MEET-ing the challenge

Pictured above: Tanner Emerson, Garrett, and Conner Dyches

This summer Garrett has been participating in the Dixie State College Junior Swim Team. He and two of his friends, Conner and Tanner, have been getting up at 6:30 am Monday through Thursday, to go to swim practice for an hour. The boys were originally placed on a lower level team. However, due to my work schedule and that of Conner's mom, the boys were moved to the advanced level swim team. On their fourth day of practice I decided to stay and watch the boys for a little while to see how they were doing. All of the other kids on the team had been on the team in previous years. The other kids were warming up doing their free style laps. The pool was calm and quiet as they swam. Then Garrett, Conner and Tanner began their warm-ups. You would have thought a bomb exploded under water. Water was flying everywhere, sloshing out of the pool. The once calm, quiet water was thundering with every stroke and kick the boys made. I quickly stifled my outburst of laughter, gathered my things and got the heck out of there before anyone realized those three boys were with me. I then called the other moms and asked if we should re-think their placement. We talked to the coaches who assured us they would be fine and that they had already seen some improvement. I can't imagine what they had improved from!!! Anyway, occasionally I would stay for a little of their practices and found that they were really making huge improvements. The water was actually calm and quiet as they swam. It was nice to see that their hard work and diligence was paying off.

Tonight the boys had their final swim meet and a family BBQ and swim night. The boys were so amazing in comparison to their rough beginnings. Garrett won the backstroke event and Connor won the breast stroke event. They almost looked like they knew what they were doing. After the meet we had hot dogs, salads, chips and cookies. Then the kids played basketball in the pool. Here are some action shots.

Overall the DSC swim team was such a great experience. The boys improved their swimming skills, built up their endurance, and had so much time in the pool this summer! When the temperatures are in the 110's... there is not much else for one to do.

Reaching new HEIGHTS

Last night was Russ' company party. It was held at the new Washington city rec center. It is such a nice facility. It was reserved just for Alsco employees, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. The highlights of the evening were the hydrotube (water slide), the lazy river and the rock climbing wall. The boys have never had the rock climbing experience before so that was a treat. Grant struggled because the shoes they had him wear were about 5 sizes too big- as you can see in the pictures. He still managed to get prett high on the wall considering he was in Big Foot's shoes. Garrett was like Spiderman and scaled the wall in no time. Their mom- who has HUGE height phobias- was too chicken to even try. "Baak, baak, baak"- these are chicken noises!

BEAR-ly Time to FISH!

My boys just returned home from their annual fishing trip to Yellowstone National Park. Every year on July 15th (the opener of the Yellowstone River) Russ, Garrett, Grant and "uncle" Chris (A.K.A. Turtlehead) venture 11 hours North for a few days of fishing. It is the one fishing trip I look forward to the most. Gracie and I get a few days with no stinky boys. I have a little more comfort in knowing that Chris is there to help take care of the boys. Although, I begin questioning my comfort when my boys come home talking of "fart football" and "pressed ham" (DON'T ASK!) Thank you Uncle Chris!

This year the boys saw so much wildlife. Grant was very excited to tell me every type of animal they saw. Each year they get a wildlife check list as they enter the park. This year they were able to see almost all of the animals on the list. I have to admit I was a little nervous to see that they were so close to grizzly bears (the very reason "Aunt" Carie does not go on this vacation). These are pictures that Russ took with our camera... a little too close!

Here is a small sample of the other wildlife they spotted this trip-

The fishing was great! They were able to fish all of their favorite rivers: The Yellowstone, Slough Creek, and the Soda Butte. Garrett and Grant are getting to the age and ability that Russ can give them each a rod and let them fish on their own. Supposedly, they are getting quite good. Garrett needs very little assistance. Grant just needs help when he falls in the river! Oh my. Sometimes the less I know is best. Here are the fishing trophies-

At the end of the trip they are EXHAUSTED

absolutely FILTHY

and already planning next year!

"IT"

My sister, Kami, tagged me. As a child I always hated being "IT". I don't think I have quite outgrown that. However, I love reading what other's write about themselves, so I will take my turn being "IT", if others will take their turns also.

How To Play This Game of Tag: Post these rules on your blog. List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog!

My 3 Joys:

1. My family, of course, is my greatest joy. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful people surrounding me every day. I love being loved by them.

2. I would be very selfish if I did not mention the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love my Savior. I have great joy in knowing I will have an eternal family. I have great joy in knowing I can repent of my sins. I have great joy in knowing I have a Heavenly Father who loves me, and wants the best for me.

3. Any down-time I can find brings me great joy. I like to fill it with: sporting events, running, studying, blogging, taking pictures, cleaning, reading, and playing with my kids.

My 3 Fears:

1. That Russ will die of a heart attack. I seriously carry aspirin in my purse just in case he starts having one. I keep current in my ACLS and BLS certifications for extra comfort.

2. Falling. I refuse to go hiking in Zion, Bryce or the Grand Canyons for fear that one of us will fall off the edge of some cliff. If you know my family, you completely understand. EVERY NIGHT at dinner, one of my kids just falls out of their chair. For no reason! My kids will be walking across the room and just fall down. I don't understand why... but it happens ALL day EVERYDAY!

3. Getting pregnant. Russ wants to "keep his manhood" and I don't do well with surgeries. We have avoided any "accidents" for 5 years now. I just hope we can keep it up. I suppose this has become such a big fear because Russ really wants one more baby. He is always making comments to me and the kids like, "Doesn't it feel like someone is missing?", "Gracie needs someone to boss around.", or "Don't you miss having a little babies?" Well NO!, No she doesn't! and Not really!

My 3 Goals:

1. To graduate from my Master's program in 2010. I am 3 classes into it, with 8 classes and a capstone project to complete. I think that is do-able.

2. To be able to say "NO" and not feel guilty!

3. To decorate my house... It is so boring. I need paint and curtains. I need pictures on my walls and furniture in MY bedroom. This is the longest Russ and I have ever lived in one place, 3 years now. However, I keep feeling as though we are going to be moving soon. I don't want to put too much time and money into this home if we aren't staying in it. Does that sound ridiculous?!


My 3 Obsessions/Collections:


1. BOOKS!- I love buying books. Children's books are my biggest downfall. My kids have hundreds of books and I keep buying more. I never read much growing up, in fact I absolutely hated reading. I began reading when I was pregnant with Garrett (the Harry Potter series started my passion). I have been obsessed ever since. Poor Russ knows that when I begin a book, he will get NO attention until it is complete. He has already made plans for he and the kids on August 2nd. Me and Edward have a date that day.

2. The Obituaries. It all started when I began working in cardiac rehab. The majority of our patients are between the ages of 65 and 85. We have patients that quit coming to rehab and I would always check the obit's to make sure they hadn't died before I made any phone calls to check up on them. Anyway, I now read them every morning. People's lives are so interesting. I have also found that reading the obit's makes me more grateful for my life and my family's lives.

3. Organizational Items. One day I hope to be organized. I keep buying things to help me get organized, however they just end up adding to the clutter!


The 3 Random/Surprising Facts about myself:

1. I have a HUGE personal space! I break out in a sweat if people are within three feet of me. It's not that I don't love you. It's not that I don't want to be with you. It's not you! I am that way with my husband and kids- whom I love with all of my heart. I can't help it. I've tried to overcome it. I last about 0.6 minutes... then I am absolutely going crazy. Thus, I hate rooms that are crowded with people, driving in cars when I am crammed in the back seat, full air-flights, etc. I pretty much won't talk or move in such situations. My husband laughs because when he gives me hugs after a few seconds I pat him on the back. I never realized that I did that until he pointed it out. But, he has learned that it is his signal that he has been in my space too long.

2. I am never barefoot (except in MY shower)! I cannot stand NOT to have shoes on my feet. If I am in socks, flippy's, slippers I am fine. But ask me to walk anywhere barefoot and it's all over. I even shower in my sandals if we are staying in a hotel. One of my biggest pet peeves is having to remove my shoes at other people's homes. The thought of other people's bare feet everywhere grosses me out! I can never stay long in such situations. Good thing I don't live in Japan! I would offend people left and right.

3. I perform concerts in my car. I do not sing in public. I do not sing at church. I do not sing to my children. When you know you do not have a singing talent, why make other people suffer? Right? But, when I am alone in my car...WATCH OUT! I belt it out, holding nothing back. It is my release. I perform rock, country, jazz, opera, some rap and church songs on Sundays.

I am going to tag some of my bloggin' in-laws. So, I tag Lisa, Tina, Jill, and Grandma Brooks! If Jessie and Laura ever update their blogs... I tag them also.

Never Enough Wrinkles

Wrinkled toes

+ wrinkled fingers

= a day of FUN!

I took my kids swimming on Monday with their cousin, Brayden, and two of his friends. It was great to be outdoors and enjoying temperatures only in the 90's. The kids had a great time doing their various tricks from the edge of the pool- dives, cannonballs, can openers, pencils, back dives, and belly flops! I was just grateful to have had a TRUE day off with no appointments, meetings, or agendas. I actually just laid by the pool, soaked up a few rays, visited with my mom, and snapped some pictures. What could be more perfect?! I am absolutely loving our camera and being able to take some fun pictures. Here are some photos of the day...

Gracie loved having a day at the pool. She played in the water for about 10 minutes and then got a little Vitamin D from the sun. She also posed for some pictures... she loves to be my model.

This is Brayden, my boys' hero. He is a great cousin and has always been such a good friend to my children. Although he is quite a bit older than Garrett and Grant, he has never treated them like they were a nuisance to him (even when they hang all over him and ask him a million silly questions). We love you Brayden. It was fun to see you this week.

This was my favorite picture of the day. I had to post just so I could share this snap shot. Grant is too funny. He is definitely the comic relief in our home. When he gets married and we have to dig up old photos for his wedding video... this will be one of the pictures I include. Below is just a normal picture of him because he is so dang cute!

Wanna see my Grill?

Garrett now has a mouth full of braces. Is he excited about the idea of having braces? He made a little countdown chain two weeks ago when the orthodontist told him he was getting his braces on. He would announce the days, hours and minutes until he got braces anytime someone would look at him. Yeah, I would say he was excited. The night before his appointment he laid out his "Wanna see my grill?" t-shirt on the floor along with the shorts he was going to wear to his appointment. His orthodontist gives him "Brace Bucks" for wearing this t-shirt to his appointments (which is a great advertisement idea since it has Beckstrom Orthodontics across the back of the shirt). His appointment wasn't until 10:00, but he was ready by 5:30 am. Yes, I think he was excited. He helped Gracie get ready for the day and made his own breakfast (unheard of). He followed the Orthodontist's instructions and had some Motrin 30 minutes before his appointment. He had his band colors picked out three weeks before his appointment, pink and red. He was SO excited.
He came into the waiting room after his braces had been put on with the BIGGEST grin I had ever seen on his cute face. He told me I could start calling him all of the old nicknames people get when they have braces, Tin Grin, Metal Mouth, and Brace Face! He rode his bike to all of his friends' houses to show them his new smile. There was no doubt Garrett was ecstatic about having braces.
Well the original dose of Motrin wore off. The new doses are barely managing his pain. He can hardly eat... which is his favorite thing in life to do. His lips and cheeks are getting caught on the brackets. He drools twice as bad now... he still has the jaw widener in and now he can't put his lips together to keep the drool from escaping. Is Garrett still excited about having braces?...NOT SO MUCH!

Sacrifice? I don't think so.

I know this will be hard to believe... but Russ is off fishing in the Boulder Mountains. Granted he is on "official church business". He was asked to go to Boy Scout Camp to help the young men earn their fishing merit badge. He had to use one of his vacation days from work in order to go. This was posing an ENORMOUS dilemma for Russ. His vacation days are precious, reserved for his fly-fishing travels all over the world. They are carefully planned as to maximize his stay in any one location. Russ allocates the use of his vacation days by November of the previous year. He only gets two weeks of vacation time every year and each and every minute of those days is spent in PRIME fishing waters! I think it would have been easier for Russ to donate one of his kidneys to the Scouts than to have to give up a vacation day.

Anyway, we had a little chat about consecrating our time, talents and VACATION DAYS to the Lord... and off he went. He can't feel too sad about this sacrifice. He loves to be in the spotlight, especially when it comes to fishing. He will absolutely love talking about the sport of fishing, teaching those boys how to tie cool fishing knots, and showing off his casting skills. He will be eating dutch oven dinners. He will be in cooler temperatures (We are 110's in St. George). He doesn't have to go to work. He won't have to listen to his nagging wife and whiney children. And, he will be fly-fishing!!! Is this really a sacrifice? I didn't think so either.

A Shotty Day

Poor little Gracie had to get her shots for kindergarten today. She was having such a good time with Dr. Marsden. They discussed her favorite food, "corn" (A+ for mom). When asked if she could count to 10, she counted to 100 for him (A+ for mom). She recognized all of her colors (A+ for mom). She told the doctor my cell phone number (another A+ for mom). Then Dr. Marsden asked Gracie where she lived (Easy A+ for mom?)... Gracie threw her arms up in the air and shouted "California!!!" (F... big F for mom). He mentioned the words Utah and St. George to her, yet she was still convinced she lived in California. He said that "we can all dream"! Anyway, she stood on one leg and hopped up and down. She was in the 45th percentile of weight at 39.7 lbs. She was in the 73rd percentile of height at 43.7 inches. Her BMI was 14.4. Her spine was straight, her vision 20/20 and her disposition... giggley. She teased the doctor and and he teased her as well. They were having a grand time. Then those two nasty nurses walked in with 5 syringes full of PAIN. Gracie did great for the first two simultaneous shots. The tears began to flow during the second round of simultaneous shots. When that fifth shot came... she was tense, crying and looking at me hoping I could prevent it from happening. It is so heart breaking to have to hold your child while someone is hurting them. I almost started to cry as well.

The good news is... No more shots until she is 12 and she is ready for kindergarten. YIPPEE! However, maybe the immunization rules are different when you live in California... here's to dreamin!

Happy? Fourth of July

We went up to Provo for the Fourth of July celebrations. Yes, our third trip in the company car within a 4 week time frame. I was very CRABBY and ORNERY and was not excited about another quick vacation. Sorry to my family for having had to put up with my awful behavior!

We left St. George on Thursday night and drove to Russ' motel of choice, the Econolodge. Their slogan is "Spend a night, not a fortune". Well there is a reason it is called the Econolodge... WOW! I thought the Hotel Aquario in Tulum, Mexico was scary... the Econolodge makes that place look... better (I was going to exagerate, but couldn't bring myself to do it)! Anyway, we went to the parade in the morning. We were not disappointed. All of our favorite memories of the parade were re-created. The Airforce fly-over to begin the parade, the motorcycle cops showing off their riding skills, the bagpipe bands marching in their kilts, the BYU and Jazz floats, more floats, more marching bands, big character balloons, and the big cannon being fired at the end of the parade.

We then drove up Provo canyon and Russ and the boys went fly-fishing for the afternoon. They caught about 10 trout (rainbows and browns) and Garrett caught 2 of those all by himself. The weather was perfect due to heavy cloud cover. It threatened to rain all day, yet never did. The dark clouds that hung over us kept the sun from beating down on us and we were able to enjoy the warm weather without being cooked. While the boys were fishing, the girls went to check out the Lund's new place. It was fun for us to get to hang out with Kaci, Brayden and Allie. We enjoyed our visit and were so grateful for the pet SNAILS that Allie sent Gracie home with.

Later that night we drove over to Provo High School, home of the Bulldogs, to watch the fireworks from "Stadium of Fire". That firework show is always amazing. Each year they have new types of fireworks. They get BIGGER, louder and better every year. Despite my effort NOT to have a good time... it really was a wonderful little trip. It was fun to participate in the festivities and be able to see the Lund's.

Picking Wishes

While we were in Provo, Gracie and I dropped the boys off in the canyon to do a little fly-fishing. While they were gathering their gear Gracie and I were exploring. All around us on the floor of the canyon were these enormous "WISHES". That was what Gracie called them. Of course they were just HUGE weeds, like dandelions on steroids. Her whole face lit up when she saw them. Gracie asked, "Mommy, will you PICK ME A WISH?". We would pick a WISH, the BIGGEST one we could see. She would prepare her WISH by carefully peeling off any leaves attached to it's stem. She would then take a deep breath and blow with all of her might. She would have to blow on her WISH several times to remove all of the seeds and sometimes had to resort to using her little fingers to pull them off. Needless to say, she made hundreds of WISHES that day. And the city of Provo will be thrilled to know that millions of those little seeds were blown all over the canyon that day. There will be plenty of more WISHES growing within a few weeks.