Thomas the Tank Engine is a Cougar!

I wanted my other post to be for Suzanne, so I need to make another post about another delightful little memory............

Brian's boys each had a football with them for their autographs. Our little Cedric brought his most beloved toy: Thomas, the Train Engine. You know......when you leave home you take what is most important to you, right?

Here are some pictures of Cody, Caleb and Austin getting their balls autographed.............






Brian with Austin

Jason Munns (white shirt), Caleb, Cody and Aderyn (Michelle is holding Cedric--you can just see the bright blue Thomas....)

Caleb and Cody















Caleb, Cody and Aderyn

We don't know if Cedric really wanted an autograph, or if he just wanted to show Jason his Thomas..... what I would give to know....









Cedric with his prize..........he might not appreciate it yet.....



















Then they all moved to Coach Mendenhall. He was so good with them.......so patient.......you can see from the pictures, I think, that he genuinely enjoyed them.........maybe not as much as this grandma enjoyed watching the whole tableau, but there was no sign of impatience or a feeling that he was worrying about "more important" things..........I was just so thankful...........you can also see that Suzanne is still "in the thrill of it all". She wore that smile half way home!






























Up until now Bronco was "drawing" on balls. Pay attention to the look on Cedric's face! I wonder what he is thinking!!


















Here to the left I'm wondering if Cedric is a little sorry he offered his beloved Thomas to be "drawn" on......of all things!!!!!







He kept offering it to people, so I have to assume it was okay with him........this is Pendelton #1.......don't know his first name..........

Now, for a little more scope to this story........when Cedric's dad was in 4th grade, his teacher offered a prize to the students who achieved the highest scores in a term--or half the year--I don't remember. This teacher somehow had access to the BYU football team, so the prize for the top boy student was a football signed by members of the team! You guessed it!!! Kevin won!!! He has a football with Ty Detmer's signature on it.......well, really, he doesn't have it........I DO!!!!! But I can't help but wonder if this particular Thomas will ever see the inside of the toy box again...................

Rise and Shout!!!! Suzanne!!

OH MY!!!!!! What a day we had today!!! Thanks to Sarah and John who got everything all set up! Suzanne had the thrill of her life! I'll let the pictures do most of the talking for a change..........It was an absolutely gorgeous, perfect day. Timp couldn't have looked finer.........






...it took us a minute to find the 'Y' with the new snow on the mountain.... but we found it!





After a warm welcome to the BYU Football office they showed us the sites.........(I maybe should explain that everything they showed us today was built using donated funds--none of the University funds were used) the amazing weight room--outside of which is one of the "pet" cougars that had been used as the mascot and died of old age...stuffed.........but what impressed me was the wall beneath it: a picture of the 2000 stripling warriors like you can buy at the distribution center with a scripture: "and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness". And there were reminders everywhere to remember who they are and who they represent. And they were all so very kind. Absolutely everyone said how glad they were to have us there.........and there were a bunch of us!!! Only Candi and Beni, Kelly, Michael, Audrey and Adelle, and Daniel were not with us!! In the locker room, we found a familiar name.......so Suzanne stopped for a picture.........

As we were leaving the locker room for the indoor practice field, Jason Munns, home from his mission for two weeks! walked along, visiting........he was so kind.........when Suzanne's feet fell off the leg rests, he was the first to offer help. The emotion hit me when he asked Suzanne how old she is, then commented that he is the same age!!! Some members of the team were working out inside the building. (If you have never been there, you should take the opportunity to at least poke your head inside the door.........you just don't get the size of it otherwise.........well, I don't know that you do even from the inside!!) Anyway, we just walked around a little and watched them in their drills. Our "guide" could point out who was who. Then suddenly!!! guess who!?!?!??



And now I know why the team members are all so considerate-- he shows them. Bronco spent a good 15 to 20 minutes just visiting with Suzanne--asking about her story, how she was able to deal with everything, how she spent her days, what she likes to do, about her family....... then the team finished their drills and all gathered around her. For a while, Suzanne was the center of attention of part of the BYU football team!!!!



They had a whole bag of "goodies" for her. At this moment I am wearing one of the shirts, and I think all the hats have been spoken for. She has been most generous in sharing........








And her very own flag which they all signed for her. But in return, they asked her to sign THEIR flag!!!!



When she apologized, saying that she couldn't write very well, several of them confessed that they couldn't either!

SO!!!! They next time you see someone lead the team onto the field carrying that flag!! You will know that they carry a little part of Suzanne with them!!! (Yes.........I spent much of this time with tears in my eyes.) She has not had this good a day in such a very, very long time...........








She then led them in "1, 2, 3, GO COUGARS!!!!"

And they all wanted to shake her hand........


















Brono was always close by............










They gave her a jersey.......happened to have number '1' on it--Pendelton's number.......so he signed it for her!!


As the team members left, they signed her flag and a few other autographs.........Brian's three boys had brought various footballs with them.......all Cedric had was his "Thomas the train engine"........they were game for that too!! He got Jason Munns, Bronco, and Pendelton. I chuckle when I think what might happen to that toy now!!!

don't know who is signing Cody's ball

this one is Jason Munns--I was so impressed with him!!

Suzanne's flag

WOW!!!!! WHAT A DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

we make top bars

We are making new equipment............a few months ago, Roger decided we should make a change.......... The boxes we use on our bees are nine inches deep. Some years ago--and I really have no idea how many--beekeepers began using 5 3/4 inch boxes for their honey supers. [The bees like the nine inch supers--which is what we call each box--for the body of the hive, usually two nine inch boxes--one on top of the other.] We put additional supers on top of the hive for extra honey storage. Then we take those off and extract the honey out of them...........it is these "honey supers" that we are changing from nine inches deep to 5 3/4 inches. A nine inch, or full-depth, super full of honey does weigh around 90 pounds!! You can see why so many beekeepers like the smaller super. So.........we have just purchased and put together 500 new 5 3/4 inch supers. Now all these new, empty boxes need nine frames of comb to go in each of them! The only time of year the bees could get a whole super ready for honey storage is about then next three weeks. It takes 7 pounds of honey to make one pound of wax. The bees eat the honey and make the wax.........that's something I want to learn more about later--much later! What I'm trying to say is that it's important to get as many frames as possible made right now! So here are the pictures..........it's fun to be involved...........We have been "cutting top bars" for two days now...........Roger is cutting 1x4s to length for top bars.........


I am cutting the top bars apart. I get three top bars out of each piece. You can barely see a stack of lumber to the right of the photo........there are four boards across in the pile, and I got them all cut!! You can't see it in the photo, but there are two blades on the saw..........one to cut them apart and one to cut a groove in the middle where the foundation will fit.

I have to tell you something about this saw...........you know the proverbial story of the man buying his wife a table saw for Mother's Day? Well........this is the real one! This is a "Saw Stop". Kevin came home one day and said, "Mom! You have to see this!" He showed me a video demonstration on the computer about this saw. There is an electrical charge in the blade, so if you happen to touch it with your finger or hand or other body part, the electrical charge changes and it instantly trips an aluminum "brake" that stops the blade and drops it into the saw. I used to know what fraction of a second it took........amazing technology and has already saved a finger or hand..........Richard is still not sure what happened......just suddenly, everything was silent and he hardly had a scratch on his finger.........I love this Mother's Day gift!!!!











Michael has a dado blade on the other saw and is cutting the little notch across the bottom of the bar. You can see the groove I cut as I sliced them apart. Then Michael stacks them neatly in a box..............we have to fill 45 of these boxes to make enough frames for all of our new supers!!



















Then Roger took them again--or Michelle came later and did some to cut the other little bits off the sides. Everything has to fit together just right. I'll show you later how this all goes together.............there are four steps, just to make the top bars and we still have to brand them. Yes, it's a lot of work, but it's so satisfying! And it's great to know that this summer (hopefully) we will be taking these frames out of the supers, dripping with honey. I love to scrap my finger across the comb for a taste. Brand new, fresh honey is the best treat!

Daniel at State Water Polo

I didn't take the time last week to share highlights of the State Water polo Tournament.......even though we lost every game, there were some highlights. It's been delightful to watch this team come together. They have steadily improved. And they are a young team--one senior and two juniors and many new beginners..........Daniel has steadily improved through the season as well--he is a sophomore.

I don't know how familiar you are with water polo.......but they are treading water continually. That alone would do me in! At the beginning of the game they "sprint" from the end with their goal to the middle where the official drops the ball along the side at the mid-point of the pool.........kind of like a tip off in a basketball game, only instead of who can jump the highest, it's who can swim the fastest.........

the beginning of the game.......I think he looks like a sea lion with just his eyes and nose out of the water.......Michelle thinks he looks like an alligator.........

These next five pictures show one of his steals........he is really pretty good at it.......I think he could be the "John Stockton of water polo" with his steals and assists.........

......after tipping the ball, he goes after it........

.......he's still trying to get it......knocking it out of the opponent's hand.....floating around on the water.......crazy!!!.......

.......he puts it in front of him and drives or "dribbles" toward the goal.......(I think it really is "drive" but I sometimes have to put it in basketball terms)

.....still driving......but thinking about stopping and shooting........(the red in the water is the reflection of the scoreboard)......

.....after his shot.......don't know if this one went in, but a couple of them did......RAH!!!!

.....relaxing.......

......he's the defender here--#3......see how far he is out of the water?.....

this is probably one of my best pictures.........I was clear up in the stands, and I really need to learn more about using my wonderful camera!

...an ensign to the world...

I had been wondering what I might write about this week: water polo, garden......the pickin's were pretty slim..........THEN!!!!! while we were in Salt Lake and Bountiful areas for the State water polo tournament, Roger and I found ourselves wondering how we were going to fill a couple of hours before the last game. I suggested we drive up above the Capitol building and see if we could find the trailhead to Ensign Peak. I wasn't even sure which "peak" was the right one........just that it was north of the Capitol building. We drove around the capitol, commenting that we had not been up there since the renovation had been completed. We found a few dead ends and lots of houses...some we liked, and some we most decidedly didn't like! Then suddenly!! there it was!! "Ensign Peak Historical Park"! We hadn't really decided to hike up there, but thought we'd give it a shot.
(We are both so out of shape and I was a little hesitant about Roger "hiking".) The trail didn't look too challenging.......there are some parts more challenging than others, but not a bad hike

(the "stairs" were the worst part)
and wow!!!! what a view!!!!

We had a few stops along the way and our legs felt a little like jelly a couple of hours later. But we had a great time! And we made it all the way to the top!

Another thing I've "always wanted to do" and just didn't take the time or make the effort. I kept thinking of the early leaders of the church and Sis. Dalton and waving a flag..........kind of made me want to wave my own symbolic "ensign". I couldn't believe all the flowers!

Not lots, but it's been so cold lately and it was pretty windy on Friday. We were glad we had our jackets.

This is a picture of where we went............and now I know which peak is Ensign Peak!! I'm so glad we can find time now and then to be spontaneous.