Our 4 Sons

Goals

2011-08-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

I am posting this here because I want to stick myself to it. I was reading from a couple years ago how great I felt while doing triathlons. I miss that soooo much. I miss the wind in my face while I rode my bike, and the feeling of being in great shape. I miss the friendships I made while pounding in mile upon mile of training. I miss everything about it....except for the time away from my family.

I am in terrible shape now. I feel myself sinking into a depression, and I don't want to even go there (I've been there before). I think the best thing for me to do will be to sign up for short triathlons. That way I can get in shape, do something for myself, yet still have time for my sweet boys. That's it....I am going in search of a race for me to do in the early spring of 2012. It will take me that long to get ready, but I'm going to do it!

Life has been really rough lately (when is it not?). I haven't been sleeping at night, and am get over-the-top anxious about all these trials we are having. I want to share them with you, but I am scared people who I don't want to see will inevitably see, and they will be used against me like so many times in the past. They are so tender. I don't know if I could take it!!! Can I just tell you that I thought I would get some reprieve when we moved back to Rangely, but that is not the case.

I have been so overwhelmed lately with all the suffering in the world. Everywhere I go there is pain, and death, and more pain. Last Sunday, it seemed I had witnessed so many friends and people going through hard times, then I slammed our little kitties foot in the door and she screached out in pain. I broke down! I just don't understand it. It seems that happiness is elusive, and really hard to attain, and what about animals and innocent children who suffer, purposely or accidentally, from the actions of others. All I can say is that this Heaven must be really wonderful for all this to be worth it. Actually, I do know that it is. I think it's time for an attitude adjustment for me!

It's been a long time!

2011-04-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of what we've been up to. We have had so many miracles in our lives lately, and I want to share them with you, but first let me show my cute kids off.

Andy was a wise man in the Christmas nativity. We had to improvise on his costume since most of our stuff is in storage, but he was so cute and took his role VERY seriously.
Cal stuck his tongue to a pole when it was 16 degrees outside. He quickly found out that, yup, his tongue would stick, and it would rip his skin off too!Roy is our new Rock Star. He LOVES music, and is constantly asking me to play his favorite songs: Dynamite, Crazy Frog, and Love is Like Oxygen.Andy has lost 4 teeth and none have grown back! Don't you think he looks so cute with his little heart?

Braxton had a birthday last week. He was ordained into the Aaronic Priesthood today. He is such a good big brother, and I can see God's divine plan in sending Braxton as our oldest. He has helped me in so many ways over the last year of Chris being in Colorado. His brothers look up to him so much. He is so fun to talk to, and is turning into such a loving, kind young man! Yup, I'm a proud (in a good way) mama!

Funnies

2010-12-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

My Little Imp

I just have to record some funnies from Roy:

1)When Roy goes to time-out, he screams like a school girl and slams the door over and over again. Nothing I have tried has worked in getting him to stop this, so today as he was screaming and slamming, I was at the end of my rope and said, "Roy if you slam the door one more time your going to get a spanking."

He stopped slamming, put his mouth at the crack at the bottom of the door and sobbing said, "mom, that's not nice. Jesus doesn't like it when you say that."

He's right, Jesus doesn't like that. Please help me Jesus, to find something that works!

2)Roy asked me if we have a hole from our mouth to our bum. I said we kinda did and gave him the long explanation. He listened intently, which he hardly ever does, then exclaimed, "AWESOME!"

Boys and farts and poop and burps. They love to talk about them. We have poop conversations several times a week, and Roy says that boys fart and girls toot.

Pain

2010-12-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

For the past few years I have had weird things going on with my body. It all started when Calvin was a baby. I had numb, tingly spots on my back. They kinda felt hyper sensitive, like I could feel everything touching them, and it hurt. I went to a doctor in Provo, and he wanted to get an MRI done. He mentioned it could be Multiple Sclerosis. I was scared, but didn't think I would ever have anything like that. We didn't have any insurance, and really couldn't afford an MRI, so I just pretended that the numbness was normal.

Fast forward to a couple years ago. My feet and hands started going numb and I still had the numb spots on my back. I started really feeling the need to get the MRI done, but again, we were at a job with no health insurance.

Last year we finally had health insurance, and the numbness had progressed to weird electrical feelings in my legs. Plus, I would feel a lot of pain in my legs sometimes too. My bones just really ached. I finally decided to get the MRI. Nothing was there. They said I had arthritis in my neck, and maybe it was Fibromyalgia. I was happy, but frustrated at the same time. I felt like maybe I was making it all up, and it seemed that people thought I was too.

All last summer the pain increased into my abdomen, back, and joints. I just ached, especially by the end of the day. I had constant pain in my kidney area. I went to a doctor who told me I was just dehydrated. I didn't believe him, but I drank tons of water for 3 months and the pain was still there constantly.

I went to another doctor, and she scheduled an abdominal ultrasound. Nothing. I don't want anything to be wrong with me, but my pain is real. I feel like no one thinks it is valid unless there is a diagnosis stuck to my pain, and a mass growing in me somewhere.

So after an MRI, ultrasound, and numerous blood tests, I decided to empower myself and take matters into my own hands. I have been a vegetarian for 8 years. Some of the time I have eaten extremely healthy. Other times I was a potato chip vegetarian. I really didn't pay attention to vitamins, minerals, etc. I know person can abstain from meat and still be healthy, I just wasn't doing a good job of it. I discovered that I was probably deficient in several vitamins. I found out that many of our foods are depleted because our soils are depleted. I also found that we need tons more vitamins than the FDA recommends. Doctors scare us that we can overdose on vitamins, but the truth is that the drugs they prescribe are far more scary than vitamins. I also found that the vitamins I am most likely to be deficient in show the exact symptoms I have been feeling.

For the past week I have been mega dosing on vitamins. I am a girl who hates swallowing pills! But I have been taking 15 pills a day, and guess what? I feel good. Most days I can't feel the pain. It still comes back, and it took a few days to notice a difference, but I feel markedly better!

While I know this isn't a good long-term plan, it is helping more than anything else has. I am making a more conscience effort in planning the food we eat. If I am having these symptoms it makes me worried for my children. It took me 8 years to build up to this, so I am sure it will take a while for my body to get all the nutrients it needs back.

I think vegetarianism is a good thing. I don't think I will be eating meat anytime soon, but I do think we need to be more aware of our food and how nutritious it really is. I think many symptoms people have are related to the food they eat, but they just don't realize it. Doctors don't get much training in nutrition, and when they do blood work, they rarely check vitamin and mineral content.

Food for thought.

xo
~Sarah

OCD

2010-12-08T11:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm talking about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. No, I haven't been diagnosed, but I have this theory that it's human nature to be obsessive about things. Some people are obsessed about their looks, while others may be obsessed about germs. I know it is extreme for some people and it really is a hard thing for them, but I do think that obsessing is part of our "natural man".

I was thinking about my obsession this morning as I was folding laundry. I am OCD about laundry. When I wash, I have to wash everything. I will scour the house, looking under beds, in the car. Every towel that is out, even the kids shoes are not safe. I have to do my laundry all in one day because I have to have it all done at once. And if I don't get it done that day I restart the whole routine the next morning to get everything again.

Now let's talk about folding. Everything must be folded just right. Corners lined up, and the hem of shirts must not be folded up. And the kids have to put their laundry away NICELY so as not to mess up my work of art!

I love everything about laundry: the smell, the whir of the washer, and the feel of warm clothes fresh out of the dryer. I love clean sheets. I love to do laundry!

I realize I probably sound like a nut job right now, but my point is that we all have SOMETHING we obsess over. I wanna know what yours is! Spill it!

My sister's name is Teala, and her husband calls her O-C-Deala. She is obsessive about vacuuming. She loves the lines the vacuum makes in her carpet. You can be in the middle of a conversation with someone and the next thing you know, she has the vacuum running between you. The time of day doesn't matter either. The woman LOVES to vacuum.

I think obsessing is our way of controlling something in our lives. And I don't think people who are obsessive about things hold other people to their expectations. I don't think other people should fold laundry like I do, and my sister could care less if I have vacuum lines in my carpet. Humans are weird creatures. We're a bunch of animals!

My New Journal

2010-12-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm going to start this blog thing again, but I think I'm going to be journaling more than anything. I don't want to forget any of the fun and cute things the kids do and say.

We decided not to do a Christmas tree this year. I know it sounds sad, but it's actually going to be a good thing. Our cute fake tree is in storage, and I don't want Chris to have to rummage through everything for it. Plus, the trailer is small, and we really can't fit all 6 of us in there, let alone a tree!

Here is the good news. I had this wonderful idea to make a Christmas tree so kids aren't completely without something. We are making a tree out of our hand prints. Every time we think of something good or something someone did for us or something we are thankful for, we trace our hand on green paper, cut it out, then write our good thing on it. Then we curl the fingers, and put the handprint upside down on a big sheet of white paper taped to the wall. We'll slowly shape it like a tree as we work our way up. The goal is to have a full tree by Christmas. I'll take a picture and show later. I was feeling pretty bad about not having a tree for the kids, but Anden said, "this is going to be the best Christmas ever because of this tree!"

Then, of course our stockings are packed away, so me and the kids brainstormed what we could use instead. Socks? No, not big enough. Hmmm...they finally decided on their snow boots. Pretty ingenious, huh?

I actually really like struggling through this year. I am learning so much and so are the kids. We are getting pretty good at improvising, and we'll always remember the Christmas in the trailer.

xo
Sarah

Happy Summer, Sad Fall

2010-08-03T11:05:00.001-07:00

We have had such an amazingly happy, busy, eventful, and short summer. I can't believe it is almost over for us. Chris starts work again next week. He is going up by himself, and we are going to miss him like crazy. We don't have a house yet. In 3-4 weeks we may have some very good news on that front.

The kiddos and I are staying in Glendale, and I am going to put on my happy face and be a single parent for a while. I am scared, but Chris is so unhappy about the situation that I have to be the brave one. Hopefully by Christmas or Spring we will all be together again.

We just got back from Meagan (Chris' sister) and Michael's wedding. It was so beautiful and fun. Montana is gorgeous! After the wedding we spent a few days in Yellowstone. We hiked until we couldn't hike anymore, and saw soooo much wildlife, including 2 bears.

I had one of the most spiritual experiences ever on one of the hikes we went on. There is a hike that goes to the brink of the Lower Falls in the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone". It is quite a steep hike down to the very top of an enormous waterfall. At the very top of the falls the water is eerily calm, and then suddenly, whoosh, falls over the edge in a massive explosion. The water sprayed so far up on the cliffs below that it created small streams flowing back into the river. So many little things went into this one whole beautiful creation. I thought of our Heavenly Father. I marveled at the many beautiful things we have to enjoy here. The wonder and amazement that our Father created all this for us...all us sinners and imperfect humans, constantly making mistakes, yet he wants us to have beauty and joy. Words cannot express the joy, wonder, excitement, and happiness I felt in this miracle called a waterfall!

I love nature. I think that is one of the reasons I love riding my bike so much. On the bike I see things so much more intimately than in a car or even running.

I have had spiritual experiences like this before and I cherish them. It is exactly what I needed at this time in my life. I have had prayers that I have felt have not been answered of my Father. In a way I felt like I deserved certain things, but I didn't realize this until recently. I felt like they were "righteous desires" and He should bless me with them. When I didn't get what I wanted I was devastated. I felt abandoned, and overwhelmed with sadness. I really want to be content with where I am here, now, and at this moment. This is a struggle for me, but I think finding the things I am thankful for and realizing that I am blessed and I have so much is the key.

Camping Fun

2010-06-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

We are camping! Chris needed to come back up to Rangely to work yesterday, so we all decided to tag along. Rangely has a cute little camp park with a pond and lots of shade. Summer had definitely set in, so it was sure to be a warm weekend.

Well, it ISN'T! First off, we started the 6 hour trek way late, plus we had to stop at the store for some food. By the time we got to the Loma exit off I-70 it was starting to get dark, and we still had a hour and half left to get to Rangely. So, we decided to stop at Hyline State Park and camp there for the night. We barely got the tent set up before dark, and all the kids slept in the clothes they wore that day.

The next morning Chris had to be in Rangely by 9:30am, so we had a early start. We packed right up (kiddos still in their same clothes), and headed out. Chris got there 10 minutes late, but, whew, we made it!

I went to the campground and got the tent set up with the help of Braxton and Calvin with only a little breeze. It was a gorgeous day! All day the kids played, fished, and got dirty. By night time the wind really started to pick up, but we still roasted marshmallows and hot dogs.

At bedtime, the wind was howling and the rain started coming. I prayed for the Lord to temper the storm and not let our tent fall down. Well, our tent didn't fall, but it sure was COLD. The rain never seeped in though.

It is still raining, and we are trying to figure out what we will do today. Right now we are at Chris' office playing (thank goodness he has a Bionicles collection). I just hope and pray our Target tent will keep the rain out tonight!

Lots O' Stuff

2010-05-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long since I've posted. We are alive and kicking. Chris survived his first year here at CNCC. We decided to move away for the summer and just travel and have fun. We are planning on moving back here in the fall, but at the beginning of June we'll hit the road for some fun. Some of the things we have planned are:

Hike Timp caves
Go to 7 peaks
See Meagan and Michael get married in Montana
Yellowstone, Jackson, and the Tetons
Hike Angels Landing
Camp, camp, camp
Family reunions
Triathlons
Bryce Canyon
Grand Canyon
and anything else we want to do

On another note, Braxton got his Arrow of Light award last week. He also earned all 20 of the activity badges in Webelos. It is the 1st time his scout leader has ever seen this happen. I am so proud of him.

Calvin just finished up the wrestling season, and tore it up! He competed in 3 tournaments and got 3rd, 1st, and 2nd places. That kid is a gifted athlete...straight from his dad, not me.

There is so much for I'd like to write about, but I don't even know where to start. I love you all, and miss you so much!

Dang Cold!

2009-12-11T14:26:00.000-08:00

Ok, so do you think it's cold where you live? Well think again! We didn't know what we were getting into when we moved here. Yesterday as I was driving Anden to school it was -22 degrees. Yes, that is NEGATIVE TWENTY DEGREES FAHRENHEIT!!! Chris ran that morning and almost froze parts of his body off. The snow on the road won't melt, so we have been driving around on white snow covered roads for the last 6 days. I just can't believe people live in places this cold. I seriously feel like we live at the North Pole. Thank goodness we have a garage.

Ok, I'm done complaining now. I actually kind of like it this cold, because then I can brag about it.

Gettin' Better

2009-10-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, so things are definitely getting better. I have been working at the rec. center in the mornings while Chris gets the kiddos off to school, and that has really helped boost my spirits, believe it or not. We are settling in here, and really starting to like it. We've found a great fishing hole for the kids, and have already had some friends up to see us.

Chris is headed to St. George this weekend the run the marathon. Go Chris!

Braxton and Calvin are starting to like school more, and Anden has always loved it. Chris really like his job, so that is good. He found out the classes he is teaching next semester, and it's going to really test him. The good thing about teaching is that he learns so much. He has to know the material inside and out. He really has a love for learning, so it has been fun watching him get excited about learning all over again.

Our house is under contract, meaning we accepted an offer on it. We'll see if it actually goes through. The closing date is at the end of this month. I'll keep ya posted!

If anyone wants to come visit northwestern Colorado, PLEASE COME VISIT! WE MISS YOU!!! WE PROMISE TO COOK YOU LOTS OF GOOD FOOD, TOO!

Rangely Greetings

2009-09-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I figured I would give a quick update. And it will be quick cuz I am at a library computer and they close in 5 minutes! We are doing ok. We don't love it here yet, but the people are generally nice. The kids have had their nights of tears and so have Chris and I. We really really really miss Blanding and all our awesome friends. It really is so different here. People are different, the store is different, the church is different. I really WANT to like it, but it really is taking some time. I have grown so much from going through this experience though. I can truly see why Heavenly Father wants us to step outside our comfort zone. It is so we can learn and grow and become more like Him. It's not that we have to move to achieve this growth, but I can see His purpose in my life. I'm going to try to update more frequently now that we are on a school schedule. And, we may have good news on the sale of our house. I'll keep you posted!

Moving

2009-08-08T03:11:00.000-07:00

I have so much to catch up on, and I really wanted to not leave anything out since I wanted to make my blog into one of those cool books especially since I don't scrapbook. But, since we are trying to move, and since after the move we will be simplifying and eliminating all unneeded expenses, I am afraid this may be my last post for awhile, although I will update when I can. This may be short-term depending on if and when we sell our home.

Chris' last day of work was yesterday. It was sad for him and me. Joe has been the best employer Chris has ever had, and I don't know if he'll ever get one that good again. Joe gave Chris the room he needed to grow into the accountant he is today. He trusted Chris and was extremely flexible, allowing Chris to leave work whenever he needed to.

Here is an update on what we are doing:

Chris is unemployed!!! Yes, I am excited about it. It's only for a week, though. Today we are going on a much needed family trip. We'll come back to Blanding on Tuesday, and pack up Wednesday and Thursday. Then on Friday we will drive to Rangely and get settled in our rental home.

We have seen the Lord's hand work in so many ways in the past few weeks. I was praying that we could stay together as a family. Yes, I want our house to sell too, but staying together is far more important to me. Well, I got a call from someone at Colorado Northwestern saying that she knew of a rental house that was available. I told her that we were on the bottom of the waiting list, and she said that if you knew someone, they would bump you to the top of the list (talk about small town politics, but we're used to it). Well, she was that person we needed to know.

The very next day Chris and I drove up there to look at it, and low and behold they had 2 rental houses we could pick from, both the same price. We chose the nicest of the two, of course. The house is fabulous. I am really scared of making the rent payment (which is double our house payment) and our mortgage at the same time, but we did find someone to stay in our house until it sells to offset the cost a little. He's single guy who just got off a mission. His parents live in Monticello (20 min. away), so it won't be that big of a deal if we do sell it, he'll just move back home. He'll take care of the yard, and let the real estate agents show it whenever they need to.

I really see the Lord's hand in my life right now. I don't understand why our house hasn't sold. It may not be for any reason at all, but I do know that I have learned alot from this whole experience. I have learned that even though I thought I was pretty humble, I wasn't. I thought being humble meant acknowledging God in all things, that without Him, I am nothing. I knew that without question, but my actions weren't showing Him that. My daily praying had diminished, I was a terrible mother most of the time, and forget personal scripture study.

This trial in our lives has helped me be a better mother (although I do need tons more help). I have learned so much from the scriptures, too. When this first started I was in tears most days, sometimes thinking that this was more than I could bear, and that my family would be better off going through this without me (I know, crazy, huh?!) My window of eternal perspective was small, maybe 5 minutes a day. I was constantly anxious. I wanted this burden to be lifted immediately.

Over the past several weeks my eternal window has increased a hundred fold. I know that it will all work out. If the worst thing that happens is us losing our home...I really don't care! I've got 4 boys and a man that loves me. I have found HUGE comfort in reading the scriptures, especially the New Testament when it talks about our Savior's ministry, and in the Book of Mormon when He visits the Nephites after He is resurrected. Jesus told his apostles that God knows our needs, and we shouldn't worry about tomorrow. I need to make good choices today so that tomorrow will be okay, but my Father in Heaven is ultimately in charge.

Paying the bills will be hard until our house sells. BUT....I have my family, and I will find joy in my life.

Our time in Blanding has truly been the best years of my life. I think of the person I was when I came here, and I have definitely changed for the better! The people here are amazing. Even if I don't know you really well, you have touched my life more than you will ever know! I am terrible with goodbyes. My tendency is to NOT say goodbye and just leave without saying anything at all, yup, I avoid pain like the plague. I want to tell all you Blanding folks that this isn't goodbye! Our paths may never cross again in this life, but I know in the life after this we will see each other. I'll look you up and see how life was for you!

Thank you all for taking the time to read my blog, even if I don't know you. I'll still check email at the library, and occasionally post an update

I didn't sign up for this.

2009-07-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

My heart is breaking. When we decided to move to Rangely, we knew it was the right decision. We prayed about it and felt like it was the right decision for our family. Well, if it's the right decision, things are supposed to fall into place, right? WRONG! It's not that things haven't worked out. The problem is that I am a worrier. I worry over everything and it drives me crazy. I almost can't stand being in my own skin when I feel like I do now.

Our house has been on the market for about a month. Not a terribly long time, but we have a time crunch here! Eight people have come to look at it, and we have gotten one offer, which we turned down because we just couldn't even work with it. I will admit, our house needs a little work on the inside. The outside looks good, but it could use some new flooring, and when people buy a house, they want it to look good!

I am so bummed because I talked to a local contractor the other day, and he said instead of taking a really low offer we ought to re-do the kitchen and flooring, then up the price significantly. While this sounds like a good idea because we will probably make some extra money on the house, it really makes me sad. If we did that it would mean Chris and I would be separated. He would go work in Rangely, and I would stay here with the kids to sell the house. When I even so much as think of the words, my eyes well up with tears. I never wanted to be a single parent. I know how hard it is. I was raised my a single mother. I see moms struggle everyday in raising their kids by themselves. I honestly don't know if I can do it. Then the thought of Chris traveling that long drive by himself scares me too. There is a mountain overpass, and it really freaks me out. I didn't sign up for this!

We have prayed and fasted and gone to the temple. I know Heavenly Father is mindful of us. I know He can see the eternal perspective. I know I will look back at this and it will be a small wrinkle in my life. I know there are others out there who would be grateful if their worst worry was selling a house. But at the same time my stomach is in knots all day long. I am constantly in a state of worry and anxiety, and just to warn you, don't ask me about it if you see me because I break down at the drop of a hat.

Braxton's Trip

2009-06-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

Braxton really had a blast on his trip out East. I was afraid that he was going to get homesick, but he really didn't. His teacher said he could call as much as he wanted from her cell phone, and at first he did. The very first thing he told me after he landed in Boston is that the pigeons were HUGE! He took about 100 pictures of birds throughout the trip. In fact, we have more pictures of birds than of anything else. Even though the pictures he took may have been different than the ones I would have took, it was fun to see the trip through his eyes, and to see the things that he thought were cool and picture worthy. I really needed those pictures too, because as the trip went on he called me less and less, and in true 10 year old fashion, he hasn't told me hardly anything about the trip. It's been like pulling teeth to get information. Luckily, his teacher forwarded me all the pictures she took, and I had a long conversation with her after the trip. What a truly exciting thing for him to do. I am so thankful we were able to let him have this opportunity!

Picture of one of the HUGE pigeons.

Here is a pic of Braxton by a Paul Revere statue. Paul Revere must have really impressed Braxton because he is one of the only things Braxton has talked about.

I was so proud of Braxton. This is a pic of him on top of the Empire State Building. His teacher said that he was so scared that he was in tears on the way up. He slowly went out on the deck, and was able to conquer one of his worst fears. He is DEATHLY afraid of heights!

This is Braxton and his two friends in front of the White House. I'm sure it was taken by another 10 year old. Sorry lady who we don't even know with the cute white hat, fanny pack hiked up around your waist, and weird look on your face, but you will forever be engraved in our picture albums.

Cute things

2009-06-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

On Cal's birthday a couple days ago, we were doing "heavy, heavy hang over", and Calvin wished Roy a motorcycle for his birthday. Well, several days later Roy still remembers it. This morning he said, "me get motorcycle for birthday, drive it to store, get milk and candy, and crash." He's always talking about this motorcycle he's getting for his birthday. Hmmm, how am I going to get around that one?

Today Braxton wanted to look at the blog. He saw the picture of himself playing soccer, and said, "wow, my hair looks really stupid long mom." This is coming from the kid that wouldn't let us cut it, and when we finally did, he sobbed as if you'd just cut his arm off. I felt bad, and told him he could grow it out, but now he's decided he doesn't like it. He says his hair looks like a "pudding bowl" (whatever that is), and he wants it cut short.

Ornery Old Goat

2009-06-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

I'm an ornery old goat. Anden even said so. I told him whenever he thinks I am being too mean he can tell me to stop being an ornery old goat. I'll admit, over the last month or so, every since we found out we are moving, life feels so out of control, and I have not been very fun to be around. I seriously feel bad for my husband and kids. I wouldn't want to be around me.

Today as I was thinking, which I do way too much of, I started thinking about why I feel like I need to control so many things in my life. It seems like the more I feel out of control, the more I try to control the little things. Like what my kids take to the pool with them...."don't forget your goggles...that towel is too big to carry while riding your bike....stay close to each other....play with each other....watch for cars....come back right afterwards....blah, blah, blah." I feel so bad for them. Then when they don't do what I say, and I am feeling stressed the poor kids get berated..."get off the wall....that's how you got hurt before...don't you remember....what are you thinking." I have been trying not to be like this lately, and praying really hard that I am not damaging my kids for the rest of their lives. I keep saying that as soon as we move I won't feel like this, but I know I need to try harder now.

I wish I could just let it all go, and say, "who cares if the house is messy when someone comes over to look at it, my kids feel loved. So what if Roy made a trail of mud all the way to the bathroom to wash himself off, at least he knows he can count on mom to help him. Who cares if we eat cold cereal for dinner, at least my kids know that they are #1 in my life." I am going to commit to try harder. I don't ever want my kids and husband to doubt that they are loved, and right now, I don't really think they feel that way. It's time for me to stop wallowing and start loving.

Braxton found his calling!

2009-06-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

Braxton is really good at soccer! He loves it too, and has a blast playing. The position he is best at is goalie. He sacrifices his body for the ball, and really excels at it. This year at his last game the score was tied when the time was up. Each team got a kick off. Braxton's friend Kolemen kicked the ball for their team and made it! Then Braxton was the goalie and blocked the shot kicked by the other team. Braxton was ecstatic and it really made his day! I'm so glad he has found a sport that he loves and that he is good at.Having a blast being goalie

Update

2009-06-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

I have been way too busy, so of course my blog is the first thing to suffer. Here is a short update:

We are feeling a little better about our move. It is slowly starting to sink in and feel better. We have been fixing things in the house to get it ready to sell, and it ticks Chris off that we are making it nicer for someone else. :D Our house isn't officially on the market yet, but we have a few people already interested. Hopefully it sells quick so that will be one less thing we have to worry about.

Here are some pics from the last few months:

Here's Roy covered in mud and snot. It's so blurry because I was trying to take a picture of this sad little mess, and he was so mad that he was hitting me away!

Anden graduated from Pre-School. I'm so sad! I'm going to miss my little buddy when he goes to Kindergarten!

Here's Calvin having a blast at soccer. He really likes it and does well. He's the kid in the yellow. Check out the determination on his face!

We made these paper hats one day, and the kids looked so cute in them, but the real reason why I put this picture up is to document Roy's hair. My sister Jilyn came down a few weeks ago and cut Roy's hair. It is still long, but just shaggy and shorter (I'll show a pic once Braxton gets back from his trip with my camera), and he actually looks like a boy now. I never really understood why people called Roy a girl, since he clearly looked like a boy to me, but looking at this picture makes me realize just how long his hair had gotten and that he DID kinda look like a girl! I do miss his wavy golden locks, though.

Blanding Home for Sale

2009-06-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

I decided to do some cheap advertising and post our home on our blog. We are sad to see it go, and love our house so much! I don't have pictures yet. Braxton has the camera with him on his trip, but here is the description:

Home for sale in Blanding, Utah. 3 bedroom (with a 4th optional bedroom we use as a playroom) 1 3/4 bath in the best neighborhood in Blanding (on a dead end street) with 1600 square feet, a double car carport, and beautiful yard on 1/4 acre. Asking $119,000. Drive by at 390 West 400 South, and if you're interested give us a call: Chris or Sarah Bishop 435-678-3115. Best offer gets it!

Baseball

2009-05-31T17:55:00.001-07:00

Calvin's foot was mostly healed for his last game, so we went ahead and let him play. Here are some pics:

3 Stooges

2009-05-31T17:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, so they're not the stooges, but they do all look alike. Anden has been begging me forever to shave his head like Chris, so earlier this month I pulled out the clippers and buzzed it thinking it would suffice. He was totally happy with it until Calvin decided to have me buzz his head too. When Calvin's haircut was over, he told me it wasn't like dad's and he wanted it shaved with the razor. I succumbed and shaved his head, so Anden decided he wanted his shaved too.

A few hours later Calvin came to me and said it still wasn't like dad's. He wanted it shiny and smooth on the top. Sorry son, that will come with old age!

So here they are...all 3 with a shaved head.

He's Gone

2009-05-31T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today I sent my 10 year old son across the country. I'm so scared and sad. Actually I'm terrified. Last Fall his teacher mentioned that she would like to take a group of students back east to tour the Eastern Seaboard. I was really excited to send Braxton since I used to nanny there back in the day, so, I signed him up. That is so typical of me. I get so excited and gung ho about something and commit to it, then later I really think of the ramifications and what it all means. So this Spring, I started feeling really stressed about all this and today he left.

It really is going to be such a wonderful experience for him. He'll learn a ton, and I'm sure his teacher will take better care of him than I would have. She is amazing.

Braxton was so scared to go, but he really wanted to go. He was scared the plane would crash into a building like 9-11 and scared the big buildings in NY would fall while he was in them. Of course, I helped him see that the chances of all that happening were slim to none.

All day today he has been singing and really excited about his trip. He could hardly believe it was here. And as I hugged him goodbye, irrational fear gripped me...maybe his plane WOULD crash into a building like 9-11, maybe the big buildings in NY WOULD fall while he was in them, maybe he would get abducted, maybe he would get lost, maybe someone would be mean to him, or maybe he would just feel homesick and need me to tell him everything would be alright. I can't believe I just sent my 10 year old across the country.

Sad Day at the Bishop Home

2009-05-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

Chris and I have an announcement to make ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

We've been waiting to make the announcement until after we told Chris' boss, but we're moving. I so badly want to put an exclamation point after that, but we are so extremely sad. It's hard to see that this decision is a good one when we will miss Blanding like crazy. It's our friends, our home, our yard, and the land we will miss the most. I have put thousands of miles in on my bike on these roads. And Chris has run over 7,000 miles here with his BFF Ryan. I cried when I realized how many miles they had run together. I feel like he is divorcing his best friend.

Now for the news. Chris got a job at Colorado Northwestern Community College teaching in their business department. Chris has known for a couple years now that he wants to teach, but now that it is real, he is questioning his capabilities. Chris is a born teacher, and I know he will be wonderful. The college is in Rangely, Colorado and the town is perfect for us. They really courted Chris. First they had a phone interview with him, then paid for him to travel up there to tour the college, meet with the dean, and check out the town. The kids and I even went out to lunch with the hiring committee. The job starts in August and Chris will be on a 10 month contract which means he is all mine in the summer.We know this is the right decision, especially for our family, but we are still leaving kicking and screaming.

He's Done!

2009-05-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

I think I am the proudest wife on the planet. Chris is now an MBA graduate! He has worked so hard for this. He is the most wonderful man I know. He didn't just get his master's degree for himself. No, he got it for me and his children, who he loves so much, and who he would sacrifice his life for.

This has been a hard past few years for Chris. Amongst personal challenges he has overcome, he has also worked a full time job, a part time job, coached various sports for the kids, spent hours and hours on church callings, ran several marathons and triathlons, and loved me more than I could have ever expected anyone to ever love me!

Our 11 year anniversary is coming up next week, and I am so lucky to have found Chris. The men I dated before Chris weren't exactly stellar husband material. Chris has created a life for me that I never believed I could have or deserved.

I always say that all the blessings in our lives are because of Chris. He loves his Heavenly Father so much, and it shows in how he lives his life. He is so forgiving, and truly has a gift for accepting everyone.

He is also one of the smartest people I know. Our kids are blessed to have his smart blood running through their veins.

Chris, I love you so much and feel privileged to spend eternity with you!

He's 10!

2009-05-15T01:32:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby is 10! And yes, he'll always be my baby (I've got 4 of them). Check out my baking skills. I make these super delicious homemade oreos, and since Braxton loves them, he thought it would be a good idea to make a giant Oreo for his b-day cake. Honestly, I didn't think it would work, but turned out super delicious.

Braxton is seriously the best kid ever. Whenever I ask him to do something he ALWAYS does it. He loves to dance with me, and he's got the best sense of humor. He never gets mad when I tease him, and his younger brothers adore him. He always tells me I'm the best mom ever, and he'll still let me tuck him in at night. He's super smart, funny, and is one of the most compassionate kids I know. He bears his testimony in church all the time, and truly loves the gospel. I am so lucky to be his mom!

Braxton got a Rip Stick for his birthday. He already got injured on it. The Dr. thought his arm was broken at first, but it ended up not. Then a few days later Calvin was riding the rip stick and broke his foot. He's out of baseball after only one game. The sad thing is that he's really good at baseball. There's always next year.

Funny

2009-05-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight Calvin said, "Ow, my liver hurts!" Huh?! Not his head or his tummy or even his throat...it was his LIVER! Chris and I were chuckling at it and trying to figure out how the heck the kid knew where his liver was when it dawned on us. A few weeks ago in his class they did a life size replica of themselves complete with body parts: including heart, brain, intestines, and LIVER. So what do you give a kid for liver pain?!

Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

2009-04-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm a liar. Here's how it all started:

Last week one of our cats was in the house (they aren't allowed) and wasn't walking at all. I felt bad for him, so I put him in my room thinking he may not live. I told the kids (big mistake #1) that I thought he might die or have to be put down. What was I thinking?! Braxton lost it. He cried and sobbed and mourned all night long. He is such a tender hearted kid. I really love it in some ways, but in some situations I just want to tell him to buck up and get over it. Well, the cat ended up having a broken pelvis, and the vet said he would live, it would just take several weeks to heal. Ok, lesson learned: Don't tell the kids until I know for sure, and when I do tell them, sugar coat it. What I actually did: LIE.

Fast forward a few days. Three teenage girls come to my house and pull out a teensy bunny that looks dead. They ask me to help them, and want to know if I know what to do to help this bunny live. It was a wild cotton tail and looked to be only a few weeks old. It was actually alive, but wasn't moving very much. Of course, the kids were all in the living room and very interested in what was going on. Braxton got really involved and decided it was his mission to research. He went upstairs and googled "how to take care of a wild baby rabbit".

In the mean time, I pulled out my heating pad to warm the bunny up and got a medicine dropper to try to hydrate it. While doing this Braxton came down stairs completely excited, telling us how to care for the rabbit, and exactly what we needed to do. While I was giving water to the rabbit, Braxton's friend came to pick him up to go somewhere, so he didn't see that the rabbit completely stopped breathing. Chris and I were sure it was dead. The girls weren't so sure, so they took the bunny and left.

When Braxton came home he asked if the bunny lived.

Me: "Yeah"
Braxton: "Oh, mom, I knew it would. I prayed to Heavenly Father, and that's when I knew I should go upstairs and google to see what we should do."

All day today he has been saying how glad and thankful he is that the bunny lived and how wonderful it is that we saved the bunny's life.

Ugh....guilt, guilt, guilt for lying. I don't think he can handle it though. He was saying he knew the bunny would live, and it would have been so sad if it had died.

People around here shoot cottontails as target practice. He'd die if he ever found out.

Our Last Night

2009-04-23T10:13:00.001-07:00

Late night swim.
The pier at sunset.

Brack and I checking out the gorgeous sunset.

Oh, I just love the palm trees!

I just thought I'd throw this in there. We were driving along the freeway, and saw this amazing building. I thought, "wow, that looks like an LDS temple." And....IT WAS, so I got a picture. It's a beautiful temple.

I kept telling Chris on our last day in Oceanside that I didn't want to leave. I loved every minute of it. I loved the smell of the ocean. I loved going on our deck and hearing the waves and seeing the beautiful shore line. I loved the palm trees, the dampness in the air, and not having to worry about our responsibilities.

So, we stayed up late the last night to make it memorable. We went for a long walk on the boardwalk and pier at sunset. It was so gorgeous. Then we went for a late night swim. The next morning we got up early to collect shells. The kiddos thought we were the best parents ever.

I think my favorite parts about the trip were: buying just picked produce from the veggie stands; seeing the looks on peoples faces when they saw us with 4 boys, "are they ALL yours?"; and marveling at the diversity of beauty Heavenly Father has put on this earth for us to enjoy. He really must love us!

USS Midway

2009-04-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

The end of the ship
Inside a cargo helicopter

Brack and Cal, trying to act like it's no big deal.

Roy loved climbing inside all the planes and playing with the buttons.
Anden was so excited and begged me to take his picture in every one.

We went to an aircraft carrier called the USS Midway. It was so much fun to explore and see the wonder in the boys' faces. Afterwards Calvin decided that he wanted to join the Airforce so he could live on a ship like that. I think this was definitely the highlight of the trip for the boys. They got to climb inside airplanes and helicopters, squeeze into the cramped living quarters, and ride in a flight simulator. Chris and I both really enjoyed it, too.

Cabrillo National Monument

2009-04-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous view!
The boys loved seeing this "battle ship" go by.

Beautiful (the pics don't even do it justice!)

All the boys

San Diego has the best National Monument. We love going to national parks and hiking, so when I found out that San Diego had a national monument, we knew we were going. Cabrillo National Monument is on the tip of Poing Loma. You gain elevation as you drive into the park, so the view is incredible! There are rocky tide pools full of marine life, beautiful short hikes, and a lighthouse (which I forgot to take a picture of). The best thing about the park is the view. I read about it and was excited to see, but I just can't describe the beauty of this place. It is a piece of undisturbed heaven in the middle of urban chaos. The shoreline isn't made up of sandy beaches. There are rocky cliffs, and did I tell you it's gorgeous?! We even saw a seal hunting for some vittles next to the rocks. It's quite small, so it only took us a few hours to explore it, but it was so worth visiting.

The Beach

2009-04-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

Calvin playing ball with his dad.
Braxton and I coming in from boarding.

Sand castle time!

What a kicker!
You gotta love the sand encrusted face!

We had such a blast at the beach. When we went, the tide was low, so the kids got to play in the tide pools. Since I'm an expert boogie boarder I taught Braxton how, and he said I was tons better than dad :D The other kids didn't want to step foot in the water because it was pretty cold. It actually wasn't that bad once your body went numb.

I did trick Andy into getting into the water once. I said I was going to pull him around on the boogie board in the tide pool, but after a few minutes I pulled him into the surf. He was mad.

We saw a group of dolphins playing, and that was awesome.

Braxton was very into the whole "modesty" thing. You should have seen the look on his face when he'd see a girl in a bikini. It really made him uncomfortable. I have to say I am glad about that for now. In a couple years I'll have to cover his eyes.

Oceanside Fun

2009-04-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

The condo complex we stayed at in Oceanside was absolutely beautiful. They had a Koi pond with overfed fish, an awesome game room, and beautiful waterfalls everywhere.

Check out the concentration!

Roy and Anden were so cute trying to play pool.

FEED ME!All my handsome boys!
I just had to throw this one in there. Look at Anden's face. He was so sick of me making him pose for pictures.

2009-04-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to an aquarium while we were in San Diego. It was so fun to see their excitement at all the new discoveries. While we were in there, Anden begged us to get our picture taken in the photo booth. Since I'm a sucker for photo booths, we all scrunched in, but never got a good picture. It was fun though.

Afterward, we had a few hours to kill before we could check into the condo, so we stopped at the beach. The kids rolled up their pants and had fun running from the waves even though it was kinda cold outside. In the end, two of the kids ended up falling in and riding to the condo in their underwear since we couldn't get to their clean clothes without a huge hassle.

Piano

2009-04-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

Braxton is beside himself. Grandma and Grandpa brought us their piano about a month ago. Now he can finally take lessons! I'm excited too!

Clever Kid

2009-04-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Calvin and I were working on homework on my bed. Suddenly he said, "Mom will you pull my tooth?" I was completely flabbergasted because we had a beast of a time getting Calvin's first tooth out a few months ago. Whenever he'd ask us to wiggle it he'd pull away as soon as he felt any resistance on the tooth. After several months he finally lost the tooth by having a kick ball hit him in the face.

So, of course I told him I'd pull the tooth. I love pulling teeth. I think I've pulled all but one of Braxton's. Anyway, I reached in and grabbed the tooth and wiggled it gently, then gave it a nice firm yank forward. All I heard was cracking and ripping, and it really freaked me out! I had loosened most of the tooth, it was just dangling there. So, Calvin went into the bathroom and came back 5 seconds later with the tooth out of his mouth.

He then told me about his "super ooper shmooper dooper big idea", and it all made sense. Since the Easter Bunny was coming that night, he wanted to leave his tooth under his pillow, then the Tooth Fairy would come and leave the money. Then he thought the Easter Bunny would take the money and put it in an egg for him with some candy. WOW! So that's eggsactly what happened. The Easter Bunny took Calvins $2, and put it in a gigantic egg filled with candy. He was a happy man. The first thing he ran in my room and said was, "Mom, my super ooper mooper schmooper big idea worked!"

Another funny thing Calvin said:

This is kinda gross, I know, but it really shows how this kid thinks. We were talking to the kids about picking their noses and how gross it was and how it spreads germs, etc. Calvin said, "mom, I don't have to pick my nose with my fingers....I just use suction." Then he did just that. He sniffed hard and sucked it into his throat. He looked quite proud of himself for finding a loophole.

Hiking

2009-04-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

Well, when I was tapering for my race I wasn't supposed to be running and biking very much, so instead I took the kids hiking. We went to Butler Wash and had a blast. Braxton thought it looked pretty easy carrying Roy in the backpack, so he thought he needed to try it out. It turns out it wasn't as easy as it looked ;)

Now if only someone could get him to let me cut his hair!

Calvin Wrestling

2009-04-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

Calvin wrestled this year, and absolutely loved it. Braxton had no interest in it. Calvin is quite the aggressive little wrestler. I just wish Chris and I knew more about wrestling so we could teach him more moves. He ended the season with two 2nd place medals. The picture isn't that great quality, but Calvin really wanted me to put that specific picture up because he thinks he looks muscular :D

Braxton's Basketball

2009-04-10T09:29:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I'm going to slowly try to catch up. I'll start from the places I missed.

Braxton played basketball for the first time this year. He really loved it, and with a little work will be an awesome basketball player!

Ironman California 70.3

2009-04-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

So I finished it in one piece, and I felt WONDERFUL throughout the whole thing. Here is the full fledged race report:

For several days before the race I had slept very little because of other stresses going on in our lives. The day before the race I decided to take a nap because I knew I would suffer on the little sleep I had. Chris took the kids down to the beach while I tried to nap, but I was too amped up to nap. I rested and cleaned up and felt a little better. Since I was so tired, I got to bed at a decent hour. I slept good that night, especially for it being the night before the race.

I woke up at 5 something, got ready, and force fed myself breakfast. I met 2 of my friends in the parking lot and we rode our bikes the mile or so to the transition area. I had almost 2 hours before my swim wave started. I set up my stuff, got body marked, and was soooo incredibly freezing that I was shivering uncontrollably. I put my wetsuit on an hour early just to try to warm up, but still I was soooooo cold. About 10 minutes before my wave started I went to the starting chute and started getting excited. I was so nervous about being in the freezing water that I put on 2 swim caps and a neoprene cap too....big mistake. When I finally stepped into the water to swim to the start line, it felt WARM since I was so cold. The cold water was one of the things I was the most worried about, and it turned out to not be that bad.

I started out strong. I swallowed some salt water a few times, but it wasn't too bad. At the turn around I looked at my watch (I'll never do this again), and I was at 21 minutes, which is about what I expected. By then the ocean swells were pretty big and the testosterone male swim heats were starting to catch us. Those men were MEAN! They were thrashing and swimming over all us ladies, and there was an awful lot of grabbing going on. I got salt water in my goggles. My eyes started to really sting. The 3 swim caps were so tight and cutting off my circulation, and the sun was glaring right in my eyes. I was absolutely miserable. Swimming is usually my strongest of the 3, but it ended up taking me almost 30 minutes to swim back.

I was super slow in the first transition because I really needed to get my bearings after the swim. I bundled up thinking I was going to be freezing. That was my second big mistake.

I started on the bike not feeling super good, and quickly realized I was overdressed. Off came the arm warmers. The bike course was so beautiful. Most of it was through Camp Pendleton, which is breathtaking. It's almost completely undeveloped. The course had a lot of hills, and most people were walking their bikes up them. San Juan county has prepared me well for the hills! I needed to pee when I got to the 2nd aid station, but I thought I could hold it until the next aid station. I got to the 3rd aid station and guess what? Yup, they didn't have any port-a-potties there. I was DYING. I made it though, and had an OK transition time even with all the peeing!

The run ended up being wonderful. I felt good and didn't need to walk at all (except for when I took my gels). It was right along the boardwalk, and we felt the ocean breeze the whole time. I felt strong and great. By the end my knees hurt so bad, but I was able to push through it and even pass several people. My time for the 1/2 marathon wasn't great by running standards, but considering 6 weeks ago I thought I would be walking the entire thing, I'm feeling pretty good about it!

So there you have it.... 1.2 miles of swimming...56 miles of biking.....13.1 miles of running, and I made it!

Here I am at the end of the run feeling pretty darn good. No, I'm not trying to make a fashion statement with the knee socks. They are compression socks and help with muscle fatigue.

After the race showing off my medal and my strong guns!

Nerves

2009-03-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

My nerves are getting the best of me. 8 more days until I try to finish this race. I've done this distance before, and I wasn't scared at all. Now that I know exactly what it all entails and how hard it is, I'm scared out of my britches.

I want to write all about Calvin's wrestling tournaments (he's doing fabulous) and spring, and Chris finishing his big paper (he has a few more small ones), and lots of other exciting things, but the truth is, when I get anxious like this, I feel overwhelmed and don't do ANYTHING I should be doing, like cleaning the house, making dinner, and playing with my kids. So, since I have so much to do to get ready, I'm kicking myself in the butt, unplugging the computer, and going offline until we get back. We are spending over a week in San Diego, then taking the long way home to do some sight seeing. I'll tell you all about it when we get back!

Date Night

2009-03-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

I've had two date nights in a row and another planned for tonight....with three different handsome guys! Lately I've realized that I need to spend more individual time with each of my boys, so I've been letting each one stay up late occasionally.

On Monday night Calvin was my date. He wanted to go to the fitness center with me. I adjusted a few of the machines the smallest they would go. He thought it was the coolest thing ever. After that we came home and drank chocolate milk, ate ice cream, and played Clue. It's was amazing to see his behavior change with just a little one on one time. I think he craves it and needs it even though he would never admit it.

On Tuesday night Braxton and I went grocery shopping together and watched a movie. He thought it was pretty neat being at the grocery store late and choosing all manner of junk food. We came home and watched Back to the Future. It's fun having a kid who can follow the story line of a movie, and who gets some of the inside jokes. We had a blast!

Tonight it's Andy's turn. I don't know what we'll do yet, but I'm sure it will be making something or building something.

On another note, Chris is almost finished with this dang paper he has been working on for a long time. We are nearing the end, but he still has several other projects to finish up before he is completely done.

Oh, and 16 more days until my half IronMan! I'm trying not to freak out. I know I just need to trust my training, but I'm really scared!

We're having a blast during spring break. The kids have this whole week off. Today we are going hiking, and this weekend we are getting visitors! We're so excited!

Apples

2009-03-12T17:12:00.001-07:00

The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

Today I asked Braxton to start unloading the dishwasher while I dropped Calvin off at wrestling. 10 minutes later, I arrived home to a 10 year old boy sobbing in the kitchen. While unloading the dishwasher, he dropped one of our snowman mugs and it broke in 20 little pieces on the floor. He was trying to piece it back together, and asking if there was any way we could glue it. I told him it was gone for good and began putting it in the garbage. He was completely devastated. I held him and asked him if he was crying because he thought he was in trouble.

No, he was crying because he was mourning the loss of the mug. Now, I have to tell you that we have 5 other mugs just like this. He gets attached to "things" just like his dad. And that is why I have to sneak everything in the garbage around here. Like I said....The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

When I told Chris the story he said, "I'm really glad I've taught our son to form attachments to inanimate objects." :)

Kid Pics

2009-03-04T20:19:00.000-08:00

The other day I let the kids go at it with the camera. They had a blast and actually got several good shots. Here are two I really liked:

Temple

2009-03-04T19:47:00.001-08:00

When my sister Teala told me about the tickets you could get for the Draper Temple open house, I knew I wanted to make a special trip up to SLC and see the temple. We always talk about how wonderful the temple is, but I really wanted my boys to see just how beautiful it is. I wanted them to see inside the place they sang about in primary. I didn't want it to just be a place somewhere in their imaginations. Plus, I remember going to the LasVegas Temple open house as a youth, and absolutely LOVING it.

Here are some pics from the trip:Here is Andy on the bus ride to the temple. This is his first time on a bus, and he thought it was the cat's meow.Me and all my boys. It was such a wonderful experience. I got tears in my eyes when we were all in the Celestial Room together. I thought that must be what heaven felt like. I also thought that it might be the only time we were all in the temple together. I hope not, but you never know what tomorrow holds.Chris and all the boys waiting for the bus to take us back to our car. I wish I would have written about this sooner, because it was such a special experience, and I remember thinking that I couldn't wait to write my feelings down, but now they have all escaped me. :(

I remember Braxton telling me, with a glowing countenance, that he would never forget how beautiful the Celestial room was. I also remember looking into the endless mirrors in the sealing room and gazing into eternity with my little family. It was magical, and something I'll never forget either.

Roy Boy

2009-03-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

Ok, so a couple weeks ago I was telling Chris that Roy seems to be acting so much better....listening, following directions, fewer tantrums, etc. Well, since then all hell has broken loose in the Bishop home.

I love spring, and I want it to come so badly. It's been so warm here, but I am realizing that with spring comes a little 2 year old who wants out of the house constantly. Roy wants to get out of the house so bad that he has taught himself how to open the front door. He can even unlatch the dead bolt. And if for some reason he can't open the door, don't worry, he's taught himself how to get the stool, unlatch the living room window, push the screen out, and climb out. Once outside, Roy is so unpredictable. On Saturday we found him making himself at home inside the neighbors home. If you hear honking all over Blanding, it is Roy. He climbs in our cars and locks us out. He dumps out the cat and rabbit food all over the yard, and wacks our poor fruit trees with any yard tool he can find. His socks are scattered all over our yard, and his toes are covered in "owies" from not wearing shoes.

Now I know what you are thinking...."watch the kid better." All I have to say is this, "take Roy for a day, then you'll understand."

Yesterday I locked Roy INTO the house while Calvin and Andy were playing outside. What I didn't realize is that Calvin was shoeless and wearing shorts. Well, the sun started going down, and it got cool outside. They were banging on the door to come in, and I didn't hear them. So, what did they do....they decided to walk to Chris' work. It's only 3 blocks away, but still...Calvin was shoeless. I asked Calvin if anyone talked to them on the way there, and he said one of the neighbors asked where his shoes were so he told her that I had locked them outside. Man, I feel like a TERRIBLE mother, and I'm sure the neighbors think so too.

I could go on and on.

Today Roy dumped half a bottle of sunblock on Andy's head, then he put the sunblock bottle in the fridge and turned the fridge temperature all the way up. He pulled out the syrup and dumped it all over the kitchen floor, too. Urgh! I seriously am to my wits end. When I put him in timeout, he doesn't care....he'll come out, and find me and laugh when I chase him to put him back in.

Oh, please tell me this will pass.

Comments

2009-02-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

If you've left a comment on my blog in the last few weeks, you've probably noticed that I am moderating them. I really hate to do this, but a few weeks back some random person posted comments with links to whatever they are selling (I didn't click on them for fear of what they would lead to). Sorry for the hassle!

Million Dollar Feet

2009-02-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've had all kinds of trouble with my Hepworth feet. They just HURT when I run. I've been injured on and off since I ever stepped foot in running shoes. A couple months ago I finally went to a podiatrist. He made me some custom orthotics. I was really nervous because I am signed up for this IronMan in April, and it hurt every time I ran. But, I HAD to run in order to be ready for my race. I chose NOT to run because it hurt too bad. The orthotics were supposed to take 2 weeks to get here, but mine ended up taking 4! By that time I should have been running at the very least a 10 mile long run. Well, the orthotics finally came, and the other women doing the race were up to a 12 mile long run. I decided to go for broke and run as far as I could to just see if I could.

I seriously didn't think I'd be able to finish the run. The race has a very generous time limit, and I thought I probably wouldn't make it but I'd at least try. Well, the first week after I got the orthotics I made it 8 miles. My feet felt GOOD! The next week I made it 10 miles. My feet felt WONDERFUL! This week I made it 10 miles. My feet felt like A MILLION BUCKS!

Next week I'm going to push my luck and run 12, then 13 the next. After that I'll taper my running down until race day. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about this. I'M GOING TO FINISH THE RACE! I am so motivated right now...probably more so than I have ever been. Slow, but motivated nonetheless.

Happy Day

2009-02-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

My crocuses bloomed, and I can see the tulips and daffodils poking their heads through the melting snow! Life is wonderful!

Be Right Back

2009-02-11T18:11:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone-

I wanted to let you all know that I won't be blogging for awhile. It might only be a week, but it may be longer. I have tons to write about, but real life is super busy right now. See you soon!

Love-
Sarah

Prayers

2009-02-05T20:37:00.000-08:00

Our children always say the same prayer. Not to be sacrilegious or anything, but it goes something like this:

"Dear Heavenly Father: We're thankful for this day. Please bless that we can have a good time. Please bless that we can have fun. Please bless that we can be safe. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."

Sometimes they vary a little, but for the most part, that is the Bishop children family prayer. Well, tonight Braxton asked to say the prayer. After saying the usual above prayer, he threw in a new twist. He said, "Please bless that we won't think about bad guys walking around outside with knives trying to hurt us."

Pretty specific on his requests, huh?! I had to hide my face so he wouldn't see me chuckling after he was finished. It actually kind of makes me sad that he worries about stuff like that.

Oh no he didn't!

2009-01-29T12:24:00.000-08:00

Chris decided to give up soda for his New Years resolution. I decided to give up sugar. With my resolution, I decided I would give myself one free day (Sunday) to hoard and eat as much sugar as I wanted. Chris decided this was a really good idea, so on Saturday he's been buying a soda to drink on Sunday. He's been doing really good, and only drinking it on Sunday. He was even able to pass it up when we went to St. George a few weeks ago, and traveling without soda is especially hard for him.

Occasionally when he buys his soda on Saturday he'll get a big one and just drink the same soda the next Sunday. Last Saturday we went to the store together, and Chris picked out a 2 liter Code Red Mountain Dew. Sunday rolled around, and since he and I were fasting, he didn't get to whip out the soda until around noon. He drank a couple glasses, and I thought he'd be finished. Oh no, at 8pm he poured another glass. I remember thinking that he would never fall asleep.

We stayed up late that night, and were in bed around midnight. I was so tuckered out! Pretty soon I reach over and Chris is out of bed. I immediately knew it was the caffeine. I fell back asleep and reached over at 3am....still not there. I got up to take care of business and asked him what the heck he was doing. He said he couldn't sleep so he polished off the 2 liters of soda. Well, duh, that's going to keep you up.

In the end he came to bed at 5 something and woke up less than an hour later. After that, he decided cold turkey is the way to go. A 37 year old guy just can't stay up all night!

Hodge Podge

2009-01-24T14:45:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by my friend Nan, so here goes. I was supposed to X the things I had done, then answer the questions.

Swam in the ocean X
Gone to Washington DC X
Gone on a blind date X
Skipped school X
Watched someone die X (this was one of the most heart wrenching things I have ever done)
Been to Canada
Been to Mexico X
Been to Florida
Been to a foreign country X (only Mexico)
Been on a plane X
Been lost X (most recently in NYC as an adult)
Been on the opposite side of the country X
Cried yourself to sleep X
Played cops and robbers X
Recently colored with crayons X
Sang Karaoke X
Paid for a meal with coins only
Skipped out without paying for a meal
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? X
Made prank phone calls X (remember Sing-A-Gram, Shauna?)
Caught a snowflake on your tongue X
Watched the northern lights dance (oh, how I'd love to do this)
Danced in the rain X
Written a letter to Santa Claus X
Been kissed under the mistletoe X
Watched the sunrise with someone X
Watched the sunset with someone X
Blown bubbles X
Can hula hoop? X
Gone ice-skating X
Been skinny dipping outdoors X
Gone to the movie's ALONE
Gone to a horror movie and laughed through it

1. Any nicknames? mom, hon, corn, corny, horny
2. Mother's name? Joyce
3. Favorite drink? water
4. Body Piercing? just my ears, and at one point I had them pierced 2 in one ear, and 4 in the other.
5. How much do you like your job? It's the best job I've ever had.
6. Dad's name? Terry
7. Favorite vacation? Boston & NY
8. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Yes; and breakfast; and lunch
9. Ever eaten mud? Not on purpose
10. Ever been on TV? Yes, the Montel Williams show. I was in the audience and asked a question. My friend was so mad at me cuz she was sitting next to me and didn't want to be on TV. I have the tape somewhere.
11. Ever steal any traffic signs? Do orange cones count?
12. Ever been in a car accident? Yes
14. Can you drive a standard car? Yes
15. Favorite pie? I couldn't pick one. Pie is my favorite dessert.
16. Favorite number? 6
17. Favorite movie? I don't like movies, seriously. I sometimes tolerate them for Chris.
18. Favorite dessert? Pie & cheesecake
19. Book on CD or regular book? I love to read anything I can get my hands on. My mind wonders too much when I listen to them on CD, though.
20. Favorite food? Bagels
21. Favorite day of the week? Saturday....I get Chris all to myself.
22. Favorite brand of body wash? I've just started making my own concoction of organic bodywash. Love it!
23. Favorite toothpaste? I don't care...I'm going to start making my own toothpaste soon too.
24. Favorite smells? the desert rain, grapefruit, and patchouli
25. How do you relax? read
26. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Hopefully I'll be a better mom and wife, and live in the moment.
27. Furthest you will send this message? Blanding....hey, I'm just sending it to my blog.
28. Who will respond to this the fastest? My sis
29. What is your favorite breed of dog? I don't know if we'll ever have a dog, but ever since my good friend, Becca, had her Basset Hounds, I've always wanted one.
30. Like to celebrate by going out or staying in? Both....sometimes I love to just veg at home, but going out is fun too!

Silver Haired Gramps

2009-01-23T19:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, so he's not even close to being a grandpa, but Chris is getting grey hair. You may be wondering how I know this since Chris doesn't have any hair on his head, but what he DOES have is a goatee. As we were chatting tonight, I noticed a whole patch of silver hairs. I already knew Chris had one or two silver hairs, but not a whole PATCH! It totally freaked me out. Not because I don't want him to get old, or because I don't want ME to get old, or because I thought it looked bad on him. It was because I realized WE ARE AGING! Yes, folks, I've seen the crows feet sneaking up on me over the last couple years, but seeing the silver in Chris' goatee made me realize that life is happening. My kids are getting older, and before I know it they'll be gone. And, with Chris being 5 years older than me, I am just behind him. I've always loved the fact that I don't HAVE to color my hair. I actually like my natural hair color, but in the next couple years, I am sure my grey patch is coming. SLOW DOWN, LIFE!

Here are part of the lyrics to a song that totally describes how I'm feeling:

Stop This Train - By John Mayer
Stop this train
I wanna get off
And go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
But honestly, won't someone stop this train?

So scared of getting older
I'm only good at being young
So I play the numbers game
To find a way to say that life has just begun

The Sorest Weekend

2009-01-19T07:57:00.001-08:00

Oh my gosh, I am so sore!!! And that is even an understatement.

I don't want to bore you all with running and triathlon talk, but here goes anyway. This last weekend Chris and I went to St. George to run a race. We dropped the kids off at my moms on Friday evening and drove the rest of the way in. On Saturday Chris ran a half marathon, and was fabulous....again. I ran a 5k and got a PR (personal record)!!! I felt awesome, and was passing people left and right, which rarely happens to me in running. About half way through the race, I started feeling beat down, and I was starting to get passed by people. My steam had just run out. Well, Braxton's favorite song came on my iPod, Kung Fu Fighting, and I thought, "I'm going to run this song for Braxton." He loves that song and dances his little heart out to it whenever it comes on, so I just imagined his energy in my body. I was able to speed up and even pass a few people that had just passed me. By the time the song ended, the finish line was in sight, so I sped up even more and finished strong. I really needed a good race like that. I've been doing so bad in my training and races. I've been feeling like I am just not cut out for this. I feel good now.

Here is Chris kicking butt at the end of his race.

But....that's not why I'm sore. After that Chris and I found this little hole in the wall sandwich shop. I thought it was the best sandwich I had ever tasted! Then we drove a little south of Snow Canyon, parked the van, and jumped on our bikes. They had a bike trail, so Chris and I opted to ride on that rather than the road. OH MY HECK!!! There were some killer hills. In fact, I have never ridden up hills that steep. I've ridden up some pretty killer hills here in San Juan County, but NOTHING compares to those. If I'd have stopped I would have fallen backwards and rolled down the hill. In fact, my fear of falling down the hill is the only thing that kept me going! I can't even put into words how painful it was. Well, the trail met up with the road after about 10 miles, so we jumped on the road and went another 5 miles up. Coming back was a blast. Chris is a tank on the bike, so I caught his draft, and since it was all downhill on the way back, we kicked butt!

After that we went over to Sand Hallow Aquatic Center and swam laps. Then we had the best Mexican food ever. Poor Chris should have been the sore one since he ran the half-marathon, but I woke up with the sorest legs I've ever had. Chris felt fine. Did I tell you he's a tank? Dang my chicken legs!

We don't get to spend a lot of time alone since Chris is so busy, so it was really nice to reconnect and enjoy each other.

On the drive back, we stopped in the middle of nowhere. The kids had a blast throwing rocks, so here are some pictures of that:

Baking Queen

2009-01-15T07:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am talking about myself! Chris got me a KitchenAid for Christmas. I knew I'd like it, but I didn't know it would turn me into a Domestic Goddess. I'm sure if Chris knew the powers of the KitchenAid, he would have bought me one a long time ago.

Since getting my magic machine, I've made probably two dozen loaves of bread, homemade pasta, pancakes, cookies, and BAGELS. Yes, that's right, B-A-G-E-L's. Oh, how I love bagels. I found a recipe online, and thought, "hey, if I can make bread, how hard can bagels be?" Well, they weren't super hard to make, just time consuming. They weren't the best bagel I've ever tasted, but then again, I used to live in New York and that's a lot to live up to! With the reception I received from my kids, I'll definitely be making them a lot. I am now the best mom ever and cook extraordinaire. Braxton thinks I should sell them. He thinks we'll be rich! Oh, such flattery will keep me cooking anything they want!

Edit: I don't want to give you the recipe I tried because I really think there is a better recipe out there. But, I am going to try this recipe next: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/homemade-bagels-recipe/index.html

The reviews on it are awesome. Also, I used the instant fast rising yeast. I think that made them more bready instead of chewy and yummy like a bagel should be. Next time I'll just use good old fashioned yeast. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Sledding Torture

2009-01-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

Blanding has been hit hard with snow so far this year. We've had a blast playing in it and sledding. When we first got to the sledding hill, Roy was so excited to go down, so Chris jumped on the sled with him. The hill was super steep and long, and they crashed hard at the end of the hill with Chris landing on top of Roy who was face down in the snow. Roy HATED it! After that he stayed at the top of the hill and periodically we'd try to convince him to go down with us, but he adamantly refused and ran away.

A few minutes before we were leaving, Chris and I devilishly thought up a plan. I sat on the sled like I was going down, and Chris immediately threw Roy on my lap and gave us a push before Roy even knew what hit him. Well, I thought I would be a much better parent to ride down with since I am so much more gentle and not as rough as Chris is. I could MAKE Roy like sledding! Well, the ride down was fun, but we were going so fast that at the end of the hill, yup, we flipped over and I landed right on top of Roy in the snow. He was so mad! And being the stubborn mother I am, I still wanted him to like sledding. Kids are supposed to like sledding!!! So then I thought up a genius idea. When Roy and I were half way up the hill, I grabbed him and went only part way down. It was a slow easy ride and.......HE LOVED IT!!! He didn't want to leave!

The ride.

The crash. (Roy is under Chris)

The ticked off kid.

COLD

2009-01-06T07:59:00.000-08:00

LPL (longer post later), but guess what?! It was so cold this morning that our car wouldn't start! That is flippin cold. I drove to the fitness center yesterday morning. By the time I got there, my hands were so cold they were stinging, and I had gloves on! It seriously only took me 5 minutes at the most to get there, too. I just can't believe how cold it is!

My Christmas Tree

2008-12-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

I can't take it down! I love my Christmas tree so much. It's not so much the tree itself, it's everything about it. The first Christmas Chris and I were together, I was so amazed at his mother's Christmas tree. Her tree wasn't the type you would see in a decorators catalog. It wasn't covered in sparkling silver and gold. The ornaments weren't all the same with matching garland. No, his mother's tree was covered in memories. I loved hearing them talk about all the places they got each ornament. There were ornaments his siblings had made in elementary school. There was the silly stuffed pink elephant everybody wanted to be the first to put on the tree. Each ornament had a story. I wanted my tree to be like that.

The first year Chris and I were married, we were soooo poor. We couldn't afford any ornaments, so I made them. I got old Christmas fabric, sewed them in squares, and stuffed them with potpourri. That began our ornament collection. The next year, we had our first child. I made ornaments impressed with his foot and hand prints out of molding compound. In the years after, we created the tradition of giving each child an ornament for Christmas. We picked it out and gave it as a gift. Sometimes it may be a cartoon character they really like or a sport they have really enjoyed that year. Over the years our collection has grown. When we moved to Blanding, we discovered that our local pharmacy has the best ornaments, so we buy several from them each year. When we travel, I always buy an ornament. Most tourist shops sell ornaments throughout the entire year. A few years ago Chris started giving me several ornaments each year for Christmas. It makes me feel so good knowing that he cares about me enough to take the time to pick ornaments out he thinks I would like. Now after all these years, OUR tree is full of memories. When we decorate the tree we reminisce about the trips we took or Christmases past.

A few years ago I bought a pre-lit tree, and it is beautiful. I love my tree. I don't think I'll take it down for a few weeks. These pictures don't even show half the beauty of my tree, but enjoy anyway!

Christmas

2008-12-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas! I know EVERYBODY loves Christmas, but I really like Christmas. I could do without the weeks leading up to Christmas. Christmas day, and the days after are when I really start feeling the Christmas spirit. I can finally relax. I don't have shopping, delivering, parties, or baking to do. I can just enjoy my family and especially my husband who has several days off.

We have several Christmas traditions, but one of my favorite is our Christmas dinner. We always make homemade spinach pasta, a huge yummy salad, Martinelli's, and cheesecake. It is sooooo delicious. This year we had Chris' family here to enjoy it with us. It snowed so much on Christmas day. It was my first actual white Christmas. I LOVED it! We played in the snow all day. Chris' dad and brother shovelled our carport off. There were over 17 inches of snow on it, and we thought it may not hold up! I even let Braxton and Calvin jump off the roof into a huge snow pile. They thought I was the coolest mom on the block!

This is Roy rockin' in his aunts boots!

This is a double pic, but I can't figure out how to get it off. Here is Calvin and Anden sitting on Chris' sister Meagan's lap. Anden clung to Meagan all weekend long. He is in love with her. She was such a good sport, and spoiled him with all her attention. Thanks Meag!The city of Blanding does a really good job of keeping the roads clear, especially for all the snow we've been getting, but it cracks us up every time we see the John Deer coming down our road to plow. I guess you do what you gotta do!

Chris and I jammin out on Guitar Hero.

Yay!

2008-12-22T09:02:00.000-08:00

I found my cord, so here are some pictures from the last couple months. I seriously think I'm getting Alzheimer's. Chris said I am getting Youngheimers. I forget where I put EVERYTHING. My brain feels like it's mush in my head. I sometimes forget my own friends NAMES. It makes me feel like an idiot.

The cord was exactly where it was supposed to be. I had organized my computer desk and put all the cords together. I do that alot. I organize things, then forget how I organized it. If it's not thrown where I usually toss it, then I clearly have no idea where to look for it. I can only imagine what old age is going to be like. Yesterday I lost my wallet, so I had to use Chris' debit card. I'm always loosing keys, important lists, and everything else. The most funny thing about this is that I had the best memory as a child. If my mom had lost anything, she would always ask me where it was because she knew I'd remember where I had seen it.

The Last 2 Months

2008-12-22T08:40:00.001-08:00

Andy finally got to sit on Santa's lap. Braxton and Calvin weren't having it, though. They said Santa already knew what they wanted because they wrote him a letter. Their friends were there, so I think they thought they were too cool for Santa. How sad!

We went to a concert with my whole family and here are the boys after.

We got soooo much snow. We played in it a ton. I was afraid to let Roy out of my sight because if he would have fallen down, I wouldn't have been able to find him. We got 13 inches in just one storm, and several more in another. It's snowing again today! I love the snow. I'll never complain about it.

Chris and I ran a race in Moab. Chris did fabulous. I, on the other hand, need some serious work. I don't think Hepworth's were made for running.

Braxton LOVED the pinewood derby. He designed, made , and painted his car by himself. When they drilled holes in the bottom of his car to add weight, he was in tears. He would rather keep his car the way he made it than win. He's a sensitive little kid. His car did awesome, though, especially for being a triangle.

The Last 2 Months part II

2008-12-22T08:22:00.001-08:00

We love putting puzzles together on Holiday's.

Calvin wouldn't let me or Chris touch his loose tooth. It's been loose for over 6 months. Finally, while Chris was brushing Calvin's teeth, he wacked the loose tooth with the toothbrush. The tooth was DANGLING there. We thought it was coming out for sure. Nope, Calvin wouldn't have it. He'd barely wiggle the dang thing.

Finally, the next day at school, he was playing kick ball, and the ball hit him in the face. The tooth popped right out! He was one happy kid. The tooth fairy left $5 since it took him so long to loose it.

Chris had a birthday, and is now officially OLD. Just kidding...I'm right behind him, but he is 37 now, which just sounds so close to 40.

This picture cracks me up!

Shopping

2008-12-18T20:29:00.000-08:00

Guess what?! I did almost ALL my Christmas shopping online, and I'm feeling pretty proud of it. I'm not one of those girls that loves to shop. I think I've gotten so used to living in Blanding and not having many stores around, that when I do finally get to civilization, I get sooooo annoyed with standing in lines and stores not having what I need.

Online shopping is like having Christmas twice. First, you get to pick out and get excited about all your stuff. Then when the packages come rolling in, you get to open them and see what you actually bought. My most favorite thing about shopping online is reading reviews about the things I am shopping for. You can tell if it's really a good product by what other consumers say rather than what the salesperson tells you.

Seriously, I can't think of anything I bought at a store this year besides stocking stuffers.

On a side note, while we were in Provo last weekend I learned that Calvin, my 7 year old, LOVES to shop. He and I left everyone else at grandma's house and took off to find some jeans for him. He is VERY picky about what he will wear, so I didn't dare pick them out without him there. We had the best time together. It made me not feel so deprived about not having girls. Now I can just take Calvin with me whenever I get that shopping urge. I love that kid!

BTW- I still can't find the cord to my camera :(

Surprise, surprise

2008-12-16T18:31:00.000-08:00

This will not surprise you all who know me well, but here's the scoop. I have several pictures from the last month or so I've been wanting to post on my blog. Well, time is short, so I haven't been able to find the time to post them. Well now I have the time, but guess what? I can't find the cord to my camera so I can't transfer the images over. No, this is not a surprise to me at all. This happens all the time. I have looked everywhere. I think it grew feet and walked away!

Oh well, to put it in a nutshell: Calvin lost his first tooth, we had an awesome Thanksgiving, the kids did tons of cute things, and we had a huge snowstorm. There ya go.

Let's just hope my memory card doesn't fill up before the cord decides to come running back.

Kitchen Craziness

2008-12-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while because we've had house guests. Chris' dad is roofing a house in Monticello, so we're entertaining him and another worker. I have tons to write about and tons of pictures to share, but it'll have to wait until later.

The kitchen craziness is coming in the form of a 2 year old thief. Roy loves my kitchen utensils. His first choice were the nutcrackers. Since I don't really use the nutcrackers, I succumbed and let him carry it around. He carried it everywhere as his prized possession, pinching everything at eye level...my rear end is at eye level :) He wouldn't even put it down to go in the grocery store.

Now he's figuring out what the "valuable" kitchen utensils are: the beaters, spatulas, and wooden spoons. I'm going crazy. They are strewn all over my house, and he refuses to fork them over;)

I know what you're thinking, "put a child lock on the drawer, silly lady." And to that...the kid knows how to break them. Yes, you heard me right. Since he was old enough to walk, he figured out that all he had to do was pull the drawer in and out as hard and fast as he could and SNAP. Oh well, maybe I'll have a future cook in the family. That might not be such a bad thing!

Back in the Saddle

2008-11-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

After a long hiatus, I am back in the saddle, literally...my bike saddle, that is. It's not that I haven't been riding my bike. I have been doing it here and there, just not consistently. After my half-ironman in August, I was completely burned out. I needed a break. My family needed me to take a break. I just didn't know I needed THIS long of a break. After almost 4 months, 10 lbs., and tons of junk food, I've started training again.

In a fit of exercise madness last spring, I signed up for another half-ironman in April 2009. This was even before I had started training for the one I did in August. "How hard can it be," I told myself. Well, now I am kinda regretting signing up. I really hate being cold, and now I have to train all winter long.

There are a few positives that will come out of this, though.

1. I will probably lose the weight I have gained.

2. I am taking the whole family with me to San Diego, and we are staying in a condo right on the beach!

3. After this race I'll feel pretty entitled in taking the whole summer off and vegging.

So this week marked the beginning of my 20 week training plan. It feels so good to be working toward something again. It feels so good to push my body to its limits. And, it feels so good to finally ride my bike several times in the week. I love her so much (my bike). I view the world so differently when I'm in her saddle. Everything is beautiful, and life just makes sense.

So to help motivate me, I am posting some pictures of my race I finished in July.

Here we all are before the race, showing off our muscles and our body marking. Yes, they mark you with your age on the back of you calf with permanent marker.

Here is the mass swim start. There is usually a lot of thrashing and swimming over the top of people, but since this was an all women's race, it was pretty civil.

This is me on the run. Yes, I look like I'm walking, but I was just sooooo slow. It was so hot and I was hurting and feeling every mile.

Sweet success and a cold shower. I was so glad to be done!

Sick

2008-11-15T10:07:00.000-08:00

I sit here sick as my boys and Chris are outside raking leaves. I am really sad because I want to be out there. We have so much fun raking leaves every year, jumping in them, and having leaf fights, and I'm so sad I'm missing it.

So, I'll drown my sorrows in this tag:

~10 years ago
Chris and I had just gotten married in May and pregnant 6 weeks later. I'm sad to say we fought a ton, and if it hadn't been for me being preggo, our marriage may not have survived. Don't worry, we're ok now. We missed the honeymoon stage of being married, and are celebrating it now ;)

~5 Things On Today's To-Do List
What was on my to do list (until I got sick) was:
1. Ride my bike
2. Rake leaves
3. Grocery shop
4. Go for a run
5. Go for a hike and out to dinner w/Chris (it's his b-day tomorrow)

~Snacks I Enjoy
Heck, I enjoy everything, but mostly I love to eat cold cereal, yogurt, and anything with sugar in it (I'm an addict).

~Things I would do if I suddenly became a billionaire
Build our dream home (passive solar, off grid home)
Hire a maid
Travel to the Bahamas
Take a Disney cruise
Buy a carbon bike
Eat all organic, homemade food
Make sure all my nieces could attend college
Give money to my parents and in-laws so they could retire

~3 Bad Habits
1. Picking out other people's bad punctuation and spelling. I don't know why, but it sticks out like a sore thumb to me.
2. Being too critical with my kids. I yell at them way too much instead of sitting them down and explaining things to them.
3. Spending too much time on the computer.

~5 Places I've lived
1. Hurricane
2. New York
3. St. George
4. Provo; Provo; Provo (we moved several times while there)
5. Blanding

~5 Jobs I've Had
1. Table Busser
2. Nanny
3. Cashier at a grocery store
4. Administrative Assistant
5. and my most favorite job of all.....DOMESTIC GODDESS

~5 Things People Don't Know About Me
1. I had braces and cosmetic dentistry done as an adult. I think I look just enough different that people look at me and wonder, but can't put their finger on it.
2. Chris plucks my eyebrows for me every Saturday night...sweet huh?! He loves doing it.
3. I love day dreaming. I am always wondering about and looking for the next best thing. I think it drives Chris nutty. He thrives on consistency. He'd love to stay in the same place, doing the same things for the rest of his life.
4. I have terrible circulation and very low blood pressure. My feet and hands are always cold, and whenever I stand up from sitting or lying down, I almost always get light headed, see spots, or black out for a few seconds.
5. I am ticklish on my head. I know this sounds so weird, but Chris knows the exact spot and he loves to see me squirm. I'm also a sucker for a good head rub!

Tag: Jilyn & Teala...that means you have to cut and paste and answer these questions on your blog!

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2008-11-13T20:48:00.001-08:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs - Collage - Morph

He passed!

2008-11-12T21:11:00.000-08:00

Horray, Chris passed! Well, at least the first half of this grueling test. It is the CMBA exam, which will make him a Certified Master of Business something or other...who cares?! Now he has several more weeks of studying, then he will take the second half of the test, then write a paper, and he's done with his degree. I will be so excited for this to be over. It has taken so much of his time, but it will be worth it.

After the degree is finished, he will need to study his pants off for several months, then take the CPA exam. This is all part of our master plan. Ya'll will find out what that entails probably in the next few months after all this is over with. I am so stinkin proud of Chris. We agreed that if he gets all this over with by spring time, he can get a season pass to the golf course. He'll be in heaven all summer!

Nice little boys....

2008-11-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

Calvin and I were sitting in the sun together a few days ago. He looked at me and said, "mom, I think you hit puberty...you're getting a mustache." I guess I need to wax!

Anden told me the other day that he hopes he's as fat as me someday.

I hope they are only saying these things to me, and not other lady's. They might not take it as well.

St. George

2008-11-09T18:04:00.001-08:00

I love life here in Blanding, but I really dislike being cold. I am also a person who likes change and thrives on the next best thing. I know that's not one of my best qualities. Me, Chris, and the fam went to St. George this weekend. We dropped the kiddos off at my moms house (thanks mom, you're the best!), and headed off to a bed and breakfast. In the morning we both had a race at Snow Canyon. The weather was so incredible. I want to move back. Actually, I want Chris to buy me a condo there, so we can live there in the winter. The race was beautiful, too!

I was so lucky to see a good friend from high school. I hadn't seen her in several years, and we were able to hook up for lunch. I just feel bad for Chris, since he had to sit there and listen to us reminisce all during lunch.

2008-11-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

Here are all the boys at trunk or treat. Braxton was a vampire. The older he gets, the more bloody and scary he wants his costume. What ever happened to cows and dinosaurs?

Calvin wanted to be a ninja. We already had the costume, and he BEGGED me to paint his face black. I told him that ninjas don't paint their faces black (since their mom's don't want to worry about black face paint rubbing off onto everything ;), but he really, really wanted me to paint it. I succumbed. The minute he saw his face in the mirror, he started crying huge alligator tears. He hated it. This kid HAS to look perfect. He begged me to wash it off, but every mom knows black face paint never comes off on the first washing, plus we were already late for trunk or treat. I told him we were leaving, and he declared that he would not be trick or treating. When we got there it was too hard for him to watch the fun and not be involved, so he washed it himself with baby wipes and felt like he looked pretty darn good afterwards. That's why his face looks the way it does.

Exhausted

2008-11-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

Oh my heavens, I had huge plans to put a Halloween post up complete with pictures, but I just can't do it.

To start off, my newest news is that I am not working with the Young Women's anymore. I got released on Sunday. Can I just tell you that I love those young ladies! I am going to miss them so much! Chris and I have gone to the same church for six years, and I have been in the Young Women's for most of that time. I'm kinda sad, but I know the new leaders will do a fabulous job and the girls will love them.

I have a confession. When I was training for my half-ironman, I ate, slept, and drank swimming, biking, and running. It was all I had time for. Well, after I finished, without even consciously realizing it, I filled my time with internet and more internet. I can't even tell you exactly what I was doing. Definitely nothing productive. My house and family were really starting to show the effects of my laziness. So, I am turning a new leaf. After finally being honest with myself about how much time I was wasting, I am now only going to check email and anything else in the evening after the kids go to bed. I started this today, and I can already tell a difference. It's time to climb out of this mess I have dug myself into. It's really hard for me to admit this because it makes me feel like such a terrible mother and wife, but I need to make a change.

So that is why I'm not posting pictures or anything else for now. I am completely exhausted. I need sleep.

Praying for Chris

2008-10-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

I've been praying for Chris a lot lately. He's not sick or anything, just under a ton of pressure. Chris has his MBA test coming up in 2 days. He is so nervous about taking it. He's been working for this for 2 years and is on the home stretch of actually getting his MBA. Lately he's been studying 30 hours a week just for this test. After this, he writes a final paper and that's it!

He is such a good man. I pulled out one of my old journals last Sunday, and read what I had written when Chris and I first started dating. Man, I was so in love with him. I thought he was so amazing and wonderful and I loved him so much! The way I felt then doesn't even compare to how I feel for Chris now. It is so amazing to me how much my love has grown for him. I never thought I could love someone as much as I love him. Our marriage hasn't always been easy. It still isn't easy, but we have always persevered.

Chris is such a good provider and dad and friend and husband. He always keeps my secrets. He works 40 hours a week as an Accountant, teaches accounting to high school students, does electrical work on the side, fulfills his church callings, and still has time to watch the kids for me while I workout. He helps the kids with homework, makes dinner when I've had a crappy day, takes care of our yard, watches the kids sporting events, and he hasn't missed a single parent teacher conference EVER. He puts up with all my crazy ideas and eats vegetarian meals just so I don't have to touch the meat. He's one of the most forgiving people I know, and is always the first one to apologize. Chris is the better half of our marriage. I always tell him that if I make it to Heaven it will be because of him!

I am so glad our kids have such a great role model to look up to. They love him as much as I do. I am the luckiest girl alive to have a man like Chris. I only hope I can live up to all he has been to me!

Six days

2008-10-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this is six days of laundry? You would think I lived in a house of all girls with the amount of laundry we go through. I know many of you feel my pain on the laundry front. I actually don't mind laundry. It's one of my more enjoyable tasks, but with 6 people, it can be daunting. The laundry really piles up fast, so I try to do it about every five days. Today I only had time to keep rotating the laundry as it finished drying, then onto my bed it went into a big pile. I didn't get time to fold it until tonight. This first picture isn't even all the laundry. I have 2 more finished loads in a laundry basket, one in the dryer, and some on the clothes line.

One hour later:

Socks

2008-10-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

Our family has sock issues.

First of all, check out this picture of mine and Braxton's socks side by side. His is the bigger sock. His feet are almost as big as mine, and I wear a size 9 too! It just amazes me how fast all the boys are growing up.

Here is a picture with Anden's initial on his sock. No, it's not so we can tell whose sock it is. It's because it's actually Calvin's sock, and he won't wear it anymore. He refuses to wear socks with even the smallest hole anywhere on the sock, and if it feels even slightly "funny" he won't wear it either. Since Anden could care less, he gets all the socks that don't pass the approval of Calvin.

This is a pile of Chris' socks. This guy is totally OCD about socks. There are 9 pair of socks here and that is small compared to what the pile usually is on laundry day. He has socks he runs in, socks he wears to work, socks to lounge in, socks to work in the yard, socks for church, socks for when it's cold, socks for when it's hot, and on and on and on. He goes through at least 2 pairs of socks a day.

Family Pictures

2008-10-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we got our family pictures taken. There is a girl in town who does an amazing job. Let me tell you, I have been stressing about this for a long time. It took forever to pick our outfits out...of course they had to be color coordinated. I'm sure I drove Chris CRAZY with all the talk about the pictures and how we all needed to match, and how Roy better stop picking the scab on his nose or it wouldn't heal in time for the pictures (it didn't), or how I had gained 10 lbs. and now it was gonna show in the pictures....blah blah blah.

Anyway, it'll take awhile before she has them up, but she has a blog ( http://brookepehrsonphotography.blogspot.com/ ) if you want to see some of her work. She is amazing. She is a graphic designer as well.

She'll have to work miracles with us. Roy was bouncing off the walls, Calvin was cheesin' it big time, and Braxton had bloody boogers from an earlier bloody nose (gross, I know)!

Super Hero

2008-10-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

Andy had been playing outside when he came inside and announced that he is a super hero! Of course I told him that was awesome. He wanted to know if I wondered why he was now officially a super hero. "Of course," I told him. He promptly said, "because I get this thingy thing and pick up bugs with it and move them." He was holding a super duper hero bug getter in his hands...a clothespin!

Feet

2008-10-15T12:56:00.001-07:00

Yes, that is a picture of my freakishly skinny feet. And, no those aren't my fingers attached to them, those are my toes; yes, my even more freakishly, skinny toes. I am so frustrated I could scream. I have the hardest time finding shoes that I like, but finding shoes that I like AND fit my feet is insane. During the summer I live in my Chaco's. They are comfy, cute, and they actually fit my feet. Well, now that it is winter, I have been looking for some shoes so my feet won't freeze. To start off with, I don't like wearing shoes. I never have. The minute I get in the car or house my shoes are off. But it is getting cold.

I've been looking on Zappos.com. I decided since it is so hard to find shoes that fit, I would order several pair, try them on, then send back the ones that don't fit. I ordered SEVERAL pair. They came today. They all look terrible on me! They feel like I'm going to walk right out of them. The straps gape open. HELP! They just don't make cute shoes for narrow feet. They are all granny shoes. If you know of any cute, skinny, long (did I mention I wear a size 9?!) shoe, please let me know.

Wow, life is tough.

What a difference a day makes!

2008-10-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

This year I decided to not plant a real garden like I usually do. I knew I wouldn't have a lot of time since I was trying to train for a long distance triathlon. Well, we had just finished our concrete driveway, and had some concrete planter boxes put in. Since nothing was in them, I figured I might as well plant some tomatoes, basil, and peppers. We were also delighted when a volunteer cantaloupe plant started growing between my lavender.

Tomatoes

It ended up being a great idea! There was something about the boxes that the plants really liked. We were surprised, and they produced a bounteous crop. The basil thrived so well that we fed our rabbits handfuls of it everyday.

Basil

On Saturday, the weather guy said it was supposed to freeze that night. I never listen to the weather since they are terrible at predicting the weather for Blanding, but for some reason I decided to listen this time. We picked all the tomatoes we could see (it was getting dark outside). We dug up 3 basil plants and transplanted them in pots to be bring inside so we could try to prolong their life. We clipped the rest of the basil so I could make and freeze pesto. We also saved 2 melons from their cold fate.

When we woke up the next morning, everything looked like this:

I didn't do it.

2008-10-15T08:22:00.001-07:00

So I didn't end up swimming in the reservoir, and I'm sure as heck not doing it now. It is FREEZING! Last weekend there was a triathlon in Moab, and Chris and I did that instead. Neither of us had trained for it, but we decided to go for it anyway.

Chris was THE bomb. They reversed the order so it was run, bike, swim. We all know Chris is an amazing runner, but he is even more gifted on the bike. He was with the front pack during the run, but on the bike he passed a few more guys and was in 1st place!!! He is just built for cycling. When he got to the pool, there was a guy just behind him, and Chris told him to go ahead. Chris just learned to swim this year, so he has really struggles at it. He is getting better, though. Chris was passed by several other guys and ended up finishing 5th!

This picture isn't of this race. We couldn't take any since we were both racing. This is Chris transitioning from the swim to the bike at the Hillman earlier this summer.

My race went well for me. The run was tough especially with my hurt foot, but I survived. I was able to pass several people on the bike, and finished the swim strong. It was a really fun race, and we were able to do it with some of our friends from Blanding.

Yeooooww!

2008-10-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

In Blanding our city pool is an outdoors and closes on Labor Day. That means after Labor Day if I want to get in any swimming, I need to go to one of our reservoirs and swim. Well, it hasn't really been that bad since I have a wetsuit. A wetsuit really does keep you warmer, and for me it squelches my silly fear of being bit by a fish. Yes, I said BIT by a fish.

Well, the last few times I have swam there, it has been pretty darn cold. The weather has turned really cold over the past couple days, but I really want to get one last long swim in. Do I dare to do it? It's gonna be COLD, and if you know me, you know I hate to be cold. Last year me and a friend had to swim there since we were training for a race in mid-October. I'm telling you, it was so incredibly cold. I seriously wondered if we would get hypothermia by the time we made it back. Well, now I am not training for a race, I just love to swim in this beautiful body of water surrounded by nature.

I'll let you know if I end up doing it and survive to tell the story!

Thank goodness for wetsuits, though. My crazy self signed up for another Half-Ironman in April of next year. It's in Oceanside, California, and apparently the water is really really cold. I knew I wouldn't be able to practice any open water swims just before the race since all our reservoirs here will likely still be frozen, so I have really wanted to get a lot of open water swimming in now.

I'll start heavily training for that race in December. I hope my foot can survive the run. As you may know, I have a gimpy foot. I injured it in July and it's been hurting every since. I'm slowly starting to run on it again with only a little pain. The most I have gone is 2 miles. Not much, but a start nonetheless.

This picture is of me coming out of the water at Barb's Race. They had a small strip of carpet to run on after we got out of the water so we didn't have to step on rocks and such. The guy in front of me had just finished swimming twice as far as me (they were having a full ironman at the same time), so he was probably just excited to be done with the swim. He was walking, and I was pumped to get on my bike, so I wanted to run. This is about where I decided to run past him and I stubbed my toe....owie.

His Favorite Place

2008-10-03T22:29:00.000-07:00

This year I was so busy training for my Half-Ironman that I didn't plant a garden in my raised beds. Now I'm glad I didn't because they are Roy's favorite place to be. He goes out there almost every day and spends hours playing in the dirt.

And he loves tormenting the cats!

Poor Andy

2008-10-03T22:03:00.001-07:00

Poor Anden got his first stitches this evening. We were all over at Chris' office and Andy came to me crying. I gave him a big hug, then realized he had his hood over his head where he was saying it hurt. I pulled it off and it was bleeding like crazy. Well, I'm the offical family comforter and Chris is the official look to see if it needs stitches man. So I told Chris to come see. He split it open to see how deep it was, and yup, he needed stitches. Chris took him to get the stitches. He said Andy didn't even cry when the Dr. was numbing it up. The Dr. was pretty amazed. This is the same kid that didn't even so much as squelch when he had to get 4 shots. He's such a brave little man! He told me he was glad he didn't get cut on the back of his head or he wouldn't be able to sleep.

NY Highlight

2008-10-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

This is my NY family. It was the highlight of my trip to be able to see them. Jonathan is the one standing next to me. He has grown and changed so much. He's turning into a MAN, and I can't believe it! He's doing awesome things...he's in a band and is going to college. He is such a sweetheart.

Robyn is standing between her parents. She is still in high school, but is getting her cosmetology license at the same time. She is so grown up and is turning into an AMAZING young lady!

We ate dinner and reminisced. It was so much fun! They are wondeful people!

NY

2008-10-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

This is Chris at Times Square. He loved NY so much. It was so fun to be there again and see him look around in awe. When we went to Grand Central, Chris just loved it. We found a corner and people watched for awhile. It is amazing how many people there are in this city! You never fully understand it until you visit yourself. Fun times!

While there we also got to see Wicked on Broadway. It was the best play ever. During intermission I broke down crying. Everyone was staring at me because the play isn't sad. I was so completely homesick. I missed my kids more than I ever had in my life. I knew they were well taken care of, but I just couldn't take being away from them for that long.

On our last day we NEEDED bagels. There is nothing like a NY bagel. I love them all...every flavor. I love them with every cream cheese flavor, butter, as a sandwich, or any other way they make them. We found the best bagel shop on the planet. They were AMAZING...man I'm making myself hungry! Then we went for a run at Riverside Park. It's a large park. We got separated, and Chris had the cell phone, money, subway cards, and hotel key. I cried. I asked a lady to help. We were lost most of the morning and on into the afternoon. I prayed. I looked ahead. There was my husband running toward me! Our NY experience would not have been complete without getting lost in the Big Apple! We drowned our wasted day in.....BAGELS...yup, we went back to the same place.

NY

2008-10-01T10:16:00.001-07:00

This is Chris on the Brooklyn Bridge. Right after we checked into our hotel, we took a subway down to the bridge, walked across it, and ate pizza. The pizza was fabulous. If you've ever seen the Seinfeld episode about the soup nazi, it was just like that. On the outside there were all kinds of hand written signs telling what the "rules" were....no strollers, no cell phones, you MUST wait in the line, no checks, no credit cards, etc. When we finally got in, the place was PACKED. We were seated at a table with 10 other people who we didn't know, which made it tough for conversation. I was so glad to have this experience because I wanted Chris to see what NY was really like.

This is me after we had pizza in Brooklyn with the Manhattan skyline in the background.

The next day we went to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I had NEVER been there during the 2 years I lived in NY! This is my favorite picture of the Lady. Chris and I had to wait in line FOREVER for security to go inside the statue. Ellis Island was really cool, too. After we got off the boat we were sooo hungry, so we went to Chinatown. We got lost on some side streets and it turned out to be really cool cuz we got to see what it's really like. There was tons of fish markets, and the fish looked like they had JUST been caught because they were still moving. Everyone was speaking Chinese and staring at us. Eventually we found an authentic Chinese resaurant. They only had chopsticks there and you had to ask if you wanted a fork. We wanted to fit in, so we struggled along with our chopsticks. The next thing we know all the cooks decided it was lunchtime for them too. They came out to a huge table filled with food, and whipped out........forks for themselves! We were cracking up! The food wasn't that great. Chinese food has definately been Americanized....and I learned that I like it that way!

The next day we went for a run in Central Park and visited Grand Central Station, the NY public library, Rockefeller Plaza, Times Square, and the Empire State Building at night. This collage is completely made of recycled stuff...cell phones, keyboards, mouses, etc.

Boston

2008-10-01T08:52:00.001-07:00

We went to Boston and NY back in April, but until now I couldn't post the pics, so here goes. This first picture is me and our good friend Yvette. She let Chris and I crash at her house. She was a wonderful hostess. Thanks Yvette!

The next pic is Chris just after he finished the marathon. He was awesome! We loved Boston so much. Yvette's law office was in a high-rise, so she took us up to the top and we were able to see the entire city.

This is Chris sporting his medal. Did I mention he was AWESOME?! The food in Boston was magnificent. The seafood was so tempting, even for this vegetarian girl. Chris ate squid, and several other things which normal people don't usually eat. We wished the boys were there, but loved sleeping in too!

This is Chris and I at the Boston airport waiting for our flight. While running the marathon, the spring sunshine burnt Chris to a crisp...but only on one side of his body. He forgot to wear sunblock, and was soooo red. He wore his beanie for the first couple days after the marathon because half a burned bald head isn't exactly the look he was going for :)

Pictures!!!

2008-09-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

We have high speed now, so now I can post pictures! This is just a test post to see how it works. This picture is of my handsome boys Braxton, Calvin, and Anden.

Oh, and one cute story before I forget. The phone guy was coming over to put in our internet and do some other work. I warned Andy ahead of time not to get in his way or talk to him. Anden LOVES to talk, and I know it can get annyoing sometimes. Well, the guy comes over and the next thing I hear is Anden asking him, "you were in the back yard before. Why did you come to the front yard?" "I found 3 salamanders today. Want to know what color they are?" "I'll show you where I put them too." "Maybe we can catch them again." So, I went out to save the man. I called Andy inside and told him not to talk to the man because he needed to work. Anden said, "but I wasn't talking to him when he was working, I was talking to him while he was walking." I have no idea where he gets his talkativeness from. Definately not from me or Chris. I used to hide from my teachers when I saw them at the store because I was too scared to talk to them.

Chili Recipe

2008-09-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

So this recipe is kinda cheating since I use a seasoning packet, but it's so easy to make and tastes really good on a lot of different things. I use this chili for my taco salad, Navajo tacos, and a yummy and easy Mexican casserole. I'll post that recipe maybe next week.

Sarah's Vegetarian Easy Chili
1 chili seasoning packet (doesn't matter which brand, I use the cheapest)
2- 8oz. cans tomato sauce
2- 14.5 oz. cans tomatoes (I use stewed or diced...if you don't like tomato chunks you can blend the tomatoes in the blender before adding)
2- 15 oz. cans beans (I like to mix it up and use a combo of black, red, white, or garbanzo)
1 onion
any other veggies you like...most veggies are good in it...it's also good without any

Cook chopped onion in a little (1 T.) oil in a big pot. Add any veggies you want, or none at all, the choice is yours. Cook until veggies are crisp-tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes. That IT!!!

Taco Salad & Navajo Tacos

2008-09-23T05:13:00.000-07:00

Taco salad is an easy, healthy thing to make, especially if you are crunched for time. Last night I whipped it up really fast. This really isn't even a recipe. First I made my homemade vegetarian chili...it's really easy...I'll post the recipe after this. Then you just need to assemble the ingredients: corn chips, chili, cheese, lettuce (please don't use iceberg...instead use red leaf, green leaf, or romaine), tomato, olives, salsa (or taco sauce), dressing (we use homemade low fat ranch).

First, crunch up a few corn chips at the bottom of a bowl (start with just a little of each ingredient or your salad will be huge in the end). Add the chili, cheese, then, for health, add a lot of lettuce, then whatever else you like.

I like to make a big pot of chili and use it for taco salad, then later in the week I make Navajo tacos. They both use a lot of the same ingredients. For the Navajo taco dough, I just use a bread recipe...it's not traditional Navajo, but I like its taste better. I fry up the family's dough, just like you normally would in lots of oil (I use canola), then when I am finished I dump out the leftover oil. The pan will be coated just enough to fry up my bread without it sticking. It'll be lower in fat and calories because it's not sitting in oil. I hope this makes sense. I'll post the chilli recipe later.

Good News & Braxton

2008-09-23T04:56:00.000-07:00

Well, the good news is that Chris gave me permission to get high speed. Just kidding, he really didn't give me permission, but we both agreed it would be a good idea. It'll be so much nicer.

I want to write a little about my Braxton. HOLY COW, that kid is growing so fast. I love watching him grow. I love how we can have conversations together. I love how he gets my jokes, will dance with me in the kitchen, and really wants to help out when he sees that I am stressed. But I want him to stop! He'll be getting the priesthood soon, passing the sacrament, asking girls out, KISSING girls, back talking, driving, going on a mission, getting married....stop growing Braxton!!! He is such an amazing person. He's responsible and genuinely cares about people. It's so fun to watch him coach Calvin on the sidelines of his games. He feels that since he is 2 whole years older, he knows the game much better than his younger counterpart. He entertains our baby and can clean and vacuum a room really well. The thing I love most about Braxton is that he is still so loving. He'll hold my hand even at school. He doesn't care what the other kids say. He insists on a good night kiss and song...and the whole time I'm singing the song, he lies there with his eyes closed and a content smile on his face. He tells me he loves me all the time. In fact he loves saying, "Mom, your a good mom, mom." To which I reply, "son, your a good son, son." Then he tells me I sound like I'm oriental.

Random Musings

2008-09-18T07:20:00.001-07:00

I had to post twice because I have so much to say. I don't know if I'll post a recipe this week...I don't know if I've cooked even once! But guess what I did do? I made my very own all natural, no preservative, everything in it is good for you LOTION! The best part about it is that it was so much easier than I thought it would be. I ordered everything I needed online. This stuff is so good for your skin. In fact you could eat it, it's that good! I am seriously wanting to brag about this, so if you want to try it, email me, and if I like you enough, I'll send you some! Oh, I also made my own lip balm too. I'll send you some of that too just for reading my blog...does anyone even read this?

Oh, I have a cute story. Andy helped me bake my b-day cake. We had mixed the batter and poured it into the pans. He had already licked off the beaters and the bowl. I had the scraper covered with cake batter I was excited to start licking. Anyway, I said, "Andy, who do you think should get the scraper....the birthday girl, or the chocolate covered little boy." He promptly answered, "the boy." Okay, so I'm the one that asked...I gave it to him.

So Braxton played tackle football last year and vowed he wouldn't play this year, but Calvin signed up for flag football this year. Calvin is pretty darn good! He's an agile kid and pretty fast too. I know it's only flag football, and he's only 7, but it was fun to watch him play and do really good. His team made 2 touchdowns and both of them were run by Calvin.

Since we still only have dial-up, blogger won't download any of my photos, but I can download them on my facebook account, so that's where the pictures will be. I posted a couple of Calvin playing football.

I have so many more things I wanted to write, but I'm thinking they are too deep for now....next time: the economy and pride...random...I know.....just like me.

The Best Birthday EVER

2008-09-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the best birthday ever. Nothing big happened, but so many small things to make it an amazing day for me. First of all, the day before my birthday some of my friends took me out to lunch in Bluff to one of those really earthy type restaurants with plenty of vegetarian choices and all kinds of granola type people hanging out. I love those types of places.

The next day I woke up to 4 crazy boys. Andy had Chris take him to the store the day before to get my present. He loves to save his quarters because he loves to buy gumballs with them whenever we go to the grocery store. Well, in the days following up to my b-day he had been saying to me, "mom, I'm not telling what I got you for your birthday. It's round like a gumball, but I'm not telling what it is. And it tastes like a gumball and looks like a gumball, but I'm not telling." Then I'd beg him to tell me and he'd zip his lip and not say a thing. This is my favorite age! Anyway, back to my birthday. The first present I opened was from Andy....not one, not two, but THREE whole gumballs! Now, that was a sacrifice for that kid to give up 3 gumballs! Then the kids did heavy heavy hangover with the rest of the presents....it was all kinds of swimming stuff...i won't bore you with the details.

Chris sent the older kids off to school and found a babysitter for the youngest. He took me out to my favorite place in town....Peace Tree Juice Cafe. I ate the best wrap and drank the best smoothie ever. Then when I got home a friend brought me flowers and another brought me my very own container of ice cream! I got a call from my madre' singing happy birthday with 25 fifth graders....it was awesome! Then I logged on to my facebook account and lots of people had wished me happy birthday. One of my good friends made me stuffed portabello mushrooms and fruit on the side. Did I tell you I am the luckiest girl on the planet? I got candy from another friend. A call from one of the girls in my Young Women class. And my kids decorated me a cake complete with a number 3 plus 2 regular candles. Tons of other things made it special, but those were the ones that came to my mind.

Thank you for the wonderful people you are! You make my life so much better.

Adventure

2008-09-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

We made a quick trip to St. George this weekend to see my mom get sealed to her wonderful husband, Clarence. On Saturday we were going to drive up to her house in Glendale then go home the next day, but the three of us (Chris, Riley, and I) decided to just brave the Reservation and drive home that night. It's pretty dangerous driving home on a weekend and at night on the Reservation. First of all, if anything did happen, emergency vehicles are very far away. Second, drunk driving is extremely rampant. And, third, it's an open range so farm animals are everywhere.

Well, apparently we forgot all this when we made the decision to come home. The ride was fine up until about an hour after we passed Page, AZ. Then the almost non existent traffic became heavy and slow. It finally came to a complete stop. We thought it might be a police checkpoint, but after sitting there for a few minutes we noticed there weren't any cars coming in the other direction. We got out of the car and started talking to other motorists. Apparently there was a really bad car accident. Someone died. Life Flight had already come, now they were waiting to clean up the accident. Well, since it is truly in the middle of nowhere, it took forever for the tow truck to get there. In total we waited for 2 hours. I stayed with the car, but Chris walked up toward the accident and had a blast talking to all the tourists.

Finally we were on our way. The traffic was very slow though. After we passed Kayenta we almost hit 3 horses, 3 donkeys, yes DONKEYS, in the middle of the stinkin highway!, and one motor home filled with tourists doing a U turn in the middle of the road.

We were so glad to get home and climb in bed. I don't think we'll be making that drive at night for a long time!

It's Autumn Time.....Well, Almost

2008-09-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

I love Fall. I was in denial about it until last year. I used to think I didn't like Autumn because it meant it was going to get cold soon....and everyone knows I don't like to be cold. Well, last year I finally realized how much I love the changing leaves and the cool nights. The kids are in school, you don't have to water your yard as much, and did I mention the yummy garden harvest? And the weather outside is wonderful for hiking and biking.

We have a beautiful young maple tree in our front yard courtesy of the previous owners of our house. It is so incredible to watch it change. The younger leaves turn a deep yellow while the bigger leaves change to a rich red. If I could freeze time, I would.

I am so thankful to my Heavely Father for creating such a beautiful earth. We have so many wonderful things to look at!

Yumminess

2008-09-05T08:25:00.000-07:00

So a good friend of mine brought me a case of peaches from an orchard up in Utah county. She brings them to me every year and they are so yummy. One of my favorite things to do with them is make cobbler. I have a really easy recipe that I have adapted to make it have less calories than normal cobbler. You HAVE to try it. Here it is:

Peach Cobbler
3-4 cups sliced fresh peaches
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together peaches and 2/3 cup sugar; set aside. Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and milk. Melt butter in 9X13 baking dish in preheating oven. Pour batter over melted butter, then add peaches on top. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

We have a convection oven, so with a regular oven it may take longer. Just keep a close eye on it and take it out when the top is golden. This recipe ususally takes 2 cubes of butter, but I have reduced it significantly with awesome results. Serve it with ice cream or whip topping. It's so easy and so incredible!

I'm going to try to post a recipe once a week on my blog of something I have made that week. Most of the times the recipes with be healthy since I am a health freak. I'm not saying this peach cobbler is healthy....it's just healthIER.

Oh, and if anyone wants to come visit me, I'll make you all the cobbler you want!

Sunday Surprises

2008-09-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I substitute taught the 11-12 year old primary girls. The first song was "I love to see the temple". As the whole primary started singing, there was one child in particular who was belting the song out. He sounded pretty young and I thought, "holy cow, that kid sings LOUD...and he knows all the words too!" After a few minutes I thought, "that sure sounds an awful lot like my little Andy (4 years), but he doesn't know the words to that song." This kid knew every single word! I craned my neck around several girls to check it out, and yup, it was Andy, belting out the song as loud as he could. I was so touched, I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest!

It is so amazing what these little spirits learn. They are little sponges that just soak up information. I am so glad he knows Heavenly Father loves him. I feel like I don't measure up often, but when I see little moments like this it makes me realize I am trying my hardest to give my sweet boys the best shot at life.

Several weeks ago our family gave talks in Sacrament Meeting. Andy wanted to sing instead of talk, so he sang "Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam" acapela. You could feel the spirit so strong when this innocent little boy bore his simple testimony by singing.

He is just like his grandma Nancy. He is not afraid of anyone, and loves to talk and talk and talk. Sometimes it really gives me a headache!

One more cute thing. The other day the boys had left one of their skateboards by the garbage can outside. The garbage man came and apparently thought this little beat up skateboard was garbage. He picked it up and threw it in with the rest of the garbage. Oh, Anden wasn't having any of that! He opened the window and let the garbage man know exactly what he thought of him. I was laughing so hard!

Politics

2008-08-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, you are probably sick of hearing about politics, but too bad. This is my blog and I can write about whatever I want!

Did you know there is more than just the Republican and Democrat parties? You probably do, but think the people who support the other parites were just wierdos. Ok, so maybe I am, but I think you all should take a serious look at the Libertarian Party. It's the 3rd largest political party in the United States. Their views and philosophies make complete sense to me. I honestly believe our country has gotten so far off track from what everyone really wants it to be, but noone knows how to fix it.

Seriously, go to www.lp.org then click on"our party" then choose "issues". From there, choose whatever issue you are interested in. Let me know what you think. I really believe it is time for a revolution in America, and as likeable as Obama is, I don't think he is the man to do it. I believe it will take several years for this "revolution" to take place, and as most other things, the change will be gradual.

Utah is as red a state as they come. I'm going to vote Libertarian this year because I know Utah is going to end up choosing the Republican candidate anyway (for President).

Plus, I'm all about choices. I HATE that only 2 parties (Republican and Democrat) get all the publicity and support. The Libertarian party (and no doubt other parties as well) work hard to try and get publicity, but the media is pretty closed off to the idea of including them.