I hate being sick!

This is going to be a wimpy post...so if you continue to read....you do so at your own risk! I HATE BEING SICK! Wow! Already I feel better. Derek, Aaron and I all tested positive for Strep Throat. Yuck! I am being a baby about it too! I hurt, I can't get comfortable, reading isn't appealing, eating isn't appealing, sleeping isn't appealing...so what else can I do but blog! (I can't even remember if I am spelling appealing right.) My sister had Strep over thanksgiving weekend and she was so pleasant, cute and fun (and let me and mom win at cards!). I just want to hit anything that comes close to me. Derek has been playing the piano and eating and kicking the soccer ball and driving me crazy! Aaron has been laying on the couch watching movies. And I have been moaning and whining and driving everyone else crazy. Trina even called to cheer me up and I whined at her (poor dear)! Okay----the rant is over. Being sick has helped me to appreciate my healthy body. I know I will feel better soon and this will make me a better person?!?!?!?!

Derek took 5th!

I can't help but be proud. I know it is silly and probably vain, too--but I love it when my kids excell! This is Derek's first year at cross country (xc). He is a junior and decided to run to get in shape for soccer. Yes, this is also the reason that Derek plays basketball: to get in shape for soccer. Is there a theme here? My son is always getting in shape for soccer. (Yes, we do eat, sleep, drink, and think soccer year round at the Hawks home!) So, cross country isn't a sport that he has taken very seriously. Yes, he works hard during practice, but it is not his passion. Today was region and he took 5th overall. He placed 1st for the team. The boy's team was able to qualify for state. (we took 2nd at region, whew!) Derek paced himself during the race and SPRINTED for the finish line. I must admit, my eyes got a little sweaty! I love it when he digs down deep and finishes strong. It makes my heart leap! I am struggling with the pictures, so I will try again later when I am not tempted to use a baseball bat on this computer. ;)

Because I like to be toot!

Me: "Whytney, why are you so cute?"

Whytney: "because I like to be toot!"

Three is such a fun age. Everything she does is new and exciting and cute! I can't wait to see what she'll do or say next. I wish that I could just store all these moments and bring them out on bad days 10 years from now. Well, for now, I will just cherish these moments because she is just so cute!

Staples??

So this post is about Athena, my college student. (where did the time go?) Several weeks ago, I said to her, "Athena, Grandma Secrest wants to get you some staples to take to college." Take a minute and think what this statement means to you....... Athena had a strange look on her face and said "staples? Why would grandma want to by me staples?" I then described that staples were necessary items to fill a food pantry with, you know, flour, sugar, salt, pepper, etc. She had thought that grandma wanted to get her staples for a stapler! Wierd? Or maybe take her to the store Staples. I wanted to see if this was just an Athena thing or if it was generational. So I asked her friend Shea. Shea had a blank look instead of a confused look, but didn't know the phrase either. Athena explained the concept and he said "oh". It is a silly thing, but this account has been fun to share. I truly believe that it is the small things that bring us joy. "staples?"

My favorite pictures of Derek!

Red Devils 2nd @ State!!

We are so proud of our GCHS Soccer team. They had an amazing season (17-1-1) and took 2nd at State. Jimmy spent a lot (and I mean A LOT) of time helping coach this team. I think that it was a very rewarding season for him. Derek is a sophomore and has a starting position on defense. He is so fast! I love to watch him play. We went to a program by the Latter-day Voices. They had cool red shirts with the word "defense" in bold white letters. Jimmy asked how he could get one for Derek and Bro. Salmond's wife (the director) give hers to Derek. He was so excited. It looks good on him too. I'll see if I can get him to pose and post it later.

One of the funnest things about this weekend was spending time with my sister. She spoils us and is much fun to be around. I love that my kids look forward to the trip as much as I do. I used to wait till the day of our trip to let them know that we were traveling to SL or they would hound me everyday. But this trip I was too excited and we had a countdown together. Cousins are the best, sisters are awesome too!

A suggestion for world peace!

I have come up with the best solution for world peace. Everyone needs Chris Holyoak for a neighbor. If they can't have Chris, perhaps they could just talk to Chris every day (okay that really may not work--Chris just can't talk to everyone). Well, now I think I have a better understanding of why our neighborhood works so well. Chris is in the center! It makes me realize that the saying "Christ is the center of our home" is really a profound thought. Chris tries to follow the Savior and our neighborhood (and her family) is blessed. I really am making a short story long, but the bottom line is that Chris makes herself available for people. Tierra wanted a new skirt for Easter. I am not a seamstress, nor do I have any patterns, so off we headed to Chris' house. She set us up with a pattern and directions. About every half hour later we were off to Chris' house to ask another question or to make sure what we were doing was right. Later that night Tierra has a new skirt that she sewed herself, a big smile on her face and twinkles in her eyes. This all happened because Chris Holyoak is my neighbor!

Happy Anniversary to us!

Yesterday, Jimmy and I celebrated 19 years of marriage. I think that the most amazing thing is that it really seems like yesterday that we were married. I still love his kisses. I think he has the best smile. I love it when he holds my hand and looks into my eyes. His eyes are the prettiest blue I have ever seen and he hides them behind glasses:( He is thoughtful, wise, sensitive, cuddly, warm, and sexy. Jimmy is an amazing father, an awesome provider, a near perfect husband (I would say perfect, but I think we are going to a soccer game on our anniversary trip this weekend!) and honors his priesthood. He can hike 20 miles with his scouts and still take on the soccer team (perhaps with a limp) He knows me better than anyone else and still loves me! He is my best friend and the person who makes me happiest in the world. I am so glad that he chose me to be his eternal companion!

DEBATE STATE CHAMPS!!! 4TH YEAR IN A ROW

Yes, debate took state again this year by one point! Athena competed in impromtu and took 2nd! We are very pleased with this young lady! No pictures, but it is tradition at our school to ride the fire truck into town escorted by cars following along tooting their horns. Athena was so excited! Anyway, we are happy for her.

Soccer season has hit! Jimmy is helping coach the high school team and Derek is a starting player. So far the scores have been 12-0, 7-0. Derek plays defense and their goal is to have a year with total shut outs! So far so good!! Jameson and Arthur are also playing soccer and loving every minute ! Tierra was involved in the spring volleyball tournaments and loved it (until it became too competitive)! So for the most part we have been pretty busy!

This is so True!

This is a long read, but well worth it! (think Dr. Seuss)


LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME NOW!
YOU COULD DO WHAT I DO IF YOU ONLY KNEW HOW.
I STUDY THE SCRIPTURES ONE HOUR EACH DAY;
I BAKE, I UPHOLSTER, I SCRUB AND I PRAY
I ALWAYS KEEP ALL THE COMMANDMENTS COMPLETELY;
I SPEAK TO MY LITTLE ONES GENTLY AND SWEETLY.
I HELP IN THEIR CLASSROOMS! I SEW ALL THEY WEAR!
I DRIVE THEM TO PRACTIVE! I CUT ALL THEIR HAIR!
I MEMORIZE NAMES OF THE GENERAL AUTHORITIES;
I FOCUS ON THINGS TO BE DONE BY PRIORITIES
I PLAY THE PIANO! I BLESS WITH MY TALENTS!
MY TOILETS ALL SPARKLE! MY CHECKBOOKS ALL BALANCE!
EACH WEEK EVERY CHILD GETS A ONE-ON-ONE DATE;
I ATTEND ALL MY MEETINGS (ON TIME! NEVER LATE!)
I'M TAKING A CLASS ON THE TEACHINGS OF PAUL,
BUT THAT IS NOT ALL! OH, NO, THAT IS NOT ALL.
I TRACK MY BAD HABITS 'TIL EACH IS ABOLISHED;
OUR T-SHIRTS ARE IRONED! MY TOENAILS ARE POLISHED!
OUR FAMILY HOME EVENINGS ARE ALWAYS DELIGHTFUL;
THE LESSONS I GIVE ARE BOTH FUN AND INSIGHTFUL.
I DO GENEALOGY FAITHFULLY, TOO. IT'S EASY TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT I DO!
I RISE EACH DAY EARLY, REFRESHED AND AWAKE;
I KNOW ALL THE NAMES OF EACH YOUTH IN MY STAKE!
I READ TO MY CHILDREN! I HELP ALL MY NEIGHBORS!
I BLESS THE COMMUNITY, TOO, WITH MY LABORS.
I EXERCISE AND I COOK MENUS GOURMET;
MY VISITING TEACHING IS DONE THE FIRST DAY!
(I ALSO GO DO IT FOR SOMEONE WHO MISSED HERS.
IT'S THE LEAST I CAN DO FOR MY CHERISHED WARD SISTERS.)
I CHART RESOLUTIONS AND CHECK OFF EACH GOAL;
I SEEK EACH 'LOST LAMB' ON MY PRIMARY ROLL.
I CAN HOME-GROWN PRODUCE EACH SUMMER AND FALL
BUT THAT IS NOT ALL! OH, NO. THAT IS NOT ALL.
I WRITE IN MY JOURNAL! I SING IN THE CHOIR!
EACH DAY, I WRITE 'THANK YOU'S TO THOSE I ADMIRE.
MY SONS WERE ALL EAGLES WHEN THEY WERE FOURTEEN!
MY KIDS GET STRAIGHT A'S! AND THEIR BEDROOMS ARE CLEAN!
I HAVE A HOME BUSINESS TO HELP MAKE SOME MONEY;
I ALWAYS LOOK BEAUTIFULLY GROOMED FOR MY HONEY.
I GO TO THE TEMPLE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK;
I CHANGE THE CAR'S TIRES! I FIX THE SINK'S LEAK!
I GRIND MY OWN WHEAT AND I BAKE ALL OUR BREAD;
I HAVE ALL OUR MEALS PLANNED OUT SIX MONTHS AHEAD.
I MAKE SURE I ROTATE OUR TWO-YEAR' SUPPLY;
MY SHOPPING FOR CHRISTMAS IS DONE BY JULY!
THESE THINGS ARE NOT HARD; 'TIS GOOD IF YOU DO THEM
YOU CAN IF YOU TRY! JUST SET GOALS AND PERSUE THEM!
IT'S EASY TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT I DO!
IF YOU PLAN AND WORK SMART, YOU CAN DO THEM ALL, TOO!*


*IT'S EASY! SHE SAID AND THEN SHE DROPPED DEAD!



I've been feeling a little frustrated that I can't seem to do it all! This poem helped to put things into perspective!

We love thy house, O Lord.

Last weekend we took a trip to SLC to attend the DRAPER TEMPLE OPEN HOUSE! We got to go with my sister's family (Katrina) and my mom and dad. Too much fun! We encourage everyone to go--there is still time. My sister's blog had a picture of her family in front of the picture of Christ. We copied her (as we often seem to do). We loved the open house; I think that my boys favorite part was the cookies at the end! I'm glad that we could go with our family!

A new call

I recently was called to the Stake Primary presidency (as the secretary). I am excited for this new challenge and really excited to be working with some awesome ladies (Cindy Bleggi, Jill Tatton, Kim Shafer, Cindy Erekson, and Ninarose Harmison). Jimmy thinks it will be more play than anything. So be it! I am sad about being released from Webelos. After the initial shock of being called to webelos leader, I actually became quite attached to the boys and all the fun. I think that I was just having too much fun! I officially give my permission to put me right back into Webelos after this stint in the stake.

Easter or Valentines??

Valentines was fun this year. Jimmy gave the girls (me included) a chocolate rose and the boys a kit kat with instructions to find more candy. He thought that they would look for them leisurely throughout the day (like when the opened the fridge for a glass of milk, etc.) oh no! These kids hunted high and low until every chocolate was found. It was a lot of fun to see them scramble around. I didn't realize that the game included me and I found my chocolates leisurely throughout the day. What a surprise to find chocolate in my purse, in the microwave, and in the shower. What a fun guy!

Happy B-day Jameson and Aaron

My boys recently had birthdays. Jameson is now 7 (pictured above) and Aaron turned 10 on the 5th. (I have no idea what I did with his pictures. I hate to think that we didn't take any, but that is very possible!) Aaron is now in my webelos group. He has been attending since I was called, but now he can officially get all the activity badges. I've also got a new calling. I get to be the Dry Pack Specialist. I know this calling will greatly benefit my family, and will be pretty low-key.

Honor Society

Derek is a new member of the Honor Society. The top picture shows him signing in. Athena is at his side. She was able to escort him up. She gave him a piggy back ride! The bottom picture is of his fellow classmates. We found out at 6:30 that he was "in". So we had 20 mins. to get ready. We had a little communication error with our other teenager. Anyway, we are immensely pleased with Derek.

it's cold

Last Monday, we went to the waterfall and Ken's lake. The weather was so wonderful. The lake was frozen over and so the children enjoyed "ice skating". The ice was 4-8 inches deep, and there were quite a few ice-fisherman on the lake (yes, I thought of Brian and Steve Norman). The hike to the waterfall was just right for Whytney's little legs, yet challenging enough to wear off some of the redheads energy (of course, they hop from rock to rock to rock to rock to rock...) We certainly haven't hiked enough this year. I hope this starts a new trend.

Winter homecoming 2009

It's been a busy week for Athena! On Tuesday, we went to SLC so that Athena could be a part of the new Jenny Phillip's CD to be released in August. She is a part of the Jenny Phillip's choir and they were invited to sing on the new CD. It was only 1 song, but Athena got to sing in a real recording studio and her name will appear on the CD. She walked into the studio very nervous and walked out of the studio walking on clouds. We left Moab at noon and got home at midnight. It was a crazy trip. I got to see my sister for 2 hours (wish it could of been longer)! So that alone made the trip worth it to me;) My sister has a tendency to spoil me and my family. We came home with lots of hand-me-downs and new clothes (from a store that went out of business)! My sister is very thoughtful and I will think of her every time we wear the clothes! THANKS TRINA!

Then on Thursday was the Senior Snowball. It is now taking the place of winter homecoming. Athena got to be a part of royalty. Here are some pics. I happen to think that she was the prettiest girl there (she was certainly the most modest!) Jimmy's sister Chris made a jacket for the dress and made it sparkle. Jasmine and Cassie did her hair and nails, so she felt like a princess. Her date was Lacie Walker and they had a great time.

Updated!

Okay, so it has been awhile since I have posted. Gees, we are busy. Mostly, we are trying to get back into the swing of things now that the holidays are over sob:(, sob:( I think that I enjoyed being with my family (Jimmy in particular) over the holidays too much! It's so nice not to have any responsibilities, to sleep in, and play all day. Now back to the real world. Hopefully, I will find a little more time to post.

Aaron's first year at Basketball! He loves it. He is very good at defense, a little exuberant at shooting (the ball usually is an "air ball") and very enthusiastic about playing. It's been fun to watch him.

Our niece, Ashley Holyoak was recently married in the Mt. Timpanogas temple to Jacob Mason (Jan 2). They are a delightful couple and it was a joy to go to their sealing. I love sealings, I get all weepy. I always remember back to the time Jimmy and I were sealed for time and all eternity. Marrying Jimmy was definitely the best decision I ever made. His family is pretty cool too! Anyway, here's a picture of Ashley!