JOLLEY OUTDOOR GAMES 2010

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At this charming old house, built over a hundred years ago...

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Andrew, stop it! Get out of my picture!

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I apologize. Let me try that again.

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At this charming old house, built over a hundred years ago, Uncle Doug and Aunt Cathy host the annual Jolley Outdoor Games every Memorial Day weekend.

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These games are serious business. Careful scores are kept, brackets organize the teams, and competition is fierce.

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But there is only one winner.

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Only one privileged family member with the honor...the glory...and the trophy on their mantle.

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This year, tents of the contestants dotted the beautiful backyard--for this tournament was too great to be held in one day, and many had traveled long distances to attend.

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Why hello, Becca.

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Blue skies over the canopy, trellises, gazebo, pond, grape vines, and gardens set the stage for the distinguished event.

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On a side note, this is the toad, that lived in the pond, that nearly drove all of us insane. For the record, a toad's mating call is not a pleasant sound.
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This shaded corner of the yard was to be our domain. It had a view.

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We woke up to this in the morning.

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And Cupcake here, stared from the fence into our tent for much of the afternoon.

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That first day, I was pleased to see Uncle Chris saunter past in a sombrero. I suddenly knew this weekend had to be a good one.

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In his defense, for those who not impressed by the headgear, Chris begets beautiful children. Meet Rachel Marie.

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This was me. Notice how full of hope and anticipation! So lighthearted and optimistic! So occupied by lofty dreams of wealth and glory! I would conquer all!

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How naive I was...

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The first contest was a rousing competition of Frisbee golf. After the course was carefully arranged with obstacles of varying degrees, and Frisbees were inspected to meet proper requirements, the games began.

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The course wrapped around the house. My stress level mounted as it soon became clear: I would be losing this event somethin' terrible.

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The competitors participated in many events over the next few days: kickball, field goal kicking, skeet shooting, beanbag toss, whiffle ball baseball, and other games I can't remember the names of.

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Here, Lane, Becca, and Andrew watch and prepare for the beanbag toss.

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But who were they kidding? No one was to outscore Amy's amazing skills.
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Even the animals took part in the competition.

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Until it was time for kitty's belly scratch, that is.

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I shall call him kitty and he shall be mine. And he shall be my kitty.
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At about this point, I was disappointed to find that Uncle Chris had opted for a new hat. Cool...but not nearly as cool as before.
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But then, after multiple qualifying rounds, the Jolley family hula-hoop championship commenced. It was to be a bitter fight between the opponents Arial, Celeste, and...
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...Becca.

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Cue the suspenseful music, please.
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It was to be a lengthy battle. But two were destined for defeat.

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(Becca is looking way too cocky here.)

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After an honorable attempt, Arial was the first to fall. She joined the cheering crowd.
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And now there were two. Pressure was mounting, as distractions were fired from the taunting spectators.
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But finally, after 25 minutes of hip twirling, there was victory at last!
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Rebecca is the champion!
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Are you curious about the strangeness of this image? For lack of a better name, this activity is called...the giant-stretchy-pink-thing-of-death!

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Apart from providing the joy of an extreme sport, this baby does a fabulous job of showing off the figures of its participants. =)
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But basically, this is how it works...
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Four people get inside and stretch away from one another...

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...until two people switch places hurtling the next two people to opposite sides of the stretchy circle. This goes on and on, at increasingly dangerous speeds until...
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...someone gets seriously injured.

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It's great fun!

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Near the end, many were feeling the effects of prolonged sun exposure. Exhaustion and sunburns were setting in to the point that I would have done anything for Chris' sombrero. I settled for this lovely topper instead.
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It was perfect.
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And many others sought relief in the shade. Including Andrew...
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Celeste...
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And Arial.

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So there's where the sombrero went!
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In the end, the opponents all joined together to share in celebratory feasting.
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As for the winner? I honestly don't know. The only thing I'm sure of is the fact that I didn't even come close.

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Until next year...

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WE'RE GOING CAMPING ANYWAY...

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Tonight's Forecast:
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Tomorrow's Forecast:
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The men set up the tents last night to waterproof them for our trip. Today, the wind keeps blowing them away.
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Yellowstone, here we come. Wish us luck.
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THERAPY

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By the end of each school year, I am exhausted to the max in every possible way. I mean, the stress of teaching elementary school does stuff to a person. As in, after the last day, all I want to do in the world is sit on my bed, stare at the wall, and remain motionless for an entire week straight.
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And it's not all emotional exhaustion either. My body feels like I've tied myself to an electric fence. Things stop working properly (in some ways I care not to divulge), and I always get sick within a couple of days of the end...as if my body is finally being allowed the time to break down completely.
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But this year, besides the exhaustion...and the normal stresses and projects and performances that accompany the end of the school year...and the fact that I just started a master's program...I got thrown a curve ball I wasn't prepared for.
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I signed up for a BYU-Student to come help in my classroom as part of her Methods Practicum. I needed help. As already mentioned, I was tired. And a lot of drama at work was making me feel unhappy. The day before I was to meet her, I distinctly remember pausing and saying a silent prayer that I would be assigned a student helper who could make a difference for me. Someone to help work feel more positive.
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When I first met Jennifer Ames, I was disappointed. She wasn't extroverted and bubbly like I pictured I needed. Instead, she was serious, quiet, and observant. But I soon found that she was a hard worker, took great initiative, and was a quick learner. And I was impressed with the lessons she taught the kids. I remember thinking that she was a lot like me, and was annoyed with myself for not expecting much from her--just because she was reserved. As I got to know her better, I took note of her ever-kind ways and sincere smile--the way it would unexpectedly appear as we talked, or she interacted with the kids. I liked her.
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On the last weekend before school got out, I was informed that Jennifer Ames was killed in an accident, as she drove down to Utah for her brother's seminary graduation. A tire blew just outside of Pocatello, her car rolled, and she passed away at a nearby medical center.
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She and I, just a few hours before the accident, had been working together on projects in my classroom, talking after the students had gone for the day. We had spent a good while talking about her plans for the future, the mission she served in Washington D.C., each member of her family, and how excited she was to see them over the weekend. She had been so alive! I couldn't imagine her gone...and in such a traumatic way.
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I've had family members pass away before. But usually, they were over the age of 60, and it was not entirely unexpected. Maybe that is why this news rocked my world like it did. I was a mess! I will be eternally grateful that I found out over the weekend, and not at school Monday morning. What if I hadn't had an evening to prepare myself for kids, immediately upon arrival asking, "Where's Miss Ames?" or for the heart-wrenching duty of informing them of what had happened?
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The students had a lot of hard questions. The hardest one being: "Why would Heavenly Father let her die?" At this point, I threw all political correctness out the window. Screw it. Where else were we supposed to turn for peace and comfort, but to the Gospel? Every last one of them attends primary anyway. So, there in a public education classroom, we held a discussion about God having a plan for everyone, and His always knowing best....even if we don't understand. He sees more than we do. The accident was not the result of a stupid mistake on her part. God simply needed her home. One young man even suggested that she was probably being a real teacher now. To which I answered that was probably true.
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That next week, we held many impromptu discussions like this. We dedicated the class play performances to our Miss Ames, and I was touched beyond words to see the way even my insanely ADHD student sat for almost an hour, carefully creating the most beautifully sincere sympathy card for the Ames family you ever saw. (If you knew this kid, and you saw his card, you would understand my shock.)
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When I found a grocery bag with a dinner plate, dish soap, food coloring, and baggie of cotton swabs in her desk, I did some research to find out what lesson she had been planning. Through Google, I found THIS video, showing the combination of these ingredients to be quite magical. So, on the last day of school, we went ahead and did the experiment. It was a nice last tribute to Miss Ames and all the work she had put in to her fun activities.
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I took off on Thursday night for Utah . I wanted to be to Spanish Fork in time for the funeral the next morning. Becca called to say she would come with me and offer support (how sweet is she?). I was touched, thanked her, but said I just needed to go alone. After this week from h-e-double-hockey-sticks, I needed some quiet time to regroup.
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I stayed the night with--get this--my Grandma Jolley--who lives in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Doesn't that just sound like the happiest of places?
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This is her house. .
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At the funeral the next morning, I was emotional the moment I walked through the doors of the building. Introducing myself to her father, a sizable man with kind eyes, I shook his hand and explained that Jenny had been working in my 3rd grade classroom. Unexpectedly, he grabbed me in a hug, sobbing: "Oh, she loved those kids!" My face buried in his stomach, I cried too.
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The service was lovely. Sitting next to her BYU-Idaho bishop, I met the little nephew she had talked about, sang hymns, recognized Jenny's smile in her mother's, recognized her eyes and nose in her father's, learned more about her goodness, cried, and was comforted.
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(picture from LDS.org)

I spent the rest of the day all by myself. After treating me to a Whopper, I took myself to the Provo temple to attend a session. I took everything slow and easy. I took my time admire the flowers. I stopped to enjoy the view and the warm weather. It was perfect.

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On the way back down from the temple, I then treated myself to dessert. I rarely can justify such a purchase, but maybe I should do so more often. Donuts are the happiest foods (next to black olives and Pop Rocks of course).
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Then after dinner at Grandma's, I went on a walk. She lives nestled near the top of this mountain. Not really sure why it's not a "P" instead of a "G". Maybe it stands for "Grandma" rather than "Pleasant Grove". That would make more sense.
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The mountain affords views of Utah Lake and the valley below. And it afforded me more time to think.
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I sat on a fire hydrant for at least half an hour, staring at this view. Too bad the camera couldn't capture the sun rays streaming through the clouds--the way it does in all the scripture movies just before God speaks. But in a way, God did speak to my soul that day. And part of me feels that the sunset, and the entire day for that matter, was part of God's prescribed therapy for the stress of the last couple of months.
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On my walk back to Grandma's house, I passed an empty lot and was pleased to find a family of quail darting through the grasses. Aren't quail the coolest? Check out that headdress!
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I stood watching them so long, that an old man in slippers called at me from his driveway, asking if I planned to buy the piece of property I was staring at. I figured it was time to move on at that point.
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Besides, Andrew, Becca, and Lane would be arriving in Pleasant Grove soon. As much as I needed a day alone, I had sure missed 'em. I love those guys.
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QUICK UPDATE

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1. All 4 performances of the class play are over with.
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2. My second big project with GCU was turned in yesterday. .
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3. My student's portfolios were finished about 1:30 this morning.
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4. Third grade report cards have been handed out.
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5. The 2009-2010 school year officially ended at 12:30 this afternoon.
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6. And after some quick homework of my own, I am off to Utah for a funeral and a family reunion (still not sure where I'll be sleeping tonight). I'll be joined by Andrew and Becca tomorrow.
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A week from Stressville, let me tell you. And I'm still waiting to catch my breath...
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