Summer 2013 - Leaving Florida

Summer 2013. A summer I'll most likely always remember, but not with fondness. It was the summer that very nearly broke me, and in some ways probably did.

There is so much to write that I am going to do it in 3-4 parts.  I know,  I haven't blogged in almost 4 months. I haven't had a computer in that long, just my iphone. And lets be honest, blogging from an iphone is not really all that awesome. Not to mention that I have been overwhelmed in every way. From packing up my house in Orlando, to finding new home in CA to moving in and getting settled. Single mom-ing it the whole way, no husband around. It was rough, very very rough. I'll tell the story of this summer, just so that if we ever get an idea like this in our heads again I can read this and remind myself of how much I never want to do this again. And also, to one day show my kids, that life takes a whole lot of work, & sacrifice. I hope, in this case, it will all be worth it someday.

It all started with Ben leaving in May. To go work around the clock in Chicago and get this company up off the ground. An amazing opportunity for them and their company. But, also meant that at the end of the summer, he would have a fully funded company based in Silicon Valley CA and that we needed to be there. sigh. It meant that I would be moving our family, without him. He would be finishing sometime in September and I wanted to be there before the school year started to get us settled and make the transition a little easier on the kids.

So he left. For the first few weeks life was okay. The kids and I had a pretty good routine, we got chores done, we ate meals, we did homework, we went swimming, I got my workouts in...things were going well. Then the packing began.

I knew it would take me 2 weeks to get my house all packed up, because that is what it has taken the last 2 moves...3 moves in 3 years for us. Ugh. So I started. I made a master plan of what needed to be done to get it all done in time. And then each day I followed that plan. It worked...but it wore me out. Completely. It seemed I would get up at 6, take kids to their Tri team practice. Come home. Pack for several hours. Then do something fun with the kids, get them fed, do laundry, dishes all the regular stuff. Put kids to bed and then return to packing until 1 or 2 in the morning. There were many nights that I felt like I couldn't go another day. I was drained. Completely. Mentally & physically exhausted. Alone. About to have a nervous breakdown. And so much work to do. My entire body was in pain from everything, and I kept having horrible back spasms. Everyday I just kept praying that my back & body would hang in there just until I got the place boxed up. Fortunately, it did.

Now, knowing all this. Let me tell you something. I have THE BEST friend in the entire world. Her name is Amy Hillis. I love that woman. She is the best and would do anything for anyone anytime. For instance. That breaking down time I was just talking about, was while she was away on vacation.  She was home for a total of 24 hrs. at the end of that week and first thing she did was call me to see what I needed. I was beyond desperate and told her so. Next thing I knew, she had her girls watching my kids almost every day, she came right over and helped me get things boxed up, she bought me lunch, dinner, and then called to make sure I had help every single day. She then had to leave to help at a camp for the weekend. But believe you me, on Monday she was right back at my house. Packing my kitchen, buying me lunch. Making sure there was a place for my kids to go. She was a life saver. An absolute life saver. I never would have made it through that without her. She went the extra mile and then some to help me out. Like I said, I love that woman. I always say she is my other half, that we were sisters just born on opposite sides of the country. Love her forever.

She was there every day after that. Each day we tackled the list of things to do, Goodwill trips to make, rooms to clean, things to haul away. She was there to wrap up the mattresses and take apart beds. I tell you, this woman is amazing, and a godsend. She was there the day the movers came. My stuff was being put onto a trailer, that would then be stored in CA until we found a home there. So far we had had zero luck in securing a home. No one wanted to rent to us, whether it was because we were a start up company, or they hadn't met us or whatever, we kept getting rejected. It was a headache.

Anyways, trailer arrived, movers came to load the truck. They were buttheads from the start. You should know that I got rid of 50% of my stuff when we moved because I knew we were moving to a much smaller place. Anyone who saw my pile of boxes and furniture would tell you I had very little to be moved. So these guys show up, they see my stuff and immediately tell me the job is too much and there is no way they can pack it all. Bunch of lies. They go sit their butts out on my street doing who knows what until I go tell them I am not paying them until they start loading the truck. Well then they got to work and had the truck loaded in under 4 hours, and that was them moving very slowly. They had originally told me it would take them at least 5 hours with several more guys that I would have to pay them extra for. Buttheads. Aaaaand as you will find out out later it turns out these guys ruined most of my stuff and that if I lived near them they would all have slashed tires.


It was funny though, the truck got loaded, and as it pulled away, I had this image in my head of the truck falling over and the thought came to me if I would be okay if all my stuff got lost/destroyed. And after thinking for a moment I thought, yes I'd be okay. Just know that that was definitely the spirit warning me of things to come. So, I said goodbye to my stuff as it pulled away in a 20 ft trailer. I then finished cleaning out my house, final mopping and wiping things down. And then I said goodbye & went to Amy's house.

We stayed with her after we moved out of the house for almost a week. She made sure everything was 100% comfortable for us, even got a sitter for her dog since she knows James is terrified of them. I tell you, she is the most thoughtful person I know. Once the truck was gone, & both cars were shipped out. It was time to have a bit of fun as we said good bye to FL, So we spent a day at the beach. after being there just over an hour we were down poured on. We all tried to fit under a tiny umbrella, but that wasn't working out for anyone really. The kids loved it and danced around in it & we all had a good laugh. That night I went for a good long run, and then we ordered take out from Outback. We sat there late at night eating delicious steaks and just having a great time. Sunday we spent the day making soups & lasagna and talking and going to someone else's goodbye party. It was a very fun day. It seemed we stayed up every night talking until the middle of the night when we could no longer keep our eyes open.

Monday we did hair. Lots of it. We highlighted her daughters hair and it was a blast. The girls looked lovely and it was great to be doing something that was NOT packing. Just girly good fun. That night we had a girls night out with the ladies of the ward. It was fun talking to all of them and being able to say goodbye to everyone I love so much.

The next day I went on a final run with my good friend, author, & running partner, Jessica Martinez. I love this woman. She is amazing. Another sister to me. We could talk about anything, and everything. And she always helped me keep my pace. I was so sad to say goodbye to her, but glad I got one last run in with her. After our run, Amy and I took the kids to Rock Springs. It was a park where the water is perfectly clear, perfectly. And you rent tubes and just float on down the river. The one place in FL where it is safe to be in water cause they have people all along the way watching & the water is so clear you could see anything in there. My kids and I loved it. We all loved it. Amy and I laughed until we couldn't breathe about something ridiculous. James Harrison and Sophie went down the springs over and over with their friends and it was simply a perfect day.

I don't remember if I left the next day or not, but the night before I left I made rolls. My other bestie/sister from FL, Carmen, came over with her girls bringing bags of goodies. And we sat up the entire night eating warm delicious rolls, enjoying yummy treats, talking, laughing folding laundry and packing things up for me. I don't even remember what time we finally went to bed, but it was somewhere around 3. I love that memory. Just talking all night, with my very best friends. Friends who have taught me so much. I tell you what, these women taught me what it means to be a good mom, a loving wife, a great friend, and a strong woman. I can't tell you how many times they were there for me. Or all the things they helped me see clearly. Or the number of times we talked and talked and talked and laughed and laughed. Carmen was another running buddy & best friend. She is 100% amazing. She and I ran nearly every Saturday, along with Jess, the entire time I lived in FL. We never ran anything shorter than 10 miles, so that tells you how many miles we put in together, and how much time we spent together. How many conversations we had. I hold these women close to my heart. They are sisters to me, and saying goodbye to them was impossible.

I stayed up the night, getting everything 100% ready to go. Kids backpacks ready for the flight, all our stuff packed up, or shipped. Every door in FL closed. All Goodbyes said. I actually hadn't cried much in all this. Here and there a couple tears, but I felt like I was too stressed out to even feel any real emotions. Morning came, and it was time to go. Amy and I piled the kids in the car, our 8 bags of luggage plus 4 carry-ons and we left. Got to the airport. Hugged, started to cry, but caught ourselves and said goodbye. I still held it together as I pushed a giant cart of luggage through the airport dragging 3 kids along with me, got us all checked in and bags checked. Got us through security, kids and all. And finally got us all on the plane and settled in our seats. The plane pulled away and headed toward the runway.

It was then, as the plane took off that my emotions finally boiled over. I looked out my window, watched as FL slipped past me and then suddenly the tears wouldn't stop. Every fun & beautiful memory I had of this place flashed before my eyes and my heart broke. My tears turned to sobs and I couldn't control it. I was leaving my home, the place my heart belonged and the people I had come to call family. My heart broke, and broke, and broke.

 Ben Leaving for Chicago. Goodbye Love, see you in September, on the other side of the country, in a new home, a new state, with a new life. Good luck to us both.

 Harrison had a Birthday. That little preemie miracle turned 7 yrs old. How did that happen? Also, can you guess what his favorite animal is??

 The Bday cake we ordered was NOT purple and pink with white polka dots, but that is what was delivered. oh well, he was still happy with it.

 This picture just doesn't do a FL rainstorm justice. That's out my front door. The street becomes a lake and all around your house is a water fall. I miss those rainstorms. Every afternoon.

 Twice a week James and I would bike 12-14 miles together. I loved it. I loved spending that time with him. Unfortunately my bike was stolen just before the move, so we haven't gone biking in a while. But I'll be honest, the bike was a piece of crap, so I wasn't too sad. 

 A day at the beach. Warm. Beautiful. And Fun.

 The boys never got tired of the water. Ever. Whether it was body boarding, or jumping waves, they were having a good time.

 James and his Best friend and athlete Trey. These boys were awesome together. They played football together in the school year and then were teammates on the tri team. Good boys. Good friends.

 My boys and their Tri Coach Morgan. I tell you what. This women is a phenomenal coach & woman. She is so great with those kids and so inspiring. She really helped them improve physically by constantly encouraging them.  My boys loved tri team. She ended every practice with a prayer. She was a blessing to us and to our family. We miss her!!!

 Just one room of boxes....there were many more. Ugh.

 Maddie Hillis. With my kids. They love Mads. I love Mads. She is a very good mama to them. But still a super cool friend.

 Hair Highlights!

 Told you that water was clear.

 There's Annie Hillis. She was/is such a great friend to James. They went on so many adventures exploring the neighborhood and making a fort and talking about their worries. My friend Amy told me Annie is still praying for James to make friends because she knows he was worried about that. Is there anything sweeter??

And off we go...sniff sniff. We'll be back. We will.

I'm Trying

I'M TRYING...

I'm trying each day to give my kids my best. To have patience with them, to show them love. Give them structure and routine. Get them to exercise, pray, clean, be kind and still have fun together as a family. Go to the pool, go for a bike ride, get together with friends, go to the beach. Keep them active healthy and happy. Read to them each night. Tell them everyday that I love them, and that they are my treasures.

I'm trying to keep in good shape. To run at least 4 times week with a weekly total of at least 30 miles. Not really training for anything in particular, just need to know that I am keeping myself fit and that I can run a decent half marathon without dying at any given moment.

I'm trying to eat healthy. I start every day with some sort of smoothie, no added sugar and usually more vegetables than fruits. Then a protein shake for lunch, a snack somewhere in the afternoon. Some sort of chicken with vegetables either in a salad form or grilled for dinner. And I end each day with a bit of a treat.

I'm trying to run a house. Keep up on the laundry, grocery shopping, random errands, bills to pay, meals to cook, floors to clean, lawns to mow, bathrooms to clean, toilets to scrub. ew.

I'm trying to prepare to move my family 3,000 miles away to the other side of the country. I'm trying to do this in the cheapest way possible, while still making it do-able since I am on my own. There are cars to get shipped, and entire house to box up and pack in a way that things won't get too damaged on the journey out there. Kids school records to be gotten, utilities to be cancelled, garbage to be thrown out, piles of stuff to be taken to goodwill. A month left on our lease that I need to sell. Tickets to be purchased and reservations to be made.

I'm trying to find a good home for us in San Francisco. A place with a decent school, a home that we can afford, but still function in. A place where my family can be happy and feel safe. A ward with welcoming people that my kids & I can make new friends with.

I'm trying to figure out how we are ever going to afford everything. Moving is never cheap. Moving somewhere that things are easily 3 times the price....that much harder to pull off.

I'm trying to figure out how to say good bye. To my home. Florida. To my friends who I consider family. To tell them how sorry and sad I am to leave them all. To tell them about the tears that don't stop every time I think about leaving.

I'm trying to be a support to Ben. To not weigh him down with things at home. To encourage him each and every day. To not complain about the kids fights, tantrums, and the days when I am just done.

I'm trying to not to freak out. I'm trying not to think about everything that can and probably will go wrong, I'm trying to keep my head above water....But sometimes...

I'M DONE.

I can't help that kid again, or clean that mess for the bazillionth time. I don't want to do the nightly routine I just want the kids in bed and have just a few small moments to myself before I have to start all over again.

Running is getting harder every time I go out. Its getting hotter each day and more humid. I feel tired and just want the extra sleep. Oh sleep. How I love thee.

Treats. Oh I love treats. Why can't I stay slim eating delicious buttery rolls, warm gooey brownies, and big bowls of ice cream??? Sometimes I find myself digging out that tub of ice cream at 11 pm or cutting another 5 "small" brownies. sigh.

No matter how many times I clean my house, or make beds or fold laundry...it all has to be done all over again. So why bother??? Add packing to all that plus kids home all day...oh boy.

Moving. 3 times, in 3 years. twice across the country. Trying to figure all this out in my head on my own sometimes gives me a monstrous anxiety attack and a serious headache.

Finding another great home...is there even a chance?

We'll never afford all this...how many credit cards do we have? And what is the max on all those? ;) ;)

I can't. I can't say good bye.

I have bad days too. And sometimes I just want to spend my day whining.

Sometimes I freak out, and my head starts to go under water.

BUT THEN..

I pray. And I pray and I pray and I pray. I give it all to the Lord. Tell him every concern struggle and frustration that I have. I lay it all out on the table. I cry for help, for strength, for the ability to handle everything that is coming my way.

AND THEN..

I am at peace. I move forward. I do my best. I keep trying. I start over. I try to be the best mom I can. I go for the run even though it's stinkin hot outside. I find a new healthy recipe & try not to beat myself up for the ice cream cone I had earlier. ;) I get the kids to help me clean the house. I buy plane tickets, reserve trucks and movers and start packing up boxes. I keep my eyes open for a decent new home and do all the research I can on neighborhoods and schools. I pay my tithing and spend as little as I can get away with. And if worse comes to worse, Ben can find a job and be employed within a week. Goodbye will be hard, so hard. But there are good people everywhere and I will keep in touch with those here. Ben needs me. No matter how crappy it is here, I have times where I can take a break...he doesn't...ever.

I trust that things will work out because they always have. I continue to pray, find that peace & strength, and I just keep on keepin on.

Single Mom-ing it Week #1

One week. It has been one whole week since Ben left. I actually can't believe how fast that week went. Let's hope the remaining 14 weeks fly by just as quickly right? One can dream right??

So let's start with one week ago, Sunday.

Since it was Ben's last day here, my good friend Amy Hillis threw a grand farewell party for Ben. I couldn't believe how many people came and what a great time we all had. There was tons of food, tons of friends, lots of laughs and just a great time. Ben had a great time talking with all the guys and I know he was sad to say good bye to all his friends here. Thank you everyone who showed up, brought food and had fun with us. We love you all!

5 am Monday morning came much to soon. It was time to drive Ben on out to the airport. Give him one lost kiss and a good long hug. And then he was off. sigh. I think if it hadn't been Harrison's Bday I might have had a very rough day.

Yes, Harrison's Birthday. I feel so bad, last year I missed it because I was at my brother's wedding. And now this year Ben missed it because he is going to be away on business in Chicago until sometime in September. Sorry little Harrison. Fortunately, he seemed to have a fabulous Bday. We started the day off with big bowls of Lucky Charms, Cartoon watching and then lots of presents to open. We had already opened a few before Ben left. But we finished the rest off that morning. He got lots of stuffed animals...Kittens to be exact. He loves cats more than anything. He meowed all day long and took them everywhere with him. He still does. They sit with him while he does his homework, chores and even eats bfast with him. So funny. His Gma Morrise got him a little Vet kit with an animal carrier, he is loving that thing. Now his kitties come along with him in the car too. Funny boy.

Anyways, after we played all morning we picked up his cake form the store....as soon as I saw it I started laughing. It was supposed to be a Beyblade cake with red & blue frosting. It was a beyblade cake...but with bright pink and purple frosting. As soon as he saw it he said "that's okay, that's fine. I'll still like it." Good boy. Easy to please. Then it was off to the pool to swim with friends and share cake. He had a great time, we all did, and we all ate too much cake. mmmm, frosting....  Then it was time for the surprise. I had told him that his dinner was a great surprise. All week he had been trying to figure out what the surprise was. I told him it had nothing to do with toys, or playthings...just food. And where did I take them? Golden Corral.

You should know that I hate buffets. Just driving by one makes me want to barf. The entire thing makes me just a little sick. So I have never taken my kids to one...ever. And then the other day a friend was telling me how her kids love Golden Corral more than anything, that it is their favorite place to go. And then I remembered how my Gma used to take our family to this Buffet every time she came to visit and how much I loooooooved going there. And I realized that it was time to share this disgusting treat with my kids.

We got there, I told the kids the magic of endless desserts and getting as many plates as they wanted and all the joys of a buffet. They were amazed. "Wait mom, we can eat ANYTHING we want? Any dessert? Anything? really?" Yes kids, make yourselves sick. Have at it. And they did. They were in love. They tasted every dang dessert there, each took a few different plates of food...including an entire plate of cottage cheese and peaches...funny. And when we were all done eating, there was Harrison. Still going back for more. That kids greatest love in life is food and he was living the dream. He sat there, having to take large breaths between bites, stuffing his cute little face until he finally said "mom, I think I need to burp.....or maybe barf."

And that was the end of eating. I told him he was done. He sat back in his chair...stuck in a food coma...for several minutes before he finally got up to leave. Ah. It was a fun adventure. The kids are still talking about it.

Tuesday it was back to school, cleaning up from a long weekend, and trying to eat a little healthier for all of us. Sophie and I went for a long bike ride. I had her in the bike trailer and while we were out the wind really picked up. So much so that I could barely peddle us home. By the time we got home both my legs were shaking and were in constant pain for a couple days.

Anyways, the rest of the week flew by. It seems I have to just keep going going going from the time my alarm goes off until I am finally laying down in bed. I feel like I've got a good schedule/routine going on to keep up on everything. I feel like I'm always on the move, but I never feel overwhelmed by it all and everything seems to get done.  It's funny, there are a few things that Ben did that I never even thought about doing. For instance. it had been several days before I realized I had never gotten the mail. Ben has always grabbed the mail from the time we got married. I don't even think about it. I didn't even know where the mail key was or which mailbox was ours. I had to call and ask him. hahaha. I haven't tackled mowing and edging the lawns yet, but that'll be a good chore tomorrow morning when it, hopefully, isn't raining.

I have been very glad each night to be able to video chat with Ben. He has even been able to have scripture study and family prayer with all of us. I am very grateful for modern technology cause I think I would just miss him way too much if I couldn't see him every day. But each night we chat and laugh together and talk about everything going on, and it doesn't feel like he is so far away. He still very in touch with our lives and what all is going on. The kids like seeing him too.

Friday we had the kids Tri team practice (they meet every Mon Wed 7 am & Fri 4 pm) after school where we practiced swimming. James of course excelled, and Harrison of course, was happy to simply float across the pool.....not even bothering to kick. funny boy. Sophie is still my fish and spent the entire time swimming across the pool or diving down for toys. After Tri team we went out for pizza...cheese pizza...our favorite. Then a movie and popcorn. We love family fun night. Saturday I slept in, it was delicious. Then the kids and I all cleaned the house. They actually all did a great job. They helped clean things up, then James Vacuumed and harrison wiped all the bathrooms down while I finished up the laundry.

 Then once I had gotten a good hot run in, we packed up the car and drove to the beach. Only to be met with a downpour. Dang it. So we went on into Mc Donalds and played & ate there until the rain stopped. Which it did. So we hurried on down to the beach and played for a good hour. THe waves were crazy so the boys had a blast playing in the water. Sophie and I stayed in the sand and played with buckets and shovels. Once it started to get dark I called the kids on in and we headed home. Onyl to be met with the worst downpour I have ever been in. I literally could not tell if we were on the road or not. I had James looking for the white lines and telling me if he could see them and if I had crossed over it or not. It lasted the entire 45 minutes home and was terrifying. Harrison and Sophie were both freaking out because the car kept getting whipped about by the wind and rain. I kept telling them we would be fine, everything would be fine....but I was really just praying that everything would be fine....I was very glad to get home safe and sound.

Anyways, week one has gone well. If all weeks go this well I will be one happy single momma. But I know that the only reason this week has gone so well is because of prayers. Both mine, Ben's and families who are thinking of us. I am always and forever grateful for the power of prayer. For the strength it gives me every single day. I know that is the only way I am going to make it through this summer, the move, and the life awaiting us in San Fran.

Right now though, it is game time. Each night about an hour before bedtime we pull out a board game, eat a snack and play. It is fun, and my kids are waiting for me so I had better go. Much love!

Phoenix Marathon

Just got back from Phoenix, AZ. What a fabulous trip that was. The race was 100% great. I got a new personal best time of 3:43:14 (an even 8:30 avg pace) but when you consider aid stations and the 2+ mile uphill climb my actual running pace was closer 8:20. Not too shabby.

For those of you that don't know there was a big of a competition between my brothers and I. We had all very similar marathon times & so this was kind of a shake down to see who would win. At the start of the race all 3 of my brothers took off and I was absolutely sure they were going to kick my butt. You can imagine my surprise when I passed 2 of them at mile 21, and then caught up to the last one at mile 25. I told him we should finish together. We ran together for about 30 seconds before he dropped back and told me to just go on, so I did. I flew through the last 2 miles (8:20 & 8:10) my legs were screaming at me and there were several times when I thought I was just going to collapse...obviously I didn't.

I saw people walking and wanted to stop and walk more than anything, but thought of all the people cheering me on, both at the race and home in FL and knew I couldn't let them down. So I pushed through and finally finally I got to the finish. As I ran through and realized I had gotten a new best and come in first in my family I couldn't help but just scream/shout "I did it!! I did it!!! I'm first!!!!" People thought I was crazy because as far as they knew I wasn't first in anything. Haha. It was a great finish and I am still on some crazy high from having such a great race.

Everyone did fabulously, my dad did his very first race, a half marathon in 2:22. A great time. I think he really enjoyed it because he came home and signed up for another half marathon. You go dad! It was so great to be with so much family, even my grandparents came out to cheer us through the finish. I love that there are so many of us that run. It makes for a great race.

Anyways, here are some pics from the race. Enjoy!

A Dance, A Book, & Too Much Sugar

Yep folks, another boring ol' update. Here we go.

Last Monday....I tried to run. I had run 55 miles the week before and I was scheduled to run 8 on Monday. So I laced up my shoes and started to, very slowly, run. I lasted a whopping 3 miles before I thought my legs were going to break. So I walked for a good mile, tried running another 2...and then I was done. Seriously, I think my best pace in that entire run was a 9:45. It was a sad sad run. Oh well.
For Family Home Evening we put together all of our Valentine's. For friends, both at church and school. Sophie got really into it and made them for our babysitters, all her friends at church, and even grandpa. Still haven't sent the far away family ones. sorry!

Tuesday, I cleaned up the house, went for a good bike ride with Ben, and then had a meeting with the other Counselor (Michele) in Young Women's. We were planning the food for the upcoming tri-stake dance. Then we talked and talked the afternoon away. It was actually a really fun time. She is an amazing woman, and I'm lucky to get to work with her.

That night was a Relief Society activity. It was great. It was all about love. Love in your family, in your marriage, and then a little bit about natural health/healing. There is a lady in our ward who is an expert in essential oils. I was at the table smelling all of them and asked her what would take my pre-race nerves away. She pulled out a bottle had me sniff it and seriously the effect was immediate. It was crazy weird. Completely grounded me, all nerves, anxiousness, excitement, gone. Crazy. Then she had one that I couldn't put down. It cleared your sinuses completely, made breathing a beautiful thing. I should have brought it home to Ben, he has allergies like crazy right now. Anyways, it was a great activity & I always have fun hanging out with all my fave women.

Wednesday was a busy, but great day. Sophie was playing at a friends for the morning. So I had plans to go visit my friend, Jessica, who had just had a baby girl. She was my running buddy my first year here. Our daughters look like twins, so I was excited to see what this new baby girl looked like. Plus I love babies so dang much & birthing stories so I was dying to visit her. I had plans to go running after the visit and before I picked Sophs up, but that never happened.

I went to Jess' house and that baby is the most perfect cute thing you ever saw. Seriously, she is perfect. We had so much fun chatting and looking at the sweet babe that I stayed there all morning and missed my run. Oh well, running can always happen later...babies....they grow up. It was a great time. Once I got Sophie home, the boys were due home in 30 min. So I hopped on the treadmill. Did hill intervals for exactly 30 min. Got all 6 hills in, my legs didn't break, and finished right when the boys got home. Awesome.

Then it was straight off to scouts. James had scout early that day because they were doing a bike course and I said I'd help with it. James had a great time. They were supposed to do 10 laps around the parking lot. He did 30. He definitely was the most confident on a bike. That's what happens when you ride your bike to school every day for 2 years. He seems to really enjoy scouts. He is friends with all the boys there, and I am glad he gets to go. He is just about done with his Wolf. Just a few more things, which is good because he turns 9 in just a little over a month..yikes!

After scouts I hurried on home, made a bazillion cookies for YW. Strawberry cake cookies with M&Ms and white chocolate chips...they were a little too tasty and I might have eaten a whole lot of dough. dang it! Haha. I finished just in time to head over to the Church and was very grateful for Ben for picking up Subway for all of us.

YW was a lot of fun this week. I had 2 of the girls teach everyone different ways to do your hair, and take care of it and good products to help the frizz you get when living in humid FL. I was so impressed. They did such a great job. They did almost everyone's hair, they were very sweet, and we just had fun. It was a great activity.

After I got home, I made even more cookies for friends for Valentine's day, ate more dough...grrr! And got things ready for the fam for the Holiday. I always do a fun breakfast for the kids and have a few valentines out for them. I decorated the kitchen, set up the table, and finally got my butt in bed way too late. I was really excited for the kids to see what I'd done and thought they'd be excited too. nope. they weren't. They didn't really seem to care.

 butt. heads.

That's the last time I'm losing sleep over spoiling them. ha! Not one of them thanked me or anything. In fact they seemed to just be extra whiny all morning. No, I wasn't happy about that. After they left we cleaned things on up and Ben and I went to go play some tennis. We still aren't great, in fact I wouldn't even say we are good, but we are less horrible than we were when we started. That is for sure. We picked Sophie up from the gym daycare, where she had made us a really cute Valentine and had a fun time. She looked all cute. I had put her hair into fun braids, and she had on a new shirt & sparkly shoes...she was darling.

We came home and made notes for our friends and put cookies onto plates to take around. That was when Ben pulled out his gift for me.

A book. That he wrote, about me. "50 things I love About You" Not going to lie, I cried. It was the sweetest thing I have ever gotten. He started writing it a year ago and then had it printed off. So so so sweet. I then felt lame about the heart attack I had done for him and the smattering of peanut buttery treats. Not a whole lot of thought there. I'll have to think of something great for next year.

The boys got home, Harrison was very excited to tell me that when he got to school there was a heart full of treats on his desk waiting for him. James brought home his box of Valentines. He had made a star wars box with Darth Vaders face on the front that read "Will you be my Death-a-tine?" Not sure what that means exactly, but it made me laugh really hard.

We then went on our way to take plates of cookies to people. It took a couple hours, but we had a great time visiting with friends. We went to the Turpins and saw their sweet little baby. THe kids had never seen him yet. It was fun to show them who the baby was that they had been praying for for the past 3.5 months. And I of course got to snuggle another sweet baby. He is little just like Harrison and Sophie were and I love that. He is a super sweet thing and it was fun to visit with the fam while the kids ran off and played. Then at another house we took in cookies and came out with a giant bag of clothes for the kids. I think I am going to take cookies there more often. They have a girl just older than sophie, so they often pass clothes on down to her. Which I am so so so grateful for. Sophie was so excited and has been trying on all the clothes ever since. Thank You Rachel!!
Once we got home, we had our nacho dinner. Awesome cheese sauce and all, the kids loved it. We had a good evening.

Friday, I thought for about 2 seconds that I didn't have much going on...then I remembered that I was in charge of the food at the Tri-Stake Youth Dance Saturday night and that I needed to get shopping and prepping. So, I got my run in. My legs finally felt like themselves again. And I was off to Costco. I don't normally go there, it is pretty far away. But I really hate the wholesale store we live by and decided to just go to Costco. I love that place. I know, I'm weird, but I love that store. I spent way too much time there. I got everything I needed though and headed home. Once I got home, I realized I had forgotten a few things...grrrr...why do I always do that...and so headed back out the door to Target to get the last items. Once again, it was Subway for dinner. THose $5 footlongs have become our families best friend lately.

By the time I got kid stuff done, dinner eaten, shopping completed, it was pretty late and I was just starting with the many cookie bars I was baking. I got to bed somewhere around 1 am, got up at 5 am to go running so I could get it done before James' football game. Went straight to the game after I got home. It was a good game. The other team was undefeated, same as James' team, and we tied! James didn't score a touchdown this time, but he enjoyed the game anyway. They have a really good team, and coaches. It was so stinking cold though. Sophie and I stayed huddled up in a giant blanket. Harrison kept trying to take the blanket off of us because he was "too cold" But at the same time refused to wear his jacket because he didn't need it. Whatever child.

Once we got home I showered, took a quick nap and then it was time to make buckets of frosting, bags and bags of snack mix, and chop chop veggies. whew. It was a lot. But I got it all done, Thank you Ben for helping chop things and taking care of kids. Then it was off to the Stake Center to feed many dancing teens. It was actually a lot of fun. The Hillis' were there, Michele & her husband were there. And we had so much fun together. The men went out and got us all actual dinner food, while we got treats and everything served up. Once again, I feel so lucky to work with so many amazing people. By the time we got everything cleaned up though and I got home, it was past midnight. So tired. But a good tired.

So you can guess that today I spent as much time as possible being a lazy bum. haha. Our Stake had a special meeting today. They are reorganizing the entire Stake except our ward. I guess the other wards were all too small, so they consolidated them, made fewer, larger wards. And everyone in all other wards were released from their callings. crazy huh? They had baskets for everyone to turn in all their keys. But our ward is unaffected, we still have our same callings, same Stake, no changes.
Then today we made Chocolate ice cream, lazed around and did whatever we felt like doing. Which included a lot of sleeping. :) Then of course tonight was BYD, which was also a good time. I am getting to know the Youth more and enjoying my time with them. They really are a great group of kids.

So yes, another full week. I feel bad. As I look back I don't even know what all I did with the kids. Sophie is home with me every day, so she and I generally take plenty of time during the day to play Barbies or watch a show. We painted a lot this week actually. She loves painting, and she is pretty good at it.

Since I was gone most nights, Ben was the one to put the kids to Bed and read scriptures and all that with them. maybe we need to start having scripture study in the morning. But I am so so grateful for Ben and all that he does. He is so good about helping the kids finish up school projects, or reading with them, or helping James with his multiplication facts. He always gets them to bed on time and then even straightens up so when I get home that house is not trashed. He really is just the best. I am a lucky lucky girl.

Anyways, I wanted to post a couple things from the kids over the week. Here they are.


Kid stuff:

Sophie today was running around & around the house. And when she was all done she said "Dad, am I a really fast runner?" Yeah, You know that made my day. Cute girl.

James. Folded all the laundry for me this week. He is an angel sent from Heaven I tell you. I couldn't believe he did that for me, and it made me feel like the luckiest mom to have such a great kid.

Harrison. Made me several little hearts this week. Some with cute pictures, and some with little notes that said I love you. He is still my sweetie.

Oh and one more random thing. I made fish one night this week and was all ready for the kids to just hate it. They didn't. They ate and ate and ate. They loved it. I love it when kids like healthy things. James has started liking his sandwiches with lots of veggies in there too. gotta love that. Harrison...still just wants bread and plain cheese, nothing else.

So I think that is all for this last week. I have eaten waaaay too much sugar in the past 5 days and so made a deal with one of my friends that I have to pay her a dollar every time I have sugar. I need to get off the stuff...again. need to. it messes with me. And I have a marathon in 2 weeks, gotta be eating right.  So here's to no sugar...again..we'll see how long I last this time. ;) Hahaha.

James Scores a Touchdown, Sophie gets Sick, & Harrison tells me to Stop Talking to Him.

Well, that about sums up my week. ;) ;) Just kidding. I know I missed posting about the week before...it was insanely busy I'll tell you that. I ran 55 miles, I hosted a double baby shower..which meant I needed to get my front room put together, finally, (it looks good now, curtains, chairs, lamps & all)  and scrubbing walls, baseboards, cleaning carpets, and all that jazz. Then of course there was all the other usual stuff of kids projects, games, practices, school, YW activities & meetings. I swear I was so tired by Sunday I wanted to just sleep in and skip church altogether. But instead I got up, hurried to get the kids all ready and we were actually on time to Church. I was proud of myself. I will confess though that I forgot to eat bfast before church (I had run 30 miles that weekend) and halfway through church realized how dang hungry I was, so what did I do? I had a bag of peanut butter m&ms and ate almost the entire thing. Yes, it was a big bag....not the small ones. It was very tasty.

So, now onto this week. Gosh I can't even think what we did this week. How about I'll just p;ost about each person and that should cover everything.

James:  Man, that kids has been one of my biggest stresses lately. Not because he has been behaving poorly or anything. He is just really struggling in school and I have no idea why. He always gets mostly As and some Bs and this term he got Bs and Cs. He seems overwhelmed by all the homework and school work he has to do and his scores in everything are consistently dropping. I look at his work at the beginning of the year and it is far better than what he is doing now. Sometimes I think his brain fell out somewhere.

Anyways, for those of you that don't know. There is a test here in FL called the FCAT. Kids take it every year starting in 3rd grade and if you don't pass....you don't move on to the next grade. Also, schools are ranked by the avg of their FCAT scores. James and Harrison attend the #1 school. They are obsessed with getting the highest scores. Bleh. So, I guess they took some practice tests and James scored in the bottom 20 of everyone. Oh boy.  I got a letter from the school letting me know, emails, phone calls...love having everyone tell me how "smart" my kid is. Anyhoo, because of his scores he now has to attend tutoring 3 days a week after school until April. The only problem is that he already stays after for his science club which he loves. I wasn't about to take him out of that. So, we made arrangements with the science teacher and he and some other kids are meeting in the morning for science club and then he staying after for the tutoring. Poor kid, I hope he can hang in there for all this. That's a lot of time at school. I did make a deal with him that while he was doing all this he was off all chore duties at home...bed making, room cleaning..etc. He seemed pretty happy about that, so maybe that'll help.

Last month I signed James up for Football. It was a last minute decision and wasn't cheap. But I just felt like I needed to do it. I am so glad I did. With so much school work he gets hit with, I am so glad he has this fun thing to do on the weekends and during the week. He loves it. He loves it so much and he is good! He has had a couple games already and has done really well in both. In this weeks game he scored a touchdown on the very first play. It was awesome. He talks to me about football all the time and I love it. He and Ben go practice throwing the ball around and have a good time together. He is also on the same team with some friends from his old school and he seems to get along really well with all the boys on the team. Kind perfect for him right now.

He and I write notes to each other in a little notebook we pass back & forth. And it's been a lot of fun. But in one of his notes last week he wrote "mom, here is a secret, I have no friends at school". That broke my heart. I talked to him the next day about how I didn't have any friends until High School and kids teased me and even spat on me, but that I just decided to take charge and start being friendly to everyone. I said hi to most everyone I saw and eventually people started saying hi back. We talked for a bit about how he has friends at church and on the football team and that cheered him up. I've been meeting the boys for lunch every Thursday and he seemed much happier that day.

Harrison: Doesn't like me. If you think I am kidding I am not. The other day I said "Harrison, do you love me? You never tell me so I don't know." He rolled his eyes at me and said "I like you, I just don't like to talk to you." nice kid. real nice. Meh, He'll come around. He gets along with Ben so at least he likes someone right? No, he really is a sweetheart. But he's lazy and I am the mean one that doesn't let him get away with it...so yeah. When I was eating lunch with him this week he was making me laugh really hard. I can't even remember what we were talking about. But he was making the funniest faces while he was talking I was dying. He is funny little boy. He keeps us laughing in this house. Drives us crazy sometimes when we need him to be serious, but for the most part we just laugh.

 He seems to be doing much better in school. He rocks in math. Seriously. Every single math assignment and test he brings home is always 100% and he tells me he is always the first one done. It makes me happy to see him excel in something. He still has no idea what he is reading...zero comprehensions...and is in about 50 different intervention programs to get him up to speed at the school but he is rocking in the math dept. Gotta be proud of that!

He is still obsessed with kitties, it is what he does most of his day. Gathers all his stuffed animals/kittens and plays with Sophie. I do love that those two get along so well and can play together. Harrison is a perfect middle kid that way. He can play with Sophie just as well as he can play with James. It makes my heart happy.

Sophie: Was sick all week long. And is still sick. Poor girl. I went to go visit a friend at the Hospital this week (her daughter is there) and didn't get back until very late. I went to check on Sophie in her bed and she was burning hot. I took her temp and she was 103.7! yikes. Thank the heavens for tylenol and ibuprofen. She had that fever for a few days and then came down with a really crappy cough. Now her voice is all scraggly and she is pretty grouchy. But I've let her watch waaaaaaay more TV than I ever do, so she hasn't been too sad about being sick. I did spend one afternoon just holding her. She never lets me cuddle her anymore and I wasn't going to let that chance slip past me. So I scooped her up and just held her until the boys came home. Love that girl so stinking much.

 She kept me up most of the week. I would wake up in the middle of the night to her face right in mine. Usually scared me half to death at first. But then she would say something sweet like "mom, my throat is scratchy and I don't like all the boogers in my nose"  So I'd get her a tissue & a drink and tuck her back in. One night she woke up throwing a mighty fit and I could not calm her down for anything. She was suuuper sweaty (fever broke) So I changed her jammies, got her a drink and some meds, finally calmed her down and then suddenly she was out like a light. Completely asleep. The next morning she came to me crying about how she had lost her jammies (the ones I had taken off her) and she didn't know what had happened. She didn't remember anything of the night before. Funny baby. Can she just please stay my baby forever?

 Last night she was tired of staying down and we had a little tea party together. We made heart shaped sandwiches, pink frosted sugar cookies, and apple juice. We then pulled out the barbies and played dolls until bedtime. It was great fun. The boys even got involved with their stuffed animals and pretended to be monsters. It was a fun night. I hope she gets feeling better soon though.

Ben: Is working around the clock. Remember how I said they got their funding and all that. I spoke too soon. Long story and I don't even think I get it. But to sum up. They didn't get the funding and are starting back over trying to get investors. Oh man. So Ben is working around the clock trying to get some new features done that people are wanting. I really really hope they are able to find funding, not because I am worried about Ben's employment. (he has never had a hard time getting a job...ever) It would just suck to see this company go down. I know how much work they have all put into it, and it would be a bit heartbreaking to see it fail. I don't think it will, they are all pretty determined to make things happen. It'll be interesting to see how things shake out.

Me: Oh gosh, where to start? Running Running running. Not just for exercise. After kids, errands, cleaning house, making dinners. Fortunately I only have one more week of training and then maybe I will have a little more energy. maybe. Wait who am I kidding? Life is busy no matter what. Ha!

 This week was good. One of the main things I did was go to the Temple. I missed last month and I just felt like I neeeeeeeded to get my butt there. So I set a day apart to go, made arrangements and I swear everything that could go wrong went wrong. That was the night Sophie got sick. She kept me up most the night crying and not sleeping. Then I wondered about leaving her while she was sick...then my car was out of gas and I went to get it filled and for whatever reason my card wouldn't work for anything (turns out my card accidently got cancelled...what?) Fortunately we have a few different accounts so I paid a different way. Oh and we woke up late that morning, my friend that was going to come with me called and couldn't go last minute....it just seemed like I was NOT meant to go to the Temple. But I knew I needed to go, so I just went. So glad I did. Seriously. So glad. It was the ONE thing I needed to do this week. If nothing else worked out this week, I needed that trip. It was beautiful and cleared my mind and helped me refocus my brain to where it needed to be. I'm always so grateful that we have a place of peace that we can go to and feel of the spirit. It was wonderful. I came home ready to put my mom shoes back on and get to work.

For our YW activity this week we got all the girls registered online on lds.org so we can track their personal progress. I love that I can see where each of them are at now and can keep track of it all online. awesome!! They still have their books and are using those too, it is just nice to have both. In fact for New Beginnings I am sewing book holders for the girls. They are really cute and I am excited to give them to the girls.  But I'd better get cracking on them if I want them done on time. hehehe.


Family Things:
We had a great FHE where we talked about the Holy Ghost, then had some valentine's treats I had made. My kids are loving the jar of marshmallow hearts. Can't remember if I posted about that or not....everytime they show love for someone they get to have a heart shaped marshmallow. I have a big jar full of them. I have been getting a lot of love notes from my kids....I'm not complaining. :) We started that when we had a lesson about Jesus and his love for us.

We had our Friday Family Fun night. Our kids love that night most of all. We always have some sort of pizza, a kids movie and a family treat. This week we even had soda! They thought it was pretty awesome. Then I let them have a sleepover together in the boys room. Sophie always ends up on Harrison's bed and James and Harrison end up on James' bed together. They are cute all together.

WEll, I think that is about it. This week scares me. seriously. I'm in charge of another activity I need to get a bunch of stuff for,  it is my biggest week for training (almost 60 miles to run this week) One of the sisters I VT is starting Chemo and I neeeeed to visit her, I need to sew things for YW,  James' schedule is crazy for school tutoring, football and science. Ben doesn't have any extra time...just working every spare minute he can. Fortunately I am starting things ahead of the game. Laundry is all caught up. I have no problem with frozen meals for the week. and I am making a bunch of muffins and stuff for snacks for the week. And as far as cleaning goes...it just might have to wait until next week.

A New Car, a Girl's Night Out, & Harrison's Tears.

Wow. What a crazy crazy week. And this week will be just as insane. Oh boy, I'd better buckle up right now. Sheesh.

Okay so Monday......usual Monday stuff. Went to the gym with Ben, & ran some good miles. Sophie had fun at the daycare there, it seemed that most of her friends showed up too and I saw her in there holding hands with one of them dancing around the room. It was really cute. Then I went and spent all our money groceries and even more groceries. I swear food prices have tripled. For the love. I can never get that weekly bill down. Oh well.

We had a good Family Home Evening, we did some yard work, trimming the hedges and all that, for a little bit, had a little lesson and then had delicious brownies and ice cream. Clearly we haven't gotten back on the no sugar train. It'll be my goal after the marathon. Right now, I need that sugar. seriously. Or I can't handle the withdrawal, that's probably more correct. HaHaHa.

Tuesday I scrubbed walls, and baseboards and did all that awesome deep cleaning. And Sophie insisted on helping me, she followed me around with a spray bottle and rag washing doors and walls. It was really sweet of her.Then I Planted my flower garden, and she was just as helpful then. She got all the flowers out of their pots so I could plant them. We even got her a little flower and pot for her in her room. WE'll see how long before it dies. ;)  Ben and I went for a good long bike ride. And then I finished up a school project with Harrison. He had to write a report on Penguins. Neither He or I were into it. I may or may not have helped him color his penguin. But it got done, he wrote it all out himself, so that was good.

Then that night I was teaching the RS activity. It was one I had planned before I got released, so I was still a part of it this month. It was really fun. I love working with the women in this ward. They are so much fun. The RS made these delicious "energy" bites (okay they are basically no bakes with a few added healthier ingredients) THey have Peanut Butter, Coconut, Oats, Flaxseed, Honey & mini chocolate chips.you just mash it all together and roll it into little balls and they are so yummy! I think I ate like 10. I came home and made a bunch for my kids and they ate them just as fast. I think they might become a new staple here. mmmm. Yum. Anyways, it was a great activity and I miss being in charge of those. That was a good time.

Wednesday was of course filled with Running, Cleaning, Laundry. But I was way proud of my run that day. I did 8 half mile sprints and I did each one in 3:18 (6:36 min mile) It was not an easy workout and I thought I was going to puke at the end. Fortunately I had 3 other ward friends running with me and we had a good time chatting and wanting to die at the same time. It was fun. It was early out day and we met up with a few friends at the splash pad. It was perfect weather, the kids had a great time, and I got to hang out with more friends so it was a fabulous afternoon.

As soon as we were done there I came home, put together a quick dinner and James and I were off. I had another YW meeting plus I was in charge of the combined activity this week, which I think went really well. James got his homework done while I had my meeting, we went to our activities, he helped me carry stuff back out to the car and by 9:30 we were heading home. It had been a long day so we decided we needed some frozen yogurt. So we got some. He was pretty happy about that.

We had fun talking while we ate our yogurt. He said "mom, I know you don't really care about video games, and you don't like them very much, but I really want to tell you about this anyway okay?" I almost died laughing it was so funny. He went on to explain everything about this game he has been playing, you build and create things in it and he is in love.

Thursday Ben and I started our day out with a game of Tennis. Given the fact that it was only the 2nd time I had ever played, I think we did much better. I hit the ball a lot more and actually got it in the lines and didn't hit myself with the racket this time, so definitely an improvement. After that I showered and spent the rest of the day at Amy's house. We never get to hang out anymore, so we plan a day here and there when we can. It was great day. Sophie had Eve to play with her there, so she was in heaven. They played out on the trampoline and with dolls and ate an entire plate of cookies, so their little hearts were happy.  Amy and I made food and chatted and laughed our heads off and just had a great time. Love that woman. She's my sis out here.

While I was having fun, Ben was out buying a new car. Yes that's right, we traded in Ben's sports car. sniff sniff. I loved that thing. The leather, the engine, the everything about it. sniff sniff. But practicality got us and we traded it in. We now own a 2010 Honda Accord. It was $15,000. So I didn't feel too bad about the price. It is a pretty nice little car, we're happy with it. The kids love it too, probably because they can actually fit in "dad's" car now.

Thusday is also one of the days that James has SCience club after school and I forgot to tell Harrison. I went to meet him, and he didn't come until a teacher went to find him, he was waiting for James and brought him out to me. He was stressed, but it was really sweet. WE got to the sidewalk and a little girl was there. She is from his class and I guess she always waits for him and helps him out. so sweet.

The kids didn't have school on Friday. So what did we do? We had great plans to go to the beach and have a splendid day there...but it got COLD and WET all day. So we slept in. Went shopping (finally got another desk so my computer is NOT sitting on the floor) I got my run in, then Ben and I went out on a date. the YW presidency was having a luncheon for all the teachers the next day and I was supposed to make thank you gifts, which turned out beautifully! But I needed to get several things. So we went out for Pizza. Um best pizza ever. And mom, they have gluten free, so if you ever come here we know where to go! Seriously, I was in heaven it was so good. the crust melted in your mouth...mmm. Now I want more.

Anyways, we ran our errands, I came home and got everything put together, cleaned up and before I knew it it was 2 am. for the love. I never stay up that late. Then I woke up at 4:30 for no reason at all and didn't really go back to sleep. Sheesh. Not really what I had in mind. But my friend was meeting me to run, so we got our 12 miles in and then it was shower and head over to the luncheon. It was so perfect! It looked gorgeous. maybe I'll post a pic for ya. I framed a fancied up copy of this years theme and made a little treat for each, and the table was set beautifully. The lady that hosted is amazing, pretty much a Martha Stewart, but 100% gracious and I could totally see her being a general something other in the church one day. She is full of love for everyone and just amazes me. I am lucky I get to work with her. It was a fabulous afternoon though and I was so glad it went so well.

I came on home, died in bed for a couple hours. And then Ben took the boys to a Hockey game while Sophie and I had a girls night. We watched Beauty and the BEast while we did our nails and had some dinner. Then we went to the store, and on the way the poor girl got a horrible bloody nose that just would not stop. That girl and her bloddy noses, she gets them all the time and it freaks her out a little bit. But we got her all cleaned up and got our shopping done. picked out a couple treats for ourselves. After we got home, we played Barbies, ready books and ate our treats. It was a fun evening with her. I was glad to have a few hours with just her to play with.

Oh, cutest story. Friday night we watched Frankenweenie. The little boy's dog dies at the beginning and I look over at Harrison and he has little tears just spilling out. He tried to hide them, and blame it on the lights. But the lights didn't seem to bother him later. hehehe. It was so sweet. Ben and I were dying it was so cute. Love that sweet sweet silly boy. Harrison lost one of his front teeth on Saturday. It was pretty much hanging by a thread and he would NOT let us even near him to pull it out, or touch it or anything. but ben finally talked him into letting us tie a string on it and letting him pull it out himself. So he did and it came out no problem. THen today I noticed his other front tooth is just as wiggly. I wonder how long before he lets us pull that on out too.

I know I talked last time about Ben's company and how they were meeting with really Big investors this week. And they did. And the meeting went perfectly. I guess things went 100% smoothly. So that's what we heard on Monday & then didn't hear anything else all week. I know the guys were insanely busy with other meetings with other investors. But the waiting to find out what was going on was a little nerve wracking. But finally on Friday they contacted Ben for just a few minutes to say they got the funding they needed, not from who they expected, but it worked out, it was a crazy week of ups and downs and they'll report more later. So, I guess that is good? I want to hear all the details and know what all happened.

Anyways, that is all for now. Today was very nice, I am really liking the new curriculum for the Youth in the Church. One of the girls in YW today made such a great comment, I loved it and I love that these girls are really thinking about things. It is great to see.

And now I am home from BYD, Ben got the kids to bed, I am tired and ready for bed. Good night family.

Sophie Pics

Just a few pics of Sophie from the past week. Do you like her make up? She is my princess.

47 Miles, A Sunny Afternoon at the Park, & Date Night

Man, I can't even think what happened this week. My brain has literally ceased to function. That might have something to do with the fact that I ran a fast 10 miles on Friday afternoon, and then a decently paced 20 miles early Saturday morning and then went right into a busy Saturday, a very restless night and then another busy Sunday. Yeah, my brain just isn't working at the moment. But just typing seems to be stirring up some memories of this week so here we go....

I have started cheating with Family Home Evening, let me explain. Since I am in Young Women's now and get to enjoy hearing a great lesson over basic gospel doctrine each Sunday I have been taking notes and pretty much copying the lesson to use for FHE the following night. It is working beautifully. Then I don't have a brain cramp trying to figure out what to teach, it is already planned, and I feel like the kids are actually learning things they need to know. This week we talked about what the Godhead was and then all learned the First Article of Faith together. Tonight they all passed it off to me and will be getting na extra special treat from the store tomorrow. See how well this cheating works out for me? Beautifully.

I know most everyone who reads this blog is living in UT...I'm sorry for the next sentence. The weather here has been 100% absolutely perfect!! My kids get worn out running around outside all afternoon and come in all sweaty and ready to settle down. mmm. perfect. So on early out day we made a play date with friends to meet at the park. Several came and we had such a fun time. They each a few friends to play with. I got to visit with good friends I hadn't seen in a while (one jut had a baby, another about to have a baby) and it was a perfect afternoon at the park. Love those days,

As soon as we were done at the park though, we hurried home, grabbed a bite of dinner, and then James and I were off to the church. I had a meeting 2 hrs before YW/YM & scouts started so I just took James with me. He was good and did his homework, then a friend happened to be at the church as well so they played ball while we had our presidency meeting. It was good. The women I serve with are simply amazing and I am constantly learning from them. THey are the most loving women I have ever met, and I am reminded yet once again that the most important thing in live is to love.

We had our YW activity, which was a class activity. It was really fun. We made caramel popcorn, planned out and got ready for our YW/YM combined activity this coming week that we are in charge of and just had a good time getting to know each other while doing all of that. They are great girls, and I am glad I get to be with them.

Thursday I tried something new. Ben and I played a "game" of tennis together. Something we have never done before. I think the last time I played tennis was in PE in Jr High. So yeah, its been at least 15 years. It was pretty entertaining. Ben served the ball, I went to hit it and hit myself with the racket instead. I think he then realized just how bad I was. He served more carefully from then on. WE played for a good hr and had a really fun time. It was like a mini morning date. We made fools of ourselves I'm sure, but hey, it was worth it. We will be back there again this Thursday.

After our game of Tennis, Sophie had her friend, Eve, over for the day. Those two girls are so sweet together. They played nicely the entire day (from 10-5) And even shared their dinners, snacks, toys, dresses and everything else with each other the whole time. At one point I was downstairs cleaning up and I could hear them upstairs whispering and then laughing laughing laughing.I snuck up the stairs to see what they were up to. They had sophies make up (bright eyeshadow) and were putting it on each other and just giggling at every little thing. I loved it. I loved seeing them so happy and having so much fun.

Friday I promised the boys I would meet them for lunch at school again. I also promised I would bring them a special lunch. They were very lucky boys as I got them Happy Meals. We don't get those very often as they are pricey and unhealthy. But it made their day and we had a lot of fun together at the school. Sophie did her "make-up" before we left and everyone commented on how pretty she was. Harrison had a good day at school because they had read a book about Chicken Soup with Rice and in class they ate chicken soup and had crackers for their snack. He thought that was pretty great. James has been much happier at school this week and I am not sure if it iss because he feels pretty cool with a nook these days or what, but whatever the reason I am grateful. I like having my happy James back.

Saturday I did my run, which I will go into more detail in a minute, we cleaned up, got laundry done, Ben mowed lawns....all the usual Saturday stuff and then we ended the night with a date! We don't go out very much as it adds up quickly with a babysitter, food etc... But we had a fun time together. WE just went out to dinner. I was starving, Ben was starving. We ate our food in about 2 minutes. Even the waitress commented on how quickly the food disappeared. That's what you get when you run 50 miles in a week...a constantly starving person, and ben is just always hungry. :)

So yeah, I ran a bazillion miles this week and last week. I am not going to lie, it was a really rough week for training. Every single run was hard, and painful, and just slooooow. My legs seemed dead all week, I kept waiting for my body to just snap out of it and wake up already. But no, it didn't happen. I was 3 miles into my 10 miler on Friday when I came this close to just stopping. In my head I was thinking "This is rediculous! Why do I do this to myself? I don't even like this anymore! I HATE this! I hate hate hate running and never want to run again!!!!!!" Yeah, I was done. But as I kept running I kept thinking. And as I kept thinking I started thinking and realizing that I was just at mile 16.

See in a marathon mile 16 is always where I start to falter, not a lot, but that's when my body starts to break down. At that point you have run 16 miles, which is a pretty good distance....but you still have 10 miles to go!!! And that thought...is exhausting.  But, I always get through it. I always finish. I have never dropped out of race. And so, I am 2/3 done with my training. I have done a lot, still have a ways to go. But I will finish it, and I will finish it well. I finished up my 10 mile run. Prayed that my legs would last another 20 for the following morning and had a fabulous 20 miler with 3 of my friends. I felt great the entire way, and finished holding a solid pace of which I was very happy about. I am very glad though, that this week, is a recovery week. fewer miles, easier paces. Thank Heavens I only have 2 more 30 mile weekends to go.

And now it is Sunday. Ah. Neither of us could sleep very well last night, Ben was working quite a bit, and my body was sore...so not a good night for rest. Ben had to get up early for meetings, and was gone before I opened my eyes. I got to wake up to a little girl climbing into my bed and cuddling up with me. We talked about our dreams we had had, and then watched the sunrise outside my window. It was so sweet and yeah, I was 5 min late for church because of it. But I love those little quiet sweet moments with your kids. They are so rare.

And with that, I think I am done for this week. I need to post video of Sophie singing OH Christmas Tree at the top of her lungs out our front door, it was too cute. I was sad when Harrison so rudely told her how annoying her singing was. Mean older brothers. Yeah, he got the word from me on that one.

But for now, I am tired. I am not sore anymore so I think I will be able to get some good sleep tonight. I hope Ben does too. He has been working so much this week. Levi is presenting their product to the big dogs in San Francisco in the morning. I really hope it all goes well. But, they are an amazing group, so I think it will.

And now, Good night.

Christmas Break Pictures