Crazy with the Cousins

As I mentioned in an earlier post, our cousins are down visiting from Idaho. Since we all have Felix blood in us you must understand that we constantly have to being doing something or going somewhere at all times. This week was no exception, thus the lack of posting until today. Don't get me wrong, we had a ball until the point of exhaustion.

On Thursday we went to Classic Skating to see if we could wear the kids out. After nearly 4 1/2 hours of skating, scootering, bike riding, jumping, climbing, game playing and so on, we came pretty close. In the end though, I think the adults were still more exhausted. I didn't take my skates off the whole time. I especially enjoyed playing the different games on the skate rink and trying to help my kids and nieces and nephews win prizes. It was fun to dance the funky chicken and the hokey pokey while on wheels and trying to keep my 4 year old balanced. It was a great time had by all.

That night Maddy, Dallin and Logan spent the night with us. It is nice to have quality time with our cousins (especially at 11:00 at night when they are all supposed to be sleeping). The next day was filled with more playing until we went to Grandma's house. We had a big sleepover in her basement which is always a hit. We played badminton and on water slides until the mosquitoes scared us away. It was another night of very little sleep (especially for the adults since we stayed up reminiscing about the "olden" days"). It was sad to part ways the next day and yet a relief at the same time. I am glad my children enjoy being with their family and I hope they can maintain those relationships when they are older.

Also, this week was Ryan's last baseball game. It started out in a torrential downpour. They finally called a rain delay only after everyone player and spectator was soaked through and through. After 30 minutes the game was started once again. Ryan did fairly well, although I think the wet and cold effected his pitching somewhat. It was a tough game and we lost after rallying in the end to bring the score to 9 -5. Ryan was quite sad not to move on in the tourniment and he is already in withdrawals for his favorite sport.

Brianna also had her last soccer game on Saturday. It has been quite the experience for Roger and I to coach a 4 year old team. It took great amounts of patience especially to quell the frustration Roger felt many times throughout the season. Brianna overall had a great year but I am not sure we will coach her team again. She just didn't like cooperating for her parents even when they were talking to her as coaches. This last game was a nightmare. Roger wasn't there because he was home planting a tree in our yard (a monstrous thing that came from the Millington's yard so it was no easy task, but looks wonderful in our yard. Thank you guys for the tree). Anyway, I was alone coaching and Brianna was soooo tired from the crazy week. She had at least 3 meltdowns right on the field. When I tried to sub her out she threw a fit in front of everyone. I was at a loss of what to do and was a little embarrassed. A wonderful neighbor came to my rescue in the nick of time to save Brianna's life. I was quite glad when the game was finally over. Brianna then informed me that she is ready to do dance now. We'll see . . .

Ryan and Brianna also started swimming lessons this week. Fortunately it is in the Petersen's pool which is only 2 blocks away. I love the convenience of it and the fact that the kids feel like they get to swim everyday even if it is only for 1/2 hour.

The rest of the week was a blur with exercise, church commitments, rain everyday, and endless refereeing on my part with the kids. Oh how we love the summer.

Red Ledges

Our Idaho cousins are here for a visit this week. It is always great when they come down because it gives us an excuse to go and do things that we don't ordinarily do.

Today was one of those days. We went to a place called Red Ledges. It was up Spanish Fork canyon about 25 minutes from Missy's house. It was gorgeous. The terrain was completely different than the normal mountains. It looked as if we had traveled to St. George or somewhere in Arizona with the red rocks and unusual formations.

It was the perfect place to hike and explore. There were people there repelling down the side of the cliffs which was fun to watch. We counted and hunted over 30 lizards which is always entertainment in and of itself. We attempted to climb up a mountain which was "fun" with so many little kids. We had a great time until we saw some snakes. A few of us are not so fond of them so we headed back down. We ended up seeing 2 different varieties of snakes.

A car stopped to tell us that a black bear cub had just been spotted about a block away. The kids thought that would be cool to see but we had no luck. I was glad because if it was a baby cub then there had to be a protective mother around somewhere.

We have had an amazing spring/summer. Here we are in the second week of June and are still in the low 70's. It is great for hiking and playing outside. Everything is greener than normal and the flowers this year are spectacular. It was a perfect day to be in nature.

Baseball is my "Passion"

I think we finally found something that Ryan absolutely loves. Baseball. He informed me that baseball is his passion. This is quite surprising coming from a boy that is so even keeled and rarely shows strong emotion for anything. But I must say that I would agree. Baseball is his passion. He could play non-stop and never get tired of it. He wants to practice all of the time. An old mother like myself can only play catch for so long before I feel the aches and pains of it. And yet he could keep going. He plays with dad, any neighbor kids that will oblige and there have been countless hours of wiffle ball games in our backyard. My boy loves this sport.

It has been a wonderful season for Ryan. Not because he has been part of a winning team with a great record. In fact it has been quite the opposite of that. But he has had a very supportive coach that has allowed him to flourish under his guidance. I've seen Ryan grow from a timid player, only understanding half of the time what was going on, to a person that controls the game with confidence and poise. He went from greatly disliking batting to being anxious to hit that ball. He started out decent as a pitcher and now even I will admit that he is good. Really good.


Last Friday's game Ryan pitched all 5 innings. It was against the number one team. During that game Ryan had 12 strike outs as pitcher and caught 2 fly balls. There was only one out made by another team member. Ryan also scored the only run of the day. He was truly the star.

This week we started the "playoffs". Granted we went into this knowing that we wouldn't last long in the double elimination tournament. Well the Marlins came out as a different team. Ryan pitched 3 innings and did excellent. He also hit a double bringing in 2 runs. Going into the last inning we were up 6 to 3. I tell you, Ryan's cool and even personality is perfect for sports situations. He acted like he felt no pressure. His dad on the other hand paced back and forth the whole game and his mom couldn't even watch the last inning. (I have no nails left . . it was definately a nail biter). Well they pulled it off and won!! It was so exciting and such a boost of moral.

They immediately walked off the field and right onto another one to start their next game. We played the number 1 team again. We drew first blood and scored right away. Ryan then played catcher which is another position that he loves. His friend pitched 1 1/2 innings and then fell apart. They pulled him out and put Ryan back in as pitcher. He was tired but he pulled it off. He pitched well. Unfortunately we had too much of a deficit at that point to come back but the team still made us proud.

I tell you that I saw more excitement and emotion come from my son that I ever have before. He was in his element. Roger and I were completely drained by the end but he was on a high. I think it is much harder to be a spectator than to actually play the sport, especially as a parent. I hope I can handle many more years of this because I see a great future for Ryan in baseball.

We had lots of fans at the game. The cousins came as well as Grandpa and Grandma. It is such a fun family activity and I appreciated the support.

Summer Fun

Right now it is 8:30 at night and I am sitting outside on the deck enjoying a perfect summer evening. Ryan is in the backyard playing wiffle ball with the neighbor kids and Brianna is with the other Brianna petting the neighbor's dog. There are sounds of laughter mixed with the sounds of crickets and I couldn't be more content.

I just got back from visiting a neighbor who has pancreatic cancer. She has been fighting it for a year and I think she is finally nearing the end of her battle. I sat and talked with her and her husband for awhile and realized how fragile life can be. I came home somewhat somber and yet so full of gratitude for my life and the good health of my family. This life is a guessing game and you never know what might come your way. I know that I need to enjoy those wonderful moments that seem so simple and yet are so meaningful. At this moment I am so content that I am just enjoying soaking in all the good around me.

Today was the first day in weeks that I haven't had to leave the house for some school event, church obligation or kid commitment. It was so nice to be home and relax during this day. I got a lot accomplished around the house and also had some fun with the kids. It was the perfect balance.

The kids have so much fun doing the simplest things. They are lucky to have so many kids in our neighborhood. They never lack in companionship. Even though my door was constantly being left open and numerous empty water cups were left on my counter top I didn't mind. This is what summer is all about.

One of the highlights of the day was when local firemen came and opened the fire hydrant in front of our home to clean it out. The kids screamed and giggle and loved getting wet. You would have thought it was Christmas. Many kids followed the truck as it moved from hydrant to hydrant. Boy it was fun.

I am sure someday I will look back and long for these times. I am doing my best to appreciate what I have while I have it.

Sunshine, Summer Fun, Silliness, and Smores

I have a dear friend that I met over 16 years ago on my mission. She was one of my companions (twice actually) while I served in Oakland. This friend is Juli Schiess, but more commonly known as "Tippets". I have been fortunate to maintain and develop this friendship over the years. We went from being single, to newlyweds, to mothers, to exercise partners over this time period. We have discussed everything from child raising, to meal cooking, to scrap booking, to being a wife, religion, clothes, the mission, and even what we will be like as grandparents. She has been part of my life for so long and I can't imagine life without her.

Since we are friends, our children are friends simply because of our circumstances. Ever since Alyssa was 3 1/2 years old we have gotten together for play dates, field trips, park visits and even sleep overs. Our kids our getting older now and there visits are farther apart and yet they still love to get together.

Today, we were able to go to their house to "hang out". I was a little curious about how it would go. Juli has a 13 year old boy and Alyssa is 12. We have wondered how long they would still enjoy getting together or when it might start to get a little awkward. Well it took them a little while to warm up but by the end they were up to their silly antics as usual.

They have a wonderfully huge yard with so many fun things to do. We built a fire and had a cookout for lunch. My kids thought it was great to roast marshmallows in the middle of the day and I swear it was the best smore I have ever had. (Maybe it was because I could actually see it and didn't end up with marshmallow in my hair).

The kids are quite creative and this time was no exception. They created their own "country" called deathopotemia complete with a bill of rights, laws, declarations, costumes and even a flag. It was quite unique.

They had a wonderful time and always hate when it is time to say goodbye. Maybe they will maintain their friendships even after they have grown. Only time will tell.

Last Day of School!!

Summer has officially begun. Today was the last day of school. You know it has been a good year when both of your children come home crying. Neither Alyssa or Ryan wanted the year to end. As a mother I was feeling pretty much the same way (hehe).

Truthfully though I was feeling a little blue myself. The kids had amazing teachers this year and I was sad to think that they are moving on. I respect these teachers so much. I hand over my kids day in and day out for over 18o days. I rely on those teachers to protect them, teach them, and care for them. That is a huge responsibility and I can't help but feel grateful for their dedication and love of teaching. I hope my kids remember how lucky they were to this year.

Alyssa was especially sad saying goodbye to her friends and Mrs. Gurr. She is about to enter a new phase of life and although she is excited there is a lot of trepidation to leave her comfort zone and tread into the unknown. Bye Bye elementary, hello junior high.

Ryan had his best school year yet with Mr. Goodman. I believe Mr. Goodman is somewhat sentimental himself. He sent each child home with a scrapbook. It was over 4 inches thick and weighed a good 8 lbs. It contained pictures, papers, their class motto's and any other significant event or special awards they received throughout the year. I was amazed by the amount of work and money that had to have been put into this project. Maybe I can hire him to come and finish all the rest of my scrapbooks. Mr. G is truly one of a kind.

In order to forget being sad and to start off the summer with a bang we headed straight to the movies. Daddy was able to tweak his schedule a little and met us there. We saw Night of the Museum II and the kids loved it. I hope this is just the beginning of a fun summer to come.

Wolf Badge

Today Ryan progressed in ranks in the cub scout program. He earned his wolf badge. He was pretty excited that he got it as was I since this first year of scouts has been a learning experience for all. I can't say that I have a complete understanding of it all yet but I do know that he loves attending den meetings each week and he is being taught many wonderful qualities and skills. So I now know that it is a valuable program.



One year down . . . only 6-8 years more to go!