Just Over 12 Hours To Go

You have just over 12 hours to repent, resolve to change your life and write it down! We need written proof to show you around the 3rd week in January that you have already fallen off the wagon.
Mine are already done. How about yours?

Good Friends

Once a year, after Christmas, we get together with a group of our friends that we have been friends with since time began it seems. As a matter of fact, Jason is responsible for hooking Ross and I up. We are forever in your debt Jas! Or on other days, we just blame you;)
Anyway, there are a lot more of us now with all of our kiddos. It is so fun to see all of them play while all of us big kids catch up on each others lives.
The best kind of friends are the ones when you don't see each other for a year and you pick up right where you left off. And you know that you can still count on them for anything.
Thanks Jason and Mary Jane for letting us trash your house! We love all of you guys!

The Non Stop Christmas Party

It was such a great year. We had fun seeing family and friends, eating too much, playing secret Santa. We had many an opportunity to help out others this year and it really brought the spirit for us. We are so blessed and we are happy to impart of our substance.
The Stahle party this year was awesome! We always get a visit from Santa Kirt and his trusty sidekick, Buttkiss. (Buttkiss is a stuffed monkey that helps hand out the toys to the kids. He got his plastic eyes poked out by Tyson this year for trying to hoard presents.) We also got a visit from the one and only Rudolph! (a.k.a. Clay and Colt, the 2 coolest cousins ever!) It made the kids excited and the adults laugh their aces off.
The Christmas Eve party at grandpa and grandma Walker's house is always a hit. We were all spoiled rotten as usual. Some of us a little more rotten than others, but we won't say any names!
Christmas Day is always fun for me because I get to see the huge smiles on the boys faces. Somehow, Santa always comes through. Make sure you ask Ross about his rockin' new shirt he got from his loving wife;) Ross hooked me up with a tv for the gym so I can use my workout dvd's or watch a little something while on the dreadmill. You are the best honey!
Later that day we got to go to Aunt Emmy's house for a late lunch and more presents. It was a lot of fun. My sisters and I did a cool thing this year. We did a charitable Christmas. We all have so much so we decided that in lieu of gifts for each other, we took the money and gave it to different charitable causes, people in need, etc. It was awesome. I think we will do that every year. Next year we are going to include mom and dad in it too.
Such a fun time of year.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all have a magical Christmas. I pray for all of you and know that we will all be blessed in our journeys through life. Remain faithful, have joy and let love abound.

"Joy to the world! The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!"

Poppy the Popcorn Man

We had a rip roarin' time at the Keith's Christmas Party last night. One of the cool things about where we live is that there are way fun people that love to party. Never a dull moment in the Valley!
We had great food which led all of us to eat way too much once again. What are the holidays for if not to overeat? We played some really fun games that led to Ross being nick-named Poppy. I am not at liberty to explain here as children might someday read this blog, just know that it was freaking hilarious!
We missed Chad and Kelli since Kell has the flu:( Get better soon!)
Thanks Brian and Sherene! You guys know how to throw a great party even if you can't count Sherene;)

A Few of My favorite Christmas Things

My friend Kelli inspired me to write this post. Thanks Kell!

1. Snow. I love snow. It makes me happy. I love the way it looks and feels and smells. Yes, I think there is a smell to it.
2. Kindness. Usually at this time of year, my faith in humanity is restored. I am amazed at the things people will do for each other.
3. Reverence. There is a certain reverence that comes at this time of year for me. I stand in awe. Which leads me to #4.
4. My Savior. His birth. His life. His death. His love for me. His love for all of us.
5. The nativity. I love looking at different depictions of how people think it "looked". I have an overwhelming respect for Joseph and Mary and the things they went through and their willingness to do it.
6. Freedom of Religion. and part of that, Joseph Smith Jr. Happy Birthday to him this month too.
7. The song O Holy Night. It's my favorite of all time.
8. Candy canes and hot chocolate.
9. Gingerbread houses.
10. Playing Secret Santa
11. When I find the "perfect gift" for someone.
12. Family. Ross and I have the best. Our kids, parents, siblings, etc. I am so grateful for all of them.
13. Friends. We also have the best of friends. We have added many to our circle over the years and are always looking for more.
14. Traditions.
15. Watching my kids getting the spirit of Christmas.
16. Peace. Hope. Joy.

I could go on and on but I will stop there for now.

"Hello? Is this thing on?"

Corbin has great comedic timing. He is always saying the most hilarious things. We took a trip to the Valley Market the other day and he had a few good ones.

We are walking into the store and I notice he has tennis shoes with no socks, holy jeans, and a Lowe's ball cap. (He's ready for the runway I know)
"Corbin, where in the heck are your socks?"
"Mom, I don't care about socks. I care about Lowe's."

In the store he climbs into the back of the cart. "Ok woman if I'm going to sit in this thing you are going to have to be a good driver." (snickers from the lady buying avocados)

We go down the candy aisle and he wants me to buy a bag of treats for just him.
"How about I buy a bag you can share with your brothers?"
"How about you buy a bag just for me?"
I give him the "look".
He points at himself with his thumb, shakes his head, "I've got good ideas!"

I know, kind of random but he just makes me smile.

Barbie Is Getting Uglier By The Minute

I love the song "Barbie Girl" by Aqua. Call me shallow but I think it's hilarious. I am a teeny bopper at heart. Anyway, I have it recorded onto a disc that my boys always want me to play in the car. Tyson and Jaden love to sing along and add in Weird Al Yankovic's lyrics.

Oringinal: I'm a Barbie Girl, in a Barbie World, Life in Plastic, It's fantastic! You can brush my hair, undress me anywhere, Imagination, life is your creation.

Tyson, Jaden and Weird Al: I'm an ugly girl, my face makes you hurl, Sad I have it, I should bag it. Acne everywhere, unwanted facial hair, I'm a relation to Frankenstein's creation.

Watch out you ladies in the future, you've got quite the ladies men on your hands!

Puppy Love

We have been thinking about getting a dog for quite a while. Ross did research for like a year to figure out what we wanted. I had never heard of Vizsla's before he found them on the internet one day. There happens to be a breeder in Bluffdale. The puppies were born just a few days before Thanksgiving and they are so cute! We went down to see them today and I think all of us fell in love with them. I mean how can you resist that face?

We get to bring home our new addition to the family the first week in January. Let the countdown begin!

Kermit?

I stole this post from Ross off of our other blog but it is high time it is posted here too.





"Do you see the frog in this picture? Look hard. Its not a real frog, but the image of a frog across the whole mountain (looking to the right). Yup, there he is! (Easier to see with more snow.)

Last year when the snow came we noticed this funny image (actually I think Kelly saw him first) and we named him "Oh Great Frog". He is an all knowing, protective, loving animal. He disappears for the summer (I think he hibernates) so we were so glad to see him come back this winter. Welcome back O.G.F.!!

We have adopted him as some what of a winter mascot, although if you wish to honor the frog you can, he is not just ours. He provides us very important guidance, O.G.F. has offered deep insight into:
1- Fashion: Like when Tyson doesn't believe his mom that his clothes dont match, the frog will confirm it.
2- Prophecy: He told me about a few christmas gifts last year.
3- Entertainment: He suggests movies to watch .
4- Covert Intel: Tells me when the kids did not finish their dinner and tried to hide it in the garbage.
5- Financial: Actually all the stock tips he gave me tanked!
6- Guidance: We always know which way is west cuz thats where he sits in our valley.
7- Health: I go snowboarding every time he has fresh white on his skin.

Dont be afraid he knows when not to look and does not peep in windows!

Next time you are looking at the mountains look for our frog. In order to get his attention you must yell "Oh Great Frog...." then ask your question. You will be amazed by his knowledge, and how people look at you when you yell that in the church parking lot.

We love you OGF!"

A Christmas Village for Ants?

We have a tradition every year of decorating gingerbread houses with my mom and sisters. The kids have always made theirs out of graham crackers but they don't hold together very well. I was so excited when I found that someone had put together a mini christmas village gingerbread kit complete with frosting, candy and the pre-made houses. So I bought it for all the kids. I figured they would be about half the size of a regular house kit.
HO BOY! When they said mini, they meant MICRO mini. I have never seen anything so tiny! They were no more than an inch and a half high. We all got a good chuckle out of it. The kids had fun none-the-less. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera:( Not that you could see pictures of something so tiny anyway.

Choir Concerts and Ward Parties

Tyson and Jaden had their choir concert tonight at Christmas Village. It was freaking cold but so worth it. The choir did such a great job. Jaden had a speaking part for one of their numbers. He did really well. Tyson has got some serious soul! He was jamming like you wouldn't believe. He gets that from me.
Our ward party was also tonight. Everything turned out so beautiful and from what I hear, the dinner was tasty. We got there in time for dessert and for me to talk to a few people before I started cleaning up. There is no rest for the weary and right now, I AM WEARY! Please Lord, stop giving me callings! I can't do it all!
Corbin was brave enough to actually play with the infamous Alex. It was pretty cute to watch.

Alex the Babe

My friend Jamie has the cutest little girl named Alex that Corbin is totally enamored with. She doesn't know it yet, but I think Corbin plans on marrying her someday. It was her birthday yesterday and all she wanted to do was go rock climbing so the Froerer's came over for a while last night.
Sunday night when I told Corbin that she was coming over for her birthday, he said, "Mom, can you PLEASE make cookies or brownies or something for me to give her tomorrow? It's important!"
We ended up with a plate full of brownies for her. Even though he is madly in love with her though, he almost didn't give them to her. Too much pressure! But he was brave and for 2 seconds he actually looked her in the eyes and wished her a happy birthday. And then quickly hid behind my legs.
You know how it is. You can't actually look at the person you like let alone TALK to them. They are able to see right into your soul for heavens sake! Which is why Ross and I haven't spoken since we met. (he only WISHES I wouldn't talk to him sometimes!)

Rebuked

I am so ashamed. I was rebuked, rebuffed and publicly humiliated by my Kelly club vice president of operations. Okay maybe not as bad as all that but I was informed I need to post more. The sad but true thing is, I am just not that interesting! But we will pretend like I am and here it goes.
I am in this weird zone lately. Kind of reflective of what my current goals are, if I am happy with what I am doing, when can I go see Twilight again and what I need to change. I have been on a fitness craze the last couple of years but I never seem to be quite where I want to be. Could it be that I can't stop eating food? Why does food have to taste so good? I mean, when there is another cookie sitting on a plate or an extra piece of Thanksgiving pie, what recourse do I have except to eat it? I am helping it fulfill it's god-given purpose. (I am a true humanitarian, I know.)
Anyway, to make a long story even longer, my grandma told me last week I am chunky. Forget the fact that I lost 35 pounds this year and ran 2 major races. Forget that she needs to have HER mouth sewn shut. (love you gram) It just makes me realize I am not quite there yet so I have to recommit and do the work. Could this have come at any WORSE time? Just thinking about all the Christmas treats is making me gain weight! AAHHHH the pressure!
On another note, as president of Kelly club, I am thinking of rescinding all rights of free speech to any other parties in my club. (hint hint KELLI!) Unless of course, she wants to go see Twilight with me again;)

Thanksgiving Festivities

What a great day we had! The Adams side joined us for dinner today (minus Dan and Shelley:( ) as well as Grandpa and Grandma Stahle. The food was completely fabulous, all six kids had a great time playing and climbing the wall, and we got ALL of the leftover pie. WOOHOO! Could life get any better?

Also, a shout out to my little sister Emily. She gave us the news last week that she is pregnant, due in May. They just found out they are having another girl. So exciting. I will have a new nephew and a new niece. I am so EXCITED! (I have to live vicariously through all you people since I am done having my own.)

Though we didn't have any melted telephones in OUR oven, it was still a fun and eventful day!

Gratitude

My life has always been filled with much abundance. I would be so selfish if I didn't express my deepest gratitude for all of the blessings I have in my life. Here are just a few (because I could go on for days):

-a husband that I am deeply in love with and who I know is in love with me
-the most awesome sons in the world that I would do anything for
-the gospel
-a home that is filled with love
-the best family and friends that anyone could ask for
-all of my needs and most of my wants fulfilled
-happiness

Everything else can be broken down into those categories. Thanks be to a loving Father who provides all these things. We are truly blessed.

Twilight

Me and five of my friends went to the midnight showing of Twilight last night. I went with an open mind but not expecting much. I LOVED it! It was so good and the characters were really well cast. I was so happy I didn't waste my money. And it's always so fun to hang with your girlfriends and eat too many treats, all while drooling over the hottest vampire in the world.

***If you have not read the book, you won't like the movie.***

Friendship

Throughout our lives, we are blessed with many friends and many opportunities to make new friends. I am a person who loves people. One of my pet peeves in life is when people don't take care of each other. I have always felt that if you say you are a friend then you should just be one. We all have our issues, problems, hang-ups, etc. etc. Who cares? When you put it all out there, you get it back somehow. Maybe not from everyone all the time but you definitely get it back.
One of my best friends and I were talking tonight. She was upset about some things and she called me so she could work through them and feel better. I want her to know that I love her with all of my heart and nothing could ever change that. I know that Heavenly Father brought us together because we need each other. Our friendship is by divine design. I thank God every day that we are in each others lives.
Thank you to all of you who are my friends. I care about you and love you all more than you know.

Jumping On The Bandwagon

I am going to be making my blog private. There are too many bad things that go on out there in the world and I want to be able to share things about my family with those I know and love. If you are interested, please send me your e-mail address. I will be public for about another week but after that, it will be done. Thanks!

Call For Book Club

We need to have a book club meeting! I have been finished with the Alchemist for a long time now. I found it to be a fascinating book that I would love to read again.
If anyone has read this, please feel free to comment and leave your thoughts. I want to know what you thought of it.
***please be advised***-Being allowed to even comment on anything "The Kelly Club" is doing, is a great privilege in and of itself. Do NOT take this responsibility lightly;)

Historic Day

For the first time in our nation's history, America has elected the first African-American president. I never thought it would happen. Not because I didn't think it should, I just thought most Americans would be too narrow minded to do it. It says a lot about us and how far we have come in the last 50 years.
I did not vote for Obama. He does not fit into my picture of what a president should be. Mind you, neither does John McCain but he was the lesser of 2 evils for me.
I do think that Obama has the chance to step up and be a great leader. I truly hope he does and proves me, and a lot of other people, wrong. I would love to eat my words on this one.
At any rate, I love this country and all of the blessings and opportunities it affords me and my family. I am proud and very grateful to be an American.

Catching Up

We had a wonderfully fun Halloween season this year. We had many a party with both family and friends. The annual Grandma Walker pumpkin painting party was a hit as usual. The boys had fun hanging out with their cousins, eating too many sweets (thanks Kami!) and painting pumpkins. Thanks grandma and grandpa Walker for all the work in putting it together.
We also had fun at Shelley and Dan's house for the annual "We can never get enough of Glen's chili" party. Grandpa Adams is an amazing cook and we love getting together to eat and catch up with everyone. We even had "Sarah Palin" (aka Aunt Ace) grace us with her presence.






We also had a party here at our house with our dear friends. The Jolley's, the Maxfield's and the Barker's came up to eat dinner, decorate cookies and play Halloween games with all our kiddies. Between our 4 families, we have 14 kids. They all get a long so well. They have never even had a disagreement between them. I think Heavenly Father has allowed this for the sake of their mothers. We need each other so our kids get along. It is so great.
Tyson was the Joker this year and he was a good one. Jaden was Legolas from Lord of the Rings. Corbin was Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. I was a cute girly pirate.
Too much candy, too much food and too much fun! Thanks everyone!

Rock The Vote

I know I haven't posted in a while and I will, I promise! But for now, I just want you to go vote! We have a responsibility people! Run!

Peace

I don't have a lot to say that really pertains to anything just some random thoughts that have been going through my head. The whole world seems to be in turmoil right now. Things are falling a part, one by one, and yet I feel a calm in my soul. I have always been one that has some kind of inner turmoil about something or another. Something to do, to be, to take care of, etc. etc. I realized today though that even though there are things I still want to accomplish or want to do that I am deliriously happy. I am who I was meant to be. Ross's wife, Tyson, Jaden and Corbin's mom, your friend, sister, daughter, relative, daughter of God. All of these things and their greatness are a part of who I am. It would be completely ridiculous for me to see all this greatness around me and not see my own greatness as well. I know I am here for a reason and that everything happens for a reason. I have faith, not fear. It's a good feeling.

Bin Laden, Pirates and Joseph of Egypt

What do you get when you cross these 3? A costume party! Our friends Chad and Kelli Booth had a totally fun halloween party last week. We are so proud that we are not so socially retarded that we were invited. Or maybe we are and we were just considered entertainment. At any rate, there was a ton of great food and great people. We played a few games in which I found out a lot about people that they probably don't want me to know. At least now I have some leverage for the future should the need arise. For now I will just say that if any of you need a pair of rockin' paisley pants, I know where to find them! Thanks Booth crew for an awesome time!

I'm Not Only (co)President, I'm A Member Too!

I have a good friend I'll call Kelli. We were discussing in depth one day the book Breaking Dawn. Our ward has a book club, which is great, but there are books that we would like to read that we know they don't want to. Not that they are bad books, just not their style. So we started our own book club. I am borrowing the description from Kelli's website because she does it greater justice than I do.

"KELLY CLUB........a club for members only.
Kelly Club has officially started!! What is Kelly Club you ask??? Well it is a book club that consists of two Kelli's; Kelly Walker and Kelli Booth. The book we have chosen to read is the Alchemist by Paul Coelho. It is a great read, I have truely loved it!! If you want to sign up to become a member of Kelly Club, it is really quite simple. All you need to do is be able to read and you need to change your name to Kelly. A $25.00 membership fee is charged to your account whenever Kelly #1 or Kelli #2 is short on cash, needing a pick me up....or just whenever they feel like it. This club is for members only. *Fees not applicable in all states....an 8% sales tax will be assessed to members in Hawaii, because they get to live by the beach. Kelly Club is not responsible for views or opinions expressed in Chad and Ross Club, nor by its' subsidiaries. To get more information about joining Kelly Club, please leave your contact information and we will decided if we want to contact you.

All kidding aside, this is a great book and Kelly Club would love any and all friends to read it with us. We have already signed two members up this morning -----Kara Dunn made the case that her name started w/ a "K", thus she was granted membership, also Larisa Harris has agreed to go by, "Karisa" Harris hence she was allowed to join and she is the newest member to join Jelly Club......oops that was a typo I meant Kelly Club."

So as you can see, we are already having great fun. Oh and new members, please watch your bank accounts. I am feeling the need for a new pair of shoes;)

Sorry, You Get My Crazy All At Once

My good(?) friend Natalie tagged me. I am not sure that any of you want to hear this. I usually let out my crazy in small doses so I don't scare anyone off. Oh well! Here it goes:

Rules: List 6 quirks that you have and then tag 6 other people to list their quirks. Oh. Scary.

#1-Ever since I can remember, I count stairs as I go up or down them. It doesn't matter if I have been on them a hundred times and know exactly how many there are, I still count them.

#2-When I am making a bed, the sheets and blankets have to face the correct way. There is a top and a bottom and sometimes the pattern is supposed to go a certain way. If they are not facing the proper way, I can't go to sleep until I have gotten up and fixed them. (I know it's just getting worse the farther I go.)

#3-I have a serious eyebrow issue. I pluck mine every day and I can feel if they are messed up or out of place. I can't handle it if someone else's are screwed up either. I have to force myself to not stare at someone's eyebrows if they are freaky. But rest assured, I am a good enough friend to tell you if you have a problem with yours;)

#4-I eat M&M's in twos and I go in order from color I like least to color I like best. For instance, brown ones first, then blue, red, orange, yellow and finally green. I like to end on a happy note and green makes me happy.

#5-I fill up cups of ice water to the very top and drink a little and end up leaving them all over the house. You would think I would just keep using the same cup within a day but I am FAR too busy to go looking for my old one.

#6-Last, but definitely not least, I CANNOT use the same ice cream scoop in two different flavors of ice cream. It drives me crazy when someone dips out of chocolate and then proceeds to dip out of vanilla and leaves the chocolate residue all over the vanilla. If I had wanted that then I would have bought the swirl.

Now that I am completely embarrassed, I am going to go hide under a rock. But in the mean time, I tag Krista, Megan, Kelli B., Jamie F., Kerrie, Vicki, and Tracy C. Love you guys!

Fundraiser For A Dear Friend

General Relief Society Meeting

Saturday was the sister's meeting. I went to the broadcast over at our church building. I was kind of in a mood so I didn't really want to go, but I did anyway.
I swear President Uchtdorf's talk was for me. Isn't that how it always goes? He talked about how women tend to focus on the things we do wrong instead of all the things we do right. He talked about not being so hard on ourselves. He talked about how all of us have this need to be "creators". We want to make things around us better and more beautiful and bring something more to the table. It's something that our Heavenly Father passed on to us.
He also talked about serving those around us, about hearing the silent prayers around us. All of us struggle, all of us need a friend, a shoulder, someone to care. Are we answering those prayers? When we spread sunshine, we can't help but get a little on ourselves too.
Anyway, it was just what I needed. I guess President Uchtdorf heard my silent prayers.

Daytona Beach

Last week, Ross and I went to Daytona Beach, Florida for our anniversary. It was the first time either of us has been there. It is so beautiful there! We both love the ocean so we were stoked when we realized that our hotel was right on the shore. You could hear the waves pounding all night long. It wasn't too hot because it was overcast, about 85%. It was still humid though.
We spent one day traveling north up the coast. We stopped at some sugar mill plantation ruins. They were cool. We took a little nature walk through the woods around them. We really scared an armadillo who ran himself head first into a tree trying to run away. It was hysterical. We also watched a scary big spider in his scary big web for a while. He was cool.
We continued north to the town of St. Augustine. It is a sleepy little town with a lot of history. There is a really cool, really old (16th century) military fort there. It saw battle many a day, including from pirates, but it never fell. There is some really neat artillery and such still there. We had a great time.
We searched for alligators everywhere but we could never find any on our own so we ended up at a gator farm. They had like every gator in Florida there. They are actually trainable, which is just weird to me for some reason. Ross got his gator fix and we were good to go.
The next day, we spent traveling south. We went to Canaveral National Forest and did some neat nature walks. We went to a couple of Manatee playgrounds but never did see any:(
We spent part of the afternoon back in Daytona playing in the ocean. It was so fun. The sand there is so strange. It's really hard even after the water washes over it. I didn't know that back in the day, they used to have car and motorcycle races along that stretch before they built the speedway. We did see the speedway too. It's ginormous.
We had a lot of fun. Ross always makes things 100 times more fun than they usually are. Thanks honey! I can't wait to go back and take the kids to Disneyworld.

Lucky Number 13

Tomorrow is my and Ross's 13th anniversary. It's so hard to believe we have been married for that long because it sure doesn't feel like it.
I remember our first date. I knew I was going to marry him. It was quite shocking, considering that I thought I would never be married. Turns out, he was and still is my soul mate. I know that we were meant for each other. I know that I knew him before this life. I am sure that he promised me long before we were ever born that he would come down here and fix my messed up head. He does just that on a daily basis.
I have never known more love, hope or happiness than I have with Ross. He is truly the best person I have ever known and I am so thankful that the Lord saw fit to put us together. I would never have been half of what I am without him and I kind of like who I am. I love you more each day honey. Thank you for all you do for me.
Happy Anniversary.

Crazy Fast

Saturday morning, the brand new, totally expensive Legacy Highway opened. But it wasn't quite open to cars yet. They officially "cut the ribbon" with a road race. Bikers and runners from far and wide came to participate. Ross decided to do his first ever road bike race.
He was a little unsure of how fast he could go. It was 20 miles. He was hoping for 53 minutes but thought he wouldn't get that. I told him he could do it in 52.
Official results: 51 minutes 30 seconds. 5th place in his class, 31st out of 888 over all! What a stud! I was so proud and he had a stupid grin for most of the day.
He got a cool t-shirt and bragging rights to boot.
Way to go speed racer!

Major Award

Rules associated with this award:

1. The recipient must link back to the awards creator.
(http://www.thebabblingsofmere.blogspot.com/) (a student in Texas)

2. You must post these rules if you receive the award. (I did)

3. You must choose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself. (check the list below and see if you are on it)

4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere. (Vicki, you totally made my day. Thanks!)

5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient. (look below)

6. You must create a post sharing your win with others. (that's what this is, I suppose)

7. You must thank your giver. (Vicki Wight, thank you so much and I am happy to count you as my friend for life! And probably a definite partner in crime;)

Characteristics for the Smile Award:

1. Must display a cheerful attitude (I think I do. Mostly:)

2. Must love one another. (I love everyone. Everyone is unique and special to me.)

3. Must make mistakes. (I make way more than the average Joe.)

4. Must learn from others. (I try. Oh do I try. Not always quickly but that's ok, right?)

5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world. (I contribute. Hopefully it's positive.)

6. Must love life. (I LOVE life. Immensely.)

7. Must love kids. (I love kids. Especially my kids.)

5 Awesome Bloggers Who Qualify for This Major Award!

Natalie Vincent-Since the day I met you, you have made me smile. I knew early on that we would be great friends. You have taught me to lift up my head and trudge forward even in the face of great adversity. I admire you greatly.

Kerrie Andrews- I don't think I have ever met anyone who gives more than you do. You are constantly looking for ways to make the world better and then you step up and do it, no excuses. No one has a bigger heart.

Krista Barker- You are so totally amazing. We have laughed and cried together many a time. I always walk away from you with a smile on my face. I know that I can count on you for anything.

Tracy Carrigan- I have never seen you without a smile. I know you struggle like everyone else but the difference is that you choose to be happy no matter what. I can go a long time without talking to you and when we do hook up, it's like we never left.

Ross Walker- Last on this list but #1 in every aspect of my life. You restored my hope in life and all the good there is and you continue to do so every day. You bring such joy to my life. I know the world would be a whole lot darker without you. I love you.

110 Degrees of Pure Fun

This last weekend we went to St. George with two of our very good friends, Shawn and Andrea. I have been friends with Andrea since we were kids and we, as a couple, have been friends with them our whole married life. We have seen each other through a lot of good and bad times. They are awesome.
Our whole intention was to go down there, rent some motorcycles and have a whole lot of fun. We did just that. We got there Thursday night and picked up our bikes in Hurricane. Impromptu, we decided to drive to Vegas and spend the night. We had no reservations, just decided to head that way and find a hotel. We ended up staying at the Mirage in really nice rooms for only $100. Friday, we walked around Vegas for a while before we headed to Hoover Dam. I had never been there before. I thought it was an amazing place. Totally worth the very uninteresting drive to get there. We then turned around and headed back to St. George through the Valley of Fire. I am sure it was named that for it's temperatures from Hades. It was 110 degrees at the hottest point.
Saturday we headed into Zion's to do the Angel's Landing Hike. It is a 5 mile hike. Mostly up hill. The last half mile you need to use chains up a crazy steep and very narrow path. There were hoardes of people there. Andrea and I sat and watched Ross and Shawn do that last half mile. I was a little nervous, what with all the people, plus I get vertigo so I didn't feel bad about it. I will do it some time when there are a lot fewer people to push me off.
We came back Sunday morning. It was so fun. We are so lucky to have such awesome friends that share our sense of adventure. They will probably become our permanent riding buddies.

Different But The Same

I think people are fascinating. I am always trying to figure them out. What motivates them, what makes them happy, why they act the way they do.
I have recently reconnected with a few old friends from high school. High school is such a joke in a way. Everyone is so concerned with what everyone else thinks and being either little clones of each other or trying so hard to be different that they go way off the deep end.
Anyway, it just got me thinking, for all the ways people are different or try to be different, we are really all the same. We are all trying to be happy. We want someone to love and someone to love us with no conditions. We want understanding. We want to BE something, someone special.
I am so glad for that hind-sight that comes with getting older. You become friends with someone you never would have in the past because you realize all those trivial things like social status just don't matter. You realize that we are all connected. That we all are something special.
Man I'm glad high school is over.

Breaking Dawn

Anyone who knows me knows that I have been a Stephanie Meyers fan. I really loved the first 3 books in her Twilight series. They are by no means in the category of "All time great literature" but I think they are a fun read, keeping in mind that they are geared for teenagers and are going to be sappy. But what girl doesn't love a good love story, complete with "Prince Charming"?
That being said, I really didn't care that much for Breaking Dawn, the fourth book. To say I was bitterly disappointed would be an understatement. I think that the author has had her fingers in too many pots and feeling the pressure to produce, gave a substandard story line. And, in my opinion, it kind of got smutty. No way would I let my teenage daughter read it. (If I had a teenage daughter that is.) It's too bad that I feel I wasted a whole week on this book.
I am still madly in love with Edward (sorry Ross!). I guess that's just the way it goes. *Sigh*

Olympic Fever

I just love the Olympic Games. Whether it be summer or winter, I really get into all the events even if they are things I am not usually interested in. I love hearing the individual stories and seeing people's dreams come true.
It gets me all pumped up over my own fitness goals and I take a lot of time reflecting. I spent the first half of this year training like a mad woman. I have tried many different things to push through the hard things and make myself better. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I realize that my biggest hang up is my brain. I quit mentally long before my physical prowess gives out. I have really been working on how to change that.
So here's my question to all of you that read my blog, what works for you? What is it that pushes you to go above and beyond what you believe you can do? So quit lurking and please leave me comments. You never know, you might be my answer!

Sunny St. George

After being tied to home because of sheep for the summer, we decided to get the heck out of Dodge before school starts. We are down here for the next couple of days just playing our little hearts out. It is so freaking hot! It has been over a hundred degrees every day. It is still that hot at about 8:30 at night too. Crazy.
We are going to go hiking in Zion's today. We love to hike. God's creations are so neat and they really put things into perspective for me. The whole plan is so much bigger than we are. There is so much going on that we don't even realize.
I found out yesterday that a dear friend of mine has breast cancer and will be having a masectomy very soon. I don't think she is even 30 yet. I can't even begin to imagine what she is facing. A few weeks ago, a family in our community had a tragic thing happen. Their 18 year old son was swimming in Pineview and broke his neck. He is paralyzed now and has a long road ahead of him.
Our heartfelt prayers are with you guys. We love you so much.
It tears me up inside how quickly a life can change. The only thing to hold onto is our faith. I can't even fathom trying to make it through life without it.

The End of the Fair

Last Saturday was auction day. It was a good day. The sheep were very calm and easy to deal with and the boys both got a good amount of money for them. Between the auction price and booster money they made about $1500 before expenses. I think that's pretty dang good for 2 months worth of work.
We made them pay for the sheep, the feed and some of the "accessories" i.e. feed bowls, harnesses. Tyson and Jaden each pocketed $340 and Corbin got $300. I remember spending an entire summer babysitting sun-up to sun-down for $200. I got rooked!
We all said good-bye to the sheep. The boys seemed to be pretty ok until Jaden came in at 11:00 that night. Rubbing his eyes, as if trying to force the tears to stay in there, he asked if I had any suggestions on how to stop thinking about the sheep because all he could think about was how to buy them back. And then the tears just couldn't stop themselves. AAWWWW. He is such a little tender heart. I totally know where he's coming from. I have shed a few over those sheep myself.
What a great experience. I am so glad we did this. We are definitely doing it again next year.

Feelin' Sheepish

I know, DUMB title but hey, I only have a few more days to do that. I am going to share a post that Ross put on our family blog about the fair.
"Wow, what a day. We spent pretty much all day at the fair with the sheep. The shows started around 9:00, but they take them into the show by weight. Yeah, thats just as bad as alphabetical order when you are a Walker with 157 pound sheep. We actually had 2 shows to do on Wednesday. The first show is called Market show. Both Tyson and Jaden got a Blue ribbon in this showing! The sheep and the boys did a great job together. There was one part where Clyde got a little anxious and jumped away from Tyson, who was assisted in the re-capture by the coolest old lady. She literally jumped at Clyde, caught his neck and brought Clyde down. The problem is that Clyde was on top, so the lady just rolled him right over and stood with with a firm grip on Clyde, she was AMAZING!

The boys were very happy with their ribbons and performance, so are we. I need to take a second here and thank our family, so many of you showed up to show support for the boys it was great. We really appreciate all that you do for them, and while they don't always remember to say thank you (without a little prompting) they do know you were there and are glad to show you their hard work. Thank you all.

The second show is the hardest one, its called Showmanship. This show is all about the kid, how he handles the lamb, his ability to make it pose and stand correctly. Its a HARD competition, usually the ones that win this part are the ones with 3-4 years experience. The boys/sheep actually did even better in this class than they did in the first one, but with the stiif competition they did not get a ribbon. Still, they felt how great they did and were very happy. The judge was the same in both competitions and he quickly became friends with Jaden. The mohawk is a great ice-breaker for people to talk with him. As the judge goes by each kid he asks a question of them about the sheep, usually about feed, weight or something. He asked Jaden "How much hair gel do you use?" Jaden replied "Just a little". The few people that actually heard it quite enjoyed their conversation.

The last showing will be this Saturday and its just to show all the sheep to the auction buyers. We are all very excited to see how much the boys sheep will riase. There have been many of you who also 'boosted' thier work with your financial dontations, thank you! Just so you know... all auctions proceeds and booster funds will: 1- Pay for the cost of raising the sheep 2- Be divided by 3 (yes, even though Corbin did not show he did A LOT of work to help his brothers) 3- Pay tithing 4- invested into savings accounts and then 5- wasted in only ways that boys can think of.

Thanks again for all your support and if you get a chance head over to the fair and say hello to Bonnie & Clyde, the greatest sheep ever!"

For the record, our 60 pound kids had the 2 biggest sheep in the fair, 157 and 155 pounds. That is a small horse, people! We are tickled pink with the boys. I have a tear in each eye. One for my kids and one for my sheep. I have become quite attached to them I realized.

Of Sheep and Men

So it's fair week. Yes, folks, that means in a matter of hours, nay, minutes, I will no longer own these 2 beauties. And not a moment too soon. It has been a total learning experience. I think it's been more good than bad. I have grown quite fond of Bonnie and Clyde. They really are quite gentle animals. Unless you forget to feed them. A lot like me!
We had the pleasure, if you can call it that, of washing and shearing them last night. Let me tell you, you have not lived until you have washed a sheep's bum and nether regions. I think we were all quite disturbed by the experience. Let's observe a moment of silence for my family's twisted mental pictures.
It was all quite interesting. It took 3 grown men holding our two sheep to get them sheared. They have grown quite a bit. They are very beautiful and I know someone is going to look at them and think, "It's lamb chops for dinner tonight sweetheart!" Thankfully, that is no one in MY household.
I get a little teary thinking about what's going to happen to them soon but I know that they are fulfilling their mission in life.
On to other things, my cousin Steve's wedding was beautiful. His new wife is a total cutie and you can tell they love each other a lot. It was fun to kind of relive memories of being a newlywed and remembering how deluded we were! It's so crazy to think how little you actually know someone when you marry them. So glad that I got one that is so much fun since apparently normal was out of the question. Love you honey!
Life is good. I will post about the fair later.

P.S. Congrats to my cousin Shelby and her hubby Jason. They are expecting a baby early next year.

Busy Busy

We have been so busy lately. It feels like we have been going a million miles an hour. Our good friends from Clinton, The Canovas came up for a barbecue one weekend. It was really good to see them and catch up a bit. Corbin has had swim lessons going on since last week. They are in North Ogden so it has been a lot of time and fuel:( He has been doing great though.
On the 24th, we had a BBQ with some friends up here in the Valley and then our family went hiking at Snowbasin Ski Resort. It was very beautiful. Our kids are quite the hikers. Near the middle of our hike, Tyson challenged anyone who wanted to participate in a race up a VERY steep hill. I accepted, as did Jaden and Corbin. Jaden made it about halfway, Corbin ran most of it, as did Tyson and I. Even Ross joined in the fun.(is that the right word for it?!?) Tyson beat all of us. We all made it but I had a nasty pain in the ol' lungs by that time. Hill running does not work for me but the point is, we did something hard and we had fun. The hike back down the mountain was much more leisurely.
In between all of this, my dad had a birthday. Happy B-day Dad! You're one in a million. We also had a fun sleepover with a family that lives up here in the Valley. Normally, we don't allow sleepovers. But Ross and I have been friends with the parents for over 13 years now (crazy!) and they were participating in the sleepover as well. We had a great dinner, climbed the rock wall, made home made ice cream, watched movies and played games. We went to bed at about 1 that night. It was a riot. I have to plan this kind of thing with more families we are friends with. It was fun to have the grownups with the kids.
We have a lot more to do coming up here these next couple of weeks, what with birthdays and weddings and the Weber County Fair. I will post when I can. I have to let you all know about some good books I have been reading lately to add to your piles of must-read-books.
Cheers!

What Do You Remember About Me?

My blogging buddy Heidi posted this tag on her blog and I thought it was kind of fun.

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

(side note: if any of these memories can in anyway incriminate me in any crime, please reply to my e-mail;)

Obedience

We had a great lesson in church today about obedience. It has gotten me thinking about it a lot today. Why is it so hard to do it sometimes? I know the blessings I get when I am obedient and I know how much better I feel, yet I seem to go in this vicious cycle. Sometimes I am so solid in doing what I should and I think, "I really got it this time. Nothing can stop me." And then, I get lazy I guess. And it seems like pulling teeth to get out my scriptures or to say my prayers.
I know that when life gets hard and frustrating we can usually look at ourselves and see what we are NOT doing that would bring us to that state. Then we have an a-ha moment when we realize it was us that caused it the whole time and we need to get back on track.
I had one of those moment earlier when I was having my giant pity party, wondering why things are really getting to me lately. Strictly my idleness, I think. I need to anxiously re-engage myself. As of right now, consider it done. No more of this whiny, sissy stuff. Until the next time, of course.

Validated

I am really having a hard time the last couple of days. Maybe that's why I haven't felt like posting. I know we all have our times when we just feel a little lost. I am a little lost right now.
We had a family party tonight and sometimes I get a little envious of my sister who I love dearly. She is totally amazing. She has always had this great relationship with my parents that I sometimes don't seem to have. I am always trying to be validated but she seems to shine brighter than I do. It would help if she ever did anything wrong but she never does!
I have posted before about my 3 friends. I also love them dearly. We had a chance to hang out this last week because it was Megan's b-day. It was such a good time but sometimes I feel like I don't quite fit, like they are all better friends with each other than I am with them. I guess most of the time I just don't think I am all that interesting. I don't have a bad self esteem I just don't know why people would like me.
It bugs me that I feel the need to be validated. Why can't I just be happy all the time and let it roll off my back?
Writing it down has made it sound kind of dumb but there it is. I feel a little better. Thanks for joining in on my pity party.

Delicious

The other night we were playing the game Apples to Apples. Tyson got a card that he instantly started to giggle about. He made the comment that he was going to use it for something good. Well the card "delicious" got thrown. Tyson's description of delicious? CHEERLEADERS! He laughed and laughed and Ross awarded him the card. Like father, like son. Boy do I have my work cut out for me! I guess I would be more worried if he didn't think that.

Great Book

Just finished The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom. Same guy that wrote Tuesdays With Morrie. This is a fictional story but such a good book. It is only 196 pages so it is a fast read. I highly recommend it.

Happy 4th

We have had a great time today. We went over to the Huntsville Park this morning for the days festivities. We went to the breakfast in the park which was pancakes, eggs and sausage with orange juice shooters. Good stuff. Then we watched the town parade. It's so fun to live in a small town where everyone knows everyone and it's just a good time all around. There is a friendliness that is always in the air. And it wouldn't be a small town parade if you didn't have a tractor in every color from every era finishing it all off.
This afternoon we went with the Walker side of the family to see the movie Wall-E. It was really cute.
We are going to grill and then tonight head to the park again with the Adams side to watch fireworks. Good times.
It's a good time to reflect on the great country we live in and how much people sacrifice for it to be that way. God bless America.

Pictures from the Back

Click here.

Special Thank You

I want to tell Ross just how amazing he is. Not only was he our driver who kept us in awesome spirits, he was my personal cheerleader and probably the only one who truly kept me going when i wanted to quit. Thank you for always being there, for loving me and helping me to be more than I thought I could be. I love you Ross.

I Survived the Wasatch Back

It was questionable there for a minute! That was one of the funnest things I have ever done. It was also the hardest. If I were to choose out of the two, I would pick a half marathon every time because of how hard the Back was.
Our team started Friday morning at 9:20. From the start, the race officials predicted that we would finish Saturday night around 5:00.
I was in van 2, which is runners 7-12. We should have started running around 3:43 which would have put my first leg at about 4:22. Our first van busted it out and we started running at 1:30. I was on the road at 2:15. It was only 3.4 miles but it was tough because of the heat. It was 87 degrees with no shade. But I was still at a 10 minute mile even in the heat so I was happy. Our van rocked the house! We had some great runners.
My next run was 7 miles at midnight. This was the best run I have ever had. I decided I love to run in the dark. It was cool and peaceful and even though there were other runners on the road, we were pretty spread out and you just kept to yourself. The only bad thing about this run is that you are pretty sweaty when you finish so sitting in the van afterward, you start freezing to death because you are wet.
My next run started at 9:30 Saturday morning. Mind you, we have all only gotten about an hour of broken sleep. When I ate breakfast at 7:30, it didn't sit well. I wasn't too happy about that. My last run was 6.1 miles, slight up hill most of the way. By mile 2, I was struggling. I had a stitch in my side, I was exhausted and my stomach was a huge knot. Mile 3, I stopped and threw up twice in an irrigation ditch in front of a farmer and his family in Midway, Ut. At this point, I so wanted to quit. It was so hot even at that time of the morning and I was seeing spots. Ross (who was our amazing driver and husband extraordinaire) and the van stopped to give me some water and I started to cry because I knew I had 3 miles left and I just wanted to quit. But I didn't. The next 3 miles, I alternated walking and running just so I could make it through. I was so happy when I finished that leg that I just sat on some grass and cried.
The good news: I was not the only one of my team who had to throw up in the middle of my final run. A cute girl named Bree who is 19 and a totally awesome runner did too. That made me feel a little better about it!
My team crossed the finish line at 2:15 Saturday afternoon, two hours and 45 minutes before they thought we would. Our whole team averaged a 9 1/2 minute mile through out the race. I, personally, think we rocked the house.
This race is great. You have all kinds of people who sign up to do this. Elite runners, beginning runners, all sorts. 90% of the runners end up walking part of the really difficult parts. The commaraderie(?) is amazing. Everyone is there helping everyone else push through those demons that you get from being mentally and physically exhausted. You go beyond what you think you can do. It's amazing.
I would recommend anyone and everyone to do this race at least once. It's freaking hard but so worth the effort and bragging rights. If you don't think you can do it, call me. I have asthma, which means I am usually the weakest link. And there was a girl that ran this race with the 2nd hardest set of legs to run that was BLIND. So just try and tell me you can't do it.

Race Day

Today we start the Wasatch Back. 180 grueling miles in 85-90 degree weather. Pray for me people! I am really excited. I think this race, while tough, will be really fun. I will post after recovery. Happy weekend!

Happy Early Father's Day!

I know I am a couple of hours early but I don't know if I will have time tomorrow. I just want to post about a couple of amazing fathers that I know in my life.

Let's start with Ross. Ross is hands down, the most amazing man/husband/father I have ever known in all of my life. Everyone has flaws but honestly, Ross's are very few. He has such compassion and love for me and the boys. He is always trying to think of ways to have fun but he never loses a teaching moment either. He is always showing us a better way and takes those opportunities to teach us about the gospel. The boys can't get enough of him (neither can I). He inspires us, lifts us up and makes it impossible to live without him. We are so thankful for all of your time and energy in our behalf. We love you Ross!

Next, let's move to my dad, Glen. My whole life I watched my dad work his butt off to support our family. Life was not always easy for him and my mom financially but I don't think us kids realized that for the most part. I remember sitting and listening to him play the piano and never wanting to move. I love the way he plays. I got my great love of music from him I think. He is a great cook. I could eat his spaghetti every day of the week and never get sick of it. He also taught me that no matter what, you never waver from the gospel. Whatever it is you are going through, you suck it up and get through it. And even though he regularly kicks my husband's trash at raquetball, he is a wonderful grandfather and father and I would not trade him for the world. I love you dad.

Last, but definitely not least, my father in law, Dixon. From the first moment I met him, he has made me feel like I was someone special. He has never missed a moment to give me a hug and make me feel loved. He constantly tells me that he thinks I am doing a great job (something that every mom needs!) I can tease him relentlessly and he keeps coming back for more. (secretly, I think he loves it!) I know that Ross learned everything he knows from you so I know that he is a great man because you are a great man. Thank you for the love and support you give me and the boys. I know that you were meant to be in my life and I am grateful for it. I love you!

To the many grandpas, dads, soon to be dads, brothers in law, etc., you are all amazing. I love you all. Have a wonderful Father's Day.

Square Foot Gardening

We jumped on the SFG bandwagon this year. I love to have a garden and love even more for it to produce a lot. From everything we have read and heard, this is like the gold medal way to garden.
We bought the boxes and set everything up. The boys each have their own box they are in charge of and as they produce stuff they can sell it to me for money. It kind of gets them excited about working hard and having a reward. I think I will just match what the grocery store is asking unless it's outrageous, which is entirely possible these days.
Anywho, all of our seeds have sprouted! And our tomato plants are growing nicely. I can't wait until harvest time.

Niece or Nephew?

My little sister Shelley is pregnant. She is about 10 weeks along. I am so freaking excited I can't stand it! I love little babies but mine aren't so little any more :( And neither are Em's :( So I have to live vicariously through Shelley and Alison. I have been pretty patient I think.
I remember when Tyson and Taylor were little. I used to watch Tay a couple of days a week while Em worked. We had so much fun. And then I did a little at home preschool for Jaden and Rylee. We had so much more fun there! Sadly, I have never gotten to hang out with Maddi much like that but I still love that kid to pieces. She is so fiery.
I am excited to see how Ace and Shell's kids turn out. No doubt they will be just as amazing as all the rest of them. We have such a rockin' family. We are so blessed.

Our Pets

At the end of May, we got 2 new additions to our family. We added Bonnie and Clyde, which are SHEEP! What the? Yes that was my reaction as well. When I told my sister Emily about it, she busted up laughing. So has pretty much everyone else. We are NOT farmers people.
Up here in the valley a friend of mine started a 4-H club for the kids. They buy their own sheep, which were around $150 a piece. They raise them for 2 months and get them ready to show at the Weber County Fair where they will auction from $350 on up. It is a great way to learn responsibility and add a few bucks to their bank account. Might I add, this is the ONLY reason we decided to do this.
The boys have been doing great so far. They take care of them really well and are generally excited to do it. I think at the end of the 2 months that we have them, we will all be grateful for a break. We have had a few adventures. Building a sheep pen, houdini sheep that both learned how to escape that pen, building another pen, etc. etc. We will definitely be pros by next year. (Yes we decided to do it again!)
If you are bored, come up and meet them. If nothing else, you can laugh at us.

Happy Birthday Tyson!

Today Tyson is 11. It is hard for me to believe that this "little" man is that baby I held so long ago. He really is becoming such a fine young man. He has become so responsible lately. I know that we can count on him to do anything we ask him to do. Some fun Tyson facts:

-even at 11, he loves his mom and dad a lot. He is always cuddling up next to us and looking for hugs.
-is a fountain of knowledge. This kid remembers everything he has ever learned. He has a voracious appetite for learning new things.
-LOVES to read. Would spend all of his time reading if we let him.
-is an adrenaline junkie (thanks Ross!) He has no fear. Will climb anything, jump off anything, try anything at least once.
-despite how he comes across, he wants to be accepted and feel loved more than anything.
-is a great big brother and wonderful son.

We love you Ty-man!

Aaww Shucks :)

Ross is a sneaky fellow. He makes me blush.
I did indeed win the title of biggest loser. You put me in a competition and my insanely competitive side comes out. (Krista I know you are nodding in agreement right now!)
There were 7 guys and 11 girls. Our divisions were separate but my overall percentage lost beat the highest guy loser. I started out at 164. I weighed in on Tuesday at 135.5. 28 1/2 pounds lost for am overall percentage of 17.38%. The highest guy was 14% I think.
Anyway, I won $250 bucks so I bought a new swimsuit today. This is the first time in a long time that I have actually been excited to wear one!
Thanks Ross for being my biggest supporter. He has put up with a lot from me and all of my weight loss/fitness goals. I could not do any of it if it weren't for him.

You ARE the biggest Loser!

This is Ross. I know that this is Kellys blog and I keep my annoying little fingers out of it most of the time. But this was too cool and I wanted to post it.


In January Kelly signed up for a biggest loser challenge with a group of people. There were quite a few women and men that were in and guess who the biggest loser was??..... KELLY. She not only beat all the women, but all the men also! I will let her post her numbers if she chooses to, it was all based of percentages.


Just wanted to let he know how proud of her I am. I see her everyday doing the hard things that are making her goals a reality and I couldn't be any happier of her than I am right now.

The Pigs Are Recovering Nicely

I think I may have mentioned in my half marathon post that I popped 4 toenails while running that day. Always the sign of a true runner, I say. Or maybe I just tell myself that to feel better about my ugly toes! Ah well, whatever the reason, I have been nursing them all week so I could get back to running. I wanted to go Tuesday but I was afraid of causing more damage.
I jumped on the treadmill today cause it was rather wet and rainy. I ran for 30 minutes at a pretty hard pace. I am happy to say, the pigs weren't even groaning. They felt great and it was great for me to get back at it. I only have a month left until the Wasatch Back.
I really do like to run. I feel like I accomplished something after I get done. Sometimes I get bored going long distances but I guess that means I just have to step my game up a bit. Not a problem. I love the challenge.
Since January, I have lost 28 pounds and 3 jean sizes. And I am actually liking the look of my legs. And I feel amazing. That's the most important part for me. Injured pigs pale in comparison.

Great Husband and Great Friends

My poor hubby. He has been putting up with me and my pity party all weekend. I appreciate so much the way he takes care of me even when I am being stubborn.
2 of my best buddies surprised me today. They knew I was having a hard time so they brought me lunch and more importantly, their love and support. Hopefully one day, I will be as cool as they are.
So despite my best efforts at being down trodden and hard done to, my fabulous husband and amazing friends lifted me to higher ground. I am feeling a lot better about Saturday. It wasn't all bad. That still is an amazing feat in itself.
Anyway, thanks guys. I love you all so much.

Ryan

I forgot to mention my awesome brother in law Ryan, Em's husband. He ran the full marathon in like 4:04 or something amazing like that. Way to go Ry!

The Ups and Downs of Running

As you know, Saturday was the Ogden Half Marathon for me. Friday morning, I started my period of all sucky things. I woke up feeling a little achy on Saturday but I took some ibuprofen so I figured I would be fine.
A half mile into it, I started to get cramps. I thought if I just slowed a little they would get better but they just got worse and worse. I felt like I was going to puke most of the way. I was kind of hunched over running which is not very fun. I ran the first ten miles and then I walked for 3/4 mile and then ran the rest. My official time was 2:37, faster than last year but not what I wanted.
I have to say, I was devastated. I still am. I have been so depressed all weekend. I have been training for a while now and for the past 2 months, I have been at a 9-9 1/2 minute mile pace. I know there are always bad running days but for it to be on race day just seemed so unfair.
I know it's still an accomplishment and I have no reason to be having a giant pity party but I am.
On a lighter note, my little sister finished in 2:20 and my mom, who is in her 50's and not run for about 25 years, finished in 3:33. I am so proud of both of them. This was a first for both of them and they rocked the house.

Less Than 24 Hours! AAAHHH!

Less than 24 hours to go until the half. We will be getting up at zero dark thirty, slamming down some breakfast and hoping it stays down. The race starts at 7:00 sharp. Wish me luck! Goal time: 2:10. Will be insanely happy with anything up to 2:23. Will post after recovery. (Who knows how long THAT could take!;)

Happy Mother's Day!

It's hard to be a mom. Most of the time, it's really thankless. You feel like you are doing everything for everyone else and they expect you to jump at any given moment. But there are also those times when your kids take the time to give you a hug or actually say thanks for something. Those moments make it all worth it.
The elementary school has a dollar store that the kids can buy Mother's and Father's Day gifts in. Each of the boys did great on my gifts! Tyson gave me a new water bottle for my running, Jaden gave me a manicure set and Corbin gave me a jar of trail mix. I am impressed with their skills.
Ross gave me a running outfit for the half marathon on Saturday. I love it and I love him for being the wonderfully amazing, supportive hubby that he is. Yep, it's this Saturday! Last Friday, I ran 11 miles in 1:45. I think that's pretty good. I am excited for it.
I just want to tell my mom and my mom-in-law, thanks for all you do. You are both amazing pillars of strength. I look up to you a lot. I am so thankful for both of you!

Happy Mother's Day!

It's great to be 8!

Saturday was Corbin's baptism. It was such a wonderful event. Tyson gave a talk on baptism and Jaden gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. They both did a wonderful job. Aunt Amy played the violin. Everyone came to the house after and we had a big lunch with lots of treats. We feel so blessed to have so many family and friends that support us and the boys in the things we do.
Yesterday I got up to bear my testimony in church. Not 2 steps behind me were Tyson and Jaden. That is the first time that has happened. It brings a tear to my eye to see my boys getting so big and finding their own testimony. We are so truly, truly blessed.

Women's Conference

A new friend from my ward asked me if I would go to the Thursday session of the BYU Women's Conference this last week. At first I was a little leery to go, you know the whole Happy Valley thing. I have to say I was so pleasantly surprised. It was such a great experience.
I learned a lot of things that will be great to integrate into my little family. I am, after all, molding future stripling warriors. Although most of the time, I don't really think they are that far off.

Happy Birthday Corbin!

Today is Corbin's 8th birthday. It's hard for me to believe that my "little" kid is 8. He will be getting baptized this Saturday. It's one of those things that is good and bad at the same time. I love seeing my kids grow up and learn new things. I love each phase. But I also just want to make time stop sometimes. Everyday we creep closer to that day in the future when they will move on. I know I will always be their mom but I have to admit, I like feeling like they need me. It's a hard thing. But a good thing too. I am so grateful to be their mom. Here's a few Corbin facts:
-goes by the nickname Bill.
-is currently eating me out of house and home.
-loves Pirates of the Carribbean.
-loves to ride his bike, rollerblade, play in the dirt, anything boys like to do.
-loves his brothers and his mom and dad.
-befriends anyone and everyone.

I can't imagine my life without this kid! Happy Birthday Bill! I love you!

The FIRST Woman Biggest Loser

Have I ever mentioned how obsessed I am with the television show "The Biggest Loser"? I think it is one of the most inspiring shows I have ever watched. It definitely gets me up and moving. I swear it is impossible to be lazy while watching this show.
For the first time in the history of the show, a woman won. Her name is Ali and she is freakin' amazing. She looks like a rock star. I seriously want her arms.
One of the coolest things about Ali, besides the fact that she worked her butt off, is her visualization, intention, belief, whatever you want to call it. From the start, she said she was the biggest loser, even when she initially got voted off. She saw herself standing there, with the confetti and everything, winning. She never lost sight of it. She knew with her whole heart and soul that she could do it. So she did. She moved mountains simply because she believed she could.
She is an inspiring example of "If you believe it, you will achieve it."

Enough Already!!!!

I have to say that I am so tired of our crappy weather! For like the last 2 weeks it seems that we wake up to it being overcast and then it will snow. The other day Ross dropped me off 5 miles from home on his way out of town so I could run home. 1 mile into it, it started to snow. By the time I got home, I was freezing because I was so wet. (BTW, I did that run in 50 minutes.) Anyway, I just want it to sunshine and warm up a little so I can run outside every day. As beautiful as it is, I am sick of staring out the window from my treadmill for an hour.
Sorry about the vent session here.

Conference Weekend!

It is General Conference time again! I love conference. It totally renews my spirit and breathes new life into me.

Today was totally cool. There was a solemn assembly to sustain the new prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I have never had the opportunity to witness this before. It was so amazing. I felt the spirit so strong. I always knew that President Monson was a true prophet, but today the spirit witnessed it to me so strongly that I was crying a little.

We are so blessed to live in this time when we have prophets of God on the earth to lead us and guide us. It is so exciting to me. It just makes me feel like I can do anything and accomplish everything with the Lord on my side.

Anxiety

Ross and I just got to talk to a good friend of ours that we haven't talked to for a while. She is having some troubles with her teenage son that also happens to be a good friend. It totally kills me when I see great people make choices that are going to inevitably cause them heartbreak. I know we all do it. It's part of the plan. It just makes me so anxious.
I know that nothing is a coincidence. I just have to ask myself in these situations, "Do I know why I/they are going through this?" And hopefully my answer to myself is, "No, but your Father does." And even more hopefully, trust that I/they are learning and becoming......more.

SCARY!!!!

Today I officially registered for the Saint George Marathon. It is on a lottery process because of how many people enter every year. They only accept 7000 runners. If I get drawn out, this is the real deal. 26.2 miles of, well, probably hell. I am insanely excited, terrified, etc. etc.
Here are a few bits of great news though. Since January, I have lost almost 20 pounds. Mind you, during our whole home building process, I gained 10, but none-the-less, I am down almost 20. Yay me! The next cool thing is this: I have asthma and so running has been a really big challenge for me even though I have been doing it for so long. I thought it would get easier for my lungs over time, but alas, it has not. So I finally jumped on the internet last week and started researching breathing techniques. I came across one that I decided to try out, not really having a lot of hope that it would work for me. Imagine my delight when I found that it does indeed work for me! It has taken my running experience to a whole new level for me and I am so empowered. I keep thinking I could go on forever instead of wondering when it is going to end so I can sit down!
Good things are happening people. Who said 34 was old?

The Wall

That title is a little deceiving! I am actually referring to the rock wall that we have in our house. I forgot to blog about my accomplishment the other day. I know, I know, I brag too much but this is MY blog! Anyway, my lack of upper body strength is embarrassing to say the least. Even though we have lived here since November, I had never previously made it to the top until the other night. Ross and I were climbing and it just happened. I was so excited I made Ross go get the boys out of bed so they could see me. They ran right up, gave me hugs and told me how great I did. It was a proud moment for the weakling.

Heartbreak For A Friend

I received an e-mail from a dear friend of mine a couple of days ago. Her name is Helene. She lives in France. We have been friends since my sophmore year in high school. She has been here to visit numerous times and I have been to visit her a couple of times. We have seen each other through a lot of things in life. She has been in a relationship since right after high school, which has been like 16 years. They have a child together. He is a really good guy. I was happy to see them together.
She told me that they split up. They are selling their house and she has moved into an apartment with her little boy. They weren't fighting or anything, they just stopped loving each other. At any rate, her life seems to be in shambles. She is completely lost. I can't imagine starting over after that long.
It breaks my heart. It seems like everyone is falling apart anymore.

Road Trip

My peeps and I (Megan and Nicole) took a road trip last weekend to St. George to hook up with our lost peep (Krista). We left Thursday the 13th and stayed until Saturday the 15th. We stayed in our house down there. We had WAY too much fun.
We went to Las Vegas to the outlet mall on Friday to go shopping. And Friday night we enlightened Megan and Nicole on the fine art of waxing your eyebrows. (See Nicole for incriminating pictures). We stayed up way too late every night and of course we ate more than we should have. It was the best time ever.
I am so grateful for these amazing women in my life. They lift me up, inspire me to be better, make me laugh til I cry and cry til I laugh. Besides my 4 boys, they are the best relationships I have in life.

The last day has been pretty hard on me. One of my young women from my old ward has chosen to live a pretty crazy life. Since she was about 15, she has become a drug addict. Not just recreational, I am talking hard-core. She got pregnant last year (unsure who the father is) and dropped out of high school. She has been in and out of rehab for a while and it never seems to stick. She admitted that when she was first pregnant, she took a lot of drugs trying to abort the baby. Supposedly, she got her head straight and decided to give the baby up for adoption to a good family. My friend, her sister, called me yesterday to tell me that she had the baby. They found drugs in her system so DCFS was coming to take the baby. I don't know what this means for the family that wanted to adopt her and I don't know if the baby is going to have problems or not. My guess is that she will.
I also found out about another of my young women. She has always been kind of strange and I always just wrote it off as her needing attention. I think just about everyone did. Around December or so, she just disappeared. Her mom said she moved out and didn't know where she had gone. Saturday, it came out in the paper that her step-dad has been arrested on sexual abuse charges. It gave the details without telling her name but it all lines up. And it all lines up with all the weird things that have gone on with her over the years. It all makes me so sick. I have not been able to think of anything else.
There is a lot of ugliness in this world that drags us all down at times. Despite all of it though, my faith in Christ is stronger than ever. I still see his hand in my life and the world around me daily. It helps to ease the pain and the hurt that we all go through, whether for ourselves or on behalf of those we love. I choose to let my hope and faith live on.
I will pray for these girls. That they may be restored to happiness and all that is right.

Tagged!

OK Krista, this is for you!

*What is his full name? Ross John Walker
*How long have you been married? 12 1/2 years
*How long did you date? 9 months
*Who eats more sweets? we are 100% equal!
*Who said I love you first? Me. Fo' sho'
*How old is he? 34
*Who is taller? Ross
*Who is smarter? Definitely Ross!
*Who can sing better? Again - I am going to go with me but he tries hard!
*Who does the laundry? Only me
*Who pays the bills? Only him
*Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does.
*Who mows the lawn? He refuses to let me do it even though I want to sometimes.
*Who cooks dinner? Me. He has been banned from cooking.
*Who is more stubborn? Me (with head hung low)
*Who kissed who first? He says it was him, I say me and we all know I am always right......
*Who asked who out? I asked him
*Who has more siblings? I have 3 sisters, he has 1 brother and 2 sisters
*Who wears the pants? We both do though I like to pretend it's mostly me!

I tag Kerrie, Tracy, Laura S. and Megan. (come on Meg, you know you want to!)

The Coolest Gadget

I forgot to post about something that Ross surprised me with a couple of days ago. I have been wanting to get a heart rate monitor. They really help you when training for something like, oh, say a marathon. Anyway, he bought me one secretly and surprised me with it. I used it today for the first time. It was so cool. You type in what your maximum heart rate should be and then it record how close you get and for how long you sustain it. Then it tells you how many calories you burned. It does much more than this but it would just take too long. Just know that it is very, very cool. Thanks honey!

No One Told Me This Was Gonna Hurt

I am so freaking sore! All over! This workout schedule I am on is killing me. Just when i feel like I can move again, the next level comes and it's all over with.

I have to admit though, I feel about a thousand times better when I am working out. Not just physically; my attitude is so much better too.

Here comes a pat on the back for me. You know you see yourself everyday so you never feel like you are noticing any change but I measured myself at the start and again a couple of days ago. I have lost 3-31/2 inches on every part of my body. My clothes are starting to fit a little differently too.

That makes it all worth it.

Valentine's Day

I just might be the only girl on the face of the planet who doesn't like Valentine's Day. Surprisingly, I have never been jilted or done wrong by some random man out there. I just so happen to be a strong woman who thinks you shouldn't need an excuse to love me or show love to me. Just do it because you feel it, not because you have to. I think we should all take more opportunities every day to make things count.

The other reason that I don't need it is because I have the greatest husband anyone could ever ask for. He treats me like a princess every day. He does it despite the fact that he knows he doesn't have to. He does it when I am ornery. He does it when I don't deserve it. That's what I call love. The real kind.

P.S. In no way is this e-mail a judgement for those of you who do love Valentine's Day. It's just my own personal thoughts and feelings for me....and no one else.

Invisible Moms

Sort of long but well worth the read.

Invisible Moms-author unknown

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way
one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be
taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"
Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping
the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see
me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this?
Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock
to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is
the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please." I was
certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that
studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they
had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going,
she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a
friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and
she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there,
looking around at the others all put together so well.
It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my
out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My
unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually
smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned
to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It
was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why
she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Carol , with
admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover
what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could
pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no
record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they
would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God
saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to
visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a
tiny bird on the in side of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why
are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be
covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied,
"Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost
as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the
sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of
kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is
too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great
cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease
that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own
self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of
the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work
on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went
so far as to say that no cathedrals could never be built in our lifetime
because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my daughter to tell the friend
she's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My Mom gets up at 4 in
the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for
three hours and presses all the linens for the table."
That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want her
to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to her
friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're
doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel,
not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the
world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Wasatch Back

What is this you ask? It is a 178 mile foot race from Logan, UT to Park City, UT. It lasts 2 days. There are teams that consist of 12 people and each of you runs a total of 3 legs of the race. Total, you run anywhere from 12 miles to 16 miles. The legs range from easy to very hard.

What person would be insane enough to even consider this? That would be yours truly. I have been invited to join a team and I accepted before I even could really think about what I was doing. But I am excited.

Why I am I excited for this? Because I want my boys to see me doing hard things. Because it's a chance to become better. Because I am stronger than I think.

The Big 9

Jaden, my middle kid, turned 9 last week. It is killing me. It's going too fast and there is nothing I can do to stop it. He is an amazing kid. You have never seen someone with a bigger heart. It literally devastates him if someone doesn't like him. He is always the first to make new kids feel welcome. He also has an unreal sense of right and wrong. He would rather die than break the rules. It causes him a lot of stress when others are not doing what they should.

Here are a few facts about my little man:

*loves to play. anything. basketball, wrestling, snowboarding, soccer. You name it, he does it.
*is fiercely loyal to his brothers, even though he would never admit it.
*such the gentleman. He is a hit with the ladies.
*will do anything to please his dad.
*despite denying it over and over again, loves his mom's kisses.

Love you, buddy.

Please Stop Praying for Moisture

It has been a while since I posted but I thought I would update you on the snow situation in Ogden Valley. Last Sunday, the day of the big snowstorm, we got 4 feet of snow. I kid you not. It was complete insanity. We barely made it to church and back home again. Needless to say, Uncle Randy had to come and dig us out that night because our little 4 wheeler plow just wasn't going to cut it.

We also hired a couple of guys to come and shovel off our roof. It was getting scary. A normal roof can hold about 30 pounds of snow per square foot. Our load was over 40. I forbid Ross from climbing up there. Only because he seems to be accident prone.

It has been good and bad. I LOVE the snow. I am a little worried for when it starts to melt.

A Giant Among Men

On Sunday, January 27th around 7:00 pm, our beloved prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley passed to the next world. He was 97 years old. I shed a few tears for him but only a few for my heart rejoiced in the fact that he was now reunited with his sweet wife Marjorie. These two had such a love, a love to pattern our own after. He had the utmost love and respect for her and it often brought me to tears just watching them. I think I cried harder when she died because I knew they would be separated for a time.

President Hinckley was a giant among men. He was constant. He never deviated from truth. I will always remember him and the things I have learned from him. Here are a few of my favorite things he said:

"You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others."

""If you will live the gospel, nearly everything else will eventually take care of itself."

And last but not least, something his father said to him, "Forget yourself and get to work."

I know that his spirit will live on and on and that he is continuing the journey somewhere else.

Happy Birthday To ME!

Today is my birthday. I am the ripe old age of 34. What is weird to me is that inside I still feel like I am 18. It's sad to look in the mirror and see some woman with wrinkles! Argh! Oh well. It's all good. I am happier in my 30's than I have ever been in my life. I have the perfect family, the perfect life.
And, I am totally still cool. Despite what my children think.

You Want Me To Eat What?

One of the MAJOR problems I have in life is that I love food. Not just any food, good food. That usually consists of anything fatty, high in sugar, everything that makes all the nutritionists out there wince in pain.
Since I decided to do the Biggest Loser challenge though, I knew that I needed to change that in a big way. I found a cookbook my Grandma Stahle gave me for my birthday years ago. It's called Low Fat, Low Calorie, Low Cholesterol, Light Cooking. I have been amazed and pleasantly surprised how good the recipes are in there. It is a thick book too so you are sure not to run out of options anytime soon. BTW, if you mouse over the name of the book, it is a link to view it.

The Biggest Loser

This title applies to me in so many ways! I can't believe it has been so long since I have blogged. I have been busy but not overly so. Anywho, to update, I have been doing a Biggest Loser challenge with my sister, my mom and some of my sister's work-related friends. I have been working out like a mad woman and I have totally revamped the way I eat. So far it has been going great for me. I have not seen a whole lot of weight come off (yet!) but my inches are going down and I am really starting to see the definition in my arms and legs. Plus I feel so much better on the days I work out and eat right. I have an admission of guilt though; the other night, I not only fell off the no sugar wagon but I pretty much blew the wagon up! We have had no sweets at all in this house since New Years. Well Ross and I were watching a movie the other night and it was like I was having a nicotine fit or something! I was freaking shaking and I could not get chocolate off of my mind. I came upstairs to look for something, anything but there was nothing. I ended up making a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough and eating way too much. I was so sick to my stomach! I figure, even the strong fall sometimes, right? (I built a new wagon the following morning and I am happy to say have been back on ever since.)
We have had a ton of snow lately. We have been snowboarding a few times. It has been a total riot. I really feel that I have stepped up my boarding skills this season which really makes me, and Ross!, happy. It's nice to know that I am only getting better with age.

Resolutions

I am one of those people out there who actually keeps most of my resolutions. Some think New Year's resolutions are a joke; I think it's a great time to re-visit your life and see what needs to be changed and start fresh. Especially since none of us are perfect. Here are my resolutions:

1) Attend the temple diligently. (at least twice a month)
2) Get better at studying my scriptures.
3) Believe in me and who I am.
4) On a daily basis, find a way to connect with and show love to, my husband and children.
5) Run the Ogden Half Marathon in 2 hours and 30 minutes. (last year, I did it in 2:55)
6) Eat clean so I can be a smokin' hot babe!
7) Pray. Often.


Here's to being a better me!