Mountain Bike Madness!

 I decided to just capture the whole season in one post.  My mom heart will always remember this season because it's the only season where all of my kids were able to be on the team.  As crazy as it sometimes was logistically, I loved every second of it.  Sage was in her first year mountain biking, and Zack was in his last year (le weep).  This year we raced at Soldier Hollow, Snowbasin, Vernal, Price, and St George.  Every race was a success because everyone finished.  No wrecks (at least bad ones) and no mechanicals.  That's all I ever hope for.  Sage mostly hated the practices and couldn't be bothered to ride hard.  But when it was time to race suddenly she was all about going fast.  She's a bit competitive.  Kate always amazes me.  She shows up to practice ready to ride every time.  Races are hard, especially when you have anxiety, and she powers through.  Even though she probably had the worst race conditions of anyone.  One race they got her group all lined up and then they had to go sit down for 30 minutes because of lightning.  She raced in crazy wind another time.  And she always had the latest start time, so she had to sit around all day just thinking about her race.  Hard stuff but she finished every time.  And Zack had a great senior season.  When he started biking I never would have thought he'd get as fast as he is.  It's been fun to watch him improve.  He's had his share of bad races along with the good, but he finished every single race.  My mom heart was ready to burst with happiness, and sadness, watching him finish his last high school race.  He assures me there are more races in the future, but it won't be the same.

Now, here are a million pictures to document the season.

Sage racing at Vernal

Kate at Price

Zack at Snowbasin

Sage right before her first race at Soldier Hollow

She got to race in the rain

Sometimes at the beginning you get stuck and your best option is to run!

Sage insists she didn't make any friends on the team...

These are just the devo riders.  Our team was too big this year to get a picture all together.  About 200 kids total.

The only picture I have of all of my kids in their team kits.  I had to force them.  And it's in a parking lot.  Sigh.

Devo riders only do 3 races.  So this was Sage's last race in Vernal.

Had to document our camping set up this year.

It's crazy how dusty it gets.

Kate on a super steep switch back in Price.

Zack finishing his last high school race in St George.

August Happenings

 I'm slowly trying to get through everything.  At least I made it to August before November happened.  Looking back at pictures, August was a busy month.  We had the girls' birthdays (always way more intense than the boys'), boating, school starting, and bike races.  It was packed with fun and business.

For Kate's birthday she invited some friends over and enjoyed our theater and hangout room.  The next day we took her to Nordstrom's and spent the day with a personal shopper.  It was great.  She helped Kate find good clothes that fit her and were super cute.  She also helped us spend lots of money!  For Sage's birthday we got lunch and went shopping.  Like all afternoon shopping.  When Sage shops she spends a lot of time looking, trying on a million outfits, and wants to visit all the stores.  It's not a fast process.  I had to take lots of deep breaths.  But at the end of the day she told me she was proud of me for my shopping abilities.  I'll call it a success!!

The weekend before school started we went boating at Starvation.  We love going there.  We had a great time.  At the end of the day a random storm blew in.  It was crazy.  Lots of wind and just dumping rain.  We were in the boat freezing while Jake was getting the truck.  It's a miracle we got the boat on the trailer.  Lots of prayers were said.  Boating is fun, and sometimes really stressful.  

And school finally started!  I can't believe I have a senior this year.  My heart is a little bit sad.  I mean, I'm so excited for Zack and everything he has ahead of him, but I'm so sad he's going to be leaving us.  We keep experiencing lots of lasts, and my heart is sad every time.  This weekend will be his last high school mountain bike race.  I'll try not to cry.  Kate is a sophomore, which means she'll be leaving me before I know it.  And Sage is killing it in 7th grade this year.

Kate and her friends Erica, Lauren, and Gabby

At Nordstrom's with a personal shopper!

Sage will deny it, but once in a while she had fun on the mountain bike team.

We got a personal tour of the BYU engineering building and walked around campus.  Crazy to think Zack might go there!  If he can finish his essays that is...

Angels rejoice!  It's Sage's birthday!!

Back-to-school fashion show

Sage did all kinds of weird moves with every outfit she tried on.  She had to make sure she could move in it before she would buy it.

YW mountain biking.  With every other youth group on the water that night.  It was crazy.

Zack got up on a slalom ski!

7th grade Sage looking way to old

A senior!  With his mullet forever documented

Sophomore!

We went on a team "fun ride" one Saturday.  Sage insists it was not fun.

The Heber graffiti tunnel