Christmas Piano Recital

It's recital time again!

They do such a great job.

At the rehabilitation center.

Cookies for Sammy

Today we decided to decorate cookies for our missionary brother.  I loved how Jackson wrote Bro on every cookie he made.  They all did a great job and we hope Elder Pollock likes his homemade cookies.

We were glad Randon was there to help out as well.  

Thanks kids!

Girls Basketball

It was fun watching these girls play basketball this season.  

This was Maren's first year playing.  It took her a game or two before she knew exactly how to play, but once she got it.  She got it.

8th Grade basketball was fun to watch as well.  Aliza was a lot more confident out there this year.  

She shot way more this year.

They had a great year this year.  Hope she continues in high school.

Thankful Tree

We made these in Activity Days tonight.  I thought this was such a good idea.  The girls painted their pots then wrote some things they were thankful for on leaves to tie onto their branch tree.

Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk

I got to walk with Maren and her friends around Laurel, about three miles, for awareness about being strong with no drugs.  I bumped into Aliza and her friend Megan, and Karissa and Randon.  It was a good morning. 

Halloween

Maren has been heavily into the Rominov family from Russia.  They were all killed in the early 1900's. Disney made the movie from it... Anastasia, but her favorite sister is Maria.  She is a cutie.  We did the usual trunk or treat at the church, then Amy and I took the kids around a neighborhood for even more.

It was weird having two wards there that night, even more weird being in a different ward.

Maren and Bailey Graves

Kate Foster, Maren, and Ashley Goss

Pumpkin Carving!

Our annual pumpkin carving year at the McCrea's bringing the missionaries.  Elder Peterson and Elder Skousen.  Maren decided she wanted carve her pumpkin with her brother's name.  Elder Pollock. 

So cute.

Love these kids. 

Kyla, Aliza, Karissa, Sedley, Paige, Campbell, and Maren.

Nerd Day

 Not bad for quickly putting together a nerd for the day.

Love this girl.

Cousins Camp- Day 5

Our last day together, we went up Little Cottonwood Canyon past Alta Ski Resort and hiked up to Crescent Lake.  We were told it is an easy one because we have mom and little kids.

It was OK, until the end when we were scaling over rocks and going up an incline pretty fast.  We were ready to see the water.  We got some good pictures of the kids/families that would stick around long enough to get photos.

Kass, Cal, Bree, and Maren on the trail/ Jackson and Max/ Abby and Aliza/ Maren and Grandma (they were the first to start heading down, glad they got a photo)

Love my children

So glad these girls all get along, most of the time :)

Bree, Abby, Brooklyn, Brynn, Aliza, Maren

It was hard to get these boys to look at the camera.  They were sick of getting pictures taken.

At least most of them are looking now. 

Cade, Blake, Cameron, Jackson, Cal, Max

The Franckowiaks

Cute, Cute, family.... well at least this is half the family.

After the hike, we headed down to Draper Park to play while foil dinners were cooking in the oven at home. (we didn't get a pit at the park)

What a fun day and week of Cousins Camp.  I'm so glad we are keeping the tradition as long as we can.  We didn't get a Montana Cousins Camp this year because of Kass teaching until July, then moving to Las Vegas for Mick's new job in the OR.  So Sad.  Hopefully next year!

Cousins Camp-Day 3

We, of course, couldn't not have cousins camp without the Cottonwood Heights Pool.

It always seems to be a hot spot, especially on the hot days.

London, Maren, Bree, Abby, Brooklyn, Brynn, Aliza

And of course, each year the kids get braver and braver.  Maren went off the high spring board this year.  Aliza the 1st platform, and Jackson I believe went off the highest one.

It's amazing how each year the kids seem to look older and older.  :(

Maren's Dance Recital

Maren was the most elegant and danced so beautifully in her recital.  She did such a wonderful job.  I loved watching her and was so grateful to be her mother that night.  Jackson and Aliza helped me pick out the flowers for her.  I think she liked them.  Sam and Sammy were there, but since Maren's dance was 2nd, they left half way through the recital.  Paige was there as well.  I'm so thankful that Maren's siblings were able to support her tonight.  I love you Maren!  Hope you keep it up. 

Graff Track Meet

The last day of school is upon us and the last of the Graff Track Meet is here.  Maren will be moving to the Middle School next year.  It will be so strange to not have a child in elementary school.  :(  I was able to volunteer and helped out with the softball throw and giving out ribbons to all the 3rd place winners.  I think Maren wanted me to give her the ribbons because she came in 3rd place almost every time.  She isn't too happy about that, but I think she did GREAT!

Jenna, Savannah, Maren, Josie

Maren's School Project

Maren had to do a project related to a book she was reading.  She was reading Peter Pan and decided she wanted to make a boat.  She first wanted to make one out of clay.  That would have been a lot of clay because she wanted it big.  I suggested using popsicle sticks, which she tired but lost interest when the glue wasn't sticking quick enough.  Then Sam suggested making a boat cake.  He found some ideas on the internet, and I found the easiest one.  Maren and I made the cake and cut it out last night.  We tried to frost it, but was too crummy, so we froze it over night, then decorated it this morning before school.  

I took her to school and stayed to listened to her present her project and explain why she chose the boat, then tell about the story.  She was very detailed and she kept the kids interest.  It took her about 25 min to tell the story.  It was cute.  The kids sure enjoyed eating it later that day.

After I left the school, I ran over to the track field to help out in concessions.  This was my first time helping out and had fun.  It was busy at times and ran out of food half way through lunch.  The meet went until 6:00 that night, but we had to close concessions because we all had to be somewhere.  Aliza actually called me around 3:00 wanting me to pick her up because she was sick.  I'm glad I was able to help out and hope I can do it more next year.

Field Trip with Maren

This was a very interesting field trip, and would have been maybe a great one, except for being out in the sun all day with no shade, and while walking 3/4 of a mile to get to the Clark's Fork River we were attacked by ticks.  I guess they must have just hatched because a few days earlier they weren't around.  Anyway, I didn't find any on myself or Maren, but there were several kids that had up to 28 on them.  Mrs Anderson even found one crawling in her bra. Yuck.  The kids were finding micro invertebrates which are larvae that hatch into different types of insects that grow under the rocks in the river.  Like I said, very interesting.

After we got back from that, we did eat lunch in the shade, everyone was still a little shaken up with the ticks, and some were still finding some on themselves.  I thought it would be a good time to leave, but the workers took us to the next phase of the field trip and had the kids dig holes and plant some trees.  Now it is afternoon, it is hot and there is no shade.  Kids are still finding ticks on themselves.  Some have been so traumatized that they won't go out in the tall grass.  Maren did get brave and went out and dug a couple of holes with her friend Josie.  The trees were pretty small, hopefully they will grow. 

Our class was the first of the 4th graders to go.  There was supposed to be a class each day go for the next week and a half.  After todays experience, we were the only class that went.  The school cancelled the rest of the field trips due to ticks.  I was so glad when that part of the day was over.  I was hot and tired.

7th & 8th Grade Track

It was such a fun year to watch my two kids running and jumping.  Maren made it to one of the meets.  She wanted to miss school and watch what Jackson and Aliza did in track.  Of course it was a cold day the day she came.

Aliza ran the meters, hurdles, and relays.

 Jackson ran the mile, some meters, hurdles, and poll vaulted.

Jackson is in the purple with black legs

Aliza and these girls (one is missing) took first every time.  They were seconds from beating the record.

Jackson beat his personal record in poll vaulting and came close to beating the school record.

He was participating in track and lacrosse.  Luckily the track meets were mostly on Thursdays and lacrosse was on the weekends.  Not sure what will happen next year when he is in high school.

I so enjoyed being at the meets and watching my wonderful children doing their best.

One time the track meet was in Laurel.  Maren (left) and her friend Jenna were watching the meet during their recess.  So cute.

Maren's Cast Off!

Well, Maren picked out a purple cast and immediately had everyone sign it.  She got it off Friday, May 3rd.  She was a little nervous, but it didn't hurt which she was happy for.  She was glad she would get it off before her dance recital.  Phew.  Alright now Maren, lets not have a broken arm again..... :)

Maren

Maren was excited to wear her new hat she got for her birthday from Sedley on this April snowy day.  

Spring Break in Utah

What a wonderful weekend we had this weekend.  Sam stayed home, but the three kids and I came down for Spring Break/Easter.  We brought down Megan and Mallory Nelson and dropped them off with their grandma near Ogden.  Kass, Anny and their kids decided to meet us up there at Brigham's grave. I love my sisters so much.

The cousins have met many times here.  It is a special time for them.  This time, Jackson and Max were throwing the Lacrosse ball around the cemetery.  I hope it wasn't too disrespectful.

That night we had tin foil dinners and smores out in Kass's backyard.  Sammy met us up there and stayed for the weekend. We enjoyed him so much.

Friday morning was an early one, but well worth it.  Jackson, Max, Abby, and Aliza were able to go to baptisms for the dead at the Salt Lake temple at 7:00 in the morning.  When we got there, since we brought family names, they let Anny and Kass do it as well.  I decided to hand out the towels.  :)  The Spirit was very strong there while everyone got to watch each other get baptized instead of going right in to get dressed.  It was Aliza's dream come true.

On the way back to the car, we noticed the Young Women values colors hanging up at the Conference Center.  It was fun to see since the General Young Women's meeting was the next night.  They were sad we weren't coming down to see it live, but it would have been a long night.  We watched it at Kass's church instead then went to Leatherby's afterwards.  

After the temple, we went to get yummy bagels, then fixed some lunch and went to Draper Park and hung out there for 4 hours.  So fun. We even go a little sun.  Janelle, my niece, met us there with her kids and Traci Arave, my high school friend who lives in Lehi now, met us there for an hour too.  It was fun to see her.  I can't believe I didn't get a picture of us.  So bummed.  That night, Kass, Anny, and I went over to Rhonda's and watched Pitch Perfect.  Elle and Kenzie were there, and Lauren (JJ's wife) and her sister came over as well.  Rhonda and Elle had made cookies, popcorn, and had lots of candy.  What a great night.  We were there until 1:00, I enjoyed spending time with my sisters.

Before the YW conference, we had an Easter Egg Hung in Kass's back yard.  Aliza, Abby, and Sammy hid the eggs and candy.

 It was so fun so watch all the kids running around.  Jackson and Max were at a Lacrosse camp so weren't around all day.  We missed them.

It was a quick hunt and fun to watch.

Easter Sunday was a great day, fabulous dinner, enjoying talking with the fam.... then, at 8:00 at night, Maren comes running in crying saying she fell off the scooter.  It looked like she had a broken arm, so we took her to a walk in clinic.  They took some x-rays then decided they couldn't help her.  They sent us to Primary Childrens Hospital.  Aliza and Abby were so good and went to the Urgent care with us.  They were very supportive and help make Maren forget about her pain.  We had to say goodbye to them though when we went to the hospital.  No telling how long that would be.  Kass met Anny and I to pick the girls up, then Anny and I took Maren downtown.  We got there at 10:00 pm and left at 

2:00 am.

Maren was a brave little girl, there was a chance that they would have to put her to sleep to put her arm back in place, but they decided they didn't need to.  Maren was praying all night that it wouldn't happen and her prayer was answered.  When the Dr was putting her splint on, he had to press somewhat hard to set it.  She was saying "OW, OW, OW,  I want to scream, but I don't want to wake anyone up"  So cute.  The Dr. told her she was amazing.  

Besides the broken arm, the weekend was fabulous.  I'm so thankful for the my family.  I'm thankful for the Savior,  for the Atonement.  Without his sacrifice, we would all be lost.