In February, Leslie had a birthday and a baby shower. We were so thankful that her medications seemed to be helping her hyperemesis (when pregnant women can't keep anything down) and she was able to have the feeding tubes removed. By the time the shower rolled around, she was looking very glowy and healthy for finishing up cookin' my grandbaby.
Cole's mom, Robyn, sewed this cute baby quilt, which was also fun for Valentine's.
Aren't they adorable first-timers? Wahahaha.
Mark and I celebrated our 25th anniversary as well as Mark's birthday a few weeks early so we wouldn't miss the arrival of the baby. This ice cream picture is Mark teasing Cooper that he was going to beat his record for ice cream cones consumed in one day on a cruise. (He didn't, Mark only had one or two. Cooper's record was 17 from a few years ago.)
We visited an old fort in Nassau, Bahamas.
This picture is referencing one of Mark's favorite comedians, Brian Regan, who talks about putting salve on a cannonball wound in one of his bits.
Mark and I had a picture taking contest. I won. Maybe I won twice because the shot of Mark kissing the alligator is pretty fun, too.
We hadn't even planned on doing the Everglades, but it was a great idea for Mark's birthday. The alligator show was pretty entertaining and the airboats were fun (and loud) and the water was surprisingly clear and beautiful.
We were glad that Mom could come be with the kiddos while we were gone and even catch some basketball and a temple trip.
And then, it was time for Lacrosse Season! Macy had been toying with the idea of trying out with some of her friends even though she was a freshman. She did it and to our surprise she made the JV team! We were excited to see what girls' lacrosse was like compared to our experience learning about boys' LAX last year with Boston. Turns out it is very different with very different rules (read here: WAAY less rough/contact, lots more coast-to-coast running, and penalty shots, even their sticks are different--the girls' lacrosse sticks have a very shallow bowl so it is more challenging to hold onto the ball since they don't have to deal with crashing into each other). It was very cool to have two high school athletes at the same time, like we did with basketball. They both loved it and we were fortunate to be injury free, especially with Boston already having his mission call. The games are very fun to attend. Often we had both the same evening, never in the same location, so we did a lot of driving all over the valley.
Macy #10
I am very glad that the high school often has professional photographers at the games for free pics for the parents. I didn't take hardly any video of Macy's games because they were usually recorded by the school. She played all of the positions at some point except for goalie and was usually on attack. She scored several goals, including one entertaining scrimmage vs. Spanish Fork where she was "traded" to the other team and kept scoring for the Dons, haha. We called her "Traitor Joe" the rest of the week. Macy, maybe next year we'll get you your own cleats instead of making you where Cooper's smelly old baseball ones!
I think this was her first goal. She told me she was so excited she didn't realize that she had celebrated.
Here she is with her friend Gemma, who also made the team.
I love her face in this one. She knows she's going to score, doesn't she? See the progression of the ball? Pretty cool that they caught this on camera.
I told her to use her basketball boxing-out skills. That's about all the advice I could say because I had no idea what was going on most of the time...
Some of the games were very bitter cold, but not as crazy bad as last year's lightning with snow/sleet/rain/wind for Boston.
Isn't she lovely? When I was just home with my little babies it never occurred to me that someday this one would grow up to throw shot puts, high jump, and then play lacrosse and basketball and sing in the choir. Way to be, baby!
There were a few times the JV didn't have a game and she was able to attend Boston's game. I think it was fun for her to (sort of) know the rules and also be surprised at how crazy physical the boys are supposed to play, pads and all.
At the end of season lacrosse banquet, she and her best friend Dani were awarded "Dynamic Duo", partly because the coaches would often get their names mixed up.
Boston #22
All of the pro photos are by Christie Marshall photography, who does a great job for the team. Thanks Christie for so many awesome shots! Buckle up for a lot of pictures.
Boston loved wearing the eye black. He had a strong opinion that it was just plain scary to the other team's offense and was convinced that it contributed to many back-downs when painted on his tough- guy-game-face. Boston played defensive middy and once in awhile was on the face-off squad. Highlight vids for defensive players are a little tricky because if you are doing your job, the guy you are guarding gets nervous and passes the ball and nothing happens. But, I have included a good sample of some fun smashups and other great plays at the end of this photo series.
This was a post-game celebration photo after probably the most exciting win of the season, against Wasatch, which ended up putting the MMHS Eagles as regional champs. You can tell from his face that he is pretty stoked.
These two candids from the Wasatch victory are fun. Boston is explaining a hit or a call or something.
This is the vinyl poster that hung on the chain link fence in front of the stands, along with the other Varsity seniors.
There's nothing like seeing your boy sprint the length of a field like a runaway freight train. Just glorious!
There were a lot of seniors. It was very fun to hear about their plans after graduation, with many outgoing missionaries.
This is the regional trophy but it's full of typos, listing the wrong schools, so, don't look too close. It will be replaced.
Boston with his good friend Jack.
Looks like the guy broke his stick on Boston in this one, haha.
This was one of Boston's favorite photos all season. I think it's the intimidation wolfpack stance.
This one came out sometime around St. Patrick's Day and I teased him that it was his leprechaun pic.
Okay, here is a highlight/fun stuff video. It's easier to pick him out if you look for the knee band.
GRANDBABY #1
And in the middle of all this excitement, we welcomed our first draft pick. Elise Robyn Childers was born in April. It was fun to have a turn being the one taking care of the new mama and dad and baby for a change, instead of being the one needing the ice packs and the pain meds.
Lucky for me, we get to see the baby quite often and Leslie sends me lots of pictures. It was too hard to pick only a few favorites, so just scroll quick and you'll be able to see how fast she has grown in the last three months.
Didn't Leslie do such a great job decorating the nursery? She had fun painting the canvases which match a really pretty rug that I neglected to get in the photo.
Uncle Luke
Aunt Rosie
Aunty Macy Face
No, Elise did not get her daddy's dimples, but the resemblance is still pretty strong.
This was a fun side by side comparison (head by head?) that Leslie made with one of Cole's baby pictures. They look like the same baby, haha.
I made her a loopy snuggle blanky like Rosie's.
Uncle Boston and Uncle Cooper
Some days she's got a little bit of strawberry color in her hair. We'll see if it sticks.
Baby blessing day! So great that Cole's parents and family could be there as well.
It was fun that my mom got to come meet her first great-grandchild. Elise is the first great-great granddaughter for both sets of MY grandparents as well. We need to take a 5 generation picture with Gma Heagy if we ever all get up to Montana.
Elise makes some pretty good faces. Leslie likes coming up with captions and texting them to me.
She is a very good baby and very smiley.
Rosie used to like to talk about her "blueberry eyes." Leslie remembered and took this blueberry eyes picture for Rosie.
I love this picture because I have a similar one of Leslie in her stroller as a baby on the 4th of July.
One morning we checked the kids out of school and went to the Manti Temple Open House. It was cold, and we stood in a long line but not nearly as long as it had been at other times. It was extra cool to visit this particular temple because Mark's Grandpa Newel worked here as a sealer and married many, many couples over more than a decade. He and Grandma Lucy had a little house right on the edge of the property. Mark had toured this temple once before as a boy, so it was also pretty cool for him to be there with the family. Beautiful and humbling to think of all the hard work of the pioneers who were the original builders, and also of all the families that have been created in this special place.
Spring all happened really fast with going back and forth to lacrosse games and helping with Leslie's new baby. We managed to have a little getaway for a couple days during Spring Break to Canyonlands Natl Park (thanks for coming, Cyndi and kids!) while Mark and Boston were on a long-awaited senior trip to...Boston. And NYC.
On the Whale's Back.
Dead Horse Point.
Cooper was happy to get to bring his buddy Thys.
This was the cutest thing. Rosie and Leslie had gotten ahead of me on the trail up the Whale's Back. As I was coming up the last rise, bubbles were drifting down the trail. I thought, oh that's a good idea. Then at the top I could see Rosie planted on the top of the hill, blowing bubbles to the world. I didn't know she had sneaked her bubble juice along in her jean pocket.
She must have liked the nature vibes because she later asked me if she could host a spa party out in the backyard, like on Fancy Nancy. (The book gives some fun ideas.) We decorated the tent, had a foot soaking tub with marbles in the bottom, "and don't forget the Sea Salt!" They also painted nails and painted banana mash facials on each other with a BBQ brush. I even made a special run to the grocery store to pick up a cucumber, because ya hafta have a cucumber.
The boys didn't even need facials to be ready for the prom.
Hey boys, if either of your dates back out, I'm ready.
Rosie got to go on a great surprise field trip to the zoo.
Cooper got a job at Crumbl--he was running a little low on funds after his no-work basketball season. He says he likes it because it's low stress and the countertops are actually tall. The pizza place where he worked last summer bothered him because he had to hunch down so far to roll the dough.
This girl was made to dip Easter eggs. She woke me up early in the morning on the day I said we could do it and was just giddy about the whole thing. When you're the baby, you get to dye the eggs before breakfast if you want to.
The chickadees still in my nest this Easter.
Maycember rolled around. Poor Cooper always has a birthday on what seems to be the busiest week of the year, so we were proud of ourselves for getting the whole household out to lunch on his birthday. He's a cheeseburger snob and hadn't tried CHOM burger yet. Two enthusiastic thumbs up, from everyone but Rosie, who did NOT want to spend her day hanging out with "the boring teenagers." All the sourpuss faces are mocking her for whining about having to eat out.
Before we know it, Luke and this crazy crew will be the "boring teenagers." But for now, they are always cooking up some interesting build project or adventure. I definitely am enjoying this stage while it lasts. Cutie pies.
These guys have outgrown the "boring teenager" stage and are back to regular shenanigans whenever they can fit them in. I don't even know what this is, but it looks like some kind of work event. David works at UCCU and Mark and Brian are at Remarkable Home Loans, and they are all having too much fun.
Here are some pictures from Boston's Big Trip. He liked both Boston and New York but noted that they smell quite a bit different from each other, haha. He said he would not like to live in NYC but it was cool to visit.
Okay, forget what I said about "boring teenagers." These are too funny. They told me that it was just a father/son trip and I was not invited and now I see what they do while I'm stuck at home.
I guess this was the best street performer. He was literally stopping traffic.
At the end of last year Mark qualified to be able to teach CE classes to realtors about financing and mortgages (usually teaches about one class a month). Working with realtors is a big part of his business, so this is a cool way to connect with them and help them improve their craft. I get to be his assistant and help with handouts and certificates, and I'm always just so impressed at his teaching ability and his ease with people. I love him more every time.
Macy finished up her choir season. She had a short solo on the Taylor Swift number, "Red"
I've been working hard to get Boston prepped for his mission. I'd bought him this apron for Christmas a couple years ago and so it's fun that it's "The Boss" in Spanish. I also made him go on a Mother/Son date with me to visit this cool exhibit at the BYU Art Museum before he had to leave. The explorer maps from the 1500s were the coolest, and I think Boston was a little mind-boggled at how old everything was. He's going to love Europe.
Mark suggested that we have him do a little mending before we send him off, as well. It wasn't too bad since he had taken a sewing class in junior high.
Rosie helped me compile a cookbook for our missionary. This picture was one of the illustrations.
Rosie finished up a great year of kindergarten. They had a very creative and fun year. Here she is being the Meteorologist for the day.
Rosie (and I) loved having Mrs. Marrott
Boston was asked to speak at our semi-annual Stake Conference about how he prepared for serving a mission. A brother in our ward who does a monthly newsletter was so kind as to transcribe the video to include his talk.
And then it was the big day for Class of 2024. We are so proud of Boston!
Boston looked so good there was even someone at the restaurant who knowingly asked him where he was headed on his mission. (They thought it was a farewell dinner I guess.)
Graduation dinner was first-time at Tucanos. Boston loved it, but Luke was absolutely smitten. That kid cracks me up. I think he at twice as much as anyone and just couldn't believe how much fancy meat they were bringing him.
Boston also graduated from seminary, which is a 4 year endeavor. Great young men, here.
It was so much fun getting Boston's senior and mission pictures taken. We did them on Lehi Main Street, which was also cool because we used to live there. My favorite part was the catcalls from the teenage girls driving past. I spent a lot of time just looking through the pictures. I told Mark that senior pictures of my kids are like my baseball cards. Like, I'm not the one in the picture but I feel like our family has accomplished something beautiful.
This is the one I have on my screen saver right now because I like the light in his eyes.
And then, we got to go to Montana for Memorial Day to be with our Haynes cousins. It was a little colder than our usual trip in July, but it was special for all these upcoming missionaries to get to be together before they all split.
I think this one was an unintended polar bear plunge off the jet ski.
Grandma was a good sport and spent lots of time playing Headbands with Rosie.
Ah, Rosie. How can anyone even tell that you're having a great time driving the boat?
This little munchkin was pretty fun. As I was packing up the van to leave, he crawled right in and claimed a seat.
Apparently, Jaxon sold his car, cut his hair, and dumped a girlfriend after we left.
I love this picture of Cooper. Now that Boston has left the building, we've been telling him that he is the Crown Jewel--all eyes on him. Or, as Mark puts it, Public Enemy Number One.
We were able to play with some more Haynes cousins when we got back. They came out to visit and be with us when Boston went through the Payson Temple.
Here is Boston with some good men in our ward who have mentored him and befriended him for years now. I fully expect them to regularly hang out once again in two years. I am so appreciative of their love for my son.
Boston was also able to squeak in one last Priest's Quorum High Adventure, in St. George. I don't think he had any fun at all. I was glad that he could be there with Cooper, too. Their missions will most likely overlap, so they won't see each other in person for atleast 3 years.
At the newly finished Red Cliffs temple.
At the St. George temple Visitor Center.
I can think of lots of good captions for this picture. Girls? Girls who eat peanut butter? Sign me up.
Boston won a shooting contest and was awarded some cash by the defeated party. I personally think someone was being generous to an outgoing missionary, but the shooting was supposedly pretty awesome, and he was very excited.
And then it was his ordination to be an Elder, and his setting apart as a missionary and his farewell. Then "Home MTC" for 8 days before dropping him off at the Missionary Training Center, Provo.
Lots of friends came to our little open house after church. It was cool to be leaving right after graduation because so many of his friends were still around. It was also funny keeping him from hugging all the girls after he'd put on the badge.
Missionaries aren't actually supposed to hold babies or babysit, but family is ok.
This was a really special moment I caught on camera that makes me cry every time I watch it. Boston and Rosie have such a close bond.
A little break between online zoom classes at home MTC.
This was my first PDay as a Home MTC mom. We scrambled up to the Spanish Fork cross. I thought it would be cool for Boston to be able to talk about his hometown being named for the explorations of a Spanish missionary.
And a little more off the top, please...
During Home MTC, we also got to go to the temple with Boston's friends Ty and Austin and their mamas. Ty and Boston are planning to be roommates at BYUI. Ty is currently also at the MTC with Boston, called to Lisbon, Portugal. One of the moms said to me, it's really happening! We really DO this in our church? Yes, we do. And they come back better.
Me and my baby.
This is how I had his low-budget nursery decorated when he was a baby since Mark still had his French badge. Boston's badge will say Elder Day with an accent on Elder. It has been a lifelong dream of ours for him to serve the Lord and bless Heavenly Father's children with light and truth.
His farewell talk was so good! (A friend sent us this picture.) He spoke about what Jesus' Atonement means to him and bore a very heartfelt testimony that he knows the Book of Mormon is true.
Grandpa Day came to Boston's ordination, which is a REALLY big deal because he has been self-quarantining for the last 4 years, and has not been to our home since before Covid.
Grandma Frances and Grandpa Day were able to meet baby Elise.
Here he is with our dear friend President Funk, who set him apart as a missionary and has been helping him to prepare.
Right before the dropoff. We wanted a few pictures that weren't of us crying in the MTC parking lot, haha.
See you in three, brothers!😭😭
Rosie wanted a picture of just the girls.
I waited in the car while Boston said goodbye to Cole and Leslie because I didn't want to get emotional. I shouldn't have worried. Luke cracked me up. He was bugged at also having to wait in the car, and reminded Boston, "Be fast! Just...hug, hug, Adios Amigos!"
Mark was like, hurry, take the picture! Mom's starting to crumple! And I was.
Hug, Hug, Adios Amigos! We are so proud of our Elder Day and know he will do great things.
And here he is with his companion, Elder Larson from Lehi, who he loves, and also President Funk's son Michael who works as a Spanish teacher at the MTC. Stay tuned for some great adventures. Boston told Mark on the day he entered the MTC, "Well, it's time for me to start collecting some Dad lore!"
This is the one I have on my screen saver right now because I like the light in his eyes.
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