The end of the Mullet

For the past few months our boys have been talking about getting their hair cut into a mullet, like the ones from the 1980's.  I'm not apposed to that because that is from my era so I find them nostalgic.  Doug had one when we got married so I agreed to let them cut their hair that way.  Cody was the first to let me cut his hair, but it wasn't very long so you couldn't tell.  Dalyon was the next, and still has his hair cut that way.  Austin had long hair so when we cut it into the mullet he had awesome curls out from under his baseball cap.  He loved it, and so did most of the girls.  In fact, Kimber Hawkins, who took him to Preference asked me to wait to cut it off until after their date.  I thought that was funny.  Austin went on a date to the Air Show on the 17th of March with a date on their four-wheelers and came home with snarls throughout his long hair.  That night he told me he had had enough and wanted me to cut it off. 

The Mullet before, including the chin scruff he calls a Goatee. 

The back, I love the curly hair. 

Here it is, mullet gone and face shaved.  He looks much younger!

The back, much easier to take care of.  Now he can say that he had a mullet
in high school. 

Air Show

This year our area hosted the Navy's Blue angels and had a terrific air show for the community.  The scouts were going to go for a day camp, but they the rest of our family decided they wanted to go as well so we made it a family outing.  Cody went with the scouts because they went earlier, and Austin got a date with Jessica Green and rode their four-wheelers out to one of the hills behind the airport where they got a birds eye view of the air show.  We went out a little later, but I'm told it didn't make any difference in the traffic, it was thick through-out the whole day. 

This is the traffic jam we were in, it took about two hours to get to the
airport, normally a 30 min drive from Hurricane.

Cody in the pilots seat of the transfer airplane.

Dalyon is co-pilot Lots of controls!!  The pilot said it took
him 4 months to be trained to fly the airplane.

Dalyon and Cami in the cargo seats of the plane.  The space can hold
tanks, and other vehicles, and has a basketball hoop for the empty runs.

It was really windy that day, so much that we ran to our cars to get
out of the weather.  The blue angels still dd their display but it was hard to see
because of all the dust.

Mady and her friend Chelsi went with us.  Love the tongue sis!!

Lots of people at the airshow.  This is the transport plane we were in.

The Blue Angels, or at least four of the six.  It was really cool!!

Crazy Hair Day

The elementary school had a spirit week on the week they celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday.  They had pajama day, funny sock day, and crazy hair day.  Usually we just rat the kid's hair up for crazy hair day, but Cami asked me to wire her braids so we tried it out.  It took some work, but I think we got the result we were hoping for.

This is Cami with our friends KD and Sarah Hall who ride with us to
school in the mornings.  KD and Sarah ratted their hair out.  Crazy!!

Definitely a thumbs up for this one!!

Preference

Preference is a formal girls choice dance at Hurricane High School.  This year Austin was asked by two different girls on the same day.. . again.  Kimber Hawkins got to him first and asked him by giving him a sandwich with a message inside.  Austin is always teasing his friends who are girls that they need to get in the kitchen and make him a sandwich because that is where they belong, which is a bit rude on my opinion, but the girls think it is funny.  Kimber had Subway make him a sandwich and put a message inside for him.  He answered her the same way, giving her a Subway sandwich with a message on the outside of it.  Preference was on March 3 and they went with a large group. 

For their day date the group went rappelling and had a lot of fun.

Kimber picked him up right on time and they looked so nice together.

Kimber must have been a little nervous because she locked her keys in her
pick up and Austin couldn't break into it, so they had to make other plans.

The solution was to take Austins truck.  I was surprised to see that he let
Kimber drive, because he doesn't let anyone else drive his truck.  I needed
documentation.   

This is Sydney Ballard, Robbie Elison, Kimber Hawkins, Austin Beutler,
McKell Isom, Clint Gubler, and Shania Hurst.

Stirling Scholar District Awards Night

Last fall Austin decided to apply to be a Stirling Scholar in the Trade and Technology Education.  This is a scholarship application that requires an extended portfolio of all of his accomplishments and awards from all of his high school education.  There are thirteen different categories including general scholarship, agricultural education, Trade and Tech. education, mathematics, English, music, etc.  Austin decided to go after the Trade and Technology category because he felt like he was more qualified in this area with his welding, woodworking, and mechanical experience.  He won the high school level easily because there wasn't anyone applying against him.  On March 1, 2012 the high school level winners were honored in an awards ceremony given by the district and held at Snow Canyon High School.  All of the  recipients were awarded a $200 check for their achievement and to put toward their additional schooling.  Doug and I are very excited for Austins achievement and for his desire to apply for this scholarship.  It took a lot of work and time to put together a 36 page portfolio and to describe everything. 

Way to go Austin!  We are very proud of you! 

Principle Pedersen is reading off all the school winners and their categories while
the students stand forward to be recognized.  Austin looks so thoughtful. . .  

Receiving his certificate and check.

Our next hurdle is the regional competition where he will be interviewed by judges in his category and they will judge his portfolio, which we have been going over with a fine-toothed-comb.  His FFA advisor Mr. Daley thought it would be best for Austin to cut his mullet before the interview, but at the district awards ceremony there was a boy there with a Jedi braid, which Austin picked up on and decided to leave the mullet.  I guess we will see what happens.

The difference between men and boys. . . .

I have often heard the phrase "The difference between men and boys are the size of their toys", which is true in our family.  Doug has never out grown the love of trucks and tractors, even though he has become an adult and a father.  When he was little he played with Tonka trucks, back then they were built out of sturdy metal and could move small mountains in the sand with ease. Now he enjoys driving his semi-truck and running tractors for the church farm or neighbors who need his help. On his trip north to move houses he had the opportunity to work for his cousin Wesley moving dirt to flatten out a steep hill that Wes wants to plant potato's on in the next year or so.  Doug was back in his element in the seat of a tractor, moving dirt and working with other men who also hold his passion. 

Doug and his brother Mike posing in front of the  tractors they were operating.
They were pulling scrapers to haul the dirt from high spots and carry
it to low spots in the field.  They also pulled land planes that leveled the ground.

This is the field.  In the distance you can see the dozer pushing dirt down,
and the scrapers are pulled by tractors and dozers also moving dirt down
to level the field. 

These are dozers that are also pulling scrapers.

Our nephew Logan who is four really likes the big trucks and tractors
like Doug does.  He is shy around most people, but not around Doug. 
When Doug was running up north he would stop in Pocatello where his sister
Katie lives and give her kids rides in his semi-truck.  On this day Logan came
down and rode with Doug in the tractor for about an hour.  Doug let him
"drive" for a bit to help him get entertained and he was very excited. 

Doug goes north again.

Doug again had the opportunity to move houses to North Dakota and took advantage of it.  He left on a Friday and was able to move several homes before they finished another series of houses.  He finished earlier than he thought so took some time to visit with his family in Southern Idaho.  While there he was able to help his cousin move dirt as they prepare a field for farming.  He was gone for about three weeks and had a great time.  Check out these pictures.

Doug is hooked to an office unit he took from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City,
then over to Rock Springs, WY. 

He spent the night in Bear Lake, Utah and this is Logan Canyon the next morning.
It was a quick moving, very wet storm that surprised him and they closed the canyon
behind him.

He traveled through Rexburg on his way up to move houses north
and captured this picture of the Rexburg temple.  Very nice. 

This trip north Doug had a lot more snow and cold, it seems winter doesn't come to Montana as early as it does here in Southern Utah.  He finished the work he was given and headed to his parents home to visit with them.