Another driver

Yes, it's true. Caroline has her permit and has been practicing driving. Here we are on the first attempt, in the church parking lot. It's hard to imagine that's too exciting but let me tell you it can be. Caroline is learning fast but I think I had forgotten how invigorating (stressful) it can be driving with a beginner.

She took drivers ed and part of her homework was to fill a car with gas and change a tire.

Since this was on the last day of class and Nelson wasn't home, we called our neighbor Joe Rasmussen to come over and help with the changing of the tire instructions. I have never done it before actually and Joe is very good with all things related to cars. Thanks Joe!

This was hard work!

Success! Now she has to complete her roading and she will be eligible for a license in January when she is old enough.

Summer scout fun

David's scout leaders are doing a great job! They are so organized, communicate what they are doing with me, and are doing some really fun outdoor things. Here are the boys when they hiked Big Springs.

Lots of this going on

David did summer rec swim team this summer. I love how laid back and fun this program is. The kids swim outdoors for an hour a day and then every 2 weeks they have a meet at the pool just for the kids doing Orem swim team. So, no traveling or anything, it's great.

David did a great job! He takes after his big brother and does the best in backstroke.

We watched the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer" at the beginning of the summer and ever since David can't get enough of this game. He and Nelson and anyone else he can talk into it play all the time. The board has pretty much been out and set up all summer. Nelson got a speed chess clock from the kids for Father's day so that has helped the interest also. It's been fun to see them play so much. Scouting is coming out with a chess merit badge at the end of the summer, it will be a must do!

Cumorah connection

In July of 2009 we got to go to New York and be in the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Our Zion's camp neighbors were the Jacobson's from Ohio and they were also Katie's cast team leaders. We were fast friends and they are such awesome people. Torie and I have kept in touch over the last 2 years mostly through our blogs and a few phone calls. She let me know she was coming to bring her oldest to BYU in June and I asked if she would stay with us. She and her two daughters came for a couple of nights and we had so much fun. We had Thai food, watched chick flicks and talked and talked. Nelson was out of town with the Young Men so he didn't even have to suffer through the girl's weekend!

While they were here, it was Michael's halfway point at the MTC so we made him and his district a little party. We sent a card that said something like..."HALF a HALF doughnut on us to celebrate HALFway to Romania"! We sent a box of half doughnuts with a banner that says ROMANIA and red, yellow and blue (flag colors) party hats. The MTC wouldn't take the balloons, didn't know that until we got to the mail place but oh well, it was fun.

Katie and Torie the morning she left. Katie is dressed as a pioneer because there was on her way to a stake trek breakfast activity. Thanks for the visit Torie! Maybe we will see you at pageant again!

Surprise!!!!

This year we went to the Senior send-off assembly. Here are a bunch of Katie's friends singing "Hushabye Mountain" acapella. They did an amazing job.

Brutus the Tiger wandering around during the assembly. Nicole Smith on stage playing the guitar.

Brutus is invited onstage for the unveiling. Brutus' identity is a secret all year, I wonder who it will be?

Surprise! Katie was Brutus this year! She had such a great time being the school mascot. She had many funny and unique experiences this year in the tiger suit. Our neighbor across the street was one of the first to guess who Brutus was this year, though very few did. During a game, Brutus with his limited vision, saw an open seat in the stands and sat down. Then a voice said "Hi Katie" and she realized she had sat next to Connor. Shush!!! It's a secret! He didn't give her away, though, thanks Connor.

At another game she was on the track by the cheerleaders when one of them stepped out of her line to do a back handspring. She didn't notice Brutus standing there and gave Katie a big whopping kick in the face as she finished her back handspring. Katie's vision is very limited, as I have said before, and didn't even see it coming. Because no one can know who she is, she couldn't just ask for help. Her nose and lip were bleeding and she had to wander around to find the student council advisor to escort her inside to the locker room. It happened to be the game following the week when the cheerleaders have a clinic for little girls. The little girls were there to perform and when she entered the school, they were all there and went nuts to see Brutus. So here she is, bleeding down her face, in pain, and nicely giving high fives and taking pictures with 100 little girls on the way to the locker room. Katie you are amazing!

Mostly her time in the suit was just a lot of fun school spirit. The biggest challenge was not telling ANYONE. Her friends would make plans to go to games and she would just have to reply " I have school stuff to do". Sometimes she would go to a game and then slip away and change into the suit, or be in the suit and then change after half time. We went to a few games to see her. Her friends would come up and ask where she was and we would just say" I don't know, she's around here somewhere!" It was hard to be so sneaky but she was really good at stealth mode. She had to pull her hair back everywhere mostly because it was SO hot in the suit but also so it didn't poke out and give people a clue who she was. Most people thought it was a boy in the suit just because Brutus is a boy so it made it all the more fun for her to keep secret.

She had such a blast!

Nana and Grandpa even came to cheer her on. Hey wait, that's not Katie!

Neither is this. Everyone had to try on the tiger head just for fun.

This is Katie before going to be Brutus. That costume is super hot inside so we made her a shirt with pockets on the front and back to hold ice packs to keep her cool. That helped her so much to be able to do what she did.

On the field during a game.

Yay Brutus!!!