Utah!--Fourth of July

We weren't necessarily planning on attending the Fourth of July parade--probably because of the heat and the crowds and because we have kids who like to sleep in--but when Jon and I found ourselves a block away from the festivities, we couldn't resist the cadence of the drum lines and the pretty petal-papered floats.  I mean, what better way to begin Independence Day, right?

Friday, the Fourth of July, was Alyssa's last day (and it was only a half day) of gym camp.  We'd already been warned by BYU that sport campers should allow more time getting to camp due to the parade.  We drove the back way to campus that morning, being careful to avoid the parade route.  We arrived quickly and found a parking space quite easily.  The parking lot next to the Smith Field House (location of the gymnastics camp) was the staging area of the parade.  When we came out of the building after dropping Alyssa off, the floats seemed to be calling to us.  So we decided to walk the one block to University Avenue and watch it all go by.  I clapped to the beat of the patriotic tunes while beads of sweat trickled down my spine.  Utah is hot! Even at 9 a.m. 

I think every high school in Utah County entered their marching band in the parade.  There were beauty queens, military vehicles and government officials.  But the BYU entrants were my favorites, of course.

The cast of Studio C rode scooters behind the BYUtv semi.  We knew Caleb would be so jealous that we got to see them while he and Natalie were home in bed.   You snooze, you lose, Buddy!

BYU dunk team some of the cheer squad:

And good ol' George Q ended it all with a bang.  Literally.

The parade ended right about the time we were planning to pick Alyssa up from camp.  (Parents were invited to come watch the last hour.)  

It had been a very full week so we all looked forward to a quiet afternoon at my aunt's house where we could rest up for America's big birthday bash that evening.  I got in a much needed nap because I knew it would be a late night.

Sarah joined us for a late lunch at The Old Spaghetti Factory and we later went for Macey's twist cones.  In my opinion, it's the best ice cream on the planet.  If soft serve rocks your world like it does mine, then Kong Kones just might be one definition of heaven.  It used to be that only the largest cone was called the Kong Kone.  But Macey's has now assigned all of their cones names within the Kong family.  The sizes have increased but their prices have not.  I got this Momma Kong Kone (the Daddy Kong was just too big) for just over a dollar!

At last it was time for the big event: Stadium of Fire!  Maureen came down and we all went together.  So much fun!

Even though it was getting late in the evening, it was still hot.  This is Alyssa's "I'm melting!" face.

Just being in LaVell Edwards Stadium is a treat.  It's not a football game, but it's still a great reason to sit in those stands.

There was no military fly-over this year, but the sky diving team was pretty cool.

The Stadium of Fire dancers did a western-themed number:

And some fun formations like the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty bell:

The girls had fun with their glow sticks.

Studio C did three clever--and actually very funny--sketches and Carrie Underwood put on a great headline act.  Oh, and there was an amazing super hero-themed trampoline act, too.

At the end of it all, the south end zone erupted with the most dazzling fireworks display.  Those big bangs and bright colors always make me proud to be an American.

Caleb went home with Maureen that night.  She wanted to map out a route on the Frontrunner that she hopes to take with her students and she invited Caleb to be her travel buddy.  He gladly accepted the invitation.

While Caleb was off with Maureen the next day, the girls, Jon and I were invited to spend the day on Utah lake with my cousin and her family.

The girls were a bit hesitant to jump in at first:

But Alyssa eventually got brave enough to try wake boarding.

It was so much harder than it looked, especially for someone with next to no boating experience.  These next two photos are a very accurate depiction of how long she got up:

So they decided to stick to tubing.

And they had a blast!

What a great holiday weekend.  Happy Birthday, America!

Utah!--Part II

We always arrive in Utah with a mental list of places we want to go and people we want to see.

After getting Alyssa checked in at camp on Monday, we made our first of many trips to the BYU bookstore.  We bought t-shirts, hoodies and chocolate covered cinnamon bears--because it would simply be a crime to miss out on that deliciousness.  I dug into them as soon as I was finished with my Chick-Fil-A lunch from the Cougareat.  

That evening, we made our way to Mapleton to visit our dear friends, the Evans, who moved from Auburn a little less than a year ago.  They served us a nice meal in their beautiful new home and we had such a great time visiting the night away.  Before we left, we made plans to meet at Y mountain the very next morning.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love BYU?  I mean, I really love it.  And my son loves it even more.  When your affections are as strong as ours, hiking Y mountain is clearly a must--and it's good exercise, too. (Caleb and I would each hike it twice during our time in Utah.)

The hike is so much harder than it looks.  It's not long, but it's 10 steep switchbacks to the top.  The embarrassing sweat on my shirt is proof of the exertion expended in the climb, but the view is fabulous and worth the effort.  That's the Provo Temple to the right of my shoulder and LaVell Edwards Stadium to the left of Stephanie's shoulder: 

Caleb and his two lifelong best buds, Mason and Landon:

Nat and Lydia sitting on the Y:

We cleaned up and met at Brick Oven for lunch, Caleb's all time fav.  It wouldn't be a trip to Provo without Brick Oven pizza and red cream soda. 

Then we walked across campus to do some BYU bowling--also on Caleb's list of must-do.

The boys finished their final frame just about the time Alyssa was finishing up camp for the day.  We picked her up and returned to my aunt's house for dinner.  But because we still had a few hours left in the day, we had time to squeeze in more fun.  So we met the Evans at the Provo Beach Resort for a go at the ropes course.

Jacob, Lydia and Natalie did a little bit of karaoke and then we ended the night with a treat at Rita's.

Wednesday was spent at Seven Peaks water park with the Evans family.  I failed to take pictures to document the fun but if our sunburns were any indication, then the enjoyment was extreme.  Alyssa's gym camp spent the evening at the park, too.  The seven continuous hours baking under the hot Utah sun later led to a hideous peeling of an entire layer of skin from my face.  I even used sunscreen--just not enough, evidently.  

Seven Peaks water park as viewed from Y mountain

We had dinner at another Provo favorite, Los Hermanos.  (Jon and I frequented this restaurant nearly weekly in the early days of our marriage.)  Then we took Caleb and Natalie to the Evans' for a very rare treat--a sleepover!

Thursday was all about seeing old friends.  I failed to take pictures the entire day which is probably my biggest regret of the trip.

I started with lunch with one of my closest friends from college, Sara.  We cheered together at Ricks and BYU, had the same major, which meant we had several classes together and our bond was strengthened by cinnamon bears and frozen yogurt.  We've remained close over the years and she's just one of those friends that when we get together, there's simply never enough time.

In lieu of a current photo, here's a throwback to our college days:

While I was passing the hours visiting with Sara, Natalie was busy making money.  She and Lydia set up a lemonade and cookie stand.  In no time at all they had earned $16.25!

I picked Nat and Caleb up from the Evans and raced to BYU to get Alyssa and Jon--Jon worked most mornings at his sister Sarah's office in Orem.  She dropped him off at BYU and we met him there.  Alyssa had just a few minutes to shower and change before we left for a dinner date with some other dear friends.  (Again no pictures--BOO!)

Alison is my oldest friend.  We met when we were six, our families were always close and her little sister was like a little sister to me, too.  We were roommates all four years in college and because she dated her now-husband, Brian, on and off for such a ridiculous amount of time--seven years!--I've known him for what seems like forever as well.  Brian and Alison invited us to come to their house in Daybreak for dinner.  Alison's parents and her little sister, Hillary, and her family were also included.  It was a really wonderful evening of catching up and Brian smoked a delicious pork roast.  Alyssa, who had been putting in long hours at gym camp and lots of play time for several evenings on end, was ready to collapse with exhaustion, but I had the hardest time pulling myself away from Alison's house that night.

Alison and me circa 1985

All of these friends will always hold a piece of my heart and I fell into bed Thursday night basking in the fondness of their friendships.

What a great week so far!  Next up...Independence Day.

Utah!--part I

Some vacations are so chock full of good memories and fun that it's impossible to document it in just one blog post.  It's also impossible to choose a favorite part.  Too many highlights packed into our two weeks in Utah, I tell you.

We arrived in Salt Lake City on a Saturday evening.  We'd been in the car all day--and by all day, I mean all day.  Though we would be spending the remainder of the next week at my Aunt Shauna and Uncle John's house in Orem, we'd decided to get a hotel room in SLC for that first night.  Jon booked a great room at a nice hotel with good reviews, but it also happened to be located in the heart of SLC's homeless district and across the street from one of its seediest parks.  Thankfully the outdoor pool was located on the third floor--well away from the bums on the street--because the suitcases had scarcely been hauled into the room before the kids started rummaging for their swimming suits.  A late night dinner followed and then we crawled into bed to rest for our Sabbath day on Temple Square.

First we attended sacrament meeting in the Joseph Smith memorial building.  When we arrived at the chapel we learned that Elder Oaks was presiding at the meeting.  The chapel was filling fast and as we looked for five seats in the overflow, Jon said, "Let's sit in that row right there by Elder Ballard."  Indeed there were some available seats directly in front of Elder Ballard and his wife.   

After the meeting, we explored all of Temple Square starting with a tour of the Beehive House.

We saw each of the visitor centers and watched the Joseph Smith movie before visiting the Christus statue.

Then we walked across the street to see the conference center.  

Poor Caleb's nose is like a magnet for the sun and extremely susceptible to deep shades of red.  Since the sunscreen had been left in the car, he spent the day shielding his schnoz with the sacrament meeting program.  

You know what else we forgot?  Belts.  Classy, right?  Jon also forgot his dress shoes but thankfully you can't see that fashion awesomeness in this picture.  Nice backwards tie, though.

 The Church History Museum was our last stop before heading to my aunt's house in Orem.  After a nice Sunday dinner, the kids relaxed in front of the TV while the adults went to the Marriott Center to listen to Laura Bush as the keynote speaker of the Freedom Festival's patriotic service.  It was a delightful end to a wonderful day.

So much fun and we were just getting started...

Two Worlds Collide

There are two main worlds in Alyssa's universe.  Many other smaller bodies are included in the continual orbit, but gymnastics and church are the major planets in the solar system of her existence.  Those two worlds make up the very fiber of her being and are the basis of her identity.  Both are often misunderstood and/or unappreciated by those not of that world.  Outsiders question decisions, commitments and the value of each world's importance in her life.  Isn't it human nature for us to desire a sense of belonging?  To be understood?  To be surrounded by those who "get" us?

For one beautiful week, Alyssa's two worlds came together in a sort of cosmic perfection.  Suddenly she was surrounded by others who understood BOTH of her central planets.  And she had the time of her life!

Ready to get the camp started!

BYU was magical for me and even now, 20 years later, just walking across campus leaves me feeling entirely twitterpated.  My cheer squad used to practice once a week in the gymnastics gym.  It was a bit surreal to drop my daughter off in that same place.

Cosmo was there to kick things off.

Alyssa is not know for her displays of excitement, but after that first day of camp, the spring in her step was undeniable.  She came bounding up to me to say, "Mom! [the head coach] said she wants me here at BYU!"  I, being the emotional antithesis of my daughter, did my best to contain my excitement as I asked questions of the day's events.  Alyssa said that after watching her train, the coach asked her age, graduating class and whether or not she was LDS.  She also asked where she was from.  After all questions had been answered she then said, "Yeah, I want you here at BYU."

Throughout the week, the coach would mention to others that Alyssa was from Auburn.  We're so grateful to belong to a gym that is well known and respected as highly competitive in the gymnastics community.

Every day of camp was a delight and a love affair with the Cannon Center also ensued.  They do an exceptional job of accommodating the gluten-free eater, which only added another layer of understanding to the whole BYU experience.  Alyssa could be herself on every single level.  

After lunch each day, Lys would spend the rest of her lunch break playing cards and hanging out in the dorms of some of the other girls.  (She's already decided that next time, she will stay on campus like most of the other campers did.)

Friday came and it was time to say good bye.  She wanted to get a couple of pictures with some of her favorite people of the week.  (Unfortunately the only camera I had with me was my phone and I think it takes crummy pictures.) 

Cathy, from Vancouver BC, and Alyssa became friends on the first day.  They were the youngest in their 9/10 training group and they stuck together.  Ashley and Raquel were her favorite coaches.  Both are former BYU gymnasts and Raquel even has our same last name!

Then Lys asked Dawn, half of the husband-wife head coaching team, for a picture.  Dawn said, "I'd love it!"

She posed and smiled and as soon as I'd clicked the image, looked me square in the eye and stated, "I really want her here at BYU."

My heart all a flutter with pride, I did my best to control the octave of my voice as I replied that "It is her dream to do gymnastics at BYU!"

Dawn explained that she wanted me to go online and fill out a recruiting form.  As she was telling me where to go and how to find it, I started to panic.  I wanted to get all the information right, so I reached in my purse to take out my notepad so that I could write down what she was telling me to do.  When I asked her to repeat her instructions, she said, "Just call my phone right now so that I will have all of your information.  I watched as she entered her information below my name in her contacts:

Alyssa Hatch
2019
Auburn

Then she said, "If you give me her meet schedule, I will come watch her compete."   And just before we left she turned to Alyssa and said, "You just keep working hard."

We couldn't have asked for more.  Two worlds collided to provide a wonderful week of belonging, appreciation and value.

Oh BYU, I love you!  But Alyssa, I love you SO much more!  You make me proud, Babe.