February

Scattered Highlights of February


This guy turned 17.  

He is still golden in my eyes.

I just  have about 18 months until he flies the nest....makes me teary.
So Tom and I are making a list of the things we want to
experience together as a family before his departure.

We had a little celebration with some of his best buddies.

I really like these kids and am so grateful for the good influence they have had on Cole.

This motley crew won our church basketball tournament.  

Goof balls but talented.

Unusual weather

 We actually had a short snowfall...big big deal here.

Everyone was out of their houses and enjoying it in the street.
I think I can count on one hand the times it has snowed in my lifetime.

I couldn't capture the snow falling very well but I did grab a shot of the 

double rainbow that lit up the sky.
I think rainbows are amazing.

Isaac was asked to host the Bishop's single sisters dinner again.  

He really wanted to get a suit and find some good jokes to tell.

We found the suit and went to his grandpa for some jokes. 

My father-in-law is a talented joke teller. 

Getting back to Cole...

Cole went on a rodeo date with some of his cousins.
It was held down at a farm in Lehi.
They set up a few (highly entertaining) competitions.

 Cole took Kate Clifford and she was an A+ competitor

 This poor goat had some $ mula strapped to his back....

 and then the wolves were let loose.

there was also a chicken thrown in the mix

Egg toss

Blah!

 You were a great sport Kate..and now you smell like yolk.

This poor, greased-up, squealing pig was the finale.
I have never heard a pig protest more loudly.  It was sad and funny all at the same time. 

(Note: no animals were harmed during this date)

My father-in-law was diagnosed with acute leukemia in February.

It was a hard diagnosis for the family to hear.  We love this man so much.

This picture was taken on February 19, a day I will never forget.

 I came over to the house in the morning to record him 

for a video we were doing for Azbrainfood.   

He was back in his room throwing up when I arrived. 

 His health and strength had been rapidly declining.

I kept my laptop and microphone packed up and just planned to do it another day.

Next thing I know he is shuffling down the hall--ready to do what we had planned.

He read a quote by Teddy Roosevelt entitled "The Man in the Arena" perfectly. 

I realized my computer had not recorded it.  

We tried again.  

He read it perfectly- 

 the recording prematurely stopped AGAIN.

I was sick.  

I said a little prayer, restarted my computer program and he happily began for the third time.

It worked and I am so grateful.

The teenagers had Mama's Manners Night  planned for the end of February, 

 but with Papa so sick, they just came over for a short visit.

Anita and Ross both shared their testimonies and they all sang a couple of songs together.

This night marked the last week they would have with their Papa.

Polar Plunge

For the past 5 years we have held a Polar Bear Plunge on January 1.

I did these growing up.
My dad loved to provide a good challenge for us kids to do.
This was a more mild one.

Here were the stats for Jan. 1 2013:
The pool was 46 degrees and the weather outside was 56 degrees.
Just enough of a bite to it.

This year the Shills and Tingeys returned once again for another plunge
 and we had two rookie families join us-
My brothers Clint and Adam.

My niece Adlee's face demonstrates how fun this can be.

  

Kate realized that the idea of the plunge was a lot more fun than the reality of the plunge.

Clint had to give her a little pep talk. 

Whatever Clint told her...worked

Lots of different ways to make an entrance.
Personally, the pencil dive would be my last choice.

I am not sure what type of dive this is...stumble/trip into the pool?

I love this goof-ball brother of mine.  

He and his family are moving back to Az in a few months

and they are going to live just a stone's throw away.  

Clint's dive is a bit more graceful than the others....but that's Clint for ya.
If Physical Therapy doesn't work out -- he could possibly go into competitive diving.

After they all jumped and swam across the pool, a 101 degree jacuzzi was waiting for them.

This little warm luxury was not part of my childhood polar bear plunges.  

We just got a towel and the shivers.

These two weirdos didn't get enough the first time around...

Once everyone assured little Josh that we thought his underwear was really just a Cars' swimsuit,

he took the non-swimmer dip.

Adam's kids are very adaptable.
No swimsuit--no problem.

January

Wow, where has time gone?  January is already behind us
 and I am still trying to remember to write 2013 and keep up with my goal to post monthly.
Sorry to the one person that gives a hoot....Isaac. 

After the Polar Plunge, we had a really cold snap for about a week.  It was brrrrr.

We rounded up every sheet, towel, pillowcase in the house and covered our

backyard plants.  I still don't understand how a sheet can save them.
Crossing my fingers they make it through.


But then we had our beloved sun back.
Beloved in the winter and Evil in the summer.

Ike is usually sitting at the kitchen counter, table or desk creating something. 

Right now it is drawing.   

The only help I can provide for this budding talent is 

paper, pencils and to search out images on the internet for him to draw.

 I can't get a stick figure to look right.

My mom found a great drawing app (Paper53)  that these two love.

We have been trying to get to as many high school basketball games

 to support our nephews Rock and Luke.  

All this exciting high school play has rubbed off on Ike.  

All the coaxing from Tom didn't get him to go out and shoot ...
it just took watching his big cousins play.

There is a new intensity and determination in this kid.

He no longer feels like it is unfair or rude to steal the ball from his opponent.

Eye of the Tiger

On another court.....

Meg is right in the thick of club volleyball season.

We aren't winning a lot of games and that is not easy for this competitive player.

However, Meg is improving, she has her jump serve, 

and is learning how to be a good teammate...even when you keep losing.    

 Cole is always recruiting family members to join in the Ab ripper.

I should, but I don't

 This month, Ike reached his goal of 32 push-ups.

Summer has been working at her tennis game, 5 days a week, to get ready 

for high school try-outs.  She won't let me include photos of this effort.

She took a few lessons when she was young but then we took a 3 year volleyball detour.   

Tom and I will miss her volleyball games but if she loves tennis--so do we.

She is also finishing up a couple of projects to earn her YW medallion in Personal Progress. 

The fact that she wants to get her driver's permit in March may have something to do with this.

One of her 10 hour projects is to index genealogy records

To wrap it up I have to mention a big change

I was released as YW President.

I have loved and learned so much from these wonderful girls for the past 3 years. 

Such fun memories with the girls and the women I served with.   

They surprised me with a good-bye visit and a book they made for me.  

Tender moment for me to see them all standing at my door.