There's No Place Like Home

Yep, that old cliche phrase we hear all to often...yet, its so true. I hit a wall last week...an emotional wall. Anyone who knows me well also knows that I am not one to show a lot of emotion...I talk a lot, but I don't show it. Anyway, I saw my mom online on Wednesday and asked her if I could come home. I flew home Saturday night and immediately felt a difference. It was so nice to be there...and my mom actually cooked for me this time...that hasn't happened since my dad passed away! She is doing much better...coming back to her old self. She asked our long time friend and housesitter, Lisa, to move in with her, which will be such a relief to all of us. Someone will be there with her at the end of the day. I took the two days I was home to do a lot of pondering, re-evaluating, praying, etc. It helped a little....enough to point me in the right direction again. The best part about coming home was my little nephew, Kaleb. Everytime he saw me, he would point to me, run over to me with his hands up in the air, then I'd pick him up and he'd wrap his arms around my neck and I'd just hug the living crap out of the kid! He made me so happy! I am so blessed to be able to go home as often as I do and to have that kind of relationship with my family.

I am trying to decide whether or not to go to Israel again in November. I really want to go, but is it really worth the debt??? Part of me thinks the whole experience might be??!!

I also got my hair cut while I was home....a few inches, the stylist, a good friend of ours, and a girl who babysat me when I was in diapers, Leslie Birnkrant, styled it so stinking cute....but I don't think I have the time or the patience or the knowledge/skill to do it like this again!!!

My trip ended with the earthquake...yep, in the airport just before I boarded the plane....what a thrill!!!!

I Owe on Two Tags...

I am paying up on two tags. One from Marianne and one from Kathy! Here it goes!!!!


Tag #1
Two names you go by:
Marla and "Nelson" (my students)
Two things I am wearing right now:
um...shirt and pants...thank goodness!
Two longest car rides:
Alpine, UT-Oceanside, CA
Kirtland, OH-Washington D.C.
Two of my favorite things:
Sleeping and Soccer
The two things you want very badly right now:
A hug and ice cold gatorade
Two animals that you have or have had:
dog and hamster
Two people to feel this out:
Elizabeth and Tricia
Two things you ate today:
honey nut cheerios and grilled cheese sandwich
Two people you last talked to:
Carol and Donna
Two things you are doing tomorrow:
cleaning and taking my final field test for my coaching license
Two favorite holidays:
Thanksgiving and Christmas
Two favorite beverages:
Gatorade and Chocolate milk

Tag #2--Photo Tag!

Picture Blog Tag.
The rules are you have to take ten pictures of the following things. And you have to do it right away. No straightening, cleaning or wiping your child's nose. Then you tag five others.

1. The Fridge--do you really think I'm gonna show you people the inside? I think there's something growing in there!


2. The closet--it actually looks halfway decent!

3. A Self Portrait....all of these were self portrait, but just for the sake of the rules....

4. Your favorite room....the only other room we have in our apartment besides the bedrooms and the bathroom....but you gotta love the view!

5. The kitchen sink....I cheated on this one...it was already spic and span, but I thought suds would be fun!

6. The laundry room--eek!


7. The toilet---ha ha ha!!!! I can't believe I did this.


8. What are your kids doing right now?
Um....waiting for me to find Mr. Right and get a move on creating them????!!!! I am not taking a picture of anything related to that comment!

9. Favorite Vacation Spot--Hawaii--actual pictures taken by our family when we went snorkeling and stopped for a lunch break!!!




10. Favorite Shoes--self explanatory?



I tag: Tricia, Tracy, Elizabeth, Tara, and Tom Van Vleet (don't be a ninny, Tom, just do it!)

Memory Tag...

Here's the directions:
1. Add a comment on my blog leaving one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll get my memory to you another way!

My Team

Here are a couple pics of the U11 club team I am coaching. We had soccer camp this week for the club and our season starts up with our first tournament at the end of July!

Birthdays, Soccer Camp, July 4th!

Its been a crazy week! Last Sunday the family celebrated two birthdays. Because I am in Utah, I went to my niece's birthday party--she turned 3--while the family in California celebrated my brother, Tyler's birthday--he turned a whopping 28!!!



The next morning I left for the Dixie State Soccer Camp with the LPHS girls soccer team in St. George. The high this week was 114 degrees! The girls play a total of 8 games and have a training session during the week with all the players and coaches. I coached the JV team and we finished out with a record of 4-1-3...not bad. Two of the ties were against varsity teams!!! I drove a 2007 Chevy Suburban for the week. We didn't have enough seats for all the girls, so one of the parents practically handed me her keys and said, "here, take my suburban." So I drove her car down to St. George while she drove my car for the week back home in Alpine....I LOVED driving the sub!!!! We had one injury on the soph/frosh team ....a girl got hit pretty hard in the face with the ball. We thought her nose was broken because it was bleeding so bad....and because no one had kleenex with them at the field, someone shoved two tampons up her nose! This poor 9th grader will never live this down since all three teams were there to witness this and a couple girls took pictures!!!! I was also able to see two of my friends, Marianne Pallas and Sheldon Savage, while I was down there, which was a nice break from hanging out with high school kids!

I took my goalkeepers out for shakes after their training session in 114 degree heat!


My wheels for the week!!!



My car of girls arrived back in Highland at 3pm, I went home, cleaned up and headed up to Murray Park to meet a group of friends to watch fireworks! Its the first 4th of July in 5 years I've been able to celebrate up here because I was either home or in St. George for soccer camp!!!!! My friend, Gina, planned this little shin-dig and she knows how to plan a party...I was only there for a small portion of it and it was a blast.

The Birthday Boy with his birthday watermelon!


Getting the cake ready!


The group!


While waiting for traffic to lighten up, we lit sparklers in the parking lot.

Two Years Ago Today....

Its been two years since my dad passed away. These pictures were taken last year when the whole family was home and visited the gravesite.

Walking up to the graveite--Lincoln Terrace at Forest Lawn in Hollywood Hills


Facing the grave overlooking the city of Burbank.


Dad's headstone


The family at the grave

River Rafting!

I returned from Jackson, Wyoming this afternoon. I went camping and river rafting with the Brighton 9th YSA ward! It was so fun! I knew two or three people going, so it was kind of out of my comfort zone, but everyone was awesome and helped me to feel so welcome! I slept in a tent with six other girls...there were 31 people total. I made several new friends and I am excited to build those friendships. On the raft, I started out in the middle because I was afraid to paddle....I seriously thought I'd fall off the side. After the last large rapid (Lunch Counter), I switched places with someone and paddled the last mile or two. We rafted an 8 mile stretch of the Snake River! Since I am not paying almost $30 for a river rafting picture, the link to the website that has all eight of the pictures taken of the boat I was on is below. It was taken at Lunch Counter, where we went through about 5 "waves." The river was really high and pretty rough, it was a blast. There might be more pictures coming....one of the girls brought a camera on the boat and will be emailing us some as soon as the pictures are developed. If you have not gone river rafting, you need to go!!!!

River Rafting Photos

Pictures below:

The Grand Tetons--we camped in the Grand Teton National Forest just outside of Jackson, WY.


Our boat!!!


Standing at by Lunch Counter--the next day!


Close up of Lunch Counter



Valley outside of Jackson--you just can't beat scenery like this!

Sorta Tagged--Join the Fun!

My friend Amber was "tagged" and decided to leave the "tagging" open to whoever wanted to participate! So I am participating and am also leaving the "tagging" open to whoever wants to participate!

Joys
1. Being with my family
2. Playing & coaching soccer/teaching
3. Spending time with friends

Fears
1. Rodents in my room (no joke...had a little unexpected roommate over a year ago...YUK!)
2. Never getting married---sad but true. I've pretty much given up...don't feel bad for me. I help raise over 200 kids every year!
3. My schedule this fall--being so busy I'll wear myself into the ground and my friends will forget that I exist!!!

Goals
1. Earn a masters degree
2. Be less selfish
3. Finsh deep cleaning bedroom and classroom--and then stay organized!

Obsessions/Collections
1. Being on time...I hate being late and I hate it when I have to wait for someone who is late.
2. Soccer--no explanation needed
3. Cards...I love a good greeting card and I secretly want to own a Hallmark!!!

Random
1. Um...I have no idea...I'm doing this because I made a complete mess of my apartment...I just sorted through two boxes of pictures and they are now sitting in piles at my feet, my laundry is on the couch and I should be cleaning up!
2. Does anyone know when 24 is starting again? I miss FHE with Brother Jack (quoting my mom)
3. I don't think its possible to be random upon request...???

Random

I have nothing exciting to blog...not that I ever have anything exciting to blog!

I sprained my ankle (again) last Tuesday night in my soccer game and have had physical therapy everyday (except Sunday) and will have it everyday this week as well. I don't think my ankle is getting any better, but they tell me it looks better each day. They tape my ankle each day, even if I don't have soccer...I think its because they know I'll probably do things whether I am hurt or not and won't care of whether or not the thing is taped. Though it is a minor injury, it is always frustrating to be less than 100%. Saturday I played in my outdoor game and I came out on a breakaway and the girl pushed the ball in front of her and slid into me cleats up as I went down hitting me straight in the same ankle I sprained...nice. Then I was an idiot and played kickball at a YSA activity Saturday night...without it taped, so the thing swelled like crazy! Hopefully it will get better soon!!

I've been deep cleaning my room this past week! Now, anyone who knows me REALLY well knows what a feat this is because my room can be a mess 99% of the time! With my fall schedule, I thought I better get organized and deep clean it NOW, otherwise it would just be worse with no time to clean it. I bought a new bookcase at IKEA to put all my scrapbooks and journals in so they are no longer in boxes in the closet...and the bookcase didn't fit in my car. Have you ever watched someone trying to pack something in their car that doesn't fit and they run from one side of the car to the other trying to get the thing in? That was me for an hour in the IKEA parking lot last week! I finally rolled down one of my windows so a little part of the box was sticking out. It took me longer to put the thing in my car than it did to buy it....then it took me twice as long to put it together! Did you know that there are no written directions?! Only pictures!!! I need written instructions along with the pictures....I am not a sole visual learner!!!! And then I didn't even get enough peg things to put it together, so I had to improvise! If I ever move, I feel sorry for the poor suckers that have to move that thing! I also bought those shoe hanger thingies that you hang in your closet and there are little shoe compartments....I recommend that to anyone who has lots of shoes! Its so easy to find my shoes and the floor of my closet is now open for more storage space!!! Woo hoo! I love it!

That's all for now. I'm going camping and river rafting this weekend, so I should have something exciting to post next week! Happy Summer!!!!