The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Where do I begin with the wonderful blonde daughter of mine that is a senior in high school....she is driving me crazy and I think she enjoys it! Let's start with the bad. If you know Cortnie, you know she loves to act and be in plays. She really loves the musicals. The school this year is doing the play "Annie" and she was the Mrs. Hannigan - the evil one. She practiced and practiced her audition recitation and solo and she nailed it. Everyone knew she was going to get the role - everyone but her drama teachers. She was so certain the part was hers. She called me from school the day the list was posted and said she did not get the part. Instead she was the butlers "woman" but it was okay cause it was a major role and a villian too. However, after reading the script, she released this version of the play was not that way. She has only twelve lines in the play and has no solos. Her heart was crushed again as she watched her best friend get the part she wanted (and she can not even reach the notes in the song to sing it). The bad.

Okay..the ugly. If you read my earlier post in December, you will recall reading about the car accident that Cortnie was in. We finally got everything worked out with the insurance company and recieved a pretty good settlement for the damage. The check came and I stuck it in my purse to deposit it. I get a phone call from Cortnie THE VERY NEXT DAY, saying she has just been called to the principals office cause her car has been hit in the parking lot. Apparently, some older man was unconscious, rear ended a car at a stop light; drifted over into the oncoming traffic lane; narrowly missed three city workers in field; cascaded down a small slope into one palm tree; sped forward to hit another one causing the car to stop and hitting a metal fence. The blow sent a pole from the fence 56 feet across the parking lot into the door and window of car smashing the window into thousands of pieces and jamming the door. We just had to laugh. Cortnie's comment was if she keeps going, she can get enough money for a new car. The car is so old, we will not fix the dents but let her drive it until it dies. It will be interesting to see what we get this time around....the ugly.

The good...the best for last. We recieved notification this week that Cortnie was accepted into Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. This has been her dream school since she was ten and it is so hard to get into. I had her read her letter at the dinner table and she could not even make it through the first line before she was in tears. She has said the full ride four year scholarship at SUU is very nice and tempting, but this is her dream and she does not want to give it up. Hopefully she will get a scholarship or two to BYU also. She deserves it and I am way proud of her. Now if we can only get to graduation :-). The good....

The College One

I can honestly say that I don't think there is much going on in the college one's life. She is doing better this semester in her classes and is excited for her scuba class to start. She wants to go diving with her dad at Catalina Island.....but might have to settle for beautiful Lake Mohave in Bullhead City, Arizona. She loves her little car that she gets to drive around and loves to come home. She even went to a dance at the institute on Friday night. I wish she would do that more or go find a job. I hate the fact that she sits around all day and does nothing. She did tell me though that she is thinking about doing pediatric nutrition - and I think it is a wonderful idea. She has always been great with little kids and loves babies. At least she is making decisions...finally!!

The Boys

I am not sure which is easier to raise....boys or girls. Someone always told me that boys were way easier, but I am not sure. They seem to quarrel more and love to tease each other. Before long, one of them is crying and trying to get sympathy. The stupid thing is, it is usually over a video game!! Sometimes I really hate the person that invented those things.

Skyler keeps us hopping....anywhere from basketball games and practice to phone calls from his teacher. He is a great student, but unfortunately gets bored really easy in his classes. I wish there was some way to get them to give him harder work, but it never seems to happen. So, when I get those dreaded phone calls, I talk to him and tell him he is wrong, but in my heart I can't blame him for acting up. He is so enjoying basketball this year. In fact, he made his first basket of a game and went jumping up and down the length of the court. It is too bad his dad did not see it since he was giving horsey rides to all the little kids who play with him every week. He will make a great grandpa someday.

Boyd has decided he is going to try out for the school baseball team. I strongly encourage him to try out for whatever he wants, but it breaks my heart when he does not get on. Maybe this time will be different. Right now he is in the middle of doing his eagle project for scouts. He is working with a group called Project Linus to make blankets used in hospitals and safe houses - or whever the company thinks they need to be. He has made arrangements for his blankets to be sent to Haiti to help the victims there. His goal is to make at least 50 blankets and they have to be done by the middle of March. He has organized a huge blanket making party for the ward for March 6th....and how fun it will be. I am excited to watch him do it and am so proud of him. It will be a long month until he is done though. Way to go sons!!