Halloween fun

So we went to some super fun Halloween parties this year, here is our get-up for one of them, Malia's party, we did a murder mystery dinner which was so fun.

And I also added some of Kate's silly-ness too...(that brown stuff on her face is make-up)

Imparting of your substance

The other night Ryan and I were talking about what we need to do better in our relationships with others, kids, co-workers, friends, family, each other, etc.. So we did our usual, let the scriptures fall open, then read the first thing you see... and we opened to Mosiah chapter 4 and it's that chapter that talks about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, imparting of your substance to those in need....

So that got us talking about ways that we can impart of our substance... fast offerings was one way, visiting teaching, and home teaching (providing service), and another thing we thought of was imparting of our time with one another.....especially our children... then in speaking of children we started to talk about all of the things Kate imparts of her substance to us.

She does a wonderful job of imparting her cheeto fingers all over the couch, her buger nose on our clean sunday clothes, and my personal favorite imparting of her potty substance all over our carpet :)...But to also add to that is that she imparts of her sweet kisses, hugs, and what feels like unconditional love to a mother that sometimes is less than patient...We can learn a lot from kids, so since then, I have been trying to be more generous with my time and spend it with family and those I love. And basically trying to look for the good and the spiritual in all situations, cuz they are there to be found.

I wish we all could be california girls... (sung by the men in San Francisco)

So we spent the weekend in San Francisco, It was a blast, except there was one major part missing AMY...( We missed you tonz ) But I have to say, I looked fervently for a masculine man there and there was NOT 1 to be found... I'm really not kidding. Everyone was very soft and feminine.. Anyhoo I hope this doesn't offend any readers.

So I went with my mom and her husband Ron, and my 2 sisters Mandy and Jenni. The 3 sisters stayed in the same quaint hotel room (I say Quaint cuz it's not what you picture, the view consisted of a brick wall, and we had to do some manuvering to fit us all in). Once we were settled it was more than we could have asked for. My sisters and I spent hours on end lying in the middle of 2 twin beds pushed together and laughing, crying, talking, and figuring out the answers to life's questions and problems. It was wonderful. Some of the main insights that I am coming away with are mainly geared toward myself and my family. In this unstable and quickly changing world I truly feel that we have got to decide whose side we are on... There really isn't much gray areas anymore, it's black or it's white...I want to be on the Lord's side... whole heartedly, cuz if we aren't clinging to that rod we will fall away and take our families with us.

As a mother I have a renewed sense of patience and love for my sweet Kate, and I feel that my main purpose in life is to see that my little munchkin (s) get back to Heavenly father and learn how to choose right for themselves. That's a big job placed on us mothers (and fathers) but I know for me it is sometimes hard to see past the day to day and look at the eternal perspective. I think when I go to a farm I will look at chickens differenly cuz they gather their little chicks under their wings and love them, and I feel like my home needs to always be a safe place for my little chicks to come when they need to get away from the world. So how to do this, Prayer and scripture study every day... looking for answers cuz without the help of the Lord, and guidence things will get scary. I also think that we need each other...The pioneers must have had it good to have all of that love and support with all of them working toward the same cause, I think if we were to do the same we wouldn't feel so alone in our efforts to get through this life. This weekend was neat to have my sisters so close....we all discussed our "stuff" then we went to the scriptures for answers, then we talked some more, etc... it was great.. very theraputic.

Anyway, I'm rambling... but the rest of the trip was awesome, Mandy did amazing in her race, she definitely had some trials leading up to it and I think she pushed through them so well, what a good example she is...

Thanks for a good trip ladies (and Ron) I'll look forward to the next one!

OOO-Da-Lolly

I always see this mascara on tv and at people's houses and on movies etc.. so i decided to give it a try cuz it must be great, So I used it, and a while later I had itchy eyes and puffyness,but I thought it could be a number of things, so I kept it, and about that time I went to a mary kay make-over and got a sample mascara so I've been using that for a while and haven't had a problem with the itchies, anyway yesterday I used the great lash again and I woke up with dun, dun, dun.....THIS....AHHHH!

So I found the culprit. Great Lash is OUT, Mary Kay is in Yuuh..... (in my gangster voice)


OOO-Da-lolly ( I feel like the lion on Robin Hood looking into the crystal ball and his face is all spread out)

I think Ryan is pretty lucky though, he get's to wake up to this every morning.

Bushiest beaver award

It's Halloween time again and I have pulled the sewing machine out and blew off the dust, and I've been back to work doing and finishing unfinished projects...including kate's Halloween costume... pictures will be posted probably a week after halloween is already over (that seems to be the amount of time it takes me to actually post something new) We are robbers and kate is the money bag so in case you don't know what it is when you see it there's a heads up...I should get the busiest beaver award.... or as michael says to phyllis at the dundee awards... the bushiest beaver! aren't i funny?

Sharing....

So tonight our family home evening lesson was and probably still will be about sharing cuz it's an important lesson to learn in life but...sometimes I find myself getting tired of sharing... for example, last night I got a cold glass of water and sat down after tornado-ing around the house cleaning so that my mind could think clearly, and just as I put my lips to the glass to take a drink my dear sweet Kate is tugging at my arm while holding her own sippy cup and saying "Drink, Drink" wanting some of mine. And at that moment I just wondered if there would ever be a day that I could have my own glass of water, or my own plate of dinner, or my own place to stand without a child standing on top of my feet, or to take my own shower etc etc...This photo looks romantic and fun but seriously it's not all its cracked up to be,

I know this might sound selfish and I know you mothers can relate, but come on, is that too much to ask, or is our family night lesson supposed to be catered to me? Am I the one who needs to learn to share?

St. George marathon Oct 4, 2008

So I drove to St. George Friday afternoon with my sister Mandy her 2 kids, my mom and Kate. We all squished in Mandy's car and went on our adventure. We got to St. George at about 3:00 and went straight to the starting line so I could see the course for the marathon before I ran it. Afterwards we went to the vacation rental condo to set up camp. Ryan Kate and I stayed in the bedroom while Mandy and My mom shared a mattress on the floor, Elle and Owen were spread out in the dining room and the kitchen, it was a good time. I left a lot of stuff for Ryan to bring like Kate's bedding, toiletries, and some of my running gear. Unfortunately he was caught up in traffic and didn't get into St. George till 9:30 or so. Once I realized He wouldn't be there with our stuff for a while the emotions of everything flooded me and i shed a few tears. I was tired, emotional, nervous, and felt like I couldn't get prepared for such a big day the next day. Luckily my cute sister and mom helped me get it back together, and I got Kate to sleep in a make-shift bed. Ryan came and we were able to get some sleep. I woke up every hour that night worrying that I would sleep in and miss the race, by about 3:30 I was sick of the clock watching game so I got up and started the process of getting ready for the big run. The bathroom was really big so i was able to stretch, eat, get organized and geared up without waking anyone else up. Fortunately Mandy woke up just about the time i had to leave and she was able to take me to the bus. It was warm outside and sprinkling a little bit but I didn't think much of it. Before I got on the bus I was able to get to a bathroom that wasn't a port-o- potty and then we drove all 26 miles up to the starting line.

Once we got up there, It was windy, cold, and started to rain. I sat by the fire for a while but decided to get a garbage bag to not get more wet. I was lucky enough to get the very last garbage sack they had, it helped a ton. Then I kept toasty by the warm fire. Time came and we lined up to start the race, and it took me about 10 min. till I got to start running and we were off.

By then it was pouring and I was getting pretty cold, but I still had 25 miles to go so I tried not to think about it. The first 7 miles were kind of a blur, but we got to Veyo and my mom, Ryan and Kate, my nephew Mitchell, and my dad were there to cheer me on, that totally gave me a boost and I journeyed up the Veyo hill. After another mile or 2 I started to get really cold and it wasn't that fun anymore, I hit THE WALL! So for a few miles up until about the half way mark 13 miles or so I was a little grumpy and not necessarily enjoying myself, but once I hit snow canyon the second wind kicked in and IT WAS AWESOME! I was totally re-energized and really enjoyed the scenery, my hands seemed to thaw out and I was able to actually use them. I got ahead of the group I had been running with the whole time and that gave me an extra boost to push on. Anyway the whole second half was amazing, once I got about 2 miles to the finish I felt the endurance being pushed but I just kept going and once I saw the 26 mile marker I got choked up, I only had .2 miles to go and I could see the finish line, and all the people cheering me on. Needless to say it was a pretty emotional time. I crossed the finish line and had a total sense of joy and accomplishment, I know it sounds cheesy but it was really neat. I met up with my family, ate some snacks and started to shiver, I was soaking wet and cold, but my body was also probably going into a little shock. So we headed out, and the rest is history. But I can say that was one of a few of the neatest experiences of my life, I did my best, and have no regrets. 5:20:49 was my time.

The big 26.2

St. George here we come!!