Zac's First Soccer Game

Zac had his first soccer game last Saturday. The boys had a great time. Here's a few pics from the day.

This made me smile (and cry)

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep....

This is what I keep hearing chanted in my head over and over again these days! Remember Dory in Finding Nemo. She's one of my favorite Disney characters. Not only because her voice is that of Ellen (love Ellen), but because she's so hopeful and optimistic! I need that in my life right now. This has been such a busy summer. I've had a wonderful time with my family, but I don't know when I've ever felt so overwhelmed. I feel like I'm climbing a ladder and just when I think I'm reaching the top, someone adds several more rungs. I just keep telling myself to keep going, and eventually life will slow down. I'm not complaining! I love being a mom, wife, coach, sister, photographer, etc. I'm just exhausted.

This picture was taken while on our trip out west. This statue of Christ is located in the North Visitors Center of Temple Square. I guess when we feel like we're swimming upstream, He is always there to lighten our burden. That knowledge brings me a great deal of peace.

That's all I have for now. I'll update with more pictures from our trip when I have time (check back next year!)

Comic Relief At It's Finest!

Fourth of July

I love summer and I love summer holidays. We had a great Fourth of July. We went up to my aunt's pool during the day and got together with family in the evening. The weather was perfect, if only we could have gotten rid of the mosquitoes!

I guess we do live at the beach...

Confession - I don't enjoy going to the beach. Maybe if there was no sand, it wasn't hot, there were no bugs, the salt didn't stick to me, etc. etc. Anyway- we had some family in town, so we went to the beach last week and I actually had a good time. We didn't stay for very long and it wasn't too miserably hot. Here are a few pictures of the day. The boys had a blast, so I guess I'll have to give in and go more often.

Growing...

Sammy is growing up. He's completely mobile, pulling up and standing beside the furniture, sitting in the high chair and having cherrios, and he has a mouthful of teeth. He's such a sweet and pleasant child. Notice his little dimple.

Rub a Dub Dub

I put the three boys in the tub together for the first time today. Sammy loved it and laughed at Zac and Will the whole time.

I've been absent from the blogging world lately, but I've been a little busy...

An Easter Message

Beautiful Day+Baseball=Bliss

Saturday was a monumental day for the Dart family, it was opening ceremonies for Zac's first year of little league. If you know us or anything about us, then you know that we love baseball. I was raised in a family where we played baseball in the yard on summer nights with the neighborhood kids until we either got chased inside by the mosquitoes, or it got too dark to see the ball. My mom and dad's front yard was a perfect ball field and the pine tree in the southeast corner of the yard was a perfect spot for home plate. Sometimes we'd have enough kids gathered to have two legitimate teams. It was so much fun. Our house was just a baseball house.

I wasn't around in Spanish Fork during Kyle's childhood years, but I know that the only other family I've ever known who loves baseball as much as my family, is Kyle's. Kyle reminisces almost daily about growing up in a baseball family, in a baseball town, and his deep love for the game. His parents were the perfect match for a family of five boys who love sports. Rod was always coaching and Ann was always cheering her boys on. I can only imagine the traffic in and out of Ann's house on a summer day with five active little boys with a neighborhood of friends! Wow, now I'm exhausted!

When Zac was really small, his love affair with the game had already begun. He can rattle off baseball trivia, mimic the batting stances of at least 30 professional baseball players, and sing every word of Talkin' Baseball. He is so observant and seems to remember everything and loves to learn. He asks so many questions, which is sometimes frustrating, because I run out of answers. He remembers everything I say (sometimes good, sometimes, not so good). Tonight, we were driving home from a visit with Aunt June, and I turned on the Tomahawk Chop music to get the boys ready to go home and watch the Braves first game of the season. Zac asked, "Mom, is this real Indian music?" I answered, "It's kind of a battle cry." He responded, "Who were they battling?" So I said, hoping to not go into a full US History lesson, "They fought lots of battles. Some against each other and some against settlers taking over their land." Then he said, "Did they battle against those people who came to America from England before it was even America because their king wouldn't let them woship how they wanted so they came on big ships? What were they called, anyway? I can't remember!" I looked at Kyle and said, "Did you teach him about that?" Kyle said, "Yeah, at least two years ago." The I told him they were the pilgrims and he reminded me that they were kind of like the pioneers.

His vocabulary amazes me and he is constantly correctly Will's grammer (I have to remind him that Will is three years old). He loves to sing and play the guitar. He is so polite and very well behaved. I think you get my point...

We love baseball for so many more reasons than the actual playing of the game. It is the all-American game. Kids who play sports learn life skills that cannot be learned in any other way. They learn teamwork and respect.

This has somewhat turned into a brag session about Zac because it was a special day for him. He got a few hits, knocked in a couple of runs and made several plays in the field. He's making new friends and growing up and we're so proud of him. He's a great example to his brothers (who aren't too shabby either)!

Enjoy these pictures from the day. I forgot to mention that Zac is 5 years old and playing on a team for 7-8 year olds.




This is his first single in still frames. Look closely in the second picture and you'll see the ball bouncing off the bat.
Running the bases.

Zac plays beside the pitching machine. It's kind of a shallow second base. He insisted on sticker eye-black because he saw Jimmy Rollins wearing it.
A couple of Zac's new friends, Aubrey and Clay.

Excited about their first win.Will did this all during the first game. He had his own little audience.
He was tired during the second game, so he stayed close to dad.

How Many Have You Seen

Al put this list on her blog. It's a list from Yahoo of 100 Movies everyone should see before they die. I haven't seen nearly enough of them, but I have seen a few. See how you do!

(x)12 Angry Men (1957)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

400 Blows (1959)

8 1/2 (1963)

The African Queen (1952)

Alien (1979)

All About Eve (1950)

Annie Hall (1977)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

The Battle of Algiers (1967)

The Bicycle Thief (1948)

Blade Runner (1982)

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Blow Up (1966)

Blue Velvet (1986)

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Breathless (1960)

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Casablanca (1942)

Chinatown (1974)

Citizen Kane (1941)

(X)Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

(X)Die Hard (1988)

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Double Indemnity (1944)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Duck Soup (1933)

(X)E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Enter the Dragon (1973)

The Exorcist (1973)

Fast Times At RidgemontHigh (1982)

The French Connection (1971)

(X)The Godfather (1972)

(X)The Godfather, Part II (1974)

Goldfinger (1964)

(X)The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1968)

(X)Goodfellas (1990)

(X)The Graduate (1967)

Grand Illusion (1938)

(X)Groundhog Day (1993)

A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

In the Mood For Love (2001)

It Happened One Night (1934)

(X)It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

(X)Jaws (1975)

(X)King Kong (1933)

The Lady Eve (1941)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

(X)The Lord of the Rings (2001)

M (1931)

M*A*S*H (1970)

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

(X)The Matrix (1999)

Modern Times (1936)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

National Lampoon’s AnimalHouse (1978)

Network (1976)

Nosferatu (1922)

On the Waterfront (1954)

(X)One Flew Over the Cuckoo’sNest (1975)

Paths of Glory (1958)

Princess Mononoke (1999)

Psycho (1960)

(X)Pulp Fiction (1994)

Raging Bull (1980)

(X)Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Raise the Red Lantern (1992)

Rashomon (1951)

Rear Window (1954)

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

(X)Rocky (1976)

Roman Holiday (1953)

(X)Saving Private Ryan (1998)

(X)Schindler’s List (1993)

The Searchers (1956)

Seven Samurai (1954)

(X)The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

(X)The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

(X)Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

(X)Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Some Like It Hot (1959)

(X)The Sound of Music (1965)

(X)Star Wars (1977)

(X)Sunset Blvd. (1950)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

The Third Man (1949)

(X)This is Spinal Tap (1984)

(X)Titanic (1997)

(X)To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

(X)Toy Story (1995)

(X)The Usual Suspects (1995)

Vertigo (1958)

(X)When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

Wild Strawberries (1957)

Wings of Desire (1988)

(X)The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Women On the Verge of Nervous Breakdown (1988)

The World of Apu (1959)

Studly...

I'm still editing pics from Nick and Laura's wedding (I know, I'm lame.) Anyway- here's a cute one. Picture quality-not so great, subjects- studly! This is Nick with all of his nephews, minus a sleeping Sammy. I just thought I'd share the cuteness.

Warming Up

We went to the park today with my sisters and their kids. It is such a beautiful day and it is supposed to be even more beautiful tomorrow! You'll notice that my kids have completely mastered the fake smile for the camera. I guess they're smiles, nonetheless! I am so excited for spring to get here to stay.

My Three Sons

I got the boys to cooperate for a few minutes the other day and here's the result. Aren't they cute!

I Know, I Know!!!

I need to update!!!!

I'm trying to get around to taking pictures of the house, but I refuse to do that until I get all of the boxes put away, so they're not in the pictures! Things around here have been wonderful, but a little crazy. We're loving the new home. The boys are completely at home here, and we're so thankful for little fellas who are patient with parents who have moved them around a lot in the past few years. We're hoping this is the last time for a very long time. (Have I mentioned how much I hate packing/unpacking)!

Bytheway- my Idol favorite made it through tonight! Goooooooooooooooo Danny! (Imagine me saying that in the same fashion as a BYU fan says, "Goooooooooooooooo Cougars!)

Here's Danny, in case you were wondering...

Drool...

Sammy. February 2, 2009. Teething...

Sammy

I have completely neglected my blog lately! I have been so busy that just checking my email has been a task! We are moving this weekend into a wonderful house just off the island and we are so excited. I promise I'll post more pictures and details later, but for now, I thought I would share a couple of my cute little Sammy. He is the happiest, most pleasant child! His little dimple makes me melt! In these pictures, he was getting a bath in Grandma Susan's sink. He's a big fan of bath time. Can you tell!?