Just a quick note...

...to say I'm here, but actually, I'm outta here!
Thanks to this wonderful woman ...

I get to spend the next 3 days with the cute one on the right in this picture!

My sweet hubby flew his mom in as a surprise to watch the kiddos and I still don't know where we are going, I just know we are leaving on a plane in the morning! All he told me is it is someplace warm and to bring my running shoes. I am so excited I definitely can't sleep! Jeff is amazing and I can't wait to see what he has planned.

I know it will be a great 30th birthday. Happy Birthday to me!

Some teaser pictures until I get back with a REAL update. ( I have been a little busy training for this marathon, hoping to qualify for this marathon next year. Visit this blog for more info on what I have been doing...)

Any guesses as to where he is taking me?

Happy Anniversary!

37 years ago today my parents were married. They were just 16 and 19 (my mom is not gonna be happy that I shared this fact) and I am amazed at their commitment to marriage at such a young age.

Even more unbelievable is the fact that they broke the cycle of marriage and divorce that they both came from. I admire them for their determination to make it work. They started out by living in Turkey where my dad was stationed in the air force. My dad always said he thought this was why their marriage was so strong-it forced them to work things out on their own. No crying to mom when things were tough. They also met a great group of friends while they were in Turkey. They are still close in heart to those couples.

My parents have a beautiful marriage and I am grateful that I was able to witness such a strong love. My dad showed me how I should be expected to be treated by a man.
He was always so kind and loving toward my mom. The only time I heard him raise his voice is when we talked unkind to my mom. They put their marriage first and then their kids. They are also the most kind and generous people I have ever known. Once they meet people they are life long friends. That are great examples to me. I am so lucky! I love you, Mom and Dad!

I now have a 6 year old! (and other weekend happenings!)

This has been such a wonderful weekend, it will be difficult to capture it in words, but I will try. First of all, Dallin turned 6 on Friday. I think his birthday will always bring such strong emotions for me because he was my first baby. All I wanted for this day was to see his face light up. All it takes right now is: a packet or 2 of Pokemon cards! Some things I love about Dallin:

1. His kind heart.
2. His cute giggle.
3. The way he tries to make Bryce laugh.
4. His thirst for knowledge.
5. His ability to forgive.
6. His love of life.

I am so glad he is my child. I feel so lucky.

They celebrated his birthday on Thursday since there was no school on Friday. I brought in a book for his class library and read it to the class. He was so happy! On his actual birthday was his parent/teacher conference. It was nice to hear that he is an enjoyable student. His teacher is phenomenal and he really likes her. She told us that he is a hard worker, which I was very happy to hear.



Saturday was the big day. It was an all Pokemon party! Friday did not go so well for me with Bryce and trying to get ready for the birthday, so I didn't get everything done that I wanted. I did however, paper mache this Pikachu, and I am very proud of it. (I have no artisitic talent, so thank goodness Pikachu is not very complex to draw!)

The party was a lot of fun and Dallin was so happy to be with his friends.

One of our friends gave us tickets to the Stars on Ice. They ended up being seats on the second row, and the skaters were fantastic! Sasha Coen, Todd Eldredge and many others were there. The kids enjoyed the show, and even Bryce was entertained for the most part! It was a great spur of the moment family date. :-) Funny Emilyism- When Sasha Coen came out to skate, Emily asked, "Why does her not have a prince?" Besides the grammar issues with that question, it was very funny! Thanks Michelle for the tickets!!

In news on the other 2 kiddos, Emily and I are having fun going to story time both at the library and at the toy store. I really just want to enjoy being with her right now. I really feel it is our time to be together. (And I am trying to be patient with the potty training reversion-again!)

Bryce is getting big quickly. He is still pretty attached to me, but he is enjoying figuring things out by himself. He crawls everywhere, but really loves to stand up on anything he gets his hands on. Poor kid has many bruises to show for his bravery, but he is definitely happier! He also eats almost anything now!

Saturday morning, I had one of the best runs I have ever been on. I knew it was a little crazy to do the day of the party, but I still wanted and needed to get my run in. Especially with it being the dedication run to President Hinckley. We met at 6am and there were 17 of us all there to run together! Sarah was kind enough to make stickers for each of us to wear with some of the 9 Be's. Mine was "Be Grateful." It ended up just being Sarah and I for the entire run. We both plugged in our IPODs and listened to talks given by President Hinckley. It was very cold and wet, but the first few miles just flew by. It was pretty dark and as it lightened up it was beautiful. It began snowing around mile 9 and I couldn't believe I was still running. It became beautiful powder and I loved watching Sarah's footprints appear in front of me. It was surreal. Sarah and I talked every once in a while, mostly to gape at the beauty around us, but for the most part we were in our own worlds. I enjoyed thinking about the person that President Hinckley makes me want to be because of who he is. I also was able to contemplate my father and the person that he makes me want to be. We ran a total of 16 miles. I was tired by mile 15, and I think my body knew I originally planned to stop at that point so it was protesting. This actually made me want to run more. I wanted to run when it was tough. I don't know if that makes any sense. I decided the last few miles to come up with a few more Be's that represent my dad. Combined with President Hinckley's 9 B's, here are 7 more for my dad, one for every mile I ran: 10. Be Patient 11. Be nonjudgmental 12. Be forgiving 13. Be Flexible 14. Be Silly (Love this one- reminds me to enjoy life.) 15. Be Gentle 16. Be Yourself. I have some great examples to follow and I am grateful I had this run to think about it. What an amazing experience. It definitely reminded me why I run.
I am going to try to post more often. I have a few posts in my head that I would love to discuss! Til next time...

Let us all try to stand a little taller, rise a little higher, be a little better.

On Sunday night, a short email popped up saying President Gordon B. Hinckley had passed away. I was in shock at first, but then remembered he is 97 and has been very sick lately. I am very sad to know that I will never hear this amazing man speak again and feel the love that he shares with us. He is the prophet I feel the most connection with and I have felt my testimony strengthened many times as he speaks. He sets such a great example of kindness and charity. He was a wonderful, humble leader who will be very missed. His sense of humor drew all of us to him. What a cute, sweet man. I am happy to know that he is reunited with his wife of 70 years who passed away in 2004.



This picture is how I want to remember him. He always was enjoying life. He made me and countless others always want to be better people. I want to show my appreciation for him so I am joining many others in a tribute run/walk to him on Saturday, Feb. 2nd. I know he exercised to help give him energy and strength as he traveled the world. I think he would love knowing that people are up and doing, rather than sitting. Please join me!! Another site listed ideas of ways to pay tribute to him during your run/walk. I personally am going to try and think of 1 thing I can do better at the start of each mile I run.

My kids have been hearing a lot about death and the Plan of Salvation lately. I hope I have been explaining it in a way that it gives them hope and security for their future. I love to think that my dad and President Hinckley are up there sharing a joke right now. It would not surprise me. :-)

Oh Happy Day

Our Family gift this year from Santa was the Nintendo Wii. Jeff's one New Year's Resolution is to "Wii age" each day. What that means is he does a fitness test and the Wii tells him what his "age" is. The younger the better-with 20 being the best. Jeff prides himself on his ability to score young. His best is a 21. I tease him that when he starts off with such amazing scores, he will have nothing to shoot for. I, on the other hand, started with an amazing age of 71! No where to go but up! So, today was a day I enjoyed, I was 32! The better news is that Jeff's Wii age was 32 also! I had fun rubbing it in. Not that I am competitive one bit...

Becoming...

I have read many blogs where people pick one word for the year instead of lots of little resolutions (that are usually the same as last year anyway!) I have been intrigued by this and decided to pick the word:

Becoming...

This word represents a lot to me. First off, I turn 30 this year (yes, write that down-March 20th!). As I enter this decade, I would like to think I have become a little bit wiser and know a little bit more about what's important. So, I would like to focus on figuring out more about the person I want to become. I don't want to use the word "become" because I believe "becoming" represents the process. I want to enjoy the process.

I want to remember that changes happen one step at a time and to be patient. I want to work on becoming a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and person. I will do this by making wise choices in how I spend my time. I will open my heart to others more and focus on "being" instead of "doing." I won't look at life as a checklist, but as a journey. I want to follow my father's example of kindness and love and pass that legacy on.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year! Come join me!

Does anyone have a word for the year?

30 Things I love about Carrie

One of my favorite people is a "lurker" on my blog, so I know she will see this. Maybe it will be enough to lure her out of the woodwork. So, here we go!

Happy 30th, Carrie!

1. She is completely loyal. Once you are her friend you are lucky enough to be her friend for life.
2. She is extremely creative.
3. She is an amazing mom. I will list some individual reasons she is.
4. She got rid of the TV so that she could spend more quality time with her kids instead of use it as a babysitter.
5. She always does what's best for her kids, even if it means sacrificing something she really wants to do.
6. She is a fun mom- always coming up with new crafts, ideas, etc. (See #2)
7. She is a great cook! (This makes her a good wife as well, I am sure!)
8. She is very intelligent.
9. She loves books and passes this on to her kids.
10. She pays attention to details and remembers them.
11. She loves other people's kids almost as much as they do.
12. She remembers important dates.
13. She loves to teach kids.
14. She is extremely thoughtful.
15. She is a great entertainer.
16. She is very funny, but in a more subtle way.
17. She would do anything in the world for her friends.
18. She never complains.
19. She is a great photographer. (A reason she needs to blog!)
20. She is so cute with her dog that it almost makes me want one-ALMOST!
21. She is always thinking of things MY kids will love.
22. She is one of the kindest people I know. She accepts you exactly as you are.
23. She makes you feel very comfortable right when you meet her.
24. She never has a bad thing to say about anyone.
25. She is a lot of fun.
26. She is great to play games with. (We need to do this more, hint hint!)
27. She has her priorities in the right order- she puts her family first.
28. She is extremely spontaneous, one of the reasons we became quick friends.
29. She is very honest, does not try to put up a front.
30. She is a great example to me and I am so glad she is my friend.

I love you, Carrie!!

Is it really 2008?

Time for an update! I actually just sent out my "Christmas" cards, so I thought if anyone checked this out I would have some new pictures.

We got back from California December 10th, so I didn't feel ready for Christmas. Amazingly enough we came home to a Christmas tree in our window, my favorite sight. Our friends had decorated a tree for us. Dallin still wanted to hang a few ornaments, so we hung up some of his hot wheels!



The rest of the month is kind of a blur. I tried to do some old familiar traditions and start some new ones.

Gingerbread houses are always a hit with the kids, and you gotta love Costco kits! Thanks Jeff for helping the kids with this one!


Christmas light looking with good friends




Dallin was in his first Christmas concert at school. He is having fun playing with the Nintendo Wii and just enjoying a break from school and routine. He is such a big help with Bryce!




Emily needed some good bonding time with me. I was lucky enough to take her to Nutcracker with the Young Women from the ward. She was in heaven! We both got dressed up and she had her purse and jacket. She even agreed to take a nap in the car so she would be awake. I was a little nervous for how she would behave in the show, but she was awesome! I was so proud of her. She just watched, mesmerized! Every once in a while she would blurt something out like, "Where is he taking her?!" and "I want to dance with the prince!" It was a memory I will never forget.



After the show I was able to visit with one of my good friends, who I have become even better friends with through blogging. Thanks, Katie, for our talk. Thanks for not being afraid to let me cry. You are wonderful and I love you!



Bryce is Seven Months Old- He probably deserves a full post, but I will just catch the main points! He has 6 teeth and loves food! He crawls like a centipede, mostly chasing after me. He loves to giggle, but only when someone is there to entertain him.


White Christmas with Jeff's family
After all the traveling to California I did September-December, I thought that I would be ready to just be at home. Well, we decided last minute to go spend Christmas with Jeff's family who we hadn't visited in over a year. I am so glad we did. It was wonderful! We had a beautiful white Christmas. We went to see Enchanted, we went bowling, we played with the cousins and just enjoyed being together. We were even able to be there for a baptism which was very nice. I truly love Jeff's family and feel so grateful that they have always treated me as a daughter/sister.








I hope to update fairly often this year. My goal is once a week on Sundays, but we shall see! Happy New Year!

It's already starting...

Me(After finding a suspicious puddle): Emily, did you go pee pee on the stair?

Emily: No

Me: Then who did?

Emily: Bryce did it! And he peed on the stair yesterday!

Oh boy! What have I gotten myself into?

How to Comfort in a Difficult Time

Last night I was able to go to a church function and see a lot of people I know. It was great to be with friends. One of my friends asked me how she could help someone who is going through a situation similar to what my family and I have been through. It made me realize that there are probably many of you wondering the same thing. I know it is tough to feel helpless and you don't know what to say. Here are the things that I really appreciated:

1. Just an email letting me know you are thinking of me.
2. Commenting on my blog that I am in your prayers.
3. A card in the mail.
4. Bringing dinner by unexpectedly.
5. Bringing a Christmas tree while I am gone because you know I won't get a chance to with it being so close to Christmas. (This was an AWESOME surprise.)
6. Offering to come with me to take care of Bryce. (Sarah, you are amazing! This was such a blessing!)
7. Coming to the funeral to show love and support.
8. Asking me about my dad so I can share the wonderful things about him. (This is a tough one because you know that it will make me cry.)
9. Just a phone call to check in on me.

Now I know everyone is not the same, but I know most people just want to know that they are cared about. I understand that many of you don't know what to say, but just knowing I am not alone is enough sometimes. Sometimes I want to be alone, and other times alone is the last thing I need to be. Please just don't be afraid to show me or someone else in a similar situation that you love them. We are all doing the best we can. Let's be there for each other.

Please post if you have any other suggestions for my friend.

I will post updates on my children soon.

So hard to say goodbye

I am sure you have all noticed it has been a while since my last post. 2 days after my last post my sweet father passed away. I was in the car when my mom told me, and I could barely catch my breath. I pulled over and just began sobbing. My kids and I were on our way to Chuck E. Cheese, and poor Dallin didn't know what to say to help me feel better. The next week was kind of a blur as I got ready to go home to be with my family again. We decided to leave Dallin and Emily with some good friends here and we just took Bryce. My awesome friend Sarah offered to come with us to help take care of Bryce. What a blessing she was to have with us. (Thanks Zook for watching your 4 kids and taking 2 days off work to let Sarah be with us.)

The funeral was beautiful. There were so many people there-it was standing room only. My dad has touched the lives of everyone he met. I loved talking with people that he worked with that I had never met before. They all said how kind he was and how he never complained. That is truly how my father is. He makes everyone feel special and that they are important.

My little sister and my older sister put together the eulogy and it was beautiful. I felt it really showed the man he is, especially his sense of humor! Each of the siblings talked about their favorite memories with Dad and then my mom spoke. My mom even read some things out of my dad's journals saying he was proud of his children. That really meant a lot to me. I feel the funeral was a great tribute to my dad.

That night my siblings and I all went back to my parents' home in the mountains. There was snow on the ground, so we hung out inside. My mom pulled out a book that my dad had written some of his childhood/adulthood memories in and we took turns reading the questions and his answers. It was wonderful.

The rest of the weekend was really low-key, just enjoying time as a family. I know my dad is so happy seeing all of us getting along. I hope we will continue to strengthen one another as we go through this difficult time. Thanks for everyone's love and support and prayers for me and my family. I wish you could have all known my dad. I will do a post soon about my dad and all his great qualities. Right now I just want to say how much I love him He is an awesome father, grandfather, friend, son, and brother. I love you, Dad!










The first and the last photos were taken by my friend and amazing photographer, Lisa Dillon. I am so grateful that we did this photo shoot!

I also posted about a run I did the day after my dad died.