bargains!

Yesterday I went garage sale shopping  It is something I like to do but rarely have a free Saturday morning for.  I was quite pleased with yesterday's results.  My biggest purchase was dining room chairs.  Alec had broken the backs on all but 3 of our chairs.  I decided it was finally time to get some new ones.  $5 each - can't beat that!

Almost everything else I got was actually new - still in the box or packaging.  Love it!  I got a collage picture frame, 3 shadow boxes, 2 running jackets (for the girls), a Riverton High warm-up jacket, a box of scrapbooking supplies, a journal, a necklace, a cute clipboard, and some headbands.   I also got a slightly used carry-on suitcase (we always need those).

I am quite pleased with myself and my purchases.

this and that

I hate the heat but love the easy rhythm of summer. I love the green lawns and flowers. I love the days spent on the waverunners or at Seven Peaks waterpark. I love the nights at the ball games. I love the soccer tournaments. I love the parades. I love the camping and the family reunions. I love the extra time with my family. I love the ice cream and the Hawaiian shave ice. I love the hiking. I still hate the heat!

Monday night we spent at an Orem Owlz baseball game. Blankets spread on the grass. Kettle corn. Alec catching a foul ball and getting really excited about it. Chandler running the bases after the game.

Tuesday I took McKayla and a couple of her friends out on the waverunners. Reading a good book. Bouncing on the waves. Sunshine. Laughter.

Yesterday Alec and I went to the Real soccer game. National anthem. RSL fight song/anthem. Hot dogs. Stadium seats. Chanting crowds.

Today McKayla and Shanley left for Youth Conference. Excitement. Packing. Kisses and hugs send off.

These are the days of summer.

personal preparation

Our Sunday School lesson yesterday was on seeking learning. As I read the lesson prior to church, I was contemplating our responsibility as students. I've been told for years that I have to go with the Spirit if I want to learn and if I don't get anything out of the lessons or talks, it is my own fault. However, when I was pondering on that yesterday, I was thinking about the Savior teaching the Nephites. At one point He stops and says, 'I perceive you don't understand.' and He invites them to go home and prepare themselves so they can come back and learn.

I thought this account beautifully illustrates the responsibility we have as students and class members. It certainly wasn't Christ's fault the people didn't understand. Christ is the Master Teacher.

 I was also thinking about te command to teach one another. I was thinking that could not only apply to being called as an instructor or as a missionary but also to each one of us as we are class members. It is our own preparation that enables us to make comments and share insights. In many ways, we are letting our fellow class members down if we don't come prepared. I think our Sunday School lessons would be so much more interesting and go much deeper if everyone would come having read and studied and pondered upon the lesson.

And, can you imagine how strong the Spirit would be if every person in the lass were seriously inviting the Spirit through their own personal preparation?

sewing weekend

I sewed a maxi skirt for McKayla and a cuddle blanket for myself.  I also bought material for 3 more maxi skirts for my girls.  The maxi skirts are super easy to sew and I think they will get even easier as I've planned some changes for the next ones (i.e. one seam, not two).

I'll have to post pictures soon!

where does it come from?

My children must have inherited recessive genes because I do NOT know where their speed comes from - certainly not from me.  I always joke that I have one speed and one speed only - SLOW.  It doesn't matter if I am running 1 mile or 26.2 - my speed is about the same.

Last night Chander ran in a track meet.  He took first in the 1600m with a time of  6:13.  He's 12 and not very tall and already running a 6:13.  The people in the stands around us were all commenting that he took off too fast because he already had a sizeable lead by the 150m mark but he kept the lead.  He never let anyone closer than 70m and he finished 100m before the next closest runner.

Then, this morning was cross-country time trials.  They ran a 5K and McKayla finished 5th.  Understand that is 5th overall not 5th out of girls.  She would have made the boys varsity!  Only 4 boys beat her and oneof those by only 6 seconds.  She ran the 5K is 17:51 and it is super early in the training season.

Shanley ran a 31:01 which I thought was pretty amazing considering how this was only the 5th day she has even ran.  She is still trying to build up her endurance.

So, this all begs the question, "Where do they get all that speed?"

a clock

Riverton High teachers end their year with a social.  Clocks are presented to any teacher retiring or resigning.  They are nice engraved wood clocks.  Afterwards there is a steak/chicken barbeque and prize drawings.

Brad, the principal, was presenting the clocks.  He would call the recipient up and say something about how long he/she had been at Riverton and then tell (or let them tell) what they were moving on to.  There were quite a few teachers leaving for various reasons.

Imagine my surprise when Brad called my name.  After all, I was only there a couple months and it was a temporary position to begin with.  Still, he made me come up front and talked about what a good job I'd done and how much the students had loved me.  Then he presented me with my own clock.

It was very sweet and the things he said almost made me cry.  Still, I'm not sure my 2 months really merited that.

Great Southwest Classic

Every year coaches from the Southwest States (CA, AZ, NM, CO, TX, UT, etc) select the top athletes to represent their state at eh Great Southwest Classic in  Albuquerque. 

This year McKayla was chosen.  She ran the 4x800m relay and her team took 4th.  She also ran the 3200m and took 3rd!  Here's a link to the video of her race http://great-southwest-classic.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=2133&do=videos&video_id=91763

Utah is so dominant in the distance events.  Utah took 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 7th in the 4x800 relay.  Utah took 1st in the 1600m.  Utah took 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 7th in the 3200m.  I wonder why that is?

Still, very cool to have her place 3rd!

Chandler's finished!

The day has arrived - I no longer have an elementary student.

After 18 years.  After having a student at Riverton Elementary since the day it opened it's doors to students (Brakston started kindergarten when Riverton Elementary opened).  After 3 principals.  After countless hours of volunteering in various classrooms.  After 30 different teachers (we did have some repeats).  After 5 kids attending for 7 years each.

It is over.

Chandler's last day was Friday, June 7th.

We celebrated in our typical fashion - Jill, Karen, and I met our kids on their bike road home with a water hose, water guns, and silly string.  After sufficiently soaking and stringing them, we enjoyed pizza and popsicles.  For the last time!  Weird!

I did present Chandler with an "Orange'd ya glad school's out?"  package filled with orange drinks, orange gum, orange ocean creatures crackers, orange goggles and snorkel, orange bubbles, and an orange box of Runts.

snubbed?

RHS Track and Field held their annual awards banquet Wednesday night. It followed the typical format. The jumping coach presented awards to best rookie jumper (all awards are given to both male and female), most improved, and most valuable. Then the throwing coach did the same. Next up was the sprinting coach. He did the females first. So far, everything had gone just as expected. These awaards banquets aren't filled with surprises. Everyone knows who the best are so the awards are almost a mere formality.

Or so we thought...

The sprinting coach does have a tough job with the male sprinters because he has three 400m runners who are amazing! They finished 1,2, and 4 at the State Championships. At any given meet any one of the three could come out on top. Still, we all expected Clay to get the MVP since he took 1st at State and just overall had a better year than the other two. So, it was a bit of a shock when the coach announced Michael as the MVP. Hmm... unexpected but maybe okay.

Then the distance coach got up to do his awards. Rookie of the year. Check! Most Improved. Check! MVP ...Erin. What? Who gives the MVP to the 2nd best? Even Erin was looking a little confused. The coach talked about how Erin would be moving soon and how if she'd been ere she'd have continued contributing and maybe broke McKayla's records. I began thinking, so that's it. It's a sentimental award. Okay. Plus, maybe they didn't want to give the award to McKayla 3 years in a row.  Okay.  The boys' distance awards went exactly as expected and the coaches wrapped up.

Or did they?

Next thing we know Coach Hutchings is up there again. He said, "My wife keeps texting me "what about Clay?". He then goes on to explain that the coaches decided this year to award an overall MVP for the entire track and field team. So, Overall Male MVP goes to Clay and Overall Female MVP goes to McKayla.

Surprise! I guess the coaches can throw us a little off-balance and keep us on our toes a bit.

McKayla ended up with a really nice trophy, a hoodie, and a starving student card. Nice!