I hate change.

We're moving on Saturday. Today was our last day in our ward. And I've discovered that I hate change. I get physically sick. I'm constantly on the verge of tears. I feel nervous and unsure and shy, and it's awful. I'm afraid of going to my new ward and going to Relief Society for the first time in almost 4 years and having nobody to sit by. I'm afraid of being far away from home with no baby-sitter. I'm afraid of not living at home anymore period. It's that fear you have the night before you go off to college where you're sort of excited but completely terrified at the same time...except this time I'm doing it with two kids. I moved in here when I was 5 months pregnant with Isaac, which means I've never had my kids on my own without my mom or dad to play with Noah when Isaac is upset, or vice versa, or even just when I need a break. But it's not just that fear. I hate when things change at all--I like the status quo. Like when I had to take away Isaac's binks, or transition him to a bed, or potty-train him. Those things are hard for me. Getting used to sleeping in a new place, helping Isaac get used to his new bed (he loves his bed), getting Noah used to having his own room (and remembering to listen for him at night since I won't be able to hear him as well), trying to find my way around a completely new town, trying to make friends...it's just so much bother. The transition time where we don't have a phone or the internet, the time our first mortgage payment comes due....all this stuff is change and I hate it.

High School

A friend emailed me this funny get-to-know-you-in-the-past high school thing so I thought I'd post it on the blog (as a way to journal mostly...don't read if you don't care about me in high school, which most people don't...including myself.)

1. Who was your best friend? Michelle.
   
   me and michelle sophomore year performing an awesome stunt, and hanging out senior year in anatomy

1. Who were your other friends? Lara, Jill, Renee, Jess...that's who I mostly hung out with.
   
   top pic from left: jess, jill, ritter. bottom picture: me, renee, lara, jill


2. Did you play any sports? Is Cheerleading a sport? Then yes. State champs!!!
   
   me my freshman year, and then sophomore year holding the state trophy
3. What kind of car did you drive? Red '88 Acura Integra with a sunroof. Soooo sweet.


4. It's Friday night, where were you? My house playing pool, watching Andy try to do the snake, or other such nonsense. Or at lame-o parties. Did we have football games on Fridays? If so, then cheering at football.


5. Were you a party animal? Um, no. I went to parties but I wasn't a "partier".


6. Were you considered a flirt? Definitely no.


7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Nope.


8. Were you a nerd? Yep. Case in point: Me and Michelle singing "Beauty and the Beast" songs during Mrs. Nevin's math class. Ohhh, how she hated us.


9. Did you get suspended or expelled? Suspended, yes. Here's the story. During a volleyball game (that we didn't even have to cheer at, why were we there?) Miguel wanted to listen to Michelle's new stereo in her Blazer. She gives him the keys, I get in the back (of the TWO-DOOR Chevy Blazer), Miguel's in the driver seat, Michelle in the passenger seat. Miguel's friend Alan comes out and they decide to start doing donuts in the corner of the teacher's lot, down by the tennis courts. The volleyball game ends and people start coming out, and Vanessa (was that her name?) starts running towards us and screaming for us to stop so we don't run over anybody. We all had to go to the office the next day. We make up this stupid elaborate story about how my notebook was in Alan's car and Miguel was just chasing him to get it....lame. People, just tell the truth. Nobody believes dumb lies like that. Anyway, I get suspended for the day. They told me I should have jumped out of the car. A two-door car in which I was in the back seat. Right. Michelle got suspended for the day too (I think it was just a day?) but her parking pass got taken away for the rest of the semester. Miguel got a week of suspension and no parking for the rest of the YEAR. So lame. At leat I got to drive Michelle to school every day after that. Fun! Too bad we missed an anatomy test that day that we couldn't make up. Plus, my parents didn't even care that I was suspended. Don't parents usually get mad about stuff like that?


10. Can you sing the fight song? Yes: "Go Manzano Monarchs, win this game today. With your banner flying high we'll cheer you all the way, RAH RAH RAH! Go Manzano Monarchs fight for Victoreeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, we'll spread the fame of our great name so go you Monarchs win this game....fight! RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MONARCHS!"


11. Who were your favorite teachers? DAWSON. He was awesome. And Mrs....wait, what's her name?! She taught Chemistry and Anatomy...oh that's going to drive me crazy...
    NOT a picture of either teacher, but this is a picture of dawson's class at least


12. Where did you sit during lunch? Usually at mine, Michelle's, or Jill's house. Lara lived too far away.


13. What is your school's full name? Manzano High School


14. School mascot? Monarch (NOT a butterfly, a lion....king of the jungle, monarch, get it?)


15. Did you throw any parties? Yep. My going away to BYU party was lots of fun. I remember it was the night of the 6th game of the NBA finals, Jazz vs. Bulls and the Jazz won so there was going to be a game 7...I wonder why I remember that. There were people passed out in the backyard, my parents had to turn people away who came walking through the house with cases of beer....it was nuts. It was honestly supposed to just be a fun night at home with my friends. As the night wore on some dude showed up with a hairnet and two chicks that none of us knew, that's when I knew it was time to wind down. The next morning there was throw up and bottles all over, even though I spent lots of time that night trying to clean up so my parents wouldn't know what was happening downstairs. I think they knew. I was a moron.


16. Did you have a crush on anyone? Anyone? Try everyone. Tim Espinosa, Anthony Lewis, Brian Stolzfus...who else...I'm sure there's more. Oh, Emzy, Freddy, Brian....what's his last name? Why is my memory so bad? He was Michell and Jill's roommate at UNM...oh well. Brian somebody...he played soccer... Larson Silbaugh, and many, many more. RITTER! Brian Ritter.
    
    top: me & larson, middle: me & lewis, bottom: me & freddy


17. Do you have any regrets? Yep. Once at a party somebody offered me a taste of her drink and I said "sure". Michelle looked at me with this look like, "you don't drink?" like she was so disappointed and I've never forgotten that look. I will always regret that. I haven't touched any alcohol since.
    
18. Did you have a boyfriend? Nope. I"m pretty sure boys didn't like me in high school (hence all the coerced dates to dances). Brian Costanza doesn't count (one week when I was 15 and I'm pretty sure he was kissing Jennifer Martin at the same time). I didn't really date 'til after my first year of college.


19. Did you ask anyone to Sadie Hawkins? Didn't have Sadie Hawkins but Winter Ball, and yes. It was terrifying. I asked Anthony Lewis, and I think it was against his religion to dance, so it was a big deal that he said yes. So fun. All our friends went as Mariachis. My date didn't. I'm not sure if he was Mexican, and it may have been offensive? At dinner someone actually asked them to play. Hilarious.
    
    from left: miguel, michelle, tim, heather, me & anthony


20. Were you on Homecoming court? Yes. Didn't win any royalty though. But my partner/escort guy was king. And my homecoming date was a prince.
    
    me in the red on stage at homecoming coronation


21. Did you go to Homecoming? Yes, with Tim Espinosa. It was so fun. Although he liked Heather but she already had a date so I think he asked me just so he could go. They danced together that night and then they were together just a week or so after that. But I still had loads of fun!
    
    me & tim on our way to the dance in the obgligatory "wave to the camera" dance picture


22. Were you on Prom Court? Didn't have prom court.


23. Did you go to Prom? Senior prom, Yes. What a story that is. (see #33). Junior Prom, no.


24. If you could go back and do it over, would you? No. But I really miss all those friends. I'm BAD at keeping in touch.


25. What do you remember most about graduation? Being so glad it was over.
    
    me & michelle after graduation


26. What was your favorite class? Anatomy senior year. It was the funnest class EVER. Somehow Tim, Michelle, Larson and Dave got to be in the same labgroup over at the side table and so I'd ditch my lab partner and go hang out at their table. We had lots and lots of fun. I also liked my English classes.
    
    top: tim & jay dissecting a pig outside (the lovely albuquerque public school system...we had no power that day so it was too hot inside) the bottom pic is (from left) larson, dave, me, michelle, tim


27. What was your least favorite class? Mrs. Nevin's math class. Algebra II I think. Ugh.


28. Where were you on senior ditch day? I don't remember for the specific senior ditch day, but I had 32 unexcused absences in computer applications that year.


29. Did you have a job your senior year? Nope. Summer before I think I worked at Applebee's.


30. Where did you go most often for lunch? Dion's Pizza, Einsteins bagels, or one of our houses


31. Have you gained weight since then? Yep. Ugh.


32. What did you do after graduation? Went to BYU for summer school.


33. Who was your Senior Prom date? Blaine Query (or is it Davis? I know his mom's last name was Davis--she was my 4th grade teacher--but I can't remember if he used her or his dad's name). Anyway. He was Michelle's little brother's best friend (yes, I said little brother...he was a sophomore). I had nobody to go with and wanted to ride in the limo so bad with Michelle and Jill so they found me a date so I could tag along. We had Jill's friend who was a pageant girl do our hair and make-up and I looked like Jackie-O....Seriously the biggest hair EVER. I asked Michelle how it looked and her eyes got kinda wide and I could tell she was trying not to laugh...anyway, it was actually a really fun night, I just wish I'd had a date of somebody I knew, or at least was friends with.
    
    me, michelle & jill in the limo; blaine, me, james, jill, michelle's date & michelle--why can't i think of his name?


34. Did you go to your 10 year reunion? I want to, it should be in 2008 sometime.
    
    my senior picture

Great Cathedrals

The Invisible Woman
It started to happen gradually .
One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was
holding his hand and we were about to cross the
street when the crossing guard said to him, "Who is
that with you, young fella?"

"Nobody," he shrugged.

Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is
only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought, "Oh
my goodness, nobody?"

I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I
would say something to my family - like "Turn the TV
down, please" - and nothing would happen. Nobody
would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I
would stand there for a minute, and then I would say
again, a little louder, "Would someone turn the TV
down?" Nothing.

Just the other night my husband and I were out at a
party. We'd been there for about three hours and I
was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a
friend from work. So I walked over, and when there
was a break in the conversation, I whispered, "I'm
ready to go when you are." He just kept right on
talking.

I'm invisible.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the
lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk
into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be
taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you
see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see
if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the
floor, or even standing on my head in the corner,
because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more:
Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open
this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a
human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?"
I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the
Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around
5:30, please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once
held books and the eyes that studied history and the
mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they
had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be
seen again.

She's going¸ she's going¸ she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner,
celebrating the return of a friend from England.
Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip,
and she was going on and on about the hotel she
stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at
the others all put together so well. It was hard not
to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked
down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing
I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was
pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could
actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling
pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a
beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought
you this."

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I
wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I
read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration
for the greatness of what you are building when no
one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the
book. And I would discover what would become for me,
four life-changing truths, after which I could
pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we
have no record of their names.

These builders gave their whole lives for a work
they would never see finished.

They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

The passion of their building was fueled by their
faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who
came to visit the cathedral while it was being
built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on
the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the
man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that
bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof?
No one will ever see it."

And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall
into place. It was almost as if I heard God
whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the
sacrifices you make every day, even when no one
around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no
sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is
too small for me to notice and smile over. You are
building a great cathedral, but you can't see right
now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction.
But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It
is the cure for the disease of my own
self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong,
stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a
great builder. As one of the people who show up at a
job that they will never see finished, to work on
something that their name will never be on. The
writer of the book went so far as to say that no
cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime
because there are so few people willing to sacrifice
to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to
tell the friend he's bringing home from college for
Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning
and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a
turkey for three hours and presses all the linens
for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine
or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to
come home. And then, if there is anything more to
say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it
there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We
cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day,
it is very possible that the world will marvel, not
only at what we have built, but at the beauty that
has been added to the world by the sacrifices of
invisible women.

Happy Pioneer Day!

One of the best parts about living in Utah is the 24th of July. Dave gets the day off and it's basically just a free day...I guess it's a day we should celebrate the pioneers ariving in the Salt Lake valley...maybe watch a parade or two, but I've never been much of a parade person. But I am grateful for those pioneers coming here and I'm especially grateful that Dave has the day off! So enjoy your BBQ's, and happy Pioneer Day!

Harry Potter #7

I'm just wondering if anyone else has finished the 7th book yet? Started it on Saturday night (in our hotel room in San Antonio) and couldn't put it down. I finished last night and I want to talk about it so let me know when you finish...

BEWARE THE HALLOWS - - hahahahaha!

a new favorite

a friend of mine knows one of the contributors at tangled & true and I wanted to let you all know about it. i don't know why because that means you'll all enter the giveaway and lessen my chances of winning, but there is some fun stuff there! giveaways every friday! awesome.

Darling Rache

This is my sweet baby, Rachey-roo-roo. She just turned 9 months and is loads of fun. The kids love her and she is so entertained by Hannah and Charlie - they can always get her to laugh.
Unfortunately, she is getting 6 (no that's not a typo - it's SIX) teeth at once. 4 on the top and 2 more on the bottom. I'm trying to finish the laundry to pack and get the 5 of us ready for a trip to San Antonio and Sea World. And I went visiting teaching today with 3 kids in a major downpour.
All I can say is Thank Goodness for baby orajel (which she despises) and baby Motrin, without which I would not have survived the day.

For Harry...

It's a sad and happy time for me. The last Harry Potter book is coming out this Saturday, and I can't wait to find out what happens next. But Dumbledore is dead and I'm not sure I can handle a Harry Potter book without him. At the end of the last book I was depressed for days...I actually felt like someone I knew and loved had died. And it didn't get easier with subsequent readings, either. I've decided not to read it again before Saturday because I'm not sure I can handle the sadness one more time. I'm also terrified that Harry is going to die. But, since the series must come to an end, I'm preparing myself for Book 7. I started reading the books during the summer of the year 2000. I haven't kept count but I know I've read each book at least 3 times. I love these books (as I'm sure everybody else does). To get us all ready for the last book of the epic series, I thought I'd post Delos's "Snape Hypothesis" about the Half Blood Prince (written Tuesday August 2, 2005) to remind you of what he thinks is going to happen.

My reasons why Snape is probably going to be the hero of the whole series!!!:

1. Throughout Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore has unqualified confidence in Snape. This is true even at the end (p. 588). That means a great deal and should be remembered for our whole interpretation of everything else we read.
   
2. The Unbreakable Vow to Malfoy actually demonstrates Snape's utter commitment to Dumbledore and the Order. As we later learn, the Unbreakable Vow is not really unbreakable; the vower may in fact break the vow and die. Theory: Snape takes the vow in order to win the confidence of the sister (which, we see by her reaction, he does) and Voldemort. By taking the vow, Snape shows his willingness to die to serve Dumbledore and the Order (despite, as we shall see, his later killing Dumbledore).
3. Snape is not part of the final plan to kill Dumbledore. We see this twice in Draco's own words (pp. 323, 588). Snape seems to have been trying to help Draco (ibid), but in a way consistent with trying to obtain information. Snape's killing Dumbledore is not actually related to Draco's plot, although Snape uses the killing as false evidence of his devotion to Voldemort. Why does Snape kill Dumbledore, then?
   
4. Dumbledore pleads with Snape to kill him. Here's the evidence:

• a) The potion does much more than make Dumbledore sick and weak. It has done something horrible to him internally. As he tells Harry, "That potion . . . was no health drink" (p. 580). In fact, Dumbledore seems to have somehow been shattered or lost internally. As he tells Draco, he drank and came back, but only "after a fashion" (p. 590). Something grave and hideous has happened to Dumbledore.



• b) From drinking the potion, Dumbledore seems to be doomed to die anyway, and that kind of death may mean catastrophe not only for him but for others. The likelihood of his death is based on (1) his weakening in the tower and (2) the contents of the note (p. 609) in which R.A.B. mentions he will be long dead by the time Voldemort finds his horcrux missing.


• c) Worse, whatever has happened to Dumbledore may endanger others, as he suggests while drinking the potion. Dumbledore, for example, pleads, "No, no, no, no, I can't, I can't, don't make me, I don't want to," (p. 572). While drinking he also pleads, "Don't hurt them, don't hurt them, please, please, it's my fault. hurt me instead," (ibid).



• d) Dumbledore's own death may be the only way to save others. We don't know what bad things will happen to Dumbledore or others from the potion. We do know, however, that while drinking the potion, Dumbledore declares three times that he wants to die (p. 573). He then implores Harry, "KILL ME!" (ibid).


• e) In Hogsmeade Dumbledore asks not for Madame Pomfrey (the healer), but for Snape, the only member of staff with both the resolve to use the Avada Kadavra curse and the skill in legilemancy to see Dumbledore's need for death. The courage Snape shows earlier in taking a vow he knows will likely kill him demonstrates he has the strength of character to kill Dumbledore if needed.


• f) Dumbledore does not plead with Draco or any of the Deatheaters when they come to kill him. When Snape arrives, however, Dumbledore makes a (verbally) unspecified plea (p. 595). Snape's skill in legilimancy would allow him to perceive without words both the nature of Dumbledore's request and his need for it.


• g) Snape's look of disgust at Dumbledore right before killing him is best explainable by his seeing, through his skill in legilimancy, whatever hideous damage the potion has done to Dumbledore and the threat he poses to others.


• h) In Goblet of Fire we learn something about reversing spells with the use of a wizard's wand. It is possible (though, I think, unlikely) that Snape may be able to reverse the killing curse in book 7.

5. Snape continues to give good advice to Harry even after killing Dumbledore. Snape deflects Harry's attacks while doing him very little harm.While Snape is clearly angry with Harry, he still helps him in a way.

• a) He tells Harry that he, Snape, is the Half-BloodPrince.


• b) Even as he blocks them, Snape gives Harry advice on casting more effective spells: "Blocked again and again until you learn to keep your mouth shut and your mind closed" (p. 603). This is valuable advice, and it is inconceivable that a true adversary would deliver it.

6. Snape has a good reason to keep his cover as a Deatheater and to keep Harry hating him. Rather than having to die in keeping Dumbledore alive, Snape uses the occasion of killing Dumbledore to cement his credibility in the eyes of Voldemort and the Death eaters (although I suspect Voldemort will see through Snape's ruse and cause his [heroic] death in Book 7). As Voldemort can see into Harry's mind, it's critical that Harry not know Snape is really still on Dumbledore's side (plus there is no time to explain). Harry's loathing for Snape will further add to Snape's cred with Voldy.

In short, Snape is one of the most heroic characters in the series, right alongside Dumbledore. As unlikely as it may seem, Book 7, I predict, will show this to be true.

This is Emily again. I've read somewhere this week that they don't think Snape can be good because you have to mean the Avada Kedavra curse in order for it to even work. Remember when Harry tries to do Crucio on Bellatrix Lestrange? It knocks her off her feet but she doesn't writhe in pain. She said you have to want to cause the pain, to like it. So Snape couldn't have used that curse without meaning it. Although possibly he killed him with a curse that he didn't say and then just said Avada Kedavra to make it look like that's how he did it....who knows. Just some more thoughts. What do YOU think?

I'm a sucker for fall fashion

It's the hottest summer on record in Utah. We've broken heat records 7 days in July. It was 105 yesterday...107 in St. George...106 in Phoenix. Seriously? We're as hot as Phoenix? Come on. Anyway, last night I was at the mall buying some shoes for Sara and I discovered that most stores have their fall stuff now. And for some reason, I can't resist it. It's long sleeves, awesome colors, cool sweaters, pretty twinsets, and I have to have it all. Even if it's 105 outside. And I want to buy it right now. I can't wait until September when it actually starts cooling off a little, and all of this stuff is on sale...I must pay full price and have it now. Of course I didn't buy anything, what with the mortgage payment and all, but the point is I wanted to. I've always been this way. Mom would buy me school clothes and I would have to wear my new outfit the first day of school. Nevermind that it was a sweater and leggings or some other such '80s nonsense...and it was August. And the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale starts on July 20th...all those fall clothes at reduced prices...it's hard to resist, I tell ya. Am I the only one who's this crazy?

I also found the perfect sheets for our new bed at Macy's last night. They are 600 thread count Egyptian cotton...and ONE KING SIZE SHEET (not sheet set mind you, but ONE SHEET) is $175. Dave said no. Big surprise there. They are the softest sheets I have ever felt. Incredible. And oh, online they're on sale for $129.99! I better get 'em! Somebody convince Dave!

No-man

Noah got his first tooth today! It's weird, he's been so fussy lately and I assumed it was his teeth so I've been giving him medicine and feeling his gums like crazy. I felt them today at noon, nothing. Around one he cheered up considerably so I felt his gums again, and there was a tooth! Weird. I can't believe how big my No-man is getting!

(PRODUCT)RED

I think the (PRODUCT)RED campaign by the GAP is very cool. In case you haven't heard about it, it's a line of clothing and half of the proceeds go to help eliminating AIDS in women and children in Africa. I love the shirts but I'm not really the kind of girl who can pull off wearing a shirt that says "DESI(RED)". So when I saw this onesie at babyGAP last night, I had no choice--I had to buy it. Not only is it hilarious, but it serves a good cause! I can't wait to put Noah in it.

Houston Space Center

We spent most of the day Saturday at the Houston Space Center on Nasa Rd. We had such a good time that we got a membership so we can go for free anytime in the next year. I hope we can convince my dad to come visit us sometime because the whole time we were there, I kept thinking, "My dad would LOVE this place." Who knows? Maybe he's already been there...
The kids had a great time although I think we must've miscommunicated with Charlie somehow. He was very disappointed that we didn't actually go to outer space. But he thought this astronaut was pretty cool.
Here he is trying his hand at navigating. We also got to touch an actual lunar rock. It was 3.8 billion years old (the sign said).
My kids refuse to stand like normal people in most pictures. This was a really cool exhibit with tons of artifacts from actual Apollo and Space Shuttle flights. You can also take a tram ride and tour Johnson Space Center - a federal facility and home to Mission Control. That's where Shuttle flights are monitored and directed and it's also where astronauts are trained and the Space Shuttle program is managed. We skipped that part although I would love to do it sometime without the kids! The JSC is also the lead center in design and implementation of the International Space Station and is working on the the project Constellation to get us to Mars! (For more info see www.nasa.gov.).
Houston, we have a problem!

I did it!

Well, I made it. It was seriously one of the hardest things I've ever done. But I finished the triathlon in 1:51:31.5 and Dave finished in 1:22:56.0. Yep, that's almost a full half hour before me. But I finished! I'm sooo proud of myself. I know, pride is bad, yadda yadda yadda, but

I'm SO PROUD OF MYSELF.

More pictures of the actual race to follow.

I won "Rookie of the Year". I also got the coolest prize.

Drumroll please.....Dave took the Larson cup this year! I know it's a belt, but we call it the Larson cup anyway. Congratulations Dave! I'm proud of you!

If I don't make it...

We're on our way up to Logan for the triathlon. If I don't make it, it was nice knowing all of you.

Do you know what day it is?

Friday the 13th.

You better watch out.

some random pictures

Okay. I think this is the last of the Aspen Grove pictures that I'm going to post. I told you I was a picture maniac. Now you know for sure.

Isaac shootin' cans (you can see one flying at the top of the picture)

Noah LOVED the balloons!

The kiddos loved watching movies on the bottom bunk with Isaac

Noah and Jack chillin' on the couch

Sara and Alice held a butterfly! I was too chicken...it's still a bug, after all.

Dave and Jared set up their shots for golf

Dave's ringer (it's buried under the sand)

Dodgeball. 'Nuff said.

I'm sooo not artistic. I discovered this to be even more true than I thought when I tried pottery.

Dave S. and Ellen tried it too. I don't think any of us left with any actual pottery. Ellen had a pretty good bowl but then tried to make the sides a little thinner and it collapsed.

Some of the girls getting suited up for the high ropes course

Remote control grand prix

Charlie playing duck duck goose with the Trompers and Stompers