Dylan's first Pinewood Derby

Today was Dylan's first Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. He's watched Colin and Carson race their cars over the years, and finally got his chance to race tonight.

He had a great time working with Jason to build his car. They worked together on the design, and Dylan helped put it together after Jason cut the block of wood. He also hand-sanded the car to make sure the paint would be smooth. Most importantly, with Jason helping him, Dylan donned safety goggles and prepared the axles, sanding them with ultra-fine sandpaper and polishing them as they spun in a drill-press. Dylan also chose the paint color and design.

After four days of getting the car ready, it was off to the races. Dylan made sure we got there early so he'd be eligible for the early-bird drawing. As the races began, it turned out his car was fast.

Really fast.

Dylan couldn't stop smiling as his car sped down the track, and was a bundle of energy waiting for the next time he could race. After his car's four heats (one on each lane of the track), he was convinced his was one of the fastest.

Once the results were in, the awards were announced. First, Dylan won one of the early bird drawings. Then his car was recognized for smoothest paint, and his car was announced as "Best of Show", based on a vote of Scouts and parents (Carson won Best of Show the last three years, so we were glad to keep it in the family). And, to cap off a good night, Dylan's car took second place.

Dylan loves Cub Scouts. He's had good leaders who are organized and interested in the boys -- and tonight reinforced that. It also gave Dylan and Jason the chance to hang out and work in the garage -- a prize in itself.

The last day

After 8 years, Jason's time on the Yucca Mountain Project ended today as planned. It was a bittersweet day for him. He's ready to move on to new challenges, but also disappointed that the Project is facing more budget cuts and many of his co-workers and friends lost their jobs. All because of politics. Silliness, he would say.

So he's off to start his new job as the deputy Public Affairs manager for Bechtel National, Inc., on Monday. Yucca Mountain brought us to Las Vegas and provided Jason with great experience and great co-workers that will be his friends for life.

Now we look forward to a new adventure.

Two days in St.George, Utah

Jason writes:

Melissa, Levi, and I travelled this weekend to St. George for a high school softball tournament Melissa was playing in (as part of her high school team). Melissa played well, almost hitting one ball out of the park (it hit the base of the wall) and banging out a few more hits and playing her usual solid defense. It was also fun for me to see many other girls that I have coached over the years, other girls I have cheered for as they've played with Melissa on various teams, and some coaching friends from my years in various dugouts. We were also fortunate to see my parents, grandmother, and a few cousins in the area.

While I always enjoy watching Melissa play, I really had a great time with Levi, who tagged along to keep my company (when a friend asked why Levi came, he told her: "I came so my dad wouldn't be lonely"). He was a real trooper at the ballpark, sitting through several games, and often reaching out to kids he didn't know so he could play with them.

There is nothing like quality time with a four-year-old to refresh your spirit. One highlight was Saturday afternoon, during a long break between games, Levi and I went to the St. George Temple, where Yvonne and I were married almost 20 years ago. We watched a good movie ("The Pioneer Miracle" -- when it was over, Levi looked at me and said, "Now that's a good movie") and walked the grounds. It was a good day.

The final touch was our ride home. After Melissa's final game, we hopped in the truck, and Levi was asleep before we even left the parking lot. He slept hard all the way home, waking up as we pulled in the driveway. I looked at Mel and said I was tired, and Mel said she was, too. Levi piped in from the back seat: "I'm not tired at all!"

Simplot Games weekend -- and a football championship

Between work, school, the holidays, and dotting all the i's on a job transfer, the last few months have been a blur.


A highlight -- as it is every year -- was our annual trip to Simplot Games last month. Jason first volunteered at Simplot Games in 1998, as an intern on their media team. He enjoyed it so much he asked to return, and has been at the Games every year since (including as their volunteer media director since 2002). After 12 Games, it's like a family reunion for him, and he enjoys catching up with the people he works so closely with year after year. The Simplot people treat him great, and he enjoys his relationship with several key people at Simplot. He also enjoys working on the media team with his good friends Kyle and Amanda, and with a team of college interns every year.

For the last several years our older kids have been able to volunteer, too. This year Melissa helped on Jason's media team, and Colin did a variety of jobs (including carrying athletes' gear in milk crates from the warm-up area to the finish line area -- one of many ways the event maintains its efficiency). Dylan also spent a day with Jason at the Games, running around the arena and seeing how it all works. He also got to see his friend Andre Phillips (in photo), the 1988 Olympic 400-meter gold medallist who is arguably the greatest hurdler ever -- and also arguably the coolest guy ever.





Carson missed the Games this year, staying in Las Vegas with his best pal Alex so he could play in the 5th Grade flag football championship with his team, O'Roarke Elementary. It was a tough decision for Carson to miss the Games, but he felt he owed it to his team (and he knows how seldom the chance to play in championships can be). He made the right choice -- O'Roarke won, and we heard from several people about the great game that Carson played.


It was a whirlwind weekend -- we drove to Idaho (600 miles) on Wednesday, worked the Games Thursday through Saturday, and drove home (another 600 miles) on Sunday. We were all tired, but it was all worth it.

It's official -- we're moving to Maryland

After months of preparation and consideration, Jason has received and accepted an offer from Bechtel to transfer to its corporate office in Frederick, Md., a town about 45 miles north of Washington, D.C. (and about 45 miles west of Baltimore).

With that, we're moving to the East Coast in late July or early August. Jason will become the Bechtel National, Inc., deputy Public Affairs manager on March 30 and will spend the next several months travelling to many of the 15 or so projects he will oversee across the U.S. The company will allow him to travel from and to Las Vegas for the next several months, so he'll be able to be home on weekends.

It will be a big change, but one that we've seen coming for a while. Bechtel is a company of projects, and people tend to move when the jobs are done. We've been in Las Vegas since Jason transferred here in early 2001 to work on the Yucca Mountain Project. Bechtel's role on that project ends on March 31, so it's time to move on.

The good news is that Jason's new assignment is a significant career move for him. And it sends us to a part of the country that we all really like, so we're looking forward to a new adventure together. The move is bittersweet in a way, as we recognize we'll miss close friends and family that live here in the West. We're already working on creative ways to stay in touch.

And, we'll be living in a part of the country -- the Washington, D.C. area -- that is great to visit. We hope that many friends and family will come visit us once we are there.