Life is Good.

Gettin' Some Air

2011-04-26T11:57:00.005-06:00

Bill does not want a tramp. Too dangerous. However, our dear friends and neighbors, the Franci (Francis, but we use the plural "Franci") have one and my kids use it probably more than they do. Kind of defeats the purpose of not having one, don't you think? I think one day when it needs replacing, we will need to offer to buy them a new one. So, Easter morning the kids went out and jumped and took these pictures. That's right, the kids took these and I thought they were pretty cool.

Clean Eating: Day Two

2011-04-20T12:04:00.005-06:00

I successfully made it through day one of clean eating. I also found two new products I absolutely love. The first is Silk Soy Milk. I had it on a bowl of cooked whole oats with a sprinkle of walnuts, and oh my goodness, I was in heaven.

The next product was this brown rice pasta:

The soy milk is probably nothing new to some of you, but to me it was and oh so yummy. I am going to go back and get the chocolate (not sure if it's clean, but I will read the ingredients and get back to you on that).

The brown rice pasta (found in the gluten-free isle at Wal-Mart) was quite good. Ben and Alex loved it with Ben asking, "Why don't you make this more often?"with me answering, "Well, Ben, I just made it up today!" I served it with carrots and chicken breast I simmered in the crock pot all day.

Now I'm not sure if it had to do with the clean eating, but my 9 mile run this morning felt amazing! I averaged under a 9 minute mile but the best part was I felt so good the whole time. I was holding out at first thinking I would get tired but by the last 2 miles I felt so good I was able to kick it up a notch. Could just be coincidence, but I'd like to think the eating made a difference. I just love The Gracious Pantry.com and have a list to go to the store to try some new recipes. I'll keep you posted!

Clean Eating

2011-04-19T12:33:00.004-06:00

Today I am going to try to eat clean. What is clean eating, you ask? Read this. I am one year from turning 40 and, boy, I am finding I can't get away with eating whatever I feel like anymore. So, I am going to take it one day at a time and do a little better with what I put in my mouth. I have a couple of clean eating recipe books and I want to use some websites like "The Gracious Pantry.com" for ideas. When I come across anything earth-shattering, I'll post it!

Back to Training

2011-04-13T15:01:00.006-06:00

I should be on the road for a 30 mile ride right now but I'm stalling so the temperature can rise a bit. When I took the kids to school it was 47 degrees. It's an hour later now so it should be at least 50 now. I can be such a wimp sometimes.

Life is starting to slow a bit, which is nice. During the weeks leading up to our vacation, I was working on our elementary school's yearbook, which I have done the last three years. I don't mind doing it, it's just time consuming.

I'm in week eight of my 16 week training for the Ironman 70.3. The numbers aren't too bad yet. My longest rides are up to 30-35 miles while my long run this week is only 8. I did pretty good on our cruise, running about 18 miles total and spinning for a total of at least 2 hours. I ended up gaining about 2-3 lbs which isn't too bad for as much as I ate (we're talking dessert both lunch and dinner and not to mention just the amount of food!) Hey, I had a great time and it was worth it. Now it's back to eating healthy and it feels good.

Training this week:

Monday: 2000 yard swim

Tuesday: Went to spin class instead of hill work outside. It was raining (more wimpiness). To my credit, we did a lot of hill work in class. After class, a guy (a definite cyclist) told me thanks for helping to push him. Hmm, I guess I appeared to be working hard.

Wednesday: I ran speed intervals on the treadmill for a total of 6 miles. I may be one of the crazy ones, but I really enjoy speed and hill work. It's much more interesting than tempo and distance runs. My workouts seem to go so much faster.

Thursday: 2400 yard swim. Swimming is going great. Have about a 45-50 second 50 yard pace, which I am content with. Endurance is feeling good, with my longest set yesterday at 1000 yards, taking about 17-18 min.

Today: I will ride 30 on the bike with a 3.5 mile run off the bike. I think I did pretty good keeping my base over the winter for the bike. I am riding strong (averaging 19mph, which is good for me).

Tomorrow: 8 mile run. My goal will be to get up early and get it done before Austin's soccer game at 8am. We'll see if that happens. I'm shooting for a 8:30 min mile pace.

Ok, that's my training week in a nutshell. And for your viewing pleasure, here are a couple pictures I took on my iPhone on my last brick (both a ride and run). I figured it might be interesting to document my ride/run with a couple of pictures:

Not the most flattering picture of me, but I am posting this in honor of Bill who bought my this awesome helmet for my birthday.

You can see things are starting to green up a bit. So nice.

So there's a little bit about where I am on the training. I really like having something to get me out the door for a good workout.

A Week of Sunshine

2011-04-12T14:14:00.010-06:00

I know I've been missing in action (I'm sure not too many people have noticed, except you, Brian!). I will try to keep you posted on my tri training later (it's going great, by the way). We have been out of town taking a family cruise. What a fun time we had! If you haven't already seen them on facebook, here are just a few pictures:

What wonderful memories. Now, back to the regular, everyday, wonderful memories.

Back in the Water Again

2011-03-03T09:57:00.007-07:00

Today was my first day back into the pool. It was extra special because Bill came with me today. He's had issues with his back and he's heard swimming can help. Hopefully it will.

I only needed to swim 600 yards today with a few speed sets and I exceeded that by quite a bit.

I say this every time I go a long time without swimming, but, why don't I do this more through the winter? It feels so good. My arms felt weak, though. That will come.

And So it Begins...

2011-02-22T11:38:00.009-07:00

Yesterday marked day one of my sixteen week training for Boise Ironman 70.3.

There's still snow on the ground so for now my bike workouts will consist of spinning on my trainer and I have yet to get myself in the pool. I was supposed to swim yesterday but I just got my hair colored and want to wait a few more days before I expose it to chlorine. So, I'm a vain triathlete. Today's run workout was 5 mile interval training on the treadmill. Nothing too exciting.

My big goal this year is to enjoy myself. There is a reason why I do this. I love the way I feel after a great swim, bike, or run. Also, I enjoy the mental toughness required for a long race. Your body will only carry you so far. When it gets tough, it's your mind that carries you the rest of the way. And then there's that feeling of extreme joy when you've completed your training and finished your race. That's me here after my last 70.3. I'm preeetty happy.

I also want to smile. It really helps you get through the tough times. Chrissie Wellington is one of my idols. Not because she is a three time Ironman World Champion, but because she has an amazing attitude and is a class act. She regularly smiles during competition. It is her secret weapon.

I may not crush the competition, but at least I can smile like Chrissie.

My Athletes on Canvas

2011-02-02T09:37:00.006-07:00

For Christmas this year my mom created these amazing portraits of my kids. The large originals hang in their bedrooms while I have prints in the family room. The detail is amazing down to the uniforms, shoes, and socks. My dad is an expert mat cutter and framer so you can imagine the finished product is awesome. These will be cherished for a lifetime. I'm sure you can just imagine how much we love them!! Is this not the best present ever??? Thank you Mom and Dad!

Carl Bloch - BYU Museum of Art

2011-01-26T10:08:00.022-07:00

A couple days ago, my mom called and said she and my dad were going to go down to the BYU Museum of Art to see the Carl Bloch art exhibit and wondered if I would like to go. I had about a hundred reasons why I shouldn't. I had mounds of laundry to fold, a PTA newsletter and yearbook to work on, and we were low on groceries.

But, something told me I needed to go.

It was amazing and inspiring.

Carl Bloch was a nineteenth century Danish artist that is recognized by many as the greatest artist ever to interpret the life and death of Christ. He considered his religious paintings to be the most significant accomplishments of his career. I learned that it was Bloch's tender and sensitive soul that enabled him to portray the life of the Savior so beautifully. The exhibit includes five altar paintings, 11 etchings and 21 other works from around Denmark and Sweden. You can find out more about the exhibit here: Also, I found this video very interesting. It is well worth watching.

I am not very knowledgable about artwork and painting like my mom, but, I could tell I was in the presence of masterpieces. Some of the artwork is very large, enabling you to really appreciate and feel the pieces. I was moved by every one. One of my favorites was this:

It is titled: The Daughter of Jarius. Here, the mother sits by her daughter's lifeless body, despairing - a tear running down her cheek. Christ has arrived at the doorway as the sun is rising behind him as a foreshadowing the miraculous miracle that is about to occur.

The Doubting Thomas.

Here, Bloch captures the moment after Thomas has touched the resurrected Christ and his overwhelming realization of who he really is.

Christ and the Young Child

I remember the beautiful eyes of the child and the Savior in this piece.

Christ The Consoler

This piece depicts how all may come unto Christ. Bloch used his own family in this painting.

Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesda

This painting is actually owned by the BYU Art Museum. It is considered their greatest piece. It is truly breathtaking. Here one feels drawn into the painting as the man in the red scarf makes eye contact with the observer. Also, I couldn't help but notice that so many in the picture are too busy to see the Savior. I am so grateful I took the time to see this beautiful and sacred exhibit. I plan on taking my family down to see it and anyone else who wants to go.

It is at BYU until May and then the art pieces find their way back home to churches all over Denmark and Sweden.

Winter Break = Good Times

2011-01-03T13:10:00.018-07:00

Winter break is over, the kids are back in school, and the house is quiet. Today I'm taking down the Christmas decorations. Feels good. I'm taking a minute to post some pictures from the last couple weeks. What a good couple of weeks we had:

We enjoyed the lights at Temple Square.

The home teachers came and brought some Piroutte cookies and the kids immediately started smoking them like cigars. Nice. I'm pretty sure that's not what the home teachers intended.

We were able to attend a couple BYU basketball games. One at Weber State and one down in Provo. I can't believe it has been 16 years since I was a student at the Y. The ol' Marriott Center brought back so many memories. Pretty glad I'm not having to write papers and take exams, though.

Ben turned twelve on Christmas Eve. I love that boy. Such a good kid.

Ben informed me recently that he would love to try hockey. (Yeah, I'm sure we could fit that in between football, basketball, and baseball. Not.) So, he decided to go ice-skating on his birthday.

I think this is where he is thinking hockey is definitely out. In fact he told me that ice-skating was pretty much the dumbest thing he could've done on his birthday.

Here's Jordan, our "fourth" son hitting the deck. I'm glad he found it funny.

I'm happy to report everyone (including Ben) had a great time in the end after they caught the hang of it.

What a great Christmas we had. Here Erin was pretty happy to receive the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" Book set from Grandma Bailey.

Over the break, Ben and Alex worked on and completed their Carpentry Merit badge for Scouts at Grandpa Bailey's house.

Alex and his good friend Alex working on some masterpiece, I'm sure.

Erin serving a meal to her new pink Sock Monkey. I think she must be very hungry.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday season. I was pretty lame and didn't send out any cards this year. I've never done that before. Everything just came at me too fast so I apologize if you were waiting in anticipation for our card. I also hope 2011 will bring much happiness to all my family and friends. I know it will for us.

Kicking off the Holidays

2010-12-01T10:17:00.003-07:00

Winter is here even if it's not official. The last week or two we have been hit with a few storms and super cold temperatures. Here, Erin built a snowman with the first snowfall of the season which, luckily, was perfect slushy snow for building a snowman. Utah generally has light, powdery snow - great for skiing but not so great for building snowmen. I'm glad she was able to build this little guy before the real snow fell.

This year's rivalry game between BYU and University of Utah did not disappoint. Well, it did me but not the Ute fans. BYU was the better team that day but it came down to a couple bad breaks and a big play by Utah in the final seconds that secured the win for the red team. Boo.

Hope y'all are having a good start to the Christmas season! This year I want to really feel the true meaning of Christmas more than ever. Less hustle and bustle and more love and gratitude. Less tinsel and gloss and more Savior and substance. May you all truly find what you are looking for this Christmas season.

Hoops

2010-11-15T12:38:00.015-07:00

Basketball is off and running. Alex is playing on the Fairfield Jr. High team while Ben is playing comp basketball in a couple local leagues. We have four games a week, not to mention all the practices. Good thing these boys love to play. They play hard. I'm proud of them.

On a side note, I am trying to perfect my basketball photography. It's tough to take a good picture in a gym. You need a quick shutter speed to catch the action, but then you don't let enough light in. I'm thinking I need a much better flash. I will have to write that on my wish list to Santa...

Our Utah Jazz have had an amazing run this last week. They overcame double digit deficits to win the last five games. So fun to watch them play. If they are playing, the game is guaranteed to be on at our house. Big Jazz fans here.

Ben created this from a picture of himself. I thought it was pretty cool and would throw it in:

Lastly, I signed up for the Boise Half Ironman for the second time. This was a super fun race. My training program will start in February. I love having the motivation for a big race.

Halloween Weekend

2010-11-01T10:58:00.012-06:00

It was a busy weekend. Basketball, strep, and Halloween. (More on basketball later). Thursday morning after Erin's birthday she complained of a sore throat. Friday her tonsils were large and spotted. Nice. So, we went to the doctor and strep it was. Although I tried to convince her to get a one time antibiotic shot, she would have none of it. Why is it so hard to convince a girl who can barely swallow, has a terrible headache, and who is running a fever of 102 to get a shot? I don't know...so, 10 days of amoxicillin. Good thing that stuff worked fast enough so she felt good enough and was not contagious for trick-or-treating.

Saturday we were still pulling costumes together. I had already taken Austin to Savers for his costume (Al Capone/gangster - his idea). Erin wanted to be a mummy and I hadn't really thought about it until then. I ripped up a sheet and it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.

The older boys decided to be stick people with glow sticks. Not bad for a $6 dollar costume. They looked really cool out in the dark. I have a cool video I took but blogger won't upload it for some reason. This picture doesn't really do it justice.

Dinner.

Erin with her loot. Our sweet, elderly neighbor gave us a loaf of his famous homemade wheat bread. The best treat of the night!

Our Baby Girl is 7

2010-10-27T11:04:00.021-06:00

Could it really be seven years since our little girl was born? Where has all the time gone? This little blessing to our family has brought so much joy. When I had Austin, I just figured Bill and I were destined to have only boys. I was perfectly happy with that. Then little Erin Elizabeth came along bringing with her a beloved pink (now grayish) blankie, jewelry, dolls, and make-up (for now it's only play make up..). Thank heavens this girl loves sports, fitting right in with her brothers! She is doing wonderfully in school, loves her friends, loves dance and soccer, and is always busy on some sort of project.

When I first saw this painting years ago, called "Denim and Lace" by Greg Olsen, I hoped I could have a girl just like this one. I think I got my wish!

We love you, Erin! Happy Seventh Birthday!

Fall Fun and Glasses

2010-10-22T10:51:00.020-06:00

Last week we decided we had better head up to the mountains to see the colors before all the leaves fall. We drove to Snowbasin (ski resort) and we weren't disappointed. It was about 3 or 4 in the afternoon and the sun was on it's way down. Perfect for taking pictures. This one was taken by Ben with my iphone. Not too shabby!

Another with my iphone:

The pictures of the kids were with my Nikon:

Alex hates getting his picture taken so I had a hard time getting a good one of him - you know, where he actually smiles...

This was with my iphone as we were driving by Pineview...

...driving through Ogden canyon, again with my iphone.

Some more pretty shots with my Nikon. I believe Alex took these for his photography class at school.

On another note, this last week I have had to wear glasses. Doctors orders. So when I went in yesterday for my follow-up, I was whole-heartedly thinking I would get that contact prescription in my grubby little hands and be wearing contacts by 10:30 that morning. Not so. Apparently, my corneas are too "irritated" by dryness and allergies and other such nonsense and two more weeks (possibly more!) will do the trick. Ugh! It's about the worst sentence a girl like me could get. I don't think my eye doctor thought it was funny when I told him I would just have to find another doctor that would give me my prescription for contacts. I was sooo kidding, but he didn't think I was, hehe. My kids all keep asking when I get to wear contacts because they like me better without glasses. Kids are too honest. Oh well. So, I just remind myself to be grateful for the fact that I can see at all and glasses aren't the worst thing in the world to have to endure.

Falling for Fall

2010-10-11T14:08:00.008-06:00

Ah, my favorite time of year. I've always loved autumn. Although summer is nice and I'm sad to see it go, I'm always happy to see fall roll around. Here in Utah the colors are especially bright and vibrant. The days becomes cooler and the nights crisper. One of my favorite things in fall is going for a run in the cool, moist air and smelling smoke from chimneys. Also, instead of the regular scentsy burner, I splurge and light candles. Hmmm, nice and cozy.

Football is finally over for my older boys. Both made it to the playoffs but played tough teams and got eliminated in the first round. It is bittersweet. Austin and Erin have one more game to play in soccer. Now we move indoors to basketball. Actually, both older boys have already had practices and Ben's first game is next week. Never a dull moment...

I've never made caramel apples with the kids and so last weekend we made some with the neighbors. It was easy and the kids loved them.

Happy fall, everyone!

Time Stand Still

2010-09-29T09:09:00.009-06:00

The other day I was listening to "Time Stand Still" by Rush during my run and the lyrics really hit home. Time is moving too fast. My kids are growing up much too quickly and we are so busy that time is just flying by.

"Summer's going fast, nights growing colder.

Children growing up, old friends growing older.

Freeze this moment a little bit longer.

Make each sensation a little bit stronger."

Here are a couple of recent pictures that I like of each member of our family:

Ben with his cousin, Parker.

Austin saving a goal.

Alex playing Clearfield

Bill and Erin at Applebees.

Just a little word of advice today: enjoy the moment!

It's a Hard Knock Life!

2010-09-13T12:29:00.014-06:00

This summer Austin and Erin participated in a local production of Annie Jr. directed and produced by our good friend Dana Francis. She does an amazing job every year. I'm always blown away by the incredible performance by the kids considering they only rehearsed for about a month, three hours a week. The most important part is the kids have a really good time and it's a great way for them to spend those long summer days.

Austin played an orphan and President Franklin D. Roosevelt (which by the way, was a perfect part for him!) and Erin was cast as an orphan. She had a couple little solos which she just loved. I think she will continue doing theater while Austin may or may not, depending on what his friends do. I had to do a little convincing to get him to be in this one and I know he didn't regret it. So, enjoy a few pictures from Erin and Austin's play!

Baseball, The Lake, and More Baseball

2010-08-30T11:04:00.018-06:00

This summer was nice but it was not a relaxing one. It was a summer full of Girl's/Scout/basketball Camps, baseball, Youth Conference, trips to Bear Lake and Heber City, my 20th High School Reunion, and even a production of Annie (my next post). As I just look at our July, I can't believe we fit so many things in. Here are a few pictures of how we spent some of our July:

Ben was on a competitive baseball team that played in two leagues. The Rocky Mountain Super League and the Layton City comp league. They were a young team but managed to win the Layton City league and tournament.

Alex turned 14 this July. We celebrated at the cabin in Bear Lake. He's one of the only 14 year old's I know that would request fruit as his "birthday cake". He really is one great kid!

We spent time on the lake (very cold, I might add)!After years of saying we needed to, we rented Surries. Although the men pretended to be embarrassed, it was a blast. Check out the fun-ness below:

The weather was nice and hot and so treats were a must. Some opted for Raspberry shakes, others for sno- cones, and still others frozen yogurt. Although I didn't get a picture, my $7.00 frozen yogurt will forever be part of Bear Lake History.

Pickleville Playhouse is always fun for a night out at Bear Lake. We had a good time watching "Crazy for You".

There's nothing like a baseball game on a hot summer's eve. We caught a couple of Salt Lake Bee's games with friends and family.

A little blurry but you get the idea..

The ballpark is definitely one of our family's "happy places".

Back to School

2010-08-23T12:21:00.007-06:00

Today I have a kid in 9th grade.... (he can never take a serious picture)

...I have a kid who thinks he's too old for sixth grade and should be in junior high...(can you spot that kid?)

...and then a happy fourth and first grader.

Erin is very happy to be in school all day and have lunch there. My biggest fear this year is that we could have daily meltdowns over clothes and hair at 8 in the morning. I haven't had to get a girl ready in the morning. She is very particular.

But, for the most part, I'm thinking it's gonna be a great year!

January 2010

2010-03-17T13:48:00.000-06:00

I just returned home from a field trip with Austin's class to the Living Planet Aquarium in Salt Lake. It wasn't too bad for an aquarium 1200 miles inland from the ocean. I really should be working on some PTA stuff but because I am determined to catch up to the present on my blog, I am going to take 30 minutes (and 30 minutes only) to share some of the highlights from January.

From October to just last week our Saturdays and a few week nights were full of basketball games. Alex played on a comp(etition) team as well as Jr. Jazz while Ben played in two comp leagues, one being in Ogden 30 minutes away. They had a great time. Ben's Layton comp team took first place and received trophies. It was a great season for both of them.

I was not responsible for taking these pictures (maybe Ben?) but they showed up on my camera. This is Austin in a wrestling mask diving into the Love Sack. I am only posting them because they crack me up. Please disregard the messy toy room.

Here Austin is passing off his final requirement to earn his Cub Scout Wolf badge. He needed to cook an outdoor meal. It's not dutch oven cookin' but I think it was good enough.

The Pinewood Derby was the Pack Meeting for January. Austin wanted to make his a big pink eraser. Of course Bill didn't mind as very little woodworking was required for this "car".

Much to Austin's chagrin, he made it to the school-wide spelling Bee. We didn't really study a lot but he did make it through to the second round. You might be thinking why I posted a picture of some dark haired kid. Well, it also happened to be crazy hair day and Austin wanted his hair black. Here he is spelling the word "diamond" - correctly, I might add.

We had to be extremely quiet for the spellers but Erin managed to hold up this sign to "cheer" Austin on.

Erin and her best friend Lyndi participated in the Layton High Cheerleading Clinic for future Lancer Cheerleaders. They had a great time learning a dance to music and then performed at halftime in a varsity basketball game. (Don't tell them their LL's are backwards!)

Stay tuned for February...

December 2009

2010-03-15T14:11:00.000-06:00

Well, here it is March and I am just now getting to our December photos. I really need to be like those bloggers that post once a week so I don't have to spend a whole afternoon uploading a gazillion photos. Maybe someday...

Here we went to see the lights in Layton Commons Park. They do an amazing job. Apparently only Ben and Erin were impressed.
Every year we have a special time-honored tradition where I go to Sam's Club and buy the gingerbread kit. It takes a lot of thought and preparation to do this. Then all the kids decorate it. Well, this year only Erin and Austin had any interest in participating in this special tradition.

Ben received his Arrow of Light Award in Cub Scouts the week before Pack meeting. A scout is always prepared, right? Yeah, well, we are but just at the last possible minute.
Ben turned 11 on Christmas Eve. We had a great time bowling and playing laser tag at Boondocks.

Here are their game faces:

(I didn't hear the game faces part.)

Erin mad that she lost. This girl is competitive times 10.

The kids won a ton of tickets to cash in for prizes. Just what we need, more sticky hands and bouncy balls.

Erin and her American Girl Doll, Hailey, got matching dresses for Christmas. Hailey also apparently broke her arm and leg. Poor Hailey.

We rang in the New Year banging pots and pans at midnight.
OK, so there's our December in a nutshell. Stay tuned for some Jan/Feb pictures...

Fall 2009

2009-12-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

I know it has been too long since I last posted (could it be three months???). Instead of jumping right to the present, here are some pictures from fall of 2009!

Austin and Erin both played soccer......

.....while Alex and Ben both played football. Four games every Saturday was not easy but we managed to make it to some if not all of the games. It was quite the juggling act!

I was lucky enough to catch this video of Ben scoring a touchdown. I definately preferred to watch the games rather than film them. (On a side note, my kids continually make fun of my comment at the end of the run.)

Bill took Alex and Ben to a BYU football game,
we picked the apples off our trees,
picked some pumpkins from the patch at J&J,

....and celebrated both Erin's 6th and Bill's 40th (!!!) birthday (The kids picked out a BYU Snuggie for him.)

Ben started playing on a comp basketball team...
...and Austin played Jr. Jazz.
The kids went trick or treating...
...and we made shakes with the loot.
We had a yummy Thanksgiving dinner at Bill's parents...

...enjoyed time with my family in Payson...

...and finished off the weekend with the rivalry game between the Utes and Cougars. (Thanks for the *ahem* yummy cupcakes, Isoms!) Oh, and in case you didn't hear, BYU won this year. :)

O
Ok, I gotta wrap this post up. Stay tuned for some December pictures coming soon...

What a Night!

2009-09-14T10:45:00.000-06:00

Bill and I were fortunate enough to go to the BYU vs. Oklahoma game over Labor Day weekend and can I just say, it was AWESOME! We went from hoping to not get embarrassed to thinking we could win it at half time to ecstasy at the final minutes. What a great road game to go to!

Cowboys new billion dollar stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Going in to our seats on the 13th row from the field.

Sitting in the BYU section. There were 75,000 people there and only 15,000 BYU fans. I must say, though, that the Oklahoma fans were some of the nicest fans I have ever come across. (Definately not your typical Utah fan ;)

Oklahoma's unsuccessful field goal in the final minutes of the game.

The stadium had LCD screens in the center of the field. The longest of which were 60 yards long. Crystal clear. Amazing.

After the game my sister, Amy, texted me that she had seen us on ESPN. She took a picture of it and posted it on facebook:

It really was a good, good night :)

Enjoying Summer

2009-08-10T13:12:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures from our very busy July. It started with Girl's Camp for me and Scout Camp for Alex. Bill and Ben ran the local 4th of July Fun Run, we watched the Parade and cheered Ben on in his Allstar championship game.

One of the highlights of the summer is to go to our lakehouse at Bear Lake for a week with our good friends. We always have a blast. This year's trip went so fast that no one seemed to want to leave.

We have a trip this week to Seattle and then school starts! Where did the time go?

Also, I have added a few of the latest songs I have been running to. Enjoy the last of summer!

Having a Great Summer

2009-06-27T20:44:00.000-06:00

We are having a great summer. So great, we can't keep up on our blog! Soooo, here is a brief summary of what we have been up to these last couple of months:

Baseball has been every night of the week. EVERY night! Good thing we love it so much! Alex's position is second base and his team was the Cub's. The team was comprised of 7th and 8th graders and it was really fun to watch this level of baseball. They have come a long way since T-ball!

Ben's team this year was the Mariner's (my favorite ball club, of course!). They had an amazing season going undefeated, winning their division but losing in the championship game. Ben played catch and second base. Way to go M's!

*update* - Ben wanted wanted me to say this is a picture of his inside the park home run!

Austin was a Brave this year. Such a cute age! He had a blast and really became quite the baseball player this year. The last up to bat of the season Austin belted one right over second - the smile on his face was priceless!

We finished up spring soccer in May. Although not my favorite sport, I loved watching Erin and Austin play. We learned Erin is VERY competitive. One particular game when down by a few goals and she was playing her heart out Erin said in tears,"I know I am supposed to be having fun but we're losing and I am NOT having fun!".

Austin is still sticking with soccer. Our older boys just never loved it but Austin does - and doing well, too! Not only can he succesfully play, he can also keep the spectators on the sidelines laughing at all of his comments. Those of you who know Austin personally, know he is a funny kid. Well, he doesn't dissapoint on the field either!

Alex is my "do everything" kid. He wants to do it ALL. So, this last April to June he was involved in track, baseball, and a musical. Not just in a musical, but one of the main leads! So, many days, Alex would have track after school until 5, go straight to baseball practice, then have Suessical until late evening.
This is Alex with his good friend, Alex. His good friend Nathan also ran track with them. Everyday they warmed up with a 3 mile warmup and conditioning for another hour. Way to go Fairfield Falcons!

This is the cast of Suessical Jr. Another AMAZING performance directed by my good friend Dana Francis. Many kids in our neighborhood were in the play - it was so wonderful!

This is Alex as Horton the Elephant and our cute neighbor Madison as Gertrude McFuzz.

This is Alex singing one of my favorite songs, Alone in the Universe. If you notice the backround, you will see the amazing sets my mom painted for the musical. They were awesome, Mom!

Austin played the Mayor of Whoville. He had a couple of solos. Great job, Aus!

Erin had a couple of parts but the most notable was the baby kangeroo. The costumes were so amazingly done by my neighbor Barbara Peterson. So colorful and fun to look at!

I had the opportunity to train and participate in the Boise Ironman 70.3 (half of the distance of a full Ironman's 140.6). The swim was 1.2 miles, the bike was 56 miles, and the run 13.1 miles. It was an amazing exerience and SO glad I did it. I am definately hooked on the longer distances. I hope to do it again next year! I'll be back...(said in a thick Austrian accent).

Ok, that is what we have been up to lately. I hope to keep ya'll posted a little better but looking at my track record, I wouldn't hold your breath. Hope you are all having a great summer!

My Aussie

2009-03-16T15:22:00.000-06:00

The last couple of weeks have been crazy as I have been in the thick of finishing the yearbook for the elementary school the kids go to. It is quite the undertaking and I will be pretty happy when I am done. I have been madly taking pictures and organizing pages. I actually enjoy it in a sick, twisted way but wish I had more hours in the day to accomplish everything I need to.

A couple weeks ago Austin was baptized. It was a very special day as we were able to have family and friends there. I can't believe that my third child is old enough to be baptized! Time really flies. Austin is such an amazing kid! I am so proud of him.
I was organizing some files on the computer and found some old pictures of Austin. Here's a few pictures of my "Aussie Bear":

Love you Austin!!!!

Back to Blogging (again) and Day ONE....

2009-02-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

I am back to blogging. I promise this time.

Today is day one of my half Ironman training schedule. For those who don't know, I am doing the Boise Ironman 70.3 in June. The 70.3 stands for how many miles you go: half the distance of a full Ironman's 140.6 miles (in case you needed help with the math!). My training schedule lasts 16 weeks and today was my big return to the pool. I haven't been swimming too much this winter because I hate the cold and nothing is colder than getting yourself to the pool at 5am with a foot of snow on the ground. Today was not bad at all! I really enjoyed it actually. Except for the fact that I was slower on my speed sets than I used to be, I was pretty happy with my endurance. I have kept up my running and biking (thanks to spin classes and a bike trainer) so hopefully the swimming will come back quickly.

I hope to keep you posted on my progress as I train in the next 16 weeks. Of course and more importantly, I will be posting family updates as well. My kids have been bugging me to start blogging again as they have really enjoyed it in the past. For those not on facebook, that is what I have been doing with my computer time. I am looking forward to catching up on everyone else's blogs as well.

Just a few pictures to update you on the last couple of months:

Ben's Pinewood Derby Car "The Big Cheese" did pretty well but was by far the most creative (in my opinion!).

Erin participated in the Layton High School Cheerleading mini-clinic that performed at a basketball game. She had a great time.

Bill is coaching both Alex and Ben's Jr. Jazz teams. The boys are constantly outside playing basketball or watching basketball on tv. Both of their teams are doing pretty well.

Austin celebrated his 8th birthday this month. He is excited about being baptized this week.

Oh, and I have addded some of my latest favorite running/workout songs to my playlist. Give them a listen...

It Feels like Christmastime

2008-12-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

It's the Christmas season - what a great time of year! Today was the first significant snowstorm of the year and I am helping kids put on their snowpants and boots and find matching gloves and mittens. However, I wanted to post a few pictures before it got too long inbetween posts!

We have had a lot going on as most of you have. Here are a few pictures of some of the things we have been doing this last week:

We went to Salt Lake for dinner at the Spaghetti Factory at Trolly Square where Erin and Austin saw Santa,

then we went to Temple Square to see the lights,

and last Monday we decorated a Gingerbread house. This is a picture of it before the kids ate half of the candy.
Well, these were our festive activities during the last week in a nutshell. I apologize for keeping the commentary to a minimum but I have a million things to do as I sit here. I figure people really only like pictures anyway. Hope you all are having a great holiday season!

Back at It

2008-12-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

I have turned into a deadbeat blogger. It has been three weeks since I have posted and I am forcing myself to post something. Anything. I will be better.

I haven't downloaded the Thanksgiving pictures yet but I can assure you we had a great Thanksgiving weekend. However, I am in detox mode from all the naughty food I ate and as of this moment I haven't had any sugar for about 20 hours. We will see how long that lasts. You'd be amazed at how many sugary foods I mindlessly reach for throughout the day!

On another note, Austin really wanted me to post a picture of his book report poster he did for school a while ago. He worked really hard on his poster and was excited for me and the other moms to come see the finished products at school.
(It also happened to be silly sock day that day.)

Austin is pretty creative. A couple weeks ago I was sitting at the computer when a jumbo teddy bear on a rope drops outside the window. I have to say it is quite startling to have a stuffed animal the size of a small child drop outside the window:

Next a note drops down:

Now, unfortunately I had to end the fun because any good mom knows it's dangerous for kids to play at an open second story window but it's little things like this that make me smile and enjoy being a mom.

A Song for a Long Run

2008-11-08T21:24:00.001-07:00

Today I ran long to start getting my body used to longer distances again. It was an amazingly beautiful fall morning, the perfect temperature and smelling of fallen leaves. The kind of morning that you're sure to get that runner's high.

One thing I find when I run long, I need to start real easy so when I get close to the end of my run I have the energy to pick up the pace. I find that sometimes fast paced songs are not always the best to listen to at the beginning of these runs. Songs that are somewhat relaxing help to calm me and even relax me while running. Today one song I really enjoyed was "Where are You Going" by Dave Matthews Band. His voice is soothing (even sexy) and I love the style of music, it's real original. Another song I loved this morning was "When You Come Back Down" by Nickel Creek. It's a perfect song for a cool crisp autumn morning run. Listen to it, you'll see what I mean. You'll find this song after "Where are You Going" on my playlist. Happy running!

Friday's Song of the Day

2008-11-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

Today's song is "A-Punk" by Vampire Weekend. This is a short fun little diddy that has a good running beat.

Our Last Week of October

2008-11-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Can it already be November? The last week of October was pretty busy. Monday was a big day for Erin. She finally turned 5. She had anticipated her birthday for so long and so when the big

day finally came, I don't think she was disappointed. It started with a special breakfast and the opening of presents before everyone left for work and school.

She had been asking for an American Girl Doll for a long time. Then the week before her birthday she decided she didn't want one, much to my surprise. However, because I had already ordered the doll, there wasn't any going back. Needless to say I was a little nervous to see her reaction to her gifts. Luckily, she loved her doll and new outfits. The doll is a "like me" doll and so her hair color and eyes match Erins. She really is a beautiful doll. Erin carries her around every where she goes.

Then it was off to McDonalds for lunch with some of her best friends. They all had a great time eating and playing on the toys.

She was able to play with her best friend, Lyndi, for the afternoon and then Grandpa and Grandma Bailey took her to Toys-R-Us for a little Birthday shopping. After a dinner of her favorite homemade pizza, we all sang Happy Birthday and had cake and ice-cream. Happy Birthday, Erin, we love you!

On Thursday, I went to help in Austin's class for his Halloween party. It's always fun to go into the class and see the kids your child hangs out with day in and day out. We did crafts, games, and had treats. Thanks Shelly, Janae, and Amy who came and helped me run the party. I am really happy with Austin's teacher, Mrs. Carmony. She is so good and patient with the kids and the most important thing is that Austin loves her!

Then for the big day - Halloween. The kids didn't have school that day and so they kicked back all morning and watched the Goosebumps marathon on TV. Bill took the older boys to the Layton High football game while Erin and Austin went to their friends house for a Halloween party (thanks Nikki!).

Then the big moment arrived and Bill took the kids trick-or-treating while Jack and I stayed home and passed out candy. The weather was so warm that the kids lasted over an hour and a half, allowing them to come home with huge, overflowing sacks of candy. When they came home Bill asked, "What's with the pumpkin outside?" I had no idea what he was talking about and so I went outside to see the Ute jack-o-lantern glowing brightly on our porch. For those who don't know, this is blasphemy to have any sort of University of Utah item anywhere near our home. Of course I knew exactly who the culprit was and the next morning I returned the unholy gourd to it's home. (Thanks, Trevor!)

So, now it's on to November....

Running song of the day: Today's running song is Hysteria, by Muse. This song comes recommended from my sister Amy. I downloaded it a couple weeks ago and I love it. Today I think I played it over at least three times. It fits my running cadence perfect. Thanks, Ame! If you want to hear it, just go down to my player at the bottom of the page and it is the next song after Lollipop. Love it!

Get Jazzed

2008-10-28T15:28:00.000-06:00

Hey Jazz fans! The 2008-2009 season is here and we are ready. The weather is colder and the days are shorter and that means a Jazz game is on at our house almost every night of the week.

Bill and Alex went to the last pre-season game against the Trailblazers last week. They went with Alex's good friend Nathan and his dad, Calvin. They had seats on the eighth row, which is always spectacular. There's nothing like being close to NBA action! Alex caught a ball that was thrown into the crowd, he and Nathan made it onto the JumboTron, and then the Jazz pulled out a come -from-behind win, so it couldn't have been a better night. Here's to another great season!

Nathan and Alex

That crazy Jazz Bear! The great Jerry Sloan.

Erin's favorite, Boozer.

The Jazz Bench

Mehmet

More Jazz Bear Antics!

A Perfect Fall Day

2008-10-25T19:57:00.000-06:00

Today was a busy, busy day but couldn't have been more perfect. It started with Austin's first Junior Jazz game of the season (or ever, for that matter). Bill is once again coaching. He has coached Alex and Ben's team the last few years and now this year Austin is old enough to play. It is really entertaining watching 2nd and 3rd graders learn the sport of basketball. The rims are lowered to accommodate their small size and allowances are made at times for double dribbling and traveling while the boys master the new skills. It will be a fun season.

Next, we made a mad dash to Erin's preschool Halloween concert. It was at an old historic farm around the corner that apparently was the shooting location for many tv shows and movies, including Halloween. Yes, THE Halloween movie. I think my source was fairly reliable, as she has lived here for over 80 years. The program was very fun and the kids loved exploring the somewhat spooky premises. We then went home to watch the BYU/UNLV football game. It was an uncomfortably close game that made me question the strength and effectiveness of our defense. Luckily we squeaked by with the win.

Then we were off to Alex's flag football game. Now that he is twelve he can participate in the YM flag football games. Today they played in the region semifinal and final game. They ended up taking second but played awesome. He is definately smaller than the older boys who are as old as 17 and 18, but he had some great plays that included sacking the quarterback for a huge loss. The young men in our ward are really great

guys. The have done a nice job including the younger boys like Alex.

At the same time and place as the football game, we had a ward harvest/Halloween party. It was the best party in years, I think. It was outdoors with games, food, and dancing. The weather couldn't have been any better. About 72 degrees well into the evening. The kids wore their costumes as well as a few adults. That's Austin in the werewolf costume sitting next to Erin in the top picture, in case you were wondering.

The dominant theme for this year's costumes was Star Wars. It's amazing how that movie has lasted the test of time (or really good marketing, I guess).

It's days like this that makes me realize how much I love living here. Good friends and neighbors, football, and beautiful Utah seasons makes me feel pretty lucky.

Austin and Ben, Two Great Kids

2008-10-23T12:52:00.001-06:00

Soccer season is over for the fall. Austin had a great season but what really made it great was playing with friends and having a great coach. He had his good friends Jackson and Taylor on the team and that made it a blast for him. Taylor's dad, Trevor, coached the boys and did a fantastic job. Not only did he pick Austin up for practice every week, he taught them the type of songs every boy likes, like songs about burning down the school and the ice cream man running over children. You know, that kind of stuff. Thanks for a great season, Trevor!
Last night Ben was awarded his Bear award at Cub Scout Pack meeting. He's such a great kid. However, he really isn't that into cub scouting. He doesn't like to wear the uniform and I really have to drag him out the door for den meeting so I am glad he got his award. All the credit goes to his former den leader, Janae. She was so on the ball and really cared for the boys(she has since been released).
Oh, the running song of the day is "Dancing with Myself" by Billy Idol. It has a great cadence for running.

Monday's Running Song of the Day

2008-10-20T10:53:00.000-06:00

Today I was kind to myself. After all, it is Monday! I decided today I was running because I love to run. No speed workouts or tempo runs. Just a fun easy run to remind myself why I love to run.

Today's song: "Hung Up" by Madonna.
*Make sure you listen for the line, "Those who run seem to have all the fun!". I smile everytime I hear it.

Running Song of the Day

2008-10-18T22:30:00.000-06:00

"She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult. This helped me stay on pace the last mile today!

Running Song of the Day

2008-10-17T14:34:00.000-06:00

I am going to start a new element to my blog by posting my favorite running song of the day from my daily runs/workouts. There are songs I like to run to and then there are songs that really get me moving when my energy is running low. These songs vary from day to day so I thought I would post my favorite song of the day and play it for you on my blog's playlist. We could kind of have an exchange - please comment on some of your daily favorites as well - I'm always looking for new music.

Today's selection is "Human" by The Killers.

Austin's Big Drinking Contest

2008-10-14T13:17:00.000-06:00

Thursday I took the kids to the school's party at Classic Fun Center. It's a local skating rink that my kids love to go to but never do because I'm not a big fan of the place. However, when the school's party rolls around they get to go, and I have to admit, it is kind of fun. My kids don't do a lot of skating - they just ride their scooters, jump on the inflatables, and play the arcade games.

Just as it was time to go (I was in a hurry: Ben had a basketball practice and I had a cub committee meeting) Austin informs me he entered a "drinking" contest that was about to start. Although I was frustrated, it was worth the wait. It was pretty close. Here he is, it makes me laugh every time:

*Bummer - the video isn't super clear on the blog so you can't see his facial expressions very well. Oh well, you can kind of get the idea.

Our Love Boat Cruise

2008-10-06T09:37:00.000-06:00

After a week of luxury on the high seas we have returned home. Bill and I went with good friends Paul and Jill, Shana and Mike, Boyd and Shelly, and Ryan and Sara on the Princess ship "Sapphire Princess" for a seven day Mexican Riviera Cruise. We left LA on Saturday and docked in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. The weather was amazing - always very warm and sometimes very muggy. We had a wonderful time.

During the two days at sea we golfed, sunbathed, swam, participated in the ship's activities like Pool Olympics, water volleyball, and cha cha lessons. At night we ate (a lot - but isn't that what you do on a cruise?), danced, and enjoyed the music of D'Version, a band that played all week in the Explorer Lounge. They were awesome!

While we were in port, our excusions consisted of a jungle canopy zipline in Puerto Vallarta, a day at a beautiful private beach in Mazatlan, and snorkling in Cabo. It was so fun that Bill and I are hooked! This will definately become a tradition. Bill was afraid he would be bored or feel trapped on a ship but he didn't all. The ship was so massive that at times you would feel like the only one onboard. The food was incredible and I have a little work to do to remove the excess pounds I picked up while cruising! But I don't mind - it was all worth it! Oh, and going with friends made it a real blast. I don't think it would have been as fun without them - thanks for a great time guys!

Best Friends

2008-09-25T12:36:00.000-06:00

Erin and Lyndi are great friends. They are exactly one week apart and they want to be together about 95% of the time. I love to listen to them as they play - they say the funniest things. I think they are so lucky to have each other!

Night Fright

2008-09-24T09:35:00.000-06:00

When I was a kid I was terrified at night. I remember I would get so scared I couldn't even cross the hall to my parents room. Luckily I outgrew that (well, unless Bill's out of town, lol) but I unfortunately passed it on to my kids. All of my kids (except Erin - I think she's still too young) have gone through a phase of waking up, being scared, and coming into our room and waking us up - almost every night.

I have a theory: I think it is the result of a very active imagination. I remember thinking there was a little man in a trench coat sliding across the floor of my room, dragging his feet on the carpet. Well, it was really my sister breathing deeply, making a sound that could very easily be confused with dragging feet on the carpet. It really creeped me out.

All of my boys are very creative and have amazing imaginations. Hence, the waking up at night. One night when Ben was little he was really afraid of Bigfoot. I tried using logic. I said, "Ben, do you really think Bigfoot is going to come here to Layton, stroll down the street, and come knocking at our door?" He then looked at me and said, "Mom, now I'm REALLY scared!"

So, if your kids are keeping you up at night, just have a little patience. I'm thinking you have very creative children, I know I do.

Rise Above This

2008-09-19T13:22:00.000-06:00

I have decided (with the challenge from my friend Dustin) to try to run a marathon this coming spring. Not only try to run one, but qualify for the Boston Marathon. Am I crazy???? I ran my first half marathon last spring and I loved it. The problem is, I was exhausted at the end and to qualify for Boston I will have to run thirty seconds faster per mile and then go twice as far.

The key will be the training. I have a friend who is an AMAZING athlete and she decided she would try a marathon this fall and started training. She started running longer distances and then decided she hated running those long distances. It really wasn't a question as to whether she could accomplish it but whether she wanted to accomplish it. That is really what has kept me from doing one before. I know I could do one, I just haven't wanted to.

So, now I want to (I think). This morning I went for a run and I was wondering if I could really qualify for Boston. Then the song "Rise Above This" by Seether came on my iPod. There is a line in the chorus that says, "I've fallen down, but I'll rise above this doubt". The importance of positive thinking really struck me at that point. We all have things we want to do and sometimes we just need to rise above the doubt we hear in our minds. I think if we believe we can do it, then our mind will find a way.

I still have doubt. But maybe I can find a way to rise above it.

A Real Fun Day

2008-09-15T13:41:00.000-06:00

Bill's mom and dad took him and the kids to Cabela's and the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point on Thursay after school. I was unable to go because I had a million things going (preparing for the school carnival, a cub scout planning meeting, and preparation for a talk in Church). The "Germans" were in town visiting. They are a couple that Bill's parents have known for about 13 years from Hof, Germany. I can't remember their actual names, everyone just calls them "the Germans" (well, not really to their face, just in reference).

The kids had a great time. It had been a while since they had been to that museum and they had never been to Cabela's. I guess we just aren't hunting enthusiasts and it is 40 minutes away. I was appreciative of the time alone but I always hate missing out on family stuff. Sometimes Bill will offer to take the kids to give me a break but I always end up wanting to go with them. This time it was necessary that I stay and the kids assured me they missed me. I did get a lot done and I was happy to see them when they got home. They were exhausted but very happy.

A Strike of "Purple Lightning"

2008-09-10T12:17:00.000-06:00

After watching her brother's play sports for her entire life, Erin finally got the chance Saturday to play in her first soccer game. She is so excited to be on the team with her best friend, Lyndi. The game was just so cute to watch as these four-year-olds have never played in a game before.

At first nobody seemed to know what to do. There was a lot of rolling the ball with hands, running out of bounds, and even trying to score on the wrong field! After the first quarter the girls started to figure it out. I think it helped Erin to have three older brothers because she was pretty aggressive and even scored a goal ot two. (Dad was so proud!)

Even the team names are cute - Erin's team is "Purple Lightning" and they played "The Princesses". Every picture I took of Erin she is grinning from ear to ear so I guess the old saying is true -it really doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it's all about having fun!

"Blocked Kick Saves BYU"

2008-09-06T18:21:00.000-06:00

That's the latest headlines, folks! In a nailbiter, 15th ranked BYU beats the University of Washington to improve their record to 2-0.

Every Saturday is like the Super Bowl at our house during football season. Pizza, chips, treats - you name it - we have it. It's a celebration. Also, half the fun is watching my brother-in-law, Mike, watch the games. He is so intense. Everyone gathers in the family room to watch - even Jack senses the excitement and jumps around. We bleed blue at our house. Don't you just LOVE football season???

Back to Blogging...

2008-09-05T12:37:00.000-06:00

I have a gazillion things to do right now but I am sitting here at the computer because I haven't posted for a week and a half. First, I have been dealing with computer issues but most of all with kids back in school life has been crazy, as most of you moms know. Homework, piano, dance, soccer - you know all the same stuff everyone else is dealing with. But, having said life is busier, I think it's better. I am finding I am one who needs structure. Although it's very, very difficult for me, getting up at 5am and getting to bed early makes me happy. I guess that's kind of an oxymoron but it's true. I like the feeling of having my workout completed, showered, dressed, bed made, laundry going, dishes done - all by 9am. That definately doesn't happen every single day (today I am still in my workout clothes and unshowered at almost 1pm).

Let me fill you in on a few things to catch you up from my last post:

I ended up getting an LG frontloading washer and dryer. Let me tell you, laundry is fun again (is that possible?). I agonized over which brand to buy and let me assure you there are many good ones - like deciding between Toyota or Honda. It just kind of boiled down to what functions I wanted. So, our hampers are no longer overflowing, thank heavens!

Kids are loving school. Alex absolutely loves junior high. He is working so hard and I am really proud of him. He has A's in all of his classes (I know we are only three weeks out) but he has had a lot of homework and he hustles everynight to complete it all. Maybe our "good grades will get you into college" speech is really paying off! All the kids are working hard too. I am really proud of all of them.

Ben and Austin are back at taking piano. Well, this is Austin's first year and he is so enthused and excited. Ben is on the opposite end of the spectrum in the excitement department but he is plugging away. We let Alex quit piano and he is going to start guitar. We came to a compromise that our kids could quit piano after 6th grade but need to take some kind of instrument. His choice is guitar - we shall see how that goes.

Last weekend was Bill's 20th high school reunion. As much as he dreaded it I think he really enjoyed it. It was fun for me to meet some of his old high school friends. All of them were so nice and you could tell they genuinely were happy to meet me. It sounds like he really hasn't changed too much from high school - same sense of humor and many said he looked the same except for the addition of a few gray hair. You be the judge - this is his senior yearbook picture from 1988.

Well, I hope I inspired some of you to post soon so I can hear how you all are doing. I guess I should go mow the lawn - and don't worry - eventually I might even take a shower.

The First Day of School

2008-08-25T14:41:00.000-06:00

I bet most moms who blog will be posting pictures of the first day of school today - and I guess I am one of them. With new haircuts, clothes, and a few nerves, my kids went back to school. Not only will the kids have to start getting to bed and getting up earlier, I need to adjust my sleeping patterns as well. Back to reality, I guess!
Alex was the first kid up this morning at 6:30. He had to leave for the bus stop at 7:30. It was his first day of Junior High. He was pretty excited - a nervous excited, but excited. As he was walking away I made him pose for a picture.

Then it was on to helping the other kids get ready. Because everyone had laid out their clothes, it was pretty easy. I packed lunches, put gel in hair (boy hair is so easy) showered, and we were flying out the door.

I went to the parent/teacher presentation for Austin and Ben's classes and their teacher's will be great. They are each excited about their teachers so I am hoping for a good year!

Erin then had some friends over while their Mom's helped at the school. They ate lunch out on the patio and danced and played. It was pretty cute to watch.

I do love my kids, but I have to confess I am pretty excited about them going back. I have big plans to clean and organize. It seems so much easier when the kids are out of the house, then when it is time for them to come home I am excited to see them. I think school is a good thing for everyone...

Our 5th Annual Neighbor Trip to Bear Lake

2008-08-25T14:15:00.001-06:00

Here's a few pictures of our trip to Bear Lake with our neighbors. This tradition started 5 years ago and has become one of the highlights of our summer.

This year it was during the first week of the summer Olympics and so the days were busy with time at the beach and nights were filled with watching the Olympics. It is always so fun for the kids. They have such a good time with all their friends. It gets a little loud at times, but everyone doesn't seem to mind too much. It was so relaxing and the weather was beautiful. It was hard to go home at the end of the week.

Last Week of Summer

2008-08-18T16:04:00.000-06:00

So, one last week before school starts! Things have been busy here. We just returned from a long trip to Bear Lake (I will post some pictures soon) and returned in time to send Alex off on his first week long scout trip. He was excited to go. He has always been my homebody and so I am happy to see him go with very little anxiety.

Also, I am dealing with a broken dryer. The night before we left for Bear Lake I was running loads of laundry and it died on me. Knowing I was dryer-less, I ran all my loads at the lakehouse to buy some time here to figure out our course of action. After looking at having it repaired, it looks like we might be in the market for a new washer and dryer - so if anyone loves their washer and dryer let me know. I am going to start researching soon, but the repairman recommended Whirlpool.

One last thing, can I just say I have become on Olympic junkie? I have been addicted to watching everynight and I have DVR-ed events during the day. Women's triathlon was today and so I am excited to watch that one. Michael Phelps? Stud. The defining moment of the Olympics so far is men's 4x100 relay where the French were supposed to win and Jason Lezak swam that heroic last length to win. I am sad swimming is over but I am looking foward to some of the running events. The women's marathon was on Sunday and I am blown away by the speeds - 5:30 minute miles for 26.2 miles - amazing.

Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be an Olympian but I just turned out mediocre. That's ok. Suprisingly, I am happy being average. I like having a life that is not completely dedicated to one thing like these Olympic athletes have to have. Still, there are times I pretend on a bike or run that I am an elite athlete and just around the corner is a stadium full of people cheering for me. Cheesy, I know.

Erin's First Day of Ballet

2008-08-07T18:51:00.000-06:00

Erin's long anticipated first day of ballet was yesterday. I can't believe she is old enough to finally go to Clytie Adams School of Ballet. We have watched our neighbors, the Francis girls, go for years and become beautiful dancers.
I asked her how she liked the first day and I think she was slightly disappointed that they didn't get to learn actual ballet the first day. She said they read a story and played follow the leader. No real "dancing" yet. I told her there is definately time for that. Her ballet teacher is pregnant with twins so I don't know how long she will teach before they will have to find a replacement. She loved meeting new friends and can't wait to go to her next class.

Orphans off Broadway

2008-08-03T22:15:00.001-06:00

Our Little Thespians

2008-08-03T20:32:00.000-06:00

During the month of July, Alex, Austin, and Erin participated in a summer drama camp put on by our neighbor, Dana. She is so talented and does such a fantastic job. They only practiced for 4 weeks and then gave the performance Thursday night. The theme was "Orphans off Broadway" where they sang songs from Annie, Big River, and Oliver. The kids looked forward to rehearsal each week where they learned the music and choreography. Thursday night we got to see the finished product and it was really amazing - quite impressive that they could pull it off after so little practice. It was obvious all the kids had such a great time and even Ben said he might try it the next time around. Thanks for all your hard work, Dana!

Happy 94th Birthday Grandma

2008-07-29T22:20:00.000-06:00

I wanted to give a little tribute to my Grandma, Erma Irene Bates, on her 94th birthday today. She is an amazing woman. Although she has been blind for years and suffered numerous health problems, she continues to have a positive attitude and always serves those around her.

I have so many memories of driving to Spokane with my family and visiting with her and Grandpa. For years Grandpa ran a dairy and so ice-cream, cottage cheese, and cream with raspberries from their garden were always served in her cozy kitchen. This kitchen is magical because Grandma collects colored glass items that she puts in her big window. She would come wake us early in the morning as the sun came up and shone through the glass so we could come see the "rainbows". We would always work on projects, usually working with pressed flowers from her flower gardens. I think what Grandma is most proud of is all the thousands of handmade bookmarks made out of her pressed flowers that she has sent around the world with missionaries that said "I am a Child of God". Even when her eyes failed her she would continue to work on these bookmarks by touch knowing that someone somewhere would receive them and would perhaps feel a little more loved because of it. I am not sure if she still works on them now but I am sure she continues to work on some kind of project as Grandma is not one to just sit around.

Also, I have mention how amazing my Grandpa is too. The last time I went up to visit them a couple of years ago, he was walking a mile or two every day and checking in on the welfare of his "elderly" neighbors (who happened to be younger than him!). He takes care of Grandma with so much love. These pictures kind of say it all.

So, I just wanted to say how much I love my Grandma and Grandpa and Happy Birthday Grandma - you're amazing!

Riding Horses

2008-07-26T17:48:00.000-06:00

Riding Grandpa Bailey's Horses

2008-07-26T16:26:00.000-06:00

Today we went out to Grandpa and Grandma Bailey's and rode horses. Erin has never been riding and has been asking for quite a while to go. I don't think she realized how big they were until it was time to get on. She was a little nervous the whole time and I don't know if the experience met her expectations, as you can tell by her face. Luckily the neighbors have a little pony and had offered for her to ride him as well, which she loved.

It was fun to see the kids take turns riding Strawberry and Snooks around the corral, although the older boys are ready to graduate from riding in circles and go on a trail ride with Grandpa.

Oh, on a safety note, the kids should have been wearing helmets but I spaced it and left them at home. I will be a more responsible parent and bring them next time!

Bear Lake Memories

2008-07-23T11:13:00.001-06:00

A Christensen Weekend at Bear Lake

2008-07-21T22:37:00.000-06:00

This last weekend we had a Christensen family reunion of sorts up at Bear Lake. Bill's parents have a cabin up there on the waterfront that is just amazing. In my family there are 4 girls: Heidi is the oldest, then me, Gina, and then Amy. All of us live in Utah except Amy and her husband, Sam, who live up near Olympia, WA. It has become a rare occurance for us to all get together so this was a real treat.

The first day was filled with sand....

La Beau's burgers and shakes....

...and a Dance Dance Revolution tournement. (This is me losing to my brother-in-law, Greg!)

The next day was filled with.....

...more sand,

riding the sea-doo (Amy and Greg),

searching for buried treasure with Grandpa's metal detector,

riding in the canoe, and lots, and lots of swimming. The next day we headed a half hour north to see mysterious Minnetonka Cave. It was a good thing since many were nursing sunburns from two days straight at the beach. The caves are really cool - lots of stalagmites and stalagtites. It is a half mile walk inside with distinct "rooms" that have many different geological formations:

Heidi smiling for the camera....
This is Gina and I touching the only formation in the entire cave you are allowed to touch. You can probably notice that the kids look a little chilly. The cave is a constant 40 degrees year-round. That evening we all walked down to the beach at sunset. Some crazy ones got in the water while others just enjoyed the cool breeze and a few sparklers.

Bill and I
Greg and Gina (Greg was one of the crazy ones.) Sam and Amy

Sunday morning Grandma gave a little primary lesson,and Grandma and Grandpa danced the jitterbug.

Check out my slideshow for more pictures. Thanks for the memories, everyone - we miss you already, Sam and Amy!

Echo Triathlon

2008-07-15T22:17:00.000-06:00

Me at the finish! (You can see how excited these people were as I came in.)

Tiff and I

Below is a picture of the swim. It's hard to tell but those little dots are swimmers. You have to swim out around the buoys .

On Saturday I participated in a triathlon at the beautiful Echo Reservoir near Coalville. I think about 800 people participated. For those not familiar to triathlon, there are four major distances: sprint, olympic, half-Ironman, and Ironman. I have not and probably will never try an ironman because you have to enjoy all the training. This intails being on your bike for 3 to 5 hours at a time, and running for hours, which I wouldn't enjoy week after week. The only part of an Ironman that seems do-able to me is the swim. Anyway, the Ironman distance is 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. The half-Iron is, of course, half the Ironman distance. The olympic distance is a 1 mile swim, 24 mile bike, and 6.2 mile run. The sprint distance is half the olympic distance.

I did the sprint distance on Saturday and let me just tell you how fun it is! You don't have to train a lot for this distance and then you feel so good when you are done. I just have never done well in an olympic distance because I don't know how to fuel properly. I never want to eat anything and then pay for it halfway through the race when I have completely lost all my energy. It might be fun if I could just figure that part out. I did this race with a good friend of mine, Tiffany. Also, another friend happened to be there cheering on her dad and she was able to take these pictures of me and the race - thanks, Lisa!

Triathlons are addicting. After a race you want to sign up for the next one because you just know you could go a little faster the next time.

Happy 12th Birthday, Alex!

2008-07-13T22:36:00.000-06:00

Today was Alex's birthday. He invited friends over yesterday to go see a movie (Ironman, which was really good, by the way) and then over for pizza, cake, and games (basketball and Super Smash Bros). It was quite interesting to hear a Suburban full of seven 12 year old boys arguing over which superhero is cooler and who could take on who. Anyway, then today he opened his present from us which I think he loved (an Ipod nano, pictured above). He received his Faith in God award today and was also ordained a deacon and received the priethood by his dad. Both Grandpa Bailey and Grandpa Christensen were able to be there. We then came back for his favorite dinner of Cafe Rio sweet pork. It was a very special day. He has waited so long to be 12 and go to Young Men's for church. Now, next stop, Junior High......

Goofballs

2008-07-11T14:28:00.000-06:00

The other morning I left my swim bag out and Erin and Ben found it and decided to try it's contents on for size. In case you were wondering, Erin is wearing the swim paddles I use to strengthen arms and the fins for working the legs.

Ben will probably be mad at me for posting this picture, but I thought it's an opportunity to show his funny side. I just wish I could post the laughter that ensued after.

The sad thing is, this is about what I look like when I swim laps, but trust me, not as cute...

Summer Colors

2008-07-09T13:05:00.000-06:00

I love the bright colors of summer. The other day while we were working in the yard Bill took these pictures of some of the flowers in our yard. I have really enjoyed our patio this summer and dispite the fact our backyard faces NW and the sun beats in pretty hard in the evening, I just put up some umbrellas and sit in the shade with a glass of icewater or a fruit smoothie. The flowers are all so pretty right now and I am really enjoying them. By mid August I am ready for fall and I don't appreciate them as much - I guess I am tired of watering all the hanging baskets and I am ready for cooler temperatures. But for now, I will just kick back and enjoy.

This is the Life!

2008-07-07T10:42:00.001-06:00

Our next door neighbor, Jan, invited us to go swim at her son's pool last Saturday. The kids had so much fun! Now if I could just convince Bill to change our basketball court into a swimming pool.....

July 4th

2008-07-05T23:10:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! We started out the day with a 5k run. Bill, me, Alex, and Austin ran the Layton Liberty Days Fun Run. Ben originally signed up but went to bed the night before with a slight stomach ache which unfortunately was still there in the morning. Without a second thought, Alex volunteered to fill in for him. Everyone did great: Bill finished in 20 minutes (shattering his previous personal best of 22 minutes), Alex finished in 33 minutes, and Austin and I finished in 51 minutes. I was proud of Austin for wanting to try the 5k - I just think he didn't realize how far 3 miles really is. I knew we were in a little trouble when we had been running just 2 minutes and he asked if we had gone a mile yet. By mile 2.5, I was motivating (bribing) him with a trip to the fireworks stand and the possibility of picking out whatever he wanted (under $5, of course). That helped to get a little spring in his step and enough energy to pass a couple of straggling kids and not be dead last. Overall, it was a fun race to do.

We then went to breakfast and the local Layton parade. We cheered for our neighbor and good friend, Keith Bagley, who had been selected as a Hometown Hero and was invited to ride in the parade.

Then it was off to visit our good friend Angie who had her baby the night before. The kids were so excited to see little Brady and each wanted a turn to hold him. He is such a little cutie.

That night we had a little barbeque and lit fireworks with our good friends the Francis and Hess Families. I have to say I was surprised at how sparklers, little smoke bombs, and pop-its are still the favorites of all the kids. Who needs the $20-a-pop illegal stuff? Our evening of fountains and sparklers were big crowd pleasers.

Our New "Pet"

2008-07-01T13:39:00.000-06:00

The other night at bedtime Ben was complaining about hearing scratching noices. After a couple of "Ben, it's nothing, just go to bed!" I decided maybe I should check it out. After a little investigation, I found a little mouse outside his window that had fallen into the window well (He and Austin sleep in the basement). Because Bill had already gone to bed and I didn't want to deal with it, we decided to leave him and Ben went upstairs to sleep in Alex's room. Austin was already asleep and can sleep through anything!

Sure enough, the next morning the little guy was still there. The kids had a fun time dropping cheese into the window well and watching him walk up to the window. I still was not going to try to catch him and so we leaned a board into the window well to help him climb out. Apparenly he wasn't the smartest mouse and was still there when Bill got home that evening. No one would allow Bill to kill it and so he caught him in a bucket and Austin realeased him in a nearby field. They were sad to see him go but Ben did sleep better that night!

First Tooth Gone!

2008-06-29T23:14:00.000-06:00

Austin lost his first tooth. It had been loose for quite a while and so luckily it came out with minimal drama. For some reason our kids have been really late to lose teeth, Austin being no exception. He was pretty excited and I must say I think kids this age are so cute when they lose their front teeth.

Seattle

2008-06-28T13:08:00.000-06:00

In April Bill and I went to Seattle for a little vacation. It was so fun to go back to the place I grew up. I don't go as often as I like as most of my family has moved here to Utah. Just walking around Seattle brings back so many memories. People ask me if I miss the Northwest and I think I do in some ways and I don't in others. I love the sun and I didn't realize how little you get to see it up there - but when you do it's quite spectacular. Anyway, Bill and I stayed at the Edgewater which is a hotel right over the water on the pier. You could see the ships and ferries as they came into the harbor. We then went and stayed with my little sis, Amy and her husband Sam. We had such a great time. Here are a few pictures of our little getaway:

Mt. Rainier Behind the shipyard

A Peruvian ship docked outside our hotel

A Cargo ship going by our room

Every Seattlite knows you gotta have Ivars - "Keep Clam"

Pike Place Market

Bill up in the press box at Qwest Field (where the Seahawks play)
Just call me "Coach Holmgren"

Baseball

2008-06-27T12:05:00.000-06:00

Austin Running Home
Alex playing shortstop

Ben getting a hit

After six games a week (three boys, two games each, not to mention practices), baseball is finally over. Although it was so fun, it is nice to have our evenings back. Each boy did really well. Alex missed the playoffs by a half game and Ben's team was tied for second in their division but also missed the playoffs when they lost the tie breaker. (Austin's league doesn't have playoffs). Each player was an All-star in my book!

Alice in Wonderland

2008-06-24T14:50:00.000-06:00

Last month Alex, Austin, and Erin were in an awesome play, Disney's Alice in Wonderland Jr., directed by our good friend and neighbor Dana Francis. They loved it so much. Alex was the Mad Hatter, Austin was Tweedle Dum, and Erin was a Lady Bug. I was so proud of them - they did such a great job!

A Fun Filled Night

2008-06-22T00:14:00.000-06:00

Tonight Bill, me, the boys, and Darin and Jordan Myers rode Frontrunner to the Salt Lake Bees game. Erin chose (begged) to stay home with her best friend Lyndi. The evening was really fun except that it took quite a bit longer than I expected to take public transportation. We had great seats and the Bee's won. The San Diego Chicken was even there visiting. He was up to his usual antics which made it an even more fun evening!

2008-05-10T13:52:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our blog! I am not much of a writer, but if anything I hope to post pictures and thoughts about our family here and there. I really enjoy reading other's blogs so I might as well do one myself!