Still Running

Our Christmas Adventure

2012-01-25T20:32:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas we decided, as a family, to go snowmobiling in Island Park, instead of doing presents. It was an adventure that we will never forget :-) Here are some highlights...and low lights...

Hot tubing, surrounded by snow - Highlight!

Amazing cabin - Highlight!

Snowmobiling in Island Park - Amazing!!

Big Springs - Highlight!!

Effects of me crashing the snowmobile Andrea and I were on into a tree...Lowlight...

It's like a tattoo

Oh yeah...I crashed it good

Besides the arm and a few scratches on the face - and the change of snowmobiling mood, Me and Andrea were fine. The trip was still fabulous, and I just love our dear little family!

Merry Christmas, 2011

2011-12-29T14:15:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, from the Gibbons Family!! The year 2011 has flown by, and we have enjoyed many opportunities to learn and grow together as a family! The year’s family activities included a summer camping trip in Yellowstone National Park and a Christmas snowmobile trip in Island Park, Idaho. The kids were able to get to know their siblings and cousins better, make forever memories, and love each other more! Here is a little bit of what everyone has been up to…

Andrea (8) had her birthday in May, and was baptized a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by her brother, Cameron. It was many years ago that these two planned that Cameron would baptize Andrea, and it was sweet to see them together on this special day! Andi is enjoying 3rd grade this year, and continues to do well in school. She still dances with the Young Dancemakers at BYU, and is becoming a beautiful and strong dancer! She also played soccer on a team with her cousins this past spring, and found that she loves to play the game! She’s a little bulldog!! Her dad and uncle coached them, and they had a great time! Andrea loves to laugh, and to be a big helper. She is typically at her mom’s side, helping out in any way she can! If it was time to work in the yard, it was Andrea who was usually found by her Dad’s side.

Derek (10) is having a great year in 4th grade. He has many wonderful friends, and enjoys spending time with them. He continues to play soccer and has really improved, playing an important role as a defensive player. After the fall outdoor season, his undefeated team played as an indoor soccer team, and they all learned to play soccer in a whole new way! Derek looks forward to continuing his play with his great team and coaches! Derek also played Jr. Jazz basketball last winter, participated in the Lone Peak summer basketball camp, and looks forward to being on a Jr. Jazz team again in a few weeks. He is a delight in our family, making us laugh regularly! His laugh is absolutely contagious…truly a ‘full body’ laugh! He has also discovered how much he loves to read, and it has been fun to watch him discover how fun books are.

Tiffany (13) is in 8th grade. She continues to be in the Academy program, taking honors classes for all the academic subjects, and still maintains a 4.0! She also sings with women’s chorus, and has a beautiful soprano voice! Last February, Tiff had surgery on both feet to remove extra bones on the insides of each foot. She was in a wheelchair for 3 weeks, and boots and crutches for 4 more weeks while the re-attached ligaments healed. In spite of that experience, she continues to do gymnastics 3 ½ hours, after school, each day. She culminated her year of work by winning a State Championship on Floor Routine for her age group. She just finished all the requirements for her personal progress award, and will be receiving it soon. Tiffany amazes us with all she does, her kindness, and never-ending fun personality!

Jason (15) is now in 10th grade, and enjoying being in high school. At 6’ tall, he has nearly overtaken his Dad in height. Jason continues to take challenging and advanced classes, and found a way to earn another 4.0! His French is getting pretty good :-)! He still plays the cello with the orchestra, and takes private lessons. Jason was in the pit orchestra for the musical “Beauty and the Beast”, which was an amazing production at the high school! Over the summer Jas enjoyed attending the Lone Peak basketball camp. He then went on the Stake Pioneer Trek, and had a great experience! He also went to EFY at BYU Idaho with his brother, and has great memories of his experience. Jason has great friends, and attends the temple weekly to do baptisms with them. He is such a great example of kindness, gratitude, and service! We don’t know what we would do without him!

Cameron (17) is a senior in high school. It is hard to believe how fast time is going! Cam is half way through his 3rd and final year of being on the Lone Peak varsity basketball team. Last season, the team won the 5A State Championship, and Cam is the proud owner of a state championship ring. This year we have high hopes for another great year! Following a team trip, back east, to compete with some of the very best all-star teams in the country, Cam attended our Stake Youth Pioneer trek, and had a wonderful experience with his trek family. He made permanent and lasting memories at Especially for Youth in Rexburg, ID, and made friends that continue to be very close and important to him. Cam finished all the paperwork and requirements for his Eagle Scout award, and has turned it all in. He will complete the process and receive his award in January of 2012. He looks forward to graduating from high school and is looking forward to college and serving a mission for the LDS Church.

Deborah has had a busy year. Along with trying to keep up with the family, (which is no small thing), in April, Deb graduated with high honors from Weber State University’s nursing program. Four days later she had back surgery to repair a herniated disk and remove a wayward fragment from some nerves in her back. Not exactly what she had planned for this year! The recovery was long, but she is back to running and feeling great! She passed the nursing state boards and is a full fledged RN! She had a FUN summer with the family, enjoying a “school free” summer with the kids – well earned after several years of school! In August, she started working at UVRMC in Provo on the medical/oncology floor. She loves taking care of her patients and their families…usually :-).

Nathan continues to do a great job, working as a Counseling Manager for LDS Family Services in Provo. He also keeps up a small, after hours, private practice in Alpine. He has been playing basketball regularly with the ward several mornings a week, and has started running again. He is in great shape…at least for a 41 year old! Nate had a nose job…ok, sinus reconstruction surgery, if you want the specifics :-). It was not a fun procedure to recover from, but it has already helped reduce the sinus infections and headaches, so it was worth it! Nathan continues to be a passionate BYU fan (any and all BYU sports), and an enthusiastic Lone Peak Basketball fan! He has had a lot to cheer about!
In between all of the individual activities we somehow found time to take a few vacations, including Island Park and Yellowstone over the summer, where we had a great time 4-Wheeling, fishing, and hiking. We decided, as a family, to forgo Christmas gifts and go back to Island Park, and spend Christmas in a beautiful rustic cabin, snowmobiling during the day and hot-tubing during the night.
Turns out, there was barely enough snow, but we had a fun week of adventure. Unfortunately, the second day was cut short by Deb crashing headlong into a tree. Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured, and we finished the vacation playing games and enjoying our time as a family! We have witnessed small and large miracles in our family throughout the entire year, and are grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ. His perfect life, unbelievable offering on our behalf, and his resurrection are all gifts we are constantly grateful for. In a world full of chaos and confusion, we are happy to have each other. We love you all and thank you for your love in return. May each of you have a happy and successful New Year!

With love,
Andrea, Derek, Tiffany, Jason, Cameron, Nathan and Deborah.

Football Season is Here!

2011-09-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

How do we know? Well, there is our yard....

And then there is Nate's brother, Eric's yard...

Two Digits!

2011-09-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Derek!! You have officially left the single digit ages, and will forever have at least two numbers in your age!! You are growing up SO fast... And we have loved every second of the journey! We love you, Bud!

Oh What Do YOU Do In the Summertime?

2011-08-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

Lots of dirt....

Lots of Water.

Lots of 7 Peaks! (We love our passes)

This has been a GREAT summer of fun!

More Dirt...

2011-08-01T22:09:00.001-07:00

This is not a tan...Just a lot of dust and DIRT..

Eat My Dust...

2011-08-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Becomes VERY literal when you are 4-wheeling in Island Park!! :-)

What do you do when you are that dirty? If you are Cam, you go jump in a lake :-) (Lake, River, Reservoir...whatever is handy)

Vacation!

2011-07-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

Our vacation was DELIGHTFUL!! We went to Yellowstone to camp and play with siblings and cousins. In spite of the dirt, mosquitoes (elephant sized, no less), and rain, we had a wonderful time!

It is BEAUTIFUL there....stinky, but beautiful :-)

Old Faithful did its thing...I have seen it many times in my life, and it is still thrilling!

Buffalo...they are huge, plentiful, and not too bright. But people still think that they have to slow down and take a picture of EVERY SINGLE ONE THEY PASS!! We waited in a 40 minute traffic jam to pass this one - I hate to tell you - they are cool, but they all look THE SAME!! Another small word to the wise - they are WILD!! Just because they move slowly most the time doesn't mean that they won't charge you when you get out of your car to get a closer view and picture. Haven't you paid attention to the yellow paper they gave you when you came into the park - a man is FLYING through the air after being gored by a buffalo. It could happen! :-) We named this guy Sheldon. We had a long time to come up with the name - sitting in traffic...

This was one of three bears we saw - this one was right on the side of the road, and only one other car passed it before it crossed the road and wandered down the mountain. We saw this guy about an hour after a man was killed by a momma bear in the same area. I like animals from my

car - or when they are behind bars. Zoo, anyone?? More to come later!

Kings

2011-06-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

Jimmer will play for the Kings. Is it a good fit? Will the other players realize how amazing he is, and give him a chance? Who knows! All I can say is, at our house, we love Jimmer!! Best of luck to him :-)

Baptism Day

2011-06-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

My youngest child was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints this past Saturday. Her older brother was able to baptize her, and it was a special day! We had many family and friends come to support her and celebrate with us. Truly joyful! I am so thrilled that she made this choice!

In our ward there were 7 - count them - SEVEN girls that turned 8 this past month and were baptized on Saturday. They are SO sweet, and look like angels! We feel so fortunate to live in this area, surrounded by such great families :-)

8 is Great!

2011-05-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

My youngest is 8! She is so excited about this birthday. She got her ears pierced, she had a birthday party, and she will be baptized in two weeks by her older brother Cam. We sure love our Andi!

GRADUATION!!

2011-04-23T13:39:00.001-07:00

RN Program at Weber State University - DONE!

Graduation day - Joyous!

Graduating with Honors - a First for me :-)

Color - purple

Mascot - ??? oh, Wildcats

The surprise - the awesome banner my family made and held up when I walked and got my diploma (Ok, we all know that they don't actually give you your diploma - you get an empty diploma holder book, with a paper insert that says they will mail the real diploma in 2-3 months)

How did it turn out?

2011-04-12T15:59:00.001-07:00

This is not a new fridge...this is the new dishwasher that we bought, along with the new fridge, to replace the old dishwasher that was having water seal problems.

This is the freezer of the new fridge, that replaced the old fridge due to a compressor that had seized up. EXPENSIVE repair, or EXPENSIVE new fridge? We went for the (hopefully) longer term fix.

Very pretty...

Neato...and blurry!

When clean is a bad sign -

2011-04-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my fridge. It is not new, and I hadn't planned to give it a good cleaning today. My daughter opened the freezer to get something out, and asked if the ice in the ice maker was supposed to be dripping. I investigated and found that things in the top half of the freezer were beginning to feel squishy. This is not a desirable quality in frozen food. My hubby was already asleep, so my eldest son helped me load all the freezer and fridge stuff in laundry baskets, and he hauled it out to the garage for me. I am very grateful for my extra fridge and freezer space. This is how the garage refrigerator / freezer looks now. Just so you know, I had been to Costco the day before - of course.

I currently had 9 gallons of milk in the fridge - which equals about one weeks worth for us. Hey, don't judge. Have you seen my giant boys? Keeping them fed is a challenge! :-)

We had been talking about getting a larger chest freezer - I wish we had actually gotten around to it before today!

What I learned from this experience -

-It was time to clean out all my freezers

-I discovered new / old food treasures that I am happy to have.

-I had stuff to throw away - I love throwing things away!

-Midnight is not a fun time to freeze your hands off playing with food from the freezer.

-My daughter was inspired to say something when she noticed the dripping ice, because if she had decided to say nothing, I would have gone to bed, everything in both the fridge and freezer would have been nasty when I discovered this morning, and I didn't have time to clean it all out this morning!

-My back hurts - my son saved me by carrying, lifting, and moving everything.

I'm sure what I will learn (re-learn) tomorrow is that refrigerator repair people, though they are nice and necessary, cost a lot, but less than a new fridge, which would be delightful except for the part where you have to pay for a new fridge, which then makes the repair people reasonable in comparison.

Back for more fun..

2011-03-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Two months of some serious back pain, inability to sit for any length of time without being pretty unhappy about it, and numbness and weakness down the left leg and whole foot, finally sent me to get an MRI and appointment with a neuro-surgeon. (It was actually way more involved than that, but let's keep it simple, shall we?) I have two disks that look like the second picture up there, and one that looks like the fourth picture. That is the one giving me all my grief. My MRI picture was actually even more impressive than this one - but not blue. My herniated disk and fragment need to go! We scheduled surgery, but the first available time is still a month away. I am on the cancellation list, with high hopes that I can get in in two weeks or so. I need my leg back. The calf has shrunk, and is an inch or two smaller than my right one. I walk with an annoying limp, and besides all that, it truly hurts. We seem to be in a medical phase of life at our house - I'm thinking that it is time to move out of this phase!

Not for the weak of stomach...

2011-03-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's not really that disturbing...unless you get disturbed by things like this :-) She got the stitches out and now wears black boots instead of brown wraps. She still has one more week before she can start putting weight on the feet. We have already planned family night around her for next Monday - Nate and I will be on both sides of her and help her stand. The doctor told her not to push through pain. Just build up slowly until walking is comfortable. We are hoping for great success!

STATE CHAMPIONS!!

2011-03-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

Life is good! Our knights won state! It is stressful as a parent to watch these games, but SO exciting! Quincy is an amazing coach, and we have loved this program. Cam has been on cloud nine all week! Of course, we start getting ready for next year right now :-) Bring on the spring season!

This picture isn't actually of state, but since Cam is just to the right of Hammy, it seemed like a good picture to add!

Back to school and life!

2011-03-10T07:31:00.001-08:00

This look that Tiff is giving you is the "poser" look, not the "I'm really sad or depressed" look. She has done so well in this wheel chair. She went back to school on Monday, and is glad to be back! One fellow in the hall asked her what happened, and she told him she fell off a cliff. He continued on to his class. The next time he saw her, he asked, "Which cliff?" If it has got to be done, it better be fun :-) Still a little pain, but nothing ibuprofen can't take care of. The next big hurdle will be learning to walk again. That will be in about 10 days - we hope- with the help of crutches for another 3 weeks. She is going to go to gymnastics tonight to get back to conditioning everything that doesn't require standing.

She has had a great attitude and done really well!

This picture is much happier, but the lighting is worse :-)

Post-op

2011-03-03T15:26:00.001-08:00

She looks awake, but she doesn't remember this part :-)
Her sweet little feet in their wrappings. They will look like this for the next two weeks until we go back to the doctor. Then he said she could be in boots, but there will be at least one more week of no weight on the feet.

Still my sweet, smiley girl! She is a trooper!

This is her hang out for the next week. It is on the main level, and she can get to the kitchen and bathroom with her wheelchair. The first two days were rough - she couldn't keep anything in her stomach, including her pain meds. Third day was much happier, and today has been the best so far. We will try our first outing tonight - I should have thought to ask for a handicap sticker!

Pre-Op

2011-03-02T12:21:00.001-08:00

First, she wore a lovely new gown and put on fashionable stockings.

Next, she wrapped up in a cozy blanket.

She got a cool looking IV to go with her stylish blue bracelet.

To finish off the classy look, she was given a stylish cap.

She went on her last walk with the anesthesiologist. Getting surgery is both stylish and relaxing...With this fellows help, Tiff was REALLY relaxed!

Surgery

2011-03-01T17:43:00.001-08:00

Tiffany had surgery on her feet - both of them. We went walking into the surgical center with hair braided and big smiles.

She had extra bones on her feet which have been causing her great pain - especially when she does gymnastics. This should take care of it - after she can walk again :-)

Now THAT is Love!

2011-02-25T14:24:00.000-08:00

This morning was a morning like many others - rushing around trying to make lunches, finish hair-do's, get the last minute spelling practice in, finish off the "just found" unfinished homework due today. You know - morning with five kids! My oldest realized that he was running out of time, and the stress level began to rise. Cam started ordering everyone around, got a wee bit (or more) grouchy, and Nate told him he had lost the privilege of the car for the day. Then my dear husband said, "Well, I have to go to work. See you tonight." And he walked out the door. I was left there with an angry teenager, and four more children milling around while I shed a tear for the way things had turned out. (I know, highly productive and intelligent, right?) Then, the door opened again. Nate came back in and started helping everyone finish gathering and get their backpacks on. He had a quiet, calm conversation with Cam, and they both made an agreement about the car. Then he kissed me goodbye, and took the younger ones to school. That extra five minutes, now that is love!!

Have You Ever Wondered...

2011-02-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

What would happen if you put hair gel into hair, rolled the hair up in tons of blue, spongy curlers all the way up to the head, and slept on it? Have you? Well, here you have the answer.

Hair goes from this...

To this...Overnight. Sweet!! :-)

Happy Birthday Cam

2011-01-19T21:32:00.000-08:00

17 years of joy, pain, fun, frustration, laughter, yelling, and lots of love. You are an amazing young man, and have proved over and over again that you have talents and potential beyond belief! We look forward to seeing you continue to grow, mature, and become the man you want to be! I love you, Cam!

2011-01-16T23:34:00.000-08:00

Jas got his braces off! Oh joyful day...and what an awesome smile!

Christmas Letter - 2010

2010-12-26T14:22:00.001-08:00

Gibbons Christmas Letter – 2010

What a year this has been! We have learned a lot, relied on the Lord, and felt closer to the Savior. We have laughed, cried, and run around (sometimes in circles). Through it all we have grown closer as a family and are so grateful for this time of year to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Here is a brief update of what we are all up to….

Andrea (7) is in second grade. She loves to read, write, play with friends, and help in the house. She goes to BYU twice a week for dance class, and can hardly wait for class each time. Andi is looking forward to turning 8 and being baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Derek (9) is in third grade. He enjoys reading and loves school. He has really had fun playing on a soccer team and can’t wait for the spring season to start. He will try basketball this winter – we’ll see how it goes. :-) His favorite thing to do is jump on the trampoline.

Tiffany (12) graduated from primary and is now in the Young Women program. She also graduated from elementary school and goes to Jr. High. She has done very well, earning a 4.0 GPA so far. Tiffany enjoyed dancing with the Children’s Dancemaker’s at BYU last spring, but has decided to focus more on gymnastics now. She works out for 3 ½ hours each day at the gym, and took 2nd place all around for her age group in the state gymnastics meet in November. She is truly remarkable.

Jason (14) is in 9th grade. He continues to be on the honor roll each term and does a great job in school. French is his favorite class. He plays the cello in the symphonic orchestra at school and takes private lessons. Jas was on the track team last spring and did a great job in the high jump and 800 meter race. He had the opportunity to go to youth conference over the summer with our ward. He is getting pretty good at basketball – he has a great shot!! Jason has really started to shoot upward – he is about 6 feet tall now, and growing fast.

Cameron (16) is a junior in high school. He is 6’5’’, and continues to play on the Lone Peak High School basketball team. He starts for the JV team, and gets a bit of time with the varsity team. Cam is a great friend and surrounds himself with some really good friends. He had the chance to work at the local golf course over the summer, washing golf carts, to earn money. It was a great opportunity. He has finished his eagle project and all of his merit badges. The paper work is nearly done, and he will soon be an Eagle Scout. We are proud of his hard work.

Deb is nearly done with nursing school, and will graduate in April with her RN (assuming she passes the state boards). She earned her LPN in May (and was asked to represent her class by speaking at graduation) and has been working one shift a week doing pediatric home health. She has maintained a 4.0 with all her nursing classes. Deb taught dance at BYU last spring, but took the rest of the year off to finish up school. She loves supporting the kids in all their activities – even if she watches and studies at the same time. She continues to enjoy running and completed a few races this past year. She is truly remarkable!
Nathan continues to amaze us with all he does. He is still working with LDS Family Services. LDS Family Services in Provo was named “Best of Utah County” in counseling for 2010, by the Provo Daily Herald. He also continued his private practice work at night. Nathan is the scout master in our ward and goes on lots of campouts with the young men. When asked how many years he has been with the Scouts, he says, “4 Klondike’s.” He enjoys playing basketball a few mornings a week at the church building (when he actually gets up) and stays busy keeping the yard in perfect condition. He actually learned what happens when you try to stop quickly on a scooter…..with gravel under the tires! He has some awesome scars to prove it.

We are so grateful for family and friends that touch our lives in so many different ways! We have had a fabulous year, and look forward to the wonderful year to come! We’ve been kept safe and healthy, for which we are enormously grateful. This time of year gives us further time to ponder the reason for the season. We know our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, died and rose again for each one of us. May we all remember His sacrifice and love during this wonderful season. Merry Christmas!

Love to all,
Nathan, Deborah, Cameron, Jason, Tiffany, Derek, & Andrea

What I have been up to...

2010-12-17T22:01:00.000-08:00

So what have I been up to since August, you ask?

Undergraduate Course work
CRN Subject Course Course Title Final Grade

24475 NRSG 2050 Treatment Modalities A

24472 NRSG 2070 Nurs Care - Adults/Children II A

24473 NRSG 2071 Adults/Children II Clinical A

That about sums it up!!

One more semester of nursing school to go. Wahoo!!

State Gymnastics Meet

2010-11-21T21:25:00.000-08:00

So I know this really turns into a "look what my kids can do" blog...but there you are. I take my clan to lessons, performances, games, practices, and back home again. We spend a lot of "there and back" time in the car. So, occasionally, I share some. Aren't you glad?

Tiffany competed in the State Gymnastics meet last week. She was really excited and a little nervous. She learned through the season that she did better in the meet if she didn't know her scores on each event as she went along. That way, if she got a low score, it didn't throw her off.

She had a good, solid meet. Some scores were a little lower than we expected, but she took first place on floor, third place on beam, and 2nd place all around - for her age group - for the whole State!! Pretty exciting!

Now she moves up to level 6/7. Six is still compulsory - all the routines are the same. But she will also start working on her optional routines - the routines that are unique for each gymnast. She has this week off, but doesn't want to take it. She is really excited to get back in the gym and keep working...Monday through Friday....three and 1/2 hours each time. And she loves it!

Here are her beam , floor, and bars routines. The quality isn't great - what can you expect? I took them with my little camera, and the floor routine was through a glass window. It does give you the general idea though.

Stuck on you

2010-11-18T18:38:00.000-08:00

My two girls and two cousins made up a dance. They auditioned and were chosen to perform in a Children's Danceworks concert at BYU. The music is awesome and the dance is fun. I tried to upload it, but apparently the three minute dance is too large to put on here...I'm not savvy enough to know how to get around that little upload rule. Sorry. Just trust me - it is AWESOME!! Thanks Mary! Here is a link to see it on YouTube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gXqaIQg2AU

New experiences...

2010-11-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

SO, my oldest son got his first ticket. Speeding ticket. 30 points. $90. I must confess, I have never had a point. Don't really know what to do about the point thing. Can't afford the insurance already, much less with points. He will be going to traffic school...or whatever that thing is called. If it happens again, perhaps he can wait until he turns 18 to drive again. Only just over a year away. OR, better yet, perhaps he will learn his lesson, slow down, quit thinking that he is going "slow enough", and not get any more tickets or points. I like this plan the best.

...........................................................................................

I ran the Provo Halloween half-marathon on October 30th. It was horrible! I seriously (sort of) considered calling my husband to come pick me up half way through. It was from Aspen Grove to Provo Riverwoods. The first 5 miles was STEEP down hill. At about 4 1/2 miles in my quads were shot...only a measly 8.6 miles left to go. No problem! It was not pretty. It was not fun. But I must admit, I'm glad I got done (Oh yes, my poetic side is alive and well). So, I did not quit in the middle, I did walk some, and I WILL be ready for the Salt Lake half-marathon in April. (Some people are a glutton for punishment...I already signed up).

Here's the Dirt

2010-10-17T21:34:00.001-07:00

As Promised...More mud shots. We climbed over walls, waded through bogs, and still had the ability to pose. Next time I do this race I am doing a belly flop in the swamp...just for fun!

Oh the MUD!!

2010-10-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

My two sisters and one brother in law ran the dirty dash in Midway last Saturday. It was a 10k, and some of the most difficult 6 miles I have had the privilege of running! Besides the fact that it was more UP hill than anything else, and the fact that the down hill sections were littered with obstacles like hay bails to be jumped over and mud to be slopped through, the fact that it got really warm really quickly, and the fact that part of the run was through the swamp on the edge of Dear Creek reservoir, and THAT mud was STINKY, DEEP, and tried to suck the shoes off your feet - I saw it eat some shoes.... no, that didn't make this race hard! It was the 10 pounds of mud on and in each shoe, while trying to get up those blasted hills, jump over obstacles, swim through slimy mud, and scale tall walls. Would I do it again?? Naturally!!
I will have more pictures soon - my dad took several - I'll share when I get them :-)

We started out so CLEAN...

This was the starting line - we began by running straight up a muddy hill.

This is the muddy pit we had to swim through before we could cross the finish line.

Kath and I are wadding through the mud...

Sorry I am sideways - must be all the mud!

Good close up of Ju and her journey through the mud pit

I think McKay landed belly first in the pit!
Oh yea - still smiling!!

How do you feel about the Great Salt Lake?

2010-09-16T17:43:00.001-07:00

Floating in the salty lake is fun...

the salt brine eating gnats were gross...this is the small amount that had gathered in the first two minutes...I didn't realize it was a merely a small portion of the swarm that was to come...

The lovely spiders under the eves of the bathroom facility were...interesting...and apparently a social gathering spot for these fellows - there were at least 20, maybe more...

All in all, an adventure to be sure. We parked, we saw MANY spiders hanging out, walked about a mile across the sinking sand to get to the water, were assaulted by gnats that made a scattering sound as we walked through them, rising in a dark cloud, played in the water for 15 minutes, ate lunch for 15 minutes...after walking part of the way back toward the cars to escape the relentless gnats, and took the trek back to the spider infested bathrooms and parking lot. Truly a day that won't soon be forgotten :-)

Reporting in...

2010-09-03T18:38:00.001-07:00

After school I love to ask the kidlings how their day went, what happened, and what they need to work on. TODAY - Jas got home from school and I asked him how his day was. "It was Epic!", he replied....OK then. I asked what made the day "epic". He said that the mint brownies he made for French class were a huge hit, they watched "Ratatouille" in another class, his team won all three games they played in PE, and the fourth class was just great fun today. A truly EPIC day!

Tiff came in a few minutes later. I asked her how HER day went. She said "It was epicly non-heinous". Huh? "So what made it epicly non-heinous?" I asked. Apparently, she got a sugar cube in science class, and it tasted good, CTE was fun, the art teacher is hilarious, and math was awesome.

So, today was EPIC and NON-HEINOUS. I'm sure glad my children have such extensive vocabularies, and aren't afraid to use them!

2010-08-18T07:50:00.001-07:00

Big Springs...More Vacation

2010-08-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

We always go to Big Springs when we are at Island Park. It is illegal to catch fish there- we just go feed them. FYI - they like canned corn better than the fish food that can be purchased for a quarter. The fish are HUGE!!

And the ducklings were "a-dor-a-ble", as Andi put it!

More Vacation...

2010-08-16T09:37:00.001-07:00

My girls LOVED the fish - his squishy eyes, his cool guts as they were pulled out of its wee little body, his feathery tail. It was a proud moment...I was the family fish gutter in my youth, when we spent the summers at this same cabin. We would spend the day fishing, and then I would sit out on the porch and gut ALL the fish. I loved it...and then I didn't love it as much because it took forever, but I had to live up to my "family fish gutter" reputation. It was one of the few things I could claim that were a bit less "girly". My daughters enthusiasm made my dad laugh! Must be genetic!!

More Vacation...

2010-08-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

Just imagine a whole post with pictures of us all riding this four wheeler. Cameron took his siblings on rides all over the place. I had a great time finding new paths to go on with each of the kids. We were so busy riding, I didn't take any pictures. Sounds like me!! It was Heavenly!!

More Vacation...

2010-08-16T09:23:00.001-07:00

Yellowstone - beautiful and stinky!

Old Faithful - give or take 10 minutes of predicted time -

This time, it took an extra 10 minutes :-)

Amazing views in the park!

Swimming in the Firehole River - Awesome!

The water was the perfect temperature!

VACATION part 1

2010-08-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

We had a GREAT time on vacation in Island Park! We went boating with my dad and a friend of his. Tubes and a knee board provided Fun, Fun, Fun!

Off to Camp

2010-07-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

My daughter Tiff is off to girls camp for the first time. She turns 12 next week. I have sent my sons off many times - why is different when it is my daughter?? Somehow, it is. She was VERY excited to go. I'm sure she will have a fabulous time - the leaders are AWESOME - I wish I was going too!

Love Story

2010-06-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

My Sweet Grandparents! They lived their lives helping others and loving each other, and died just over two weeks apart. I have many great memories of my grandparents through the years. I loved my Granddad's home in Walnut Creek, CA, and loved going there to visit! The house always smelled really good, and the back yard was like a fairy land. One year we went to visit for Christmas, and we went to the park and played basketball in short sleeved shirts! Amazing for December!! We went to see ET right when it came out, and my Grandmother gave us each some Reese's pieces in a baggy so we would have appropriate treats while watching. After they moved to Provo, we would go over and play. There was (and still is) a wonderful cupboard full of toys and games for the kids. My favorite was the tangrams - cards with patterns on them, and plastic shapes that were fit together like a puzzle within the pattern. Grandmother had cards for each of us with the pattern numbers listed, and we could keep track of which ones we had completed. My Grandfather put together puzzles - BIG puzzles - that he framed and hung all over the house. Right inside the front door hangs a working puzzle clock. Mesmerizing! I loved to swing in the back yard, looking up into the trees. We played tetherball for hours - then we picked raspberries, strawberries, peaches, tomatoes, or whatever was growing at the time. The garden always had something to offer. My Grandmother would call neighbors that had children close to our age so we could play. The next door neighbor had a pool, and my grandparents would arrange times that we could go swim.

When I began dating, taking dates to my grandparents house was a favorite outing! I brought groups, friends, and fellows I liked. My grandparents always welcomed my plans, and offered to help in every way possible. We often parked at their home when going to BYU football or basketball games, sometimes eating dinner before or after the games.

When I had children, their home was the favorite place to visit. My sons remember riding scooters in the front. Once, my son fell and skinned his knee. Grandmother took that scooter and put it in time out as punishment for hurting my little Camer. We would all walk over to the BYU Creamery and get an ice cream cone.

My grandparents came to every event that I performed in or participated in. Even last year, they came to watch my girls dance on the DeJong Concert Hall stage at BYU. They always loved and supported each member of the family, were great examples of being kind to every one they met, and worked hard 'til the end.

My grandmother began to lose her memory in the later years. My grandfather became her memory. He encouraged her to do a crossword puzzle every day. He took her on outings regularly. He was patient and loving. My grandmother continued to do what was natural for her - she made sure things were put where they belonged. She wrote everything down so she could remember who she was talking to, and who belong to whom. She looked after others even in the end, making sure we all had food, places to sleep and bedding when we were there to help during the day and night.

My Grandfather died of cancer two months after his diagnosis. My Grandmother died of kidney failure two weeks later, one week after we found out that she was sick. They both lived long and happy lives. They were both very healthy and active for most of their lives. They both taught me so much, and I will always love them and be grateful for them!!

Roller Coaster Glory

2010-06-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

I bet you thought I was done with school for the summer after graduating from my LPN program (or you had no idea where I was with the whole school thing...). You would be right and wrong - I did get done in May, and am currently working on the pre-requisites for my RN completion program that begins in August - psychology and microbiology. I am also taking my state boards (NCLEX) on Saturday morning to get my LPN. The stress level is rising, I have a mini-cold, and admit to being slightly grouchy today. (Only slightly!) Sorry kids! Here is Derek's report this week - I do not fix the spelling or wording...

Rollercosters - I Like Rollercosters because of how fast they are, and because some have lopede lopes. Even thoe some make me throw up, I still love rollercosters. by D G

P.S. (I resisted adding a picture of throw up...)

All You Wanted to Know about Ear Wax

2010-06-01T14:11:00.001-07:00

My Children Are LUCKY!!! They get to write a report each week on something vitally important to practice their writing skills over the summer. This weeks subject is .....Ear Wax. Here is Tiffany's offering.

Ear Wax
By Tiffany Gibbons

Ear wax is a very important part of a healthy body, although most people try to get rid of it.
Ear wax is also called ceriman by people who actually know what they’re talking about. It is produced in the outer ear canal. Earwax protects and moisturizes the ear canal, so that the ear is not dry and/or itchy. It traps dirt that has evil plans to cause infection.
You shouldn't try to get rid of your ear wax, because it is essential to an earache-free life. If your hearing is affected by wax, go to a professional for help.
Never use Q-tips or needles to get rid of ear wax; this can:
1-damage the eardrum (not fun!!!!!!!)
2-pack wax farther into ear

For most people, wax is a liquid and drains itself. When it acts like a liquid, it is usually fine. Adults produce less ear wax that children do.
Ear wax is a good thing that everyone has. Most people try to get rid of it. That’s like getting rid of a good friend. That’s like peanut butter getting away from jelly. That’s like Bella getting away from Edward. They need each other to live!

The Tooth Fairy Loves This Girl the BEST!!

2010-05-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

This sweet girl is now missing 4 of her top teeth. The front two have been gone since before Christmas, and she pulled the fourth one at church on Sunday. We hope she starts growing some teeth soon!

In other news about Andi, she turned 7 last week...It's hard to believe that my baby is that old and finishing first grade! She is so much fun! No friend party since she didn't turn 5, 8, or 12, but we did try to make the day special. At our house the birthday child gets to pick the meals for the day. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Dinner was homemade macaroni and cheese. She got to pick the cake, ice cream, and anything she wanted to decorate it with. I told her I would check her out of school for lunch, and we could go anywhere she wanted. I even made some suggestions...Applebees, IHOP, Chili's, Golden Corral, Pizza...The options were endless. Guess where she wanted to go when she had the pick of the world?? Wendy's. When Tiff turned 7, she chose to eat at P.F Changs. Not my Andi - she wanted a chicken nugget kids meal with root beer. Awesome! I Love You, my little muffin!

Tiffany's Gymnastics Meet

2010-04-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

Tiff took first place on beam and bars, second on floor and vault, and a first place win all around. Here are her routines :-)

Fingerprinting

2010-04-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

I am on the brink of ...something. Stress, finishing my first of two years of nursing school, big tests that determine my future school options, stress...these are some of the possibilities.

My nursing school program at MATC is only a LPN program. I will finish in May, take the NCLEX board exams, and be a Licensed Practical Nurse, if all goes well. Another possible explanation of LPN is "low paid nurses" :-) I have every intention of continuing on to become a RN (registered nurse).

I applied to Weber State University and was accepted to their online RN completion program. YEA!! The program is two semesters long, and will take me from LPN to RN by next April. The class work is all done online, and the clinical hours will be done once a week at a hospital...somewhere. It is perfect for my crazy schedule with the busy five, and I am SO happy! Of course, there is a contingency. I need to pass my current program...check, I hope. I currently have all A or A- grades, so it would take a serious disaster to make that a problem. I need to take microbiology and psychology this summer...check - I already signed up for them through independent study at BYU, and am just waiting to finish finals before I jump in and race through both classes (I hope I can do them both quickly so I can have a summer break!). Pass the ATI (a predictor test that is often taken before actually attempting the state board exams) with a 62 or higher. One shot. Three hour test. If I don't do well enough, Weber kicks me off the list for next fall. EEEK!!

Now, I have already been given the "no sweat, you'll do fine", from many loving and well meaning people (including my dear husband), and, in truth, I should be fine. But, ONE SHOT or I'm out! I will be taking the fun little test this Wednesday. First big hurdle to get over!

The other requirement to accept my acceptance for Weber was to get fingerprinting done on a card and mail it to the FBI for a background check. I had a two week deadline to get this done. So, I went to the police department in Pleasant Grove. The sweet lady that was doing my fingerprints worked for over 30 minutes, trying to get my fingerprints to scan correctly. They do a flat fingerprint and a rolled fingerprint of each finger. The flat have to match up with the rolled. Mine don't match. I have dry hands in spite of all the lotion (must be all that hand washing), and my fingerprints are very flat. The lady in PG advised that I go to the BCI (bureau of crime investigations) in Salt Lake, because they are the "experts", and could do a better job. My trip to BCI was worthwhile - four of my fingers matched this time. YEA! I did sleep with Vaseline, plastic baggies, and socks on my hands the night before, with the hope that my fingerprints would be more visible, but the fellow doing the job informed me that it would take four weeks of sleeping with Vaseline and plastic on my hands to make my fingerprints really clear, and I just don't have that much sleep to give up. Have you ever tried to sleep with crinkly plastic bags on your hands??

If the fingerprints don't clear with the FBI, my only other option may be to live a life of crime, leaving no matchable fingerprints behind. I'm still hoping for nursing school, personally!

Fun in Colorado and Wyoming

2010-04-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Nathan, Cameron, Jason, and Tiffany left me during spring break. They went to Colorado for orthodontist appointment, and then made a stop in Wyoming, "to shoot guns".

I made it into the program I was hoping to get into... which means one year from now, I'll have my R.N.

Ice Skating Outing

2010-04-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went ice skating. Every time we go the younger kids get braver and more confident. It is a great family outing!

I will not go to sleep until....

2010-03-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

I am a list maker. I make a list. If I complete one or two things on the list, I make a NEW list, and then have the fun of crossing off all the things on the old list that aren't actually completed, but I have put them on the new list so they can be crossed off the old. JOY! This was my list last night...

I WILL NOT GO TO SLEEP UNTIL....

1 -Edit mini care plan 3
2 -Edit mini care plan 4
3 -Finish full size care plan
4 -BILLS - pay them
5 -Levothyroxine handout - finish
6 -Hip Dysplasia board - create it

So, I crossed off number 1 and 2, then did number 4 (that has been on a list for 6 days now - not really a good thing to put off, just so you know). I did half of number 3. Then, in spite of my strongly worded list, I just had to go to sleep. So, today I made a new list that included number 3, 5, & 6, and several other things to do, and enjoyed the momentary fun of crossing the old stuff off of the old list. And so my days go. I am not highly realistic, but I aim high, do what I can, and do lots of other things that I never write down (yesterday, for example; Clinical at the hospital from 5:45 am - 2:00 pm, drive Tiffany to gymnastics, pick up Jason from track, pick up Cameron from basketball, make dinner (oh wait, last night we ate cold cereal...oops), go pick up Tiffy from gymnastics, help Andrea finish her homework, clean up Derek's throw up (another migraine), and change the laundry. Those didn't make it on the list.). So what did you do yesterday?

If you want to read a new blog about my friends amazing journey in the past year after her husband told her that his "business" was actually a ponzi scheme, and the past 16 years had been full of lies and dishonesty, go here: http://www.andreamerriman.com/. It is an amazing story told by an amazing woman!

I am the Best Mom Ever!

2010-02-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

My 8 year old has been coughing for a few days. You know, these things could go on forever, but it doesn't mean illness or germs. It could mean allergies, pollution, running around outside with out a coat....So he continued to go to school, of course. On Thursday he said his stomach sort of hurt. I told him to eat breakfast and he would be fine! Off he went to school. At about 1:30 pm he called from school and said he really didn't feel well, and he was getting a headache. Well, since he gets migraines, I took it seriously, and brought him home. He stayed in bed the rest of the day - rules of coming home early.

Friday began with the same "my stomach hurts and I don't feel well" story. I answered back with the same "eat breakfast and you will be fine" story. So, when I got the call at 12:30, and he said "Hi mom", I was ready. "You need to go back to class. You chose to go to school this morning, so just tough it out. You will be fine." With tears in his voice he said (after listening to my mini lecture), "But mom, I just threw up on the playground". "Oh....(pregnant pause, and time to completely reverse my attitude) Oh sweetheart, I will be right there. I am so sorry that happened." I'm especially sure that all the children that got to not only see the throw up at recess but shared in his germs all day were glad he came. I win the gold medal for momness.

Gymnastics Meet

2010-02-07T16:28:00.001-08:00

Tiffany competed in a gymnastics meet yesterday. She took first place on floor and third all around. Here is her floor routine :-)

New Year...New Type of Blog!

2010-01-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

It is officially 2010. I thought I would start the year off with a New Years Resolution to change my blog around. How about a "Hair" blog? Here are some great hair moments from the past several years.

Andrea having a great and not so great hair day!

Tiffany and Kaylee doing their own hair.

The couch helping with the hair...

The beauty of curlers

What it takes to get the curler look...

Gymnastics Hair Do...

Crown hair do

Magical snake hair

Really cool braids

Another princess crown braid

First Day of school hair

Directions to create each of these hair masterpieces...learn how to french braid, put in pony holders or curlers, or rub your head on the couch. Any questions??

That about does it for my hair blog resolution. Like all good New Years Resolutions, easy come, easy go...break the thing and get back to normal. :-)

More Pictures to Go With The Christmas Letter!

2009-12-24T09:06:00.001-08:00

Playing at Island Park

Twin Falls Bridge

The tallest thermometer in the world...big moment for us all! (jk)

Beach fun

Disneyland...missing Cameron the whole time!

Cameron and his first Varsity basketball game!

Jason and Tiffany at Zions

Tiffany at a gymnastics meet

Andrea and her friend Payton

Christmas Letter - 2009

2009-12-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE GIBBONS - 2009
What a year this has been! We have been busy, happy, and busy…and did I mention busy?! I will attempt to give a brief run down of the years activities.
Cameron is 15, a sophomore at Lone Peak High school, and currently 6’4’’, with hopes that he is still growing. He is serving as the Teacher’s quorum president, and has many good friends! Over the summer he went to a basketball camp at the high school and was chosen to play with a sophomore team at several camps. He even chose to stay home from the Disney vacation in June to attend a camp at USU. This fall he tried out for the school team and made the Varsity/JV team. What an accomplishment, especially at our school! He starts on the Sophomore team, plays off the bench for JV, and usually sits on the bench for Varsity, although he has been pulled in for one game so far. He is working hard and having a great experience! He got his drivers permit in November, and is a pretty good driver. He turns 16 in January, and is looking forward to going on his first date!! Cam is a wonderful big brother and example to the rest of the family! What would we do without him??!

Jason is 13 and in 8th grade. He is a great student and loves school. He plays the cello and was moved to intermediate orchestra half way through 7th grade. He began this year in advanced orchestra, and is doing a great job. Track starts in February, and he is looking forward to doing cross country. For his birthday he went to St. George with Nathan and Tiffany for Tiff’s gymnastic meet. After the competition they went to Zion’s National Park and had a great time hiking. He has also started growing – we are interested to see how tall he will get in the next few years! He has earned his Life in scouts, and looks forward to working on his Eagle. Jas is a great helper with his siblings, a great cookie maker, and just a sweet boy!!

Tiffany is 11 and in 6th grade. She is doing really well in her advanced placement class, and looks forward to Jr. High next year. She is still competing in gymnastics and did a great job this past season! She placed 5th in the State competition for her age group for level 5, and is now working on level 6 skills. She already mastered her front tuck, back tuck, back walkover on the beam, and her clear hip circle on bars. (They are all cool tricks, even if the names mean nothing to you) She is also dancing at BYU twice a week, and is beautiful to watch. Very busy, but always happy, kind, and fun to be with! (and sleepy)

Derek is 8 and in 2nd grade. His big news for this past year was being baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was a wonderful day, and we were so happy that he made the choice to be baptized. He played soccer in the fall and loved playing with his team. He has a great kick! He looks forward to the season starting again in the spring. Derek is a great reader and is enjoying school. His favorite thing to do is play with his friends and siblings. He still has an infectious laugh, and he makes us laugh all the time!

Andrea is 6 years old and loves 1st grade! She enjoys reading, drawing pictures, writing, and recess! She goes to her dance class with BYU children’s dance once a week and has beautiful leaps! It is wonderful to see her dance. She also has many fun friends in the neighborhood and has truly enjoyed being able to run to their homes and play! She has lost 5 teeth so far, including one right in front! Always happy and sweet, she truly is a little love bug!

Nathan is as busy as ever…or more! He continues to do great things working at LDS Family Services. We are grateful to have such a stable and good job in this day and age. He also started his own private counseling practice on the side which has been going well. Nate continues to serve as the Scout Master in the ward and spent many, many nights camping with the deacons in the ward. Jason loved having him there! Nathan also was able to attend MANY BYU men’s basketball games, women’s basketball games, football games, and even a few baseball games. He continues to love all things BYU, and just enjoyed the Vegas football bowl game. Life is even better when we win! It is great fun to go to Cameron’s game and cheer him on as well.

Deb continues to try to keep up with all the activities of the family, and makes an excellent bus driver for the kids! This year she added nursing school to the schedule, and has spent a lot of time studying and writing papers. In spite of the crazy pace of life, it is a great adventure and seems like the right thing to do! So far the favorite experience for clinicals has been in the Emergency Room. It’s exciting to be able to take care of people that need help! She is still serving in the primary and loves teaching the 8 year olds! She also loves cheering on the family in their many activities! We celebrated our 18th anniversary in November, and can’t imagine being happier than we are now!

As a family we enjoyed many adventures this year! We went ice skating and stayed in a hotel in SLC the night before Easter, watched the girls dance in the DeJong concert hall in May, went to Disneyland and the beach in June (missing Cameron the whole time), enjoyed time at the cabin in Island Park in July, had fun at Seven Peaks for Tiffany’s birthday in July, hiked and went through Timpanogos Cave in August, went to “Sliding Rock” in Alpine in September, chopped down our Christmas tree in the mountains in November, and went to Twin Falls, ID in December to attend cousin Packer’s baptism, to name a very few of our outings! We have loved being together as a family, supporting each other, laughing together, and growing together. In spite of all that we have going on, we are so grateful to pause and reflect on the reason for this beautiful season! Jesus Christ is the focus of our lives, and we are so grateful for his example! We know that families can be together forever, and rejoice in that knowledge every day! We are also grateful for the many dear friends and family that touch our lives in so many ways. We wish each of you a Merry Christmas, and hope you know of our love for you!!

Love Notes

2009-12-22T07:10:00.001-08:00

I plan to blog several times over this holiday. My 11 year old has often lamented my poor blogging consistency, so she will be posting occasionally. Should be entertaining! My latest addition comes from my 13 yr old. I worked late night clinical shift at the hospital during the semester and got home around 12:30 am. I usually made dinner before I left to make it easier for Nate. A few weeks ago I came home to a note on my pillow. There was a message from everyone, but I thought I would pass along the one from Jas.

"Hey mom, I loved dinner. It was the best dinner ever. If we had dinner like that every night, I wouldn't complain. The carrots in the dinner and the chicken in the dinner was good in dinner, but dinner wouldn't be dinner without the water that goes with the dinner. Love you (plus the dinner). - Jas"

It's good to go to sleep giggling!

Who needs food?

2009-11-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

Last week I was feeling uninspired while trying to decide what to do about dinner. (Shocking, I know). My menu had been planned and posted on the fridge for weeks, but nothing looked good...or fast...or easy. I asked my little Andrea what she thought we should do about dinner. She stopped, thought for a moment, and then said, "Well, can we laugh?" Plan for the best part of family meal time. Food is optional!

2009-10-31T19:39:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to get the pictures up from this summer. Halloween is a good time to catch up on a vacation that happened in June! I'm sure that is true :-)

We took our children to Disneyland for the first time over the summer. Cameron wasn't able to join us, because he had a basketball camp in Logan that same week, so we promised him that before he leaves on his mission in three years, we will take him to the magical land. Yea! Another Disney trip in a few years!

We ran from opening to close, used fast pass and stood in very few long lines, swam in the evenings, and had fun from beginning to end. There wasn't a ride that we couldn't all go on...OK, maybe putting fruit snack packets in Andreas shoes to make her two inches taller so she could go on Indiana Jones was a bit over the top, especially since she screamed through the whole ride, but she still went :-)

Nobody got lost, nobody threw up, and everyone was happy. Family vacations are awesome!

Farewell dear camera -

2009-10-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

It was actually my fault. We went to sliding rock in Alpine for FHE. The rock looks like it would really hurt to slide on, but it feels smooth, and drops you right into a FREEZING cold pool at the bottom. I was holding the camera and Andi's hand, walking in the water toward the pool, so I could get some great action shots of the sliders. My foot slid on a rock, and I tried to save both the camera and my daughter. Well, Andi got dunked, the camera went under, and my hand looked like the second picture here...the last picture my little camera ever took that didn't look as if it was

taken through the foggy mist. Sniff.

At least the activity was great fun, we all took a few slides down the awesome rock, then gasped for breath in the icy chill, and the night was a hit. All without further documentation.

I wonder..

2009-10-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

There are things that I wonder about -

...Why do my hands still smell like the long term care facility where I was doing my clinical from 5:45 am- 2:00 pm? I have washed and washed, but the smell lingers. Is it in my nose hairs, as opposed to on my hands?

....Why did I crash so spectacularly when I went roller blading with my sister on my birthday - here's the bruise to prove the utter grace that I displayed. (It was on my hip and thigh) I just didn't turn fast enough, thought the grass would slow me down more than it did, and stopped myself with my hip and leg as I blasted into a picnic table.

....How did I get such creative and fun children and husband, when I myself am so creatively impaired, and nothing if not all vanilla ice cream and cheese-only topped pizza?

....Why I started a blog ... :-)

These are great things to ponder on.

Remember the Summer...

2009-10-18T14:14:00.001-07:00

In June we took 4 of our 5 kids to Disneyland. We told the family years ago that we would go to the magical land when the youngest was at least five years old. Consequently, little Andrea was highly disappointed when she had her fifth birthday, and she didn't get a Disney trip to celebrate! A year later, we finally made the trip! Yea!!

We spent the first night in Mesquite, Nevada. Any hotel with a swimming pool is vacation worthy. We went to church the next morning, and were asked several times, with hope in the eyes, if we were new in the area. I guess large families are a precious commodity in that ward.

We continued our drive toward the magical kingdom, but stopped to enjoy the history and fascination of the tallest thermometer in the world. It was a special time for us all...brought a tear to the eye, really.

Playing on the beach with the family was great fun. The kids played, ran, danced, napped, and had a great time! It wasn't the warmest day, but we also had a big portion of the beach to ourselves! We spoke often about how much we all missed Cameron, who wasn't with us because he was playing basketball at a camp at Utah State University. We made a promise to him that we would take him to California and Disneyland before he goes on his mission in three years...It's a good promise to make, because it means we have another magical vacation coming up before the oldest is out of the house.

Farewell dear gallbladder...

2009-09-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

To my gallbladder -

You have been a great companion throughout the years. You spewed bile when I enjoyed food with fat in it. And I have greatly enjoyed delicious, fatty food! What we had together was good. And yet, in spite of my appreciation, you have begun to cause me great pain. You turned on me, and made me cry. For this reason, we need to break up. Nothing you can say or spew will change my mind. The doctor will unceremoniously suck you out of my body, never to be seen or heard from again. Good riddence.

-Me

Do you want an ego boost??...

2009-07-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

I was running with Cameron a few weeks ago while we were on vacation. We ran just over 4 miles, and the altitude was 8900 feet. I was running pretty steady at a 10 min. mile. Cam informed me that we were going pretty slow. I told him that I have run with some people that run even slower than me. He said, "Mom, I don't think it's possible to run slower than this!"

Jason was in the car with me when I saw a neighbor. I stopped, we chatted for a few minutes, and then continued driving to the cello lesson we were heading for. Jas said, "Mom, you are really social. You talk for a long time!" I just laughed, and told him that I enjoy catching up with friends. He said, "I like to talk to my friends too, but it doesn't take as long....I use shorter sentences." What a helpful piece of information.

How Time Flies!

2009-06-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

Apparently, I am not a real blogger. Real bloggers do not ignore their blog for months on end, even if the computer gets a virus, and seems to forevermore hate all things google and blog like. Of course, the long period of time between my last post and this one makes it easy to have something to write about - except for the little brain problem I have...something I affectionately call mother brain. It forgets things. Be that as it may, here are some pictures of my girls from the concert they performed in at BYU. The show was in the DeJong Concert Hall. Tiffany's picture was used on the board outside of the ticket window as part of the advertisement for the concert. They both did a beautiful job, and had a great time.

There were some funny things that happened, but I have forgotten them. Perhaps my blogging habits will improve...but we won't hold out too much hope. Pathophysiology is my current hobby.

Easter

2009-04-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday was a treat from beginning to end. We had planned to attend Music and the Spoken Word as a family, but forgot that the age limit is 8 years old. Nathan took the younger two over to the visitor center, and I went in with Cameron, Jason, and Tiffany. We had seats near the front, and enjoyed the whole program. After the program we spent some time walking around Temple Square. I think we usually take the family there when the whole world gathers to see the Christmas lights, so it was fun to be there when it was not extra busy, and it wasn't freezing! We went back to the hotel, checked out, and stopped by the This is the Place monument. I am ashamed to say that I have never been there before - how does that happen? I grew up in Utah, for goodness sakes!! We spent the rest of the day with our friends in Park City. They had organized a big Easter egg hunt in the back yard - they even went to the effort to shop vac up the majority of the deer and elk poop pellets that sprinkled the yard. We wouldn't want them to be mistaken for chocolate Easter eggs, now would we? We did chuckle a bit, because the oldest son had been out "helping" hide the eggs (He is at least 30). He opened several eggs and ate the candy, then filled them with gravel and put them back. My Andrea opened three such eggs, and was a bit more cautious about just opening the egg and dumping the contents into her bucket after the first gravel filled one! :-) We enjoyed good (great) food, wonderful friendship, and a beautiful day.

Spring into new focus?

2009-04-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

The semester has drawn to a close. Physiology is done, nutrition is complete, and I have one final test to finish off human development. Two A's and one B. 10 more credits under my belt...or on my transcript, I suppose...and the prerequisites for nursing programs are done. Two programs have been applied to, and the wait is in full swing. And I find myself curiously floundering. I have let the bathrooms be dirtier than normal, have trimmed down the menu plan to meals that can be prepared in five minutes or less, and the wood floor has been spot mopped for a month. But I have the oddest sense of needing something to do! I threw my heart and energy into successfully getting through these classes, and I'm having a hard time pulling myself into the new - old - current phase of house cleaning and projects. My sister informed me that I had this same problem when I was released from a responsible and time consuming church calling several years ago. Is this a basic flaw in my character?

I have concluded that I have adjustment problems. I dive in head first to opportunities (just not into cold swimming pools), and coming back out is painful. On the other hand, once the transformation has occurred, my appreciation for the past experience increases, and I'm thrilled to have moved past it. The constant is my cute little family (can my 6'4'' tall fifteen year old be called "little"?) that takes up my first love and attention. There is always more than enough to do with them and for them. They make me laugh, and sometime make me grind my teeth. Over spring break we spent lots of uninterrupted time together, and it was wonderful. (More to come on that...I haven't downloaded the pictures yet) I may feel the pain of change, but the joy and work of the experience is worth it!

Where do they come up with these things?

2009-04-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

Derek played in his soccer game on Saturday. It was freezing cold, little snow flakes were blowing around, and I didn't bring a hat for his little ears. When he was out, he would come sit on my lap, and I would try to warm up his ears and hands. He turned to me and said, "Mother, I love you so much!". I said, "I love you too, buddy!". He said "Oh man, I was trying to make this romantic, and you ruined it!"

Sick child...

2009-03-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

This little one is typically a happy, energetic, sweet little thing. She is not perfect (lest you get the wrong impression), but she is delightful! So having her sick is just the saddest thing. She has been dragging for a few weeks - maybe fighting this sickness off? Who knows! On Thursday she fell asleep at 5:00 pm. I couldn't let her just sleep because her brother was singing in his first grade program and we all went. She just drooped against me through the whole thing. That night she came in to my room around midnight, saying that her stomach hurt...and then she started to throw up. I caught it in my hands, (I am supermom, and it was a small amount. Completely contained) and we hustled into the bathroom. After getting her cleaned up and giving her the barf bowl, she wanted to stay with me. I let her climb into my bed and proceeded to watch the clock slowly make its way toward morning. I don't sleep well when people are touching me! Finally, at 5 am I asked her if I could carry her back to her bed, and she said it would be ok. Then I taught an uninspired aerobics class at 6 am. She has been throwing up two or three times a day since then, and I finally took her to the doctor today because she couldn't sit up, wasn't going to the bathroom, and didn't want to drink anything. The after hours clinic sent us to the ER, and they put an IV in to get her hydrated again. I would have a picture of it, but, funny enough, I didn't think to take my camera with me. So, she is back home with a cool bandage on the hand from her IV, and we hope she will get better now.

Be aware of the dangers of adventure...

2009-03-09T13:50:00.001-07:00

My sister Julie came to Utah to have a fun outing with her husband. They got set up with a helicopter that would drop them over a ski run. They put on suits that remind me of flying squirrels, that allow a person to glide when falling, and land on the powdered mountain side. Julie jumped out of the 'copter, practically flew to the mountain, and began skiing. Unfortunately, she fell and broke her leg in three different places. At least that is the story she told people for the first week, just to see what kind of reaction would result. People believed it, at least a little bit.

THE REAL STORY - Julie and McKay went skiing at Wolf Mountain. They were having a great time until, half way through the day, Julie fell, and her bindings didn't release. She broke her leg in three places, and she had to get a plate and six screws in her fibula. Which story sounds more interesting? :-) The pictures are good, regardless.

More cool leg pictures

2009-03-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Where do babies come from?

2009-02-27T03:53:00.000-08:00

My physiology class has been very enlightening for my 7 year old son. My book was opened to a page showing the progress of a baby moving from the uterus, through the birth canal, and out into the world. Fortunately, the picture didn't involve the mother (on this page), simply the baby.

My little guy looked at the picture (this isn't the exact one, but close), and said "Wow. So that's how I got squished out. No wonder I get headaches!!" There you go - migraines explained. Andrea (age 5) chimes in from the table across the room "Yea, I got squished out too!" Then Derek turns to me and says "Now all I need to know is how I got IN there." I told him that I would be happy to explain how he "got in there" anytime he wants to know. He thought it over for a second, then said "I think I need to be a lot older before I find out about that." He turned and wandered away. I have been giggling about it ever since!

Words from the sand

2009-02-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

King Father

Egyptian Valentine shop

Camel Spider...And I will pet him and feed him, and name him George!! Perhaps I can put him on a leash and take him for a walk. He will dine on dogs and small children - very friendly, really.

Who's turn for dish night?

Children's chores.

Dear Family, Once again the sands of time have noted the passing of a week since I last wrote. It would seem that the routine of this project would preclude the necessity of writing about our work because of repetition, but each day is different from any other. Nevertheless, if you wish to save time and not bother with these notes, you know where the delete button is. If not, it is in the upper right hand corner of your keypad, and is clearly marked. As the work began last Saturday, we studied some of the burials which we had taken to our lab and storage building a few days before. I believe I sent a picture of the 'family' of four, all buried in a vertical stack---one on top of another. There were two children on top, and an adult was next, with a wreath woven from palm leaves around the neck. The bottom burial was also an adult. As we studied the children, the two textile people (Joyce and Kristin) noted that they were dressed very similarly in shrouds or tunics with nice colors. I was doing the pathology, and I noticed that both mandibles were exactly alike---with the same tooth eruption and formation of the jaw, etc. It hit me that they were the same age, and therefore most likely twins. I went to the field book, and they were the same length. I am now very confident that they are twins. The adult just below them is a woman, and she was about 18-22 when she died. The twins were 6 years old at death, so she was quite likely their mother. The bottom burial was also a woman, aged about 45 at death. Was she a grandmother? The likelihood of all four being related is high, since ages, being buried one on top of another, similarity of clothing, and other details indicate they were of the same family. When we do DNA analysis of the samples I took, we can be even more certain. I gave a lecture on Sunday night to a group of expatriates, though a few Egyptians also came. It was okay, though I was rather tired when we got back to the hotel. Running my miles every other day adds to the length of the days, and I would like to relax once in a while. On Monday, we found two 'reversals', or burials with heads to the east (from the normal head-west burials down to the bottom of each burial shaft). The head-west burials are Christian, and the older head-east burials at the bottom are pre-Christian. Questions arise: Is there a new population which moved in with Christianity and used the old burial ground? Was there a great conversion by the end of the first century after Christ which accounts for the change in burial direction? Are people buried in the same shaft (usually 4 or 5 in a shaft about 10 feet deep, with about 2 or 3 feet of sand between each burial) related, or is there some other procedure for determining who goes where in the cemetery? These are fun questions, but I know of no way except DNA analysis at this point to answer any of them. Finding reversals means that we are getting to the end of excavating in the area. Good thing, since we have found 55 burials and counting in that area. On Tuesday we had a medium sand storm. The sand blows across the highway like blowing snow, and the visibility drops to a few hundred feet. I have been in sandstorms with zero visibility, so this one was not too bad. Still, the fine sand gets into ears, eyes, mouth, nose, and in clothes. Taking a shower in the evening results in watching brown water go down the drain for a few minutes. We still got some work done, though in less-than-optimum conditions. While I was changing money one evening, I was impressed that my 'teller' interrupted his transaction with me to say his prayers on a small prayer rug in the teller's area. I waited the five to ten minutes for him to finish, and we went on with our business. It is a different way from ours, but one cannot help admiring devotion and commitment to belief in such instances. I met with government officials on Thursday to make certain that arriving engineers with equipment will be helped through customs, etc. The officials seemed to be at a loss concerning my needs, even though we had gone through it all a couple of weeks earlier----I had even written a detailed letter relating to the arrivals and equipment clearances, and the letter was signed and approved. So, I had to do it all agian, and now I am interested to see what will happen when they arrive tomorrow. There are three arrival times for the various people, so the results could vary from person to person. I only change plans every hour or so during the day, and the system requires that I not put too much confidence in any plan. Still, it all works out in the end. There is a party tomorrow night, and the men are supposed to do all the cooking and cleanup----and the dish is supposed to be chili. I have help from the Marriott chefs, and I expect to have a very good chili as my entry in this contest. We shall see. I will forward some of the nonsense (trash talk) which some of the contestants are sending around in e-mails. One has taken me on as his partner, and we did spend some time today cooking the meat (sirloin) for 'our' joint entry. I really have little to do with all of this, and I am not into the trash talk, but my name seems to appear a lot in the e-mails. Oh well, this too shall pass (double entendre intended). Many of the burials have 'face bundles', consisting of folded linen strips and often a twisted linen strip placed over the nose. I have stated in conferences and publications that I think the twisted strip symbolizes the breath of life, indicating a strong belief in the afterlife and the need to have continued breath in the transition period. It is fun to make things up and have other people believe them---archaeologists do that a lot. I hope you are all well, and I look forward to your notes telling me what is going on. May you continue in health, happiness, and success. love, dad

More Pictures

2009-02-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

wrapped mummy

Checking out the buried family

Good teeth

Hair

Twin jaws

More pictures

2009-02-06T09:07:00.001-08:00

Pictures

2009-02-06T08:57:00.001-08:00

Something new, something interesting!

2009-02-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

So, it is obvious that right now, I am just not going to have much to say that isn't physiology related. Do you want to hear all about it? No?...So, my dad is in Egypt and sends us weekly updates. His stuff is great, and the work is facinating. I will just copy his note over, then my blog will get something new, and I don't really have to come up with it. It may take me a day or two to figure out how to get the pictures over from email. Great plan, eh? After all, emails come and go, but a blog is forever...er, right?

Dear Family, Much water has come down the Nile since I last wrote to you. Although, since the current is only about 5 knots per hour, or approximately 120 miles per day, the water from Aswan has just about reached the Mediterranean since my last missive. Time seems to move by much more rapidly, and the last week has been filled with a lot of interesting experiences. The ADC (2nd in command) of the American Embassy invited us for dinner on Saturday, and his family live in an old mansion which has been owned by the US for some 60 years. It is Italian in style and decoration, and with its four huge floors it was quite an outing for us. Servants took care of the meal, and it was much like watching an old (1930s-1940s) movie. Matt Tueller is well-informed about the Middle East, and he gave some insights into what is going on out here. He served most recently in Baghdad, and was offered the Ambassadorship there. But, for family reasons, he elected to take the number two post in Cairo. Progress is being made in the ME, but it will take some time for all to work out. The elections in Iraq went well on the regional level, and national elections are scheduled for the end of the year. Good luck to them. Sunday was a strange day. As we left Cairo on the Ring Road (a freeway going around the city), we were slowed by very heavy traffic. A large petroleum truck had lost its load of oil on the road, and since Egyptians are not accustomed to driving on slick surfaces, the pileup of trucks, cars, buses, and donkey carts was quite a sight. I watched 2-ton trucks spinning around on the oil-slickened surface like they were in a huge ballet. It was very interesting to watch. We got through that, and then at a checkpoint my driver lost his license because the inspector did not have his seatbelt fastened. We stopped a bit further on, and the inspector got out, walked back to the checkpoint, and a few minutes later came to the car with the driver's license---and no penalty. It turns out that the inspector's brother is a captain in the Cairo police force. Good connections can work wonders. We then had to wait for a long train to pass a crossing (it was an iron ore train from Bahariya, the oasis in the western desert I visited a week or so before). Finally, we got to the site and had a good day's work (shortened by all of the above). The guards' house (mudbrick hut?) on the site now has electricity (I paid well for that). I was requested to join the guards and security people for tea in the newly-lighted place. We sat on mats, talked, and they drank tea. I had some water. They praised me for the power, turned on and off the lights, both inside and outside, for a while (halogen lights which are bright), showed me the switches where they want to put a radio and TV, and also pointed out where the two ceiling fans will be placed to cool them somewhat during the summer. Then, they gave me a political lecture on the US. They stated that Pres. Obama has a black face and a white heart, while Pres. Bush has a white face and a black heart. Interesting commentary. I also learned this week that I have been assigned a personal bodyguard. He is young, well-dressed, and carries major weaponry on his body. He took me through his assignment to protect me at all costs, and told me how to react should any problem arise (I am to get low quickly and let him take out the troublemakers). He assured me that he is to place his life on the line for me and keep me out of danger. After all of that, I went to work at the dig and he went to the guards' house to take a nap. In the 5X5 meter area we are excavating, we have found 45 burials so far, and some are quite nice. One woman had a lovely pair of leather sandals placed near her feet, and also had two pull-string bags placed on her legs. There was a bundle of flax fibers and wheat stalks placed all around the body, and she was dressed in green and purple robes. There was a spindle on the body, but no whorl (was she a weaver?).There are many cluster burials, often comprised of 4 - 5 children buried with one adult. Was the adult a guide or guardian in the next life? With all the children being about the same age, they cannot all be from the same family. On the other hand, we found one cluster of four, all placed on top of one another. Two children on top, an adult (with a nice large necklace made of woven and plaited palm materials, making me think this is the mother) beneath the children, and another adult on the bottom. This would appear to be a family, but it would be interesting to know how they all died at the same time. One burial had a 'walking stick' and a bronze bell placed on the chest. He could possibly have been a priest, though that is simply a guess. I took Dr. Gaballa A. Gaballa and his wife, Genny, to dinner last night. He was in the delegation from Egypt when we opened the Ramses II exhibit, and I invited him later to visit BYU to lecture. He was Dean of the Faculty of Archaeology then, and later became director of Antiquities and Undersecretary of State. He has health problems now (heart), but it was fun to be with them for the evening. This is the last time I will mention my running, but I am now up to 7 1/2 miles per outing, so am getting back into decent physical condition. The weather continues to be nice, and is even a bit warm for this time of the year. The haze in Cairo makes it nice to get away into the cleaner air of the Fayum. The spider is still alive in its bottle, though it seems to be mad when I look at it. I wonder why. I took the crew to Andrea's for dinner the other night, and it was great Egyptian food. The chicken, hot pita breat, hummus, tehina, babaganoush, salads, chicken livers, stuffed vine leaves, etc.----a nice way to have a meal. I hope I can succeed in sending some pictures with this rather long note. I know I will succeed in sending you my love. I hope this finds you all well and happy. love, dad

So grateful...

2009-01-21T08:32:00.000-08:00

In truth, I shouldn't take time to sit here and write a blurb - 10 credits, 3 classes, 3 papers due by Friday, one quiz to take, one test to study for. Enough said. BUT, a few events have been crowding my mind lately (outside of school). First, a sweet, kind, generous and anonymous person has given us gifts lately - It may be more than one person. Before Christmas, we sat with our children in family council one Sunday and decided what we wanted to do to make someone else's season brighter. We made a plan. It wasn't big or earth shattering, but we were excited. As we carried it out, the children were thrilled, and we truly felt the joy of Christmas that changes our hearts and focus from "getting" to "joy of giving"! About a week later the doorbell rang. The children ran to see who was visiting, and we found a card on the ground. It was filled with gift cards to several different stores, totalling FAR more than we had given in our small offering. I cried. We sat in amazement for a time. Kindness beyond belief - and why us? Things are tight - but that seems to be a catch phrase for most! We planned to have a small Christmas in the way of gifts, but felt no sorrow or deprivation in that choice. Simply trying to be wise and enjoy the season. We used the gift cards to purchase the little things that we had been putting off, and felt grateful and guilty at the same time, knowing that others have needs far greater than ours!
Two nights ago I was at gymnastics with the girls. Nate called, telling me I would never believe what was on the porch. A plate of warm cookies and a card. The card spoke of treats that are neat, and some green for when times are lean. Again, a financial gift from an unknown angel.
So, I share this story, full of gratitude for the kindness and generosity of others, determined to look outward and make opportunities to lift a heart like mine has been lifted!
My other thought provoker happened on Sunday night. A friend that I have known since childhood called, telling me of another of our dear friends son. Nearly 4, he came home from church feeling unwell. A short time later his eyes rolled back in his head and he was unconscious. They took him straight to the hospital, where he almost immediately stopped breathing. He was flown up to Primary Children's, where they found a tennis ball size tumor in his head. He has had surgery, and they are waiting. The tumor is cancerous, and the damage done is still unknown. I have thought about and prayed often for this little guy, and his parents. We never know what challenges will come our way, or what we will be asked to endure! I have taken the time to hold my own children a little closer when I give them a hug. I am grateful for my own challenges - I really don't want to trade shoes with anyone, even if at times I don't enjoy my own shoes!
So much to be grateful for, and so many people to love!

While driving in the car...

2009-01-10T16:05:00.000-08:00

Derek and Andrea were discussing many important things.

Andi - "I wonder what I will look like in the future?"
Der - "Well, you will have white hair, your body will be poof, poof (indicates with his arms more space around the body), but your face will still be the same. You will look like grandma, but with your face."
Andi - "Oh yea, you're right!"

They then moved on to another subject - what plants do while they are buried under the snow.

Tiffany's poetry

2009-01-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

Tiffany broght home her poetry book yesterday. The whole book recieved 74/75 points, with the missing point due to some missed capital letters in some titles. Anyway, I thought I would share. (By the way, she is 10 years old)

Baby Blue

Lively feelings, slick ice, happiness

Soft sounds, sweet music, laughter

Tart blueberry, sweet candy, moist cookies

Wind on my face, raindrops everywhere, hands gripped

together

Makes us smile

(Here is a great one - Nate and I just looked at each other after reading it. We asked her where she comes up with her ideas. She just shrugged, and said it just comes to her)

Laments

A Love Life Gone Wrong

I am a tragic love life

I dress in a suit of rejection

And heartaches

I need hope to find your sense

And bring it to me

I am related to dread and hatred

I vacation in the deep falls of nothingness

My job is to run to your side and feel close

I desire to have my life linked

And entrusted

To your mind and heart

The Fun of Christmas!

2009-01-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Eve is always such a treat!! The kids are SO excited, and we even have some traditions! (I am somewhat of an anti-traditionalist, so that is big for me!) We LOVED our tree that we chopped down, and it has stayed fresh and pretty. It always looks so pretty, with the wrapped gifts ready and waiting.

We actually found a Christmas bargain - another thing that I don't do very often. I suppose it is because I don't shop much, and don't enjoy shopping. You have to look for bargains or shop often to find the good deals. They don't just fall from the sky into the kitchen - to bad for me! ANYWAY, Nate and I were at the mall (side note - my 10 year old informed me, when we went to the mall the day after Christmas to exchange something, that it was the 2nd time she had ever been to the mall...any mall! You know, I actually feel ok about that - again, I am not a shopper!) Back to the story, Nate and I were shopping for jammies - I had a GAP gift card, hence, the mall - and we decided to walk down to Macey's. There were some stocking holders that sit on the mantle, and they were 60% off the price. Price rang on the sign was $15 - $600 for everything on the rack. I have been wanting to get stocking holders, but they are ridiculously expensive. SO, big sale. Problem - no price tag. 60% off what? We asked a passing worker. She told us that the person setting up the display had thrown away the boxes, and the boxes had the barcode for the price. 45 minutes later, a different cashier had called two different stores trying to find out how much the holders cost, but the other stores didn't know. Finally a manager made an executive decision - she said they are $15. Then we got 60% off that. THEN there was a 20% off coupon for any transaction over $20. SO, we got the holders for $4.80 each. We bought 7 instead of just 2 or 3, which I had originally planned. I thought we might just buy a few a year, and build up. It was a fun deal to find!

We have the tradition (non-original tradition - everyone does this!) of opening jammies on Christmas eve. Even though the kids know it's coming, they still get excited! (Actually found a great deal on jammies this year too - The Children's Place had jammies on sale for $8 the day after Thanksgiving, and then everything in the store was an additional 20% off that day. Cool!) The stripes look very "Who from Whoville" look. Pretty cute! We also open a Christmas book and read it, read the nativity story from the Bible, and open a family game to play. This year we got a CD "Deal or No Deal" game. It was hilarious! We played boys against girls, and the boys won both times. What's up with that?

On Christmas morning the kids woke up about 8 am. Jas had brought his cello upstairs the night before, and played Christmas songs. The other kids sang along - what a fun thing to wake up too!

Cameron's favorite spot was on the pillow - it's always his preferred spot. He assured us that he would roll out of bed when Grandpa got here - he hoped it would take a while.

Opening gifts is so much fun with the kids! They get SO excited for each gift, and even MORE excited for what everyone else opens! The last gift this year was from grandpa. A ping pong table. We have already had a blast playing around with it - Derek and Andi are even getting the hang of it, and I played and beat both Cameron and Jason. Nate has assured me that he will skunk me when we have our own personal tournament ...Dream on dude! (Notice that I haven't made the time for the all important game yet...)

The best thing about this time of year is that we have time together! Nate worked two days last week and three this week. We have played games, relaxed, gone sledding, and finished off some projects. Oh, and we have sat around and watched some movies together. I love that we can just take some time doing nothing much! It is truly relaxing!

Christmas Letter - 2008

2008-12-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

Gibbons Family – 2008
Another year has come and gone. 2008 has been a wonderful year of opportunities and experiences for each of us. Here is a brief update of what we are up to.

Nathan is enjoying his work – being the director of the Provo LDS Family Services agency takes a lot of energy, but he works with great people and is doing a wonderful job. He plays basketball two or three mornings a week at the church. He is currently the scout master in our ward, and loves camping with the boys (good thing!). Beyond that, he has enjoyed following BYU sports closely, making it to the majority of the football games and many of the men’s and women’s basketball games.
Deborah has had a busy year. She started taking classes, working toward getting into a nursing program. If things go as planned, she will start her program in the fall. Outside of school, she has enjoyed serving in activity days, and helping on the enrichment board. With all of the children in school for a few hours each day, she has found that there really is no “extra” time, just lots to get done J She has continued to run, teach aerobics and yoga classes, enjoys teaching children’s dance at BYU, and shuttles the kids here and there.

Cameron is tall, handsome, and a great brother. He played on some great basketball teams last spring and summer, and continues to improve. Being 6’3’’ at 14 years old is an added bonus. Getting the stomach flu the day of team tryouts was disappointing this fall, but he continues to work hard. Cam has been playing ball at the church in the mornings with Nathan with other men in the ward. School has been a good challenge, and 9th grade is fun. He is looking forward to being 15 in January, and is hoping to get his drivers permit. He has great friends. He is looking forward to finishing off his eagle project this spring, and earning the rank of Eagle Scout. He is also hoping to get his braces off!

Jason turned 12 in November, and received the priesthood. He has enjoyed being involved in the Young Men program, and has done great with scouting. 7th grade is going really well, and he was on the honor roll last term. He is on track to be on the high honor roll this term. Yea! Jas is taking cello lessons and playing in orchestra. It is fun to listen to him practice. He is such a hard worker and a great brother.

Tiffany is 10, and is one busy girl. She competed in gymnastics again this year, doing really well. She was just moved up to level 5 and continues to work hard. Class is 3 days a week, for more than 2 hours each time. She also dances at BYU, and is a lovely dancer. Tiffany tested into the advanced program for 5th grade, and has enjoyed her challenging class. She continues to be a gifted writer and makes us laugh with her creativity.

Derek is 7 years old, and in first grade. He is a great reader, and has done really well in school this year. He started playing soccer in the fall, and we loved watching him get right in there, running fast, (laughing as he ran down the field) and making some great plays. He is such a happy boy, and his laugh is so fun.

Andrea is 5, and in kindergarten this year. She loves school, and has made a lot of friends. She is taking both gymnastics and dance classes, and seems to dance through each day. We enjoy her art projects, and she loves her dolls, stuffed animals and friends. She is a happy girl with a big imagination.

We had some good adventures this year, including going to Island Park and spending time at cookie Grandpa’s cabin, spending time at Grandma and Grandpa’s cabin just outside of Salt Lake City, traveling to Colorado to get Cameron’s braces tightened and visit dear friends, sledding, biking, rollerblading, running together, delivering phonebooks for a family job, repairing the house after Tiffany's heel went through the side of the FULL bathtub upstairs, mowing a huge “Y” in the front lawn (ok, Nathan did that one), playing games together, getting sick together (influenza A – nasty stuff!), enjoying family gatherings with extended family, and loving time with just our family. We feel so blessed, and are so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives! We truly feel that life is sweet, and we look forward to the opportunities of the coming year. We love you, and hope next year is a happy one for us all!

Chopping Down the Christmas Tree

2008-12-01T07:29:00.001-08:00

We went to Price the day before Thanksgiving to buy a $5 tree permit. We then drove to 30 min down the road and began our search for the perfect tree. The kids loved running through the snow, and I was hoping the pick of the year wouldn't be found at the bottom of a ravine, 40 minutes of walking away from the van (yea, we've done that before). We found some options, but Andi insisted we keep looking. (I'm sure it was because of her keen 5 year old sense of knowing that we could find the tree meant just for us, and not because she just liked running in the snow!) So, with Andi as our guide, we did find the perfect tree! Nate cut it down, and then our own personal tree measurer did his job. Cam is over 6'3'' now, and before we left home we had him reach up and see how much taller the tree could be than his hand. After the tree was laying in the snow, he got to stretch out beside it and make sure we cut it to the correct length. So helpful! The tree got tied to the top of the van, and home we came. It was a great day!

Andrea and Tiffany's dance

2008-11-28T17:31:00.000-08:00

Tiffany and Andrea take creative dance classes at BYU - I teach both of their classes. Each year, children are invited to create their own dances. They show the dances to the program director, and if the dance is chosen, the children perform in one of two evening performances at the Richards building on campus. The girls were chosen to perform in both shows. This is from the first show, and not quite as good as the second time, but still cute. They don't get a chance to practice on the stage, so it can be challenging to not get a bit turned around. It is called "Primary Jamboree", and the song is done by Inside Out.

Red is not our color!

2008-11-25T13:38:00.000-08:00

This is the view we had on the lawn outside our front door.
It says "GO UTES 11-0"

This one says "Utes #1"

Here it is - our red Y. The top part doesn't look as red in this picture, because Nate was trying to wash it off with hot water. It got rid of the frost, not the red. Nathan mowed the lawn after the game to get rid of the red, but some neighbors thought it was mowed off because BYU lost so miserably. They obviously don't know my husband very well - he is a die hard BYU fan, come what may. Just not into a red lawn. I didn't get my camera out before we threw away the 14 or 15 cans of red spray paint stacked neatly on the front porch. My children are so lucky they got to hear the "don't vandalize" talk throughout the day. They loved it, and were grateful for the opportunity to hear it!

Things one shouldn't have to hear in the morning...

2008-11-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

7:43 am "Mom, I have a note that says I can't go back to school until I bring in a record of my 7th grade immunizations."
"Ok then. Let's pull out the paper and make a copy."
Come to find out, we didn't have a copy of the immunizations.
"Why didn't you tell me about this after school yesterday, when we could have gone down and picked up a copy for you to take today?"
"Well, you were busy, and I didn't want to bother you."
"Why did we only get one night to do this?"
"Well, yesterday they pulled us out of class if we didn't have the shot record turned in. One of my friends got pulled out, but his mom had dropped the form off in the morning, so he went back to class."
"So, they told you about this last week."
"Oh yea, but I forgot."
7:45 am - the time he should have left for the bus.
7:48 am - the bus has now left the corner....but it doesn't matter, because we have to wait until 8:00 am, when the pediatric office opens and we can get a print out of the shots, and then go check him in to school, AFTER giving the office the magical form that allows him to go back to class.
Isn't it nice to know that our children are safe from un-immunized children. I now have proof!

How cute!

2008-11-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Andi informed me that all of her dolls had a new name for the day...Chiwawa. OK then! Perhaps this is a not so silent cry for a longed for dog. I'm ok with dolls named chiwawa, since I don't do dogs.

2008-11-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

Champion bowling night. Jas turned twelve on Friday, and we went to BYU to eat and go bowling. We had a great time - and we LOVE the gutter bumpers!!

Halloween kids

2008-11-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful Halloween night with a fairy, nerd, cell phone and genie. Our neighborhood is fabulous! The kids went trick or treating, and I felt like it was a ward social! How often do we go door to door to say hi, and visit with ALL our neighbors as we pass on the street?

Something I like about Halloween

2008-10-30T12:16:00.001-07:00

I admit it - I am not the biggest Halloween fan. The dressing up is cute, but I don't love the chore or stress of coming up with costumes every year. The decorations are fun, but I am not a great decorator, and it is another thing to clean up. Yes, I am a party pooper. The candy is delicious - big problem!! Who needs more candy - or any candy, for that matter? Certainly not me or my children! (Nate hates candy. Why can't I have that taste bud?) When the kids were younger it was no problem to have them all donate the collected loot to a communal bowl. I went through it and sorted it out - all hard candy got chucked, all chocolate candy went into a baggie to be frozen and either used in Christmas stockings, or chucked the next time I cleaned out the freezer. The rest was eaten slowly, and typically thrown out after a few weeks. Some of the kids still go for that, but Cam rebelled from the plan years ago. Fortunately he is now too old to go door to door, so he is out of the mix there.

What I DO like about the holiday is the fun places to go, and the creative crafts that are interesting to make. These pictures are from fall break. Kathryn brought her kids over and we painted pumpkins and made cookie spiders. Then we watched Corpse Bride. We also went to HEE HAW farms last Tuesday. We had a great time petting animals, picking a pumpkin, sliding down slides, and going through a blown up haunted house. That one wouldn't have been too bad, but it was dark by the time we went in, and it was pitch black inside. Fortunately I had brought my bag, and it has pretty much everything in there, including a trusty little flashlight. Good thing, because Andi and Emma were inside screaming, and Kaylee was crying. Kathryn and I went in after them, ran through the maze to get to them, and led them to safety. Tiffany was sure that she would have nightmares about being in a pitch black maze, and running out of air to breath. Should be good for a halloween dream, eh?

Look at my new skill

2008-10-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

Aren't you glad that I now know how to not only upload my pictures, but you can now see the video we took of Tiffany at her first meet this season. This is her floor routine. Besides the extra movement of the camera in the middle that will make you slightly nauseated, it is pretty good!!

Some valid reasons I haven't posted a blog recently!

2008-10-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

There are always good reasons to not blog - one of my favorites is that I would rather read other peoples writing than my own. I also have the good excuse of not having ever downloaded pictures before - my husband always did that, and I hadn't gotten around to asking him to do it for a while - OK, I know that it only took a few seconds for me to plug the cord into the computer and my camera, and let the computer do its thing. But, still...

These pictures show some of what we have been up to. The picture of Nate and his brother - one of those photos that is a true life picture of how silly they are together. I always wish we could see Eric and his family more. Tiff has been busy competing in gymnastics this season. She has had a great experience, with her highest all around score 36.05 so far. She is getting moved up to level 5 in December, and can hardly wait!! She works really hard. Andrea and her cousin are on the swings - we love the fall days! These girls always crack us up, because they egg each other on, and have a great time doing it. Finally, Der loved soccer. He chased the ball, wasn't afraid to get right in the mix and get in a good kick, and would laugh as he ran down the field. He can hardly wait for spring so he can start again. Life is good!

Great phrases by kids

2008-09-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

Last week Derek was playing soccer. I was the only one there because of the 3 other commitments happening at the same time - divide and conquer is the name of the game. After the game I had my hands and arms full with camp chairs, school bag (I study when he's not actually playing), my bag (no, not a purse!) and the left over treats, because it was my week to provide snacks. To get back to the car I asked Derek to carry my bag, so I could carry everything else. It was hanging around his neck and down his front. He said, "I look like a woman!" He was happy to carry it to the car, but asked as soon as we got there if I could take it off of him. As soon as I removed it he shouted, "I feel like a man again. What a relief!" My little 7 year old man. I wish I had taken a picture!

The clean and the not so..

2008-09-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

I cleaned my brother's house, and my dad's condo today. My brother is recently divorced. He is a tidy soul, but he hates to clean bathrooms. He prefers to pay someone to clean for him, and I have the job. It currently helps pay for the gymnastics meets every other week ($75 each meet), so it is worth it! My father loaned me some money to take chemistry last semester, and I pay him back by cleaning his place once a month for 18 months. He, too, would rather pay one of his daughters to clean for him than do it himself.

So, today I left home at 8:00 am, after my children all left for school. I went to my brother's house first. After turning on some music, I cleaned to my hearts content. It is actually sort of nice to clean without the added concern of organizing or rearranging. I just have to clean. When I left, the bathrooms sparkled, the floors were done, the house was dusted, and the door frames wiped clean. Then I went to my fathers place. There, too, the bathrooms were cleaned, the floors vacuumed, the dust wiped away, and the kitchen scrubed. Then, at long last (2:00 pm), I came home. MY bathrooms need attention immediately, my floors need to be done, there is dust every where, and the kitchen is cluttered with the school papers and homework of the week. I can't face cleaning another house today! Perhaps tomorrow. At least I can enlist the help of the children, so we can all get it done more quickly.

I typically write a note for my dad when I leave his place. Usually it is just a "Hello, I came and cleaned, have a great day, I love you" sort of note. Perhaps the fumes from all the bathroom cleaner I had inhaled finally affected my brain. Here is a copy of todays note...

"Esteemed Father -
I did clean, and it seemeth to me good. The bathrooms now sparkle, and do not stinketh - they did not stink when I got here, but the stink can set in rapidly, wherefore I did clean them so they stinketh not. The kitchen floor is delightsome to the senses, and could be eaten upon, though that would be a foolish place to eat. The floors are clean and free of dust, whereby you may relax and not fear the strength of the dust bunny. And many other things did I clean. And finally, dear Father, I thank you for the refreshment you gave, though you knew it not. I was faint with hunger, and did partake of the cashews, but not many did I eat. I also did enjoy one cookie, but not more than one did I eat, lest you run out of the delightsome treat, because you have only a few. I leave you with love - Your obedient servant - Deborah

(It bears knowing that he had four full, unopened packages of oreos on the counter, having just been to the store)
As a final note of interest, I got back my biology midterm score, and, believe it or not, I recieved a perfect score - 100%. Apparently, I am the only one that got that score, though many were in the 90% range. I did a little jig of joy!

Finding Balance...

2008-09-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

I teach yoga. During class we always do at least one, and sometimes several, balancing poses. I remind the students that each pose is a process and a journey. We search for balance throughout the body. Balance is not a competition. Strength and balance are increased by working on them. We strive for balance in our body, and balance in our life. Always adjusting a bit, understanding that it will be better on some days than others, but balance is improved by working on it.

I am really good at finding a balance in my life, and then adding three or four projects, responsibilities, or commitments into the mix. Then I either have to pull out of something I committed to - and I detest being flaky!! - or, usually, I just cause myself lots of stress and grief, and let other things that are important to me fall apart (ie. personal time, time with the kids, house cleaning, etc.) So, I just did it again. I thought I could take 8 credits this fall and make it work. It would be great! I could finish off the nursing school pre-requisites in one final fell swoop, get on the waiting list, and feel great about my accomplishments. Unfortunately, physiology was one of those classes. The first day of class my professor informed us that her class would take a large amount of time, and if anyone was taking any other challenging courses or had big time commitments, they could be in trouble. At the end of class, every day, she reminded us that she would keep moving fast through the information, and that we needed to be spending lots of time with the subject. I sat there, and wondered WHEN I wouldn't have other big time commitments! I dug in and studied. I worked 35-40 hours a week, for 2 1/2 weeks, on that class, squeezing in a bit of biology work along the way. Then I took my first test. I bombed it!!! Miserably!!! When all was said and done, and the curve applied, the test score was probably decent. But I realized that my life was completely out of balance. I didn't want to study full time for a 4 credit class, to the complete exclusion of everything else. I dropped it the very day after my test. I was still in the window of time where I could get a full refund and pull out without getting a "W". Am I a quitter? Did I fail? Should I feel ashamed? In fact, I feel wonderful. More balanced. I think I lost 10 pounds of stress (Now why doesn't that show up missing on the scale??). I can take biology this semester - I just did great on my first test today - and physiology next semester from a different professor. What's the rush?

Can I do it?

2008-09-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

My current fun, or not fun, is school. I have only been working on this semester for just over three weeks, and it feels as if it will never end. Can I possibly learn enough to do well - or do well enough to not have to take the classes over, which seems like a fine option today? And then I have to wonder why I have done this to myself - payed a lot of money to spend time in class trying to learn a lot of stuff really quickly, and then, to top it off, I get to spend time being tested on the large amount of stuff that has been talked about in class. Who wouldn't want to spend two hours in the testing center with someone walking up and down the aisle between the desks, watching every move you make, trying to catch you making signals to someone across the room as you scratch your nose?

Then I have the "ahaa" moments, when parts of the whole come together, and I realize that I love to learn, I can do this, and it is cool to be in class learning new things in a formal education way. I sit around the kitchen table with my children after school and we all study together. My kids think it is cool that I have homework too. I even cleaned my wood floor and master bathroom today (I had to get up at 6:00 am to get that in), and am feeling like I may be able to stay on top of a few things at once. What an accomplishment!

Football Season Begins!

2008-08-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

While I don't set my clock by the beginning of the BYU football season, my husband does. He shows great restraint, waiting to mow the big "Y" in the front yard until the week or two before the first game.

There is something about football season that I do look forward to - fall! I love rain, changing leaves, and long sleeve shirts. Nathan goes to most games, and I use the time to relax - ok, that's what I used to do, now I study. Going back to school means that when we have down time, I study. When the kids go out to play, I study. I sit on the porch swing to watch the kids ride their bikes in the cul-de-sac, and study. I never put such effort into my classes when I was younger! Not that it would have changed anything - I did fine before, and earned my bachelor degree. I didn't decide to do nursing until 10 or 11 years ago! Now that my youngest is in kindergarten, the time has come to return to school. I can't tell if it is fun or not, but I'm glad I'm doing it.

Being a mom is unpredictable. Jas had to get two big moles removed from his leg on Tuesday. One was bigger than a dime, and the other only slightly smaller. The moles were cut out and he has stiches for each one, the stiched line between 1 1/2 and 2 inches long. Yesterday Cam and Jas were goofing around, and the longer set of stiches site popped. Big gaping hole, larger than a quarter, wide open. Pretty deep to. Nate took him into insta-care to get it all stiched up again (of course, this happened on Sunday). Today is Labor Day. We went up to the family cabin for the day to relax and watch it snow! Der is prone to migranes, and got one right before dinner. He gets sick and throws up every time he gets one, which is about once a week. Fun for a 7 year old...or not. You just never know what will happen next. If we knew what to expect, how boring life would be!

Er...Was that a complement?

2008-08-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

School has begun, for me as well as the kids. I am taking biology at Salt Lake Community College and physiology at UVU (previously known as UVSC). Yesterday was my first physiology class. I was about 10 min. early, but still had to sit in one of those small chairs with a little arm desk sticking out in front. Taking notes on such a thing is an interesting adventure! If I had been earlier I would have had a spot on the big lab tables. I will be earlier tomorrow!

So, some of us on the back chair row began chatting before the professor arrived. The subject of children came up, as it often does, and one gal said she has a two year old that she dropped off in the day care at the university. I said that I have five children, and had just dropped my kindergartner off at class too. She said, "Wow, you don't look that old!".

So, here is the rub. On one hand, it could be nice that I don't look old enough to have five children, but on the other, it made me laugh, because apparently I am "that old". Of course the conversation doesn't end there, and goes on to when we graduated from high school (what a natural thing to discuss in a place filled with people that mostly graduated 2 or 3 years ago, tops). After sharing that I graduated over 20 years ago, and earned my bachelors degree 15 years ago, the same comment with more energy was given ..."Wow, you don't look that old". So, here's to all of us that are "that old" and then some! It's a great age to be, whatever it is!!

Counting our blessings

2008-08-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

You know when you pray every morning and ask the Lord to protect you and your family? Well, we are witness to those prayers being answered.

In front of our home this evening, a 32 year old man with a seizure disorder sped left to right, across the edge of our front lawn, through our flower garden, over a cable and phone box, across the front lawn of our neighbors to the south, and smashed into a full-sized pickup at at least 40 or 50 miles an hour. The miracle? The road he was flying down runs directly toward our cul-de-sac. He hit a speed bump 30 yards up the road, which forced his car to turn with the road, and veer away from our cul-de-sac. 4 of the 5 kids were out front playing. Somehow, the 12 other cul-de-sac kids were not playing in the path which the car took, nor were the 15 or 20 other neighborhood children that are typically outside playing in the front. While the neighbor owning the truck appears to be the only person who suffered a loss, it was a blessing that pickup was in his path. The driver rammed the pickup broadside, effectively stopping him from driving right into their home. There were no skid-marks showing any braking, and an aunt of his, driving by later, confirmed to us that he indeed had a seizure disorder and that he "wasn't suppose to drive." I was there very quickly and tried to help the driver remain calm, and stayed with him until the ambulance arrived. He was completely unaware of what had happened. We know the truth......God answered our prayers today. We're saying them again tomorrow - we suggest you do the same.

"The difference between God and the Devil is that God creates and organizes, while the whole study of the Devil is to destroy." -Brigham Young

(This post was written by Nathan, and changed around by Deb)

Back to School

2008-08-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that the school year has begun. My children are back to getting up early, packing their lunches, choosing their outfits (I guess that is a girl thing - the boys just get dressed), filling their backpacks, getting their hair done by themselves or me, eating breakfast, saying family prayer, scrubbing their teeth, and running out the door. It is a whirlwind! I always feel a moment of relief when the time has come for them to all walk out the door. We got it all done, and off they go. This year my youngest starts kindergarten, and will be leaving with the crowd starting next week. Kindergarten is what I like to call "pretend" school. It is too short to qualify for real school, and I have always wondered how they could get much done in class, because I don't have time to finish much at home before it is time to gather my kindergartener back from school.

In spite of all the chaos, I love fall and the beginning of school. It is another new beginning, full of possibilities for us all. We will be more organized this year, and more on top of the projects that need to be done. I have been saying that many times to myself, because I am starting classes tomorrow too. I will be taking a biology and physiology class, so I can get onto the nursing school waiting list in December. I have big plans to insure that all will be well. In spite of the fact that I have labs both Monday and Tuesday nights at 7 pm, and I will be teaching dance at BYU on Wednesday until 6:30 pm (my two girls will be in my classes), I will be on top of things and organized. I will make extra dinners on Saturday that can be refrigerated or frozen, that can be pulled out during the beginning of the week to make those days easier and less chaotic than they might be. I will get all my studying done while my children are still in school, so when they get home I can focus on their needs and not my own. I will still keep the house clean, and the bathrooms will not turn into the pit of despair. I will even still take time out for myself to read a relaxing book occasionally, or re-watch one of my favorite movies......Pride and Prejudice, or a Doris Day movie.

AND THEN...when all my resolve goes out the window, the bathrooms DO look like the pit of despair (no, I don't really know what that looks like, but it can't be good), and I didn't make extra dinners on Saturday and I am just not feeling like I can do one more thing before I run off to lab, we will have Macaroni and Cheese from a box, or the old stand by, Ramen Noodles, and my children and husband will like it just as well as they like the well planned, well thought out meals that I spent much more time on... or I may just look at Nathan and tell him that it's his turn to do dinner and the house, and he'll laugh and make dinner himself, because he is very able, capable, and happy to do it, and the children will clean the bathrooms because they can, and because it is their turn. And that will be ok too!

Olympic Dreams

2008-08-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

There is something about watching people compete in the Olympics that is different than any regular sporting event. I'm not sure if it is because they only happen every 4 years (I know that winter and summer olympics are only two years apart from each other, but the events are 4 years apart :-) ) or if it is the hype that comes with the opening ceremony and non-stop coverage. What ever it is, I am staying up every night until nearly midnight because I am completely hooked.

Last night we watched the women's gymnastics competition. Tiffany (10) was watching it with us, and she said she hopes she can compete like that some day. As an adult I look at those gymnasts and think that out of all the clubs in all of the USA, only 6 made it on that team. It cost those families untold amounts of money, un-natural amounts of time, and complete focus and motivation, to the exclusion of all else, and most gymnasts still don't get that dream fulfilled. It's a goal that will bring only disappointment. It's not practical! And yet, a child watches the team compete and dreams that some day it might be her. Oh to believe like a child again - Anything is possible, and dreams can come true!