Alger Pages

Jan 30, 2012

2012-01-30T14:41:00.001-07:00

Things are moving along well in preparation for Cole's mission. We have almost everything ready.

His farewell will be on February 12, 2012, from 11am-12 (Sacrament Meeting) at our Stake Center, 6270 W. 7000 S., West Jordan.

I just received a missionary tracker from ldsmissiontracker.com and it just arrived! Here's a photo:

I'm guessing it hasn't really sunk in yet because it all seems so surreal.

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-03T13:41:00.015-07:00

Wow, the holidays are over and a new year has begun! I'm so excited for 2012! It is almost palpable the positive energy I am feeling about this new year! It's hard to believe that the holidays are over already! It was such a fun holiday season for our family, one of my very best holidays yet. Paula came into town on December 18 and stayed with us most of the time she was here. It was so great to have my 'older and wiser' :-) sister here with me to help me with all the cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc! The Allen's had a big family get together on Christmas Eve which was a blast. So many of our out of town family was here for the holidays, so we were only missing a few. Lots of fun and food and evening went by too quickly. So good to see our far away family members. Christmas day was nice and quiet for us, Paula went to Cameron and Carrie's (her son and DIL) for a few days, and it was just us. Having one hour of church was odd and coming home after church, it sort of felt like it was just another Sunday. Scott had off the day after Christmas, so it was nice to have him home longer than usual. Our friends from San Diego, The Turners (aka TheFuzzins), took their daughter, Tamsyn to the MTC for her mission to the Idaho Pocatello Mission, where she will be serving as a Spanish speaking missionary on the Idaho Falls Temple Square. After a very long and trying trip, they were able to get her to the MTC just in time for her appointed meeting time, and then came to our house following. It was SOOOO good to see them! We had them here for several days; we ate and shopped and played and stayed up late and all of us picked up where we had left off. (Isn't it great when you can see your besties and pick up where you left off last...true friendship!) All the fuzzins all had a great time. (Poor Kai missed out on a day or so fun when he was down with the stomach flu.) New Year's Eve we decided to celebrate with food, hats, music, etc and it was great! We ate all kinds of appetizers and watched Coldplay live in Austin while we partied! It was great, all of us were singing and enjoying it to the fullest! (Except Grandma Jo who was asleep.) When it was 12:00, it was like the house exploded! We got our horns, poppers, fireworks, and started making the most noise possible. (At one point I was worried that we woke mom up and scared her, but she said she wished she was with us! LOL!) We all went from the front door, to the back door, back to the front door, etc. for probably 20 minutes! Tracy was hilarious, collecting and blowing as many horns at one time as possible! It was so much fun! THAT is the way to start off a GREAT year! Below are some pics of our New Years Eve bash...

Kai, ready to have fun!

Me and my besties: Melinda and Shelly!

Tracy just after dancing...darn, I just missed the picture!

Melinda! (looking a little French with her cute beret!)

Kai with his food! Only chips???

Vinson, Chandler and Cole...FUZZINS!

Paula, Scott and Cole having fun!

Update and a new beginning

2011-11-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a very long time and when I was blogging it was more of my "running log". So I'm giving that up for now and beginning a new family blog, aka Cole's mission blog. Since the purpose of me originally starting this blog was to blog about my family, I've decided to go back to that and blog our lives. Of course, I'll also blog family events that happen in the meantime, but this will be a place where we'll record Cole's experiences, photos and letters. Hope you enjoy! Here are some of the things that have been going on for the last year that I may have neglected.

11.24 Yesterday was Thanksgiving AND Cole's 19th Birthday! Hard to believe how quickly time flies!

09.21 Cole received his mission call to serve in the Columbus Ohio Mission! He reports to the MTC on 1.11.12! He's so excited!

It only took 2 days after he got his mission call to get his Ohio State shirt!

10.08 This was the major mission clothes shopping day. He got some really sharp suits and clothes! He's starting to look like a missionary!

08.11 Cole's official mission photo.

09.25 Kai's first 'date' and Homecoming Dance. So cute!

09.18 Kai's Eagle Court of Honor!

09.18 My two Eagle Scouts!

08.05 Kai's photo for the football game program. Great smile!

I thought this was kind of cool so I had to put it in. This is a bookmark taken from action shots. Each player got at least one shot on a bookmark. Pretty awesome!

09.03 Both boys enjoy playing the drums. Here's Kai. Pretty good for being self-taught!

07.01 The boys had the opportunity this summer to go to their first Pioneer Trek. They said it was an amazing experience!

06.23 Kai's 16th birthday! Guess what he wanted to do for his birthday? Eat biscuits and gravy, his favorite!

Can't believe he's 16 already!

06.01 Cole's high school graduation. Can't believe this time has already come.

05.22 Cole's seminary graduation. Great frothers! (friends + brothers)

03.02 Big day for Kai! The braces are GONE! Yay!

01.11 The boys at their 2010-2011 Football banquet. Cole finishing his senior year of football, Kai finishing his Sophmore year. Sad it's over!

That's a quick version of the happenings over the year! Crazy 2011! :-)

08.21.11

2011-08-21T20:04:00.000-06:00

(Thank you Heather for the kick in the butt to get this going again.!)

I think I've neglected my blog because I've used Facebook and it's so much easier! I'm going to try to stay on top of this and keep updated.

Another birthday is approaching and I'm feeling it. I hate it. Mentally, I feel as if I'm still in my 30's but unfortunately, parts of me KNOW that I'm not! Tomorrow I've committed (and maybe it's good that I'm blogging this to hold myself accountable) that I will start running again. I've been seeing friends and family that have been running this summer and I want to be doing that as well, but I've been so overwhelmed that I can't seem to get myself out there to do it. I did walk/run for a week or so trying to get back, but then had a minor set back and didn't get going again. So, tomorrow I'm doing it. When the weather is nice, I love it. But, know that the weather will be getting cold again soon. I've got to try and not focus on the weather changing and it getting cold, it seems to hinder my enthusiasm. (BTW...did I say I hate the cold?...) I would love to run a 5K or 10K sometime before the winter starts, so here I go making myself accountable. Wish me luck!

Also, this blog is also going to be my family updates, at least for right now. Cole's sent in his mission papers and is waiting for his appointment with the Stake President, at which time they will go to Salt Lake. So, I'll keep the updates here for now, and possibly when he leaves for his mission, I'll start one for that. Possibly.

That's it for now!...

I'm Baaack!

2011-05-24T19:03:00.001-06:00

Can you believe it? It's been 9 months since I last posted anything. And it's been since October that I ran last. In hindsight, I shouldn't have stopped but I'm such a wimp in the cold weather and it does nothing for my motivation. I hope that this year it's something that I can get over. Today was awesome. It felt so good! I ran about 2/3 of my route! I really didn't think I'd feel like or be able to do much running, so I was pleasantly surprised. I'm working on upping the length of my routes and my time this summer. I'll be really happy if I get consistent at 5 miles or more. I'm hoping that my muscles' memory comes back quickly and I can work up to the 5 miles more quickly than last year. Today didn't feel like too much of an effort, so I'll see how sore I am tomorrow and what I can do on Thursday. I'm actually excited to start running again. Time to get some more good music! :-)

What equals a CRUMMY run!

2010-08-16T16:57:00.002-06:00

5 hours of sleep + 95 degree temperatures, that's what! UGH it was awful and I couldn't wait to get home. Not only was I HOT (what WAS I thinking?), I was dying of thirst and could hardly walk the rest of the way. One more lesson learned. I also realized that I need to do 'something' on the off days of training. I'm afraid I'm at the point now that I need to get some type of cardio in every other day of the run. Not sure what that will be yet. Wednesday is my 5 mile day and Friday is *6 miles*! It's getting hard, but the reward is awesome! I think I'll be sticking to early mornings and evenings until it cools WAY down.

Farther than EVER!

2010-08-06T10:45:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness! I just came in from my run today and I ran farther than I EVER HAVE in my LIFE! I'm soooo happy that I have pushed myself to this and am accomplishing something so challenging! I even ran them in under 15 minutes per mile! OH MY GOSH!!!! (Again the time thing isn't anything except that it is a measurement to me of how I'm doing.)

The boys have been in football conditioning for a few months. They have on occasion complained about how hard the coaches have been working them, harder than they have ever worked. They sometimes dread practice and come home sweaty and worn out. We've had constant conversations with them (especially one who is really having a hard time "digging deep") that they can't quit, they have to work hard and give it their all. Stretch themselves. So that they CAN be a better team, and when they DO win, they will realize that they deserved it. On Wednesday, when I couldn't get myself to get out there, but finally did, as I was toward the end, I thought about my boys. I realized that I can't expect them to do hard things if I'm not doing it myself. As I was running today, that went over and over in my mind. And how rewarding it is to accomplish those hard things. I think we are all growing by this experience and I'm glad we are sharing it together.

Thanks to all of you! You are so supportive and I appreciate you so much! :-)

This has nothing to do with running, but I have to say that I'm getting SO excited for football season! I love summer and don't want to hurry it away, but I can hardly stand waiting! Today the boys got their helmets and practice jerseys, #11 and #32 are in the HOUSE! LITERALLY!, which they start practicing in this afternoon. Next Friday is our first scrimmage and the following Friday is our first GAME! It is the endowment game at home playing Syracuse. I grew up with my brothers playing football, football on TV, radio, married a man who played and coached football and now 2 boys that play, well, you might say were destined to play, but I have come to LOVE the game and everything about it. So, I saw this video and thought I'd post it. It is my life, from a spectators perspective, a football mom, and I love it! I hope you enjoy it! (I'm not much of a fan of country music, but I can't help but like the song because of the video, of course!)

Kenny Chesney - The Boys of Fall

2010-08-06T10:36:00.000-06:00

W3D2 - AWESOME!

2010-08-04T11:53:00.000-06:00

Honestly, this morning I was looking for ANY and EVERY excuse not to go. I was planning on not running today. But then, something dragged my lazy butt upstairs and got me dressed and out the door. I think the motivation today was that I ran a different route. I decided I would try a flat run today, so I ran Grizzly Way. It was GREAT! I'm excited that I was able to finish without walking at all (despite my negative attitude earlier) and even more excited that I timed myself at about 17.5 min. miles. Now, I'm not worried about my time in this marathon, although I would love it if I wasn't the slowest in my age group. This time "mark" is a mental thing and helps me see my progress, and is so gratifying. The best part is, that I ran 1 mile more than Monday and it's getting easier! AND I LOVE IT! It feels sooo good after a good run...even the sweat. (hee hee) SNOW CANYON 1/2 MARATHON...HERE I COME! :-)

W3D1

2010-08-02T10:30:00.000-06:00

So far, so good. Since last Wednesday's hard run, things are going great. I ran the route again, and ran all but up the hill. It felt really good. The night before we had pasta and I was thinking that the carbs may have had something to do with the run feeling really good. Maybe we need to have a pasta dinner the night before the 1/2. Anyone tried this? This morning the run was really good, no stopping and I'm feeling strong. Over the weekend I actually thought "I think I can do this!" I'm getting excited! (But still a little scared!) :-)

Week 2 Day 2

2010-07-28T11:25:00.003-06:00

Wow, I thought this wouldn't be so hard, at least for the first few miles...I've done this before. But I think from having some time off, I've had a hard time getting up to where I was before. It's a little disappointing, but I'm hanging in there. Like I said, I'm going to do my best to run as much as I can of the 1/2 marathon, but I'm sure I'll be walking some.

Today I went out of my comfort zone and tried a different route. A big challenge....7000 S. A friend told me yesterday to give it a try and just run it. She gave me a few tips, said to start off with an Ibuprophen before and one after (which I have yet to take...maybe I don't need one?). Then, go all the way down 7000 to Grizzly Way and back (which is 3 miles), but on the way back, from 5600 to the first fire hydrant to sprint. So, I decided I'd try. The way down to Grizzly was great, it wasn't too difficult and it felt so good. I turned around at Grizzly and just that slight incline started making a difference and it got harder. I ran up to the pasture and ran/walked alternating from lightpost to lightpost. Then at the first lightpost after 5600 W., I sprinted to the next lightpost! Wow! That was tough! But I did it! I was trying for the fire hydrant, but couldn't quite get there. I was pleased with myself that I did that much! Then the rest of the way up 7000, I walked. It was a BEAST! UGH! I am going to work on trying to run it, but I think I need to work on distance more. So, we'll have to see. I'm thinking I did pretty good today.

W1D3

2010-07-23T10:00:00.003-06:00

This is Week 1 Day 3 of our 16 week training. Our race (St. George Snow Canyon on Nov 7) will be right on W16D3, so we may not make it all the way through the training but hopefully it will be ok.

Monday I ran and it was OK. I did better than I thought I would, but I struggled and did a bit more running than walking. Wednesday, I was about to give it up. It was a HARD day and the mental pressure it was giving me was too much. Then I thought about my friend who said "I have no doubt you can do this!" and all of you that are supporting me and encouraging me, and I realized that I can't let anyone down. So at that moment I was doing it to not dissappoint (one of my personality traits...) and do it. But as the day went on, I started looking forward to it and it turned out to be a great run. Very little walking and running the whole way. I was so proud of myself! I'm looking forward to today's run. I think it's going to be really great, hopefully no walking.

I've realized that these blogs and letting other in on our goals is what is going to keep us going sometimes. I had to reach deep down inside me to find something to motivate me to keep going and had it not been for you, my friends, I'd have quit. So, thank you. I'm hoping I'll thank you much more along the way, and of course on the afternoon of Nov. 7th!

"Oh no you DIH-ENT!" (finger waving in an "S" shape with hand on hip)

2010-07-14T18:34:00.005-06:00

Scott came home a few weeks ago and I'm on the couch with my foot propped up on pillows, wrapped in ice and said that he promised some friends that we would run the HALF MARATHON in St. George in November! OH NO YOU DIH-ENT! (didn't) I can't believe it. At the moment, I had many emotions; FEAR ("oh my goodness, I barely made it through the 5K in May, how could I run 13 miles?!), ANGUISH ("I'm nursing a sprained foot right now and am I ever going to be able to run?"), ANXIETY ("a HALF MARATHON!?!? Are you KIDDING ME???")...among others. (A friend told us that from our house to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple and back is about 13 miles.) oh. my. GOODNESS!

I haven't ran since my mom was in the hospital, so as of today, it's been about a month. I feel like it won't be too bad to get back out there and run, but I know I am going to have to start slowly to get back to where I was when I stopped. After the shock wore off, I've started to entertain the idea a bit. I have resolved that I am going to do it, even if I have to run/walk! It is a HUGE undertaking for me, I'm really scared when I think of the actual race, but maybe that won't be so bad once I start training. Although, I have been really comfortable running in my neighborhood and to think of going outside that comfort zone is making me a bit nervous. I know that sounds weird, but I can't imagine running down 70th, down Grizzly way, down 90th south or Skye Drive, and toward the OM Temple...it just makes me nervous. (I think because it is such a long way from home!) I wonder if any of you have had these same emotions. If so, please let me know and what you've done to decrease/resolve the concern. And any other helpful tidbits you can give to this novice runner would be MUCH appreciated.

As I always say "You eat the elephant one bite at a time", so I'll be taking baby steps to get to the 13 miles. I love having to log my running details on this blog and your encouragement is priceless. Thanks all...and I'll keep you posted!

Catch up

2010-06-18T08:04:00.002-06:00

Ok, I haven't blogged lately about my running because it's been really inconsistent and I hate it. Things got so busy I had no time to run. Then last week, my Mom went into the hospital and of course had even less time than the week before. She came home and we've had to get her set up with Physical Therapy and get her back into being at home and that has taken time, along with catching up with work from the previous week, so I had even LESS time than the two weeks before. BUT, I did get a run in on Monday, and was excited and looking forward to getting back in the groove, then Tuesday, something happened to my foot (dang flat feet!) and I can hardly walk. It's getting a little better today, I'm hoping to not have to limp much and maybe I can run tomorrow afternoon after the BYU 7-on-7 football passing tournament. (YEAH! Can I tell you how much I LOVE football! And I love the heat and sunshine, tomorrow will be 82 degrees, and I'll be in heaven!) So, hopefully tomorrow, I *WILL* get back in the routine again!

2 steps forward, 1 step back...

2010-05-26T07:33:00.002-06:00

It feels like it anyway. It's been a hard few days. The weather has been horrible and I think it really effects (affects?) me. It's been five days since my last run and I was still mentally hung up on the fact that I mostly walked last week and couldn't go as far as I had. (I wasn't able to make the 5K on Saturday due to work.) I had been talking with a friend and I realized that I was having a block, that I couldn't get past the fact that I felt more successful on my runs when I would take my usual route (which included quite a few big hills - yeah me!) but when I tried a new route (0ne that would have been the route for Saturday's 5K and has not much incline) I just didn't do as well and really struggled. So, the five days in between were not only because of the weather but it was getting over the mental hump of feeling disappointed and unsure. Until last week, I felt good and thought I was doing well, having completed the 5K and always looking forward to running, to not wanting to run and being unsure of the outcome and my ability. I really felt that I had taken 2 steps forward and even 2 steps back somedays!

But the sun is shining, figuratively and literally. After talking with a great friend at work, she encouraged me (well, committed me) to just run the new route and be determined to do my best. I also spoke with my brother Ralph, (who always has good advice :-) ), who said to just run for time, don't think distance so much right now and do what you can. So, with that attitude I ran the new route yesterday, and I ran the whole 30 minutes (still doing the program, yesterday was W9D1, so only 2 more on the program, then it's up to me) and felt SOOO good! I didn't complete the 3 miles, - actually did 2.17 miles! (I know, I'm slow) - and walked the rest of the way to complete a 5K. I am so pleased that I was able to complete the run and to run the route without doubts and negative bogging me down. I really concentrated on my breathing (thanks Heather!), and it will take a while, but it gives me something to focus on and I think it made me a stronger. I'm excited and looking forward to running again on Thursday!

Still going...

2010-05-17T18:37:00.002-06:00

After the Race for the Cure, I decided I'm going to pick up where I left off on the training, so I'm currently on W8D1. The last few runs since the 5K were really good, but today for some reason it was really awful. I don't know what it is, (stress maybe?) but I just didn't have much motivation or strength. I'm running a 5K on Saturday and at this rate, I hope I can run the whole thing. But if not, then ok. I'm bummed I had a day like today, I've been doing really good and feel like I made a few steps backwards. I'll run again on Wednesday and hope it's better.

I did it, I did it, I DID IT! :-)

2010-05-08T17:33:00.002-06:00

What, you may ask? THE 5K race, of course! It was amazing! I was sooo nervous last night and today, getting ready, driving there, I was totally calm. It was nice that this wasn't a real serious race, and made for a fun atmosphere. I was told there were 18,000 people there, which is the most they've had (I'm guessing here in SLC). I had anticipated "seeing" a starting line, at least in my head I did, but because I was so far back in the crowd that I started running way before what I think was the starting line. None the less, I was amazed at how many people were there! I was about 10 minutes in to the run and I looked up the road, waaaaaay up the road and saw just a sea of people, white, pink and black everywhere. Then I looked behind me and saw the same, it was something indescribable. I made up a new playlist on my phone last night so I was excited that I'd have some really great music to keep me going. At first, the crowd was so thick and there were so many people, that those of us who were running, had to run on the sidewalk for about the first mile. Then, throughout the race, I would have to dodge and weave in and out of groups of people, sometimes speeding up or slowing down, it was interesting and I definitely had to pay attention and not "zone". At the 1 mile mark, I was surprised at how far 1 mile really was. I was still going strong and feeling good. Almost at the two mile mark, where we start around the top of the loop, it is a bit of a hill, I was able to see the 2nd mile mark and thought "wow, this is really farther than I thought", but NOT ONCE did I think, "I need to stop and walk"! (I didn't realize it until the end when I replayed my run to my family.) It was so awesome to cross that finish line (it was a little chaotic, too) but felt so great. Scott was standing on the side just after the finish line and I immediately found him and hugged him and cried a bit, I was so thrilled that I accomplished such a huge thing for me. And then I remembered these wonderful women survivors that I watched today, that have accomplished something even bigger and more meaningful. They were truely an inspriation and I was proud to be running for such an important cause. I'm excited and thrilled and can't wait to do another one! (May 22nd BABY!)

Last run before the big race...

2010-05-05T20:59:00.003-06:00

W6D3 was a good run, but really windy. It was 2 10 minute runs with a walk in between. I'm feeling really good today and am excited (and a bit nervous about the unknown) for Saturday. No training until race day, let's pray for nice weather!

W5D3 Woot Woot!

2010-05-01T18:27:00.003-06:00

I did it! I can't belive I DID IT! It was a straight 20 minute run with a 5 minute warm up and cool down. It was another one of those days where I was putting it off until the last minute and really, really was anxious about it. I chose a more flat route, though this time, anticipating it being a little more difficult. And it was, but I DID IT! I can't believe I went from sedentary (and I thought I was a "little" active, ha!) to running 20 minutes straight! Woot Woot!

Oh, and on another note, it's really, REALLY official! I received my T-Shirt and number for the race on Saturday! I'm number 2010 (being new at this, I'm not sure if that is everyone's number or if I just got a number that goes along with the year of my first race?!), and it's pretty neat. Ok, so now I'm a little unsettled about all the unknown (Should I drive and park or take Trax? Should I drive by myself or have someone go with me? What do I do when I get there? Do I wear my number on the front or back? Will I have time for a 5 minute warm up? How early should I plan to be there? What happens after I cross the finish line? Should I plan to stick around or leave afterward? So many unknowns.

Next week is Week 6! Let's hope we have really nice weather on Saturday. So far, it looks pretty good.

W5D2 update

2010-04-28T21:42:00.002-06:00

Ok, today was a seriously UGLY day. The weather has been horrible! Windy, cold, rain/snow, who wants to go out in that, let alone RUN?! It was about 6:30 (and still a full night of "stuff" left to do) I didn't think I was going to run, and had really already resigned myself to not going. Scott got home and said plainly, "just go". So I did. And it was great. Today's interval training was different than Monday, so today I ran 2 8 minute intervals with a 5 minute walk in between. Friday (or Saturday, depending on the weather), will be a straight 20 minute run. I'm a little anxious about it and yet confident too. So, we shall see. Off to Women's Conference at BYU tomorrow and Friday, so LOTS of walking. I can't wait! (Hope it doesn't rain or snow, but of course, it's supposed to!)

I think I can, I think I can...

2010-04-25T08:28:00.003-06:00

I was a little apprehensive about yesterday's run. It had been since Wednesday morning and I wasn't eating so well; Diet Coke, pizza, carne asada tacos, etc, and yesterday had been a super busy work day, so I didn't get a chance to go out to run until 8 pm. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a really good run and I'm beginning to see that I think I can run the whole race! I've realized too, that as much as I would love to run with my hubby, that even at his slowest pace, he still is too fast for me. Sorry honey! So, tomorrow is W5D1! It's getting closer! 2 weeks from yesterday is the race. I think I'm almost more concerned about getting downtown to the race (whether to take Trax or drive, and where to park?) than I am the race itself. Oh, and I'm excited to get my T-shirt, I think it will feel more "real" then. We are supposed to have storms Wed-maybe Saturday next week, and Thursday and Friday is Women's Conference at BYU, so I'm not sure when I will run and in what conditions, but I WILL RUN! Until next time!....

Day 2

2010-04-21T17:35:00.002-06:00

Early morning run. It's interesting how you can change your routine and it changes your workout. I couldn't sleep this morning after everyone left and for some reason, all I could think about was that it is supposed to rain/storm today and I DON'T want to have to run in the storm, so I got up and went early. It was a beautiful morning, moderate temperature. We had a REALLY bad rain storm this afternoon, it's still raining and it got really cold, so I am glad I didn't have to run in it, or have an excuse not to run. I felt really good this morning, not like an afternoon/early evening run when I'm already tired. I think I might try to do that more often, now that the weather is getting warmer and the sun is coming up earlier. It wasn't as hard as Monday either. And mentally, to get ready for the day knowing I've already ran is so satisfying. I can't decide whether it is getting easier (relatively) for me or if it was just hard on Monday (I'm sure Scott's pace made it harder for me on Monday!), so I'm anxious to see what day 3 (Friday hopefully) will feel like. Anyway, it is getting easier. There were several times today that I again, thought about that 5K and am thinking I can run it. (There were other times today that I thought I need more training!...) Until next time....

W4D1...woohoo!

2010-04-19T17:46:00.003-06:00

I can't believe that I'm already into 4 weeks of training, and the race is 2 weeks from Saturday! AHHH! Friday's run was good, uneventful. I was busy Friday night so didn't have time to post. Today was a new interval training, my longest run so far. The first was a 3 minute run. I felt good and was doing pretty well. Oh, and the hubby ran with me today, I was really worried that it was going to be like W1D1, but it was all good. The first interval set was a 3 minute run, then a short recovery walk, then a 5 minute run with a short recovery walk, then repeat. I did really well, although the last 5 minute run was really, really hard (uphill, too! UGH!). Music really DOES make for a good run! On the podcast, during the last 5 minute run, it's a really lame song, so I'd like to blame the song for it being hard! LOL! Last Friday was the first time I could really "see" myself running the whole race! Today put that into better perspective, but I really am thinking I can do this! I'm so excited! Wednesday is going to be a crazy day, so I may have to run on Thursday for day 2, and it's supposed to be really crummy weather. Oh well! Wouldn't be the first time!

W3D2

2010-04-14T20:17:00.002-06:00

Today was a good run; light breeze and beautiful sunshine made it even better. I am a little sore, not like pulled muscles sore, like achy muscles sore, and only my quads. I have been stretching but for some reason the achiness is still there. I'm hoping it will pass. I was thinking today about how it is going to be for a 3.1 mile run. UGH...I'm still a little nervous that I won't be able to run it all. I came home and checked out the workouts for weeks 4-6 and they are pretty gnarly, especially day 3, so maybe that's what it will take. One day of rest and then back at it. I LOVE this program!

Rain, wind and hills...oh my!

2010-04-12T17:43:00.003-06:00

I survived day 1 of week 3! After I read what was the training this week, I REALLY started to dread it and to doubt myself. There are 2 3-minute runs in this interval today and I was really worried. I planned as best I could to make it so that the runs would be mostly downhill, which they were. It started raining just as started stretching. Again, I could have made an excuse and given up, but I didn't. The wind was blowing really hard today, it will be nice when it is mild. I thought the 3 minute runs would be harder than they were, but it wasn't too bad. Music sure makes a difference, too, doesn't it? Well, gotta go. Hubby made dinner and is waiting...(he also started laundry...! Yeah!)

Week 2 - CHECK!

2010-04-10T17:39:00.003-06:00

Today was W2D3. It was a bit rough starting out. I was going to go this morning, but we went to dinner at Pat's BBQ and after a meal like that, I thought I should stretch it out as far into the day as possible. LOL! I went out about 5:00, already tired for the day and a bit sluggish. My left quad was aching and I just wasn't real enthusiastic about it yet. It would have been really easy to make an excuse and skip it, and I did think about it, but only for a split second. It was windy, so of course, going up the hills today was hard. I ran the same route as Wednesday - I like it - I like where it put me on the intervals coinciding with where I was on hills/flat area. The best part was the last 90 second run, knowing that I only had a 5 minute walk/cool down left, and hearing Mary J. Blige singing "Just Fine", ..."I won't change my life, my life's just fine." AWESOME! Oh, and it's officially official - I registered for the 5K on May 8th. Bring on Week 3 on Monday! :-)

OK, here goes...

2010-04-08T21:01:00.004-06:00

Not very long ago I was going to delete this blog and just stick with keeping up on my Facebook page. I don't think I'm a very good "writer" so FB is definitely more my style; quick and easy. Obviously, I didn't, and here I am and well, I'm feeling REALLY vulnerable and a little scared at putting this "out there" but...I have recently decided to start running. And I guess I could say -again - since several years ago, I was actually running up to 2-3 miles. But now, a few years later, older and definitely more out of shape, I've decided to try again. People say muscle has memory, so if that is true, I'm hoping my body remembers that I used to be able to do this and it will be easier to do it again. When I stopped last time, I was almost to 3 miles, but that last mile was tough. I found that I really enjoyed it and would actually look forward to going out and listening to music and feeling my heart and blood pumping (and even sweating). There's something about that feeling. I've been inspired by some women recently who are running; Tammy, Lia, Deea, (you guys are awesome!) among others and one day I thought "I should do this". And not only, DO this, but I've decided to run a 5K, my very first one. (A very close family member has just beat breast cancer and is participating in the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure here in Salt Lake, so how could I not go and show my support for her?) Like I said, I'm a little scared putting this out there, I've been told that once I do, then it's harder to fall short, because other people are following me, so I have some accountability. Not that I intend to fall short, but I'm hard enough on myself when I don't complete something I've set out to do, or even when I don't follow through with something. (Wow, life is so overwhelming now as it is, am I sure I want *one more thing* to add to my never ending stresses?) My biggest concern is will I be ready to run the 5K. The race falls on Week 7 Day 1 of my training, so I won't have completed the program and will have to run it at whatever stage I am in. My biggest worry is that I won't be able to run it. I know I can walk it, and that's a good option, but I really, really want to run it. That is my goal and I hope I'm ready. So, a friend suggested that keeping this blog will be a good thing to keep me motivated on the hard days and may inspire others, kind of like in "Julie & Julia", how she kept a daily blog of her progress (journaling?). At first, I thought that it would be crazy to blog about my running, who REALLY wants to know? But another friend today said the same thing, so somewhat reluctantly, here I am. It will definitely be honest and simple. For those of you who are interested, here goes...

My good friend Melinda was just certified in San Diego as a Zumba Instructor and got me totally excited about Zumba, (since I LOVE to dance, this was a perfect exercize plan for me) and I couldn't wait to go. Problem was, time. The scheduled classes at the fitness center were at the worst possible times for me. Bummer. But..it lit the flame that started the fire. I decided I needed to do something, so, when I stumbled upon this running plan, I thought "I can do 30 minutes, and when it's convenient for me, that's perfect!" And so it began. My plan is a 9 week plan; 3 work outs per week for approx. 30 minutes. Each week the workout has differing intervals of running and recovery walks with a warm up and cool down. Week 1 day 1 (W1D1) was very inspiring but SOOOO hard! It was a Saturday and I asked Scott to go with me. I loved having the company but having Mr. competitive- former personal trainer back in the day-push me 'til it hurts guy - with me, in hind sight wasn't the best decision for day one, but I survived it. We live in a neighborhood that is on a hill and surrounded by hills. In fact, I think the only real flat area is the elementary school up the street, so not only am I trying to run this program, but doing it on hills is even tougher. On the good days, I take that as a challenge. On the hard days, I dread them. I thought I left my lungs and legs somewhere along the route, BUT when it was the 5 minute cool down walk, it was such a high! I did it! I hurt, but day 1 was down! W1D2 was a bit easier, I was alone and could run at my own pace. It was still tough, but easier than day 1. Again, I felt great and was so excited that I was already 2 days into it. I don't remember much about day 3, it must have been ok. Week 2 Day 1 was the day after Easter. UGH! We were anticipating a huge storm, so I needed to get my run in before it rained/snowed and got too cold. I enjoyed some yummy foods on Easter (chocolate and Diet Coke, yum!) but it definitely caught up with me. Adding to that, the storm was coming and it was unbelieveably windy. I decided that in order to get through this one, there was no way I could run the hills AND against the wind, so I opted to run around the school. By the time I got to the school, my shins and my ankles were hurting, so the run was rough and painful and at times, I didn't think I would complete it. I made it through and hobbled home afterward and nursed my legs and ankles the rest of the day. Scott said I was walking like an old lady and I sure felt like one! I learned a lesson through that, I need to be aware of what I take into my body, especially before a run. I've never experienced that before, so it was a good wake up call. Our storm passed and I should have ran yesterday. Most people would say that they run to relieve stress and maybe I'll get to that point, but yesterday was a super stressful day, and the last thing I wanted to do was run AND with only a small window of time in which to do it. That alone was causing me MORE stress! So, I blew off the run and committed to doing it today. The ugly storm passed and today was beautiful! All day I was actually looking forward to running! (I KNOW! I can't believe I really felt that way!) I finally got out about 6 pm and it was GREAT! It was a beautiful night and the run was great. As I ran, I wasn't thinking as much about which interval it was and how many more I had left, I was just enjoying the music and the surroundings. That is a huge improvement for me and I was thrilled that I have reached that point so soon. It was fun to be out around my neighborhood again and several times I really thought "I can do this and I WILL be ready!" One part of the run made me especially grateful that I went. Toward the end, I passed a cute little blonde boy, about 4 or 5 years old, riding his bike on the sidewalk. As I looked at the end of the street, I saw the Ice Cream Man turn the corner, without music, realizing that this little guy hadn't seen him yet. Within seconds the music started and I saw the boy, simultaneously, throw his bike down, leap about 2 feet from where his bike landed, in a dead run toward the ice cream truck. I laughed so hard I could hardly keep running! It was so adorable, and as I watched this cute little guy, it touched my heart. It reminded me of years ago, another cute little blonde boy named Kai, that I'm sure played out that exact same scenario, the bike dropping and the dead run toward the Ice Cream Man, because the boy NEVER missed the Ice Cream Man. As I ran by, it brought to mind the years that have gone by and how my little guy has grown into a young man, and made me grateful for that memory and that I was out to see it. Oh, and I am hardly sore at all! I loved my run today. I realized that when the weather is nice, I enjoy the runs so much more. So, bring it on!

Whew...so, now that that is all said, and it's "out there", I'm committed, I'm in, I'm ready and I'm going to keep posting my progress. So there... it's still kind of scary (AAACK...I feel so vulnerable...why??), but it feels kind of good to share it. Thanks Heather for the idea and your inspiration and Jerri for your support and encouragement...this will be an interesting adventure!

Time flies...

2010-01-14T18:54:00.003-07:00

Cole's Eagle Scout Court of Honor was in October and a friend of ours made this video presentation of him for his CoH. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it and watched it again today and I can't believe how quickly he's grown up! Thought I'd share...

2009-12-18T17:46:00.009-07:00

Wow, I can't believe that it will be Christmas in one week from today! Holy Cow! Where has the time gone. Recently, I sat thinking over the past Christmases and thinking about how the boys have grown. I wish there was a stop button, so that we could stop them from growing, just for a few minutes, days, weeks. Anyway, here are some highlights of the last little while. (By the way, I think my cell phone's camera is really awful, I'm wondering if it shouldn't be taking better pics than this. My digital camera won't hold a charge, so this is all I have, guess it's time to work on that one.)

Kai is taking Guitar 1 this year in school and is doing pretty good. The class as well as the choir classes had a performance the other night and Kai and 3 of his friends performed. They were the HIT of the show! It was so much fun. The evening was D-R-A-G-G-I-N-G and we could hardly stand it and about the middle of the program was their performance. The boys chose to sing Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song" (and changed the words in a questionable part) and it was GREAT! (I've put the words below.) Everyone cheered and whistled and it was hoot! Leave it to Kai to provide the comic relief of the night. My boy, the ham! (He's on the far left end, the one helping Miss Backenstoss with the mic.) Here is the best we could get with my phone - thanks Abby for filming for me! ...

"Put on your yamulke, here comes Hanukkah. It's so much fun-akkah to celebrate Hanukkah,

Hanukkah is the festival of lights, instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights.

When you feel like the only kid in town without a christmas tree, here's a list of people who are Jewish, just like you and me:

David Lee Roth lights the menorah, so do James Cann, Kirk Douglas and the late Dinah Shore-ah

Guess who eats together at the Carnegie Deli, Bowzer from Sha-na-na and Arthur Fonzarelli.

Paul Newman's half Jewish; Goldie Hawn's half, too, put them together -- what a fine lookin' Jew!

You don't need "Deck The Halls" or "Jingle Bell Rock",
'cause you can spin the dreidel with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock--both Jewish!

Put on your yamulke, it's time for Hanukkah.
The owner of the Seattle Supersonic-ahs celebrates Hanukkah.

O.J. Simpson -- not a Jew! But guess who is...Hall of Famer Rod Carew -- (he converted!)

We got Ann Landers and her sister, Dear Abby,
Harrison Ford's a quarter Jewish -- not too shabby!

Some people think that Ebenezer Scrooge is, well, he's not, but guess who is -- all Three Stooges

So many Jews are in show biz, Tom Cruise isn't, but I heard his Agent is.

Tell your friend Veronica, it's time you celebrate Hanukkah
I hope I get a harmonica, on this lovely, lovely Hanukkah

*Don't tick of Miss Backenstoss --ickah, or she'll make you play on stage --ickah (*changed)
If you really, really wanna --kah, have a happy, happy, happy, happy Hanukkah! Happy Hanukkah!"

The boys were excited, they got everyone enthused and awake and some singing along. (It's a little hard to hear at first, but gets louder.)

Last night, Kai had to make dinner for an assignment in Spanish class. It was yummy, (especially with Tapatio on it!) and he was glad it was over. I think he has the makings to be a pretty good cook! Ü

We are still waiting for the video we had at Cole's Eagle Scout Court of Honor that was made for him, as soon as we get that, I will post it.

I LOVE being a Mom...who would have thought it would have been THIS great?!

What a week!...

2009-10-18T14:36:00.012-06:00

It's been a crazy, yet memorable week! Some milestones, bittersweet. Here are some highlights:

Cole's Eagle project was to collect up items for the children in the cancer ward for Primary Children's Medical Center. This photos was taken when he was presenting the collected items to the lady in charge of the donations at the hospital. It was such a neat experience and he was so excited to do it. Check out his smile! Ü

One of the Moms brought these cute, Eagle Scout cookies to the Court of Honor. They were yummy!

My nephew and his cute family, The Oliversons. I remember when we went to Jody's Court of Honor.

Our family and Thomas Melanson. Cole chose Bro. Melanson as his Mentor. He was encouraging and supportive and most importantly, enthusiastic about Boy Scouts and really helped Cole. Cole has had MANY Scout leaders who have helped him along the way, thanks to you all!

Our family with our Eagle Scout! (Even Mom came!)

The gang!

Cole with his Uncle Ralph and Aunt Tammy.

Hahaha! Brian, you are CRAZY! LOL!

Cole with the Carliles, our good friends.

Former mission companions and great friends.

Pre-op, just as he's getting his IV.

After the IV. (Glad that's over with! Not so bad, huh?)

Post-op, day 2. Feeling pain but doing ok (well enough to be TEXTING! LOL!)

Post-op Day 5. Right before removing the bandages. What will we find underneath, the suspense is killing us all!...

First look at the incisions, stitches and Surgeon's marks. (Feels worse than it looks, huh Cole?!)

Side view.

Scott and I at Lagoon.

When Cole and I got home from the hospital, the cats were on the window sill, it was so cute!

Louie and Chappy, aren't they cute?!

My cute Kai guy, at his Sophomore game against Kearns. He's so grown up!

Our Regional Conference at the Conference Center. It was so great to hear a living Prophet speak to us, we were only about rows back! It was so edifying and the Spirit was so strong! ( I didn't think to take a picture until he was walking out and unfortunately, what I did get, wasn't a very good one. )

Kai. Sophomore football program photo. (He's one of 4 Freshmen on the Soph. team!)

Cole. JV/Varsity football program photo.

The two of us.

Our dear friends, Brian & Shelly Carlile. Great photo guys!

Our family at the Conference Center with the Salt Lake Temple in the background.

"WHATEVER"!

2009-07-14T11:03:00.003-06:00

Our first family vacation in 2 years and guess what?...I didn't take ANY pictures! UGH! I thought about it a few times and was going to go to the car to get my camera and never did. Before I knew it, it was time to go home. Well, so you'll have to envision the trip as I share it.

We've been talking about taking a vacation somewhere near by, where we could spend some time away and not spend alot of money. My idea of a vacation is relaxing where there is water and sun. The beach would be perfect, but it was too far and more than we could spend, so a pool would be perfect. We've been debating where to go since April, some of the suggestions (obvious ones) were camping in the mountains (UGH!) and such. Scott and I talked about Lava Hot Springs in Idaho many times, but honestly, my vision of that was a hole in the ground with bubbling water and trees and wildlife, no civilization for miles...you get the picture. The many times he would mention Lava, I would shutter... LOL! We decided we were going to go over the 4th of July, kind of a post-birthday for Scott/vacation. So, with the suggestion of friend, she told me to check the internet and see what it was all about. The INTERNET??! Who'd a thunk?! It looked GREAT! The hot springs were very nice, clean, not only holes in the ground, but more like hot pools. And they had an outdoor pool with slides on the other side of town (about 8 blocks away) and a river that you can ride with tubes/rafts AND they were having fireworks for the 4th of July. I thought, what the heck, let's give it a try. I spent hours on the internet looking up reservations and called a few places (many being super expensive, but wishing for a vacancy) and finally found one little motel who had just had a cancellation 5 minutes before. (Which by the way, the lady at the motel said we were SO lucky...they are completely booked by January!) As we came closer to the day to leave, I found myself getting more and more excited. We were only going 2 1/2 hours north to Idaho, but it felt like we were going across the country! I couldn't wait. The boys were getting so excited and I could tell they were anxious to get away as much as Scott and I! We check into the motel about 10:30 pm and it was so quiet. We decided to put our bags in the room and walk the town (which consists of mostly main street and a few side streets and the main area is about 8 blocks long). We walked and commented on how "cute" the town was and how great it was that you could walk everywhere. We really were lucky to get the room we did, as we found out later, it was diagonally across the street from the hot springs, it was right in front of part of the river and the center of everything. Friday, we got up when we felt like it (which is always the best part about vacation, isn't it?) and had breakfast. This was one of the highlights for my guys and they are breakfast guys and LOVE to go out to breakfast. Me, not so much, but I humored them anyway. We spent time at the pool, and after dinner that evening we went into the Hot Springs pools. I didn't really know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. They are very HOT and relaxing - ranging from 102 - 112 degrees. We stayed for quite a while and enjoyed a nice lightening/thunder rain storm while in the pools. It was really neat. Saturday we saved to run the river, the Portneuf river to be exact. It was so COLD getting in. We all left about the same time from the start and before I knew it we were all getting bumped and spun...it was CRAZY and wet! When we all met up at the bottom, we all had stories of getting scratched, bumped, banged up, etc. (we got separated not long after the start) but it was so fun! When we met up with Scott (the last one out) he had lost his flip-flops, t-shirt, glasses and wedding ring. Oh no. Luckily someone found his flip-flops, but his Copper Hills Grizzlies t-shirt was gone, but we can get another one. The wedding ring, well he lost "our" wedding ring years ago, this was his dad's and that can't be replaced, but my thought was how is he going to see for the rest of the trip. It was not even noon on Saturday with so much left to do. I started praying...really hard. We searched the end point and along the banks for as long as possible and decided that they were gone. What do we do now? See, Scott has a REALLY bad astigmatism. His glasses have to be ordered and they take 6 weeks to make them, so it's not like anything will do. We discussed our options and thought with it being a holiday that we would stay there and make the best of it. We told the boys to ride the river and meet us back at the motel. Our motel had a cute sitting area out front, right on Main Street, so we got a deck of cards and played while we watched people walk through the town. It was really fun and relaxing. (I love playing rummy, thanks to Ralph and Orin, it always brings back a sense of my childhood. The boys are getting to be good rummy players, too.) Later we went to the Hot Springs again and this time waited for the fireworks. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE fireworks! I love the smell, sounds, lights, excitement, everything! The fireworks show was great! They lit them off of the top of a "lava mountain" across the street. At the end, they lit a line of fireworks that looks as if the mountain is on fire and the lava is running down. I think they call it the "wall of fire". It was really cool!

Before we left for our vacation, the boys and I decided to say "whatever" to anything that would "spoil" our fun. So that became our motto: "Whatever"...and it worked! There were a few times when things could have gotten a little heated or especially when Scott lost his glasses, we decided that what happened, happened and "whatever"...we will do what we need to to continue to have fun. And we did.

I learned alot about myself and my family over this vacation. One of the most important things I learned (and wished I would have learned this sooner) is that it doesn't matter WHAT you are doing or WHERE you are doing it, the most important thing is that you are doing it as a family. We had more fun on this vacation than we have ever had...just the 4 of us doing "whatever". I love my boys, they are such great boys and fun to be around. They are smart, funny, thoughtful, polite, generous, strong, spiritually mature and aware individuals and *I* am lucky to be their mom. I have grown to love my husband so much more each day and am so pleased at his attitude after losing his glasses (how frustrated and irritable would I be if I couldn't "see"?) and being a good sport. (The saga continues...our eye doctor was out of town the monday after our vacation, so he had to wait until that Friday to see him. His old sports goggles were cut down to lenses we could put in old frames and he won't have his correct contacts or glasses for about 6 weeks.) It was a super fun vacation and we would all do it again in a heartbeat. Maybe next 4th of July?

Blog-stalker?!

2009-05-07T16:10:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago I had a friend call me a "Blog-stalker"! At first I was surprised, telling her all of the reasons why I don't respond to blogs. (See, when we talk she'll tell me something and, of course, my response is "oh yeah, I saw that on your blog." Hence the name "Blog-stalker".) I thought it was normal to just just read the blogs and then go on to the next one. Apparently not. So, now I am going to try NOT be a "Blog-stalker"! I'm going to read the blogs and try to say something meaningful. Try... Ü

On another note, I'm not spending one more minute on this thing...Scott's getting off work early today! It will be so nice to see him for a few hours...before we both have to head off to meetings and not see each other until tomorrow! LOL!

Bye Bye Bugs...We'll miss you...

2009-04-05T13:46:00.005-06:00

On Friday, Bugsy bit Grandma Jo (Mom) again and this time we had to take her to the shelter and have her put to sleep. I should say, I did. The boys were gone (good thing) and Scott was at work, so I had to do it. It's the second time I've had to do something like this and it is heart-wrenching. (I had to take our Boxer, Auggie, when we lived in San Diego.) I sobbed like a baby when I brought her back to the holding area and into her cage. She wasn't herself. She hasn't been herself for a few days, so it was a little easier I guess. I tried to get her to give me kisses and say goodbye but she was figit-y and disinterested. I told Scott after leaving that I can't have another pet, I hurts too much. We still have Louie and Chappy, who think life is grand now that the have the house to themselves. I think they know that something is different. We will remember Bugsy for the fun, sweet and loveable dog that she was and all the good times we had. Bye, Bugs.

I'm back!...

2009-04-03T12:13:00.009-06:00

It has been a long time since I've blogged. I'm not sure exactly why, although I do know that I have been spending alot of time on Facebook, which I thoroughly enjoy and was considering no longer maintaining my blog. But until then (if at all),...

I am so excited for General Conference! I love to watch and listen and I always feel so sad when it is over! I love being able to "hunker down" as a friend mentioned and just hang with my family. I love seeing the guys all get dressed and go to Priesthood Session together and come home discussing the talks they've heard and "yeah, he's awesome" or "it was such a good talk"! (Although when they are gone, the house feels really empty!) I love listening to the hymns that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings, two of my favorites being "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing"and "Consider The Lillies" (which they usually sing in spring, so maybe they'll sing it?!) I have it blaring from every TV, Computer and radio (that I can sync) in all corners of the house. I love it! I am looking forward to being spiritually fed this weekend and am always sad, even tearful, when it is over. With that being said, sometimes there are things that come up on a Saturday that are out of our control and we have to rely on reading it in the paper or Ensign, which at least is an option, but not near the experience. So, tomorrow we will catch what we can, when we can, until the guys go to Priesthood and then full on Sunday. Oh, if only the big screen were working!...Yeah, bad timing to need a part that won't be in until Tuesday! UGH!

The boys have been participating in a great once-in-a-lifetime experience. A youth temple celebration called "Come Up To The Temple Of The Lord". Because we are living in a region where 2 new temples are being built (Draper and Oquirrh Mountain temples), a youth celebration has been planned for the end of May which includes all the youth in this region (approx. 20,000!). The youth are either singing or dancing and will perform in the Conference Center for the Prophet and church leaders in a Celebration of the opening of the these temples. (The first time it has occured since the opening of the Salt Lake Temple, amazing!) Since I'm in the Stake Young Women's Presidency, I have been able to be a part of the process of getting this HUGE undertaking in action. And it's amazing. We have groups of our Stake that are singing and dancing and meet at different building each week for practice. There will be a time closer to mid-May when we will then combine with a nearby Stake and get all the kids together for practice. Then, the dress rehearsals before the performance. I can't wait! It's going to be phenominal. And surprise, the boys (Cole and Kai) picked DANCING! Wow! (Those are my boys!) I really thought they'd go for singing (both were in school choir) but they wanted to be active, so they chose dancing. I have been able to attend each practice (as Stake YW Presidency member) and Scott (he's in the Bishopric) and it's fun to watch them. They are doing well, too. All of the kids are doing SUCH a great job, the dance is fantastic (ours is a pioneer one, although my boys wanted the HAKA!) and it's cute seeing them dancing with the girls. Ü I'll keep up on this one as it progresses.

Some things I'm looking forward to (some in the distant future and not necessarily in this order:

Seeing the Fuzzins!

Warm and dry weather

The boys outdoor sports activities (Track and Football)

A VACATION!

Being out of debt

Being shapely again...

The big screen TV working again

Trying sushi (can you believe it? I've decided to give it a shot! And am looking forward to it.)

Riding a rollercoaster (either Lagoon, Magic Mountain or Disneyland, preferably the latter two!)

Taking Scott and the boys to Philly

Attending an NFL game

Finishing the Book of Mormon by Easter

Getting our basement finished

.........

I was talking with a friend the other night and discussing our favorite movies. I LOVE movies, I just can't remember alot of details unless I've seen it a million times! We decided to break it up into decades. So, here are my faves:

1980's - "The Breakfast Club"

1990's - "Cool Runnings" (I know, I'm not really cerebral, I just enjoy good entertainment!)

2000's - I can't think of my favorite...so help me out!

What are your favorites?

"Young @ Heart" - a MUST see!

2009-01-02T11:23:00.005-07:00

Happy New Year everyone! Yes, the **CRAB FEST** was awesome as always although we missed having several family member "regulars" there this year, it was still so fun! We played a new game this year called "Things...in a box" and it was hilarious. I highly recommend it. I think the first round was the trial run, and you have to set some group "rules" as we did, but after the first round, we got going and laughed until we were red in the face! So, if you like games, give it a try!

Last night, I started watching a movie called "Young @ Heart" that was recommended to me by my brother, Ralph. I have had it (Netflix) for about 2 weeks and had wanted the rest of the family to watch it with me, but got tired of waiting for them (Scott and Kai playing NCAA '09 and Cole checking his Facebook page) so I went ahead. Within 30 minutes, all three were watching with me. Needless to say, it was captivating, touching, sweet, sad, hilarious and will have you cheering! I couldn't help but see my mom, dad and grandparents in many of these sweet seniors and I think you will too.

The premise of the movie is this (from the jacket): "Coldplay, the Clash and Jimi Hendrix will never sound the same once you've heard the Young @ Heart chorus, a group of Massachusetts senior citizens who thrill audiences worldwide with thier unusual - - and unusually poignant - - covers of rock songs. Steven Walker's humane and heartwarming documentary, which premiered at Sundance in 2008, follows the elderly ensemble as they prepare for their new show. "

Don't let Coldplay, the Clash and Jimi Hendrix throw you off, this is a wonderful, WONDERFUL family movie and a MUST see for everyone! I'd love to hear what you think after you have seen it, so let me know!

* S n O w *

2008-12-26T16:24:00.015-07:00

Holy cow! We haven't had much snow at all this winter, until Christmas Eve and then we got blasted! Christmas morning we had quite a bit (Scott and the boys spent a good part of the day snowblowing and shoveling neighbors driveways) and then we got MORE snow last night! (BTW, the news interviewed our neighbor, turns out that we have the most snow here than anywhere in the Valley! UGH!...it's after me! LOL!)

Here are some photos from about 10 am this morning and some random shots.

Wow! This is the step from my back french doors to the patio, you can barely see that there is a step there.
BBQ anyone?
Our front steps (taken from inside at my front window of course! BRRRRR!!!!)

Cole is snow-blowing the driveway. It took him an hour and a half JUST to do the driveway! (And he still wasn't able to get all the snow that the plows had left at the end of our driveway.)

Bugsy out in the snow.

Chappy is so mellow, he looks so cute here. I tried to get him with his eyes open but he seems to not have time for that!

Louie looks like a sleeping baby! He has one paw under his cheek...so cute!

"Did someone say the word *GO*?!" Bugsy is always ready to GO! ...potty, ...for a ride, ...play with the boys... Go is her favorite word! LOL!

I'm the Mom!...

2008-12-16T12:20:00.004-07:00

You may have seen this. This song is HILARIOUS and remembered I had it on my computer, so I'm sharing it with you. ENJOY!

2008-12-02T17:13:00.004-07:00

I received this survey from a friend and it made me think of my Grandpa Pieri. So, I've included a picture of him. He was the most well liked person I've ever known. He was so sweet and thoughtful, and kind and happy all the time. It's my Mom's dad, so those of you who know my Mom will know alot of her personality is from Grandpa. His name is Arturo Guiseppe Pieri, he went by Arthur, but many people called him Artie. I remember as a young girl, he would make Italian cookies called Pizzelles, they were little waffle type cookies and sell them to a local bakery. I made his pizzelles once and they were so good, I'll have to make them again. All my life I remember having pizzelles around, and wish I would have done the same for my family.

So, here is the survey. Let me know what YOU think when you read these questions, what is your Christmastime like?

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I like both..wrapping can be very theraputic...but gift bags are nice and easy when you're in a rush.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I love real trees...the smell, the look...but we have a fake tree....it's easy. My Dad ALWAYS had a real tree, it's as if it is against family tradition to have an artificial tree, I wish I were more patient with the mess!

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the day after Thanksgiving or sometime over that weekend.

4. Do you like eggnog? I used to LOVE it as a kid, but I can only handle a sip or two now.

5. Favorite gift received as a child? I remember one year getting this great doll, she was almost as big as me. I didn't see her leaning up against the wall on the side of the tree, so Orin had to point her out to me. I was SOOOO excited! I don't think I noticed any other gifts that year!

6. Hardest person to buy for? idk

7. Easiest person to buy for? idk

8. Do you have a nativity scene? I have several. I've thought about collecting them, and keep saying I'll start next year, so maybe next year! LOL!

9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Both

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? hmmmm....is there a bad gift? I mean, hello, someone is giving you something!!

11. Favorite Christmas Movie? The original kid's Christmas movies like "How The Grinch Stole Christmas", "Rudolph", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" (which one has the Heat Miser and Cold Miser? I love those guys! LOL!

12. When do you start shopping? Whenever

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No

14. Favorite thing to eat at lunch on Christmas? We usually have finger foods out to snack on through the day

15. Lights on the tree? Yes, but hopefully I'll get a new tree that is pre-lit!

16. Favorite Christmas song? My favorite Christmas album is Donny Osmond's Christmas CD (I think it's out of print now, but it is SOOO good!), I love Bing Crosby and David Bowie's "Little Drummer Boy", that is a classic! I love singing the Christmas hymns at church.

17.Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home. We've talked about going away for Christmas several times, but haven't seemed to do it. We did spend one Christmas in San Diego when we lived there, Christmas Eve we spent at the beach with our friends, it was awesome, but definitely NOT our typical Utah Christmas!.

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? "You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen..."Duh! I know the song by HEART!

19. Angel on the tree top or a star? This year it's a star.

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? On Christmas eve (pajamas only) and the rest in the morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The commercialization of Christmas, the fact that it starts in October and the greed. (I can't believe a man was killed at WalMart because of it!) I'm sure it won't be long before it all starts after Valentine's Day!

21. Favorite ornament theme or color? Hm, that's tough. I always like the sparkly things. (Surprised?!)

22. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Just about anything, but I have to admit that having authentic Italian dishes such as Gnocchis and Chicken Cacciatore hand made by my Grandpa Pieri can't be beat! (Oh and his homemade Pizzelles and Cannolis were to DIE for!)

23. What do you want for Christmas this year? I want everyone to be happy and healthy. (That sounds trite, but it's true!)

"Twilight" Premiere!...

2008-11-21T03:21:00.005-07:00

Ok, I HAD to take the photo off. The other girls look sooo cute, but me, that's another story. In fact, after seeing that picture, I changed my hair. Anyway, just a disclaimer.

Here we are at the Premiere, the first showing (midnight) at The District. Myself, Sandy Greenwood, Bonnie Wright and Rashelle Tolley. (I LOVE your sweatshirt Bonnie!) It was a fun evening! I was surprised at how calm it was, I thought there would be women and young girls everywhere and lots of screaming and crowds. I was pleasantly surprised that there was a nice, calm atmosphere, although you could feel the anticipation in the air! There were actually a few men there too, brave souls! I enjoyed the movie, it was very entertaining, however it wasn't as good as I had hoped. I REALLY wanted to LOOOOVE this movie. Here are my opinions, many based on my perseption from reading the book and images in my head:

*I think... well, just go see it. Decide for yourself. It was entertaining and it was great to see the book made into a movie.

Oh, and just a little statistic: for just the Midnight showing alone, the movie has grossed 7 MILLION in sales!...for JUST the MIDNIGHT showing alone! Wow!

# 29 In Action!...

2008-11-15T12:21:00.020-07:00

Some great photos of Cole in action this football season. (Thanks Mr. Asay!)

TOUCHDOWN!

Cole and Daniel Fernandez with Cole's former teammate, Sealver Siliga who now plays for the University of Utah! This was taken after the UofU vs. Oregon State game after everyone rushed the field. Cole said it was awesome!

What a GAME!

2008-11-10T10:18:00.003-07:00

Yes! They finally did it! Kai's team played in the Jag Bowl this season, and ended the season with a great game on Saturday. When we arrived, the coach told a few parents that there were some changes to the brackets and we were playing for either 1st or 2nd place! ("Wildcard"?) At first, it didn't really hit me, I thought "Wow, that's great. We're playing Cottonwood, so 2nd will be nice". We started off the game with a kick off return caught by our player and the Colts thought they had tackled him. He was still standing and had gotten out and ran for a touchdown! Great first play! The game continued to get better! Kai had a great game! He had an amazing 40+ yard run for a touchdown. He stripped the ball from an opponent and got 10+ yards and had an interception toward the end of the game that kept Cottonwood from scoring. By about the 3rd quarter, I realized, these boys are going to take 1st place! And they did! They won the game 21-19! It was amazing! We are so thrilled! And to add to that, the weather was perfect football weather. The air was crisp but not cold, the sun was shining and there were beautiful leaves on the ground. It was a perfect day! We are so happy and finally get to enjoy the feeling of taking 1st place in football!

Colors...

2008-11-06T15:19:00.006-07:00

Thinking pink when I'm feeling blue

It's not very often that me, a yellow person, will feel blue but right now, I think I really do. So much sickness, sadness and sorrow.

BLUE:
Recently, my brother-in-law Carl had surgery for a benign brain tumor and had recovered well and was back in St. George in a rehab facility. Saturday night, we received a phone call that he had bleeding on the brain and they were Life Flight-ing him in that evening. They arrived at midnight and we spent hours comforting Paula and waiting to hear what the next step is. They decided that the bleeding was causing the brain to swell and causing him to be tired all the time and not very responsive. They have had him in Neuro Critical Care and have been monitoring him.

Last week I excitedly answered and invitation to join a friend's Facebook page. Upon doing so, she directed me to her blog, which the first post was titled "The Beginning of My Breast Cancer Journey". My heart sunk. This beautiful, 34 year old, happy, athletic young mother of 4 was now battling the beast. Over the last two weeks, she has gone from feeling a tiny lump, to finding out she had several malignant tumors, resulting in bi-lateral modified radical mastectomy (total removal of both breasts) surgery coming up on the 12th.

Other sad notes are; a former mission companion's husband passed away leaving 3 young daughters, a misunderstanding with a friend that makes my heart hurt, the election, it SNOWED yesterday (UGH!) and on and on...

PINK:
My dear friend with cancer is fighting with all she has. Her husband, family, friends and neighbors have all had a fast for her and many thoughts and prayers are being said on her behalf. It was proposed that the day she has her surgery; Nov. 12th, that we wear pink for her. So, if you see me in pink, you'll know why!

YELLOW:
So, for the bright side of things;
Carl is getting better. They have given him meds to reduce the swelling and he actually had therapy yesterday and is responding well. He even wiggled his toes a bit on his left leg! They sent him by ambulance back to St. George today, to the rehab center and are optimistic about his recovery. Paula is in better spirits as well, optimistic about how things are going.

Scott and I have new callings that we are VERY excited about. Scott is the Assistant Varsity Coach, which means he'll work with the 14-16 year old boys. He'll have Cole for another 18 days (Wow! I can't believe he'll be *16* in 18 days!) and Kai will come in after his 14th birthday in June (another wow!). I was called as the 2nd Counselor in the Stake Young Women's Presidency. I'm so excited! We have a wonderful Presidency and I have already felt the Spirit so strong in my setting apart and in our Presidency meetings.

Although I am generally happy and always look at the bright side, these "blue" moments are good for me to reflect. I am so blessed to have a wonderful family; my brothers and sisters and their spouses are wonderful and I am so glad that we are all close. It's pretty amazing to see a family of 6 siblings living in Philadelphia, St. George and throughout the Salt Lake Valley and with an age difference of up to 19 years, that we can all be so close and love each other as we do. We don't live really close to each other, we don't all have the same religious beliefs or the same political views, but we all respect each other and love each other and are close dispite those things. And we love and respect our parents. I don't think there are many families with those dynamics that can say those things. We are very blessed. I still have my wonderful mother with us to enjoy and 83 years old, she is still quite the character and fun to be with! I have a great husband and wonderful sons. We all are healthy and happy. I have the gospel so I know that in these upcoming years as our government changes, I can know that I have a solid rock, a foundation for my security, things that will never change. I have so many things to be thankful for that these little things that might get me down are just that; little things and they will pass.

So, on I go. This has made me feel much better. There is still sickness and sorrow but there is also HOPE! As President Monson said in our last General Conference; "Enjoy the Journey". (So, I'd better go put that laundry away so my family can enjoy their journey too! LOL!)

Halloween 2008

2008-11-03T10:18:00.006-07:00

My handsome boy! He decided to get a mullet wig for Halloween to attend a "Fear Factor" Costume Party with his friends. As he put on the mullet, the costume started evolving..., so he went from this:

To THIS!...

(This could be a Jeff Foxworthy joke! LOL! "You might be a Redneck!"...)

It doesn't even look like KAI! We laughed so hard! Scott did a great job drawing on his tattoo, it says "MOM" with a heart and arrow. He has a Pedro mustache, eyebrows and sideburns and zits. Too funny. I should have gotten a closeup shot.

These are the party boys; A Military guy, Judge Judy, a Ninja and Redneck Joe. They had a blast!

Yeah Phillies!...

2008-10-30T09:43:00.005-06:00

I forgot how much I liked baseball since my life has been immersed in football. (Am I a mother of boys or what?!) I remember growing up, Ralph & Orin were Phillies fans and Saturday mornings the background noise was a baseball game either on TV or on the radio. I remember once going to a Phillies game too, althought I think I was too young to understand what was going on, I just remember it was a big stadium and it was fun. Having grown up in Philly (I was almost 8 when we moved to Utah) and with Sandy & Bob still there, I still feel a connection to it. It was really great to watch. Scott turned on the TV last night, it was the top of the 8th inning. By the time I cleaned up dinner and sat down, it was the top of the nineth. It didn't take long to get back into the emotion of baseball. When it was over I wished I had watched the whole series. Oh, and by the way, Mom was thrilled! You can take the girl out of Philly, but you can't take Philly out of the girl!

We LOVE Brian Regan!

2008-10-28T14:52:00.004-06:00

He is the funniest comedian we have heard and it's nothing to hear one of us break into a line or two, especially Kai who just happens to know his skits VERBATIM! Here are a few of our favorites!

2008-10-28T14:49:00.003-06:00

Cole in action!

2008-10-22T18:48:00.001-06:00

I love this photo. It looks so professional. (Of course, *I* didn't take it so I can't take the credit!)

Family

2008-10-22T14:23:00.012-06:00

Kai's 8th Grade picture, isn't he handsome?
Cole before a game.

June 2008 Kai and Louie - BFF!

July 4th, 2008 - The girls; Me, Sandra & Paula (me and my sisters). I am the youngest of 6 and I love my siblings (and their spouses, of course!). In order, it is Sandra; Paula, Norman, Ralph, Orin and me. I used to think it was awful being the youngest and how much my brothers (Ralph & Orin) teased on me, but now I love it. I always have great people to look up that I love and respect and all the teasing the boys did only made me more thick skinned and I'm sure prepared me to have boys! Many times the would have me flex my arm and then they would punch me and want me to do the same to them. Like I could even make them flinch! LOL! Good times!

July 4th, 2008. Sandra, Cole, Kai and Me. Sandra came from Philadelphia to visit Paula in St. George. The boys and I drove down for the weekend to hang out (and MELT! It was SOOOOO HOT!)

Sept. 27, 2008 - Orin & Janet's boy, (my nephew) Jarin, the Rockstar! He's so cute! He has a play butterfly catcher net on his head and was jumping around slamming on his keyboard! He's a riot!

Sept. 27, 2008 Orin & Janet's baby, (my brother and sister-in-law's youngest) Jaden. He's so cute and mellow! Isn't this an adorable pic?!

Sept 27, 2008 - Cole, Scott, Me, Kai and Mom. We had just taken Mom out to dinner for her 83rd birthday at Olive Garden, her favorite. "Mange!"

July 2008 - Paula and Carl (my sister and brother-in-law). Carl just had brain surgery to remove a benign tumor in his brain. (Oct. 08). He's back in St. George and in rehab and on the mend.

Here's Mom in July 08. Nice photo, but she's always smiling, so why she didn't smile in this picture I don't know!

I can't believe it! How could I forget?...!

2008-10-22T13:30:00.011-06:00

One of the best concerts I've ever been to was at the USANA Amphitheatre on July 17, 2008. The Police and Elvis Costello.

It was amazing! Scott and I went with my brother and sister-in-law, Ralph & Tammy (Ralph, by the way being the biggest Police and Elvis fan that I know!) and it was so fun! I have always liked both bands but after seeing them perform live (actually, this is the 2nd time for the Police, I saw them live at the Salt Palace in 1982 I think - again with Ralph), I am an even bigger fan! I'm a big Sting fan and he didn't disappoint. Elvis Costello is so amazingly talented and it was great to hear him sing live. It was unbelieveable how these true "rock stars" have continued to remain unmatched for so many years. Some of the highlights were that Elvis sang many of his great hits and one of my faves, "Alison", and during the chorus, Sting came out and joined him! It was awesome! Elvis is pretty funny, too and said some great things about Salt Lake, like in "Watching The Detectives" he said "while they're dragging the (Salt) lake" - everyone enjoyed his play on words. He did other songs like "Pump It Up", "Veronica", "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding", and some new songs with his band, The Imposters. (Although I really like the older stuff - around the time of Imperial Bedroom up to Punch The Clock. The Police where nothing short of amazing. They did so many of their great hits and they played like we were their first and last appearance. (I wish I were a better writer and could give the full perspective of this incredible evening.) 3 months later and I'm still feeling the excitement from it! So, with our little camera phone, we recorded some bits, not thinking that they would amount to much, but here they are anyway.

Elvis Costello "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding"

The Police - "Don't Stand So Close To Me"

The Police - "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"

The Police - "Da Do Do Do, Da Da Da Da"

The Police - "Roxanne"

Lying in wait...

2008-10-22T13:15:00.006-06:00

Bugsy is obsessed! She will hide behind the wall for one of the cats to come through the cat door and then she will attack. This is a daily ritual for her. There are even times when she falls ASLEEP (sitting up, no less) waiting for one of the cats to come upstairs. It's hilarious.

We tried to get a photo of her sitting up and asleep but as we got up to get the camera, it woke her. She's so funny and we love her, even when she can't leave the cats alone.
She probably would have gone after Louie at this moment but I think she was waiting for him to get completely clear - then it was POUNCE!

2008-09-13T18:47:00.001-06:00

Our world of FOOTBALL*!

2008-09-13T17:00:00.024-06:00

We are immersed in football and I LOVE IT! (The only grumbling you'll hear from me is when it starts getting cold/wet/snowy.) Cole is starting on the Sophomore team and dressing on the Varsity team, which means games on Thursday and Friday nights. He is #29 and plays Running Back. He has done really well in the 3 games so far, scoring 2 touchdowns. CHHS Sophomores have won 2 lost 1. He hasn't played Varsity yet but has dressed and Varsity is 3-1 now and looking good. Kai is #38 - playing Running Back (offense), Outside Linebacker (defense) and Special Teams for his Little League team - and they just won their first game today against Riverton! Kai has scored 2 touchdowns and 1 extra point with the extra point and 72 yard touchdown today! Woo hoo! It was a great game and our boys looked REALLY GREAT! And, of course, our favorite college team - BYU - is 3 - 0 and we are really excited for this football season. We can't wait until Kai is playing HS football so we can get season tickets to the BYU games! So, here are some photos of our football events over the last little while.

Cole's Sophomore photo:

This is Cole's photo in the '08 CHHS Football Program. I can't believe that's my boy...he's so grown up! This is also from this years football program, although this is Cole playing last year as a Freshman.

Kai ready to go! I asked him if he could have a song playing from the loud speakers during his game, which song would it be? He said it is a tie between "Everlong" or "Long Road To Ruin" both by the Foo Fighters. So, as your viewing these photos, you can click on the songs on the playlist and have the full experience! (Cole's, of course, would be AC/DC's "Thunderstruck")
Kai in action!

2008-06-19T20:45:00.001-06:00

This is my (Kai) first time doing this blog thing and I just wanted to try it out.

Cole's Long Jump

2008-06-19T20:41:00.003-06:00

Cole's long jump length was 19' 9". Pretty awesome.

2008-06-19T17:21:00.005-06:00

Kai's track meet yesterday at Riverton High School. His 4x100 relay team took 2nd only to a group of high schoolers, they did really well! Isn't he handsome?! I was SO HOT yesterday, we thought we would melt!

Mom hanging out in my office, giving me the updates from the Senior Center!

2008-06-17T19:18:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it's been almost 4 months since I last added a blog. (Sounds like a journal entry!) But it's ok, things have kept me busy, a good busy. Among many other things, Real Estate has picked up, the boys went from track (Cole) and basketball (Kai) to football (Cole) and track (Kai). Speaking of sports, Cole ran track for Copper Hills HS as a Freshman and he lettered! We are so thrilled! He had a great time and really did well. He took 5th place at one of the Regional meets for Long Jump, (I can't remember how far he jumped) and his fastest time in the 100m is 11.87. And he has now started summer football and is LOVING every minute of it, including 7:00 am practices every other day! Kai's basketball team didn't win many games, but the guys sure had a ball (hee hee, love the pun!). He was able to play again with his 3 really good friends; Daniel, Braden and Nate, so I think no matter what they do together, they have a good time. He is quite the basketball player too. He is so fast across the court and is an awesome rebounder. I have to confess that watching basketball in the past had been almost painful for me, but I began to enjoy it this winter with Kai's first group of games, and even caught a few quarters of some Jazz games and enjoyed them. I think the key is really understanding the game and what is going on, then it's easier to enjoy. Kai is doing really well in track too, and with his long legs and speed, I think he'll be a great sprinter. I've realized that my mellow, easy going boy can have an agressive and competitive side too and its fun to see the different sides of him.

I realized today after browsing through several friends' blogs that I'm not a blogger. I don't say anything really whitty or profound, I don't have a long list of favorite sites to share or anything catch-y or trendy, which are really fun to explore on other people's sites. It's all about simple - for me. My big revelation several years ago...simple. I was struggling through monthly scrapbooking workshops (by struggling I mean, emotionally I was losing interest, financially, my customers were barely making the minimums and the number of attendees were fewer every month, and I always felt that it took too much time to prepare and time away from my family). Shortly after this epiphany, I was called as RS President and realized that I couldn't keep it up and it was time to close the chapter. Around the time this happened I was working on a two-page layout for my scrapbooks and my family was waiting in the other room for me to go do something fun as a family. I kept them waiting forever and by the time I was finished, I realized that I just took away from an opportunity to create NEW memories, by scrapbooking old ones. It didn't make sense and that was when I decided that it was time to simplify. I quit scrapbooking all together! I sold ALL my rubberstamps and scrapbooking supplies (over 13 years worth!) and that was it. I haven't even looked back. In fact, I saved 2 colors of cardstock thinking that I might need to use them and it's been 3 years and I haven't even touched them. I've enjoyed simplifying my life. That doesn't mean that I'm not crazy busy sometimes or that I'm not stressed, but it's different now. Now that's about as wordy as you'll see me on this blog, I think. So if you are looking for whitty, trendy, poetic, life changing words to live by; this isn't the place. But if you are looking to catch up with us and what we are doing and what makes us happy, then enjoy. Especially our family. We love you and without you we wouldn't be as happy! Here are photos from recent "happiness-es" (hee hee, I just made that up!) that we can share...

My 3 favorite guys...at the Salt Lake Bees baseball game on Saturday night.

The San Diego Temple, isn't it beautiful? It's my favorite. I just bought a picture for our family room that is done in black and white and sepia with a beautiful black frame. It's gorgeous. I wish it had been built when Scott and I got married, we would have chosen it to be married in. The LA Temple is beautiful too and will always hold a special place for us.

This is our new beachfront home investment property......not really! Hee hee...I wish! These are some photos that I fell in love with...(things I dream of...)

Wouldn't this be an AMAZING vacation spot?! How romantic!

Random...

2008-06-17T18:57:00.004-06:00

Here's my nephew, Elder Allen and his first door (tracting) in the Ukraine, Kiev mission! He's such a great young man and we are so proud of him! This photo brings back many memories for me, too! That first door is so scary!

This is David Archuleta's house. I HAD to drive by! This was just after his visit to Utah and they had bows and ribbons like the ones in front of his house lining the neighborhood. The banner across the front porch reads "Congratulations David Archuleta"! We are "American Idol" fans and especially this year. He was one of our favorites from the auditions and knew he would do well.

We just finished a large group meeting with the special speaker, President Monson! He was so cute, when he was leaving he waved and looked up and it was as if he saw each one of us individually. Here I am with Tammy and her friend Sheila. Women's Conference is SO MUCH FUN! I don't think this angle was very good, we look like we're from Munchkin Land!

Shelly and I also at WC.

2008-06-17T18:25:00.003-06:00

Paula and Carl came up for Easter Weekend which happened to be their anniversary weekend, so we took them to Temple Square. They wanted a few photos in front of the SL Temple, where they were married.

2008-06-17T18:21:00.001-06:00

The "Fuzzins" aka The Turners came to stay with us this winter and took the boys skiing. They LOVED it! Isn't it funny, our friends from San Diego take the boys from the snow skiing for the first time! LOL! Here's me, Mellie and Chambler (Melinda, Chandler).

2008-02-28T16:10:00.005-07:00

On one of our many trips to San Diego

2008-02-28T16:06:00.002-07:00

With the Carliles at Temple Square Dec. 2006

2008-02-28T15:53:00.003-07:00

2008-02-28T15:36:00.002-07:00

2008-02-28T14:52:00.003-07:00

Scott took this one of me with my phone. I actually like it, I had just had my hair colored.

2008-02-28T14:41:00.001-07:00

Scott's self portrait!

San Diego - Lauren

2008-02-28T14:38:00.004-07:00

Here's a photo of me in Coronado, California for a Real Estate seminar. Scott and I took several pictures from our phones during the seminar, but for some reason, can't find them. So, this is it.

No news is good news!

2008-02-28T13:58:00.004-07:00

It's official, Bugsy is NOT having puppies. And I'm relieved. If everything went as scheduled, she would have had her puppies on oraround Feb. 14, Valentines Day or the 16th which was our anniversary, (or otherwise known this year as the time Scott was in the hospital). Had she have had her puppies during that time, I think I would have had a nervous breakdown. No, really. So, we have no news, no puppies...which is GOOD news. For now.

The snow is melting (YEAH!) and it has been warm and beautiful the last 2 days, at about 50° or so. I'm getting spring fever and feeling the itch to get to the BEACH! We are hoping to go in early summer, after school ends and before football camps start. The "fuzzins" (The Turners from Oceanside, CA) are coming to visit in a few weeks to ski and snowboard and we are thrilled that they are coming. We can hardly wait, we are all counting the days! The boys are so excited to go skiing (and by boys, I mean Scott, too LOL!). I wish I was, Melinda begged me to go with them so we'll have to see. I ALWAYS have fun when Melinda is around, so no doubt it would be FUN but I've not skiied since the ONE time just after graduation (about 26 years ago) so I'm not looking forward to being cold and wet. Although, the lodge sounds appealing...hum.

Kai is finished with his season of basketball. The team had a BLAST together and won 2 games, of which they are very proud. The boys played better as each week went on. After their last game, our Young Men had a Stake basketball tournament. Our boys played 3 games, won the first 2 and are qualified for the Region tourmament, which I think is next week. They were awesome! Cole really enjoyed it and would like to play more...he was with Monte though, so whatever he does with Monte, he enjoys. The same with Kai and his buddies, Braden, Nate, and Daniel. They are quite the foursome. Cole had his High School Orientation/Registration last week. I can't believe that we are there already. It just seems like yesterday when he was just starting school. Wow! It brought back alot of memories and feelings - the enthusiasm of friends at school and starting a new year - I think I'm as excited for him to start HS as he is! He started running track for CHHS this week. He says its tough but knows it's good practice for football. He has always enjoyed running track, but I think this season of high school track will be a different level for him and will make him stretch. He's competitive, works hard and can push himself and it will be interesting to see what happens. He and Kai had to quit taking piano lessons. There's just not enough time in a day. Cole is working on getting his last two (?) merit badges done so he can work on his Eagle project and get his Eagle. He won't get his license until he gets his Eagle, so he's really motivated!

Mom (Grandma Jo) has spent the last 3 days at the Senior Center. She is having a ball! She spent all day there yesterday - until about 8:30pm. They had a Mardi Gras and she came home with a "tiara" on her head saying how much fun she had. I wish I would have taken a picture, it was a hoot! It's good for her to be with her friends and have something to do.

Scott went back to work on Monday. He feels really good, he just has some discomfort at the incisions on the inside. He shot a few baskets with the boys the other day, I'm thinking he may have done something then, but overall, he's good.

I'm going to try to post some photos soon so keep watching...

One Romantic Valentines Day/Anniversary

2008-02-20T07:04:00.011-07:00

Well, I thought I'd let you in on a little secret. For you youngsters, this is NOT how to get the girls. For you old guys you can feel the pain. Lauren and I celebrated our 17th anniversary in the hospital. Wednesday night (the day before valentines day) I went into the hospital with stomache/chest pain and on thursday I had my Gallbladder removed (Laproscopic cholecystectomy), and on friday followed up with another procedure called ERCP to remove the remaining gall stones. I was finally released saturday at around 4pm. To top it off, I also had Pancreatitis (am I one romantic devil or what). I am so greatful for a wife that takes care of me and loves me and Boys that make me proud. They have been so patient with me, and of course as soon as I recover I will make it up to Lauren. She deserves something special for putting up with me for 17 years.

Charlie the Unicorn

2008-02-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

The best vid ever, check it out

coolio

2008-01-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

sweet-o i finally figured out how to post new blogs, so keep checking on the blog, when my mom is out, ill probably add things. fresh baby.

Our catdog Chappy - aka Chapstick, Chapper, Slappy, Slapstick

2008-01-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

He really fell asleep this way!

Chappy loves to just lay down and sprawl out!...if this only had audio you could hear him purrrring!

Louie - aka Lulu, Looney, Looner, Lunesta

2008-01-14T19:47:00.001-07:00

Awwwww!

He likes to sit on the stool at the counter and watch us in the kitchen.

2008-01-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

One of his favorite places to rest (to get away from Bugsy) is the piano.

More photos...

2008-01-14T17:49:00.001-07:00

Kai's '07 school photo - 7th grade.

2008-01-14T17:48:00.001-07:00

Cole's '07 school photo - 9th grade.

2008-01-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

Kai played Little League again this year and loved it! About 2 weeks into practice, he hurt is ankle pretty badly and was out one game and quite a few practices. It took him awhile to get his normal gait back, but eventually he did. He played really well, he even unexpectedly subbed for the quarterback and was so nervous (he had never even practiced the position) and did great! He mainly played Safety and loves to "hit". The second game the coach asked him to step in for a few plays for the QB and after a few, Kai asked to be put back in as Safety because he said the QB is too much pressure and he just wanted to "hit"! That's our boy!

2008-01-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Cole was one of 2 Freshmen that played for the Sophmore team at the High School. The Sophs did OK, Cole had a great time playing and working out. He played Running Back, just like his idol, LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers. It was tough but he hung in there! He can't wait until next year!

I'm learning how to post photos

2008-01-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

Kai is home sick today (he is NEVER sick and hardly ever stays home from school!) so I thought I'd take a few minutes and try posting some photos. This literally took me 10 minutes, I can't believe how simple this is! These are pics of Bugsy, our Puggle puppy. She was about 10 weeks here, this was May '07. Isn't she cute! Her puppies will be adorable! More photos to come!

Feelin' tech-y?...

2008-01-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe I did it! I saw a friends blog page this week and it inspired me to start a family blog and I'm thrilled it worked (and in such a short time)! Although I have to admit that choosing the blogger name was the most challenging. I wanted something creative and catch-y but the consensus was something basic, "How about just 'The Algers' " or "'Algerblog', Mom"...while all three of them were engrossed in the latest NFL game. So, after trying many (I even tried some I thought were creative but weren't available, the system suggested "Algerpages", so "Algerpages" it is.

Ok, so my thoughts are that I would keep everyone up to date on things; life, the boys, sports, church, work, Grandma Jo, etc. through the postings and photos. I think this will be really exciting and might inspire me to take photos again! Ever since I stopped scrapbooking, card making and demo'ing for Close To My Heart, I haven't hardly felt like taking photos, which I've come to regret a little - although only the picture taking part. So, this will serve many purposes and will be fun. I just hope I have the time to keep up. But if not, Scott can put things in and the boys too. So, I'll start now with an update for the New Year and we'll see how this all takes shape!

Mom is Mom and still the most active 82 year old I've ever seen. She is so funny and had such a great time with Sandy, Bob and everyone. She told me all the stories about the friends that she met at Sandy's shop and especially the lady who's son-in-law is an announcer for the Philadelphia Eagles. She was really excited about that. We get such a laugh from her, and this happens more often than not. Our dog, Bugsy, sits by her when we are eating. At just about every meal, several times during a meal, she will look at Bugsy and say "You're not getting anything." And then she turns to us and says "She's just waiting for me to drop something." We thought we'd here the same thing about Chester when she came back from Philly but she said Chester doesn't beg. I'm sure it's because he doesn't have a Grandma Jo around all the time! Any time we even hint that Mom may have given Bugsy food, she will always tell us "no". Friday night, Mom had Ramen for dinner and was eating it in her room. Scott called Bugsy downstairs, she jumped up on Scott's lap and had a Ramen noodle hanging from her lips! Mom said she must have gotten it out of the trash...? HOWever...

Scott enjoys his work and the people he works with, he just still is having a hard time with going "into" work each day. He really enjoyed working from home and having flexibility - he was so spoiled. At least he gets to drive a man-truck now and can enjoy driving again. No more trips to Vernal and back in one day. He and I have the same calling now, we are the Ward Activities Chair! It's taking him some time to get used to it, but for me, I'm all over it! I LOVE it! It's all about fun, so my yellow personality was made for a calling like this. We are asked to attend Ward Council and at first, Scott and I would alternate going on Fast Sundays, but I realized that I missed it so much and felt strongly that we both need to go. I love the spirit that is there with the great leaders of our ward. It always makes me want to be better and do even more when I attend. I enjoy being a part of helping those in our ward who are in need or may need friends or visits. I missed that so much after being released as Relief Society President. Then serving as a Primary teacher, and Gospel Doctrine Instructor, neither of those required me to be at Ward Council, and I was having Ward Council withdrawl! Now I feel like I have the best of both world and am loving my calling. It's making me stretch, it's difficult to plan an activity and food for 300 people! The boys are growing and changing...we definitely have arrived in the "teen" years. Although Kai has 5 months until he is officially a teen, he's already there. He's sooo funny. He says the funniest things and is always up for a laugh. Recently, we listened to a comedy CD from Brian Regan and Kai has been parroting him since! We'll constantly hear Kai say "Take - luck and care" or "that's what I'm talkin' 'bout". He's a tape recorder... I think he watched "Nacho Libre" only 3 times before he knew it word for word. And then we'd here him singing "Encarnacion" or saying "Chancho, I need to borrow some sweats!"... Kai had a basketball game today and the guys did so well. His games are so exciting and this one had them down by 4 in the last quarter, they came up by 2 with just over 2 minutes left, then in the last 30 seconds our team was fouled and the other team made one shot to win the game. It was so intense I forgot it was Jr. Jazz! Kai is quite the Rebounder (being the 2nd tallest on his team) and he's really aggressive. I can see him playing more basketball in the future! Cole is now driving with his Learner's permit. He's really a good driver and is really cautious, always asking questions about what to do in certain situations. Scott let him drive from our house to West Jordan HS today, which is the furthest he's ever driven and I was in the back - a little nervous, but playing it cool. Scott was up front, calm and quiet, giving Cole directions now and then. About half way there, I looked up front and saw Scott had his left hand around the emergency brake - just in case. I'm sure there will be more updates on the blog about Cole's driving. Cole's latest "thing" has been "I Am Legend". He has seen it twice with the same friend and said it was the "scariest" movie he has seen. But he still loved it and is even reading the book (SHOCKER!). He's the Teacher's Quorum President and is very responsible. (Except for remember to assign out the bread on Saturday night, which usually ends up with him taking a loaf on Sunday morning.) He is working on his last few merit badges to get his Eagle. His goal is to have everything done before football training starts in the summer. He woke up this morning and got right to his papers to get everything organized, so I know he's serious now.

And last but not least, Bugsy is expecting...we mated her with a cute little Yorkie named "Tank" and should have her puppies in mid February. How exciting! (Am I a glutton for punishment or what?!) Chappy is still the happiest cat I've ever seen and Louie is still constantly running from Bugsy. Never a dull moment in our house!... The game is over and so is this post. Until next time, Adieu!...