The Eagle has landed...

Today is a happy day in the Hyde home.  Garrett completed his Eagle Project!  This has been a long time coming.  He came up with two different projects, that the city so kindly completed before he could get them approved.  Then he finally was able to get his 3rd idea approved by the city and had all of his paperwork completed, just as the Eagle Project coordinator/leader/adviser/whatever was released of her duties.  We then had to wait for the next person to get trained in the position... which took another 3 months.  It was then in the middle of Garrett's baseball season where we are gone, traveling every weekend.  When baseball season ended, our cement guy was on vacation.  Finally, the stars all aligned and we were able to begin his project last weekend and finish it today.  We are so excited.

The Eagle Project:

Convert this area into a recreational campsite

These are the cement pouring photos taken last Saturday

We had to let the cement dry for 1 week before we could install the picnic tables.  So, today we rounded up some wonderful family members, scouts, and YM leaders from our ward to finish up the project.  We put together 2 picnic tables, drilled holes in the cement, placed anchor bolts and secured the tables to the cement slabs.  We also spread gravel around the area to level the site.  We need to go back one more time and clean the site up a little bit before we present it to Washington City.  

Here are the photos of today

Many thanks to those who came and helped us with Garrett's project this morning.  The work went quick and easy and we are so grateful to all of you.  

We are so proud of Garrett for accomplishing this great goal.  It has not been easy with all of his other activities.  He is one busy boy.  But, he persisted.  He did a little each week.  And now, he is done.  Hooray!   

Labor Day, Lagoon, and the Lake

In 2008 we went to Lagoon.  I took this picture of Russ and the kids as we were just going into the amusement park.  This picture has been on my home computer desktop for 4 years.  Every time we look at it we laugh at how crooked Garrett's teeth were and how little all of the kids look.  It really doesn't seem like that long ago that we took this picture. 

This past Saturday we took the kids to Lagoon.  I took a new picture of Russ and the kids as we entered the park.  I cannot believe how grown up they are getting.

As we walked into the park, Gracie quickly grabbed my hand and told me that she was not going on any ride that went upside down, or up high, or really fast.  I told her that she was going to get pretty bored, because that described 90% of the rides in the park.  She held my hand really tight for the first fifteen minutes that we were in the park.  We went on the "Clickety-Clack" as a family, then Grant and I took turns sitting off the ride with Gracie as the everybody else rode "Wicked".  Wicked goes straight up and straight down, then into a cork screw.  For some reason, I was instantly sick.  I have never really been one to get sick on rides, but the combination of those two, sent me into a spin.  I figured I would be volunteering to sit with Gracie the rest of the day.  NOT SO.  The next ride the boys wanted to go on was Colassus, a ride that has a double loop.  Russ talked Gracie into going on the ride one time.  He promised her that if she didn't like it, he wouldn't make her go on any more rides that she didn't want to go on.  She agreed and went.

  You can see her upside down in the last car on the left...

Well, she got off the ride with a crazed look in her eyes.  She was going crazy.  She ran by me and yelled, "That was awesome!  We are going again!"  She was so excited the rest of the day.  She ran from ride to ride wanting to try every big ride in the park.  If it didn't go upside down, really fast, or really high... she wanted nothing to do with it.  We unleashed a monster on Saturday.

There were so many great things about the day.  We saw so many people that we knew.  We saw our neighbors, one of Russ' roommates from Ricks College, one of Garrett's baseball teammates and his family, and we ran into Russ' cousin and his family.  It was so much fun to see Scott and Jenny Scribner and their 5 kids- Josh, Matthew, Aaron, Gracie, and Noah.  We ate lunch with them and were able to get reacquainted with their family.  They are such good people.

This picture was taken right after a short thundershower hit...we are not looking too great!

The other great part of the day was just how great everyone got along.  Garrett and Grant did not fight one time. 

 Everyone just went along with whatever anyone else wanted to do.  AND everyone had smiles on their faces the entire day.  What a fabulous vacation. 

After lunch, I was feeling a little bit better and was able to go on a few more rides.  Luckily, Garrett was willing to go on the wimpy roller coasters with me.

We also went into Lagoon A Beach for a couple of hours in the middle of the day.  That was a nice change of pace.  Unfortunately, that is when my camera battery died.  I only got one picture.

 At the end of the night, we were walking by Colassus.   It hadn't been running most of the day and when they decided to re-open the ride we were right there so we jumped on.  BIG MISTAKE!  We got to the top of the ride- 10 stories above the ground- and the ride just stopped.  We sat there for about 5 minutes before one of the workers climbed the stairs to inform us that there were having "power failure".  I about passed out!  I hate heights!!!  So I asked, "Arthur, is this something that happens often?"  To which he replied, "No, this never happens... but we are prepared for this kind of thing."  "So tell me Arthur, what happens if they do get this going again?  Could we have another power failure when we are upside down?"  "Oh no, once you finish getting up this hill, there is NO power involved.  Gravity will get you to the end of the ride."   I guess I have never known this before.  When you are twisting, and upside down, and going in crazy loops, etc.- it is the force of gravity?  For some reason, that did not calm me down!!!  The ride eventually started up and obviously we made it down just fine, but I was finished for the night.  I am not sure I will ever look at a roller coaster the same again.  

We stayed the night up north and went to church near Thanksgiving Point.  As we were driving back to St. George on Sunday, my friend Dayna text me and asked if we wanted to go to the lake on Monday.  SURE! Russ and the boys went out with Jeremy (Dayna's husband) early in the morning to get a little fishing in.  Then Dayna and her boys and Gracie and I drove out a little later.  We had a blast wake-boarding, skiing, tubing and playing in the sand and water.  What an amazing weekend.

Thanks Dayna and Jeremy for an AWESOME end to a great weekend!  

Saturday at Sand Cove

Russ took the kids to Sand Cove on Saturday.  

They picked up dead fish. 

 They caught Crawdads.

 They skipped rocks.

They explored and swam.

First day of School

School started this week.  I for one am excited to be back on a schedule and in a routine.  I am looking forward to this year and some of the new adventures that await us...

This year, Garrett is a freshman.  A freshman?  Really?  Wow, that makes a mom feel old.  Freshman are still at the middle school.  So, he will have one more year there until he attends high school.  He does attend the high school for one of his honors classes.  This year Garrett has a lot on his plate.  We have stressed that this year school activities and classes become a major factor towards college.  As a result, he is in all honors classes, a student ambassador, a member of the National Junior Honors Society, and on the football and baseball teams.  We hope he can handle it all.  Poor kid.

Grant is a 7th grader this year.  He will attend the intermediate school for one more year.  He is excited for this year and has a great schedule with really good teachers.  He has decided to try orchestra this year and will be playing the bass.  The instrument is twice as big as he is.  His instructor is the primary president in our ward and Grant really likes her.  Thus, his sudden interest in music.  I am thrilled for him to try something new.  Grant will continue with gymnastics this year and is also playing lacrosse with some of his friends.  Hmmm that will be a new one for me.  

Gracie is in 4th grade this year and is attending a new school.  She has been invited to be in a GATE (gifted and talented education) program this year.  Last year the district administered two tests to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade students throughout the entire district.  The tests were two grade levels above their current grade level.  For instance, Gracie was a 3rd grader and took two 5th grade standard leveled tests.  The students that scored 90% or above on both of the tests were invited to be in the high ability strand classes.  We struggled to know what to do.  The new school is about twenty minutes away from our house and there are kids from all over the district attending.  Gracie was the only 4th grader from her school be invited, so she would have to make all new friends.  Anyway, it seemed like a big decision.  I drove Gracie up to the school at the end of last school year and let her look around the school and meet the teachers that are over the program.  She loved the school and the teachers and was not worried about making new friends.  Russ and I discussed the idea and felt we had somewhat of an obligation to give it a try.  We are always wanting the school district to provide better education opportunities for our students.  Now they were offering a program and if no one took advantage of it, they would be less likely to try and implement new programs in the future.  So, after much prayer and thought, Gracie is now at a new elementary school.  She rides a bus to and from school each day.  Her teacher is DARLING and we are so excited to have Gracie in her class.  Gracie already has two new best friends and is adjusting just fine.        

Summer Slammed in One Post

I have decided I am not a good blogger anymore.  There are too many other things I feel like I should be doing.  As a result I have gotten too far behind and feel like it is too big of a chore to catch up.  So, while each of these events deserves a post of its own, with many details, it just isn't going to happen.  Instead you get the summer recap in a single post.  Here goes...

Summer began with Garrett off to EFY (Especially For Youth) at BYU.  He had a wonderful time.  He attended his first dance, and liked it.  Loved his group.  Loved the Classes.  Loved testimony meeting.  Loved BYU.  Loved the girls.  And loved being on his own for a week.  Sad... he is growing up.

That same week, Grant was put on team in gymnastics.  He is getting so strong and developing some muscle.  He is going to get pretty ripped and feels it a point to tell Garrett every day that his abs are going to be more amazing in a couple of months.

Then there was a baseball tournament in Kanab.  Very fun.  Garrett had one of his best tournaments.  He had a triple with bases loaded, a few doubles, and a couple of singles.


Next Garrett was off to Moab for a high adventure scouting activity.  They went rappelling, mountain biking, and white water rafting.  He had such a good time.  He came home very dirty, very sunburned, and very happy.

As soon as Garrett got home we were off to Cedar City for yet another baseball tournament.  The boys won the tournament and got some big trophies.  Yippee!

The next week we were off to Park City for another baseball tournament.  We went up in time to watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks.  The boys played okay.  Not our best hitting tournament.  It was a wood bat tournament and none of the boys had practiced too much with the wood bats prior to the tournament.  Sad, that was our final tournament with club baseball.

The next week we were off to Cedar City again, this time for All-Stars baseball.  (Can you tell which child DOMINATED our entire summer!!!)

Finally, Grant had a big moment.  Grant left the next week for Scout Camp up at Thunder Ridge.  He had such a good time and earned 9 merit badges.  He is cruising along in the scouting program.  His greatest motivation is trying to earn his Eagle at an earlier age than Garrett.  Hey- what ever works!!!  All I know is that he is a Star Scout and had almost all of the merit badges required to be a Life Scout... he just has to wait a certain amount of time.

Then it was Gracie's turn.  Gracie attended gymnastics camp the following week.  She went to camp from 8am to 2pm Monday-Friday.  I was exhausted just thinking about it.  She loved it.  She worked really hard and developed so many new skills.  The week also included nutrition classes, face and nail painting, dancing, and games.

Russ and the boys took their annual trip to Yellowstone with Chris Homer.  They enjoyed all of their usual traditions, the Yellowstone River, Slough Creek, and Cook City Pizza.  The boys love being with Chris and have such fun stories to tell when they get home. 

The very next day, Garrett was off on the Trek.  The youth in our stake traveled to Wyoming to participate in the Martins Cove pioneer trek.  Garrett again had a wonderful experience.  He was in a great "family" with 8 kids and a Ma and Pa.  His Ma was Lana Beck, who had been his 3rd grade teacher.  I think that was fun for him.  He was very proud of the fact that he pulled the handcart for the entire 21 miles.  

In the middle of all of those events, we had two football camps, weight lifting at the high school each morning, gymnastics for 2 1/2 hours every Tuesday and Thursday for both Grant and Gracie, scout camp-outs, and more.  Yet my children will say they didn't do much this summer.  Hmmm- Maybe we should have planned something that one weekend in July when we weren't traveling somewhere. 

Here Kitty, Kitty

Bad Kitty!  Bad, bad, bad kitty!

Well, Grant is allergic to cats.  Too bad for us that we will never have to own one now!