Destination: London 2012

Okay, maybe not!

But Sarah was sure excited to start gymnastics!

She's been asking for some time now and we finally got her signed up. So far her favorite thing to do is vault (ie. jump) into the pit of foam cubes. I'm not a good judge of gymnastics, so I'm not sure if she's a "natural" or not, but I do know I'm impressed with her enthusiasm and guts...she hasn't been afraid to try anything yet.

Let's hope the excitement doesn't wear off too soon!

Esprit, Osh Kosh and Tony Hawk

We've been getting ready for today for sometime now. Still, it's caused me to reflect and feel a number of emotions. I've actually held it together very well...it's seems so strange that this day has arrived for Josh. After all, didn't I just have my first day of 7th grade? As Josh planned his "first day of school outfit" I instantly remember carefully planning my "first day of school outift." Josh wore his cool Tony Hawk t-shirt, plaid shorts and black converse. I wore a blue Esprit ensemble, complete w/ the matching vest (and the top button all buttoned up). Remember how cool Esprit was? Josh took his schedule to his room last night; I'm sure to review and memorize where and when all his classes were. I remember having the same anxiety.

Then, I quickly get over how fast it's all gone for me and I focus on how quickly it is going for Josh. (This is where I start to get a bit emotional) Seriously, it was just yesterday I was able to shop for him at Carter's, Baby Gap and Osh Kosh. You will notice the book in the above photo. This book was purchased at the Osh Kosh store in Castle Rock. I remember thinking how cute it was that Josh was starting school and there was a perfect little book to go along with his new beginning. I can't help but notice how big his belt was on his first day of kindergarten photo...so cute flapping out like that. Now, his feet are bigger than mine. Wasn't he just obsessed with Hot Wheels and dinosaurs? Now, it's music, games and sports. I feel anxious, worried, down right freaked out and excited for what lies ahead for him. The day has come, I hope my seat belt is tightened and we are all ready for this ride: jr. high, pimples, arm pit hair, girls, grades, peer pressure and before I blink an eye he will be gone.

Ahhh...a little quiet

Getting away: one thing that Chad and I are definitely not good at (it's been over 4 yrs since we had time away "senza" kids).
You'd think with my parents condo set in the beautiful Huntsville/Eden area, only an hour away and FREE we would be much better at sneaking away. We are working on that and this weekend we gave it a good start!
Our good friends, Mary and Dorick Fletcher joined us for a quick, quiet weekend away. The boys played golf, the girls went on a hike. We sat at the pool, read (yes, I actually read a book), watched movies and ate too many Lindt truffles to count.
A few side notes to the weekend: we do NOT recommend Grey Cliff Lodge for dinner (canned fruit cocktail...really) and I ran into Sam Adams on the hiking trail. Whoa. That was an interesting blast from the past.
I guess we've been holding out for that dream vacation that seems to never happen and we are slowly figuring out we can do a small, quick getaway (ie: cheap and close to home) to refresh ourselves! Coincidentally, we even have another quick trip planned for this weekend...hmmm, I could get used to this! :)

You know when you shouldn't laugh....

...but you just can't help yourself??

I guess I'm immature, naive and yes, uneducated when it comes to

"Olympic Walking."

But, Chad and I just couldn't help chuckling. Wow, there's a whole lot of hip swaying, knee knocking, foot rolling fun going on in that there sport.

What about the new trampoline event? ( I just thought trampolines were for playing "Charlie's Angels" and "Don't crack the egg" on when you were 10yrs old)
Or the ping pong (oh, I mean table tennis).

I'll admit we had a little smirk of disbelief on our face while at the same time we were trying to earnestly appreciate their talent and efforts in training for their chosen, nontraditional sport. All the while, I can't help but think, "Really, people train for that?" I don't mean that as smug as it may sound....I honestly just didn't realize there were serious training programs for such events. I guess it's just not something I think about until the Olympics roll around every couple of years.

So let me eat my words.

As I sat on my fat rear end chuckling at the women speed walkers, it took me about 2 1/2 seconds to realize they looked 1000x better than I ever could with my weak exercise regimen. Seriously, they had flat tummy's and legs that I was very envious of. (Oh and yes, I am a little more educated in this sport now. Did you know one foot must be touching the ground at all times?)

And without a doubt, those guys playing ping pong (um, I mean table tennis) are in great shape to do what they do.

As are the girls playing "Don't crack the egg."

I love the Olympics, don't you? :)

Congratulations Tammi and Shep!

On Saturday, we had the honor of attending the wedding of Chad's sister, Tammi to Shep Bailey. What a beautiful ceremony it was. They were married in the Newport Beach temple. Have you seen this temple? It's amazing. It's very small and intimate...gorgeous details. We are just thrilled for the both of them...what an awesome couple. They celebrated that night with a beautiful garden reception and dinner at the Marriott. The flowers, the food, the view and of course the people were incredible. What a fun night celebrating Tammi and Shep. Congratulations....we love you both!

It was a whirlwind trip, but we did manage to squeeze in some fun. We stayed with Rick and Suzanne in San Diego. What a beautiful place to live. While we were there, we played lots of Rock Star/Band (is that what's it's called?), went to the beach (loooved it), visited La Jolla (beautiful!) and saw the San Diego temple (beautiful, too!). Sarah and Gabrielle even got to have pedicures done with the moms...they loved that and thought they were so grown up. The cousins had such a wonderful time hanging out. Although we don't get to see the Medeiros cousins as often as we'd like, the kids have no problem picking up right where they left off!

$200 and 2 months of my life...

...made a big difference in my kitchen. In case you're wondering, I used roughly40 cans of spray paint and primer.

BEFORE................................and AFTER
(please don't tell me you liked it better before) ;)









I'm almost done; I still need to decorate (accessories in window), make some sort of window treatment, stain island & table and redo stools. Sounds like a lot, but after doing those cabinets it seems very doable! lol I could have done it in a lot less time, but I between kids, summer and school, I just did a section at a time. Soooooooooo glad to be done. What do you think? I'm thinking the kitchen looks/feels bigger. It's not perfect, but it's the best I could do....and it's done!

Locker practice and the all-important yearbook photo

Last week Josh had Jr. High registration. Mind you, we were two days late. Remember when I said I hated being "responsible mommy?" This is exactly why. I digress. Upon arrival Josh received his locker assignment. We headed down the long hallways in search of his locker. When we finally found it, he practiced a couple times. Lockers can be a bit overwhelming at first...especially that combination. ;) Next, it was off to get the infamous yearbook photo. (I still remember my carefully planned blue Espirit outfit I wore for my 7th grade photo) Then we headed to the gym where we had to prove Josh received his new immunizations and pay school fees before he was handed his schedule. After looking over his classes he immediately started calling friends to see if they had any classes together. Today we did a bit of school shopping together...he really wanted some cool plaid shorts to go with his new converse shoes. It was cute to see him get excited about his new clothes and new school year!

Enjoying Thanksgiving Point

Thank you

Omniture!!

Excitement vs. Comfort

When your body is young, excitement always wins over comfort. Perfect example, Jenna sleeping in a laundry basket...two nights in a row. I'm thinking I'd be pretty sore, but for her, it's exactly the excitement she needed in her little life right now. When I got home late the other night, Chad was laughing as I walked in the door. He said, "Go check out Jenna." There she was, curled up. Snug as a bug in a laundry basket. When we tried to move her she was insistent to stay put. I reluctantly indulged her cries and figured if she was uncomfortable enough she'd move. Apparently she liked it enough to do again the next night!

Warm night, friends and JT....perfect!

Seriously, could you ask for much more? What a beautiful night to enjoy a little James Taylor under the stars. Connie shared her tickets with Shelly, Mary and I...thank you, thank you! Seems like the older I get, the less often I get to do things like this. James sounded as smooth as ever (does his voice ever change? He did look a little skinny, though). He seemed to have a more comprehensive band than when I have seen him in the past. He recorded an album of cover tunes recently and did several of those numbers (didn't love those as much). I'd have to say the highlight of the night was "Steamroller." Dang, that was awesome. There were some great keyboard, horn and guitar solos. And nothing makes you smile more than to see JT up there doing his goofy faces and dance moves...love it. I must say we had some pretty great moves ourselves! ;) Of course everyone goes crazy when Arnold breaks into his solo on "Shower the People." "Mexico" was another crowd favorite. I loved hearing "Carolina in My Mind" and "Your Smiling Face." I would liked to have heard "Sun on the Moon," "Traffic Jam," or "Chili Dog," but loved it all just the same! :)

This is free? Really?!

This is what we heard from the kids throughout the night as we attended Chad's company wide party. We have never been part of a company that does nice little things for their empolyees, so the kids were a little surprised at all the great things the company did that night. This year's theme was "Carnivale" and they went all out. An entire park at Thanksgiving Point reserved jsut for the company. It was filled with all sorts of activities and treats that were all free! We had a great time riding the ferris wheel. The kids loved the Tornado...Chad and I passed on that. Jenna loved the little cow train. They also had all sorts of bouncy, blow-up toys. In addition to the rides, they had all sorts of activities: family photos, face painting, caricatures and tons of games with prizes. One of the best things were all the consession stands set up throughout the park. Snow cones, cotton candy, soda, popcorn, churros, candy...all free! The kids just couldn't believe it...so fun to see their surprise as they could get whatever they wanted. Dinner was served as well. The evening ended with a live band and fireworks. We also got free passes for the dinosaur museum, farm and gardens to use anytime this week. I'm thinking we like Chad's job! :)