Spotlight on Jace at 12!

My favorite food is:  egg burritos, ribs, bacon wrapped filet, strawberries

My favorite sport is: soccer

The best show on TV is: Johnny Test

The coolest person in the world is: President Monson

My best subject in school is: math and science

I'm really awesome at: acting

If I could change my name, it would be: J dawg

My favorite color is: sunset

When I grow up I want to be: President of the United States or Healthcare CEO

My parents are too strict about: piano

My favorite song is: Bright by Echo Smith and Want to Want Me Jason DeRulo

My favorite book is: Hunger Games Trilogy

When we stop for a treat, I get this: Frozen Yogurt

4 words that describe me are: awesome, actor, friendly, bossy

When I was little, I used to: run around naked outside

My favorite scripture story is:  Ammon

My favorite primary/church song is:  Israel, Israel God is Calling

My favorite season is:  Spring

The best snack ever is: Quesadillas

My favorite superhero is: Hawkeye

The food that makes me want to barf is: broccoli, asparagus

The car I would love to drive when I turn 16 is:  Porsche

My best friends are: Jeremy, Jake, Milo, Spencer

The cutest girl I know is: Kalli

The most memorable day this year was: Valentine's Day

If I had one wish it would be: to be 18

The best thing that has happened to me this year is: being in Into The Woods

One thing I want to learn to do this year is: Engineer something awesome

One thing I need to work on is: Piano

If I could go anywhere it would be: Florida, Anywhere in South America

The most important lesson I've learned this year is:  Work hard and good things happen

My darling, first born boy, what a year it has been! Last year was tough, but I watched you really come into your own this year and find your stride. 6th grade has been fantastic for you as a class officer and head honcho of the school. You have made a million friends this year, both girls and boys and it is safe to say that there are more than a few ladies doodling your name on their notebook. 

You continue to be full of energy, ideas, and interests. You are dramatic and hilarious, and share your thought unabashedly, but you are also mature and thoughtful. You are very verbal and express yourself incredibly well for a 12 year old boy. You impress teachers, adults and kids and the little ones especially love and look up to you. You make friends with strangers and can engage anyone in a conversation. You still like to be little and don't take yourself too seriously. Being "cool" is not important to you, but being social and having fun is VERY important. You have friends in all groups and include anyone and everyone. I love that! Your number one motivator in life is fun, which can be both good and bad. You work hard so you can play hard and you love free time to just hang out with the girls or boys in the neighborhood.

You have made some transitions this year. We have watched you put a lot more effort into your school work and take it more seriously, which is great! Your teacher has been tough, but she has been great for you. Your last report card was fantastic. You LOVE music, especially the songs on the radio and could listen to it all day long. You have a wonderful voice and love to sing. You killed it in your school play this year and you loved being on stage. Your interest in athletics has waned, and you have decided that you are not interested in comp. sports. It was a surprise to us, since you are so naturally athletic, but they seem to be going by the wayside. Playing rec sports is what you love. You hate the piano, but you are sticking with it and improving. I hope, one day, you will thank me for making you stick with it. 

You are such an open child and keep us involved in every aspect of your life. We love it and love taking the time to chat with you and learn about your life. You are a great example to your brothers of how to share your feelings and problems. You are starting to go through puberty and can be overly annoyed at times, but for the most part, you are still an awesome big brother. You let Pierce sleep with you every night and it is the sweetest. You have a close relationship with each brother and it is one of my favorite things to watch. You share your love openly with both me and dad and are affectionate and sweet to us both. 

You have a strong testimony and a desire to do what is right. You received the priesthood and are taking your duties very seriously. You love young men's and scouts and are a great member of your quorum. You share your testimony easily and eloquently, you understand and remember scriptures and love to do what is right. You hear the spirit, listen and act. You are so spiritually strong. 

You are learning how to control your emotions, be more steady and you are great at saying sorry and apologizing. It is a gift that you are so willing to be humble and show love, even after an argument or misunderstanding. 

You are fun, lots of it. We absolutely enjoy the energy and excitement you bring to our family and feel a void when you are gone. We are enjoying this last year before Jr. High, we know our time with you is getting short as friends and activities will become more important, but we hope you will always love to be with us as much as we love to be with you. The world is lucky to have you...you are so full of life and love, we can't wait to see what you do with it all! 

XOXO, Mom and Dad

Happy Valentine's Day!

February is a crazy month at our house, which means that Valentine's Day is often last on our list, but Mike always remembers and sends flowers on February 13th. I used to think flowers were a waste and a little cliche, but now I enjoy getting them every once in awhile. It means he is thinking about me and I love the color and life they add to our kitchen table for a week or so. 

One thing I never do well is Valentine boxes. Lucky for my boys, Spencer does them really well, and Katie held on to their boxes from last year, so guess who had the most popular boxes this year? Yep, the Romney boys! For the first time ever, I can see why parents spend time on things like this...it was pretty fun to have them go to school so excited and come home feeling pretty awesome. Not fun enough to put a ton of effort into it, but certainly fun enough to borrow a cool box.

This little ladies' man had different plans for Valentine's Day. He wanted to make each of the girls he hangs out with feel special, so he took a little cluster of flowers and a handwritten note to the 6 girls he is closest to in our neighborhood. I thought it was super awesome and thoughtful and he felt great and excited about doing it. I heard from each of them how happy they felt on Valentine's Day. I hope he is always thoughtful and kind. One of the things I love about Jace is that he is friends with everyone...it doesn't matter what they look like, act like, dress like, or if they are cool...if he enjoys their company he is a great friend.

Another little boy had a special Valentine this year. Emmi is Pierce's favorite and he couldn't wait to take a little Valentine treat to her. 

This year, Mike planned an awesome Valentine's Day. We had dinner at Valter's, which was fancy and yummy, then we headed downtown to a Salsa/Bachata lesson. It was so great to be out dancing together, and my man has moves! We loved every second of our night out on the town and were pretty pleased with our progress. Watch out the next time you see us on the dance floor!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Marci came to town for a quick minute for Cayla's wedding, and we enjoyed getting her for a few short days. We also loved spending some time with the Brett family and seeing Grandma Bear for a minute too! We love that we have been able to spend more time with extended family since moving back to Utah. 

Marci's trip was short and low key, so we enjoyed a little normal life together. She played puzzles with Pierce.

And ate peppers with him too...they bond over healthy food ;).

And she stuck around just long enough to treat Mike to a fancy birthday dinner of Yak at Hearth on 25th in Ogden. It was a Monday night and we were the only ones there. The boys were perfect gentlemen and loved their bacon wrapped filets. It was a perfect evening!

I wrote a little post about him on instagram that said: "This guy just gets better with age. He as created a life full of adventure, fun, and growth for our family, and I will be forever grateful for his unconditional love. Happy Birthday to my very favorite!"

It sums up exactly how I feel about my one and only!

Pierce and I treated him to cupcakes from Sweet Tooth Fairy. They were spectacular!!

For his birthday dinner, we had a rootbeer tasting party and brats with peppers and onions. The boys thought it was fabulous. 

They all got their crazy singing habits from their dad. He is so strange. 

His biggest fans!! We love this guy more than words can express!

Our Warmest Winter

Our winter this year was totally crazy! Every week seemed warmer than the last, and we enjoyed every minute of it, especially being able to explore on a quiet Sunday. One constant, for all parents, has to be kids' resistance to anything out of the ordinary. Every time we want them to go explore or go hike, or go on a walk, their immediate answer is "Why?" or "No!" or "Can't we just stay here?" And every time, they absolutely love our adventures out. Maybe one day they will learn...I'm not holding by breath. 

This Sunday afternoon was no exception...it ended up as one of our favorites!

They got to walk on the iced pond...pretty cool!

Loved watching them play their imaginative games. There is never a dull moment around here.

We did quite a bit of RACKO playing this winter. One of our favorite family games.

Every single night, these two. Pretty darn cute.

Our neighborhood has been the biggest blessing. With the warmer weather, each day these kids played "day games," racing through the neighborhood having old fashioned fun together. I love it.

We had a big month for cub scouts! James got his Bobcat and Parker got his Bear! I always feel guilty when they give me the mother's pin...Mike really deserves it because he does all the work with the boys!

Pierce really hit the jackpot, because all these ladies love playing with him and he adores them. One more reason why this neighborhood is ideal. They even come over and see if he wants to hang out!

We love being close enough to be a part of important family milestones. It is a huge blessing. Luke's baptism day was perfect!

One evening I caught Mike in my closet organizing. He is an absolute keeper and always serving me!

Mesquite Soccer Tournament!

Elite competition soccer is pretty intense! In January, we headed to St. George/Mesquite for our first real away tournament. The boys were excited and we brought Kaleb along with us since his family couldn't make it.

The boys had a blast enjoying the house and the sunshine, and Parker had an awesome tournament, the best we have ever seen him play! 

The other boys came along and were great sports and big helpers. 

When you are early for a game, then the game starts late, there is lots of time to kill. Good thing dad was around to keep everyone entertained. 

A little Cafe Rio dinner. These boys are no longer cheap dates!

The outcome of the tournament was awesome. They played so well as a team, Parker really shined, and they ended up in a great spot. If we hadn't lost our first game, we would have been in the championship...not bad for a first time!

After the tournament ended, we met up with the Dewsnups for a little afternoon swim before we headed out. It was a great weekend!

They played until the very last second...as always ;).