Raising the Bar

It has been said that if you teach a man to fish he'll be able to eat for a lifetime. What if you teach him to shoot hoops, will he be able to pay for my retirement? As I thought about the day Aaron was born it brought tears to my eyes. At 14 years old have I taught him everything? Is he prepared for High School? Does he have his own testimony? Is he ready for the "world"?

All I know is that he is kind, helpful, forgiving, understanding, brilliant, handsome, well I could go on. He's also 6 feet 2 inches. Yeah, I know. That's huge. We're just raising the bar!

Happy Birthday Jayden!

It's been six years! Six years! That means we've lived here almost five years. I still remember being so sick in the house in Richfield. Sleeping on the kitchen floor because the air conditioning would only reach so far. Crying because Travis was in Utah County working and I was all alone and couldn't even move. Aaron and Dylan would get so worried. They tried so hard to help, but were still so young themselves there wasn't a lot they could do. Morgan would come brush my hair and tell me to stop crying because I couldn't stop throwing up. If I had to go back, oh yeah I'd do it. This kid is such a blessing. Just take a look at those dimples; IRRESISTIBLE! And yes, he's taken. I'd like to see you try to pry him from Anna's wedding plans- you'll have WWIII on your hands.

As for our plans for the day? Lunch from Burger Queen - loves their hot dogs! Then school all day with blue cupcakes for treats. We found blue sweedish fish and have Rachel to thank for the idea! (One fish, two fish, blue fish, etc. I mean how many kids can say they share a birthday with Dr. Suess?)

Then after lunch we'll call Grandma and open her "toy" present. He is already wearing his new Ben 10 shirt to school. We had to do a quick change in the car because he was sooooo excited when he opened it. For dinner we'll have Baked Potato soup with extra bacon (his choice again), hot rolls from Heather (his favorite!), lettuce salad (seriously he asked for it), and chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and strawberries. The kid planned the whole menu. I have no complaints. The only thing I was sad about is our Walmart didn't carry the new Ben 10 legos or Halo legos and he really wanted these! Guess I'll have to find some in Seattle for a late present. Until then I'll just enjoy dimples!

BASKETBALL BABY!
24-7 Hoops around the Tippetts household. I'm not complaining, I love it! I just didn't realize how hard it would be to get four kids to four different arenas to play ball. It doesn't help that 2 out 3 are scheduled at the same time. In fact I've missed most of Dylan's games to get Morgan and Jayden to theirs. I hate missing their games. I love being there for them, win or lose.
Luckily Travis was Dylan's coach this year so he always was there to support him. Travis did a really good job coaching and the team had a good time together. Morgan's team fought it out in the tournament and ended in third place. She is an amazing defender! Trust me, you wouldn't want to have her guard you! Now it's all over and I'm going to miss the gym time.

BYU Blue
So for Christmas Aaron only asked for two things; a phone and a BYU sweatshirt. Obviously he got both but it got me thinking. Four years from right now we'll be going over Scholarship Applications. Four years! That is NOT enough time! I have not taught him everything he needs to know. I hope and pray that I have done all that I can by the time he leaves. Until then keep him in your prayers. The girls are starting to notice him!

A Cheerleader?

Okay, okay we all know that I have a fear of cheerleaders. One of my best friends in High School was the Head Cheerleader and I still envyed them. Usually so beautiful, confident and well; they always got the guy! So how do I feel that my youngest LOVES to dress up in her cheer outfits for all the kids games. TERRIFIED! What shall I do? First she'll have to go to my sister's house for makeup help, then to my other sisters for clothing choices and me - well I'll teach her the right hook to keep the boys at bay! Until then we'll just have to wade through the "Go Kids!" and pom poms.

A Tribute:
Over a year ago I was blessed with the calling of Mia Maid Advisor. I cannot fully express the joy that it has brought to my life. These girls have brought such happiness to my life. Yes, they can be challenging, but not so much that I don't dearly love them. I have enjoyed the ups and downs we have experienced in learning how to make the classroom a good place for everyone. I was so excited to get to know all the new young women coming in this year. Today my heart is breaking. After church I was released from this calling. I don't remember ever crying in an interview, today was the first. Looking back I feel bad for the Bishopric member that had to talk to me. I of course accepted my new calling, which in itself will be a wonderful experience, but this is a tribute for all the girls I will no longer be able to see each week. Thank you soooo much for everything you have done for me. I will miss you!!

HE'S A ROCK STAR!!
For a second year in a row Dylan won the school Geography Bee. I can't tell you how scary it is too watch your kids up on stage in front of the whole school (340 students)! He looked soooo nervous. I was so proud of him! He started off with a little hiccup and then went running. By the end of the competition he was answering them all correctly. What a kid he is!! GO DYLAN!!

We have a Winner!

Dylan's team won their second game today. It's been a rough season for them and today wasn't any different. Travis is their coach and rather than work on a single "star" run and gun offense, he is actually teaching them the fundamentals. It's amazing to me how many coaches, even those at the Junior High, High School club level don't teach their teams anything! It's just about the win. For example at Dylan's game, Travis said the other team would just get the ball in and bring it down the court straight to the basket. They didn't work it around, didn't look for the open man; just drove every time. This might work if your guard could actually make his layup, but it isn't such a good idea if the team you are playing against has three boys a foot taller than your players! Dylan's team just kept working at their offense and found themselves dominating the whole game! I am so happy for Dylan and his team! Maybe we are starting a streak!!
I love that my kids are involved, but i hate the fact that so many games cross over each other. I haven't got to go to one of Dylan's games yet! And he's had 15! Today we had three games all at noon! And that wasn't all the games we had! I love watching the kids though. I wouldn't trade it for anything!!