Busiest. Summer. Ever. Part 2.

The third week of June is Strawberry Days, a week-long celebration of local heritage. We usually participate in the Children's Parade, go to the carnival, and watch the big parade. This year I took the kids to the carnival while Jeff helped with the concessions at the rodeo as an Elder's Quorum service project. It was the first night, so all the rides were one ticket instead of two or three. There were people everywhere and the lines for the rides were long, but it was worth it, because the boys loved it. I stuck with Dallin, so almost all the pictures I took were of him.





Ryan ran fast enough to earn the right to participate in the Strawberry Days relay races with other 4th grade boys from his school. They ended up taking 2nd place. They started fast, but all of them faded too much at the end. The relay teams from his school got enough points to win the whole group a mission at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center hosted in another elementary school in town. They got a two-and-a-half hour simulation of a real space shuttle mission. I haven't seen what it's like, but it sounds like a lot of fun.

We actually skipped the big parade this year. The boys sacrificed it to go to Cedar City and support me at the Utah Summer Games instead. I've wanted to participate since I volunteered there as a teenager. I finally got my chance--now that I'm old and have little to no competition. Literally. I won a gold medal in Women Masters 40-45 Weightlifting (snatch, and clean and jerk). No one took silver or bronze, because I was the only one in my division and weight class. :-) I snatched 25 kg (55 lbs.), and my best clean and jerk was 38 kg (84 lbs.). It was lots of fun, a goal completed (after a year of Crossfit workouts), and a dream come true. Thanks to Jeff and my boys, my parents, and my brother Enoch and his family for coming to support and cheer for me.

Gold medals earned by TUG club members, l-r: me, Cali, and Coach Moore.

Last week of school

It doesn't usually make a whole lot of sense to me to have the kids go back to school after Memorial Day. However, this year it worked to our advantage. Jeff came home from his trip to Germany the day after Memorial Day, and then he had three days to try to get over jet lag before the boys got out. They actually worked and learned right up until last Friday, then had field day and assemblies and parties and cleaned out desks--all the normal end of school year stuff--this week. Today was their last day and they were released at 10 a.m.

It was nice that Jeff and I were both able to attend the academic awards assembly on Tuesday. Ryan received the Academic Excellence Award for being the boy with the best grades in his class. Jared received a certificate of achievement for exceptional accomplishment in completing the 1st grade. Adam received a Silver Award from the President's Educational Awards Program--equivalent to being on the Honor Roll, or having an A- average. The certificate and accompanying letter are signed by President Obama.


Not to be left out, Dallin got in on the next photo.


They are good kids, and I love them. They do drive me crazy at times--particularly when their daddy is 5000 miles away and can't help--but they are good kids. I am proud of them, not just for doing well in school, but for learning and growing and especially for trying hard to be nice and do what is right.

As usual, my emotions about summer vacation are mixed. I am glad to have a change in the routine. It will be so nice to let Jared sleep as long as he needs/wants to, for instance, instead of getting him up grumpy most mornings. It will also be nice to not have to track, help with, or nag about homework for a few months. On the other hand, I'm not yet mentally prepared for the lack of routine, or for keeping the kids entertained and busy all summer. I realize it is summer vacation and that, theoretically, they should be able to keep themselves entertained--and be happy for the chance! But I am a realist. I know it just won't happen, unless I leave them to their own devices--and those devices would be the TV, the Wii, and the computer, way too many hours of the day. So I'm trying to figure out some reasonable limits, as well as a plan for chores.

We did get an every day pool pass this summer, so that should help some with the entertaining. Adam will be doing swim team again, as well as finishing up baseball season. Jared is just starting his six-week-long coach pitch baseball season. Ryan will probably be reading all summer, at least until soccer season starts. All the boys are enrolled in the summer reading program at the library. I hope I can keep them in books they want to read. (Suggestions are welcome, especially fantasy for preteen boys.) Jeff will have a few weeks off, then start teaching the second summer session. We hope to squeeze in a camping trip or two. I'll be competing in weightlifting at the Utah Summer Games, and trying to keep up with everything else. Phew! Come August, I'm sure I'll be ready for the routine of school again. :-)

P.S. Thank you to those who donated to the boys' Walk-a-thon fundraiser for their elementary school. Adam got $103 in pledges, which was the most in his 6th grade class, earning him an Ipod Shuffle. He is thrilled!