Halloween Pic

SGM 2009

How many race reports can you read that begin and end with me explaining how sorely (no pun intended!) undertrained I was to tackle the experience? Hopefully you've got it in you to read one more...

Any marathon training should include, at very least, three 18+ mile runs but hot summer weather forces ridiculously early departure times and busy schedules often interfere with the best intentions to get in a long run. These two issues are always factors in my lack of training but cannot be solely blamed. The fact is, I am L-A-Z-Y when it comes to doing long training runs. I just don't like to do them!

I ran the SLC 1/2 (April), Ogden 1/2 (May), Legacy 1/2 (May), and Top of Utah 1/2 (August) this year and a miserable 18.6 miler (except for the great company). Other than those races, my distance training wasn't more than about 10 miles on any run. Therefore, my time and performance goals settled nice and low at:
#1 Avoid injury and
#2 Enjoy my tall, handsome race partner.

Mission and low expectations accomplished!!

Brent and I spent a lovely 5 hours and 21 minutes running the marathon together sans wrecked knees, back, or even unmentionable chafing. Our time included great conversation, much laughing, a tear or two (on my part only and probably unbeknown even to Brent!), and a kiss at the finish line!

The pics are borrowed from the official event photographers at marathonfoto.com, hence the big PROOF across each of them. I prefer to think of the pics this way:
#1 PROOF that even though he could have left me in the dust, Brent stayed at my side throughout the race.
#2 PROOF that running makes me feel tough and accomplished...even if it's really slow running with lots of walking in between :D
#3 PROOF that I still like that guy I married 16.75 years ago.
#1 PROOF that I participated in my 3rd full and 3rd St. George Marathon. Woohoo!!

Pumpkin Patch Pals

Yay me!! Alec's Jelly Bean Junction fieldtrip to Black Island Farms Pumpkin Patch fell on my day off and since he attends preschool in my sis-in-law's neighborhood, I don't know a lot of the other moms so I spent every minute riveted on this cute guy's idea of farm fun. He loved feeding the goats, riding the animal train, sliding down the hay bale slope, and picking out his own pumpkin on the tractor-wagon jaunt. Not pictured: PIG races and my post-marathon quads burning up as we tried to partner on the teeter-totter.

Smiley for Miley

My cute neighbor/friend/running pal invited Kenna to go to the Miley Cyrus concert with her daughter and step daughter. Kenna wore a bright pink, tie-dyed "peace" tee and sported some cool hair mascara for the occasion. Although Miley was a little sick and had to take a few breaks, all the girls had a great time.

Lucky 13!

On October 1st Todd officially became a TERRIFIC teenager. He is a fabulous kid and I do not anticipate a spiked increase in eye-rolling and arguing. (Although, it will be nice to finally have an explanation for said behaviors.)

13 great things about Todd:

1. Todd does great voices, accents and impressions. We watched the Secret Garden a couple of weeks ago and he has been in and out of Irish, Scottish, and English phrases and accents since. And yes, they each sound a little different.

2. Todd is great on the phone. I grinned as I listened to him chat with birthday well wishers. His animation and annunciation surprise me. (If you've met his father, you know why.)

3. Todd is affectionate in action and word. I can still get a hug and kiss from Todd at bedtime and I-love-yous are sprinkled throughout the day.

4. Todd is honest. Even if it means telling on himself, you know that you'll get the facts when his side of the story comes out.

5. Todd called *W* "doogaly" for a long time after he learned his letters. It was so cute that we called him Doogaly for a long time.

6. Todd has an opinion and readily shares it. This trait has landed me in discussions at the school office a couple of times but even given those worrisome times, I know that this quality will serve him well...He will eventually temper the DNA he got from his mum and confidently stand for what he believes.

7. Todd loves his family--immediate and extended members. I don't take this for granted. I feel blessed that he likes to be around us.

8. Todd is a "good" boy. Last week Brent and I traveled to Orem on Sunday morning for our newest nephew's blessing. Because we had to leave early, we let the kids stay home and sleep in. Todd got up on his own and went to church! He also attends his scouting and Young Men's activities regularly. I'm so happy this isn't something we argue about.

9. Todd is active. We've got a lot of pictures of him playing Guitar Hero and RockBand but he can often be found outside shooting hoops a lot too. He's run several 5K races as well.

10. Todd is true blue to BYU. How could he be otherwise??? It's fun to listen to him chew the sports' fat about stats and random trivia with Brent. This is something he does that really reminds me of how old he is.

11. Todd is learning to speak FRENCH! Brent speaks Spanish so I was a little surprised when Todd chose my BYU minor as his 2nd language. He really likes the class and is doing tres bien in there.

12. Todd is a great 'big' brother. He has his moments of being a little too rough with Alec and a lot too annoyed with Kenna but he is usually very respectful and fun with them.

13. Todd changed our family. When Todd was born, Brent and I went from being a couple without kids to being a couple with. My mom and dad got their first grandchild and Brent's parents, their first grandson. My siblings and spouses became aunts and uncles. Brent's siblings got their first nephew. These weren't simple title changes. Todd matured us and gave us something important to do and love.

I love you, Todd!
Happy teenagedom.

Alec on Ava.

Today we were blessed to have Baby Ava for a long visit. I was surprised at how excited Alec was to have Ava in our home. He had asked several times when we were going to help take care of her and even petitioned aunt Andrea to allow Ava to sleep at our house last night. I imagined that the novelty might wear off when he recognized Ava sitting in his Youngest, Cutest, Most-Spoiled seat but he loved every minute of her today. He had quite a lot to say about his little cousin:

Getting a start on Transitive Relation equations:
"Trevor (2 year-old cousin) is bigger than Ava and I am bigger than Trevor...so that means I am really bigger than Ava."

After I enlisted his help to hold her pacifier in while we were driving home:
"Baby Ava cries when you drive too fast."

Randomly:
"I think it's going to be a boy baby."

After I said he could have a treat at home:
"Yeah but that baby can't eat a doughnut. The mouth is too, too little."

Gently rubbing her head:
"I don't see any hair up there."

After I teased that Ava had not answered my question:
"Yeah. Only you need teeth to talk."

Is she not so beautiful?
I love her.

Reasons to Smile.

I got my braces off today and I am still smiling!

Ten More Reasons to Smile Today:
1. I got to hold and love baby Ava. She is a miracle and a blessing. Her spirit is thick and comforting. I love her.

2. Alec was super excited when he saw my braces gone. He has exercised a year of self-control when near my face. When I showed him my teeth, he squished my face and exclaimed, "Ooooh. Now I can do *chubby cheeks* so, so, so hard!"

3. Todd is starting to "get" Jr. High little by little. The last three weeks have been socially and organizationally miserable. I love him. He's trying hard.

4. Kenna has been a dream about getting up and ready for school this year. She is definitely a night person so it is a real effort for her to wake up and be cheerful. What a good girl.

5. A woman that I work with at church picked and gave us a giant box of peaches. Mmmmm peaches. I'm going to make some pies tomorrow. I may even get organized enough to take one to a nice girl I know.

6. Because of Facebook, I am back in touch with many great people from my past. The social networking thing can get out of hand so I try to be careful with my time but I am grateful to rekindle old friendships.

7. I arrived home today to lots of loud sounds in my basement. It's a good thing. We are soon to have an extra 1,000 square feet of room to stash stuff that we don't need.

8. My in-laws are back in the country. I so wish their return were under different circumstances. Their love, faith, and direction is a blessing to our family. I love them.

9. My mom and dad are planning a trip to visit us soon. I. Can't. Wait. And it not just because they are coming to watch our kids while we are in Hawaii. I actually really love them too.

10. Look at the three awesome kids surrounding my bright, straight, metal-free smile in the bottom left picture...I bet they even made YOU smile!

The sprint before the 1/2 marathon.

On Saturday, August 29th I ran the Top of Utah 1/2 marathon with a couple of friends. The course was fast and beautiful. I would definitely recommend it if you fall into the category described by a guy I overheard in during the race:

"Who runs a 1/2 marathon anyway? These people are crazy."

I'll admit to being one of the nuts who seek the pleasure of the pain of running. I love it...when I don't hate it.

I used to get nervous before running a race. Difficulty sleeping and managing my stomach with TUMS were accepted as part of the routine but my days of pre-race jitters are past. I've taken care of race anxiety by preparing well the night before but mostly by embracing the reality of my performance potential! Sad but true. A little more concern about this race, however, may have actually been in order and helped me to do better...

My great running friends, Kellie and Ryan, and I decided we would leave Layton at 4:45 a.m. in order to pick up our race packets and numbers with time for calm and stretching before the run. I set two alarms and readied my race-day pile of supplies the night before. I went to bed too late and jumped out of bed when Kellie called and woke me at 5:04 a.m. I still don't know what happened with my alarms but adrenaline and my lead foot got us to Providence, UT in time to snag our numbers and a bus ride to the start.

I hate feeling rushed and racing that way is the worst. Everything was in fast forward. Trips to the port-o-potties barely occurred before the starting gun sounded. My GPS didn't have enough time to catch a satellite signal and without that, I didn't have a good way to judge pace. I also noticed that, in my sprint to the start, I had forgotten my energy gel I needed to take 2 times during the race. Sheesh.

Even though my GPS didn't load, I did have my stopwatch and remember a few of the mile marked times:
4 miles 37:35
5 miles 46:33
6 miles 54:27
7 miles 1:04:??
9 miles 1:25:??
Finish 2:12:47

I finished better than my initial PR this year at Salt Lake 1/2 marathon but slower than my eventual PR at Ogden 1/2. Not a bad time but disappointing for how good I felt starting out. If you cared enough to read this far, you'll notice that my pace dropped significantly after mile 9. Honestly, I would have been a lot happier with my final time if I hadn't experienced the wheels falling off soooooo badly. I had to beg Kellie to leave me at mile 9 as she was still running very strong . (And she finished in 2:06:16 AMAZING!) I gutted out the last four miles but walked waaaay more than I should have. Blah. I was spent. Ryan, Kellie's husband sped to a 6 minute PR and finished in 1:41:xx. Wow!

Lessons:
* Adrenaline expended by being rushed can't be spent again when you need it!
* Set three alarms the night before a race??
* Don't forget your GU. I hate the stuff but Gatorade and water only didn't give me enough energy to finish strong.
* Running is kind of hard when you're an old lady.

In Loving Memory

Sheri Zimmerman Klein passed away yesterday after delivering her 2nd daughter. Sheri was due in 2 weeks but went into the hospital in a lot of pain Sunday morning. Sheri's blood pressure was very high and they gave her medication to lower it which put the baby in peril. The baby was born emergency c-section--Ava Lily Klein is 5lbs 5 oz, 17 inches, healthy and beautiful. Sheri's blood pressure plummeted and she did not recover despite all the doctors and nurses did for her. We celebrate her life and the birth of her daughter.

Ava Lily Klein

I'm out of the running.

I have a lengthy list of "good mom" criteria constantly scrolling through my hormonally and emotionally ravaged parent brain. I try my best but here is picture proof that the Mother of the Year award will be going elsewhere.


My otherwise easy-going, affectionate, happy little guy is angry at me in these pictures because...
I insisted that we would eat dinner (lovingly prepared by Pizza Hut) as a family at the table instead of in front of the T.V. watching Sponge Bob.

Like (LOOOONEY) father, like (CURAAAZY) sons.

Remember THIS?

Alfred Bandura must have gotten it right. His Social Learning Theory basically states that children learn and do what they observe. Todd and Alec are demonstrating this quite nicely thanks to their exemplar father. I suppose having your mother laugh her head off and think you're funny enough to grab the camera counts as the appreciable reinforcement that will certainly encourage this type of behavior. [Guilty.] Looks like we're going to have generations of pale, shirtless guitar heroes. What a legacy.

What a cute, smart 4th grader looks like.

My favorite little girl got a little bigger today. Kenna's elementary school is on a track schedule so she began her year as a 4th grader today, two weeks before Todd will start Jr. High. This happy picture was taken right before some small tears of anxiety came. I hate it when I see signs of myself in my kids. I rescued her from her genetics and drove her to school, sparing her the bus ride. After I walked Kenna to her classroom, I was directed to the gym and then back to her classroom for the school's "Back to School Morning" which I had completely forgotten about. I'm sure Kenna was very proud to have a sweaty, disheveled parent dressed in her running clothes attending the informative event. Oh well, she'll be much happier to get on the bus tomorrow morning!

Small changes. Big improvements.

One of the by-products of my not working during the summer is that I have the time and energy to NOTICE and work on things that have been neglected or just need refreshing around the house. Sadly Brent gets roped into a lot of these projects. He's definitely the brawn for these ideas but he's usually the brains on the job too. He has been very cheerful about his reluctance and I do so appreciate his help. I love that guy!

Here are some pics of the small things we've done lately.

Brent helped me make this cornice board last year. I finally found some drapery panels that matched the fabric and Brent got creative and hung them for me which was no small task. See, I am good at buying stuff for the project, just not doing the project.

We had to replace our kitchen light because of a bad ballast. (Did that sound like I know what I'm talking about? Because I don't.) Finding a fixture that fit Brent's budget restriction and my design desire didn't happen but we compromised on this one. The end embellishments we actually cream colored with gold specks and not my favorite. I grabbed a can of spray paint and, voila, better :)

I purchased 4 sets of these darling daisy hooks a while ago. Two are stylishly holding keys and cameras next to our garage door. One is in Kenna's room for various bags and pencil holders and this one keeps some of my bracelets and necklaces off of the dresser. Love them everywhere they are!

Swampwater. That is the name of this yellowy-lime green that I painted our front door. The name doesn't do do justice to the bright cheery color. I love it and the fresh coat of white trim improved the area as well! Brent put up the cute dragonfly knocker that I bought on clearance last year. I also spray-painted the brass knob and lock to coordinate with the dragonfly.

I actually dreamed this next idea...really. I had a dream that I put up some wrought iron shutters aside our front window. The next day I checked out two stores in town and found these. There are actually two iron pieces stacked on each side. Brent and my partly-willing, mostly-tricked/coerced brother-in-law put them up in the dark! They did a pretty good job, huh?

I should have taken before pictures for this next project explanation. This garage door started out white. B-O-R-I-N-G. I bought a gallon of yummy-sounding Opaque Cocoa paint which turned out to be the secret paintland code for the color of post food poisoning re-fried beans. My friend Mandy encouraged me to try again. I couldn't go wrong with Bittersweet, right? NOW I like it. The house numbers also look better brown instead of brass now.

I love my latest yard/garden decorations. Metal flowers and insects don't encourage weeds and don't sting :D

Here's the view from across the street. My friend Mandy also suggested shutters next to the bay window above the garage. I looked for some today but the store was out. I'm crossing my fingers that they're not gone for good!
You can't see it well but last year we gave up on the attempted flower garden turned weed patch below the front window. A stamped concrete patio now adorns the space. BEST idea ever. We love it and are saving our pennies for a similar space in the back yard.

Busy kids are happy kids.

Flexible summertime schedules are great but the laid-back expectations, increased together time, and general ease of life can wreak havoc on my kids' moods and ability to 'enjoy' each other's company. We found a small solution. Todd and Kenna have been looking after vacationing neighbors' pets and homes. It has kept them busy and I've been impressed with their willingness to work together and follow through on their commitments. Great kids :D

Winner!

Were any of you bored enough to read my list of 100 things about me ? If so, I'm sorry that you will never get back those wasted minutes. If not, here's what random fact #92 was:

92. I win stuff--books at conferences, makeup, jewelry, cooking utensils and other wares at home parties, a bike, photo session, $50 gift certificate to a clothing store, etc.

I am happy to report that I did not jinx myself by writing down this ever-evidenced life phenomenon and have won yet another prize to add to my list...

a year's supply of KT Tape

I became a *fan* of KT tape on FaceBook and won 12 rolls of the magical, mystical sports adhesive from Runner's Corner in Orem, UT which my darling sis-in-law picked up for me today. I am anxiously engaged in researching its uses but have yet to discover if 'cover the mouth of your loud and/or snotty child' is a recommended employ.

Don't you love this guy??

I do!
Happy 39th birthday, Brenty-Boo!

Brent is the greatest husband, friend, and dad. Any frustration I've had during our marriage usually ends with me wondering how he puts up with the redhead he asked to marry him.

Cute stories or things about Brent:

• Brent brought exactly $0.00 on our first date. He HAD money, he just didn't bring any with him.
• Brent was my test subject on many an IQ test while I was in graduate school. He was the perfect subject because I could get to almost all parts of the test. He just kept going and going and getting everything right. He's a smarty!
• Brent cried at the birth of Todd. (Sorry for blowing your tough-guy cover, Honey.) He's a tender guy but it takes something big--at least 7lbs 14 oz--to get a reaction.
• A few years ago Brent was out with some missionaries from our church. One of the people they visited asked Brent if he was preparing to go on a mission, typically undertaken by 'men' in our church at 19 years of age...He was 33!
• Brent doesn't like to wait to surprise people. When we got engaged, he wanted to call his parents right then. He also wanted to notify people minutes after the second line on the pregnancy tests showed up with each of our kids. Even for birthdays or at Christmastime he gives me lots of opportunities to open my gifts early! I don't have a sturdy delay-of-gratification quality but knowing he wants me to open the presents makes me want to wait!

I love you, Brent!
(And I'm glad you're my age now :) )

Crash!

With how much driving I do, it was inevitable. Today I got in an accident. I was talking on the phone to Rita while going through the construction zone on north-bound I-15. Suddenly the cars in front of me stopped. I was able to *barely* stop in time, but the car behind me couldn't and neither could the two cars behind him. I got smashed--multiple times--into the car in front of me. The phone went flying out of my hand. Once I saw that it was over I picked it back up and assured Rita I was OK.

There was also a car up ahead that couldn't stop. In all, there were seven cars that were damaged. No one was seriously injured, but they did put a neck brace on one guy as a precaution. (They didn't call an ambulance.)

I don't think my car is totaled, but it took some damage to both the front and rear. The car behind me was banged up pretty badly.

I feared they would cite me for running into the guy in front of me. But, he vouched for me and told the police that I had stopped completely before being pushed into him. So, no injuries and no ticket. I feel pretty lucky.

Summer So Far

We're having a fun and busy summer. Here's a little about what has occupied our time lately.

Party at the Point:
We partied in West Point on July 3rd with Brent's brother's and sister's families. Brent was in a 3-on-3 tournament (until a guy on his team came to blows with an opponent--niiiice) and the rest of us enjoyed spectating, visiting, fun face painting, and eating. The fireworks were fantastic! Alec covered his ears the whole time but still enjoyed the show.
Liberty Run
Todd and I ran the Layton Liberty 5K with lots of neighborhood friends. He didn't beat any of his previous times and felt a little sad but I think I've finally convinced him that getting out of bed to run when you don't have to is an accomplishment. I love this kid!
A Thrilling July 4th
With nothing planned for the 4th, we were pleased to receive an impromptu invite from Quincey and family. Deeeelicious salad and pizza were followed by fireworks and dancing. Trey is shown in the foreground trying his best to burn down the neighborhood with a blow torch. (Really not. I was very impressed that he was so safe!) What a fun kid. He was especially nice to Kenna as he showed her the ins and outs of pyromania ;). Troy contributed to the show by engineering makeshift water bottle-meets-explosives-and-duct tape fire crackers. Very fun. Quincey spent most of her day intensely studying and practicing an internet tutorial of Michael Jackson's Thriller dance, Thrill The World. Yep, she's a zombie dancer extraordinaire. You can see her in the blurred background of the photo trippin' the lights.
Super Sunny St. George
It was so great to take Alec, Kenna, my sister and her kids to St. George for a non-stop party in the sun. We did a tiny bit of shopping and went to the St. George Temple and Visitors' Center one day. Other than that, we spent hours doing our best to spur freckle-growth, avoid sunburns, and turn blonde hair green by hanging at the pool. So fun.
Scout Camp
Todd wasn't able to come to St. George with us because he was busy being a grown up kid attending Scout Camp. He was gone from early, EARLY (4:30) Monday morning to Saturday afternoon. I missed him tremendously and worried about him even more. Judging from the pleasant, positive attitude and numerous hugs, he missed us too. While there he completed the requirements for 2 merit badges, went on a 10.2 mile hike, got hot, got cold, went swimming, and did lots of other dirty boy stuff.

Ogden Nature Park Splash Pad
A few friends and I took our kiddos to a splash pad in South Ogden. It was an ordeal trying to find the hidden park but worth it when we got there. The kids loooooved running in and out of the cold water followed by warming in the sun. We had a yummy lunch and stayed for longer than planned because everyone was happy. Here are a few of the beautiful pictures my friend Mandy took. (She sent me a lot more pics but I get worried about putting other people's cute kids on here...Is there some kind of blog picture post etiquette/ethical code that I should know about regarding this??)
Upcoming events:
* I ran the Speedy Spaniard 10K in Spanish Fork this morning and will report later.

* Brent is currently camped in Burley, Idaho where he awaits the pinnacle of his Triathalon training, THE SPUDMAN. I think he's going to rock it. He's been working so hard to get ready.

* Expect a post about recent PROJECTS. I've been trying to catch up on house maintenance that is sorely overdue. I painted our front door a great yellowy-green and our garage door a horrible color which needs to be repainted. The deck has been sanded and stained and the playplace is next in line. Todd his going to help gut the flower beds as part of a merit badge requirement and I would love to sand and paint my inside stair railing and kitchen table and chairs. Much to Brent's chagrin, lots of these projects require his very reluctant involvement. We struggle to get along when there is hard work to be done so wish him luck in withstanding Hurricane Rita.

Congratulations, Kenna

Congratulations to Kenna for scoring in the top 10% nationally on the Iowa Tests. This certificate came for her in the mail.

Echo Tri

I did the Echo Triathlon this past Saturday. You can read my race report here. Here are a few pics:Getting out of the water after the swim.Biking up the canyon.
This is about mile 4 of the run, with Echo Reservoir in the background.

This fist pump is to celebrate beating my goal time by three minutes.

Goodbye Grade Six

This handsome kid is officially out of Elementary school after a short, unimaginative-but-well-attended ceremony made it so. ;) Todd was his typical self at the festivity throwing a fist pump to the crowd after receiving his diploma which he promptly made fun of for being so juvenile. Jr. High, here he comes!

End of School Activites

I thought it might never end but school if finally O-V-E-R for my big kids!! The typical time-wasting last days of traditional school ends up to be about 3 weeks long on a year round track schedule. Here's what we were up to last week.

Another parent and I organized a morning full of Olympic activities for Todd's class during the last week of school. It was nice to see how well the students interacted and got along with each other. No one student dominated all of the events and many kids succeeded at different things. A few students were reluctant to join in, but a reminder that these games beat the heck out of doing Math encouraged participation. A fun day with fun kids.

Alec and I volunteered to help with Field Day on a hot, hot afternoon. As you can see, I manned the football throw activity.

Kenna had a "late over" party to celebrate the last day of school. Don't let their sweet smiles fool you, these girls know how to have a good, LOUD time. They painted their nails (and my kitchen table), sang Taylor Swift songs at the top of their lungs, made crazy cookies, and had lots of fun. Cutie patootie good friends. We loved having them over.

As reward for not terrorizing Kenna and company during her (brother-bugging) party, Todd invited a friend to the family celebration that we attended with my sis-in-law in West Point. I am thankful that my kids have such great friends. I feel lucky to like the kids they hang out with.

Sew Fun

Although my to-do list hasn't shortened since last week's discouraged vent, a sure way to distract me from my own tally of tasks is to get me to do someone else's!

Last week a cute girl in our neighborhood called in a panic. She needed a costume skirt sewn for a play performance that evening. I happily welcomed the opportunity to share my sewing skill since I had so many other non-preferred things I should have been doing! We sewed up a darling black skirt and she and her mom went home relieved. I really do love saving the day for someone :) (A related rant for another time will be my self-deprecating exposition on talent shows...I stink at anything that could be showcased on a stage! Okay, okay, another day.)

It's a mess and a hassle to get out all of my sewing stuff so since my table was newly cluttered, I plowed through some other projects that have been waiting for my attention. The pictures are lousy quality but here's the evidence of a productive couple of days. (Although, the bathrooms still need to be cleaned.)

Black and white flower skirt of cute stretch fabric I found for a steal at $2/yard.
Reversible hobo style bag.
Ugly pants turned less ugly bermuda shorts.
Not cute sundress turned great kick-around skirt.

Aprons, aprons, and more aprons. I can't stop making them. They are darling and are the great gifts for lovers of all things culinary. They might even spur a hater into doing something in the kitchen!

3rd Grade Field Trip

I'm not a fan of the kids' year 'round school schedule but one positive thing is that since I'm off for the summer, I am able to participate in more of their school activities.

Tuesday it was the 3rd grade's turn to celebrate a year of hard work by going on a fun field trip. Kenna and classmates saw two shows at the Clark Planetarium and enjoyed the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum. It was lots of fun. When Brent asked Kenna what her favorite part of the day was, she thought for a second and then answered, "That Mom came with us." Awwww. Love that!

Best Dad Ever

Happy Father's Day, Brenty-Boo!

Brent's unusual stance in this photo is in response to several previous midsection shots taken after Alec asked to snap a picture of Brent. This image says a lot about Brent as a dad...

• Brent gladly gave our 3-year-old a short "push here" tutorial before allowing him to manhandle our pricey camera. Brent is a patient teacher and always puts his kids above possessions.

• Brent adjusts to accomodate the needs, wants, and skills of our children without complaint or concern for his own convenience.

• Brent encourages our kids in whatever they want to try. Can't you see the, "Yeah. Like that!" in his eyes?

• Brent's expression also depicts his best personal quality. He is the most accepting father and person one could ever know. The kids and I will never doubt his complete love for any of us.

I love you, Brent. Thank you for being a wonderful dad to our wonderful children.

TRI this!

Brent participated in the Provo Triathlon today. He slept overnight at his brother's house in Orem and I woke up early this morning and drove down to be his cheerleader (an old, fat, unpopular version) and photographer.
SWIM-1500 meters 47:57
InUtah Lake Brent made sure not to open his mouth too wide to avoid getting a carp stuck in his lungs and swam strong. He's been training in a pool and said that the lake was a killer. Not the least of the ardor was cold water (about 65 degrees) and trying to stay straight on the open course. He was a little dizzy when he came out of the water but got his footing and moved to the transition area just fine.
BIKE-40 km 1:19:19
Brent looooooved racing his new bike. The course had a few issues but was great for spectators because it was a lapped route. The Olympic length riders had to make 4 loops and Brent looked strong on every pass. It was a little embarrassing when he shed a tear and kissed his bike goodbye before transitioning to the run.
RUN-10 km 56:42
At his point I left to get a drink--yeah, I'm back ON Diet Dr. Pepper, dangit. The run was also a looped course and I made it back with my 44oz pal in time to see Brent several times. His run time would have been a stretch for me to achieve without swimming and biking beforehand. He's great.

Yay, Brent!! His final time was 3:10:40 and a PR by 8 minutes! His next triatholon is the SPUDMAN in Burley, Idaho on July 25th.

Field Trip Time

I was honored that Todd allowed me to volunteer as a parent chaperon for his class field trip last week. It was a disjointed whirlwind but lots of fun for the kids. We visited Krispie Kreme Doughnuts (and yes, we got a free, HOT one!), went bowling at Fat Cats and ate Pizza-Pasta Factory food, and attended a show at the Ott Planetarium at Weber State University. Todd is a great son, student, friend, and kid. I was semi-surprised that he was as well behaved as he was as he tends to like being the center of LOUD anything. He was great and it was fun to meet a few of the girls he constantly talks about and see how he interacts with his equally nerdy friends. He even gave me a couple of side squishes during the day AND thanked me for coming several times after we were home. I love him.

Holy Crepe!

We indulged in crepes for Sunday lunch a couple of weeks ago. Mmmmm. The sweet memory lingers. Don't you love Kenna's French finger mustache?

Holy crepe! These are good!
1 c flour
2 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/2 c water
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp melted butter

Whisk together flour & eggs. Stir in milk & water. Add salt & butter. Beat until smooth.
Cook 1/4 c batter at a time on a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat.
Tilt the pan in a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook for about 2 minutes until the bottom is light brown.
Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side.
Serve them warm and load them up with delicious fillings...
strawberries, whipped cream, caramel, nuts, bananas, nutella, butter and sugar, etc.

Let it Rain

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

(Another lesson I need to learn from my kids! Aren't they fun?!)