Thursday, January 29, 2009
2008 Update
Mikell had a great year and has started junior high school. She finally turned 12 this year! She is doing very well in school and watches her grades like a hawk online. She had great seasons in both volleyball and softball. She has decided to pursue her talent in softball and is starting on a travel team this spring. She’s quite the slugger on the field. Though she still loves volleyball and has a killer serve. She’ll try out for the school team next fall. Her highlight this past year has definitely been her volunteer work at the vet. She gets to assist in surgeries and help with visits. After all that, she is even more determined to be a vet someday.
Nik is 10 now and continues to be very involved in his sports. He ran a race his school sponsored and he was the first student to finish. He kept right up with mom, even though mom kept telling him it was ok for him to stop and walk, that only made him more determined to finish strong. He definitely did as he finished the 2 miles in 13:30 min. Imagine had he not had breakfast only 15 minutes before the start. He enjoyed playing his second year of Cal Ripken baseball at shortstop and pitcher. The best part was that dad was his coach and a great one at that. Not only does he have a killer “sinker” from the pitcher’s mound, he’s quite the slugger and base stealer as well. His highlight was pitching two innings in his All-Star game. Soccer was a lot of fun for him too, with dad also coaching. He’s definitely the speed demon on the field. Indoor flag football was a new sport for him this fall. His speed turned out to really help his team. He ran for several touchdowns and many long catches. Next year, he’ll want to play on the field with the pads, we’re afraid.
Alek started 1st grade and he and mom couldn’t be happier. He is quite the math whiz and loves school. He had a great season in machine-pitch baseball this past summer. Mom coached him and all of his buddies and it was certainly a lot of laughs. Alek had several in-field home runs and that was certainly a highlight for him. He can catch about anything, he especially loves the diving catches (we’ve gone through a lot of baseball pants). He also enjoyed soccer and is following brother’s reputation as the “speed demon”. Alek also ran in that race with Nik and was right behind him and mom. He enjoys his crafty projects in his free time making anything and everything. Empty boxes are his favorite; he can find one a mile away. Thus, the reason he’s not allowed to go to Sam’s Club anymore with mom.
Eric finished another season competing in his Triathlons. His big accomplishment was the “Spudman” in Burley, ID, which he had an excellent finish. All of the training was a great escape for the difficult year at work. We’ve been very fortunate though, that the company is still alive after some very hard months during the mortgage crisis. With the mortgage economy turning around we’re hopeful that things will only be getting better from now on. His big highlight this year was getting his BMW in April after selling his truck (saves lots of money on gas he says). The kids call it dad’s “baby”.
Tammy spends her quiet days at home keeping very busy with school volunteering, ward bulletin person and primary chorister at church, baking and cleaning. She had a difficult race season and she was plagued with one injury after another. She completed her second season as a Cross Country Assistant Coach for IF High School. The team this year was almost twice the size as last year so we looked like a small herd running around town every afternoon. Both the girls and boys teams went to state this year so that certainly made for a great season! She has her sights set on a few marathons next year, so she’s giving injuries a rest this winter. She took on the challenge of competing in her first triathlon, also at the “Spudman”. Not sure she’ll ever do an open-water swim again but she still enjoys her lap swimming. Unfortunately in that race, she was in the river with a man that drowned. She felt very helpless, unable to save him and barely escaped the water herself. Definitely something that will stay with her forever but certainly left her feeling grateful for life.
The family flew to Cozumel, Mexico again in June for a relaxing week at the beach. The week was spent doing much of the same; Eric scuba diving, kids playing hard in the water and on the beach with cousins, and mom on the beach reading. Their highlight was the new water slides at the resort. The staff still remembers us and our drink orders. Our home away from home!
In August we spent a few days up in Island Park, ID at Tammy’s mom and Bob’s cabin/home with all of her family. The kids had a blast with all their cousins, especially all the late nights in the “bunk room”. It’s a fun place to go and relax even with multiple families. They built it for large crowds. We also spent Thanksgiving up there. It’s a nice get-away and only just over an hours’ drive from home.
Nik is 10 now and continues to be very involved in his sports. He ran a race his school sponsored and he was the first student to finish. He kept right up with mom, even though mom kept telling him it was ok for him to stop and walk, that only made him more determined to finish strong. He definitely did as he finished the 2 miles in 13:30 min. Imagine had he not had breakfast only 15 minutes before the start. He enjoyed playing his second year of Cal Ripken baseball at shortstop and pitcher. The best part was that dad was his coach and a great one at that. Not only does he have a killer “sinker” from the pitcher’s mound, he’s quite the slugger and base stealer as well. His highlight was pitching two innings in his All-Star game. Soccer was a lot of fun for him too, with dad also coaching. He’s definitely the speed demon on the field. Indoor flag football was a new sport for him this fall. His speed turned out to really help his team. He ran for several touchdowns and many long catches. Next year, he’ll want to play on the field with the pads, we’re afraid.
Alek started 1st grade and he and mom couldn’t be happier. He is quite the math whiz and loves school. He had a great season in machine-pitch baseball this past summer. Mom coached him and all of his buddies and it was certainly a lot of laughs. Alek had several in-field home runs and that was certainly a highlight for him. He can catch about anything, he especially loves the diving catches (we’ve gone through a lot of baseball pants). He also enjoyed soccer and is following brother’s reputation as the “speed demon”. Alek also ran in that race with Nik and was right behind him and mom. He enjoys his crafty projects in his free time making anything and everything. Empty boxes are his favorite; he can find one a mile away. Thus, the reason he’s not allowed to go to Sam’s Club anymore with mom.
Eric finished another season competing in his Triathlons. His big accomplishment was the “Spudman” in Burley, ID, which he had an excellent finish. All of the training was a great escape for the difficult year at work. We’ve been very fortunate though, that the company is still alive after some very hard months during the mortgage crisis. With the mortgage economy turning around we’re hopeful that things will only be getting better from now on. His big highlight this year was getting his BMW in April after selling his truck (saves lots of money on gas he says). The kids call it dad’s “baby”.
Tammy spends her quiet days at home keeping very busy with school volunteering, ward bulletin person and primary chorister at church, baking and cleaning. She had a difficult race season and she was plagued with one injury after another. She completed her second season as a Cross Country Assistant Coach for IF High School. The team this year was almost twice the size as last year so we looked like a small herd running around town every afternoon. Both the girls and boys teams went to state this year so that certainly made for a great season! She has her sights set on a few marathons next year, so she’s giving injuries a rest this winter. She took on the challenge of competing in her first triathlon, also at the “Spudman”. Not sure she’ll ever do an open-water swim again but she still enjoys her lap swimming. Unfortunately in that race, she was in the river with a man that drowned. She felt very helpless, unable to save him and barely escaped the water herself. Definitely something that will stay with her forever but certainly left her feeling grateful for life.
The family flew to Cozumel, Mexico again in June for a relaxing week at the beach. The week was spent doing much of the same; Eric scuba diving, kids playing hard in the water and on the beach with cousins, and mom on the beach reading. Their highlight was the new water slides at the resort. The staff still remembers us and our drink orders. Our home away from home!
In August we spent a few days up in Island Park, ID at Tammy’s mom and Bob’s cabin/home with all of her family. The kids had a blast with all their cousins, especially all the late nights in the “bunk room”. It’s a fun place to go and relax even with multiple families. They built it for large crowds. We also spent Thanksgiving up there. It’s a nice get-away and only just over an hours’ drive from home.
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