American Lake Regatta

Kylie's fall season of Crew has only two regattas, the first was last Saturday at American Lake in Tacoma and Brad and I were finally able to go to one together.  We had to be in Tacoma at 7:00 AM, which meant leaving the house by 5:45.  Once we got there, Kylie had to help rig the boats.  Then we found out she wasn't racing until 11:00, so there wasn't much for Brad and I to do.  We hung out in the car for a bit, (it was COLD outside!) and then drove around the area for a little while.  (I had considered going on a walk, until I saw what kind of neighborhood we were in and decided my safety was more important than a little exercise!) 

We watched some of the other races for an hour or so, then it was finally time for Kylie's race.  This was a "head" race, which means 6K instead of the 2K they do in the spring.  Each boat starts about 30 seconds apart and their final time determines who wins, so it's not a sprint to the finish, exciting race like Lake Vancouver , and sometimes you don't know who won until hours after the race, but it's still fun to watch. 

Kylie's team's pep-talk before the race

Getting into the boat...they "hot-seated" the boat, which means another set of girls had just used the boat for a race and they got right into it after them, so they didn't have to carry it down to the water.

Rowing out to the start...which was too far away for us to see.  The race was all the way around the whole lake, so we couldn't really see them for most of it.

 Here they are across the lake; this picture was taken at 50x zoom on my camera...Kylie is the 3rd from the left, or "3 seat" in crew-talk, in the boat on the right.  They are rowing towards the left.  If you can even tell that those are boats with people in them...

This shot is a little better, they've come around the bend and are making their way to the finish,so now Kylie is 3rd from the right (or bow), and they're rowing towards the right.  They started latest in their heat, but passed everyone and won their race!

Here they are crossing the finish line, not a dramatic finish to watch, since they crossed alone, (the boat behind them had all ready finished) but still great to see them pulling so hard!

Kylie was happy with their efforts.  It's about a 20 minute race and they're giving it their all the whole time. 

They didn't have to put the boat in the water, but they were the last race of the day, so they had to bring it back up. 

I'm so glad we were able to go support Kylie and see her working so hard, doing something she loves.  Her goal is to be in the Varsity 8 boat, right now she's in the JV boat, and I have no doubt she'll make it soon. She is very determined and gives 125% to everything she is passionate about.



Pumpkin Weather

You know it's time to go to the pumpkin patch when it's a Saturday afternoon in mid-October and the sun feels warm, the sky is bright blue and you should be doing something useful like mowing the lawn one last time before it rains again, or painting the rails on the back porch while it's above 50 degrees.

It's hard to choose when there are so many pumpkins!  Ben started out wanting a big one.  It was so busy at the pumpkin patch that there weren't any wagons available, so we told the kids they had to carry their pumpkin.  Ben quickly changed his mind.

Jillian thought this one was perfect for a while...

and Kylie debated about getting a warty pumpkin, but then remembered how hard they are to carve.

Here's everyone with their final choices. (We picked one for Nate.)

Our attempt at making Zombie faces...

We thought it was funny!  Guess you had to be there.

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Ben turned 9 on October 2nd!  I felt so bad that I was out of town with Jillian on his birthday, but we were able to celebrate with the family the next day, so he wasn't too upset. 

First we had cake and ice cream,

Then it was present time!  Complete with the "specially wrapped in a grocery bag" gift from Grandma Vikki...it wouldn't be a birthday with out it! Everyone knows what will be inside...lots of candy!

Hugs all around!  Ben is good a giving hugs!

Ben and Grandma Vikki have birthdays only one day apart...but on different years.

Happy Ninth Birthday, Ben!  He's exactly 1/2 as old as Nathan.  It's so weird to think that Nate was 9 years old when Ben was born.

Homecoming

Nathan went to Homecoming last night.  It's a little different than I remember in high school. We had the homecoming football game on a Friday night and the dance right afterwards.  We wore whatever we had worn to the game, it wasn't a fancy affair.  On Bainbridge, they have the game and dance on Friday, but then the kids get dressed up and go out to dinner and a date on Saturday.  Nate and his friends went to the game Friday, but not the dance.  Then Saturday, they went to dinner in Poulsbo and to Rock & Bowl in Silverdale.  From what he reported, they had a great time. 

Nate and Yesenia

Yesenia, Nate, Jordan, Harrison, Katie, and Casey

Conference Trip with Jillian

One of my favorite traditions in our family is taking our kids to General Conference when they turn 12.  Brad takes the boys and I take the girls.  Jillian's turn was last weekend.

We headed out Friday after school, taking the 3:50 ferry to Seattle and then riding the light rail train to the airport.  Our flight was supposed to leave at 7:30.  We got there extra early, "just in case."  As it turned out, our flight was delayed and didn't leave until after 8:00, so we had plenty of time to get something to eat at the airport and then sit and people watch, read, buy some snacks, do some homework, and wait. 

We arrived in Salt Lake City at 11:00 PM, got our rental car, and drove to our friends, the Caine's house.  I felt so bad getting there at midnight.  They were very gracious and welcoming, gave us a quick tour of their beautiful home, and sent us to bed.  I woke up at 6:30 to go for a walk with Margit; I was her visiting teacher for several years when her family lived on Bainbridge and we became good friends.  It was great to catch up.  When we got back, she made us delicious waffles and then Jillian and I set out for Temple Square.  It was beautiful!  Sunny, blue skies, 85 degrees, beautiful flowers blooming everywhere, conference broadcast over speakers all through the square.  We went to both visitor's centers, walked around the temple, sat and listened to some of conference, and enjoyed the peaceful spirit of Temple Square.

The only disappointment was that since it was conference, the Legacy theater wasn't showing the Joseph Smith movie I really wanted to take Jillian to see.  We really enjoyed sitting in the visitor's center and watching the new "I'm a Mormon" ads, though. 

After our Temple Square tour, we went back to the Caine's for lunch, swimming, and the afternoon session of conference.  This was the first time I've ever listened to conference while sunbathing by a swimming pool!  We actually got too hot (and the kids got a little too rowdy in the pool) so we only listened to the first talk outside.

After conference, we went to visit two more friends who used to live on Bainbridge, the Mosses and the McBrides.  I was Madeline Moss and Maren McBride's Sunbeam teacher about four years ago, they've grown up so much! 

Emmy, Ruth, Maren, Brenna, Madeline, Charlie, Margit & Ethan (back row)

Jillian, Peter, Ava, Me, Kathryn, Hannah and Brandon (front row)

(baby Charlotte was napping and missed the picture)

Margit, Me, Kathryn & Ruth

Jillian, Kathryn, and Charlotte



Kathryn was Jillian's Faith in God leader when was in our ward.  Jillian cried when they moved!  We ate a yummy dinner and visited for a while, then it was off for another visit with the Hosmans in Bountiful.  I'm so bummed I didn't get any pictures with them. Jillian and Danny Hosman are exactly the same age and were good buddies when they were toddlers.  We got to visit for about an hour and then Tammie had to run kids around. 



Sunday morning was the highlight of our trip.  We got to go to the Sunday morning session of conference, which is preceded by Music and the Spoken Word.  There is such a beautiful spirit in the Conference Center.  Listening to President Monson in person was amazing!  He spoke about keeping the commandments, being morally vigilant, and standing in holy places, such a powerful message.

We visited my cousin, Donna, and her family for lunch and the afternoon session of conference.  Their house is always full of people; this time 7 of their 8 kids (their oldest, Josh, is serving a mission in Washington D.C), my cousin Debbie's daughter Cassandra, two friends, Martin's niece and her husband, plus me and Jillian!  Even with all the people, Donna and I were able to have a great conversation. I've always looked up to her, and not just because she has 8 kids and runs marathons!  One thing we talked about has really stuck with me.  We were discussing kids and how hard it is to let them make their own choices.  She said, "I find myself asking all the time, 'What would a woman of faith do?'"  That's why I look up to her.  We also found out that Martin and Bill Caine went to high school together, and Martin is the school superintendent for the Granite School District where the Caines go to school.  Small Mormon world!

For dinner, we headed back to the Caine's to join them for their traditional Sunday grilled salmon and more visiting.   Jillian enjoyed hanging out at their house and by Sunday evening felt very comfortable there. 

Monday morning, I woke up early again (5:00 this time!) for one last walk with Margit before we had to leave.  We left at 7:30 for a 9:30 flight and timed it just about perfectly.  Waiting in line to go through security at the airport, we talked to several missionaries who were leaving for their missions.  One group was going to Germany and one couple was going to the Dominican Republic.  We made it back home by about 2:00, pretty tired, but happy! 

It was hard to leave the 80 degree, sunny weather and return to 50 and rainy, but the next day Margit texted me a picture of snow at their house!  So I won't complain too much.  I'm really glad Jillian and I had the opportunity to make this trip together.  She was a lot of fun to be with.  I told her I want to take her to the Salt Lake Temple when she's old enough.  I was telling someone about our trip and she said one of her traditions was to take her kids through the Salt Lake Temple before they went on their mission, so maybe we'll have to do that, too!

Another Adult in the House

Nathan turned 18 a few weeks ago...I know!  18!  How the heck did that happen?!  I'm certainly not old enough to have an adult child.  It's taken me a while to post about it, maybe because I want to deny that it happened. 

Eighteen is a weird age.  He's still my child, but legally an adult.  I got a letter from the high school saying that I would no longer have access to his school records unless I sent a letter to the school requesting access.  He can excuse himself from class now.  He can vote, register for the draft, buy cigarettes, gamble, be charged as an adult if he commits a crime.  It's kind of scary.  His life seems to have more weight now. 

I'm entering a new phase as a mom...the mom of an "adult" with no more "little" kids.  I was in Silverdale running errands a few days after Nathan's birthday and saw several moms with their small children.  Little ones sitting in grocery carts or holding mom's hand.  I almost started to cry realizing that I don't have that anymore.  I'm not sad enough to want to go through the baby years again, just sad that phase went so quickly.  I've become one of those "older women" who tell young mothers, "Enjoy them while they're young, they grow up so fast!" 

I wanted to do something special for Nathan's 18th birthday party, so we decided to have a formal dinner party.  He invited 12 of his friends, 6 boys and 6 girls, and told them to dress up. Brad and I cooked:  grilled steak, corn on the cob, caesar salad, bread, and Jillian and Kylie served.  Then we took our dinner out on the porch and let them pretend they were at a nice restaurant.

After dinner, we sent them on a photo scavenger hunt of Nathan's life on Bainbridge Island.   They were supposed to take a picture of themselves at the various locations the clues led them to.  Examples of clues were: the first house Nathan lived in on Bainbridge Island (which they got wrong! Even Nate didn't know!), the piece of public art that Nathan helped to create in the 5th grade, the place where Nathan has always gotten his hair cut. They divided into teams, boys against girls. Nate drove the girls' team and Erin drove the boys.  The girls' team won, but then they did have an advantage with Nate on their team!  I was a little surprised that Jared Bell knew all the answers, but he and Nate have been friends since birth, so I guess I shouldn't have been.

Jordan, Nathan, Katie & Makenzie, in front of the 2nd house Nate lived in, not the 1st!

Casey  on the mosaic glass map of Bainbridge at Rotary Park,

the piece of public art Nathan helped create in the 5th grade.

After the scavenger hunt, they came back to the house and watched a movie and then played Apples to Apples.  I think they all had a good time! 

We celebrated with family a few days later. He requested lemon squares, so I cut them into 18 pieces and put a candle on each piece.  It made quite a mess blowing out the candles!  I wonder what he wished for... my wish is that he will be a happy, kind, responsible, successful adult!