I am soooooo behind

I have been attempting to sit down and write the blog entry for about two weeks. I have been incredibly busy, and something has come up every time that I plan to do this. I am very behind, so get comfortable with a warm beverage because this is going to be a long one.

Everything at this moment seems to be going along well, but I will wait to exhale for a while because something is bound to happen that will knock us off track again. I am feeling very grateful that I have a job. In fact I have two. I feel blessed that I enjoy the jobs that I have and enjoy the people that I work with, either one is better than flipping burgers, or doing stucco. I am grateful that I have roof over my head when so many are losing theirs. I wish that I could say hat I have done this all on my own, but we had the help of many to get into this home, and to make it ready to house our family, and we continue to receive encouragement and support from friends and family.

Let it snow…February is not spring. We know this by the blizzard that is coming down outside our window. It has either been raining or sunny for the last week, and most of the snow had melted. Just when I thought there was hope for spring, we get dumped on again (this may seem like a life metaphor, but I will not go there today).

Kyler is home, and more or less back to his old self. He spent 4 days in isolation and the doctors and nurses had to come in wearing aprons, masks and gloves. Kind of a tough experience for a kid his age. Kind of a tough experience for a kid of any age. The second time that he went in, he was not in isolation and there were some volunteers that came in and played video games with him in his room.

The Utah State Drill Championships were held at the McKay Center and I had the opportunity to guard the back hallway from parents, wanderers, and unauthorized others. I enjoy working in this area of the arena during this event because I get to see all the preparations that the girls go through before going out on the floor, and can tell by their body language how they did when they were out there. I was fun to watch the teams work themselves up to go out and perform. They stretch, then they go through the same routine that they have done a thousand other times to make sure that it is right. They work, sometimes for hours, to make sure that their hair, make-up, and costumes are just perfect. They make sure that their props are as perfect as they can be. They do their chant, and go out to the floor in formation, and stand at attention until the group before them finishes their routine when they march to their starting position. For some, this is the end of a journey that may have started in a dance class as a young child, for others it is a continuation of the journey. This is the only event that I know of that there is no continual scoring system. The team and fans have no idea who wins until the winner is announced. You do not know where you stand throughout the competition.

The circus came to town. They brought elephants, tigers, bears and ponies, but no clowns. Some of the stuff was entertaining; the first time. After the fourth time, I realized how much of a show it is. I can’t believe they get anyone to work there, it is the exact same thing, two times a night, every night. It must get redundant. Christy brought Aubree, Jake, and Jake’s friend Max. They all got their face painted, and Jake and max rode the elephant. The circus workers were nice and I was impressed by the motorcycle riders in the dome every time they did it.




I have been spending most of my free time ushering at the UVU men's and women's basketball games and the Utah Flash games. We have a new cheering section at the men's games. They paint their faces, dress alike and sit by the opposing bench and badger the other team and the coaches and they seem to really get into their head. It is my job to keep this group within the sportsmanship rule of the NCAA. They keep it clean, yet annoying, and it is fun to watch them work on the other team. P.S. Dick Hunsaker is the UVU men's basketball coach.

I really enjoy working the girls games because they are grateful to the fans that are there and they have a good time. There are not a lot of people that come to these games so I get to watch more and crowd control less. And the team is fun to watch. The cheerleaders provide most of the time-out and half-time entertainment.

I will not be able to post before Valentine's so I will take the time now to show appreciation for my partner. She has been with me for almost 20 years now and we have been through some rough times. She fights for her children, even if it against me. She is still as cute as ever and we connect on so many levels. I do not know where I would be now without her. She keeps me on course and grounded. I love and appreciate her.

I will be working the state wrestling tournament this week and will not be able to post (or relax) for the rest of the week, but I will try to get back on as soon as possible. Thank you for your interest in our family, and if there is anything that we can do to improve this blog, please let us know.

-Dan