Working on his Star

Our Scouts had a Court of Honor last night. Alex is now a First Class and is working on his Star for the next 4 months. Congrats Alex for your hard work!

He also received a slew of merit badges:

Entrepreneur
Rowing
Archery
Canoeing
Law
Leatherwork
Environmental Science
Communications


Alex leading the Scouts in the Flag Ceremony


Rod giving out the merit badges


Bishop Hyde singing a crazy "German" song with words: Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonalds. No German words anywhere in the song.

Alex receives his rank advancement to First Class.

Rod giving the Scout handshake

Autumnal Splendor at Squaw Peak

I got schooled...by a 13-year old

While driving home from Whitney's house last night:

Alex: "We are going to Washington, D.C. for a spring break next year, right?"
Me: "Yeah, we can probably go."
Alex: "So, where is Washington, D.C.?"
Me: "It is in the east coast."
Alex: "Yeah, but in what state?"
Me: "D.C. as in District of Columbia."
Alex: "District of Columbia is not a state!"
Me: "Of course it is. It's a tiny state that is size of a few city blocks. That's where the White House is. It is next to Maryland, Delaware, Virginia"
Alex: "Mom, it is not a state!....I'm calling dad."
calls Rod on the cell phone. "Dad, is District of Columbia a state?" listens for a while.
hangs up the phone.
Alex: "HAH! Dad says it is not a state!"
Me: "What the heck? Well then, why? Why bother to put the initals in the end of the city name if those initials don't even indicate that it is a name of a state?"

So, I'm asking you, dear fellow bloggers, why is D.C. not a state? Please, educate the poorly informed Finn. And don't google it because I could do that (which I haven't done). Just give me your honest answer what you think is right. I really don't know the answer, which is quite obvious from the above conversation with Alex.

OR, was Rod wrong?

Comment now, please!

An evening with a new friend

About a month ago I received an email from my second cousin in Finland, in which she asks me if she can give my contact information to a friend of hers who is a fabulous violin player, and who is coming to BYU to study Violin. It turns out that she is a daughter of a friend from 20+ years ago. What a small world. So we started emailing with Sini-Tuulia, and last night I went to pick her up for dinner at our house. It was such a lovely evening with her. What a wonderful, happy and talented person. I took her back to her campus apartment at midnight. I think we could have spent the whole night talking, but I had to get up at 5:50am for breakfast duty, and Sini had to get up early to practice violin before her school. Hope to see much more of Sini, if her time and scheduling permits. What a great girl!

It was also great to see Liz, who stopped by and had dinner with us on her way back to Grand Junction after spending a weekend with her hubby in Logan.

Two victorious boys

Boy # 1: Alex. When Alex was about 7 years old we had to take him to a doctor for some reason I don't even remember anymore, and the doctor ordered some blood work done. We took Alex to the lab that was in the doctor's office, but when Alex saw the needle, he started screaming bloody murder. He wouldn't have anything to do with the needles or blood. The nurses in the lab suggested that we should take him to the hospital that was next door to the doctor's office. They said that there is more personnel and they are more equipped to handle little screaming boys. Off we went, and by this time, Alex was totally worked up by the sight of the needles. Talking didn't help, reasoning didn't help...nothing. We arrived in the hospital and went to the lab. We told the nurses the story and they called for back-up. Finally we watched when 3 people were holding Alex down and trying to keep him still, while one of the nurses took his blood. And this whole time Alex was crying like somebody was trying to remove his limb without anesthesia.

6 years forward. We went to see the same family doctor as 6 years ago this Tuesday. When we were sitting in the waiting room, forgetting momentarily the previous trauma, I mentioned to Alex that they might want to do some bloodwork on him. Alex was reading the Sports Illustrated and he snapped his head towards me, with horror on his face and said:"You had to tell me that before we even see the doctor." It was downhill from there.

At the doctor's office, the kind doctor suggested that we do some bloodwork on Alex. Alex had the "film" of previous bloodwork experience rolling in his head and he said that he doesn't want to get it done. I said to the doctor, ok, I need to get my thyroid tested anyway, so how about Alex will watch it being done on me first and then he can decide if he wants it done as well.

And so it was. I was sitting in the lab, pumping my fist so my already bulging vein in my arm was blue and plump to draw some blood on (if you haven't seen my veiny arms or hands, pay attention to them next time...ugly but good for blood-letting!) I was ready and Alex was watching next to me when the blood was flowing into the vial. After I was done, I asked Alex if he was ready. He looked at me with doubt in his eyes but said that he would do it too.

There was the nicest nurse who said that she would even use a smaller and thinner needle on Alex so it wouldn't "pinch" as much. Alex did great, and is no longer afraid of needles. Victory!

Boy # 2: Jorge Luis. Jorge had another tennis tournament on Tuesday night at the Ivory Ridge Tennis Club in Lehi. He played against # 3 player in the state in his age group. Jorge beat the guy in two sets, 6-3, 7-5. Victory!

Next match is on Friday. In the mean time, Jorge has back pain, and is nursing his back with ice and stretching and with encouraging words from his mom and dad.

While Jorge was playing...


Alex and Carsen were watching the game very comfortably on the benches.


Alex taking a picture of himself.

And then one with both of them in it.

Cookie Monsters

Yesteday afternoon when Alex, Carsen and I went to pick-up Jorge from tennis at BYU, conveniently we were parked by the Brick Oven. Because I had two hungry boys in the car they started talking about where to go to dinner. Carsen wanted to go to the Brick Oven, but Alex wanted to go to the J-Dogs. I told them to flip a coin, and "heads" turned out to be Brick Oven. After the boys had finished their huge calzones, they started talking about what's for dessert.


This is Alex's and Carsen's plea for the dessert.


They decided to share the "Cookie Monster". Huge chocolate chip cookie, freshly baked on the bottom, topped with fudge, ice-cream, whip cream and a cherry on top.


Snarfing it down like there was no tomorrow.

Still not full and still going strong...

Finally, they couldn't have one more bite.

Chosen Spanish words?

Today was Jorge's first U.S Tennis Tournament at BYU. He won the first game, and had to play another one against an opponent, who was fresh and it was his first game of the day. Every once in a while I heard Jorge "talk" in Spanish when the game wasn't going his way. I thought that maybe it was some chosen Spanish words that I didn't understand because I didn't hear him say "Ay Carramba" once. Towards the 3 set, Jorge started cramping up in his left leg. We would see him limping around, and trying to play as best as he could. He lost the first set, won the second and barely lost the third. All in all, it was a good game. Just felt so bad that he was in so much pain. Good job, Jorge!

After driving home I asked Jorge what was he "saying", suggesting that it was maybe Spanish swear words and he said that he doesn't swear (good boy), but it was mostly "stupido" geared toward himself for hitting the ball into the net etc. I'll buy that.

Next week he will be in another tournament and we are going to load him up with bushels of bananas and gallons of Gatorade. No more cramping up on our watch!


Jorge serving. Can you hear him grunt?


Is he trying to take-off in this one? He is flying!

"Older by, like, 60 years"

I took Alex and Elle to the Hale Center Theater last night to watch the latest play called "The Hasty Heart". We got there early, so they both got to see all the people who were coming in to see the play. Of course this is not their first time at the Hale, but for some reason they started question the age of the audience. Alex was very poignant at his realization that the rest of the audience was, in fact, older than him by about 60 years. Yep, a lot of gray haired ladies and gents (not me).

The play was interesting, and I definitely needed some serious subtitles because one of the main characters was a Scot.

Next up: Aida

Wakeboarding on a sunny day

Because I'm such a kill-joy, I thought we would work around the house all day Saturday, but it was not meant to be. We received a phone call from Munch, and he invited us to go to Deer Creek to water-ski/wakeboard. And off we went. The work could wait...

Getting ready to launch the boat.

Those are some huge muscles.

Alex was first to wakeboard. The water was FREEZING!!

Then it was Taylor's turn. He boarded 1/2 hour straight. What strength and stamina!

Pregnant Mican didn't waterski this time. Morgan posing on her shoulder.

Rod trying to squeeze into his wetsuit that was wet already because Alex used it. How is it possible that a 13-year old and a 43-year old can fit into the same wetsuit??

Rod wakeboarding.

Jorge was the only one not wearing a wetsuit, and he was shivering when he got out of the water. We called him the Macho Man!

And last one to go was Chris, before Alex got in to make a few more turns.

Thanks Chris and Mican for a quick fun on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

And then we went back to work around the house.

Happiness achieved-again

What brings you happiness into your life? Think about it seriously. What really makes you happy? Because you know that nobody can make you happy, but yourself. You have to find it yourself.

One of the things that make me smile from ear to ear and brings me one of the biggest joys in life is Hula (well, anything Hawaiian, really). I started dancing hula again on Wednesdays after a two-year break, and even though I was sweating like a pig during the class (and if you don't know how I feel about sweat, ask me) but I am willing to overlook the sweat when I dance. Today my thighs are burning, and it hurts to go down the stairs, but I'm SOOOO HAPPY!

Aloha!