4 in 24

This afternoon my lacrosse team is headed to Colorado to play 4 games in 24 hours. Whoa... that is a lot of lacrosse for them. Normally we have a tough game followed by a not-so-tough game so it all works out. This weekend they will all be tough (except maybe the last one, fingers are crossed). I hope they are in shape enough and play well. I have no doubt we can win all of our games, but the fact that there are 4 in 24 will add a challenge. According to laxpower we are currently ranked #8... we can do this. Go Cougs!

Our schedule:

Friday:
v. (12)CSU 2PM
v. (6)UCSB 6PM
Saturday:
v. (3)CU 9AM
v. (28)UCF 11AM

Wish us luck!

Nothing like...

Popsicles at 2:45 AM!

I have been having a hard time sleeping at night... so lame. Last night after I got up for my nightly trip to the restroom I couldn't fall back asleep. Neither could Michael. So after about a half hour of me tossing and turning Michael asked if I was okay. I said that I could not get comfortable so the next logical question, "Do you need a Popsicle?" I declined the offer and tried to fall back asleep. Then I realized that I was hungry! What a smart husband. He went and got us popsicles and we sat up in bed and enjoyed every last bite. Shortly after I was asleep.

SmashBurger

Overrated, by a mile. We went to the Orem location last night for our date night. The only reason we went was that we had coupons which made dinner practically free (Mackenzie, you'd have been so proud of us: Normally +$20 for $3.) At best: Overpriced Chili's or Red Robin. At worst: Overpriced Carl's Jr.

Gem Festival!

This past Saturday my sisters and I went to the Spring Parade of Gems. We had a lot of fun. Let me give you a little background: Jerusha bought some bag of gems a couple years back after watching the shows on TV where they get you to try and buy things. She got suckered into it. We all like to laugh that she bought a bag of precious stones, not having a clue if they really would be or not. But she was really excited.

Present day: This banner has been hanging across Main Street in Springville so I pass it often on my way to pick Michael up from work or drop him off. Finally one day I took a picture of it so I could send it to Jerusha... as a joke. Well she saw it and wanted to check it out. I, being such a good sister, told her I would go with her... because I thought it was funny. She talked my other sisters into going with us... All because of this banner:

So Saturday came and we got there just about 30 minute before it closed. We knew it was going to be good when this was the entrance:

As soon as we walked in we saw this man walking around with a huge dinosaur on him/his costume... maybe? So I asked him if I could get a picture with him:

We all got a free rock when we walked in. Jerusha took them to work (she works at Rio Tinto) and they told us what they were... I got jade. :) Anyway, there were some pretty cool things there. Lots of pretty rocks/gems. Some booths had jewelery to buy... Niki bought some earrings. They also had some pretty cool fossils there. I do think I would go back again next year. :)

Meteor Shower

Michael has been sick lately so he hasn't been sleeping well at night. On Wednesday night he was up multiple times coughing and blowing his nose. Needless to say I too wasn't sleeping well. Sometime in the middle of the night Michael jumped out of bed and started running... I thought he was going to the bathroom to throw up, but instead of running to the bathroom he ran around our bed to the window and looked out. Then he slowly walked back to bed. I asked him what was wrong and he told me he thought there was a meteor shower going on outside and he didn't want to miss it.

Turns out it was just our neighbor coming home. He saw the car lights come across our first window and then light up our second window and was convinced it was a meteor shower. :) We laugh about it now... or at least I do.

I love my husband!

St. Patty's Day Puzzler

Q: What do all these things have in common?


A: They carry people in them!!!

We heard our little, "honeymoon" monkey's heart beating for the first time this afternoon. Here's a picture of the monkey. The spirit of Haleakalā is strong with this one. I can tell.

Mark your calendars for October 3rd!

P.S.: Post originally drafted on Valentine's Day (Feb. 14th) titled "Valentine's Day Puzzler." I've had to sit on this one for over a month and it has been killing me!

Happy Pi Day

Enjoy a piece of pie today!

1 PM M.T.

The Cougs have a big game today at 1pm. I will be cheering them on!

Here are some pictures from the last game of the regular season:

Proud Moment

Some of you know that my family is a lacrosse family... most of us. Well I would argue that Niki is one of the best lacrosse coaches in the state, if not the best. She can take girls that have never played before and make them great players. She started coaching the Westminster Women's Lacrosse team a couple of years ago. They struggled their first couple of years, but not this year. They are doing amazing! Check out the latest rankings for her division:

Rank Team

1 Westminster
2 Aquinas
3 JMU Club
4 Wisconsin-Eau Claire
5 UNC Club
6 Southern Methodist
7 Minnesota-Duluth
8 Kennesaw State
9 Towson Club
10 St. Benedict
11 Western Washington
12 Utah
13 Oklahoma
14 Gonzaga
15 Chapman
16 Trinity (TX)
17 Whitman
18 Midland
19 Denver Club
20 Duke Club
21 Nevada-Reno
22 DePaul
23 Stanford Club
24 Minnesota-Moorhead
25 Southwestern

Go Griffins!

Weekend Plans!

I'm really excited about the things Oriah and I have going on today and tomorrow! After work we're getting together with her former Mission trainer and her husband. The last time we went on a double date with them we went to Hot Pots and that's where we're going to meet them again tonight!

Tomorrow Oriah has lacrosse practice from 9-noon and on campus the Alumni group is hosting a personal finance seminar starting at 10. I figure I'll swing by the seminar since I'm all about the personal finance and pick Oriah up when practice is supposed to end. Then we're going to cheer on our Cougars to a MWC Regular Season Champions title! It will also be the Seniors' last home game so I'm sure it will be somewhat emotional for the team given what they've gone through this week already.

After the game...I'm not really sure. But that's alright! I'm sure we'll think of something!

Poof

Just like that...the dream season is over.

Saturday afternoon Cougar Nation was on top of the world! We'd just beaten San Diego State in San Diego; a 27-2 record; vaulted to No. 3 in the rankings; the best and most entertaining player in the country and the leading candidate for National Player of the Year honors; a possible No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament come Selection Sunday; a decent shot to make the Final Four, maybe... This was the year. This was the team, players, coach, etc.

72-hours later...gone.

Greg Wrubell, a local commentator, sized the situation up near perfect:

"I can only imagine how Davies, the BYU players and coaches feel tonight, because I am sure most of Cougar Nation just feels crushed. An injury absence is in a way easier to overcome, because a player's health could be affected at any instant, for no reason at all. Injury may be unfair, but it is also without forethought or penalty.

Honor Code suspensions are a result of choice and consequence, and those elements make Davies impending absence tougher to understand and accept. He will now sit and watch (or possibly, not watch), as his teammates move on without him. The Cougars may or may not go farther than any team in BYU Basketball history, but Davies will not be along for the ride, and it didn't have to be that way."

Oriah and I went to the game last night against New Mexico. I don't really know of a word that would fit the feeling watching what was playing out on the court. As I listened to the post-game comments on the radio they asked the New Mexico coach what their key to winning was and he responded, "Beat 'em inside."

Duh.

Hopefully the team will pull together to beat Wyoming Saturday to win the regular season title. I think that's about all the awards they'll be taking away from this season after expecting so much, much more. I'm guessing the boys will be knocked out in the 2nd round of the MWC Tournament, drop to a 8-9 seed for the Dance and exit stage left in the First Round.

I really feel bad for Brandon. I've been there. I've made mistakes and had to sit with the consequences. And there's nothing you can do to change what's happened. Time has to take its course. Your reward is living with it and waiting it out. Such an utterly bitter experience. I really feel for the guy. And he did the right thing by taking responsibility for whatever it was that happened; you can't sacrifice truth for convenience. And he'll be vilified and forever remembered as the guy who derailed the season that could have been. I hope BYU fans will show him compassion.

And I have to ask myself why I'm so emotionally involved in this team and the once possible outcome of this season? Why was my heart so much set upon these things?

Ugh. Feeling blue in Cougar Nation.

Who Can Resist This??

Over the weekend I got this email from my 6 year-old niece:

Dear Oriah do you want to come to my birthday party? From Maren

She is so cute! Of course I need to go! I hope Michael has the days off so he can go too!