June Update

Youth Conference was great. Sierra, Tyler and I attended at Ensign Ranch, near Cle Ellum the last weekend of June. Great weather, lots of fun.

That same weekend, we had our driveway paved. This was such a big deal to us, because we've been talking about it for years. Doug finally found a contractor who would do it for a price we could afford. (We've learned that you simply don't have to pay full price for things like this -especially when the recession is still having it's effect on small businesses.) The Wednesday before paving day, we spent all afternoon and evening breaking up the concrete pad and hauling it out of the way so our space would be ready for the asphalt. It was a TON of work, that all of us took part in. Amazingly, thanks to Doug's muscles and determination, we got it done in time. Whew! What a relief that was.

Forgot to mention that Tyler dislocated his finger the weekend prior to the paving adventure. He was wrestling in a match at the school. We were there watching. None of us are sure exactly what happened, but when Tyler stopped wrestling, stood up and held up his finger for us to see.... We knew he was done, and we were headed to the hospital. It was SO gross! X-rays, a couple of shots in the finger, putting it back in place, and another set of x-rays, took up our afternoon. Not great timing- right before wrestling camp #1, and #2. I had just sent a non-refundable deposit to Spokane the day before. Needless to say, Tyler didn't help with the concrete. (which was so ironic. I thought heavy lifting help was one of the benefits of having a strong, teenage son!??) But he did provide regular World Cup reports to us as we worked. :)

That same weekend, Doug ran the Seattle Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon. He had intended to run the full marathon, but due to some injury issues, training didn't happen as it was planned/needed. The half was a better choice. He ran a great race (respectable if you ask him.) it was a perfect morning to run, and the event as a whole was well done. We're looking forward to it for next year.

Sunday a.m. Doug and the older kids attended church downtown at the early time, and then headed out for Boise. The girls spent 2 weeks in Idaho with their grandparents. Some of that time was also spent at a Nielsen family reunion with Kay and Chad in Island Park. The girls had a great time.

Tyler went to the Boise camp and was actually wrestling really well in spite of the finger issue. It was just his rotten luck that on Wednesday evening he collided with the floor during a match, and sustained a concussion. That put him out of commission for the rest of the camp. (and made him really frustrated) The recommendation was that he not wrestle for a couple of weeks. Combine that with the finger that was still not doing well- Tyler didn't attend the Spokane camp, and we forfeited the $150 I had sent as his deposit. Darn!

Caleb stayed home with Mom and Dad, and had a great time being the only child. We ate out a bit, saw Karate Kid at the movie theater, and had a great time together. We also broke in the driveway and roller bladed, shot baskets, and worked on Caleb's bike riding skills. Caleb also honed his texting skills, and communicated with his siblings as often as he could. He liked being able to talk to them that way.