Gold Medal Mile

Que Chariots of Fire!  I finally went to run with Kade during his lunch break.  The school is part of a program where each student runs at least 1 mile every week.  They do this during their lunch and each grade does it on a different day.  I had been promisisng Kade I'd come but never made it until today.  Kade was so funny about it.  He was very strict about running the whole time.  He was so excited because he got to count his family member's laps too.  He went back to class with his hand covered in dots.   Nice job buddy!

a DAy in tHe lifE of CoLe

Here's Cole with his cucumber that he insisted on stabbing with a fork and then just holding the cucumber and trying to bite it with the fork getting in the way. Here is Clint who would like to get down on the ground once without being sat on, laid on, or stood on. (Actually I think Clint likes the attention from his brother). :)

Walk-A-Thon

The school's fundraiser walk-a-thon was today.  I went to walk with the boys but they were running maniacs.  In the end Kade had run over 3 miles.  I was so surprised that he could do that.  Clint's grade didn't get as much time but he too ran a lot of laps.  I tried to catch up to both of them now and then but I could see them more and could cheer them on if I just stayed in one spot so I eventually stopped running.  Kade kept saying, "Maybe I can go run with Dad in the mornings now."  ;-)

Sing A Song

Clint came home from school today singing a song he says they sing in Mrs. Wade's class. It is about the days of the week and they sing something like, "On Monday, we read a book. On Tuesday, we write our letters.  On Wednesday, we sing a song; la la la la," etc.   He said he sings Wednesday like this though, "we sing a song; bow chicka wow wow."  He of course had some hilarious movements with his twiggy legs and arms.  He's always making me laugh.  Oh I love him.

1st Grade Service Project

Two of the most awesome people I know: Wendy and Heidi

My Kade!

Kade's awesome teacher Mrs. Mecham

The amazing principal Mr. Brown

Everyone working--so adorable!

Group picture when it was finished

And a pic. of Clint and I(he had to come help after he got out of school--good job buddy)

Today was the 1st grade service project.  Wendy Spencer was in charge so I told her I'd help her.  We wanted to do something that the kids could really do and it wouldn't be the adults doing or fixing or redoing everything 100 kids did.  SO when our ward emptied sand bags and the park playground for a ward service project I thought-- this is it!  After some calling and coordinating we finally got a day approved and it was a complete success.  The kids were so into it and they all helped.  The park looked better and the sandbags were no more.  Good good day.

Lake Powell Sunday

We got here on Wednesday and it's already Sunday!  I don't know how the time can fly by so fast here but it always seems to be over too soon.  I really have the hardest time with this day.  I almost don't want to come just so I don't have to be so sad and depressed because I have to leave.  The discussions were enlightening and fun as always and one thing we explored is the idea of playing to your strengths--which is doing things more often that strengthen you.  Things that when you do them you loose track of time and you are just so fulfilled.  We I'm pretty sure that living at Lake Powell is one of my strengths so I'd like to "play to that" more often! ;)  Thanks Redmond Inc. for a opening experience!

Where were you?
On this day of memorial I wanted to record my 9-11 experience so I can remember.  I was doing a week of student teaching at Cedar High.  A class had just come in and so we were waiting for all the students to get to their seats etc.  Another teacher came running in and told us to turn on our TV.  The news was showing the video of the airplanes hitting the Twin Towers.  I felt like it was some kind of joke or something that had an explanation.  It slowly started sinking in that this was really happening.  None of us could move all day.  The bells rang dismissing each period but the students would just float from class to class.  The teachers kept the TVs on and we all just watched all day.  It felt like we were in a strange trance; which in a way we were.  We were hypnotized by the audacity of people to cause destruction on such a grand scale.  Report after report kept coming in of people we were not accounted for, firefighters who radioed and then nothing, and also people where were suppose to be there that day but because of various reasons weren't.  Then there was the report of the airplane that hit the Pentagon.  I was so scared for Jackie, Darryl's sister.  She had just left the day before to start and internship there.  I called Darryl and he said that his parents heard from Jackie and she's fine, just emotionally scared.  Then there was reports of another hijacked airplane that because of the efforts of the passengers it didn't make it's target but went down killing all in Pennsylvania.  I hate hatred!  I just don't understand why someone can let hatred overtake them so much that they would be willing to cause so much devastation.  Hate is one thing but to act on it so viciously-- I just don't understand it.  For days, weeks, and months we watched the same videos over and over is sorrow and disbelief.  Finally after it had been over a year I couldn't stand to watch them anymore.  It was horrible and I just feel so terribly for all those who were effected by it one way or another.  I look back now and can't believe it's been 10 years; the wound still feels pretty fresh.  I can't imagine actually being there that day and seeing what they saw-- how horrible.

Lake Powell Saturday

We spent a lot of the day just enjoying things. We went on a kayak excursion that we didn't get any pictures of. We kayaked up the narrow part of Face Canyon and then got out and hiked/swam as far up as we could until we hit a small pool. Darryl and a few of the guys were doing backflips off the side of the wall into the pool. It was pretty crazy to watch because it wasn't like they were standing on a flat landing-- it was the side of the wall. Good times. Darryl got in some good sky skiing today and I did a little wake boarding. Darryl is still landing his flips like it's nothing. He's pretty amazing to watch. He jumps so high too. I even tried the sky ski. I felt like I was closer than I've ever been to actually getting it but I we didn't have time for me to perfect it.  I love the pictures of people on the slalom ski.  The camera makes the water wall look so neat.

Lake Powell Friday

Darryl took some beautiful pictures of a lily and one of it being bent by the breeze. We traveled to Rainbow Bridge today. I haven't been there since I was a kid. It was so neat to hear the stories from Chuck the park ranger(can't you see in the pictures how passionate he is about this place-- so great!). I'd forgotten how magnificent the arch is. I believe they said it's the largest natural bridge. Pretty amazing. Fun to remember driving how decades ago we drove our boat under it-- long way from that happening again. The group was awesome-- it is always so great to get a group of "strangers" together and after a few days we're like family. On the way we stopped at Dangling Rope Marina and of course we had to feed the massive school of massive carp. :D

Lake Powell Thursday

I couldn't wait to wakeboard. I hadn't done it for 2 years! I was pretty nervous I wouldn't remember how. But aside from starting with the wrong foot forward on the first pull I was pretty okay. I didn't get very comfortable with the jumps though-- Here's to next year! I needed to get comfortable again and I needed more speed. It was just as fun as I remember it being though. Ahh. I love everything about Lake Powell!  Oh! Notice the picture that you can see my spirit wakeboarding--so I know this isn't just something my physical body loves. :)  Darryl doesn't know what he did when he took the picture but it's pretty crazy.