Freshman Tennis

Alex met Noah playing junior high age tennis. Both were playing singles. Both would be going to Stansbury High as freshman. That would mean competition for who might play above the other.

Coach Bob suggested that they play doubles. This would mean they play together and could potentially play varsity first or second. It would give them some really good experience playing against harder teams. That's a big deal for a couple of 14-year-old boys. Not many freshmen make the team much less play varsity.

I have loved watching these two play in tournaments, learn to communicate with their behind-the-back signs, and work through some hard matches.

They beat Park City to win region. And no one other than their coach was there to witness it. That made me sad. Dang job sometimes gets in the way. Next was state. They won the first round. Tyler took the day off to be there for the 2nd day and all day I waited to hear how they were doing. At 2pm, Tyler let me know that they still hadn't played and there was a rain delay. All of a sudden I had hope that I might be able to make it. 3:30 came and they still weren't on yet. Turns out they would be the last to play.

God gave me a tender mercy. He knew how badly I wanted to support Alex and be there ... and I'm so glad I made it. Those two played the best tennis I've ever seen them play. In fact some of the best tennis I've seen any of my boys play. There were a couple of sketchy calls. Alex and Noah played through. They were playing against a couple of juniors and the match came down to a tie break that they ended up losing.

Afterwards the other coach came up and told us that they were both a couple of classy boys who wowed a lot of the crowd that evening for not only their attitude but also for how young they were to be able to play at such a level.

Unfortunately, Noah will be going to the new high school which means no more doubles tennis. Instead they will be competitors. I really think they would have had a decent shot at taking state had they been able to stay together for the next 3 years.

Actitude: One of Alex's coaches is from South America and doesn't English well. He gave all the boys a personalized award. Alex got the Positive Actitude award and also the cheerleader award. That he is. Alex is always cheering on his teammates whether he is on the court or off the court.

Alex also caught up with some his other TALL tennis friends who go to Tooele High and his 2nd cousin.

Spring???

This has been the never-ending winter. On Friday it snowed, but cleared long enough to make my birthday a beautiful day. And then we woke up to more snow on Sunday and it's been snowing all day today :(

But . . . 

The days are getting longer.
We now have more daylight in the evening.
Spring break is almost here.
The snow doesn't stay around for long.
I have bulbs popping through.
I got to clean a lot of my house yesterday for my birthday.
There are good, thoughtful people surrounding me and my family. For instance, I was thrown a surprise party by my "class" or actually Kori Bunderson who went to school with me and now works with me and shares my same birthday.

Life is good.

I took Nate to get fitted for a tux for prom and he treated me to dinner for my birthday. Kid dates are the best!! Especially when they are paying.

Basketball has come to an end and tennis started this week.


Nate played his first tennis match against Grantsville, a tough rival team. He was down 3-4 in the third set and came back to win. It was sure fun to watch him play. I missed watching both my boys play at the same time. When Erik gets home, he's going to have some tough competition.

Nate and his Lake Point ward team also played a tough championship basketball game against Big Canyon to the finish and pulled it off by two points. It was too intense for me to think about documenting it at all.

But who really won?

The week before our wards were realigned so some of our players technically were in the other ward. Hmmmm . . .

We are now part of the Adobe Rock Ward and get to meet at 12pm. I hate late church but on the bright side we only have to go at the 12pm time for 10 months.


It also means splitting groups. Alex hasn't had scouts for a few weeks as our new ward gets situated.

One week there was no competition except the old men who showed to cheer on the young fellas. I guess they got recruited to play.

For my birthday I saw a chair just like my great-grandma Ma used to have in her kitchen and knew I wanted it. I love it! It brings back such memories and will probably end up in my classroom at some point.

Tyler also got supplies to complete a project we've been wanting to accomplish for a few years. Grapes! We've got the poles and wire. Now if the weather would just cooperate.


In school I feel like I've been a runaway freight train as we move from one project to another. There was Chinese New Year, 100 Days of School, Valentines, and Mardi Gras. I've had lots to think about and plan IN ADDITION to my regular school stuff.

Spring break can't come soon enough.

And still more tennis

This weekend I've been suffering with a nasty head cold . . . sore throat, body aches, massive headaches. I think life caught up with me and is forcing me to slow down for a minute. My crazy intense reading class ended on Friday. Hallelujah! That means one more class down just in time to start another one tomorrow. Most days I have to keep telling myself I can do this.

BUT, the great news is I accepted a job to teach next year at Willow Elementary. I've been interviewing for upper elementary jobs so when the principal called to say they'd like me to teach 2nd grade, I sat there stunned for a moment and then said yes.

What. Was. I. Thinking?

I've got to start somewhere. After mulling it over in my head for an hour or so I got excited. It means a big mind shift from thinking I would be teaching 5th grade to teaching 2nd grade. They aren't even from the same planet. However, during this whole process I've prayed to God that he would put me where I needed to be. I've felt at peace with this decision. I know one of the other 2nd grade teachers and love her. Who you work with makes a huge difference.

Now I've got a summer of preparation ahead of me. I won't lie. I'm feeling very overwhelmed. That's why I'm a list maker. To help me manage my priorities.

Tennis also came to end last Thursday. Part of me was sad and part of me was relieved to recapture some of my badly needed time. Erik's first match was an intense 2.5 hours. He lost the first set. The second set went to a tie breaker which he won forcing the match to a third set. The third set was a killer. He had his opponent 6 games to 5 and was up 40 point to 15. All he needed was one more point to win. Unfortunately, his opponent got that point which deflated Erik. He was also hurting from leg cramps. That set also went to a tie breaker which his opponent won. And afterwards, instead of walking, he sat causing both legs to cramp intensely. He was in such pain that the trainer came by to help. We fed him pickles and mustard which supposedly helps with cramps. I had no idea that was the remedy for cramps.

Had he won his first match, he would have forfeited the second because he was in no condition to play another hard match. He gave it his all and slept a lot the next day to recover.

And then we came home to find his picture in the paper as the athlete of the week

and a mention of him in the Deseret News as a "monster" tennis player. He's a tough player and Nate's not far behind. Nate lost rather quickly, but it was a good experience for him to play at the state level to see what real competition can be like.

Kiersten and Jason found an apartment to rent, and Kiersten was able to sell her summer contract. She will move in sometime in June. Things are falling into place for those two.

We took a year off from planting last year due to limited funds. This year we're back at it again, replacing dead things and adding some new stuff. Tyler has been wanting a Katsura tree for quite awhile and the local nursery was able to order one for him. He was a kid in the candy shop picking that tree up.

More adventures

Nate has had an exciting couple of weeks. I had him miss a tennis tournament to take the ACT test  about a month ago (we had already scheduled the test before the tournament was announced) and it paid off. He got his scores back and he scored higher on this first test with a 33 than Kiersten or Erik did on their first attempt. Kiersten got a 31; Erik got a 32; Nate got a 33; Ashlyn a 34?? No pressure for her at all. Or Alex who would potentially need at 35 :)

I'm happy to have that done. So far he's in the running for a scholarship from Utah State if he keeps the grades up. Then he played some hard tennis matches and won. The first was Tooele which went three sets, and then a kid from Davis County. This match also went three sets and into a tie breaker which means they both won 6 games. After that it's the first person to score 7 points. I believe they tied again at 6 points and Nate finally put him away 8 to 6 (because you have to win by 2). Oh my heart. It was intense.

All year long Nate has been coming home with Key to Success cards to redeem for gift cards. It's an organization that rewards students for hard work. At the end of the year all the cards are put into a drawing and they narrow down the contestants. Nate was selected to be one of 20 or 25. They then put them into groups of 5 and pick one student from each group to try their key at the main prize -- an Apple gift card worth $400. Nate was chosen to be 1 of 5 finalists and was the last one to pick a key to try. His key fit! And he came home with a $400 gift card.

It was region tennis this last week where Erik went undefeated, capturing the first ever conference region title for first singles for Stansbury.

He is a number one seed, playing a tough competitor from Snow Canyon this coming Thursday. Nate won two and lost two which still allowed him to go to state as a number four seed. Ah, the excitement. Can't wait for Thursday.

Tennis

Ahhh. The tennis season is coming to an end. I will miss it. It's been a good season, although I won't mind retrieving a few extra hours on my Saturdays that have been given to tennis tournaments.

The last home match was against Tooele. Erik was a little nervous because they had a foreign exchange student playing first singles who was a lefty. Turns out he had nothing to worry about. Nate's match went rather long but he pulled it off, winning in three sets.

Yesterday's tournament was another tough one for Nate, having to play in very windy conditions. He played against a 5A senior from Davis County for his final match. Nate won the first set. The second set went into a tie-breaker game which means they tied at six games a piece. When that happens you go into a sudden death -- the first player to get seven points and you have to win by two. The Davis kid pulled it off at 7 to 4 which put us into a third set. Again, they tied at six games a piece, and again we were in a sudden death. They tied at six points; Nate won the next point and then pulled it off, winning 8 to 6.

There was such intensity. I was so pleased with how Nate kept his cool and pulled through despite the other player having somewhat of a temper and getting angry. 

Region play is this week and state is next. It's been a fun year to be able to watch both boys play at the same time. Sometimes they are on the same court and sometimes they play back to back. I've found myself hopping from one court to another or standing in between.

Erik got to design and print the tennis banner that hangs on the Stansbury High School tennis courts. He also has managed to keep his emotions in check after his first match of the year.

First wedding shower

I'm really not sure where April has secreted itself, at least according to this blog. I need to make one entry to ensure that it doesn't disappear entirely.

I started a reading class that is scheduled to last 5 weeks, and because of its shortness, my time has been eaten up in the monstrosity of assignments. I knew it would be intense. As of tomorrow I'm halfway done. There is a mote of light at the end of this month-long tunnel.

I'm also adding to my ever-growing list of things to replace when its feasibly possible. My mixer died a fourth death and this time I'm burying it for good. I've fixed it three times in the past but this last time I knew would be it. It was a good mixer, but I need something that can withstand the amount of dough I make. Our push mower is also dying a slow death. It's hard to start and coughs and sputters around the yard as one wheel fights to not fall off.

The Ellis clan was kind enough to throw a joint wedding shower for Kiersten and her "twousin" Naomi (who is really her first cousin once removed). Who would have thought they'd get to experience such a grand life experience together. This photo is old but was the first one I thought of with these two.

They did it on the same day as a big party for Grandma and Grandpa Ellis 70th wedding anniversary. Imagine having that many descendants and that isn't even everyone. What a remarkable life those two have led.

Erik and Nate are in the thick of tennis matches. Oh how I love to watch, especially when they are on the same court at the same time. That sure makes it nice and convenient. Yesterday was a tournament in Ogden where Alex and I enjoyed the day soaking up the sun with little thought of what I should be doing instead. Alex likes the matches just as much as me, although I suspect he really enjoys the attention he gets from the other boys. During one match they all played  Stump Alex on March Madness trivia. He stunned them all with his knowledge of college basketball teams.

Erik has submitted mission papers to the bishop and is just needing interviews before the final submission.

How life just keeps marching on.

A new season of tennis

These boys of mine have worked their tails off all winter to be ready for this day. The day couldn't have been more beautiful for a tennis tournament (Nate's on the left and Erik is on the right . . . both playing at the same time . . . Nate playing 2nd singles and Erik playing first singles).

Unfortunately, tempers went awry during the first match and Erik had to suffer the consequences. I'm afraid the start of his tennis season didn't quite go as planned.

When he couldn't control his frustration for the mistakes he was making, his coach made the decision to pull him from the match with several sets yet to play. He also didn't allow him to finish the tournament and he had to write several apology letters before being allowed to practice and play with the team.

As a mom, I totally backed his coach and his decision. Coaches are not only coaching the sport, but they are coaching people. And I'm afraid Erik had a hard life lesson to learn here about self-control.

As a mom, I also hurt badly for Erik. I KNOW how much work and dedication he has put into this sport. He has been fully invested, and I KNOW he was expecting to play better than he did. I KNOW he's a wonderful young man who regrettably has more of his mom in him than he'd like or than I'd like him to have. I'm afraid I haven't always been the best role model on how to leash and tame the angry emotions that surface. I KNOW how badly he wanted to play and redeem himself. I also wanted to watch him play more. But I also believe in accountability for choices. He was told he would be pulled if he couldn't restrain himself and unfortunately, he had to learn that very difficult lesson.

Erik was paired with a player who was just as good as he. Everyone there knew that these two should have been playing in the championship match not the first round. I was impressed with the other coach who made a point to talk to Erik and got my number so that she can have Erik come and practice with her team. She knows how important it is to be able to practice against people with your same skill level.

And Bob. I can't thank him enough for the mentor he has been to both Nate and Erik. He gives of his time freely. I hope that one day my boys might pay it forward to other young men in the same way he has.

Nate finished the day winning his first two matches and losing the third. He took second place in second singles.