FALL BALL '08

I might have mentioned it before, but David started Fall Baseball this month. This is just an informal league that Riverton sets up at the beginning of August each year. However, he is excited about it because it is coach pitched and he is playing with 5 and 6 year olds.

Turning 40

Okay - this past Sunday yours truly turned 40. That's four decades gone by since that pivotal year that shaped a generation!

As part of some means to ease through my little 'mid-life' crisis, I thought I ought to take some time to reflect back over the many years that are/have so quickly faded into a colorless blur of memories. It is easy to get wrapped up in a self-centered pity-party focusing on all the things 'you should have had, or done' reminiscing on short comings and failures. Besides, I have lived almost half of a full life and in outside comparison of other's accomplishments I would easily rank low on many things. I'm going to avoid that pit-fall (remember that action packed Atari game) and highlight some of my more significant life events that make me who I am.

I have...

• been in attendance while baseball greats (and my favorites) Dave Winfield, Rollie Fingers, Pete Rose, George Brett, Reggie Jackson, Johnny Bench, Reggie Smith, and Steve Garvey played ball.


• been swimming in the Pacific (South: Zihuatanejo to North: Homer, Alaska), Atlantic (South: Miami to North: Deleware) and Caribbean (West: Cancun to East: Puerto Plata, DR) Oceans.


• been on numerous cross country road trips including Oak Harbor, WA to Burke, VA and Salt Lake City, UT to Homer, AK and SLC to Pensacola, FL


• seen the Northern Lights


• seen the Space Shuttle - in orbit, fly attached to a 747, and take off from Cape Canaveral, and watched it explode on live TV.


• lived in eleven different states including Washington DC.


• lived in a tent city


• seen Nauvoo, the Sacred Grove, Hill Camorah, Carthage Jail, and hiked the Mormon Battalion Trail in California.


• riden a 800cc Honda Shadow in Alaska and a 300cc Honda on the Washington beltway.
• fluent in Spanish
• apart from my current profession, worked as a fish processor, warehouseman, landscaper, nightclub doorman, record store clerk, bilingual collections rep, ski lift operator, call center manager, and panhandler.


• wrestled in high school, wore a skirt as a fashion statement to high school, and graduated 736 in my class of close to 800.


• seen Teotihuacan, took a boat around Xochimilco, and seen many other pre-columbian sites.


• taken a 100 mile bike ride from Burke, VA to Rehobeth Beach, Delaware.


• canoed the Shenandoah river.


• scuba dived at high altitude in a lake with full wetsuit.


• seen countless new wave, punk, and alternative rock concert and shows in the '80's which include big name bands: starting with Depeche Mode (1984), the Cure, the Smiths, Echo and the Bunneymen, OMD, Sinead O'conner, Joe Jackson, PIL, Gene Love Jezebel, Ministry, the Damned, Howard Jones, the Church, Ballam and the Angel, Hudoo Guroos, the Cramps, and local talent such as 9353, Madhouse, Bad Brains, Slickee boys, minor threat...actually too many to remember.


• been told that I looked like Andy Worhol by someone who knew him.


• deep sea fished in Mexico.


• slept in a train station, over pass, tent, on top of ferry-boat, airplane, bunk bed, hammock, with bedbugs, car, in the rain, in sub-zero temp, on the roof, and on the beach.


• had Dengue's fever.


• broke a finger and separated shoulder.


• bench pressed 220 lbs.


• lost 40 lbs from 200 to 160.


• passed my CBA and CBF credit designation exams.


• paid less than a $1.00 and more than $4.20 per gallon of gas!

However, my more meaningful events that top all of the aforementioned include:

• serving a two year mission in the Dominican Republic


• marrying the most wonderful and beautiful person in the world


• having 3 great kids


• 11 year old scout master


• running across an old friend, keeping in touch, and participating in his baptism


• seeing my parents off to serve a mission in Sweden


• being without work for a month and receiving a call for an unsolicited job interview and landing the job


• receiving a thoughtful letter from dad while I was in Alaska


• cruise vacation with siblings and parents

Well, I have to say this by no means is a complete list (and I will probably add to it as I clear out more cob-webs) but it touches on a few... I'm going to give some more thought as to what I want to accomplish in the next few years and post about that later... Thanks for your indulgence.

A Day at Lagoon!

It was Spectrum Engineer's day at Lagoon. The kids always look forward to this annual event: the rides, the water park, the food, and above all - Spectrum's Bingo and prize drawings. Alex and Vanessa invited their best friends Zach and Bailey and had a great time heading off on their own to hit all their favorite rides (the ones that Dad and Mom wont get on!).

David had a great time this year as he is just about tall enough to get on many of the bigger rides - like the Bat! Alex won a $20 gift certificate at BestBuy and each of the kids got handfuls of new golden dollar coins. Unfortunately, unlike previous years, we didn't luck out for any of the prize drawings.

Swimming Lessons

Vanessa and David took swimming lessons this summer and have become much better swimmers. Vanessa passed levels 4 & 5 and is on to level 6. David has passed level 1 & 2 and will be ready for level 3.

We're impressed with David's ability to quickly make new friends and his confidence to interact well with his teachers and coaches.

Vanessa found hidden courage to jump from the high dive and has become pretty proficient with the butterfly stroke... A 2016 Olympic hopeful!

BRACES

Today was the day... Alex got braces. He has been pretty excited about getting them; however, if you were to ask him now he would tell you that he would never have gotten them - painful!

Mini Vacation continued...

Well, upon returning home from our day trip to Heber, Utah the weather turned sour here in the valley so we decided to head up to eastern Idaho and visit Lori and her family. We stayed the night at a hotel in Rexburg where the kids were able to have a swim then we spent the rest of the weekend visiting our cousins and seeing the sights.

Steven and Wyatt showed us how fun it is to have chickens as you can see Wyatt grabbing one for David.

Mike and Lori took us up to Mesa falls which proved to be more spectacular than anticipated. These really are world class falls. The 150' falls kick up a lot of mist which seem to have created a micro climate on the west side of the river similar to a rain forest. Just beautiful!

We had a picnic lunch in the shade near our cars. We hand fed a bird that came for a visit, watched Mei-Mei step into her peanut butter sandwich, and received lessons on the only way of making a PB&J sandwich (spread PB on one slice, and J on the other - never spreading the J on the PB!).

After lunch, we drove to the Harriman State Park were the kids were able to hike around and Mike and I were able to throw our fishing lines into the river. It was pretty hot and the fish were not biting so after a short stay we opted to find a better spot (one where the kids could get wet and the big kids could fish). Mike told us about a local fishing hole with another waterfall and a beach so we headed back out.

The place Mike took us was called Monkey Falls... Mike was anxious to get his line wet so before the rest of us could get the kids in their suits and down to the river, Mike caught the first fish, a 19.5" cutthroat, just at the base of the fall! (On his first cast no less). It took me a bit longer but was eventually able to pull one out at the same spot... a more humble 18.5" cutthroat..

Of course, that evening we ate an Idahoan smorgasbord of Potato and Trout!

We spent that night with Lori and the fam as Alex, Vanessa, and David continued to have a great time chasing chickens and playing with their cousins. We had a fantastic time being with them. Vanessa wanted to know when we could move to Idaho... My guess is, not until she chooses to go to BYU Idaho in 9 years :)

We would have loved to continue our travels up to Burley, Idaho to see Grandma Fillmore; however, each of seem to have shared a little too much over the past 4 days cramped up in our car... besides the water bottles and recycled air, we all shared a nice soar throat and runny nose. So, we thought it would be best not to share that with her. We headed for home Sunday morning just in time to allow the Courtney's get ready for church. Until next time... adieu!

Quick rafting video

Mini Vacation - August 7th, 2008

Well, we decided we needed to do something with the family before the summer ended, and since we are trying to save for a longer vacation, we decided to stay close and take a ride on the Heber Railroad.

Alexander wasn't too sure this was going to be that great at first; however, after having a little fresh air blow in his hair a while, things started to look a little more optimistic for him. Vanessa was all for it, and David was always ready to go.

About three miles into our journey, we were held up by a bunch of derelicts on horseback. Why would the train stop? You would think that a 100 ton locomotive could easily plow over a man on a horse.... Any way, perhaps their six shooters appeared more threatening to the engineer.

We later realized that this was probably staged... ;)

The view from the train down Provo Canyon was great. We rode the train about half way down the canyon where we chartered a ride back up to the Deer Creek Reservoir where we rented a raft and floated back down about 7 miles.

Again, the scenery was beautiful - the class I and II rapids were just right for David - he had a blast leaning over the side as we drifted into each rolling rapid allowing the water to come crashing over his head.




This is the perfect float trip for families with small kids. There was just enough white water to keep the kids excited and the whole trip lasted just under 90 minutes. However, now that it is over, I think they are all ready for some Class IV rapids...

We had about three hours before we had to get back onto the train so the same rafting outfitters took us up to Sundance where we intended to go up the ski lift and hike around a while... However, as soon as we got up there the weather changed and they had to close the lift. We tried to make the most of it by checking out the shops and occasionally finding a photo opportunity.

After the rain subsided, they still didn't open the lift... We would have to say that the least favorite part of this little trip was the wait for the van to pick us up.

We even had fun riding the train back to Heber City.

We still have three more days left to have fun this weekend... We plan on 'playing it by ear' - Who knows what else we will do.