I have done entries and think how satisfying it was for the Navy Seal team to have had the opportunity to eliminate such a horrible threat.  America will become even more unified after having eliminated Osama and this is exactly what America needs right now.   What would the world be like if all the money spent on wars and military was put to doing humanitarian projects?  Ok, So Osama Bin Laden was taken out by the greatest military in the world.   Will it stop the evil that is spreading in the Muslim extremist community?  Not a chance.   I think that the extremist will step up the attacks and America and other nations will have to reinforce their borders to keep their citizens safe. 

My four boys are all growing up.   Tennison is getting married in like 12 days.  We are all trying to stay sane during the days leading up to the wedding, ( not spend too much, I hope) and help them out as much as possible.   Beau is still in Boston on the mission.  He is working hard and hopefully will return ready to get back into college.  Bryson had a basketball camp over the weekend.  He did really well and his team won the camp tournament.  Bryson is a great basketball player but his real sport is football and we are trying to find him a camp  or camps to attend this summer.  McKay is playing soccer and doing really well.    He is one of the forwards on JV and gets a little bit of time in varsity.  Coach Cardoso seems to be doing a good job with the teams.

One of Bryson's photos from last year.  6' 3" and 230 pounds.  He is trying to get to 240 and still keep his speed which is about 4.7 for the 40.  He is lifting as much as he can and playing in all the spring / summer basketball. 

Picture of McKay doing a rappel in Blue John Canyon.  This is in S. Utah and the canyon where Aaron Ralston cut his arm off when becoming trapped/wedged in the canyon.

Bryson hitting a shot against Lehi last season.  The team really struggled, hopefully they will be better this year and so far it is looking good.

April, 2011

So we are getting closer to the wedding. (May 14).     I think it is exciting although it is more expensive than I thought, (shows how little I know).   Anyways, we are paying for the honeymoon, cool with that, because I didn't get one.  The flowers, (boquet, corsage, boutineers), and some for the table decorations.   The wedding breakfast, which is now a luncheon due to the time of marriage.  That alone is a good chunk of change.  The tuxedos which I don't really care to wear, but what the heck.   And, I brought up a harp player that I know who plays receptions, her and her daughter are playing.  She is the wife of an officer I worked with at Provo PD.    
This last month I was able to buy 2 ATV machines.  Julie is way cool being that she let me get the machines.  I think it will help us do more family oriented activities.   OK, so we have way good credit,  both over 800.  We go to finance the second machine and the quote comes in at 10% finance charge- Yikes, like are you serious?  This is at a time when the Feds still have the key interest rate near 0! and you want to charge me 10%?  Needless to say we wrote a check and took our new machine home.   
Tyla is on the Provo United Football AA team.   She is way cute and has a blast playing with the girls.  We just wrapped up basketball and now on to soccer.   McKay is on the JV team at Provo.  The team struggles because the players don't understand TEAM.   McKay stands out on the team but the mexicans don't like to pass him the ball, kinda weird that they would rather lose than let someone look better.  I tell him it is the crab in a bucket theory.   Tenny, Bryson, and McKay all got up to the slopes a few times this year.  Glad to see them still doing it even though they are all way busy with other activities.  Julies Santa Fe was leaking oil way bad.  We had it towed into the dealer and they said all it needed was an oil change.  Saying the filter was loose.  Funny thing is, I checked it out beforehand and it wasn't leaking from the filter.  So it just goes to show: YOU CAN'T TRUST MECHANICS, IF YOU DO YOU ARE STUPID!     Enough for now,  We have money in our pockets, food to eat, and a warm place to sleep, and we all have great health.  I am very greatful for all of my blessings.

Provo Regional Champions

Coach Johnson and the 9th grade Provo Bulldogs.

So they are region champs!  McKay started the season coming off of the bench.  By the end of the season he was a full-time starter and a big contributor to the team.  He was a great blocker!  It is fun to watch him get the swats.    He is in the second row, second from the rt.   Way to go McKay,  way to make mom and dad proud.    Now it is on to soccer.   Yesterday, 03/07/11, he played Spanish Fork.  McKay had an assist in varsity and they won 7-2.   McKay also scored in JV and they also won 3-1.   Keep up the hard work.  Speaking of soccer, I remember seeing his older brother score the winning goal off of a corner kick in Payson back in 2005 I believe.   And in reference to the above photo,  Beau also won the same tournament  in 2006 and he was first team all region that year, and ya, he beat Brandon Davies' team that year.

Brandon Davies

Ok, so it is now all over the national news why Brandon got the boot from the team.   At first I was very upset about it.  BYU seemed to be using him as their poster child and I still think that they are but now wait a minute.  If you are going to be in the spotlight you need to be able to take the good with bad.  I was talking earlier in the day with my friend Mike Bastian.   He and I were talking about Officer Mark Peterson who was fired from Provo PD for some stupid things.  Mike said,  "we all will be knocked off our high horse sooner or later."   I thought it was kinda  De Javu when I later heard about Brandon that same evening. 
   Now back to Davies.    I have known him since he was 8!    He is a neat kid.   He spent his senior year living in our house.  He had his own bedroom.   Julie and I would try to talk to Brandon about accountability and he would blow us off.  Not big lectures just little things and he would have nothing to do with it.   We even tried chores and he would really bug out and be gone for a few days,  usually to Tui's, home, or Kyle's.  Eventually he would return and the cycle would start over.   ACCOUNTABILITY would always come up and Brandon would have NOTHING to do with it.    Brandon is a very talented person,  I would love to ask Carrie Jenkins (BYU spokesperson) if she knew anything about him outside of basketball and the nemesis honor code?   Well has she seen him play the guitar or piano?  Pretty awesome!  Has she seen him ride a bike, BACKWARDS? Incredible!  Has she seen him ride a skateboard?, doing a manual?  (on the front two wheels for over a city block? Unreal!   Doing backflips on the trampoline?   Over and over and over......?  Well I have seen him do all of this and many more amazing things.      Well, now for the softer side of me,  I was nearly in tears after a few days of hearing about the suspension.  It was quite literally tears of joy for I knew that Carrie Jenkins was being an answer to my prayers in suspending Brandon.   He will be fine.  Now Brandon, get up off of the floor, wipe off the dirt, and get back to work.   You have many more people to impress.   Thanks for all of the laughs!

McKay basketball

McKay had his first tournament game on Thursday, 2/10/11.  He was 3 for 3 on shooting threes and he attributes it to touching the Jimmer.   McKay was at Costa eating lunch and saw Jimmer and shook hands and got a photo.  His team beat Orem Jr. handily.   On Saturday it was a different story.   We were down by 8 with 2:32 left and McKay scored 6 to help close the gap.   All three drives were down the middle which is something McKay rarely does but is very capable of doing.       Keep up the good work K-ster.

Bryson had a big game against Orem High.   We were down by 16 and the big dog came in and scored 8 points to cut the lead to ten.   We had three chances to get the lead under ten but we never converted.   It was fun to see The Big Dog come in and make a difference.  The team won't make it to state but it will be a chance to finish strong and build for next year.

Bryson listening intently as Coach Drury explains the strategy.  Nov, 2010.

Bryson is probably the hardest worker ever when it comes to sports.  He has no quit in him.  Going up for a block.

This is Julie, (aka Barbie).  We went on a RC cruise Dec 17, 2010 to Bahamas.  Me, Julie, Tyla, and her bestest friend ever, Kealani Jessop.  It was a good time to relax and some good food on board.   Bryson was in Florida with his high school basketball team for a winter tournament.

I love this picture.  Mom and daughter just enjoying the view.   Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Raising Kids in a new era.

Tyla riding her new "birthday bike".  She is such a sweetie.  She loves sports, school, piano, guitar, and animals.

The BIGDOG Bryson #88.  Going in for a QB sack lunch.

McKay getting ready to do a rappel in Bluejohn Canyon.  Great student, athlete, and kid.

Beau, a week before he left to serve in the Boston, MA mission. 

Tennison.

Well I was watching Bill O'Reilly on TV.  He was talking about some Asian lady (Yale Proffesor) who wrote a book, "Confessions of a Tiger Mom",  whatever the hell that is, but anyway,  Bill was saying that it is alright for kids to have fun and enjoy life.  Tiger Mom apparently makes her kids study for several hours, demanding straight A's, then they are required to practice their music instruments each day as well.   Bill was saying, "My parents were just hoping for me to graduate."  Me and Julie started to laugh as we were both thinking of Bryson.  He is the third child of five and he is awesome.  He doesn't focus as much as he should on school BUT- you need a computer fixed, need something sold, need a block, a basket, a catch?  Well, he is your man.   Now on to TYLA,  she is the youngest of five and the only daughter.  It is common practice for me to come home from work and hear her playing the piano or her guitar.  She even plays on Saturdays and Sundays, it is peaceful to hear her playing.    Back to Bill O'Reilly, he says, "Look at me now, I have a Harvard education, I have a great job."   Sooooooooo,  parents,  it is OK for kids to fail.  Just make sure they get back up and continue on.