Road Trippin’

I have this weird love of Utah. I have really great memories (and some not so hot ones too) from my BYU days. I love being around all the Mormons and not feeling like a complete weirdo for having more than one child. I love how nice the people are, how family oriented most of the state is, and the mountains. I always forget how much I love hiking until I’m back in Utah. I was pretty outdoorsy when I lived in Utah, I miss that. So it didn’t take much arm twisting when Anna talked to me about carpooling for a trip in early June. We piled our kids in my car and off we went! Anna was a fantastic co-pilot. We both understand what its like to be the co-pilot (the constant snack hand outs, the movie changes, the  activity dispersmenting (is that a word?) etc.). She was really easy to travel with.

We split the drive into 2 days, stopping in Las Vegas to spend the night at Anna’s parents house. Thank you Christensens! The second day was our 6 hour drive and I have to admit that when kids fall asleep there is a certain peace that swells within my heart. Aren’t they angels? hehe…

Anna headed off to her brother’s house and I went to my friend’s, Mari and Josh. Ethan and Luke became best buds with Mari’s nephews (who conveniently live downstairs) Tyler and Travis. We went to the Bean Museum and checked out the cool animal displays. The kids got to pet a snake and check out some aligator hides. Capturing a picture where everyone stays still for longer than a second and looks into the camera was near to impossible. Sorry Luke!


Lunch at BYU’s duck pond proved to be prophecy fulfilled when Luke fell and scraped his leg. I had to take a picture and text it to Steve. Poor Luke, it was a nasty scrape.

Josh and Mari had a cool tire swing in their back yard. Ethan and Sadie loved taking turns on it.

We went on a hike up Provo Canyon on Saturday morning.

I actually got Sadie to wear her sunglasses for a little while.

Then the boys found walking sticks and even Sadie had to have one. They did pretty well on the hike, I was impressed.

Unfortunately, we had to cut our trip short when my boys got a nasty stomach bug and were throwing up. I got afraid I might catch it and not be able to drive home and then miss Steve’s birthday. And I don’t like being in someone else’s house with sick kids, especially since I wasn’t sure if this was contagious. We now think that maybe our kids get altitude sickness. Anyone know anything about that? So I headed home. We didn’t get to see everyone we wanted to or go to Temple Square like I wanted to but oh well. Maybe I’ll get enough courage to try again soon. The drive home wasn’t as bad as I expected. Thankfully no one puked but California definitely needs to make the drive between state line and Barstow more than two lanes! The traffic is ridiculous!

All about a boy

Boys and girls are different, we all know that right? They play different too but sometimes that play can overlap. Like when my sister found Ethan and his cousin Ellie playing. They were being really good parents and tending to their children. They have good models to emulate…haha. Ethan’s future wife will be happy to know that he is willing to help out with the feeding schedule…probably with a bottle though.

Sometimes skin gets dry and you need to lube it up with lotion. Especially little boys who let it go until their skin starts cracking. I felt bad I had never noticed it until he complained of some pain. This little boy let’s his hands “air out” after putting lotion on, he doesn’t want to get it all over his sheets. This was how we found him when we were going to bed and doing the rounds of checking on everyone. I went to bed with a smile on my face.

Ethan is a super hero with super hero strengths! Like extra teeth! Three front teeth for a while because his baby tooth just wouldn’t fall out. Its gone now but he’s still a super hero!

Lastly, a picture of all the Powers side cousins and my parents. They are getting big so fast!

65.5 plus 31

That’s how many miles I’ve run total in the five half marathons I’ve done since 2007. I did the Laguna Hills Half Marathon again this Memorial Day. This race really is beautiful, I think this will be my regular race on Memorial Day. I finished in 2 hours and 15 minutes. I was a little disappointed with that time because I was trying to beat my last time of 2:14 from January’s Carlsbad Half. Unfortunately, I had a hip injury that I wasn’t able to treat completely before the race. Oh well. Hopefully next time I can hang with the 2:10 crowd. My sister Evelyn decided to run with me just two days before the race! She didn’t train at all and still ran right by my side. She’s a stud, what can I say?

Finish time

Avg Pace of 10:09 and 1599 calories burned! Sweeeeeet!

Ev and I after crossing the finish line.

Luke did his own race today, the Sonora Elementary Jog-a-thon! He ran and ran and ran! Go Luke!

And sometimes he walked too.

When it was all over he had completed 31 laps, way to go!!

Then it was time to sit and sip some water and, like any good runner, eat a banana. But boys can’t help being a little goofy too, especially when its Luke, Matthew (his best bud) and Aaron. Its always more fun to run a race with friends.

I am a fan.

Am a fan of outdoor movie night at the Back Bay.

Am a fan of lunch dates with my hubs (and just one child).

Am a fan of moonlit walks on clear nights.

Am a fan of Mother’s Day cards from little boys (Luke), even if they wrote my age as 57 when I’m really 32.

Am a fan of little girls who want their babies buckled in the car in the seat next to them.

Am a fan of Saturday morning runs powered by a fantastic play list and no pushing a stroller.

Am a fan of seven year old boys (Ethan) who want to be scientists and soldiers and dads.

Am a fan of weight watchers weigh ins when I’ve lost 4 lbs.!

Am a fan of reading Conference talks by men of God that fill me with the warmth of the Holy Spirit and give me an extra push to move forward.

Am a fan of great country songs.

Am a fan of little league games and watching five year old legs (Luke) run the bases, throw the ball, and swing at bat.

Am a fan of taking over the kitchen so I can bake up tasty treats to give away…even if they don’t always turn out the way I envision in my head.

Am a fan of this little life of mine.

(idea for this post from marta writes)

Spring break ends with a birthday!

The last day of Spring break was extra fun…especially for Ethan. He celebrated his 7th birthday! Ethan was crossing off the days on the calendar leading up to his birthday. And when a package from his Tennessee cousins came in the mail, then a card from Bisa, he was REALLY anxious to party! We said good night to our six year old on Thursday and woke up to one happy seven year old. He chose Cookie Crisp cereal for his birthday breakfast. We gave him some Heely’s and a scuba set. So naturally, he wanted to go swimming! It was the perfect day for a swim. We gathered the cousins and dove in the water. After some R&R at home for lunch we headed out to Downtown Disney for dinner, Lego store for his last present (thank you Bisa for chipping in) and face painting!

I was literally shocked that Sadie sat through the entire face painting. I couldn’t believe it. She’s getting so grown up

Dragon masks for the boys and hearts (everyone picked their own design) for Sadie. When the lady told me how much I owed her my jaw dropped! Wow…that’s all I’ve got to say about that.

Ethan got to have a second party on Saturday with all his aunts and uncles and cousins from the Powers side of the family (we wish we could have all the Rasmussens too!). He chose pizza for dinner. I made a new one, pesto chicken, that is my new favorite! Then we cut into his Star Wars cake (which I am too embarrassed to post pictures of) and had ice cream.

We love you, Ethan! To the moon and back…and more.

Silly & Fun

Ethan titled today’s post for me and I think it fits.

Fun is when your great-grandmother comes to visit (in march) and wants to take a picture with all the cousins. Actually, it doesn’t look so fun for Ezra and Eva but they’ll get there one day. Bisa (pronounced bee-za) is loads of fun because she’s so good at spoiling them. Amo Bisa!

According to Ethan this next picture is silly because he’s looking down at the water. I would say its also fun. He gets to try “surfing” at the end of each swim lesson and that looks fun to me!

Ethan says this one is fun because he’s holding hands with Sadie on his way into school. Maybe its more fun in how much I enjoyed editing it with my groovy camera app.

Silly Sadie. She was napping with her dad but after a while got off his lap and decided to do this. Personally, I think the snoring got to her but you didn’t hear that from me. It made for a cute picture though.

Fun is for flowers and spring-erizing our front yard! I’m crossing my fingers and toes that I can keep them all alive.

Silly (and fun) is our Sadie who loves to wear the most random outfits sometimes. Cinderella dress over her pajamas and her hand-me-down rain boots. But don’t forget to accessorize with a back pack! I love Sadie’s fashion sense. I know I’ll be taking some pointers from her sooner than later.

Silly for podiums who scream, stand on me and take a picture! Se were at the Skirball museum in Los Angeles for an awesome Noah’s ark exhibit over spring break and Sadie saw these “steps” and said “take picture, momma!” so I did, I’m an obedient mom that way.

Silly is all about spring break. Ethan and Luke got to go spend the night with grandma in Oceanside during spring break and true to form they had a blast! Sadie was pretty upset to be left behind at first so I consoled her and took her down. She was in heaven playing at the beach, going swimming, playing on the playground and getting to do big kid stuff at the “hotel.” We noticed so many Utah visitors at the timeshare I almost felt like I was in Provo again…kinda got me homesick.

15

:: no matter what mood i'm in, i can always go for a: walk. a nice walk sometimes makes everything better.

:: my favorite go-to outfit would have to be:  my pink maxi dress with black shirt under, a silver necklace, and my greek sandals

:: a good source of inspiration is: a sunset. there’s something about watching the sun go down that fills me with purpose and hope in what’s to come tomorrow.

:: am so glad my parents taught me: truth. I often look around and notice so much that isn’t true. sometimes its hard to find the truth but I know where to look.

:: a song i like to dance to is: we can’t get enough of the Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feelin’” and Pink’s “So What” at our house right now.

:: i wish everyone knew about: not wasting. it breaks my heart when I see someone’s sprinklers running the morning after a good rain storm.

:: the best thing in my makeup bag is: I’m far from a makeup expert but I think mascara and some eyeliner does wonders for me. now, if only I could figure out foundation…

:: my dream spring break vacation spot is: italy

:: this may be a surprise, but i am passionate about: so many things. you’re not surprised are you? I seem to be passionate about cake right now…trying to shake it.

:: a favorite book that changed me for the better: c.s. lewis’ mere christianity. I love c.s. lewis and practically anything he writes but that book has left a permanent impression.

:: one of my pet peeves is: smokers…why do they think its ok to just throw their buts everywhere? I hate when I take my kids to the park and they find a cigarette but!

:: my favorite daily ritual would have to be: checking facebook, my email, and my favorite blogs. I love seeing what everyone else is up to.

:: i am trying to be better at: one thing? sheesh…um, gardening. I actually planted some basil, cilantro and a couple flower seeds. I hate planting seeds, I’m too impatient. I want immediate results. but I’m trying to be better at watering and waiting. hopefully it will pay off.

:: the most recent rad thing i found online was: blurb blog publishing…I need to do it.

:: i can't live without: my iphone, I’ll admit it. and I can’t wait to upgrade it this summer….yippee!

A Thursday in the Life of Sadie

Every Thursday Sadie and I go to “school.” I enrolled (after being persuaded by my sister…it’s a good thing!) in a class at a local community college and its kind of a mommy and me preschool. Sadie LOVES it. The first hour is all free play for her. Her favorite spot lately has been the dress up area. She takes after me.

Here she is acting out one of the many real life situations she finds herself in the other days of the week – strapped in a shopping cart while I push her around.

Pit stop at the tool table. She’s most likely paying homage to the memory of her brothers. She doesn’t want to let them down.

Back to the dress up area to freshen up her makeup. She’s gorgeous!

Craft time is always fun. This week was a wood and glue project. She had fun “painting” on the glue and choosing the different colored shapes to put on.

Then we head outside for some play.

Story time! Sadie hardly sits with everyone, if she decides to go at all. She’s sitting next to her cousin here but she got up right after I took this picture and sat on my lap for the rest of the time.

Snack time!

And the day ends with some fun good bye songs.

I’m really glad we have this class to get me out of my to-do list mode. I’m just sad I didn’t take it with the older kidlets.

Things I’ve noticed.

1. I’m actually starting to like avocados. I’ve been eating a lot more salads lately (trying to shed some poundage) and I look forward to adding some avocados to them. I still remember meeting Steve’s cousin Jared and his fiance (or were they already married, I don’t remember) Mychael-Ann for the first time. They came over to my apartment to have dinner and they brought a truly BEAUTIFUL salad of avocados and tomatoes. I wouldn’t eat it. Lame huh? Mychael-Ann must have thought I was a snob. I would have thought I was a snob. But that is how much I didn’t like avocados at the time. I was strictly a guacamole girl. But now all that has changed. I would not be afraid to eat Mychael-Ann’s salad anymore. I would probably really love it now. So there’s still hope for my kids to over come their hate of potatoes right? One day…

2. Boot addiction is in full swing. My Valentine’s gift from my hubs. I finally got them and I don’t want to take them off.

3. Drawing during sacrament meeting. Ok, don’t judge me for taking pictures during sacrament meeting. I just HAD to capture how intent he was. And then he saw my camera/phone out and needed me to take a picture of his masterpiece and wanted me to text it to his dad! It was too funny. I promise I didn’t do anything else non-church related on my phone the rest of the time I was at church!

4. When I was training for the Carlsbad Half Marathon Steve and the kids would follow me on my long runs. They were on their bikes, of course. When I got to the 9 and 10 mile runs they would stop at a park part way through and wait for me to get some more mileage done then we’d run home. It really was a great way to spend our Saturday mornings. And it helped me stay motivated. One of the biggest challenges, for me, when I train for half marathons is feeling bad about leaving my family behind.  I don’t think Sadie really is thrilled about being in the trailer but really, it’s the best seat in the house! She has her uncle Clay to thank for documenting this picture for her. Time for half marathon number 5!

5. "Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be your best ... Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgment and shame.  It's a shield.  Perfectionism is a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it's the thing that's really preventing us from taking flight." ~ Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

I got this quote off a daily email chain I’ve been receiving. I really love this. I’ve never thought of myself as a perfectionist. Perfectionists have to have sparkling clean houses ALL the time, perfect food ALL the time, perfect bodies ALL the time, kids who behave perfectly ALL the time…etc. I’m not like that (although I wouldn’t mind the perfect body one…ha!) But I’m slowly realizing that some of my expectations in life have a “perfect” stigma to them and its bringing me down. So when I read this quote and it separated perfectionism from striving to be your best I had an aha moment. I can drop the perfectionism. I want to strive to be the best mom I can be but some days I’m not. I want to strive to be the best wife I can be but some days I’m not. I want to strive to be the best version of me I can be but some days I’m just not. Each day is a perfect opportunity to try again, even if I don’t succeed its still worth the try. And thank goodness for another day to strive.

My Four Loves

My four loves are glorious, beautiful, and captivating. They enjoy the sweet things in life with me (especially after a day at Disneyland).

We dance together (I gotta feeling and So What are the current favorites).

We pray together (I know I cheated and opened my eyes but I just had to capture this wonderous moment).

We teach each other (Luke’s turn teaching us about bullets, the Nerf variety. Ethan has taught us about guns. Luke taught once about swords. I’m up next) important lessons on life.

We eat together. Especially standing on a chair, at the counter, with our hands on our hips. It makes the cheerios taste so much better.

We sleep together. Ethan is just like me, it needs to be somewhat dark in the room in order to completely relax.

And then we go out and have more fun!

Someone once said, love is not love unless you give it away. I have given my heart away four times. Each of my loves carries a piece of me with them and I am not whole without them. Happy Valentine’s Day, my loves!