Baseball Boy

Ryan is absolutely loving baseball this year. He has a great coach that is kind and yet knows his stuff. He has a lot of parental support (including his own dad) that helps with practices and the games. His team is young and inexperienced. We don't have a very good record so far this year, in fact we have struggled. But Ryan is in his element.

He has been playing the positions of third baseman, catcher and pitcher. Being catcher this year is a new experience and he has enjoyed the challenge of it. There is a lot of action there, and Ryan loves that. Plus he has an excellent arm which allows him to throw those long balls to second.

But ultimately he is a pitcher at heart. I feared when he signed up for the 3rd/4th grade team that he would not have the opportunity to pursue his love. But I was wrong. Only him and one other boy come close to having the talent to throw that ball across the plate. Ryan can throw hard for his age and is pretty accurate. He wants to practice everyday and Roger and I take turns being the catcher for him.

He has done pretty well in the games so far. Last game was his best yet. The first inning he pitched he had two strike outs and three hits. He caught a pop fly so in essence he made all the outs. The next inning he struck out three batters in a row. He had no walks the whole game. It was terrific to watch.

I am very torn about his new found passion. On one hand, it makes it a lot more fun to for me to watch the games. Baseball moves a little slow for me but when he is in the center of it all there is always action. On the other hand, that is a lot of pressure. That is not to say that Ryan feels the pressure. He gets up there like he doesn't have a care in the world. But I can't even sit in the bleachers. I pace back and forth and cheer and even cover my eyes at times. It is tough being the parent of the child everyone is watching. I worry that he will mess up and people will get angry at him. So far, our team has been so supportive but I still worry. I just wonder if it gets easier with time or even more stressful.

Anyway about it, baseball is here to stay in our lives for awhile.

Dakota

 It was a very sad day when we lost a dear family member . . .Dakota.  She was 14 years old which in Dog years is just ancient.  The entire family was so sad since she has been with us for so long.

Daddy and Mommy got Dakota when they had been married for just about a year.   She was a young dog that had sooo much energy and love for everyone.  She loved to chew everything, play games, go running and eat food off a fork.




We had to leave Dakota for 4 years when we went off to Optometry school which was really hard.  But we were very fortunate to be able to get her back when we moved back to Utah.

Since then she has been a part of the children's lives and around during every major event.  She was a sweet dog that wouldn't hurt anyone.  She had a free spirit and chewed through her metal kennel several times because she just wanted to be free and around the family.  She is free now and will forever be blessed that she was part of our lives for a time.

WE LOVE YOU DAKOTA!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day this year was nice and sweet. My kids showered me with homemade cards and art projects from school. My hubby showered me with treats, flowers and pampering throughout the day. My kids did try to get along a little better than normal and many hugs came my way throughout the day.

Alyssa was asked to give her first youth talk in sacrament meeting. It was on honoring your mother. She did a fabulous job. She showed great confidence and poise up at the pulpit and her talk was just the way a talk is supposed to be. It was a special treat for me on mother's day.

Roger smoked baby back ribs for the occasion as well as a fattie. We had funeral potatoes and fruit and then topped it all off with Texas Sheet Cake. It was an amazing dinner.

We went for a nice family walk to work off some of the calories of dinner. I must say that it is good to be honored for your efforts now and then.

The longer I am a mother, the more appreciation I also have for my mom and my other mom (Alice, Roger's mother). They are both remarkable women that have blessed my life immensely. Thank goodness for mothers.

1st Lizard of the Season

We had to document the 1st Horny Toad of the season find. The warm weather finally arrived and the lizards came out. All the kids love the hunt and then they adore the lizards.

We kept this one for just one day before we returned him to his home. We have the hope that they will stick around for many more years.

I love the fact that my kids have the opportunity to live in a place where they can hunt lizards and see deer and jack rabbits and explore fields and nearby rocky ledges. I loved doing the same sort of things as a kid. When I lived in Hawaii we had a jungle right across the street. There was beautiful vegetation of all kinds to be found. Whenever we were hungry we went searching for guavas of many varieties, sugar cane, or passion fruit. We would go down to the pond and hunt for crayfish or polliwogs. We also made miniature homes for the many baby frogs we found. There were lots of toads that we thought were cool but I am a firm believer that they do cause warts. When we moved back to Utah I had no less than 50 warts all over my body. Little did I know . .

We would make boats out of lilikoi and float them down the stream. We would sometimes hike to a nearby waterfall to have picnics or hang out in our tree house in the middle of the jungle. We would roller skate to Mr. Miyamoto's Store to buy penny candy and lemon peel. We rode our bikes to the top of a gigantic hill to the water tower and then had no fear going down the hill as fast as we could until we crashed into the bushes at the bottom. We would explore lava creations and find teardrops on bushes and turn them into beautiful necklaces. Wow, I had forgotten many of the wonderful things we did there. We were so lucky to have so many options at our fingertips. With just a little imagination we experienced so much. I just hope that my kids have some of the same opportunities to explore and use their imagination.

Baptisms at the Temple

Alyssa had the opportunity this week to do baptisms for the dead for her very first time. She had been so excited for so long to do this and at long last her chance finally came.

She went to the Mount Timpanogus Temple with her Young Women group. It was a gorgeous spring day and the temple grounds were beautiful with all of it's spring flowers.

She thought the temple was really pretty. She liked being able to go inside and she felt happy and peaceful within the walls. She got baptized for about 15 people and confirmed for 5. She could actually remember some of the names of the people even after she got home.

Now she can't wait to go back and she hopes to get some family names to do in the Columbus Temple when we go to Ohio this summer. She said it was a really neat experience that she will never forget.

As a mother, I am proud of my daughter for her righteousness and that she was worthy to go to the temple. I am also thrilled that she wants to be there and I hope that she never loses that faith and desire to return to the Lord's house.

Goodtown Gala

Another school year is coming to a close and classes are winding down with their various activities and programs. In the past, the entire grade performs some type of end of year program for the parents. Well this year Mr. Goodman did one for his class alone and it was wonderful. I actually had a front row seat for a change and could see everyone perfectly.

I posted the program here so we can remember the many things that were done. Ryan was asked to give the "state of the Goodtown union" and he did a fabulous job. He also was given a "Respectful" award for his behavior throughout the year.

Many songs were sung and you could tell each kid in that class truly felt important and loved being there. I just feel so fortunate that Ryan was lucky enough to get Mr. Goodman as a teacher.

The program ended with a slide show of the year and it was quite sentimental. I don't know why it always effects me so much but I guess I just have so much appreciation for these teachers that spend so many hours with my children. I always get nostalgic and am sad at the end of the year.

I know that we are truly blessed to live in such a wonderful area with such a caring community. My kids have so many opportunities and good influences around them. It makes such a difference to me as a parent.

Smokin again . . .

Hallelujah, it is finally spring. And how do I know this wonderful thing? Could it be the colorful tulips and daffodils? How about the blossoming trees and green grass? Maybe it is the thunderstorms or the sun staying up longer in the evenings. You would think it would be any one of these things and yet that is not it. It is the big black smoker coming out of hiding and once again being perched on our front point while smells of BBQ permeate the neighborhood. Yup, Roger is smoking again.

Last year, Roger decided he needed to join the "grown-up" world of barbecuing by obtaining and using a smoker. He did his research on the various types of smokers and made his purchase. Then he began searching out various recipes, types of wood to use and the different techniques for smoking different meats.

His first attempt was ribs and a thing called a "fattie". Basically it is cream cheese, chives, and jalapenos wrapped up in sausage then wrapped in bacon. Yes it is as yummy as it sounds. Everything turned out wonderfully and they were some of the best ribs I have ever had. We were hooked.

As the summer progressed he started to master his new skill. He cooked pulled pork, different kinds of ribs and even brisket. He started creating his own rubs for the meats and even started making his own BBQ sauce. Everything he has ever made has been delicious. The kids love the meat, especially the fatties. Roger enjoys sharing his masterpieces with various friends and family.

So this past Sunday, he finally fired up the smoker for a new season of delectable entrees. It was difficult to bear the smells throughout the day since it was fast-Sunday, but it was well worth the wait. He cooked brisket with his own sauce and it was heavenly. We are looking forward to many amazing meals throughout the summer.