Extra Curricular Activities at School

Our boys have always excelled at school, probably because both of their parents are school teachers. For this reason, we have tried to participate in every extra-curricular activity that we can. This means extra time and additional work, but our boys have learned to love these programs.

Every year we have our boys enter the PTA Reflections program. In the past, we've done two categories for each boy, but this year Mark played Fall baseball, so we only had them enter one category each. Mom has been the Reflections Coordinator in the past, but this year she wasn't in charge, which was nice because she didn't have to gather judges and things like that. The theme for Reflections this year was "Within Reach," and both Mark and Dax wanted to take a photograph with Seth as the subject. Mark took his photo on a trip to Cascade Springs. He had Dad lift Seth up and reach out for leaf on a branch. The lighting turned out pretty well, and Mark won an Award of Excellence with his picture. Dax entered photography as well. One night we were driving past the cemetery in American Fork and the moon was super-bright. We stopped and Dax took a photo of Seth reaching out to grab the moon. Both boys wrote nice author's statements, and Dax also earned an Award of Excellence in the Reflection contest. It was another successful year, and they moved on to council, but did not win any awards there.

Mark and Dax both won an Award of Excellence for their entries. 

Here's Mark with his photo.

Dax also took a photo for Reflections.

This is Mark's photo!

This is Dax's photo. 

Dad's school had an assembly this year with a famous author, Brandon Mull. Since Mark made a great friend, Davis Mull, while at Highland last year, Mom checked Mark out and took him to the assembly. Brandon Mull, who has written several series for kids is Davis' uncle, and he did a very nice assembly. Afterward, Mark and Mom had a chance to talk to him and get their books signed. Mark liked meeting a famous author almost as much as Mom did!

Mark and Mom love Brandon Mull books.

Mom was so excited!

Mark was happy to get some of his books signed.

We were kind of slow on The Story Telling Festival this year, but both Mark and Dax participated. Mark told a story called Out By a Hare about a baseball game. He did an awesome job and the story was good enough to advance from class level, to grade level, and eventually to school level. He told his story at an assembly for grades 4-6 along with 5 other story tellers, two from each grade. His story was really well received, and he took Third Place. He was the only boy to even advance to the school level. Dax made up his own story for the Festival, which he titled Kerchunk. He introduced it as "A terrifying tale of terror..." In the story, a spider wearing a glove for a coat terrorized our family. Dax advanced from class level to grade level to school level as well. He told his story to the lower grades and took Second Place. We are so proud of our boys. I don't think either of us would have been able to stand in front of a crowd like that when we were kids and tell a story!

Dax told an awesome story! 

The only boy who told in K-3.

Mark was also the only boy on stage for grades 4-6.

Mark told a story about baseball. 

The storytellers from upper grades.

We took the boys for some ice cream after telling so well in front of the school.

Since they both placed in the school storytelling festival, they won a free book. 

Our school had a Veteran's Day Assembly and Dax really wanted Grandpa Ockey to come participate. The students were allowed to invite any veteran, so we convince Grandpa to come. He sat in the front with the other veterans while we watched inspiring videos, and sang patriotic songs including all the military branches' theme songs (no one knew the Coast Guard song very well). Then the Veterans walked through the student lined halls with their families. Our boys thought it was so special and we are so grateful for everyone who has served for our country.

Seth was excited to sit up front with Grandpa Ockey for the assembly.

The boys were allowed to walk through the halls with Grandpa for the Veteran's parade.

Dry Creek holds a race every year called the Turkey Trot for Thanksgiving. Dax is a two-time Turkey Trot winner and has brought home the grand prize, a turkey, of course, in both Kindergarten and 1st Grade. Mark placed in grades K-3 (he was at Highland in 4th Grade), but he has never managed to pull out a victory. This year, they lengthened out the race, so we weren't sure how the boys would do since it wasn't a sprint. Mark had to run a full lap around the playground. He led the first half of the race and ended up placing fourth for his grade level. Dax had to run across the field, and he practiced a lot. He didn't want to lose his title. In a photo finish he brought home the gold for the third consecutive year, so it looks like we can look forward to turkey dinner again!

Mark took off like a shot!

Mark was in the lead for most of the race!

Mark ran so well. 

Dax came from behind to win!

It was seriously a photo finish. 

Dax was so happy to keep his title. 

He is already planning how to win next year. 

We're grateful to our schools and teachers for all they do. We're especially grateful for extra-curricular activities that help our boys grow and stretch in new ways.

Halloween 2017

All ready for Halloween!

Halloween is a stressful day for moms. After all the work of putting together costumes, gathering props, buying bags of candy, and carving pumpkins, the big day finally arrives. Then there is the stress of getting everyone out the door in their costumes. And this Halloween was especially busy for the mom in this house. She was literally running around like a crazy woman from 8:00 am - 2:15 pm.  So here is a rundown of her day.

7:45 Get Mark and Dax to school. Don't forget to take pictures of them in their costumes because they will run around playing basketball and soccer all day, so when they get home they will be sweaty and their costumes stained.

8:00 Pick up donuts at the store for Mark's Halloween party.

9:00 Take Seth to preschool. Well, actually drop him off at the neighbor's so they can take Seth to preschool while Mom hurries to the school for the Halloween Parade. Even though the parade starts at 9:30 if you don't get there early you will never find a seat (not to mention a parking spot).

9:30 Halloween parade! It is fun to watch the boys (and all the other kids) walk by, especially because Mom scored a chair in the hallway!

10:15 Halloween parade ends. Run over to Dax's class and drop off the stuff for the Halloween party.

Dax was a cute little Harry Potter!

10:30 Head to Randy's school. He dressed up as Where's Waldo and invited Mom to the Halloween party in his class, so she thinks she better be there.

Dad was a great Where's Waldo!

10:50 Arrive at Randy's school.

11:15 Leave Highland and head back to Lehi. Seth is having a Halloween parade at the end of his preschool.

11:40 Seth's Halloween Parade and Trick-or-Treating. Seth led the parade and he was very intense about following the line. In fact, he left the whole class behind. He was the only kid that said thank you to everyone for candy, which made Mom very proud.

Seth led the way on the trick or treating parade.

Seth's preschool friends

12:00 Lunch. Seth and Mom scarfed down lunch and got everything ready for Mark's party.

12:40 Back to the school to set up for Mark's Halloween party. Mom is the Room Mother. She had some great helpers and the party went really well.

This was a fun activity. Suck up the jello as fast as you can!

Mark was chosen to be wrapped as a mummy.

Classic cookie on the face game!

2:15 Mark's Party ends at two o'clock. Help clean up and then gather the kids. It's finally time to go home.

Mom seriously ran around all day long, but it was totally worth it. The fact that Seth's costume had ModgePodge all over it from a preschool activity, which is nearly impossible to get out, didn't stop her from washing, scrubbing, and praying most of it out. She got a 10 minute breather just before dinner before sending the boys out with Dad in their costumes.

The pumpkin that ruined Halloween! 

This year, Mark decided to go as a baseball player, which is just right because it's easy. Dax wanted to be Harry Potter because he has enjoyed reading the books with Dad (they're on #4!) Seth had the cutest idea of all. He wanted to be an umpire. The costume was easy, and he was the only umpire we saw this year, and probably ever!

Dax was so excited to be Harry Potter. 

He especially loved having a wand!

Mark was a baseball player...again! I think this might be his costume from here on out.  

Seth was the most darling umpire you ever did see!

But he's not afraid to call you out!

The boys and Dad looked amazing. It really was a fun Halloween!

At around 6 o'clock, Dad took the boys out to knock every door in the new ward. He and they boys had fun meeting new people while Mom stayed home and answered the door. It was a slow year for trick-or-treaters, which Mom didn't mind a bit! It was the only slow part of her day.

P.S. The day before Halloween we carved pumpkins. The older boys did most of their own carving, which was so nice. Mom helped Seth, and all of the jack-o-lanterns turned out amazing!

Dax is the most independent pumpkin carver. 

Seth wanted to carve Frankenstein. 

Mark does pretty well at carving, but he is not a big fan of the insides! 

I love that they design their own faces! 

Dax added ears to his vampire pumpkin!

All lit up for Halloween!

Anniversary trip to TWIN FALLS??

The boys always have more fun with Grandma!

Dad finally had a winning idea for an anniversary. He arranged with Grandma to take the boys and reserved the nicest room in the Manti House Inn. The plan was to go down to the Temple where it all started. We'd spend time at Fat Jack's Pizza and the Basin Drive-In as well. We might even squeeze in a hike or a drive up the canyon if the weather permitted. We were all set and it was all a surprise until Dad checked the Manti Temple schedule the week before. The cleaning had been extended by two weeks and the temple was closed! We had to cancel all our plans. Luckily there was no financial penalty.

That left us struggling with a new plan. We immediately looked around at which temples we could visit that we hadn't already been to. As we looked, Twin Falls seemed to make sense because it was close to Grandma and had a temple. In addition, we'd never seen Shoshone Falls or Twin Falls, so at least there would be a little adventure. Beyond that we didn't have much of a plan.

We dropped off the kids at Grandma's house on Thursday afternoon of Fall Break. They were happy to be at Grandma's, but they were a little skeptical of what we were going to do without them. "Mostly kissing," we assured them, and they lost interest quickly. Then we cut across the state to Twin Falls. Grandma and the boys had a ton of fun, and Melanie showed up with her kids, so with Steph's family there were plenty of cousins. They went to a pumpkin patch and also to a kid's play place. Grandma was enjoying them so much that she decided to keep them right on through Monday, which was a work day for Dad, but a day off for the boys.

Stephanie had fun burying children in the corn pit.

Not the face! Not the face!

Dax was fully buried.

There were really big slides, too.

Seth got a little sick from sitting in the back.

Everyone went to see Grandpa at his office.

"We went to a family fun place with a rocket and a rocket hat." ~Seth

The boys picked out REALLY BIG pumpkins at the pumpkin patch.

Meanwhile Mom and Dad had a nice time in Twin Falls. We really liked the Perrine Bridge. We stood under it and listened to the cars rumble by overhead. We also enjoyed visiting Shoshone Falls and Twin Falls. These two are drastically different. Shoshone was donated to the city as long as it would be used for the enjoyment of the citizens. It is beautiful and pristine, surrounded by a massive park. Twin Falls was used for a power plant. The fall on the right was dammed and the fall on the left runs between 8 am and noon and all day on weekends. It was pretty sad to see the way Twin Falls isn't a real waterfall anymore.

Perrine Bridge spans the canyon.

It's pretty cool to hear the cars thunder by.

The water was really green.

It looks like something you'd see someplace important.

That narrow point is where Evel Knievel tried to jump the river.

Look how relaxed Dad looks without the kids around!

There were some cool vistas from the canyon's edge.

Shoshone Falls was worth the trip.

It's a massive cluster of cascades.

Dad has to take the selfies. He is a pro!

Twin Falls used to have two waterfalls. You can see where the right side has been dammed up.

This chute can be turned on and off. Luckily, we caught it when it was on.

We were afraid we were going to get chased off the power plant property, though.

The middle day of our vacation was rainy, so we visited the temple in the morning. It was really nice. The people in the small temples are so friendly, and the temple was small. They asked us to be the witness couple before we even got past the desk, and later we found out there was no chapel. Instead we sat in the ordinance room for 20 minutes in silence. It was really nice to just sit and enjoy the peaceful spirit. After enjoying a leisurely session, we did a little shopping and then hung out at the hotel. It was nice to go at a slower pace and not feel rushed. We don't really do restful vacations, so it was good for us. We came home Saturday in time for Stake Conference, but we didn't get the boys back all the way until Monday. It was a unique anniversary trip, but we loved being together.

It was really windy at the temple, but the rain stopped for a picture.

This is temple #33 in our book.

All the selfies were washed out. Dad needs to work on that.