4 weeks vacation-1st stop is Paradise

Kyle gets 4 weeks of vacation a year, they happen to come all in a row, which is nice for a summer vacation. So football camps end and Kyle's vacation starts ticking away.
Melissa is getting married on July 21st, so that has put a few restrictions for the summer plans, but in a good way.

Maui is our favorite place to relax if we can get there. If Kyle is far away, so he can't go by the office, then that is the best way to get him to relax. Flying that long is the only negative. We brought Dawson along with us, Melissa would not leave home without him. We are lucky to have some great friends who let us stay in their house while we are here.

Kyle, Alex, and Tyler ready for the beach

Beach and jumping rock

Favorite shave ice

Kyle has a former player and some connections that help too. Cawicka Casco took the kids spear fishing again this year.  Dawson, Melissa, and Tyler went,  we dropped them off with Cawicka and his friends. They snorkled with their spears about a mile down the beach.  Melissa hated it because it was very deep and the gear was hurting her nose,  just kind of miserable.  Dawson and Tyler loved it, Cawicka speared an Octopus.

On their way to spear fish
 

Tyler fishing with spear

Octopus

On the beach with Casco's

  Poolside reading

Road to Hana

Waterfall on Road to Hana

Church in Maui

Alex's favorite pastime (notice phone near by)

Melissa and Dawson on our yearly blow-hole visit

Melissa, Dawson, and Alex all performing at Luau

Tyler and Dawson challenged people on the beach in volleyball

Melissa and Dawson Snorkling

Kylie and I in the local pool

Water Volleyball-Kyle, Melissa and Dawson

Alex and Tyler playing water volleyball

Melissa, Dawson, and Kylie para sailing

Those are my feet on the left and Kyle's on the right, 1200 feet in the air.  This proves I did it!

Alex and Kylie para sailing!

The whole trip was great!  We played Yahtzee every night and had great dinners and time to visit.  We were gone for 10 days getting mentally prepared for the wedding that is 11 days after we get home.  This was Kyle's only real break all year, we are grateful to former players, friends and their friends for making the vacation so wonderful!

Max

Max is our Westie dog we have had for 12 years.  He is a great dog, obedient, loves to sleep, and loves to have anyone pet him (once you start he won't go away).  Max loves to go on walks but after a certain distance (about a block) he will just sit down and refuse to go any farther until he has a rest.  Due to his age he has lost some of his hearing so you can call to him and he won't come unless he is looking right at you.  Max also loves to lick your feet or your legs so if you don't want him to do that you must keep your shoes on and your legs covered.   

Max waiting patiently at the door to come inside

                                 Max at Lake Powell with the family                                            

Ute Football Camp 2011

Football camp has come to an end for another year.  Gone are the days when my own children participated in the camps.  Tyler started attending Utah's football camp when he was 7 years old, he is 25 now, so it has been a long time that there was at least one Whittingham from our family that has attended camp.  We still had friends and cousins we know who came this year.

Tyler at Utah Football Camp 1996

Alex Football Camp (in sandals) 4 yrs old

Jackson, Sam, Alex, Jason, Rachel, Trevor, Kali, Kylie, and Coach Kyle in 2005

Tyler helped coach, Kylie is front left, Jackson, Kali, Alex is back right, friends Austin and KC with Kyle 2004

Kyle talking to the football campers at the end of the camp 2011

Kali's Surgery

Our niece, Kali, had surgery today.  She just found out a few weeks ago that she had a hole in her heart (ASD).  She had been feeling fine and was just into the doctor for a check up.  She is very lucky that the doctor heard the heart murmur so she could get it repaired before anything happened as a result of it.  The hole was large but they were able to repair it through the femoral artery.  If it had been any larger she would of had to have open heart surgery to repair it.  So it was a relief when she was out of surgery and the patch was in place.  She is very brave and we are so grateful that everything is ok!

Dawson, Melissa, Ryan, and Kali in Primary Children's Medical Center

Tyler and Gael visiting with Kali

Kali with Melissa, Dawson, Kylie, Taya, and Mylie

Daddy-Daughter Trip

Every year I go with Kyle to Baltimore, Maryland for a visit with the Under Armour family.  They always take us to the Preakness horse race because Kevin Plank owns a horse farm and some race horses.  We have a great time seeing and visiting with the other coaches that are with Under Armour and going to dinner and a great day at a spa for the wives (golf for the men).  This year Kyle and I decided that I needed to stay home because the kids needed me.  So he decided he would take Melissa for a nice father/daughter trip before she is married in a few months.  We had planned to take the train to New York for a few days on the way home since I had never been there.  Melissa had not been their either so she and her dad had a great time!  She had never had the chance to be with her dad alone in that kind of a relaxing situation (ie, no work).  She would call me at the end of the day and say things like "Dad was on the curb singing the song New York, New York really loud, it was so embarrassing!"  They had a lot of fun and I am glad she was able to join him on the trip.

Melissa and Kyle at the Under Armour party

Melissa and Kyle at the Preakness

Kyle and Melissa at a Yankees game

Melissa and Kyle downtown New York

Melissa and Kyle in Times Square

Another Nurse in the Family

Today Melissa graduated from Nursing School at the University of Utah.  We are so proud of her, I know what a great accomplishment it is.  It has been 30 years exactly since I graduated from Nursing School at BYU.  You spend a lot of time at school, studying and at the hospital.  Everything is easier when you have a friend to do it with.  Ashlyn and Melissa were cheerleaders together, room mates and nursing school friends.  Elizabeth Adams and I spent a lot of time together in nursing school too, I can't believe it has been that long.  Great job Melissa!!

Ashlyn with Melissa and Jamie with Elizabeth

Kyle and Melissa after graduation ceremony

In Memory of Jay Rudd

Today we attended the funeral for our dear friend Jay Rudd.  It was at his church called "The Fellowship".  There were many stories of Jay shared from those who knew him well.  Kyle was asked to share some things from his relationship with Jay over the years, and I thought Kyle did a very good job showing the spirit that Jay brought to the Utah Football team just by being there.  Jay loved to be a part of the team, he would take film home and watch it over and over and look for things he could point out to the team in his weekly pep talks on Thursdays before the game.  Kyle said Jay was never late and never missed a practice in 9 years.  We will miss his presence around the office, practice, and game day!

Jay and Kyle

Utah Football Scrimmage

I went to the Utah Football Scrimmage that was tonight from 5-7 pm.  The weather was nice and I had a nice time.  There was a small crowd there and it was Junior Day, so there was a large group of boys who will be seniors from the local high schools who were in attendance.  There was a dinner at the stadium after the scrimmage was over.  A lot of the boys had their parents there with them also.

I can't imagine having all these people in my face every day.  This is not even during the regular season.