First Day of School 2009-2010

A HAPPY DAY FOR ALL...EVEN MOM!

Actually, I'm always sad when it is time for the girls to go back to school. I miss our relaxed summer schedule, all of our time together, all the fun, and all of the things that we didn't quite get to. This year was a different first day--the elementary school that Lainey and Halle attend caught on fire a month before school started so Halle's classroom is now at a different elementary school and Lainey is at the Junior High. They adapted well and there was so much community support to get things going again.

Riley started her sophomore year and her first year of cheerleading. She is taking her first college-level class and still participating in FFA. I finally let her give up piano lessons and she hasn't touched it for the last few months.

The biggest difference this year was Courtnee wasn't part of the first day festivities--she slept in, but spent the next few days getting ready for her move to BYU. I cried all the way to Provo on the day we moved her down, but I was so happy and excited for her. It was the first time I wasn't with her on the first day of school, but cell phones and the internet definitely help!

Courtnee with roomate--Sara.

Summer 2009--"Summer of Virtue"

YOUNG WOMEN: "SUMMER OF VIRTUE"

What a great summer with the Young Women. We decided to focus on the new YW value, "Virtue," and things seemed to just fall into place all summer long. Our theme for camp was "Virtue Island" and we planned a tropical theme complete with a luau, a hula lesson, a Gilligan's Island skit, and lots of Hawaiian food--haystacks, coconut syrup, fresh pineapple, shish kabobs, coconut marshmallows and lots of other yummy stuff. We wore leis, took canoes to the lake, and the leaders shared their "virtuous" courtship stories. Some of the highlights were the Bishopric's Hakka, virtue flags, and a great testimony meeting.

"Virtue Island" Spa

After camp we attended the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house and had dinner at Rumbi's Island Grill. So good, so fun, so spiritual, and such a great reminder of the blessings of living a virtuous life.

Our Youth Conference theme was "Zion's Camp" and we planned our activities around training the future leaders of the church--an important part of which is living a virtuous life. We spent more time at the temple, doing service at the Mt. Timpanogos Temple, and had a fun 3 days at Camp Williams.

The "Summer of Virtue" could not have ended any better if we had planned it...but we didn't! The youth went to the Salt Lake Temple to do baptisms for the dead, and when we came out of the temple, Elaine Dalton, the General YW President was right there. She originated the idea of the "virtue" value with a General Conference talk entitled, "A Return to Virtue." Sis. Dalton was wearing her gold "virtue" jacket and was very gracious, talking with the youth about the importance of virtue and sharing her love with us. What a great ending to our "Summer of Virtue."

Summer 2009--The Narrows

CARTWRIGHT FAMILY SUMMER VACATION #2--ST. GEORGE AND THE NARROWS

Joe has wanted to hike The Narrows for the last few years and we took advantage of an unplanned weekend at the end of July--our only one for the summer--and went. We wanted to do it with Courtnee before she headed to college and Halle and Lainey are now old enough and big enough that we could all go. It happened to be the 100th Anniversary of Zion's National Park so as a bonus we got in for free! The Narrows is a hike through a canyon that the Virgin River runs through. Most of it is in the water, with some shore along the way. It is so incredibly beautiful that it is well worth braving the river.

We went early in the morning to avoid the crowds, but it was so COLD! Lainey and Halle were shaking so hard that I was worried that they were getting hypothermic. In some places, the water was almost to their chins. At one point, I slipped on a rock and started going with the current. The water was so cold that I forgot I was holding Halle's hand and I dragged her under with me and then I was afraid to let go of her and held on a bit too tight. When I finally got my footing, she was crying because her hand hurt and I was crying because I smacked my shin so hard and it was very swollen and sore--the orthopedist thinks I cracked it--and it was almost the same spot as my stress fracture. Anyway, at some point we all went in, but by the time we turned around and headed back, it had warmed up and we were really enjoying the cool water.

Despite everything, it was amazing and we were all glad we went--except Halle who says she is never going again!

Summer 2009--THE BOOT!

TOO MUCH RUNNING=STRESS FRACTURE=TORTURE DEVICE!

After running an April marathon, I jumped back into running too hard and too soon and ended up with a stress fracture. It was painful, but after two trips to the PT he thought it was just a severe tendinitis so I trained for and ran the Wasatch Back, hiked to Timpanogos Cave and back, and ran a 5k on the 4th of July. By then, I knew something was REALLY wrong so I went to an orthopedist who x-rayed and diagnosed the fracture. The treatment was to wear a stabilizing boot and no running for at least 6 weeks. That meant 6 weeks of wearing a boot during the heat of the summer. It also meant a week at Girl's Camp, three days at Youth Conference, several days in St. George and hiking The Narrows at Zion's National Park. Add on back-to-school shopping and all of the usual stuff and it was a miracle that it healed, but it DID! The boot was hot, uncomfortable, heavy, and I am so glad I'm not wearing it anymore.

Summer 2009--Oquirrh Mountain Temple

TEMPLES AND TURNERS

What an amazing blessing--another temple in the Salt Lake Valley! This temple was especially significant in our lives. My parents were asked to help coordinate the volunteer effort at the Temple Open House and spent many, many hours coordinating and training and volunteering at the temple. Courtnee and I spent an afternoon helping them--I helped guide visitors through the sealing rooms and Courtnee welcomed visitors at the entrance to the temple. A few weeks later the Turner family went to the Open House together and then to lunch at Chuck-a-Rama. It was a fun, spiritual, amazing thing to experience together. The icing on the cake--mom and dad were called to be ordinance workers at the temple and spend every week serving there.

Summer 2009--24th of July

PIONEERS AND PAGEANTS

Our community hosted a huge 24th of July Celebration--dinner, kid's handcart trek, a carnival and two nights of a pageant celebrating the Utah pioneers and early LDS Church History. Our entire family signed on to participate in the pageant, but only Lainey, Halle, and Courtnee stuck it out. It was wonderful and Lainey immediately started talking about participating next year. By the last night, Lainey had put herself in several scenes that she wasn't originally a part of and she probably would have taken over the starring role if it hadn't been written for a 19 year-old boy. Courtnee was a seagull, but wasn't feeling great and so we didn't get pictures of her, but she really enjoyed getting back into a bit of dancing.


The Turner family came for dinner and to see the pageant and we had a fun time celebrating our pioneer heritage. For the first time in the last few years I did not make my family sit through the annual reading of John Thomas Lazenby's personal history, but I read it to myself and am still fascinated by him, his sense of humor, and his life experiences!

Summer 2009--Halle's Birthday

HALLE IS 9!

Halle Jo turned 9 in July and had a fun friend party--they played in the water, ate, opened gifts, had FUN! As a typical last child, we forgot to take pictures, but the party was FABULOUS! Halle is just easy, happy, and full of funky fun. She LOVES to have her picture taken as much as Lainey!