So after deciding that soccer wasn’t the activity of choice for Hailey, we didn’t think much of getting Mallory involved in it. However, due to some neighborly pressure, we signed her up for a spring league. We weren’t really sure how she’d like it, but so far she seems to enjoy it quite a bit. Almost more than she likes dance I think (I think this because the last few weeks she complains of being “sick” so that she doesn’t have to go to dance).

So last Saturday was her first game. After the game she told me that she didn’t get a goal, but she got in there and kicked it a few times (which is more than Hailey did during her entire soccer career). I always thought Mally was a bit more of a tom-boy than Hailey, but maybe sports is more her thing. Guess we’ll just have to see if she continues to enjoy it.

Today I bought my first strawberries of the season. They look so yummy.  I had to wait all day to cut them up and get them ready for all the delicious strawberry treats.  Finally after all the kids were in bed I got out my favorite strawberry knife and started to cut.  They were big and most were pretty funny looking.  But as I got to the bottom of the pile I found the most perfect strawberry.  It looked like a drawing.  It’s color was perfect.  The shape was just right.  And the seeds were all evenly distributed!  I just couldn’t cut it up so  I saved it to show Mike.  He, however, did not appreciate it as much as I did.  But he did help me take a picture so that those who are cutting up strawberries of there own may share in my excitement! Happy eating.

Last weekend Ben, Tom and I headed down to Moab for a couple days of biking on the slickrock. We left early Friday and got down there much later than we planned (due to leaving late and multiple stops on the way down). Once we got there we put up the tents in the biggest slot we could find at the campground because we were never told which unit we were supposed to be in. After camp was set up, we headed off towards the nearest set of hills to do a small warm-up ride that evening. The air was a bit chilly and the riding felt good. Once we got back to camp we settled down for a restful night of sleep before the next morning. Unfortunately, we didn’t count on the sub-freezing temperatures and we all pretty much froze to death. It was AWESOME!!!

On Saturday, we got up and headed north out of town for a morning ride around Bartlett Wash. This was our first outing on the slickrock and it was great. We got a bunch of great pictures and only had one minor crash (which resulted in a nifty star shaped bruise on my chest). After a quick lunch we cruised a bit closer to town to ride the Circle-O trail. We were all expecting more plateau type redrock riding, but this was anything but. The slickrock was white and a mess. There was no big rolling redrock to ride, but lots of wheel trap crevasses to maneuver through. As we all quickly noticed, the whole 3 miles of Circle-O was comprised of “sharp turn, crevasse, obsticle to avoid, sharp turn followed by a dip and then another sharp turn”. It completely wore us out and by the time I got a flat near the end of the trail I thought that I just might lie down and die right where I was.

Sunday was mostly about recovery and the drive home. We didn’t do any more biking (because I couldn’t even if I had wanted to), but we did have a nice lazy breakfast before taking down camp and heading home. It was a great trip and I returned home dang tired and a little sunburnt. I would love to ride Moab again, but probably not any time soon. I need to allow my old body to heal a bit first.

Today Hailey brought me another paper she wrote.  She always has a pen and notebook with her.  She writes me love letters during Sacrament meeting and write everybody’s names on the bus ride home.  She writes tons and tons of stories.  Yesterday she made up a survey for all of us to take during family home evening.  And she wrote her own talk to tell us about the survey.  I find myself in a pinch because I want to save all of these papers but I would seriously need a bigger house especially because Mallory is following suit now that she has discovered the alphabet.

Well the paper that Hailey brought me today was special.  Not that the others aren’t, but this one was a song.  She wrote it all by herself.  I only helped spell a few words.  I wish I could scan it in so you could see her handwriting (and spelling).  I also wish that I knew how to put video on so she could sing it for you.  I have had her sing it  a few times and the tune doesn’t change much so she really must mean it.  Here are the lyrics…..

I want to see my children praying to thy Lord.                                         They will feel the Spirit coming and I will be proud of them.                     I will be there when they need me and I will feel the Spirit too.              And I will feel It too.

On Sunday Jack and Annie were sitting next to each other.  Annie leaned down and laid her head in Jack’s lap.  Jack played with her ear and rubbed her back.  Annie just laid there.  It was so sweet.  I hope they stay nice to each other but Jack is already discovering the power of a tackle and unfortunately most of the time he is not nicely rubbing Annie’s back but knocking her over with a full body blow. And she doesn’t always take it nicely.