This is a video of Kyle's 100 Breast race in the Walla Walla on December 12, 2009 . Each swimmer swam five events: free, back, breast, fly and IM. As you can tell, Kyle has bulked up quite a bit since his freshman year.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Kyle and Megan April 2006
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
States I Have Visited
I found a link to this cool map generator on the geocaching.com website. The generator can be found here. Since we spent so much of the last two weeks driving through the western United States, I thought I would put a map on this blog. It might be cheating, but I am counting states that I have driven through and landed in on airport layovers.

During the last two weeks alone we drove from Washington, through Oregon and Idaho to Utah. Two days later we left Utah and went through a bit of Colorado, ALL of New Mexico to Texas. On the way back we went through ALL of New Mexico, a tiny bit of Arizona, back to a bit of New Mexico, stepped on New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado at the same time, aka "Four Corners," (watch for that post...coming soon), back through a tiny bit of Colorado and on to Utah.
I'm in Utah now and when I return home, in a few days, I will have crossed a state border 16 times!
During the last two weeks alone we drove from Washington, through Oregon and Idaho to Utah. Two days later we left Utah and went through a bit of Colorado, ALL of New Mexico to Texas. On the way back we went through ALL of New Mexico, a tiny bit of Arizona, back to a bit of New Mexico, stepped on New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado at the same time, aka "Four Corners," (watch for that post...coming soon), back through a tiny bit of Colorado and on to Utah.
I'm in Utah now and when I return home, in a few days, I will have crossed a state border 16 times!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Well, lookey here...
There may or may not exist a semi-awkward, fully-funny video of Drew dancing on his mission.
Mom may or may not have asked me to find it.
I may or may not have found it.
I may or may not have posted it below.
It's all so fuzzy...
Mom may or may not have asked me to find it.
I may or may not have found it.
I may or may not have posted it below.
It's all so fuzzy...
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Robby and Mike
We went sight-seeing on the Trans Mountain highway in El Paso, Texas tonight. The scenery could not compete with Robby.
Robby Likes Big Shoes
Mike's shoes

This was too cute to leave out (besides, Robby has his Dad's shoe under his arm!)
Saturday, August 1, 2009
A Few Sites on the Way to Texas
Saturday, August 1st we began a LONG drive to Texas. Bruce and I got up at 5:00 AM and "hit road" (Robby's new favorite phrase). First leg: head north from Springville, Utah to pick up Kyle at EFY in Salt Lake City. We met up with him about 7:00 and were headed back south by 7:10. After a quick stop in Provo to get Krispy Kremes and drop off something at Drew's, it was El Paso or bust.
The chosen route went through Monticello, UT. We went a block or two off the main road to see the first smaller temple ever constructed...
We went through the corner of Colorado and saw the first of the pointy up formations (fancy geological term). This is called "Chimney Rock" and is found in Montezuma County.
Shiprock is in the northeast corner of New Mexico...and even has a town named after it. We ate lunch at that special Southwest restaurant, "Sonic."

The chosen route went through Monticello, UT. We went a block or two off the main road to see the first smaller temple ever constructed...
The Monticello Utah Temple
We went through the corner of Colorado and saw the first of the pointy up formations (fancy geological term). This is called "Chimney Rock" and is found in Montezuma County.
Shiprock is in the northeast corner of New Mexico...and even has a town named after it. We ate lunch at that special Southwest restaurant, "Sonic."
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Eastern Washington Wheat Country
Kyle Flying Solo
Kyle is going to EFY in Salt Lake City. Since we couldn't find a ride down, we booked a one-way trip out of Spokane. We found a "Mannie" parking place...second level parking garage, next to the walkway that leads right up to the ticket counter. We probably walked 25 yards from the car to the check-in place.

The bad news: This is the Delta ticket counter line

The good news: Kyle didn't fly Delta, he flew Southwest.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Foot X-rays
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Kyle's Broken Foot
He did it! Kyle has an avulsion fraction of the fifth metatarsal. That's a fancy way of saying that he tore a ligament in his foot and when it tore from the pinky toe bone, it took a little piece of bone with it. You know the knobby bone on the outside of your foot about halfway between your little toe and your heel? That's the bone Kyle broke.
The short story is that Kyle was playing soccer, barefooted, and kicked the ball...hard. When the ball hit the inside of his foot, the bone on the outside broke, from the stress on the ligament.
The next day we called the doctor who didn't want to see Kyle until after the x-rays. He called in an order to have the x-rays taken at the outpatient imaging center of the hospital. They said they would send the x-rays to the doctor. Three hours later we called to see what the doctor wanted to do...the hospital hadn't seen the x-rays yet. It turns out the hospital would not send the films to our doctor until their radiologist had read them, then they would send a report (probably NOT the x-rays). The films would be read in about 2 1/2 days. What is this...CANADA???
We told the doctor to just forget about it and then we went to an urgent care center. They have their own x-ray machine. We walked in the door at 3:00 PM and were out at 4:30 with a diagnosis and a referral to an orthopedist for the next morning, and our own set of x-rays to show off to friends. I'm not sure the original x-rays have even been read yet!




The short story is that Kyle was playing soccer, barefooted, and kicked the ball...hard. When the ball hit the inside of his foot, the bone on the outside broke, from the stress on the ligament.
The next day we called the doctor who didn't want to see Kyle until after the x-rays. He called in an order to have the x-rays taken at the outpatient imaging center of the hospital. They said they would send the x-rays to the doctor. Three hours later we called to see what the doctor wanted to do...the hospital hadn't seen the x-rays yet. It turns out the hospital would not send the films to our doctor until their radiologist had read them, then they would send a report (probably NOT the x-rays). The films would be read in about 2 1/2 days. What is this...CANADA???
We told the doctor to just forget about it and then we went to an urgent care center. They have their own x-ray machine. We walked in the door at 3:00 PM and were out at 4:30 with a diagnosis and a referral to an orthopedist for the next morning, and our own set of x-rays to show off to friends. I'm not sure the original x-rays have even been read yet!
Kyle's swollen and bruised foot

The arrows show where his foot is broken
More swelling and discoloration - This might not look too bad, but you have to know, Kyle has very thin feet.

More swelling and discoloration - This might not look too bad, but you have to know, Kyle has very thin feet.

The "Western Walker Boot" that Kyle will be wearing for a long time. See how skinny his other foot is? Question: Do people on the east coast get "Eastern Walking Boots?"


Tuesday, June 23, 2009
A New Addition to the Family Picture Wall
Boards decorated with vinyl lettering have interested me for quite a while. The price has held me back, however. After we painted the family room I really wanted to change the picture frames to white and make a sign that said "FAMILY" to mount either above or below the pictures (the jury is still out on that).
Clark helped me by using the router to put a nice edge on an oak board and I painted it white. When it came time to put the letters on, I decided I would rather use vinyl and have it look really good, instead of painting it. Since the board was going to be lettered with vinyl, I decided to do the layered effect. I designed the lettering and emailed the specifications to my friend's daughter (she has a vinyl cutting machine). She lives out of town, but came to visit this week.
I picked up the lettering today and here is the final result. I can't wait to design my next project...maybe a new family night board!
Clark helped me by using the router to put a nice edge on an oak board and I painted it white. When it came time to put the letters on, I decided I would rather use vinyl and have it look really good, instead of painting it. Since the board was going to be lettered with vinyl, I decided to do the layered effect. I designed the lettering and emailed the specifications to my friend's daughter (she has a vinyl cutting machine). She lives out of town, but came to visit this week.
I picked up the lettering today and here is the final result. I can't wait to design my next project...maybe a new family night board!
Har Dee Har Har
CREATIVE PUNS FOR "EDUCATED MINDS"
1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.
3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.
5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his orders
6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'
14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'
16. A small boy! Swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'
17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
20. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
21. A backward poet writes inverse.
22. In democracy it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.
23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
24. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!
1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.
3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.
5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his orders
6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'
14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'
16. A small boy! Swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'
17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
20. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
21. A backward poet writes inverse.
22. In democracy it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.
23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
24. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Flowers in Our Garden
I almost missed taking pictures of the early June crop of flowers in our backyard. The roses put on their show at the end of May and the first of June. The pink lilies opened almost two weeks ago, while the orange lilies are starting to bloom now. Our day lilies are just beginning to open and will look their very best in about two weeks. Enjoy!
Deep Pink Asiatic Lily
Fancy Petunias (just getting going)
Not exactly sure what this is, but there are lots of them on the plant and the plants are coming up like weeds all over the yard. By the way, we planted this on purpose.
African Daisy - very pretty to look at, but don't cut them and bring them in the house, they smell like dog doo.
Purple Allium flower on a four-foot stem - it is just starting to fade after almost two weeks.
We have several varieties of Snap-Dragons
The Marigold's are a fixture in the front of the vegetable garden every year. This year Chat Noir (the cat) has decided that she must do her business between these plants. She killed two of them by digging and ... you know. A third is hanging on by sheer will-power.
The last of the May/June rose bloom.
Orange Asiatic Lilies (and more in the distance)
The very first Day Lily blossom. The color is off because there wasn't much light when I took this picture.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Temple Square in April
Women's Conference at BYU has been something I have wanted to experience for about five years. Kathryn Rhoten asked me every year if I wanted to go to the Conference in Provo with her. Every year for one reason or another I had to say "no, thank you." This year, she gave up and didn't even ask. Wouldn't you know...this was the year that I could go, so I invited myself.
We considered several itineraries and finally decided that Kathryn would drive. Kathryn, her sister-in-law, Lona, and I loaded up her car (and I DO mean LOADED) with our bit of luggage and lots of stuff for each of our children that we would see on our trip.
We began our trip on Tuesday, April 28th in the early afternoon. Of course, it was April, so we hit snow on Cabbage Hill. It did little more than make everything beautiful, since it wasn't sticking to the road (oh, it kind of freaked Kathryn out). The snow cleared up soon after we left the summit of the Blue Mountains and it was smooth driving to the Boise area. Lona's son and family live to the west of Boise. We stayed with them for the night (and unloaded some of the stuff in the car).
The next morning headed off to Salt Lake City. Our plan was to drive to the Salt Lake Airport and pick up another of Kathryn's Sisters-in-law, Kim, from Florida. We were running a little late, so one of Lona's daughters (who lives in the SLC area) drove to the airport to get Kim and then met us at the Lion House Pantry near Temple Square. While we were waiting for them to arrive at the restaurant (about ten minutes) I took the opportunity to get some pictures of the beautiful flowers that were blooming all over the square.

This tulip is my favorite of all the ones I saw...and I saw a lot!!!

The Church Office Building. This is where I send a lot of my work reports.
There was a cool reflection of the Church Office Building Across South Temple Street. You can see the Lion House on the left.
We considered several itineraries and finally decided that Kathryn would drive. Kathryn, her sister-in-law, Lona, and I loaded up her car (and I DO mean LOADED) with our bit of luggage and lots of stuff for each of our children that we would see on our trip.
We began our trip on Tuesday, April 28th in the early afternoon. Of course, it was April, so we hit snow on Cabbage Hill. It did little more than make everything beautiful, since it wasn't sticking to the road (oh, it kind of freaked Kathryn out). The snow cleared up soon after we left the summit of the Blue Mountains and it was smooth driving to the Boise area. Lona's son and family live to the west of Boise. We stayed with them for the night (and unloaded some of the stuff in the car).
The next morning headed off to Salt Lake City. Our plan was to drive to the Salt Lake Airport and pick up another of Kathryn's Sisters-in-law, Kim, from Florida. We were running a little late, so one of Lona's daughters (who lives in the SLC area) drove to the airport to get Kim and then met us at the Lion House Pantry near Temple Square. While we were waiting for them to arrive at the restaurant (about ten minutes) I took the opportunity to get some pictures of the beautiful flowers that were blooming all over the square.
This tulip is my favorite of all the ones I saw...and I saw a lot!!!
The Church Office Building. This is where I send a lot of my work reports.
There was a cool reflection of the Church Office Building Across South Temple Street. You can see the Lion House on the left.
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