Father's Day

Julie was asked to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting today on Father's Day. She was so excited all week to share her thoughts about her dad. It has been fun watching her put her feelings into words and see the love she has for Craig. He is such a great dad! Just as the meeting started, the power went out in the area. They waited for a few minutes to see if the power would return, but when it didn't the meeting went forward with the emergency lights and the doors and curtains open for light. So, with no microphone and a flashlight in hand to see her notes, she delivered a great talk. She took all that drama training and used it to project and was heard more than the other speakers. I was very proud of her and wanted to share her talk.

"Good morning. I would like to say a happy father’s day to all of the dads out there. I am very excited to speak today about one of my favorite things: my dad. I hope that as I share some of my thoughts and feelings about my dad that you will all be able to think of the important part fathers have had in your lives. There are many lessons learned from fathers. I would like to share a few lessons I have learned from my dad.

My dad has taught me to have a good sense of humor. He always finds some way to make our family laugh. When he would play catch with us when my brother and I were little, he would sit on the edge of our deck. If the ball landed even two feet away from him, we would have to run over, get it, and hand it to him. So we had to learn good aim. Another thing I think of when I think about his desire to have a good time and help us enjoy life is whenever Brian and I are in the car with him, he always blasts rock music like Kansas or Styx really, really loud. So loud, we often find ourselves yelling what?!

When my brother and I were little, my dad would sometimes take us to work with him. He had a whiteboard along the side of his office that my brother and I would split in half and we would each draw a picture on our half. My dad would then leave our pictures up for all of his co-workers to see. If he had to write something on his whiteboard, he would find a blank space above or below our drawings. And the next time we would come to his office, our pictures would still be there and we would draw new ones for him to work around. Family vacations have also been important to him and we have enjoyed his love of baseball as a family. When we’ve gone to baseball games, he has taught me to keep a scorecard. All of these things help me realize how important our family is to him.

My dad has taught me the importance of testimony. In Family Home Evenings, he has shared his testimony with us and I see it in the things he does. It is important to attend church, to have family prayer, to read the scriptures together, to be honest, to keep our standards, to pay tithing, and to be grateful for what we have.

My mom has told me that when I was born, my dad confessed that he was very nervous to be a dad because he didn’t know how he would do. So, he picked me up and walked around the hospital room and talked to me. He told me that if we would stick together, we would make it. As I think of all the things my dad has taught me, it helps me catch a glimpse of how Heavenly Father feels about his children. It also tells me that if we will stick with him and learn from him that we will make it together. I am so grateful for my dad."

Big Changes

Summer for the Warnes family began with Brian's graduation from 8th grade. In the middle of his graduation ceremony, Brian delivered a speech in which he talked about his experiences with sports over the past 3 years. He talked about season records, rain delays, and, of course, his broken collarbone. He also thanked his coaches for the teamwork he was able to experience and his fellow players for allowing him this opportunity. After some of his fellow graduates delivered their speeches, the principal gave her infamous annual speech in which she predicts each student's future. Apparently, Brian is to become a five-star general and, with his war tactics, he will create world peace and put a stop to terrorism.
After the graduation ceremony, we went as a family to a local restaurant and ate a delicious dinner. We then drove Brian back to the school for his graduation dance, where he got to hang out with his friends for one of the last times.
Now we're moving to a completely different subject: hair! This past Thursday, Barbara and Julie went to Colleen (the hair stylist we've gone to for years) and donated 10 inches of their hair to Locks of Love. About three months ago, Julie turned to Barbara and asked her if she would donate with her. Barbara agreed and they did it - and both of them love their new haircuts.

Extra Credit and Tests

What a busy Saturday this week! Julie took the 5 hour SAT Test. We told her before she left that she needed to do well, because this one event would determine the rest of her life, but no pressure. She had studied quite a bit, but when she finished these were her comments... Julie Warnes thinks the SAT is the worst form of torture ever invented!!!!!! What did high school students do to deserve this???????

While Julie was busy with the SAT, Brian had an extra credit science assignment to visit and take notes at the California Academy of Science in San Francisco for over seven hours. Craig and I took him and two of his friends. It was enjoyable but long.

On Friday at school, Julie was asked to take the place of another student as a group leader at the fifth grade week long science camp. They left on the bus this morning, so we will see her next Friday. Wow! It is busy, but fun!

Wanna Dance.......All Night???

It is so much fun having two teenagers. They both got dressed up for the stake dance a couple of weeks ago and looked great. I didn't have time to take a picture, so I made them get dressed up again the next day after church and tried to take a picture. What a challenge to get them to obey me and take a nice photo. (click on photos to enlarge for facial expressions)

They love to sleep in as long as they can and then stay up all night!! Literally. On New's Year Eve, after they got home from a stake dance at 12:30am, they said they had always wanted to see if they could stay up all night and asked for permission. I thought they were crazy, but closed my door and went to bed. The next morning, at 7:15am, I checked on them and they announced that they had indeed made it and had 5 minutes to go, because according to the internet sunrise was at 7:20am. They had movies, popcorn, soda, and anything else they could think of. I'm still not sure of the point other then they did it "because we can". At 7:20am, they stumbled into their beds and were out!!

What's wrong with this picture?

I'm no doctor but something tells me there is something wrong here....hint: the collar bone should be connected.

Brian - Flag Football - Great Run - Bad Fall - ER - no school - then massive ear infection day later - ER middle of night - surgery next week after ear infection clears - FUN TIMES!!!

August Rush

Since our last post, we have had a lot going on.

After we got home from Hawaii, Julie had her wisdom teeth taken out on July 29th. (Just so all of you know, the third day is the worst.) Her recovery took about a week, but is doing well.

From August 7-9, Julie and Brian participated in the stake's first ever Pioneer Trek. They wore pioneer outfits, pulled handcarts through the Santa Cruz mountains, slept under the stars, and did some square dancing. They had a great time and both had their testimonies strengthened.

That following Monday, Julie started volleyball. She had two practices a day, two hours each. She conditioned in the morning and actually practiced volleyball skills in the afternoon. She was sore for several days, but is now used to it.

From August 12-16, we went to Utah for the Lindhardt Family Reunion. Julie and Brian got to sleep in a chicken coop! We also participated in the talent show (where Julie and Brian sent texts to everyone), four wheeling to Snow Lake, and the big family kickball game.

On August 25, Julie and Brian started school. Julie's in her junior year and Brian's in the eighth grade at Oakwood. (Random fact: This year, there are 8 kids in Julie's grade!) For Julie, it's been a busy couple of weeks. She got a lead in the school play (Abby in Arsenic and Old Lace), is captain of the JV volleyball team (but is also playing varsity...long story), and is her seminary class president.

We are staying busy, but enjoying life!

Goodbye Hawaii

We leave Hawaii tomorrow, but we've had a great time the past two days! On Tuesday, we went and toured BYU-Hawaii and did baptisms for the dead at the Laie Hawaii Temple. After that, we went to the Dole Plantation and ate some fresh pineapple. Julie and Brian went in the maze that they have there. (It was recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records 2001 as the World’s Largest Maze!) On the way to the Dole Plantation, we stopped at a beach where we saw and walked up to sea turtles!
Today, we went snorkeling at Shark's Cove and saw lots of fish. Mom got attacked by a fish about the size of quarter and freaked out. Then we went over to Waimea Bay where the water is super clear and warm. (It's like a pool.) A lifeguard drove dad down to the ocean on a four wheeler and we got him into the water for a little while. By unanimous vote, today was the best day.
We're ready to go home to our own beds, but aren't sure we're ready to return to the mainland.