Grace's spring dance recital

Grace performed in her main dance recital of the year tonight, dancing in three routines—
pointe, ballet and a creative composition she and the other dancers helped choreograph. I took these
photos during the dress rehearsal and still can't get over how much her dancing took my breath away.
The actual recital made me pretty emotional, thinking about how hard Grace has worked for the last
eight months and how much she loves what she does. I'm just so in awe of our beautiful girl.
She's absolutely tremendous and I'm so thankful she is ours.

Soccer games and handsome boys

Jacob and the boys that were available went to the RSL game last night, both to watch a
great soccer game and to also see Nate's team presented at half time—because of a Southern Utah
tournament they won a few weeks back. It was a happy night. Love these boys a whole lot.

These two darlings

Jacob and I loved taking these two out to lunch today to celebrate Stone's birthday a few days
early. They are just beyond darling and the time to talk and laugh and feel so grateful for Stone
and he and Annie's relationship was just the best. Oh man, just adore these two like crazy.

More flag football

These two darlings

Just feeling grateful for these two and how darling they are and how good they choose to be.
They make everything about life more fun and exciting and I love every second we get to spend with them.

An exciting week for Grace

Darling Grace outgrew her first pair and got a new pair of pointe shoes this week. It was a really happy day for our girl.

And also had a week of extra prep in her dance classes this week, getting ready for a big recital
both next week and the week after. Parents could come in and watch, the last few minutes of class,
if they wanted, and Jacob got this fabulous photo of Grace's group within her dance company—
Shimmer Co. These girls are incredible and we adore each one of them.

High school assembly fun

Assembly fun for these studs. I heard it was a trivia competition between the disc golf club
and the volleyball team and these boys pulled off the win. Oh man, can't believe it is our boy's
 senior year and we are officially five weeks from it being over. Not a fan of time and what
a thief it is right now. But definitely a fan of that Ben Allen. Big time.

Some potentially good news

A follow-up appointment with a sports med doctor for this amazing boy. Nate's got some work
ahead of him, but this boy was never afraid of hard work. And while not guaranteed, it looks like
 the concerning x-ray may possibly be something less worrisome than we thought. We are going
to go ahead with that conclusion until something proves otherwise. Oh I am thankful for really
 good doctors who are thorough and knowledgeable and for truly incredible sons who choose
positivity and calm. Bring on the next several weeks, we've got this for sure.

These two darlings

I've been going through some photos and organizing them a bit better and spent quite
a bit of time enjoying photos of these two darlings. Oh man, they are tremendous.
I'm so thankful for them and their example to me and the goodness they bring to everything
they do and everyone around them. I'm just so grateful to know them and to love them.

A weekend full of disc golf

An evening of Ben convincing his mom to try disc golf for the first time. All five of us played
a few holes at a nearby course together and it was the best. Even if I was the worst. 

In addition, Ben had a multi-round league this weekend and man, the first two rounds were just
rough. The weather didn't help, but sometimes life is just like that and you don't play as well as
you'd like. But Ben came back the final round and moved from ninth place to finish in fourth.
Pretty incredible for just eighteen holes if you ask me. He's amazing that Ben Allen.

Junior high dance company tryouts

 

This little beauty needed a head shot this week, in order to try out for the junior high dance company
 (think performing arts, rather than drill team). We were so thrilled for her when she received the news
she had made the team. The fact that our youngest is about to graduate sixth grade...pure madness.
 The fact that our darling dancer made the dance team she was really hoping to join...a whole lot
of happiness. It was a good week for our amazing girl for sure. We're so thankful.

Darling boys and x-ray fun

A morning appointment to have some imaging done in order to try and figure out an issue Nate has been
dealing with for a bit. Unfortunately, the x-rays added an additional concern that wasn't on anyone's radar,
but we are sure that the specialist we have been told to see will be helpful and fabulous and we will soon
know how to proceed and none of it will be a big deal in the slightest. We sure are feeling grateful for good
doctors and thorough tests that will ensure all of this ultimately ends up a very small issue when it is over.
And this boy, he's so tough, so positive, so good about any kind of set back, it blows me away. Oh I love him.

Our spring break

Because I had a family wedding I needed to be at during the week of our kids' spring break, and also
 because Jacob is the kindest and wanted to give me some time to myself, I spent the first week of April
at home, while Jacob took the three youngest to Moab and Colorado, to camp and hike and bike and
adventure and have fun together. He's the best. And these kids are the most darling. And I'm so thankful
for the week to recharge and for the memories they made together. It was a good few days for all of us.

The sweetest of invites

Goodness, I'm so thankful for these people, this picture and this afternoon.

To be invited to the temple sealing of the daughter of my darling cousin and dear friend earlier
today, meant more than she could ever know. And to be with Brooke and her four brothers,
who are some of my favorite people ever, will forever be such a happy memory. I have long
felt so thankful that they are my family and my friends, what a blessing they've been to me.

These five are so close and I have often used them as inspiration when raising our own
children, to do everything in my power to make sure our kids are close and love each other
fiercely. So to feel included with this group of incredible people, who I absolutely adore,
meant so much. The sweetest experience I've had in a long time. Never mention feeling
heaven close, with my aunt and uncle, their parents, with us in the temple, along with
my mom and grandma and grandpa there also. I'm forever thankful.

Another tournament win for this guy

And finally this photo that will never stop making me laugh. Because when you ask for permission to share,
you take what you can get. This boy entered another big PDGA tournament yesterday and won his entire
division—in a playoff, with two birdies in a row to become the overall winner. And which resulted in him
qualifying for a tournament this fall in Missouri. He's honestly unreal to me. So ridiculously proud of him.

PS. I love so much that disc golf gives the weirdest/lamest/best trophies ever. They are so random and often miniature
and not even trophies most of the time and Ben has an entire nightstand covered in them. It's kind of the greatest.

School plays and choreographers

And then the week of the school play with this darling student choreographer. Grace attended the
play ​s​ix times this past week to be on the front row and help the whole cast throughout the song she
and ​K​enzie choreographed together. Forever thankful for ​t​his amazing mom, dancer and ​human
and how she included, loved, celebrated and cheered on our girl. She's truly the best!

Grace's Greek festival

The most fun week for this girl as her sixth grade year winds down. Greek festival on
Friday for this darling goddess of dance (as dubbed by her friends and peers).

Senior prom

Our darling boy and his last school dance this past Saturday. I absolutely loved taking the photos for
his group and yes, I most definitely got emotional multiple times earlier in the day when I thought
 about his impending high school graduation, moving away to college and then leaving on a  mission—
likely all within this calendar year. His unreal goodness does something to my heart and I just continue
 to watch him do amazing things, with hard work and his incredible heart, all while bringing laughter
and fun to every single situation he is in. Oh I'm thankful for our Ben. 

And his beautiful date, Leah. I'm a huge fan of this fabulous girl.

This picture most definitely made me cry when I uploaded it to my computer.
These boys have been such a huge blessing to Ben. I'm thankful for every single one of them.

And one final disc golf photo for those obsessed with the sport
(Ben at the top of the list), just for fun and because they are hilarious. 

It was a really sweet night for sure. I'm so thankful to have been a small part of it.

A dance festival for our beautiful girl

Grace performed with her dance company at the Utah Dance Festival on Saturday. They were absolutely
amazing! We love her dance studio something fierce and feel forever the luckiest that we found them
for our girl. The owners, the instructors, the dancers-everything about them is beyond fabulous.

This tremendous boy

This darling guy played hours of soccer each day throughout this last week.
He's working his head off and it's so incredible to watch.

Flag football fun

Ben's basketball season might be over, but the flag football season has just begun.

And this team of friends is just the best and way too much fun to watch.

A final year of the district book battle

This cutest girl participated in her final district book battle this week, for the fourth year in a row.
She's so amazing. And the fact that she loves to read so much brings me all sorts of joy.

♪♪It's the most wonderful time of the year♪♪

 

Our darling, talented girl

This sweetest girl received that cutest bouquet today, along with all of the adults
that helped with the school play, during one of the last practices before the official
 performances. So proud of our Grace and her amazing choreography skills, especially
at only twelve years old. She is something else and I'm just so proud of her.

Twenty-two years of our amazing Matt

 

This tremendous birthday guy

Happy Birthday to this tremendous human! Oh Matt is something else and I have felt
such a deep gratitude for him today—for who he chooses to be and for the privilege of
being his mom and his friend. He has one of the best hearts of any person I have ever
known and watching it in action the last twenty-two years has been such a gift and privilege.

And it’s definitely not just me. Matt’s strengths and talents make others gravitate to him and want to
be around him, especially his siblings. We all find him beyond hilarious. If you haven’t been around our
 dinner table with Matt, or listened as he told a story of some absolutely crazy thing he likely shouldn’t
have done but did, I’m not sure you’ve known true joy. And his immense amount of kindness, goodness,
wisdom, brilliance, athleticism and adventurous spirit just make him that much more incredible.

I’m just so proud of Matt and how he lives his life. The relationship he has with each member of our
family, and especially with Jacob and myself, means so much to us. I’m so honored to know and love
him and to be loved by him in return. Each of us are better, happier, kinder, and have far more fun,
because Matt is is our lives. I’ll never stop being grateful to God for sending him to us.

Happiest Birthday Matthew Davis, love you so much son!

Our favorite guy's birthday

Well, well, well, what do we have here except one of our favorite days of the year
and our favorite dad and husband in all of forever?! 

Here’s to the one that that never stops loving, serving, providing, caring, laughing,
crying, adventuring and just being there for each of us. We are SO grateful for who
you choose to be and how it blesses us every single day. 

Happy Birthday Jacob Ethan! Love you forever.

Family ski day

These four darlings, plus Jacob (the lovely photographer), spent the day skiing today.
It's a sad ski season in Utah this year for sure. But I'm so glad they could spend the time together.
Oh man, we could use some significant moisture in our little state.

(Nate was on his own ski trip with a friend and his parents, so while he was missed, we were glad he was having fun.)

Ben's senior year basketball season

An undefeated season for this boy and his darling friends.
I just really love watching this son of mine play basketball.