May 24 and May 27

Utah springs! Can it get any better?

May 24
Blizzard
2" of snow
32 degrees
Heater ON
Snow boots/coats ON


May 27
Warm
sprinklers ON
78 degrees
air conditioner ON
swim suit/flip flops ON

End of year preschool programs

We ended the preschool year with a bang, both kids did a program and an art show. Then had a luau party.

Carson loves to sing and belted out on the songs louder than any one else. He was super excited to show us his art projects. The day of the luau, he came up to me 20 minutes before it was time to go and said, "mom, I'm ready for my luau to begin, let's go." He has loved preschool and can't wait for next year to start.





Halle is sad that she is done with preschool, but super happy that she made such good friends. She has learned so much and can't wait to start kindergarten in the fall.

She picked out her luau outfit and couldn't wait to party all day. She has such cute teachers.

I have been very happy with this preschool. Easton started here when he was 4, five years ago. Next year will be Carson's (and my) last year with the preschool. Murray district might own half my house, but the kids are better for it.

Fit, Fun, Run!

The kids school does a school race every year. The kids start training as soon as they can get the snow cleared away. They go a little farther every week until the end of the year. For the run the younger grades do either 1 or 2 miles, the middle grades do 2 or 3 miles, and the older ones do 3 miles.

Easton did the full 3 miles and Avery did 2. Avery took longer than Easton did. We were about to send out the search party, but she eventually came sauntering in. I don't think she even broke a sweat. Easton however, made great time, and was dripping like a crazy.








I'm so poud of them both for setting a gaol and achieving it. Great job guys!

How amazing are people?!?

What an amazing day.

So, much time was spent, organizing, preparing, emailing, bugging others, shopping, and pulling it all together, and...... it was worth every second. Even if we had earned $100.00 it would had been worth it, but we when handed Jamie and Sean over 6,000.00 it was amazing.

Each person that helped out, from the boutique vendors, the magician Paul Brewer, all the people who donated raffle and auction items, the friends and family that worked tirelessly making french fries, hot dogs, snow cones, painted faces and manned the bounce house a big old THANK YOU!!!

Plus, thank you to everyone that came to support our cause. Every dollar helped. The great thing about events like this is it allows everyone to help. I know few people knowing that all they could afford to give to a family in need was $10 would actually do so. But coming to this carnival whether you could spend $5 or $500 you were able to help and feel good about doing it.



I was so excited to see Chase playing and watching the magician. He may only be 3 and not understand what is going on all the time, but it was happiness on his face watching the rabbit come out of the magicians hat surrounded by over a hundered friends and family.

Thank you to all!

Chasing a Cure for Chase Carnival

We would love to have everyone come out for some fun. We have lots planned for the day.

If anyone would like to make donations, they are still being accepted. We are in need of few things. Please leave me a comment and I'll let you know what you can do.

Thanks!

Halle lost her first tooth

Carmel apple + loose tooth = a visit from the tooth fairy.

Moms Rock

My favorite treat ever! Carmel Apples with chocolate drisseled over them. Yum!
The kids gave me this cool Moms Rock night shirt or work clothes as I like to call them.
I think this picture looks like my head was super-imposed on a child's body. Am I really that little?

JD and the kids made me breakfast in bed. After church they worked on picking up the house and left me alone for a needed nap. After that they made me a yummy Filley Mignon steak dinner complete with bernaise sauce and crab legs (although I hate crab legs the rest of them thoroughly enjoyed them). We then took a drive to the cemetary to pay our respects to my mom, grandma Joey. I had to explain to Carson that she was my mommy. At this age they all have had a hard time realizing that I have a mom and that she's in heaven. Then it was presant time. I got paint brushes with permission to paint my bedroom AND bathroom. (this is big for me) Then carmel apples to tide me over during my long graveyard shift.

Bitter Sweet Day

Another Mother's day down. This day is always so bitter sweet for me. I tried to put on my happy face for my kids sake. Inside though, my heart is always a little broken. This year was especially strange to me.

My mother passed away 12 years and 1 week ago. It was one week before Mother's day. We buried her on the Wednesday before that Mother's day. For some reason this May 3rd left me missing her more than ever. I have found myself wanting to talk to her about raising my kids, how was I as a child, what to do with this or that problem. How do I handle a fight with my husband? All these things I want to ask her and no one else.

Maybe it's because she found her cancer at 32 years old and I'm coming up to that birthday. Maybe it's because a lot of my friends are older than she was when she died. Maybe it's because she has been gone longer than my baby sister knew her, meaning I've raised her longer than her own mother did. Most likely it's all of this.

So, if I seem a little off lately it's because I have a heavy heart. I long for the day when I cross the veil and go into my mother's loving arms. I know that she is there waiting for me and watches over me even as I speak. I was asked once if knowing the fullness of the gospel helps me deal with her being gone, the answer is yes and no. It helps knowing she's there waiting, beautiful, without pain. But it doesn't help the longing I have for her counsel, her touch, her voice today.

Softball

This year I some how got talked into coaching Avery's softball team, because I have nothing else to do in my life. This team of 10 7-8 year olds is teaching me a lot about patience, but most of all it's taught me how to be the mother of a child that some one else is coaching. This coaching stuff is hard, especially for a mother of 4. I have some special parent helpers, without whom I would no way make this work.

Avery has improved so much this year and I am glad to see her love a game that I myself enjoyed for so many years. She is a lefty hitter and we think a righty thrower, but she really could throw either way. It's disconcerting to me to try to helper her because everything is backwards. Easton helps her with the lefty questions. I know when I'm out of my league.

Dance recital(s), yes that's plural!

My girls had their dance recital this year. Avery performed on Saturday night and both of them performed on Monday. They both did awesome. Avery had both of her dances down perfect. Halle's only hang up was the little girl next to her wouldn't get off her dance house. She actually pushed her during the second show.

The boys were troopers sitting through 4 hours of dance numbers. That is 24 numbers performed 4 times. Carson loved all the modern songs and was belting out One Republics "Apologize" like he was the lead singer and Easton tried to act unimpressed by the scores of girls dancing before him....Few more years and he'll truely apreciate it.

NOW I'm a soccer mom...

It took 3 kids to become an official soccer mom. Halle wanted to play soccer this year, and although JD and I know little about the sport, we signed her up and she loves it. It's as they call it "hula hoop" ball. You could throw a hula hoop around the girls, because they all stick together in a cluster, but Halle is thrilled with all of it.

Getting a mamogram is fun to do, to do, to do, to do!

My own mother passed away 12 years and 4 days ago from breast cancer. Exactly 1 week before Mother's day. Although it has left my spirits low for every mother's day since, now that I'm a mother, I use this sadness as a reminder to get my own tests done so that I may never leave my children too early. My sister and I go every year in my mother's memory to get our mamograms done together. Although we are both a ways from 40 we are in a high risk group and figure a little discomfort is ok, because early detection is the best cure for cancer.

I myself started going a few years back and have had a few scares. The doctors don't mess around anymore. In 3 years, I've had close to 10 mamograms, 3 ultra sounds, 2 MRI's and 1 biopsy. They leave nothing to chance.

In honor of Mother's day, remind all your mother's, sister's, daughter's, and friend's to schedule their yearly momograms. Picking a week like mother's day will remind you to do it every year.

You can join our Mamo party if you want! Leave a comment with your email address and I'll give you the date and time. Or, start your own. It's a lot less scary when your not alone.

6 lbs in 3 weeks!

I am considering this my second wave. The first weight loss wave went from January 2009-August 2009, total weight loss, about 30 lbs. Last go around I kept it from by blogging world, but this next goal I plan on sharing. If not for anyone else, then for me to keep account of my ups and downs, and so I'll remember what works for me in this weight loss/health up challenge.

What I'm doing:
Weight Watchers (again)
Working out (new)

I added the gym this go around and am noticing the difference. Now I know that 6 lbs in 3 weeks is no HCG diet, but concidering this is pure diet and excercise I'm thrilled with myself.

After Aug I kept watching what I ate and lost a few more pounds. But I had a health scare that had to do with my diet. It's called hypoglycemic. It's a condition not a disease and the only thing to fix it is a balance diet. What happens is my blood sugar drops too low too quick and I get all shaky, queezy and can't think. I've had it my entire life, but by August I had lowered my sugar intake so much that I was having the "episodes" 3-4 times a day. It scared me and by Christmas I ate every sugary treat I could find. The episodes went away and it was a scary thought to go back to them.

3 weeks ago I got on the scale. Let out a blood curling scream and sign up for the gym and weight watchers on the same day.

This go around I've introduced some low calorie substitutes that still have sugar in them, and so far keeping the blood sugar levels in check and still loosing weight.

To hit this new goal I need to loose 7 more pounds. This may seem like a lot since I know I look small, but trust me folks, when you're 5'1" with a very small frame, 109 is the "healthy weight" and my goal is above that.

Next post: There's $$$ to be made as a personal trainer.