Piano Recital

Spencer & Kate just performed in a Holiday Piano Recital showcasing my students.  These are the pictures we used in the program.  Nathan didn't want to be left out of the picture-taking.  

Done 'Til June

We are officially done with our family birthdays until June.  Fall hits us hard with Birthdays in the middle of all the Fall Holidays, so it is always nice once they are all past.  Spencer & Kate had a good time at their parties and so . . . Mission Accomplished!!

Halloween Haunts

Here's a glimpse of our Halloween . . .

The Birthday

Well, it came and went like most other days, but there were a few things that made the day stand out.  I was invited out to lunch by my friend Jen and we enjoyed Soup, Salad, & Breadsticks (& a Birthday Treat & Song) at the Olive Garden.  Later that evening, we had our neighbors, Karen & Mackay, come over for some Birthday Pie that Rich brought home as a surprise.  But the biggest surprise was a gift from Rich~~he bought airline tickets, made condo reservations, and made arrangements for the kids so that he & I could take a TRIP TO HAWAII for our 10-Year Anniversary.  What a guy . . . and what a surprise!  Can't wait 'til December. 

I should also mention that a couple days before my Birthday I was able to celebrate with my family who were in town for the weekend.  My parents, my youngest sister Melissa, and my sister Becca's family made it a memorable birthday.  I might add that it is usually memorable whenever we get together~~My Wonderful Wacky Family!! 

Fall Fun

I just needed to add some pictures of some of the things that we have been doing this Fall.  And since they say that a picture is worth a million words, I will let the pictures do the talking . . .

Ready, Set, Go?

My St. George Marathon Experience:

On Saturday, October 4th my alarm sounded at 4:29 a.m. and I turned it off.  I laid in bed with the thought that I would get up in just a couple minutes.  Next thing I knew I was opening my eyes again and my alarm was broadcasting the time of 6:47 a.m.  Oh no!  The last bus to the starting line left at 5:30 a.m.!  Not only did I miss the bus, but now I realized that my Marathon race had already started . . . and I missed it!  Deep disappointment had just set in . . .

. . . And then I woke up for real!  My alarm clock glowed the time of 4:21 and I felt a great rush of relief.  It was a bad dream, and I still had my race ahead of me!

After catching an early bus and going for a LONG ride, the realities of my race set in:

An untimely fever (the day before), a persistent rain shower, and a constant headwind made up my first Marathon experience, not to mention that 26.2 miles is a LONG, LONG way to run.  It was tough and my final time was not what I had hoped . . . but I finished the biggest run of my life . . . so far.

Of course, on the one hand, just completing a race of that distance is an accomplishment, but I had hoped that my training had made a reachable goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.  I was off my goal by over 20 minutes, but I'd like to think that my Friday fever and lousy Saturday weather had much to do with that.

I guess my next Marathon will tell just how much!  But that is a goal for a time in the future!

This picture was taken at the 25 mile mark and I was completely drenched . . . but I was almost to the Finish Line, where I would receive a "Marathon Finisher" medallion and the best ice cream sandwich I'd ever tasted!

Besides my own family, I should also mention that my parents and my youngest sister were there near the Finish to cheer me on.   My Dad's brilliant comment about Marathons after I finished running was, "Marathons really are not much of a spectator sport."  And you know, I would have to agree with him . . . but I appreciated their support in being there all the same.  

Huge Hands~~Funny Feet!

Well . . . that Nathan.  What a Weirdo!

We get plenty of laughs out of this one.  His personality is too big for his little body.

It would be very hard (perhaps impossible) to not adore this little person.

Love you Nathan!

Sigfried & Roy's Secret Garden~~Las Vegas

As a last "Hurrah" before our Summer Break ended and school started, the kids & I made a trip down to Las Vegas to visit Grams & Papa (& Emily's family).  Breaking out of our norm, we went down to "The Strip" and took the kids to Sigfried & Roy's Secret Garden at the Mirage.  It was a beautiful oasis in the middle of an insane city.  

Spencer, the Tiger Cub, is ready to move into the cages with the other Tigers.

Nathan & Grams with one of the captivating White Tigers.

The only animals that we were able to touch were made of stone.

The Dolphin Habitat was no Sea World, but it held the kids attention all the same.

We had a special treat at The Secret Garden~~Roy came to visit!  A few years back, while we were still living in Las Vegas, Roy had a tragic incident as one of his tigers decided to munch on him during a performance.   Though he is no longer the showman he once was, it was still fun to see him come to spend time with his tiger cubs.

A funny story:  As Roy was entering the cage he was wearing dark sunglasses and was practically being held up by people on both sides.  It was a slow process.

There was a lady behind me who said, "Oh, look!   That's nice.  They are letting the blind people go into the cages with the tigers."

Immediately, she realized her blunder and declared, "Oh!  That's Roy!  I can't believe I just said that out loud."

She was embarrassed, but we got a good chuckle. 

The Dinosaur Museum

We finally made it to the Dinosaur Museum!!

We have lived just a few miles away from the museum for only 2 1/2 years now, and often when we drove past it the kids could be heard saying, "Are we ever going to get to go there?"

And my answer, "Someday."

Well, that "Someday" finally happened when the Museum had "Two-Dollar-Tuesdays" for a month.

Now we drive by the Dinosaur Museum and say,

"We have been there!"

1st Time Skier!!

Nathan is trying to become a water-skier like Spencer & Kate.  Granted, he is skiing along the shore and unattached to a boat, but next time . . . 

This picture was taken at our 2nd Annual Camping/Boating Trip with our good friends Jay & Jen.  Thanks you guys!  We have lots of good memories~~wake-boarding at dawn & dusk, campfires, s'mores & cracker barrel, dust storms, tents in the lake, down pours . . . 

Good Times!  Good Times!

Missouri Or Bust!

In July we took a family trip to Missouri to visit Rich's family.  LONG drive, but so worth it!

On the 4th of July, we were able to tour around to some LDS Church Historical Sites, such as Liberty Jail, where Joseph Smith spent a dreary winter in unjustified confinement.  We had a less dreary time as we visited this location with cousins (shown in the picture) and other family (not shown). 
We had a large number of Rich's family that were able to spend time together playing and visiting . . . and playing some more.  This picture shows the many cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. that we saw.  Can you spot me?We did not have everyone together, but we got a picture of as much family as we had.

We missed you Michelle (in Hawaii), and Matt (in Iraq), and Joanna, Jacob, Jessica, and Ariel (in Germany)!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Nathan!

Nathan now gets to hold up 4 fingers when asked how old he is.  He was very excited for his birthday this year, which made it fun for us to celebrate.  He has been talking about having a "Chick" birthday for ONLY the last 6 months, at least.  (For those who are thinking "Chick"???, "Chick" is the green race car rival of Lightning McQueen in the movie "Cars".)  The best we could do was the green cupcakes because we couldn't find Nathan's toy car of "Chick" and there are no "Chick" decorations at party stores.  Maybe, it's because "Chick" is not a very likable car, so who would want to decorated with "Chick" instead of Lightning McQueen?  Probably only my funny little Nathan!  That's why we love him . . . and laugh at him! 

P.S.  I think he liked the Slip n' Slide.  Thanks Grams and Papa!

Happy Father's Day?

We had an interesting Father's Day this year.  Excluding Spencer, we all woke up that morning not feeling all that well.  We didn't feel bad enough to really think we were sick, but we did not feel quite right either.  We attempted to attend church (some of us did not last) and then we pretty much laid around the house for the rest of the day.  We were lacking energy and appetite.  In fact, when we sat down for dinner we looked at the food before us and then looked at each other as if to say, "Do we really have to eat?"  It was even Rich's favorite--steak, shrimp, and rice--so for him to basically pass on that dinner was a very unusual occurrence.

The kids and I tried to put forth a good effort to show our appreciation for Rich, however, our efforts were perhaps of a little lack-luster.

Happy Father's Day Anyway, Rich (Dad)!

We love you!!

Oh Canada!

It had been quite a few years since I had been up to Canada, home of my childhood.  The kids and I took a road trip up to Alberta with my Mom and sister, Melissa, to attend my cousin's wedding. The landscape of Cardston, Alberta was not quite the same as British Columbia (a little lacking in dense forests), but it was still very beautiful.  It was fun to be on Canadian soil again, and also to see the Canadian flag that I grew up with.

Before the trip, the kids were really excited at the prospect of going to Canada--a different country!  I wonder if they were a little disappointed--Spencer commented, "It doesn't really look any different."  But they all got Canada T-shirts and Canadian candy, so I think they easily got over any disappointment they may have felt. 

Memorial Day

The weather . . . not so great.

The day . . . not so bad!

Rich & I took the kids to the Y to go bowling on Memorial Day.  A bit of a wait and then we had on our fancy shoes, had browsed for the perfect ball, and were on our lane ready to go.  So, who won?  Well, let's just say that Kate had a real knack for zig-zagging the ball off the bumpers all the way down the lane and then coming up with a strike!!  Spencer had some real nice rolls where he didn't need the bumpers . . . but then there were times that the bumpers saved him from the gutters.  Nathan . . . well, he didn't do too poorly, especially considering the "help" he received.  Rich & I had scores not worth mentioning, but if you ever need bowling partners that make your own scores look good, we may be worth considering!

St. George Marathon

Well, I went ahead and did it!  I signed up for the St. George Marathon . . . and I am even excited about it.  I have been running for several years now, but have not done any races, so why not start with the big one.  I mean, how bad can it be? . . . it's only 26.2 miles.  It's going to be fun!  I may have a different opinion after October 4th when I actually run it, but for now, I'm just in training and still optimistic!

San Diego Adventures

San Diego

S        a          n         D        i          e       g      o                         was the destination for our family trip this Spring Break.  We had such a great time there with the kids, Spencer (8), Kate (6), and Nathan (3 1/2).  And our kids, who happen to be very much into animals, enjoyed our visits to Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, and the Wild Animal Park.  We also enjoyed the sunshine, the beach, eating out, swimming in the hotel pool, running into a couple friends from home, and just being together as a family with no set-schedule.