Chandler's Prophecy

While most Jimmer fans may not be happy with today's events in the NBA, there is one who is. Chandler. Today he claimed "I was born to be a Jimmer fan and now my prophecy that the Kings are the team to like came true!" For a little history, see here.

Sidewalk Chalk

By Cache

Family Reunion 2011

This year's reunion was slated to be held at Lava Hot Springs. However, some wimpy Utahans weren't about to pay money to swim when it was 58 degrees! And since the Waddoups clan was half of the majority, we got our way! (It wasn't very difficult at all to convince the 2 other attending families to change activities.) The next question was what is there to do in that corner of the world with kids ages 2 to 18? Not a lot! We finally decided to head over to the metropolis of Soda Springs and eat lunch at Hooper Springs (a natural 'soda' spring). Good times were had. The teeter totters provided fun for all. The tires to land on are genius (although, it still doesn't make them anywhere near safe!) Being the 2nd one on proved to be very difficult! We had fun figuring out different ways to keep things balanced out.We got Jonny on one end simply enough, and when his feet left the ground he let out a giggle, but more than an inch, he screamed! However, he turned out to be very helpful in holding down one end so people could get on and off without injury.

Chandler, Camille and Alexa got some good laughs from the dictionary. (Apparently many of our cousin's names are in the dictionary and strangely enough, their names all mean the same thing: awesome, amazingly cool, brilliant and fun. . . . or something like that!)

After the park grew old, we decided bowling might be fun. We trundled up to Blackfoot to Starlight lanes. There are a few bowlers who are better than others and there are some who can only score slightly decent with the bumpers up. . . .not saying who!

After bowling, the vote was out for getting a bite to eat at Rupes---a lovely, greasy way to spend an hour. Then we headed to Brandon's championship baseball game. Unfortunately the cleaners cleaned the counselors. (You had to be there.)

That night we spent at Dennis's house. He keeps things neat as a pin and very organized. It was nice to have a place to stay. The next morning we got up and had Breakfast Casserole in the Dutch Oven. Then while the kids played and watched movies, Dennis, Julianna, my mom and I went through Katie's clothes. She had a lot to sort through so it took quite a bit of the morning and afternoon. It was a sad, but good grieving experience. I boosted my wardrobe, but the cost has been very high. I miss her so much.
Dennis made rootbeer for lunch and Dave and Julianna got salads and Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was a fun family gathering! We were sorry it had to end so soon.

Twins?

Three times in the last five days we've had people ask whether these two are twins. It must be the glasses because they certainly aren't that similar in size or have the same motor skill development. . . . .

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Edited April 7, 2012
Since this post we get asked this question 2-3 times a week, at least.  We'd probably hear it more if I enjoyed going out more than I do.  It seems that we are asked nearly every time we go out.  I find it quite comical.

Chandler's Birthday

{I can't believe Chandler is 11--on the 11th!}

One of Chandler's gifts was a day of golf (with a cart!) with Dad. I made up a little gift card with the info. I wanted to wrap it creatively so I asked Cache to help me. Here is what he did: (He's definitely his grandfather's grandson!)

Tom called me when they got to the 8th hole so I could come and take pictures on the 9th. My battery promptly died after 7 pictures so the pickings were slim, but I did get a few for the memory.Birthdays are hard for me because I don't like cake. Or frosting. Or decorating. A lovely answer in the past has been to put a toy on cakes and call it good. Only sometimes the cake decoration begs for a little more. . . .like a golf ball and tee. But since none of my family eats cake very well either I didn't want to make a sheet cake and have it go to waste. So these are BYU brownies with the mint frosting and then coconut on top. Chan sat and stared and it and loved it (not because it is really good, just a step above what anyone around here gets. . . ). Glad I could make him so happy! (And here on the 15th, the brownies are still lingering with more than 1/2 the pan left. . . .we need a better option for cakes/brownies on birthdays. Pie doesn't work because I don't love pie either. . .)

"Fee Fee"

It's a nightly ritual. . .

The girls want cold cereal before bed. . .

(And we allow this bad habit because our sleepless daughter does better with a full tummy.)

Inevitably Greta says "Fee Fee"

In Greta-ese that means, "Feed Me."

Then Tessa says "Fee Fee."

Which means "If Greta is being fed, then, by golly, I want to be fed too."

And Tom, being the good Dad that he is, feeds them.

Spoon by spoon by spoon.

Every night.

(And sometimes on Saturday and Sunday mornings (which is when this routine was recorded photographically.)

This nightly practice has come to be known as

"Fee Fee."

Which means in Daddy-ese, "Let's get going to bed."

To Mommy it means, "I love to see this cute little bonding ritual."

And now it is down for the archives of our family memories.

(He is such a good Daddy!)

Chan & Golf

I don't know anything about golf. . . but Tom knows a little and when he saw these pictures he said, "Wow, Chan has a pretty good swing. . .look at that back swing, how he shifts his hips, and his follow through. . . " He starts official lessons tomorrow so we'll see what the instructor has to say and whether we have a Master's winner on our hands. . . . (in the mean time, Chan is a living golf machine and loving it!) Don't be jealous your back yard doesn't have sticks marking the hole and the hose sectioning off the 'green'!

Graduation 2011

Well, it came and went. And surprisingly, I didn't shed a tear. I went prepared for my faucets to leak, but in the end, I was just a proud mom who soaked it in instead of wanting to stop time. That was nice for a change.

This kid is as quirky as they come! The whole week before he kept saying things like "Why is this such a big deal?" "This really isn't going to be that fun." "You don't even need to come." . . . And then, the valedictorian not wearing gold tassels? "They are optional," says he. He tied the required medallion into his tie so that it was not very noticeable. And when he wasn't on the floor, it was either on Matt or in his pocket. This is the only picture I got with his medallion not covered up or tied up.

Had to hold my buttons on so they didn't burst when he was the first grad to walk in. . .

His cute face on the big screen.

The sly grin he flashed when he cracked a joke:

Cache is quite aglow in this shot, but it shows that others are enjoying his speech. Chandler leaned over to me during it and asked me why people weren't laughing (only snickering). Then he said, "'Cause the guy's hilarious. . . they just don't get him."

Comments he received after his speech were like unto these:

"You definitely didn't print that speech off the Internet!"

"I loved Cache's speech, only I needed him to slow down so I could soak up the humor and keep up with his intellect."

I know I'll not be very popular for posting this, but a family historian's got to do what a family historian got to do! Here's his 2 minute speech (perhaps if you don't mention I posted this, I'll be safe. . . ):

Greetings, fellow Earthlings.

Do you know what I think this world needs? More imagination. More creativity. More spaceships!

It seems to me that the world has come down with a bad case of conventionality. We are too ordinary. Liven up, people! And don't try to get out of it by saying that if everyone was extraordinary, then it would be ordinary to be extraordinary. I want to see some action.

We can start by thinking unconventionally. Sometimes we think that there are rules for thinking. The only rules for thinking are those we establish by predetermination. Rules such as these needn't necessarily be followed.

Albert Einstein broke the rules of conventional thinking. So did Pablo Picasso. Do you see the commonality of “genius”?

Challenge the traditional frame of mind. Push a few mental boundaries. Think something!

I guess I should probably work in the theme of our graduation. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Dreams and imagination are closely related, though I would imagine by marriage rather than by blood. Dreams are rather hazy, a product of the subconscious. But imagination is consciousness at its best.

Imagination breeds creativity. At this point, that would make creativity something like the nephew of dreams. But I digress.

The arts are often thought of as imaginative, and with good reason. They employ the creative brain, yes. I once read a bit from an author that I like. He said “The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”

Isn't that nice?

What made Henry David Thoreau so revered by history? His remarkable method of thinking. It was something different, something fresh. He was somehow able to transcend the materialistic world and live contentedly in solitude. And it was impressive. Why? Because no one else was doing it.

If you find yourself using your imagination and you want some company, seek out those who share your same enthusiasm and form some sort of society. It could even be a secret. Something like “The Society for the Addition of The Element of Surprise to the Periodic Table.” Then make yourself an agenda.

The important thing to remember is this: In whichever direction your imagination takes you, it's probably as good as any.

Peace.

(Maybe you had to be there. . ?. . . ?. . . )

A few final shots. . . (the robe fresh out of the bag at the Marriott Center. . .didn't bother him to sport wrinkles) . . . Cache with his best friend, Matt Pockrus (I didn't take any with his whole group---oops).

And after it was all over, he said, "Well, I guess that wasn't all that bad." No. No it wasn't. I actually enjoyed it. Thanks for the awesome night, Cache.

Alex Boye

Last night our stake had a kick off for the Youth Conference that starts this week. Alex Boye was one of the speakers. One of the things he said that stuck with me was how there is opposition in all things. Then he used the scripture in D&C 25:12 that says: "For my soul ^adelighteth in the ^bsong of the ^cheart; yea, the^dsong of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads." Then he turned it around to mean the opposite--as if Satan were speaking: "For my soul delighteth in the song of the selfish (or some word that could be opposite of heart); yea, the song of the wicked is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a curse upon their heads." He said that when he goes to prisons to give presentations he can pin point what crime each person committed to be in prison by asking them about the music they listen to. And he says he is always right. He can tell from music if they have murdered, raped, stolen etc. Pretty deep food for thought.

Wash!

Greta came out of her bedroom this morning pointing to her glasses saying "Wash!" As I took them off to wash, I realized they were Tessa's! That's the real reason she couldn't see! Cute girlie!!

I'm posting this cute picture with this even though it's not related to the post. . .

Family Pictures

Kari from Treasure Layne photography took our family's pictures a few weeks ago. I was so happy with them! We are full of imperfections yet the pictures make us look good with all those imperfections! Here are a few:

My only regret is that I didn't request more candid shots like these. Next time. . .

I'll be putting others in previous and upcoming posts.