Sunday SMILES! - Pinewood Derby Edition

Brian smiled with Jeremy on our way to impound the car. It has been a lot of work, a lot of Father and Son time together, and the big day is almost here.

Jeremy smiles as his car weighs "just right."

Pinewood Derby
Salt Lake Central Stake

Samuel smiled with bleary eyes. He had gone to the Jazz Game with his Junior Jazz team Friday night, and then for Pizza afterwards at the Gateway. It was a MIDNIGHT night for him.

7 am comes really early....

The boys smiled while they ate their camp-like breakfast.

...Gavin brilliantly came up with eating his food in alphabetical order from now on.
He ate the waffle first...then the Fruit and then the Ham....wait...

ME: WAFFLE starts with a W...
GAVIN: It's not a waffle, it is an EGO!

HELLO!!!


We smiled as we checked out the competition.....




...intense moments are for smiling on the inside...
Clarissa and Colleen smiled so I could document their early morning beauty.
If only we all could be so lucky...

Smiling...

Sam is smiling as he and Jeremy watch for their face-off.

...Does Sam know something Jeremy doesn't???

Jeremy's car wizzes by!!!

Jeremy's car didn't even make it down the track the first few times.
It took a LOT of pit crew work to get it going....LONG STORY there...
However, it did finally make it, and even though it lost to Sam's car
it made it through the gate!

I sighed....and SMILED!!!

It's time for Grudge Matches....Is Lady going to bring it this year?

...or will it be my newest competitor...
"Ducty" [sounds like ducky!]

Ducty was supposed to be a beautifully
carved American Flag...

The Flag was not working out.
At Midnight when the boys came home
the night before Pinewood Derby
while I was lovingly putting on the
finishing touches---
it failed....miserably.

So what does a woman do
when something is not working out,

FIX IT!!!

With Duct Tape...

...and a little bling!

Jeremy smiled when he challenged Ducty to a race against "Art", lovingly known as CTR.

Art was another of my cars from when I was Primary President.

Brian generally had too much time into the boys cars, so mine were typically blocks of wood, painted with a sharpie marker.

ie, The cheese car..."Say CHEESE!"

I smiled when Art got stuck right in front of me....

Ducty won, hands down...

Art has obviously had better years!

I smiled when Sam challenged ol' Lady to a race against Slitherin GT. His car from last year. Ducty had already kicked Slitherin's butt....so knowing Lady's reputation was on the line he challenged her for the title!

Sam smiled because Slitherin WON!
Looks like Lady has had her reign
and there is a new Sheriff in town!!!

To make this official he RE - challenged Ducty. She gave him a run for his money....and in the final leg lost by about an inch!

Looks like Slitherin GT is the car to beat next year...
back to the drawing board for me!

[btw, my car may not have won
but my Bling sure looks good!]

We all smiled when Jeremy's car "UNO"

WON the competition for being

The Most Pimped OUT Car! Way to go Jeremy and Dad.

You couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Cookie Crisp was his TROPHY!
I smiled because someday he will feed his kids this cereal
and he will tell them about his FIRST Pinewood Derby!!!

Sam smiled because his brother won,

and that was good enough for him.

...besides, he kicked both his mom's cars butts....who wouldn't smile about that!



...and later:


Brian took Jeremy out for a day of errands.
They talked about Brians first Pinewood Derby car.

He was 8 or 9 and built his car by himself.
He walked to the Stake Center for the race.
His car didn't make it down the track.
It got stuck, just like Jeremy's.
Brian didn't have anyone there to help him out,
so he just got his car, and walked back home.

B felt so bad that Jeremy's car had gotten stuck.
Something about trying something new this year with the wheels and axils, and then the metal track with the gaps didn't go well together.

Jeremy told Brian, "It's okay Dad that it wasn't fast, we didn't care about that, we just wanted it to be the BEST looking, and it was. It WON the Best Pimped Car!"

After some big hugs Jeremy went and got the extra Pinewood Derby box so that he could help his daddy make a car for next year. Taking after his mom he used Sharpie Markers and a Fingernail file for sanding...!!!

"This will be Dads car next year,
and it will be the fastest Mom."

With a child's faith it probably will...

Jeremy smiled all afternoon while he worked on his car "smilie".

He named his car Happy!

...and who wouldn't be with a heart like that.