The Whole Fam-Damily!

 

These first few pictures are from Cub Scout Daycamp (family day). Rychen was super excited to go to this! He got to pack a lunch and everything, which is a pretty big deal when you're home-schooled.

Then the next week we were off to Park City to a Gremlich family reunion where we hung around a 3-floor house not doing much of anything. But I was glad we got to do a few group activities I have been waiting for.... Such as the 4-man Human Table (something we learned at Girls Camp when my sisters and I, as well as my parents during certain years, attended in the mountains near Las Vegas).

These two boys have a special relationship, and its fun to watch them interact!

 And this is just one cool uncle. Hey all you single ladies!! This one is available! and don't worry about gender roles, ASK HIM OUT!

This is my cute toothless girl. She lost 3 teeth in a matter of 2 weeks I think. She's not even six years old yet! Pretty crazy. My children have a way of defying all normal development patterns, both ahead and behind in a random pattern among the three of them.

Here's another shot of that single "family man," the most recent married man (2 years now!) and then the most recent available bachelor, fluent in both Chilean Spanish and funny faces, for those who care :)

and the whole fam-damily.... 

 ...some who can be silly and some who find it absolutely impossible. (My husband has a good fit as a Gremlich, in that sense)

 (p.s. Why is Andrew suddenly being sincere?)

Here is my favorite picture. We took one shot of the original family, my parents and 8 children. I felt something special in my heart during the few moments this photograph was being taken.... my roots. Although there was a very slimmer of a brief moment when the eight of us lived under the same roof, there is still a common blood, a common unity, a common Gremlich oomph. If you know what mean. (I'm not sure I do). I've had my years as the baby, my years as the big sister, my years as the defiant teenager wanting nothing to do with the Gremlich name. I've had my years at home, my years abroad, my years starting my own family, and my years yearning to be back at home as a child under the protective care of my parents. Family is something that goes full circle. And then it keeps going, because really it never ends. And I believe these phases never end--they continually press on, taking their turns in a circle of finding our identity.

 My parents currently have 8 grandchildren (and that includes fetuses, to my knowledge). Each is unique in their own way and it's been fun to see the various Gremlich genes, personalities, quirks, strengths and weaknesses express throughout the canvas of progeny. I had my own impressions of my uncles and aunts, gathered over years of occasional interactions; and I wonder how objective there are. And I wonder what their impressions have been of me. Now I wonder, what are my neices' and nephews' impressions of me? Have I spent enough moments with them to give them one at all? Do I make a positive impression of someone they might want to grow to be like? Good thing there is more time for that.

All in all, the Gremliches are a pretty cool fam-damily. (I will be pretty impressed if our soon-to-be exchange student can understand that joke! But she better get used to it, because I talk that way all the time. That's just how my wain brorks!)... Look forward to a post about THAT in a few weeks!)

Miracles

In Rychen's Sunday School lesson last week, he posed a simple question: Do miracles still happen today? He went on to conjecture that, although people say we don't have dramatic miracles such as parting the red sea, that these things do happen--if we were to compile the journals of the faithful saints in our ward, we would indeed have a modern book of miracles, akin to the Old and New Testaments.

This was a very brief portion of the lesson. I really wish we could have opened it up to experiences and testimonies. But it got me thinking.

We see the grand miracles in the Bible only because somebody witnessed it and wrote it down, and it was published for worldwide distribution. That doesn't mean miracles were unique to that time period; it only means they beat the odds and were publicized.

Are miracles publicized today? I doubt the media cares very much. They have already made it clear they don't care about God. When they do publicize miracles, they take liberties and change the story, or they dress it up like a Supernatural Phenomenon rather than a sacred experience with a personal, loving Father. Lately we have seen some nice stories on websites such as Upworthy, and I appreciate that.

Before you can publicize something, you have to witness it. Are miracles witnessed by a large audience? Or are they personal, private?

And before you witness a miracle, you have to recognize and admit that you did in fact see a miracle. How many of us give God credit when unexplainable things happen? When a spontaneous healing happens, the doctors usually call it just that - spontaneous - and will not acknowledge the Almighty in His handiwork.

Actually, forget unexplainable. Because that is precisely the problem now.  - Just because we have obtained the scholasticism to explain natural phenomena doesn't mean it's not God's work. There are INCREDIBLE things happening every second in this world, things that would absolutely ASTOUND someone living in Moses' time. What do you think their reaction would be, if you had a conversation with them and then the next day, replayed that exact conversation in the exact voices with identical intonation, for them to hear again, repeatedly? Or if you could pull up somebody from the other side of the world on a screen for them to have a conversation with? Or if you could put them in a metal vehicle which would then ascend up to 40,000 feet and fly at 500 miles per hour? 

Was walking on the Moon an act of God? Or just some really smart scientists?

It's naive to give man the credit for these modern miracles, and I will tell you why. If you look at the progression of history, let's call it the Evolution of man, it should follow an even, predictable rate of improvement. And yet it does not. For almost six thousand years (or many, many more if you are not a believer) Man barely evolved at all. Maybe he learned how to plant things and harvest, Big Whoop. And then suddenly something miraculous and unexpected, and indescribable happened in the 1500's and for the next 500 years, civilized world would never be the same again. Innovation and enlightenment has happened at phenomenal, exponential rates. At first, maybe every 50 years, a big new idea or discovery would come. Then every 30 years. Then in the 1900's it was every 5-10 years. And then in the 21st century, we see incredible inventions we couldn't have fathomed - new ones coming out almost every single day!!

I saw in a catalog a device you can hook up to yourself while you sleep, and it will record your dreams. Then when you wake up you can watch your dreams again.  That just blows me away. But forget about the most modern devices. I am still amazed with the tape recorder from 1970. It just blows my mind that something invisible - audio sound - can be captured and preserved to hear again and again. I will never get over that.

But if you're still hung up over Joshua and that wall, wanting to see God fighting our enemies on our behalf, protecting his people from physical danger, look no further than this week's news.

http://mobile.wnd.com/2014/08/hand-of-god-sent-missile-into-sea/

But in conclusion, the biggest miracle of all is not an invention, is not a tangible metal object. I was having a conversation about miracles with my friend and how miracles should not be necessary for a spiritual conversion. We are converted when we feel the Holy Ghost work on our hearts and give us a desire to be a new person. This unseen process can happen to anybody, in any culture, at any age, solicited or not. There are some amazing stories of criminals who have come to Christ. Who have laid down their previous carnal desires and addictions, and have risen to something clean, something with purpose and meaning, and have a new desire to choose good works and give their whole life to a cause greater than themselves. And that change of heart is precisely the biggest, grandest, most important miracle of all. If you witness no other miracle in your lifetime, let that be the one that you experience first hand.

"Verily I say unto you, they have their reward"

Thanks to those of you who commented on my last post. I enjoy sharing ideas and discussing insights. :)  And I love how Emily has been blogging to share her thoughts and the things she is learning. I think I am going to use my blog more. I would love to write out some personal reflections, it's mostly just a matter of time. We'll see how it goes...here's a start.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

So, I give a lot. I am happy to. I enjoy serving. I don't think much about it, I just speak up and volunteer and easily give what I have to give, whether it be money, food, time, friendship, whatever. But sometimes I, like anybody, find myself saying "Wait a minute, what's in it for me??" or "When is it going to be my turn?"

Today I was complaining in my head something along these lines, and the Holy Ghost quietly whispered to me, "...Verily I say unto you, they have their reward." (Matt 6:5) What this means is, basically we can be rewarded by men or we can be rewarded by God. We can be rewarded now, or we can be rewarded in the next life. We can have a cookie now, or we can have the whole bakery if we just wait a little longer :)

That's not to say we're not being rewarded now. Sometimes when I am whining in my head about not having a certain blessing I am seeking, the Holy Ghost whispers to me, "Would you like to trade in one of your current, bigger blessings?" and I realize, Heck no!! I am totally blessed with really, really AWESOME things. There are 2 or 3 MAJOR blessings in our life that are simply miracles, and I would not trade them for anything. Obviously one is our temple blessings and the protection we enjoy having taken upon ourselves certain covenants. But we also have pretty cool temporal blessings that only the Lord knows we need...things that most people don't have and don't even want. But to Rychen and me, it means the world to us that Heavenly Father hears our individual prayers about things that most people would think silly, that are actually very critical to us and only a miracle can provide. And thus far, this miracle has been provided. I wouldn't trade that for more energy or stamina, I wouldn't trade that for more cooperative kids, I wouldn't trade that for local family.

When we give and give and give, and wonder when they will give something back, there is something crucial to remember. Are we being rewarded now? YES. We just have a different person paying us. Christ died and paid payment for all debts we incur in life....except financial debts :)  But all relationship debts, emotional debts, etc. have been paid for and all we have to do is accept the third party payment.  Why do we sit around holding grudges, waiting for the debtor to pay us, when they CAN'T, and the third party (Christ) is willing to pay us MORE than we deserve??I'm sure we can all relate to feeling WOUNDED. Maybe a heart-break. Or maybe somebody ruined our reputation, maybe somebody was dishonest with us, or for whatever reason, another person has hurt us and they are not apologizing. The pain of an unsettled debt is agonizing. They have robbed you emotionally, and you yearn for restitution. You yearn for reconciliation, for them to at least ACKNOWLEDGE that they have hurt you. And you wonder, will this debt ever be settled? The answer depends on if we are willing to accept third-party payments :)  The debt has already been paid. The blood of Jesus Christ pays us, WHETHER OR NOT THE DEBTOR CALLS UPON HIM TO DO SO. Whether or not the offender asks for the Savior to pay us on his behalf, He HAS. He is willing to give this to us so that our emotional reconciliation may be granted and we can have peace (But of course, the offender won't have their peace until they personally reach out and receive theirs).

I'm sure we've heard that in Sunday school before. But what about other debts?? Not when we've been hurt  but maybe when we've been UNAPPRECIATED? Do you know how much your CHILDREN OWE YOU?? Some children grow into sweet adults who shower their parents with praises and thank-you's, for more many more years than the service was given. Other adult children still don't acknowledge their parents. But even if they will eventually do so, what we if need some "pay" NOW?

I found myself thinking this one day and had an amazing epiphany. I was thinking how much my kids OWE me. How much appreciation I am due. It was that key word "Owe" that struck my heart, because I know that any debt I am owed has already been paid by the Savior. So I pondered on how the Savior has paid the debt of appreciation for the things I have done.

My next thought was, if I continue to play my martyr card (which I admit, I love to do and I play it quite frequently), that in essence is me refusing to accept the third party payment--I am refusing to accept the GRACE of Christ. If I have been paid in full, then I am no longer a martyr. If I have been paid in full, I can lift up my weary soul and SMILE, and live in peace. I don't have to worry about what I am owed, like a rock hanging around my shoulder every day weighing me down. This is what Christ meant when he said "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

So once again we come back to - "Verily I say unto you, they have their reward." Would you like martyrdom and drama to be your reward? Or can you give it up, and accept peace (and all the glories hereafter) as your reward? You don't get both.

When I was a teenager I struggled with clinical depression. And one day I realized I was on some subconscious level, CHOOSING that. I asked myself, Why would I want this? And of course the answer is, I love drama. Even if nobody is there listening or pitying me, the drama is in my heart and I sure love to whine in my heart. I had my reward. Does that make sense? I was getting something out of it. As long as you are getting something out of a bad situation, you're not the victim. You are benefiting (or to use a financial word since this post is about debts, you are PROFITING) from the negative situation. A victim does not profit. When we use negative situations for drama, we have chosen our reward. When we use negative situations to hold a grudge or play martyr, we have chosen our reward. When we use negative situations to tell exaggerated stories and gain attention from others, we have chosen our reward.

It is only when we surrender, and say "Fine. I won't hold onto this anymore. I won't USE this situation for my personal gain, in ANY aspect" that we can finally allow Christ to enter our hearts and finally pay that debt in full, in a way nobody else can do. And then we will truly be free.

So next time you find yourself asking "What's in it for me?" Just think, Eternal Life. Riches beyond measure. If I choose that reward, and THAT reward only.

How Sitting Backward Turned my Life Around

When I was in 8th grade I was going through a big shift in my inner life, processing life's experiences and all my confusing feelings and ideas. I had a lot to sort out. One day at the very end of the school year when we were just ready to get out for summer, my PE teacher was showing us a movie. We gathered in the shower area and sat down on yoga mats. While she was getting the VCR ready, we girls we all talking to each other, of course. So I was facing away from the TV, toward my friends. Once the movie was ready, she told us to be quiet and watch. Being the spunky rebel that I was, I did stop talking but remained in my position sitting away from the TV. I don't remember why--maybe I didn't want to watch the movie. She probably told me again to turn around, and I ignored her. So she said, go to her office for a little chat.

Soon she met me there and gave me a brief talking-to. Then she gave me a pat on the head and sent me back out to watch the movie. But I paused. And I asked the one question I will never forget: 

"Don't you want to know WHY?"

"Huh?" She wasn't understanding why I wasn't skipping out to be with my friends again.

"Don't you want to know why? You talked to me about my behavior but you didn't ask me why I am behaving like that."

So she invited me to come sit down in her office, and she closed the door. I did not see a single minute of that movie that day. Over the next hour and a half or so, I sat in her office and released the burden I had been carrying all alone for the past year, or maybe the past thirteen years. She listened and heard every word. She never judged me, and she never said she had better things to do. She just sat back and let me do that talking--which I will say, is quite the miracle, as I can't think of another single time in my entire life when I've had that privilege.

That was a big day for me because it helped me come to a decision. It gave me the confidence to act for myself and seek out my destiny. I left that locker room and walked home.

And then I left the church.

So it's kind of ironic that after such a good, validating experience, I was led to make a choice that set me on a path "away" from where I "needed to be." And I still haven't completely figured out whether that was the right choice that day or not. Because I will say, I needed to feel that I made a decision for myself. And I needed to allow my heart to explore some other possibilities. I needed some time to find myself.

Two years later, I had found myself, and I came back to the fold with 100% pure intent, truly converted for myself. But that is not what this story is about.

I woke up this morning thinking of this day. I can't help but wonder, if I had had that life-changing talk with somebody else, anyone else, or maybe somebody close to me (I mean come on, the PE teacher?? We were not close at all. That just happened to be the moment when it all came spilling out.) - and maybe somebody who had a sure foot in the Gospel - Would the outcome of that day have been different? My PE teacher had a negative opinion of Mormons so the conversation took a certain turn. What if I had talked to somebody who could help clear up my misconceptions and guide me toward the light rather than away from it?

But there is a reason why it was my PE teacher. There is a very simple, easy reason. And that was this: Because she was the only one willing to ask that question and sit down and listen.

So the point of the story is this: ASK WHY. People act out for a reason. Their actions reflect what they are going through internally. Don't take somebody's actions personally as if it's about you--it's always about THEM. If your child is misbehaving, Don't you want to know WHY? If your coworker is being deceptive or rude, don't you want to know WHY? If your spouse is withdrawing, don't you want to know WHY? If your visiting teachers aren't coming, Don't you want to know WHY? If a Mormon is a feminist or a gay rights supporter, Don't you want to know WHY? What have these people experienced in life that have given them these perspectives and impressions? What have they been through that has given them the belief that ... they are unloveable, or that their dreams cannot come true, or that they can't get out and do a calling, or they can't nurture their spouse, or they can't follow instructions, or they can't smile and be outgoing in public, or whatever it is they are struggling with. WHY? It's not because they are bad. It's because they are sorting through some real experiences and feelings, and even if it leads them down the "wrong" path, it will ultimately be for their good. Learning and seeking truth are ALWAYS good things.

Blast from the Past: 2003

So Rychen went to bed early (he needs his sleep...that guy is gonna run his third 50 miler on Saturday! wow!!) and here I am by my lonesome reading my old journals! I found some GOLD here, I tell you. So I thought I would share it with you all.

December 5, 2003 (my birthday)

I was doing OK until I paid for graduation today. And then all at once I felt like crying! I couldn't figure out why I'm not happy to graduate. Then I realized it--I don't feel smart enough, I don't feel educated, there are still so many things I don't know and I want to learn! I have these yearnings within me, but I know they'll be there for eternity, literally. There is always more to learn and so I'll never be satisfied. 

Then I realized that if I marry Rychen...well then life just got totally predictable. I am no longer the restless wanderer. I need to settle down and live righteously, raise a family, serve in the ward and neighborhood, support a husband, and build the kingdom... Of course there will be little events and surprises along the way, but its mostly outlined, just how its going to be from here on out! But following that will bring immense happiness and fulfillment (especially if its with Rychen :) )

hahaha ... I love my old journals. I just think I was the kookiest person ever. And here I am TEN YEARS LATER living a most predictable Mormon life.  But is it boring? Wow, there are a lot of words to describe my daily life, but boring is NOT one of them!! And there have been tons of surprises--who would have thought that we'd be running marathons!? and doing all the other crazy stuff we do??

Here's another good part. Get ready for some ROMANCE, people!

November 8, 2003

The other day, Antonina was on the phone and she wanted to talk to Rychen. So she starts firing questions and she asked him if he loves me! (He didn't know I could hear her) He told her something like "I can't say..." Well later on, he told me a few times to remind him to tell me what she asked but I already knew what she asked, and I didn't want to talk about it!! But in the car on the way to Salt Lake, he told me she asked that and said he couldn't answer because he thought I should be the first to know! But the topic changed before he said it... until tonight, when we said goodnight and he said, "You can tell your friend that I think I do love you."  and I just said "awww" and gave him a big hug. I'm happy he said that, and I do love him back but I like that expression more when it doesn't have to be given on the condition that its returned. So one of these days I'll get around to telling him! 

[It actually took a while for me to tell him. It was hard for me to say it. He understood this. One day when we were cuddling I was telling him "I admire you, and I appreciate you, and I enjoy you..." etc. and he just looked me in the eye and said "I love you too" --- and that just touched me so deeply, that he knew exactly what I was trying to say!]

Okay here's the best part.

Dec. 14, 03

So last night we're sitting on my couch and he feels my ring finger and says "So, for future reference, what size would you say this is?" and I said I don't know, but I was honestly freaked out!! So overnight and this morning I was really thinking about what needs to happen here and where we're going. I was wondering if its time for me, or what the Lord wants me to do in the next year. Then through church, my fears were replaced with PEACE. I felt such a peace through church and my concerns were all answered through the spirit. It was so comforting. I knew I didn't have to worry, that it would all be okay. Then in R.S., impressions just came to me and I felt so good about Rychen, and trusting him, seeing us be together and grow, knowing that through Christ and His love, I would be able to make the commitment. So in that moment I had thought it all out and felt so right about us so I just said a prayer and told Heavenly Father, and asked if it was OK with Him. Then I got the most unique answer! I felt the edges of my mouth going up into a huge smile and I just felt such PEACE. No explosion, no fire--but I was totally at ease and I knew it would be fine with the Lord [to marry Rychen].

So after church we took a walk and went on the pathway up the mountain. It was beautiful and totally peaceful. I told him I felt peace at church and he held me--I just felt it more!! So I told him, "by the way, it's a 5-1/2" (I tried on Sarah's ring today) So 3 times I told him something about how I felt good about us, and each time I just felt really re-confirmed by the spirit, an increase of peace. I wanted to stand there hugging him forever. I love him today so much more than ever. My prayers are being answered. The Lord is at the helm! I love His plan so much, the whole idea of companions is awesome! I love it.

State Fair

The kids have been asking about rides all year. We tried to catch them various places but never worked out, so we were excited to go to the State Fair and do rides!! (holy $$) So Rychen P. and I rode the ferris wheel. Elisabeth unfortunately wasn't tall enough for the regular rides, but she enjoyed a few kiddy rides! I am surprised and thrilled that Rychen P. enjoys the "scary" rides. Next year we'll take him on some even better ones. Although the Magic Carpet - I gotta hand it to you. That was pretty awesome.

Taylor LOVES driving.... so of course we had to make a stop at this cute tractor.

I was so happy to see the performing dogs that won America's Got Talent last year! Yes I actually watch that show and I recognized them!! The Chilean man who does this has an incredible story and just the most wonderful fun-loving spirit. I just enjoy seeing him interact with his dogs, you can really tell he loves them like family.

Poodles riding a scooter. You don't see that every day.

We also saw a tiger, lion, wallaby, and just tons of zoo and farm animals, and reptiles. It's always fun to do that with a child who hasn't seen them before. But the best part was the petting zoo. I know, I know, petting zoos are dirty and boring. But this one was AWESOME. You just hang out in the pen with all these animals with no time limit! You can play with them all you want! There were BABY goats and pigs, llamas, donkey, sheep, a wallaby, and so much more! I could go for a pet goat. Seriously.

That was the day after our vacation to Utah! and next week we are going to Las Vegas/Kingman to see my family and do the St. George marathon. Busy busy!! After that we seriously need to rest and focus on schoolwork. :)

Dude Room Weekend

Dude Room Reunion Weekend Recap

The first weekend in September marked the first time the five of us had all been together since the 2003-2004 school year ended, when four of us moved out and got married. What had started as Greg's wife surprising him with a trip to hang out with us had taken nearly two years to plan and had fallen apart last year because of late scheduling conflicts. But with non-refundable plane tickets and football tickets for all of us (and with the blessings of our good wives), we were on our way back to where we had had some of our best times.

Thursday Night

Trevor's plan was running an hour or so late but it didn't matter as he arrived just minutes after Carter. Awkward man hugs were exchange at the rental car counter and we left the airport in search of Trevor's parent's house. Before we go any further here, a huge thanks to the Weeds for their hospitality. Each of us had our own room with a queen size bed, memory foam pillows and a view that you pay big money for in a nice hotel. Oh, and a minivan gassed and ready to go to take us wherever we needed to. Then there was the fridge and cupboards full of dude room staples like Tootie Fruities, ice cream and various other goodies. This weekend doesn't go off as smoothly as comfortably as it did without the Mom and Dad Weed.

We got to the house around 11:45 and sat around the kitchen talking for a while, catching up on things. Trevor and I learned about the dental industry and the differences between a private office and a corporate-run office, Trevor introduced us to So. Cal terms like "skeezy jerk-bag" and we began to catch each other up on our various families, kids and other friends. Some of it discussion was of a spiritual/religious nature, some humorous and some it dealing with real-life, working-class, we're-not-22-year-old-single-college-students-anymore stuff. It kept going until about 2:30am, at which point we had to call it a night. Carter was meeting his grandpa for breakfast at 7 the next morning and then picking Greg up at the airport and Trevor and I were going to go for a run.

Friday Morning Run

My original plan had been to run 15 miles on Friday morning. As Carter, Trevor and I were up hanging out later and later into early Friday morning though, that number dropped to 10 miles at about 1am. At 2am it dropped to 8 miles. And after 4 hours of sleep and 3 miles of hills, the number dropped again to 6 miles. It was a good run though. We ran east towards the mountains and at the end of the road continued on the trails for a bit before turning around. I will give Utah this: running in the morning sun is awesome. The mountains to the east, the valley to the west and a crispness to the air that you don't get in more humid places. Even after stopping at the top of a hill to compose myself (and determine if everything inside my stomach wanted to be on the outside or not), we made it back to the house in time to get ready to go meet Carter and Greg at the golf course.

Golf

Carter had picked Greg up at the airport Friday morning and were already at the course in a golf cart by the time Trevor and I arrived. We hustled to the first tee and before allowing Greg to tee off, presented a few non-awards for the day. For the 4th place finisher (read: last), a Han Solo t-shirt which the recipient would be required to wear the remainder of the day. Also, instead of a Closest to the Pin contest on the Par-3 7th hole, we held a Furthest from the Pin contest. The winner (read: loser) would wear a pair of University of Utah flip flops in shame the rest of the day. Trevor and I had bought these items on the way over and as we were discussing which size of flip flops to buy, we decided we should have Greg in mind (sorry, Greg). More on these contests in a minute. 

 The first hole was pretty ugly. If I remember correctly two of us put our tee shots in the water. And after one hole 4 or 5 balls had been lost. Not a good pace, given that we had only (only) brought 36 balls total. For four of us. For 9 holes. This is how awesome we are at golf.

Golfing was great. The weather was perfect (though Greg, Carter and I would be lathering sunblock and aloe on ourselves the rest of the weekend), the course was nice, green and challenging for our level and it wasn't very busy so we could take our time and have fun with it. Greg hit some really good drives (but the balls always seemed to disappear by the time we got up to where we thought they were) but had some tough luck on some putts that lipped out. Trevor didn't seem to like us on a few holes and decided to play adjacent fairways instead. Carter was perhaps our most consistent putter.

And then came the Par-3 7th hole. 

We pulled the flip flops out of the cart, reminded everyone of the shame that would come to them and their posterity should they wear anything with UofU on them and made sure everyone understood the rules. I was up first. with a 7-iron in my hand and a slight downhill to the green 157 yards away I took a whack at the ball. And dribbled it about 30 yards, just past the red tees. Crap.

Greg, Trevor and Carter all needed a minute to change strategy and all three were VERY careful just to get the club on the ball and knock it down towards the hole. Greg may have had the 2nd best shot of the day with his drive and ran it onto the green past the hold by 15 or 20 feet. Trevor played last, and after talking some trash about me having to wear the UofU flip flops, dribbled his own ball down the hill...about 35 yards. So close. But the UofU sandals were mine and I tried to wear them with pride. I managed to do so, but not with any pride.

Before teeing off on the 9th and final hole we tallied the scores. Carter trailed Trevor by 3 strokes for 3rd place. It didn't look good for Carter. But funny things happen. Like Trevor promptly hitting his drive to the right and into the same water he put his tee shot in on the first hole. Rather than take a drop, he decided to tee off again...and hit it in the water a second time. Another one stroke penalty. Taking a drop this time, he prepared to hit his 5th shot while Carter teed off. Carter hit a good approach shot that got him on the green, maybe 30 feet away. Meanwhile, Trevor was off the green on the fringe. His first put was woefully short, leaving him a 2nd put that was just too long to make. Carter's put meanwhile, stopped about 8 feet from the cup. Trevor putted out on his 3rd attempt and that left Carter with the final shot of the day. Make the putt and beat Trevor by 1 stroke. Miss the putt and he'd be forced to make the next one just to tie. Pressure, for sure. This is how it unfolded...

Pizza Pie Cafe

After golf it was off to the Pizza Pie Cafe, where we captured post-game analysis of Carter's putt and presented Trevor with his non-award. We also may have binged on pizza and pasta, but let the record reflect that we each ate at least one large plate of salad. I think Trevor even had some broccoli on his plate.




 

Boating

After a much needed hour or so of nap time we headed off to meet Greg's cousin who was willing to take us out on a boat to do some water skiing and wake boarding at Utah Lake. On the way Greg went way back into his playlist to find some gems, including Aaron Carter's "Internet Girl." Pre-Facebook and social media, this song sounds like something on the Disney Channel. 10 years later? Kind of creepy.

The water was fairly warm, though there were pockets of cold water here and there. Carter seemed to find every one of them. After getting out away from the docks Garrett killed the motor and asked what we wanted to do first. Feeling the thrill of being back in Utah Lake after swimming my half-ironman swim leg in it two weeks prior, I jumped out of my seat and dove off of the back of the boat into the water. I think it took everyone else by surprise a little bit, but the water felt great and being out in the middle of a lake swimming freely is somewhat liberating.

After swimming around for a few minutes I was the first one up on the water skis. I was a little hesitant because my last attempt two summers ago did not go so well. But the skis were much wider than pairs I have previously tried and getting up on the water was no problem.

Trevor, Carter and Greg also then took a turn on the skis and everyone got up on the water and did their thing without any trouble.

Wake boarding was next and Trevor made it look easy. He bounced around on the water, jumping over wake as he swung from side to side. Unfortunately on one of these passes the front of the board hit the water...which was followed by Trevor's face hitting the water.

Carter did well on the wake board also, as did Greg. Getting Greg up on the water took some time and effort though. For what seemed like and extended time there was a wall of water in front of Greg as he was being pulled up. We couldn't see him, but we assumed he was still on his feet and not being dragged.

About this time the wind really started to pick up. There was a storm off to the west of us that we had been watching and though we never got the rain, the wind created some choppy water. I put the surfboard in the water take a try at that, but because of the choppiness was never able to get up on it.

We started in towards the docks after a few hours but before getting there Garrett asked if we wanted to blow up the tube and let him punish us in it for a bit. I think all of us were feeling our age in our muscles already so we politely declined and returned to shore.

It was great to have Garrett take us out. It's not an activity that we otherwise would have been able to do because of the costs involved but it was a good time relaxing out on the water.

Cafe Rio

We left the lake and headed back to the Weed's. As we pulled up we saw Rich waiting for us. Rich had some family events arise earlier in the week that he needed to attend to, so he joined us as soon as he could Friday night. Awkward man hugs were again exchanged and we decided that Cafe Rio would be our choice of dinner. We got the food to go and headed back to the house, where Greg and Trevor had been eying the guitars.

Friday Night Hangout

It's one thing to rehash a funny story or experience with people who were there and already know it. We pull this off well. But give us an audience who hasn't heard the stories? Shock and awe, as Trevor would say. Back at the house we were joined by Carter's sister who was in town visiting) and she made for a perfect audience: she listened, laughed at the appropriate times and didn't give off any "you-guys-know-these-things-happened-10-years-ago-right?" vibes. The infamous talent show (the one that nearly got me fired from my job in the locker room) was the star of the evening as it tends to be. But there were others.

Greg and Trevor eventually gravitated toward the guitars in the family room and started into a rendition of Cannon Center Girl. If you don't know what that is, here's the quick rundown: 2001-Trevor eyes pretty girl in cafeteria (Cannon Center). Trevor (and Greg?) writes song for pretty girl. Trevor and Greg perform song for pretty girl at ward talent show. Trevor goes on date with pretty girl. And that's pretty much how the story ends, with the song being the best and longest-lasting legacy of the whole thing. We all agreed that if the one and only public performance of this song would have been in the days of YouTube and Facebook, it would have gone viral. As it was, there were hundreds of downloads of the song on Napster (back when Napster was Napster) by BYU students and it was not uncommon to hear people talk about it while walking around campus. 

After so much time, the rendition here is a little rough, but who hasn't forgotten the words to a classic every so often. It's not like it was in front of tens of thousands and broadcast over the airwaves to tens of millions, right?
 

Later in the evening we broke out the Tootie Fruities and ice cream as we watched BYU women's soccer team beat Utah in the final minutes on TV (though, still wearing the flip flops, I was a little confused as to who I was supposed to be cheering for) before calling it a night at a respectable 1am.

Cannon Center Breakfast

While there were a few activities on our agenda that were scrapped along the way, breakfast at the Cannon Center was not one of them. Even if we walked in three minutes before breakfast closed. A few of us wondered if we should come back in an hour for lunch. Trevor's response? "We've got three minutes. Plenty of time." So we paid, ran in, swiped a tray and a bunch of plates and enjoyed awesome biscuits and gravy, semi-cold scrambled eggs, rubbery ham, and a sausage/blueberry/pancake on a stick thing made to resemble a corn dog. And Cereal. Lots and lots of cereal. Let the record also reflect that we each served ourselves a bowl of fresh fruit. 

Once we had our food Carter and I looked for somewhere to sit. It wasn't hard, the place wasn't that full, but as we walked towards a table on the outskirts near a big window Trevor called us back and said we had to sit where all the action was. And so we sat at the middle table in an area surrounded by (mostly) 18 year-old girls who had probably been at BYU less than a week. Awkward perhaps. For them. We didn't care. I mentioned to Greg that I was expecting Trevor to get up on a chair and make a declaration of some sort and that we should be ready to duck under the table. Greg didn't disagree. 

Marriott Center Visit

After breakfast we walked up to the Marriott Center. Greg had gotten a call the previous evening about some pickup games that were going to take place with current BYU players as well as some former players and a few recruits.

As we walked around the building looking for an unlocked door, out walks Greg uncle, Dave...or Coach Rose as he is known to many, the men's basketball coach. He apparently didn't know we were coming, but Greg introduced us all, told him we had been roommates 10 years prior and that we were in town for the weekend. He talked to us for a minute as another guy walked up and shook his hand.

"This guy went to school here too, but never graduated," Coach Rose said as he put his arm around this guy. Coach Rose briefly told him who we all were, after which this guy says, putting out his hand, "Hi, I'm Jimmer."

Yeah, we know who you are. I applaud Greg for not fainting on the spot. 

Pretty cool. Seems like a solid guy. The most striking thing about him though is that he could be one of us. While you can certainly see he's in pretty good shape and keeps himself fit, he's not a very big guy. He looks like one of us. Except that none of us are former NCAA players of the year who are currently under contract as an NBA player.

We went in, still not sure where to go or if we would be asked any questions. But once in the arena we just walked in like we were supposed to be there and sat courtside watching these pickup games go one for a few hours while relaxing, talking to each other, Greg's parents who were there and various people who were also there to watch. 

After watching basketball we hit the Wilkensen Center, including a new hangout spot called The Wall, and the bookstore where we got our official game day shirts. Trevor was disappointed to see they had taken down the pictures of Miss BYU from the 70's and 80's and replaced them with random student pictures with cliché quotes. Greg ran into someone he knew seemingly every 10 feet. 

Return to Park Place

Another activity that would not be scrapped for any reason was a trip back to a place where it all started: The Park Place. Rich was again waiting for us there, standing by the sign, waving us in. We weren't quite sure what we were going to do when we got to the door with an "8" on it, but we had talked about knocking on the door and introducing ourselves. While the rest of us looked around, Trevor went up to the door and knocked. Here's how it went:

T: Hi, my name's Trevor. My dudes here and I lived in this apartment 10 years ago and are back for the first time since then.

Park Place #8 Tenant: Come on in. 

And so like that we were let in. And it looked exactly the same. And it smelled exactly the same. And there were even two girls sitting on the couch, like there were pretty much all times of the day when we were there. The current tenants of Park Place #8 played it way cool. They let us tell our story of when we refused a clean check by barricading our door with all of the construction garbage they had left in front of our places for months. And about how three of us had met our future wives in three of the other Park Place units.

And then I saw it. Hanging in the far corner of the room. Right where I had left it 10 years ago...

Yes. My mini-disco ball remains. Seemingly untouched and unmoved. Legacy. 

They were kind enough to take a picture of us inside and then another outside on the bench, where we had taken the same picture 10 years and 1 week ago. I'd say we're still a pretty good looking bunch. 

South Campus Tour

Not wanting to overstay our welcome, we moved along and drove around the south campus area recalling old apartments and houses of friends, girls dated, where Trevor lit a pumpkin on fire and anything else that jumped out at us. We eventually made our way down to the old Provo Tabernacle/New Provo Temple to see its progress. It's pretty impressive to see a brick shell sitting atop stilts with a bit of newly poured concrete foundation.

After a bit it was time to head up to BYU's cathedral, Lavell Edwards Stadium, for the football game against Texas.

It had been an awesome weekend to that point. We had laughed, had fun, ran into various friends and relatives along the way and were now headed to the premier event of the weekend. It had been a great weekend to that point. But the Dude Room has always measured itself in terms of how epic something is. The weekend was about to become epic.

Football Game

We wanted to be inside the stadium by around 4pm for a 5pm kickoff so we could watch some of the warmups. After parking north of the stadium and beginning to walk back we could see some threatening clouds over the lake where we had been the previous day. We didn't think much of it as the storm had passed us the day before. It was a warm and sunny day and we were clad in our shorts, t-shirts and sandles (and Trevor in his TOMS). We passed a fruit stand, bought a bag of fruit and continued on our way into the stadium. We got up to our seats right about 4pm, at which point we snapped a picture and then looked south again, over the top of the stadium. The clouds that were visible looked like something out of an end-of-the-world movie. And they were moving quickly in our direction.

A few minutes later the first gust of wind hit and it was a big one. The sun disappeared, the wind got stronger and then the rain started. We all started back down the stairs back to the covered (sort of) concourse area, but I had to stay out in the storm. I had to see it and experience it. The winds got so strong that I had to grab a railing in order to keep from falling over and the rain, horizontal at this point as incredible. I figured it will be the closest I ever get to feeling what it's like to be in a hurricane and I wasn't going to go run for cover so fast.

Also not running for cover, or even leaving their seats, were those in the BYU student section. A new policy this year grants student section seating as first come first serve, so those in the first few rows had been standing in line for who knows how long before even being let into the stadium and they were not about to leave their seats because of a little (a lot) of rain and wind. Their enthusiasm was awesome. As the storm started they started cheering. And every time the violence of the storm increased, when there was a new, stronger wind gust or microburst of rain they got louder or the crack of thunder overhead, they got louder. After a few minutes of this the few BYU players who were on the field retreated to the locker room, prompting even louder yelling and screaming as they passed by the students. At that point I retreated to the concourse also, having had a goosebump experience. Here's a video shot by someone near where I was standing. The students start to really get excited around the 1:45 mark and go until about the 3:55 mark. The video is edited, they were yelling and screaming for the better part of 25 minutes or so, but it gives a good idea of how quickly the storm came in and how strong it was. It was later reported that approximately 3/4" of rain had fallen in 15 minutes. But the rain continued for an hour or more. 

The problem with the storm was not the rain or wind but the lightening. It was right on top of the stadium and it lasted a long time. Per some NCAA rule, there can't be any lightening within a certain distance for something like a half hour before resuming the game (or warm-ups) in the same spot. There was still 55 minutes left on the pre-game clock when things were suspended, so as long as there was lightening going on, we were at least 90 minutes or more from the game starting.

Needless to say, the concourse area was crazy. The fan shop was one big mass of humanity, as seemingly no one had come dressed for a downpour. That said, only on BYU's campus would people have been so friendly and accommodating to one another. I can't imagine the chaos that would have ensued had people been tailgating and drinking alcohol for multiple hours beforehand. Cheerleaders and the Cougarette's dance squad was deployed to the concourse to lead people in the fight song. Where we were standing there wasn't much support for that sort of thing...well, except from the 5 of us. Eventually I found ponchos on sale, bought 5 of them and we all met back up, wet, hungry and still with no timetable for the game to start. So we decided to head back down towards campus to find some food.

After eating at Costa Vida, and hearing that the kickoff was scheduled in 20 minutes we "game-walked" back to the stadium, our pace getting quicker as we approached. After crossing the last street and being behind a police barricade we broke into a run and got to our seats just as Texas kicked off, 3 hours and one freak storm later.

The game itself was great. We pounded Texas. Just dominated them. Punched them in the face. Beat them down. Whatever you want to use to describe how bad it was, that was it. We had said throughout the day that we just wanted to see a good game. We just wanted something to cheer about. We got plenty of that. A dominant 40-21 win where nearly everything went right (except for when BYU's quarterback tried to throw the ball).

Coming to an End

With the conclusion of the game came the conclusion of the weekend. We snapped a final picture and said goodbye to Greg who was staying in town to see his grandparents.

The other four of us made our way back to the Weeds where we indulged in more ice cream and Tootie Fruities while watching a replay of the game we had just been at.

Carter and I left early the next morning to catch our flights, Trevor left later Sunday night and Rich headed home on Tuesday. And that was that.

It was a full 48 hours for sure. I, for one, could not keep up the pace of busy days, late nights, little sleep and lots of sugary, greasy, oily, fatty processed food for much longer than that. But it was worth it. As we gathered together again after 10 years it was as if no time had passed at all. We're a little older, we don't recover from slamming into the water quite as quickly, we don't operate as well on four hours of sleep, we have responsibilities as husbands, fathers and employees and we've grown up a little. But I think what makes our bond special is that we know each other so well that we can just be ourselves when we hang out together. The experiences that we had together as 18 year-old freshmen living in the dorms and as 21 year-olds returning home from missions in search of direction, the highs as well as the lows, the spiritual and (at times) the irreverent, created a support and a trust among us that is lasting. For all of the other humorous, fun and silly things we have done, that is the true legacy of the Dude Room.