Happy Anniversary

Nine years of wedded bliss. What more can I say?

Merry Christmas!

We had a great Christmas this year. Emma scored a sweet new Elektra Beach Cruiser, and Maggie got her much wanted Dora Talking Kitchen. It was a great time. I'll post more pics later.

To the North Pole we go

Sean and I have a tradition to help me through the Holidays. You see, I'm not a huge fan of Christmas. I mean, I'm a fan of the birth of Christ and all that, but I struggle to feel the true spirit of the Holiday due to stress and anxiety. So our first year married, we decided to go stay in a Bed and Breakfast a couple of weeks before Christmas, and get all of our shopping done that weekend. It turned out to be a nice idea. We plan what we want to buy for each person, and after a nice evening of dinner out without kids, we hit the shops. Our Credit Card is smoking by the time we're done, but It is such a nice feeling to focus on gifts for one whole weekend, and then the Christmas spirit is more easily felt. So again, we're heading for the "North Pole" as it's come to be called. The girls give us their Christmas lists, and we tell them we take a special road just for grown ups to the the North Pole. We give the lists to Santa, and return the next afternoon, the children none the wiser. Now don't get me wrong, I don't enjoy the fib that is Santa and the North Pole, but I think the kids enjoy the thought of Mom and Dad alone with Santa discussing their wants and needs for the Holiday. It makes them feel very important. And they get to spend the night with Grandma, which is probably more exciting for them. So off we go, to the North Pole. If there are any requests for Santa, be sure and get them in before tomorrow afternoon!

She's getting back to her roots.

When Maggie was about 7 months old, for Mothers day Sean gave me Bebe, our Shih-tzu. I remember it well because even though I still had a baby in the house, she was sleeping through the night. It was Bebe whom I had to get up with 3 or 4 times a night to tend to. It was definitely harder than having a newborn. But last week when we put up our tree, she copped a spot beneath it, I'm assuming to remind me that she was, and is, a gift. Now that we've had her for a couple of years, she has developed into a wonderful pet. She rarely bites, never barks, and has her own little doggy door to go in and out. I say rarely bites because she has this little thing with close eye contact. But it only takes once, and you learn your lesson. Needless to say, we love her, and she will always be my little gift.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We set up our tree on Friday, and today we woke up to about 4" of snow! So fun! The kids came bouncing in at 7:00 this morning so excited to see snow. Like it was their first time or something. Although along with this wonderful snow came bitter cold temperatures. It was 10 this morning when Sean left at 5:30. It had risen to a balmy 18 by 7:00. I think the estimated high is somewhere around 20. A little chilly.

Things I'm thankful for

Here goes. The requisite Thanksgiving post. I just hope I can think of everything I'm thankful for.

1. My family (All of them, spouse, kids, parents, even the in-laws)
2. Friends
3. A good ward
4. Sean's good job
5. Being a stay at home mom
6. A sense of humor
7. A simple life
8. Always wanting more
9. Not needing more
10. Naps
11. Tylenol
12. Padded chairs
13. Being able to keep a secret
14. Anti-depressants
15. A growing belly
16. Pull-ups
17. 400 thread count sheets
18. Long drives with good conversation
19. Unfinished projects
20. Good kids!


I think that sums it up for the most part. I'm sure as the day goes on I'll think of more, and maybe I'll post them too. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it reminds me how much I have to be thankful for. I am very blessed, and sometimes I wonder why. I feel very undeserving most of the time, but I'll take it!

Field Trips

I was listening to the X96 Radio from Hell Morning Show this morning, and they were talking about how one of the host's kids is going to Arby's for a field trip. Several other people called in telling stories about visiting McDonalds, Wal-Mart, Hardee's, and other similar places. Emma had a walking field trip last year in which they visited the Auto Zone, the Wonder Bread Outlet, and the 7-Eleven. This year they visited Albertsons. I'm just curious, where have you or your kids been on field trips? Anywhere cool, or unusual, or just plain strange, a la Auto Zone.

This has been quite the festive Halloween season for Emma. She has really been spoiled having Grandma off track and done with her Master's. And with Nunn working only until Noon, they all have lots of time to play. Thank goodness for wonderful Grandma's.
Maggie and Emma at the pumpkin patch with Nunn.







Emma at her school Halloween Party in her Cheerleader costume.







Emma at the Witches of Gardner Village display with Grandma. They are two peas in a pod, don't you think?

Seriously?

This morning my wonderful, beautifully behaved children did something amazing. They were fighting over a half-eaten pop tart. Seriously. What's next? Two day old room temperature pizza?

24 Gallons of Moab

I like this name better than 24 hours of Moab. Moab is a beautiful desert oasis. I thought deserts were supposed to be relatively dry. I should have rethought that as we came into town in the middle of the night to washed out roads and puddles the size of small lakes. I knew last week had been bad rain-wise, 4 to 5 inches in 5 days, but we thought the worst was over. We were wrong.

The road in to the race site is bumpy and hilly, but we managed to get the trailer in just fine. Aside from getting our $20 worth of impact fee by making our own turn around, we found the camp site with no problem. This was Friday. Saturday, the rains came down and the floods came up. It was pouring. And that beautiful red sand turns in to mucky, sticky, clay in a matter of seconds. But our riders are troopers. They rode anyway. All four got in a good lap. But then poor Mark had to head out for his second lap, in the dark, and in the thick of the rain. The average of 1 hour and 25 minutes per lap was ruined. 2 hours and something later, he rode in to the finish. He looked beat, literally. It was then that we hear the only road in and out was closed. Not a good thing. If there had been an emergency, no one would have been able to get out. Scary. I guess that's when they decided to call the race for the night and resume in the morning. In the famous words of my brother, Troy, "Gimme that cheeseburger!" Suddenly the mood went from serious to jovial in seconds. It rained through most of the night, but by morning the rain had stopped, even though the clouds remained. After hours of debating by officials, they decided to continue the race. Our riders only had time to get in one more lap before the Noon cutoff time, so they all went out together. Aww. What team unity.

I think fun was had by all, and it brought our trailering season to a spectacular end. Now comes the task of getting all the linens washed and returned to the trailer, the winterizing, and the storing. I hate this time of the year just for that reason. Although the next time we use it, we'll have little baby Gretta with us! That's definitely something to look forward to.

In which I open up about the nether-regions and LCD TV's

It's true, we have gradiated (yes, I meant to spell it that way) to the 21st century. We are now the proud owners of an LCD TV. HD, mind you. And it has a story. Oh, what a story. How many people do you know that have incurred serious injury due to their television? Me, none. Well, one now. You'd think a TV would be fairly harmless, but alas, in this house nothing can be labeled harmless. Ask Sean how to balance a 30 pound, $1000 TV on a flimsy aluminum ladder without dropping it and sacrificing yourself to save it. He wouldn't know. You see, that is exactly what happened. And I swear it happened in slow-mo. Here I was sitting on the couch watching, due to the nether-region problem, and I saw his eyes get as big as saucers. Then the TV went falling. And falling. Holy crap, it's happening. Suddenly Sean is on the floor, ladder atop him, and TV is upside down on the wood floor. I was under the ladder too, but I have no idea how I ended up there, since I can barely walk, let alone pounce like a cat. The first thing he says: "I broke the TV!" Who cares? You just fell off a ladder. Duh. Well, the TV survived somehow, and Sean is now limping around with a bruised heel and a bunch of bumps and bruises. Note to self, accept help when it's offered as you dangle precariously above the fireplace on a flimsy aluminum ladder. And don't expect your wife and her aching nether-regions to pounce like a cat to help you. Even though I did. What can I say, I'm a sucker for falling spouse.

Happy Birthday Maggie!

Well, my baby is 3. I can't believe it. She had a good birthday and scored lots of presents. We're so blessed to have her in our family.

She loves Belle, so she got a Belle doll, and a Belle dress, a new outfit, and shoes, and of course a Belle cake. She also got a new Cabbage Patch Doll from Grandma, and she loves it so much, she slept with her last night. And the dolls name just happens to be Maggie as well. Too funny.

No more bets.

As far as I can tell, the bets were 5 boys to 3 girls. And it looks like the minority rules this time. It's a GIRL!!! I'll post the pics as soon as I get them. The machine was down so they couldn't print them or the CD. It should be ready this afternoon.

Face, Ground. Ground Face

Well, another deductible met and another broken bone. This child is crazy. She was out riding bikes in our neighbors tennis courts, and hit a crack. She flew off the bike and took the full brunt of the fall with her face. She has a broken arm, and her cheek and nose and forehead are all bruised up pretty good. The docs don't think any facial bones are broken, but with the swelling it was hard to tell, so we'll know more about those today. She gets her hard cast on this after noon. This picture doesn't do it justice. You should see her this morning. Black eye, fat lip, and she has a huge cut on the inside of her mouth. She definitely knows how to do everything all the way. No half-ass attempts at injury for this gal.

I'll post later about the ultrasound.

Bets are on

We are having our ultrasound on Friday, and we are finding out the sex of the fetus. I'm just curious as to what everyone thinks we are having. With 2 girls already, many are saying boy, but, as Bonny can testify, sometimes the girls just keep coming. So put in your two cents. I'll announce the sex on Friday afternoon, so check back!

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

And for anyone that knows me, knows I'm not talking about Christmas. I'm talking about PREMIER SEASON!!! I've officially become a TV hermit. I don't know what I ever did without Tivo. This year on the lineup I have more than ever to watch.

1. Amazing Race
2. Law and Order SVU (or SUV to Mom)
3. Criminal Minds
4. Biggest Loser
5. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
6. Grey's Anatomy
7. America's Next Top Model
8. Law and Order: The Original
9. 'Til Death
10. New Adventures of Old Christine
11. How I met your Mother.

Wow. I'm really a dork. I need to get a life.

The long road

We definitely know how to travel. Caravan style. We made our way to Logan on Friday night, and the games began Saturday morning. Kelli was the first rider in the family relay, named "relatively fast", to get everyone off to a good start. She came into Preston, Idaho, 37 miles later, in under 2 hours. What a woman. Next was Troy, who had a seriously hard leg of the ride, and who was also still recovering from two serious crashes. He too came in under his expected time. Barring a little puking that forever traumatized Gabe, he looked pretty good. Meg was next in line, and another hard leg awaited her. She was actually doing two legs since sister Jill and I were both out of the race due to pregnancy. She had Salt River Pass to conquer, and she did just that. Coming in to the feed zone with a broken crank hanging from her shoe left us all in awe of her ability, and giggling just a little. Then went Sean. He was doing Afton, Wy. to Alpine Junction, Wy. which is 35 miles. We were all expecting him to come in just under 2 hours, but he surprised us all by finishing in 1 hour and 35 minutes. No one was even waiting for him at the feed zone. Oops. Then Ty, our anchor leg man, took off with lightning speed to climb the canyon from Alpine into Teton Village in Jackson Hole. 2 hours and 7 minutes. I'm pretty sure he wasn't even breathing hard. All in all it was a successful day. Thanks to Nunn and Poppa for corralling all the kiddies in the motorhome so we could focus on the race.

After our great ride into Jackson Hole, we spent 2 days there just sight seeing and recovering. But Yellowstone awaited, and as always, it didn't disappoint. This entire weekend, plus 2 days was spent in fairly close quarters with the ENTIRE family, and I am proud to say we had a great time. I think we are so lucky to get along with each other so well that we can compete, vacation, and tease without a bitter morsel. I heart my family.




Two cow elk just chillin in the Madison River.












The five fabulous riders (except the baby, sorry Eli.). They are the ones that rode to victory. In order from front to back: Meg, Ty, Sean, Troy, Kelli. They rode from Logan to Jackson Hole, Wy. in 11 hours and 7 minutes. Nice job.









The whole fam damily. Left to right, front: Madison, Gabe, Emma. Back: Kelli, Ty, Dad, Mom, Meg, Troy, Eli on top. This was in Yellowstone at the Mud Volcano. Aren't we a cute family. Awww.

Steps in time

Thanks to Bonny for taking this cute picture of her girls' shoes. It just shows to me how fast they grow, and how much we can miss in between those sizes.

Ty, this is for you.

That is all.

Romancing the stone.

I wish so badly that this post could be about the huge new diamond ring I got, but alas, no. This is a stone of a much deeper, darker, more painful depth. It's the stone of the kidney. This would be stone #4 for me. That's enough to make a nice pair of earrings. Too bad they're not so shiny and pretty that one would want to show them off. However, I'm beginning to think that I should. If I count 4 kidney stones, and 3 children, that's me giving birth 7 times! Ask any one, they will tell you it's a painful as child birth. I have to say I agree. Perhaps I should post a picture of this? Perhaps not.

Say in a Homer Simpson voice: Mmmm, lasagna.

Yesterday was a weird day. I got up and took Emma to the bus stop, and then when I returned home, I was beckoned by the softness and coolness of my yummy bed. It sucked me in. I fell back asleep for an hour. I awoke to Maggie yelling "Ariba" at Dora on TV. Weird. Then I hung out at the pool with my awesome neighbor, and we had a whine session about nursing, babies spitting up, mean husbands ( not mine, of course! ), and other such topics. Afterwards, I made lunch and then came down with a splitting headache. I was down for the count. Poor Sean arrived home to an ornery wife, crazy kids, a messy house, and no dinner. But being the saint that he is, he went ahead and made lasagna. And it was great! The kids loved it. Mmmm, lasagna. So once again, I am praising my hubby. What would I do without him? He's the best.

It's over

Summer has ended at our house. School started today, and boy am I excited. Maggie and I were ready for some alone time, and to get back to a schedule of some sort. Emma was quite excited to start second grade, and she got the teacher she wanted, Mrs. Cummings.

So long, stomach, and 20 pounds.

Well, the time has come. I've reached 16 weeks (well, tomorrow), and as of last night, I can no longer get comfy on my stomach when I sleep. This is a sad day. It's not like the rest of you who know that merely days after delivery you can return to your stomach sleeping bliss. I have a big sore incision that has to heal before I can return to that bliss. It takes weeks. So you can imagine my sadness. But on a good note, since becoming pregnant, I've lost 8 pounds, which brings me to a total of 20 pounds since my surgery last November. Seems slow, but it's actually right on track for the 2 pounds a month. It's a juxtaposition of good and evil. Yes, I said juxtaposition. So I bid a fond farewell to my tummy, in more than one way. Of course, It won't be long before that tummy is replaced by a growing fetus. I think I can handle that.

This is a poll, of sorts.

Okay. Here goes. I have a dilemma. For the last 14 weeks or so I've felt like crap. This is not news. However, in my feeling like crap, a lot of things have been neglected. My kids, for example, both need haircuts, as does the dog. Those can wait. What is really bothering me is the neglect that is showing in my house. I have serious dust bunnies. Everywhere. Normally I pride myself on keeping a pretty clean house. Nothing immaculate, but picked up at least. And now, as I sit here, I have 3 piles of garbage that need to be taken out, and dishes that need to be put away and loaded in the dishwasher. I just don't have the strength or motivation to do it. So here's where the poll of sorts comes in. I grew up with a housekeeper. She did all the yucky stuff like clean the toilets and dust the baseboards, all those kind of things. I still had plenty of chores to keep me busy, but I never had to worry about doing THOSE things. Now I'm considering hiring a housekeeper to come in ONCE and deep clean all my blinds, baseboards, fan blades, bathrooms and such. This would not be a permanent thing. I just don't feel like doing it, and when I do get a bug to do it, I pay the price for a week! It is a little selfish, but it's for a good cause, right? Before I go any further, I should tell you that Sean is vehemently against this idea. He thinks he could do it all and take the money we would have paid the housekeeper and buy himself something nice. The problem with this is that he doesn't do it. He also tells me I should have the kids (namely Emma) do it, but that actually creates more work for me, thus nullifying the idea at all. So would you do it? I'm interested to know where the women stand on this subject, but the men can comment as well. Remember, I'm growing a person here. It's not just because I'm lazy!

A warning for the emotionally unstable such as myself

This is so awesome, I could hardly watch it through my tears. It makes my efforts as a mother seem trite. Simply click the link in the title, and it will take you to the video. I'll post the story here, if I can figure it out.





I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to Pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck. Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars -- all in the same day (doing the Ironman Triathlon). Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much -- except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs. "He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life," Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old, "Put him in an institution." But the Hoyts weren't buying it.

They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. "No way," Dick says he was told. "there's nothing going on in his brain." "Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!"

And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that." Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. "then it was me who was handicapped,"

Dick says. "I was sore for two weeks." that day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!" And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

"No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year. Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?" How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried. Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzz kill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way," he says. Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together. This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992 -- only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time. "No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century." And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago." So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life. Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day. That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy. "The thing I'd most like," Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once."

I was severely reprimanded

For not blogging for a couple of weeks. So here it goes. Someone, I think it was Erika, said she knew I must not be feeling well because I hadn't blogged for so long. It's true. I don't feel well. But this too shall pass. We've had a couple of exciting weeks around here. Spencer returned from his mission to Portugal, Aaron got baptized, Claire was blessed, Emma learned how to ride a two wheeler, we had a 24th of July party here at our house and went swimming and had a bbq, and have spent lots and lots of time with visiting family members. Donna and Grandma Mary were here for the baptism and homecoming, so we got to see them quite a bit. If I was a good little blogger, I'd have pictures to post of the adventures, but alas, I am not a good little blogger. We are headed to Cherry Hill today for Emma's 7th birthday, so I'll definitely have pictures from that. So there you go. Updated. Am I good for a couple more weeks? I think not.

The first baby picture of #3

Sorry about the quality and size of this, but I think it's kinda cute that it's our #3's first baby picture. My due date has been changed from January 23 to February 13. I guess we were a little off. But since I'll be pregnant for what seems like forever, what's a few weeks in the long run, right? So enjoy the fetal photo.

Things I like...

I'm copying this from Eliza. I thought it a good idea, considering we're both expecting, and cravings and aversions can change drastically from minute to minute.

1. Gatorade. Lemon-Lime or Orange.
2. Rice Krispies. Plain. With milk, no sugar.
3. The Tour De France. So cool. And long.
4. Air conditioning.
5. Roller Coaster Tycoon 3.
6. My bed. I think I've been in it more than out of it in the last few days.
7. Anti-depressants.
8. My mom.
9. Pop-Tarts.
10. A week off work.
11. Sean, for doing all the house work.
12. Kids that entertain themselves.
13. Naps.
14. Blogging.
15. A nice hot bath.

I think that sums it up. For today. Tomorrow could be totally different. I don't remember pregnancy being this hard with my other two, but I guess I am older and more tired. Sean says it was the same, but I guess we forget, or we'd only have one child!

Happy 4th of July!

I hope all of you had a good 4th this year. We had a lot of fun. We rode in the "Tour de Riverton" at 7:00 AM, which was a 25 mile loop around Riverton and Herriman. Then we took a nap, went to Target to buy fruit for a bar b que, and hung out with aunt Mimi. We were supposed to go swimming, but as soon as Mimi got here, the sky opened up, and down came the rain. So we raced popsicle stick boats in the gutter instead. Then off to the bar b que at my parents house, at which they deep fried a turkey. Quite delicious. We ate a ton of yummy food, and then watched a spectacular fireworks show, courtesy of Mimi and her quick fire talents. It was a great day.

I did it!

Well, the MS 150 has come and gone. And I did it. Well, almost. I did 75 miles on Saturday, but at about mile 69, I realized I had some pretty big sores on my nether regions. I figured they'd go away and be fine the next day, but nope. I woke up on Sunday, and they were still there, and pretty bad. I couldn't even imagine getting back on my bike again. So I only did 75 of the 150. But still, that is the farthest I've ridden, and it was a lot of fun. Sean and Jared were so good to hang out with me. We did it in about 5 hours and 15 minutes of riding time, that equals almost 7 hours total. A respectable average speed of 14.4 miles per hour. Not too shabby for a fat chick growing a fetus. Thanks to all my donors. Plan on me hitting you up for more money next year. My goal is $1000! So get those check books out!

The time has come

Well, folks. I have officially reached my goal of raising $500 for the MS 150 this year. Thanks to all that have donated. But just to let you know, it's not too late. I will be taking online donations up until Saturday, so feel free to donate online using the link on my sidebar. There is no minimum, and you can donate as much or as little as you wish. Know that it's for a good cause, and it's tax deductible at the end of the year.

Okay, no more soliciting, I promise. I will be doing 75 miles on Saturday, and 75 miles on Sunday, fetus permitting. I don't normally condone riding on Sunday, but after busting my butt to raise all this money, and knowing the kids are in great hands, (thanks Grandma!), I will do it just this once. For all my donors, I will be thinking of you while but butt is killing me. I guess we all know who my biggest "donor" is this year....Sean. Good thing it was his own special kind of donation that gave me the 9 month flu. Luckily none of my other "donors" gave me that, just money! I'll post pics, if I take any. Doubtful considering I will be too tired to lift a camera, but I'll take it just in case. Ciao!

Emma's first track meet

This year for summer vacation, we decided to keep Emma busy by letting her pick an activity. Out of Soccer, Track and Gymnastics, she chose Track. She's very good. She did the long jump, the 800m run, and the shot put. She scratched 3 times on the long jump, so we'll have to practice that one, but she threw the shot put 9' 3"!!! Quite a good throw for a girl. The 800m run was a different story. She was the youngest by at least 4 years, so needless to say she got left in the dust! But true to her personality, she just kept running even though she knew she was losing. At the end, everyone was cheering her on because they were so proud of her for not quitting! It was one of my proudest moments as a parent. I think there are many lessons we teach our kids, but when they actually do what they're taught, it makes you realize how big an influence you are in their lives. She's a great kid.

Happy Summer Solstice

So this morning I was awakened by the sound of the garage door going down. I glanced at the clock and it was 5:36 AM. I knew Sean was on his way to work and normally I fall back asleep no problem. Today I decided to turn on the news. Turns out, the first day of summer began at, Drum Roll Please, 5:36 AM. How weird is that? Since summer is my favorite season, I thought it appropriate that I should wish every one a happy summer solstice. So consider yourself wished. Peace out.

#3!

See the Nuthouse for details.

Don't they look sweet?

Abby looking so sweet














Maggie looking so sweet.







You'd think they looked like this all the time. I guess that means it's a good picture. Actually, while I was baby sitting Abby yesterday, they were having a hard time sharing the wagon. Most of the pics I captured had at least one of them looking mad. Kids crack me up. They love each other, but sometimes they just can't get along.

"Not so little Red Riding Hood"

Meg and I finishing the ride in Logan. She's in the blue, in case there's any confusion between us! ;)








Well, one down, two to go. I finished Little Red Riding Hood on Saturday, 68 miles I might add. Or as I like to call it, "Not so little Red Riding Hood". Yes, it was tough. No, not tough enough that I wouldn't do it again. It was actually pretty darn fun. It is one of only two all female rides in the country. I think I heard there were over 2000 women, but I could be wrong. Anyway, it was fun. We did it in 4:15, which gives us about a 16 mph average. Not fast, but pretty good. There were awesome pit stops with tons of yummy food, and SAG wagons everywhere. We also had police support at busy intersections (of which there were only two. It was in Logan after all). I did it with my sister Meg, who is a super fit avid cyclist, my sister-in-law Kelli, who is a die hard mountain biker, and her friend Heidi, also a mountain biker. We all stayed together for the most part, and had some fun along the way. Thank goodness for Meg who literally, I mean LITERALLY, pushed me up a couple of hills. I don't think I would have made it without her. Of course, I couldn't do a lot of things without her. She's my bestest friend.

So now I have two major rides left in the season. The next is the MS 150, to which if you haven't already, please donate! That one's on June 24th and 25th. Then the Logan to Jackson in September. 209 miles mostly uphill. I (thankfully) will only be doing one leg of that which I believe consists of 38 or so miles. No biggie. So that's about it. I think we're done traveling for now. I could use a break.

It's about time!!

Emma finally lost a tooth! I was beginning to wonder if she'd ever lose those baby teeth. All of the kids in her class, and most of the ones in Kindergarten, have already lost at least one, if not several, teeth. Finally, it popped out last night! She didn't even cry, and the tooth fairy left her $5! What a nice tooth fairy. That would almost buy her a gallon of fuel, if she could drive! What ever happened to the tooth fairy leaving a quarter or a nickel? Maybe I should start losing some teeth!

Out of the cold

Well, I hope everyone had a happy Memorial Day. I know I did. At the last minute on Saturday, we decided to get the heck out of the cold weather and head for sunny St. George. Glad we did. It was in the 30's up here, but down there we hung out by the pool in 80 degree weather. It was a good trip. I wish I had gotten a picture of Maggie, though. She was at the pool, and the only way she would go near the water was if she had her goggles on. Which isn't that funny in itself, but the fact that she only had on a diaper made it hilarious. I'm pretty sure we could get arrested for that. A 2 year old in a diaper and goggles? How tacky!

Not that anyone will see this

But HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARTER!!! He's my oldest nephew, and he's 10! I was in college when he was born. Wow, time flies.

6 Funny things about Keli

I got this idea from Brittany, thanks Googie. I thought it would give my reader(s) some insight into my quirks and off-beat personality.

1. I'm an internet junkie. Most of you know this, but I think I have a problem. I love to find things that I want in retail stores, then come home and research the heck out of it, until I can find it half price with free shipping. I love free shipping. For example, I found black leather knee high boots in San Francisco at DSW for 38.00. Good price, right? Well, I decided I wanted brown ones just like them, but there are no DSW's here, and they don't have an internet store (I know, I thought that was strange too). So I went a-looking. And I found them for 20.00 and free shipping! Boscov's.com. Check it out. They are my pride and joy, and I tell everyone how much I paid. It's so tacky, but that's me. I also love blogging, internet games, and looking for good deals on vacations. It's sick, really.

2. I'm addicted to celebrity trash magazines. Every time I go to the store, I find at least two of them in my cart. I have no idea how they get there. I started out by justifying it saying that I had to keep up with the gossip so my clients wouldn't think I was out of it. And it just snowballed from there. Anything about Brangelina, TomKat, or (gulp) Brittany, and it's like a train wreck. I just can't look away, even though I need to. I just love to see "Who wore it best" and "Celebrities- they're just like us". I kind of envy Bonnie, she lives in Malibu, and I hear that's where all the celebrity sightings are. Although I'm sure they're not nearly as glamorous in person. A little airbrushing goes a long way. But alas, I've succumbed to their marketing. I'm a sheep. Baaa.

3. I'm not a morning person. I don't like waking up before 8:00 AM. It's just not me. I like to stay up late, and sleep in. I've been lucky til now because my kids are good sleepers and they'll sleep til 10 if I let them. I don't let them as often as I'd like to. We have 11:00 church, and that's just perfect for me. I can sleep in, and still make it to church on time (usually). But school has been another thing. Emma has to be at the bus at 8:25, so I can only sleep til 7:45. Arrrgh, those 15 minutes would sure take the edge off. I can't count how many times I've crawled back into bed to cuddle with Maggie and fallen back asleep while she watches cartoons. I'm a horrible mother.

4. I can't remember the last time I had an actual vegetable. I drink V8 juice, which has vegetables in it, but a solid, chewy, unprocessed vegetable hasn't crossed these lips in at least of couple of days. In fact, I think it was Sunday at Mom's. We had corn on the cob. And I threw it up, so I don't think it counts. Note to self... Corn doesn't go down so well. My kids do better, because Sean feeds them on the nights I work. He's pretty good about getting their veggies in. Like I said, I'm a horrible mother.

5. I really love my mini van. No, really. I do. I always swore I would never drive a mini van, but here I am. And I love it. I've tossed around the idea of selling it and getting a "cooler" car, but I just can't bear to part ways with it yet. Besides, it's paid for.

6. I want to live in the country. We are thinking of buying a 10 acre plot of land in Herriman, and I'm very excited. I want to have alpacas and fainting goats. Yes, they faint. Well, not technically, they just fall over because their muscles go rigid. They're really called myotonic goats. They're sooo cute. And I seriously love Alpacas. Which reminds me, I'll be visiting an Alpaca farm tomorrow so the girls can see just how cute they are. So, if this land thing goes through, then I'll be moving from the city, with very little yard that is cared for by gardeners, to a huge farm with goats and alpacas. Wow, what a change.


So there you have it. 6 funny things about me. That is all. Carry on.

A beautiful day

We have returned from the gorgeous contrasting colors of Bryce Canyon. It is a spectacular place. We did a few hikes, nothing too strenuous, and just enjoyed the views.

It's funny how a place like that can really get you thinking. Not so much about the time and circumstances that have to come together to create such an amazing place, but more about how when you look at it, it touches your soul. On the way home, as we drove through the various landscapes of the area, the red rock and hoodoos always caught my eye the most. I decided I know what it is. It's the contrast between the orange of the rocks and the blue of the sky. And then I got to thinking about life in general and how contrast is what gives us so much of what we love. Men and women, good and bad, right and wrong, babies and elders, it's what makes life life. No wonder it is such a beautiful place. Without contrast like that what would we have, really? Just more of the same mediocre sagebrush covered hills of life. Nice, but not spectacular. So I guess it gives me a reason to enjoy the differences that are all around me.

Do you do the Hoodoo?

We're off to Bryce Canyon this weekend. I'm quite excited because of all the years of traveling south on Highway 89, I've never been able to make the turn and head toward the Hoodoos of Bryce. So this is it. Finally. I'm hoping it lives up to my expectations, which I'm sure it will. I'm looking forward to an early morning bike ride to see the sights. And hopefully the kids will behave. They will. They always do. Note the sarcasm. I'll get some pics posted as soon as I can. Have a good weekend!

Well, we're back from Vegas and Logan. It was good times. Vegas was hot hot hot, and Logan was not not not. We had a lot of fun seeing my sister in Vegas, and I'm pretty sure Emma thinks she lives there. She just makes herself right at home. Of course, my sisters house is always so crazy that she just fits right in. This weekend we're off to Bryce Canyon, to which we've never been, and then I think we're taking a few weekends off for a while. I think our ward is starting to reactivate us. We had the missionaries drop by the other day, and our home teachers are trying to set up a day to come and see us after a year of never calling. Hmmm, they must think we're going inactive. Nope, just having a fun spring!
Emma going down the waterslide in Mesquite. She's so brave.










This would be Sean doing extreme water sliding. He's such a dork. Notice the sun glasses.










This is Emma and Maggie in Logan on Saturday. We just went up for the weekend and did a bike ride on Saturday and went swimming. We also went to Charlies for ice cream and saw the movie "Stick it". 3 stars for sure. Out of 10. But the girls liked it.

Here we go again!

It's off to Vegas! We are going down for my cousin's daughter's wedding. (What does that make her to me?) We'll be stopping in Mesquite on Thursday night and golfing down there on Friday morning. Then it's off to Vegas! We're staying at Circus Circus there, because they have an RV park with a pool. The rest of my family is staying at my sister's house in North Las Vegas, but if we stay there we won't be able to run our AC and it's going to be in the 90's. No way, Jose. We'll be going on a bike ride on Saturday morning, and then the reception is that night. It should be good times.
The truck and trailer getting ready to leave for Vegas, baby!










Emma and her cute new ''bookini".










Sean's new bike. A Giant OCR 1. Nice.










Maggie and her bean tower. She thought it was pretty funny.










My new bike. A Specialized Dolce Comp. I love it. I've put 65 miles on it this week!

Happy Easter!

Ahh, the thoughts of candy for breakfast. I love Easter. It's one of my favorite holidays, if not my most favorite. I just love when the Easter bunny brings yummy Cadbury mini eggs, and Hershey's kisses. Mmmm, my favorite. It's also my favorite holiday because I'm reminded of the Atonement. I know that no matter how horrible of a person I think I am, I can repent and be forgiven. What a nice reason to have a holiday. I hope you enjoy the pics of the girls with the spoils of Mr. Easter Bunny, or as Maggie likes to call it, E. Habit. Silly Habit, Trix are for kids.

A little scary

Two weeks ago we had a little scare at our house. It all started with what I thought was a lung infection, but it turned into something much more stressful.

I went to the doc because I thought I had pleuritis. Nothing major, but I wanted something for the pain. Well he thought we should have a CT scan done to rule out a blood clot. No biggie. So we have it and wait for the results. And wait, and wait, and wait. You know doctors have their own time line of life. Whatever. Finally after 3 hours of waiting, he calls and says "you can rest easy tonight knowing there is no blood clot". Uh, I knew that, but feel free to bill my insurance. But then he continues with "but there are a few things we need to get looked at." Okay, do I not have a heart, because I've heard that one before. Nope. Heart's accounted for. It's what shouldn't be there that worries him. "You have a lump on your right breast, 2 masses around your thymus, and 3 spots on your left lung." Yippie! What's a thymus again? I took anatomy, but I'm drawing a blank. Actually adults don't have a thymus, it shrivels up and dies when you hit puberty. But before that, it makes your T-Cells that fight infection. Now you don't have to take anatomy. Feel free to send me your tuition check.

So now I'm freaking out. I automatically think I have cancer. No way, I feel fine. I really do. So the last few weeks we've been through 2 mammograms, 1 ultrasound, 3 doctors and several vials of blood. And finally yesterday we get the news.... All is well. The lump on the breast is necrotic tissue. No worries about that. The thymus masses are remnant thymic tissue, weird, but not a problem. And the lung spots are granulomas from a previous a-symptomatic fungal infection. Whew. I think we're all breathing a huge sigh of relief.

I guess it takes something like this for me to wake up and realize what's important. I just hate that I'm that way. I think I've learned my lesson.

So far, so good

I have raised $155 toward my goal of $500 for the MS ride. I'm pretty excited about this. You can click the link on the title to go to my page and donate. Thanks!!!

Please donate to help fight Multiple Sclerosis.

I will be riding in the 2006 MS 150 bike tour in Logan. It is on June 23-24. My goal is to raise $500 before the ride. It is 150 miles over 2 days, and all proceeds will go to fund MS research. If any of you know someone who has this, or have personally been affected by this horrible disease in any way, you know how important medical research is. It takes over lives of otherwise healthy individuals. I have seen it up close, and have seen the effects on families and the individuals. Please make a donation in any amount. The above link will take you to my personal page where you can ePledge using a credit or debit card. It is Tax Deductible! I will also put the link on my sidebar. Tell your friends and neighbors, and let's get this going! I will give an update as the weeks go by. Thanks!

My new favorite drink

Yummy! It has a full serving of fruits and veggies in one 8 oz. glass. It's perfect for the morning with cereal or just alone. I have the Tropical Orange. Mmmmm.

No, I'm from North Carolina

A funny story about a girl in Emma's class.

So I volunteer in Emma's class 2 times a week, and a few weeks ago, a new girl named Brianna transfers into her class. The teacher tells me I need to work with her because she is from Italy and speaks very little English. I'm up to the challenge, so I take her out in the hall one day, and start asking her questions. No reply. I'm thinking she totally doesn't understand me, so I just keep talking. Blah blah blah. She keeps staring at me with this blank expression. So I finally say, "I hear you're from Italy. I went there on vacation once. It's very beautiful. Do you miss it?" Suddenly she sits straight up and says "No, I'm from North Carolina" in perfect English. Apparently she's not FROM Italy, but she's been there a few times to see her grandparents. The teacher just heard it wrong. She speaks perfect English, but is very shy, and won't speak up in class. Good thing she did, or we all would have thought she was Italian all this time!

What is this, you ask?

Well, I heard somewhere that it was a spinning bike. But I'm pretty sure it's a contraption for a slow and painful death, probably of a stroke or heart attack. It makes you sweat in places you never knew had sweat glands, makes you sore in places you thought muscles couldn't get sore, and makes your lady parts hurt like the most brutal form of child birth. I do have a point here.

For some reason, my little sister (and I mean little in every sense of the word), thinks we, including my older sister (notice I didn't say big), and my sister in law (also a tiny thing), should each take a leg of the Logan to Jackson bike race. Yes, that's Logan, as in high up in the mountains Logan, to Jackson. Yes, Jackson Hole, Wy. Now I'm no geography buff, but I can tell you this. Logan is high in altitude, and I'm pretty sure Jackson is higher. Doesn't that make this whole race up hill? Yep. And I know it takes a few hours to DRIVE to Jackson from Logan, so how long will it take us and how many miles is it? It's 239 miles, and will take approximately 3542 hours. Okay, they give us 18, but I'm pretty sure my first estimate is more on target.

So why am I doing this you ask? Let's just say it has something to do with a missing video tape of Keifer Sutherland and I. 'Nuff said. Oh yeah, and I'm a masochist. So begins my training. Spinning, spinning spinning. My head is spinning, too. I must be nuts!!

I just realized I've been slacking

It seems as though a week has passed and I have not blogged. I guess the withdrawal symptoms haven't been as bad as I thought they would be. Really, though, it's because I don't have much to blog about these days. After the cruise our life (at least mine), has been fairly calm. Cue the wood knocking action. If my loyal reader(s) would so like, I will post a list of my activities of the last week. Hold on to your hats.

1. Grocery shopping at the new Super Wal-Mart. Fun.
2. Picking up the trailer from the dealer. All fixed.
3. Doing laundry. Jealous?
4. Doing laundry. I know you are.
5. Taking care of Emma. Awww, she's so cute when she's sick.
6. Working. I love doing hair again.
7. Planning our next cruise. Hawaii here we come!
8. Deciding Hawaii is going to cost too much money and debating if it's worth it. Sad face here.
9. Saw Nanny McPhee. LOVED it!
10. Hoping no more sick kids. But they really are cute when they're sick.

So, that's about it. Like I said, nothing too exciting. Yawn. I'm hoping to get a nap in today since I have to work tonight. I love naps. But I doubt that will happen. Maybe I'll take the camera with me to work one of these days and get a picture of my girlfriends that make work so much fun. Then my blog will look more enticing. Toodles!

Ode to the Mexican Iceberg

A couple of birds upon you sit,
A big lonely rock covered in stuff.
The waves and water upon you lap,
But here you sit covered in stuff.
The birds upon are not in a coop,
And that is why you are covered in stuff.
If it gets too slippery, away they'll flew,
It serves them right for going number two!