrooms before we had to leave.  We were glad to help and it was nice to spend time again with my oldest daughter. 

We rushed home to clean up and grab the rest of the family and headed out to the Air Force Academy to watch the BYU Cougars women's basketball team kick the pants off the Falcons. It was fun to watch and of course, all us girls wore BYU shirts and hats, while Tyler adorned his AF t-shirt.  Granted he was sitting in the Cougar section, but he has learned not to put up a fuss about that. 

Sunday was Valentine's Day, which is weird to celebrate that on a Sunday.  We had the missionaries over for dinner as well, so everything was different all the way around.  Our tradition for the day is to have Papa Murphy's HEART shaped pizza and for dessert is

chocolate fondue with strawberries and bananas.  I was glad I remembered to pick up the pizzas the night before.  Karl sent me flowers and they arrived early so I was able to enjoy them a few days before the holiday.  He used to always buy me red roses, which are very pretty, but they are not my favorite rose color--sterling roses are my favorite.  Those are hard to come by, so I told him that I love spring bouquets too and that he could mix it up a bit.   (my favorites being Gerbera Daisies and multi-color tulips)  So for several years now, he has gotten me other flowers and they have all been so beautiful.   This year is no exception. 

For the kids and my hubby, I usually get them a small gift of some sort and some candy.  This year I decided to get them all a book.  T hates to read and so rather than wasting the money on something that he wouldn't use, I found a great deal online for an Air Force watch.  It is really cool--you should ask to see it sometime. 

Today, since we have all caught the Olympic bug, we headed down to the Training Center to walk around and see the sights.  We had a good time, but was very bummed that we didn't see very many athletes.  We did see some of the women's rhythmic gymnastics working on their skills in one of the gyms and a few men in the weight room lifting weights.  We have been on several tours there and each one is different and each one shows different places on the campus.  We felt the tour today was a little lacking, but we had fun just the same.  In past tours, we have been asked to come in and watch a men's gymnastics meet and a sycronized swimming competition.  We have seen the power lifters lifting, swimmers swimming laps, guys wrestling, men's volleyball and guys shooting.  I even got a chance to talk to the men's volleyball players one year and got a picture with them.  One of their Olympic coaches was one of my coaches at BYU, so it was fun to hear some stories about him.  Anyway, it was fun to see the Olympic torch lit on the roof and just goofing off around the "people cutouts".

I love the long weekends mostly because I can be with my kids and usually we are hanging together outside enjoying this gorgeous place we call Colorado.   Hope everyone else had a good holiday weekend

Nothing Better!

A friend of mine posted that she loved doing the "mom" and "wife" things and that she was so grateful that she could stay home.  I thought about that and agreed with everything she said (except the laundry part).  So yesterday as I was walking down the hall at school to join K's Valentine party, I thought of the reasons why I love being home and not working.

I like being able to make my home a place that the family can come home to and have it clean and hopefully smelling good with dinner cooking or cookies baking.  I am definitely not the 50's wife with the apron on over my dress and a smile on my face with a full course meal on the table ready to eat every night.  There are times that I am still thinking about what to fix when my hubby comes home from work.  But I do love making my house a home and a refuge.

The main reason  I love to be home is exactly what I was doing Friday morning.  BEING WITH MY KIDS!  Whatever it is they are doing, I love to be there with them.

      * I love to be able to volunteer in K's class every week
      * I love to go to J's class whenever there is something going on
      * I love to go on field trips, attend field days and assemblies, watch class plays
      * I love to watch them participate in sports and coach them whenever possible
      * I love spending time with them on their days off from school, spring and fall breaks, and of course, the entire summer

I wouldn't be able to play such a big part in my children's lives if I worked outside the home.  Don't get me wrong, the extra money would be a big help, but being there for my kids whenever they need me is a huge deal---one that shapes and molds them into awesome adults.  I wouldn't want to change that for anything.