Skydive Utah!!

This last Saturday some of Zach's family and I went skydiving.  I never thought that it would be something that I would do.  I really am scared of heights, so I just didn't think about it until the last possible moment.  We went out to the Tooele Airport where they do skydiving.  We watched a training video and then waited to get suited up and meet our instructor that we would be jumping with.  I met Bryce, my tandem master (that is what they are called).  The first thing that he said to me was "I dropped my last guy, but I promise that I will try not to drop you."  I think that I almost didn't go through it when he said that.  I decided that I would still do it and was so glad that I did.  After getting our harness and everything on we loaded the plane.  When you are in the plane you are straddling a bench and looking at the back of the plane.  I got in and we took off, it was then that I noticed what the back of the plane looked like and what the whole plane looked like.  The back had a lot of rust on it and the plane was pretty rickety.  I think that they must do that so that you would rather jump out of the plane when the time comes up than stay in it.  I was the second to jump out and then free fall for 55 seconds.  I didn't think that there would be so much pressure on you when you are falling, but it makes sense.  The air is coming at you so fast that you have to breath through your teeth.  After those 55 seconds the parachute comes out and you have a chance to get a good deep breath.  On the way down we did many twists and turns.  It was so great.  This was my favorite part.  I liked this part much better than the actual jump out of the plane and the free fall part that others like better.  It is definitely something that I would do again.  I was great and I survived!!  Here are some pictures, I will try to put more up when I get them.

This is me coming down.  There were times that I was able to see the chute, and it seemed like it was below me.

This is Bryce, in green.  He was the guy that I jumped with and was in charge of pulling the cord.

This is Zach practicing jumping out of the airplane.

It was such a great day!!!

Memorial Day

This last Saturday we took a drive out to Vernal with Zach's family.  His grandfather is there and so there was a bunch of his family and us that drove out there.  It was such a nice drive and it is always great to be reminded of the heritage that your family comes from.  Zach's aunt and uncle were there also.  They have done a lot of genealogy and know a lot of stories about those that are buried in Vernal.  It was great to hear many stories and to be with family remembering Grandy.  After going to Vernal we went to the Orem Cemetery to put flowers on my families graves.  My Grandma and Grandpa Butler are buried there along with my Grandpa Downs.  Every time I see there names etched in stone I think of the many memories that I have of them.  They were all so happy.  There was always a twinkle in my Grandpa Downs eye when he was joking.  My Grandma Butler was always quick to laugh and had the best laugh.  My Grandpa Butler would light up any time you asked him about BYU or fishing.  I wish that Connor would have been able to know them.  I guess that it is up to me to let him know the great heritage that he comes from.  He definitely has two great families that make up his heritage.