WFFM Fish Bowl Classic Swim Meet

Ryan has done the impossible! He beat his own times two meets in a row!

January 27-28 was the WFFM Fish Bowl Classic Swim Meet at the Fairmont pool in Sugarhouse. Ryan swam 6 events, and beat his own times in 4 of them (a stellar feat!): 100 back, 100 free, 100 IM, and 200 IM.




Checking out the heat sheets with Coach Jill…
Hangin’ with the older guys…
The highlight of the meet was one of Ryan’s heroes (older teammate, Thomas) cheering him on. We love Thomas & his family, and enjoy cheering for Thomas, who is an amazing swimmer. Ryan thought it was awesome to have Thomas as his cheerleader!

Oreo Phases of the Moon

Yes, you read that right. The phases of the moon made from Vanilla Oreos.

Good job, Ryan!

Game-Winning Shot!

Every Tuesday, Ryan goes to swim team from 4-6 pm, and then to his Jr. Jazz basketball game. It is always amazing to me that he can keep going, and going well! He is becoming a great player, and his team really depends on him to score. He is getting a reputation for hitting some amazing 3-pointers.

On Tuesday, January 24, the game was tied as the game clock wound down. The ball was passed to Ryan, and he made the game-winning 3-point shot! I’m disappointed that I didn’t have my camera!

Ice Storm

On Sunday, January 22, we had an ice storm. We don't get those very often, but the temperatures had really been fluctuating. It was raining on Saturday, and then quickly turned to ice instead of snow.

When Ryan & I went out to the car to go to church a few minutes before 9 am, our next-door-neighbor's tree was completely covered with ice. The sun was just poking out from above the mountains, and shining on to the ice crystals on the tree. It was SO beautiful! I thought for a moment about running back into the house for my camera, but decided we needed to get to church on time.

So, I was pleasantly surprised at sunset when we had the scene almost re-created (although not quite as dramatic) with the tree in the yard to the west of us. The pictures don't do it justice. It was beautiful!

CCAT New Year's Plunge Swim Meet

January 13-14 was the CCAT (Clearfield) swim meet. Ryan has done well at this meet in the past, and this year was no exception. He swam the maximum number of events (8), and beat his own times in ALL OF THEM (50 back, 50 breast, 50 fly, 50 free, 100 back, 100 free, 100 IM, 200 IM)!

Breaststroke…


Backstroke…

IM…




Butterfly…

CCAT is the home of Ryan’s friend, Payson. He’s the swimmer in Ryan’s age group that Ryan swam against in 13 out of his 14 events at the Utah Summer Games last summer. We have seen him at many meets since then, and he & Ryan always swim against each other. Competitors in the pool, friends on deck.
Ryan has a great group of friends on our own swim team, too. They hang out together when they’re not in the pool, and they are always cute to cheer for each other on deck. Here’s Ryan’s cheering section during one of his events:

Biggest Loser

I have a good friend who recently lost a lot of weight. I was talking with her a few months ago, and she mentioned that a mutual friend holds a “Biggest Loser” contest a couple of times a year. I talked with this friend about it, and found that she was starting another round this month.

Thirty-two of us chipped in $55 each. We will weigh in weekly for 12 weeks. At the end of the 12 weeks, the person with the highest percentage of weight loss will take home $500!!! She has it figured out so that the top 6 “biggest losers” will take home cash prizes between $50 and $500! She also has weekly challenges. If you successfully complete the challenge, you put your name in a drawing for gift cards, exercise equipment, etc.

I have been exercising at the rec center the whole time Ryan has been on the swim team, about 2 ½ years. But, I admit, I often let other things get in the way and would just drop him off and pick him up. This gives me extra incentive to stay and do my workout while he’s there.

I’m sharing this so you can all help me stay accountable! Please continue to ask how I’m doing with it!

Ryan’s Positive Influence

Since Ryan is in 6th grade, this is likely the last year that I will spend any significant amounts of time volunteering in his classroom. So, I actually go twice a week. I go Wednesdays to his math class and tutor some of the struggling kids. I hear you laughing. Yes, I am a 6th grade math tutor! Who would have thought that I, who had to take College Algebra THREE TIMES in college would be a math tutor. Good thing it’s only 6th grade!

Ryan loves his main teacher (they rotate for math, social science, and science). She is great. Her husband was just deployed to “an undisclosed location” a little bit before Christmas. I go there every Friday morning at the beginning of the school day to help her with whatever she needs in the classroom.

On Friday, January 6, she wasn’t there. I was surprised, since the kids had just gone back on Tuesday. The student teacher was subbing. Right after I got there, before I even had a chance to ask about his teacher, the assistant principal came in. He called four boys to leave the classroom with him for a chat.

The main problem kid in the class was not one that was called out. After he watched the other four kids walk out of the classroom with the assistant principal, he said (loudly), “Did anyone notice that I’M STILL HERE?!?!” He was so proud that he wasn’t one that was called out for being in trouble!

He had just been moved to Ryan’s table a couple of days before. I congratulated him for still being in the class, and for not being called out. He said, “I owe it all to YOUR SON. I haven’t gotten in trouble since I’ve been on this table!”

I said, “I’m sure you had something to do with it.”

He responded by saying, “Let’s say it was 99% Ryan, 1% me.”

When the assistant principal came back in, he had a great discussion with the kids. He reminded them how difficult this time is with the teacher’s husband being away, especially since he can’t tell her where he is. He challenged the kids to be as well-behaved as they possibly could so that it would partially ease the teacher’s stress. I think his words really touched most of the kids.

Ryan is such a good kid, and is such a good example to those around him. He is a natural leader, and students respect him as a member of the student council. At the end of the day, Ryan and I talked about additional ways that he can continue to help the other kids behave better.

I shared this quote with Ryan:

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
~Edmund Burke

Now, obviously sixth graders are not evil…most of them, anyway. :) But Ryan and I had a great discussion about how much one “good man” can do to help influence his surroundings for the better.

PERFECT New Year’s Day!

Today was an incredible day! Papa, Ryan, Alice, Claire and I drove to Orem and met Marc & Frances at the Andersons’ church. Rara is now the Relief Society president in her ward, and was unable to go with us because she was teaching the RS lesson. It was the homecoming of Frances’ sister, Lauren. She had prepared her talk surrounding a talk by Elder Holland. A few minutes before the meeting started, in walked ELDER AND SISTER HOLLAND!!!

Lauren gave such a beautiful talk. She shared information from the talk given by Elder Holland, and then expounded on them with experiences from her mission. I have a soft spot in my heart for Elder Holland, since he was the president of BYU for most of my time there. He and Sister Holland truly had a love for each and every student, and were always so cute to express that love individually whenever possible. I was touched again by his tender love as he teared up during a few parts of Lauren’s talk.

After the meeting, Ryan & I debated going up to talk with Elder Holland, but there was already a huge crowd around him. Instead, we walked down the hall toward the parking lot. As we rounded one corner, Sister Holland was standing there. I introduced myself and told her that I had been one of her “kids” at BYU. She gave me a big hug and said how much she always appreciates it when former BYU students stop to say hello. I was so happy to have had that brief moment with her. I felt her love for me every bit as much as I always had as a student. And she radiates as much love as Elder Holland does, but in a more quiet and less public way. I have a great amount of love for both of them.

We went to the Andersons’ house for a wonderful luncheon and some fun time visiting with family and friends. The day was an amazing start to the new year!

Happy New Year!

I am so excited for 2012! We have some fun plans for the year, and I am excited about the possibilities for the year to come. I have a great feeling about 2012! I finally feel like I'm ready to let go of some things I've been holding onto for way too long. I saw this picture, and felt that it was an appropriate metaphor of the things I'm ready to wash away. The beach (any beach anywhere!) is such a peaceful and relaxing place for me. It seemed like the perfect visual representation of my year to come!