The Provo gang

Thought I should update on the kids in Provo. Haven't done that for awhile. Carolyn just finished her practicum and she also passed her test to be a teacher. She starts her student teaching in the fall at Springville Junior High. They will be luckly to have her. She is so amazing with special education students. I think this is a perfect fit for her. Carolyn....just don't go bowling with them....they will beat you....ha ha. Brent got a promotion at Staples and that put him at full time. That will help the starving students. He is going to try and work full time and take some classes in the fall. Will be nice when Carolyn can work full time as a teacher.

Kevin and Stacie have still been running. They just completed another five K race. Stacie reported that Kevin did great. Got 1st in his age division and 4th overall with over 200 runners participating. Way to go Kevin. Way to go Stacie for getting into this with your hubby. Kevin and Mike ran 20 miles on Saturday to train for the St. George marathon coming up in Oct. He was sound asleep taking a nap when I called on Saturday. Can't say I blame him. They are both looking into grad school. Lots of decisions to make the next few months.

We sure miss the kids. A long days drive to get to see them. Look forward to seeing Carolyn and Brent in the next few weeks and then heading to provo to see all of them after we drop Chris off at school.

Take me out to the ballgame

A couple weeks ago we went with our friends Bruce and Jackie over to a Mariners game in Seattle. We didn't go at all last year....perhaps because they were the 2nd worse team in baseball.....but I've been dying to get over to a game since Griffey came back home. It was a lot of fun.....and we got GARLIC FRIES! I love those things. Nothing like a ballgame and some garlic fries to say it's summer.

The crowd went wild when he stepped to the plate. He even got more cheers than Ichiro. Griffey has always been well respected in Seattle. It was so good to see him in Marniner blue again after all these years. His swing is as sweet as ever. He had such an awesome game. He went 3 for 4.

We sat on the third base side and when Griffey reached third I was going crazy. I love watching him play.....but he sure isn't as fast as he used to be. He scored from 1st on one play and when he got to the dugout....out of breath....Ichiro went over and checked his pulse to see if he was still alive. Good thing he can still hit it a long way.....because he would never make it to first these days.

We lost the game. I knew when I saw that Morrow was on the mound that we didn't have a chance. That guy was terrible. Who cares if you can pitch 100 miles an hour......if you can't get it in the strike zone you'll lose every game. We did stage a comeback in the 9th though and we were only down by two....two on.....two out.....Griffey on deck......fans on their feet yelling.......and then in one swing the game is over and we lost another one......UGH. Would have been awesome if Griffey stepped to the plate and knocked a grand salami out of the park.

I've been tagged

Kevin, if my memory serves me correctly I tagged you previously and you said "Mom....I don't do tags." Who tagged me? KEVIN.

8 Things I did yesterday

1. Went on a rollercoaster

2. Walked for what seemed like miles

3. Laughed a lot (Mostly at Chris and Tyler)

4. Went on a tube ride that was so much fun

5. Had a picnic

6. Drank a Thelma's frozen lemonade (I love those!)

7. Held Scott's hand

8. Stopped for a visit at my brothers while we ate chinese food and he gave Chris lots of advice about Rexburg. Mostly......don't mention that he's related to Ted.....and he'll be just fine.


8 Things I look forward to

1. Our getaway next month.

2. Getting dad's place all cleaned up and ready to rent.

3. Going to the temple with Chris in the fall.

4. Seeing the kids in Sept. after we drop Chris off at school

5. Nights out with my hubby

6. Times all together as a family( I can't wait till Christmas)

7. Chris's mission call

8. Teaching again in the fall

8 things I wish I could do

1. Have a day without pain.

2. crochet(I stole this one from Kevin....chris needs to teach us)

3. Travel the world

4. Discover the cure for ALS

5. Visit Mary in Korea

6. Take a temple trip across the country

7. Go on a mission with my husband someday

8. See the Mariners win the world series.....okay.....I know that's never going to happen....but a girl can dream can't she?

8 shows I watch

1. Extreme Home makeover

2. So you think you can dance?

3. Bachelorette

4. Grey's Anatomy (My favorite) What's not to love? Mcdreamy and Mcsteamy. Seriously!!!

5. Boston Legal(But now I have to watch reruns. I'm so sad that show ended)

6. Mariners baseball

7. Ace of Cakes

8. What not to wear

Blessings among tragedy

I finally drifted off to sleep sometime after 1:15 this morning after talking with Chris after he arrived home. At 2am I was awakened by the phone ringing. The RS pres. is out of town and I'm the counselor so the bishop called me. He informed me that he was up at the old airforce base which is all in our ward boundaries. He said the Earls home had burnt down. Not only do the Earls live in our ward but Kevin is my husbands life long friend. They were childhood pals and they both are nurses in the operating room here at Samaritan Hospital. I woke up Scott and we rushed up there. Firetrucks were everywhere and the smoke was so thick. It actually was a three house fire. Someone in the neighborhood had been lighting off fireworks and the fire started in Earls carport and quickly spread to the home and other residences. Everything is a total loss for these three families. One of the families lived across the street from us for ten years. In the midst of all the chaos lastnight the bishop and his counselor and Scott gave the Earls a blessing. With all the sirens and lights and people coming and going there was for that small moment a calm and a peace that I can't describe. It was as if angels were surrounding us....and I believe they were. The families made it out with just the clothes on their backs. Within a minute of exiting the house the whole house was engulfed in flames. Three families lost all their stuff.....but it is stuff! Everyone got out alive. It was truly a miracle. What a blessing. I have two priesthood holders in my home....and this morning they didn't leave in white shirts and ties....they left in work boots and gloves to go and help a friend in need. They spent all day up there going through ashes trying to help them retrieve anything they could. I have witnessed in these last 24 hours the pure love of Christ. In the three hours during church that Sis. Cain and i were coordinating donations there were beds, couches, cars.....you name it.....people are donating it. Earls were the only members of the church.....but as I stood to conduct RS today I reminded each of those sisters that 3 families were homeless. Donate what we could and share with each of these families. The outpouring of support has been tremendous. As I went back to the house this morning with the family and people would drive by and give me their names and numbers I marveled at the goodness of people. It was evident that a lot of these people did not have a lot to give....but they offered what they had. I live in a wonderful communtity. Our ward is small and it is really having its share of stuggles. THis is the 2nd house fire in our ward in two months.....and yet once again people offered all they had. I'm so thankful for the blessing the Earls received lastnight to get all of their family out safe. I'm thankful to have the opportunity to love and serve in this calling. I'm thankful to have a bishop that stayed right by their side in the middle of the night. May God bless these 3 families with peace at this difficult time and may he use each of us as his instruments to bring this to pass.

Update

We spent all day at dads. There is still so much to be done. I spent most of the day sorting pictures and dividing them up between the seven siblings. We stopped long enough to grill up some hamburgers for the crew. We were all pretty wiped out at the end of the day but our niece Kelly finished off our evening with some comic relief. She found an old pair of really short knit swimming trunks. They were red, white and blue. She also found the wig that grandpa used to wear when he dressed up as Santa. So she comes running out in these horrid swim trunks with the wig and is leaping through the house singing patriotic songs. Oh my.....I couldn't stop laughing. If that wasn't enough she also found a really bright pair of quilted pants and she came out singing Michael Jackson songs. Holy smokes....that girl cracks me up. She was just what we needed at the end of a very long day. Scott managed to be home for most of the day after his early morning surgery call. We went and watched the fireworks and Chris and his girlfriend and her father met up with us. We had the best seat in town. We went up to the helicopter pad on top of the hospital. What a beautiful night. The fireworks were really good and we didn't have to face the crowd down at the park. It was perfect. Chris reminded me that this may be his last 4th of July celebration for awhile. He may end up in another country for his mission so who knows where he will be next year.

Independence Day

Happy 4th of July! A huge thank you to all of those that have fought for our country.

I was just crawling out of bed for the flag raising ceremony and pancake breakfast at the church when Scott got called in for an emergency surgery. So....what's a girl to do? Put her head back under the covers and get more sleep! We are spending a busy day next door at dad's trying to get the house ready to rent. Hopefully Scott will make it home soon and we can barbecue some hamburgers this evening.

Happy Canada Day

I LOVE CANADA. This is the home of my childhood. I have fond memories of trips to Waterton to picnic in the Rocky Mountains. It is a beautiful country. The beaches of PEI and the rolling foothills of Southern Alberta and even the flat plains of Saskatchewan all make for a beautiful country. Sure....we have some funny ways.....like I still really don't understand the whole Loony and Toony thing....why carry around all those coins. And our allegiance to the Queen has always baffled me....but it was a good country to grow up in. I have fond memories of Canada Day spent in Raymond with all of my family. My cousins and aunt will be gathered today for a feast....a parade....and the stampede. Fond memories.