4th and 18

This Thanksgiving season caused some marital issues between Shawna and I. We had planned (and I agreed) to spend Thanksgiving in Glenns Ferry. The only problem was the BYU vs utah football game. The game fell the Saturday after Thanksgiving! Most any other game and I would have rescind and just watched on TV...But not the Utah game. BYU could win every game this year and lose to Utah and I would be disappointed. I know pathetic...

There was no way I was going to miss this game! In the end we compromised we left a day early to come home a day early and see the game. The real saving grace was my mother (THANKS MOM!!) who agreed to watch the kids while Shawna and I went to the game together...Now that's my idea of a date!!

One piece of advice I would like to give: If you are expecting an emotionally charged event involving a great deal of yelling, avoid at all costs the combination of hot chocolate and nachos!!!! Enough said.

The game was a defensive battle. Luckily our hometown hero Jan Jorgensen (from Helper, Ut) had a great game. Utah scored to take the lead with about 1 min 30 seconds left on the clock. The score 10 to 9. This may not seem like much to you, but that one stinking point would haunt me for the remainder of the year. Church members, co-workers, etc.. would harass me for this for the entire year, especially if it was by one stinking point. I was already planning inactivity in the church due to the harassment I would receive.

Three horrible plays later We (and I mean myself and the BYU football team) were looking at 4th down and 18 yards to go! The pressure comes and Max Hall (quarterback) Launches the ball into the air!

It is an amazing sound hearing 65,000 people dead silent and all simultaneously standing up and inhaling. The change in air pressure alone from all the inhaling could probably start its own weather pattern.

Austin Collie (receiver at byu) catches the ball to keep the game alive! The explosion of sound was so great I could not hear my own voice yelling. (this may be due to being so loud, or my vocal chords exploding, I am not sure which)

Harvey Unga (running back) scores the winning touchdown, and Collie catches a two point conversion to seal the game!!!

At the moment the clock ticked 0:00 We grabbed our stuff and rushed the field! It was a great game and great Thanksgiving!

I think I need a vacation to recover from my vacation!!!

Tag - 6 things you don't know

My good friend Becca Renfroe tagged me. And in this game of tag she related 6 things that her friends didn't know about her. Now that she has tagged me it's my turn to divulge the unknown to you.

1. - When growing up I always ate "hot-lunch" at school. My mom never packed lunches for me and I don't blame her. I pack my husband's lunch now and it's not very fun. I can't imagine packing lunches for my kids too. The school lunches are priced really well anyway. I did however have a "herself the elf" lunch box with matching thermos. I can still remember the smell of it. (weird I know) It was kinda milky. I got to use this sweet lunch box on field trips and outings with my family. I have to say my favorite school lunch was chili with crackers, cheese sticks, chocolate milk and drum roll please.........maple bars! Thank goodness for lunch-lady land!

2.- I love my bed. Sometimes I watch my dog, Skadi, prepare to sleep. She turns in a circle and paws at her bed and then plops down and curls in a ball. Then she rubs her nose into the fabric and lets out a big sigh. That's how I am. Only I like to get a running start before I jump on my bed. My philosophy on beds is that they are the closests things to our mothers. We as grownups don't have anyone to dress, feed or bathe us. But we do have something to hold us and keep us warm every night!

3.- I own 5 pairs of bright colored, warm, fuzzy socks. My husband bought these for me after I continually put my toes in the crook of his leg (behind his knees or like my nephew use to say...leg-pit) after climbing into bed at night. Needless to say, I use a pair almost every day.

4.- I have a thing for pasleys. I didn't realize this until recently. I got to looking around my house and noticed a pattern forming. My wardrobe, curtains and bedspread all have some form or color of pasleys on them. I'm just drawn to that type of pattern for some reason. It has an earthy, artistic, comfort feel to me. But don't get me wrong I'm all up for tye-dye and polka-dots too.

5.- I like riding my bike. Although I don't do it as much as I would like to. It allows me to be independent. I remember one day I was loading my groceries and (at the moment) whining kids in the car after a long and frustrating trip to the store. My hands were full, my back hurt and I had a headache. A girl road by on her bike at the exact moment that I was feeling totally consumed by my kids and duties as a mom. I thought to myself, "Man I wish I could have my own little bubble right now and ride by myself on a dirt trail in the mountains" I wanted to be alone and get out all of my frustrations through peddaling the heck out of my bike. So now when I do get the chance that's exactly what I do. That experience has made me appreciate that time alone much more.

6. - My favorite Disney movie is "Cinderella". And my favorite Disney character is Gus Gus the mouse. I'm always quoting the movie to my kids and they're always telling me to stop it. "Raker Reasy Cluck Cluck" "Duh Duh Happy Birfday Cinderelly"

BYU Women's Football Camp

I think all of you know by now that our family are avid BYU football fans. This blue blood, I am learning, is hereditary and comes through the Andreasen blood line. At the beginning of each season the football organization at BYU holds a women's camp. Damon's father Gary said it was the only time he would be willing to dress up like a girl. This was my first time attending the camp. I have to say it was the most fun I've had in a long time. My two sister-in-laws and mother-in-law went to this fun filled event with me. It was pretty much a riot. Now think about a riot on the news. People running around hitting each other and things flying everywhere. That's pretty much how it was. Over 400 women trying to get Max Halls autograph (which I did by the way). It was pretty sweet though. We met the players and coaches, toured the facilities and played on the field. Unfortunately my mother-in-law suffered a knee injury during the drills she was running and had to have her knee scoped...but no fear she caught the ball! (I guess the doctor looked at her funny during her appointment. When he saw her age and the cause of the injury on the paper he thought there was a typo). She's doing much better now and is the central pride of all her sons. The thing that was surprising is that all these players are amazing upstanding young men. They work extremely hard in the community and in school and not one of them was a snob. I was impressed. They're on their way to becoming conference champs...once again! We'll be going to the Utah game next weekend! GO COUGS!

(This has got to be my favorite picture. Jinger and Max leading the pack through the tunnel to the field!)





(This is Harvey Unga, RB, I beleive he has the leading yards rushing so far at BYU)

Church

I thought this was a pretty typical Sunday morning picture, facial expressions and all. Cru gets himself ready for the day now and came pretty darn close concerning his tie, but not quite. He's a lot like his dad...he hates restrictions around his neck.

Video games are fun but.....

I love playing video games, especially my college football games....But one day I came home and saw this. (This is all 3 kids and SHAWNA!)
I guess the glare from the windows was a little too much for the avid gamers in my home. Needless to say we needed out of the house.

We decided to go bouldering (climbing on large boulders with no ropes) up Huntington Canyon. It was interesting driving up the canyon due to all the flags honoring the lost miners and rescuers from the recent collapses.

We finally found our spot but it was quickly getting dark so we climbed a little and then got the kids going.

We hooked the chalk bags on each of them and talked them through the first part, they still didn't quite catch on.

Next came the explanation that climber's chalk was the same stuff that Spiderman used when shooting his webs. That's all it took! We climbed till dark.

Virtual reality is fun, but ACTUAL reality is so much more!