Spudman

It's official: I am married to a triathlete! I can't believe JD can check "participating in a triathlon" off his bucket list. It just seems like such a hard, unattainable accomplishment. . . but, he rocked that thing like a champ and had a fun time with his cousins, brother, and uncles. Go, JD, go!!

The hot-shot I was not.

When I was an eighth-grader, I received the devastating news that my family would be moving from the city I grew up in. Although heart-broken, I processed my feelings and decided I still wanted to try out for the freshman cheer squad at my new high school (as I'd been planning to at the high school I thought I'd attend). My mom and I traveled to the suburbs of Austin, TX for me to attend the clinic and try-outs. It was nerve-racking and exhilarating and scary to go through that process with a bunch of girls I had never met. I got up the gumption to introduce myself to a few people and practically invited myself to practice with them at one of their houses. I was confident going into try-outs and performed really well. I was so thrilled to see my name on the list when the new squad was posted. Everything was going to be okay! I had a few friends! My high school plans were not totally shot! 

Imagine my dismay when the plans changed and I found out we weren't going to end up near Austin after all. . . but in SAN ANTONIO. I was angry. I was disappointed. I was frustrated. I was overwhelmed. Would I have to gather all the courage I had left in me and do cheer try-outs again? It was too daunting of a thought. To my great disappointment and utter relief, cheerleading try-outs at Reagan (my high school) had already passed by the time my family figured out where we were actually going to live. I spent my freshman year starring in the pep squad (a group of girls devoted mostly to preparing for drill and dance teams). I was so bitter and sad, but luckily I made friends and it didn't turn out as horribly as I imagined it would.

At the end of my freshman year, I finally had the opportunity to try out for cheerleading again. That year had felt so long. I was pleased and excited when I made the JV squad. I loved cheerleading. I loved learning new chants and cheers. I loved the excitement of football games. I loved motivating a crowd to get on their feet. I loved increasing school spirit. I loved jumping. I loved expressing enthusiasm with facial expressions. I loved the quick, sharp movements of the dances. I loved stunting. But I did not love tumbling (this loathing could have very well been, in part, because I wasn't good at it). I spent so much time trying to get my body to flip over backwards. So. much. time. But that back tuck never really came to me. Not to mention, after years of tumbling, I was still scared out of my mind to do a single back handspring. It was infuriating. . . and because of my sub-par tumbling skills, I always felt a little bit "less than" the rest of the girls on the squad. It was damaging to my self-esteem and, if I'm honest, to my self-worth at the time too. 

When I didn't make the cut at the end of my sophomore year, I was devastated, but not surprised. I knew I couldn't be competitive in the cheerleading world. It was a silver lining in that situation to have my best friend, Ashley, go through the same heartbreak. Together with our friends from pep squad, we tried out for the drill team. We both made it, which was a big reprieve, seeing as I don't know if we could've handled double rejection. Bah! We had a really fun junior year and, with the hindsight only time can give me, I know it all worked out for a reason. 

Needless to say, I was not a hot-shot. Ha! (JD says I'm a long-winded story-teller. Like, I just gave all that background info, but I really just wanted to get across that I wasn't a hot-shot. Sorry! I like detailed stories). 

When JD and I visited Texas this last Christmas, we got to watch my 15 year-old sister, Morgan, play basketball. So fun! She is so good with the ball! She is very obviously gifted as an athlete and has such passion for the game. 

Football season is here!

Football season is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the energy and excitement in the air as fans cheer on their favorite teams. It's the best! Imagine the inner battle I faced when I was forced to choose between my Alma Mater, BYU, and my home state team, the University of Texas, when they faced each other on the football field last weekend. It was a dilemma, I tell ya! Of course, I couldn't pass up the chance to flaunt my Texas pride and ended up in burnt orange ;) 

My cousins are full-blown Texas fans (like front-row-in-your-face-bleed-orange fans) and we had a great time tailgating with them before the game. 

Thursday night family night.

Last Thursday night, on a whim, JD and I decided to go bowling. His favorite place to go is Bonwood Bowl, the old-school alley he grew up bowling at. He swears he bowls better there and, even though I tease him for his irrationality, there might be some truth to his way of thinking- I bowled a 124, the best game I can remember! To continue with the spontaneity of the evening, we called his parents and little brother and invited them to come. Luckily, they didn't have anything going on and met up with us at the alley. We had such an enjoyable evening at the lanes with his family. Can't beat their weeknight deal of three games + shoe rental for seven bucks! We thought it might be hard with the munchkin. . . but she loved all the noise, motion, and attention. It was a good night.

Sushi and football.

On Friday night, we watched the BYU game at home with our friends Brad and Abby. They love sushi like JD does, so we pulled our table into the living room and rolled our own during the game (JD helped me make chicken, carrot, and cabbage wontons because I'm not such a big sushi fan). Luckily, BYU came up with the win due to an exciting fourth quarter finish. Gosh, I love me some college football!

Spontaneous.

Last Friday night, JD and I decided about half an hour before the BYU game started that we wanted to see the cougars play in person. We didn't have tickets to the game and we didn't know anyone with extras. We searched KSL and called a few people with listings, but all the tickets were sold. Despite our lack of tickets, I grabbed our BYU blue apparel and told JD to meet me out by the scooter. We hopped on and zipped over to Provo, hoping we'd find someone to buy tickets from. We circled the stadium, confident we'd find scalpers. After no such luck, we waited awkwardly outside the gate to the stadium. About twenty minutes into the game, we were pretty discouraged and I felt really stupid for encouraging such a spontaneous trip. Then, a security guard walked up to us and asked if we were waiting for tickets. We told her we didn't actually have any and were just hoping someone would come by wanting to sell them. She then pulled two tickets out of her front pocket and offered them to us for free. Wahoo! We made it into the stadium by the start of the second quarter.

It was an absolutely perfect night for football! The weather was wonderful, the company was better, and the cougars came out on top.

I think I like spontaneity.

More of the everyday.

I've recently become super excited about scrapbooking again. I've checked out lots of books and past issues of Creating Keepsakes magazines from the library. I've also spent some time in craft and hobby stores seeking inspiration and trying to withhold myself from buying anything. One of the most important things I've learned as I've been studying layouts and reading books about scrapbooking is that I'm most drawn to pages about everyday things. Typically, I've been one to scrapbook big events like birthdays, vacations, holidays, and other rare happenings. My goal now is to focus on documenting and recording more of my everyday life. I want to be able to look back and remember all the little things that make my life what it is. Also, I want my children to be able to know what I was really like and what my days have actually consisted of. I want to become more of a life artist (as Ali Edwards would say). This is my first attempt at an "everyday" picture- something I wouldn't normally think to capture, but tells part of our story nonetheless.

NBA Finals. JD. Watching because he's been following the league all season and this is the climax. Me. Watching because there's a Texas team in it to win it and because my husband feels loved when I watch sports with him. Us. Eating otter pops because they're a great sweet treat. This is an everyday moment.

I hope I can capture more of the little things. I hope I can recognize the beauty in my life everyday. I hope I can be better at documenting, recording, and remembering.

The Tippy-Top.

I ski on a beginner level. JD snowboards. . .on an advanced one. Sometimes it's hard for us to be together on the mountain, but, last Saturday we went to Sundance and spent all our time together.

It was a lovely day for skiers and snowboarders alike. The weather was pretty much perfect. And I had a pretty good time. . . until JD convinced me I was ready for a blue (almost black) trail. Here we are on our way up to what felt like the very tippy-top.

And here I am after I started going way too fast, lost my balance, tumbled sideways, slid face-down in the snow for about 25 feet of mountain, totally humiliated myself, acted as a complete roadblock for all the pros, and provided a good laugh for the guests on the ski lift.

At least I was on skis and could get myself up. If I had been on a snowboard, it would have been much worse. I might've called the emergency guys on snowmobiles to come get me. Instead, I laughed a lot, picked the snow out of my eyelashes, dusted it off my tummy, and braved myself down the rest of the way. It was practically the scariest thing I've ever done. . .and JD boarded down backwards the whole way to make sure I was okay. He didn't even blink. Crazy boy.

Word of honor.

I was disappointed to hear the news earlier this week about Brandon Davies being dismissed from the BYU basketball team for an Honor Code violation. I was disappointed as I watched the game against New Mexico

alone in my apartment last night. I am disappointed BYU probably won't end up playing as far as I thought they would in the college tournament this year. Of course, there is a feeling of disappointment among all BYU students and fans right now.

(I love this picture from the AP!)

But there are a few things I'm not disappointed about: I'm not disappointed Davies had the integrity to admit his mistake. I'm not disappointed BYU officials dismissed him from the team. And I'm not disappointed I signed the Honor Code as a freshman and every year after that. That is why I chose BYU. There is a higher standard. It is hard to live a moral life sometimes. But being clean and pure and wholesome feels so good,

even when losing doesn't. At the end of life, it won't matter what games we won, tests we passed,

job opportunities we were given, or titles we received. What will matter is how we lived what we believe. Every time I read these words hanging in the testing center at BYU, I get chills:

"I have been asked what I mean by word of honor. I will tell you.

Place me behind prison walls- walls of stone ever so high, ever so thick,

reaching ever so far into the ground- there is a possibility

that in some way or another I may be able to escape;

but stand me on the floor and draw a chalk line around me

and have me give my word of honor never to cross it.

Can I get out of that circle?

No, never! I'd die first!"

-Karl G. Maeser

Girlfriends.

Even though it stinks JD works on Saturdays til midnight, I'm grateful for the chance to spend time with girlfriends. Last weekend, Cory, Jenessa, and I went to the BYU bball game and I helped them get ready for their Valentine's party.

I like them. They're party people. And I'm glad they're my friends.

"A Real Jimmer Dandy."

A few months ago, JD and I both ordered magazines to support my brother Isaac through a fundraiser at his elementary school. I chose Better Homes and Gardens and JD chose Sports Illustrated. He got lucky because SI comes weekly! Even though I really love flipping through the ideas about organization, budgeting, and color combinations in my mag, there's usually something in his that catches my eye, too. Like last week when Jimmer Fredette (the top scorer in college basketball who just happens to play for BYU) made the front cover.

A little blurb from the article:

"His name is as versatile as his game. It's a noun: An Arizona fan praised the Wildcats' defense for not letting a big-time scorer "pull a Jimmer." It's a verb: YOU GOT JIMMERED! read a sign waved in the BYU student section. It's an adjective: "He was making some Jimmer Fredette threes!" gushed Syracuse's Scoop Jardine about the six bombs Cincinnati's Dion Dixon hit from beyond the arc. Jimmer has several definitions in the Urban Dictionary, including this: One who is in range as soon as he steps off the bus."

I could go on and on about how fun he is to watch and how wild and awesome his shots are. It's crazy he averages about 26.7 points per game and shoots 90% from the free throw line. He's great. That's all.

It's tight that he's leading the BYU team to victories, landing us in a sweet position in the rankings. However, the more important thing he's doing right now is serving as inspiration for my intramural basketball team (kidding...) But, really, we won our game today! Whoot!

It's been a basketball day for our family.

JD's brother, Ty, spent the night last night

so the boys could play a pick-up game at the church this morning.

I went for support.

The boys came to my intramural game to help cheer us to victory.

Then, we watched the Cougs defeat the competition from UNLV.

It's been "A Real Jimmer Dandy" day.

Ps. That was the name of the SI article. I can't claim I came up with the phrase, dang it.

I can do anything.

Remember how I'm interning at a therapeutic boarding school for girls? Yesterday, for a long day activity, we went cross-country skiing. JD joined us for a day on the mountain.

I woke up today aching all over. Cross-country ain't no down hill skiing. There are not any chair lifts to get you up the mountain. . . you hike that thing on your own two legs. And it's a work out.

Even though we look cute and happy,

it took all my effort to stay positive and be a good example of not complaining for the girls.

I fell a lot. But I can do anything I set my mind to.

"Because I'm an athlete."

My dad is an athlete. He really is. Admittedly, he's getting older and he's probably not as up to speed as he likes to think he is, but he can still kick it. No matter what sport he's playing, he's convinced he can win or be the best because "he's an athlete." Like her dad, Morgan has a real affinity for sports. She's pretty naturally gifted that way, but she also practices a lot and commits her free time to improving her skills. She spends weekday evenings out on the driveway shooting 200 free throws, for example. I've always been a little jealous of them because I feel like I don't have those athletic gifts.

I might've been a better athlete when I was younger if I hadn't kept telling myself I wasn't cut out for sports. I might be a better athlete now if I stop telling myself I'm not cut out for sports. That's why, when the sign-up sheet for intramural basketball when around the room in Relief Society last week, I put my name on the list. Dad and Morgan, I blame you. You stinkin' athletes are making me do crazy things. Come Tuesday night, I'll be making a total fool of myself on the courts at BYU, but I figure it can't be too bad because athleticism has to be somewhere in my genes. . .

Birthday weekend.

We started JD's birthday weekend last Friday by going down to Salt Lake for dinner and a Jazz game. We ate at California Pizza Kitchen. Yum!

Then we walked around the Gateway mall for a bit and headed over to the Energy Solutions Arena for the game. It was the last pre-season game against the Sacramento Kings and they won!

(JD was really proud of this shot!)

On Saturday, we went to the BYU game and they finally won! They must've done it for JD :) We had planned a birthday barbeque at Kiwanis Park for Saturday evening. However, the weather decided not to cooperate with us and we moved the celebration into our one bedroom apartment. We fit about 20 people in our little home! JD's family came down a little bit early and Larry set up his grill right outside our door. We were nervous about people being crowded and uncomfortable, but it turned out to be such a cozy little party. I made some cute cupcakes, a happy banner, and we bought some balloons and noisemakers. JD was just so happy to see the people he loves. It was a good day :)

Abe & Holli Lucero

Jordan & Brittany Borchert

Jeff, Matt & Brigham

Tiffanie, Mikella & Tyler

Cory & Jenessa

JD blowing out the candles.

Larry & Tiffanie

The M&M game. So many laughs!

Everyone who came to celebrate with us!

JD got a video camera from his family, a football from the Luceros, and a wok, Boggle, a Jazz hat, snow cone flavoring, corn on the cob holders, candy, and beef jerkey from me. JD bought the Jazz tickets himself, but I think technically that was supposed to count as a birthday gift from me too. . . haha. Anyways, what a happy weekend!

Putt-putt.

JD makes fun of me for calling it "putt-putt." He thinks it should be appropriately referred to as "mini golf." Mini golf is for losers. Putt-putt is for champions.

What do you think?

Team bonding.

We have a weekly pool party in the office and the boys play watermelon rugby. It's this ridiculous game where you split into teams, cover a watermelon with Vaseline, and try to get the watermelon to the opposite side of the pool. It slips and slides everywhere. . .it's hard to pass to your teammates. . .it is very dangerous. . and incredibly entertaining to watch.

These grown men in their twenties are all over each other and they're half naked. So funny! Nothing stops them.

Please note JD's face in the following picture.

He loves playing, even when his toes are scraped and bleeding. How about this technique for team bonding, eh?