Overdue Update

I thought I would be able to update once a month but even that seems to be too hard. I'll try to be better. I don't really have any funny stories or great events that have happened so I'll just update on each of us during the last couple weeks. Although when I post like this it usually becomes a novel and hard to follow but it will at least be a record for us what happened in the last couple weeks.

Brian and my sister arranged for her to surprise me this last weekend. It was fun to have her around. Her little girls are so fun to have around and they are sweet to let me brush their long hair, something that I have missed. I realized what a busy schedule I actually do have. Not that I didn't notice before, believe me I've been stressed several times trying to make everyone's schedule and doing it mostly by myself because Brian has his own soccer team with his own practices and games which are 4-5 days a week and maybe by some small miracle Tyler might have a practice at the same time and can go with him. But, having a witness or someone actually watch my craziness with her own children made me realize it even more. I love it though!

Jensen is very busy trying to stay on top of school. With every term ending, Jens and his parents are frantically trying to get any late, incomplete work turned if it's still able to get any credit. I am amazed that every time, he's able to get it in and that his teachers are willing to accept late work. I must admit that I am a bit selfish and want to watch my boys play all their activities even though I would like them to suffer the natural consequences. That to me as a parent, to let the consequences occur through their own free agency, is one of the hardest things to do. Needless to say he's gotten through another term and can participate fully in soccer and go on his ballroom tour to California during the middle of this month.
In one of his last soccer games against the very physical (that's saying it nicely) Springville Devils, he was kicked in the temple and knocked to the ground. Both the coach and trainer ran to the field without being "allowed" from the referee to enter the field to see if Jens was ok. He was awake but suffered a minor concussion. He was asked a bunch of questions like...Where are you? Jens answered "I'm playing soccer", he was then asked..."who are you playing", his reply was "Payson". It's interesting he said that because he wasn't able to even be at the Payson game because of ballroom nationals at BYU. The game at Timpview (3-2)was a good win but the team to beat this year has seemed to be Orem Tigers. Provo played them in the last game last Thursday and lost (2-1) a sad loss. Most of Orem was filled with players mostly from Jensen's club soccer team, UC Strikers Barcelona who ended up 3rd, I believe in the state finals last year. One thing I'd like to mention about soccer or any sport is good sportsmanship. It is very easy to be a good sport when you win! to go over to the other team shake their hand and congratulate them. You feel good about your win! It is when you loose that you show true sportsmanship. I believe it shows huge integrity when a loss occurs that you congratulate the winning team whole heartedly. Be a classy athelete!
Jens asked a dancer to prom a couple weeks ago. Here is how he wanted to ask her. He wanted her to come to one his games and during half time have his whole team surround him and go out into the middle of the field and yell out to her..."K...would you go to prom with...? and they all run away leaving Jens holding a bouquet of flowers. I thought it was a great idea. and virtually free. (Last year we spent close to 50.00 on just the asking of M...) Obsticles Jens had to go through was his coach wouldn't allow him to do that during half time, it wasn't as fun when you're loosing, his team forgot to even follow through with it and most importantly, K couldn't leave her own track practice to come over to the game. Jens decided that another way would be better and not to involve his team. I bought the flowers and kept them in the fridge for almost a week. Every year the ballroom team goes out to dinner at Brick Oven. Spur of the moment I thought that having one of the waitresses go up to K during their dinner and ask if she'd go to prom with Jens. Since it was not planned he did not have the flowers with him, I brought them and also a video camera. It was very cute. She answered him a couple days later with a very fun scavenger hunt. I also videoed this. Perhaps I will remember how to load the video on here to share with you.
Ballroom updates are as follows...Jens and Michelle and Katie H. competed their usual individual events. The team events were a bit more sucessful. An event called team match which Provo has won the last 4 years went again as a win. Medleys which Jens is in both the Standard (Mary Poppins) and Latin (Gloria) won 2nd and 4th respectively. Provo has not gotten higher than 3rd in any medley any year. This was a great feat especially since this medley is new. Here is the ballroom concert dates and times. I have loved going to these even when I had no one dancing. All members of our family except Brian will be dancing in at least one dance. I will even get to dance with Jens for the parent dance again! It is well worth it!

Here are the concert dates: May 9-10 - Ballroom Dance Concert. Friday and Saturday nights 7:00 PM, SaturdayMatinee 2:00 PM. Tickets are $7 at the door, $5 presale, $20 family ticket (upto 6 people). The last show on Saturday night is usually the best.

Right after the last posting Tyler got some new glasses. Here is a funny story about him durng the first couple days of him having glasses. He had a cute little girl write a note to another little girl about how cute Tyler was now that he had glasses. She shared that note with Tyler later that day. She didn't know if it was the glasses or just that he had fixed his hair differently that made him look cuter. He does look remarkably handsome with his glasses.
Next year Tyler wants to attend a regular school because he doesn't want to wear the uniform and for me that's the best part of the charter school. Not only does it keep everyone looking the same and you don't notice popular expensive brand name clothing, he can wear the same thing over again and it just doesn't matter, everyone else is doing the same thing! It's awesome! He doesn't even have to worry about what to wear.
Tyler is very busy (as well as me) playing on two soccer teams this spring. He plays on the club team but also joined the school team and is a keeper (goalie). A position that he loves to play and wished he could play on his club team. His school team is coed and is so fun to watch because everyone playing is trying so hard and doesn't always have the best ability but they try hard, thus giving Tyler more practice in the goal (hehe). They have played 3 games and the last game they won. Tyler is busy every day for muliple hours trying to balance between the two soccer practices, ballroom practices, and games.
Ballroom is something relatively new to Tyler this year and he really likes it. He is on an after school dance team that Provo HS teaches. What the other students have already learned in their school classes, Tyler has to learn right there on the spot, plus he is one of the youngest dancers. He will also be participating in the Provo HS concert. They particpated also in nationals. He danced with a cute little girl named Sierra in newcomer swing. They decided to do this days before nationals. They were not expecting any callbacks but got called back one time. How exciting!

Christian is very busy reffing soccer games. Nearly every day and several times on Saturday he refs a game usually with his older brother. He has more experience having passed the test early in his years and so has been able to ref for several years now. Having that experience has enabled Christian to center games, meaning he is the center referee and gets paid more (close to twice as much) as the side referees. Everyone should learn to ref! No other job pays this great money but it doesn't come easy. You must have a stiff neck and learn to ignore many coaches and spectators. Depending on which level he is reffing he can make anywhere from 20-30 dollars for centering. A game is usually about 1-1/2 hours long. Even for an adult that is good money!
Christian is kicking himself for not trying out for the high school team. He was afraid he wouldn't make the team. But I'm sure he would have made it. He wanted to try something new, something totally new, never touching a bat, he tried baseball. Unfortunately he didn't make the team but was told that he has some natural talent there. He attends every soccer game and watches his friends in the JV games.
I am so grateful for Christian's determination to get good grades. He doesn't need to be prodded and sees the need to get assignments turned in on time. He is a great student and is enjoyed by many of his teachers with his quick witted humor.
Christian also recently got glasses. Brian took him for an eye exam and the doctor was very surprised that this was the first time for him to get glasses. His eyes were badly misshaped. He has had to retrain his eyes to see things to make his brain believe he was seeing things correctly. Now his brain has been trained to see things wrong and he actually sees things right with his glasses. Retraining begins again.
Christian is looking forward to driving and taking every oppurtunity of mom or dad being nice after church to let him drive home. He just needs his permit.

Have a good month looking forward to wonderful spring days ahead!