Spring Cleaning

So I haven't done mine till this week. While the kids are in school and I haven't anyone home but the youngest, I have been able to gut out the boys' room, clean out the game and storage closet, scrub (and I mean scrub) the kitchen floor, and clean the front room carpet. I am so lucky. I have finally put the Easter holiday stuff away-it was all over the upstairs, baskets, eggs, pictures. UGH! I have gone through Boy #2's clothes and have them ready for friends or the D.I. I have cleared out the bottles from the cupboards and girly blankets to give to a sister-in-law due to have one in Oct. I am still working on the girls' room, laundry, bathrooms, another two storage closets, and my own bedroom. I am de-junking my house. Finally! For those of you who are cleaning junkies, I wish you could see half of my house. I feel a little more organized. I know it's not spring anymore, but I am getting it done. I really like to have a clean house. I just wish it'd stay that way.

So...I haven't been running since Tuesday.

I haven't gone because my friend Mel, has an injured knee. I think it's due to my turtle slow running. I feel bad. I hope her knee gets better soon. I like to run, but not alone on dark mornings. It is hard to get yourself up to run when the moon is gone and the sun hasn't even peaked around any mountains. I like to run with Mel because she is so patient with me. On Tuesday, she decided we were going to sprint during our run. I was totally okay with that. I need to get faster and that was the only way we could think of to get some speed out of me. We did really well. I loved it. My muscles in my legs hated me, it felt great. I haven't felt like that in a long, long, time. I need to do this more. I need to find the confidence and strength to go alone if needs be. I need to not be afraid. Any suggestions on how to do this? anyone, anyone, anyone?
Oh my gosh! I just realized I need to get my butt running! I have a 5K in three Saturdays. Oh for the love of running, why can't I do it!? I hope to be able to improve my run. I better. No time off for laziness, sickness, school, work, or injury. well maybe injury. I need to get to work on my time!
Please if you have any suggestions for speed training or are willing to go with me and Mel at 5:30a.m. give me a call or send an e-mail. I need help. plbbbbt.

Okay, so I don't know how to post pictures with writing.

So there they are, before and afters. Aren't they so cute!?
The girls' hair was long enough to donate to locks of love. We'll get that sent in as soon as we can.

Back to School

My children started school this week. Girl #1 started 6th grade and got a great teacher. I hope she will do well in his class. She has started playing soccer with a co-ed team (yes, she did move up on purpose-coach wanted her on his team again.) Girl #2 started 2nd grade. I'm very excited for her because she does well at school. She loves art! and she loves to help the teacher whenever she can. She will start soccer soon as well. Both girls will start piano in a few weeks. Girl #2 asked me when she can quit. I told her when she's as good as her teacher. Boy #1 started kindergarten this year. He just walked into class, shook hands with his teacher after being introduced, said the pledge of allegiance, then took his seat. No tears. No goodbye mom. Nothing. He and his sisters walked home from school and were totally fine. My goodness they grow up fast.

Along with getting new school clothes, the kids got new haircuts! you saw the before...now here are the afters:

Movies recently viewed...

My husband and I have been on a movie watching binge. We borrowed a movie from my brother called Equilibrium. It was awesome. I can't describe it very well on the blog, so click on it to find out more. We also borrowed Push, Knowing, and The Day After Tomorrow. Now those all seem to be either end of the world or the overly oppressive government type of shows and they were all good, but the my favorite movie most recently viewed was The Proposal. I laughed through most of the movie. That could be because I needed to release some stress, but I truly enjoyed the show. That is a movie that is definitely going on my Christmas list. If any of you have more movie ideas for us to watch, please leave a comment. Oh, by the way, Stephens favorite of the recently viewed list was Equilibrium. I don't know why? There is a movie that Stephen would like to see, Moon starring Sam Rockwell. I don't know if it was shown anywhere in Utah, it wasn't when we looked it up. Anyone out there heard of it? seen it? know where to look for it?

Willard Bay

Some friends of ours decided to rent a boat and had invited us to meet them at Willard Bay. Stephen took the day off work and helped me get the kids ready for one great big day of fun. And it was a blast.

We met up with our friends and the switched riders on the boat. The kids seemed to have fun until it was their turn to ride on the tube being pulled by the boat. Some of them didn't care for it. Girl #1 had fun for a time, but I think she got too nervous and it made her a little sick. This was the first time our kids had ever been on a boat. Ever. (except the little canoeing we did earlier this summer.) They needed to warm up to the experience I think and we'll have to do it again. Both girls were on the tube with Stephen and he leaned forward to look at something in the water, it sent them all under. He let go, the girls hung on. They hung on for a brief time but finally let go and came up. Girl #2 was crying. Girl #1 was coughing the water out but was okay. Girl #2 asked when we were going back to shore. Stephen was still on the tube, so Allen had Girl#2 help him drive to try and knock Stephen off the tube.
Stephen and I got on the tube together and I'll tell you, it was my first time as well. It was hard to hold on to the handles and to make turns and deal with water in your face.Constant water in your face. But, I did enjoy it. The first time you fall off, it hurts. The second time your body goes numb, the third time you learn to land on your back so you can skip across the water and then go under.

I did go by myself, I tried 3 times and I fell off 3 times. That is why I have decided that you need to land on you back to skip across the water. It was fun. After everyone on the boat with us went, we started going ashore. We let my 4 kids sit on the tube and be towed quietly and safely in to the shore, where there were many friends waiting their turn to be thrown off the tube and wake board. I still had a lot of fun and went back out two more times and fell every time.

I feel like my body has gone through a washing machine and I did it on purpose.
My body aches. It hurts. I did sunburn a little but that pain is gone now. My pain is in my muscles, joints, neck, everywhere. I didn't notice it until we went to bed last night, but I feel every bit of it today. When we laid down for bed and I closed my eyes, I felt like I was still on the boat, on the water just rocking away. I think it made me feel a little sick. We have some pictures, but not the best ones of my falling off and skipping across the water or rolling twice before I went under, but I'll post them as soon as I can.

We truly did have fun while we were there and it is something that we hope to experience again. We had hobo dinners at the end of the day along with some delicious salads. It was terrific end to a fabulous day. The kids slept very well. and the kids were not burnt as badly as they have been before. They had very little burning at all. It was great. Thank You Marlene and Allen and family for one very great and exciting day. We are very grateful for our friendship with you!

So, I'm a little saddened.

Well due to some financial challenges, I have decided against the Wasatch Woman's 5k/10k run. Stupid money. Why do we need it? My friend also has decided against going. Maybe if is was for some sort of charity or something I could rationalize it, but not right now. I am signed up for the 5k in Sept. That race is for the American Heart Association. I think there are a few going that day in different places for the same thing, but I will be at Sugarhouse Park that day.
Also, I thought I ran for a full 4 miles today. I was wrong. When I google-earthed the trail we used we ran for only 3.86 miles instead of a full 4 miles. I was sadly disappointed when I realized it. I will run further next time. I was also sad because we did that in only 50 min. We started running at 5:47 a.m. and got back by 6:37a.m. so sad. I did however, run the entire thing, no breaks. I will keep going though!
Stephen ran with Mel and me today. Man! he can run. Fast. He did help me to realize that he has just started out, where as I have been doing this since March I think? He had to keep stopping, but if he keeps going like this, he'll whomp me. It is hard for the two of us to run together because of our differences in running, but he's glad that Mel comes with me so I'm not alone. I like to run/jog. It is good fun. I get to be with people who are only trying to help me do better. What good friends and a terrific hubby. I like it.

I've been committed.

Or at least I should be.

I've written about the Ragnar Relay-Wasatch Back race a few times in past posts. I have finally been committed to it. I paid my fee to my friend today. She put her stamp of committal on it. I have a lot of work to do, but I will do what I can for the team. There will be future posts about it I'm sure, but for now, I think I'm just a little bit nuts. The run is 188 miles long from Logan to Park City. A 12 person team. That averages 15-16 miles per person unless someone wants to take on more. It all happens within 30 hours. We each get to run 3 times within that time period. The picture below is from my friends race she did in June. I thought it was fitting for this post. That is where I'll live for that time period. In a car with 5 other terrific people. What was I thinking? I know what I was thinking, and it will be a fabulous race.

Yay Me! I did it again.

I haven't been running since July 23 due to a stupid toothache/mouth ache (thankfully no cavities!) and only went hiking with Stephen last Sat. On Wed. the 29Th, my sister-in-law sheila asked me to run a 5k with her this Saturday. I said yes, she said to herself "oh crap" (she was only joking-she told me after the run.) I feel great. I ran all my miles, very slowly, but finished in 37:59. I was so excited! That is almost a full 3 min. faster than my last run on July 4Th! (shy by 9 sec.) WOO HOO!!! Can I give myself a pat on the back? Yep, I think so. Just think how much faster I will be by the time I run the Turkey Trot in Syracuse in November! Yeah, I will at least be running it in 35 min. I'm so excited. I have another run on the 22ND of Aug. in Sugarhouse. I have one on the 12Th of Sept. in Sugarhouse. I need to find a run for Oct. Anybody know of one? I am loving it! See ya out there folks! I might just whizz by ya.