Pick Up the PACE!

The kids competed in a 5K/1 mi Fun Run today for their school. We did the 1 miler due to time constraints...and the fact that I wasn't sure the kids would have fun running almost three miles! So Jared and Nicole ran....I wimped and rode my bike alongside. :) Which turned out to be a good choice since Jared blazed through the race and Nicole needed some encouragement. It also made it possible for me to see both of them finish as I could go between the two! Jared ended up finishing around 7th place, and we are pretty sure he was the first one for his age group. We have yet to see the "official" placements.

For your viewing pleasure....a little video my husband put together of the race highlights! (Oh, and if any of you are confused that you can't see this video on Google reader, it's because the hubster set up the security settings that way. Just click over to my blog and you'll be able to see it just fine!)

World's Best Aunt

Yesterday was my Aunt Carol's birthday (which is why I can always remember when I got engaged, because it was on her b-day). This year was a big one......80 years young. Wow!

Does this woman look 80? I don't think so either!


You could not find a better, or more generous woman than my Aunt Carol. She never married, therefore has no children of her own. So her nieces and nephews are her children. We all have enjoyed the best aunt ever! And her love has continued to spill over to the great nieces and nephews. Silky baby blankets for all the babies, and I was lucky enough to get a hand quilted white one for my girls blessing quilt, as well as Jared's "tiny blank"....his miniature version of the silky blanket to haul around. Not only that, but she likes to know what is going on with the kids, and asks them what they are doing in school, church, with friends, etc. My kids also love it when she reads them stories.

Aunt Carol values education. She has a bachelors, masters, and doctorate degree in education. She worked at BYU for years in Home and Family Education, including serving as the chair of the department. She has also taught overseas, in Japan and Turkey. Her nieces and nephews also benefit from her love of education, as she will buy their books (as long as their grades stay up!), and she also helped pay my tuition when I was in school, for which I am ever so grateful for. All the missionaries in the family benefit as well, as she buys them a suit before they go into the MTC. Aunt Carol is a world traveler. There aren't that many places she hasn't been.

To add to her generosity, she also has, or still does, serve on the boards for Utah Youth Village, and the Children's Justice Center. She sews and donates 10 teddy bears a month to the Justice Center to be given to the children they serve. Have I mentioned she just turned 80?!

I feel so blessed to have my Aunt Carol. I hope she had a great birthday, and that we get to help her celebrate many more happy and healthy years! :)

Will You Marry Me?

Ten years ago today, on the grounds of the Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple, I heard these words. I was in shock! Especially with the diamond ring that was staring at blinding me. ;) Ron will claim that he waited 5 minutes for me to answer and had to ask me again, but he is very impatient...it was only about 20 seconds before he said, "Well...." But obviously, the answer was YES! Sheesh, I'd had so many surprises that day, gimme a chance to think!

Ron and I had been long-distance "dating" since mid-February. We met on-line *gasp*, with him in Houston and me in Utah. He had been to Utah twice, and I had been to Texas twice......with lots of email and long-distance phone calls in between!

Ron knew I was planning a visit to my sister in Arizona in April, so he secretly contacted her and planned a little surprise. So on April 23rd, 1999, my sister picked me up from the airport, we dropped my things off at her house and headed to Haji-Babba's (middle eastern food) for lunch. After we sat down, Beth's cell phone rang. She answered it, then handed it to me. It was Ron. He made a little small talk, then told me to turn around...to see him walking in! Needless to say, I was shocked.

Later that afternoon, he said he wanted to go see the Mesa Temple. You'd think I would've been smart enough to figure out something was up, but no. As we were sitting by the North side reflecting pool, he pulled the ring out and popped the question. I think he just wanted to make sure there was a really good reason for him to pick up and move back to Utah.

Even with all the surprises, I am sure glad that he planned it, and it makes it even better that I was proposed to where my parents were married. My brother-in-law Scott took the picture above of us the next day at the temple.

Hooray for us, ten years! I guess I better start planning something good for August and our wedding anniversary. :)

Why I don't sew.....

Jared's New Love

I posted last year about a little BMX race we took Jared to. He had lots of fun.

Then in January we took him to an indoor race, and he competed in the actual race instead of the "Big Wheel". He did really quite well, taking 2nd in his first heat which automatically qualified him for the finals. He was doing really well, but then crashed on his last little stretch. He was pretty sad about it, and didn't even want the participation trophy he got, but he did get over it. Since then he's been talking about racing this summer when the outdoor track opens again. It also helps that our next door neighbor, Kolin, is really into it, and Jared thinks Kolin is awesome!

As it turns out, this year our neighbors were getting their other son, Kaden, a new racing bike, so they asked if we were interested in buying his old racing bike. We took them up on it, so Jared is the proud owner of a "new-to-him" RedLine chro-moly BMX hybrid racing bike.

The track organizers are starting to get the track ready for the race season, and today had a little work session that if the kids (and Dad's) came to help out with some weeding and raking, they could practice on the track for a bit when they were done. Jared was so, so wanting to go and try out his racing bike that Ron put aside the other things he needed to do (such a good Dad!), and took Jared up. It didn't take much work to ready the track, so the 20 or so racers there got some good practice time in. A few of the regulars were talking to Ron, and asking about Jared, and told him that "he's going to be good"....I'm not sure what they look at to determine that, but I guess we'll just wait and see what happens this summer as the racing begins...

Spring Break FUN!

Well, since Mother Nature decided to dump snow on any outdoor plans we may have had on Thursday, we decided to find some indoor fun. So we took the kids to a local amusement center: "Jump On It".

They had lots of fun and expended a lot of energy (yay!). Ellie wasn't so sure of it until about the last 20 minutes, when she'd finally jump with me holding her hand. Once she realized she was fine, she ventured out on to the trampolines on her own, but was very possessive and would get off as soon as someone else got on "her" tramp!

Unbelievable.

Believe it. Seven and a half inches. I don't think we'll be getting our lawn aerated today. At least we have blue sky this morning......please stay blue sky and sunshine! Please!

Suggestion Box?

Dear Mother Nature,

Please excuse me for this intrusion into your very busy life, but I have just a bit of a complaint I'd like to file. Just a small one really.

I think perhaps, sweet Mother Nature, that you are a bit confused this year about the date or season, and what the appropriate weather may be for said date/season. You see, it is April 15th.

Mid April.

Almost a month after the first day of SPRING.

You remember Spring.....warmer weather, flowers blooming, snow melting, trees leafing out, warmer weather, sunnier days, some rain storms, no more snow....warmer weather.

It's Spring Break for my kids this week. Monday was sunny and somewhat warm. They were able to play outside happily. It was dry. They wore shorts and t-shirts. We were looking forward to a fun week outside playing. All those plans were abandoned Tuesday when it got cold and really rainy. Now today.....THIS:


I had to turn THIS on in the Family Room:

And my kids are not wearing shorts and t-shirts. Instead, they are in the jeans, long sleeves, and fleece attire from January.


So really Mother Nature.....would you want to be cooped up in the house for Spring Break because of snow and cold?! Neither do I! It stinks that I put the snowpants away, the mittens have been lost, and the coats are all on the small side, because tomorrow would be a perfect day to take the kids for their first skiing lesson.

Maybe next year we'll give you a little "heads up" so we can actually celebrate Spring during our time off from school. Now.....where can I find the suggestion box to stick this letter into?!

Sincerely-

Crazy and Cooped-up in Utah.

PS....Do you like Ellie's toothbrush and stickers?! We ALL went to the dentist today for a check-up. The only cavity in the bunch? ME.

nice. :)

PPS....I hope Mother Nature doesn't strike me with lightning for registering this complaint. For you own safety, you may not want to stand too close to me for a few months....

Happy Birthday Ron!

Today is Ron's birthday!!!! Happy birthday to my husband, father of my kiddos, and best friend! :)

I hope he had a good day...hard to beat last year as we spent the day renting a speed boat and playing around on Lake Powell, but we can't do that every year!

He got his "big" gift a day early since I picked it up yesterday afternoon and needed help unloading it. A new BBQ grill. Our old one was, well, pathetic. :) So we fired up the new one tonight and grilled a yummy dinner of a chipotle marinated tri-tip roast. It was GREAT! Ron also got some new clothes, a book, DVD, and treats from the kids. We ended the evening with a cake, and letting the little kids blow out the candles 10-20 times on their own pieces of cake. Their daddy's birthday will be memorable for the kids at least. But I do know that we will enjoy his gift every time we fire it up this summer. :)

Coming Clean

Okay, okay. The picture below was photoshopped. :) Hard to tell though, huh? ;)

We went up the the kids favorite park in the foothills last week, and they were up playing around, and Ron was taking still pictures with his new toy video camera. When we got home, we saw that picture and laughed because both of the kids were looking over at the same spot with an odd look. I mentioned it looked like they were seeing something scary like a a bear or something so he photoshopped one in! I thought for fun I'd just put the picture up to see what the reactions were! :)

I bet you all thought this was another spring cleaning post, didn't you?! I wish. But not much of that is going on with it being spring break for the kids. Lot's of messing up of the house, with toys and junk everywhere, but very little picking up, as usual. I'll get back in the cleaning groove when I'm down a few kids on a daily basis.

On slate for today, celebrating Ron's birthday. We'll make it fun for him, as he's still feeling a bit shell shocked at how old it is this year....anyone care to guess?!

Our park in the foothills

Traditions

Our cute little city sponsors an Easter Egg hunt for the kids every year at the park near our home. This year was a bit iffy on timing for us, as Nicole had a dance practice at 9AM for her upcoming "Little Mermaid" show, Jared had a soccer game at 10AM at a school a few blocks from the park, and at 10:40AM, a mere 20 minutes before the Egg hunt, Ellie didn't quite make it to the bathroom and drenched herself. (That had to have been the fastest bath and clothes change in history!)

But despite the timing issues, and threats of rain, we made it just in time to join the mayhem fun! The kids always end up separated into different groups by age, so I only got pictures of Ellie "hunting" her eggs. But after hearing the descriptions of how Nicole and Jared take off at a full run to get their booty, I don't think I'd be all that successful at getting a picture of them! They came home, and consumed their sugar treasure instead of lunch, and now want to go to Wendy's and Little Caesar's to redeem the coupons they found in some of their eggs! Isn't Easter great?! :)

(I'm not quite sure what is up with Jared's expression....it sort of reminds me of Gollum, clutching "his precious".)

Coloring the Easter Eggs

I Believe.....

Anyone else have one of these?

My husband MUST have a secret identity and be doing this undercover.....because there couldn't be another kid like our Nicole to give ideas for material like this, could there?! :)


The only difference is, you don't even have to ask Nicole a question for her to go on, and on, and on, and on like this....

You gotta love her. ;)

Spring Cleaning - Day 3

Hmmm.....if I can even call it a whole day of cleaning....or even half a day. I realized yesterday that Easter is looming, and I didn't want to be in the mad scramble for basket stuff on Saturday, so I got some of it done yesterday. Of course, Ellie saw all of it, and being that she is old enough to remember, I don't think she is ever going to believe in the Easter bunny! Oops! That's okay, because I honestly don't like perpetuating the lie of imaginary people and creatures coming in the house when we are asleep. The other two littles have started asking anyway....and I just avoid giving them an answer. (That was a nice tangeant!)

Anyway, as for cleaning, I finished the master bedroom, and an working on the bathroom. Basically all that is left to do in there is clear out the magazine rack of Golf Digest that my husband doesn't look at anymore and then give it a good cleaning. Then I'll be into the kids bathroom. I have decided this is going to work much better for me if I set small goals. My kids are not the types that will let me get an entire days worth of work done. They can't leave me alone that long! Not to mention, the rest of my house would be destroyed if they were left to their own devices for that long. :)

Spring Cleaning - Day 2

Master bedroom. I would've gotten loads more done if my kids didn't HAVE to have their mommy RIGHT NOW! ;) So I have some dresser drawers to go through today, and then it's into the bathroom....looking forward to that..... :)

I got my retainers from the orthodontist yesterday. They are somewhat obnoxious, but trust me, they are 1000 times better than braces and I will be wearing them religiously. Even if I can't talk right with them in.

Spring Cleaning-Day 1

Today was a busy one.....

First, to the orthodontist for the best appointment EVER! Braces are finito, gone, and off! It feels so good to have them off. Like I'm me again. :) I can't help but smile whenever I pass a mirror, just to see the teeth, all straight and naked. :) Eating dinner tonight was fantastic. I could take a nice big bite, and then not worry about all the gak stuck in my braces. I finished in record time, something that hasn't happened in months!

Here's a peek!

I then came home and got to work on the SPRING CLEANING!!!! Today's job to tackle was the Master Closet. It wasn't too bad. Mainly because we had done a major purging about 18 months ago. I went through and purged my stuff again, and a little of Ron's. I couldn't go crazy with his...that's his job! But I did get a large black trash bag full that DI took care of for me this afternoon. A little more organization of shelves, shoes, vacuuming, and throwing away of stuff, and I'm much happier with it.

I'm glad it didn't take me all that long to get that tackled, since as soon as Ron got home, we left for a fun night out for Family Home Evening. Dinner at Five Guys Burgers & Fries (YUM!) and a movie, Monsters vs. Aliens. All in all, a fun night. :)

Calgon?!

My husband made me.....

a logo!

Because everyone should have a logo. :) What do you think?! (The flower is a Columbine. Which is just about my favorite flower in the world, followed by the wild Iris found in the meadow at the Upper Ranch in Arizona.....I can't wait to see if I get some in my backyard this summer!)

Not exactly sure what I'm going to do with it yet, other than use it as a watermark on my pictures. I'm playing around with the idea of making a blog/website for my pictures...just for fun. I do plan on actually taking pictures when it is warm again. That way my hands will work instead of freezing solid. That and the fact that the only colors we STILL have outside right now are various shades of brown. And various depths of white.....

If anyone is interested....

Our kids school is having a 5K/1 mi. Fun Run on Saturday April 25th, at 8AM(sign in 7AM). If you are interested in participating, you can find the information HERE.

Entry Fees are $10 before the race, $15 on race day. If you pre-register before April 10th, you get a t-shirt! :) Bonus! You would also get the added fun of taunting me as I make a fool of myself trying to run a mile. I hope to crack the 30 minute barrier...

Heidi....I hear you laughing. ;)