2012 Summer Swim Team

The first two months of summer were pretty consumed with the summer swim team. Practices are 4 days a week and then there is a swim meet once a week.  The swim meets are around 4-5 hours long, so it's a pretty time-consuming sport, but it's only a few months and we survive! And I love it because the kids become such strong swimmers, something I've never been good at. I still hold my nose when I jump in the water, but I didn't just say that. haha Anyway, Kyle and Damon both made a lot of improvement this summer and really enjoyed the swim meets and practices. They both made it to finals again this summer and did awesome! 

Scoping out the competition

                                             Damon getting ready to dive!

             Damon was a funny one this summer. At every swim meet he would get 4th or 5th, sometimes 6th place. Then came finals, and he took 2nd place in freestyle! He is the kind of kid who does really well when he knows it counts. Otherwise, he's just out having fun and doesn't worry about anything else. He has more talent then he likes to show sometimes. He did great, and I love his happy-go-lucky attitude!

Kyle getting ready to dive! 

Butterfly was Kyle's best stroke this summer. He got 1st place at the finals!

Here he is doing breast stroke.  2nd place!

Kyle also signed up for the 100 IM and got 2nd! He could be seen doing this at the end of most of his races, so proud of himself. Kyle is very different from Damon because he is out to WIN,  not have fun. But thank goodness he still has fun while he's winning :)

The boys had a lot of fun competing against their cousins and they were all such good sports. Kyle and Gavin shaking hands after a race.

    Valerie could be found running around the pool deck like this all summer. She is excited to be on the swim team next summer (so crazy that she'll be 5)!

I love that my kids best friends are their cousins. Kyle and Whitney have such a good time together.

Valerie and Hailey- the little supporters of their older siblings

These are the all the LDS kids who swim with us on our swim team. It's a great group of kids (and moms)!

Damon and Blake

We are getting the boys prepared for the 2024 olympic swim team. They better make it... haha In Kyle's words, he's already as good as Michael Phelps, so he can probably make it to the olympics by the time he's 10.  

Baptism

Kyle was baptized on July 7th,  the day after my 29th birthday. Talk about the best birthday present ever! My parents are often saying that nothing makes them happier then to know that their children are living the gospel. I got a little taste of how that feels on Kyle's baptism day.  Kyle has a very sensitive, strong, and sweet spirit. I know he is destined to do great things someday, and I hope I can do a good job at leading him down the right path during these years while he is young.  I had Kyle write in his journal about his baptism day, and here it is in his own words:

"My baptism was the best day of my life.  I felt a little nervous at the beginning.  After I got baptized I felt the spirit.  I felt so amazing.  Then I had to sing. I was really nervous about that, but I did pretty well.  Then we had the confirmation.  I felt so spiritual.  I even cried.  Then it was over and everybody congratulated me.  Everybody came to my house for lunch."

Thanks to all the family and friends who came and supported Kyle on his special baptism day! (I didn't get a chance to get a pic with all the Lauritzens that were there, but trust me, there were tons) We love you all so much.

Cub Scouts

Kyle is really enjoying cub scouts! He looks forward to Tuesday nights every week. 

He earned his bobcat the first week after he turned 8 

       And he won first place at the rain gutter regatta! This kid has such luck. He was so excited!             

Here we go on our journey through scouts!