Farewell to July

What a month full of fun, family and wonderful memories. Here's a recap and our favorite memories/moments of each event:

July 6-11th - Aly went to EFY in Provo, Utah. She had a blast. She met new friends and then stayed a few extra days to spend with Aaron and Savannah, and the Roberts.

Favorite memories for her? Her group, the Mighty Storm was amazing. They all wanted to be there, they all participated and it was a very spiritual experience for her. What a great group!

Aly's roommates included one of her best friends, Dani Chapman along with Abby and Mindy, who were from Mt. View, in Mesa. She absolutely loved her counselor, Shellie.

Then, after EFY ended, she spent some time with the Roberts, Jacque (who had driven up to Utah by herself...more on that to come) and Aaron and Savannah, who are up there for an internship that Aaron is doing in Lindon.

This is where Aaron is doing his internship. They are staying there until Aug. 25th...then back to Vermont for one more semester!

This is where Aaron and Savannah are sub-letting...in the basement. It is cute and comfy! Aaron really enjoyed having his sisters around for a little bit.
Brad and I were jealous that they were all together and checked on them a few too many times!

Sunday, July 12, Jacque headed on up to Logan, Utah where she was a counselor for the EFY program at Utah State. She did 3 different sessions. Her first was at NAU, in Flagstaff. Then, she did 2 sessions in Logan. She had the opportunity to be a counselor to both age groups (14-15 and 16-18). Both different, both challenging and both rewarding.
She met some wonderful new friends, one being Marci. She is going back to Utah often to visit all her new friends! This is one of her counselor groups.

While Jacque was in Utah, Brad and I headed back to Houston for our annual "lease on life"

where Dr. Kwak informed us that he felt he could use the CURE word. For Lymphoma?? THAT is a miracle and my heart was full of gratitude for this tender mercy from our Heavenly Father. There was a slight caution with this doctor's visit, but we aren't going to worry too much about it. Something about a slight chance of another cancer appearing due to the chemo I received. A very slight chance, one that we won't forget, but we also will not dwell on. "Come what may, and love it!!"

While there, Brad and I had the chance to help our neighbors. It was such a blessing, not a coincidence that we were both down there at the same time. Not only were we blessed, we had the opportunity to be instruments in the Lord's hand as He answered the prayers of others. Life is good!! Brad and I were also able to go to the Houston Temple for a session. This is always a treat and we look forward to it every year.

From Houston, we flew back to Phoenix, where Brad was picked up by Aly (who had the house to herself for 3 days...um huh!) and I flew on to Utah. I spent the next couple of days with Aaron, Savannah and my sis in West Jordan. Pam was so nice to open her house to all of us! She showed me how to be a real "Utahan!!"

We woke up at an obscene hour to hear what we thought was going to be the Mormon Tabernacle Choir....but alas, it was IN the tabernacle and sounded quite similar, but not the real deal. It was a sunrise service for the 24th of July Celebration. In Utah, of course, that day is a holiday. Complete with parade, activities commemoration the arrival of the pioneers and a great firework display thru out the cities. Bry, Charlie, Pam and myself wanted to see what all the fuss about the parade was, so we were able to get great seats on the grass and got a pleasant surprise:
Yes, President Eyring is waving to Bryant! (Thanks Pam for letting me borrow these pictures!)

Saturday afternoon, Aaron and Savannah went to the airport and picked up Brad and Aly who had flown in for Charlie's return talk and celebration. WOW...... it was so much fun to talk and hear about Charlie's mission in Italy! Not only did Charlie talk, but with his mom and Bryant, they sang a beautiful rendition of "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" that was touching and just perfect!

Monday, the Roberts, Grammy and Grampy and our family (minus Tyler and Jenny and Aaron, who were all working) went to the open house of the Mt. Oquirrh Temple. Can I say amazing??

This was inside the reception area that they had for all who were going thru the temple. It was a real special experience to share with our girls the feelings I have for the temple. It was gorgeous and there was a wonderful spirit while within the walls of the temple. While in Utah, I was also able to go thru a session with Charlie and Pam in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.

Brad and I flew home Monday evening and the girls drove home Tuesday. We are now back to our crazy schedule as we prepare for school at Highland, Chandler-Gilbert and ASU!

I love my family. It was absolutely wonderful to spend some time with Aaron and Savannah. We don't get to see them much and they keep telling us they aren't returning to the HEAT. Bah!!

Pam and Doug and their family were amazing to have so many people in their home all at once. Josh did so good! I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family and I love them dearly!!

Grandma and Watermelon

At Mt. Graham this past 4th of July, Grandma gave us a wonderful devotional. She wants us to think of WATERMELON as our family creed, our motto, something that will keep us together.
Why watermelon? It's yummy and easy to remember. But that is not all. WATERMELON stands for a lot more. Hopefully, the Weech family can remember to apply WATERMELON to our daily lives. It is a reminder to live life from our highest self. We do have the power to create and change events by what you believe. (And we have the Gospel of Jesus Christ as our foundation!!)

W - WHATEVER you believe creates your reality. Believe that life is a positive experience and it will be
A - ATTITUDE is the magic word. Your greatest asset is your attitude. Be positive regardless.
T - TOGETHER everyone achieves more. There are no limits to what we can accomplish together. "I am more than I am but less that WE are".
E - ENTHUSIASM is the wellspring of life. There is no limit to what can be accomplished with enough enthusiasm
R - RESPECT yourself, as well as others. When you begin to respect yourself, your whole world changes
M - MAKE commitments, not excuses. There is overwhelming power in the words "YES I WILL!"
E - EVERYDAY can be a fun day. Fun is the lubricant that keeps life moving forward. Laugh a lot
L - LOVE is the answer. Whatever the question, LOVE is the answer. It's the greatest force in the Universe.
O - ONE day at a time. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. All of life happens in increments of one.
N - NEVER give up or become a victim. You are guaranteed to lose if you give up. Winston Churchill was right, "Never, never, never give up." It works if you work it.

Sports In Action

Another stab at sharing some amazing photos at Columbine. Mind you, I actually took this picture! Jacque was in the outfield!!

Take a look at the wonderful pictures over at www.iheartfaces.com for some great shots!

PINK.....

is my new favorite color. I'm tickled pink. I'm thinking pink and I am definitely going to start looking (and buying) PINK things! Maybe a few purple things too!

Wanna guess why?????

Story in Photos - Patriotic Edition

I found this contest of photos that portray what patriotism is. This photo speaks volumes as you look at the faces of these young men as they carefully prepare the flag. Grandpa would be proud!

4th of July - 200th Post!

What a fun way to celebrate my 200th post! For the 4th of July Holiday, our Weech family traditionally traveled up to Mt. Graham and spent the weekend at Columbine with family and friends. Here is a small picture tribute to a wonderful weekend.

God bless America, - especially places that are one - of - a - kind

Land that I love, - who wouldn’t fall in love with a place like Columbine


Stand beside her and guide her - with patriotism running thru each of our hearts

Thru the night with a light from above; - strengthening family is such a big part.

From the mountains, to the prairies, - these mountains and its’ memories are not few

To the oceans white with foam, - Each day brings something fun to do

God bless America, - God bless our Family

My home, sweet home. - Our home, sweet Home

God bless America, - God bless our Family

My home, sweet home. - We are never alone.

PS: More pictures coming....200 more...more info to follow

Summer is Slippin' by....

One month of summer and where has it gone? I know what I've done. Homework.....homework....and more homework. Now, you could take this two ways. Being a Mom lets me ENJOY my "homework". I love trying new recipes, talking until midnight with my daughters and sharing some down time with my best friend...who happens to be my sweet husband. But the other type of homework? The type that has almost consumed this month of June? THAT would be homework from my math class. Oh, one more week. This weekend was pretty tame compared to last. LAST weekend, I had 18 pages of homework, a chapter exam to complete and turn in on Monday, a chapter test on Monday and Group project to prepare for on Tuesday. It was a crazy weekend.
I can't say that math has become my friend. We are constant companions and I am getting a grip on all that radical, exponential equation crap....did I just use that word??? Sorry!!
BUT, I am still doing decent in this class and can relax a tad as I prepare for my final this Thursday. Wish me luck....I will need it!

OH....for all you bloggers out there: Go to http://www.blurb.com/. There, you can download your blogs and make a book for your "family history" commandment. This past week, mine came in the mail. It is the coolest thing. I posted a link on the right hand side of my blog. It definitely justifies all this blogging because now...it is our family history!!

I also have a 2nd book made...it's about our 2000 Vacation. It's so fun to look back and see how young our kids were....of course, Brad and I look exactly the same...... (not!)

Summertime

I am 1/2 way thru my semester of summer Math at 7:15 a.m. in the morning. Did I mention that it is in the morning....every morning?? I feel like I am swimming in quadratic formulas, imaginary numbers and rules with x's and y's and most of the time I am dog-paddling just to keep my nose above the water. There is alot of information that seems so irrelevant to life. So far, my grade is respectable, but I'm pretty sure the "curve" of my grade is on the way down!! Sometimes I even try to go to bed early (aka 11:00 p.m.), but somehow, I never fall asleep before midnight. Old habits die hard.

As for the rest of the family? Jacque is up at NAU, as an EFY counselor for the 1st time. She has 4 different sessions that she is doing. For this session, she is over the 14-15 yr. old girls. She is learning that this is a very "attitudinal" age. Yes, that is a word. I gave her some pointers and hopefully she can win over those girls.

Aly has already gone to girls camp and had a blast. We had many people tell us that she was fun, amazing and the "queen of camp". What exactly does that mean?? She had an amazing YCL partner and I think they have the same type of personalities, because they....well, the pictures speak volumes.




Chasing a rat...nope, they never "found" it!




Love "kitchen duty"...look at those plastic gloves, keeping so sanitary!!

A little blurry, but I'm sure Aly is entertaining the crowds!!

Here she is, the MC of skit night. This is where she really shined. As only Aly can do. No one can ever tell me she is lacking in personality and inhibitions!

LOVE our Aly!!

Math, Mormons and Muslims...Oh My!!

I have finished one week of summer school. It's a math class which starts bright and early in the mornings at 7:20 a.m. and goes for 3 hours, 4 days a week. It's a very interesting class, but jammed pack. Who knew that so many people would wake up that early for a wonderful class of enlightening math??

About 1/2 way thru the class, the nice teacher gives us a break. This is when the fun starts, as there is a variety of people in my class. Last week, I was walking back to class following 2 individuals. One is a woman who brags about her motorcycle and the other is a younger man from a country that speaks Farsi. How do I know that is what he is speaking to his friend across the way? Because my friend across the way has a boyfriend who speaks Farsi and she is learning the language. Anyways.... She is talking to him about her kids and how they are all "Mormons". Here is the jist of the conversation:

"Well, all my kids are Mormon, but I'm not a very good one. I drink coffee and love my tattoos and ....well,.....actually I've been kicked out of the church."

Mr. Farsi: " Aahhhh, we have a lot in common with the Mormons"

"How so??"

"Well, they believe in having more than one wife, and in our country, we have the same belief."

"Oh no, those aren't the Mormons, they are called Polygamists."

"They aren't the same??"

"No"

"Aren't they the ones who have more than one wife, and when she isn't performing her duties, they hide in the mountains of Utah and get another one?"

By now, I'm just listening, as is most of the class. My friend across the way asks me why the Mormon religion is always being bashed. I reply I don't have the slightest clue.

He goes on to say that in their country, when they are dissatisfied with one wife, they just go get another.......just like the Mormons. It was quite funny and by then, the teacher realized her class had gone from Math to Sociology. I'm amazed at the many things you can learn in a math class!

Also, being in a math class and always sitting in the back brought me to the realization that I needed to get glasses....yes, I'm getting old. So, I thought I would share my new look!

On to another enlightening week of class.....

Taylor Swift

My, what a concert!! Thursday, we had 3 concert tickets for this concert and the 3rd ticket was for Jenny. She called that afternoon, saying that she wasn't feeling well. So I, graciously, went in her place. Of course, I'm not as fun as Jenny, but Jacque and Aly didn't mind too much. We were close to the floor, near the back tho, so most of the pictures are fuzzy.

Her concert was quite amazing. For an 18-yr. old, she is quite the entertainer and actually sings quite well in person. The audience, packed as it was, practically sang every song with her. She sang all the favorites, had multiple costume changes, sang IN the audience and ended her concert singing in a waterfall! Here are some fun pictures we tried to take:

Triathalon Lessons

1. Make sure you know how to get there. If not, make sure you can call someone (preferably one who can access a computer and be a great source of help)
2. Have all equipment ready to go and "state of the art" equipment - or at least, have a bike that is comparable in weight and function to the race and the athlete.
3. Know the terrain BEFORE you sign up, or BEFORE you start the course
4. Make adjustments if #3 is "out of your training capabilities"
5. No matter what, have fun
6. Finish and be proud of your accomplishments.

SO

I'm sure you can guess that SOME of the above lessons were learned this past weekend as Jacque attempted her first "MAXI-triathlon". That entailed a 300 meter swim (about 1/4 mile), a 21-mile bike ride (they were told on semi-flat terrain.....NOT!) and a 2 mile run. Sounds easy, right?? We forgot that we were in Prescott, or Chino Valley. Either one is NOT flat and had many hills.
We arrived nice and early. The night before, we got a little lost coming into Chino Valley at night. Good thing we had cell service and Dad was able to guide us right to the beautiful aquatic center.
In each lane, 2 laps are done. So, a total of 12 laps.

Here, we pulled up around 6:00 a.m. and got her bike out. We start looking around and notice that she is one of the ONLY mountain bikes around. Everyone else, and I mean everyone else are on sleek, thin-tired bikes. It would be like an older, bigger car racing against the newest, fastest sports car. We really didn't think anything about it, just made a few comments and got her space all ready.
(Notice the bike differences!!! OH MY!!) Yes, she is riding the nice blue mountain bike!
They are given the route and we realize that there are some major hills in the bike ride. It was actually a 7 mile ride, that would be done 3 times. So literally, she would be going uphill both ways. We just didn't realize HOW UP hill, it was...especially on that nice mountain bike. Her race started about 8:40 a.m. and she was off to a great swim. In fact, she took about 90 seconds off her best time for 300 meters! The laps look slow, but it is all in a good pace. Each racer is started in 20-second intervals.

OK...now on to the lovely bike ride. Chloe and I sit out in the car and wait....and wait....and wait. HMMMM....where is Jacque?? Chloe is Jacque's wonderful friend who went with us to cheer her on.
We look at the stopwatch we had and time is slippin' by. There she is...it's quite later than we thought so we ask: "Are you OK?"

"NO!! This bike is NOT going to make it 2 more laps."

Meaning....it's a lot harder than we thought, she has the wrong type of bike for this race and her body type and it's going to be a LONG bike ride. After 2 laps and 75 minutes later, Jacque resigns herself to just doing 2 laps (which is 14 miles). She then heads out for her 2 mile run.

They inform the runners before the race, that even tho it was announced as a flat run, they thought it would be "fun" to take the runners on a little hill at the end of the run. Mind you, they said little!
And at last, about 1 hour and 40 minutes later, she is near the finish line! We are so proud of her. Even tho she didn't technically finish the race, she gave it her best shot. Now, she just has to decide if biking is something she really likes or if she is just going to stay with the running type of races. Either way... we will be there to cheer her on!

To My Mom

I just wanted to share why I think my Mom is amazing. I went to hear her play for her Stake Conference last week and it was so beautiful. They sang "Come Thou Font", the arrangement by Mack Wilberg. Have you ever played one of his arrangements??? They are not easy, change keys as many times as he feels inspired and many of them are played with 4 hands. My mom pulled this off as if she were playing with angels. She has shared this talent of hers for all her life. She keeps telling us that it "will be the last time" and yet, her desire to serve and share always wins out. Thru her music, she has shared her life and touched many lives as she bears her own testimony when she plays. It's not just notes to her, it's words, it's praising her Savior thru her music.


But that's not all....

I started to think of all the things she does to make our lives happier. Our birthdays are celebrated with lunch, Sunday dinner and presents and cards from all. (And we have to count the underlines to see how much we are loved!) Holidays are always remembered with her house decorated, goodies for all the kids, advent calendars for Christmas, Easter treats, Halloween cupcakes....there is something for each holiday to make it a bit more special.


How many times has she gone to a concert, a soccer/baseball/football/wrestling/cheer leading/dancing/music activity that one of her grandkids is participating in?? Too many and many more to come. She is always there. She is the one who remembers all the little details, the flowers, the praise, the love. She gives it all.

But that is not the best reason why I love my mom. She is a best friend, one who is there when struggles are faced. She shares her faith, her love and her compassion and makes each of us a little stronger because she is there. Each of us has faced trials, and it is our Mom who is there to buoy us up, get us thru, encourage us, pray for us, and love us unconditionally. Her selflessness to all her family is felt daily and I am grateful I am privileged to call her Mom. When I grow up....I want to be just like her!!

I love you Mom....Happy Mother's Day!!