Washington DC April 17th

We got up at 5:00 (eastern time!) to go to Washington DC for the day. It was a 2 hour drive then we got on the metro and rode it in for 1/2 an hour into the city. We headed straight to the Holocaust museum because we had tried to get tickets to go in for days but it was sold out. We learned that you could stand in line and try to get in that way so we gave it a shot. Totally worth it! We stood in this huge line for about an hour, but got in with no problem. It was packed with information and incredible displays. Allison had never known much about the Holocaust so it was all new to her. I could tell that Jake was really moved by it. Jordan spent much of 9th grade learning about it so it was very interesting for him too. We could have spent an entire day there, but since we only had one day for DC on this trip we had to hurry through it. Our next stop was the White house. We couldn't get a tour because you need to get security clearance 6 months in advance, but we decided to go look at it anyway. It was a lot smaller than we imagined and was surrounded by buildings which we also hadn't pictured. Then it was on to the Spy museum. Another great one that we could have spent an entire day viewing. We paid extra to do the Spy adventure where we got assigned a case and went through different exercises and rooms to try to solve it. It was like being on "24" and the kids have never had more fun. Jordan was the best spy of us all. Then we tried to go to the National Archives, but the line to see the Declaration of Independance and the Contstitution was around the block and so we decided to move on. We had lunch at the Museum of Natural History and went around trying to find all the displays that were in "Night at the Museum," one of our favorite movies. We then went on to the Bureau of Engraving where we saw them printing millions of dollars right in front of our eyes. I love seeing "factories." We weren't done yet. Then we went across the Potomac River to see the Jefferson Memorial and back around the other side to the Lincoln memorial. Both were amazing and grand! We then had to trudge up hill about 6 blocks to catch the metro. Our feet and legs were hurting so bad. We walked at least 10 miles plus all the time walking inside each museums too! There is so much to see. There are 4 or 5 places that we still want to visit so we will plan another trip back east in the next few years.

Yorktown April 16th

The next day we spent at Yorktown. It's a beautiful little town right on the river with lot's of quaint colonial homes, shops, and restaurants. We toured the Yorktown Victory center which again had movies, a museum, and a colony depicting the last battle of the Revolutionary war. We had the cutest tour guide, Anastasia (a U.S. History major from Russia) that had the cutest accent and made our tour of the battlefield really interesting and fun. We loved the demonstration of them firing a cannon. We also loved the demo at the medical tent where we learned about how they would amputate limbs, remove bullets, and about all the early medical instruments. We finished the day with ice cream and Ben and Jerry's and did the 8 mile driving tour of the battlefield itself. We learned so much and had a blast!

Jamestown April 15th

Our main purpose for this trip was to learn about US History which we all really love. Our first full day we spent at Jamestown Settlement. It was the first place that our forefathers settled in this new land. We saw several movies depicting their early life here and went through a great museum there. The outside "colony" was really fun as we got to see how they lived (and died). We also got to go on three ships which were replicas of the ones they sailed from England. One of them was actually sailed to Jamestown from England in 1985 to bring it to this site for permanent display. I don't know how anybody could travel under those conditions across the Atlantic for 4 to 5 months! It sure made us grateful to the founders of this country. That night we went on a nighttime "Ghost tour" around the colonial town of Williamsburg. We walked the streets while our guide walked with a lantern and told us true "ghost" stories that have happened there. It wasn't too scary, but it was fun and our guide was really funny too.

Spring Break

Our trip started out a day late thanks to the problems with American Airlines that made Delta flights get overbooked. Since we were flying on standby tickets all of the Saturday and Sunday flights were full. We ended up catching a flight Monday at 12:35 a.m.! We flew all night to New York and then on to Richmond Virginia. The first flight out of New York was full so we had to wait 2 1/2 hours for the next one. We walked around the JFK airport and got bagels for breakfast and donuts for dessert. Not a very nice (or clean) airport I might add. We were glad to leave and head on to Richmond. Allison was so excited to ride on a smaller plane that you had to get on and off using stairs, just like you see on TV and in the movies!

On Gracie Watch

This is where I found Jake and Allison (and myself ) all weekend...checking the Gledhill's blog for an update on our new favorite baby...Gracie. They must have read and re read the whole thing 4 or 5 times each! Gracie was taken off all life support on Friday and wasn't expected to make it. No one at PCMC's PICU has ever made it off successfully after being on the ECMO machine for 10 days and being as critical as she was. The doctors and nurses are truly amazed. We all witnessed a miracle straight from heaven this past weekend. Not only did she make it, but she turned a corner yesterday and is tolerating getting off much of her medication. Her lungs are still a little bit of a concern, but she is one little fighter! Jake said that he feels like Gracie is his own little sister because he just loves her so much. We look forward to her continued recovery so that we can all go visit her soon. We grew so much closer as a family this week as we prayed so hard for her and took turns being on Gracie watch.

Enough Already!!!

C'mon! It's April 7th...and this is what we woke up to today! What about the spring flowers and flowering trees? Will winter ever end?

The Season's not over...

Brendan and the kids made tons of great memories on the slopes this past ski season. Seeing how we woke up to another snow storm just yesterday, I don't think the season is quite over yet. Allison had gone only once before this year and the boys had been around 3 times, but all improved dramatically this year. Brendan's knee has been feeling so good and he took them up by himself 6 or 7 times this past season. (I just can't seem to get excited about freezing to death and flying out of control down a mountain.) Their favorite place to ski is at Deer Valley, but Alta is good too considering they have free skiing on Saturdays after 3 p.m. Jordan joined the ski/snowboard club at school but was so busy with basketball and work that he wasn't able to really participate in their activities very much. It was also fun for them to go with Ed and Maria and their kids a few times. Maybe next year I'll get brave and give it a try...don't hold your breath though. Below is a video of Allison at the beginning of the season earlier this year.

Prayers for Gracie

Our good friends (and former neighbors), Tom and Michele Gledhill, had a beautiful little girl on the 20th of March named Gracie. She was born with a severe defect on the left side of her heart. She had sugery at only 4 days to make the right side do all the work. This is the 1st of 3 surgeries required to fix the problem. She has had some major setbacks since her surgery and is currently on a heart/lung bypass machine. They have tried to trial her off the machine several times and her little heart just hasn't been strong enough yet. They are going to try it one last time on Wednesday or Thursday. If you read this, please remember sweet Gracie, and her family, in your prayers. She is such a beautiful angel that has touched our lives, and that has changed the lives of hundreds already. For more information you can check out their blog linked on the left side of mine titled "Gledhill family."

1st YW General Conference

We got tickets to go to the Conference Center for the Young Women's General Conference Saturday night. What a blessing that was considering it was Allison's first time. We rode Trax to downtown 1. for the experience, 2. we knew parking would be crazy, 3. mainly because Mom is a wimp driving to SLC in traffic! We got seats in the terrace (2nd balcony) which gave us a great view of the choir! Allison said her favorite part was at the beginning when everyone was getting seated and it was loud with lots of talking and then it instantly became silent as President Monson walked in. She was looking forward to hearing him talk in person, but President Eyring spoke instead. It was a wonderful meeting in which we both felt the spirit. We had a long, hot ride back on Trax. We stopped by Paradise cafe and each got a bowl of their amazing tomato soup and a roll. Then we shared a huge cream cheese brownie and ordered a few cookies to take home. It was a great night with just the two of us!

Six Kids?

We had my brothers three little ones for 4 days this past week while they enjoyed some time away in St. George. It was so much fun to have little ones in the house again. Taya and Ian were left home with me on Friday while everyone else went to school. They were such enthusiastic little helpers with doing the breakfast dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. I forgot what it was like to have little kids that still "like" helping around the house. We made it a big game and really had a great morning! Samples at Costco were especialy fun. Saturday Noah had his first soccer game, but it was windy and freezing so we didn't make it a family event. Brendan and Jake went to cheer him on and it ended up being a tied game 4-4. We spent the weekend playing with legos, eating, watching movies, eating, coloring, playing outside, staying up late, and eating. Not that these little ones are big eaters by any means, but it seems like we were always sitting on the kitchen counter eating SOMETHING! We watched "Dennis the Menace" with popcorn Friday night. The plan was to stay up till midnight and then have a huge sleepover together in the family room. We made it to 9:30 and then everyone, but Taya, decided that it was bedtime and sleeping in comfortable beds sounded much better. What party poopers we all are! Brendan was the best! He had them all on Saturday evening while Allison and I went to her first Young Women's general conference. He had them laughing all night long! Sunday morning was a little crazy with church at 9:00, but we made it with 10 minutes to spare and took this cute picture of "my six kids" on our way out the door. Well, cute except for maybe Jordan. He said that he doesn't smile so early in the morning! I was able to manage them all ok and know that I could handle having them all, but I felt that I was constantly torn from one to another and because I am such a helicopter mom, I felt bad not being 100% there for each one of them. I guess that is why Heavenly Father only sent me 3. Noah, Taya, and Ian are such little angels and we're so lucky to have them in our family.

Young Women's at last!

Allison is now 12!How can my baby girl be so old? I miss her little self dancing and being silly around the house. But I am thankful that she isn't as grown up as many of her friends. She still likes to cuddle, likes me to do her hair, and on quiet Saturday mornings can be found watching cartoons while holding her one of many baby dolls. She has gotten a little "hormonal" this last little while and I'm not sure if I can handle the full blown stuff that is coming our way.

She wanted to invite a ton of friends over for her birthday which was a lot of fun (and loud). Nothing planned worked out because they have their own ideas of fun and games, but it was a blast watching them. We were all excited that she picked Cafe Rio for her family birthday dinner!Allison was very ready to graduate from Primary, but very nervous for Young Women. She is the oldest in our ward for her grade so that meant leaving all of her friends behind and taking a giant leap all by herself. The Beehive class was so awesome to come over on her birthday and brought over a candy bar poster to welcome her. They came by to pick her up for their next activity and made an extra effort to make sure she was surrounded by new friends in YW opening exercises on Sunday.

Saying good-bye

Today we said good-bye to my mom and dad for 18 months. We were a little spoiled in that they went into the MTC 2 weeks ago, but they got to come sleep at home each night and say good-night. But tonight Brendan and I drove them to Salt Lake where they are staying in a hotel for a few days as they complete their training at the Church offices and then they catch their plane to Colombia early Saturday morning. Tonight they came back from the MTC and we had a nice family dinner. Ed's family was here too for a few hours. I made soup and rolls. We took a few photos with all the grandkids, then we loaded the car with LOTS of luggage, and then Allison played, "God Be With You Till We Meet Again," which she just learned to play by herself from the hymnbook. It was not easy to keep our composure during the song. We had a family prayer and then the kids said a tearful goodbye and had to go to bed since it was almost 10. Brendan and I drove them to their hotel in Salt Lake and helped them get situated. It was so hard to let go of our last hug for 18 months. We looked up from the parking lot as we drove away and saw them waving from their hotel room several floors up. I'm so thankful that they are in good health and have such a desire to serve this mission. They are going to be working in Bogota Colombia to help establish the Perpetual Education Fund that President Hinckly started a few years ago. It won't be a typical proselyting mission, but a perfect one for them. They will also be helping teach institute which will be nerve wracking for my mom, but my dad will coach her through it like he does everything else. He's such a people person and I know so much good is going to happen through them being there. They will miss a lot while they are gone, specifically Noah's baptism and Jordan's high school graduation (hopefully no births), but they felt an urgency to leave so they could be home to say good-bye to Jordan a few months before he leaves on his mission. We are all going to miss them, but I'm so thankful for their example to all of us. I love them so very much. What a blessing and privilege to be their daughter.

Passing of a prophet

Last Sunday night after all of my parents friends had left and after my mom and dad were set apart as missionaires, I was downstairs helping my dad with something on their computer when I heard Brendan scream, "OH NO!" It's not like him to do that so I immediately got up to see what happened. He ran downstairs and told us that he was watching TV and it was just announced that President Hinckley passed away. Tears rushed to the surface as we all sat down to absorb the news. Of course this was inevitable as he was 97 years old, but it was a day we all dreaded for a long time. Not President Hinckley. I love him so very much and had adopted him in my heart as my grandpa since I don't remember my own. His genuine love for all of us deeply touched me. I loved his humor and his "normalcy." He was so knowledgeable about the things and problems of today. He said things without any sugar coating, but in a way that made me want to obey and do it, just because he said it. His life was so full of good works. He built almost 100 temples during his presidency. He also built the conference center. He tuned the way the church was viewed by the world by being simple in his words and meeting with the press on many national interviews. He was a sweetheart. He was an amazing example. He was kind. He was faithful. His love and service was never-ending. He was good. He was a hardworker and always optimistic. He was a great leader. He was our beloved prophet - a man of God. His memory and words and teachings will forever be a huge part of my life. His request for all of us to read The Book of Mormon a few years ago changed my life. Before the night was over, both Jordan and Jake had received several text messages on their phones from friends suggesting they all wear white shirts and ties to school the next day to honor his memory. Only in Utah...it was so neat to see them all the next day. Love these kids!
Yesterday morning (Feb.1) was a no school day. Brendan and Ed were going to take the kids skiing. But 1st...Brendan wasn't able to get the day off work, 2nd...Ian spent all night throwing up, so Ed's family was out, 3rd...We woke up to yet another huge snowstorm. Jake was so sad. Since skiing was out, we all went back to bed and slept in a bit. It felt great! As the morning wore on, I kept feeling that we should go to Salt Lake and pay our respects to President Hinckley. His viewing was from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. I knew the crowds and lines would be huge, but felt like we needed to go. Jordan had to work, but I asked Jake and Allison if they wanted to go. Allison immediately said yes. Jake said that he had always wanted to see Pres. Hinckley. He knew that was his one and only opportunity. We quickly changed and grabbed a peanut butter sandwich and walked out the door right about 1:00. Brendan was able to get off work a few hours early and we all met at the Sandy Trax station. We got there just in time to park and literally run across the parking lot to make the train. We were all so excited, yet a little saddened to have the oppportunity to go to President Hinckley's viewing as a family (minus Jordan). We walked the two blocks to the conference center and arrived shortly after 3 pm. We got in the back of a ridiculously long line which was thankfully moving rather quickly. Only to be told 15 minutes later that we had to get in a longer, slower moving line becuse I had a purse and had to get it through security. It was about 25 degrees outside and we stood in the cold for just about an hour exactly. We finally made it in and were led to warm comfortable seats! There we waited and sat with thousands upon thousands of people as the ushers escorted section by section, row by row, to the viewing of his casket. We waited in our seats for 3 1/2 hours! We saw a video of President Hinckley's 95th birthday celebration - twice. Jake and I loved watching as the workers arranged hundreds of plants and flowers for tomorrows funeral. The podium was transformed before our eyes. It was finally our turn! We went up 3 flights of escalators to the Hall of the Prophets. As we approached the room where he was, I squeezed Jake's hand and he whispered, "I can feel the spirit so strong already." That alone was worth the wait and the cold. The smell of fresh fowers permiated the air. The line was split in two and we walked on either side of President Hinckley's casket. Tears filled my eyes and the words "thank you" rang out over and over in my mind.His small, fragile body looked hardly the same as the man who had lead our church for the past 12 years. I noticed that he was wearing his trademark black stoned wedding ring. We had to move quickly through, but all of us agreed that those few seconds of being able to be so near to our beloved prophet and feel of the spirit was worth our 6 hour journey. I was so thankful that we went. I was so thankful that Jake and Allison had this experience. It is one that we will never forget - ever!

It was almost 8:00 pm when we boarded the trax train to come home. We were starving! Jake suggested we go to Chuck-a-rama in Sandy since it's all you can eat. He was talking about all the things he wanted to get before we even got there. We talked about President Hinckley and other past prophets over dinner and had such a great time together.

I loved and will always love President Gordon B. Hinckley! It has been said that Joseph Smith has done more for the salvation of man, save Jesus Christ. I agree, but I have to add that I believe President Hinckley is a close 3rd. What a legacy he left us all.

Mom and Dad's mission farewell

We spent last weekend cleaning and re-arranging our house in preparation for my mom and dad's farewell brunch/open house. I did their invitations and we sent out over 50, not including their current ward members so we were expecting a large crowd. We stayed up late last Saturday making egg casseroles and all the final little details. Their farewell was at 9 a.m. the next morning. My mom asked me to be in charge of giving headphones to all the non-spanish speaking guests. I was so touched by my parents' testimonies and their excitement to serve. My mom paid a beautiful tribute to my grandma and said that she was serving this mission to say thank-you to our Heavenly Father for her many blessings and for all the mercies that He showed to Teta during her last few months. They had been planning to go a few years back, right when Teta got sick so it was a blessing that they were still here for that and postponed putting their papers in. My dad's tender emotions touched us all and I just know how great he'll be in helping and serving. Our house was filled to capacity and beyond with all of their friends and past ward members that came to support them. I'm so glad that we had enough food. They have had so much fun this past week at the MTC. They loved being with all the Elders and being a part of the MTC family. They have been able to come home each evening afer dinner so it's been nice to not have to say good-bye for good yet. Last night was especially fun because it was my mom's birthday. I made her a pumpking/cream cheese roll. I had prayed for weeks to know what to get her. She can't take more "stuff" with her and already has all that she needs. The night before her birthday I had the thought to buy her a locket that she could wear while on her mission and put Teta's picture in it. I found the perfect one at Kohl's with Teta's birthstone on the outside. I was so grateful fo that inspiration.

The latest, not necessarily the greatest

Jordan had his first car accident on New Year's eve. Thankfully it was a minor literal "fender bender" and no one got hurt and there were no other cars involved. He had a fight with a tree and lost. It came about as a result of trying to slide in the snow (like his Dad always does) with a front wheel drive car. Thank goodness it was a tiny tree in our neighborhood (the tree is fine too) and that he didn't hurt anyone or anyone else's car. Hopefully being grounded from driving with friends or driving on dates until he earns enough to pay for the damage will teach him to be a little more careful. The parts were only $100, but the paint job and labor was $250.00. Brendan and I ended up helping him with half of the paint job/labor ($125). He had gone to an early movie with his new girlfriend, Nicole Foster (really cute, sweet girl whom we love) and was coming back with her to spend the evening to celebrate New Years Eve at our house. It's all good now. Jordan is doing really great...We had to make a teacher change in his English class (long story), but he was able to get back up on the honor roll this past term while playing basketball and working two jobs! He works three days a week (about 8-10) hours at the carwash still and he is also refereeing basketball on Wed. nights and for about 6 hours on Saturday mornings! He took the ACT for the first time and just go the results back -- 22 with a 3.9 GPA. Not that great considering you need a 29 and a 4.0 for a BYU scholarship. He still has 2 or 3 more tries before college applications are due so better luck next time. He's busy, but staying out of trouble and really enjoying his weekends with his friends!

Jake is just awesome! He is such a hard worker at school, but has really struggled with test taking in some of his core classes this past semester. We checked into getting him help at Sylvan Learning Center, but it costs more than tuition at BYU!!! No kidding. Anyway, we had good discussions with him and his teachers and have some things in place that will hopefully help him do better. He's certainly trying his best which is all we can really ask of him. He is just about done with his last merit badges and has just started on his Eagle. He is going to be collecting new and gently used pajamas and books for the Women's and Children's crisis center in Orem. His goal is to get it all done before he turns 14. Jake is absolutely LOVING skiing. He saved up to buy a ski helmet and he got a new ski coat and goggles for Chrismtas so he's all set. He's planned to go night skiing this week alone with a good friend (which has me worried sick) but they are good boys and Brendan assures me that they will be fine.

Allison is really growing up. Her wardrobe has really switched gears recently and she looks like a young lady. She's also growing like a weed! She can't wear makeup yet (all of her friends do), but she wears colored lip gloss every day. She has decided to grow her bangs back out again. She is so nervous to go into Young Women's next month mainly because she is the oldest in her group of friends and will be in there for a few months without them. We get to go to New Beginnings next week. I'm so excited for this stage in her life (mainly because it was one of the best times of my life and I'm so hoping it will be for her too.)

8th Grade football

Need I say more...Jake had a great football season as is obvious from these photos. It was great that Brendan was able to coach them again this year. Jake played both offense and defense as right outside linebacker, running back, kick return team, back up quarterback and all other positions that Brendan let him. Jake is such a hard worker and it really paid off this year. He ended up with a winning season and will have these memories with his friends and with his dad forever.

Letterman Jacket

Jordan turned 17 today! No way! For the first time ever he didn't want to have big party which didn't break my heart one bit. We've had enough of the 60+ guests at our house for his birthdays. We had a nice family dinner and then he got a great surprise for his birthday. Brendand and I got him his letterman's jacket! He has earned a letter in debate and football and he hopes to add track in the next year or two. Way to go Jordan!

Homecoming 2007

Jordan was slow at getting onto the dating scene, but lately it seems that he’s going out whenever he has a free night (which isn’t very often, but at least it’s something.) He asked a girl to Homecoming (Krista Shipp) yesterday by getting a super size box of Lucky Charms and wrapping it with a 3XL size whitie tightie brief. He attached a note that said, “Krista, I’ll be “brief.” I would feel really “lucky” if you would go to Homecoming with me.” He had his friend give it to her at school. So today she stopped by with a friend and asked if she could put some stuff in Jordan’s room to answer him. I said, “Please tell me you’re not going to trash it because I’m still finding confetti from his Sadie’s date last November (honestly, I am).” “Plus, he’s NEVER home so I’d be the one to clean it up.” She said, “Well……do you have like a sheet or a tarp and I promise to put it all on that and not get any on the floor.” So I put a big blanket on his bed and she covered it with 10 or 12 boxes of cereal and candy! I attached a picture. Why couldn’t she just have put the poster in his room with ONE box of cereal, spared the money, spared the mess, I don’t know. Crazy kids! I just hope that no one ever ruins his car over a dance.

Best day of his life!

Just to update last night’s football game.

Lehi won the game 47 to 12!!!! Jordan played safety for most of the game and then went in at QB for the fourth quarter. Jordan ran it in for the final touchdown of the game – his first varsity touchdown. It was awesome! Jordan came home saying it was the best day of his life. His injuries are healing and he is feeling good – let’s hope it stays that way. The 2nd photo above was taken right before the snap where he made the final touchdown. The photo of him with me was taken right after the game as he was leaving to go celebrate with his teammates. He had showered and had on his JV jersey so that is why it's different than the other photo. Maybe no one noticed, but I did and I just had to explain it to our posterity:). Homecoming is next week so he’s excited for that. All the hard work is starting to pay off for him.

Lehi routs Ben Lomond, ends loss streak
By Jaclyn OlsenFor the Deseret Morning News
Published: Sept. 8, 2007 12:22 a.m. MDT
LEHI — It was the end of a 20-game losing streak. It was a breakout game for a former quarterback, and overall it was celebration time for the Lehi Pioneers as their football team finally put one in the win column, 47-12 over Ben Lomond. Chris Searle started the season as the Lehi quarterback, but after running back Travis Smith went down with a torn ACL, he moved over and became the Pioneers' new running back. And he made the most of it with 250 total yards in only three quarters of action and three touchdowns. He earned the fourth quarter rest. "He's a good player. We know he's going to give us speed on the perimeter, and he's going to get touches. He's a good addition back there," said Lehi coach Derrick Peyton. It was Searle who gave Lehi the boost it needed to break its enormous losing streak, and he took over right from the beginning, breaking a pair of runs down the right sideline, both of them leading to first-quarter scores. The first he broke open for 36 yards, after which quarterback Jason Demke connected on a touchdown pass to Clint Ash for the first score of the game. The second he broke for 54 yards, which set up his eventual five-yard scoring run. He finished with 118 yards in the first quarter and 150 in the first half.

He then added a score on a 39-yard run in the third quarter before scoring one more time on a one-yard run to put his team ahead 40-12 and give him some rest time in the fourth. But Searle wasn't the entire story for the Pioneers as they came up with seven Ben Lomond turnovers, four picks and three fumble recoveries. Ash scored from 30 yards out after picking up the fumble by the Scots. And the team shut down important Ben Lomond drives with its tough defense. "Turnovers are the key. They kill drives, get stops and then you can grind time off the clock," said Peyton, who added that he was a bit upset with his players in the first half, after they missed opportunities on seven more possible picks. But though he knows his team has plenty of work to do, he's happy to "get the burden of our losing streak off our chests," he said. Calvin Grey, who only played a few downs in his return from injury, also scored on a 12-yard run for the Pioneers, and the scoring finished in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run by Jordan Smith.

Lehi breaks losing streak in big way

Jordan Christiansen - Herald CORRESPONDENT Saturday, September 8, 2007, 2:00 am

Heck with the shoes ... it's gotta be the field.
In a historic night at Lehi, the Pioneers christened their new turf field with a resounding 47-12 pasting of Ben Lomond on Friday night, breaking a 20-game losing streak. "It's nice to get the burden of the losing streak of our chest," said Lehi head coach Derrick Peyton. "It's nice to get the win, but we've got to keep our noses to the grindstone."
Armed with the double-edged sword of turnovers and senior running back Chris Searle, the Pioneers ended the game, for all intents and purposes, late in the third quarter. Leading 21-12 coming out of halftime, Lehi (1-3) stifled a Ben Lomond scoring drive just as the Scots were knocking at the door. Josh Miller picked off a pass at the 4-yard line for the Pioneers, who then went 96 yards the other way, capping off the drive with a 33-yard run by Searle. On that first down play, Lehi quarterback Jason Demke pitched the football to Searle on an option left, and then watched as Searle went untouched for the score.
The Pioneer defense would force three more turnovers in the half and eight in the game off of three fumbles, three interceptions and two on downs. Incredibly, the Pioneers could have had a few more interceptions early in the game but couldn't hold on to the ball. Because of those misses, Peyton might be the first coach to comment that "the defense gave up way too many plays" after an eight turnover, 35-point victory.
Searle was the obvious MVP of the game, running for 238 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries during just three quarters of play. On Lehi's third possession of the game, Searle took the handoff 54 yards on the first play of the drive. After a 3-yard run, Searle completed his single-handed drive with a 5-yard run for his first touchdown. His final TD came on a 1-yard score that brought the margin to 40-12.
Though Ben Lomond has had its own share of football struggles and is now 0-4 this year, Lehi will take any win they can get. August 26, 2005, was the last time the Pioneers claimed victory over an opponent when the beat Snow Canyon.
Ben Lomond stuck with the Pioneers for a quarter, scoring on their second play of the game on a 76-yard touchdown catch-and-run from Max Walling to Victor Jackson. But after a 13-yard touchdown catch by Jared Jackson, the Scots had a horrible time on offense, with the turnovers mixed in with punts and even a missed field goal.
Clint Ash had a great night playing both sides of the ball, scoring a touchdown on a 14-yard pass for the first points of the game, then recovering a fumble and taking it 30 yards to the house for another score. Linebacker Ben Savio also recovered a fumble and had an interception for Lehi. Backup quarterback Jordan Smith scored Lehi's final touchdown in garbage time on a one yard run.

Early JV Football Season

From: Brendan Smith Sent: Friday, August 24, 2007 12:22 PM
Jordan won his first JV game yesterday vs. Provo by a score of 14 to 7. Jordan was free safety on defense, QB on offense, and the return man on punt return, so he barely had time to take a drink of water during the kickoff’s, kick returns, quarter breaks, and half-time. He was really worn out last night and could hardly move this morning.

The game wasn’t as close as the score would make it seem though, because Lehi was on the about the 1 yard line at the end of the first half, just after Jordan got robbed of a TD by the ref. Jordan had run about 10-15 yards on a keeper and dove and hit the pylon with the ball but the ref spotted the ball on about the ½ yd line (no, his knee could not have hit the ground). Lehi also took a knee on the 6 yd line to end the game. They really controlled the game will in the second half.

Jordan has been practicing at free safety with first team defense on Varsity so hopefully he will get good playing time tonight @ Provo, we’ll see.

From: Brendan Smith Sent: Friday, August 24, 2007 2:53 PM
Jordan has told Leslie that he is for sure starting in the varsity game today as free safety. Congrats Jordan on your first varsity start.
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The following week during the JV game against Tooele, Jordan was carrying the ball down the field and tried to get out of bounds, but was hit and he fell on his shoulder. He reinjured it again from last year and hurt it quite badly. Since they don’t have a back up quarterback, the running back (CJ) went in for about 3 plays and took the snap and then just ran with the ball. It worked quite well, actually. Jordan toughened up and went back in and threw one of his longest, most beautiful touchdown passes ever! He had to sit out during the Varsity game the next day which just about killed him. They lost in overtime which made it even worse!

From: Leslie Smith Friday, August 31, 2007 2:04 PM
Well, Jordan called me from school because he just couldn’t stand the pain anymore and he said that it felt different than when he hurt it last year. He thought it might even be a broken collar bone because it’s so swollen and he can’t stand even the slightest bit of resistance. I took him to the dr. and he x-rayed it. No broken bones. The A/C joint looks a little separated, but he can’t tell how much on an x-ray. He said that it could also be torn, so he ordered an MRI which will be done on Tuesday afternoon. Until then, Jordan will continue to go to physical therapy 3 to 4 times a week and hopefully get the healing process going. He’s back at school and will be watching the game from the sidelines tonight (with all of his other friends that are hurt!) If the MRI shows a separation only, then he can play as long as he can tolerate the pain. But if it’s torn, he is probably out for the season because any further damage would require surgery and we don’t want it to get it to that point. So no football until we get the MRI done. Either way it’s about a 6 week time frame for a complete recovery. BUMMER!

One bit of good news that Jordan was so excited about though…his xray showed his growth plates and the dr. said he’s not quite done growing yet!

9/4/07
P.S. He didn’t have his MRI because his shoulder is a “little” better which probably means that’s its not torn, plus he refuses to listen and not play. He insists that he knows how to fall on his back so that he doesn’t land on his shoulder now and that he will only be playing QB for JV. Plus he’s confident that Ben Lomond has a mostly passing game so that his playing Safety on Varsity won’t be too tough this week. We’ll be on pins and needles watching from the stands.


From: Leslie Smith Friday, September 07, 2007 8:25 AM
If you don’t have any plans for tonight, may I suggest that you come to the party of the year at Lehi High School. This will be the first Varsity home game of the year and from the looks of yesterday’s JV game (39-0) the Pioneers will most likely be able to come out with their first Varsity win in 20 games! Jordan ran 65 yards for a touchdown yesterday, threw a touchdown pass, plus they caught an interception for a touchdown, and 3 safety’s! And that was just the first half. Ben Lomond didn’t have a sophomore team, so after JV played the first half our sophomores went in for the 2nd. It was so much fun and worth the 1 ½ hour drive to Ogden! Jordan is doing much better with his shoulder (now it’s his elbow that’s bothering him.) Tonight he will be trading off as Quarterback with the senior one since he’s a little hurt too. I’m not sure if they will let him play much defense yet.

Tennis Camp

Allison has discovered a new passion....tennis! All thanks to her good friend Lizzy. They have been playing a lot this summer and then we got a great surprise from Lizzy's grandma. She usually signs up Lizzy and her sister for a week long tennis camp by her house in Logan, but Lizzy's sister couldn't do it this year so she invited Allison...all expenses paid. They had so much fun being together all week and sleeping over at "grandma's." The days were long and hot, but Allison learned a lot and will hopefully keep this up for years to come.

Trip to Davenport, Nauvoo, and Chicago

. We have been planning this trip for a long time, but that didn't help us avoid some unexpected adventures along the way!Getting there was quite the trip! We picked up all the kids from their last day of school around 1:00 and made it on our flight to Denver just great! We bought a footlong subway sandwich in Lehi for each one of us and had half for lunch and half for dinner since there is no longer food on any flights. As we were waiting for our plane to leave from Denver to Chicago, we were informed that there was a malfunctioning part that they were trying to find a replacement for. One hour later (waiting inside the plane) we finally took off. When we got there, our bags took another whole hour to make it to baggage claim. Chris said the unions there are ridiculous and they were probably on their lunch break. Let me remind you that by this time it was midnight! We got to the car rental place only to stand behind a lady whose credit card wouldn’t work and it took the guy 45 minutes to even get to us. They were out of cars so they ended up upgrading our rental to a van which was good in the end since we were able to have Chris’ kids swap back and forth during all of our long drives. We were starving by then and so after getting directions as to where to get on the freeway to Iowa, we stopped and got cheeseburgers at Wendys. We then followed the car rental guy’s directions only to get lost in a very scary part of downtown Chicago. There we were at 1:30 in the morning driving who knows where when we notice a cop car behind us with his lights on. Yep, we were speeding even though we had no idea where we were or what the speed limit was. Brendan went on for a few blocks because we were on a busy highway and he was trying to find a safe place to pull over. Well, I guess that in Chicago you pull over no matter what immediately so the cop then called for back up because we were being difficult. We explained our LONG horrible day, but that didn’t stop him from giving us a $75.00 ticket. He was really nice about giving us directions though. So we finally get on our way and realized that the freeway (or should I say the toll-road) had a 45 mph speed limit! Are you kidding me!!! It did go as high as 55 mph in a few places, but since we had just gotten a ticket we didn’t dare go any faster! Chris’ house is 175 miles from Chicago! We finally made it to Chris and Cindy’s at 4:30 in the morning! As we plopped into bed, we heard birds chirping outside and could see the faintest hint of light coming through our windows.

Chris and Cindy were amazing to us. They brought up their old king size mattress and put it in Sierra’s room for us. All the girls slept together in Solei’s room, except we got the best little roommate and had Ella in with us in her crib. Jake and Jordan got the boys bunkbeds and the two little guys slept on the floor. They were great sports about it…except Taron got Jordan back by sneaking in his backpack and eating his entire pack of gum! We didn’t see any bad repercussions from it. Hopefully he’s ok. Their house is so beautiful. Just picture their Saratoga Springs house blown up and add a bedroom. Their neighborhood, I told Chris, is like driving into Osmond Lane! The houses are big and the yards are to die for. They have a rule of no fences allowed and it just makes all the yards seem huge! Plus they must have some kind of unwritten rule about keeping up their yards because EVERY SINGLE house had perfect lawns and beautifully landscaped yards! I’m so mad I didn’t get a picture of it. Cindy, you need to take one and send it to everyone so they know what I mean. I didn’t think our neighborhood was that bad, but now that I have Iowa in my head, our neighborhood yards make me cringe! The area is so great. They have every single kind of store, restaurant, and theater within a few blocks from their house. Once you get out of there though, it’s nothing but cornfields for hours in each direction.

We were blessed with nothing but perfect weather and non stop fun once we got there. Cindy’s email told you all about our trip to Dubuque, the museum, and the funny incident at the drive-inn.

“Brendan and Leslie are here now with their family, we have been having a blast. They got here late late Wednesday night (or more like early early Thursday morning). On Thursday, the first day we had with Brendan and Leslie’s family, we went
to Dubuque to the Mississippi River museum. They had some huge catfish (I thought they were sharks at first glance) and a riverboat you could walk through (with really steep stairs). The kids had fun in a movie theater that sprayed mist and flashed lightning when the storms came. We had slept in a little late so we didn’t have a ton of time at the museum but it was fun for everyone. After that we went out to eat at Pancheros, sort of like Cafe Rio but not as good. We thought we would stop at the drive-in theater on the way home, Pirates of the Caribbean was supposed to be playing and even though Brendan and Leslie
had seen it, they said it was good enough to watch again. When we got to the gate we were about to pay, but the cashier told us it was some credit union membership appreciation night and that we didn’t have to pay, even though we explained that we weren’t members. When we got in, there were free hot dogs, face painting, balloon animals, and a bounce house for the kids, so we felt like we had really gotten a great deal. Finally the previews started, and one seemed to go on a little too long and we realized it wasn’t a preview, but the movie Charlottes Web. I went to the concession stand to ask what happened to “Pirates” and they said it was the Credit Union’s night so they get to pick the movie... so (with two teenage boys who were not about to sit for two hours through a little kids movie), we decided to pack up and get home since we needed to get up early for Nauvoo anyways.

Friday, after stopping at Carthage for the tour of the jail, we went to Nauvoo. Brendan and Leslie took the boys to do baptisms in the temple while we went to “pioneer pastimes” with the younger ones. The girls dressed up in all the pioneer garb (I wish I had my camera) and Taron spent most of his
time in the log cabin drawing on the slates. Then we went on the tours through some of the homes and shops. We tried to get on a carriage ride but were too late. That evening we went to the “Sunset on the Mississippi” which was pretty much the grand finale to the day, it is such a fun show. My mom and I had gone the year before with the kids but I missed the very
end so I never understood what my kids were talking about when they were quoting the skit. I saw it this time and finally know what was so funny. “Whatcha doin?” “Makin’ eggs” “Can I have some?” “Why sure........” You really had to be there I guess. :)

The weather was perfect, a little overcast but not raining. Chris got a call on his phone that a tornado had hit Muscatine (about 20 minutes from our house) and destroyed a lot of houses and the storm had gone through our area also. We were a little bummed that we had missed all the excitement but glad that it hadn’t done any damage to our home while we were gone. On
the way home we drove through Muscatine and saw a car lot that had a bunch of new cars damaged and even one on top of another. There were some signs that were fallen or bent over also.

On Saturday we went to the air show for four hours to see the Thunderbirds. Taron got to sit in a real helicopter. I think most of the kids got a little bored of the whole thing though because it gets pretty old after a while. They did like the truck that races the airplane and spits fire out the back.

Today we went to church with everyone, Ella made Chris’s phone go off in the middle of sunday school and Sandi Naylor (she was teaching) said something about Ella knowing how to push our buttons and it only gets worse from here. Later, Brendan and Leslie made dinner for everyone, a yummy roast with all the fixin’s (I threw in some spinach salad cause I had been craving that). "

Nauvoo was amazing. I wish we would have taken more pictures. The cute missionary that took us through Carthage jail bore such a beautiful testimony at the end. Allison quietly told me that she couldn’t explain it exactly, but that she had felt the spirit really touch her. I guess I didn’t realize that all the missionary couples and young missionaries that serve in Nauvoo are mainly hosts at the temple, visitor’s center, and in all the little period homes/shops. The highlight for us was doing baptisms for the dead with Jordan and Jake. We were so blessed because they told us that a YM/YW group of 85 had just finished doing 850 names and a lady was schedule to come in 20 minutes to do 100 names. We were the only ones in there during that time. After we were done, one of the workers took us out a different way and showed the boys the spiral staircase that goes up 5 floors. He told them to look up and picture their journey to eternity and that they were taking their first steps toward the top by being there that day. It was so awesome. The “Sunset at the Mississippi” show at the end of the day was spectacular. All the missionaries did songs, dances, and skits. Everyone had a great day.

Cindy told you about the air show the next day. It was a bit long, but some parts were really fun. Allison was touched when the Thunderbirds flew in for the first time in the missing man formation to honor the fallen pilots. I did laundry that day and noticed a burnt smell coming from the washing machine. I told Chris and he said that he had turned the hot water heater on as hot as possible so that we would have plenty for all of us. I’m telling you they thought of everything to make us comfortable. Anyway, he went to check downstairs and noticed water was leaking from one of the pipes and that there were parts of the wood that looked scorched all along the water pipes! Yikes! After careful inspection by both Chris and Brendan they discovered that the leaking water was coming from the bathroom floor from when Sierra had forgotten to put the shower curtain inside the tub and had flooded the bathroom floor. The scorch marks were from the plumbers welding the pipes together, but the burnt washing machine smell was definitely from the overly hot water. They said they’ve had it forever and want a new one, but it never dies. Well, thank goodness (I guess) nothing happened to it. Let me just say that our garments have never been whiter though!!

Church was great and pretty quiet since there weren’t 100 nursery aged kids and 50 babies like we are used to around here. It was a little bit of a drive and I just count my blessings that we are able to walk to church if we want to. It was in a weird location because there were about 8 churches all in one block area of all different faiths. We enjoyed a home cooked meal which always tastes better when you’ve been eating out a lot. Caden was funny when we sat down at the table and he said, “Wow, is this Thanksgiving or something!” He even asked us to pass the “turkey” later on.

Brendan and Chris got up early on Monday morning and went golfing together. I’m glad they had that time to spend together. The rest of us slept in and then Cindy took us to the Children’s Museum gift shop so that Jake and Allison could get a Webkin. It’s a stuffed animal that comes with a code that allows you to play a game on-line with other Webkin owners. Her girls had a few already and we figured it would be fun for them to stay in touch and play together across the miles. Jake named his Caden and Caden named his new Webkin Jake. Those two became quite the little buddies on this trip! We went swimming at the YMCA later that day and had a blast. I got the cutest pictures of Taron and Ella at the pool. They closed it to the public for an hour soon after we got there so we all got out and the boys went to play basketball and the girls (yes, Solei, Sierra, and Allison) joined in at an Aerobics class full of women. It was hilarious. Then they all went swimming again when the pool opened back up. Cindy and I had left dinner in the oven which was great since we were starving when we got back. We had planned to go boating but the weather near the lake said it would be windy and possible thunderstorms, but we ended up having a great day.

Tuesday we all got up early to go to Adventureland which is an amusement park comparable to Lagoon and 2 ½ hours away. Chris came up with a great idea. Since everyone had someone to hang out with…except for Jordan… he called up his boss’ daughter (Courtney Richards) who just happens to be 16 and set her up with Jordan. His first blind date. We picked her up around 8am and it took about 3 to 5 minutes of our making small talk until they got comfortable with each other and didn’t stop talking the whole way. You all know Jordan, so that shouldn’t surprise you. She is originally from Draper and just moved out there when Chris did so they had a lot in common. It was so great to have here along for Jordan. They were on their own pretty much all day except they joined us for a few shows and we’d bump into them once in a while. She has the cutest personality and was a perfect match for Jordan. We all had a blast…except for when Sierra’s finger got pinched on one of the rides and it was bleeding really bad. The weather was perfect.

We packed up and left early on Wednesday morning. We wanted to see Chicago during the day since the kids would probably not go there again. The following is an excerpt of what we wrote to Chris and Cindy explaining the last day of our trip. "We spent a crazy day in Chicago. The weather was a little chilly and sprinkly, but not too bad. We ate at the Grand Lux Café and LOVED it! The desserts were especially fantastic! After that, we went to Navy Pier which was a $19.00 parking rip off and then we did a Family Fun House maze that ended up being a $42.00 rip off and it lasted about 5 minutes!!!! We couldn’t believe how dumb that was. We got some great pictures of the skyscrapers and got a nice hotel with a yummy sports grill restaurant that was perfect for a late dinner. The only bummer was that there weren’t any hotels in the area with an indoor pool.

We made our flight just fine this morning, but were delayed taking off because of heavy winds in Denver. We knew we had missed our connecting flight about half way through. But once we landed at 12:12 p.m. we checked the departure screen and our connection had also been delayed and was boarding and scheduled to leave at 12:16 p.m. Brendan couldn’t run with his knee so I took off down to the gate (about 200 yards away) and asked if we were too late to make it on the flight. They said that they were just about to close the doors so I yelled to Brendan and the kids who were coming as fast as possible down the hall. They held the doors for us and the plane took off about 2 minutes after we sat down!!! Unfortunately, our checked on bag was not as quick, but it was delivered to our house that night just as we were getting ready for bed.

We spent a great weekend together until Jake left on Saturday for Arizona to visit with Cameron. Jordan left on Monday at 5:45 a.m. to go to football camp until Saturday and Allison left at 7:15 a.m. for a week at Clear Creek camp. We are all alone and can I say that’s it’s not fun!! We miss them terribly especially at dinnertime when it’s just me and Brendan at our dinner table. We are sure that they are all having a great time though and can’t wait until we get all back together. We don’t have any plans for our empty nester week since Brendan has a lot of catching up to do at work and I have 4 bow orders to keep me super busy and tied down. We’ll celebrate next Monday when we are together again and maybe have dinner at Café Rio!"