Bennett the Champion

The sports of spring:

Camden and Bennett, Karate. Camden, Soccer. Westin, Football. Asher, Soccer. Mom, Tennis. 

March Madness watch parties are the best. Bennett was the ward champion thanks to Michigan and a clerical error (don't worry about it).

Pre-K soccer is so joyful.

Documentaries about how AI will take over the world in unknown ways are less joyful.

Packing for big trips is so much.

Cousins coming into town to help with big trips is so kind. 

Bennett!
The ward champion of March Madness!

Michael already had all this Michigan gear from an assistant and Bennett was decked out in his champion's colors :)

Early early temple trip to see Joyce baptize her grandma.
What a special thing.

Homemade challah bread makes the very best french toast.

Waltz lessons for youth night.
"I hate this. I hate this even more than piano." -Westin Daetwyler

Ready for soccer!

Mighty Kicks Pre-K soccer is so much fun to watch.

Even more fun to do soccer with a buddy!

March Madness & Bike Rides

Two pictures.

All I have from this week are two pictures. 

One from a bike ride, and one from our house the moment before it was filled with 25+ people to watch the BYU vs. Alabama game. 

But it was much more than those two moments I captured!

On Monday we went to Trivia night with the Behunins and Gregories, which is one of my very favorite things. Tuesday we watched our hallmark movie that the young women made and they make me laugh SO much, plus the Lord of the Rings videos the young men made which were amazing. Wednesday Michael was home and we got some things done. Thursday I rode 9 miles with Camden (Asher on my bike) to and from my presidency meeting for Young Women. We're trying to get on our bikes more! Then that night we hosted a bunch of friends for the (heartbreaking) BYU game, but friends and pizza are always fun even without a win. Friday Michael went to a cabin with a lot of guys from the stake where they had some meaningful discussions about fatherhood, marriage, plus spiritual and professional goals and situations. He has such a unique network of men out here and I'm so grateful for them. 

On Saturday morning I took the boys to clean the church, then took Bennett to a birthday party. Michael came home and told us all about his fun cabin time, and picked Bennett up. Westin went to a dragon show with a friend at the Lincoln Center, which Bennett had gone to the day before on a field trip, and I loved that they both independently got to see that.

Sunday was Ward conference and I really loved our special ward council that morning. We talked all about receiving revelation for your calling. Bennett said the prayer in sacrament meeting and he was so cute about it. "My name is on the program! Can I keep it? I'm kind of famous!" Then he said, "Heavenly Father... please help us have a good day... and feel the Holy Ghost.......... amen." Haha such a sudden and short ending and we just loved seeing him do that. Westin just stared at him in disbelief all during Bennett's excitement to go say the prayer haha.

Sunday was a slow day where we happily found some cookie dough in the freezer to cook, watched more basketball, and stomached as many board games as we could with our little Asher addict. 

I love these guys.

My Power Trail guys!
They ride two miles while I walk every morning,
and then we've been going on rides after that with Asher on my bike seat.
So Camden ends up clocking quite the mileage and he never whines, just loves it!

The calm before the BYU-crew storm.
Not the ending we wanted, but so fun.

Texas Trip and Grandparent Fun

A few days after Spring Break Utah we drove down to Denver and picked up grandma and grandpa from the airport. They were so nice to fly in and hang out with the big kids for a few days while we took Asher down to Texas for some meetings about Michael's practice. 

While down there we had two full days of meetings, but Asher was pretty good through them! One night we met up with Michael's friend Derek from high school and the other night we went to Emily's house for dinner and it made my heart so, so happy to catch up with her cute family.

Grandma and Grandpa were so nice to be with the big kids those days. They made an Estes Park trip and went on bike rides and the boys are just in heaven when they're around. 

On Sunday we blessed Asher, and those baby blessings are some of the sweetest memories of my life. He was blessed with a knowledge of the love that his earthly and Heavenly Parents have for him. He was blessed that that knowledge would be a strength and foundation for him throughout the trials he will face in his life. His brothers will be an example to him and in turn he'll be an example to them, and all those around him. He was blessed with a desire to do good and courage to do so when it's not easy, and with a desire to be a peacemaker in his home and in the world. He will have strength to overcome the trials that he'll face and he'll be a strength to those around him as they also endure trials. 

Asher boy, we are so grateful you are in our family. These months of having your sweet soul join our family have been just precious to me and will always be dear to my heart in the most real way.

Bennett is so sweet about making Asher happy when I'm getting things done.

Sweet napping boy.

Hardest part of the Texas trip was finding clothes that actually fit me right now... we are still very much in postpartum days. Camden helped me though, so that was nice.

How ridiculous is this.
Asher sleeps on this pillow on his side for all naps and nights still,
so this is literally my Texas bag. When we get home we are kicking this habit to the curb.

See? Had to bring it.
At least the hotel had a king bed and not a queen so we could all fit nicely for his last few nights in our bed :)

We had fun meeting up with Michael's high school friend Derek for dinner one night.

March Madness in the hotel at night with that cute Asher boy.

This is laying down in my memory as one of my happiest moments.
Nursing sweet Asher on a trip with some quality time with him and Michael (crazy how babies let you have conversations and don't give you any sass :)), watching March Madness, door dashed Shake Shack shakes to our hotel room, and all was well in the world.

Cutest tummy time guy. He likes it way more than my other kids but still isn't rolling around so we'll see if he's on the Daetwyler track of walking at maaaaaybe 18 months old ha.

Meeting Emily!!!
Oh man, we were so happy to meet up with the sweet Ryan family while we were in Dallas.
They were so nice to have us over.

Meeting Baby Banks made me so happy. And those darlin Ryan girls are getting big and I just love them so much!

Finally meeting each other's babies and reminiscing about roommate and neighbor days.
Forever friends are so good for the soul.

Took this pic to show Westin and Bennett even though I know it will make them sad to know they missed out on seeing their cute friends!
If we could have some Ryan girls match with some Daetwyler boys in the future I would be over the moon about it. I mean, we've got a lot of options.

We had to drive by their high school on our way back to our hotel.
Biggest in Texas! A Chick Fil A in the high school stadium.
Texas doesn't mess around.

This tag along was such a little joy on this trip.
Easy flights and good hotel sleep nights,
he was a dream.

A little pond walk before we headed to the airport.

We blessed Asher on Sunday and it was a sweet day!

Felt so lucky to be able to have a baby blessing with grandma and grandpa in town. They are the best.

Madness in March

How's your bracket doing? 

I don't know why I LOVE March Madness, but oh I really do. It might be because I'm a gambler at heart, but religion and good sense keeps me from going down that path. Don't go assuming the worst there - gambler at heart meaning I love love the feeling of competitive chance. Like, arcades. And games. And...well, March Madness. Innocent stuff like that. You'll remember that I've only actually really gambled $2 in my life (and lost it). So, don't worry. I'm in a good place.

My bracket, on the other hand... not so much. It started out with so much potential! I guess they all do. But still, I called all three of the 12 seed upsets. Holla! But it has only been downhill from there. I have a group competition with my coworkers, our friends in our townhome complex, our Jerusalem crew, and a family group. More groups, better odds at not coming in last across the board. Right?

So, I'm rooting hard for the 3 teams my Final Four has held onto. And I can't wait for the games tonight. Thank you, March Madness, for distracting me from the Jazz right now...

Sigh.

Go Indiana!