15 years....

It's hard to believe that it has been 15 years since Chad and I got married It seems just like yesterday and yet, the people we were then seem like a lifetime ago. I love evolving as a person, wife and mother with Chad by my side. I'd like to think we are both better people for being together.

We had our big anniversary celebration earlier in the year when we went on our first cruise together. It was so wonderful and we are filled with daydreams of doing it again someday. Wednesday, the 22nd was our official anniversary. Chad and I planned a little evening of shopping, dinner and a movie. However, our well-intentioned plans did not live up to their expectations. It started out wonderfully with a beautiful bouquet of white roses. Then things started to fizzle. Our shopping trip was a bust when the item we were looking for was sold. Then came dinner ambitions. I think we are giving up on "the nice" restaurant. A couple anniversaries ago, "The Roof" was very disappointing and this year "Flemings" failed to impress as well. Dang, that is some costly food. However, the chipotle mac and cheese was very good. After dinner we thought we'd head to the movie. We checked the showtimes on my phone and figured we had just enough time to get some ice cream. Best part of the night? Marble Slab had my coconut ice cream. Ahhh....heaven! Then we headed over to the theater only to find out the movie time was wrong. We'd have to wait another 45min than expected. So, we did what any old, married couple would do. We went home. Happy anniversary. lol

This post really sounds like a complaining, negative rant BUT that's just the thing. We were really OK with it AND that's just what I love about Chad. The night doesn't have to be perfect to enjoy being together...besides, we have our cruise to fill our memories of celebrating 15 years together!

Birthday Wishes....

Today we celebrated my mom's birthday...happy birthday mom and grandma!! How did we celebrate? My mom's favorite thing...being with her kids and grandkids.
Yesterday, we headed to Provo with most of the g'kids. The BYU art museum was featuring an exhibit of Walter Wicks, the photographer who does the "I Spy" books. We are crazy about those (especially Jenna) and couldn't wait to see it. It was really fun to see. My mom isn't good at spending money on herself and wanted to spend it on the g'kids for her birthday. After the museum, we went to bookstore for some BYU apparel and then she gave each of the kids $5 dollars to spend however they wanted in the Cougareat. This little field trip with Grandma was a huge hit...thank you! Tonight, all the adults headed to Madeline's for dinner. My mom loves their Raspberry Halibut! It was great to have everyone together (well, everyone that is in Utah).
I hope my mom felt as loved and spoiled as she deserves to be. I am so blessed to have such a selfless, loving and generous mom. She is always doing something for someone else. She has garnered quite a reputation in my neighborhood. I have many friends envious of my mom's willingness and love of helping out with the kids! Thank you, thank you mom for all you do...I love you!!!

Girls Camp. No drama. Just a good spirit and fun.

19 girls and no drama. I am serious. I expected to come home exhausted (and I did), but I didn't expect to be so blown away by these awesome girls. How is it possible that this many teenage girls can spend 4 days in the wilderness and not have any problems. It was a truly wonderful experience to be a part of.
I was asked to be the assistant girls camp leader this year. I was very nervous and a bit overwhelmed. I have never been to girls camp in this capacity or for this length of time. Heck, before this, I wasn't even sure how to set up our tent! I think it's safe to say that I'm not a wilderness girl, but I rose to the occasion and the reward was big. The oldest girls are asked to be YCL's (youth camp leaders) and ours were leaders in every sense of the word. They are given a huge amount of responsibility; certification, devotionals, tent leaders, songs, skits, you name it they did it. I was over the food and crafts along with two of the YCL's. I was a bit stressed thinking about food for 25 people. I must admit that my YCL was probably much more calm in approaching this than I was. The devotionals they put together were so well thought out. Most impressive is how they took ownership for the girls in their tents. The girls are mixed up...no separation of ages. I think this contributed greatly to the unity that was felt. It was such a wonderful sight to see the fears and anxiety of the younger girls soften as they were accepted and included by the older girls.
Our theme was a nauctical one: Camp S.O.S. With the meaning of s.o.s. changing each day. Strengthening Our-Selves. Serving Our Savior. Showing Our Standards. It was so fun to see the theme evolve. One of the YCL's changed the lyrics to the ABBA song S.O.S. It was perfect and the girls couldn't stop singing it. We had plenty of lighthouse and life preserver references, too. We kicked off camp with a walk to the temple and a devotional. The talk was wonderful and it was beautiful to be next to "our lighthouse on hill," the temple.
It was funny to see how the songs and games have changed since my camp days. What happened to clapping along to the songs? Nooo, these girls are a moving and shaking. It was hard to keep up! They had a song for everything and they had so many fun games. Not to mention the creativity of the songs, skits and raps they made up! It was fun to join in...Chad even joined in the night he was there. Other highlights were:
1. The Snowbird activities; I did the zip line, bungee tramp and bull riding all for the first time. Yes, bull riding. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
2. The hike up Bell Canyon; Harder and longer than any of us expected. The girls were troopers and didn't complain. If you look at the photo, notice the steep, rocky creek bed we hiked up. Apparently it's called the "stairmaster" and my glutes can certainly attest to that!
3. The leaders I worked with; each one brought something different, but equally necessary to contribute to the needs and success of camp.
3. Seeing Chad be more crazy than I care to remember. He didn't hesitate to jump in on the games and the girls repaid him by throwing him in the pool.

Weekend highlights...

July is one of the most busy and most fun months of the year. I love all the out of state visitors, parades, BBQ's and celebrations. Last week I saw a few of my oldest and dearest friends. I got to see Alysa (Rhode Island) and Teresa (in transit from Iowa to Oregon) for lunch and dinner twice. I also got to see Mia (Nebraska...soon to be Utah!), Erin (back from New Jersey) and Kristi for lunch as well. So. Much. Fun. It is so great to reminisce and catch up on each other's lives. It is so wonderful to have friends that you can pick up right where you left off!On the morning of the 4th, I did the Murray 5k with some of my "Slacker" teammates. We had such a great time doing the Wasatch Back together that we couldn't resist doing this small race together. With his I.T. band still healing, Chad was bummed to serve as the support. My goal for this race was 33min and I did it in 31min!!!! That is a 10:05 mile, folks! Slow for many of you, but a new record for me!We then headed up to Kaysville for the parade (getting more and more crowded every year...I'm not sure why!). After the parade, we went to Dan and JaNel's for swimming and BBQ. The cousins couldn't get enough of each other and the pool!
This year, we did something new for the fireworks. We headed to Sandy for the festivities there. We went with our great friends the Fletchers, Larsons and Yraguens. What a super fun night...live music, friends, (junk) food and fireworks. Sarah couldn't resist dancing to the music...it was so cute to see her dancing. I think this is an event we will be going to again next year!

Celebrating CHAD!

In between the chaos that is the end of school and the blink of our summer, we celebrated Chad's 38th birthday. Happy Birthday Chad (and Marc!!)! Chad is way too modest when it comes to his turn in the spotlight. I'm not sure why he quickly brushes off any birthday wishes or attention given to him. Maybe he has figured out it just means we are all getting older? ;) With his birthday falling on a Sunday, we had a low-key gathering of a few friends for cake and ice cream. Chad even blushed at this small get together in his honor, but I didn't care....he deserves the love and a little roasting! Most of his gifts fell into the running category and with his I.T. band injury they were rather anti-climatic. He can't wait to get full use of them once his knee feels better.

The fact that Chad is a part of our lives deserves a whole lot of celebrating. I have no doubt that my life, the life of our children and so many around us are blessed because of him. He is hard worker; committed to taking care of his family and honoring his duties at church and work. He is thoughtful; I have been hard pressed to hear about any other husband as thoughtful as Chad...he plans ahead and really thinks about his gift-giving, he loves surprising me. He is patient; he listens to me talk in circles and he patiently puts up with my short comings. He is still my best friend; we still love being together any chance whether its going to Costco or going on a vacation.
Happy birthday Chad....here's to many more years of making you blush under the spotlight on your birthday. I love you!

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

Last Thursday we the opportunity to attend the open house for the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. What an amazing experience it has been to witness the building of this temple. I love that we often sing "I Love To See the Temple" or point out Moroni as we drive by. I love seeing the kids talk about this as "their" temple. A temple they talk about attending often when they get older. I am so thankful that we see this heavenly reminder everyday.
A couple weeks ago, Chad and I were able to volunteer for the open house. We were so lucky to be assigned to one of the sealing rooms. Together, we were able to share our feelings about the temple with those going through. What a special experience.

It was wonderful to go through with some members of my family as well. It's always a treat when family members head to our area! As we walked from room to room, Chad and I reminded the kids what an extraordinary opportunity this was. We told them to look carefully as they would not be returning to these hallways and rooms until they were older and and worthy to be there. Both Andrew and Sarah commented that they couldn't wait until they were 12 so they could do baptisms. Jenna loves to talk about her temple and how it looks like a castle inside. I hope she will remember this experience as well. This temple is flooded with natural light, neutral colors, simple decor and beautiful artwork. I particularly loved the original artwork in the baptistery.

Being a part of this process is a once in a lifetime experience. The events we've been a part of from "The Day of Celebration" for Josh to Chad being in charge of all the volunteer assignments for our ward have brought the importance of the temple to the forefront of daily lives. It has been incredible to talk with non-member neighbors about the temple and what it means it us. It has been a real eye opener to realize just how much I take the gospel for granted. I have been able to look at the knowledge and blessing of the gospel in a new light as I share my beliefs with those around me. I have been pleasantly surprised at how open and excited some of my neighbors have been to my invitation to attend the open house. I can tangibly feel what a special opportunity this is not only for my family but for those all around us. An opportunity to connect with others and share what we believe.

PS...and YES, if you look closely, you will see poor Moroni blackened by lightning. The statue was struck a couple weeks ago (doing his job, acting as a lightning rod for the temple) and it will remain that way until after the open house.

Cuter cheeks have you ever seen?

Look at that smile. Look at those cheeks. Yep....those cheeks, too. Seriously. Makes me grit my teeth. Nothing cuter than a 4 year old in a leotard. Just enough "baby" left to make you want to pinch her! Anytime Jenna has gone with me to Sarah's gymnastics lesson, she has asked for her turn. She would say, "Is it my turn for 'nastics?' She was thrilled when it was finally her turn. Any worries I had about her being shy or upset once we got to class were quickly gone as I saw her happily join the class. She jumped right in without missing a beat. I was surprised at how well she listened and waited for teacher and how she tried everything without hesitation. I think we may have found something she will enjoy for a long time!

Such a cool kid...

Yes, Andrew is one cool kid! Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to go on a field trip with him. We went to the "This Is the Place" monument park. It is "so much more than a monument," as the commercial says. lol I haven't been there in years and it has changed a lot. The kids had a great time pulling handcarts, attending the "Deseret School," dancing, watching the tinsman work and seeing the baby animals. I loved watching Andrew dance. I think one of the girls in his class thinks he's cute. She ran straight for him when they were picking partners. She claimed it was because they were both wearing yellow shirts, but I know better. ;) I had some great photos of all these fun activities but would you believe I accidentally erased them when I got on the bus? I stopped it just in time to save the last couple. Total bummer. At least I have a few to remember what fun time I had hanging out with Andrew and the rest of the 4th grade. How wonderful to spend the day with him and watch him interacting with his classmates. Andrew, you're so cool. :)

CHAD rhymes with DAD

Sarah proudly announced she just noticed this a few weeks ago.
CHAD is one great DAD. The kids idolize, adore him, follow him and love him. It's no surprise they often prefer him, too. (can that be a good thing sometimes?? lol) We love all our DAD's on this day...Papa Bruce, Papa Rick, Papa Pat...and we remember and love the DAD's that are no longer with us. Happy Father's Day!!

We did it. We survived. It was HARD. It was fun???

South Jordan Slackers finished with the very respectable time of 28:17:42.6!

It just dawned on me last night why you train. Yes, you train so your body can do it. But, more than that, you train so that during the race you don't have to think about what your body is doing and you can focus on the mental part. This was seriously hard. It wasn't so much the distances you had to run, it was that you had to do it 1- crammed into a car (just when your muscles have cemented into position, you have to run again), 2- no sleep, none (yes, there are periods of rest, but you try to sleep in the car or in some crazy campground with hundreds of people) and then 3- you have to do it three times.
I am so proud of Chad who ran two of his legs with excruciating IT Band knee pain. Seriously, he's amazing. 30 yards into his 2nd run he was crumpled over and we had Terry (the Superman of runners), ready to jump in. Then Chad stood up and kept going. For 7.8 miles. No kidding. He ran with a great little, stiff-legged hobble, but he did it. AND...he barely lost any time off his predicted time!!! My husband is cool.
I can't decide if this was as hard as I thought it would be or harder than I expected. Either way, it was dang hard. Like, I started my third leg with tears in my eyes hard. Yep, brought me to tears. This is when I realized what a mental thing it is. I can't tell you how much I DID NOT want to run at that point. I was SO done. But, I did it. I even sprinted to my finish.
I guess you could call it miserable fun, which is exactly what I had hoped for. We had such a great time with our team. I was so impressed with our team...what animals. Feeling as good as I did with what I accomplished, made me that much more impressed with what they did. Wow. The distances, the up hills and the down hills...really, really hard stuff. We bonded over laughter and a whole lot of sweat. Our motto..."what happens at Ragnar stays at Ragnar." Chad's already talking about next year. Me? Ask me in 6 months.
(pictures to come)

What....have....I....done??????????

Can you say anxiety?? Uncertainty?? How about a little nervousness??
Chad and I are running the Wasatch Back Relay this weekend.
Somehow, Chad and I were talked into signing up for this by some friends. Mind you, somehow these friends never signed up themselves. I know, I know this is no marathon, but this is huge for me. Before December, I could barely run for 8min without having to stop. This is a 12 person relay from Logan to Park City. A few legs are "easy" (mine...but they wont be easy for me!), most are hard and the rest are excruciating (Chad's). It's safe to say that after 6 months of training I don't love running. I love the progress I've made, I love that I've challenged myself, but I don't think you'll see me running a marathon anytime soon. Chad one the other hand has taken to running like a fish to water. He's been a real natural...that is until about 2 weeks ago when he injured his IT Band. Yep, two weeks before the race. He has stayed off it, stretched it, iced it and bought a $200 prescription cream for it all it hopes that he can make it through this weekend. So here we are, the night before the race, nothing left to do but worry. No more time to train....I hope I've done enough, I hope Chad's knee holds up. I hope the next entry is a happy one!

Grandma and mom take on California...

When opportunity and scheduling connect, what do you do?? You drive to California!! Last week we had a small window where Josh finished school and the other kids were off track (yuck: upper grades on traditional and elementary on tracks). So, at the last minute, I decided we'd better hurry up and enjoy our "summer break" (Besides 2 weeks in July, this is the only time the kids are all free from school!). My mom was able to come along as moral support...Grandma Extraordinaire. It was nice to break up the long drive there by a stop in St. George (thank you Cameron) and visit with Rowena. It was wonderful to see her and her beautiful girls. It just wasn't long enough! Once again, we enjoyed Tammi's generosity and used her condo. It's only 10 minutes from the beach, 25 minutes from Disneyland, and 25 minutes from "Sprinkles" cupcakes...we're talking prime real estate!I found Disneyland tickets for about 1/2 price on Ebay. Initially, I felt like I was making some unsavory deal in the back parking lot. Ultimately, I had to trust the nearly 3000 positive comments on Ebay...and it all worked out perfectly. We arrived at 8am which made for great parking, characters available for photos and quick lines. Since Jenna was an infant last time, it was so fun to see her experience "the magic" for the first time. She loved seeing Minnie, Mickey and especially Goofy. I had to laugh when she wouldn't approach Alice and the Mad Hatter...she had no idea who they were! As the day went on lines got a bit longer...thank heavens for fast passes and G'ma providing refreshments while we waited in line. Some of the favorites were: Buzz Lightyear, Small World, Space Mountain (Andrew and Sarah even went!), Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Soaring Over California, Monsters and the Pixar parade (I highly recommend it!). On the "not so favorite" side would be the Haunted Mansion. In spite of it being Sarah's favorite ride 4yrs ago and Jenna begging to go, I almost had to burst out of the emergency exit with my freaked out little girls! Considering we only had one day, we were able to hit most of the rides on our list. Indiana Jones was the only on we didn't make. We ran ourselves ragged from 8am to 8pm...what a day! We loved Disneyland!
The next day we headed for Laguna Beach. Although "June Gloom" was in full swing, it was still pleasant enough to go. The lack of sun didn't stop the kids from getting wet. However, Sarah got a bottom full sand and declared she hated the beach. lol After the beach, we partook of the local culinary goodness. BJ's pizza, Sprinkles cupcakes, Gelato Paradiso and even an apple pie apple from Rocky Mtn. Chocolate Factory. Yes, we really did stop at three dessert places. :) While at the condo, the kids loved swimming, mommy hated running (training for the Wasatch Back) and we all loved playing Uno together. We also went and saw "UP." This is one of the better movies I've seen in a long time. I had no idea it would be so emotional. Three minutes in, I was wiping away tears w/ my greasy popcorn napkin. So creative, so well done, so tender. Go see it.

Friday, we headed north to see the Williams family. Along the way, we took G'ma down memory lane. It was fun to hear her reminisce about her childhood. We drove by her school, home and church. We even visited w/ the lady who lives in her house now. It was so interesting to find out the "artist spirit" of the home remained. The homeowners grandmother worked for Hanna Barbara just as G'pa Chic did!Uncle Denny has just had his surgery to get his "metal knees" and was homebound. We had fun visiting with him and Jason (congratulations Jason and Jana!!) who was there to "papa sit." Then we headed to Scott and Tera's for the night. My kids had so much fun with their "Williams cousins." Are they 2nd cousins, cousins once removed...no matter, they connected as if they see each other every weekend! Jenna couldn't get enough of Uncle Scott, Nathan and Jake. Sarah found her soul mate in Gracie. They created a special rock...each has a half with their names on it. Sarah says when they see each other again, they will put the rock back together like their secret handshake! I Grace she could come home with us and I wasn't kidding! lol Andrew had a blast playing with Grant and Spencer. Josh totally enjoyed Andi and Brooke...doing what the big kids do best...hanging out! As for me, it was so great to see my cousins. I've concluded that the Williams really are as perfect as my mom tells me they are (she gets to see them more than me). They are all so talented, giving and fun...all around great examples to me. Wendy treated me to "rock star toes." Thank you, I love my super glittery, pink toes! For dinner that night, we went to Willy's BBQ. Wow...I never knew a pulled pork and coleslaw sandwich could be so heavenly!
The kids were not happy with me as I coaxed them out of bed to hit the road...they were having too much fun! We stretched out our good byes and got on the road about 2 1/2 hrs later than we wanted to (partly, in thanks to Wendy's delicious almond blueberry bread!).What a great trip. Everything went so smoothly and we had a fabulous time!

Finally! Jenna was old enough to take swim lessons at the Guy's house this year. She was so excited to have Miss Amee (her preschool teacher) help teach her to swim. Just the mere mention of water, towel, pool or swimming would send Jenna into an impatient fit. When lesson time finally arrived, she was very cooperative and attentive...trying to do everything that was asked of her. One day, the kids were told to dunk themselves in the water to get their face and head wet. In a quick action, Jenna began splashing herself with the water. What a clever girl...getting her head wet without going under the water! It was also very entertaining to watch her on the diving board. What bravery! Shivering from cold and fear, she would inch her way to the end of the board. When she reached the end, she would promptly sit down, arms reaching our to be caught (ie...lifted down into the water! lol) I think this year was a great start to swimming for her.

Last Saturday was a very special day for Sarah. A day that her parents can hardly believe has come and gone! She was able to be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was so excited for her dad to baptize her and could hardly wait to "be all clean." It is so fun to watch Sarah on these special days. She seems to be keenly aware of these milestones and relishes the spotlight these events bring. Immediately following her baptism she said, "I feel like I've been reborn." It was so special to see this new maturity emanating from her. My hope is that this new beginning will only be the start of a strong understanding of the gospel and the peace and blessings it can bring to her life.

Happy Birthday SARAH!

This was supposed to be a "family party" year for Sarah, but nostalgia took precedence. Mom couldn't resist recreating her magical 8th birthday for Sarah. Our family pedigree includes a direct relation to Brigham Young through his wife Clarissa followed by too many Mary Elizas to keep straight. There are even a few family heirlooms that remain to remember our special genealogy. Even as a young child I had a fascination with this past and this is something I have seen grow within Sarah. So, you can imagine the special significance a celebration at Grandpa's (x5) house would have. The smell of taffy waiting to be pulled, a tiara waiting to be worn and pioneer stories waiting to be heard overwhelmed my memory as I walked into the party room. It was surreal to see Sarah have such a similar reaction and experience that is so special to my memory. You could just see the "princess-ness" emanating from Sarah's smile and eyes. I really think she loved it and enjoyed it as much as I did. Now, she too, knows the stories behind our family history and heirlooms and shares that love with others. Sarah relished every moment, from the special necklace she wore to the taffy pull and gifts in garden. I'm sure this will be a special memory that she will someday share with her daughter.

When "taking it one day at a time" is NOT a good thing....

....when you forget your child's preschool graduation.

I don't even know why I am posting this because if you know me, this really is no surprise. I guess I'm just posting this to document my senility. I've gotten in the (bad) habit of checking Jenna's preschool calendar right before school each day. This has caused us to miss a few field trips and now her little graduation. Basically anything that is outside the normal day and time of preschool I have missed. I do stuff like this far too often. What's the deal??

Chad and I had the opportunity for a quick getaway to Southern California last weekend. Chad's sister Tammi owns a condo in Aliso Viejo near Laguna Beach and we decided to take her up on her offer to use her place. We went with our good friends, April and Wade. We had a wonderful time...lots of sun, beautiful landscapes, and of course food. I'm not sure which was a the priority, sun or food. Okay, it was food. I think we ate our way up the PCH. Pizza (BJ's Pizza), Mexican (Avilia's), sushi, sea food (crab legs and fish and chips), hamburgers (In & Out of course), gelato (holy delicious creamy lemon!!) and cupcakes (Babycakes and Sprinkles lemon and red velvet mmmmm). Yes, I love food. :) Another priority was to do a session at the Newport Temple. What a beautiful temple. It was wonderful to experience the peace and beauty of the temple in a new location. The weather was warm and sunny inland, but the fog never seemed to burn off along the coast. It didn't stop us from enjoying the ocean air, scenery and people watching on the beach. We loved visiting Balboa...I wouldn't mind living there someday (ha!!). As you can see I found a home I would be happy to live in. Talk about a charming neighborhood (and expensive I'm sure). We had a wonderful time with the Morden's...who are always good sports to put up with my silly stories and dancing. THANK YOU Tammi for letting us use your beautiful place!

PS...thank you to my mom and dad who once again helped with the kids. They are quickly getting a reputation in my neighborhood as "Super G'ma and G'pa." I have already been asked if my mom will hire out.
PSS...before I hear it from the William's....YES, I totally thought of all of you while I was there. It was a quick trip and we weren't on our own...we WILL see next time. (hopefully it will be very soon...June or August??)

Celebrating with the G'parents

We officially celebrated Jenna's birthday with the g'parents on the 8th. A little BBQ, some cake, some presents and we called it good! Jenna was so excited for her turn in the limelight. Each g'parent gave her gifts perfect for her right now. To mention a few...
- a pink soccer ball (she is loving soccer right now)
- a set of gardening tools (she loves working outside w/me)
- an "I Spy" game (loves "I Spy")
Thank you to the G'parents for celebrating with us and making Jenna feel so special!

Happy Birthday Punkin'

I can't believe my baby is FOUR years old! Really? I swore I'd never be one of "those parents" that babied their baby. Never say never. She is my baby. I find myself still nibbling her cheeks and squeezing her little bottom all while gritting my teeth saying, "Ohhh you're so cute!"
Okay, so this is not about me and how I hate seeing my baby grow....this is about JENNA and how much she adds to our family. As much as I hate seeing her get bigger, I equally love seeing her play and interact with her brothers and sister. It's been wonderful seeing the age gap close. She can hold her own...all the while using her "baby" status to her advantage. She loves her "waffles plain" for breakfast and noodles (Ramen and Alfredo are her favs) for lunch. Would you believe she also loves salad...with hard boiled eggs, feta cheese and basalmic dressing? She is mommy's little shadow especially when it comes to baking and gardening. After working in the yard with me tonight, she said, "I need a freshie!" Uh oh. lol Puzzles, I Spy, coloring/painting, movies and games are some of her favorite things to keep her busy. She loves to sing and is often caught singing along to tv and movie themes. We cannot drive by the temple without singing "I Love to See the Temple" and I really love that. She also loves singing her address and phone number. I love that she gives me tight hugs...really, she knows how to give good squeezes back. I also love that she understands our secret three-hand-squeezes for I love you. I especially love it when she tells me, "we best friends" and "I need to hug you." I've almost reached my quota for the use of the word love, but not before I say how much we LOVE Jenna!!!

Spring sports in full swing....

Spending lots of time running from one grassy spot to the next...mostly in the wet and wind. Spring in Utah. The kids are having a great time (mostly). Jenna has taken to soccer more than I thought (look out Aunt Megan). Josh is having a great baseball season...still being a lefty short stop and doing some pitching. Andrew is working hard on defense, working on the aggression...he's had some great blocks!

PS...The "diet coke thing" is having some success. While I have decided not to turn my back completely on it, I have cut back dramatically. Better yet, I have increased my water intake...I try to get over 60 oz a day. I've been saving diet coke for weekends or special treats.

Where is Julie and what have you done with her??

If you know me, you know that I really, really, really like my diet coke. Preferably with lemon...a good lemon (yes, there is such a thing as a good lemon and a not good lemon). A seemingly shortage of good lemons has led me to become fond of adding a splash of Diet Dr. Pepper in my Diet Coke (thanks Heidi and Heather). This love of mine also seems to keep my social life healthy...food, friends, driving, watching tv, working...it all seems to go better with a Diet Coke. Am I right or am I right? I even have a network of friends at the corner gas station whom I love to chat with whenever I go in for a "freshie" (ie. the correct terminology for a Diet Coke fresh from the fountain. Thanks Mary). Yes, Diet Coke has become a part of my daily life. Not to the extent that I have one for breakfast but, everyday nonetheless. Yes, I am aware that I can clean a toilet, car battery and whatever else with this drink with will one day kill me. BUT I STILL LIKE IT. A lot. So why am I going on about my love for the wonderfully, fizzy brown drink??

I HAVE NOT HAD A DIET COKE FOR 4 DAYS!

Four days people! I know, what has the world come to? I will NOT commit to giving it up completely. I am, however, seeing how long I can go without it and seeing (really, really hoping) if there are any incredible health benefits for doing so. Like better workouts/runs and oh, maybe, a bit of weight loss. I wonder if any of these "things" you hear about soda are true. It's funny, I find myself almost getting bored without the comfort of my 32 oz. Holiday cup filled with that really good pellet ice and fresh Diet Coke. I am trying to replace it with lots of water. Yes, I have all sorts of drink mix variations to help out. Other than boredom, a few mild headaches (I can't believe they weren't worse!) and some temptation from Chad last night I AM ROCKIN' IT!!! Seriously, I can't believe it! I would like to think I could allow my self some allowances like Diet Coke on weekends, but truthfully, I'm afraid I will fall off the wagon completely. For now, I am going to go as long as can and hope that my Diet Coke free body will shed pounds and run a marathon (ha ha).

Could she be any cuter? That uniform is bigger than she is! She was so excited, she wore the uniform the whole day before the game and slept in it, too! By the time we reached the game, she had food dribbles down the front of the jersey. I worried that once we reached the field she would shut down, cry and not participate. I was wrong! She loved it! She listened to the coach, let him move her around, ran with the kids and even kicked the ball twice. What fun!

Spring is on a break in Utah....

...so we headed to Phoenix to be reminded of what Spring should be!! If you live in Utah, you will know what I mean. Enough snow, rain and cold already!

Last week we headed south for some warmth and fun with family. We stayed with Heidi and Dave in Fountain Hills (thank you!!!). We enjoyed staying at their beautiful home...such beautiful desert views and a great pool that the kids couldn't get enough of. We were able to see Ryan and Jodi several times as well.

It seems most of our activities centered around eating out. It's always about the food, isn't it?? The Phoenix area definitely has no shortage of fabulous restaurants (and shopping) and we had no problem eating our way through town. Tia Rosa's for a little Mexican, Canal in Scottsdale for a fancy-schpancy, very delicious grilled cheese, Sprinkles for incredible cupcakes, La Grande Orange for red velvet cake and gelato and Canoso Brothers for fabulous pizza (NY transplants making incredibly authentic pizza!) and we hit In & Out a couple times (I think I like 5 Guys better, but In & Out is tasty and more reasonably priced).

It's a wonder we were able to move are rear ends around with all we ate, but we did manage to enjoy some great activities. I did my first hill run of my training. These were no little hills...more like straight up and straight down. No recovery. I managed 30 min of torture. Chad, he is crazy...he did the hill run twice in one day and one more time the next day. He is obviously taking to the running thing better than I am. The girls and I went to a great train park in Scottsdale. We met Jodi and her nieces. What a fun park. Sarah just loved "her new cousins" as she calls them. They even exchanged friendship rocks. The boys went to a Diamond Backs game with Chad and Uncle Ryan.

After the park, I got to meet Katie Covington Lamb for lunch! How fun was this?? I never get to see her and it was just wonderful to visit. I wish I could see her more often...love you, Katie! As much as we loved all the eating, one of the trip highlights was the Arizona Science Center. If you are headed to Phoenix I highly recommend this. I am often disappointed with these children's museums (high prices, luke warm exhibits), but not this. The tickets were only $7 for kids and $9 for adults...and you can get bogo coupons at local libraries. I was so impressed with the exhibits....all very engaging and interactive. Heidi and I raced wheelchairs, we learned about poop and even laid on a bed of nails! We loved the technology room...we had such a kick distorting our faces. Well, except Jenna. I think it scared her, but being the great mom I am, forced her to sit of my lap and get a photo. (It was for posterity, people!! We all need crazy photos of every family member, right?)

Of course Heidi and Dave's pool was always on the kids mind...they couldn't get enough. Even on Saturday when it was rainy and cold, they managed to spend a long time in the heated pool. We also had a great time making s'mores around their fire pit.

This is definitely the time of year to be in Arizona...it was just beautiful! I wish we could have stayed longer for more friends (I missed seeing Camille) eating, shopping and sun. It seems there is just never enough time, but we were grateful to get away nonetheless! Thanks again to Heidi and Dave for your hospitality!

She always has something to say

Yesterday as Sarah and I were heading home from her eye appointment she makes a comment out of the blue. She says, "Why is there so much killing? I don't like it." As I'm trying to understand what prompted this thought, she continued, "It's weird, they (meaning the criminals) were so sweet and cute when they were little and then they grew up." She is always thinking. We went on to have a great little discussion on "choosing the right" and what happens when we don't make good choices.

"The peas gave it away, mom"

It seems that Sarah had the most "April Fools" spirit around our house today. Last night, she artfully drew up a "Just Married" sign to post on the back of Chad's car. She was so proud of her trick and couldn't wait for daddy to discover it. Chad didn't even notice it until he got to the gas station. She also switched the bags of cereal into different boxes...I even fell for that one. Not to be out done by Sarah, I pulled up some "April Fools" dinner ideas online. I found an idea for a meatloaf cake, but since I didn't have a round cake pan, I made meatloaf cupcakes instead. They were frosted with mashed potatoes and sprinkled with peas. I thought they were kind of cute. Sarah said, "The peas gave it away, mom." Then as we were eating, she continued, "It just looks a tiny bit gross. But, I do like your creation, I just don't like my food all together like this." Oh well. So much for the "April Fools" spirit! :)


ETA...
Woohoooooo! The spirit of laughs and trickery ends the day on top! Just as I was cleaning up the kitchen a wonderful thing happened. Forgetting what the pink stuff really was, Chad took a nice, big finger lick of cold, pink mashed potatoes. He momentarily thought it was pink frosting. I will go to bed with a big smile on my face (thinking of this....and thinking of him falling over while taking his socks off the other day...yep, he really did! I love you Chad!)