SHHS Lacrosse 2022

This year, Danny's friends convinced Danny to practice with and try out for the high school lacrosse team...and he made varsity!! While Danny has tossed around a lacrosse ball, he has never played the sport, but the amazing coach saw his natural ability and placed him in the most perfect position, D-midi (or defensive middle). Danny excelled in that position. This is the guy on the field who is the first line of defense when an opponent runs for our goal. Initially, Danny would hold back a little, but by the end of the season, he was the guy others had to get through to even approach the net. Danny found his groove and was a formidable opponent. He wasn't afraid to pressure the other team (nor was he afraid to give or receive some hits)! This is only the second year that Salem Hills has had a lacrosse team. In fact, the sport has only recently gained traction in our little part of the world. With that said, the team made it to the quarter finals for state. Their first state game was a nail-biter! I hate those close games because my anxiety levels increase drastically, but it does make for a fun game. Salem was up by 4 points at the half, but Orem came back to tie it all up. Thankfully, our team scored one more point and were able to prevent Orem from scoring any more. The quarterfinal state game was against the top ranked team in Utah. As you can imagine, Salem didn't do as well in that game, but they fought hard and really had an awesome season. I hope Danny will decide to play again next year, but I guess that all depends on his level of senior-itis! (Be prepared for a photo dump! Danny is #7.)

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! Jonas has been looking forward to this day for quite some time. He painstakingly created some beautiful cards to give me and was so excited to finally share them with me. Actually, to be honest, I was looking forward to being celebrated, which is a first for me. Mother's Day usually comes with all sorts of emotions. In years passed, I have struggled to feel worthy of celebrating this day. I am acutely aware of my failings as a mother. I think I'm harder on myself than anyone else, but it seems to hurt most when others judge my faults or assign false labels to me without knowing the whole story (something I know I have been guilty of and am trying to be more conscious about). I have felt the pain of feeling forgotten or minimized on this day because of my lack of genetic connection to the majority of the kids I am privileged to parent. But not this year. This year I embraced the celebrations, and I honestly felt like I deserved to be celebrated. No, I am not perfect! Yes, I screw up on a daily basis. Yes, I am still learning how to be a parent. Every time I think I have something figured out, something changes (e.g., kids become adults, kids get married, kids become parents, what works for one teen doesn't work for the next, etc., etc., etc.). But I am trying! And I will never stop. I don't think you could ever reach perfection in parenting. I'm certain there will always be something that one kid (or more) will disagree with, perceive as a failure, or emphatically state that he or she would never do that to his or her own children. Parenting is ever-changing and always evolving. I'm just trying to keep up. I'm trying to be better and do better each day. And, in the process, I'm learning more about myself and my Savior. I can't say that there weren't moments of doubt or disappointment as I celebrated the day, but those were minuscule as compared to previous years. Honestly, I'm not sure there will ever be a moment when I feel like I've fully arrived at the pinnacle of parenting, but I know my heart. I know my efforts. I know where I'm heading...and it's a good place. 

The boys did an awesome job of spoiling me today! I woke up to a yummy breakfast and gifts/cards from each of them. Jeff also prepared lunch and dinner for me. Earlier in the week, I couldn't decide what to have for dinner so he came up with an idea and prepared it all on his own! It was delicious! He knows my comfort foods for sure. We attended church where Jonas got to sing a sweet Mother's Day song with the other primary kids. That evening, Jacob and Amber joined us. Amber recorded a song for me as a gift. By the end of the day, my heart was full. Being a mom can be extremely hard!, but then there are sweet moments like today that make it all worth it. Happy Mother's Day to all the incredible women/mothers in my life.

They worked so hard that they fell asleep!

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Dehart

Today we were privileged to attend Tanner Dehart's sealing to Sami Rodrgiuez. Tanner was/is one of Dallin's best friends. Along with Tyler Chisholm, Dallin, Tanner and Tyler were pretty much the 3 musketeers from elementary school until now. (Tyler got married last year and is now expecting his first child.) Their friend group grew in high school to include some pretty amazing young men. I can't say enough about these boys! It was so fun watching them grow up. As a parent, you hope your kids find good friends...and Dallin did. Sure, they are boys and did silly things, but we never worried too much when Dallin was with them. They helped buoy each other up and encourage each other to make good choices....and still do! It has been a honor to sit on the sidelines to witness their journeys. Congrats Tanner!

Tanner Pope, Jeffrey Flinders, Dallin, Tyler Chisholm, Matt Westenskow

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Ok...you know me...any excuse to have a party and I'm there! I love to find reasons to celebrate what could simply be a mundane day. Growing up in AZ, Cinco de Mayo was a holiday. Here it isn't, but that didn't stop me from making the evening special. As the kids grow up and move on, these smaller holiday celebrations (or observances) tend to get a little smaller but no less fun. Tonight we picked up Cafe Rio for dinner (because it had already been a super busy day!). As luck would have it, Dallin was over for the day helping on the new little house so he got to join us. We enjoyed dinner then waited for Danny to get home from lacrosse practice before cracking open a piñata for dessert. In all, the festivities lasted about a half hour but we laughed hard during that time. Jonas isn't used to being blindfolded to hit the piñata and has yet to learn to utilize his other senses to locate it. He was swinging all over the place, but so were the older boys too! Jeff was pulling that piñata up and down the zipline. The older boys would swing so hard that they would knock themselves to the ground without even hitting the colorful little donkey. Fun doesn't have to be over-the-top to be memorable. It's about making memories in the minuscule moments. It's about taking time to create fun. It's about being with family. Feliz Cinco de Mayo!