The BOY in my MAN

Last week we had the chance to go canoeing when Dad was up here with his cadets...including Katie! I was their chaperone 2 years ago and at least 2 of the kids I recognized. We love canoeing, so we were excited to go. We took Addie on our boat and she was so funny. "Ali, you keep splashing me." "Ali, my pants are getting wet." "Ali, my cushion is wet." I guess she wasn't counting on getting wet!

Katie could barely hold Ella with both of their life-jackets making them a lot more wide than normal!

Cute little J-squared Family

We saw lots of ducks!

Please take a close look at P's paddle right here. We were the 2nd to last canoe to get in the water. Considering there were like 10 boats in front of us, the place didn't have any other paddles for us...At least not ship-shape condition paddles. So P and I grabbed some leaning on a tree. His was the right length but half the paddle is broken, so it was extra narrow. Wish I would have got a photo of mine, but it was perfectly fine--just broken off about half way down the handle. At least I didn't get any slivers on that sharp end!

As Katie and her team got back to the dock she was yelling "STROKE, STROKE" I loved it. She was working hard, obviously. Just look at her head band now made fore-band, what a woman.

Dad was in the middle of his canoe in his sweet JROTC warm-up suit. It's always fun to be around him in that role...where everyone is calling him "sir" and "Colonel". He's the man.

And then there is my man.

My friends, you must know what I'm about to tell you. It's just plain funny.

There have been various days where I have come home to find dirty old tennis balls by the shoes at the front door. This started a few months ago, when it was warming up. I was informed that P was collecting them so one day when we have enough we can have a home-run derby. Alright, sounds good.
Then one day I come home and before I enter our home I see one of Perris' shoes looking very wet out on the porch. Later that night I ask him about it and he explains that he saw this tennis ball in the gutter and had to go retrieve it. He said "I just stepped in and it looked solid." Whoops.

Another day we're going on a walk and there is a tennis ball out on the grass in front of our apartments. He wanted to get it but I said no, that it was probably a little boy's.

A few days later we walked past that same spot, and there was the tennis ball--hadn't moved. He excitedly explained the universal rule of "if no one has claimed it by now, it's free for all". He took it. Another ball in the stash.

Then we are canoeing on that lovely friday with everyone. We're almost back to the dock and (I'm in front of the canoe) I suddenly feel this JERK to the left side of the boat, causing me to lose balance. I yelled back "Woah, did you almost fall in or something?" I turn around and as I see him reaching back with his broken-paddle to a green thing bobbing in the water he says, "No, I had to get the ball!"

Oh. my. gosh. The measures he'll take to get those balls! Almost capsizing our boat with our little niece in there! It was quite humorous.

He has informed me that he now has a collection of about 6 balls. He plans go to and look by BYU again to find more. The proposed home run derby will take place in august when we return from Wisconsin.

One last story:

This morning I was eating cereal and went to sit by Perris, who faithfully watches ESPN as he eats breakfast every morning. Lately, it's been much more exciting with the World Cup going on. I come down and US is playing Algeria. ...When I'm loading my bowl in the dishwasher he announces there are 4 extra minutes. We say prayer, I leave.

As I am backing out of the driveway I see Perris bolt up the stairs from our apartment and cup his hands to cheer loudly. Huge smile on his face. He goes back down the stairs, but immediately comes back up, faces the other direction and cheers his cheer as loud as he can. I am laughing, and roll down my window, but he didn't say anything. Words didn't come to his mouth! It's as if sitting in front of the TV, spazzing, and screaming would not suffice the necessary release of excitement...so he runs outside to share it with others. Once isn't enough so he comes up for a second go!

Endless energy, I tell you. That's my little boy-man husband!

Can't you just see the micheviousness in his eye?