Updated picture

Senior pictures - done!  Here is one I snuck into with him.  We don't have many that are with me & him since I am usually the one taking the pictures.  I have to extend my deepest gratitude to the teacher and friend who took the pictures.  I loved every single one of them and I'm going to have the HARDEST time picking which photo to use for the graduation announcements.  I STILL can't believe he's a senior this year!  We have even started filling out the application for the University of Utah. 

Swim is going pretty good. There's only been one USA registered team meet and the high school has started practice but no meets for them yet.

School year under way

Senior year!  AH the memories!  Can't belive how fast the summer has gone by!  This time many years ago I was...well, never mind.

Josh only had 3 credit hours left to get at the beginning of this year in order to graduate.  After meeting with his school counselor we discovered that in order to meet the NCAA requirements for college he had to also take another science and math class.  There were also some classes that he wanted to do at the ALC (Advanced Learning Center).  They have classes that are leaning more towards the major you want to take.  He enrolled in the computer programming 1 & 2, Linux (this one wasn't planned but it turned out that way), a gaming app class, and a mobile app class.  He was really excited for the gaming and mobile app class (go figure).  So far, he is really enjoying them.  He has a program called RPG Maker that helps you make your own games and he has made a game with the program.  His gaming teacher found out and asked him to save the game to a flashdrive and bring it in so they could show the class.  Cool~!

Short course is now underway as well.  Practice just started this week so Josh is having to get back into the groove of practicing every day now that he no longer is working. 

I have been at Wasatch for 8 years now!  My anniversary date was Aug. 21.  Can't believe it's been that long....  And two days are still never the same.  We are a little short handed right now as one of the secretaries went on maternity leave and decided to be a stay-at-home mom.  There are now just 2 full time secretaries at the front desk and 2 part time.  Some days get pretty stressful but I think we're handling it great. 

Marlin has been busy planning for a garage.  We spent the last Sunday out in the backyard working on de-junking.  Nate & Amber came over and needless to say, they did most of the work out there.  Nate spent his day splitting the wood that has been out there drying out and Amber, Josh & I got to work on the ivy that continues to grow over our neighbors fence into our yard. 

Long Course Season is over

Wow, what an end to the long course swimming season it was for Josh.  We went to Cedar City for the Beehive Finale State Meet July 20 & 21.  He swam 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 100 back, 200 back and 200 I/M.  Busy couple of days for us both.  Here are his finishes respectively: 2nd, 3rd, 1st, 6th, 5th and 1st.  He also had some big time drops which hasn't happened for him in a while so it was really awesome that Marlin came with us to watch him.  His biggest drop was in the 200 back with almost 6 seconds!  I spent the weekend officiating so I got front row seating.  Makes it hard to be a mom however cause I want to cheer for him (I do sneak a couple of screams now and then) but it's frowned on because we are supposed to be unbiased officials.  I really try to make it so I'm not on deck when he swims and I take my credentials off so I can cheer. 

The last and final meet was the Long Course State Championship.  He qualified to swim on Thurs. July 25th for the 200 fly and Sat. the 27th for the 100 fly.  He also swam on a couple of relays; the 200 free and 400 free.  This meet didn't turn out quite like he had hoped but he still was amazing to watch.  He wasn't able to medal or ribbon for the 100 fly but he did metal in 8th place for his 200 fly.   His coach told him that leg of the relays were fast enough to be state cuts (why he doesn't swim that fast when he's in the individual events is hard for me to understand).  I've told him if he can swim them that fast in the relays, he can swim that fast in the individual events.  Time will tell.  He is very excited for next year, both short course and high school. 

Speaking of high school, I can't believe he's going to be a senior this year!  I know I'm going to be the biggest baby all year long.  Everything that happens in senior year just seems to be extra special. Makes me want to cry just thinking about it.  More about high school soon.

Lifeguard

Another thing I forgot to post...

Josh got his first job this summer!  He is working at the Spanish Fork Rec. Center as a lifeguard.  He says it's boring but then I remind him that boring is good for that job cause if he's busy that means someone needed to be rescued and they're doing something wrong.  I'm hoping that when school starts he will be able to go to the Springville or Provo pool and work so the income will keep coming for him.  I think Provo would be better with more hours but Springville is closer (obviously).

Califonia meet

Back in April we got the privilege to go to California for a swim meet for Josh.  He qualified for his 200 fly for the Far Western swim meet in Morgan Hill.  I was hoping to be able to spend a week traveling but I didn't have enough leave from work.

The day we left, we drove to Reno and spent the night at Circus Circus.  Marlin hit the gambling tables and me & Josh went to the Midway.  The next day we woke up & drove to San Francisco.  We went to the Golden Gate Bridge, drove down the crookedest street, visited the Coit Tower, and then went to Pier 49.  While we were there we ate dinner at Bubba Gumps.  Then we finished going to Morgan Hill.  We hit there about 9:30, kinda late for Josh since he had to swim early the next morning.

When we got to the meet the next morning it was kinda chilly.  Josh was the first event of the day, the second heat.  He got to the blocks and got set.  As the starter went off, someone had false started and the swimmers were called back, unfortunately Josh and the swimmer next to him didn't hear the call back sound and swam a full 50 meters before they were stopped.  Their heat had to get out of the water and got to the area where the starter & referee stood.  The next heart went and then Josh's heat got ready to go again.  Good start this time but by the end of the race Marlin & I could really see Josh was struggling to get to the wall.  He did finish the race but was TOTALLY exhausted.

We went back to the room and let him rest for a bit and then decided to go to Monterey and spent some time at Cannery Row. That was a pretty cool place.

The next morning we got up and drove to Lake Tahoe and saw Emerald Bay and then drive back to Reno.  Spent more time at the Midway and Marlin at the tables.  Then it was back to home.

We had a great time and me & Josh really enjoyed being able to spend some VERY nice quality time with Marlin and each other.

Had an awesome weekend!  Josh had a wonderful birthday...had 3 friends stay Friday night and Saturday had more friends & family join us at Hang Time in Orem.  2 hours of jumping, cake made by my fabulous sister & ice cream and it was back to the house to play some Wii games that he got for his birthday.  Then Saturday night Desi got to spend the night with us.  On Sunday Tyson, Ashly, Amber, Nate & all the kids were at the house for the afternoon.  Need to have more weekends like that!  Enjoyed every minute of it!

Here we are in St. George so Josh can swim in the Senior Champ State swim meet.  Today he swam in the 100 fly, 50 free & 100 back.  His seed time in the fly was 57.45 and he ended with a 1:00.something.  So, not a great time but oh well.  He was on his seed times in his 50 free & 100 back so that's good.  Tomorrow he swims 200 fly which is his best event and the 100 free.  

Last weekend he swam in the high school 4A state meet in the 100 fly.  He went in seeded in the 18th place statewide & finished in 10th.  He won his heat but had to come back from a slow start.  At the end the first leg, he was in 4th & overtook 1st place the last 10 yards.  Very exciting race!  It  was awesome!  I wasn't officiating so I got to scream & boy did I!