Merry Christmas 2009!

Christmas photo 2009.

Mum and Dad

This is a photo of my mum and dad dancing the other night at their new home. All I can say is, ladies, may we all have someone who will look at us like the way my father looks at my mother after 65 years together.

Vegas Starz

9 games played...9 games won. And California thought Vegas couldn't compete. It's on to SLC this week for the Rocky Mountain Lax Showcase. Go Joey and the Starz!

Oh Fathers...

Father's day for the best dad around happened while we were , yup you guessed it, on the road. Joey had another tournament in LA so Doug and I decided to pack up the family for this event and spend a weekend away. I know, just the 6 of us. Not too romantic. Actually not one minute alone, but enjoyed by all. Doug is wonderful. You all know that. Our kids are lucky. He is 100% in a world where most dad's are 10% at best. I don't doubt for a minute both the boys admire him and desire to be 'just like dad' when they grow up. The girls, well, they will have a hard time finding a guy who measures up.

I don't say it enough, but I think it all the time. Doug, you are the best!

Since I can't find a money tree at any local shop...

Summer is here and with it I find myself a full time mum. Yup, I love it. Don't get me wrong, but parenting my own kids is far more rewarding than parenting other peoples kids. Anyhow, my extra time really does equal money. I am always a frugal shopper....(shout out to Zech and Em who are exceptional, and also the Queen, hmm Tiff...) but when summer comes along I really get my savings cap on. I have successfully, with Doug's help, shaved 50 bucks off of our phone bill and 120.00 off other household expenses. Shopping today found me purchasing over 400 dollars of food, GOOD FOOD...food my kids eat food, for drumroll.............

195.80!

Be proud of me Queen Tiff.

Also... Laundry - check

Mopped floors- check

Clean fridge- check

I love summer time!

Oh how I wish I had one of these....

Guess who made it!

Click on the link below....

http://www.adidasnationallacrosseclassic.com/socal_selections

Awards and End of Year

What a school year! All of the kids did so well. Jenna and Bret earned great grades and both scored a perfect 500 on the math state testing!!!! I am so glad Doug has that math background in him because it sure helps when the kids are confused. Millie just missed the mark with the testing but scored 489 in math and 481 in reading. In years past she has earned the perfect 500 so I know she will get back there again! Millie was our only straight A student this quarter and ended up with straight A's for the year. Joey ended his sophomore year with a 3.67 cumulative GPA to begin his junior year.
Proud parents!

Tryouts and Disney

By the way, for those of you that have not seen Joey in a a while...I have on about 4 inch clogs in this photo.

Shocker...Joey had a lacrosse event in LA this weekend. I know it is so unlike Joey to do anything like this but....HA. Our summer is riddled with trips and try outs and tournaments. This weekend Joey Millie and I headed off to Los Angeles with another lax mom and her son to go to the tryouts for the Adidas National Lacrosse team. Joey looked great and won the face off competition with 100% record. The first guy he went up against was a FOGO (Face off, get off specialist weighing in at about 220). Joe thought he would be out on the first round, but instead he beat everyone. Later during the 'game" Joey won each face off and played really well. Chances are good he will make the team but I am not sure we will be sending him to Maryland to play in the Championship game. You see, the money tree we planted last spring hasn't begun to produce yet so we may just have to say no to this invite.

Anyhow the real fun of the weekend came Saturday after tryouts. We headed over to Disney for the day. The weather was perfect, the rides were not crowded and the kids had a blast.

YO HO HO HO a Disney life for me!

Love this...

Joey was picked to play this summer for the Vegas Starz program! Big feather in his cap. 160 kids tried out and only 40 were picked for the two elite teams.

Woo hooo Joey!!!!

Where have I been???

It has been a month since I have posted on my blog. Busy, busy, busy, and quite honestly nothing too spectacular to write about. Just more of the same in our little life.
Volley ball and lacrosse season came to a close in a less than dramatic finish. Jenna's team didn't win a match. I must say this had little to due with Jenna's efforts and I am not bragging when I say Jenna was the best player on the team. She is going to really shine in this sport. It is in her genes. I mean her mom can still play better than most so with her help and the extra practice and work of being on a team, Jenna has really come along! Doug and I are sending her to camp again this summer so Cheyenne High, LOOK OUT! Millie's team won almost every match and Millie improved greatly. She is also going to camp this summer so we look forward to her getting better each day! She really likes the sport and while she doesn't have any DNA support she has had a lot of help from Jenna! Millie is finishing up the year with lots of student council activities and has made a lot of friends as she served as the school's historian. Millie also made it into the advanced orchestra which is an honor that she is proud of! Bret's lacrosse team did not fare too well this season. It was hard on Bret to play another year for a team that just couldn't seem to find a groove, but again, Bret's contribution was significant. He really never came off the field in a game and was one of the better players. Bret just went to a try out for the Vegas Starz MS team and he is gearing up for another BYU summer camp with his pal Sam. Bret decided the trumpet is being put away next year and is going to take an honors Spanish course instead. Only 30 kids at the school get the chance to take this class. Bret is one of the 30. He also got asked to be in a special advisory class at our school which will focus on technology. The teacher came to me and asked me if I thought Bret would enjoy this class. Given Bret's adoration of all things media I figured he was a great candidate. (Did I mention that I think that is embedded in his DNA? I mean I am looking at a computer screen bigger than most TV screens right now...thanks Dougie!). Joey's season ended with a loss in the semis. He had a good year and was one of the few sophomores on the varsity team. He is the number 4 ground ball guy in the entire league which is a fact he is very proud of. His junior high coach would always tell the boys..."Ground balls win the game" Joey took that information to heart. He has so much going on this summer I don't know how often I will see him around here! He also tried out for the High school Starz team, but it is stiff competition. We are keeping our fingers crossed.
I am winding down with school and it feels fine! I have a bout 10 days left to go and I can not wait to have it be SUMMATIME! Girls Camp is heavy on my mind as we get ready to take our stake back up the hill at the end of July. The YCLs are again my charge and I can't wait to be with the girls at the tip top of the hill once more.
Doug is busy over at Mecham & Shaul and still spends week days and often weekends and nights working. Nothing like tax season though, thank goodness and most nights he is home for dinner at least!
This summer expect lots of vacation photos from us. Nothing exotic, just chasing the kids from volley ball camps to lacrosse camps. But if the family is there together, we make it a vacation!

Springtime in Las Vegas

Really, it is an odd time of year. One week ago Donna was here from Montana and it was so cold she felt like never left home. This week it was 90 degrees out at the beginning of the week, but today our lacrosse car wash was canceled because it was too cold and windy. Go figure!

Still a New England Girl

Every year for my birthday and Christmas my parents send me a little taste of home and Doug and I stuff ourselves with the best of New England. Chowder, bisque, steamers and whole lobsters. This year I had more than one dinner for two so we decided to share with our friends.

Such a treat!

Lacrosse...again

More lacrosse news.

Joey was nominated by his coach to be part of the 205 camp this summer. Spots in the 205 camps are highly sought after and are not often afforded. The boys chosen to attend are watched for the entire week by coaches all over the US. Joey's coach nominated him and then we had to wait to see if he would be selected, and HE WAS!

Anyhow, this is a great honor for Joey, who eats sleeps and drinks the sport! Doug and I are trying to figure out how to work a family vacation around his enrollment at the camp!

Way to go Joey!

Conference Weekend and Spring Break

How I love conference weekend. Time to just relax, and listen. Usually weekends find me running around preparing lessons for YW and Gospel doctrine, trying to get the house clean, grocery shopping and add to that games, practices and what have you to the mix. Conference weekend finds me enjoying the opportunity to just listen. Yes, there is still laundry to be done and meals to be prepared, but with it being the first days of spring break, there is far less urgency to the matter. How I have enjoyed these last two days. I did get the house tidied up and all the sheets washed and winter clothes mostly put away, but so much more important was the time I got to spend just listening to the leaders of the church as they gave us direction and counsel.

It has been just a family weekend at our house. Friday night we conducted our monthly 1st Friday family activity by taking the kids out to a fun little place to eat and enjoying some late night talks. Saturday we all chipped in to get some house and yard work done while Doug headed off to work. Joey strung Bret's lacrosse stick and his D pole got a face lift. Millie headed up to the cabin with the Ellsworths. While the boys went off to Priesthood Jenna and I went out together and had some fun and then bought our Sunday morning breakfast . It is tradition here at the Mecham's if we are not at conference in Utah, we watch while building a puzzle and eating a big breakfast of waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, bacon (and eggs for Joey and I) and smoothies or shakes. I know, too much...but tradition none the less.
Saturday night we took the kids to a movie and stayed up late again together. Sunday found us all in mine and Doug's bed at the start of conference watching on our tiny TV . As I moved on to make the breakfast of champions they slowly emerged and we watched the rest of conference as we ate.

This week is spring break and with it I will make time to do some much needed spring cleaning. Lots of lacrosse will take place and I am sure some volleyball will get squeezed in too!
Doug is under the gun to finish gobs of work before the 15th and so I am sure I will see him less than I like, but the end is in sight and Doug, who has been busy as can be for the last few months, will be able to keep more manageable hours in the near future.
Life is good.

That's bad...that's good

Jenna sprained her ankle at Volleyball - that's bad
Millie got an A on her speech- that's good
Joey doesn't think his most recent trip to the dermatologist did a darn bit of good- that's bad
Bret is finally done with basketball and has a little free time- that's good
Christine thinks her allergies are kicking in- that's bad
Doug got the Scouting District Award of Merit last night- that's good
Friedo got into the trash and ate day old turkey- that's bad
Jenna did very well on her report card...even in science- that's good
Millie refuses to put away her folded clothes, saying she prefers the laundry basket- that's bad
Joey has been earning money mowing lawns- that's good
Bret's lacrosse team had a game called due to fighting- that's bad
Christine had the time to make a yummy dinner tonight- that's good
Doug is working so much we hardly see him- that's bad (well and good I guess...$$$)

Beet Digger

Last weekend's post...I am slow in updating...

I am sitting in traffic. Truly amazing how technology has advanced. This weekend Doug and I had the pleasure of driving up to Salt Lake with a bunch of champions. Our lacrosse team was invited to participate in the Beet digger tournament in Jordan, Utah and for the first time since the tournament began the title went to an out of state team. We are so proud of the boys for doing so well, but even more grateful to be affiliated with such a fine group of young men. Our boys have been under scrutiny for such along time. Our team, for whatever reason can't seem to get out from under the league's animosity. Whatever the team does is challenged and our team is constantly the recipient of harsh judgements. All of this stemming from events that occurred years ago while Joey was playing in a middle school. It is so ridiculous I don't even want to get into it here, but suffice to say it is frustrating and has really cast a shadow over the victories that our boys have earned. This weekend was a different story. Our boys won every game, some with ease, other with more of a fight, but either way we came up victorious. Our JV team made it down to the semis bit were beat by what appeared to be a much older team of boys, many of them play on their teams varsity program. Joey plays varsity this year but because he is young he is allowed to play both JV and varsity in tournament play. He played hard in all 9 games, some back to back. He scored lots of goals and was the first to score in the hardest of the varsity games which made things exciting. He was the face off king and I do mean king. I think he won about 90% of all his faces. In the JV games he did not miss one and on varsity he was close to perfect too. Way to go boy.

Music Memory Monday

I have not done a music memory in along time but very early this morning I was giving oldest son a a little driving practice on the way to seminary and this song came on the radio. Normally while he is driving he doesn't like the radio on, but when I went to shut it off, he waved me away and said, "It's okay, this song is nice." I was glad he thought so because I have always loved the Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde has such a unique voice and even at the time when her music was very popular, it never seemed overplayed.
Anyhow, in the early 90s when this song came out and I remember every young girl I knew pledging her undying love to the boyfriend of the minute using this song as the backdrop. All you girls who listened to the radio in 1994 know what I mean. How could you listen to these lyrics and not think, 'FOREVER'. Me? I was a little older, already married, but I thought it was a great song and oh, sooooo romantic.
Today when Joey got out of the car and I watched him amble up to the door of the stake center with this song playing in my car, I started to cry. Really.
Listening today I felt this song had little to do with romantic love, but instead a more maternal or paternal love. I mean read these lyrics.

Oh, why you look so sad? Tears are in your eyes, Come on and come to me now.
Don't be ashamed to cry, Let me see you through, Cause I've seen the dark
side too. And when the night falls on you, And you don't know what to do, Nothing you confess could make me love you less I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you, Won't let nobody hurt you, I'll stand by you.

I don't think it is easy to understand if you have yet to have a child, but let me tell you, there is nothing, nothing, NOTHING that could make me stop loving my kids. I might be sad, disappointed or even angry with them at times, but the love, it never goes away.
I know Carrie Underwood covered this song on American Idol, so a whole new crop of teenage girls are using it to pledge their undying love to Jacob, or Brandon or Trevor. But all the moms (and the dads) know what it is really about.
So I guess I will dedicate this song to Joey, Jenna, Bret and Millie. I'll stand by you.

Well it has been a while since I have pulled my camera out of the case and photographed anything that goes on in Mechamville. truth be told this time of year is filled with great things to photograph but hardly a moment to stop and grab the camera. I have spent much of my free time, if you could call any mother's time, freetime, at sporting events. Lacrosse season begins and it begins with a vengeance. Jamborees are the typical kick off and last weekend found us at a bunch of games for Bret with this weekend at the fields watching Joey. Next weekend both boys have a weekend long tournament and the girls have an all day event out in Henderson for volleyball. I wish I was Hermione from Harry Potter so I could be at everything. We also have Stake conference which adds another facet to the places we have to be and the things we have to do. Sounds crazy, I know, but I do love it. I love this time in our lives as we watch our kids grow in so many ways; social, mental, spiritual and physical. They are all so terrific carefully figuring out how Doug and I can fit in a game or two for each of them. I appreciate the effort they make to be fair although I know each of them wishes Doug and I would come and plant ourselves at their individual event for the entire day. So like I said last time, you may see less of me on here during the upcoming weeks and months but know that I am where I should be, cheering on one of the four kids and loving it!

Slacker

I admit, I have been somewhat of a slacker in the blog department. I have been consumed with
lacrosse and a bunch of political league mumbo jumbo which has left me some what disenchanted. I tend to think everyone does things for the right reasons, but with this situation, I am not so sure. I am happy to say that at least we got past the nonsense and are now onto the season.
Enough about that. On a totally different note, I was called to be the Stake YCL leader this year. I love this assignment and am thrilled to serve in this capacity. I adore the girls and the time up on the mountain. It is wonderful to be able to go again this year!

Weekend

This weekend:

Boys=Lacrosse

Joey=ACT

Girls=Volleyball

Dad= Scout training

Mom= Taxi cab

The big four-one Finding joy in the journey

Fifty is the new thirty is what I keep hearing so I guess that means 41 is the new 21. Yahoo, I am legal again. Oh right, I don't drink so I guess I should just be glad that I am finally old enough (again) to buy cough medicine without having to show my ID.
February 3 is a great day to have a birthday when you are a kid. Far enough from Christmas that you don't get lumped in to the Christmas gift pile, but close enough that you know exactly what you wanted that you did not get on December 25, and you can ask for it 5 weeks later.
Really, when I think about all the changes the past 20 years have brought me, I would not go back to being 21 for all the silver in Nevada, all the rice in China, all the Steelers fans in Pittsburgh. (Whichever is greatest.)
You know, I have never been one of those folks who is upset about aging or getting older. I really think I have a pretty good, healthy attitude about this. It is what it is. I have always found joy in the age that I am at the time. I guess, I must be honest here, when I was a young teen, 13, 14, I wanted to be older. I wanted so badly to be 'old enough'. For what, I don't really know. But I loved being 20 ,25 and 30, 35 and 38. 40 was actually rewarding, I felt like I was right about where I wanted to be in my life. Great husband , wonderful kids. So what if I took the long way , I got there. And even with all the curve balls that life throws us, I can still throw my hands in the air each day as I look at Doug and what we have built together and say, I WIN!
Now, I spend a lot of my time trying to convince my kids, the four that live with me and the 150 I teach, to enjoy the place they are in life. Just yesterday morning I spent 20 minutes talking to a young man at school about waiting on the whole 'girl thing'. He mentioned to me that he spent the whole Super Bowl on the phone with a young lady and I said, "You know, later in your life, and for most of your life, you will probably have some interruptions during the big game days. Maybe it will be a young wife who needs help with a little one during the Super Bowl of 2020. Maybe your mom or your dad will need help with a sibling who is moving away to school during the World Series of 2018. Maybe your own child will have a pee-wee soccer game during the NBA playoffs of 2024. And you know what, you will be a good man, I hope, and you will be there helping and doing what you should do then. Not doing then, what you should be doing now. Which is eating wings in front of the tube without a care in the world. Carrying around a stick or a ball or a bat like it is the most important thing in the universe. Hanging with your friends, doing your school work, enjoying your family and the activities of your youth." I told him, "What Doug wouldn't give to watch just one game with out me or one of the kids 'needing him'."
Of course the boy thought I was old, 41, and helplessly out of touch with it all.
The good news for me, is I don't think this advice falls on deaf ears when it comes to the 4 kids that mean the most to me, or a good many of their friends.
Back to 41. I had a great day yesterday. My lovely VT brought me a Brighton key chain, LOVE IT. Sunny and Dee went in on the most extravagant passing of a Peppermint Patty, story later. My kids showered me with yummy food and thoughtful gifts . I came home to find a white noise maker from little Miss T, I am guessing. I had numerous cards and calls, texts from all my YW and some of my more tech savvy friends, and Facebook, gotta love it. I was wished happy birthday on my 'wall' from many, many friends I have not seen since I really was 21. Glo Pat brought me shrimp and butter which is another story all together, but suffice to say, she knows my 'tastes'. Doug took me to dinner, and gave my flowers and ohhhhhh how clean my house was when I got home. A singing phone message from Joey's best pal's family and finally, just as I was heading in to get the kids ready for prayer, a knock on the door found me staring face to face with birthday carolers. I know, too cute. Tif, Banana and Bishop were singing away accompanied by my friends Ben and Jerry.
What a day.
Who said birthdays are just for kids!
In my favorite movie of all time, It's a Wonderful Life, Clarence George's gaurdian angel said, "Remember, no man is a failure who has friends."
I am blessed beyond measure, and if Clarence is right, I am wildly successful too!
Thanks to everyone who thought of me on my special day. I am the luckiest 21 year old girl I know!

50 Mile club

This weekend, Doug and Bret joined the deacons and a few other dads on a 50 mile bike ride in Carlsbad, California. The boys have been working on this merit badge for some time and now all of them have earned it! Doug only took one photo of the whole affair. Bret looking thrilled for the ride. It rained during the entire ride making it a little more difficult and loads more soggy.

YW New Beginnings

Hannah, Erin, Millie and ReganStake YW leaders


Em, Mary, Q and Hay

The older girls singing

Our newest girls

Look at Rooster's face. Jenna thinks it is pretty funny too!

Last Wednesday night we had our New Beginnings night for all of our girls. The focus of the night is the girls new to the program. We used 'Be the girl of your dreams' as our theme and all the girls and leaders came dressed in their pajamas. Even Doug and Bishop were all cozy. It ended up being a great night and everyone had a ball.