Headed for Sports Illustrated. . . or ESPN?


In a previous post about the trip Adam and I took down to Utah, I mentioned his obsession with a new book he had gotten for Christmas: The College Basketball Encyclopedia. I thought the novelty would wear off and that the book would eventually be set aside and rarely referred to. I was wrong. Oh my word! He has a thirst for sports trivia, facts, and news that puts the casual sports fan to shame and that would most likely impress a sportswriter and/or sportscaster.

This afternoon he was peppering me with facts and figures and inquiring about past college basketball players and games: "Did you remember when N.C. State beat Houston in the championship game?" and other such gems. He expressed a mix of jealously and awe that I was actually watching the game when Duke beat Kentucky on a last-second jumper from the top of the key (Grant Hill to Christian Laettner) to win the semi-final game on their way to an NCAA championship. Somehow, he picked up a love of the Dookies, and he asked me today, "Do you think Duke will win another championship in my lifetime?" I hope so, son.

Anyway, it's been fun to see him get so excited about something. When he saw me taking the above picture, he said, "Those are the two best books EVER." Well, I think that there might be a few other more important literary offerings, but I'm glad he has a fun hobby. His latest venture is to try his hand at sportswriting. He has even posted an article at http://www.bleacherreport.com/. Feel free to peruse it, and see if his passion rubs off on you. Warning: it is about Duke basketball, so if you hate the Blue Devils and Coach K like some people do, you may want to skip it.

At Last. . . Almost

I am thrilled to report that Matt is on the cusp of receiving his Eagle Scout. He finished his project this summer, then dragged his feet just a bit on getting it written up. When he found out that (a) there was a Court of Honor scheduled for February 24th and (b) his Young grandparents would be in the country during the semi-annual closure of the Hermosillo Mexico Temple, he kicked it into high gear. He had his Board of Review last Thursday and passed. Mike took everything into the scout office, so we are on tap to have a celebration in few weeks, complete with one set of doting grandparents. My parents will be cheering from Bulgaria, I am sure.

I have very mixed feelings about scouting, so I'll have to admit that I'm excited to see Matt closing this chapter of his life. (Although if he wants to start earning palms, more power to him.) I think that scouting has the potential to teach Young Men a lot, and I do know that both Matt and Adam have benefitted from their time in scouting. However, I'm more impressed by the Duty to God award and I'm more hopeful that they fulfill those requirements. Anyway, good job, Matt! I'm proud of you!

Inspired

Several years ago I found out about an ongoing project administered through Humanitarian Services at our local Deseret Industries: quilt-making. Women are actually called to serve part-time missions where their responsibilities are to perform humanitarian services. Specifically, they assemble kits that have all the materials necessary to make a quilt for someone who is in need. I've been rather sporadic in participating in the program. When I was in the Relief Society presidency, I was a little more committed, but I usually try to contribute at least a little bit every year.

I signed up to make one quilt for 2009, but I dragged my feet and didn't get it done before the end of the year when I should have. Last week I finally finished it up and went in to drop it off at the center. I was a little embarrassed about my tardiness, but the sisters couldn't have been more gracious and lovely. They were complimentary and appreciative and made me feel like I had done something awesome. I was humbled and inspired by their spirit of kindness and service.

A few years ago I learned that each ward had a quota for the year. (At the time I think it was six quilts per year.) I don't know if such a quota exists any more, but I assumed that I had done my part and was simply going to drop off my quilt and take a year or two off. "There are lots of other sisters in the ward who need the chance for service," I rationalized. However, once I interacted with those amazing, selfless women, I quickly repented. They asked me if I wanted any more kits, and much to my surprise, I heard myself say, "Sure! I'll take two." So, I've started on another quilt, and I'm committed to getting BOTH of them finished before the end of the year.

As I've watched the devastation of the earthquakes in Haiti, I've thought a lot about the humanitarian services that the Church quietly performs throughout the world. The Church is simply prepared on a moment's notice to give aid whenever and wherever it is needed. I recently talked to my parents who are serving as missionaries in Bulgaria, and they visited an orphanage there. They took with them some hygiene kits that had been assembled by members of the Church there. I was a little horrified when they said that the kids had been sharing toothbrushes and that they were so grateful to each get their own. Now that makes me want to participate in any and every program that I can.

I once asked where the aforementioned quilts went. I was told that they were distributed to families in need in our area and that the surplus quilts were then sent to Church headquarters where they could be sent to anywhere in the world. Optimistically, I doubted that the 950 quilts that were made the year I asked all stayed in the Treasure Valley, and I loved to think about those quilts keeping Hurricane Katrina victims warm. What an amazing program! I feel inspired.

It's Miller Time

This weekend Adam and I had the chance to break away from Boise for a few days and go and bug the Utah branch of the family tree. Mike had Stake Conference, and Matt had a school project as well as finals to study for. However, since I didn't have to teach Gospel Doctrine and since Adam had Monday off, we took a much-needed road trip. It was kind of fun to have just the two of us, but I admit that I missed Mike and Matt. (Adam did an outstanding job keeping me awake on the drive down by sharing a wealth of information from The College Basketball Encyclopedia, a book he absolutely LOVES. I admit that there are some neat facts in there.)

The cool part of the weekend was that we actually got to stay with Karen and Andrew. They are renting the front half of the cutest little green house on a corner lot, and since it has a relatively large living room, we were quite comfortable. Adam slept on a queen-size air mattress on the floor, and I sacked out on the couch. Sleeping on our old couch brought back great memories. When I was pregnant with Matt and then with Adam, I would sometimes get nagging, painful backaches. The best relief I could find was to lie on the couch and have the back of the couch support my aching back. Happy memories!

Another awesome part of the weekend was feeling so spoiled by my daughters and my son-in-law. Rachel made us taco soup on Friday when we got there, and even though she said it was really easy, her preparation for us touched me. Karen made some yummy muffins to go along with it. All of the rest of the meals were great--Andrew makes a mean oatmeal with blueberries and Karen a great "inside out ravioli"--and I felt a bit like royalty. How fun to be spoiled by my own kids!

The company and activities were fun as well. Karen, Andrew, and Rachel are playing on a co-ed soccer team this semester, and Adam, Jake (my nephew), and I got to cheer them on to a 5-4 victory. We also got to see Jake contribute a few buckets and steals in a quite well-played church basketball game. We topped off the sports-themed day by watching the BYU basketball team completely dismantle Colorado State. It was an impressive win, and I think the Cougars may actually do well in March Madness this year. Maybe they'll play the Blue Devils. . .

I enjoyed spending the Sabbath with my Utah kids as well. Karen and Andrew have a fun ward of "newlyweds and nearly-deads," and it makes for interesting discussion in Sunday School and Relief Society. We went to my sister's house on Sunday for dinner and games. Karen had very early clinicals the next day so we couldn't stay too late. However, it was fun to be together.

I feel blessed. My adult children have grown up to be independent, hardworking, fun people who are contributing to society and making their way in the world. Do I worry about them? Of course! Always have and always will--that's a mom's job, right? I realized, though, that they have made good choices and are capable of mapping out their future. Life is good. P.S. I think we wore Rachel out. . . or maybe it's school that did it? I'm betting on the latter.

END OF AN ERA

After much deliberation (and almost 150K miles), Mike and I decided that we would finally replace our minivan. It was leaking oil almost faster than we could replace it, had some overheating issues, and felt too unreliable on a few occasions to take on a long trip. (I feel comfortable revealing all of our van's troubles since we've decided to donate it. It works, just with a few little oddities.)

I was very surprised when Adam said, "You can't replace the van, Mom. It's legendary." I'm wracking my brain and wondering how he could possibly be attached to this old blue wonder. He reminded me that Mike has been known to take this vehicle on scout trips, camping trips, and other wilderness trips. We've been gently made fun of for taking the van "where it probably shouldn't go." While I have taken it to Girls Camp a few times, Mike has taken it "off-roading" and over terrain where four-wheel drive would have been helpful. Optimist that he is, he just puts it in gear and takes off. I think one of our neighbors, who seems always to have a rig appropriate to rugged trips, once called it the "sport utility van." Anyway, the vehicle does have a colorful travel history.

I also realized that the van has a memorable family history. When we bought it, the kids were all small. One of the biggest debates we had was whether to get bucket seats in the middle, which Mike and I very much favored. Adam was a toddler at the time, and the kids always used to fight about whose turn it was to sit next to him. When we looked at a van that had bucket seats, the kids revolted. They wanted a bench seat so that someone could always sit right next to the little guy. That was the "special seat," and more than one argument resulted when someone tried to go out of turn. My, how times have changed.

I also have great memories of long car trips with the kids when they were small. It seems that van has been everywhere--Mexico, the Oregon Coast, California, Utah, and southeast Idaho, to name a few. We've had good times and bad, messy and not quite so messy, happy and less than happy. I guess an era will come to an end when we give the vehicle away, but I'll have to admit, moving on feels like a good thing in this respect.

X-C Skiing

We tried a new sport while Rachel was home for the holidays: cross country skiing. Mike had been before, but the rest of us were rookies. When we first started out, it was a bit comical, but once we got ourselves clipped in, upright, and reasonably balanced, it was awesome. We enjoyed the solitude, the fresh air, the gorgeous views, and the good company. It was also really fun to just sit in the uncrowded lodge and look out over the mountains.

Holiday Season is tiring!

Adam was apparently extremely tired and took a quick nap over the Christmas Break...Alison likes taking pictures of family members when they are napping. She captured a nice picture of this

afternoon snooze.

NOT excited to go back to school/work!!!

After plenty of fun and games during this joyous holiday season, the Young Family is definitely not ready to go back to school and work! We had an awesome time throughout Christmas Break. Karen and Andrew came home for a weekend which we thoroughly enjoyed. Rachel was stuck with us for the entire two week vacation but had an awesome time doing puzzles, watching movies, staying up late, and having a memorable Christmas.