Indulge me...just a little

There are just three things I have to share today. They are all about my running because I am kind of obsessed with it. There are no pictures with this post because the only thing to show here are my legs and that's a bit much don't you think? So here are my proud moments

1. My brother Billy ran cross country all through high school and was pretty dang good. He hasn't run for a few years and has just started up again. A few nights ago he asked if I wanted to go run with him. We did...and he said it not me, but I kicked his TRASH! First time ever! He will be much better than me in no time at all, but I have to say I am still kinda basking in the glow of beating my little brother.

2. I'm getting faster and running longer. I am now running either 7 or 8 miles most days, and still just stopping because I need to get on to my other responsibilities. It usually only takes me about an hour and 10 minutes to do all 8. I cannot believe my body is actually okay with this as I have NEVER been a distance runner. I come home from the gym and report to Jeff how far I've gone with a mixture of pride and still shock. Who would have guessed...?

3. So I have been carrying around what I have called "some extras" on my body the last couple of years and have felt pretty bad about the way I looked. Well all the miles of running are paying off as I have shed a few pounds and am getting back into shape. Just after my run today as I was waiting to get on the ab machine a young guy came up and asked if I played any sports. I told him not since high school. He says "Really because I just walked all the way across the gym to tell you what fantastic legs you have got! I am one of the personal trainers here so I notice that kind of thing on men and women but wow your legs are great!" Talk about a huge boost to the self esteem. I did have to chuckle though as he walked away I thought "good thing he can't see the rest of me."

Oh and I am thinking of doing a marathon or even starting with a half. If anyone knows of anything that is before Moab (that one is in the spring) let me know.

Summer TWILIGHT

I really did put it off as long as I could. In fact I bought the book and brought it on my long camping trip, I just never opened it! I couldn't imagine I could possibly even endure a book about vampires! Then toward the end of July, I had finished all of the books I had bought and the ones I had picked up at the library. Jeff was gone for the weekend so I knew I was going to be okay if for some reason I actually liked it. You see my summer of being "unbusy" allowed me to indulge in my LOVE for reading. I just have this one tiny problem, just like I need to check off everything on the list, or have everything clean before I can relax, I also MUST finish whatever it is that I start. It is so completely annoying to be interrupted. So yes, once I start a book, I'm pretty much useless to my family until I finish it, and forget sleeping!

I had no idea what I was getting into, I put on my swim suit grabbed a diet Pepsi and Twilight and headed out to the backyard to multi-task. I started at 11a.m. on Saturday and by about 3:30am on what was still my Monday but just a few hours away from Coffee Guys Tuesday, I had finished all three books in the series...

and was glued to stepheniemeyer.com anticipating the arrival of Breaking Dawn. I was not disappointed. I liked the way that all the characters had all the loose ends tied up...as I am sure no one is surprised to hear since I am letting all of my strange quirks hang right out there in these posts. Next book in the series is Midnight Sun, Twilight from Edwards perspective, and it may turn out to be my favorite.

Until then, I am still greatly anticipating the arrival of ...

The guy cast as Edward is growing on me, but honestly looks nothing like the dreamboat of my fantastic imagination.
Tomorrow we are starting a new book group and will be talking about the whole series. It should be interesting...

I am not crazy addicted, and I don't own any T shirts or have Edward Cullen bumper stickers on my facebook page. I do however think that it is the very best love story ever written. Not in some educated, English major, dissect and analyze it kind of way. Just in that I loved the chemistry between the characters and the intensity. I mean who doesn't want to be loved like that? So since you won't be at book group what are your thoughts? Are you still resisting the read, or did you get sucked in just like me?

Anyway I have read all the books again since I read Breaking Dawn and about 10 others just trying to get the Twilight story out of my head. I think I"m good now, but it sure was fun to make time to read this summer. It has been about 4 years since I allowed myself to read books just for fun because of my tendency to ditch everything else. In fact Wes took a picture of me to prove that I was sneaking off into the guest room to hide from everyone, just to read. They are on to me now and I need a new hide out!

It Was Only a Matter of Time

So our luck ran out today. The inevitable finally happened. Of all our children Garrett is the biggest Daredevil. When he was just 3 yrs old he dove head first off of a half wall at our house with his chest puffed out, and arms extended, wearing a complete Buzz Lightyear costume. When he landed with a thud and a few rug burns across his nose and chest he bawled. Not because he was hurt, which I am sure he was but because he was so MAD that those stinking wings didn't work! what was wrong with them?!

A few years ago when our neighborhood was in full Christmas traffic swing (the joys of living on Christmas Tree Lane) he was running back from a neighbors house after having some hot chocolate and watching the horse drawn carriages pull loads of people by to look at the lights. His head looked like one of those Bobble Head dolls going from side to side. He wasn't paying any attention when he ran into our neighbors parked car on the street. He hit it head on and being right behind him I got the full show. His legs went strait out from underneath him and it looked just like a cartoon. When he could breathe again he looked like he was going to start to cry and then slowly a twinkle came into his eyes and then he busted up laughing! " I bet that looked so funny to all the cars passing by!" It was all he could get out between the bursts of laughter.

So this morning I got a call from Jeff who had been out riding motorcycles at the ranch with the boys. Garrett had run into a fence. A few hours later our suspicions were confirmed. He has a broken radius and a cracked Ulna! I can't believe this kid made it to 9yrs before breaking a bone. Next week he will get his cast. My niece Jessica had a positive outlook on all of it. She said to my mom as they were waiting to hear the results of the x rays,"Wow, well if it's broken and he gets a cast LUCKY!! That's instant popularity. Everyone will be talking to him and they all will want to sign his cast!" I guess there is an upside to this for everyone...

My upside is that it looks like my fall schedule just got a little less busy. Garrett will not be able to play soccer this year. I am really disappointed because he is so incredibly fun to watch play soccer. I am worried about him missing a year too. Last year he was invited to try out for the all stars team but their schedule had too many Sunday games. However this year he will definitely be sitting out. So that only leaves Drew's games to attend on Saturdays since Wes had already decided to sit out the soccer season to focus on motocross racing...the joys of being a mother of boys!

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Today is the last real day of summer...tomorrow only counts as a weekend, and Monday the kids are back in school. Every mother knows the interesting mix of emotions we have as school starts, part relief at the quiet that is sure to follow, and part dread at the rigorous schedule of school, homework, sports, and music lessons. This summer was different from any I have had probably since I have been married maybe even before that. This summer I had TIME!!!

We didn't sign up for any camps or classes this summer. I didn't host any parties, events, or vacations. In fact there was absolutely NOTHING that I had to do all summer. (Okay I did have two short meetings and set up for a stake dance but that was it). Everyone always teases about how busy I am and how many things I have going, so this really was quite rare for me. I started off with grandiose plans for my summer.

1. Clean out and completely organize the attic including building shelves....It was way too hot! What was I thinking?

2. Sew new bedding for Brynnes room and curtains to match...I helped my sister Tara get going on her curtains for a few hours one night and left my machine there... for the summer! Oops! (yes she lives only a mile or so away but still who ever thinks about those things when you are trying to convince the kids that it's really time to go home?)

3. Go through my closet and get rid of everything I don't wear...easier said than done. (Refer to my closet picture in my post "Exposed in a game of Tag") Also making this difficult is the fact that I have been loosing weight and I had no idea what would fit again and what wouldn't. Better wait on this one too...

So, I had a selfish summer. I did whatever I wanted! I really can't imagine how this happened or when it ever will again. So I relished in it!!! Here are some of the things we did while we were so unbusy as I liked to call it.

We went to the lake with friends and family...

In July we spent just over a week from Saturday to Sunday at Whiskeytown lake at the group campsite with all of my moms side of the family. Sterling's wife Katie and her mom and siblings came and Jasons step dad Stephen and his brother Skyler, and his sister Danalle, her husband Justin and darling little baby Colton came too. It was quite a crew!

We spent most of our time in our private cove of the lake playing on the rope swing, canoeing, kayaking, or out on the boat.

Look at these cute dads! Jeff, Jason and Ashlyn hangin' at the lake...

The kids spent much of their lake time hangin' on the water trampoline and on one of the boat toys when they weren't in use! The adults used them to nap and tan on!

We stayed up late playing card games and made smores every night!

Some nights the kids even put themselves to bed! Garrett crashed one night right at the camp fire! And check out my moms head lamp! Boy did we razz her about that one!

This year we had several visits from a bear. It wasn't a baby but definitely not a momma bear either I decided it was a youth. Tara thought I was pretty funny. Here is our bear...

Then as Tara and I were leaving for a run we saw a little snake by the road along our campsite. By the next day the kids had found it and were all taking turns holding it...in case you are even thinking it...no I didn't touch it!







The worst of our little visitors wasn't the bear or the snake, but the mosquitos. Wes is pretty much allergic and swells really bad. Then little Brynne got over 10 on her face. They were really bad this year!

Just a few weeks later Janelle and Peter and their kids came for a visit from Utah. The cousins all had a blast together. We swam at my moms house every day and of course did loads of shopping and eating out while the kids all swapped around between my house, Tara's and my mom's houses. At the end of the trip we headed out to Monterrey. We went to the aquarium partly because Janelle's kids hadn't been and partly because we bought season passes last year and we decided it would make us all feel a bit better about the purchase if we used them more than just once! It really is a neat place. The kids love the string ray exhibit the very most. They can touch the sting rays if you are lucky enough to have them swim near you! Garrett has come away from there both times we have been soaking wet and needing another shirt because of his efforts to touch the sting rays. It is always worth the gleam you can see in his eyes afterwards though.

Garrett and Jessica reading about the sea otters.

Wes and Drew hamming it up with one.

The Stroller Patrol. Looking Fierce!

When the rest of the kids felt like Brynne looks we decided to call it a day. We got some food and then settled in for the night. Our room ended up being the "playroom" with all the kids playing cards and watching movies. We all did a bit of reading and visiting before crashing.




The next day was the BEST day at the beach I can ever remember having! We went to Rio Del Mar and the weather was perfect. The kids busied themselves with digging holes for "hot tubs" and putting walls and moats around their castles. Jeff, Jason and Peter played football and boogie boarded and just enjoyed each others company. Words cannot express how much these 3 brothers in law enjoy just being together. They are very funny together and completely get each others brand of humor. Besides that they were all lucky enough to marry such fun Hurd sisters! Wow...

Janelle's little Nathan was so stinking cute at the beach! We don't get to see them as much as we would like but we all enjoyed getting to know this little guy a bit better. I have to say he thinks I'm pretty cool. I loved this little moment I caught of him and my dad. Nathan just snuggled in on his lap but didn't close his eyes just looked right up at my dad. He is such a fantastic grandpa!!!

The rest of the summer we have stayed close to home and done some serious relaxing! But more on that later, for now I just needed to document my summer of nothing to do but play!