Tuesday, November 22, 2016
18 years!
I can't believe I forgot to post a picture of the roses Bryan bought me for our 18th anniversary. He bought me flowers, took me to dinner and gave me a coupon for a professional massage. I was spoiled!
Monday, November 21, 2016
Youth Conference
We got approval for the location for youth conference and the youth committee decided they need to take a trip to "check the place out." I got approval from the Stake Presidency, call the owner and got everything arranged. We left the Stake Center on Saturday around 9:15 a.m. There were only 2 leaders and 6 youth, so we fit all in one vehicle.
It was a fun drive up to Brian Head and the roads were fine. We met the owner at their rental shop and loaded into her 4x4 to get to the lodge. It had snowed so the road was closed. Her husband had plowed the road so we could get up there. We got to the road and she tried to engage the 4 wheel drive but we don't think it really engaged because we were sliding all over the place on the way up. We even slid and hit a rock. The other leader and I were so nervous because we had 6 youth with us!
But we made the 3 miles just fine and got to this amazing lodge. It was like glam-ping! They have a bunk house, hotel, 12 cabins and 12 yurts (that are super nice). The youth were so excited after seeing everything.
The best part is that the people have a pet deer...yes, I wrote that correctly. They have a pet deer named "Thunder" that thinks it's a dog. If you didn't pay attention to it, it would nudge you until you would pet it. Crazy!
On the ride down the mountain the 4 wheel drive was engaged so we didn't slip but I was still nervous. We made it home safe and sound and now the kids are so excited for youth conference. I think that was a the best idea they have had so far!
This is the website it case anyone wants to see where we will be: SML Resorts
It was a fun drive up to Brian Head and the roads were fine. We met the owner at their rental shop and loaded into her 4x4 to get to the lodge. It had snowed so the road was closed. Her husband had plowed the road so we could get up there. We got to the road and she tried to engage the 4 wheel drive but we don't think it really engaged because we were sliding all over the place on the way up. We even slid and hit a rock. The other leader and I were so nervous because we had 6 youth with us!
But we made the 3 miles just fine and got to this amazing lodge. It was like glam-ping! They have a bunk house, hotel, 12 cabins and 12 yurts (that are super nice). The youth were so excited after seeing everything.
The best part is that the people have a pet deer...yes, I wrote that correctly. They have a pet deer named "Thunder" that thinks it's a dog. If you didn't pay attention to it, it would nudge you until you would pet it. Crazy!
On the ride down the mountain the 4 wheel drive was engaged so we didn't slip but I was still nervous. We made it home safe and sound and now the kids are so excited for youth conference. I think that was a the best idea they have had so far!
This is the website it case anyone wants to see where we will be: SML Resorts
I still got it!
Courtney has been taking a keyboarding class at school and was so excited that she has increased her words per minute. It made me think about the time I won a hotel stay with a typing contest. I won by typing 93 wpm. I was curious to see how fast I type now (18 years after that contest). The kids helped me find a typing test online so they could see if I really type that fast. They had serious doubts that I could actually type 93 wpm.
I won't lie, I was nervous because, although I type a lot during the day, I wasn't sure I was still as fast as I used to be. I was absolutely correct, I don't type the same speed I used to....I type FASTER!!
Yup! I still got it!!
My typing speed was 106 with 7 errors (93% accuracy) for 99 wpm. (I printed the report out so I would have it as proof.)
The kids were speechless and, honestly, so was I. 😲
I won't lie, I was nervous because, although I type a lot during the day, I wasn't sure I was still as fast as I used to be. I was absolutely correct, I don't type the same speed I used to....I type FASTER!!
Yup! I still got it!!
My typing speed was 106 with 7 errors (93% accuracy) for 99 wpm. (I printed the report out so I would have it as proof.)
The kids were speechless and, honestly, so was I. 😲
Friday, November 18, 2016
End of Season Banquet
Last night we had the Flying Monkeys End of Season Banquet and awards ceremony. It was really fun to see highlights of the year and to hear how all the Monkeys had done this season. They are a great team and there are around 144 kids who bike with the Monkeys. The coaches are great and so are all the ride leaders. They really care about the kids and put so much time into making it all a great experience.
At the end of the night, they had all the Monkeys do one last "Monkey Cheer." It actually makes you kind of emotional when you know all the goes into making this team a success and how inclusive they are to everyone.
At the end of the night they gave each athlete a frame with an individual photo, team photo and their bike race plate. One of the coaches is a professional photographer, so she takes pictures at every race. She catalogs them by race plate and then puts those photos together and each kid gets their own zip drive that is engraved with the Flying Monkeys logo, the athlete's name and their race plate number. The zip driv was taped on the back of their frame. It was so neat.
At the end of the night, they had all the Monkeys do one last "Monkey Cheer." It actually makes you kind of emotional when you know all the goes into making this team a success and how inclusive they are to everyone.
At the end of the night they gave each athlete a frame with an individual photo, team photo and their bike race plate. One of the coaches is a professional photographer, so she takes pictures at every race. She catalogs them by race plate and then puts those photos together and each kid gets their own zip drive that is engraved with the Flying Monkeys logo, the athlete's name and their race plate number. The zip driv was taped on the back of their frame. It was so neat.
One year down, 3 more to go!
Courtney Concoction
In case you were wondering...yes...we are still battling Courtney's hatred of stir fry. I still make stir fry and she is still forced to eat it although she tells us that she will "hurl", "barf" and "throw up" if we make her.
The other day I made stir fry. I knew a battle was coming and put Bryan on alert that I didn't have the energy to fight her so it would be all him. After hearing her cry for a long time he asked her what she would like him to eat in exchange. She said, "Would you drink a Courtney concoction?" He told her he would and I really don't think he knew what that meant.
When Courtney was little, she and her best friend would make horrible creations in the kitchen. They never ate anything because they were so awful but they used to giggle and make all kinds of horrible mixes.
Courtney had no problem at all eating her stir fry and got right to work making a concoction. And it was vile! She mixed milk, ketchup and lemon juice. And then Bryan drank it!!
Here's the video: (if you don't have a strong stomach, I wouldn't watch)
I think she was a little too gleeful as she was putting her dad through the horrors of drinking a Courtney concoction. Bryan set some ground rules for next time. She can't make him drink anything she wouldn't drink herself.
What an awesome dad! You couldn't have paid me to drink that stuff!!
The other day I made stir fry. I knew a battle was coming and put Bryan on alert that I didn't have the energy to fight her so it would be all him. After hearing her cry for a long time he asked her what she would like him to eat in exchange. She said, "Would you drink a Courtney concoction?" He told her he would and I really don't think he knew what that meant.
When Courtney was little, she and her best friend would make horrible creations in the kitchen. They never ate anything because they were so awful but they used to giggle and make all kinds of horrible mixes.
Courtney had no problem at all eating her stir fry and got right to work making a concoction. And it was vile! She mixed milk, ketchup and lemon juice. And then Bryan drank it!!
Here's the video: (if you don't have a strong stomach, I wouldn't watch)
I think she was a little too gleeful as she was putting her dad through the horrors of drinking a Courtney concoction. Bryan set some ground rules for next time. She can't make him drink anything she wouldn't drink herself.
What an awesome dad! You couldn't have paid me to drink that stuff!!
State Championships for Flying Monkeys
On November 5th we had the State High School Mountain Biking Championships in St. George. It was a lot of fun and was the last race of the season.
The way the high school racing works is that they have 4 races in the regular season. After the last race, the lowest time is dropped and, if a biker finished all 4 races, an additional 25 points was added to his/her score. Ethan finished 44th out of 73 racers in the Southern Region Freshman Division.
State Championships are considered their own race and it combines the North and South Divisions, so there are A LOT of kids racing! Ethan had bike problems on his last lap (his back tire tried to fall off and his gears were being weird). He finished 102nd but I don't know how many raced. But we were really happy for all the hard work he put into it!
We loved having the race in our home town because it made it so we didn't have to travel as far. It was great because he had a 8:15 a.m. race start and had to be there by 7 a.m. to warm up. He is an amazing racer and we are so happy with all the hard work he has put in this year.
The sun was coming up so these videos aren't the best, but here is Ethan's start. Remember: look for the green helmet.
End of lap 1:
Finish:
Here are some photos:
The way the high school racing works is that they have 4 races in the regular season. After the last race, the lowest time is dropped and, if a biker finished all 4 races, an additional 25 points was added to his/her score. Ethan finished 44th out of 73 racers in the Southern Region Freshman Division.
State Championships are considered their own race and it combines the North and South Divisions, so there are A LOT of kids racing! Ethan had bike problems on his last lap (his back tire tried to fall off and his gears were being weird). He finished 102nd but I don't know how many raced. But we were really happy for all the hard work he put into it!
We loved having the race in our home town because it made it so we didn't have to travel as far. It was great because he had a 8:15 a.m. race start and had to be there by 7 a.m. to warm up. He is an amazing racer and we are so happy with all the hard work he has put in this year.
The sun was coming up so these videos aren't the best, but here is Ethan's start. Remember: look for the green helmet.
End of lap 1:
Finish:
Here are some photos:
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
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