Summertime!

It's official, summer is here!
Yesterday we hiked one of the hill trails here at SunCrest. I love living up here...

To Ski or Not to Ski

When I started running a couple years ago part of me was seduced by my friend's description of bliss. You know... runner's high... when your running settles into it's perfect steady rhythm and you feel like you could run forever...you know? Not me. Running is never bliss for me, I enjoy it and even like it some days but I never seem to be pounding down the trail because I can't think of a place I would rather be. So two years ago I got a road bike and THAT has been fun, then this winter I did the craziest thing and bought a Sundance Ski pass. I've been skiing a total of maybe 5 or 6 times in my life, but with Brin in first grade this year I decided it was time to ski. My first day, I remember sitting on the lift as we started up for the second time and thinking what have I done? I have to come back here again and this is hard and embarrassing and I'm not sure I can or want to do it again. But I went back the next week and the next and the next. Then came Tuesday this week, I woke up again with that knot of anxiety in my stomach. As we turned out of the main part of Provo Canyon to head up to Sundance the police were checking for 4-wheel drive or chains because the roads were barely cleared and I thought to myself that I was in for a record short day of skiing because of bad weather. I announced to my friend on the lift that I was ready for the back side of the mountain today, one run down the front and then we'd tackle the back because I might as well face this unrational fear. The powder was deep as we started down and suddenly I was having fun, not just a good time but a grinning good time as I made my way down the hill. It was hard, and still just as steep but suddenly I was having fun! The feeling lasted all day, we skiied until I could hardly stand and I still just felt elated. It's going to be hard to get going again next week, but I've had skiing bliss and I can't wait to feel that again.

To ski or not to ski with Grandma at Solitude...Sadie:to ski, Em:still deciding...

2009 in Review

Butch Cassidy

Sadie: This weekend I ran the Butch Cassidy 5k. I took 3rd place out of all the girls under 10 years old. I raced a dog half way! IT WAS SO FUN! Later that afternoon we went to a frog pond. I caught a frog the size of a nickel.

Sadie crossing the finish line...

Emilee: I took 5th place in my age group: girls 11-14. I couldn't run because I was 11, but I walked fast and had an awesome time. We were with our friends the Claytons and we had a blast!

Brin: I took 5th place out of all the girls under 10 years old. I won a green ribbon for my prize. The race ended in a ghost town and we got to explore some of the old houses there. That afternoon we drove through a really long dark tunnel in Zion's National Park. We turned off the car lights and Dad drove really fast and we screamed like on a roller coaster!

Reunion

Bear Lake 2009

Emilee getting up on the kneeboard-look at that determination!

Sadie inside Minnetonka caves

Brin on the beach

After a vacation as I sort, wash and fold the piles of laundry, while the tent gets stored and the sleeping bags and flashlights put away and as I start to put the house back together I have had the following internal conversation with myself. "I'm doing it for the kids." "Some of my best childhood memories are the vacations and time I spent with my cousins." And by far the best... "they'll appreciate this when they are older."

This summer I finally admitted to myself that it is as much for me as it is for them. I love spending time with my family and extended family and I'd pack and unpack all summer long if it meant that we could be together. And this summer I did just that and for the record it was all worth it.

Camp

There's camp and then....there is GIRLS CAMP.

The ingredients:

1 campground

16 girls 12-17 years oll
5 women leaders

3 very patient men

5 tents

lots and lots of food

The directions:

Do a little hiking, a lot of eating. A little fire-building, a lot more eating. A little knot tying, and more eating. Then take another day and spend it boating, mixed with more eating.

The results:

Sixteen 12-17 year old girls (who started out with not a lot in common) who now really like being around each other. They still don't have that much in common, but what they do have in common- the gospel of Jesus Christ- is enough. The friendships they formed and nurtured through 3 days of girls camp have turned them into friends forever and a strength and a light to each other through the coming years together. And that makes it all worthwhile.

1994

• President Bill Clinton takes office
• Nancy Kerrigan gets clubbed on the leg
• 9 people are held hostage in the Salt Lake Public Library
• Apple computer releases it's first Mac computer with a powerPC microprocessor
• Kurt Cobain, of Nirvana, dies
• OJ Simpson leads police on a televised chase through LA
• ...and I graduated from high school

Tonight I attended my 15 year high school reunion and had fun visiting and catching up with old friends. Some of my good friends even won awards...longest married (14 years), most kids (7, WOW!), and farthest distance (over 6,000) miles. You know who you are, so now when you browse through my blog you're required to leave comments so that I feel important and am inspired to be witty and intelligent.

After a few hours visiting, I decided that 1) we're not that old, 2) we haven't changed all that much and 3)we really should stay in better touch!

Flash Flood

How we spent our Memorial Day weekend...

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=6593300

Shortcuts

Why you should RUN when in response to your "what are you doing?" you get "I don't know."

After Aunt Kati came to the rescue:

Certified!

Well...almost. Brian and Em went up to the crater at the Homestead for Emilee's two days of open water certification. Day 1...not so successful, but after some sudafed and afrin Day 2 went much better.

A few years ago in church our friend, Justin gave a talk where he explained that he always tells his girls "you can do hard things!". His words have stuck with me all this time and it is something that I have found myself repeating to my own girls.

During the course of Emilee's dive certification we have had this conversation several times and I am so proud of her! She did it!

Expansion

You may think it looks harmless, but my seven year old would quickly correct that very mistaken impression.

If you had been hanging around our house this past week you might still think that the Middle Ages were in full swing, and that torturing small children was an acceptable practice. Every evening around bedtime the wailing would begin...echoing through the chambers of the house shrill screams of "not the crank" and "don't tighten it! " along with shouts of "NO, MOM, NO."

A friend once told me that she always used to tell her daughters "Beauty is Pain" as she combed out their snarls and got them ready for the day. That hasn't been quite the lesson I wanted Sadie to learn this week, and besides who wants the moral of the story when their teeth, their head and their tongue hurts?

Let's just say it's been a long couple of days. But I think we might be through the woods. Tonight as we finished the crank and the hysterics I looked down at Sadie and asked as I dried her tears "Does it even hurt anymore?" She stopped crying and looked up at me thinking. "You're just crying because you remember that it did hurt a few days ago, huh..." and then she started giggling.

I decided that's the moral of the story for this week: growing can be painful, whether it's reshaping your mouth, or your life. And that seems a lot better lesson to teach my girls...instead of "beauty is pain" how about "inner beauty often comes from painful lessons." But I still think I might wait a few days to pass on my little bit of mom wisdom...at least until all the aching subsides.

Traditions I

Just after Em was born I started our Christmas book tradition. Every year we add a Christmas book to our collection, and when I put away the Christmas stuff in January I write a little Christmas synopsis and attach it in the front of the book.

We have the classics...the Night Before Christmas, the Grinch, the Polar Express. We have the Tale of Three Trees and Christmas Oranges. We even have a Little Golden Book that I tracked down called the Animals Christmas Eve. It's a story that my Mom bought when I was three and we have read it every Christmas since.

This year's book is A Christmas Dress for Ellen by President Thomas S. Monson, and is the retelling of a 1927 Christmas in a little frozen Canadian town. As I read this story tonight to the girls I was reminded again of all that we have. Even in the middle of a recession our circumstances are so far removed from 80 years ago. I often think (with gratitude), that my kids live so far removed from want. Yet at the same time, I want them to recognize and be grateful for what they have.

How do you do that?

Artificial

Until last year we had a Christmas tree tradition. We would get a tree permit (an adventure of it's own) and then a couple weeks later go up into the Uintah's and cut down our Christmas tree with my family. We'd go sledding and tubing and hiking and hauling and finally Brian had enough. No more Charlie Brown Christmas trees for him!

So on Saturday night we set out on our Christmas tree quest. The girls were horrified when they realized we were not headed to a tree lot, but to a store. "A FAKE TREE!" they gasped. I was calmly reassuring, it's ok, the tree will look real and all the lights are already on it! Together we selected the perfect tree, a nine foot blue spruce with little pinecones on the tips.

The oh so professional "tree boys" assured us that it would be boxed and waiting for us up front in 20 minutes. We had dinner and then went to go make our purchase. Right in front of the register was a tree box with our last name in big letters. We handed the cashier our tag and they trucked the tree right out to the car.

After wrestling the tree box into the house we prepared to open and assemble. "This box looks new," I remarked to Brian. Because we had purchased the last remaining blue spruce (which was the floor model) I wasn't expecting a new box. We opened the box to find...someone else's tree.
"Did you tell them our last name?"
"No, did you?"
"Nope."

We loaded the wrong tree back in to the truck and Brian raced back to the store to get there before closing time. I made a frantic phone call to try and locate the right tree. After two phone calls and two people who obviously knew nothing the tree boy finally called back. "Yeah, we wondered where you went," he drawled. "We'll go ahead and get your tree ready up front," he added helpfully. I hung up and crossed my fingers hoping that the desire to leave the closing store would inspire him to actually get the tree up front this time.

So, we got the tree set up...and the lights didn't work on half of it. For the last three days Brian and I have tried everything, including unclipping the entire strand of lights, removing them from the tree and replacing every bulb. No luck. So today I removed all the strands of unlit lights and replaced them with new strands.

Tonight, I will go to bed with a lit and half decorated Christmas tree. Instead of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree adventure, we now have the National Lampoons Buy an Artificial Pre-Lit Christmas Tree and Have an Adventure. AUGH!

Shhh...

Don't tell...but I'm not quite finished with my Christmas shopping yet...ok to be completely honest I'm just barely started with my shopping.

But I have a little secret that I discovered many years ago. I am a list person (I'm turning into my mother, I know!!). If I'm feeling overwhelmed with to much to do I make a list, I take great pleasure in crossing things off, and somehow I get it all finished. So, the secret is a holiday planner that I download every year from familyfun.com. It is awesome, my favorite pages are the gift list, the fill in the blank calendar, and the recipes, menus and party pages. This year I'm committed to filling out the holiday memories page also. I keep everything in a binder in page protectors, and it keeps all the receipts, recipes, crafts, ideas etc. together. And I even keep my lists from years past...just ask what Santa brought Sadie three years ago!

The crazy thing is, it is so simple, an hour and you could create your own. But that's another Christmas secret...don't waste time on something that someone else has already done!

Karma

About a year ago one of our first blogs showed a picture of our neighbors laying their sod in the snow. Brian and I thought this was incredibly funny...who lays sod in the snow???

This is a picture of our backyard less than 24 hours after laying the sod:

Voting

Not:

-because I think my individual contribution will change the outcome.

-because my state is a battleground or swing state.

-because then I earn the right to complain (I get that anyway).

But:

-because I live in America, and going out this morning was one way that I can show gratitude for being an American.

-because it's a right that people have fought and died for. And voting shows my respect for their sacrifice.

-because it makes me feel a part of a greater community of citizens who know and care.

-because I care about my city and my state.

-because I know my legislator who's up for re-election.

- because I can.

Disappointment

Disappointment has a flavor. A salty, bitter, and hard to swallow taste.

I've been training for the last couple months for the Butch Cassiday 10K in Springdale . This morning I went out for a quick and easy two miles, just to keep my legs fresh, but still have them ready to go on Saturday. We have awesome trails near the house and this morning was perfect. An ideal fall day for a run, cool and crisp and lovely. I was halfway through my run, and had just turned around to head back when I stepped into a leaf covered hole and pitched forward. Immediately I knew that my ankle was sprained. I also knew that I was .9 miles from the car on a trail where it wasn't likely that I'd encounter any help. So, I stood back up and hobbled as quickly and carefully as I could back to the car. I knew I had to get there as fast as I could before I started to feel my ankle and before my body used up it's adrenaline supply.

So, I'll be taking pictures this weekend. Brian, his mom and the girls will be running/walking the 5K and I'll just have to smile and enjoy the scenery. Happily disappointment also tastes like pistachio gelato from one of my running buddies...thanks a million L.!!

Ten

10 for Ten

Yesterday Em celebrated her 10th birthday! Here are 10 things about her.

1. She loves to read. Not just a little, but A LOT. If she ever needed to be punished we would do it by taking away her books not her TV time!

2. Blue is her favorite color. The color of her eyes, her walls, her clothes, etc...

3. Her heart is kind. Even as a little girl Em was always very aware of those around her and wanted to make sure that everyone was happy and included.

4. Friends come easily. Em makes and keeps friends, lots of friends.

5. Perfection is in the cards. Em didn't even learn to ride a bike until she was 7. I realized later that she was afraid of falling. If she can't do it right, she's not interested in trying. I'm afraid she gets that from me...we're working on it together.

6. Imagination lights her world. Books about dragons, princesses and other worlds are fascinating to her, and all of her reading adventures carry over into playtime with her sisters.

7. Science is fun for her. Her school curriculum this year covers rocks and on a recent trip to Moab I watched her point and explain to all the other kids the stuff we were looking at. Currently one of her favorite things to do with friends is pound open rocks with hammers to look for 'crystals' inside. She also asked for a microscope for her birthday.

8. She is very coordinated. She plays the piano very well and with expression-which is hard to teach. She is also an awesome swimmer, this summer she started learning to butterfly.

9. Boredom isn't in her vocabulary. She always finds something to do! We could fill her entire closet with boxes and it would be perfect for all the little things she likes to do. She will grow up well rounded because she likes lots of different things.

10. Happiness is being with her. Em's smile lights up a room, and she is one of those people you just love to be around. She is a blessing in our lives and we are so grateful to have her in our family!

Happy Birthday!

It just got interesting

Until tonight:
...I was lukewarm about voting for John McCain for president
...I've never really cared about a vice-presidential candidate, and
...I've scoffed at all the ideals lobbed around at convention time.

And then Sarah Palin stood up and said "No one expects us to agree on everything. But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart. " After listening to her talk tonight:
...I will defend my vote for the republican ticket.
...I will follow closely this vice-presidential candidate, and
...I support the ideals I heard about tonight, and the candidates who hold them are the ones I will vote for.

10 minute list

So, what would you take if you had 10 minutes to grab whatever and get out?

Yesterday afternoon I was talking to my friend Lisa down in Draper as she picked up her kids from school. She was giving me the play by play of a fire in the foothills and I thought, we'll have to check it out when we head over the mountain later. Just after hanging up with her my neighbor called and asked if I was packing...I walked around to the front of my house and about dropped the phone. The way the smoke was billowing I expected to see flames creeping down the valley any second. Brin and I jumped in the car and drove up to the top of the mountain to see how close the flames actually were. Thankfully the fire was in the foothills a couple miles away. We picked up Emilee and Sadie at the bus stop and they were worried. Their bus had been delayed while the school made sure it was safe to send them home, but as they came up the mountainside it really looked like the fire was in our valley.

From our front porch

"Mom, what do we do?" they asked. I had each of the girls pack an overnight bag with a few changes of clothes and some of their "special treasures". But then I found myself wandering through the house...what should I take...

From the top of the mountain

The fire never got closer and I never really did pack. But I've been thinking a lot about what I would have thrown in the car. This week I'm constucting my own 10 minute list. I'll post it later. Yesterday was just the practive run, I'm sure there will be more scares in the future and next time I want to be a little bit more prepared, but honestly as long as my family was in the car, who cares about the kitchen table?