Fun Friday and Saturday

This Friday was pretty awesome. First my Mom came and picked up Maile, she was going to be spending the night with her. Next, my step mom Marj came and picked up the twins for their sleepover. Finally Zach and Zachary got on the road to go to their father and son camp out. And then I was all alone. I really didn't know what to do with myself so I ended up just relaxing and enjoying not having to do all the usual routines. I ended up sleeping really poorly, every noise made me jump but it was defiantly worth the hours I got to myself!

So, Zach took Zachary to the father and son camp out, late but none the less. They had a good time sleeping in the car and then they got to go canoeing and all that fun stuff. Zach took the camera and I was hoping to get at least one good picture of them but to no avail I got about 250 pictures of Hoover Dam and the surrounding scenery and a couple of other peoples kids but not a single picture of Zachary.....MEN!!!

So while every one was away my good friend Danielle, her husband and I all took part in the New Nevada 5k race in North Las Vegas on Sat. morning. It was a pretty fun run and the weather was great. I beat out my last 5k time by about 40 seconds coming in at 26:20. I placed 42 overall and took home second place in my age group. After taking a few weeks off from running I am re motivated to get back into it. Something about finishing a race just makes me want to do it again and again! Next race July 4th. Now I just have to actually train so I can shave off more time!
After the race I got to come home and spend more time by myself and then Zach came home and we both got in a good nap before our Cowgirls came home. First Lexi and Becca came home and yes they were spoiled the whole time they were away. They got to go to Ihop for breakfast, the district for crafts, and finally to a movie. Next, Maile came home a few hours later. She got to go watch Auntie Sam's school play and then went to Ice cream with Grandma Liza, Great Grandma Renee, Aunt Lezlie, Aunt Sam and Leila. What a lucky girl!! I am so, so thankful for the time that our kids get to spend with their Grandparents, so thank you for being such a huge part of their lives!!

Summer Lovin

Just one of the reasons we love summer!!

Tan Lines

Well it is officially summer, you can tell because my Hawaiian children are tanner than tan already after only a few trips to the pool. I am only slightly jealous. The rec. center pools are not open yet be we are fortunate enough to have some really awesome friends who let us come swim at their pools. Thank you of course! It seems like my girls are going to have to take some time to get used to pools again, they are a bit timid when it comes to getting in the water, but then again it could be that the water is freezing, but any case I really hope they get more into it as time passes. I know I have been enjoying myself but I am just exhausted as the girls at the end of the day! Did I mention my housework has been slacking majorly?? I am going to use the summer as an excuse. Yay summer!!! PS: Shea and Zoie wish you were here the day I finally brought my camera! Get well...now!!

A Decade of Experience

I know this post is way late but I feel like I haven't really had the time to upload pictures. Anyhow...Zachary is 10! It is crazy, it feels like just yesterday that he was 5 and I was introduced into his life. Now he is a young man who is so smart and sweet. No longer a little boy, but a big brother that I can count on to always lend a hand. So this year was a non-party year, meaning we just keep it small and have some family over for cake and ice cream. We really ended up having a good time, it was fun just being able to hang out and play games! We love you Zachary!!

Cousin Time

I feel so lucky that I have so much family here is town. I don't take advantage of that fact often enough but when we do get together it is sure to be a blast!

Tidbits

If going only by my blog and a lack of posts one would imagine that we have done absolutely nothing the past few weeks, but it is quite the contrary...we have managed to stay relatively busy especially on the weekends... I have just forgotten to take my camera time and time again!! I really need to get a camera bag so that the camera can be ready to go when I am flying out the door but I just always manage to forget to look when I am out shopping...anyhow here are a few updates on what we have all been up too....
-Zachary had a tournament at the Tropicana Hotel where he came out on top with 2 first place finishes and 1 second place finish..way to go we knew it would only be a matter of time before he got used to his new age/ranking group!
-Maile has really been enjoying her preschool class and seems to be growing up before my very eyes..she has also managed to stay well even though all of her siblings have been sick off and on for two weeks now.
-Lexi and Becca are just busy being two and driving me crazy!! It would be more effective if I ask a brick wall to do something rather than them! Seriously I am hoping this stage passes quickly...but on the other hand they say and do the cutest darn things ever.....I am sooo soo glad we found the charger to the video camera so we can capture some of the hilarity that comes out of their mouths! Hopefully they will stop being sick as often as well.
-Zach has gotten really busy at work and even though I miss seeing his handsome mug around the house I know it is probably best...to me him being busy means job security! We will just have to make the most of the time we get to spend together! Did I mention Zach went to the gym for the first time since we have know each other?? I am proud of him and hope he makes it a habit I wouldn't mind if he buffed up a little hint hint if he reads this!
-Lastly on to me. I am typing this after an amazing weekend and if I had written this prior to Sat. my outlook may not have been so upbeat. But I figure those feelings are better off where I ditched them at mile marker 2 on the 5k I ran this weekend for our stake track meet. I was pretty pumped that I beat the only other 5k time I had ever earned. I came in 53 and finished just under 27mins. My relay team also won our relay and that was awesome too....But that wasn't the best part of the day. It was the teamwork and the camaraderie that we all shared with each other making it a really amazing activity. Everyone really came together to support our ward..go Pinnacle!!!! I also got a chance to go to church this Sunday by myself and anyone who has little toddlers knows that it means I got to actually listen!! All the testimonies that were shared really brought the spirit among us and I was reminded of the testimony I have gained over the past months since I was baptized and how much it has changed my life for the better. I just want to say that I have some really amazing people in my life and I am forever thankful for them.

Easter Sunday

I love holidays. I love the fact that I have so much family to celebrate them with. I love what Easter really stands for beyond colored eggs and bunnies. I love watching my kids enjoy themselves to the point of exhaustion. I love perfect weather for flying kites. I love laughing with family that we don't see often enough. I love how excited the girls are to see their brother. I love candy......I mean the kids love candy! I loved yesterday. The pictures speak for themselves, we had an amazing day, I feel so blessed.

Cabin Trip 2009

This New Years we decided with some of our friends to do some type of trip or family outing about every three months. The trip to the cabin was our second installment of our plan. We left Friday afternoon and drove a half hour past St. George, Utah. To our surprise it was snowing!! When we got to the cabin it was freezing and the kids were tired. Our handy husbands worked to get the fireplace working while the ladies tended to dinner and the kids. By the time we were done we were all exhausted and ready for bed! Day two was still pretty cold but that didn't stop the kids from playing outside. Zachary and Taylor, our big kids went exploring and the little kids enjoyed playing on the porch out front. Good call on the bubbles, they were a hit! After lunch we put the kids down for naps and it was time for a little big kid fun with the pellet guns. Next was dinner, steak with all the fixings and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Yes, I gained 5 pounds in two days. Day three was the nicest day we had weather wise. We started the morning off by taking some quick group pictures and then going to look at the horses just down the road. When we came back the kids played outside for the rest of the afternoon. That gave us parents a chance to play some games. It was girls against guys for some card games and of course us girls earned bragging rights when we won the majority of games. Again we had a great dinner and then it was time to go. We cleaned up and drove home!! This trip was a lot of fun and a lot of work. I am so thankful that my ankle was feeling ok to walk around or it would have been a lot harder...that being said I learned that going on a trip is way more work than I ever could have imagined. But it was still fun getting out of the daily grind and I hope my kids walk away from this experience with good memories of time spent together with family and friends. I want to thank Aunt Sandy for letting us use the cabin this weekend, we appreciate it soo much!! I am glad to be home today and also glad I have three months to gear up for our next trip!

Figures

Tonight I had my first soccer game of the new season and for the first time since we were dating back in 2004, Zach came to watch me play. We have also not been on a family vacation since December 2005 either and tomorrow we are set to embark on a relaxing weekend in a cabin outside of St. George. So it would just be my awesome good luck that I sprained my ankle tonight. It looks like I had a golf ball implanted, very lovely to say the least. I guess Zach is my not so good luck charm but he is one heck of a good nurse...(I am saying this now, injury is still fresh and he feels bad for me, lets see after he has to get everything ready by himself!)

Timing

A lesson in one of my church classes on Sunday really hit home for me this week. It was about anger and how it affects family relationships. With three toddlers I am sure you can imagine the amount time I spend frustrated or angry. I see now that I am really wasting precious moments I could be sharing with my children, I just need to learn how to take things in stride...not everything is a catastrophe!! Spilled water is nothing to get my panties in a bunch about even if it is the third time in one day! Kids still need to learn right from wrong and how to be polite, good listeners, however nothing my sweet girls ever do should make me sooo angry!! And in the case it does, maybe I need a timeout along with them. Anger is not always choice but I do have the power to control how I express myself when I am angry. I know it is not going to be overnight but I know that if my behavior is more positive, those good feelings will spread quickly to all the members in my family. I must be the example, a good example. Last week seemed like torture...but I was the one who could have changed that. So lastly I just want to say that I love how each lesson in church seems to directly pertain to what is happening in my life at that very moment. Coincidence??

Yes, that is Butter

It only took five minutes of me putting on a load of laundry for Becca to tear into an apparently delicious stick of butter....I thought her love for cheese was extreme but butter??

Awesome Coupon Links

There are some pretty cool coupons that you can use at Vons this week to get great deals....
Motts Apple juice: http://www.motts.com/Promotions/
100 Calorie Packs: http://www.nabiscoworld.com/100caloriepack/
Crystal Light: http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=qcrretm73593017&bt=wi&o=54809&c=CL&p=0CpndDJ9

Don't forget you can print them twice! I spent $30 and some change on all of this. And I forgot to put the five cans of corn I got also in the picture. Happy Shopping!!