Skiing Skeen Girl

My original plan for today was to do the paper route, go to the brunch with my KA girls about the fund raiser for Eliza, and then come home and deep clean the three bathrooms. Boy am I glad that is not how it turned out!! At breakfast, Christy invited me to go cross country skiing with her.

Now, I have been on skis once in my life. I was 16. That was 20 years ago! (Sad.) I have also hated Winter for the 8 years I have lived here. I hate being cooped up inside and since I don't ski or snow- mobile, there isn't a lot for me to do. But that all changed today! I have a Winter Sport! I am a cross country skier!!!

Christy and her hus- band, Mike, have been skiing for about 7 years. They go several times a week in the Winter. Some- times they go on the Deer Fence, which is on this side of the moun- tains, and only about 1.5 miles from our house. Other times they go up Logan Canyon -one of the prett- iest places on God's green Earth. This morning Christy took me up the canyon to the Juniper-Jardine Trail.

First we stopped by Al's and rented me some skis and boots. It was $10. Then we headed up the canyon to the trail turn off. We had beautiful weather all last week, and then it snowed all day Friday. But this morning was beautiful and up the canyon was even better. It felt so warm that we didn't need hats, and I ended up taking off my second shirt and just tying my jacket around my waist. The skis took some getting used to. I tended to cross them at the front, and I fell a few times going up. Usually I'd just topple over to the side. No problem. We went up the hollow for just a little over 2 miles, and I do mean UP! That is a serious workout! That's a good trail in the summer, and this made it even more challenging. Christy is one of the sweetest women I know and she kept telling me how good I was doing for my first time. By the time we got to the switchbacks, where we were to turn around I was dripping sweat! I LOVED IT!!! I love a good sweat, because I know I'm doing something good for my body.

Now, getting back down the trail was a little trickier. It was mostly downhill at this point, and seeing as how it wasn't a ski resort, there were trees everywhere. I was a bit nervous. My heart had that extra little shot of adrenaline. Christy showed me how to make it down and I tried my best to follow her. I fell so many times! It was awesome. Getting back up with skis strapped to your feet is not the easiest thing I've ever done. My poor left ankle would stay at a funky angle for a bit as I tried to right myself. My balance was WAY off on the way down as well. I'm sure my form was not up to par. But I was having such a blast. Christy would go up the rolling hills so she could ski down some bigger slopes. It looked so fun, but I was still a little too scared to try it. I told her those tricks would have to be for my third time out. Most of the time my falls were just tipping to the side, but there were a few that could have won me some money on America's Funniest Home Videos. I was ahead of Christy, going pretty fast down this one little stretch, when suddenly I was nothing but a rolling ball of skis, poles, and limbs. I wiped out good. We were laughing so hard! Another time I was brave enough to try a bigger hill and Christy told me to just veer towards the right at the bottom of it, and showed me how it was done. She must have had special veering skis, because mine didn't know how to do that. Instead I kept going straight for a tree. I had my poles out in front of me, trying to lesson the impact, and in the end was just able to miss it and grab a branch to stop myself.

I told Christy this was the most fun I've had in the snow my whole life!!! And that finally after 8 years of living here, I have a reason to like Winter. I'm just sad I am discovering this at the end of the season. I must get myself my own pair of cross country skis. I told her we have to go again this next week. I want to try to get in at least 2 or 3 more times before Spring gets here. I JUST LOVE CROSS COUNTRY SKIING!!!!

I love being outdoors. I love nature. I love this Earth and the beauty of it. I love the stillness of the mountains, and how close to Heavenly Father I feel out in the world. I love getting my heart rate up and working my body in different ways. I love accomplishing something I didn't think I was capable of. I'm so glad today was so beautiful. I just had such a great time with Christy.

I want skis! They are 50% off at Al's, but the sale only goes through the 20th. I don't get my next paper route check until the 5th. Goo! Ryan assures me I'll find something in the paper, and not to fret. I hope Ry can come next time. This would be a fun activity to do together. He would have gotten such great laughs at my falls today. I'm sad he had to miss it.

Cookie Dough

I LOVE cookie dough! It's my down- fall. Okay, fine. It's one of my down- falls. The other being food. Anyway, last Sunday Rachel and I were making Marble Cookies from the Mrs. Field's Cookie Cook Book. So good! Mills was under foot and a little whiny. We kept trying to move her out of the way until we realized she just wanted in on girl time. So Rach and I would take turns holding her while the other added ingredients. This made her very happy and she would smile, and clap, and giggle at the mixer. Finally we had the dough mixed and went over to the sink to lick the beater. Rachel held Milly and I held the beater between us all. I gave Mills a taste from my finger. She liked. She reached her little finger out and scooped some off of the beater to eat. I said to her, "Milly, if you are a true Momma's girl, you have to love cookie dough." Well she didn't need to be told twice. She reached out and grabbed the beater with both hands and tried to shove it in her mouth. Rachel and I got a good laugh. Milly had cookie dough all over her little face. It was very cute.

How It All Started

It was March of 2006 and my Dad called to tell me he had signed me up for something called Little Red Riding Hood. Little Red is a women only bike ride, one of two in the country, that my mother and sisters had participated in for a few years. In March of 2006, my family had a history of biking, and I had a history of eating ice cream. I had been the 'fat sister' for some time, and though I walked regularly, and hiked and rock climbed here and there, I wasn't anywhere near their level of an athlete. I thought Dad was insane when he called. I didn't bike. I had been on a road bike once and hated it. I hadn't gone more than 10 miles and it had been years since I had done that. Little Red had three courses; a 45, a 68, and a 100. He had signed me up for the 45 and told me he was positive I could do it.

I decided to give it a try. My first ride was on my mountain bike. I think I went 12 miles. To me that was HUGE. I told my fam I was too afraid of the road bike and that I didn't really notice a difference anyway. They assured me there was a huge difference and talked me into trying it again. The road bike they had given me, called The Heggie, was an old Cannondale with the gears on the frame. You had to let go of the handle bars to change gears! I went over to the parking lot by the theater to practice and then set out on my second ride. This time I think I went 15 miles. A few days later Ryan and I went together. He separated from me early, because he had Spencer in the bike trailer and it was tiring. So I went a few more miles on my own. 18 whole miles this time. I was liking this biking thing, and I was feeling pretty proud of myself. It was upon returning from this ride that my life changed.

I was sitting in the swing in my front yard, still in my biking gear, when Amber Christiansen came walking by. Amber's husband had been our Home Teacher for years, as well as Josh's scout leader. Amber was in the Primary presidency while I was a teacher, and I saw her at church. That was about it. We had never hung out, talked on the phone, or done anything together. We had chatted briefly a few times. I had always wanted to get to know her better, but it just hadn't happened. She stopped to say hello and we started talking. She noticed my bike, and I told her how I had just gone on an 18 mile ride! I told her about Little Red and that I was training to do a 45 mile bike ride. "That sounds fun!" she said, with her typical Amber enthusiasm. "Well, you should do it too." Now, I must admit that at this point, I didn't really picture us doing it together. I wasn't sure how serious she was, and I didn't want some newbie slowing me down. I mean, I had done 3 rides already. (Silly me, it wasn't long before Amber was leaving me in the dust!) We made plans to meet up for a ride. She called me a few days later to tell me that she had told her neighbor Dominee, and she wanted to do it too.

Dominee Miles was the wife of our other Home Teacher, and lived across the street from Amber. I had brought her some soup when she had her son, Cutler, back when I first moved into the ward. That was the extent of our relationship. I had also wanted to get to know her better, but it hadn't happened. I am always having parties, and the Christiansen's and Mile's had been on many invite lists, but hadn't come to anything.

So, we met up for our first ride. Neither of them had ever done any biking. Dominee was a daily walker, and Amber did stuff here and there, but like me, they were new to this form of exercise. Amber and Dominee only had mountain bikes. We biked out to Mendon and back, a 16 mile ride, and they were kinda slow, if I'm being honest. It was their bikes though. A mountain bike just can't keep up with a road bike. They were hooked after their first ride. They decided they were going to need to buy road bikes and had them a few days later. I made up a training calendar for us, and we began our training. I think we logged several hundred miles. I had told my mom that I hoped we were prepared enough. She assured me that we were the most prepared of anyone she knew. She couldn't believe we did those long of rides without stopping for a coke in the middle!

We would ride 4 to 5 times a week. Some rides were short 20 milers, and others were 40. It was after our first 30 miler that we decided we were going to go for the 68 mile option. We had fallen in love with biking, and were feeling so empowered by this new hobby. It was such a great outlet and it was giving us so much confidence in ourselves to be able to start from nothing and go out and do these rides. Those 2 1/2 months of training were some of the best times I have had. The three of us just clicked and had the best time together. We were best friends, and we were biking partners for life...and the big ride hadn't even happened yet. Cache Valley is beautiful, and traveling it by bike is a blessing.

One day while coming home from a ride, we decided we needed to make ourselves official. We needed a name. A few ideas were tossed out until Amber suggested 'Kick Asphalt.' We LOVED it--though my Dad doesn't think it is very lady like.

Finally the big day arrived. It was the first Saturday in June. I had written the girls a little card and gotten them some chocolate. We met at Amber's at 7:00AM and Kyle took us out to Wellsville. If you've done an organized ride or race, you know the charge in the air from that many people gathered to compete in the same event. There were so many bikers! There was music! There was breakfast! We were so excited!!! After taking a few pictures (Which I still don't have a copy of!!!) we got on our bikes and took off. We all had different paces, and we were used to riding what we could and meeting up at a designated rest stop. It was nice to not feel the pressure to keep up, or feel bad if you were in the lead. The first leg of the ride was from Wellsville to Amalga. I think it was about 15 miles. I started off strong, but because I was 5 weeks pregnant with Hannah, I grew winded at about mile 8. Amber passed me about then and I told her I'd have to slow it down. I don't know how something the size of a pea can constrict your lungs so much. Anywho, the three of us met up at Amalaga, and then started leg #2 to Lewiston. A lunch was provided there, and Ryan came out with Spencer and brought his bike and the bike trailer. The idea was that he would ride with me for a few miles, but he ended up following Amber, because she is faster. They are both little speedy competitors. So Dom and I stayed together through leg #2. There is a hill in this leg that we were not expecting. We had done some rides with hills in Blacksmith Fork Canyon, but those were nothing compared to this. Oh my gosh! It is a climb that goes up around the East side of Newton hill. Although it's not a steep grade for most of it, is a steady climb for about 4 or 5 miles. The last part does get steep. Several women were walking their bikes up the hill. It took all my strength to peddle through that. I was worried about Dominee behind me, because she has asthma. I kept calling over my shoulder, "Are you alright?" We finally made it and enjoyed a nice down hill coast into the town of Newton, where we were provided with another rest stop complete with drinks, fruit, crackers, etc. Ryan and Spencer had been waiting for me there, and Spency was having fun at the park. After refueling, we started the last leg back to Wellsville. This portion of the route we had actually rode several times in training. Mentally we had prepared for 60, because that's what we thought it was going to be. It wasn't until ride day that we learned it was actually 68. Those last 8 seemed to take forever. We had been riding for hours, and the sun was hot!

The last mile was incredible. All these months of training, all the miles logged had led to this moment. I thought about my Dad, who had believed I was capable of something I never would have thought I could do. I thought about my little friends, who had just accomplished something so big. I was so excited for us! So grateful for the experience. Fine! I teared up! It was hard not to bawl as I rode back into the Wellsville Tabernacle parking lot. I set my bike down and went looking for Amber. I couldn't hold back the tears when I saw her. I threw my arms around her and said "I'm so proud of us!" A few moments later Dominee crossed the finish line and we all cheered. It was really one of the most perfect experiences.

The very next day my morning sickness hit. I am so thankful that it didn't come a day earlier, because I would not have been able to ride if it had.

Little Red was all we could talk about. We continued riding throughout the summer. We'd do shorter 20 mile rides during the week, and longer 30-45 milers on Saturdays. You would think that our other friends would have wanted to tell us to shut up about Little Red...but actually, they caught the bug and decided to give it a try as well.

In March of 2007 5 other women had road bikes. I well remember them going out for their first ride of the season, because I was sitting on my front porch, 8 1/2 months pregnant. I pretended to cry and weep and wail as they went riding by. They felt really bad that I had seen them and felt left out. Milly was born April 4th and I was back on my bike before the month was over. This time I was only able to get 4 rides in before Little Red. I was pretty slow the first time out the gate and I felt a little embarrassed because of it. But I did just have a baby, so I'll stick to that excuse. A few days before Little Red, a 6th friend decided to ride it on her mountain bike.

The night before we went out to pick up our packets and enjoy a not so good dinner. The next morning we met at Amber's again and took pictures. This time there were 8 of us. One of the girls wasn't able to ride after all, because of doctor's orders. I'm still waiting for my copy of those pictures as well. We got to Wellsville, had some bagels and took off. I think originally most of the girls were going to do the 45 miler, with just a few of us doing the 68. In the end, I think two did the 45, the rest of us did what turned out to be 78, and Jill did the 100. It was so fun to see so many friends accomplishing something so big. Isela, had just learned to ride a bike that year!!!! I think women can sometimes be so competitive and jealous of each others accomplishments, but with this group it was so the opposite. We cheered for each other, encouraged each other, motivated each other. Having just birthed a baby 8 weeks prior to the ride, I was in a lot more pain then the first time around. I had to stand up in my seat pretty much every mile for the entire ride. The last 10 miles were killer! I was almost in tears from the pain the last 2. Ryan had parked in Wellsville and ridden towards me to finish it with me. He met up with me only about a mile outside of town. He told me I should keep going to make it an even 80. Easy for him to say! I felt just fine with 78. It was so fun to wait at the finish line and cheer for each of the girls as they finished. What an awesome adventure.

That afternoon we all met at Amber's for a water party and pizza dinner. She set up slip-n-slides and pools for all the little children. They played while we ate. I had made up some certificates and Amber and Dominee and I had bought a candy bar for each of the girls that represented how they rode. We officially inducted them into the Kick Asphalt Bike Club. Then we played some water games with the husbands. They beat us pretty bad in water baseball. They were kind of gloating and one of the girls had to say, "Yeah, good job. You just beat a bunch of women that rode their bikes 80 miles."

Tomorrow morning we are meeting to discuss our plans to make this years Little Red a fund raiser for Eliza Saunders. We'll have a flier with our picture and ask people to donate what they can, or so much per mile. We are really excited about making Little Red be about something more than just us this year. I love the Kick Asphalt Bike Club. I love this group of women. I love biking. And I love my Dad for starting it all.

Kick Asphalt

Sunday afternoon, the 10 ladies of the Kick Asphalt Bike Club headed over to Rendezvous Park to take pictures for a flier we are going to make to help in a fundraising effort for a family who's three year old has liver cancer. The first week-end of June is the Little Red Riding Hood bike ride, and we wanted it to be about something more than just us this year. I think my next post will have to be the history of Kick Asphalt. Our shirts are actually a horrific neon green...but Isela was able to make them look pink. Yay! We all love pink. Laurie just got a pink bike, and Dominee and I are very jealous.

In the Pink Shirts: Top Row/Left to Right: Laurie, Amber, Jill, Nisha, Me
Bottom Row/Left to Right: Katie, Christy, Louise, Isela
Front & Center: Dominee

Beans

I know he isn't the first child to do it. I've heard stories of all sorts of things children have used. But yesterday was my first experience with a child sticking something up their nose. Spencer went to preschool yesterday and one of the art projects they made was a musical shaker, filled with small red beans. He came upstairs and I could see a little red something in the end of his nose. I thought maybe he'd had a bloody nose and had one of those yucky bloody buggars. "Spencer, do you have a buggar?" "No. It's not a buggar." Then I knew. Beans! The first one came out relatively easy. But there were more. To make a very long and stressful, and cry filled story short...I got 4 beans out of his nose!!!! I wanted to make sure I got them all, so I went to my friend Cannon's house. He's a fireman, and had a bunch of stuff at home. We think we saw one more way up there. But we couldn't get to it. I tried going up with tweezers, which just pushes them in farther. We can't see anything now, so either, we didn't really see a 5th bean. Or he will begin sprouting in a few days. What is the thought process that compels a child to stick beans up their nose? And that many!!! Help me, Ronda!

Papa's Birthday

About a week and a half ago my dad sent all us girls an e-mail that said for his birthday all he wanted was for us to do something kind for someone else. He had just watched our Thailand DVD and had seen the joy on our faces in the pictures taken the day we spent with the Hill Tribes. He wanted us to be able to recreate the joy of giving for our birthday gift to him.

I thought long and hard about what we should do. There were so many options to chose from, so many people in need. I thought about going to the Human- itarian Center in SLC. I thought we could purchase some items for kits, and take a tour of the facilities. I went there last summer with our ward and made kits for school children. I had no idea the scope of what the LDS church does to help people all over the world. I thought about purchasing items to donate to CAPSA, a local non-profit shelter for abused women and children. I thought about trying to find a single mother, or a family who may have just lost everything in a fire. Like I said, the options were endless. I knew that all of those would be good choices, but I really wanted to make sure I picked something that would mean the most to my children. I put a lot of thought and prayer into who we could serve. Finally I got my answer, and it was from the blog of my Aunt Linda.

My Aunt Linda has breast cancer. I HATE cancer! It has taken the life of my Grandpa and my Uncle Jon. I have watched my Grandma Mary and my old Mia Maid leader, Lynette, go through breast cancer. My Grandma's husband, Grandpa David, just started on chemo last week. I think cancer is a horrible disease and it scares me to see how it can strike anyone, anytime. Well, my Aunt Linda has been blogging about her cancer. She has been very open about it, and displayed a remarkable sense of humor and optimism. She has also talked about how much the little acts of kindness that her family and friends have shown her have helped give her strength. Her posts about her "Secret Pixie Family" were the inspiration for what we did.

We had discussed with the children before hand what we wanted to do, and who we wanted to do it for. But last Monday at Family Home Evening we made if official. We started the night by reading Aunt Linda's cancer posts at dinner. The children listened intently to her story and felt sympathy for her and the friends she had made at "Attitude Adjustment Day." We had decided that we were going to make 'Cancer Care Packages' for 3 people, and after making sure our lists were organized, we headed to Macey's and Wal-Mart for our items.

First on the list was Ruby. Ruby is the mother of my friend, Sophia. Ruby went in for surgery to remove a blockage in her intestine last month. While in surgery the doctors found a tumor. Sophia immediately drove down to St. George to be with her mother and plan what they would do next. Ruby would have to stay in St. George long enough to recover from the surgery, but then she would move in with Sophia, who would care for her through her treatments. I have only met Ruby once. It was at the wedding reception of Soph's daughter, Liza, and Spencer was four days old. We had him with us, and as we walked through the line, Ruby said, "Give me that baby!" and grabbed him out of my hands and kept him for some time. She is a fun and vivacious woman, just like her daughter. For Ruby we put together a "Welcome To Cache Valley" bag. Soph said her favorite candy is Reese's, so we got every kind of Reese's candy bar available. I didn't realize there were so many to choose from! The regular peanut butter cups, the pieces, the crisps, the creams...I think there were 6 or 7 different kinds. We also got Ruby two great books of inspirational quotes. The first one is called "One Bright Shining Moment." It's a book of inspirational quotes for women by President Hinckley. I got that for Christmas last year and I just love it! The second one was a book of quotes and recipes by Sister Hinckley. I want that one for myself! We put a card in the bag that told Ruby we were sorry about what she was going through, but looked forward to getting to know her better. We drove that out to Smithfield, and Sophia has it waiting on Ruby' bed, for when she gets here, which will probably be in the next few days.

Clarissa is 10 years old. In December, the day after her 10th birthday, she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. The doctors have not come right and said how long Clarissa has to live, but her tumor is terminal. She is in Daniel's grade at school, and her uncle is my eye doctor, but we do not know her personally. I do know that I have a 10 year old child, and I can not imagine what I would do if I was told that he had a terminal brain tumor. She has completed her chemo and is back in school for half days. Her little friends have been so wonderful. Her two best friends made friendship bracelets and sold them at school for a $1 donation that would go to Clarissa. That was what Daniel contributed his $20 to several posts ago. Those two little 10 year old girls raised $240!! And it came from children at the school that wanted to do something for Clarissa. I called her aunt, and found out some of her favorite things. For Clarissa we got some Goldfish crackers, some Nestle Crunch candy bars, a gift card to the movie theater and a gift card to Casper's Ice Cream. We put them all in a pretty bag, and tied a few balloons to it. Clarissa's card said that although she did not know us, we were sorry to hear about what she was going through and that she was in our thoughts and prayers. We signed that "Your Secret Family." We have plans to leave a little something on her door every month. We parked a few doors down from her house, and the children crept up to the door, rang the doorbell, and ran--while I took pictures of them. Spencer was so giddy with the excitement of his first doorbell ditch.

Eliza turned 3 last week. She was diagnosed with liver cancer one month ago and has been in Primary Children's Hospital ever since. She is the daughter of some former ward members who moved to the Salt Lake area shortly after she was born. I also have a three year old child. I can not imagine watching my baby lay in a hospital bed for a month, tied to machines and in pain. Eliza's tumor is the size of a grapefruit. She is going through chemo right now and it is taking its toll on her tiny little body. Once the tumor has shrunk, the doctors will either remove half of her liver, or she'll have to have a liver transplant. She runs fevers all the time and has to be covered with ice packs. She coughs up fresh blood. She can't eat and has had a feeding tube put right into her intestine. Her parents feel confident that she can recover from the liver surgery or transplant IF the chemo doesn't kill her first. Why does this horrible disease have to happen to children? With Eliza's care package we included things for her older sister(11) and brother (7) as well. We bought some Goldfish crackers for them, as well as two color books and some crayons for them when they visit Eliza at the hospital. Eliza got a color book, as well as 3 new books for her parents to read to her when she is awake. We also made home made chocolates that went in all three bags. Our letter expressed our love and concern and again said that they are in our thoughts and prayers.

I don't think children stop too often to think about people with diseases like this. Knowing Sophia, and realizing that Clarissa and Eliza were the ages of Daniel and Spencer made a huge impact. We know that our little bags might not have been filled with things that these three girls needed, and certainly they weren't filled with anything that was going to miraculously heal them of their afflictions. But they were filled with love, and we hope that through those little bags they and their families would be reminded that Heavenly Father loves them and knows their needs.

Tomorrow I have a photo shoot with my Kick Asphalt Bike Club girls. There are 10 of us who will be riding in Little Red Riding Hood the first Saturday in June. We have decided that this year we want Little Red to be about something more. So are going to do a fundraiser for Eliza. Our hope is that we can find people willing to donate so much per mile, or just whatever they can, that we can then give to help offset Eliza's bills. We are taking a picture of us in our matching bike shirts and gear that we are going to put on our flier. We are even checking into seeing if we can have Kick Asphalt made a charitable organization so that donations can be tax deductible. We are really excited to try to do something to help this sweet little girl.

Thank you so much for having this be your birthday present, Papa. Hope your birthday was wonderful!

An Ordinary Man

He has many names; Trace, Papa, Gary Timbers, Mr. Elite Status, and Moses, to name a few. But his given name is David Tracy Skeen. No matter what name you call him, one thing is sure...there is no one else like him in this world. And today he is 60 years old. He was born March 8, 1948 to Frank and Mabel Skeen of Nyssa, OR. He was the 5th child and the 4th son. His youth was spent on a sugar beet and onion farm in Eastern Oregon, and I'm sure that as he hid in the fields from his older brother and his b-b gun, he never dreamed that his future would one day hold travels around the globe.

The Early Years

Tracy, as he was called in his youth, was given his Grandma Eliza's maiden name. He was preceded in birth by Jim, Roger, Nancy, and Doug. Six years later the Skeen children were joined by twins Pam and Paul. Trace has said he often felt lost in the mix. The farm required a lot of time and work, and so did the twins. They were pretty high maintenance, so Trace learned how to fend for himself. He has always spoken with much love and fondness for his older brothers Jim and Roger, who he said looked out for him and were like second fathers. Besides the work that being the son of a farmer entailed, Trace also enjoyed hunting down on Locket Gulch, raising chickens, and using the side of the barn as target practice for his baseball. He enjoyed school, had many friends, and was involved with sports as well as drama. One of his favorite things to do was sleep out under the stars on top of the haystacks. He also enjoyed the family trips to Owyhee Dam, as well as the visits by beloved Aunt Ivy and Uncle Ellis.

The Mission

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, at age 19 Trace received his mission call to Wichita Falls, Texas. Honestly, I don't remember many stories from his mission years, only that when he left Texas he swore he'd never be back.

Boy Meets Girl

It was while attending Brigham Young University in Provo, UT that Trace first laid eyes on Mary Ann Griffin. She needed a ride to another boys house, and had asked one of Trace's roommates for a ride. Their first date is the stuff legends are made of, though they both tell it quite differently. After the usual dinner, Trace took Ann to the local cemetery to see a statue known as Drake. He told her that legend had it that if one walked around it three times, saying "Drake, Drake, how did you die?" that it would answer. Here is where the details greatly diverge. We'll go with his side though, since this is his tribute. "She walked around the statue nervously, chanting 'Drake, Drake, how did you die? Drake, Drake, how did you die?' On her third time around my roommates jumped up from behind headstones with pantyhose over their faces. One called out 'The same way you will!' and they started chasing her. She was so scared she was crying." Surprisingly enough, from these auspicious beginnings love blossomed and the two were wed in the Logan Temple on August 14, 1971.

The Daughters

Tracy and Mary Ann Skeen are the parents of four lovely daughters. Jamie Jo was born in Rupert, ID on June 24, 1971-a few months shy of their first anniversary. Stacey Ann was born in Eugene, OR on January 17, 1974, and was followed by Sara Jill on May 6, 1978. November 25, 1980 brought the birth of Lindsey Lee in Amarillo,TX. With the first few births, Trace hoped for a son, but by daughter #3, knew what he was doing with girls and was happy that his home had been blessed with so many sweet girls. His daughters are now grown and have provided him with four wonderful sons-in-law and 12 beautiful grandchildren.

The Breadwinner

During the early years of marriage, in Eugene, OR, Trace held down many jobs. He was at one time working as a referee for high school sports, had his own fencing business and was working as a paramedic. It was important to him that his wife never have to work outside of the home, so he did whatever was necessary to make sure the little families financial needs were taken care of.

In late 1979 he was given the opportunity to return to Texas for his company, MSI. Although he hadn't loved the Texas terrain as a young missionary, the position was too good to pass up. He moved his family to Amarillo, with plans to run the MSI ambulance branch in the panhandle. As it turned out, MSI went bankrupt shortly after and Trace was able to purchase Amarillo Medical Services. (AMS) In spite of having not graduated from college, Trace made quite a name for himself in the Ambulance Industry. He purchased two other ambulance services in Borger and Pampa, and got involved with the American Ambulance Association. He served many positions within the AAA and has been a valued and respected member by others in his field across the country. He is known for his strong work ethic, no doubt learned on the farm, as well as his people skills, integrity and tenacity. He is the lone 3 time winner of the Man of the Year award in the AAA. He has been courted by many other companies who knew that having Trace Skeen join their ranks would be a big coup. In 1987 Rural Metro of Scottsdale, AZ made a big enough offer that Trace sold them the Texas operations and moved his family to Mesa. While working for Rural Metro he spent some time living and working in Orlando, FL helping their operations. Little did he know that he would live in many places across the globe using his vast skills to turn struggling operations into powerhouses. In 1991 Trace accepted an offer from Buck Medical that meant a move back to his home state. The family set up residence in Portland, and Trace's star continued to rise. Buck was sold to AMR, one of the countries biggest ambulance companies. They were thrilled to 'acquire' Trace Skeen with the purchase of Buck, and lost no time putting his skills to work for their company. In 2000 he relocated again to the beautiful Ogden Valley, though he works out of Denver, and is never home for more than a few days at a time. He is now with AMR's Global division and spends a majority of his time earning frequent flier miles and Marriott points as he works in places like Trinadad, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Besides the work that he does for GMR, he also has gone into Third World countries donating used ambulances to the poor and needy through a charitable foundation.

The Faith

Trace is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the gospel of Jesus Christ and the principles and practices of his church are such a big part of who he is. He is a scholar of the gospel and knows how to take what he gleans from the pages of the scriptures and put it into practice. He has been in Bishoprics, served in Young Men's and Scouts, taught Gospel Doctrine, directed the church road shows, and been the ward Activity Chairman with his wife. He goes the extra mile with every calling and brings a freshness and creativity to each area he has worked in. He is especially loved by the youth of the church. While living in the mission field in Amarillo he was practically worshiped by the youth, who enjoyed acting in his plays, participating in the activities he planned, and who really just felt his love for them. No ward is ever the same when he leaves it.

The Hobbies

He has been called a Renaissance Man. He is at once a skilled carpenter, farmer, play write, musician, actor, film maker, author, and scrap booker. He has gone from building plant stands for his wife, to building cottages, barns, a bunk house, and a playground for his grandchildren called Fort Liberty. He produced a record album after his mission, and spent several years performing at various church functions as part of the legendary singing duo known as "Gary Timbers and Tommy Velour." He has written numerous plays for the youth of the church and is currently shopping his musical Battalion, for which he wrote the lyrics and music to 12 original songs. He plays the piano, guitar, and harmonica. He has two published novels, and his poetry could fill two volumes in and of itself. Besides his amazing creativity, he is also an amazing athlete. He has competed in numerous marathons and triathlons, as well as logged 1000's of miles on his bike. He has kayaked the Willamette River, Pineview Lake, Causey Reservoir, and the coasts of New Zealand and Costa Rica. He has skied, snowboarded, hiked, rock climbed, and lept from a 50 foot pole for a trapeze. One of his greatest joys comes from doing these activities with his wife, daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren. If all that isn't enough for one man to be good at, he is also a great cook. Skilled at the barbecue as well as the electric skillet, his breakfasts and dinners are delicious.

The Song

In the late 1970's our church was big into musicals. "Debbie Diary of a Mormon Girl" came out when I was about 7 years old. There is a song from that play that I have been singing for 20 years now that always makes me think of my dad. I have sung it to each and every one of my children and told them that it was a song about Papa. I have sung it in the shower and I have sung it in the car. Whenever I sing it, my mind is filled with memories of my wonderful father and I feel closer to him. The lyrics are perfectly suited to fit my dad.

An ordinary man. He says he's nothing more than just an ordinary man.
And you might think you'd believe him, though you'll never understand how love can flow so gentle from an ordinary man.

And there's magic in his touch. When I'm sick or broken hearted there is magic in his touch. With his hands upon my head and when I hear his soft command, I know that I have felt the special magic in his hands.

If the government could know his worth I'm sure they'd raise his pay. It's sad but true, between me and you, what a good man gets today. He tells me I am beautiful, that I'm his Miss Universe. I wish he wasn't taken, but my mother saw him first.

An ordinary man. Still with his arms around me. An extraordinary man. When I'm headed straight for trouble and I'm leading with my chin, he saves me from the crash by flashing me that knowing grin.

And if my Father up in Heaven is anything like him, then I would give the world to be with him for all eternity and tell him thanks for sending me to just an ordinary man.

David Tracy Skeen has been on this earth for 6 decades now. He has enriched and blessed the lives of countless people. His example is appreciated and emulated by his family, his friends, and his associates. His beginnings were so humble, and his reach has been so far. I am so lucky to be his daughter and I love him so, so much. Happy Birthday Papa!!!

What's In A Name?

Ryan is Ryan's middle name. He is Craig Ryan, but he is so not a Craig. Mainly he is a Googily Bear, and is called that or variations of it. My name is Jamie Jo, and although most of my friends call me Jamie, my husband almost always calls me Jo. So does my Dad. With my mom and sisters I think it is half and half. My Aunt Lee always calls me Jo, but my Aunt Carol usually says Jamie. Josh's full name is Joshua Michael. When he was born, and for the first 7 years of his life, he went by Michael. Not Mike, not Mikey. I was adamant that he be called by his full name. When people would shorten it, I would quickly correct them. Shortly after I separated from Dufus, he changed his name to Joshua. At first he liked the full name, but it wasn't long before it was shortened to Josh. I didn't feel as strongly about Joshua over Josh. Rachel has had a ton of nicknames, as has Daniel. Daniel also goes by DJ a lot of the time. I call him Dan sometimes, but I don't think he has ever been Danny. Spencer is called Lumpy by his siblings, and sometimes his parents. It's a term of endearment, and he likes it. I call him Spency a lot, but I have never called him Spence. I don't have anything against the name Spence...but that's just not what I call my child. Milly has a ton of names too. Spencer pronounces her name as Minny. So we all sometimes call her Minny. She is also Mills, Millers, Millycakes, and Milicent. Oh, and sometimes Minny Mana (Milly Amanda).

With so many names being used, I'm sure people might wonder what is the correct name to call someone in our family. Some of my friends do call Ryan Googily Bear to tease him. I'll answer to Jamie and Jo--but if we aren't that close and you call me Jo, I'll think it's weird, though I probably won't correct you. Joshua or Josh is fine. Rachel, Rachie, or Rach will do. Daniel is trying to get away from DJ, and is preferring the full version of his name lately. Though it is hard for me to make the change. Spencer is Spencer. Spency is reserved for his mother to use. And Milly is just Milly to anyone else.

But here is something I have observed and find quite funny. I have several friends who shorten Spencer's name to Spence. With some of them, I don't know that I ever hear them call him anything but Spence. They have never heard me call him that once. But they have heard Ryan call me Jo for years, and they still call me Jamie. I'm not the 21 year old mother of Michael who is going to correct them in no uncertain terms. I'm sure his friends will call him Spence someday, and that's fine. But I just think it is funny to call a child something other than what the parents do.

Spring Fever

This week has been beautiful. Sure the temp- erature hasn't been much higher than 30, but that's nice for a Cache Valley winter. I've taken the babies out for walks, and let them play in the yard. Poor Millycakes isn't used to walking on the grass and she did fall quite a bit. Yesterday I got out Spencer's plastic horse for her to play on in the yard. I gave her a jam sandwich and took some pictures. It was kind of freaky because I have pictures of Spencer in that exact spot in the yard, eating a sandwich, at about the same age. They look so much alike. Which is great, because I think they are both the most beautiful little guy and girl on the planet. I cleaned out the garage while they played. Spencer got out my spade and shoveled snow. His little friend Kaden, who lives across the street and is in his preschool, came over with his spade as well. We also got out Spency's power wheels car. He had fun driving that. The motorcycle still needed to charge.

I could not believe the amount of dirt in the garage. SICK!! There was just a cloud of it in the air as I swept. I think I swept it 4 times, and was still getting dirt piles. I had to get out the hose to spray it out of the driveway. I moved some things in the garage and put a new rug down in front of the door. I brought the 50 pairs of shoes in and asked everyone to sort through what they actually wear or want to keep. I have a big bucket set aside for the DI. Daniel had some shoes that were a 3 that he was wearing still. Hello--he's a 5! Their feet grow so fast. I can't keep up on them. I washed all my running shoes in bleach and bought new shoe laces. I think Stacey buys new $200 running shoes several times a year. Mine have to make it a little longer than that, so the new laces should make them look pretty.

After school Josh and I went to Wells Fargo and opened him a teen checking account. "Sunrise. Sunset." That was followed by a trip to T-Mobile for a cell phone. I so don't think kids should have cell phones, and I really put off getting him one. But my Aunt Carol says she loves having her children have one, so they can always get in touch with each other. Josh has his own plan that he is 100% responsible for paying for. He got a free phone that is nicer than mine, but he doesn't like it because it isn't a Blackberry. It's a Motorola Razer and nice.

I went to pick up our paper route checks yesterday and I'm trying so hard to stay calm and not get mad. We have our two routes, and so we should have had two checks. They had the check for Josh's route, and there were no problems with it. But the check for my route was made out to the kid who quit the route last month. And they are saying that half of it goes to him, and so I won't be getting the amount that they originally said I would get. We had gotten receipts on the 28th that showed what each check would be, and listed complaint fees and tips. I have planned on and budgeted for $185....and now who knows what I'll be getting. The thing that makes me the most upset is that they don't seem to care too much that they screwed up and aren't in any big hurry to fix it. But I don't want to yell at anyone about it, because I like my paper route and want to keep it. What is a girl to do?

So, I went to bed last night looking forward to another sunny day, and thinking I would maybe even be able to get a bike ride in if I bundled up enough. Sadly, when I opened the front door at 5:45AM to grab the papers it was snowing!!! I am so sad and disappointed.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words