Which University for Golden Delicious??

Ever since Golden Delicious got an impressive ACT score, our PO Box has been filled with letters for her.  It seems that all the schools want her to come there.  Each week she gets at least a half dozen letters.  She thinks she wants to go to BYU, but of course, they are the one school who doesn't need to offer amazing scholarships.... of course.  It will be interesting to see what happens as the year goes on and she makes a decision - I can pretty easily say though, that it won't be any place in this current batch!

Appleseed Shoot

Several years ago I read an article in Backwoods Home Magazine about the Revolutionary War Veterans Association, and their project, Project Appleseed, which is intended to create a nation of rifleman like at the time of the Revolutionary War.  Ever since then I've been interested.  I saw they were offering a class in Blackfoot, so we signed up.

It is a two day class, but since the second day was Sunday, we only went to the first day.  The great part is that women and children are free!  So Mr. Bechtel was the only one who had to pay.

Everything was very organized.  We sat behind the instruction line, and then walked up to the 22's on the firing line.  We did all kinds of drills based on the standard shots that soldiers used to do in the Revolutionary War.  

It was hard!  I thought I was a pretty decent shot.  (I was using a borrowed gun with a scope) but then Mr. Bechtel and I switched guns because he couldn't see and I wanted to try open sites, and my shots were terrible after that!  After we shot our patterns the teachers would help us analyze what we were doing wrong.  (not shooting at the bottom of your breath for instance.... I did that several times..)

Granny Smith did his own thing the whole time.  We were too busy trying to figure out slings, and ear protection and putting 10 rounds in one magazine and 5 in the other, etc. etc.  to be much help.  He did just as well as we did.

At the end of the day there was a test and Nova Spy had the honor of shooting the highest score for everyone there.  Awesome!

I know if I could go two days in a row I would get better.  I learned their system just well enough to change how I shoot, but not enough to get good at it.  We are definitely going next year.  We all want to shoot "Rifleman" and get our patch.  Would you like to join us??

X-Country at Rigby Lake

Miss Golden Delicious is running x- country again this year.  Last week we went to her meet at Rigby Lake.  It was beautiful and lovely, and we dipped our toes in the water and enjoyed the sunshine while she ran and ran and ran.

Mr. Bechtel is a good coach.  I know nothing about running, so I just say supportive things, feel like I'm watching Chariots of Fire - (by crying at any beautiful or agonizing moments), and cheer.  GD can depend on her Dad to help her though.  "Relax a little bit, Nan, you're doing great.  Lean forward and reel them in.  Just reel them in one by one.  Atta girl."

The boys spent the whole time playing in the water.  They talked GD into coming in when her race was done.  She swam out to the slide and stayed in the water for a long time.  She said it was great - the best thing she could have done after a long run to keep from getting sore - just like putting ice on her entire body!

London Olympics 2012

We didn't actually attend the Olympics, but we feel like we did since we have official "gear".  Grandma and Grandpa went to England this summer to visit friends and see some new country.  They brought us back sweatshirts that we love.  

Thank you!  

(next time we're stowing away in their luggage...)

Family Picture 2012

Messing About in Boats

My brother, Winesap, and his family (Wildberry and crew) have moved to the north forty of Idaho.  (Living in Utah finally became unbearable...)

For his birthday Winesap went for sailing lessons on lake Pend'Oreille (no spell check - relying on high school french here...)

Anyway, Granny Smith has been sick today so I've been reading to him out of, "The Wind in the Willows" and we came across this wonderful passage that Winesap should be able to relate to:

"This has been a wonderful day!"  said he, as the Rat shoved off and took to the sculls again.  "do you know, I've never been in a boat before in all my life."

"What?" cried the Rat, open-mouthed.  "Never been in a - you never - well, I - what have you been doing then?"

"Is it so nice as all that?" asked the Mole shyly, though he was quite prepared to believe it as he leant back in his seat and surveyed the cushions, the oars, the rowlocks, and all the fascinating fittings, and felt the boat sway lightly under him.

"Nice?  It's the only thing." said the Water Rat solemnly, as he leant forward for his stroke.  "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.  Simply messing."  he went on dreamily: "messing-about-in-boats"...

"In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter.  Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it.  Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always somethings else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not.  Look here!  If you've really nothing else on hand this morning, supposing we drop down the river together, and have a long day of it?"

I know I can certainly relate to it, and think I would make a grand crew member should I ever make it up North.

Carry On!

Elder Braeburn

and he's off....

It is official!  Elder Braeburn sent us a note yesterday saying he was safely arrived at the Preston England MTC and that he was doing great. 

We are all really happy.

Now we have to get back to regular life again.  And it's forcing me to think about "long term"goals  - 2 years is a long time.  We should all probably work hard on something since Braeburn will be working hard in England.  Maybe if I made a 2 year goal to lose weight I could finally be successful??!