Perfect Moment!

This is a look at our Sunday evening activities yesterday. The kids decided to play "flag football" and got creative with the flags by using strips of toilet paper. They played on the front lawn for quite a while. The laughter was so contagious and it was fun to just listen and watch them interact. The doodle (Dallin) just wandered around and looked cute. I made all of them get in our huge ice chest when they were done - it's so big you could put a few dead bodies in it - not that I would, but it's crazy huge. Anyway good day - good times...perfect moment!

Girls And Their Polish

A few weeks ago my neices were at my house and they along with Gwendalin decided to paint their nails. I told them it was fine as long as they moved the rug and cleaned up when they were done. Trish and Matthew took their girls - after we had told all the kids to clean up messes and they assured us they did - and I went in my bathroom to find this. Are you kidding? that is not cleaned up. But it looks like they had fun!

They are happening if you're looking...

Miracles that is. Most of my loyal readers know that we have had a rough year and by rough that really is quite an understatement. Thing is...everything that happened was as a result of nothing that we did. It's called the "trickle affect." See if you own a company and the "big dogs" you did work for decide not to pay you- it can to some damage to a small company like ours. Anyway, through the year there have been lots of miracles that have happened and I don't want to forget what they were.

• I couldn't cut our paycheck until the 1st of the month and I had a week left of the month we were in. I had 1/4 tank of gas and knew I couldn't fill my tank until the 1st, so it had to last - and wouldn't you know it -it did. It shouldn't have, but it did.
• I was almost out of laundry soap and once again had to wait for a chance for a paycheck ( I say a chance because that's what it is, we hope our customers pay, cause if they don't - we don't have anything to live on.) Anyway, the laundry soap felt empty (Literally) and somehow it kept going and going until I had the money to buy more.
  The above 2 examples remind me of the story where the lady fed the prophet with her last bit of flour and her jar never ran out.
• We were wondering how to pay for swimming lessons or how to pay for whatever other thing was coming ( I can't remember) and I got a letter in the mail with some cash in - it just said here's some summer money for your family. And another Godsend was someone who said they were going to pay for swimming so don't worry about it.
• My kids needed school clothes. Someone in our ward made an announcement that they had hords of boy clothes they didn't need and to come look if we needed any. We looked and we scored. I didn't spend a cent on school clothes for Hunter.
• I had some baby equipment (swings, clothes, bouncer, saucer, etc.) that I took to the second hand place...I got a credit - purchased some clothes for Gwennie, Tyler, and Dallin and it came out to almost exactly what they gave me in credit.
• I have prayed more fervently and realized that I recognize the spirit and it's not just me thinking I'm crazy when I have thoughts.
• I looked hard for a job, went to interviews, competed with people who have PHD's for entry level positions and never got hired. You may be thinking that that is not a blessing, however I assure you that it is, and the Lord's hand was in it, because something else came up and it was a better fit all around for our family.
• I got this crazy idea (the spirit) to do a triathlon. I've never considered doing one or desired to do one. However, the vigorous training that I did for 3 months to get ready for it was such a blessing in coping with the stress that we were under.

I'm sure that there are more examples that I am forgetting. But those are just a few. We are so fortunate! Life couldn't be better! Yes, there is lots of stress, but my kids are healthy and happy and life is good.

The Day of Labor

My mom was wonderful in booking a few spots in McCall, ID for Labor Day weekend about 6/7 months ago. The campsite was wonderful, it had hookups and showers....Here are a few highlights from the trip and lots of pictures to document it as well.

• Tyler got sick on the first day (puking) and threw up for 12 hours
• I didn't sleep the first night (Tyler puked a lot - at least every hour, and if he wasn't puking Dallin was crying.)
• Mom and dad didn't sleep the first night, they were up helping me a lot of the night.
• Dallin fell out of the trailer right after we arrived- he's got a nice goose egg to prove it.
• Travis and Matthew got in late the second night from a quick Elk Hunting excursion.
• During the second night-Hunter was asleep in Tricia's trailer, at midnight she brought him to mine and let me know he was now puking.
• I didn't sleep the second night.
• The kids played at the beach by the lake, mixing dirt and water to make "Organic Matter" as they called it.
• We threw lots of rocks in the lake.
• We built campfires - Hunter became a pro at lighting the start of the fire.
• McKenna loved to gather dried moss for the fire.
• Hammocks were loads of fun.
• Kevin (from our ward) camped next to us and went on lots of bike rides with the kids, and loved to hold Maesyn.
• After the second night of no sleep - we decided we were going to bail early - good thing too...Gwennie then got the pukes and puked the whole way home (Gross....there's still puke on the side of my car).
  

Almost Over....

I was dreading the summer to start, but surprisingly it's now almost over. We have swam at a pool on grandma and grandpa's porch, we have swam in the hot tub, we have run through sprinklers, we have family reunioned, we have played, played, played, and also had our share of some serious boredom....however it's been super fun! I loved having them all around and having no schedule. Being a mom is seriously such a ride! I am grateful for it....for the smiles they continually put on my face. Here's to summer! These are just a few pictures from the other night when we were playing outside. :) My kids are very inventive and very beautiful! I am a little biased.

The SPRINT!

I participated in a Sprint Triathlon on August 8, 2009 (Dallin's 1st birthday). It consisted of a 500M swim, 20Kbike, 5K run. It was about 53 degrees when it all began. I had gone only wearing the clothes I was competing in and I was freezing. This AZ girl has trouble with the cold. Anyway, mom and dad came up to the start and brought me some sweats to wear before I started. Thanks! Once they came off though I was nervous and still cold, Dad was rubbing my arms and mom was trying to warm my hands in hers. It was so crazy though as soon as I had to get in the water I was much warmer. My goal was to do it all in under 2 hours....and I did it, in spite of having to fix a low tire while on the bike part of it, and turning around during the bike part because I forgot my bib for the run. (Luckily mom and dad were still at the top and I had my cell phone. - I think I was the only competitor on my cell as I began the bike. :) I got a hold of them and they brought it down to the run start for me. It was a blast, I loved it all and will definitely do it again next year- but I will do it with a road bike instead of a mountain bike. My friend Lynn did it with me and she was so great to have there as well! So fun- so hard - so cold. I was glad for the cold when it came time to run though....whew!

So my times were this: (total with transitions was 1 hour 46 minutes)
Swim: 16:14
Bike: 56:01
Run: 29:13