UEA 2011

For UEA this year we did our version of a “staycation.”  Kinnick is brand new and Kim was confined to home.  Mitchy was also coming for the weekend so I didn’t want to be far away. So, we planned several things near  home.  Jill and I took the kids to Salt Lake on Wednesday night.  We went to the Mayan.  The kids loved it.  We watched the divers and what Samantha called “a lady dancing on a pole.”  Oh dear!!

Not exactly sure what Reg is doing in this bottom picture.  We swam at the hotel twice and then went to Hogle Zoo on Thursday.  Jamie, Ken and Kyson met us at the zoo.  Kyson was my favorite.  He LOVED the animals!  He had a fit every time we left a certain animal, he was so fun!

On Friday we fulfilled a tradition and went to the annual “Pumpkin Walk.”  Taylor opted to stay home and hold Kinnick.  We came back to our house for lunch.

The first year Jeff and I were dating he took a photo of Jordan at the pumpkin walks as Yoda.  It was so funny!  Now, I make her take on like there every year.  It is always funny!

On Saturday Mitchy was here and we went to the American West Heritage Center.  Corn mazes are not my favorite thing and my attitude probably reflected that.  Thanks to Jill we were able to get out pretty quickly.

The kids also rode horses, rode the train and went down a huge slide.

 

On Saturday night we carved pumpkins..  again not my favorite but a good job to have done!  All of the kids pumpkins turned out great!

 

Taylor’s finished pumpkin:

Mitchell’s finished pumpkin:

Jordan’s finished pumpkin:

On Monday I went to the Pumpkin Walk again with Jordan’s class and their field trip.  I just have to share a few cute photos:

Jordan and her BFF Avery

Jord and a few of her friends in her class.

Avery, AJ and Rylee in the Harry Potter cute out!  What a fun day!

Chaser turns 21!

From the time I met Jeff and started to spend a lot of time with his kids I have considered them “my own.”  However, in the last year when I tell people I have a 20 year old NO ONE ever says “you don’t look old enough for that.”  Until…  last Tuesday.  I was at a conference and began talking to the lady sitting next to me.  When we talked about our kids I told her I had 5 and my oldest was almost 21 and she said “There is no way you are that old.”  THANK YOU!!  It only took over 4 years for someone to make that comment! 

I do however feel a little older than my age when I think about the fact that I have a 21 year old.  Chase turned 21 yesterday!  We were not able to see him but we talked to him several times, exchanged text messages, sent packages and Taylor and Jordan left a message with a terrible rendition of the “Happy Birthday Song.” 

I apologize in advance for the lack of photos.  Jeff has all the “Chase” photos on his computer.  I do intend to down load his front flip on the wake board!

Chase is truly an incredible person and someone who I love to be around.  In the past year he started his 3rd year at Virginia Tech majoring in Mechanical Engineering.  He works very hard and his course work is tough.  Just hearing some of the names of his courses makes me shudder. 

Chase spent the past year primarily being a student.  But he also found time for wake boarding, snow boarding, dirt bike rides and countless hours of helping me.  Seriously.  Jeff was out of town some during the summer right when we moved and Chase was literally my moving buddy.  He worked all day every day for a good 3 weeks.  What a blessing!

Chaser spent his Spring Break in Utah so he could see Jeff and I get married.  He and Mitchy walked me down the aisle and it was precious. 

Thank you to Chase who makes me (all of us) laugh SO hard, keeps me smiling, is so grateful for everything, works hard and most of all is his incredible self.  I can’t wait for Thanksgiving to see Chase…  And then Christmas.  Then the 6 months I dread with no planned visit.  I already told Jeff I am going to Blacksburg this spring with or without him… I suspect he will come along.

Happy Birthday Chase!  I love you beyond words, am proud of you and miss you terribly! 

13.1 Together We Run…

About 10 months ago I started doing an exercise class with some of my friends from the ward.  When I started the class I dreaded the warm up runs.  I HATED running!  About 4 months ago Jeff had just finished Ragnar and was looking for a way to maintain motivation for running.  He decided to run a 1/2 marathon.  In the beginning I just started training with him and a few weeks in I decided to make the commitment.    Now, this was no easy feat for me.  I continued to dislike running and am truly the slowest runner in the universe.  Well, throughout the 12 week training process I began to tolerate running and on occasion… looked forward to my runs.  Running is so rewarding because it is so hard.  In the last 3 months I have learned and discovered so many things.  Here are a few:

1.  Jeff is the best, best man in the world.  I already knew this but this experience deepened my love for him.  We didn’t run together all the time but when we did he was encouraging and kind.  He always ran on the inside of the road to make sure no cars came near me.  He would run way below his pace just to keep me going.  He had not problem with me buying lots of fun running stuff just because it was motivational for me. 

#1 was the best thing I learned the best are in no particular order.

2.  Running skirts make you feel cute.

3.  Glide rocks!

4.  Good running shoes are well worth the investment.

5.  Running can be emotional and often time calls for gut check.

6.  My ipod shuffle is the best.

7.  My Garmin is even better.

8.  It is very cool when you cross the finish line and they say your name over the loud speaker.

9.  I CAN and did quit Diet Coke (just until the race, I am back on now)

10.  Wellsville is up hill both ways.  When you live on a mountain like we do the final blocks are ALWAYS up hill. 

11.  I don’t like dogs who aren’t on leashes.

12.  Head lamps are truly nerdy and truly necessary.

13.  Training is a time commitment and has to be a priority.

14.  I have a very clear thought process when I run.  I love that!

15.  The human body is an incredible thing! 

16.  Strangers who cheer for you make you feel good. 

17.  Water is your best friend.

18.  You can and must run when you are on vacation.

19.  I can do things that I never dreamed I could do.

20.  I run for me.  People always say I did it for my family, my kids, my husband or whatever.  Not me.  I run because it was a challenge both physically and mentally for me.  Something so hard for me could not be done for anybody but me.

21.  I love to see Jeff at the finish line.  Every race we run he finishes well before me and he is always waiting anxiously.

22.  My Father in Heaven blessed me with a body that is healthy and it is my responsibility to take care of it.  At mile 10 of the 1/2 marathon there was a man sitting on a bench with a prosthetic leg. I have never felt so grateful.

23.  Quitting is not an option.  Anything so difficult must be seen through to the end.

24.  Don’t drink too much after a race.

25.  Just like in the life, the last stretch is the hardest.

Jeff’s best friend came to see us.  He ran the last few blocks with me which was a great help.  The last 2 miles were brutal the the wind was blowing against me so hard I doubted if I would make it.

I am not sure if I will run another 1/2,  I suspect I will.  I know I learned countless lessons and truly enjoyed being a part of the process.  AND…  Just a little bragging here on behalf of my incredible husband.  He ran fast and was 10th among his age group!  Way to go babe!!! 

Special Firsts…

What an incredible week we have had.  It seems the longer you wait for something the more meaning it has when it is here.  I have been waiting for 8 long months for Baby Kinnick to arrive.  We had all planned on Friday….  BUT our Heavenly Father had other plans.  Kim called me on Tuesday  morning about 7:30 and she was in labor.  She sent Regan and Samantha across the street to me and headed to the hospital.  Kim had told me to go to work because she was not sure what they would do.  I am only working 3 days a week now while the girls are in school and go figure this was a work day!  So I headed into work but did not even make it to my office before Shea called and said get the kids we are a go!

So.. I turned around from Logan and headed straight to Willow Valley to get Hunter and Taylor, then headed to Mountainside to get Regan, Samantha and Jordan.  Seeing the kids faces when I told them while they were checking out of school may have been one of my favorite events of the day.  They were all SO thrilled.  On the way to the hospital I heard statement such as:

Samantha to Jordan (who is eating snacks on the way to the hospital):  How can you eat when your “other mother” is about to have a baby.

Jordan to Samantha (who is worried if her vest matches her pants):  How can you worry about fashion when you mother is having a baby?

Hunter to Samantha:  You may not be able to hold him, it’s likely a 7 year old would drop a baby on his head.

Regan to me:  I wonder how big he will be.  You know, I weighed nearly 10 pounds. I just totally relaxed inside my mom until I was forced to come out… So true of Reg’s personality today.

We hurried to the hospital but still did not make it before Kim had to go into surgery to the C-section.  Aunt Jill brought donuts to the waiting room and ever so patiently we waited….

We didn’t have to wait long and Shea brought beautiful baby Kinnick to the window.

Kinnick arrived about 9:52 am and weighed 8 lbs and 12 oz.  He is the sweetest most perfect baby and we all fell in love with him immediately.  Jordan and Taylor were quite peeved that they couldn’t go back and see him.   But rules are rules and we all knew they would get plenty of time to hold him.

I took the kids to the gift shop so they could buy the baby a gift.  Mannie ended up with a shirt that said “big sister.”  Reg bought him a dinosaur book and Hunter and Taylor took FOREVER picking out a stuffed animal.  In the end they choose a giraffe.  Their reasoning was that he could hold the giraffe easy because of his small neck and that both of them could “just picture him playing with it.”

After the initial meeting of the baby we took the kids out to lunch.  We had a great time and Regan and Hunter both celebrated with a pound of crab courtesy of Grandpa.

The next 3 days I had the privilege of spending lots of time with Kim’s kids.  We had such a great time!  The night before Kinnick and Kim came home we made posters to decorate the house.  The kids took this job very seriously and it took them about 3 hours.  Finally about 10 at night I made them finished.  Hunter and Taylor told me I had “hurried their work.”

Finally it was the day Kinnick was to come home.  My girls were SO excited because they had yet to hold him!  Here are the kids running from my house to Kim’s.

Welcome Home baby Kinnick.  There is no lack of pure love in this child’s life.  In his short time on this earth he has already blessed our lives in so many ways.  Newborn babies are so tender and there is no doubt that veil is very thin for them.