I Double Dog Dare You!

This is a picture of a volunteer for Sports Camp...Riding with a visually impaired student...I told him it would be an experience....We nicknamed this student...Tara the Terror...because nobody would ride with her twice...Come help me if you DARE...It is better than a roller coaster....because...you never know where you will end up!

Wow has this been a busy summer...so I haven't posted much....this is why:

In June, I helped host the National Goalball Tournament. Thanks so much to Clay, Erin, Joey, Kylie, and MIKE...for all their help! The Utah Men took second place....it was a close match for first! This tournament took a lot of time to plan it. We felt really good when it was done, not just because it was over, but because we really felt we provided a GREAT tournament. We have received so many positive comments from all over the country.

This year, I also started a new summer program for students in Alpine District. Instead of going to their houses, or having them come to their school and work with me one-on-one, I had them all come to me three times a week. (Not just my students, but any visually impaired student in the district.) I loved it. We started the second week in June and went until the 23rd of July. It was a lot of work. Class was held in a foods room at a high school. Everyday we made our own lunch. On Tuesdays, we went to the grocery store and bought all the food for the week. We worked on expanded core curriculum for the blind: such as Orientation & mobility, daily living skills, career awareness, technology, and of course braille. I usually had about 6-8 kids a day there. We went on a few field trips. I want to do this again next year.

I also worked the UWIN program that is for students who visually impaired and at least 16 years old. This is a 7 week program. The students live in a sorority house at the University of Utah. I work from 3 p.m. until 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday. I teach the students how to cook, clean, bank, shop, wash clothes, etc. We also go on an Orientation & Mobility outing at least once a week. I usually didn't get home until 12:00 or later every night...so not much yard work or house work got done.

Now, I am busy planning Sports Camp for the Blind August 3rd through August 8th. I am in charge of it this year....so I have more responsibility.....and I hope I can pull this off. So far we have about 25 students who are beteen the ages of 12 and 18 that will be coming to this camp. It is going to be in the Lehi area if anyone wants to come and help....hint hint. We have the kids pick 4 sports that they participate in every day. The sports include: judo, wrestling, tandem biking, track & field, goalball, swimming, and weightlifting/personal fitness. I am the swimming teacher. At night, we participate in different activity is the community. Monday we are going to Boondocks (if you want to be SCARED...come and get in a go cart with a blind driver. You just sit there and tell them when to turn....really...it will scare you....and is soooooo fun!), on Tuesday, we are going to shoot guns at the Bountiful Lion's Gun Club, Wednesday, we are going to the Mummy, Thursday, we are going to go rock climbing at the Quarry, and Friday, is a Pizza party. We could use some help driving kids between the evening activities. Right now, I only have three vans and some cars....so if you can help...let me know. UFB has insurance to cover drivers.

Did I tell you that Mike, Koedy, and Me are all going to CHINA?????

Western Regionals 2008

May 15th I took off on a Road Trip with the Men's and Women's goalball teams to Colorado Springs (I don't think I am EVER home!) We played Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until noon, then we headed home. The Utah Men took first place! I didn't ref, because they need me to coach more, so I am on a break from reffing for a while. I do enjoy goalbal tournaments more when I don't have to ref the whole time. I actually get some down time! And the kids had fun with me there...they threw me into the pool...with all my clothes on...they tried to stuff a sock in my mouth...a gross dirty one...but that backfired...when I tackled one and stuffed it in his mouth. AND I got them back. I pulled such a good prank on them that it will be tough to out do this one. The kids (well, they are adults...most of them but two are still students of mine, and some...I used to have as students), where being noisy at the hotel, especially when they threw me in the pool, because I was yelling, screaming, biting, kicking, clawing...and they carried me from the upstairs to the downstairs....I wasn't sure what they were going to do with me...so I screamed and fought. Anyway, they also had been noisy in the hall another time so they were warned twice by the hotel staff to be quiet. I had the hotel staff go up to their rooms and tell them all that she had it with them, had called the police, and everyone had 20 minutes to GET OUT! I have never seen them pack that fast! It was funny. Then, I acted all mad that we were kicked out and said now it would cost us more and everyone had to pay more...fun fun fun. Then, finally, I had us all meet by the office to tell her we were sorry...and then she yelled at them a little more and then finally told them they had been PUNKED! It was good....it was better than a movie...but I feel revenge coming on. (Last year, they threw me in the ocean, held me down, and I got stung by a jelly fish...and then they asked if I wanted them to pee on the sting...supposedly pee helps jellyfish stings?....Like I would EVER let a blind man pee on me....a sighted one can't even find the toilet...) I think I should have REVENGE! Anyone have any good pranks to share....what I should do to them?

Come watch Goalball in person June 19, 20, and 21 at American Fork High School. Come on June 21st and watch the Utah Men take first place nationally! Anyone need any volunteer hours for anything???? This is the time to get them!

GOALBALL

The Men's and Women's National Goalball Tournament is coming to Utah! June 19, 20, & 21. It will be held at American Fork High School. This is the first time that we have hosted a National Tournament. We have hosted Western Regionals, but this is the big one! The Utah Foundation for the Blind (of which I am chairman of the Board) is hosting this event. If you want to volunteer, or know of young men’s or women’s groups or school groups who need to get in volunteer hours, go to our website at http://ufbvi.org/volunteers.htm. There should be about 200 coaches, players, and referees coming from all over the United States. At first, the tournament was scheduled at Jordan High School, but after Jordan District split (and we had the okay for six months to have the tournament there…so we sent out registration…found a hotel nearby….etc.), we were told it couldn’t be there any more…..so I have been frantic for the past week, until we lucked on to American Fork High School….AND it always helps that people know your family!!! Thanks dad for knowing so many people and helping so many people….I get to reap the benefits…along all these players! We are now trying to move the hotel location down here....but people already booked rooms...so it could take awhile.

I have been a Utah Goalball Coach for 14 years now….and some of my family and friends….have never even seen goalball played. I am hoping you will all come and watch it. I have seen how this sport has helped so many visually impaired kids accept their vision loss. I know this sport takes time away from my family, and especially my yard work and housework, but I love what this sport does for the kids I work with.

I am having a HUGE garage sale at my house on May 31^st for the youth and adult players to raise money for goalball. (The youth go to Florida in October for their nationals.) If you have anything that you want to get rid of, let me know. I can give you a receipt for your taxes, since UFB is a non-profit organization.

We also are having a raffle. We have some good prizes already....quilts....dinners. If anyone has anything to donate to the raffle or if you want to buy raffle tickets…they are $2 a piece…let me know….I have a lot of money to raise…and remember…it is tax deductible!

I am headed off to Colorado to the Adult Western Regionals this week. I’ll be gone all weekend. Hopefully, Utah Men and Women will win!!!

LAYNIE'S FAST TRIP TO LA

I was asked to be a chaperone on a trip to California with a bunch of visually impaired students ages 8-19. I had never gone on this trip before, because parents always went and chaperoned...and I do enough trips already, but after two years of very bad parent chaperones....only teachers were allowed to be chaperones....and they begged me. It was a fast trip with a lot happening:

Got on the bus Thursday night at 10:30 (remember, Mike and I had just got home late Monday night from Mexico)

Got off the bus at 11:00 a.m. the next day at Universal Studios...and had to put on an UGLY GREEN SHIRT....and wear it around....AHHHH.

Went to hotel...swam....played games....slept a few hours!

Saturday, went to Blind Optimist Olympics it was 91 degrees!!!!! (Goalball was being played...but ALL MESSED UP...so of course....I opened my BIG MOUTH....told them what was wrong....and said I would set up the court next year....and send the official rules....and help them with goalball....WHY????

Went to hotel packed....played games....slept a few hours.

Sunday, Went to Magic Mountain!!!!! My NEW FAVORITE AMUSEMENT PARK...of course, I was the leader of the group that wanted to ride all the fast fun rides....and we did!!!!

Got on the bus from Magic Mountain and rode it all the way home....playing games all night long...got home at 9:00 a.m.

Exhausted....I went to work that day....but I don't remember what happened....so if I talked to any of you....I don't remember.

I LOVED THE TRIP!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!

I don't have many pictures of Mike when he was small...but here is a picture of his Dad, Mom, Sister Annie, brother Steve, and baby Mike. Mike has another sister, Geri, who is the youngest in the family.

Mike is 52 today!

Mike is the best husband. He is my best friend. He lets me know every day how much he loves me. Thank you Mike for making me feel so special. I know he really LOVES his family and is proud of them. You should hear all the things he tells other people about you and your families.

MIKE...I hope you have a happy birthday and I really love and appreciate you. I love you with all my heart. Thank you for bringing LOVE to my life. We have so much fun together....and especially thanks for letting me put my cold feet on you every night! In the moment we met, I knew you were the one. I am a better person because of you. You give me so much every day....I hope I can make you feel that special today...and ALWAYS!

Love,

Laynie

CARIBBEAN CRUISE

Mike and I went on a cruise over Spring Break. We had so much fun we want to tell everyone and show you all our pictures...so come over and see them!!!! We left on Friday, April 18th and didn't get back until Monday night, April 21st. Our ship went to Roatan, Honduras, then Belize, then Cozumel, Mexico, and finally to a private island in the Bahamas.
Rotan is beautiful. Cruise ships are just recently starting to go there, so it is a very undeveloped and beautiful place to visit. We spent the day snorkeling in beautiful warm clear water and lying on the beach.
When we were in Belize, we went on a zipline through the jungle. We had to go on a two hour bus ride to get there....but it was worth it. I would have loved to have done this all day....the zipline...not the bus ride...but we got to see quite a bit of the country and how people live...boy are we SPOILED here in AMERICA.

We went horse riding on the beach in Cozumel. Mike had a really nice horse. Mine was named Madonna...hmm...wonder who named her...I can think of a few better names.. She tried to bite all the other horses that got near her. She wanted to be FIRST....me, too! After we finished riding, we went into town and held a boa constrictor, monkeys, a scorpion, parrots, and a triantula....yes....I actually held it and had it crawl up me and touch my neck!!!!
Last but not least while still on the cruise, we went to a private island in the Bahamas that the cruise ship line owns. We spent the day lying on the beach, and swimming...Mike did some snorkeling. It was a beautiful day. The sand was the soft white kind that feels like velvet and the water was so clear and blue.
We got back to Miami, on Saturday, but didn't fly out until Monday evening, so we rented a car and on Sunday we drove down to the Keys. When Mike was young he lived in a little town in Southern Florida for a few years, so we drove though it on our way to the Keys. Driving through the Keys is one of the most scenic drives in the US., especially from the Seven Mile Bridge to Key West. We ate in a little floating boat restaurant and then, we noticed a small airport that had a biplane with a sign in it….so we went and checked it out. We went on a biplane ride out over the Seven Mile Bridge. That was one of the best things I have ever done. The Seven Mile Bridge is even more awesome from the air. The water was so blue and clear that we could even see sharks swimming. I want to buy a biplane and become a pilot!
On Monday, we drove out to the Everglades and went on an airboat ride. We saw a lot of alligators and even got to hold one....they wouldn't let us wrestle the big one....sad. Then we went to Everglades National Park and walked around. We saw alligators...Mike got really close to one that was about 5 feet long and I had to yell at him to NOT TOUCH IT!
Then we came home....Thanks Kamy and Shayne for taking us to the airport...late Friday night....and then coming to pick us up....late Monday night.

MARCH ROCK CLIMBING CLUB

Mike and I went rock climbing up Rock Canyon in Provo today with the Utah Climbing Club. I thought that it was going to be really cold and snow, so I wasn't very excited about going climbing today, but I am so glad that I did. It ended up being a beautiful day! The sun came out and it was warm enough that we didn't have to have a jacket on. The rock warmed up so that it wasn’t cold to touch. We climbed on the ACDC wall most of the day. We climbed from 10 a.m. until 5ish....and I was so tired I wanted to just fall asleep right there on the mountain. I can't wait to go back to up there. We didn’t even make it over to the Superbowl because there were so many good climbs down where we were....so let's go back there soon!
Why I LOVE rock climbing:
Being OUTSIDE!
Being with Mike, family, and friends.
It is great exercise (rock climber’s backs are SEXY!!! I’m sure mine is underneath all my blubber.)
It is challenging.
The competition with Mike…we both try to outdo each other….LOVE IT!
Coming home so exhausted that I can't move....literally….although that can also be a drawback….I am rock climbing so much that I don’t keep my house clean….and I get so tired rock climbing….I DON’T CARE! Call us if you want to go….it is fun to share what we LOVE. Now that the weather is getting warmer, we will probably be going outside at least once a week....so come climb or come hang out with us in the great outdoors.

We got home and tended three CUTE grandkids....who gave us hugs...a nice way to end a perfect day!