Can you see what I mean? They are pretty incredible kids!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
I love being a Mom...and this is the reason why!
Can you see what I mean? They are pretty incredible kids!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Now that I am older...
As many of you know, I am a perpetual worrier. My family teases me endlessly for my worries. I was labeled the "Queen of What if" from the time I was old enough to start asking..."What if _____ happens, then what would we do?" My parents even bought me a book to help me with these perplexing questions: The worst-case scenario survival handbook. I read it from cover to cover so I will be prepared if I am ever attacked by an alligator or someone is shooting at me from a moving car. Seriously! It was a great relief to have a guide to all these questions--and those who know me well know these are the kinds of questions I DID ask!
So, I have discovered (and yes, it has taken me 40+ years to get there) that it doesn't matter if you worry and lose sleep, when whatever it is happens--it happens. Am I better prepared? Maybe. However, I have learned that even in my deepest worries, there is always one scenario that I DIDN'T think of and that is usually the one that happens so I have to "roll with the punches" anyway.
The Department of Health is going through a reorganization right now. The only people it will directly affect is my little 12 person bureau--will we keep our jobs, will we move with the new division, stay with the old division, get a new boss, etc. Surprisingly, I am not worrying. Nope, not even a little bit--have I matured? Does worrying quit when you get older or do you just realize that things work out someway, somehow and for the best?
I used to spent my time anticipating the next step and worrying about what the future would bring. But now I wish I could slow down the world--I am loving this moment right now. I love my high school senior, and my eighth grader and my sixth grader. I love being with them, talking with them and every moment with them. All the stresses of work, school and life, melt away when I am with them.
So, why worry about the future--"my finest moment is the one I am standing in"!
So, I have discovered (and yes, it has taken me 40+ years to get there) that it doesn't matter if you worry and lose sleep, when whatever it is happens--it happens. Am I better prepared? Maybe. However, I have learned that even in my deepest worries, there is always one scenario that I DIDN'T think of and that is usually the one that happens so I have to "roll with the punches" anyway.
The Department of Health is going through a reorganization right now. The only people it will directly affect is my little 12 person bureau--will we keep our jobs, will we move with the new division, stay with the old division, get a new boss, etc. Surprisingly, I am not worrying. Nope, not even a little bit--have I matured? Does worrying quit when you get older or do you just realize that things work out someway, somehow and for the best?
I used to spent my time anticipating the next step and worrying about what the future would bring. But now I wish I could slow down the world--I am loving this moment right now. I love my high school senior, and my eighth grader and my sixth grader. I love being with them, talking with them and every moment with them. All the stresses of work, school and life, melt away when I am with them.
So, why worry about the future--"my finest moment is the one I am standing in"!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
So, I am just a proud Mom!
Second to none: Teenage Utah cadets win national championship
By Natalie Dicou
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 07/23/2009 11:39:20 AM MDT
Third place just wasn't going to cut it this year.
So, instead of waiting for the new year to begin prepping for the Civil Air Patrol National Cadet Competition, Cheston New-hall had his group begin training and stop drinking sodas 10 months before the event.
It paid off earlier this month when a group of Utah teens took first place at the national competition in McMinnville, Ore., bringing the title home to the Beehive State for the first time since 1956.
"It didn't really sink in until we got the trophy," said Pleasant Grove High's Richard Luby. "It was half as big as me."
Taking home top honors was a huge payoff for the 14 teens -- nine boys and five girls -- who spent the past 10 months training for the seven-event competition: one-mile run, uniform inspection, standard drill (responding to orders), innovative drill (performing a choreographed routine), written test, panel quiz, and volleyball.
Utah won four of the seven contests and dominated the volleyball tournament.
"I was part of a family that made something amazing happen, and getting an award for it made it even better," said Team Chief Cheston Newhall, a recent Park City High School graduate who served as commander of last year's group that finished third overall in Dayton, Ohio. "I was in disbelief. I bawled my eyes out, tears of joy."
Being a drill team member -- and no, there's no kick lines or sequin-covered outfits -- requires
Advertisement
yld_mgr.place_ad_here("adPosBox");
a massive commitment from teens, most of whom hope to attend military academies or become pilots.
The youths are cadet members of the Civil Air Patrol, an official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.
During preparation, the cadets met every weekend at the CAP's hangar at Salt Lake International Airport for training sessions.
They studied for the panel quiz and written test, learned about leadership, aerospace and current events. After training Friday nights, they set up their sleeping bags, and prepared for the next day's workload.
They practiced marching, exercised for the one-mile run and transformed themselves into a finely tuned volleyball-spiking machine.
Last year, when Utah took third overall, Newhall decided his team could do better.
Instead of beginning preparation for the July national championship in January, as they had done before, they started five months earlier, in August.
Newhall -- the drill team is led solely by cadets with logistical help from an adult mentor -- believed his squad had to become more dedicated if Utah was going to win the national title.
The group thrived under New- hall's charismatic leadership.
"Everyone knew [we] were serious about it," Newhall said. "You saw people sacrificing for the team. ... Everybody put drill team first."
Pleasant Grove's Luby -- who plans to become an Air Force pilot -- never considered the long sessions "work."
"Not looking forward to a day was not possible for me," Luby said. "Every practice day was another day with a group of friends. Even when we were working, it still seemed like we were playing."
While most teams are composed almost exclusively of boys, 36 percent of Utah's team is female.
That's "pretty unheard of," said Capt. Eric Weeks, a Civil Air Patrol volunteer and the group's adult mentor.
Other teams thought they could exploit Utah's girls on the volleyball court, hitting the ball at the most petite player, Murray High's Arielle Weeks, Eric Weeks' daughter.
"It's funny," Weeks said. "They would go after her."
The strategy fell short. Utah crushed every challenger by at least seven points.
Focused on their goal, the cadets also dropped weekend hangouts with their friends, sports and other activities. They abstained from soda during the 10 months before the competition -- although Luby admits he accidentally had a root beer float while on vacation: his sole slip-up.
After completing the mile run at the championship, the group treated themselves to ice-cold Mountain Dews and cokes.
"It hurts the first time," said Brighton High junior Grant Taylor, who is also a high school tennis star. "You're not used to the carbonation. But it was really refreshing."
Weeks said, "For them it was like having a beer, I guess."
For the mentor and proud father -- who was part of Utah's 1990 drill team, which took third place -- hearing the Utahns announced as winners was "probably one of the greatest moments of [his] life."
"It was pandemonium," said Weeks, although the scene wasn't overly crazy, because the honor can be revoked if a team doesn't display sportsmanship.
"It's happened before," Weeks said.
But Utah kept its excitement in check and left Oregon with the 3-foot trophy.
mailto:href=
Utah's winning team
National champion cadets:
Sean Carlisi » Northridge High, Layton
Cassie Carlisi » Northridge High, Layton
Cheston Newhall » Park City High School
Cole Christensen » Bingham High, West Jordan
Brayden Mickelson » Mountain Crest High, Nibley
Zach Hopkins » Mountain Crest High, Nibley
J.P. Goldberg » Skyline High, Salt Lake City
Grant Taylor » Brighton High, Salt Lake City
Stefani Lewis » Mountain Crest High, Logan
Jared Healey » Lone Peak High, Alpine
Arielle Weeks » Murray High School
Richard Luby » Pleasant Grove High School
Rachel Niedfeldt » Walden School of Liberal Arts, Highland
McKelle Tobey » Mountain Crest High, Providence
By Natalie Dicou
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 07/23/2009 11:39:20 AM MDT
Third place just wasn't going to cut it this year.
So, instead of waiting for the new year to begin prepping for the Civil Air Patrol National Cadet Competition, Cheston New-hall had his group begin training and stop drinking sodas 10 months before the event.
It paid off earlier this month when a group of Utah teens took first place at the national competition in McMinnville, Ore., bringing the title home to the Beehive State for the first time since 1956.
"It didn't really sink in until we got the trophy," said Pleasant Grove High's Richard Luby. "It was half as big as me."
Taking home top honors was a huge payoff for the 14 teens -- nine boys and five girls -- who spent the past 10 months training for the seven-event competition: one-mile run, uniform inspection, standard drill (responding to orders), innovative drill (performing a choreographed routine), written test, panel quiz, and volleyball.
Utah won four of the seven contests and dominated the volleyball tournament.
"I was part of a family that made something amazing happen, and getting an award for it made it even better," said Team Chief Cheston Newhall, a recent Park City High School graduate who served as commander of last year's group that finished third overall in Dayton, Ohio. "I was in disbelief. I bawled my eyes out, tears of joy."
Being a drill team member -- and no, there's no kick lines or sequin-covered outfits -- requires
Advertisement
yld_mgr.place_ad_here("adPosBox");
a massive commitment from teens, most of whom hope to attend military academies or become pilots.
The youths are cadet members of the Civil Air Patrol, an official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.
During preparation, the cadets met every weekend at the CAP's hangar at Salt Lake International Airport for training sessions.
They studied for the panel quiz and written test, learned about leadership, aerospace and current events. After training Friday nights, they set up their sleeping bags, and prepared for the next day's workload.
They practiced marching, exercised for the one-mile run and transformed themselves into a finely tuned volleyball-spiking machine.
Last year, when Utah took third overall, Newhall decided his team could do better.
Instead of beginning preparation for the July national championship in January, as they had done before, they started five months earlier, in August.
Newhall -- the drill team is led solely by cadets with logistical help from an adult mentor -- believed his squad had to become more dedicated if Utah was going to win the national title.
The group thrived under New- hall's charismatic leadership.
"Everyone knew [we] were serious about it," Newhall said. "You saw people sacrificing for the team. ... Everybody put drill team first."
Pleasant Grove's Luby -- who plans to become an Air Force pilot -- never considered the long sessions "work."
"Not looking forward to a day was not possible for me," Luby said. "Every practice day was another day with a group of friends. Even when we were working, it still seemed like we were playing."
While most teams are composed almost exclusively of boys, 36 percent of Utah's team is female.
That's "pretty unheard of," said Capt. Eric Weeks, a Civil Air Patrol volunteer and the group's adult mentor.
Other teams thought they could exploit Utah's girls on the volleyball court, hitting the ball at the most petite player, Murray High's Arielle Weeks, Eric Weeks' daughter.
"It's funny," Weeks said. "They would go after her."
The strategy fell short. Utah crushed every challenger by at least seven points.
Focused on their goal, the cadets also dropped weekend hangouts with their friends, sports and other activities. They abstained from soda during the 10 months before the competition -- although Luby admits he accidentally had a root beer float while on vacation: his sole slip-up.
After completing the mile run at the championship, the group treated themselves to ice-cold Mountain Dews and cokes.
"It hurts the first time," said Brighton High junior Grant Taylor, who is also a high school tennis star. "You're not used to the carbonation. But it was really refreshing."
Weeks said, "For them it was like having a beer, I guess."
For the mentor and proud father -- who was part of Utah's 1990 drill team, which took third place -- hearing the Utahns announced as winners was "probably one of the greatest moments of [his] life."
"It was pandemonium," said Weeks, although the scene wasn't overly crazy, because the honor can be revoked if a team doesn't display sportsmanship.
"It's happened before," Weeks said.
But Utah kept its excitement in check and left Oregon with the 3-foot trophy.
mailto:href=
Utah's winning team
National champion cadets:
Sean Carlisi » Northridge High, Layton
Cassie Carlisi » Northridge High, Layton
Cheston Newhall » Park City High School
Cole Christensen » Bingham High, West Jordan
Brayden Mickelson » Mountain Crest High, Nibley
Zach Hopkins » Mountain Crest High, Nibley
J.P. Goldberg » Skyline High, Salt Lake City
Grant Taylor » Brighton High, Salt Lake City
Stefani Lewis » Mountain Crest High, Logan
Jared Healey » Lone Peak High, Alpine
Arielle Weeks » Murray High School
Richard Luby » Pleasant Grove High School
Rachel Niedfeldt » Walden School of Liberal Arts, Highland
McKelle Tobey » Mountain Crest High, Providence
Monday, July 20, 2009
July activities
Small island at Jordanelle
Charlie in his "thinker" pose
Cole is ready for GQ
Syd in her "model" pose
T playing cards
Cole had to beat his Dragon Ball Z game
Eric and Syd playing cards
Our Annual End of Year party with the traditional burning of school work
Syd and her best friends, Megan and Ashley
Cole and his team at the National Cadet Competition
The team at the beach house prior to the start of competition
The 2009 National Cadet Competition Champions!
4th of July fireworks
It was nice to have my kids light the fireworks and just sit back and enjoy the show!
Charlie in his "thinker" pose
Cole is ready for GQ
Syd in her "model" pose
T playing cards
Cole had to beat his Dragon Ball Z game
Eric and Syd playing cards
Our Annual End of Year party with the traditional burning of school work
Syd and her best friends, Megan and Ashley
Cole and his team at the National Cadet Competition
The team at the beach house prior to the start of competition
The 2009 National Cadet Competition Champions!
4th of July fireworks
It was nice to have my kids light the fireworks and just sit back and enjoy the show!
Monday, July 13, 2009
National Champions!
When I talked to Cole on Saturday, their team had taken 1st place in volleyball (thanks to Cole's awesome serving), 1st place in the mile run, pretty sure they had 1st place in the written exam and they felt really good about the panel quiz, inspection and drills. Then, later, he texted me that their team and one other were asked to perform for a 4-Star Ggeneral, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. So with much anxiety, I waited all Sunday for him to attend the closing banquet so he could text me the results. The wait was worth it.
Congratulations to the CAP Utah Wing Titan drill team! They are the new National champions!
Just a little background: the last time the Utah Wing had a winning team was in the 1950s!
I am so proud of my incredible son and the amazing kids of the Titan team!
Congratulations to the CAP Utah Wing Titan drill team! They are the new National champions!
Just a little background: the last time the Utah Wing had a winning team was in the 1950s!
I am so proud of my incredible son and the amazing kids of the Titan team!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Rocky Mountain Region Champions
Cole has been involved with the Utah Wing of Civil Air Patrol for 4 years now. He is currently a Cadet Captain and has held several leadership positions. He has also participated on several championship drill teams. This has allowed him to travel to Washington D.C., Dayton, Ohio and this week Oregon to compete at the National Cadet Competition. His teams have yet to bring home a first place but I think this year, this team has the greatest chance to do just that. As parents, we have never had the opportunity to see him compete but we were given the opportunity last Friday, July 3, when his team performed their Standard and Innovative drills at the Logan City Independence Day celebration. These are incredible kids and their dedication is evident in their drills. You, too, can see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IeP2wNQe0k.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
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