I have a dream...

I have recently decided that I need to be on Dancing with the Stars.  I love this show.  It is crazy to see how they can turn these people into such amazing dancers in such a short amount of time.  I look at some of the people on the show and it makes me realize that with a lot of practice and professional help, you can do almost anything.  Not only would it be great to be able to dance like that, but have you ever noticed how great everyone's body gets by the end of the season?   They look so good.  Plus, all of the professional dancers look amazing.  The problem with my new dream is that I am not a 'star'.  While I haven't even heard of half of the star's on the show, I am pretty sure that they are more famous than I am.  

I am considering going onto the Bachelor to get famous.  I was thinking that I could submit Steve to be "TheBachelor" and then I could be one of the girls.  My only concern is that 

it will come to the end of the show and he will choose someone else...like Amanda.  She is like hotter than me and like says 'like' so much more than like I do.  :)  Wouldn't it be sad if 

I became a star because my own husband dumped me on live t.v.!  In that case I would insist that I be paired up with the hottest dancer to make me feel better!!! Stay tuned for more info on my new stardom!

Adventure!

This may look like the picture of a sunset, but if you look closely, you will see two boys out in this field.  This is the field next to our house.  Last Sunday, Steve and the kids cut through the field on the way home from church.  They spent some time exploring the field, and all of the sudden the boys thought that being in this field was the coolest thing.  Steve has never understood why they do not explore here more, but it is probably because of me telling them about the fox that lives in the field, not to mention snakes and who knows what else!  

Monday night I looked out my bedroom window and noticed that my kids were out in the field.  I sat and watched them for a while to see what they would do and how far they would go.   After a while I brought them home and heard stories about all of the bugs they had seen.  It was strange, because Carson is usually very reserved and does not like to leave his comfort zone, but he was loving the adventure.

Then on Saturday, Carson came running up to me and said that he and Coren had caught a bug.  He said that it was black with antlers.  I asked who picked it up and of course he said Coren.  That was not a huge surprise.  What did shock me is when Carson came back a minute later with a HUGE cricket climbing all over him.  He was just letting it run around his hands and arms, and didn't even flinch!  I almost fell over!!!

I guess that it is good to have Dad's to bring adventure to the lives of their children, I just PRAY that they never bring home a snake, although that reminds me... last summer we did catch a snake in our yard.  This is a funny story.

There was this little tiny snake in our grass (small but still a snake).  The neighbor kids were over and their Mom Colleen.  Of course they got a bucket and wanted the snake, but none of them dared to catch it.  Colleen was like, OK I will get it, and she caught the snake in a little bucket.  I nearly died.  The kids all loved it and took care of it.  I could tell they were attached.  Then of course once Colleen left the snake escapes.  So in a rare moment of outstanding bravery, I grabbed the bucket and caught it!  I was so proud of myself, and of course my kids LOVED me.  That was truly a "Mother of the Year" moment.  So there it is, the story of the first and last snake I will ever catch!

Change of pace..

Today I went to get my hair done and I decided that I was through with being a blonde for a while.  They say that blonde's have all the fun, but I wasn't seeing it.  Life seemed about the same, I just had a little more fun with my hair stylist because I was there ALL OF THE TIME!  

So let's hear it, do you like my hair better blonde or brunette??

Makenna is missing...

We were having a BBQ on Saturday and all of the kids were out playing in the sandbox.  After a while Carson came running in and said, "Makenna is missing!"  We looked out the window and she was no where to be seen.  Then after a closer look we saw a big lump in the sand.  Yes, it was her.  She was buried from head to toe in sand.  Even her face!  The funny thing about Makenna is that she does the craziest stuff.  She had to have laid there forever while two three year olds and one five year old covered her in sand.  Anything for a laugh!

Carson in action!

Doggie pile!  My favorite thing about Carson's games are the boys chasing after and fighting over every ball that gets hit.  Each time he pulls them apart, the coach reminds them not to fight over the ball, and then the next ball is hit and they all run after it.  

Carson thinks that it is the greatest thing when he gets to the ball and throws it to first base.  It is a huge accomplishment.  He is really enjoying baseball this year and he is so fun to watch.  At tonight's game he even slid into home base!  Go Carson!

Seriously, who does this?

OK, I admit it.  I have always thought it would be fun to get a bunch of balloons and see if I could float.  If you say you have never thought about trying to float with balloons, I would say you are lying.  It sounds like so much fun.  I have even thought about trying it with my kids, but being the great mother I am, I decided against it.

So last night I was talking to these girls and they start telling me about some guy in Brazil who got tons of balloons and tied them to a chair and floated away.  Apparently, they can't find him now because a wind came and took him away!  DUH!  I mean, that is bound to happen right?  You should really check the weather and try this on a day that is not windy.  Also, if I had been him I probably would have thought to bring a needle to start popping the balloons if this were to happen.  I guess he didn't think of that.

So today I looked this up to see what what going on.  Needless to say, I learned that people that float around with balloons are called 'Balloonists'.  I had no idea that there were so many people that do this that they had to find a name for it.  Sadly, this priest is missing, however they did find the balloons floating in the ocean.  Now if it were me, I would not float over the ocean or anywhere around the ocean for that matter...hello!  So, I am going to keep watching this story.  I wish him the best, and if they do find him alive, I am going to send him a little note with my three pieces of advice for future floats.  Avoid windy days, bring a needle, and avoid large bodies of water!!!

Update:  8pm-  After further consideration and a very long day with Makenna off track and three whining and fighting children I have decided that tying myself up to balloons and floating away may not be such a bad idea after all!

Straight from Idaho...

We got an unexpected visit from some potato farmers this week.  No just kidding, it was Brooke and her family.  They make a quick decision to come into town this week.  My kids were so excited!  They LOVE it when their cousins are here.  It was a lot of fun to hang out with them on Friday and have a late Easter Egg Hunt.  The kids had a good time playing outside and the boys even got to sleep over at Grandma's and spend some extra time with them.  It is crazy how big and wild Kyle has gotten and Makenna had a great time taking care of him the whole time.  She is going to be a great babysitter some day.

Bike Time

It's the time of year that Steve has been waiting for, mountain biking season.  He excitedly got his bike out, tuned it up, and was ready to ride on Saturday.  The plan was that while I ran, he would go on a quick bike ride up at Red Butte Garden.  I felt really bad that he had to be on "stretcher" duty and didn't get to ride. 

 I am also really excited to do some riding this summer.  When we first got married we were able to bike a lot.  I loved it and actually improved a ton that season.  Now that I haven't 

been riding for so long, I am back to being pretty bad at it, but I hope that we can go on more rides this summer and I can get better.  Steve is an amazing mountain biker, so he is a great person to ride with and learn from.  He is far too crazy on the downhill for me to even want to keep up with him, but maybe I can keep up going up hill.  We'll see.  I guess it is time for me to get my bike down and dust it off.

One thing that I have decided is that I am going to continue to ride in style this year.  I got a new accessory for my bike that is going to make it the coolest bike EVER!  It is a huge surprise, so I will unveil it at a later date!  In other words, it is not on my bike yet because I need to figure out how to put it on there.  :)

Race Day!

After a roller coaster of emotions, I finally decided that despite my injuries I was going to run.  I had spent many hours training for the race, and my goal was to complete it.  I didn't know what the outcome would be, but I knew that I had to try.

The morning started early at about 4a.m.  After a few good hours of sleep my body was awake and ready to run.  Steve woke up around 5 and said, "you look ready, how do you feel?"  I kind of laughed and limped into the bathroom to get ready.  

Just the day before I had decided that my body was too injured to run.  After two weeks of rest and recovery, I was still hurting and not able to walk without pain.  I tried to run in place, and it hurt...it hurt bad!  I told Steve that I had decided that I probably couldn't run and he was shocked.  He knew how hard I had trained and convinced me to just try.  He told me to bring my phone and as soon as the pain was too much to bear, I was to call him and he would come and get me.  I thought about it and knew that he was right.  If I never tried I would always wonder.  Plus, at least if I tried, I would know that I did not just give up.  I didn't think I could live with that.  So at that point I decided that I would run.  In the back of my mind I knew that no matter what I would finish, pain and all.  I chose not to wear a timing chip so that I could just run without pressure, and time would not matter, but unfortunately for me, it does matter and it did matter.

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see

when you take your eyes off your goal"

-Henry Ford

We drove towards the U of U where the race would begin.  I saw part of the course and began to imagine running it.  We found the start line and I hurried and covered my body in icy-hot, got out of the truck, and after Steve's many words of encouragement limped away.  I kept hearing his words in my head, "you are going to do great, I know it!" and thinking man this is going to be interesting.

I felt worried, but at the same time just wanted to get it over with.  I waited in line for the Porto-potty for a half hour.  It was great to hear the excitement of everyone around me.  I only wished that I was healthy so that I could feel that same energy.  The lines were so long.  Finally the race started and I was still in line.  I had to go, so I waited.  I made my way to the start line and started 11 minutes late.  I was at the start line all alone and started to slowly walk.  After a few minutes I was like, OK, it is now or never, here I go.  

"You are going to do great Brandi!  Just do your best, and

then once you've done your best, just try a little harder"

-Emily Lowry

Step one...OUCH!  The pain was there.  It was so bad but I just tried to push it away.  I kept running just one step at a time.  I made it to the first water break at mile two.  The water was gone.  I wasn't thirsty because I was running so slow, but I realized that I needed to pick up the pace if I ever wanted water.  Strangely, my body just set a pace for me.  If I tried to speed it up, my body would shut me down.  At one point I remember thinking, I am not breathing hard or sweating, I need to run faster.  I tried to speed up, but the pain was so intense I couldn't, my body wouldn't let me.

Finally my leg went kind of numb and I became 'auto pilot runner'.  This happens to me all of the time when I run.  My legs just start going, and I have no control.  The race was great, the course amazing, and time went by really fast.  I was keeping a steady 9 minute mile pace and then all of the sudden at mile 10 the pain got so much worse.  It was all I could do to run.  The pain spread into my back and I was aching.  I slowed way down.  I wanted to just run really fast and get it over with but I couldn't.  Finally, I saw the finish line!!!!

As I began to head down the stretch, I saw people lined up forever.  They were all screaming and cheering.  I turned off my IPOD and thought, wow this is what it is all about.  I need to hear this!!!  So I ran.  I could barely move and it hurt so bad.  The street had sections of cobblestone, and when I had to run on those uneven stones, the pain was unbearable.  I think the look on my face as well as the way I was running tells it all.  Finally I crossed the finish line.  It was amazing.  I just stood there for a while and didn't know what to do.  I looked at the clock and thought, "2 hours 10 minutes, I missed my goal by 20 minutes, that SUCKS!"

I was actually afraid to move, because I thought that I wouldn't be able to walk.  Then I hear, "Our marathon winner is coming, he is almost here."  I was like, "WHAT?  Man I am a loser.  That guy ran 26.2 miles in the time I ran 13.1?"  I was shocked.  It was awesome.  I wish I could run that fast!

I finally found a very relieved, proud, and stressed out Steve.  He was so worried that whole time.  He was so great to support me and be on constant standby.  I called him at one point to tell him I was almost to the finish line and he missed the call.  Then when he called back, I didn't answer.  He said he was so worried that I was hurt.  But instead, I made it.

It was a great experience, and I am SO GLAD that it is over.  Now I can begin my recovery and hopefully... I will walk again!

View more photo's at:   MarathonFoto

Jesus Feet

Coren is never wearing shoes.  Not only do his feet get very dirty, but they bleed a lot.  Normally he limps off wimpering for a minute, gets a bandaid, takes it off two minutes later, and then considers himself healed.  The past few weeks he has been asking me what Jesus looks like.  I started to tell him that I don't really know and then he said, "well, Jesus has brown skin, brown eyes, and wears a white skirt."  It was really funny.  He knows a little about Jesus from the stories that he hears at church and the pictures he has seen, but he is very curious and asks a lot of questions.

A couple of days ago he came inside and sat on the floor.  He sat and looked at his foot for a long time.  When I asked him what was wrong, he pointed to his foot and said, "I have Jesus feet!"  I of course could not help but bust up laughing.  He got the most serious look and said it again.  "I have Jesus feet!"  I got down on the floor next to him and looked at his foot.  It appeared to have a "hole" in it.  Throughout the day he would remind me about his "Jesus Feet."  Finally I asked how he felt about his feet being like that.  He said, "I like having Jesus feet because I wanted to see how his feet look, I like Jesus."  

His feet did look a bit like Jesus' feet with exception of the blue toe-nail polish. 

Why worry?

I find myself spending so much time worrying about things that never end up happening.  Worry and stress create such a negative energy, not to mention the amount of time lost.  While it is hard not to worry, I think that it would be great to find a way to let those little stresses escape our minds.  It is a proven fact that people with high levels of stress are less healthy, less able to heal, and live shorter lives than those who are carefree and have better coping skills.

I heard a quote that "you can spend your entire life worrying about things that may or may not happen but most of the time the things you worry about never happen and your worry was for nothing."  Most of the things that we worry about are things that are out of our control, so why spend our energy on something that we cannot change.  I think a faith that things will work out, whether it be now, in a week, or in a year, is a safe bet.  Most things that once seem huge or debilitating work out for the best.  I remember when I was pregnant with Carson, Steve was laid off from his job.  It seemed like a huge catastrophe at the time, but it lead to a better job, which lead to an even better job, which lead to a career.

So, here I am 3 days before a race that I have been training for, with two injuries.  The first one that I stressed would not let me do the race is improving, and the other one that I got trying to fix the first one may be the one that affects the race.  But again, worrying about it will not help me so I will just hope that come Saturday I am healed and can run.  Who knows maybe something else that I haven't even thought of will stop me and my body will be fine.  That is why it will not help me to worry.  Hopefully it will turn out for the best...one way or another.  As some reggae dude once said, and my Mom always says, "Don't worry, be happy!"

GRAM

Makenna-  Grandma is very nice.  She is very loving and cares about you.  She loves all children and is very sweet.  She likes to have fun.  She is very fun to be around, and I like to go to lunch at Olive Garden with her.

Carson-   Helloooooo gorgeous!  I love you.  She reads to us, and she be's nice.  She let's us eat, and sleep at her house.

Coren- She let's us eat breakfast and I love her.  It is fun to play with toys at her house.  I like to build stuff with her.  I love you.  I like to pet Gus.  Grandpa let's me pet Gus and go in his office.  Grandma let's me sleepover.

The kids LOVE Grandma, or GRAM as Carson calls her.  They are very lucky to have her. 

Hanging out, cousin style!

Most of our kids cousins live out of state, so they do not get to see them as often as they would like to.  However, we have one cute little cousin Danelle that lives nearby.  The kids love it when she is around and they have so much fun together.  She was with us on Saturday, and they had a blast.  It may not look like they were having fun when you see her and Coren fighting over a bat, but once the fight was over they were right back to playing, and that is what it is all about.  The scary thing is that Danelle is SO much like Makenna.  I never thought their could be two girls like that!  We love it when she comes over, and we are excited that we will be seeing all of the other cute cousins in the next few months.  Man, it would sure be nice if all of you moved back here...hint hint hint! Afterall, Utah is way more exciting than Boise and Vegas!  Right?

Little slugger

Here is a clip of Coren at his first tee-ball game.  He has an arm on him.  It was really cute to see him hit the ball and then run around the bases.  Once he hit home base he just stood on it.  He would not get off, I think he wanted everyone to see that he made it. 

 Tee-ball is so funny to watch.  I find myself laughing and saying "how cute" the whole time.  I love how there are almost as many parents on the field as kids.  This game Steve was the 2nd base coach, which was fun for Coren.  Sadly, I think that Steve was learning a lot from the tee-ball kids.  Maybe it will help his baseball game. ;)

Baseball games...

The boys both had their first baseball games on Saturday.  They did a great job!  Carson was all about talking to all of the boys as they came to second base, and made a great social activity out of it.  Coren was very serious and wanted to hit the ball as far as he could.  He turned around at one point, "I don't know which balls I can get?!?"  It looks like the outfield is still a little confusing, but I just told him to get them all.  He might as well, right?  I decided that each week I will take a clip of one kid and post it so that we can see their progress.  We have a lot of games.  It should be fun!  I do have one question for everyone.  So, when the hats are this big, do you tuck their ears into the hat, or bend them over?????   (Are you a tucker or a bender?)

Softball game

Our first softball game of the year was a cold one.  It was snowing a little bit at first, but it was the bitter cold and the wind that really got to you.  Then after the first inning, the snow turned into rain.  It was so cold, but Makenna was doing so well that we didn't want to quit watching.  We kept waiting for them to call the game, like all of the other teams were doing, but it wasn't happening.  The kids playing were troopers.  They were all shaking but you didn't hear any complaints.  There was even a girl in shorts and a tee-shirt.

By the time that they finally called the game, we were all very wet and frozen.  I took this picture of the boys in the back seat after the game.  You can see how wet they are, plus if you look outside you will see what we were sitting in.  Regardless, Makenna had so much fun, and it was a great game.

Coren and Mom time

With three kids, it is hard to find time to have alone time with each child.  Generally during the day when Makenna is at school Carson and Coren do their thing.  They don't really want a whole lot to do with me unless it involves food.  They are best buds.  However, when Carson and Kenna are gone, Coren is my sidekick.  He loves to hang out with me, and whatever I do, he does.  He likes to cook, shop, and...well, now that I think of it do all of the girls things I do.  

Today when Carson was at school we did puzzles.  Coren is way better at doing puzzles than I am, which is really sad.  However, I am happy to say that we we successfully completed a 100 peicer!!  It is so much fun to have time to get to see his little personality.  He is a fun little dude.  Me and him have a saying:

Mom - I love you so much!

Coren - So much it hurts!

It was a really fun day.  I just feel bad about the UGLY haircut I gave him.  

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I wanted to share a great recipe.  It is my Mom's and it is perfect for this time of year.  And if you love Chicken Salad, this is guaranteed to be the best you have ever had.

Cook 2 cups of chicken with:

1 stalk celery

1 carrot

1 onion

Salt and pepper

Separate chicken and add:

Chopped celery (desired amount)

Chopped onion (about 1/4 cup)

2 cups mayo (or desired amount)

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste.

Just before serving add 1 cup of shredded cheese

and 1 cup of crushed up potato chips.

Serve on any bread.  Enjoy!

Makenna's story

Makenna came home from school today and told me that she had written a story about Coren when he was sick.  It was a very touching story, and hearing it from her perspective was hard. It was a hard time for all of us, and it made me feel bad that I wasn't really there to help her through it.  Here is her story.

THE MIRACLE

a true story

By Makenna

There once was a little boy and he was 1 year old.  His name was Coren.  He was healthy when he was born but one day he was breathing funny.  We didn't know what was wrong.  We called the hospital but they said that he couldn't come for a month.  By a couple of weeks later he was really sick.  We had to go through a hard time.  By the time he was in the hospital they said that he was going to die.  We were all very sad.  I can't explain the feeling, I mean how would you feel if your 1 year old brother was going to die? 

I had a hard time about knowing my brother was going to die.  But my family helped me understand some things in life can't be as we want them to be.  One day when I went to see him for the first time in the hospital it was very sad to see him there with all of those cords hooked up to him.  Each night I tried to sleep but I couldn't because I had to listen to my tears and I said to myself , "Why, why does it have to happen to us? I know some things in life can't

be like we want it to be. But why us?"

 Then a few weeks later it was time for his surgery.  I thought to myself I should have said goodbye.  Then I started crying.  The next month my Mom and Dad came home.  I said, "Where is he?  Is he ok?"  They said, "Yes!"  I said, "Oh good."

Then they said that he won't get back until a couple of weeks.  The next couple of weeks when he came home I saw his smile.  I will remember every minute of it.  I knew we had a miracle.

                                                                          The End.

Perspective

It is funny how your perspective on life can change from day to day.  I spent the entire weekend depressed and angry that I was injured.  I had the perspective that I would never run again, and that my hobby was gone, and my training was all done for nothing.  Saturday was the worst, and Sunday was maybe a little bit better.  By Monday I still could not bend my knee, but I could walk, and after doing some extensive research, I thought that maybe there was some hope that I would run again, just after some rest.  Tuesday, I woke up and I was able to bend my knee and walk fairly normal.  My knee was still popping, but that was nothing.  I still was feeling pretty sorry for myself, but my attitude was improving.  I was even starting to feel like I would be able to run the half marathon in a week and a half.  Then I went to WalMart.  I was walking in with the boys when I spotted a little old lady in the parking lot holding onto a handicap sign.  She hollered for me to come over to her.  I took the boys and went over.  This is what happened.

"Excuse me Miss.  I cannot walk..."  she said.  She spoke very softly and slowly and seemed to be in pain and upset.  This was a strange situation for me, even for WalMart where weird things happen every day.  She sat quiet as she prepared to speak, and the first thing that went through my head was, "OH NO!  She is going to want me to carry her!"  An image popped into my head of her on one hip and Coren on the other!

"I have have MS, and I cannot walk.  Yesterday I had an IV for two hours, and I should really just be in bed.  If my husband knew I was here he would smack me."  I felt so bad for her, and I really didn't know what to do.  "Could I trouble you to go and get me a cart so that it will hold me as I walk?"  "Yes!"  I said.  "I will be right back."  I took the boys and went to get he a cart.  They were asking me all kinds of questions about what was going on, but I was kind of flustered and in a hurry to get her cart to her so that she didn't fall over or anything.  "Thank you so much.  Your girls...I mean kids...I mean boys...are so cute."  I could tell that she was embarrassed.  "Is there anything else that I can do for you or help you with?"  I asked feeling like I probably should carry her at this point.  "No.  Thank you."  And off she went.

As I walked into the store, my knee kind of hurting at this point, I realized how crazy I am.  I couldn't walk and was in pain because I have been running too much.  It was my choice and my "fun" that caused my injury.  She couldn't walk into WalMart because she had a disease that probably made it hard for her to walk everyday.  I felt pretty bad for the way that I had been acting.  I should be grateful that I can even run a lot when some people would give anything to be able to walk let alone run.  My perspective has changed.  Saturday I felt like I had it BAD, and today I feel like I am very blessed because I can walk, will run again, and do not have to suffer with this pain everyday like some people do.

It is hard to put things into perspective when things seem to be so bad, but I think that if we can stop and really think about the trials other people are going through we will realize that we do not have it so bad after all.

What is going on with us

Now that my blog is finally up and running, I am about to send the link to all of our friends and family to view.  I thought that this would be a good time to briefly describe what all of us are up to.

Steve is currently a Commercial Construction Superintendent for Ascent Construction.  He began working there in December, and he loves the job and the company.  Getting into Commercial Construction from Residential was a big move and one that he is glad he made.  He is currently working on a project West of Tooele.  They are building a big Titanium Plant out there.  It makes for a long commute, but fortunately they provided a company truck.  He is very excited about the project and is doing great.  He is also training to ride in LOTOJA, a bike race from Logan to Jackson Hole.  His brother asked him to do it, and while he does not necessarily enjoy road biking, he does it knowing that he will be a better mountain biker...his true passion.

I am currently home with the kids.  I spend my days cooking, cleaning, and driving kids around.   It is very glamorous!  I have been requesting a little convertible so that I can travel in style, but no luck yet.  I love to run, work in my yard, and sadly I am really excited that I am going to get a new lawnmower this summer!  I also enjoy helping Steve's Grandpa Johns' out on his website childnparent.com.  I really enjoy spending time with my family, and have enjoyed being un-employed.

Makenna is in 3rd grade.  It is hard to believe that she is that old.  She loves to draw and read, and of course chase and be chased by boys.  She is a wonderful swimmer, softball player, and kickball superstar!  Makenna has been babysitting the boys a little and does a great job.  She is always coming up with new ways to surprise us and make us laugh.  She is also starting a new girls club for the summer.  She is charging $1 to come, and is excited to earn some extra money.

Carson is in pre-school and excited about going to Kindergarten next year.  He and Makenna will be going to a new Charter School in our area, and they are really excited about it.  Carson is very smart and has learned to read, write, and spell.  He is also into baseball, and loves hanging out with friends.  The first thing he says each day is, "who can I play with."  He also is VERY good at riding his bike and likes to ride everyday.  He wants to be the fastest kid in the neighborhood.  

Coren is excited that he gets to go to pre-school next year.  He is very ready.  Coren has more energy than anyone I have ever known.  He is amazing at putting puzzles together, and has even done some 100 piece puzzles on his own.  He is a daredevil and is always climbing and jumping.  He wants a motorcycle really bad, which scares me.  He makes us laugh and is full of surprises.

So that is us...exciting people aren't we?

Rock on!

Carson has been needing a haircut for a while. I decided today that not only does he need a haircut, but he needs a cool haircut. We decided that he is going to rock this world, and be the next ROCKSTAR! His new identity is going to include a drum set, a Harley, a big mansion for all of us to live in, and of course a fitting hair cut! He loves it! So do I.

Rock on Carson!

Injured

Today did not start out like the typical Monday morning at our home.  Every Monday we wake up, eat, and I go for a run.  It is not only the best way to start off my day, but is a great start to my week.  Running is something that I cannot do without in my life.  Like water and food. running is one of the staples that I need to live.  It provides me with sanity and overall health, and is my time for just me.

Last Tuesday I had a great run.  I ran six miles, pain free, however as soon as I stopped running, my knee locked up, and I could not walk.  I hobbled into the house and decided that I should take a few days off to rest my knee.  It was a hard decision to make because I am in the middle of training, but I know that resting an injury is the best thing you can do.

Saturday I got up early and went for my long run.  The first three miles were great, and then all of the sudden my knee started to buckle and I had the most intense pain.  I felt like I could not take another step, but tried to run through it.  It occasionally went away, but when it came back it was even worse.  I kept running.  The worst part was that I was having a great run.  I felt like I could run forever, except the fact that my knee was in the worst pain I had felt.  I stopped at 11 miles and decided that I would walk the last mile to try to give my knee a really good cool down.  That was a huge mistake.  The minute I stopped running, my knee got even worse and I could not walk.  I stretched, rested, and began to hobble home.  Each step was sheer pain.  It took me 20 minutes to get home.

I got home and freaked out.  How could this happen just 2 weeks away from a huge race.  I have been training for this half marathon since January.  I have trained so faithfully, and had the race been just last week, I would have kicked butt.  I went online to figure out what was going on.  I discovered that I had something called Iliotibial Band Syndrome.  Basically, the tendin or band that runs down the outside of you knee can become swollen from overuse and each time you bend your knee the band rubs across your bone.  What I read was not re-assuring.  It first said...STOP RUNNING.  Well, for me that is not an option.  So, now I am taking two weeks off from running.  Then I will run my race.  After that I will take two months off from running, and then train for my marathon on a treadmill since that seems to be the best running surface for my body.  Hopefully, I will be able to get through all of this, finish my marathon, and then I can cut my mileage way back and just run for exercise.  Wish me luck!

Wonderpets.

Coren loves the show Wonder Pets.  For the longest time he would not sit still to watch T.V.  It drove me nuts.  He just would not sit still, no matter what I tried.  One day we rented the Wonder Pets movie.  He was hooked.  He watched it over and over until all of the sudden he realized that cartoons are a good thing.  He is always walking around singing little things and today he has been hooked on the Wonder Pets song.  He just sings it with all he has.  I convinced him to sing it on camera, that way he could hear how good he sings.  So, here he is singing the "Wonder Pets"....

Shots..

Poor Carson.  We took him to the doctor for his Kindergarten checkup.  Carson is a child who does not like pain of any kind.  If he gets a small cut or hangnail on his finger, he walks around holding his finger for the entire day.  He has gotten a little better since he started riding his bike, just because he has wiped out so many times, but still, he does not like discomfort no matter how big or small.  

I knew that he was a little bit behind on his shots because I had missed his checkup when Coren was in the hospital.  I thought maybe he would have to get a shot or two, but I almost cried when they told me he needed SIX!  The nurse came in with this tray...it looked like more than six shots on the tray.  Carson looked concerned!  He said, "Mom, what are those?"  The nurse was really good about it.  She let him choose between his legs or arms.  He choose arms.  She said, "Will he fight?  If so hold on..."  Of course he will fight, you are about to jab him with six needles lady!  So she started with arm one.  Three shots in the first arm.  He did amazingly well.  Then she moved to the next arm.  He tensed right up, and started to cry.  I think he thought he was done after the first arm.  Arm two was defiantly a more painful one.  After she was done he just held on to me and cried.  He would not let me move him.  It was sad.  After five minutes (seriously five minutes) I told him that we had to get dressed and go.  He would NOT get his cloths on.  Finally he did and we left.  Coren was right there to remind him that his shot last time didn't hurt at all and he didn't cry.  That didn't help!  The next day he would not move that arm, which didn't surprise me.  I did see him at one point look to see if I was watching, and when he didn't see me, hang from the bar on the swing set and swing.  After that he was fine.  Today when he woke up I took this picture of the sore arm.  It is red, swollen, and hot.  I am very proud of him for his bravery.  I think he is getting tougher!

"TOELY COW"

Makenna is who we like to call 'Miss Popular.' As frightening as it may be, she has more boys that like her than you can count on two hands. She has a contagious smile, and her personality is something else. She loves to hang out with the boys playing sports, and isn't shy when it comes to meeting new people. It was no surprise when Valentines Day came around and she came home saying that one boy asked to be her Valentine and another gave her a box of chocolates. However, what was shocking was something I saw the other day. We were at a playground and Makenna came over for a drink. I glanced down and what I saw was UNREAL! Her toenails were so freaking long, so long that some of them wrapped around her toes! She always wears socks, which I am amazed the socks are not covered in holes, so I guess I missed this one. She thought it was funny at first, but then decided that it was pretty bad. I FORCED her to let me take a picture of these beasts and figure that the picture should come in handy some day when I need to black-male her. I am sure that if this boy thing keeps up, I will have plenty of opportunities, and I can't wait.
THE FACE OF AN ANGEL...

NAILS OF A DRAGON!

San Francisco here I come...

                         26.2 miles!

I am so excited.  I have been dreaming of running the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco.  As soon as I had the desire to run a marathon, I knew that this was the one I wanted to do.  Not only is the race at sea level (a huge bonus) but I will be running across the Golden Gate Bridge, through Golden Gate Park, and will be given a way cute Tiffany Necklace as a finisher medal.  I feel very lucky to have gotten in because over 30,000 people tried, and they only selected 20,000.  I hear that it is a hilly run, but I am up for the challenge!  The race is October 19th, so I have some time, but right now it is hard to think about anything else.  My friend Mandy was also selected, so it will be fun to have someone there to share the excitement with.   Steve is also coming to be there to support me at the finish line, which will be really nice. It would be weird to cross the finish line without anyone there to cheer for me.   I hope that he realizes that once I cross the finish line it is up to him to carry me back to the hotel.  Just kidding!  If you want to check out more about the race visit nikemarathon.com.

Happy Birthday Carson

5 years old!!

April 1st was Carson's first Birthday. He was so excited, in fact, I think he has been excited since his last Birthday for this one. We had a great party. Ten of his boy and girl friends came, but, he was most excited to have the girls come. At one point I asked all of the kids to sit on the couch. All of the boys went to one couch and all of the girls (and Carson) went to the other. I thought it was so funny that he chose to sit on a couch full of GIRLS!!!!

We played games and ate cake, and then all of the kids went and played on our new play set. He finally agreed that he had turned five (he said it wasn't his Birthday until the party) and so we got out his present from Mom and Dad...a new bike. He was so excited and got right on and tried it out. Coren got Carson's old bike and got right on. Steve put him on and he said,

"OK DAD, LET GO!"