I'm baaaccck! (almost)

So, for most of the winter, I couldn't go running. I was terrified that I wouldn't get back to the best pace I've ever had, 11:30. Well, last night my friend Lisa and I went for a five miler. 11:36. YES!!!! It was fantastic and energizing. We chatted (mostly her, you all know my trick) and ran. I'd speed up (as much as I could,) and slow down trying to keep it moving. When we started out, it looked like snow was comin' down, but we ended up with a very dry run! :) Can I just tell you how awesome I felt after this run? I felt terrific. I don't think I was ready to go to sleep. I felt ready for a new day to come. But, I came home, drank 5 cups of water and went to bed. I feel great this morning. Wonderful. I can't wait for Saturday morning. We are going to run a 6 mile course (mostly flat). I want to. I can't wait for it. I hope I can sleep tonight, I'll need it.
We are training for a few relay races that are coming up, so it's great to be running with someone that is doing the same. I'm not sure if I'll let Lisa do the 7 miler on the first relay race we have in May, we may have to flip a coin. I know I want that leg though. I may have to find a double sided coin in my favor;)

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I want to acknowledge my husband for a moment. Without him, I don't think I'd be back to my running pace. He has for the last month, gone running with me almost every morning and he didn't really complain. For those who know my hubby, know how much he hates mornings. He loathes them. We didn't go for our 2 mile run this morning because he would not get out of bed. I was up and gettin' ready, but he just laid there. Oh well. I'm not complaining. He did a lot of getting up early this month, he needs a break. I'm so grateful for him and his help. Thank you so much hon, I love you!
Thank you to all who have been supporting me, helping me, cheering me on, and teaching me. I totally feel better than ever and I'm ready for these runs and races. THANKS!!!!!!

Catsup! Boy #2 turned 3!

My little cutie of a baby is no longer a baby. He's not potty trained yet, but, I'm having a hard time letting go. I know. It's just that he's "the baby" of the family. I know. I will get over it. He turned 3 one week and one day ago. (I'm so far behind on blogging, it ridiculous!) My little cutie here loves, I mean LOVES catsup. When breakfast, lunch, or dinner are served, he asks for catsup. He doesn't always get it, but you get the drift. He is so funny. He hides in the weirdest places and thinks no one will find him. He has the cutest giggle, I have to try hard to not tickle him. I love his giggle. He shows on his fingers how old he is. (Some might think he joined up with a group or somethin') He loves to play with his toys, watch Dinosaur Train, and he is in general a happy boy. He is very good natured, but you can see his mischievousness working things out. He is a climber, and a hiker. He loves to kick, throw, push, or do anything else you can with sports balls. He will just sit down somewhere and sing to himself if he's bored or he'll ask for a movie or book. He has tender little heart and gets his feelings hurt easily. Never intentional, but if you have to tell him no to something he REALLY wants, he pouts. It is a cute, fake cry that he covers his face for. I love his pout but try not to let him get away with this too much. He asks to play on the computer, talk on the phone, or to go outside. His love of life and the outdoors really reflect his father. All of my children are like their father in that way, they love the outdoors and anything to do with it. I'm grateful for Boy #2 being in our family and our lives. He was a wonderful surprise! (we thought we were done, but I guess we weren't!)

April's going's on's

Holy cow!!! where does time go? I don't think it flies, it just totally avoids me.

So, onto a lot of mini posts!

Easter: We had a good one. The kids loved trying to find their baskets, poor girl #1 had to really hunt for hers. I even gave her the best of all hints, and she still didn't get it. She's older, that's why she has to look harder. Girl #2 found hers in the oven. She laughed and thought that was the silliest place in the world for it. Boy #1 and Boy#2 had it easy this year, but me thinks that boy #1 had help. When we dyed Easter eggs a few days before, we had some brown eggs to use. I got to color those eggs and they turned out fabulous! The colors were richer and darker, just gorgeous eggs to be hidden. It was some good fun for Stephen and the kids. We visited with family and had a great time.

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Soccer: Soccer started at the first of this month. All my kids have been having a blast and rockin' the field. I love it. Girl#1's first game, she scored the first goal and then they kept playin' their hearts out for another one. They didn't win, but Wow! they worked hard and it was a very entertaining game. The others that she's had have also been very entertaining. The teams have been well matched and they all work so hard it's awesome to watch. She works hard and wants to keep playing. Girl #2 is coached by Stephen. They have been doing very well. If the whole team makes it to practice, they usually win the next game. Just goes to show that teamwork starts with practice. I'm proud of Girl #2 for the hard work she is putting in. Boy #1 is coached by me. I'm so proud of Boy #1 and his team. They work together, they put their all into each quarter they get to play, they are playing like they should, that's all there is to say about it. I'm very, very proud of them.

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I started running at the first of the month again. I'm so syked to do the races coming up. I love to run and have missed it so much. Stephen has been going with me in the mornings 'cuz of how little miles I could do in the beginning. Last Thursday, we got up to 4 miles with some hills. It was awesome! Friday was a hill-ey 3 miler and Saturday, oh Saturday. Oh.My.Goodness! I met my friend Lisa in So. Ogden at O'Dark-thirty. We went for a 4 mile run. We were in South Ogden. Many of you know the area and only see the main roads, not the neighborhood. Oh. Ouch. The neighborhood we went in had some very wonderfully hard hills to run. I had to walk several times (sorry Lisa,) but had a wonderful day the rest of the day. I was sore. Almost immediately, but overall I felt great! In this pic, this is what I saw by the time I was home. So beautiful and welcoming. I love running. I haven't had a chance to go again, but another Thursday morning run will be just what I need. It is 5 miles with Lisa. So excited.

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New Couches!!!!!!! I have never, in all my 12+ years of marriage, owned new couches. We had some hand-me-downs that were probably as old as I am. They have served their purpose and have been disposed of. We are getting the home ready to sell and Stephen decided that new furniture, carpet, and paint will make it easier to sell. I'm so excited. The bathroom on the downstairs floor is finished, so onto the kitchen for new paint and flooring. The living (front) room will also get new paint and flooring. We have been storing things away to help us have some more room. I'm so happy! We will hopefully have the paint and new flooring done before the end of May. Woot! Woot! we should have done this years ago!!!! Oh yeah, I also got a new camera with the couches. Love my hubby!

2 Days and 8 Years ago....

Okay, so I'm running a little late on posts lately, no big deal! right? Well as long as no one really cares and that I make sure to post it's okay.

2 Days and 8 Years ago, this little cutie entered our life. Girl #2. She is adorable isn't she? I know you can't see it, but she has a. TON. of hair! She came out with long black hair that stood straight up. Oh she is so much fun. She has made the absolutely wonderful decision to be baptized and become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Stephen and I are so proud of her, so is her older sister. She loves to play soccer, play the piano, play with her friends, cousins, and her siblings. I do believe she would rather dance ballet or any other dance, rather than play soccer, but for now we'll just have to deal. I think she'd be really good at dance, maybe Aunt T can help her a little.
She LOVES anything that has to do with art. She LOVES to write, color, trace, paint, draw, and write notes to her parents. She will use anything and everything she can find, crayons, markers, colored pencils, paint, chalk, and pens or pencils. She will color on anything: walls, sidewalks, papers from school, important papers, scraps, notepads, color pads, the computer art pages, she'll make books and write stories in them. She will make cards for friends and family. She loves to create!

She received a bead kit for Christmas from a cousin and she can't wait to make her next bead creation. She makes bracelets and necklaces, she will try to make other accessories. She loves it.

She has a particular bond with two of her aunts, Aunt Susie Q and Aunt T. She loves all her family members, but there is just something about these two that she just connects with, maybe it's because they are or can be very girlie. Very. But they also are very active and eat healthy so not a bad role model, huh?

She is extremely helpful around the house and at church and school. Her teachers all have wonderful and great things to say about her. She works hard in school and is always trying. Well, we actually won't let her give up on anything, some thing we've been trying to teach all our children. So, yeah, she is always trying and doing. She came to us with an innate sense of modeling. Ever since she was young, she has always posed for pictures, and she does it just right. The hip jutted out, the foot in the right spot, the hand and arm just right. I mean just look at these two pictures and you'll completely understand. Oh, my, isn't she so cute.

Can I tell you she is also dramatic!

I don't know how many of you have seen her when she has a small meltdown, but it is dramatic in every sense of the word. The other day, we visited with my cousin at her home. We believe she has Lotus tree in her backyard. If you've ever seen a Lotus tree, you know how long and skinny their thorns are on the branches. Well, unfortunately, Girl #2 found one with her foot. She was wearing good tennis shoes. I swear it. The thorn went right through her shoe and into the part of her foot between the toes and the ball of her foot. She was crying (understandably) and begging for help. She told us she "needs new shoes IMMEDIATELY!" It was Sunday, we weren't going to buy her new shoes that day, but I took her to get new ones the next. The weird thing was, there wasn't a hole showing where the thorn entered her shoe. I couldn't see a thing! This is just one example of her being dramatic. It happens all the time. Whenever she gets blamed for something or she doesn't want to do something. "Why do I have to do (Girl #1) work all.the.time!?" a direct quote. I swear.

We love her. We are so thankful for her influence and her usual good nature. She is truly a very wonderful girl and I'm so very, very happy that she is mine. She is cute, funny, lovable and loving, helpful, wonderful, sometimes trying my patience, lovely, gray-hair making, usually good natured, happy, sometimes cuddly, sharing, a wonderful little/big sister, teasing, smiling little girl. I love her. She makes me proud.