Pass the Popcorn!!

Sometimes I feel like I am at a huge IMAX theater. There are things going on all around me. I don't necessarily feel like I am a part of them- just watching from a distance. The month of October was an IMAX moment. And let me tell you, it was DRAMA at it's best!

Featured the month of October:

The Wonder Down Under

The WILD ADVENTURER, Russ, flew to Australia and fished for nine days (However, he was gone for 12 days including traveling time). His adventure included great tales of a shark biting half of a 20 lb. hooked Tuna turning and taking the other half in a second bite, hundreds of 3-4 foot bats jockeying for position- up-side down in a tree, salt water crocs, lots of fish, funny accents, wonderful people (one which snored louder than him), Aborigine villages, long air flights, "Ginormous" planes, and good food. Although none of us have seen any real proof that this event actually took place in Australia (Hint, hint Grant- this blog could use a picture or two- you know in all of your spare time). As far as we know, the wild adventurer never left LA.

The Weekend Warriors

Two young brothers, Garrett and Grant, concluded their regular season football games. However, now they are competing in the championships. Garrett's team, the Snow Canyon Warriors 5th Grade - White, are the reigning champions for the past two years. This season they suffered one loss and are in the playoffs as the #2 seeded team. Grant's team, the Snow Canyon Warriors 3rd Grade, also experienced just one loss. They were able to avenge that loss later in the season and are entering the playoffs as the #1 seeded team. Can Garrett's team defend their championship title? Can Grant's team earn their first championship title in their first season of play? Will Grant's little legs ever be able to out-run his opponent for his first real tackle of the year? The suspense is daunting! Look for Weekend Warriors II- November 2008.

Don't Judge the Tigers

The Hurricane High School football team is also competing in the playoffs. They were the Region IX champions this season. They won their first playoff game against Grantsville 48-14. This week they will battle with Judge Memorial. The Tigers' coaching staff is INCREDIBLE. We know that they will provide some good entertainment for all viewers!

Halloween

This wasn't quite the thriller that one would expect. It began with one GHOST, one SKELETON, and one PIRATE in a parade. It progressed into parties, losing a Ghost, gaining a PRISONER, Trick or Treating, and a visit from two REINDEER. The climax of this show was tyring to get three kids to bed- that were completely HYPED up on sugar- by 9:30 PM to prepare for 9 AM soccer and football games.

Well that pretty much sums up the Hyde Entertainment Review for October. Hopefully, we will have some exciting things to report in the next few weeks as the football seasons wrap up and the holidays begin.

Why Carve?

My creative friend Kellie, a pre-school teacher, made the cutest PAINTED pumpkins with her children and neice this year. I thought to myself, "How clever". I made the mistake of elaborating on that thought...we could make those and they will be so cute, less messy and will not ROT as quickly. So, we tried it. Not nearly as successful. Kellie's were so cute. Ours, well, interesting. We are still not quite sure what Gracie's is supposed to be. However, it was fun anyway. We spilled paint. Burned our fingers with hot glue guns. Complained! The kids lost interest. The moms finished what was started. More burned fingers. More spilled paint. Disappointment over a six legged spider. What to do with a red pumpkin? Treats that turned tongues and teeth black. And finally the finished products...




Thanks mom for the picture collage (I stole it from her blog)!!!

Who will Survive???

Meet the Challengers...

Russ Hyde

Age:39
Weight: Less than 2 bills
Occupations: Service Manager at Alsco and Photographer for Castaway Films
Calling: 2nd Counselor in the YM Presidency and Scout Master
Hobbies: Flyfishing, Coaching Football, Playing Basketball and Golf, Building Bamboo Fly-rods

His Challenge: Flying on a plane for 23 hours to Australia. Spending 9 days on a boat. Flyfishing from sun up to sun down trying to catch Tarpon, GT's, Permit, and whatever else the oceans of the Outback hide. Shooting photos for the magazine, "Wild on the Fly". Eating fish for 9 days. Flying another 23 hours back to LA, then driving a new company car home to St. George.

The player's response to THE CHALLENGE: "Sounds rough".

We will see how tough he really is.

Kori Hyde

Age: 34
Weight: 10 lbs above fighting weight

Occupation: Exercise Physiologist and the Medical Volunteer Coordinator for the HWSG

Calling: 1st Counselor in the Primary Presidency

Hobbies: Running, Reading, Watching Sporting Events, Taking Care of Family

Her Challenge: To survive the 2nd week of the Huntsman World Senior Games with almost no medical volunteers for Racquetball and Volleyball (guess where the heart attack will happen?). Wrapping up the 2nd week of the games with NO spouse and having children out of school for Fall Break. Studying for and taking a test by Friday for a Metabolic Training class while wrapping up the HWSG with limited volunteers, no spouse, and children out on Fall Break. Working at the hospital while studying for a test, wrapping up... well you know the rest. Getting the kids to football and soccer practices after working at the hospital, while studying... etc., etc., etc.

The player's response to THE CHALLENGE: "Piece of Cake! Gimme something I haven't done before".

She's ALL talk!

The Children- Garrett, Grant, and Gracie Hyde

Ages: 10, 8, and 5
Weights: 73.5 lbs, 56 lbs, and 42 lbs

Occupations: Student/Athlete (that's kind of an oxymoron)

Hobbies: School, Reading, Football, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Video Games, Drawing

Their Challenge: To live with their mother !!!

Players' response to THE CHALLENGE: "HELP US"

Poor little darlings... Is there anyone who can save them?!!!

As you have probably gathered from the challenges, Russ has left on a "business" trip with Castaway Films. They are flying to Brisbane, then to Cairns, then to Cape York Peninsula. They will fish mostly in the Gulf of Carpentaria. They are shooting pictures for a Magazine called "Wild on the Fly". Russ is a nervous wreck about this trip. I think the nervousness is because he knows how much I have going on at home this week. I think he is afraid he will come home and find all of his things being sold on Ebay and locks changed on the doors. Although I have threatened this in the past... I am making NO THREATS this time. I am actually excited for this trip. What an opportunity for Russ to have an expense paid trip to Australia to fish for 9 days. How could he pass up this chance?

I, on the other hand, am slightly BUSY this week. I have been the Medical Volunteer Coordinator for the Huntsman World Senior Games for three years now. Every year I have sworn I would NEVER do it again... yet here I am. I basically coordinate 700+ hours of medical volunteers to be on site at the various events. The HWSG have gone well thus far. We have only had a few minor injuries (a broken collar bone and arm in cycling, and a dislocated wrist in softball that required surgery). Some of my really scary sports are over... Track and Field, Women's Basketball and Softball, the Triathlon, Cycling, 10k Road Races, Men's 3x3 Basketball, and the Cowboy Shootout. This week we will continue the Men's Softball tournament (there were 336 softball teams this year), Volleyball (148 teams), Tennis, Racquetball, and Mountain Biking. I have very limited help at the end of this week due to Fall Break here in St. George. I am hoping it will all come together.

Wish each of us luck in our various challenges this week. I will report back in a week and let you know who is SURVIVING THE CHALLENGE.

AAAAARRRRGGGGHH!!!!

I love working with volunteers.
I love working with volunteers.
I love working with volunteers.

That's all you get for two weeks.

See you on October 19th.

EXPRESS yourself

During the first week of school, Grant had casually mentioned to me that he wanted to try out for the school choir. We talked about the time commitment... he would have to be to school an hour early, three days a week. We talked about dedication... if he was chosen, he had to stick with it all year, no changing his mind a month later. We talked about conflicts of schedules... he was already playing football. The coaches wouldn't appreciate him missing practices/games for performances, and Mr. Payne wouldn't appreciate missing performances for sporting events. I really didn't give the idea much more thought. When I was in Detroit last month, he tried out and was picked to be a member of Sunset Express. He was very excited, and of course that makes me so happy. However, I was a little nervous. He is my one child that has a hard time getting up in the morning. But, he loves being in the choir. Every morning when I go in his room to wake him up, he jumps right up out of bed and gets ready.
So far his football and choir schedules have not conflicted too bad. Today, he had a performance at Swiss Days in Santa Clara at 2:30 and then had to be to his football game at Dixie High School by 3:30. It was a little rushed, but it went very smoothly. He looks pretty cute up there singing and dancing. They have motions/dances that go along with each song they sing. The songs are very cute and I have been very impressed with the performances thus far. Mr. Payne is very dedicated to this little group kids. He puts so much time into arranging performances and preparing the kids for them. I am grateful to him for sharing his talents and love for music with Grant.

get a CLUE

So, tonight Russ and Garrett went home teaching. Gracie asked if we could play the game CLUE while they were gone. "Okay- sure", I said. Gracie and I set up the game. She, of course, was Miss Scarlet... who always gets to go first. On her third turn Gracie made her guess... Colonel Mustard, in the Billiard Room, with the Rope. I checked my cards... not a single one. I said, "Gracie, you did it. I don't have a single one of those cards". She replied, "I know, I have all three of them"!

I guess that is why on the front of the box it suggests for ages 8 and up! In three years it might be a fun game to play with little Lou. Today, well she was CLUEless.

Athlete? Maybe. Princess? Forever!

Last Thursday was Gracie's first soccer practice. I drove her clear across town, after dropping the boys off at football practice on the other side of town. We met her coach and the other girls on the team. Then Gracie went on the field with her teammates to practice. Gracie had her pointer finger in her mouth the ENTIRE practice and would hardly kick the ball. The only time her finger came out of her mouth was to PICK UP the soccer ball with her HANDS, place it where she wanted it, and then lightly tap the ball with her foot. I thought having gone to the watch the boys play soccer every year of her life, she would have picked up on a few things... like, DON'T TOUCH THE BALL WITH YOUR HANDS! Anyway, when practice was over the coach said she'd see us at the game and that it was going to be fun. UH- HUH, I thought. Sure it would be... for the parents whose daughters knew what they were doing.

Saturday morning we got to the game early for pictures. Gracie had been very particular about how we did her hair and what hair accessories she should have in her hair. She brought her new pink soccer ball to warm up with. You know, to pick up with her hands, place in front of the goal and kick it in. The game started and to no one's surprise, Gracie sat out during the first quarter. At the beginning of the second quarter she went into play. I was happy to see that her finger was not in her mouth. Instead, her arms were out to her side like she was flapping imaginary wings. She began chasing the ball down the field, screaming like a GIRL the whole time. She then took the ball away from the other team, WITH HER FEET, dribbled the ball down to her goal (still screaming), and scored her first goal! Here is a picture of it as she was kicking it in.

"What?" you ask! It is true. She was an animal out there. She was not afraid to get right in the middle of the action. She was everywhere the ball was with her arms up, and screaming. She scored THREE of four goals that morning.

I was in shock, and still am. She collided with her best friend, Ashlyn, during the game who happened to be playing against her. Poor Ash started crying and had to sit out for a while. Gracie jumped back up and got right back into the action. This was the collision :(

I was so ecstatic. I thought, "Yeah, maybe she won't be a cheerleader afterall". However, as soon as her game was over Gracie asked if she could take off the things that made her sweaty (the shin guards), take a bath to get clean, and have her toenails painted. Oh well, I will just have to keep trying.