Rees Kids Race

This week at E's school they are having red and green ribbon week. Each day of the week they get to do or wear a different thing, for example, on Monday they received a bracelet they have to wear all week to help them remember to be safe (green ribbon) and stay away from drugs (red ribbon).

On Tuesday, it was hat day, so they were able to wear a hat to school, which is a huge privilege!

Today, Wednesday they had to wear red and/or green and they were able to participate in a 1-mile fun run (with the permission slips signed, of course!). This is right up E's alley. Did I mention that she ran a 1-mile race in July and took 1st place for her age group, finishing in 8 minutes and 22 seconds? We'll get to that another day.

So, the boys and I trekked up to the school and Matthew came a bit later to support and cheer on our little runner. E has been so excited about this race, it seems like she has found her niche with running and she knows it. Even her teacher came and hugged me and told  me she did well. So, of course, being the crazy video-camera toting momma that I am, I made a video.

Enjoy!

June!

 Oh, there were so many fun things in June! Here in our town there was a Wild West show, and with T as our little cowboy and 1/2 price tickets, we couldn't pass it up. The show was fun, with Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley characters, and many horses and trick riders. The kids just ate it up! Here is a favorite pic of Matthew with his boys!

J loves his oreos! I couldn't help but snap tons of pictures of this, all from just one cookie. I guess there is a story out there about me eating just one M&M as a baby and getting it all over, something similar to this, so I guess he fits in the family! Just check out those blue eyes!

The kids and I went to Lagoon with Aunt T and Grandma and Grandpa. T was a lot overwhelmed by all the noise and people and rides. He tried a rocket for the first ride and never quite recovered. E and L on the other hand were crazy kids going on every ride! L tried to get on Wicked (she's too short, WAY too short) and sobbed for 30 minutes after she was denied! We had a great time and were exhausted so it was a fabulous day with the Fam. I love these two pictures, the kids holding Aunt T's hand - they sure love her! and L and T sharing a boat - T isn't very impressed still with the boats. He said as we were leaving, "Next year Mom, I won't be scared because I'll be bigger." We'll see . . .

Last but not least for June, we went camping in Grace, Idaho, at my cousins house (their backyard is the canyon, literally!). It was gorgeous weather, and such an amazing place to be. The drive there was long (longer than I-15 Matthew, I agree), but the scenery was awesome! Grace I think is one of those places that has been preserved and is still small town and truly wonderful. Of course we had to roast marshmallows!

June was a good month to be busy. L attended a preschool during the summer that started in late June and is mainstreamed (gasp! No teachers trained for the deaf?!). She did really well, though we could see some gaping holes that still need to be filled before sending her to school with her hearing peers, she loved the school and the kids and everything. It was a great experience for Matthew and I to see her as well, as the classroom had observation booths where you could watch the kids and they wouldn't know!

Also, Matthew began a PhD program this summer. (No, he is not finished writing his thesis for the masters degree yet, but hey, its a journey!) So, busy June was great, and then we moved on to a lazy July!

The Family Song

In school L has been learning this super cute song. I love the silly things that each member of the family says (and it is apparent that L's favorite is the sister saying, 'Don't bug me!'). This is a rough video, it was me alone with all four kiddos trying to keep them quiet long enough for her to sing for us.

This video is a good example of how far she has come in just barely two years as a listening/hearing kid! I put subtitles in so you can know what she is saying, but most of it seems to me to be pretty clear. After she sang, we worked some more on the Grandpa saying, "Eh, speak up!" and the Father saying, "Honey, I'm home" and they both improved dramatically. This was just too much for me not to share! Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Soccer and the M.A.D. Marathon

So, E played fall soccer last year, fall basketball, winter basketball and spring soccer. I was lucky enough to be the coach for winter basketball and spring soccer. It was so much fun! Overwhelming, though, for soccer as I know nothing about that sport! She did such a great job and worked really hard to learn and be the very best she could. Below you will see a picture of her soccer team with me as the coach.  The soccer season ended in early May, so we could prepare for the winding up of school!

The finish line is in sight!

E and I at the end of the race - needing water!

All the t-shirts!

In mid-May the whole family traveled to Eastern Idaho for the M.A.D. Marathon which was to raise money and awareness for the Olive Osmond Perpetual Hearing Fund. E and I ran the 5k in 37 or so minutes - she is only 7 years old!!!! She is an amazing girl, with so much motivation and drive, especially when running. That just seems to be her passion, she excels at it and enjoys it. For the event, we made t-shirts for several people in the family, black shirts with the words, "I'm M.A.D. for my _______" with an ASL I love you hand drawn next to it. In the blank, depending on whose shirt it is, it would say daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, me!

It was so weird waiting for the race to start, I was so proud of E and because of L this event was so close to everything we do in our family everyday, it was difficult not to just let the tears flow. What a blessing it was to be part of this great day!

Catch - Up

Oh no, I've done it again and left this completely alone for MONTHS! How could I be so careless (let's call it being the mom of four kids, ages 7, 5, 3, and 1!) Well, I'm back, and will attempt to do a little catch-up for the next few days. Starting with where we left off. . .

Look at those cheeks!

The hat never leaves contact with T's head!

I love this picture! Brothers!!!!

As I looked through the photos from March of this year forward, here are some from April that brought back memories. The boys and I thoroughly enjoyed having time just to go and play while the girls were at school. Especially in April, when everything starts to thaw, and there is the itch to just get out and play, so we were always going to the park (it was still cold just look at those noses!), playing outside in the pile of dirt left behind by the cable guys, and any other excuse to get out of the house!

I love the girls, but it is so fun to have the boys together. Our family couldn't be more perfect with the girls together and the boys together. It is fun to see them all be friends and enjoy one another, although I know that in time there will be the sibling spats.

T is so funny with that red cowboy hat. He calls himself Cowboy T, and even snuck it on into church one day - the Bishop had to remind us to take it off before the meeting started! I guess M and I have just become so accustomed to seeing it on his head we didn't even notice!

J is all over the place. He is so tipsy as he is just learning to walk, that whenever we go outside he is covered in mud. Ah, springtime where everything is always wet outside!