1st Day of Jr. Golf...

Our town has a Jr. Golf program during the summer, so the teenager signed up this year so he could continue to compete and improve his game and try out for Varsity Golf at the High School next year.... that is the plan anyway.

So today was the 1st day of Jr. golf. They kind of divide up between the two golf courses in the area by age and ability, and "the teenager" was right on the cusp... so he thought he wanted to play down (so he would feel on top of the pile) instead of up (and getting "his butt handed to him every week" in his words).

This was much much much against what his mom and dad, his golf coach, his golf guru he works for a the golf course thought and advised for what we all thought was best for him to improve.

So today when we showed up there were a ton of 10, 11, 12 year olds a couple of girls and "the teenager". He played an awesome game, it built up his confidence, and he finally convinced he needs to move up to the upper level! Whew! Really glad that came sooner than later.

I do have selfish reasons... at the lower level parents have to come keep score, and at the upper level that is not required because the kids can keep their own scores.

I did keep score today for my first time... it went fine, but they put me with a different group than with my kid (parents can't keep score for their own kids). I had 4 young boys in which two of them tried and tried to argue that I couldn't count, and they didn't have that many strokes, even when I had every stroke written down. At the end of the 1st 2 holes, we would have to recount and remember each and every stroke they made... "no the second stroke was over by the tree and then you hit it into th e rough" finally, I had to finger out to them which stroke they were on each time they hit the ball, and then they would agreed with me at the end of the hole when I took out anything for them to argue about. I'm a quick learner... I have lived with a master manipulator slash negotiator for a few years now! Luckily it was my first and last time having to keep score!

Whew! I won't have to kill someone else's kid! Whew!

(no really they were pretty good kids, I am kind of just being sarcastic!)

One of the teenagers friends from school is really bummed out he is leaving to play up at the other course next week. He was kind of the only kid she knew on this course. I tried to hang back and just watch... and as I hear her say "hi" to him when we first arrived, I wasn't sure if he responded. Then after they had sign in's, I heard her walk by and say "hi" again... this time the teenager walks in a different direction and says "hi" back, pretty short and sweet, but keeps on going away from her. She stopped and looked down at the ground, I could feel her frustration, it was so thick you could cut it with a knife!

So I just looked over at her and said "I guess, he's a man of few words today ", she smiled and said "usually he is giving me such a hard time at school I can't get a word in otherwise" and laughed.

Making excuses for what now seemed like "THE RUDE TEENAGER" because I realize he actually knows her well. I said "well maybe he's just got his game face on".

So shortly after they finished golfing, I see them sitting and talking together, she seemed like a "lovely girl" with no "horrid habits" (my favorite line from the parent trap). But just a friend from school, he is still pretty afraid of getting girl germs because he will text with them, but in person - calm cool and collected on the outside, but eeeewwwwww coodies on the inside! I guess at this point as his mother I am ay-okay with that.

Oh and as it turns out her last name is Rhoades... I wonder if she is related to the Rhoades Bakery family in this area?

When we finished up there was another group of really really young kids getting ready to start the next round. Their golf bags were little miniature versions of the big guys, sooooo cute! And one of the girls had a barbie golf bag with pink sparkly golf balls and tees! How cute is that!!!!

But we had to giggle, most of them had 3 clubs... "the driver, the wedge and the putter... that's all a real golfer needs in his bag!" according to the teenager! Laughing out Loud!!!

Well it was fun while it lasted, next week he moves up with the big boys and no Mom's allowed, so I will have to get the low down from another source.

YCL's Signing to "Proud to be an American"

I am so excited planning, organizing and getting things in place for girls camp in July!

One of our Assistant Camp Directors is teaching the YCL's (youth camp leaders 16-17 year olds) to sign this song for part of a patriotic program they are doing at camp.

This was only the second time they had done it together... I think they are learning it really fast. (I know I should have been down there practicing it too, but someone has to document the moment!)

Looking good girls!!!

Future Missionary...

I know.... with all the little influences, the letters home from his cousin "the missionary" in Chilie, having the missionaries in our home, meeting new friends who have served on missions, and finally being in a ward long enough to know a missionary before he leaves and see him come home, all are having an effect on the teenager.

If you listen carefully, you can hear him singing "Called to Serve"... I love it, this really does a mothers heart good to hear this!

I am loving having a chauffeur drive me around to do my errands, and I would never hurt his feelings or embarrass him with something horrible that would taint him for life. But he didn't know I had the video running... so shhhhhh, don't tell him. I think this just falls into the "proud mom, remember this moment" catagory, not the "I will never talk to you again for posting me singing on the internet" catagory. Don't you agree?

He is a good kid, a good driver... and a good future missionary at this point.

(yes, that is sportsmans warehouse in the background... another campout this weekend, another item he just can't live without... good thing he has a job and his own money now! I swear our car just goes there itself)

Boxer Puppy growing up... Ali and Bob going north

My client (Bob) that got the boxer puppy, came through town the other day on his way to Northern Idaho to go work for the summer. So the teenager and I went to meet him to pick up some paperwork, and get a hug from our favorite boxer puppy Ali (as in the boxer Mohamed Ali, cute huh).

She has really settled in with Bob, she loves to go for rides, but she gets so comfortable she doesn't even wake up when they get there.
Bob couldn't believe how much the teenager had grown and gotten taller than him in just a couple of months... so being the funny guy he is... he bends his knees in EVERY picture!! Ha ha, very funny Bob!
Here is the crew headed up north to work.

Bob, Ronnie, and his son who just returned from a mission in Brazil last month.

It was really cool to talk with Toby (the return missionary).

Ali... really looks like she is ready to go work huh!

Taylors big girl collar...

I haven't been very bloggy the past few days, but I have been busy and I remembered to take a few pictures to capture some of the moments so I could get them on my blog later.

So here is my attempt to catch up, so I don't forget these precious moments!

Taylor outgrew her baby collar (actually I think it was a hand-me-down dachshund collar, but we didn't tell her that). I had to go buy her a big girl collar... I couldn't decide between the pink camo and the red... the rest were all boy looking collars. Oh and they did have a "gel" collar, but I am too cheap to fork out the money for something like that... although of all my dogs, Taylor would have gotten the best use out of the "gel"collar with all the tugging and HANGING on we do with her collar.

Everyone that see's her says she is going to be a huge dog if she is this big at 6 months, but other than having to go to a large collar, we don't think she is that big.

She might always be our "little girl".

I have put a count down to obedience training class... it just can't get here too soon!

Camporee wrap up...

All the loading and packing time paid off, they didn't get to Camporee without something they needed.. well except my strong silent mysterious man did leave without his duffle of clothes... but wifey to the rescue, I found it and caught them before they were more than 10 miles out of town and took it to him.

The boys made it home safe and sound from the camporee... only one minor incident with fire and some senging of the bangs... and it was not one of our boys! Whew...

The leaders found a nice quiet safe place they could put them on time out and keep a close eye on them...

The teenager was put to work and didn't get much down time on this trip, but he had a great time.

At the end of the campout, one of our long time scouters in our ward, who he assisted cooking this campout. Presented him with a walking stick he had made especially for him...
Hand carved with his name and some special Eagle Scout insignia's, and leather wrapped...

And these balls are carved out of the same piece of wood, so they are inside the stick! How cool is that! No telling how long he worked on this project...
I wish I could have been there, the leader that gave it to him was tearing up, he was so proud... then the teenager began to tear up, he was so honored!