Do You Remember When...

...my poor blog was suffering during the months of October and November???!!! Maybe by the picture overload you can see why I just was not getting around to posting anything! All the way back on October 9th and 10th, we took a weekend trip to St. George to be with my niece Tali on her baptism day! It was so great to be there and to PLAY with our St. George cousins!We celebrated Halloween ALL month long by making caramel apples with Jeff's family, we made haunted houses and more caramel apples with our friends the Straw's, we made crazy monsters in Kyle's preschool, we visited the witches and picked pumpkins with our friends the Brough's, we carved pumpkins in the half hour before we were supposed to be trick-or-treating, and of course we trick-or-treated with the best neighbors around! It was quite the month! Oh, and then November hit and we decided to go back to St. George for a little race I wanted to do in Snow Canyon! Jeff strongly encouraged me to do it really fast to make it worth the trip especially since Chad got a pretty bad stomach flu while we were there! I set a new personal record on the half marathon, so I made Jeff proud! It was Chad's birthday the day we were driving back home and I failed to post anything about my very smart, very loving, very cool 6 year old! He was sick on the big day, but we had a friend party for him a few days later! We had a lot of fun with the Spiderman theme this year!And how could I have possibly skipped posting about our FANTASTIC Thanksgiving festivities??? We all celebrated at my sister Diane's house in Colorado. By we all, I mean 14 adults and 24 grandkids all under one roof!!! We didn't get to see my brothers, but I'm not sure there would've been room! Our meal was delicious, but the best part was just being together! We had to leave early to have a quick celebration with my Grandma Bell and some of my Mom's siblings back in Utah. My Uncle Jim put on a very nice party, and it was great to visit with my cousins! And then on Sunday I hosted a farewell dinner for my parents so some of my Dad's side of the family could come say goodbye to my parents before their mission! We always have a blast when the Bluncks are around!!! My boys even thought my cousin Korbin was their uncle! Always a party around here!Thank you for putting up with my catch-up session once again! If my computer crashes like it did last year, I now have a quick record to share with my kids! NOW I can start the New Year right and blog things as they happen! Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Christmas!

We enjoyed a very nice and simple Christmas at home this year! We didn't go ANYWHERE and got to enjoy relaxing at home in our pajamas ALL DAY LONG! All of us except Jeff even ate dinner in our pajamas! It was absolutely FANTASTIC! I had made cinnamon rolls on Christmas Eve for our breakfast, and we had a nice traditional dinner! (Note to self: A family of 5 does NOT need a half ham!) I really enjoyed cooking for my little family and actually eating it warm! I do love sharing Christmas with family, but it sure was nice eating food right out of the oven and not piling everything and everyone in the car to be somewhere by a certain time! We were all very spoiled this year and got everything we could ask for! We even got to very quickly say hello to my parents on their mission in Armenia! (The highlight of my day!)

We have felt very blessed through some little challenges this year, and we look forward to 2010 and all that it will hold for us! Jeff has switched careers on us and has taken a medical assisting job at the University of Utah. We know this is the right step for his goal of getting into Physician Assistant School. This isn't exactly the easiest switch to be making with three little kids, but so far so good! He will still be doing some construction jobs on the side, so life continues to be BUSY! We have loved being in touch with so many of you throughout the year and feel so blessed to be supported by you, our family and friends! Happy New Year!

Before the Big Day!

Well, I'm trying something new (to me)! My Picassa Web Albums have become full, so I'm going to attempt to share pictures by creating collages. Maybe this way I can play catch up from October before the New Year! :) These two collages are just full of pictures of all the fun we've had leading up to Christmas Day! Chad had his first program at school, we had a fun party at Jeff's step-brother Royce's house, we made cookies with Kyle's preschool friend Austin and his little sister Ashlynne, the boys told Santa what they would like for Christmas while Alison FREAKED out, we read a lot of Christmas books, Kyle and I built a little snowman, the kids participated in a Nativity with our neighbors, we decorated a gingerbread house, and of course we enjoyed A LOT of sweets! It's been a very busy and fun month!


I'll get better at this, but for tonight I'm just excited to get something posted again!

Super Busy, and yet....

Yes, even though I have a million and one things to be doing AND a million and one things to update on my blog, I am posting a couple pictures that made me laugh today! A little while ago I walked into Alison's room and found this... I totally did a double-take wondering if something had fallen out of Alison's or her friend Mazzi's diaper! Thank goodness it was only a chocolate cookie with a bite out of it!And then when Mazzi's mom came to get her, she asked what was all over my back!???? Nice!!! That cookie was never meant to be passed to a one year old!!!

Chad came home so excited today because the art project he had been working on for TWO whole art classes was finally done! He didn't want me to wait for Dad to come home to open it!Inside I found a darling Christmas tree ornament for our tree! I had to laugh about how BIG the gift bag was in comparison to the ornament! Oh, how I miss my days in the classroom when I see things like this!!!

OK, now back to work! There are treats to be made and sampled, bows to be tied, gifts to be delivered!!! (Posting these silly pictures was NOT on my things-to-do list today!!!)

Hello!

I have pulled myself out of the slump I've been in and actually feel like posting again! I'll do the catch up thing when I have more time, but for now I'm going to post about two very special people in my life, my Mom and Dad!

I was up at 4:30 this morning to take Elder and Sister Blunck to the airport to fly to Armenia for their second mission! They are working so hard to learn Armenian with it's new alphabet and everything! They learned Georgian just a few years ago when they went on their first mission. They have very solid testimonies and are such good people to be around! I know our Heavenly Father is happy with what they are choosing to do with their lives! They are perfect examples for my family! I feel lucky that I got to see them before and after their week at the MTC. (Living close to the airport has it's perks!) They studied and practiced so hard while they were there and are ready to get to work, knowing full well that it isn't going to be easy! We will miss them while they are away! It's such a blessing to have the internet to help us keep in touch!




I love my Mom and Dad! I am so very proud of the amazing parents, grandparents, missionaries, and people they are!

Camilla Was Right!

Last week after my setting goals post, my friend Camilla said "Great! Now, seriously, be careful cause now Satan is going to try his hardest to make you and your kids not meet goals. . .seriously!" Well, SERIOUSLY she was right on! I can't even do the post that I intended on doing tonight because we're experiencing technical difficulties on our computer! I can't even get iPhoto to open! I'm not going to use up your time or mine telling all of my woes! Just know that when things are up and running, I will do a post during the week! My GOAL was to journal on Sunday's, but this will count for today! Well, I guess I get to go to bed on time. (another goal!) NICE!

Decision for now

I love blogging! I love keeping in touch with my family and friends! I love seeing the exciting things you're all up to! I love reflecting on the things we've been up to and keeping a record! Doesn't that sound better? I truly feel this way AND the way I was feeling yesterday! For now, I've set some personal goals and won't be spending as much time on the computer. My sister-in-law Tricia shared a website with me yesterday while we were peeling MORE APPLES! It is goalforit.com. I stayed up last night setting goals for my children and for myself. We have charts on-line that we will use to track our goals and chores. Today in our home and at church things felt very different! I felt the spirit very strongly in Sacrament Meeting. My boys did what I asked of them and we were all happy. I felt a reassurance that what we are doing with our goals is the right thing to do. Thank you Tricia for sharing this site with me. Thank you all for your kind words and advice yesterday and always!

When I was younger, we would write in our journals on Sundays. I envy those of you who faithfully keep a journal. This is not one of my talents. This blog is the only record I have going right now. My goal is to take a little bit of time each Sunday to catch up on my blog. During the week I will check in on others' blogs and facebook, but only after my chores/goals are completed. No more sneaking in on the computer ALL DAY LONG! I can do this! Knowing what's going on in your lives brings me joy! Sharing what we're up to is fun! Keeping a bit of a family history feels right! Blogs are GOOD!

I already have pictures from St. George, the witches at Gardner Village, and the pumpkin patch that I haven't posted about; however, I am going to use some self control and post about those next Sunday! And I'm cool with that! I'll be working really hard on my laundry tomorrow so I can earn some time to read your comments!

It's worth it to get my life in order for these four!

contemplating...

I'm sick of blogs. Sick of facebook. Sick of all the time I waste on the computer. I regret the time wasted because I KNOW I should be doing more with my kids, my house, and my life! I don't like feeling like I have to go to the computer to find out what's going on in my friend's and family's lives! I know moderation is the key, but I've got to figure something out. My family is suffering. My attitude stinks and my energy is lacking! I want to keep the blog because I truly want to remember the things that we've done that I LIKE or at least how I made it through the things that I don't LIKE. So, I'm contemplating some changes. I find myself coming back OFTEN to see all of your comments and for some reason I don't want to live like this anymore. I might go private for a while and not invite anyone. I might look into just making photo books with all that I want to remember. I don't know, but something has got to change! I need discipline, a schedule, some order in my chaotic life! I may just be in a bad mood and change my mind tomorrow, but right now this is what I'm contemplating.

Family...Isn't It About Time?

We enjoyed a nice weekend with my sister Diane and her family! They were here from Colorado for Conference and the BYU game. My kids absolutely love having their cousins come! They talk about it for days and days leading up to their arrival and days and days following their departure! We love our family! On Saturday, Diane and I were in the kitchen making an Apple Crisp and looked out and found our kids wrestling with a bunch of neighbors. Her little Wes was taking everyone down! I didn't even know a couple of the kids over playing, but our kids sure managed to make everyone feel welcome! (by beating them up???) General Conference was FANTASTIC!!! We are so lucky to be able to watch from the comforts of our home! We had a nice Cinnamon Roll breakfast together, and some managed to sneak in a cat nap or two! Oh yeah, don't you think DiDi looks like the Snuggie model? My awesome nephew Cannon picked that out for me for my birthday! He rocks and so does the Snuggie!
We've also spent a little of our time down at my Mother-In-Law's helping her with her apples! My Sister-In-Law Tricia and her kids came and worked and played with us last night! It was a long night and yet there are still HUNDREDS of apples to pick, peal, slice, core, boil, pour, and can!!!! Over and over and over again!!! How do you like them apples?

More Stuff

I made the choice to keep Kyle at home with me for preschool this year. His friend Austin joins him on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for an hour and a half. Alison goes with Austin's Nana (my friend Gaylene), and the boys and I have tons of fun singing, reading, coloring, doing puzzles, snacking, and all sorts of preschool things! This is something Kyle and I need to do together. He and I don't always listen to each other or like what the other one says or does, and we are in need of some bonding before I set him loose in the public school system next year! The easy thing would've been to send him to the preschool I had him registered in, but I felt the need to spend some quality time with my boy! I'm trying to build our relationship and fix some of the cracks I've already made! So now when I don't answer the phone on those mornings, you know why!


Here is Chad's first big project for Kindergarten. The instructions read, "We are asking each family to create, as artfully as they can, a new insect or "creature" from common food items in your home." Chad quickly decided that he wanted to make a grasshopper. I printed off a picture of one and then we searched our food room and pantry looking for things that could work. He chose the food, but we had to use the "as a family" part when it came time to putting it together! It turned out great! He loved it and so did the person who ate some of the "Pretzelhopper's" legs before the end of the day! Kyle, Alison, and I had the pleasure of viewing the "Incredible Edible Insects" exhibit in his classroom! Thank you Kerri for loaning me your camera! How could I forget on such an important day?




And, for those of you who care, here are the photos from the Top Of Utah Marathon that I did on the 19th! It's hard to post about the races that I do. I don't want to sound boastful, but I do enjoy my running! I don't sign up to win. I sign up so I have a purpose! I like having something to work toward! I like to have a reason to get up so early in the morning! I love the ladies that I run with! I am so blessed to have them in my life! Running will be just a little different with our friend Kerri not living right across the street anymore, but we're going to do what we can to get together as often as we can! I'm proud of all of these girls for doing their first marathons! I knew you could do it! (I wrote comments on each of the pictures if you want details! Just click on the picture once the slideshow starts.)

And YES, we obviously planned our matchy, matchy outfits! It was fun, and it made it easier for Jeff to find us! I didn't get the memo that we were to wear blue tops! I'm always just a little off!

Let's Play A Little Game I Like To Call....

...Catching Up!!! Again!!! This is just how my life goes! I take a quick minute most days to read any new postings on my friends and family's blogs, but I just don't see how I can sit down to do any posting of my own! Well today I planned on babysitting, but that fell through so I have a "free minute!" Yeah right...like there aren't mountains of laundry to be done, a kitchen and bathrooms to be cleaned, and a million other things I should be doing like making an insect out of food for Kindergarten!!! Maybe I'll get to that posting one of these days!!! Anywho...I may be the LAST mother to post a picture of the FIRST day of school, but I'm still going to do it! Here is my cute Chaddy on his first day of Kindergarten 3 WEEKS AGO! He has been ready for Kindergarten for a really looooong time! He loves it! He walks a mile ahead of me every morning and doesn't even look to see if I'm with him! I'm just not needed like I used to be!




Earlier this month we also celebrated my big 32nd birthday,
I ran the Salt Lake Half Marathon under 2 hours (New PR...Yeah!),
and we hiked to Ensign Peak with our Primary.
Sorry for the lack of details there, but my time is running out! I'll do another post soon about our big Top of Utah Marathon this last weekend, but, for now, my household duties are beckoning!!!

New Definition of Summer Madness!

I began this Summer with the hopes of keeping things simple. Staying home. Swimming occasionally. Reading some good books. Visiting the Library. A few BBQ's with friends. Making crafts with the boys. You know, a nice, relaxing, peaceful BREAK! We only had our annual camping trip to Warm River planned, and with Jeff taking his EMT class twice a week and on Saturdays all Summer, I thought I'd have no problem keeping things mellow around here! WRONG! I guess I'm just a sucker for a good time or something!

If Chad was asked what he did over his Summer Break, I'm not sure he'd know where to begin! Here's the list:
Crafts with Mom (I tried, we didn't do much!)
Visiting the Library
Playing with Webb cousins
4th of July parade & fireworks
BBQ's with friends (Almost EVERY week!)
Camping, fishing, floating, & playing at Warm River
(Kyle learned to ride his bike while camping!)
Hiking Millcreek Canyon
Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House
Walking the river at Sugarhouse Park
Playing with Maher cousins
Museum of Natural History
Hogle Zoo
Discovery Gateway
Playing at the park
Thanksgiving Point Children's Garden
Visiting with Sanderson's from Indiana
Sweet's Candy Factory
Discovery Gateway again!
Wheeler Farm
Classic Skating Bounce House
Working in the garden (we were home sometimes!)
Playing with friends
IKEA with Aunt DiDi and Uncle Mark
Playing with Puriri cousins
Playing with Niederhauser cousins
IKEA with Kelly (TWICE)
Thanksgiving Point Gardens
Museum of Ancient Life
Dinner with friends
And A LOT of running, bike riding, swinging, and visiting out on the front lawn!

By the end of it all, I felt a little like Alison looks in the last photo! I KNOW this slideshow is overkill, but it was either all or nothing! I couldn't bear to do a separate post about each of the fun things we did! Thank you friends and family for all of the invites! Lucky for you I didn't have my camera every place we went! I thought I knew how to say "NO"!!! Apparently NOT! You agree with my post title, now don't you?

One Step At A Time

I ALMOST made it without blogging for 2 whole months, but I have SO MANY pictures to share that I better just take this "one step at a time!" For tonight, I will just share these photos of my darling Alison.



Yup, she learned to walk just after she turned 13 months, and she is now 16 months. I'm a little slow, but she runs and climbs now, so I missed the opportunity to say she takes "one step at a time!" It's past my bedtime, and that was really cheesy! But, hey, I am finally blogging again, and you don't have to look at that picture of my running shoes anymore! :)

If These Shoes Could Talk...

...maybe they would've told about this AWESOME relay race from Logan to Park City that I did with 11 INCREDIBLE ladies over 2 weeks ago!!! Then again, maybe they wouldn't even know where to begin so they'd let a whole bunch of pictures do the talking! If you want to see my comments on each picture just click on the picture after it starts and you can go through the pictures at your own pace!
In a nutshell, the Wasatch Back was one of the most AMAZING, EXHAUSTING, EMOTIONALLY DRAINING, COOLEST things I've ever done! Our team ran the 188 miles in 30 hours 43 minutes and 42.1 seconds! Each person ran 3 different CRAZY legs each! And yeah, I've been talked into doing it again next year!

A Story To Tell, And It's A Good One!

I'm struggling with just how to tell this story, but rest assured it has a very happy ending! Yesterday I was talking to a ward member on the phone when my friend Camilla's number beeped in. I knew Camilla's baby was due, so I quickly excused myself from the conversation, but I was too slow. When I called Camilla back, she told me that she had been having contractions for a while but just wasn't sure if she should go into the hospital since she had already had a non-stress test that morning and they sent her home saying she was probably having "false labor!" She wondered if she could bring her other kids to my house so she could go in. I suggested that I come get her kids, but she said that she'd just bring them on her way. She started having a contraction and said she'd call me back. When she called back, she was sure that she should go in, but still thought she should just drop off the kids on her way. We hung up, and I quickly changed clothes and put on make up (this late in the afternoon, why even bother...I know!). She then called right back at 3:43 and asked if I could come watch the kids at her house! I could tell it was getting serious, so I told my boys to get their shoes and I woke up Alison and went right over. Her twins were out in their van, so I told them to get out and play, and that we'd be staying at their house until their Aunt came to pick them up. They told me that their Mom was in the bathroom having her baby. Right then I heard Camilla scream "LIZ, GET IN HERE NOW!" I dropped my bag outside their door and ran in to see my dear friend on her hands and knees on her bathroom floor! From this point on things happened so quickly that I know I don't have the exact details clear! I went into the bathroom and she told me that the baby's head was crowning. I put my hand on her back and looked over and sure enough there was a little head crowning and it was blue! I started saying "what do I do?" "what do I do?" I ran back out and got my cell and called 911. I placed Alison down on the floor in their Living Room. Camilla handed me their home phone, and I saw that the Salt Lake Fire Dept. was calling. I had two phones to my ears and wasn't even doing anything to help Camilla. The 911 lady that I had called told me not to hang up, but I told her that I had the Salt Lake Fire Dept. on the home line and that they were on their way. I needed to put one of the phones down and start helping my friend! They told me to get her on a bed on her back. I said this to Camilla and she said she couldn't move and that she needed to push. I ran into her bedroom and started pulling her comforter off so she could at least lay on it, but it never made it into the bathroom. I ran in and helped her roll over. Alison was crying in the hallway now. Camilla gave a good push and the baby's head came all the way out. She was screaming that I needed to pull and the lady on the phone was telling me to push something but I'm not sure what. I pushed on her thighs but decided I really needed to listen to Camilla. She said she was going to push and yelled at me to pull. I got my hands in there and tried once, but couldn't get him. The next time she pushed, I put my hands right in and pulled him out. I laid him on her stomach. He was completely blue/purple and not moving. (We're guessing by phone records that this was at 3:50...7 minutes after she called me the last time!!!) The 911 lady asked if he was crying, and I told her that my daughter was in the background crying. Camilla yelled at me to stop worrying about Alison. Camilla was then so with it, she told me to go get a syringe off of Roger's dresser. I ran in and the room seemed dark, but the green syringe stood right out. I grabbed it and we sucked out what we could and got him to make a little sound. I remember rummaging around on the floor and grabbed Camilla's garments and wiped him off a bit. I looked up and saw her neighbor Gordon grab my daughter and take her out. Right after we heard the baby, the paramedics arrived and I was able to hang up the 911 call. I got called back on my cell phone and they confirmed that two calls had been made for the same incident. Her husband D had called 911 from his cell phone while I was calling from my cell phone. Camilla told me that there were some towels in her laundry room. I ran and grabbed those and handed them to a paramedic. I went into the kitchen and washed my hands. I ran outside and saw some of their neighbors gathered on her driveway and across the street. I had a little freak out moment, and reality set in as to what just happened. I told the neighbors that she just delivered her baby on the bathroom floor. They all looked so shocked! I can't imagine how I looked. Camilla's husband D came out with the baby wrapped in a blanket and showed him to me. He already looked less blue. I guess D had arrived and went into the bathroom, but I never saw him go in. Now D is a DOCTOR, so it's unfortunate that I was there and not him, but it all worked out! He took the baby to the ambulance to get warm. One of the paramedics told me "Good job in there." It was all so surreal! I wanted to make contact with Camilla so I snuck in as they had her on a chair by the front door ready to put her on a stretcher. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and told her I loved her. The bowl she was holding totally caught my eye, but I thought it was something the paramedics had brought to catch any of the after birth. Nope, it turns out it was her own salad bowl! D gave me his car keys to bring up his car later, and they took Camilla and the baby up to the hospital. D's brother was going to take the kids so we got Roger who had been asleep downstairs through all of this. We grabbed his shoes. Davis made sure he grabbed his DVD player and Harry Potter DVD's. Eliza had the biggest smile when I told her that her brother was here and that they were going to take him up to the hospital. Camilla's sweet Sister-in-law stayed and cleaned up the bathroom. I talked to another neighbor who was pregnant. She said that she'd be having a scheduled c-section! :) I took my kids home and began calling everyone and telling my neighbors and flooring them with my story. I know this was long winded, but I was in a daze then, and these are the details I remember! Well, the happy ending is that baby Reed and Camilla are both great! He was 8 lbs 4 oz and 20 inches long. I went and visited them today and swapped stories with Camilla. She looked amazing, she IS AMAZING!!! She actually came home tonight! I am blessed in my life to have wonderful friends and family! I certainly look back and wish that I had done things differently or more calmly, but no more beating myself up! He made it, she made it, and I hope I never have to go through that again! So NO I'm not offering my services to any of you friends out there who are pregnant! Don't ask! And YES it will be a while before we even think if we would like to have another baby of our own!
Isn't Reed adorable??? And I apologize for the bloody capri's, but they are my proof! And signing the "Attendant" line on the vital records form was pretty cool, too! Yeah, you can say it....WOW!

All In A Day's Work

Within 24 hours our yard went from this

to THIS

with help from A LOT of wonderful people!!!

Due to a LITTLE overdose on the weedkiller, our lawn turned to straw about a month ago! Although we really enjoyed the crop circles that appeared and the fact that it might help scare away any potential buyers for our neighbors' home, we ultimately decided we needed to replace it! We planned on tearing it out and replacing it Thursday, Friday, and Saturday when we had a few minutes! Well our amazing neighbors, ward members, and even people we've never met from the local Young Single Adult Ward made it ALL happen within 24 HOURS!!! The timing of the neighborhood clean-up couldn't have been better! I know I'll never be able to adequately express my gratitude to ALL of these individuals, but I will say I know our Heavenly Father was watching out for us and sent these angels to the Hughes' Home this week!

Summer Break Here We Come!

There's nothing like a graduation or two to throw us right into Summer Break! As you'll see in this weeks slide shows, my BIG BOYS both graduated from their preschools! Kyle will be returning to the same preschool next Fall, but Chad is FINALLY going to be in Kindergarten! (He's been ready for a very LONG time!) They both had cute programs with their darling classes, and they both did so well singing their songs! Chad kept saying "You're going to cry!" when he'd talk about his program! Well, he was right! I did cry! They're growing up TOO fast!

Oh WAIT...it already felt like Summer Break last week when we busted out the slip n' slide and when we had a picnic with old friends! The kids LOVED Kyle's new slip n' slide! Alison even crawled up and down the thing! The picnic was with some of our friends from our old University Ward. We used to picnic at Murray Park ALL THE TIME! It was FUN to visit and let our kids play together! Bring on the BBQ's and late Summer nights!

My Sweet Kyle!

This weekend we celebrated my sweet Kyle's 4th birthday! I'll let the pictures do most of the talking, but here is a list of the highlights:
*froggie cupcakes for preschool friends on Friday with a few frog toys from his brother (say that five times fast!)
*Kyle telling me after school that they were "delicious"
*a couple of hours spent on a snake cake that made him super excited when he woke up
*Chad saying it was "awesome" in his newly acquired valley dude voice
*a few hours at the zoo with Aunt Karin and cousins Audrey and Dallin
*lunch at McDonald's thanks to Aunt DiDi
*a new desk with all of the supplies
*a lot of time spent coloring with cousins
*having a fun party with cousins Abby, Cannon, Lincoln, Marcus, Tiari, Audrey, Dallin, Grandma Hobson, Aunt Kristina, Aunt Karin, Uncle Clay and Aunt Tricia, and Liz's cousin Marianne
*Alison totally bonded with Grandma Hobson (She may be over the totally freaking out when she sees her phase!)
*fun inside and outside toys from everyone
*swinging and sidewalk chalk
*quick baths
*and very worn out children who slept past 8 o'clock!

Kyle is an amazing little four year old! He is spunky and loves life! He has learned so much this year, and loves bugs, coloring, writing notes, riding bikes, reading, dancing, and eating tons of SNACKS! He makes me smile and laugh all of the time, even when he's in time out! He is trying soooo hard to teach me patience! I just love this boy!

Simple Things

Mother's Day came and went, and I realized this year that it's a funny holiday for me because I always spend the day avoiding being a Mother! My sweet children, with some help from Jeff, took good care of me...breakfast in bed and all! I love being Chad, Kyle, and Alison's Mother! We sure have our share of good times together! As I was just thinking about this week and looked over the pictures that I took, I realized we had a pretty good week just doing a lot of simple things! That doesn't mean we were free from fighting or yelling, but we're trying! Simple thing #1: feeding the ducks, I mean GEESE, with some of our friends. Simple thing #2: playing with a cardboard box. I have to elaborate on this one...this box has entertained the boys and our neighbors for HOURS!!! It's been colored all over, used as a fort, used as a slide on our stairs, used as a hiding place for hide-and-go-seek, rolled in all over our driveway, torn apart and used as surf boards, and finally used for some crazy/wonderful imaginary world involving spaceships and special powers! Oh my! And to think we spend MONEY on TOYS!!! Simple thing #3: playing with cousins we haven't seen for a long time! It was so good to see the Jones' even for just a few hours! And simple thing #4: playing Checkers with cookies on a homemade board! (It's really hard not to jump Chad and Kyle's pieces every turn!!! I want them to learn the rules but also have a little success so they'll keep wanting to play! Tricky!) The weather has been Heavenly, and I've really enjoyed being outside with the kids, riding bikes, swinging on the tree swing, trying to keep Alison from swallowing too many rocks and plants, and just hanging out with our neighbors! Life can be crazy, but it's the simple things that make all the difference!

FIRST and LAST

FIRST Kiss for Alison...

LAST Soccer game for the boys and Coach Jeff...

Not much to blog about...not feeling very inspired tonight! But thought one or two of you would enjoy these photos!

(Well, I stand corrected....I'm a mother and I forget things...this technically isn't Alison's FIRST kiss...the little cutie has had boys after her since she was born! Her first boyfriend was Ben, but HE did all of the kissing! :) Now that she is one, she's moved on to being the aggressive one! Thank you Kerri for helping me keep things straight...there goes my cute title! Oh, and Mom...consider this admittance that I forget things another one of those realizations that Mom's DO THE BEST THEY CAN!!!)

My Baby is ONE!!!

We celebrated Alison's FIRST Birthday yesterday! I was a bit emotional all day! This year has been wonderful! Alison brings a very sweet spirit into our home! Her little jabbering always makes me smile! She understands sooo many things, and makes us laugh all the time! We love seeing her get around in her own special scooting on her bumb sort of way! She is standing up to things, but not attempting to walk without help just yet! Her favorite words are mom, dada, hi, no no, baby, nose, and ball. She loves to clap hands, wave bye bye, give kisses, touch her nose and eyes, pretend to eat things, and she is great at rolling a ball back and forth with her brothers! We had a nice little cake and ice cream party with our neighbors! (THE BEST neighbors in the WORLD!) They are ALL so cute with Ali, and we love having them in our lives! The pictures will speak for themselves, but she was absolutely darling with her cake...once she got going, she was double fisting it and even trying to lick the plate! I have spent A LOT of time on cakes in the past, but this year I relaxed and let the boys help me decorate and it turned out great! When I snuggled her a little bit ago before her nap I was thinking that I would love to keep her this small forever, but I know there are GREAT things in her future and I'm excited to see her learn and grow! I love you Alison!

Made It On the News!

My friend Katy just called and told me that she thought she saw me on the KSL News this morning! Well, sure enough they caught a clip of me giving a kid a high five at the finish of Saturday's race! After the short advertisement, I'm on at about 33 seconds into it! I look like I'm about to die! Poor kid...I didn't even smile or look at him as I high-fived him! You never know when people are watching!!! This is exactly why I stress about what to wear on race day! :)

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Salt Lake City Half Marathon 09'

I struggled with what to label this post....some thoughts: "To Brag, Or Not To Brag?", "What Did YOU Do Today?", "My Stomach HATES Me!!!", and "Just Another Post About ANOTHER Race I Did With Kerri!" Well, I went with the non-boastful, a little more humble title! Had to put in the 09' because I've done it once before in 06', and I'll probably be doing this one again! The official results are in, and I did it in 2:01:13, my new personal best!!! It was fantastic to run with my friend Kerri, and I am re-convinced of how down right amazing she is! (So proud of you for doing so well, especially after your CRAZY week!) The course has changed since 06', and I really liked the changes! The best one....we ran RIGHT by the end of our cul-de-sac! It was AWESOME! Coming around the corner and seeing my neighbors and my cute family was the BEST feeling! Not to mention that turning that corner past them meant that we were doing the HALF and not the WHOLE Marathon like those who turned left! It is so great to be a Runner Mom! We come from all walks (or RUNS) of life, all sorts of shapes and SIZES, each with unique strengths and weaknesses, various aches, pains, and even major health issues! But we do what we can, and sometimes we even push and do a little more than we think we can! This is just one of those things that keeps me going! Oh yeah, and my stomach really does hate me right now! One of the joys of pushing a bit too hard or something like that!!

Did I mention SIZES??? No wonder I can't always hear what Kerri is saying to me when we run! I'm such a GIANT! I know that's nothing new, but sometimes pictures just remind me how freekin' TALL I really am!