Baseball Story

The Rebels have played most of their baseball games on Cate Field at Salt Lake Community College in West Jordan. Ben is an avid baseball fan and loves to go to every game with me to watch his brother. Last Friday night Michael had a game. It was cold and rainy, but as faithful baseball fans, Ben and I went anyway. We were prepared with blankets and an unbrella.

When we got to the baseball stadium the weather took a turn for the worse. It started pouring rain. I quickly pulled out my pink unbrella to get out of the rain. I told Ben to join me underneath away from the elements. Ben took one look at the pink unbrella and said, "I am not going under a PINK unbrella." I couldn't believe that he would choose to sit out in the rain in his hoody rather than protect himself against the elements with a pink unbrella. The game was called after only one inning.

After we left the ball field, we decided to check things out at the Castle Sports Authority in Murray. Michael and Ben needed new baseball helmets. It was like walking into a candy store for Ben. When he saw all the equipment he began adding to his list of things he "needed". He decided he wanted a catcher's helmet. I knew Ben didn't need it, but he insisted that he did. He begged and begged me to buy it. He began wearing me down, so I resorted to "alternative reasoning". I told him that you had to have a note from your baseball coach stating that you were playing the position of catcher to be able to purchase a catcher's helmet. He questioned me and said that they were kids on his team that had them and didn't get a note. I told him to give me their names and I would turn them in. Still testing the validity of reponse he asked the sales clerk. I quickly got the sales clerk attention so I could give him a quick wink so that my reasoning could be validated. Ben finally gave up on the catcher's helmet when the sales clerk confirmed my story. Even without the catcher's helemet we had numerous purchases, and yes, a BLACK unbrella was among them.

Conjunctivitious

There always seems to be adversity when you are planning a wedding. Meagan woke up one Saturday morning to find her eye red and swollen. She quickly went to Insta Care to get drops to cure her eye infection. She was informed that it should be gone in about 3 days. Well, after 3 days her eye was worse, not only was her eye oozing, red, and swollen, but her face and neck were swollen as well. Her doctor informed her that she was boarding strep, or staff infection. She was given antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and eye drops. Five doctor/eye doctor visits later, Meagan's eye had substantially improved. She still has scar tissue in her eye and her eye sight hasn't completely returned. We are hoping that by the time she returns from her honeymoon her eye sight will be completely restored.

Conjunctivitious is very contagious. She shared a milder version with her finance Quinn, and her brother Michael. Her bridal pictures had to be postponed due to the severity of her eye infection. Digital photography is great, but it still has it's limitations.

Spring Break 2009

Kangeroo Zoo

Our family decided to stay home this Spring Break. It has been years since we have stayed at home for this break. Usually we are involved with a basketball tournament, baseball tournament, or choose to vacation during that time. It was so relaxing.

We thoroughly enjoyed staying at home, watching movies at night, sleeping in, going to the South Davis Recreation Center, golfing and sliding at Kangeroo Zoo, scootering, biking, and using our creativity juices to invent games to play in the church parking lot. It was also nice to be available to continue with wedding plans, and get Katelyn's driver's license.

Driver's Beware

It has been a real struggle getting Katelyn's driver's license. Steve was more tolerant with inexperienced tennagers at the wheel, and always drove with the girl's. Since things have changed, the responsibility fell on me. I don't have "nerves of steel", which actually is needed to teach a teenager how to drive. After several "nervous breakdowns", my friends, family, and young women leaders stepped to to relieve me.

Katelyn got her driver's license a week after her birthday. She only missed two on the driving test, so it is assumed that she is a pretty good driver. The kids made her a poster to wish her luck.

Katelyn Turns 16!

Katelyn all smiles

The surprise party

Katelyn's favorite cake .

Family party

Katelyn turned 16 on Sunday, March 29th. On Saturday we went to the Young Women General Meeting at our Stake Center. Katelyn was frustrated that she couldn't celebrate her birthday with her friends,. They were all were going to the meeting or had other activities (or so they said) . Little did she know her friend's and I had planned a surprise party for her. After the meeting, a friend took her on an errand while the others came over and decorated the basement for her. She was so surprised! I couldn't believe I actually pulled it off.

On Sunday, we had a family party for her. I made her favorite dinner, sweet and sour chicken, and favorite cake, Jazz cake. We had family and friends over. Jodi and Jon made her a fabulous DVD of her life. It made me cry to see my little baby girl growing up so fast.

Music

Bountiful High School Choir

Harp students

Celtic harp recital

This spring has been a very musical spring. Katelyn sang in the Bountiful High School choir concert. Larry Smith, the choir director, does a phenomenal job with the choir. They performed on St. Patrick's Day, and incorporated an Irish theme into their performance.

Lizzy played the harp in a Celtic harp recital. It was on St. Patricks Day also, so the songs they played were Irish and Celtic songs. Lizzy and Sarah also played a harp duet for a Stake High Counsel dinner held in March. They performed Love One Another. Sarah played My Shepard Will Supply Thy Need and played prelude and postlude music. The music was beautiful.

Katelyn performed a duet in her violin recital with her teacher Jeanne Grover. They played How Great Thou Art. It was so emotional for me. That was one of the songs that was sung at Steve's funeral. You could feel the spirit so strong during that song. Katelyn and her teacher will be playing the same song in our ward in May.

Ben's Soccer Season 2008-2009

Ben in action

Funny faces

The team

Ben's soccer season began shortly after Steve passed away. I wanted the kids to continue with their usual routines, so his grandparents, aunts, and our friend's pitched in for the fall season. Each game someone would take Ben to his game. Last year Ben lead the team in goals. He is still great with his feet and makes several goals, but this year he hasn't enjoyed soccer as much.

In the spring I started attending his games. Needless to say we missed a lot of games. A lot of the games were missed because Ben struggled even wanting to go, some were missed because the wedding plans took priority, and when it was pouring rain I just out right boycotted them.

Ben is a great hustler, and amazing team player. I am not sure if his career in soccer will continue. His love for baseball and basketball seems to supersede soccer.

Sarah's Spring Break

It's Sarah! For Spring Break me and my friend Megan went down to St.George to visit our friends Cailey and Kortney who are going to school down there. We stayed in Megan's condo for a few nights then all of us when to Vegas and stayed in the Luxor. We went to the aquarium at Mandalay Bay, but we spent most of our time shopping and eating-at the Cheesecake Factory of course! It was a blast to say the least!

Our last night in St.George we decided to go caving. I'd never been before so I didn't know what to expect. We drove up to Snow Canyon and started hiking to where the caves were. I expected them to be normal caves, ya know the ones you always think of but I soon learned that they were caves that are in the GROUND. We had to climb down into the caves and I was a little scared because there were high ledges but the boys helped us down. We meandered through a bunch of little caves and finally got to the big one. Once we got there we broke open glow sticks, sprayed them all over the walls and ourselves and played hide and go seek! It was WAY fun!