Sandbox Fun

In the corner by the picket fence and just below the little rock wall was my very first sandbox.  I remember spending hours playing in the shade of this beautiful backyard.  That was so many years ago, but the memory is still there.   I loved that sandbox.   Mom told me that it was gone the first time she saw a cat use it for a litter box!   Didn’t even cross my mind when I was a kid.

Dad now grows a garden in the spot and look how beautiful his yard always looks.   He never lets it go a day without being manicured.  I’m so proud of that backyard!I asked Jason if the sandbox was one of his good childhood memories and his answer was a definite yes!!! So many a sandbox later…one in Orem when Jason was only two, one in Kaysville when both kids enjoyed a tree house sandbox, and one in our backyard during their younger years here in Clearfield…(I have pictures but none of them are digital, so I will have to look through boxes and boxes to find them….) We now have a new sandbox, big enough to be called a mini desert or sandy beach!  

Grandpa Al spent the weekend building the box and today he hauled in sand and sand and more sand….and Kendry in the sand!Gotta get more sand…………………..

Kendry helped with the shoveling…it took him several tries to get used to the feel of sand on his hands and feet.  He finally warmed up to the idea that this was suppose to be fun.  It didn’t take all that long either…now getting him to come back inside from the sandbox is going to be a monumental task!  Time spent out of the sandbox is time spent waiting until it’s time to be in the sandbox again….without question.  I’m not sure exactly what the classification is for what this fulfills, but whatever it is I know it’s very significant.  It completely absorbs and engages every angle of his concentration for lengths of time like no other toy or activity can.  I know it will be a sanity saver for this grandma…and soon it will be out that door the minute he wakes in the morning……  digging trenches, swishing sand, plowing fields, building roads, erecting bridges; it’s like the ultimate in creativity and messiness, in the hair, between the toes and yes even in the “Pamper”….

There it goes right on the top of the head…………….

Kendy is in love with his sandbox….come on over family and friends for a day of fun in the sun!

Grape Soda ~ Purple Taffeta Dress ~Pot of Gold

 

Iris survive in my garden year after year neglected, forgotten, cut down to the ground…what an amazing lesson they can teach me…………. How reassuring to recall that even when all feels lost, there is still the possibility of possibilities waiting to emerge.moved and divided and they seem to flourish quite well wherever they are put……..bloom where you are planted

Taffeta Ruffle unfurled……….. Vivid colors of sophistication…………..perfect for any occasion!

Stop every now and then. Just stop and enjoy. Take a deep breath. Relax and take in the abundance of life.

Sportsmanship Matters By JASON THOMPSON

I’m a huge proponent of kids play sports. Growing up, I was constantly involved in one sport or another, baseball, basketball, or tennis, through high school. More important than wins or losses or how good I got at a specific sport, was the life lessons that I learned in the process.

The greatest lesson I ever learned was the importance of sportsmanship. With time, I could no longer go 5 sets on the tennis court and gone were the days I could pull up for a transition 3 but what I learned about how to treat others has never left and it is a skill that has prepared me well for a successful business career.

I was thinking about this a lot yesterday, seeing two contrasting styles of leadership. First, at my son’s soccer game, one of his teammates went down with an injury, I saw the opposing coach gather his team to explain the importance of the moment. I witnessed the opposing team following the coach’s lead in taking a knee and bowing their heads. At that moment, I knew these kids were fortunate for being taught these important life lessons now. They would be better, more successful, people for it.

In contrast, during my daughter’s soccer game, I watched player after player being injured, by the same opposing player, finishing with my daughter in the emergency room being treated for a concussion. Never once did the opposing team express concern. Never once did I see a hand extended to help up a fallen competitor. Never once did I see the opposing coach use this as a teaching opportunity. After the game, when most players leave the game on the field and become friends again, I witnessed the offending player refuse to shake her opponents hands. At that moment, I knew these kids were unfortunate for being taught how to be great soccer players but not being taught how to be great women.

Sportsmanship matters and the most important lessons you learn on the field are life lessons. What lessons do you want your kids to learn?