5 Wishes

My friend, April, gave me the best book for my birthday. It's called 5 Wishes. It's fantastic! The premise is that you are supposed to finish this sentence, "The main reason my life was not a total success is because I didn't_______". Come up with 4 or 5 items. Then turn them around into a positive action statement and live by it every day to change the outcome. Sounds simple enough...cough, sputter.

In the spirit of "keeping it real" (thanks Danny), here are my 5 Wishes :

The main reason my life wasn't a total success:

1. I didn't laugh enough and took life too seriously
2. I rushed through eachexperience to get to the future without enjoying the moment.
3. I was too scared to go after the (crazy) dream that lit me on fire. Always ended up playing it safe in work, relationships, life.
4. Gave in to what others though I should do/be instead of being true to myself.
5. I was too rigid and deliberate in designing my life and didn't allow or cope well with unexpected surprises.

I've turned those into positive statements for my life now. My new mantra:

1. I laugh often. I stop and smile. Others want to be around me because I find the joy in my life.
2. I live in the 'NOW' and enjoy each moment as it unfolds
3. I passionately and courageously pursue my passions a little bit every day
4. I am authentic to the real me, which gives my talents and gifts a free slate to blossom
5. I look at life as a big adventure, knowing wherever I go, I can make it a wonderful (and even magical) experience. Life will serve up what I need, and I will embrace the journey.

Now...for those of you who read my blog. What are your 5 Wishes?

JANTZEN!!

JANTZEN TODAY




JANTZEN 6 MONTHS AGO




I just got Jantzen's school pics in the mail. Look at my handsome boy! He looks so good---like the old Jantzen. I had to immediately blog so everyone can see. He is doing well and sounds great. I love the confident clear eyes I see in him now. Such a contrast from his demeanor 6 months ago. It's a good week!

Fall Leaves

HEY!! I DEMAND TO KNOW-- WHAT'S WITH THE SNOW??? YOU CUT MY FISHING SEASON SHORT!!

First things first---A continuation of the tennis success stories. Whitney ended up taking third in 5A State Finals. We are so proud of her! It is an incredible accomplishment. Now her poor elbow can take a rest from tendonitis and she can get some good recovery time. Shake and bake, Whit!!

I had a great weekend with my friend Fritzie. She came here on a hunting trip with her daughter and then stayed a few extra days with me. What a treat! We drove to Sundance over the Alpine loop, we went to the Rat Pat musical and out to dinner, and just had an overall nice time catching up with one another. It was like Christmas! The anticipation of having a few days to do nothing but have fun was well worth the wait. Fritzie is much older than I am but for some reason, she makes me feel much younger. She is a verifiable NUT. She toilet papered her hunting guides house and put cheerios in their beds. This story was met with shreiks of delight by me. I knew I'd found an audience who could truly appreciate the benefits of owning a remote control tarantula like myself. Finally, a prankster who I can share in some competition.

Now for the big move. Yes, it's REALLY happening. I think I'm finally getting my arms around it. My obsessive personality is getting plans in place so that it can be a transition with something to look forward to. I'm gathering art supplies to start some of the fine arts classes, and I've been looking into franchise fees to start a SubZero ice cream parlor. Who knows--maybe Ephraim has some hidden treasures I can discover there.

We got Jantzens' report card yesterday---HIGH HONOR ROLL! Wow! It's been awhile since I've seen those grades. It sure made me happy. Jantzen says he hates the predictability and structure of each day but I think it's a magic pill. He seems to be responding well to it all.

Still on the Boot Camp "high". Getting used to tomato juice, veggie patties, cottage cheese, tuna fish, and oatmeal. It actually sounds GOOD to me. What's even scarier, my old fishing staple, "Cheetohs", actually tasted terrible yesterday. Who am I becoming? I guess as long as a juicy, fat hamburger with tomatoes tastes good, I'm still normal enough (some would say I've never been normal enough).

Region Tennis Champs!

Kayla and Gentry

Seeing Jantzen Again

Canning up a storm
I'm short on pictures, but we're long on pride. Kayla and Whitney both took region in tennis this past week! Whit won in Varsity and Kayla in J.V. They will continue to State Championships this coming week and we are rooting for them both.

Still having some difficulty getting the home sold or leased...we're in eternal limbo. I've been working on fixing "stuff"--there's nothing like 7 years of deferred maintenance to keep you busy! I've been fixing toilets, patching walls, painting, trying to fix electrical problems (til I decided I could kill myself and hired it done), cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning.

Kev has been in Arizona or Ephraim. He took his kids on the road trip to Arizona where they stopped and did some hiking and saw the rim of the Grand Canyon. Pics are coming as soon as Kev comes home again. They had a GREAT time.

It must have done me some good to be alone for the week...I lost several pounds and a few inches from my boot camp. VICTORY! (I just want to know why it takes me a month of blood, sweat and tears and Kevin can lose weight in his sleep--NOT FAIR. In my world I get to create, men will gain weight and look worse as they age and women will lose weight easily and get better looking as they go gray).

How bout that stock market? UGH. I am trying to remember the reason I decided to be frugal and save all of my money all these years! We are burning dollar bills this month by the minute. That whole plan of spending what you earn may have gotten me further ahead! I could at least have had a few more trips or some fun toys. Bummer.

At least there's those snow-capped, beautiful mountains. They calm me. But still--somebody get me outta here! I need to go see another country. I'm getting fidgety! I keep hearing whispers to come to New Zealand, Argentina or Italy.

Our Road Trip to See Jantzen

We finally finished up our 24 hours of driving to finish the trip out to Bonners Ferry to see Jantzen. Hannah, Dazy and I loaded up the 4Runner and off we went. We passed the tempting Potato Museum, the Testicle Festival in Montana, Lincoln's 50,000 Silver Coins exhibit and a variety of other roadside delights and opted for the straightshot drive.

He was able to show us his world which consisted of beautiful wilderness (which he hasn't grown up enough to fully appreciate yet), a new High School which he attends, and a great pizza joint down the road. Bonners' Ferry and Sandpoint are both pretty small--you can't blink or you'd miss them.

He lives in a cottage at the end of a street, where there are 3 homes the boys live in. Each home is run by the boys--They clean it, shop for and make the meals, do improvement projects, etc. If they are on good behavior, they get one hour of television a day, and 5 minutes internet time. Other than that, they are out mountain climbing, fishing, doing homework, or working in the yard. I like the lack of distractions.

We got to steal him from his daily routine and go explore. Hannah insisted we drive 30 minutes to the border of Canada just so she could say she'd been there. We explored an old haunted lake with lilies floating on it and Jantzen discovered something that looked like a brain in the bottom under the dock. Kind of creepy. We hiked to a waterfall, and we went to SandPoint to the beach. Then we went with the boys up to the top of the mountain above the treeline to this pristine lake. It didn't matter what we did, we just had fun together. You know I was enjoying myself, because I didn't take my flyrod out of the car once. I ALMOST forgot it was there.

We were as happy to see him as he was to see us. And leaving was torture. We miss each other. I broke with my eating plan and had a jelly filled Hostess O just to feel better. Don't tell my trainer.

Tennis Champs

Kayla and Whitney have been playing their hearts out this season at Lone Peak. The tennis team is currently undefeated and the girls continue the great winning streak. Whit is playing first singles and Kayla is playing on the J.V. team--much to her dismay. Kayla started out as Varsity and was was winning many of the top Varsity players, but the coach had a senior star return and wanted to give them a chance to play on the team for the senior year and knew Kayla had many years left to be the star. You don't want to go up against one of them in a dark alley--they've got the most toned arms and legs you'd ever want to see. Strong and tan. Ahhh, to be young again. I'm just white and flabby...and pretty happy about it.

Their games are on Tuesdays and Thursdays and of course, we always forget the camera. Some great photos were taken last week that we are trying to get our hands on. For now, look at the back row, far right. (Look how tall Kayla is).

On other news fronts, the move has slowed down. No buyers for the home, but we are trying to lease it. You don't think the collapse of our financial markets and economy verging on a depression has anything to do with it? I'm not sure what's better--commuting to Ephraim when gas is $4.00 a gallon, or sucking it up and paying rent in Ephraim. We're probably sixes either way (what does that mean anyway).


Jantzen was in the hospital this past week. A big wood beam fell on his leg and fortunately didn't break his ankle, but sure made it swollen and black and blue. Wouldn't you know it--the first time he's in the hospital his whole life and mom isn't there? Then Zac twisted his ankle and his is swollen up like an orange as well. It's even the same leg. I think he did it so he could have sympathy pains. There are easier ways, Zac.

I'm kicking fanny on my new Fitness Boot Camp. One hour a day of grueling punishment doled out by some evil trainer whose only desire is to make others miserable. But hey, you can't argue with results! The transformation from middle-aged-saggy-baggy to modern mama is in progress. And NO--there will be no before and after pictures shown.

Jantzen and the Bike Race

We are pleased to report that Jantzen completed his 62 mile bike race yesterday! He said it was grueling, but he didn't stop other than to get a drink at the designated stops. I really am proud of him for his efforts. That's a huge accomplishment! He said he could hardly walk after the race. I am also pleased to report he has straight A's at school. Finally! Back to the good grades like I know he is capable of. These are the "miracles" of this week.

Hannah and I will be driving out to see him in 2 weeks--the 2nd time we've seen him in 4 1/2 months. It's like Christmas!

He had a few setbacks last week which were very discouraging. He got caught with cigarettes, alcohol and some prescription drugs--a long story that spans a few weeks, but such a bummer. Some other kids knew about some sneaking around and told their superiors. Jantzen was confronted and finally told the truth. It really threw me for a loop. I didn't even know he had ever smoked and we didn't think he had any ongoing issues with drugs. It's a tough thing when you find out new information 4 1/2months into "recovery". Some people say he's doing this BECAUSE he's there, and others say it's exactly why he needs to be there. It's confusing as a parent. We just hope we are doing the right things. What this does mean is that we need to stay committed for the year with Jantzen. We had thought about bringing him back early since we'll be in Ephraim, but I think we need to figure out a way to keep him in the program.

We are still moving forward on our plans to sell the house and move to Ephraim. I'm sure I'm not excited about it personally, but I think it's the right thing for our family. We will be together which is most important. I think the kids will thrive in a smaller town as well. And simplifying life is a definite plus. I'll take advantage by going back to college and seeing if I can learn something new. I'd like to become an architect for my second life--one that is focused on building "green" homes or offices. I'm very nervous about leaving my friends in the community. Kevin keeps reminding me we still have a home in Alpine and we can spend time here as well.

The girls surprisingly seem excited for the move. I think they'll be the coolest thing since sliced bread in the high school. Right now we are shooting for an October 16 move--we'll see if we can move things forward that quickly.