And the "Mother of Year" award goes to....

Just in case you were competing for this award, I'm pretty sure I've got the title secured. Yea, having another one of "those" days. Again. I seem to have a lot of these.

Today was Josh's first day of school. I bought Dunford doughnuts for breakfast (see I really am trying to be mother of the year...or not, if you're a healthy mom....ha ha!). I set the alarm bright and early to give us plenty of time in the morning. Alarm goes off (Chad is out of town btw, so I do have another person's awareness as insurance). I look at the clock and think, "Eh...this is too early. I will wake up in 10 minutes." Next thing I know, I'm being awakened by pounding on the front door. Carpool is here!! I throw on a robe and send carpool on their way and then get Josh out of bed. Luckily, being a boy, it doesn't take much to get ready. I even had time for a quick 1st day of school photo. AND...he even got breakfast. I knew I bought doughnuts for a reason! Just after I drop Josh off (he was on time!) I realize he has no lunch money. I will have to drop some off later.

Still more.

As I'm leaving the gym, I notice a call from the elementary school. I quickly realize that today is picture day. I even had this one written on the calendar (I swear calendars don't work...oh, yea, I have to actually check the calendar). My mind flutters with resolutions. Run to the school with a brush, go home get new clothes...or, do nothing. I concede to do nothing. I am going for authenticity in the school pictures this year. The kids just as they are...no cute hair, no clean shirt....heck, I don't even know if their faces are clean. It's all good. There is plenty of time later for perfectly presented children in photos, right?

Still more.

I have no brain. I wonder how many blog posts have egregious spelling errors and grammatical mistakes (I'm sure many in this post alone). I had done a fun little photo collage of a recent relief society activity. I was asked for copies and emailed them out. Last night I got a couple emails.
"The Higland 1st Ward Summer Salad Social." A few problems: we are not the 1st ward we are the 9th. So a totally fumble around photoshop and somehow change the number and email the new copy. More emails this morning. Ummm....Higland is spelled Hig*h*land. Whatever, it's already been emailed to the ward. I give up.

How wonderful to have Kerri visiting from Colorado! Although she was staying with Jackie, I got to see her a couple times. It was so fun to hit a few classes at Education Week in Provo with Kerri and Andrea. Just enough to know we'd love to do it again. We were totally cracking up that we went to all the effort to climb over flowers and stand next to Brigham only to have the person taking the photo cut his head off! Saturday night, Chad, Jackie and I went with Kerri to hear her friend, Dave perform. He was awesome...taking on any request we had with ease. What talent! Although it was quick, it was wonderful to Kerri...love you, Kerri!

Temple dedication

It still seems surreal to me that we have a temple literally around the corner. It has been an honor to witness the whole process; from construction, to open house and now the dedication. Chad and I were able to attend the first dedicatory session in the temple Friday morning. We sat in one of the sealing rooms upstairs (they really packed people in...even in some of the hallways!). I would definitely have to say that one of the highlights was watching the live feed of the cornerstone ceremony. This is something we most likely would have only seen photos and short media clips of. In this short ceremony we got such a human look at President Monson. I loved seeing him so relaxed and less formal. He did a lot of joking and teasing. He commented to President Uchtdorf's attempt at the mortar, "That's pretty good...for an airline pilot." I loved seeing such relaxed expressions from him...so nice to be reminded of his human-ness. As the dedication continued inside we were able to hear from President Packer and Elder Oaks. As we sung the "Spirit of God," I found knew meaning to the words, "...we'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven." Being inside the temple, I knew we were indeed, singing with the armies of heaven. Sunday afternoon, Chad attended a session with Josh, Andrew and Sarah (I stayed home w/ Jenna and babysat my brother's kids so they could go). Sarah has talked about it several times since and is treasuring her white hanky. I am so grateful for this opportunity we've had as a family to witness and take part in the opening of the Oquirrh Mountain temple.

You know what they say....

....all good things must come to an end. Summer might be winding down, but we are going to make the most of every last bit of sunshine!

What is the "Summer Salad Social?"

It is every one's favorite Relief Society gathering! This activity has become an annual tradition in our ward. It is one we all forward to with great anticipation. Food and talking. I mean really, how can you improve on that? I say don't mess with perfection! This event is always well attended. I love being ablel to visit with many women that I may not have the chance to on a regular basis. Everyone looks forward to sampling so many yummy and unique salads. Of course, there are the desserts, too...this year, the pina colada cupcake was a highlight for me! Not surprisingly, I had my camera with me. I realized how few (if any) photos I have of these wonderful women in my ward. I wanted to change that. I truly love associating and learning from this beautiful group of women and I want them to be a part of my permanent memory.

The music was definitely her idea

What's better than a cookie stand? A cookie stand with entertainment! This is so Sarah. I look out the window (notice a couple blurry photos) to see Sarah shaking her groove thing. Yep. The music was her idea and the dancing just can't NOT come out of her body. If you look hard you can see the princess boom box on the porch. It is playing a great selection from "Kidz Bop." Quite loud I might add. I love her personal touch to the roadside business. She always manages to show her personality in whatever she is doing!

A little spontaneity ...

Last Saturday, after a beautiful (hard!) trail run up Draper canyon we decided we needed some more girl time. We being myself, Andrea and April (who kick my rear in trail runs!). After cleaning up, we headed to some of the homes featured in the Parade of Homes. However, looking at homes is a lot of work and we needed to fill our stomachs. ;) A philly cheese steak was just the thing. While we were at lunch we noticed a farmer's market going on and decided to wander through. After picking up some produce, we continued our home tour. (Isn't that front door amazing btw?) Sometimes, it so much fun to have NO plan. I know I am guilty of needing a plan so it was really nice to let loose a bit and do whatever we wanted as it came our way. Sometimes simple things like this can be really refreshing. What a fun Saturday!

The Mandarin + Mel Brooks= Birthday Wishes for Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad! Actually, last Thursday was my dad's birthday (and my parents wedding anniversary!) but it's never too late to celebrate...especially when The Mandarin is involved. It was wonderful that have Heidi and Dave here from AZ. Lots of family members were missing, but it was great to get together nonetheless and celebrate my dad. My Dad deserves all the love and attention he can get. Do you ever find a gift for someone that is "so them?" I was so excited when I found a DVD collection of Mel Brooks movies for my dad. I knew it would be right up his alley and he loved it! WE LOVE YOU, DAD!!!

Sharing with others....

I am convinced that one of the biggest contributors to hate, racism, war, labels, contention and a general lack of progress and peace is a lack understanding. Either we don't care to understand each other or we don't try to understand each other. Ignorance is not always bliss. I think sometimes we avoid people that are not like us...it takes a little more effort to reach outside our comfort zone. Yes, I am getting a little deep here...stay with me. And, I bet you are wondering why there is an orange flag next to a picture of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. I will tell you!

The street we currently live on has very diverse neighbors... ethnically and religiously. Sometimes it is a challenge but mostly, I think it is wonderful to be surrounded by so many that are different from me. There is one family in particular that I've gotten to know fairly well. They are a Sikh Indian family. We have had the opportunity to talk on a number of occasions. Several of our conversations have centered on their beliefs and my beliefs. I've learned a lot about the Sikh religion. Did you know it's only about 500yrs old? Did you know they don't remove any hair from their body? (yes, the girls are sad to not wax their eyebrows once they fully convert) Did you know they are vegetarian?

This last month, I invited them to the temple open house and they excitedly accepted. About two weeks ago, Boneeta came to my door with her sister Jasmine to tell me they were having a 3 day prayer and that there would be lots of cars on the street. They also invited me down for some food. I politely declined (why would I put myself in a slightly uncomfortable situation??lol). While they were at my door, I asked Boneeta what she thought of the temple. She said she loved it. I thought it was interesting that she specifically commented on the baptistry. Her sister, Jasmine (who lives out of state) expressed that she'd love to see the temple, too. That could be arranged easily enough! I told her that I would get the tickets and bring them over that night. I ran down the street to get some tickets from our mission leader. As I came to Jasmine's house, the garage door was opened and the garage was filled with beautifully dressed people from their group. As I gave them the tickets, I was asked if I'd like to stay for some food. Once again, I politely declined. After talking for a few more minutes, I was asked again if I'd like to stay. Feeling the sweat building, I thought to myself, "This is exactly the thing I need to do. What the heck, I will join them!" And join them I did! Yep, little miss whitey, feeling a little under dressed (and immodest) in my shorts, surrounded by a group of beautiful Indians, gorgeously dressed in their traditional Indian clothing. They were so gracious and even looked a little pleased to have an outsider join them. Yes, I felt sweaty, anxious and out of place but I loved that I took this step outside of my comfort zone. So there I sat with a plate full of delicious Indian food, listening to them speak Punjabi and learning more about their religion and culture. Boneeta then asked me if I'd like to see the prayer. "Sure!" I said, feeling a little more adventurous. I would have to take my shoes off and cover my head with an orange scarf. I entered the house to see a beautiful canopy in the living room with an older lady reading from their scriptures. You see, with this 3 day prayer, they are not allowed to stop. That is why there are so many people coming and going...they all take turns.

I can't tell you how invigorating this was for me. I like to think of myself as a nice person. However, even a nice person's mind needs a little expanding now and then. Growing up in Utah didn't offer me many mind-opening experiences and this was just the kind of thing to help counter that. I left feeling like I had gained a new confidence and ability to show my love for those that are different than me and to not be afraid to ask about or surround myself with those that are outside my normal circle. What a wonderful, wonderful experience!!

A few seasonl highlights...

I was thinking of naming this post,
"Summer: all 2 1/2 weeks of it"
but thought it might come off a little negative (read last post). Of course, the length of summer isn't actually that short, but to me summer, REAL summer has no school obligations involved. I like having our minds free and clear of any thoughts of school. Last school year ended July 2 and the new school year started this week. So that being said, our summer is quite short. In spite of this, I was pleasantly surprised by just how much we packed into this worry-free couple of weeks. We've had lots of fun!One of my favorite things about the month of July is that we seem to get a surge of out-of-state visitors. Whether it's for a quick lunch or an overnight stay, I love getting together to visit as they pass through.The kids had a great time at the summer primary activity. Josh and his fellow deacons got to help out (ie: cool way of saying they liked being there among all the primary kids)We went to a (free) Utah Symphony concert in Sandy's outdoor amphitheater. It was wonderful. This fact that it was free and the fact that they did a great mix of songs made it really enjoyable. This was a nice opportunity to enjoy the arts....with training wheels, if you will...a very non-intimidating crowd. (I'm not educated enough in the world of music or well dressed enough, or wealthy enough to attend in Park City or the concert hall) Another free event. (I like free!!!) We attended the float preview for the Days of 47 parade and it was really fun! I learned that for the Stakes, this is a calling and there are even float classes they can attend. I dare say, you could tell who attended the class and who didn't.Picking our first apples from our (tiny) apple tree! Yes, it's early, but apparently our variety (Lodi) are ready in July. Very tart and sour, though. Love that picture of Jenna tucking the apples in her shirt!Of course swimming. Lots of swimming in Dan and JaNel's pool. Here the kids are (minus Josh who was at scout camp) enjoy the pool in Grammy and Papa's neighborhood. Love the beautiful view of Timp from the pool.Jenna, Josh and I got to go hiking at Sundance with aunt Megan. The weather was perfect and the scenery was (of course!) gorgeous. That back view of Timp or "Cirque" as they call it is just incredible. After the hike, we watched the glass blowing.

A few more highlights without photos: sleepovers with Grandma and Grandpa, scout camps for both Andrew and Josh, the splash park

Schools out for summer...NOT

If you are detecting a hint of bitterness over the start of school today, you would be correct. Year round school? I'm so over it. I miss traditional school. I am just not ready to put on my "responsible mommy" hat (not that I wear that one well). Reading minutes? Volunteering? Lunch money? Car pool? I just want to be left alone. I want my kids to sleep in and stay up late. And the fact that Josh and Jenna have traditional schedules only makes it worse.

Complaining over.

Don't Andrew and Sarah look so cute for their first day of school? Yes, I know, they are looking so old!!! In spite of a short break from school, they were excited and ready to head back. Something about fresh crayons, new pencils and friends that always makes you excited for the first day of school!

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.