Monday, January 21, 2019

Daddy-Daughter, Mommy-Son Weekend

Landon had a meet in California, but we couldn't all go, so Hallie went with Landon, and Mike and Eliza stayed home.

Earlier in the week, the kids had their usual routine of school and gym.

Mike and Hallie had work.

Fergus has a parasite, Mike thinks. Eww.

On Thursday morning, Hallie, Landon, and our neighbor Alicia hit the road for Nevada on their way out to Stanford for Landon's meet.

Here are some of the pics they took. Mike's writing, so Hallie will have to provide better captions later!

These look like they were at a circus museum. Maybe they went to Circus Circus Reno?


On the road through the Donner Pass.

At the Jelly Belly Jelly Bean Factory taking a tour.




Apparently Landon bought something?

Competition Time! Landon improved some in some events and did worse in others. It can be a challenge.

Beautiful Stanford

At the Winchester Mystery House



At the Mens' Meet at Stanford with friends from Utah . . .
 . . . and from California!

Sunday, January 13, 2019

New Year, New Meets

Here we are in 2019 along with the rest of the world. With the new church schedule, we also seem to have just a bit more afternoon/evening time to blog a bit. Here are the last couple of weeks in a nutshell.

On New Year's Day, we went with our neighbors to see Mary Poppins Returns. Quite the fun movie! It kind of grew on us for the next several days, and we have listened to the soundtrack several times already.

All too soon, the kids were back in school. They still had fun playing with their Christmas toys. 


Landon had his first meet of the year up at USA Gymnastics World. He medaled in a couple of events. There is more work to do, but he'll get there. 




We were thrilled that Natalie (Landon's birth mom) and her son were able to come up and see him too!



Mike is now one of Eliza's primary teachers! Her class is a high-energy group. He and his co-teacher have their work cut out for themselves.

Mike conferred the Aaronic Priesthood on Landon and ordained him to the office of Deacon on Sunday, January 6. This was all so sudden! up to a few short weeks ago, we thought we had until November to think about him having the priesthood, but no. Landon invited his coach Sam stood in the circle with Grandpa M. We have always been blessed to have good men in Landon's gymnastics life.


Camera filters. Fun! Someone was supposed to be getting ready for bed, but she begged her mom to play with camera filters and mom obliged.



We love the kids' teachers! Mrs. Haymond has been an awesome champion of Eliza, and we appreciate her support. Hallie went into the classroom to collect one of the students she works with and noticed Eliza helping her classmate. It was cute to be watching two Special Ed students working together.


Eliza got to share her ukulele skills at school for show and tell this week. She has three or four songs on her list already.

Hallie and the kids went to Colorado Springs for Landon's second meet of the season. Mike babysat the cat, taught his class (he highly recommends Religion of a Different Color by Paul Reeve. Mike attended Dr. Reeve's talk at BYU when he received the 2018 Kennedy Center Book of the Year Award, and he knew it would make a great fit for his class. Based on the quality of conversation he and his students had about the book, he was right), and helped out with fundraising at a meet at Airtime.

Hallie and the kids flew out with some of Landon's teammates.

The trio did not get to sit together but was pretty close. Decent flight for the price. Glad everyone got there safely.


They goofed around the Denver and Colorado Springs areas. If you look closely the 4 gymnast were up in a tree. Some of the parents were slightly nervous to see their boys up that high. Hallie just laughed.




Landon did his thing at the meet.



Former Victory Gymnastics Academy teammate Brandon Bzoskie competes for the Air Force Academy. Hallie was looking up at the right time and saw Brandon working out and invited him to watch his High Bar routine. Landon was shy to talk to Brandon, Hallie did most of the talking. Landon did say however that seeing Brandon made the night of not medaling a lot better.


Hotel pool is a requirement! Glad Hallie was able to get the kids having fun together on video.


Before coming home, they went to the Olympic Training Center. It was free to walk around the Visitors Center, so they did.





Life goals. There were some great quotes posted by Olympians. The one below was posted by a woman, and Hallie thought it was a great quote.

Hallie thought it was a bit comical that the bathroom sign had the gymnastics logo on it.



Then they took a tour of Hammond's Candies. Yummy!  Another great place to go for free. Not a huge tour but it was interesting to see the people really making the candy canes that we then bought in the next room at the gift shop.


 Not spelled exactly the same but you know we had to buy it for Eliza.

All too soon, it was back to the airport and home. They hung around a bit.






They got home really, really late after everyone had such a long Saturday! Sunday was a welcome break from the grind. Hallie was released from her calling and she was not extended a new calling yet. With all the traveling that will be happening over the next month or so, it will be a good thing to not have to find a sub.