FYI

Our vacation plans have become a nightmare. Ryan is needed in Japan for another week, so I'm going solo. You can imagine how I feel about this, but hopefully 5 books on CD, teddy grahams, animal crackers, leaving at 4am, cruise control, and many prayers will get us through the 24 hours on the road.

In other news, we had a great visit with Aunt Becky, Uncle Joe, and Ally. I love to see cousins building relationships. Sorry, I'm not posting pics - there is too much to do today since I decided to drive Friday instead of Saturday, and my brain in mush.

Finally, don't expect much from me while we are away, the Internet at the farm is SLOW, so don't be alarmed if this is a very boring stop on your blog run for the next month.

Nora

Nora had tapped into her inner hypochondriac and is always telling me which part of her body is injured when she falls or bumps or get mauled. A few seconds ago I heard a crash in the bathroom, She had fallen off the toilet (don't ask). When I picked her up for loves she said, in her most pathetic, sad, voice, "I hurt my hair"! Poor kid!

while dad's away

Dad is in Japan this week and this is how we are spending our time.

eating toast,



eating frozen yogurt,




playing with cousin Ally who is visiting from California,



and swimming in the big pool for FHE.

Daddy

Diana, Emily, Nora and Isaac want to say Happy Fathers' Day to their Daddy. Here are some pictures from the past.


Ryan was overwhelmed, humbled and very excited when Diana was born.


Texas brought us Emily and Ryan's group of girls grew.


Nora was next and Ryan was feeling like quite the pro. When people comment on the number of daughters he has, he replies, "It's a lucky man to be surrounded by so much beauty."


Ryan has been practicing lectures and words of wisdom for a son since the day we found out we were pregnant the first time, so he was pretty excited when Isaac was born. Apparently having a son also makes a dad tired.

Happy Fathers' Day Daddy - we love you! love, Diana, Emily, Nora, and Isaac

Dad

Today is Fathers' Day and I want to pay tribute to MY DAD (pictured above with cousin Nathan).

1-I love how he had that early mid-life crisis for us so we could move to Idaho and all that brought to us.

2-I love that he is a list maker. As a teenager it drove me NUTS when he would pull out the list at the breakfast table, but now that I am a mom, I realize how much work it is to think up a good list and how valuable all that character building work was for us.

3-I love that he loves to study the gospel

4-I love that he married my mom - WAY TO GO DAD!

5-I love that he has allowed me to grow us and doesn't hold my teenage self over my head.

6-I love that he works hard to be healthy so he can play with his grandkids

7-I love his self-motivation - it's really hard to be your own boss and he is very diligent, goal oriented and driven.

8-I love that he was my stake president when I was a missionary. I have sweet memories especially of the day he released me and how understanding he was of all the really mixed up emotions (sadness, relief, jet-lag etc).

9-I love that he felt justified in shaving his head after realizing Elder Eyring does.

10-I love that he did not allow New York City to intimidate or push him around

I could go on and on and I could write great lists about Ryan and my Father in Law, but in my view, Fathers' Day is for my own dad and I think he is GREAT!

Key of A

Do you remember 4th grade music when you got to play recorders; those irresistible noisy little things that blat out in the key of A? As a teacher of 4th grade music I was a pretty nice lady, until recorders and then all mercy ceased. On the day before we started I gave the kids the lecture and expectations - simply, if you play your recorder when you aren't supposed to I take it away. If you have never held a recorder, you have no idea how hard it is to keep this rule. Inevitably on the first day some kid "forgot" and just had to let out an ear splitting squeal. Whereupon I took away the recorder and made a kid very surprised and sad:(. None the less, recorders were always fun. I loved how the kids got excited to make "real music".

We relived a little 4th grade today, Diana asked to play my recorder and so we had a good hour of her tooting and then Emily got a turn. Em had to go outside because the whole blow gently concept was a little too hard. They had a great time and I was proud of myself for enduring the aimless music making without blowing-up.

the best laid plans

Ryan and I have spent countless nights and weekends pouring over the calender getting the Summer grand plan set and ready to execute. The one thing we forgot. . .WORK. Yes, work reared it's ugly head and Ryan is off to Japan on Saturday for a week, the same week Uncle Joe and Aunt Becky and Ally will be here, the same week we were supposed to get ready for the great exodus north, The same week we had great Fathers' Day plans, yea, that week. I'm working on happy thoughts but I am not pleased.

On a different note, I just spell checked this entry and for the first time in history there were no misspelled words! Maybe frustration makes me a better speller.

6 years

It's our 6th anniversary tomorrow, so here are 6 reasons I still ADORE H. Ryan Chase (in no particular order)

1. He does all sorts of nasty jobs I don't want to do, taxes, insurance, investments, calling babysitters, oil changes and list goes on and on
2. He works really hard at being a great dad and succeeds
3. He still climbs
4. He gives great foot rubs but doesn't like to receive them
5. He never makes me feel like I'm doing a bad job, even if I'm having a hard mommy day
6. He still calls me "Princess" (the first time he called it was kind of late and I was living at Grandma McKay's, so I knew it was going to be for me and assumed it was someone I knew so I answered the phone "Princess Buttercup" and he's called he Princess ever since - awwww).

where did she learn this?

Emily was playing the piano and singing her own version of "Nephi's Courage" today and the one line I caught was "only kill the bad guys". Maybe our explanation of Nephi and Laban was her inspiration. What to do?

supper time

Supper time seems to inspire me to take pictures. I'm enjoying the new camera.

When Ryan and I looked at these we realized that everyone but Nora and Isaac looks tired. Maybe naps aren't just for babies.

harness

So, I was asked "where is Ryan's harness in those climbing pictures??". He's not wearing one because competitions are usually just bouldering, meaning you climb low and tricky problems, not long and high ones. I think bouldering problems top out at about 8 feet, so you can fall but the floor is padded and there are extra pads called crash pads and if you are in a dangerous position (upside down or the like) someone usually spots. There you have it, all you need to know and more about Ryan's climbing habit.

Now, some people so climb big cliffs without a harness. It's called free soloing and in my opinion it is really really really, REALLY not a good idea. A kid from my home ward died free soloing - very scary, very dumb, don't do it because if you are reading my blog that means I like you and want you around:).

Other people free solo over water - not as dangerous, but still pretty crazy because it's a lot harder to control a fall from a weird climbing position. Now you really know more than you ever wanted to know.

climbing comp

As many of you know, Ryan loves to climb. He's been at if for almost 20 years and just keeps loving it. I think he kept dating me because in the beginning of our relationship I was open to "climbing dates" and the rest is history. Ryan climbs at the gym 3 times a week and it is a great break from Intel and anything else that is stressful.

Last night was the annual climbing competition at the gym and I got to go watch. It was a lot of fun. Here is how it works. There are 100 climbers and about 70 problems set on the wall. Each problem has two point values. If you climb the route on your first try you get the flash point value (the higher number), if you have to work it, but eventually get it your get the redpoint value (the lower number). Climbs are worth anywhere from 5-900 points (there were only 3 or 4 climbs worth more than 600. Anyhow, the climbers have 3 hours to climb as many routes as possible and record their scores, the scores have to be witnessed by two other climbers and at the end of the night your take your top 7 scores, add them up and submit them. Climbers compete by age, and then there was an elite bracket (won by a very nice kid they call FISH - who knows why).

Ryan climbed very well and won the 30-39 age bracket and won cool stuff - whooohoo. I had a lot of fun watching him and the other climbers and I even got a free 10 minute massage from one of the sponsors - ahh.

One of the coolest thing about climbers is although they all want to do their best, they NEVER trash talk or cut down a competitor. They are super supportive of each other, giving advice (called beta in the climbing world), and everyone is so excited when someone can climb something hard. Like I said, they are a cool bunch (although I wish the girls would wear some clothes - maybe I'll vent about that later).

Anyhow, it was a great evening. I was proud of my boy.