Catch up

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...

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...

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! :-)

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...

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!

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

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...

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

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!

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

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!

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!

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...

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...

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...

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!...

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"!

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?!

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...

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.