Monday, May 25, 2009

Memorial Day

Will had to work. The girls and I got up around 7:20 and got ready. We left the house around 8:30 to go to the church for a breakfast served by the bishopric. The girls were so excited! It was a GORGEOUS day and the breakfast was outside at the pavilion.


Image I posted on FB this morning from my phone (all ready by 8:30!!!)

Then we headed to Mary Lou's. We spent the day with Mary Lou, Ellene and her kids and a dear family friend, Becky Peterson. Bryan also had to work and Loomis' didn't want to come up because they just got home from a road trip to UT.
After a yummy lunch, we went to Longview to visit Papa "E"'s grave. We sang "Families Can Be Together Forever" and I was really feeling touched when Mary Lou tapped me on the arm and pointed to Tatum doing the potty dance on some gravestone across the way. UGH! So I ran to find someplace to take her (she had already, accidentally, let her cute little flag dress fall into the toilet earlier in the day. BOO!).
All in all it was a beautiful day, weather and otherwise!
OH and THANK YOU to all those out there risking their lives so that I can enjoy the freedoms that I do. I know that it's difficult on so many levels and I truly do appreciate the sacrifices made on our behalf.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Mini Sing

Another sing at Mini School. The kids were not very into it this month. I think they are all catching spring fever!


Monday, May 18, 2009

The Meat Flu

This past weekend we went to visit my parents in Woodburn and my mom BBQ'd burgers and hot dogs for us. Anyway, she was flattening out the burger patties and I caught Asia touching one. So I told her she needed to go and wash her hands immediately because raw hamburger is full of nasty germs and bacteria and Mariah turns around and says (totally seriously) "Yeah, Asia, you're gonna get the 'meat flu'!" LOL!!!

same run, less time, first profit

I ran to the Vancouver Mall again this morning. I remembered that my phone has a stopwatch feature on it, so I used that. I ran it in 41:33 (3.2 miles). I figured out that I ran it the other day in 48 or 49 minutes (from the times that my tweets posted on twitter that day). I was hoping to shave at least 10 minutes off my time, but I'll take what I got!
PLUS, while I was stopped at the Andresen/58th intersection, I found a nickel! LOLOLOL I made 5 cents on my run today!!! ha ha ha

Sunday, May 17, 2009

8 months old

I didn't realize until just now that Roxelle turned 8 mos old today and I thought I didn't take any pictures until I remembered that on the way out the door to church, I thought she looked so cute that I wanted a picture of her for my "wallpaper" on my phone. YAY! I got one =D!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Truman Carnival

The girls school put on a really fun carnival this evening. The girls all had a great time and our neighbor, Alvina, got to come with us. The game tickets were 4/$1.00 and I let them each take $2.00. Each game or activity was 1 or 2 tickets. They were thrilled with all their little trinkets and things!
(These pics were all taken from my blackberry as I left my camera at home. Not too bad, eh?)


Mariah, Brinlee and Alvina (our neighbor)


Alvina, Brinlee, Mariah, Will, Asia and Tatum


Tatum dropping big plastic peanuts into a can



Free balloon animals were a HIT!


SWEET SISTERS!


MMM! S'mores!



Sucker pull. Each stick had a colored end
and each color was a different prize box.
Tatum played this one 3 times!


Lots of fun!


cruisin' baby...just as usual!

I feel empowered

I don't consider myself a very athletic person. I never have. My parents put me into the little leagues (softball, basketball, etc.) when I was younger, but I think it's because all my other sibs did it and they really enjoyed it. I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy it, but I think I'd have rather been dancing or doing gymnastics.
In Junior High and in 9th grade, I joined the volleyball, basketball and softball teams. I wasn't any good at all and never got any playing time unless we were so far ahead of the other team that it didn't matter who played, we'd have won anyway.
In PE, I HATED running. I HATED it when they would make us do laps around that back field behind the Junior High. I ended up walking it most of the time and usually came in last. Sometimes, I would do one lap and then tell the teacher I was having cramps so that I could sit out.
Anyway....long story short, I ended up trying out for cheerleading at the end of my freshman year and did that for the rest of my HS "career".
Fast forward to a few days ago...I was watching The Biggest Loser and the final 4 contestants ran a full marathon. I was so fully inspired from the inside out. When I watched Ron cross that finish line, I was brought to tears. I thought, "they were FAT and OLD! If they can do that, then what's stopping me from doing it?"
So, Will had today off and I decided last night that I was going to run as far as I could possibly run today and then have Will come and pick me up. If I run to a point then turn around and come back, I don't think I could realize the full potential of how far I can go. So I decided to make the Vancouver Mall a point of destination. I didn't know how far in miles that is from my front door, but it seemed like a kind of long distance.
About 20 minutes in, I had just gotten to the top of a pretty steep street (54th Ave, going into that sharp right turn) and I thought to myself...there is NO WAY I am going to make it all the way to the mall, but then I pictured the faces of those BL contestants and how they made it 26.2 MILES and I made myself keep going. It took me almost an hour to get there, but I did it without stopping once (except to cross Andresen road (about 15 seconds). When I called Will to come and pick me up at the mall (I didn't tell him before hand what I was doing), he was like "Why are you at the mall? What's wrong?" LOL
On the drive back home, we "clocked" the distance and it was only 3.2 miles, but I ran the entire way and I feel so accomplished. Part of the time I was thinking, if I can really do this, I can do anything. I want to go a little further each time. I want to go until I can reach that marathon goal. I know it will take a long time to get there, but I am not in a hurry.
I shared my thoughts with Will on the way home and I told him that I want to set a long term goal right now. And here it is..... after I give birth to my last baby (whenever that is) I want to run a full marathon. I don't want to be old and unhealthy. I want to start right now and be as fit as I can for the rest of my life. This is not necessarily about being thin. A lot of times by just being healthy, the thin part comes as a bonus. I also want to be a good example to my girls about making right choices in life. I wish that I had taken it upon myself years ago to realize the benefits of making healthy choices.
My favorite line in the BL finale was from trainier Jillian and she said (to Tara) "You're not going to live the rest of your life without Pita chips. It's about finding a balance".
Thanks for letting me ramble. I just feel so empowered after today. I know that 3 miles in an hour is no great accomplishment to most, but it is today in my book.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

My Mom



Mother's Day is a great time to honor MOM! I love my mom so much. She has such a big heart and inspires me to be more charitable to others. Thanks for being such a great example to me, Mom! I love you!!

Mother's Day

Thursday, May 7, 2009

the yard

We've been getting ready to put our lawn in and I am SO EXCITED! We borrowed a tiller from my dad and a couple weeks ago we sprayed the entire property with Round up. Now we are ready for landscape!


The front of the house

The front yard
(that big field across the drive is where the n.hood kids like to gather and play)

The side of the drive way in front

The back yard

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Do it again!



She is 7 1/2 months old!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Tatum in video

Tatum has been cracking us up the last couple days. Here's a couple videos!


Sunday, May 3, 2009

Don't you love giveaways?

My cousin "Handi Andi" is having some AWESOME giveaway baskets. Go to http://ryanandi.blogspot.com/ to check it out!

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Roxelle in the tub

Roxelle has had a little sore bum for a few days and this evening it was particularly bad, so I decided to let her soak in a shallow bath for a few minutes and this is how it went.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Lookie what "I" discovered

This is what I came into the living room to find. Someone had left the snack container a little too close and she was going to town! I think she even got a couple in her mouth. We don't have a high chair so I've never had the chance to just sit her down with a tray of snacks to see if she could feed herself. Well, now I know she can!