The Results Are In......

As I mentioned last Friday, it was a big weekend for our two teenagers - the swimmer and the debater.

Both proved that they have what it takes to succeed in their areas of interest.

KRISSIA swam against USA registered swimmers in the state ages 15-18 from ALL schools, 3A to 5A. There were even a few 20-year-olds who showed up from BYU's collegiate team! Krissia competed extremely well, making it to the consolation finals in both of her events and earning a PR in the 100 Free.


BRONSON really shone at Region debate. He won first place and learned that he also earned the highest speaker points among all of the debaters. Having judged some of the students Bronson ended up debating, I know that his competition was very tough. The debater he beat in the finals round took 2nd place at State last year and has been undefeated all year...that is, until now! Their topic was "Vigilantism should be allowed if local government is unable to enforce the law." Bronson is eagerly looking forward to competing at State!
Bronson mentioned that he had a great time at Preference, but unfortunately, he went straight to the dance after the awards session on Saturday, so I wasn't able to get any pictures.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

While the two older kids were busy with their events this weekend, DEl and I decided to take the younger boys for a much-needed haircut. We decided to let Jefferson go first in hopes that Mathison wouldn't get too scared when it was his turn:

The "after" picture:


This was Mathison's first time getting his hair cut outside of our home. Even with the distraction of a spray bottle, he wasn't quite sure he liked what was going on:
After I put him on my lap, he became much more relaxed:

Here is the end result:

The only thing I hate about giving my little guy a haircut is that it makes him look so much older :(

Busy, Busy

Where do I begin?

This has been one of those whirlwind weeks, and we're not even finished yet! Here is a quick update on what everyone is doing:


DEl was the accompanist for Jefferson's choir concert on Wednesday, planned and facilitated a special recognition day at Dixie College for high school seniors yesterday, and will be judging individual events at the Region Speech and Debate Tournament. Unfortunately, he is still quite involve with the DSC mascot issue (see last blog for details).


Kim just played in her final RS basketball game last night. She will judge Lincoln Douglas debate rounds at Region later this afternoon.

Bronson is definitely the man of the hour this week. In addition to play rehearsals, Bronson is also volunteering at the Learning Center at Dixie College. He attended the college's recognition day, and will compete in Lincoln Douglas debate at the Region Tournament this weekend (Mom will NOT be judging him). Bronson has also been asked to the Preference Dance tomorrow night.

Krissia is discovering there is no rest for the weary. At least, when it comes to swimming. She is participation in Senior Championships this weekend (part of Junior Olympics). Her best time in the 100 Backstroke qualifies her for Zone competition (Western States); we'll just have to see how things go. Luckily, this competition is being held at Sand Hollow Aquatic Center in Santa Clara, which is across the street from Snow Canyon High School, where Region debate is being held.

Jefferson is finishing up his 3rd quarter in school, and should end up on the honor roll. He participated in his choir's Spring Concert, where he had several solos. His choir will be competing in a Southern Utah Music Festival next week. He's also been a babysitter to Mathison quite ofter this week!

Mathison was supposed to have sinus surgery at Primary Children's this week, but decided to get an upper respiratory infection and severe sinusitis instead. He's spent the past two days mostly indoors (always fun) and just started breathing treatments yesterday due to reactive airway (he hates these). His surgery has been rescheduled for March.

We'll try to update again in a few days to let everyone know the outcome of our debater and our swimmer!

A Source of Controversy

Where do I start....this innocent-looking t-shirt has been a source of controversy, irritation, disruption, and headaches at the Beatty household.

Okay, let me clarify - not the t-shirt itself, but the entire process and outcome of selecting a new mascot for Dixie College. Who knew that such an innocent endeavor could produce major havoc?

It started with the best of intentions. About two years ago it was decided that the term "Dixie Rebels" was politically incorrect, and the college adopted a temporary mascot (the Redhawks) until a permanent one could be found. A selection committee was formed and the search began.

As many of the older people in town were opposed to the change, the committee decided to involve the community in the selection process. A contest was held; the field was narrowed down to a handful of choices. Ultimately, Dixie "Red Storm" was chosen with a bull for the mascot.

Problem solved, right? A BIG negative on that one! The past few weeks have been full of student protests, community meetings, and negative media coverage as people have voiced their disappointment and outrage at the selection. Talk about a public relations nightmare. And who has found himself right in the thick of it? My dear, sweet husband. The students are expecting DEl to support them (part of his job) while the administration wants him to stick with them and provide a united front (also part of his job). Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place!

After several emergency meetings and a LOT of diplomacy on DEl's part, it looks as if a compromise is in the works. Just in time, too - I don't know if the Beatty household could have taken it much longer :)

"Random" Post

My sister-in-law Paulette tagged me a few days ago, and I'm just now getting around to posting. The tag is: post six random things about myself, create a link back to the person who tagged you, tag six other people, let those six know they've been tagged, and post the rules.

I had to think about this one, because sometime in the past year I received a similar tag, and I wanted to post something new this time. This is what I've come up with:

1. I really wanted to become a veterinarian when I was young, and I'd try and heal any hurt animal I found - especially the birds that fell victim to my brothers' BB guns!

2. The sound of fingernails scraping against ice really bothers me.

3. When eating a candy bar, I always begin by nibbling off the chocolate around the top and edges.

4. I dream I've been hit by lightning at least once a year.

5. I LOVE de-boning cooked chicken and turkey.

6. Street lights often turn off/on whenever I walk or drive by.

I tag: Nicole, Missy, Leesha, Emry, Jennie and Stacie.

State Swimming!

Krissia competed in the 3A State Swimming Championships at BYU this weekend. It was so fun to show our support by cheering her on, and Grandma Beatty, Aunt Paulette, and the Valentine cousins (with spouses and children) came Saturday as well.

Krissia's first event was the 100 Yard Freestyle.

She swam it very well, taking off .5 seconds of her personal best time and coming in third.

Krissia had about an hour between that event and the 200 Yard Relay. Their team did well, taking 5th place in that event. Unfortunately, Krissia didn't get to relax for long as the very next race was the 100 Yard Backstroke.

We were so excited to watch as Krissia was ranked 1st in this event. However, she didn't get a very good start, and halfway through the race it was obvious that something wasn't quite right. Later, Krissia told us that she started blacking out just before the 4th lap and didn't think she'd be able to finish the race. We think she either hyperventilated or that her blood sugar was too low (she's hypoglycemic). Anyway, she still managed to come in 3rd, which is a wonderful accomplishment, and we are very proud of her for finishing the race under such difficult circumstances.

When all was said and done, Krissia made it to the awards podium for both of her individual events and was a big contributor to her team's 5th place overall finish out of 21 schools. Way to go!!

Soaking up the Wrong Stuff

I've heard it said that children are a lot like sponges - they soak up the world around them.

It's too bad you can't filter what it is they're taking in.

Mathison recently found a razor in the bathroom that he wanted very badly to play with. Of course, I told him "no" and moved it somewhere out of his reach. He repeatedly asked me to get it for him, with no luck. As Mathison grew frustrated, he blurted out,

"Mommy, you a BIG stinker!"

Hmmm.....guess he's heard that phrase a time or two before, coming from the other direction!

Battle Wounds

As I posted before, I'm playing on a Women's Basketball team comprised of Relief Society sisters in our ward. It might sound like we're just a bunch of old-timers hobbling up and down the floor who are too timid to get in there and really mix it up. I assure you, that's not true. Just take a look at these bad boys I got from last Thursday's game:

Bruise on forearm


Bruise on knee

Our team is currently in 1st place, so I guess it's worth sacrificing a few body parts :) It's just a good thing our team gets this week off so I can give these newest "trophies" time to heal!

Just For Fun

I've recently noticed that when I'm required to verify a word when leaving a comment on a blog, some pretty funny letter combinations have come up. They almost sound like "real" words, just with a twist or two thrown in. Here are some examples:

Stlew * Reumpho * Emanitin * Yeballou * Feripe * Ressup * Arvillo * Respeadu * Behario * Sidismsm * Grashi

Here are a few others I encountered that I've made up my own definitions for:

Bekity: A feline with rhinestones
Ignag: Ignoring an overly verbal pest
Motax: What they call April 15th in Detroit
Shilly: What one feels in a cold shower
Symos: A planet in peril in a Star Wars saga
Mummus:: Anciently preserved Siamese twins
Exhave: What you hope your divorced partner does at public events.

On a slightly different note - is it just me, or has anyone else had a problem when entering some of the letters? Sometimes, the font is so fancy that what I see as an "r" ends up being a "v" or the "o" and "j" are crowded so tightly that it looks like "g" and "i". There have been times I've had to enter a word 3-4 times before the computer finally accepted my interpretation....does this mean I am more right-brained or left brained than the average person? And should I even be worrying about this at all???