River Otters

I can't believe the season is 2/3 or more done.  It has been a GREAT year.  When I took the job I really had no idea what to expect but felt this was where I was meant to be.  It was a really small team and worried Scott wouldn't have anyone to train with. 

Our first outing was the River Otter Parade and the families and kids were amazing.  It made me really excited for the atmosphere and great kids and families we got to spend the summer with.  The schedule couldn't have been any better.  2 hours in the evening or morning. I was able to spend the bulk of my day being a mom.  Last year it was too many hours away from my family.  I felt like I was coaching and being a mom on the side or too tired to go on adventures with my kids.  Now I feel like a mom with coaching on the side.  We are all having a great time and the schedule is perfect.  Renee picks up the 3 kids that don't swim and brings them to kids club at the gym which is good for them to play and hang out with friends while I am at work and I pick them up after to swim and play at the pool a little.  Our gym is about 3 minutes from where I work.  It is amazing!! I am so grateful for her! 

Swim started and the kids were all so eager.  We would teach them totally new ways to do things and they were all so eager and willing to try.  They asked to do more.  The coaches were the same way.  We had two coaches bail two weeks before the season and one at the start of the season and ended up with two different amazing coaches.  I really feel like it was all meant to be.  The thing that surprised me the most was the potential of these kids.  They were athletic kids that just became crazy when they raced so we needed to learn how to race smart.  Not take a million strokes and breathes a lap.  They just needed to learn technique and then how to race smart and the team transformed.  The first meet kids were dropping 5-10 seconds.  It was crazy!  I really have never seen anything like it.  The coolest thing is that they started to believe in themselves.  Their little team had never won a meet before and they started to realize that they were good swimmers.  I have never coached such a green team and it is really rewarding.  Especially being in our hometown.  It is a phenomenon over the hill how East County has sooo many kids and so close to Contra Costa but not a swim world.  It is my dream to see that change.  I know someday it will be and hope that I can be just a little building block of that alongside other amazing coaches, kids, athletes, families and swim facilities in the area. 

The momentum and the fire is a very cool thing to witness.  I am so proud of this little team and so excited to where they will go! 

We had a fun day at Lake Anza in Tilden Park with friends.  Regional Parks are free on Friday so we hit this one up.  It was so fun.  Best part is being with great friends.  Lots of laughs about homeschool, how boring life as a lifeguard would be, swim testing and so much more!  Love our tribe.  We are blessed. 

The Discovery Bay River Otters vs. the Brentwood Dolphins

This meet was slick because it was at Heritage High, which is right across the street from us.  Parker and Hanna were home with a sitter and I went to the meet with my big lens.  I don't think the kids did that great but at least they swam, and for Blake, that's saying something.  Lots of times he gets too anxious and won't even get on the blocks.  

Not a bad dive

Blake doing the 25 breast

 Kira doing 100 IM.  She was pretty tired at the end of it.

 Blake doing 25 free.

Okay, that's all for now.  Bye.

Livin' the dream

Last night the Olsons came over for din din and a smore's fire.  It was fun.  Britton and I were sitting on the couch while the kids were playing outside and I said, "Living the dream!"  Like, sitting down and doing nothing is living the dream.  

I wanted to memorialize the event with my big camera.  

Hanna and the critter face

Kira's posed smile is a little more natural than it was in the past

Mr. Hollywood in his element

May 2019

Last week Lindzer and her family came up for the day.  It was fun to see them.

We went to the Oakland Temple open house.  It had been under construction for 1.5 years.  They changed almost all of the colors but it seems the hallways are narrower and the ceilings are lower.  I guess they had to make it to seismic code.   

After, we ate at Chipotle in Walnut Creek.  It was yummy. 

This morning I got the kids ready and took them to the gym.  I wanted to update Parker's wall photo and while he was posing, Hanna joined him.  I just couldn't resist not taking her photo too. 

Good old Mister.  His favorite thing right now is for me to jump him on the tramp.  He absorbs the bounce and gets frustrated that he's not going that high, and for me, it's a lot of work.  But he likes it.  "Daddy, can you bounce me?" 

Now we're gonna run the RC boat a little and then watch some TV.  I've been up since 5:30 working on things.   Okay, bye. 

2019 CYO regional meet

Laurel moved from American Fork, UT, to Eldorado Hills.  It's an upscale neighborhood 30 minutes northeast of Sacramento.  

Cute Missy with her baba

Living the dream!  Ha ha.  Assembling new patio furniture.

Also the American dream:  A 3 car garage.  It was fun seeing them and their nice pad.  I'm a bit jealous of it but not of Ryan's commute.

5/11/19 was the last track meet of the season at DVC.

Kira participated in the 4x100 relay, which took 1st.

Skylar finishes the 4x100 in 1st place.

Kira finished the 100m in 3rd place with a time of 16.2

Kira's medley relay took 1st also, with Mariah, Skylar, Skylar.

Overall, track was a great experience for Kira.  I was pleased that she could get herself to her events and that she made friends.  Also it's great that she was so fast with so little training.   I've been thinking about upgrading my old Rebel XTi to a Canon 5d mkiii since it can do video, but everyone warns me about buying used stuff on craigslist.  I understand they're worried that people get rid of defective stuff, but my experience has been that people need cash or the next model more and therefore post functional, good quality stuff. 

Okay, bye. 

Daily Events

Conference fun...playing with gears.

 The kids always find ways to make boring objects so much more fun.  Parker went through a stage that he liked pushing Hanna as fast as he could in this plastic bin.

 Everyone has been really into RC cars.  Danny seems to keep buying them.  Scott is trying to get one go really fast and into timing it. Below are all the kids at Heritage watching the cars.  Blake and Nick, our neighbor, play a lot because they both homeschool.  Nick is a great friend to Blake.  Glad they have each other.

 Date to McDonalds.  This is Hanna's scrunchie face.  It is how she smiles.  It is fun to see how Blake and Hanna have gotten a lot closer this year since he is homeschooling.  The benefit of homeschooling is having time in the week to go on special dates.  Blake liked that he got the #7 because he turned 7.

Horrible photo but this is the jazz band at the mattress fundraiser.  We all went to watch and support Scott.  The boys had just found out that they both made Jazz Band which they were so excited about and I am so excited about.  I thought Scott would make it because he was in it this year, but Tyler really just started dedicating time to piano about a year ago since he started lessons.  He is really talented and you has a gift of feeling emotion when he plays.  He and Scott practiced really hard and Scott did an amazing job getting a couple of kids together once or twice a week to go over the songs after school.  Our home became alive with Jazz.  It was neat to see Scott organize this.  Mr. Fallon was so impressed with Tyler.  It is the first thing that Tyler has had the opportunity to try out for and be a part of.  When he was born I was worried about him not being able to play sports but it is interesting how as kids aren't able to do one thing they fill their life with other things taht are equally as awesome.  A couple of his friends made it next year so I know it will be a great thing for Scott and Tyler to enjoy and be a part of together as well as Tyler be a part of with his friends.  Super proud of them!

A pic from Shawna's baptism from a long time ago.  So happy for her!  Not sure if I wrote about it but nothing compares to seeing the blessings of the gospel come into someone's life and the life of their kids!!  She is incredible.  I am so lucky to have her as a great friend.