Brace Yourself

Guess who's getting braces today?

At 9:30 last night she said, "We need to make some caramel corn!"

So we did.

(This is my Grandma's microwave caramel corn recipe - check it out here)

Mauri is getting braces younger than any of my other 4. For whatever reason, her teeth are ready earlier. Hallelujah. She should be done before high school.

(Taylor spent a total of 5 years in braces, and only got them off right before he headed to college, poor boy.)

I don't even want to think about how much money we've spent correcting teeth.

Let's just git 'er done.

1D

Shilo just returned home from attending the One Direction concert.

We are not those people who buy tickets 15 months before a concert. To be honest, we are not really concert people. Shilo saw Imagine Dragons earlier this year, and I think Lex went to one or two concerts in high school. My sister and I attended the Mormon Tab concert at Red Rocks a few years back (does that count?)...

(I can vaguely recall the Tears for Fears and Beach Boys concerts I attended as a teen. Back when tickets were outrageously priced at $15-$20.)

Shilo's friend had purchased tickets and then someone in her group backed out of going, so she asked Shi a few weeks ago if she was interested. $94 for the ticket. They planned to stay overnight in Denver to avoid the tedious travel home late at night (Kendra's mom was taking them and staying with them at the hotel). 

To make it work, Shi forked over her own money for the ticket, then had to juggle her schedule around.  A lot. In fact, I'm filling in for her at her weekly babysitting gig because the only way she could get someone to cover her lifeguarding shift was to swap times (which her shift is now during her weekly babysitting gig).

When she walked in the door a couple of hours ago I asked her how it was.

"The best thing that's ever happened to me."

I'm sure she's had better things happen to her in her life, but this is certainly the freshest in her memory.

She was sweet to take a ton of video and pictures for Mar, especially of Niall (even though Shilo says Harry is her favorite - she had a dream that she and Harry were best friends a few nights before the concert - the concert only solidified her feelings that yes, Harry's her fave). 

She told me, "Seriously, Mom, if they come back, you HAVE to take Mauri."

I'm glad it was worth it :-)

Summer Swim Team Summed Up

Life isn't fair.

It's one of those "because I said so" kind of phrases. There is such a finality to it.

That's it. No questions asked. Let it go.

I know. This post is about Summer Swim Team, not some rant about keeping an eternal perspective because things don't always turn out how you expect them to.

I know.

I just can't help myself.

I will start by saying the season was great. Everything I expected it to be.
I volunteered to be the volunteer coordinator (what was I thinking?) back in... February?.. March?.. let's just say it was a long time ago, during a moment of weakness (or was it strength?). I attended board meetings, gave input (occasionally received), and prepared weekly sign-ups to fill the numerous positions that were required each meet. It was a bit more stressful than I would have liked, but I had volunteered.

Here's a high-level run-down of the season:

Crocs v Holly Park Sharks - 06.08.13

Mauri placed 3rd in the 50Free, 2nd in the 50Fly, and 1st in the 100Free.

Shilo placed 1st in the 200Free and 100Free, and 2nd in the 100Fly.

Crocs v A-Lake Whalers  06.15.13

Mar missed this meet so she could stay at Girls Camp for the tear-down and ride home (the first year of camp is soooooo exciting!).

I apparently was too busy tracking down volunteers and volunteering myself to snap a pic. Bill, Shi and I had driven home late the night before from Girls Camp, arriving around 2am, then Shi and I were up at 6 to head to the meet. It was my first shift ever as a DQ Notifier. Not a fun job.

Shilo placed 1st in all three of her events: 50Free, 100Back, and 200IM.

Crocs v Willow Creek III Dolphins  06.22.13

Shi and Bill missed this meet for Youth Conference, so it was just Mar. And me.
Mauri placed 3rd in the 50Fly, 2nd in the 50Back, and 1st in the 100IM.


Crocs v Castle Pines Storm  07.13.13

(Mauri was super excited to win a Heat Winner ribbon, only to discover that the girl seeded first in the event accidentally swam a heat early, so Mar took 2nd, but still won her heat. Bonus!)

Mauri placed 5th in the 50Fly, 2nd in the 50Back, and 2nd in the 100Free.

Shilo placed 1st in all her events: 50Free, 100Free, and 100Fly.

Prelims 06.16.13

After Prelims Shilo was seeded 1st in her events: 50Free, 100Back, and 200IM.

Mar made it to the medal heat (top 6) at Championships in her events: 50Free, 50Back, and 100Free.

Championships  07.20.13

Results:

(I call these their Missy Franklin poses)

Way to go, girls!

This is where the problems begin.

The past few years the swim team board has chosen to have the end-of-year party the evening of Championships. I have never been a fan, but it wasn't even up for debate this year. We came home from the meet around 2:30pm, and, after spending 7 hours in high heat and blazing sun (remember how it was supposed to be rainy? - NOPE - seriously, that pool looked so good to me), crashed on the sofa. We eventually wrestled up enough energy to clean up and get ready for the party at 7.

I had some high expectations.
I'm not a score-keeper. I'm often not even good at remembering basic details, but I felt pretty darn confident that Mar and Shi would win the High Point Award at the party. This award is given to the girl and boy in each age division who scored the most points for the team during the season. Like I said, I hadn't kept track of any scores, carefully scrutinized the meet results, or kept any kind of tally on who-placed-what-and-when during the season. I did know that my girls had done well.

Let me also mention that neither of them have ever won an award for the Crocs swim team.
(Ironically enough, Shilo won the Most Improved Swimmer Award the first year she swam on a summer team as a 9-year-old 8&under. She started the season not being able to swim across the pool. But that was a long time ago on a team far, far away.)

The party started off with perfect weather - a little breezy - much cooler than the meet earlier in the day.

Before we knew it, skies that looked like this

suddenly looked like this.

After hearing about a tornado lock-down earlier in the day at the mall not far from where we were, I was feeling a little anxious. I think everybody was, so the awards ceremony got underway.

I watched Mar's face, camera ready, for the announcement of the High Point Award.
It wasn't her.
I was surprised as the award was presented to a girl who did not swim in any of the medal heats at Championships, NOR had she obtained an All-Star time in any event (Mar had two).
"Bummer," I thought. "Maybe it's because Mar missed a meet."

I must have been preoccupied with something (was I talking to someone?) because I didn't hear the 15-18 Girls High Point Award announced. I actually thought they had skipped it. I asked Bill.
"No," he said, "Susie got it."
(I've changed her name to protect her identity - she was an innocent award-winning bystander.)

That's when I was shocked off my rocker.
That's when I knew something wasn't right.

The coaches rushed through the rest of the awards, we grabbed our stuff, and headed off to the church to copy the programs for the following day (one of my three callings).
Mar cried. And cried. Bill tried to get her to stop, but I told him to let her cry (I know from experience that sometimes it helps to just bawl your eyes out and get it out of your system).
Shilo didn't think the results were correct, but is such a low-drama girl who doesn't want to stir the pot, she was fine with letting it go (I wish I could be like that).

I had a hard time going to sleep that night, frustrated over what I felt was clearly an error.
The next morning (Sunday, around 6am) I emailed the coach, the Team President, and the Parent Rep. I told them I was confused about the awards and asked for clarification. I received responses something to the effect of, "That was a computer-generated report," and "I was surprised too, but that's what the High Point print-out said." The 17-year-old coach sent me the report showing Susie with about 100 points more than Shilo.

No one wanted to correct it, only to say that it must be right because the computer said so.

Here are a couple of interesting (to me) facts:
The report showed Susie had taken 1st place 44 times this season.
IF she would have taken first place in every event she could possibly enter over the course of the entire season, the highest that number could be is 15.
Susie wasn't even present at 2 regular season meets.
Susie didn't win 1st place in any individual event all season, nor did she have an All-Stars qualifying time in anything.

There she is, folks, your High Point Award Winner!
(Gosh, I thought the sarcasm would be gone by now. Sorry.)

After church (during which I truly did try to work myself into a loving, compassionate, Christ-like mind-set), I pulled up all of the computer-generated meet results and tediously began going through them, line by line, adding up the scores.

The true results:
Shilo - 99 Points
Susie - 39 Points

Mauri - 56 Points
Katie (name changed) - the 11-12 Girls High Point Award Winner - 25 Points

I almost cried when I received an email from the team Scorer late Monday morning, confirming the numbers were wrong.  (I had emailed her that morning after the Parent Rep emailed me with, "I hope you don't think I'm being callus, but that is a computer-manufactured report.")
She would get the team computer from the coach and fix them.
That was the first ANYONE had been supportive in my quest for clarification, accuracy, and repair.

The computer wasn't wrong, but the parameters set by a fallible human being were.
Some swimmers were scored by their lifetime points (5 years), some weren't.
A person (or two), blessed with a brain that allows logic and reason, chose to just do, not to think,
"because the computer said so."

Not much can be done other than using it as a lesson for the future. I would have liked it to not happen this way. I would have liked for my girls to have one moment of recognition for the hundreds of moments they watch others receive it.

I've been feeling a bit like life isn't fair.
It's not.
I'm over it. Movin' on.

When I Whine

It's been a crazy few days. Yo-yo days. Ups and downs. I've been complaining (mostly to myself) much too much. Things always get better, and there are always plenty of blessings to count.

This morning on my walk I snapped this on my phone:

Beautiful.

Today I have a million and one things on my to-do list.

We are heading up to our Ward Campout for the evening, then heading back home to make the Championship Swim Meet at 6:30 tomorrow morning.

Starting later today, it's supposed to rain buckets, possibly continuing on through tomorrow.

Today I hope the weatherpeople are wrong. There's a 50/50 chance of that, you know.

I took a few minutes to read this post.

God, forgive me when I whine.

I walk with ease, the world is mine.

Downpour.

Yesterday Bill was home before 4pm. On a Sunday.

I think that's happened... maybe 3 times over the past 16 months.

Then he went Home Teaching for an hour, but it still felt like we had some needed extra family time.

During dinner, it started raining. Mar couldn't resist a good summer downpour and felt compelled to go run through the fast-running overflowing gutters, so she quickly changed into some shorts and headed out.

Next thing I know, Bill decided to join.

Then Shi.

I love the rain, but chose to stay nice and dry (I hadn't changed out of my church clothes anyway).

Hoping for more rain today (but not tomorrow, please! The girls have their swim Prelims and I would prefer NOT to have another meet like last year).

Enlightenment

I don't like to leave a {downer} post {up} for long. I always worry that I am a little more open than I should be. That perhaps I should sweet talk my way into believing I am so confident in my faith that nothing else matters (because, in the end, it really doesn't). But I have my days. Yesterday was one. I ate myself into oblivion. Seriously. After sampling the meal I took to a family in our ward, AND after partaking of the delicious ribs, chicken, salads and apple-pie-with-ice-cream at a lovely Relief Society dinner, I came home and had a bowl of Chex. I KNOW. Pathetic.

This morning I awoke with a new determination that today would be better.

I went on my morning walk, even though my trusty walking-buddy couldn't go. As I walked I listened to some General Conference talks. I like to put them on shuffle and find it amazing how often the very talk I need will play. It's like randomly opening up the scriptures to the very chapter/page/verse(s) to help you at that precise moment.

Sure enough, I was given gems of encouragement and enlightenment.

Here are just a couple:

"In the great Composer's symphony, you have your own particular part to play - your own notes to sing. Fail to perform them, and with certainty the symphony will go on. But if you rise up and join the chorus and allow the power of God to work through you, you will see 'the windows of heaven' open, and He will 'pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.' Rise up to your true potential as a son [or daughter] of God, and you can be a force for good in your family, your home, your community, your nation, and indeed in the world." (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Four Titles)

"Lift up your soul in prayer and explain to your Heavenly Father what you are feeling. Acknowledge your shortcomings. Pour out your heart and express your gratitude. Let Him know of the the trials you are facing. Plead with Him in Christ's name for strength and support. Ask that your ears may be opened, that you may hear His voice. Ask that your eyes may be opened, that you may see His light." (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Hope of God's Light)

Happy things:

Last week, Bill, my little handyman, fixed my dryer.

I was grateful to at least have a dryer that worked for the month+ while this one was out of commission, but it sure slowed things down and it's in the basement. Two floors up/down. Seriously, a workout, especially in the middle of a hot summer day. Way to go, Bill!

This morning Mar and I whipped this up for our neighbor-dude, Chase:

More often than not, these types of projects end up taking me an eternity to do...  something breaks down, I won't have what I need, or it doesn't turn out as I had anticipated.
Today? Smooth as butter. Just what I needed!

Weighing In

I've been blessed with some pretty good stress relievers this past week. Good thing, since the stress doesn't seem to let up. Ever. I was hoping for a more calm and relaxed July after the crazy hot mess of June. Lets just say these first 11 days (seriously, the month is almost half over) have not proven to be the lazy days of summer I was banking on.

So... what do I do to manage all the stress? 

Think about the next yummy thing I can put into my mouth, of course.

Sure, I know it's not healthy. I'm sure there's a book by Dr. Phil somewhere on the subject. But it's better than finding the edge (spotted this today on Pinterest - another stress reliever).

How 'bout some loaded nachos to alleviate the I'm-single-parenting-FHE-and-I'm-beat-and-hormonal-so-let's-watch-the-Bachelorette-together-what-kind-of-mother-am-I stress?

They DO have lots of veggies... and some beans... that's a good dinner, right?

I've also been blessed with amazing chocolate (from my dear sister who recently returned from a grand European adventure), and some delicious candied almonds and pistachios (from my thoughtful husband who just got back yesterday from an exciting Seattle visit) to help reduce my I-just-can't-find-the-time-or-gumption-to-clean-the-bathrooms-and-finish-the-laundry-I-wish-I-was-touring-Europe-or-at-least-Seattle anxiety.

Dark chocolate...  nuts...  they're healthy... right?

I've also indulged just a little in peanut-butter-and-fudge-sauced dishes of ice cream, shaved ice with full-sugar flavors drizzled with heavy cream, and the occasional lime sherbet float.

Can you sense my stress/anxiety/guilt levels are high?

I'm afraid to face the scale.
But the scale is better than the edge, that's what I always say.


I've been reading this encouraging quote every day (kindly printed up by my visiting teacher, who I'm sure has no idea how much I've used it):

Love this too:

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed..." (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

And, to end things on an up note, I've had this family favorite (sung during thousands of bath times over the years) running through my head lately (I think I've shared before, but it's worth a repeat):

Chin up, chin up, everybody loves a happy face,
Wear it, share it, it'll brighten up the darkest place,
Twinkle, sparkle, let a little sunshine in,
You'll be on the right side, looking at the bright side,
Up with your chinney-chin-chin!

Chin up, chin up, put a little laughter in your eyes;
Brave it, save it, even if you're feeling otherwise.
Rise up, wise up, let a little smile begin,
You'll be happy hearted, once you get started,
Up with your chinney-chin-chin!

Syddall Reunion 2013

Last weekend we attended our Syddall Family Reunion up Fairview Canyon. We've been camping in Fairview since the year Bill and I were married (maybe his family camped there before me, too...). 

25 years. We can drive through the campground areas and reminisce about dozens of spots from dozens of years past. I can vividly recall pictures of campouts over the years...
here's a few, just to illustrate my point:

It is a beautiful place.

This year, we took the dogs along. I was apprehensive about it, since they aren't really traveling dogs (I put them in their kennels just to go to the vet). They were both quite nervous as we embarked on our journey.

At the beginning of a campout is definitely the time to take pictures. Aren't these ladies beautiful?

We had EVERYTHING a good family reunion/campout needs:

√ Time to relax and visit

√ Cousins  √ Corn-on-the-cob

  √ Frogs

√ Close family togetherness while piling into vehicles to go fish

√ Catching fish

√ Four wheelin'

√ Reuniting Jack, Ava, and Conan (it is a family reunion, after all)

√ Relaxing in the air-conditioned comfort of Grandma and Grandpa's trailer when the temps soar

√ Glamping it up with mountain manicures

√ Hanging out with the dawgs

√ Playing Grandpa's awesome horseshoes bean bag game

√ More four wheelin'

√ Getting down and {dirty} - and not caring

√ Long walks

√ More fishing

√ Cousins

√ Have I mentioned fishing?

√ Cuddly Cousins

√ Filleted and grilled freshly caught fish (Austin's the pro)

√ Bubbles

√ Silly Minute-to-Win-It games

√ Rest and relaxation

√ Target shooting

√ Wheeling-on-four (just changing it up)

√ Volleyball

√ A beautiful location

√ A perfect campsite

√ S'mores around the campfire

√ More cuddly cousin time

√ The best camp grillmaster ever

√ Plenty of creepy bugs and mosquitos (24 bites on Cole's neck alone)

√ Building things out of sticks with cousins

√ And lots (and lots) of end-of-campout family group pictures 
(I know this is everybody's favorite part... right?):

√ Don't forget a few good photo bombs

And that's it. Like I said... EVERYTHING.

We sure missed this girl:

(Circa 2007)

She couldn't find a reasonable way to get there from Idaho without missing more school than she'd like.

Maybe next year.

On our way to and from the campout, we passed the area that burned last year, causing a last-minute relocation of the reunion. The mountainside looked like this for what seemed like miles. So sad.

Shi headed to Orem with Taylor and Lynnea to attend EFY on Monday, so Mar had more room to spread out with the dogs on the way home.

It was awesome.