Youth Conference

This weekend was our ward youth conference. We took the youth to CSU's mountain campus called Pingree Park. Part of the adventure was a challenge course on Saturday morning. It was great being a leader on the ground. I got to tell the kids to climb up this forty foot tower and then swing out on this giant swing. It was different when the Bishop and I did it at the end. I scrambled up the wall quickly and never looked down. When it was time to swing out, the guy wanted me to step out on this small platform. I told him no way, just tell me when to jump and I'll run over there and jump. I did it and after the intial fall it was a lot of fun. To see what I did, watch this video. The guy talking worked with our group.


Brant

Since we're on the summer theme...

"Michael "Squints" Palledorous walked a little taller that day. And we had to tip our hats to him. He was lucky she hadn't beat the CRAP out of him. We wouldn't have blamed her. What he'd done was sneaky, rotten, and low... and cool. Not another one among us would have ever in a million years even for a million dollars have the guts to put the move on the lifeguard. He did. He had kissed a woman. And he had kissed her long and good. We got banned from the pool forever that day. But every time we walked by after that, the lifeguard looked down from her tower, right over at Squints, and smiled."

same old, same old

Not too much new going on here. Seth starts working with athletes tomorrow, he gets to start bright and early at 6:15am. Up until now, he has just been learning about different work-outs and procedures. He'll be working with the football team and some other athletes. I did Farmer's Market on Saturday, thus the reason for Mom and Dad getting to do all the fun things with our kids. This next week I'll be busy with custom orders and getting the website updated. Does anyone know how to direct a website address to a blog? So that the blog address is a .com rather than blogspot.com?

I spy. . .

An Under Armor logo.

Summer Stuff

We don't send too many pictures of Adria smiling, so here's one. The first inning of play Braxton was assigned to be catcher? What does a catcher do? Why does he wear a helmet, mask and pad? Luckily I was able to be on the field to help him.

Baseball Braxton!

Bass Pro Shop

Yesterday Les took the kids up to free day at Bass Pro Shop. The kids got to shoot Laser Guns, Bow and Arrows and lots of other fun stuff. Aimee climbed all the way up the forty foot high climbing wall and rang the bell at the top. She scurried right up like a little monkey- she must have some of Uncle Travis in her. I was unable to attend as I was at our ward's youth conference. I'll post about my adventures later tonight when I get back home.

Brant

Beale Street - Memphis

Saturday is the one night of the week (expect Sunday) when we get off a little early, so we usually try to go see something in town or go out to eat just to relax from the week. Last Saturday night we went down town to Beale Street. It's know as "The Home of the Blues" and musicians like B B King and others once played there.

On the weekends (and maybe other nights) they block off Beale Street for several blocks and it becomes the place to see and be seen in Memphis. There are a lot of bars and clubs so they ID everyone going in at check points and we got some strange looks when not everyone in our group was 21 and we seemed to be surprised about having to show our ID's .

There are lots of live music venues, street performers, tourists, drunken college students and locals out on the prowl. All of this includes a heavy police presence. We ate a a local BBQ joint and tried to talk over the blaring live music and then took a stroll down the street. It kind of reminded me of the Vegas Strip. Somewhere you go to see the sights and have the experience, but not somewhere I would make a habit of going regularly.

In case you're wondering, a white guy in Old Navy jeans and a t-shirt does look a little out of place on Beale street, not too bad, but yes a little out of place.

Life on the Palouse

What is it? A couple of days ago we found this turtle in the street right at our driveway. He must have wandered up from the pond. Mom, Seth and Weston took him back to the pond and saw a couple of ducks with 10 ducklings each. Hordeman pond continues to be a wildlife mecca.

Yesterday was the safety fair at the rec-center by the pool. Mom and I took Weston and Koper. They had all kinds of organizations with booths about safety. They even gave away free bike helmets. There were fire engines, police cars, motorcycles, rescue vehicles, etc.
Here is Smokey Bear. He must have stood 7' tall. I kept tying to figure out if the guy inside was really that tall. Most of the kids were so intimidated they wouldn't go near him.

The weather has really cooled off. Yesterday it only got to the 60's. Today is a little warmer. It was my turn to conduct the combined 4 wards at church. We have been going back and forth about combining or un-combining. Finally today we decided to stay combined for the summer. There were about 230 people there.

Mom is officially through teaching. She does have to go back tomorrow to box up and move some stuff because they are going to be re-carpeting her room in a week or so.

We are going camping with Matt and Kimbre, Wednesday and Thursday. We will get a late start because Josh Boydston's funeral is Wednesday morning.

Grandpa's house is coming along nicely. I think everyone has finally decided the color isn't too bad. Grandpa is very pleased with it.

That's about it for now. Enjoy your summer. We'll see you in Denver is a few weeks.