16 VS 40

Who had the better birthday?

This was a hard year for me.  I turned the big 4-0.  I always laughed at people that would get depressed over a birthday because in actuality you are just 24 hours older that you were the day before.  Right?!  Well, this year I understand the depression.  It is so hard to utter the word forty, instead of thirty.  Poor me.  My birthday was luckily un-eventful.  We celebrated with my family at Kaci's house the day before.  It just so happens my birthday always falls right by Super Bowl Sunday.  We had cake and ice-cream and watched a little of the horrible game.  On my actual birthday, it was just business as usual.  So I didn't dwell on the sadness of the whole thing.

On a happier note.  Garrett turned the big 1-6 just four days later.  We were actually hosting some of the BYU rugby players at our house that weekend, so we didn't have a huge celebration for his big day.  I am still feeling really guilty about it. We made him a huge breakfast of crepes, bacon, eggs and hashbrowns.  Then I picked him up at school and took him to lunch at a yummy Mexican restaurant.   The highlight of the day was that I was able to get him an earlier appointment at the DMV.  He was actually able to go on his birthday and get his driver's license.  He passed the test with flying colors.  Only got docked a couple of points for not using his emergency brake when he parked... Who does that anyway?!  So, it is official... he can drive and date now.  Which really makes me feel like I am 40 now.

A few days later we were able to buy him a car.  It is certainly not a chick magnet, but it runs and will keep him from getting too injured if he were to get in an accident.  We affectionately call him, "Grandpa Hyde" as he drives around in his 2006 Ford Taurus.  He is so awesome.  He loves his independence.  I LOVE having another driver in the house!

It FINALLY happened

We finally had Garrett's Eagle Court of Honor!  Yippee.  We were only 1 year and 1 month late.  Luckily, we have a pretty awesome son who is very patient with us.

It was a nice night as we actually were able to ordain Garrett to the office of priest in the Aaronic Priesthood just before the court of honor.  He had many close family members and friends there to support him.

This is some of the family and friends that attended.  Kaci's family left before the picture was taken and we also had many people from the ward there to support him as well.  We are grateful to everyone who helped make that night happen.

It's been a while...

The Hyde Family- Fall 2013

I feel as though I am always playing catch-up when it comes to blogging.  I love the idea of having memories, photos, and videos of my family all in one location.  It has been so fun to go back and look at posts from years ago and see the changes in my family.  The only problem I find is as my children get older, I find it more and more difficult to find the time to sit down and write and download pictures and videos.  I really need to make a better effort of doing so.  So here is the LONG re-cap of the past few months...

Russ really is an amazing man, father and husband.  He is so talented, adventurous, and helpful.  After Russ gets home from work, he helps shuttle kids from one activity to another, builds bamboo fly-rods, ties flies, takes Garrett to the batting cages, helps Gracie with homework, encourages Grant with scouting, helps me do dishes, etc.  He will sit only occasionally- if the new Sports Illustrated magazine came in the mail, or if there is a really good game on.  Otherwise, he is moving from one project to another.  This fall, Russ had the incredible opportunity to travel to the Bikini Atoll islands  for another fly-fishing adventure with Grant (his fishing partner) and some other fly-fishing addicts.  It was "the trip of a life-time"-That of course is a little joke, because this has been said about every trip he has gone on!!!  For those of you, like me, who have NO IDEA where the Bikini Atoll Islands are, they are located somewhere between Hawaii and Australia and are too small to see on a regular map, unless you zoom in to 1,000 %.

       Garrett at age 15 1/2

Garrett will be turning 16 in just 20 days.  We can hardly believe it.  He is just about 6 feet tall and only 145 pounds.  He is finally putting on weight and starting to fill out a bit.  School has been a little tougher for Garrett this year.  I have actually seen him doing homework.  We haven't seen that in years.  He is taking Chemistry, honors Math and Language Arts, Spanish III, woodworking, seminary, weight training, and graphic design.  He played fall ball (baseball) this year instead of football.  He loved it and had the opportunity to play with the upper classmen.  He played well, pitched a ton, and hit great.  His team actually won the fall ball championship and each of them got a new baseball jacket.  That was exciting for him.  He will have baseball tryouts next month and is anxious for season to get underway.  He can usually be found at the baseball field, texting, playing dunkball, doing homework, or watching Castle (a show he discovered during Christmas vacation).

Garrett's Fall Ball Championship Team

 Grant at age 13

Grant has become one busy kid.  The day after Grant broke his foot, I emailed his gymnastics coach and told him Grant would be taking some time off.  That next week we ran into one of his previous gymnastics coaches who is now coaching at another gym.  He was so excited to see Grant and asked Grant why he hadn't seen him at any of the gymnastics competitions.  Grant told him that his group had never really even talked about competing.  Scott encouraged Grant to switch gyms and start training with him again.  We attended a meeting and was really impressed with their program.  Grant went to a practice that week, cast and all, to try it out.  We decided to give it a chance.  Grant now practices about 11 hours each week.  He has improved so much in just 2 months time and yesterday competed at his very first gymnastics meet.  He did pretty well considering 1/2 of that training time was in a cast.  Here is a video of his very first ever gymnastics meet event- the vault. 

Grant is really enjoying school this year.  He is taking math, history, language arts, science, PE, weight training, orchestra, and FACS (kind of like a home ec type class in our day- it is required).  

Last week Grant went on the Klondike for scouts.  This year was "AWESOME".  Because Grant had been on two previous Klondikes and had fulfilled his cold weather campout requirements, he was allowed to stay in a cabin with the other older boys and some of the leaders.  The younger boys had to sleep outside in tents. The next day, they were able to go skiing/snowboarding at Brianhead all day.  Grant took snowboarding lessons and then hit the slopes, all while earning his Cold Weather Sports merit badge.  He LOVED it and is already trying to figure out how to get back up the mountain and go again.  I wish I had been there to take some pictures.

Gracie at age 10

Gracie is so much fun.  She is full of energy and fills our house with it.  Gracie, too, is still in gymnastics and is preparing for her upcoming competition season.  She practices at the gym about 8 hours each week.  She enjoys school and her teacher this year.  She loves her friends and is with them every second she is not at school or gym.  She has a cell phone now and loves to text anyone who will respond.

Here are some other random pictures of our fall/winter activities:

It was cold and raining/snowing at the game, Garrett was sick, and BYU destroyed Idaho State- but they still had a great time.

Our nephew/cousin, Halen, was wrestling in a huge tournament in Las Vegas.  Russ and Grant were able to go down on the second day and watch him wrestle and hang out with Halen's dad, Dean.  They had so much fun and were SO IMPRESSED by Halen.  Out of about 135 boys in his weight class, Halen took 4th place. So awesome!  And he is only a sophomore.  Imagine what he will be like as a senior.  

We were able to get all of the cousins together one day and take a bunch of pictures for Nana.  It was quite a quick adventure, but very successful.  Here are a few of the better pictures:

All 12 of the kids were pretty well behaved considering it was cold.

These are just a few of the activities we actually have pictures of.  I am not very good at remembering to take pictures...maybe because I get flack every time I try.  I am not allowed to take pictures at baseball games... it is BAD LUCK.  If I pull out the camera anywhere else, all of my kids scatter, make faces, or delete pictures I take.  Someday they will be sad that they weren't more compliant.   

He's been CASTED

On Monday night I went to pick Grant up from gymnastics.  He was sitting on the edge of the big trampoline.  As he was getting down his coach yelled, "Grant, give me a one foot dismount! No, I'm just kidding dude.  Hope you feel better".  Grant then started to hobble over to me... which is a weekly occurrence.  Grant is always complaining that he has hurt something.  And he limps and hobbles and grimaces often.  He is a classic model for the Boy who Cried Wolf.  However, this time I could tell he was really hurting.  As he reached me he burst into tears and cried, "It hurts so bad mom.  I can't walk.  It hurts".  I picked him up and set him on a nearby table.  He told me that he had hurt his foot.  As I was doing a quick exam his coach then ran over and said that Grant had been "goofing off" with another kid in the group.  They had kicked at each other and Grant had caught the other kid right on the heel with the side of his foot.  He wasn't even doing a cool gymnastics trick!!!  He was GOOFING OFF!!!
That night his foot began to swell and we iced it, elevated it, and wrapped it up.  The next morning it was more swollen and he couldn't put any pressure on it.  Thanks to Papa, who brought Grant to me at work- I was able to get him to the doctor and have his foot X-rayed.  The little squirt had 2 fractured bones in his right foot and it was too swollen to cast at the moment.  He was put in a splint until the swelling was reduced.

So today (with the help of Nana) I took him back to the doctor and they put a nice blue cast on his leg.  I think he was thrilled to get a cast.  It will be fun for about a week and then he will be sad.  The crutches are already rubbing him raw and he has slipped a few times.  Poor little guy has no clue what he is in for the next 4 weeks.  But let me assure you- he is milking this injury for all it is worth.

Family, Golf and 7 Peaks

We had the opportunity to take a very quick trip up to Provo this weekend for a little golf and some fun at 7 Peaks.  We traveled with all of the Little clan (minus a few Koenig children and Brent).  We left as soon as the kids got home from school on Friday and drove to Provo.  We met Nana, Papa, and the Ellsworths at Rumbi's for some fantastic food.  Then we drove over to the hotel where the kids went swimming until it was time to go to bed.  On Saturday morning the men got up early and headed over to Hobblecreek for a quick round of golf.  They had a great time.  Uncle Raleigh almost got a hole in one!  He really is an amazing golfer.

 When the men got back we loaded everyone up and headed over to 7 Peaks, a water slide park.  It was a perfect day...slightly over-cast and plenty warm.  

 Sweet little Kaleigh trying to decide if she liked the pool or not

 Ryker wanted nothing to do with the pool

 Garrett was a great "big cousin" and took Peyton down the purple and blue slide several times

 As you can see- Peyton LOVED the slides

 Gracie and Savanna liked the slides also

 At the end of the day- Gracie was not looking tired

 Grant showed off his gymnastic skills on the rope swing...

I caught him in a blurry mid-flip...although it looks as though he is going to face plant

What a perfect get-away when you only have a day for fun.  We came home, exhausted, Saturday night.  

Are you kidding me?!... School?!!

I cannot believe that summer is over and school is already in high gear!  These past few months have been a huge blur.  I am so sad that summer is over.  It seems it just began a few days ago.

The boys let Russ take a couple of pictures of them yesterday before they left for school.  They didn't argue with him as much as they would have for me, so I was grateful he was here to assist.

 Garrett is a Sophomore- his first year at the high school.  Oh my goodness!  Am I really old enough to have a child at the high school.  He is starting the year at 5'11" and a whopping 132 lbs (fully dressed).  He has decided not to play football this year and will play fall-ball (baseball in the fall) and possibly basketball.  He is taking chemistry, pre-calculus, language arts, ceramics, wood-shop, seminary, Spanish III, and fitness for life.  He is looking forward to leaving campus for lunch, taking drivers ed and getting his license, and playing more baseball.

 Grant is my big 8th grader, also at a new school this year (the middle school).  He is beginning the year at 5'2" and weighs 90 lbs.  Grant will continue with gymnastics and lacrosse this year.  He is taking math, US history, language arts, fitness for life, wood-shop, art, orchestra, and science.  He is excited to be at his new school.

Miss Gracie is a 5th grader this year.  She is excited to be in the oldest grade at the elementary school.  She is continuing in the ALP program this year and excited to be with many of her friends from all over the county.  We are excited for her to be in the class she is in this year.  She will have a job in the class and earn an "income".  With that "money" earned she will have to pay rent for her desk, pay for health insurance, buy her classroom supplies, and pay for extra activities at the school.  She has applied for a few jobs and will find out on Monday what she has been hired as.  It will be super fun for her to have this experience and learn to be responsible and how to budget.  What a great opportunity!

I feel as though I need to quickly sum up summer vacation as quickly as possible.  So, here goes...

School got out the Thursday before Memorial Day.  Summer began that night with a weekend camping/hunting/4 wheeling trip for Garrett.  Two days later he was off to EFY at BYU.  He had a fabulous time.  Met a few cute girls along the way as well.  Russ picked Garrett up from EFY on Friday night at midnight and we were in Las Vegas for a baseball tournament at 8:00 am Saturday.  We left the baseball game and headed straight for Newport Beach for a week of fun in the sun.

We were a little crowded...Ryker found a place to sleep in my suitcase.

The cousins played games at night.

Garrett testing the skimboard he made in wood-shop.

Cute little Peyton

The next week, I was off to girls camp and Garrett was headed to his high adventurer scout camp.

Our great young women 

Rakel (our camp cook) was absolutely amazing

Writing letters to missionaries

Tying a quilt

Me trying very hard not to freak out over being way too high

  The following week Grant headed to scout camp and Gracie was at gymnastics camp.

Intersquad competition

Utah Summer Games bar routine

Utah Summer Games floor routine

I think I had all off my kids home for one day together, and then it was off for more fun.  July consisted of a trip to Provo for our annual Independence Day celebration.  We watched a parade.

BYU basketball float

Grant 

Russ and the boys favorite float (hopefully because of the fish)

BYU had a boring float this year

Then we fished, ate, fished some more, went to Nicklecade, watched fireworks, etc... always a good time.  Russ and the boys, along with "uncle" Chris, went to Yellowstone for a week.  They had a great time, ran into a mama grizzly and her cubs (a little scary), caught some BIG fish, ate at all their favorite spots (Cook City Pizza), and even came home showered and clean.

July also consisted of lots of baseball.  The high school baseball team competed in a Las Vegas league this summer, so we spent way too much time in Vegas this summer.  It was fun though.  We spent lots of time at the Gunlock and Sand Hollow reservoirs

 and Pine Valley this summer.

Peyton climbing trees like the big kids

Kaleigh and Gracie

Brayden and Garrett

Little Ryker

Little Lou found the smallest lizard we have ever seen

And then our favorite part of summer... Elder Maxwell came home.  My sweet nephew, that has been serving his mission in Kenya-Africa for the past 2 years, is finally home.  We are so excited to have him home.  He is already back in St. George for college- just 10 days after stepping off the plane.

Most of the Hyde clan

I finally got my hug

We coincided Reese's homecoming with the Hyde family reunion.  It was super fun to see everyone and catch up on the happenings.

Grandpa, David, Kurtis and Russ

 Some of the Hyde cousins

Family and Friends

The kids and Russ ended summer vacation with a trip to Lake Powell with Russ' boss and his family.  I had to work and was not able to go :(

Tubing at Lake Powell

So, there it is.  Summer re-capped.  Not too much detail... but fun nevertheless.