Grief

Grief is tricky, today I am feeling a little overwhelmed with grief. Rivers of tears have been flowing last night and today. My heart is very tender. I have been thinking back to three years ago on the first day of school. There are a lot of difficult memories to process, as everything I do or see seems to spark a memoryof that day.

I continue the first day of school traditions, concealing my sadness. When the last child is out the door, I close the blinds, block out the world, and let my emotions flow. I have been especially sad today. I thought that after three years that my heart would have healed a little more than it has.

Although this is a difficult day for me, my children seem less affected. Maybe they are just trying to be brave, as they see the tears flowing down my face. Whatever the case, I am so glad that they are strong.

Tomorrow will be a better day, it will be my baby boy's birthday!

We had a fun-filled time at the Bountiful rec center. We started in the party room with pizza and cake; built up a sweat playing basketball and rock climbing; and ended the party cooling off in the pools.

Happy Birthday on the 23rd Big Ben!

Carson, Jono, Mitch, Ben, Shad, Eric, Alex and Josh.
Cake, and my personal assistant getting the party started.
Basketball
Rock Climbing
The slide and pool.
Can't get enough basketball.

End of Summer

Sadly, summer is coming to an end this week. We tried to get in a few last minute Family Fun Times, before it ended.

The beautiful sunset at Willard Bay, after an evening of boating. Willard Bay Cherry Hill with the Fulks'. Ben became a graduate of Cherry Hill. This year he was really brave and went on ALL the water slides. Pineview ReservoirKim and Kate, and Mike and Lizzy at Pineview.

A Mother's Prayer

My heart is always filled with a little prayer that my children will be okay with the loss they have experienced in life. I am especially sensitive to the effect this may have on my boys. I always hope and pray that a coach, church leader, friend, or family member will take a particular interest in my boys, and be there in ways that only a good male role model can be. No one will ever take the place of their Father, but there are so many people who have touched their lives for the good.

This past weekend Mike went on what used to be called “The Father’s and Son’s” with a few of Steve’s friends. This is an annual trip that Steve used to take with his friends, and their boys’.

Mike enjoys spending time with Warren, Justin, and Shawn. They are so good to him. They are always a lot of fun, they have the same outdoor interests, and all love to hunt. He has had a lifetime of experiences with his Dad and these friends. They spent this past weekend at Justin’s cabin in Island Park, participating in outdoor activities, a little hunting, canoeing, spot-lighting, and having fun together.

I am so grateful that these good friends continue to invite Mike (hopefully Ben will be ready to go next year) on these excursions. They are such amazing men!

Mike also had a great time at Scout Camp. The leaders and priests spent several days at Flaming Gorge, fishing, water-skiing, and participating in scouting activities. Mike had a wonderful time, and spoke so highly of his leaders. This is another example of a group of men, taking time to make a difference in a young man’s life.

Our Home Teacher has also been a positive influence on Mike. He happened to be his sophomore Basketball coach. He would spend time after games or practice teaching Mike basketball skills, and giving him encouragement.

Ben’s sports coaches have also been so helpful and kind to him. They always give him the encouragement he needs, are willing to pick him up for practice and or games, and they provide him the positive male bonding that he needs.

I am so grateful for the positive role models in my boys' lives. Thank you!

Daily Activities in Cabo

The resort pools offered us a great way to cool down from the heat of the sun. Most of the time I enjoyed the adult pool, relishing in a new book "The Help". It was a fabulous book! I don't get to read recreationally very often, so it was a nice treat. The movie is coming out soon, so I won't ruin it for you.

I did, however, set a small trend at the youngster's pool, when my kids dared me to go down the Willy the Whale slide. They didn't even have to double-dog dare me. An adult man high- fived me when I came up for a breath. After my amusement, many adults followed suit.
Body surfing in the ocean along the glistening white sand was another daily activity. The vendors along the beach were particularly fond of my kids. This might have something to do with the purchases they made.

The girl's had their hair braided. I heard there is a rule that you can't go to Mexico without getting some kind of a braid in your hair.

The evenings consisted of the Puerto Paraiso Shopping Mall, the Flea Markets, strolling along the Marina, and dining in the surrounding restaurants.

Mike over-did-it with his order of nachos. I told him his name wouldn't go on a wall of fame for consuming them all, but he didn't listen.

We decided it would be an adventure to ride the city bus with all the locals. It was quite the experience. Drivers in Mexico are crazy! We were in for a ride of our lives each time we got in a taxi or road the local bus.

Fortunately, we never needed the Emergency Room service. If would have had a medical problem, I would have flown out of there before I would enter that Emergency Room.

Everyone needs a little down time.

Overall, I'd say, we had a fabulous vacation!

Cabo Adventures Part Two

The fun in Cabo San Lucas doesn't end when the sun goes down. We took a sunset cruise over and around Land’s End. It was a beautiful sight to see the Cabo San Lucas skyline as the sun was setting, the glistening white sand beaches at Lover’s Beach, and the stunning Arch, and other rock formations.

The cruise begins with your choice of beverage. Our choice was non-alcoholic mai tais, which is a fancy name for a delightful citrus drink. The others on the cruise enjoyed their alcoholic drinks. The cruise quickly became a somewhat wild and crazy booze cruise. Fortunately, there were several families on board to keep the craziness at bay.

A Mexican dinner was served. The sea was a little rocky that night, so you had to hang on tight to your meal.

Kate doesn’t love cruises. A crew member got her mind off her discomfort by dancing with her. She is quite a good little dancer.

The Glass Bottom boat was another tour that we enjoyed as a family. You are able to see the underwater world beneath you.We met the boat on the hotel beach, and went around the Sea of Cortez, up to Lover’s Beach, and around the Arch to the Pacific side.

You can bring snorkeling equipment to use on Lover’s Beach. The snorkeling looked great! If all the members of our clan would have been on board with the snorkeling, that’s what we would have done. Instead we had a fantastic view of many different tropical fish from the boat. As you would throw food into the water, schools of beautiful fish would surface.

The entire trip I had watched as parasails were out in the ocean just off our hotel beach soaring in the sky. I have secretly wanted to parasail for quite some time. It is something that I have never done before. My wish came true on our last day. Mike and I ventured out in the ocean to parasail.

There isn’t a greater way to see the natural marvels of the southern Baja Peninsula than from 600 feet in the sky while parasailing above the gorgeous Sea of Cortez. It was absolutely fabulous! I was a little nervous at first, so the guide told me to sit back, and relax. As I sat back, relaxed, and closed my eyes, I began to soar. It was such a great feeling. You feel as though you are a seabird gliding high in the air.

Mike was disappointed that it wasn’t an adrenaline rush like Zip Line, but I was happy with the relaxed feeling, and sense of tranquility.. The views from above were amazing!

Adventures of Cabo Part One

Our vacation destinations usually consists of new and exciting adventures. This trip was no exception. At the beginning of the week, I let the kids choose the activities they wanted to participate in.

The Outdoor Zip Line Adventure was Kate and Mike’s first adventure. I have Zip Lined in the beautiful jungles of Costa Rica and therefore, stayed back with the younger kids.

They began by launching themselves in a series of zip lines, flying across open canyons, and crawling across the Commando Bridge before leaping onto the Tarzan Swing and scaling the Crazy Ladder.

Then they tacked the Climbing Walls, Hanging Ridge, and rappeled down the rocks. The Zip Line was fast and fun taking them over stunning scenery and back to base camp. At the end there was a short nature walk, rest, and a snack of chips and salsa.

Of course no photography was allowed, so this is the only picture I have to prove Kate's bravery.


The second adventure was a ATV tour. Mike and Ben were on one ATV, and Kate and Lizzy on the other. Ben had the best situation since Mike is an experienced rider. Lizzy on the other hand, well……let’s just say she wanted to make a trade, but it was a no go.

Kate hasn’t driven an ATV before. Some of the beautiful landscaping seemed to get in her way. To be exact, a tree, cactus, and ditch. Thankfully, none of her four crashes were significant. When she almost rolled the ATV, the guide decided he needed to be a little more pro-active and offered to let them ride on the back of his ATV. Kate graciously declined, so the guide stayed close by the rest of the way. Fortunately, Kate got the hang of it, and they all came back safely.

The ATV tour took them to the Pacific Ocean beach of Migriño, where they drove through desert and mountain areas until they arrive on the beautiful white sand beach.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 2011

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico was our vacation spot for 2011. With our Marriott exchange we were able to stay at the Villa del Palmar Beach Resort in Los Cabos. We stayed in one of their two bedroom condos.We had a fabulous view from our balcony of the ocean and the resorts pools.

Our hotel was located along the Medano Beach. This happens to be one of the only swimmable beaches. We enjoy spending time at the beach and participating in beach activities, so we were very happy to be staying on a swimmable beach.

With 360 days of sunshine, weather is never a factor. It rarely rains, and therefore, is considered somewhat of a desert. It was very hot and humid!

Directly across the bay from our hotel were the famous rock formations. It is referred to as Land’s end – the place where the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez meet. The waves are huge and there is a special rock forming a spectacular arch. Near the arch there is a beautiful beach of golden sand, called Lover’s beach, reachable just by boat.

The Villa del Palmar Beach Resort is a family-friendly property and had an emphasis on entertainment. We were happy it was family-friendly, but didn’t participate much in “their” kind of entertainment.

There are many pools on-site. Some are specifically for kids. The Willy the Whale water slide was a hit among the youngsters. If you needed a little more peace and quiet you could venture off to a more peaceful adult pool.

The Villa del Palmar was a short distance from town, and was a perfect fit for our family.

Sleepovers

Summer is a time for sleepovers with cousins and friends. I'm not a big fan of friend sleepovers, but sometimes I buckle under pressure. I told them one friend sleepover a summer is my limit.

The outdoor sleepover was planned with Ben and Mitch, much to my surprise. They persuaded Mike into building them this fabulous tent. Mike slept outside with them to save me the inconvience and discomfort.

The entire night I tossed and turned, and looked out my window wondering if the BIG raccoon would be back for an uninvited visit. Fortunately, the night was very uneventful.

Bountiful High School July 23rd Baseball Tournament

The 16U Baseball Tournament began on Saturday morning against Cottonwood. The Braves were able to pull off a big win against The Colts, winning 7-6. It was a real nail biter. Cook pitched 6 innings with Tommy wrapping it up in the 7th.

The team was on fire today. I wish I could remember all the boys' stats, they were impressive. Among other things, Mike (as lead batter) was 2 for 3 at the plate, one walk, and turned a great double play at second.

Tuesday, ended the tournament for Bountiful against Alta. The first inning was filled with excessive team errors, which ultimately cost the Braves the game.

While Tuesday wasn't their best game, overall this team has done very well. This sadly ends baseball for the summer.

A Night To Remember

The 24th of July wouldn’t be same without the Paul’s fabulous party. There is lots of great food, friends, and relatives.
Sometimes boys' can be really boring at parties. Good thing we had Brian to spice things up a bit

Brian’s fireworks show is always a hit. This year was exceptionally exciting. In our host's very own words he says, “My fireworks show had everything. Dangerous fireworks, first degree burns, and crying babies.” Wow, and we all lived to tell about it.

To be completely fair, I think it was only the first two rows of kids that were shot with shrapnel (well maybe shrapnel isn't the right word, but it best describes it), or received some kind of burn. And babies crying, I think it was only Millie. She didn't love the noise.

Grandpa Wayne seemed a little nervous quietly moving his chair further and further back. He got out his nifty safety goggles once things got a little out of control.

We were all seated when the fireworks began (bottom pictures). As sparks began to fly, the viewers ended up in neighbor's yards, or standing on rocks (see picture top left).
This video sums it all up. I couldn't decide whether it was screams of delight or screams of fear.

Bountiful Pioneer Days

The spotlight was on Bountiful Friday night as we celebrated Pioneer Day. The day starts early as hundred's of people stake out their favorite spots for the parade.Enjoying a little KFC, and some entertainment.

I was especially amused with the crowd for the "trinket toss" as I call it. You know, the stuff that you will probably throw in the trash the next day that everyone fights over.

Our favorite Millcreek cheerleader was on the school float. Go Ash!

We happened to be sitting directly across from the Bountiful Tabernacle. I found this picture of the actual tabernacle with the tabernacle float passing to be extra cool. Our favorite float! After the fireworks we had a progressive neighborhood party. We went swimming at the Gulbransen's, and walked up to watch the fireworks at the Parry's. We have fabulous neighbors and had a great time!

Kids Camp

Personal Progress is a program that begins when a girl turns 12 and enters the Young Woman program of our church. Within this booklet are several values and experiences that a young woman completes and records.

Among other things, the purposes of the program is to help young women draw closer to the Savior, serve others, learn leadership skills, and develop relationships. It helps young women prepare for the future and learn skills that can prepare them for what awaits them in life.

Part of the Personal Progress is to accomplish 10 hour projects’ that can be completed with other young women. These projects help young women to learn leadership skills to be used in future roles such as a wife, mother, and homemaker. A young woman also learns how to organize, communicate, and complete a difficult task.

Lizzy, and her friend Bailee decided to create a Kids' Camp for kids 2 through 7 in the neighborhood. They spent hours organizing, and preparing for this camp. All young moms that might welcome a break from their toddlers were distributed a flyer, regardless of their religious affiliation. The camp was one week, Monday through Friday from 10 to 12.

Each day was filled with fun activities and snacks. They created crafts, watched a movie, had game day, water activities, and a challenge course. At the end of the week each happy camper was given a hippo cupcake and prize to take home.

Most days Tiffany supervised and helped the girl's prepare for the camp. I was so grateful to Tiffany for helping the girls fulfill their Personal Progress Project.

Lizzy and Bailee couldn't have been cuter. They were so patience, kind, and full of energy while supervising these activities with 18 to 21 kids a day. The girl's learned leadership skills, organizing skills, developed many wonderful relationships, and were of service to these young moms.

It is an experience Lizzy and Bailee will cherish for the rest of their lives. Hopefully, this experience has prepared them for future roles in their lives.

Water ActivityHippo cupcakes given to the kid camp participants.

The Dark Garage

Bad things happen in our garage at night when it is dark. You may remember the “skateboard incident” I had while running to the car in the dark in the garage. Last night, it was Mike’s turn to have a frightening experience in our dark garage.

When Mike got home last night the garage door happened to be up. I try to keep it down as much as possible, but with teenagers’, and youngsters coming and going it doesn’t always get put back down.

When he walked in the garage he was thirsty, bent down to pick up a water bottle, and came face-to-face with a HUGE RACCOON! The raccoon hissed at him, Mike scream (yep that scary), and ran in the house.

We have had other encounters in the past, with one particular HUGE raccoon. I have to wonder if this is the same one. It stands about 3 feet tall, is big and burly, and awful scary. Not something you want to come face-to-face with in the dark.

I thought maybe the raccoon had eaten our little dog Bella, since she was MIA for the night. I wasn’t about to go looking for her in the dark after the raccoon story. However, we found out in the morning Bella had an unauthorized sleepover with her friend Max.

The deer are eating my beautiful flowers; the raccoon is tormenting my child, who needs to go camping to encounter the wonders of wildlife? Not me!

17 Miracles

The kids and I went to the movie theatre to see the movie 17 Miracles. It is a pioneer film unlike any I have never seen before. It has increased my appreciation for the incredible sacrifices the pioneers made during their travels to the Salt Lake Valley. I have a renewed appreciation for them.

The movie is based on unbelievable actual events that the Willie Handcart Company endured. Levi Savage, one of the fearless leaders, kept meticulous records of the journey west toward the Salt Lake Valley. The film is based on these records. It is stated that “Many of the unbelievable miracles showcased in 17 Miracles come directly from Levi’s first hand journal entries. What he came to find out is that for every tragedy, there is a multitude of miracles.”

Ben, who is 8, had a difficult time understanding the miracles. He would lean over to me and say, “That really didn’t happen, did it?” One of the miraculous miracles that happened in the film was a young daughter coming back to life. I am sure this is difficult for him to process, since his experience in life has been different.

We had a FHE on Monday that included a discussion about miracles. I focused mainly on ones that he may be familiar with in the Bible.

I have a lot more teaching to do, but I hope that someday all my children will understand the beauty and reality of miracles. Although I may not have experienced the greatest miracle that I would have liked to have happen in life, I do believe in miracles.

I am so grateful for the pioneers, and the sacrifices they made for all of us. Pioneer Day commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24th. I hope to be especially mindful of them as we celebrate this holiday this year.