rain, tennis, stamping, and more

RAIN:
We were thrilled to have rain on Tuesday. And it wasn't just the typical scenario where it rains for an hour and then the skies clear. It rained, stopped, and rained some more. We had a nice glowering day for a change.

warming up

TENNIS:

The rain meant that Tuesday's away match for tennis was postponed for one day. So on Wednesday, the boys traveled to S. Tahoe... where they "played the game." (vs. winning the game, of course). 

FYI-for each match, there are 3 singles and 3 double sets being played at a time and there are 3 rounds. So Alex gets 3 chances to win.

We hosted N. Tahoe on Thursday. Alex, who his coaches keep telling us is the most improved player on the team this year, played singles for the first time in a real match. At the end, it was down to Alex (he had lost to his first 2 opponents) and a doubles set going on on the next court. We were at 8-8 at this point, meaning Fallon and Tahoe had each won 8 sets.

If we won both sets, Fallon would win. If our team lost both, N. Tahoe would win. If we were tied at 9-9, it would have to go to a team-wide tie-breaker, meaning all the players would have to get back on the courts and play tie-breakers against their original opponents. A tie in tennis is determined by a "12-point tie break," meaning the first one to 7 points wins, but you have to win by at least 2. 

Alex won his set 6-2 (yea!), so we just needed Ryan and Dylan to win theirs. They were at 6-5. If we won the next game, we'd win. If Tahoe won, that game would go to a tie breaker. If we then lost the tie breaker, we'd have to go to the team-wide tie-breaker. We didn't want any of that, of course. 

Happy to say, our guys won without any tie-breakers being needed! Thanks Ryan and Dylan.

We beat N. Tahoe, which means we are in 4th place and will go to Regionals (unless we lose to Sparks on Tuesday, but we are supposed to win that match).

STAMPING:

My stamping group, that has been stamping for years and years, hadn't been stamping since spring. We started up again last month. This month, I hosted. We get together and bring a card for everyone to make. We talk. We eat (sausage soup, a salad with watermelon instead of tomatoes in it, and chocolate zucchini cookies this time). It was a lot of fun. I really like the card I designed  (usually I just copy a card I've seen from splitcoaststampers.com).

my offering this month

more tennis, weekend activities, we must be heavy sleepers, and Ryan has a new calling

Alex, Thomas, and Ben had two home tennis matches this week. Alex and Thomas were doubles partners again. On Tuesday, they played Incline and their first match went to a tie breaker. They eventually lost the match, but there were a lot of fun plays involved.

They also went to a tie breaker on Thursday against Truckee as well, but they won that one! They won their next match and then lost the 3rd one. We really had a lot of fun watching.

the tie breaker against Truckee on Thursday had a lot of spectators

Glen woke up right when I was taking the picture...

Our local newspaper, The Lahontan Valley News, had an article about Tuesday's matches in Friday's paper that featured a picture of Thomas and then mentioned Ben by name:

the picture from the Lahontan Valley News

The boys team managed to pull away with a few points, such as in dual tiebreakers won by the duo of Blake Malkovich and Ben Jamieson, 6-2 and 6-1 which boys coach Jesse Nuckolls said made a difference. 

“They did a really good job of keeping us in the match,” he said. “Incline is a tough team and will always be a challenge for us, but we’re going to do better the next time we meet up with them.” 

The opposite luck plagued Fallon in two other rounds which lost at the tiebreaker and the other 7-5.

Alex and Thomas were the "lost at the tiebreaker" team. But, as I said, they won Thursday's tie breaker against Truckee. Next Tuesday they play at South Tahoe and then North Tahoe comes here to  play on Thursday. Only North Tahoe forfeited when they were supposed to play on the 6th, so we'll see if that happens again.

Glen had theatre stuff with his students on Friday and Saturday in Reno and I had a regional seminary training in Reno on Saturday (which was fabulous, of course).

While Glen and I were occupied with our activities, Alex went with cousins to the temple since it was our Stake Temple Day. After doing baptisms for the dead there, there went to Wild Island for the special day for educators. I hear Alex went on every ride at least once. Good fun.

At about 3 this morning there was a terrible accident on our corner. Alcohol and driving at high speeds meant the driver didn't negotiate the corner in front of our house and wound up upside down in the little ditch--or so we were told. Apparently there were plenty of sirens, the jaws of life were used, and the Care Flight helicopter was in front of our house...and we all slept through everything. On the way to church at 12:30, we noticed the mangled STOP sign and wondered when that had happened. We think the man and woman involved will be OK.

Alan sent us some photos--he didn't sleep through the commotion

Ryan had told us last week that he would be receiving a new calling at church, only until it was announced, he didn't want to tell us what it was. So, he called today to fill us in. He's the new assistant ward clerk, which basically means that he helps count tithing each week. Congratulations Ryan! We're sure you'll do a great job.

marching band, tennis, parables for Institute, my boys in Utah, and a nephew's mission call

Wednesday I subbed a half-day for the music teacher at the high school. Which meant I had my nephew Ben in the choir Minor Details (fun!) and then marching band (more fun!). We marched. In the 90º heat. In the dirt. It was great. I think one of my regrets in life is that I was not in a marching band. I want to go to the Labor Day parade tomorrow just to hear them play.

Alex is on the tennis team with his cousins Ben and Thomas. Their first tennis match, which was against North Tahoe on Tuesday, was won by forfeit. Their match on Thursday against Sparks (on a Reno court) was won while being watched by grandma, grandpa, Kathy, and me. Alex and Thomas, as a doubles team, won both their matches. It was very windy (which helped it to not be too hot) and we had a great time cheering them on.

I'm not the best photographer...especially when I'm just using my kindle

After the match, I drove to the Reno Institute building for my first Institute class this semester (Thursdays from 5:30-7:00 pm). The class is written up as "New Testament (Gospels)," but the real topic is the parables.

Because of tennis, I will be missing a few of the classes, but I'm sure I'll love the ones I attend.  Since I'm teaching the New Testament in seminary and also love the parables, I am very excited to go. My seminary coordinator, Brother McDuffie, teaches this class. It's a big help for me to watch a skilled teacher teach.

Coincidences? So, that morning, nephew Ben gave the devotional in seminary and he chose to talk to us about the Parable of the Sower (the seed falls on 4 types of ground--by the wayside, rocky, thorny, and good). That afternoon for my personal study I pulled out my General Conference issue of the Ensign. How I choose what to read these days is I just randomly open the magazine and read whatever talk it opens to. It opened to President Eyring's talk that talks about the Parable of the Sower! Then, of course, what did we talk about in our first Institute class? The Parable of the Sower! Cool beans, to quote my children.

This weekend, Eric and Ryan traveled down from Rexburg to Provo where they are having a game-fest of sorts with Andrew and Heather. I can't wait to hear all about it. Don't forget to take pictures boys!

Last night, we gathered at my in-laws where my nephew Joseph would be opening his mission call. It was definitely exciting. We had all put in our guesses as to where we thought he'd be called (nobody in our immediate family guessed correctly). He was called to serve in the Florida Tallahassee Mission (English-speaking) and will be entering the MTC on November 16th. We are so excited for him. Congratulations Joseph! We know you will be a great missionary.

Joseph holding up the all-important envelope

After the unveiling of the mission call, we watched the BYU-Arizona Wildcats football game. Great fun since BYU pulled off a win (18-16) with a field goal in the last 4 seconds of the game (kicked by a freshman!)!

Good week.