So ever since serving with Tina Roth in the Relief Soceity Presidency, she has been encouraging me to start running. I have NEVER been a runner, but it has sparked an interest this past year. So, I finally decided to try it. In talking about it at work amongst some friends, my team leader Stephanie West told me about an APP that you can download on your Ipod or phone and it helps you to train. So I started it...It's called couch to 5K in 8 weeks. I started running at the gym, but then when I moved outside, wow...what a difference. Chris said, if you're going to run a 5K Mom, train like you plan on running...so I moved it outside. I'm not gonna lie, I have felt like a trailer was attached to my behind! I wondered and still do, when will it stop hurting...but I have found it's so exhilarating and moving to accomplish even the smallest goal in the run. It's a race with myself, no one else matters! The running community is awesome. So supportive, no matter what level you are. I have run two, the Taylorsville Days and one that Stix helped put together for a fund raiser for a fellow fire fighter who was hurt badly on a motor cross deal. Brandyn ran the Tville Dayzz one with me...or rather he ran it. He started to hang back with me and I asked him what he was doing, told him to get on with the run...don't stay with me! The fire fighter one was was tough! Fewer people so it was hard to get lost in the crowd. It was clear where I stood in the time....close to dead last! That was a little embarrassing, but I got over it. And Sue, she's amazing, what a friend to hold back with me. She had a bum knee she was nursing, but I know she didn't need to go my slow speed, but she did. I intend on continuing, but man it's hard. Time is so scarce on when I can run! I love how I feel though and it beats the routine at the gym...I was SO BORED! now, I just want to prepare to run more and faster next year!

Soooo, It's October...and I had a goal of writing every month on this blog...hmmm. pretty much failed that little attempt! Man, where do you begin when your 6 months behind! Probably a picture overload! Here goes...

Our Pres bug turned 3 on June 18th. We celebrated on a windy afternood at the splash park near their house. It's always a great time gathering with the gang. We enjoy Mick and Brandyn's friends and family and love whatever competitive things come our way. A game of kick ball was initiated and the kids had a great time. Opening presents, we received the good news of a new little one joining our family. SO COOL! Shawn & Ang have held true to their 5 year plan and it's finally here. They will begin adding to our family tree! We can't wait! They sent us a picture via text on Labor Day week-end of them sitting on a beach at Newport, with the words written in the sand, It's a girl! (can't find the pic in my file-urrrr!) She will arrive sometime in February, around Valentine's day. What a Sweetheart gift uh! Ang is busy in dental hygiene school and will have boards in December. She has A LOT on her plate. I admire her for all that she's working for! Shawn works full time and still coaches soccer that he LOVEs. He sacrifices many hours and evenings in the soccer world's behalf. Ang is so supportive of all the soccer that Shawn lives and coaches! They both will make amazing parents and we can't wait to watch their faces as this little one takes hold of their hearts even more than she already has!

Memorial Day Weekend....Traditional kick off to summer! Kind of a cold, rainy weekend, and I worked on Monday...boo! But we sqooze in some base ball and had the kids over for dinner and a fire to make smores! It was a good time! As usual, I struggle staying home on the holidays...I was raised camping on holidays and I have always hated not going anywhere. I'm a grump when we don't go somewhere! I miss camping. I miss boating! Our wave runners have not been in the water for 2 years. We decided we're going to get them out this year. So far, they are out of the tent and ready to be hooked up to the truck to be power washed! They are so Dirty! Unfortunately they need two new batteries and I have not licensed them for two years now...so we need about $400 to get them ready for the water, not counting the gas it will cost! SIGH! Considering selling them as the kids just don't seem interested in them. They are hard for our large family with small kids. Rick & I can't take them out alone, as Rick needs an additional person for muscle...sorry, not much help in that area. If I thought that we could sell them and get enough for a trailer, then maybe I would be more willing. Aweee...we had so much fun! Anyway, we did enjoy the time together playing in the back yard on Sunday. Saturday, we watched Payson play ball in Provo, and then stopped at Mom & Dad's grave. We took a plant by and cleaned up a few weeds. I wish we would have included a flower holder with the headstone. I had my camera, but the battery was dead, so I couldn't get a picture. It was the first time I had seen it completed with Mom's dates on it. It looks nice. I told Mick we could go back out there. They have really been on my mind lately. I miss them. I'm thankful that they are no longer here suffering, but I miss them and the influence they were in my life. I'm so grateful that I KNOW that they are happy and well and that I will see them again. I just wish I knew what exactly goes on in the Spirit World...I know we continue, but how is it all organized, what do they do daily? Details that I will never know until I'm there I guess. I tell Rick all the time, that I would love to get a peek on the other side! He just answers, please don't, that means I won't have you here! Sunday, after church, Chris left, didn't really say where he was going...normal. Then he called and wanted to know where Rick's sister's grave was, he couldn't find it. I tried to describe where he should go, and finally told him we would come show him. He was off in the lower corner, away from her. I thought I would go right to it, but was off by a tree..it took us a minute but we found it. Chris said, he didn't figure anyone would go see her, so he would. We usually do, and I had planned to, but hadn't gotten to it yet. I wonder what her life would have been? I know she is happy and well and I look forward to the time her & I can be friends!

30 years ago today, about this time of night actually, Rick & I were given one of our first best gifts ever...our daughter Mick! I will NEVER forget that night. Rick was sure we were having a boy! There was actually no discussion of the possibility of a girl. (Those were the days of no ultra sounds...only if you were having some kind of medical issue-so the sex was a surprise to ALL!) And what a surprise it was...and boy did she ever have her Daddy wrapped around that little finger from the second she entered this world! He could not stop talking about what a beauty or an angel that she was! We feel so blessed to have her in our life. Mick has developed into this wonderful woman, wife, mother and one of our best friends! We love watching the little family that she and Brandyn have developed into. They are amazing and we love them! For her 30th birthday, I wanted to do something special! I REALLY wanted to escape out of town with her and Angela, but time and money just didn't allow that, so instead, I pretty much demanded the day with her. I sort of asked, and Brandyn was a good sport and let us have the day together. Thanks B! It was a fun day. I picked her up about 10 am and we had an appointment for a pedicure....except the place was not open yet...good thing there's a zillion other places to choose from! So we drove about a mile away and both received the nice treatment that we love to hate! Both of us are ticklish and cringe and some of the clipping and filing, but after...aweeee...feels so good! Then we had about an hour to kill so I gave her her gift certificate to Tai Pan! I had won the 1st wins prize at Bunco and also was given a free additional $15 for spending so much there, so that was an easy gift to share! She bought a purse. She's a purse nut and I could actually go shopping at her left over used purses and be perfectly fine! I probably have once or twice actually! Then we went to Ultra, a makeup and hair salon treatment store. I had never heard about it, but when I was talking to the girls at work about how I wanted to spend the day trying to get freebies for her birthday, my friend Cami told me a free eye brow waxing is offered there, so I looked them up and sure enough it was the deal! Mick had just told me how she wants to do something with her eyebrows so this turned out perfect. While the girl was working on Mick, as we talked, we learned she is Mickie's neighbor's sister. Small world uh! Afterward we went to Olive Garden, one of Mick's favorite place's to eat! She had a salad...bean pole herself and I had the soup & salad. I love that there! Then we went to the mall. Shawn & Ang gave her a gift certificate to H&M and Rick had added $50 to my wad to add to our day! She bought 2 tops at Baum and a couple of tops at H&M...before we knew it, it was 4 PM and they had to head out to Alpine for baseball. It was a great fun day! We need to stop and slow down more often and do things like that together more often!

She's 4!

Kallie turned 4 on 4-27-2012. Chris threw Kal another Princess bash at the church with the big obtacle, giant slide bounce house. It was great fun! We spent time jumping and sliding and even some mean games of lightening on the basketball court! Our family, Tyson & Ashley, several of Payson & Talan's friend's from baseball, Matt & Diana Tallman, Mark & Natalie Davis, Braden Rindlesbacher, and Ashley, Cameron, and Bryson & Lauren and of course Chris's new interest...Big Al...weird Al...crazy Al....AKA...Alex...and her family even joined in our celebration! This seems like it could be a great family tradition to celebrate her day! What girl doesn't enjoy the biggest bounce house available along with the many friends and family to enjoy it with her. I attempted to make a Rapunzel cake....ended up looking just like an everyday barbie cake, but hey....not bad for a first timer!

Preslie BuG is my little buddy! She's all about the sleep overs and I love that. The boys are getting more and more into their friends and we're not so cool anymore...makes me sad! But I'm glad they have friends they have fun with! I've noticed that Preslie has been a little bit jealous lately. I pick Kallie up and she gets to go home with Grandma...she's not to sure about that. I told her we could have a sleep over on my next day off, that was last Saturday. We picked her up Saturday afternoon, went to the mall for lunch, let her play at dinasaur land and then she said she wanted to go play at Grandma's house. Okay...let's go! We played babies, colored a tshirt,had several full on conversations on the play phones with several people. She's such a minny Mickie! Takes me back a bit! She combed Grandma's hair-put in beautiful ponies, played barbies, and cuddled a whole bunch! I love that girl! Her and Kallie had fun jumping around in Kallie's bed, and Preslie LOVEs hiding from the camera! She went to church with us and talked all about going to class, but the screaming baby was a definite detour from that idea. She wouldn't have any part of it. She played quietly with Tina and I in Relief Society and played with my books in Sunday School. It was long for her. I wish she would have gone to class, so she would remember it as a fun place to be.....maybe next time!

My Door greetings for the first part of the year! The cricut is fun to have, just wish I could make my own patterns for it. Buying each one bites! Especially when I have in mind what I want, and I can't find it!!!

So after a failed attempt of hip hop class through the Granite Comm. Ed...no show teacher one night and then the class canceled, we found one offered at the Herriman Rec Center out by Mick. And...our cute neighbor girl, who is a U of U cheerleader, is the teacher. You can't go wrong there, right-Talan! He LOVES the Utes, just like his Dad and Grandpa! He's the only boy, so I wondered if that would be an issue. He's younger than the girls, but he seems to like it. They didn't say it would be a Jazz/hip hop class, so the first half are jazz move instructions, not his favorite, but he tolerates it. After we have gone to dinner-his pick. The first night, WOW, Talan was a different kid than he had been. So fun, funny, polite, talkative, and just a plain joy to be with! Each night has been that way actually. It's been fun to have one on one with him. He's a funny kid. Last week, he said, Grandma, Mom is fixing bean burritos, so I don't want to go to dinner...welllll okay then. Bean burritos for you it is...thanks, but I'll pass! For this next week, the last week of class, I told him to be thinking of a special place...he said, well, I'll first see what my Mom is cooking, then I'll call you if I want to go to dinner!" Okay, T-ray, you give me a call!... Payson has come along twice, and he takes off to play basketball or whatever he can find. He's just an all around sports kid, loves it all. I let Talan call the shots though, this is his deal, his choice of what we do.

Feb just can't get over soon enough for me. I'm over winter! I know, I know. We REEALLLY haven't had much of a winter...very few snow storms, but the sun has peeked out and my tulips are starting to bust through the ground...spring fever has officially set in! But...so has a family of little critters in our yard. I noticed a weird trail, out our front porch on the lawn...sure enough...this little guy and some friends have made a home in our yard. Eweee! I remember Dad fighting to get rid of ours years ago, placing a hose in the hole and drowning them out, chasing them with a shovel....I sure hope their not THAT hard to get rid of! Rick poured bleach and ammonia down the holes today, found several other holes with the poison smoke that was coming out...hopefully the little buggers will move along!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Dr's statement to Rick..."You are high functioning" in spite of the shape your knees are in!
Rick had this treatment done to his right knee last March. It feels 100% better he says. So this year, when his left knee began to really hurt and lock up, he thought he would try this again. This knee is in worse shape. The bone is actually concave where it has worn next to each other. The Dr states this is so new, he has no idea if this will work or not, but we're up for the try. Next step, knee replacement. Not an option that Rick is excited about by any means!
Euflexxa is used to relieve knee pain due to bone to bone pain. It's a gel like, natural and highly purified form of HA which is a natural substance found in the fluid that cushions, lubricates, and protects the knee. The first treatment, they pull out the old and bad fluid...kind of sticky gooey substance. Then they inject this. Pretty cool actually and really pain free, so Rick says. I'd probably be bawling like a baby! Keep your fingers crossed! He says it's already feeling better!

New project for sweet friend. Oh how I could stay at home and play with this kind of stuff all the time!

Tiffany is my sweet Louisiana friend from work. She's so cute and so fun to have around. She left our department, dang her, but we still see her a little bit. She gave birth to this sweet little angel a couple of weeks ago. I made these head bands for her at her request and took them to her place today after work. This little princess is so so cute. She was only 5 lbs, but healthy and beautiful. The headbands will drown her for now...maybe I'll have to make her a new band to use while she's so tiny....I thought I was going small...but they would hang around her as scarfs I think today! She won't stay small for long though!

Pinterest is my new addicion...it is a pin board that is unreal! You name it, it has what your looking for! DIY stuff...stuff to purchase...all categories...I can get lost in it!
I was sick this past fall as I added up the amount of $$'s we have been spending at the grocery store...I'm looking for any way to avoid it! I HATE grocery shopping and have been heard to say...I'd rather take a beating than go grocery shopping! One of the girls laughed at that at work...she said I would not! No really...I think I would. It's a mental beating as I see those $'s add up and then we have to do it again...URR! We could save so much money if we didn't have to eat! Soooo, anywhoos, found a recipe to make my own laundry detergent. I bought a front load washer about a year ago or so. I hate trying to find the best deal on the soap it requires...found this recipe. So excited about it...Have enough to make probably 2 more batches! So far, the clothes are clean and just as white...trying to keep the whities white has been a chore, and this seems to be helping! We'll see as time goes on. ANNND, because I'm putting the soap in the wash tub itself, the ever so popular stink has gone!

I subbed for our Relief Society class for lesson one from the Prophet George Albert Smith hand book for this year. I put up the 11 creeds that he wrote as a young apostle to live by, and then asked the ladies to help me write our own. We're a new ward I said. What can we do as a whole to help us all become unified and one. It was a great lesson....one that I felt a privileged to facilitate. One that the Lord inspired, not me! That's what I love about this gospel! Feeling the blessings of doing our Father in Heaven's work! It's such an honor and is so humbling! I had asked several of my good friends of ideas of how to make this creed into something special. I asked Paula about stitching it, but as soon as it came out of my mouth I felt guilty. That would be so much! I sent cute Katie Henderson a text and asked her if she had an awesome idea of how to print this creed. She's one talented woman! And so so sweet to put it together for me!




It was pretty cool to listen and direct the discussion of how we can accomplish this! I love the ladies in our ward. So many to learn from!

So Rick said "this lady that writes about Capt Bly...kind of a slacker"....He should write don't you think!

So I thought I would do a little catch up...Chris says too much writing, not enough pics...man the men in the house are full of ideas...why don't they do a blog!

Rick's Mom has had a rough 6 months or so...She fell in August and shattered her shoulder. She had a replacement put in, spent some time in the rehab center, went home, and fell again. That's all wrapped into one short story...so much more to it! So many emotions. It's no secret that Rick's family is not close. They have such a different outlook on life, and quite frankly, it's one of the saddest things I have ever witnessed throughout our marriage! How do people in the same family, from the same parents, not have a clue who each other is? Joan, his Mom has always had tunnel vision and only sees what's in her little world, whether it's good or bad...that's what exists to her. Mike sees to her needs, both financial and physical and Tommy & his family see her often and so that's who she recognizes and talks about. Very rarely does she ask about our kids, rarely can she call them by name. Chris hadn't seen her until this picture on Christmas eve since before his mission. How sad is that! Joan's care is demanding more now...she had no business living by herself over the past year. She's been over medicated! (what kind of Dr. gives an elderly woman a prescription of over 120 oxie-codeine pills?) REALLY! Anyway...when we moved her home from Rehab the first time, Mike asked me to help. I followed him while he drove her home. I helped get her settled in the apartment and I felt sick at the thought of her being there alone. She's so much like my Mom was when Mom & Dad moved into the assisted living center. So many things for her to trip over, the risk of the oven and stove, her inability to remember the every day things...I felt so uneasy. I cried all the way home. Not for her, but for me...selfish me, that I could not do this again. I cried because I hated how that made me feel! The emotional roller coaster that she has always caused Rick to ride..it's been so easy to just not be a part of it all these years. Just stay away, it's less hurtful. Now we were being held to what we know is the right thing to do...help. UGH...I just did this! I emotionally could not handle this and I had my pity party! It didn't take long, I believe a month...she fell again.. and now she was in more trouble. Her new shoulder is shattered and they cannot do anything for her. Her health is failing in so many ways. I'm seeing my Mom all over again and I don't believe Mike, who has taken over the medical care for her wants to admit that. Slowly he has come to the realization she can't live alone. She will now be in a care center. It's safer. It's more practical for everyone! It sucks...it sucks big! But what other choice do any of us have. None of us are in any position to have her in our home, besides, after what I have experienced, I don't believe that's the right thing to do in this case. Some cases yes, but not this one. Yesterday she was admitted to the hospital with internal bleeding. Today, they still don't know from where. They will do a colonoscopy tonight to see if they can see anything...she'll probably go back to the care center tomorrow. She's in Bennion Care Center. It's in the middle of reconstruction. I hope I like it better when it's done. Right now, I hate it worse than where Mom was!

T-ray is 6 years old

Talan turned 6 on 1-16-2012. Seems like yesterday I had just come home from the gym to find Mick in the kitchen doing the dishes and asking me if I thought her water had broke. She was so sure they were going to send her home, so she was not about to rush and head to the hospital. The wetness down her sweats was a pure sign that this WAS the day! We were excited to meet this new little guy and felt so lucky to have them living with us during this time!

There's never a dull moment when Talan is around. He's witty and quick with a comment or action. And he's not afraid to tell you exactly how he feels. He's a real Daddy's boy...love's it when his Dad is around and showing him attention. He's a minny Brandyn through and through...looks and attitude! (Not always a bad thing Brandyn...we love ya!)

Presents for Grandkids is hard....They need another toy like a hole in the head...and well....we've already done that route with our kids. It's the parent's turn. Don't get me wrong. We LOVE buying and doing for our grandkids...it's just different. It's more stuff and I want it to be more than STUFF! So....we're trying a something different. Birthday's are about building memories with us. Making them feel special without the competition of any of the other kids.

Talan loves to dance and sing. If you catch him in the right mood, or catch him when he's not looking, he's quite the little performer. He showed us some of his moves on Christmas...did quite the little hip hop dance routine for about 5 minutes. Mick had mentioned that she wanted to put him in a Hip Hop class, but this is the middle of the year for dance studios. I was looking on line and found that the community ed was offering this class for 5-8 year olds, starting this month. So that was his gift from us. A weekly night with Grandma and Grandpa going to dinner, or a treat and then the class. So far, we have had one class. It was a rush to get there, due to hair cuts and such, and Talan said he didn't like it....the teacher is dumb, she's fat and he doesn't like the hand wave thing! (told ya he's his own person!) He told me he'd give it another chance, so last week, I tried to make it special, not rushing through dinner and stuff...then the teacher was a no show...URRR! So much for making it a better night~ He told me, "I really don't care, I just was going cause you wanted me to." SIGH...hopefully next week is better and he's won over with the dance routine! Talan has to feel comfortable with his surroundings...he'll warm up to you, if you let him do it on his own time...hopefully the teacher will show and have a good read on that, and this class can be a fun experience for him. Otherwise, the Utah Sweatshirt will have to do for the birthday gift!