Happy Halloween

It’s been a bit spooky at our house this Autumn

We’ve been off just a bit, rather ornery and rotten

You’ve wondered perhaps if we are cursed

I’ve been a witch, the absolute worst.

I can’t lose this feeling that I’m not alone,

There is certainly something afoot in our home.

Not a ghost or black cat or trick will explain it

We’ve been keeping a little bit of a secret

Its not candy or apples or a Halloween treat

But two little hands and two tiny feet

Will be joining our house the beginning of June

When Shad’s younger sibling arrives with a BOO!

Happy Birthday Mom!

I know a lot of my posting has had to do with my parents recently, but I couldn't let today pass without a note about my mom. She would have turned fifty-five today, and I imagine would have spent the evening having dinner with family and good friends. She probably would have had a lunch date with a few certain women yesterday or tomorrow, and there is a good chance it would have involved Fetuccini Alfredo. I just wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts about the great women, I always knew as mom. She loved junk food, this women's sweet-tooth was insane and led to candy and chocolate being hidden in all sorts of places such as pots and pans and the back of the file cabinet. The wife of a dentist. . .go figure. She loved to decorate, but said she only knew how to do it on a budget and rarely strayed from her long time partners in crime, Ross's and TJ's. She had studied interior design in college and designed both the house I was raised in and my dad's dental office- she had a great talent few people were ever aware of and she got little credit for. She wasn't afraid to admit her faults, but more importantly she wasn't ashamed to admit her strengths, I appreciated that example of taking credit for your good attributes as well. She was strong willed and firm in her convictions regardless how unpopular they might be, but she was also tender and vulnerable and a true friend. She never went anywhere without lipstick- usually three or four shades darker than anyone else would dare to wear, and yet she somehow managed to pull it off. Despite always looking fabulous she could go from pajamas to perfect in less than ten minutes, and (she would kill me for this . . .) that included shaving her legs everyday. She had a secret thing for velour jumpsuits and loungewear sets, that almost led to her buying multiples of the same one before Brandi and I could stop her this last Christmas. I have never seen my mother without toe-nail polish, I've never even seen it chipped. Black, white and fuschia or red will always make me think of mom, and that women loved her bling and acessories! She had a slightly adventurous streak- most likely developed from dragging five kids to do things most people wouldn't imagine doing with two. I remember her telling me she had to figure out how to get out with all of us, because she would have gone crazy otherwise. She loved to read but rarely got a minute to really enjoy a book. She could cook and sew and sing, although cleaning wasn't one of her top priorities. I inherited her need for things to be tidy enough, but not necessarily anywhere close to lick the floor clean. She let little things go, like letting us ruin cookie batch after cookie batch when we felt like baking on our own or letting us ice skate on the kitchen floor and down the back hall. This involved soap and a lot of water and should have involved punishment but she just let us live it up. She made a huge deal out of birthdays and holidays and would always get our favorite cereal since we grew up on Cheerio's, Special K, Grape-Nuts, Shredded Wheat etc. She loved choir music and enjoyed local theater and musicals. For her birthday a few years ago my sisters and I went with her to Vegas to see Celine Dion, despite being horribly sick she did her best to enjoy the trip and provided us with memories we will cherish for a life time. Since we were all married, I was shocked at how much she opened up about previously taboo subjects and let her guard down. She hated to see us not reach our potential and wanted us to shoot for the stars, although she was also so afraid to see us get hurt if we failed. Most of all she dearly loved her family and friends and being with people. She loved a full house with good food more than anything else. I am saddened to think of the party or get-together not happening for her on this earth, but grateful to know she is with past loved ones and that my dad is still by her side and have faith that she had a great day without any mortal cares.

I love you Mom, Happy Birthday!

St George Marathon

Last weekend was quite an adventure. Dan and three of his siblings, Micah, David and Myndi all ran the St. George Marathon together. It was quite an experience to have them all do it and took some serious convincing on Micah and David's part but. . . they did it. The kids were all pretty patient waiting for there parents to come in and entertained themselves on this curb.

Yes it was hot, and yes Shad did spill that whole bottle of water.

It had been up for debate who would be the first to come in. Turned out it was super-planner detail-oriented, finance guy Micah. His dedication and determined approach paid off and he led the family in.

Dan came in next and surprised me by getting his best time ever despite some serious lapses in training and lack of proper preparation. His knee had been bothering him for a few weeks and I was just thrilled to see him run up with a smile on his face and not hobbling.

Don't mind that lady. . .

I missed seeing David run in because I was trying to meet Dan at the finish line, but he did awesome, especially since they have a brand new baby and this was his first marathon.

I used to get kissed at the finish line. . . so many things change after kids, sigh.

Myndi left us wondering for a while, but apparently had a last minute potty break that made her start the race significantly later than the rest of the family. The veteran marathoner ran in with a grin and a good pace. They all seemed pretty pleased to have done the race together and felt good about their personal race and the experience. I was so glad it was positive for everyone and there were no injuries or disappointments.

If they decide to do it again we will probably coordinate meeting up better because wandering around the finish line four different times was a bit crazy. You don't realize how dependant you are on a cell phone until you don't have one and are trying to find someone in a crazy mob of people, most of which prefer the bland and difficult to see runners attire of a white shirt and black shorts. Thanks Myndi, for being a little more visible!

The rest of the weekend was spent celebrating David, Micah and Brooklyn's birthdays as well as David's graduation with his Master's and Kennedy's baby blessing. It was an event and family packed weekend but we were grateful to spend time with Dan's family and celebrate all the great things going on in their lives. Shad had a great time with his cousins and we look forward to seeing everyone during Christmas.

VISITORS!!!

Brandi, Myself and Jeanna wearing the necklace my mom was wearing the day they were killed, we all bought each other one as well as one for my aunt Kris who was also with them at the time of the accident.

We have been so lucky since moving to have so many visitors. We have had more people come to specifically see us in the last two months then perhaps the rest of our marriage combined. Granted, this being the first time we have lived away we saw people at combined events and visits quite frequently.

The beginning of this month was pretty crazy with visitors. My sister, Brandi, and her three kids came to visit and surprised me by bringing along my Aunt Jeanna. Neither of them could get over how dark it was here and had driven through the National Forest and Indian Reservation at night on a night with no moon. They were glad to make it here in one piece after feeling so disoriented by the complete blackness. We had a good time just playing at the park and hanging out at our house the first few nights they were here. The cousins were surprisingly quite excited to all play together and did pretty well considering our house isn't plush accommodations. We explored downtown Flagstaff and enjoyed the boutiques etc without losing any of the kids. We had dinner all together at our house Wednesday night and were looking forward to a fun evening together. Dan had even taken all of the kids to get ice-cream from the store. We were dishing up and planning to watch a movie when Dan's tooth chipped, significantly. This was pretty emotional for me considering we have never had a dental emergency in our life, but had always had a great dentist on hand had we needed one, and now I didn't have any idea what to do. It unfortunately put a damper on the evening, but fortunately Dan was able to get into a dentist the next day and it worked out. The next day my uncle Gary drove in from Vegas to pick up my aunt and spent the afternoon and evening with us. They treated us to a great meal where we were introduced to their creative ways of entertaining themselves involving trying to catch a coaster you throw with your eyes closed while waiting for your food. Everyone then came over to visit at our house again. We made cookies and watched a John Wayne movie, which the kids actually enjoyed despite any of our expectations. Gary had picked it up after my nephews admitted they had no idea who John Wayne was, this was unacceptable and had to be fixed. . .thus we all watched McKlintock! both an educational and entertaining experience. It was great to see them and to enjoy some time together and share where we live now with them.

Everyone left Friday morning and then I tried to tidy the house before my good friend Becca flew in that night. We stayed up late talking and then Saturday morning we all headed over to the Arboretum. It is a really pretty place in the middle of nowhere. One more reason to love our Subaru. . .the road to the Arboretum was dirt for about three miles. . .it's that far out there. We had a nice time looking around at the trees, flowers and fountains and were able to watch the bird show with a vulture and a few different types of hawks. Shad's favorite part in this order; the lizards, the fish in the ponds, getting away from the birds he was afraid of. I loved the architecture of the older building with the ivy growing on the stone walls etc. You could picture sleeping beauty living there with the fairies.

Shad is smiling because Becca is taking the picture, trust me. . .

Don't let his expression fool you, he doesn't want you to know he has a crush on her.

Saturday night Dan watched Shad while Becca and I did some shopping. Becca pointed out this was dangerous because I had just been shopping and knew where all of the cute stuff is but don't have money to spend, she on the other hand does. So, I did a great job helping her go a little crazy and didn't feel the least bit guilty. We then went and got Mexican food for dinner. It was so fun to be able to go out just the two of us and enjoy a meal that required no cooking, cleaning up, or watching Shad. Dan made fun of us for being home early, but I didn't want to take advantage of his generosity. Sunday we went to church. Becca was great at entertaining Shad during Sacrament meeting and it was a welcome relief. Shad loves this girl, despite only seeing her a few times in his life, he has always warmed right up to her and been totally himself. It helps she has no kids yet and still has that "fun aunt that doesn't do this every day" vibe. Sunday we took it easy hanging around the house and then proceeded to turn on a movie that we all ignored. Monday morning came too soon and Becca headed home, but we had such a great time with all of our visitors and appreciate their willingness to come all this way.

The vulture, Shad was definitely not a fan.