Swim, Ellie, Swim!

It's time for your race and you're ready to start.
You'll give it your best and you'll put in your heart.
The buzzer sounds loudly, it's time to jump in.
Just dive in the pool and swim, Ellie, swim!

Don't wait, jump in quickly, it's now time to leap.
You're doing your best and tomorrow you'll sleep.
Keep kicking, and pulling, and moving along.
As long as you're trying you cannot go wrong.

When your muscles scream "STOP!"
and you want to give in ...
Keep going, don't quit,
just swim, Ellie, swim.

When the race seems long and you don't think you'll win,
Be brave and get started and and hold up your chin
When you're tired and worried, not sure how to begin
Don't think twice about it, just swim, Ellie, swim!

Sometimes you'll win and sometimes you won't
But doing the job is important - so don't
grieve over losses or think you aren't strong,
You are! On the podium, is where you belong.

Swimming in general is so much like life
At times things come easy and then comes the strife
There'll be clouds, wind, and waves as you glide down your lane.
Be happy and hopeful, and don't mind the rain.

You're the best of the best and the cream of the crop
You'll go far in your life if you just never stop
trying and reaching and kicking to win.
So shake off your doubts and swim, Ellie, swim!

For life is not winning or losing so much
but swimming and swimming until you can touch.
Then you'll hold your head high and put on a grin.
You finished, you made it! So Swim, Ellie, Swim!

-Kaye Kindlespire
March 2017
(for my darling granddaughter)

LAKE POWELL QUOTES and Memories, tell me yours and I'll add them

QUOTES


Arms straight, knees bent
Don't pull yourself up.

Let the boat do the work.

Hunna Munna!!

Tidal wave!  Tidal Wave!

What's for dinner?

I saw a boil!!!!!

Megan "What happens if lightning hits the boat?" (while sleeping on top during a storm)
Kim "Then we're toast."    Silence.

"HIT IT!!"


MEMORIES

When Craig hiked to the top of the mesa and planted the flag?


BLACK MUD???


Blue Herons, Frogs, Bunnies and an Island of our own?

Cliff Jumping? (from safe heights and checked out places, ssssshhhhhh)

Catching lizards?

Grandpa's plastic chair broke while he was holding the video camera and he did a somersault?

When Craig fell off the top ....

Katie and Grandpa's jet ski ride, that ended with the jet ski completely out of the water on the shore?

Remember when Heidi dove for Doug's glasses and came up with someone elses before she found his?

Grandpa singing " I love to go swimming with bow-legged women and Would you rather swing on a star?"

Squeaky cheeks?

Sleeping on top under a million stars?

Golfing in the box canyon.?

Brittney and Kristi cutting the eyeballs out of all the fish that were caught and keeping them?

Marina runs?

Remember when we figured out how to catch stripers?

When Grandpa woke us up with an air horn?

When Zach finally went down the slide?

Jason's solar oven?

Neighbor wars?

When Kris Ross "learned" to ride a jet ski and sprayed David head to toe with water and sand?

A "new star" on the trip after Mom passed away?

The baby frog expedition?

And Lovesick Frog beach?

Lightning storms,

Rainstorms?

Craig's Teriyaki sticks?

Marshmellow guns and giant bubbles?

Meteor Showers, and the Milky Way

Satellites,

Planets, and Planes?

Davis Gulch?

When Kim killed the rattlesnake (eventually)?

When Kim killed the rattlesnake (quickly)?

Party dock wars?

Kayaks and the slot canyon?

Ultimate spoons?

Fishing for blue gills with our toes?

When Mark saved the spider man fishing pole, twice?

Author

"I'm going to write a book someday."
That's what I always used to say

I'd say it once and then again
but never put paper to my pen

And pages of my life went by
And still I'd not attempt to try

And chapters of my life they flew
As children changed and babies grew

I'd planned to write a book somehow
with most of life behind me now-

Kids are raised, their empty beds
Where once they laid their sleepy heads.

I wrote a book it's plain to see
"My Life",  the book that speaks for me.

Pumpkins -- for David (who wanted to recite this for the poetry contest at Timp Academy. Nope.)

If pumpkins had nos-es

     and bright orange toes--es

they'd need flip flops and tissues

     to deal with their issues.

Sitting alone, together

"I don't want to sit in church alone"

We used to take the entire pew...and now we're down to just a few
Bodies in a little row...where did all my children go?
Lindsay's gone and Katie too...off to school as children do...
Heidi and Kristi gone so long....with their own families...where they belong

Soon Nikki will grow up and head out, that just makes me want to shout
"I don't want to sit in church alone...showing obviously "my children are grown"
So David stay and sit right here, whisper loudly in my ear,
Make it so I cannot hear, the sermon or the sacrament, asking when we can go home,
Just keep squirming in your seat, telling me you need to eat,


And yes I know, I'll sit by Kim...the two of us, alone again
We started there - perhaps it's just, and not really worth all the fuss
But so much happened since that start, when we began this work of heart,
filling up the bench was fun, as we added one by one
each child to our menagerie, from 5 sweet girls to baby D
It goes so fast...so can it be, that soon it will be Kim and me,
sitting there in church alone - because our children all are grown?

Gravy

There's gravy on the baby

and gravy in my hair,

gravy on the couch,

and gravy everywhere.

Thanksgiving meal is over and we all are fed and fat.

From Papa to the little one, we even fed the cat.

Our favorite is potatoes, with Papa's gravy grand.

So meaty, brown, and savory that it's known throughout the land.

We had a crowd for dinner, some came we didn't know ..

Well for gosh sake it's Thanksgiving and they needed somewhere to go...

So we set another place and pulled up another chair

and squeezed a little closer, and were so glad they were there

To share our feast and share our home, so no one was left out

Now isn't that what Thanksgiving day is really all about? ...

We ate way too much turkey, dressing, yams and pie...

Stuffed with taters and gravy till we really thought we'd die.

And it's baby's first Thanksgiving and he tried the gravy too...

Pronounced it good, (as well he should) and slopped it on his shoe.

Then he ran around the house,  a'gigglin' as he ran,

behind him leaving gravy tracks,  (mischievious little man)

and by the time we caught him there was gravy everywhere.

But our Thanksgiving was the best one yet, so we really didn't care.

For Everest

Baby Everest, tiny boy

came to earth to


bring such joy,


cherub smiles and


baby sighs,


dimpled hands and


sparkling eyes.

Named for summit of cloud and rain

that few attempt and fewer gain.

You will stand on lofty heights

As you strive to do the right.


Blessed to be a stalwart son

Temptation and evil you will shun

Immovable in ways of truth,

Commandment keeper, valiant youth


Everest, child of noble birth

Sent to spend this time on earth

You will surely pass your test

Be joyful,  for your life is blessed.