Digger

Pictures taken May 26, 2011

Our third trip to Heritage Park was a double date.

Peter and I were joined by my sister and her four-year-old, Isaiah.

They had so much fun together!

The two previous times we went, we headed straight to the ponies upon arrival.

This time was different.

Peter wanted to go see his friend Digger.

Digger was there to pan gold our first time at Heritage Park.

Peter was disappointed when he wasn't there the second time.

We jumped on the train and rode it to the correct area of the park.

We introduced ourselves and I explained to Digger how much Peter had missed him.

He whispered to Peter that he had been at Disney Land with his family.

The two boys loved digging for gold.  They each found several pieces.

Digger paid them for their gold with candy.

After making the exchange, we headed on our way.

We explored, rode ponies and played in the play houses.

But the highlight of the trip was Digger.

Spring Concert

Pictures taken May 25, 2011

The first grade at Ammon's school put on a Spring Concert for the parents.  It was really cute.  They learned all sorts of songs about rain and sun.  Ammon has terrible allergies and they were going crazy that night.  We spent a lot of the evening watching him wipe his nose.  We were pleased when he at least used the tissue he had in his pocket.  We were mortified when he didn't.  I was certain that when he got up to the microphone to say his part it was going to be a very public and spotlighted nose-picking.  But it wasn't.  He did a GREAT job!

I think he must have gotten his choreography abilities from me.  At one point they pulled out rain jackets and put them on.  He spent the entire song trying to figure out why his wasn't fitting right.  He had put his head through one of the sleeves and never got it fixed.  Later they wore yellow vests.  His had gotten twisted around on the right side.  He spent a while trying to remedy that, but eventually gave up.  One of the songs they sung with the vests on was You Are My Sunshine.  He told me later that when he was singing that song, he was singing it to me.  Talk about a melt your heart moment!  I am such a lucky mom and couldn't be more proud of Ammon.  I love the person he is - runny nose, terrible dancing, and all!  I am constantly being told what I sweet boy he is.  He has the kindest heart and it shows!  Having Ammon in my life is one of my greatest blessings.

Heritage Park

As if my weekend hadn't already been great enough with a massage and date night, we spent the following day at Heritage Park as a family (plus two of our favorite neighbor kids).  Peter and I had been before, the day we bought our annual pass, but Ammon and Andrew had never been.  It was especially fun to have four kids with us.  I felt like they fed off of each other in their enthusiasm and it was just so much fun to watch!

We started out with the pony ride.  They had three ponies set up so the three older kids rode first.  Peter was allowed to go next, but for some reason he refused.  He wasn't sad or upset about not riding, but I knew he wasn't scared either because he's done it before and since.  I don't know what his hang up about it was.  But after the first pony ride they went and played with the goats then rode again.  Peter declined the second opportunity as well.

From the animal section, we headed over to the train station.  We caught the train and rode it to the boat and gold-digging area.  Peter was disappointed that his friend Digger wasn't there.  (Digger is the name of the docent who told us about that area last time we were there.)  Still, they had lots of fun playing in the water and enjoying the amazing weather.  (It seems like we've only been getting good weather a day or two at a time lately, so it was definitely something to bask in.)

We finally tore the kids away from the water and wandered down a path Peter and I hadn't visited before.  We saw some old homes and then ran into some handcarts.  The kids thought that was pretty fun and Andy helped each of them pull the carts.

We went back for another pony ride after looking at some other things, but the ponies were already put away for the day.  Then we stumbled upon a play area with miniature houses and a small wooden train for the kids on.  Peter and I hadn't noticed it the first time we were there.  The kids played endlessly until Andy and I were too bored and finally drug them away.

Andy suggested that instead of taking our two little friends home, that we go get the rest their family and have dinner in the park.  Unfortunately we realized that they had family visiting from out of town and had made dinner plans so it wouldn't work.  But we went and got some food and spent the rest of the evening enjoying the beautiful weather eating outdoors and watching the boys play at the playground down the road from us.

I decided that there isn't much better than following a couple date night up with a family date day.  Maybe doing it in reverse would work too.  Hmm... I might have to give that a try.

Family Visits

On the day of Ammon's field trip, Peter went to play with his Shadel cousins.

When the field trip was over, I checked Ammon out of school and we joined them.

It was the weekend that Andrew was volunteering for the St. George Ironman, so we were happy to visit.

Afterwards, we ran into my brother at my mom's house.
He was helping her build a small shed on the side of her house.
Ammon and Peter were eager to help out.

My sister and her kids were also there.

My brother-in-law was also gone for the night, so my sister and I had a slumber party at her house.

The kids enjoyed a movie together and had lots of fun playing.

(pictures of the slumber party are in the first collage.)

The next weekend was my nephew's birthday.

The boys and I went to Barnes and Noble to get this book for my nephew.

The boys enjoyed playing with the trains while we were there.

Afterwards, we enjoyed several several cousins for some birthday activities at Andrew's parents home.

May is a big birthday month in our family.

On my side my mom, sister and niece all have May birthdays, as well as my grandpa.

His birthday is the same day as a nephew on Andrew's side.

(A different nephew than the one who got the book.)

On the day of their birthday, we celebrated with my grandpa.

This is the first year that my grandpa has been local to celebrate.

And it worked well that my nephew wanted to wait an extra week for his party.

He wanted to go see Kung Fu Panda 2.

For my grandpa's birthday, my sister-in-law showed my sister and I how to make cake bites.

In Grandpa's honor, we fashioned them after baseballs.

Grandma also bought a cake.

She hosted his party and gave all the children little goody bags - which they LOVE.

After the party, my sister and I kept our families there.

We watched the kids while our husbands played Hand and Foot with my grandparents.

After four busy weekends of Andrew either being gone for work or triathlons, he was home.

I celebrated in STYLE.

My baby sister had given me a gift card for a massage for Christmas.

I saved it for Spring Break, but didn't get around to it.

Then I saved it for finals, but still didn't use it.

I decided I would wait until school was out, but I still wasn't following through.

My sister Katy called and asked if I still had it.

She had hers to, and was going to go.

She scheduled our appointments AND made arrangements for Peter.

It was a LOVELY afternoon.

Later that day I learned that my husband arranged for his parents to watch our boys that night.

So we were able to go on a date.

It was a rare treat and we had a wonderful time.

The boys had a Harry Potter party with the Shadel grandparents.

They watched the first movie and then Grandpa continued reading from where Ammon was in the 2nd book.

May has been a busy, fun month full of family.

Someone recently asked me if being further away from family was a benefit of our move last year.

I was a bit shocked at that notion.

I LOVE spending time with our families.

I love having my children surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

We are only about 35 minutes away from most of our family, but to me, that is further than I prefer.

We are lucky to be related to so many awesome people.

Field Trips and Peter's Last Day of School

Not only was I able to join Peter on his field trip, but my Grandparents came too!

We toured the local baseball stadium.

My grandpa used to play baseball in the same league that our local team is in.

He played 70 years ago - can you believe it?

When I mentioned how long it had been for him, people thought I was doing my math wrong.

But this amazing, sporty looking man turned 91 just days after the field trip.

Peter was thrilled to have his great-grandparents there.

We looked at the field, specifically walking past center field where Grandpa used to play.

We checked out the suites.

We even got a look at all the supplies that go into keeping the grass properly cared for.

It was a fun afternoon and I'm glad I was able to be there with Peter.

A few days later I attended Ammon's field trip.

His class went to Red Butte Garden.

Neither of us had ever been, but we both want to go back.

Ammon was adorably interested in all the plants and his class moved at too fast a speed for his taste.

He would have enjoyed more time to meander through the gardens.

We went through the herb garden and were given plants to eat.

We went through the medicinal garden and learned about a couple of plants there.

We also enjoyed the beautiful smells of the aromatic garden.

(Although I don't think that's what they called it - I don't remember.)

After looking at several of the gardens we sat down and had a lesson.

We learned all about the different parts of flowers.

Each child was given their own flower to dissect.

Then we spent a little more time wandering more of the gardens.

We left much unseen and definitely need to return.

Later that week, Peter had his last day of school.

We all loved his teacher Ms Emily, so we were glad to get a picture with her.

He's enjoyed his first year of school.

The last day was simply a party with food and fun.

I still remember how nervous but brave he was on his first day.

Peter conquered this school year and is already looking forward to the next one.

Ammon's New Bike

After missing for several weeks, Ammon's bike finally resurfaced.

Unfortunately, a neighbor was insistent that she bought it at DI.

We decided that the easiest solution was to get him a new bike - and keep it LOCKED up.

Andrew and Ammon headed off to the store - it was Ammon's first time picking out a bike.

Somewhere along the lines Ammon picked up on the idea that this was an unexpected expense.
And so my cute little seven year old selected the cheapest bike.
The only problem was that he has always wanted a bike with a hand break.
It is the only feature that is really important to him.
And this low-end model didn't have one.

Andy took a few minutes to discuss Ammon's selection with him.
Finally he realized why Ammon was so adamant about getting a bike that wasn't what he really wanted.
He said it took several more minutes to convince Ammon that, as the Dad,
 he wanted to spend the extra $15 to get the upgraded version,
which had the very prized hand break.

Ammon came home, grinning from ear to ear.
He LOVES his new bike.

The next evening we had a spontaneous slumber party at my sister's house.
After a fun breakfast with the crew, Ammon and Carolyn headed outside for some biking adventures.
Ammon climbed the huge dirt pile and sped down the side.
Often he would sit at the top for several minutes, mustering up the courage.
But he was brave and had a blast.

Peter, Isaiah and Kylie enjoyed calmer, indoor activities like building blocks.

Outings with Peter

Pictures taken May 05 and May 06, 2011

On an ordinary Thursday morning Peter and were just hanging out at home.

My neighbor called and invited us to join her at the zoo with her son (a friend of Peter's).

It was a fabulous way to spend the morning and I'm so glad she called.

While we were at the zoo, my neighbor and I discussed Heritage Park.

As students, we had the option to buy an annual pass for half price.

But the deal was only good for a certain time, and that window was closing the next day.

I had never been there, so I was debating whether or not to buy the tickets.

She volunteers there in the summer and loves it.

She wasn't available the next day, but gave Peter and I tickets to go check it out.

Peter rode a pony and pet the animals.

He went to an old-fashioned school and wrote his name on his personal chalkboard.

He panned for gold and toured a boat.

We even took TWO different train rides.

Peter had a blast, and we decided to go ahead and buy the season pass.

We were excited to bring Daddy and Ammon back.

(Which we did this past weekend.  More on that later.)

Training Wheels

Pictures taken April 25, 2011

Andy decided that Peter didn't need his training wheels anymore.

Because Peter likes tools, he agreed to have them come off.

That lasted for about five minutes.

Or less.

They're back on now.

Easter Day

Pictures taken April 24, 2011

I already posted pictures of the night before Easter.  I had a lot of fun getting everything set up and ready for the boys.  The next morning did not disappoint.  We began the morning with a prayer of gratitude.  The weekend had been spent with many conversations about the reason we celebrate Easter.  We explained that just as Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Easter is the celebration of His life.  We talked a lot about the resurrection of Christ as well as His suffering in Gethsemane.  We taught our children that Jesus overcame physical death and spiritual death and that because of Him and through Him, we can overcome those things too.  For days I would ask Peter and Ammon, "What is Easter about?" trying to evaluate how much of our discussions were really seeping in.  By the end of it, they were pretty good about saying resurrection.  (A three year old trying to get out a big, meaningful word like that is pretty darn adorable.)  But they were both still pretty excited about the Easter Bunny!  We had fun hunting for our eggs, going through our baskets of candy, and discovering a few extra things the Easter Bunny left for us.  Andy cooked us a great breakfast and then we headed out for church.

I taught the lesson in Relief Society during the last hour of church, and then, after the three hour block, we had a ward lunch.  The food was delicious.  After that activity wound down, we headed home and spent a few quiet hours as a family.  Then we headed down to Andy's parents home for dinner.

We actually arrived about an hour earlier than the scheduled time, and some of the cousins didn't get there until almost an hour after the time that had been planned, so the boys had a lot of time to play and enjoy the riding the scooters.  This was our first family gathering at Peggy and Derrick's new home.  Their driveway is on a bit of  slant and the hill continues gradually downward for quite a way.  It made for a fun time on the scooters and the boys had a blast.  Once everyone arrived, we had a nice meal and then the kids split up into two groups for a small candy hunt.  It was a great holiday!

Hair Cut

Picture taken April 21, 2011

For some reason Andy was itching for a change.

He decided he wanted a drastic hair cut.

I took this approach.

The mo-hawk only lasted long enough for me to take the picture.

I was impressed with the fact that he smiled for me.

Once the picture was taken we finished the hair cut he wanted.

Shaved.

Outdoor Play

Pictures taken April 20, 2011

It's been a cold, wet spring.  So when the weather has been warm enough to play outside, we've had to jump on it.  The boys, half dressed for bed (note the pajama pants on both of them) enjoyed some outdoor adventures before going to sleep.  They enjoyed waving bubble wands, playing on the slide, and climbing the playground "fort".  I am glad that they are both so independent and willing to venture out with their own friends, but I also love nights like this when they spend their time playing together.

The Week Before Easter

Pictures taken April 16, 2011

We had two Easter Egg Hunts the weekend before Easter.  The first was with our neighbors.  It was more of an easter carnival with all sorts of booths and activities.  The boys decorated cups and then planted flowers in them.  Ammon did the basketball shoot and Peter did the beanbag throw.  They even got a chance to meet the Easter Bunny.

In the afternoon we headed down to my moms annual egg hunt.  Each child has a certain color of eggs that they get to look for.  Ammon finds the green eggs and Peter searches for the yellow ones.  Some of the eggs contain candy, but several of them are a "ticket" to exchange for a bigger prize inside.  It is always fun to watch the kids (and adults) running around the yard in search of the eggs.  Every year we have those last few eggs that can't seem to be found.  This year Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Joey continued the search for those stragglers as the rest of the family went in to count the loot.  This activity was also especially fun because it was one of the first family parties we had after my Grandparents moved here from CA.  There have been many more gatherings since then, and we have loved having them around for all of them!

Ms. Kami's Dance Class

Pictures taken April 13, 2011

The day after Peter's birthday was his "graduation" from dance class.  Every Wednesday he went to the library where one of our most lovely neighbors put on a class for the young children.  During fall semester, I was in school during the class, but I was able to attend with Peter all through Spring semester.  He loved it.  Ms. Kami provided the kids with certificates at the end of the year.  Peter was recognized for his marvelous leaps.  Peter LOVED these weekly activities with his friends and teacher.  Ms. Kami even babysat Peter once or twice, which was so exciting to Peter.  Kami's husband was our Home Teacher and he came to visit us every month.  We adore this couple and although we are so sad they moved, we are thrilled for the exciting things that lie ahead for them.

Peter Turns Four

Pictures taken April 12, 2011

For Peter's birthday, Andrew took the day off work.

He spent the morning with Peter and the three of us went out to lunch.

We intended to take him to Panda Express, which was his main request.

Unfortunately, the location we looked up was actually The Panda Restaurant and not at all what we wanted.

We ran out of time, so we hurried to McDonald's instead.

After eating we dropped Peter off at school and went birthday present shopping.

Ammon got home while Andrew was picking up Peter.

He and I worked to wrap all of Peter's presents before he got there.

I planned to have a big party for Peter's fourth birthday.

Scheduling seemed impossible and told myself I would do it during his Spring Break the next week.

But when he woke up that morning, he was ready for his party.

I called my family in desperation,

hoping we could pull something off while to tide him over while we waited for his "real party" the next week.

With it being such a last minute plan, the attendance was spotty.

My sister was able to drop off her three children.

My mom and grandparents were also  able to be there.
My dad was out of town, as was my brother and his kids.

Even Andy had other obligations and couldn't come.

Once Peter and Andrew were back from Peter's school, we loaded the family into the car.

On the way to Peter's party, we planned to have a family dinner at Panda Express

(since it hadn't worked out that morning).

After our dinner, Andrew headed to his meeting and the boys and I went to my mom's house.

Carolyn brought some extra guests.

(Her "pet" beetles.)

We sang happy birthday and ate cake.

After the kids were done eating and playing, we opened presents.

Peter is always so fun to give presents to.

He had mentioned that for his birthday he wanted "sixteen presents".

He didn't get quite that many, but we did opt to go with several small things rather than one big thing.

More than once he opened his present and squealed, "I wanted this!"

After presents the kids spent the rest of the night playing.

They enjoyed jumping on the trampoline while Grandma blew bubbles at them.

It was such a fun day!

I still planned to give him a "real" party.

But days later he was planning his fifth birthday party.

With finals quickly coming, I put his party off again.

And eventually, I decided that he was so happy with the party he had, that I shouldn't rock the boat.

Happy Birthday Peter!

Highlights From the First Half of April

Pictures taken between April 01 and April 11, 2011

In April, Andrew was sick.  A strange occurrence indeed.

He ran a fever and had chills for several nights.

He finally asked for a priesthood blessing.

I told him to get some sleep because the rest would do his body good.

He insisted that he was too sick to sleep.

After the blessing, however, he quickly fell asleep and was better from that point on.

He had scheduled the following day off of work as a sick day.

But when he woke up he felt well and decided to go in.

(Had it been me, I would have still stayed home...)

Andrew got a new bike.

One day I randomly saw my neighbor carrying her camera.

I asked what she was taking pictures of.

Turns out, she was taking pictures of this bike to post it for sale.

I asked her about it and wondered if Andy might be interested in buying it.

As it turns out, he couldn't have been more thrilled with it.

So we were able to acquire a bike he loves in just the right price range!

Peter had fun helping with the laundry.

Sometimes I forget how much these little people can do.

They love to be helpful, and although sometimes it takes extra patience,

there are times when it actually makes life so much easier.

Ammon is also a great laundry helper and does vacuuming as well. 

We spent the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference  with Jen and her kids.

Until Jen rushed off to the hospital, that is.

One moment she was smiling and having a good time, the next she was in excruciating pain.

I think she spent an entire week in the hospital and ended up with surgery.

Over a month later, she still has much recovering to do.

I stayed with the kids until her parents relieved me that evening.

After that, I went on my traditional outing with mother-in-law Peggy.

Andrew and his dad attended the Priesthood session together.

As is customary, we met up for dinner.

Then we went back to Jen's house and spent the night with the kids.

The kids enjoyed their time together.

Peter and Sophia "picnicked" in the  garage...

The boys share a bedroom, but we often find that putting them to bed in separate rooms works better.

Peter falls asleep in my room while Ammon goes to sleep in his own bed.

Ammon LOVES to snuggle, though, so often times this is what they look like.

Sometimes Ammon gets permission to go in with Peter.

Other times we are surprised to see him in our bed when we go to move Peter.

Either way, I'm glad he loves his brother.

I'm always happy to find them together like this.

Ammon and Peter both love chess.

I am not a fan of the game, but often find myself playing.

I can still win, which tells me that Ammon isn't very good at it YET.

But I think it's adorable that he wants to learn and he's willing to keep playing.

I don't have anything to say about these pictures.

I just love looking at this kid!

Because My Mother Raised Me

This is meant to be a small tribute to my mom on this special day.  I find that it encompasses only a small fraction of what I appreciate and admire about her.  As much as I sometimes enjoy writing, when I try to put into words the positive impact that my mom has had on me, I find myself overwhelmed.  I begin again and again only to realize that no words I string together are able to adequately express the depth of gratitude and awe I feel at the woman she is and the service she has rendered me throughout my life.  She is a choice daughter of God who has worked hard to live up to His expectations.  She has taught me that although none of us are perfect, we can all be perfected in Him.  From her I  know that our offerings can be sanctified and made beautiful through the Atonement.  Because of my mom, I celebrate my own role of motherhood with confidence and joy rather than the guilt and discouragement so many of us are prone to feel on this day.  Thanks Mom!  I love you!

Earlier this year I wrote about my childhood faith and testimony being a gift that I received from my mom.  On this mother's day I want to expound on that.

On the surface, I consider myself to very much be my father's daughter.  He taught me to think critically, to question the world around me and create my own conclusions, and to puzzle through questions until I found solutions.  At least that is what I gleaned from the exposure he constantly provided with conversations where he would always play devil's advocate, the games that he would play allowing me to win only when I earned it (which wasn't often against him) and the puzzles we would do together on holidays.  It was my dad who fashioned my mind and the way I perceived and processed the thoughts and ideas of the world, but it was my mom who provided the topics I would ponder.

I mentioned the music selection my mom would deliberately and selectively expose me to.  As an adult I learned more about the faith and prayers that went into her finding the record/tape player and the tapes that she would play for me at night.  (Maybe she'll share that story in writing with me someday and I can post it here.)  I can well remember her cleaning off a place in her hall closet - the closet that kept the linens and medical supplies: much needed space in our small home, and devoting an entire shelf the the new stereo.  There were two speakers and I remember her drilling through the wall so she could run the wiring - one speaker went into each of the two bedrooms.  Night after night we would fall asleep listening to music filled with faith and testimony.  In the mornings, the music would fill our rooms again, welcoming us to the new day.  With laughter, I remember the dream I had of the school "bad-boy" standing on top of elementary school swaying to the music as he led the entire student body in song, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost".  My mom had turned on the tape that had musical renditions of the Articles of Faith and I had fallen back asleep.  But as much as that memory brings a smile of humor to my face, it also tugs my heart with the reminder that my mom providing me with this music is how I came to know and consider some of the most basic principles of the gospel.

Another tape that I would listen to often, as I lay in the dark on the bottom bunk in my bedroom, had a song by Janice Kapp Perry (a favorite of my mom's even before so many of her songs became a part of our children's song book).  The words rang out, "Heavenly Father, are you really there?  And do you hear and answer every child's prayer.  Some say that Heaven is far away.  But I feel it close around me as I pray."  One night in particular those words echoed around in my young mind.  "Heavenly Father, are you really there?"  And that was the night my testimony began.  I approached it with the mind that my father had fashioned.  I used logic and reason, going back and forth with questions like, "What are the odds that of all the people in the world, I just happened to be born into a situation where I am being taught God's truth?  Aren't there lots of people out in the world who believe in different things?"  I remember thinking, "If I had been born on the opposite side of the world, would I believe that cows were holy?"  I really tried to break away from believing in things because it was what I had always been taught, and determine what was actually true.  And in a very childish conclusion, I decided that even though it would be very foolish to live a life of religion if God didn't really exist, that no one would ever be able to prove my mistake until after this life was over, and if there wasn't any "after" then maybe it was just "better to be safe than sorry".  So it was with that silly thought that I determined I would go forward in my life accepting the premise of God's existence, looking for opportunities to increase my confidence in that understanding.  

My parents continued to teach me and gave me both knowledge and experience upon which to derive a testimony.  From my dad I remember family home evening lessons about repentance, the plan of salvation, Adam and Eve etc.  I remember scripture study discussions about integrity and obedience and faith.  I recall my dad sighing in exasperation (sighing might be a mild word to describe his frustration) and looking past the giggling children, some standing on their heads while others pushed each other back and forth and telling my mom it was pointless.  But she has always been a woman of faith.  She encouraged him to continue on in his teaching and promised that it would be fruitful. 

Indeed it was.  Years later, as my family began yet another goal to read scriptures together, I remember coming to a particular verse and rolling my eyes.  I knew where dad would stop.  I knew what he would say. I knew the "lesson" that would be taught from those very verses.  And then I caught my breath.  Because even though this was an old lesson for me, I understood that this knowledge was mine only because my parents had taught me.  I realized that for my sister, twelve years younger than me, that this was not an old redundant lesson, but a new education as she was being exposed to the scriptures.

My parents worked in a beautiful harmony to teach me the gospel.  My mom sustained, supported and encouraged my dad as he gave us gospel instruction and education.  And then my mom, whose life we saw day in and day out as she stayed at home to provide us with meals, clean clothes and a pleasant home, translated that knowledge into experience.  She showed us how to make faith a reality in our daily lives.  I remember waking up and finding her on her knees every morning.  We quickly learned not to disrupt her until her prayers were finished. I remember passing through a room and seeing her, with her scriptures in hand, studying quietly the words of the Lord.  And I observed her throughout her life, facing challenging and heart-wrenching circumstances with courage and confidence in her loving Father in Heaven.  Because my mother raised me, I know that I can face any difficulty with optimism and strength.  Through the things she exposed me to as a child and the example of her life, she taught me that with God, nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).

St. George Ironman Volunteer

It's no secret that over the last 2 years I have come to love the sport of triathlon. I have learned much about the sport, watched them on T.V. and the internet and competed in the sport. Yesterday for the I was a volunteer for the St. George Ironman.

For those who may not be familiar with the Ironman triathlon I will tell you just a little. For a more detailed history you can go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironman_Triathlon. This distance is a grulling 2.4 mile open water swim, followed by a 112 mile bike course, last but not least 26.2 mile run, covering a total distance of 140.6 miles. In order to be considered a finisher you have to complete the entire course in 17 hours. The race starts at 7:00 AM and ends at midnight. There are time requirements for the other segments as well. The swim course must be completed by 9:20 AM. The bike course by 5:30 PM and the run by 12:00 AM.

Yesterday as I said I volunteered for the St. George Ironman. My position was a T2 bike handler, as the athletes are making the transition from bike to run I was there to help them off their bike (if they needed it) and put the bike in it's place on the rack. I signed up for this position because I really wanted to touch the bikes I will never afford costing $6,000 to $14,000. I spent 6 hours in the sun and got so much more than I ever expected.

It was amazing to watch the pros come in, the biked toward T2 at very high speeds slammed on their brakes and ran barefoot to through transition in making in less than 2 minutes in most cases. This was also the case for the lead amateur racers. They are very fast and in very good condition spend 20 to 40 hours per week training. Then there are the rest who are just trying to finish and not die. To complete the course in time running, walking, crawling, rolling or whatever else it takes to get down that final stretch, and hear your name called by the announcer followed by a title that can never be taken "You are an IRONMAN."

The last group are those who have the least amount of time to train, the least money to spend on equiptment and are struggling the most. Instead of $6,000 tri bikes they are on a road bike. Some more high-end than others, some have areo bars others don't. They are just trying to get through the 112 mile ride and start the run to finish. There are a few of these who stand out in mind from yesterday's race.

Andrea Humphrey #74 from Portland, OR after biking for 7:47:03 came into T2 leaning hard on her areo bars, the crowd was quiet, she sat up, pumped her fist in the air and cheered "that's the furtherest I've ridden a bike! The whole place lit up and cheered her the rest of the way into transition and onto the run course, she finished with a total time of 14:24:52.

Christopher Rey #1157 from Glendale, Co after 8:38:52 on his bike came to transition. I helped him off and took his bike. One look at his bike told me this had been a hard ride. He had a 25 year old chomoly steel frame with shifters on the down tube. His bike weighed 7 to 14 lbs more than most of the bikes in the pack. Shocked that he had completed the bike course, I said "You're my hero, I can't believe you did 112 miles on this thing." He said "Neither can I and will never do it again!" we both laughed and I wished him good luck on the run. He then told me that he told his girlfriend when he is done with Ironman he going to burn his shoes and never run again. We laughed again. He finished in 16:54:53 second to last across last night's finish line.

The last group of people on an Ironman are those who's day did not go as planned and have the dreaded DNF (Did Not Finish) next to their name instead of a time. For one man, his handle bars broke and he could not finish the bike race. One woman misses the turn for the second loop around St. George and was not allowed to leave T2. Others simply could not go on once the reached T2. Traveling 114.4 miles by swimming and cycling is an impressive feat.

There were several riders who came into transition after the cut off time. Their efforts for the day failed to achieve the monumental goal they set out to accomplish. As we helped them off their bikes, and to their feet, one of the volunteers would reach down and remove the the timing chip Velcroed to their ankle. Letting them know without words that something was wrong, the race director told them "You have done so well today, I am sorry, you just missed the cut off by a few minutes." Dejected and exhausted they didn't protest, some wanted to continue the challenge even though they could not be considered true finishers and would not be called "Ironman." The rules won't allow for it, they must leave the course. One man was relieved he said I have been throwing up, as we pulled him from the bike, I think there was a sense of relief for him to not be allowed to continue.

The last biker approached T2, they crowed had left, she must have come the race alone or maybe was expecting some at the finish line 6 hours, but no one was left at T2 for her. There were only a few of us volunteers left there, we lined up at dismount line, and clapped and cheer for her. Helped her from her bike, her timing chip was removed, and she was informed that she missed the cut off. Disappointment and exhaustion brought her to tears.

This was an amazing experience for me. I felt inspired by the pros and their speed and ability, by those who struggled and finished the race, and by those who's timing chips were removed because they did not finish the course on time. It is always better to have started and DNF than to be one who Did Not Start.

The sport of triathlon is amazing. The Ironman is hardest single day event ever made. The St. George Ironman is said to be the hardest course in North America and some say harder than the World Championship in Kona Hawaii. I hope one day to both start and finish the course.

Here are the course maps:

Swim http://ironmanstgeorge.com/course/swim/

Bike http://ironmanstgeorge.com/course/bike/

Run http://ironmanstgeorge.com/course/run/

Road Trip

I love when even just driving in the car together can be great family time!

Winter Attire

Picture taken March 24, 2011

All winter long, Peter was very diligent about properly clothing himself for going outside.

He wore his boots EVERY day.

He always found a hat and gloves.

He zipped up his coat and would have me velcro that last little part over his mouth.

That kids dressed for the cold keeping himself nice and warm!

And now that it is Spring, I'm working hard to convince him he still doesn't need to do all that!

Game Night with Aunt Rebecca

Pictures taken March 20, 2011

My baby sister is an amazing person and a super fun aunt.

We all love it when she comes to visit and wish we saw her more!

Flowers Blossom

Another flashback of the past.  Continued from First Kiss.

Last year I began writing the accounts of our past.  I wrote about how Andrew and I met and the progression of our relationship.  I wrote about our first date and our first kiss.  I quickly got lost in school and haven't written anything of that sort for a while, but I want to get back to it.  The problem is, I am not quite sure where to start.  So here I go with a few little "clips" of my life.  Random, out of order, and probably not really of much interest to anyone else.  But ten years later I am finding that the memories are fading and I want to write them down before I lose them completely.

In my  post-mission life, I have seldom used an alarm clock.  I hate the sound they make - the jarring force of being reeled in from a peaceful slumber to an unwelcome awareness.  I much prefer to let myself wake up when I am good and ready gently letting my dreams fade into the distance as reality come back to the forefront.  Of course, once I had children, they became the ruling force in my schedule.  Since then the time on the clock has had little relevance to whether I am asleep or awake.  Before Ammon was born I worked a job that didn't start until 11:30 in the afternoon.  In that circumstance I just never needed to worry about being late.  And prior to my job, I was in school, carpooling with Andy, who picked me up at 7:15.  But having just returned home from my mission, my body was trained to awake at 6:30 every morning, and so I didn't even need an alarm clock then.

There was one morning, however, when I woke up just in time to realize that I felt lousy and that my ride was going to be there any second.  I was late, and I just couldn't bring myself to jump up and get ready for the day.  In fact it was pretty much time for Andy to be there to pick me up.  I ran upstairs just in time to tell him that I was sick and wouldn't make it to school that day.  Then I went to bed.

When I finally got up I began to putter around the house and wonder if I had made a mistake.  At this point Andy and I were friends who were quickly falling for each other, but I frankly hadn't really acknowledged that  or realized where things were going.  Of the two of us, he was definitely the one who saw our future more clearly, and knew where he wanted to take things.  The reason I felt that perhaps I had made a mistake in staying home was because I spent my morning missing him.  Going to school was my ticket to seeing him every day and I found that, despite being a little under the weather, I wanted to be with him.  I finally resigned myself to the fact that I would just have to be wait it out until the next day before I would have the luxury of talking with him again.  I restlessly continued sitting around the house, hoping to gain back some of my lost energy, and impatiently waiting for the next day to come.

That afternoon, the doorbell rang.  I was told it was for me and went to see who it was.  I met him in the dining room while wearing my pajamas and with my hair mess.  Andy stood, extending his arms towards me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

As a 30-something year old woman, I can tell you with certainty that those flowers were not a simple gesture from a friend.  But as a 20-something year old girl I wasn't quite sure.  All I new was that I had missed him.  And that I was flattered.  And that the flowers were so lovely and that Andy was kind to have thought of me.  I don't even remember what kind of flowers he brought, but I know how I felt when I saw him there and realized that he had been thinking of me.  My tummy had butterflies, my cheeks were pink and my face lit up with a smile.  And from that day on, our relationship continued to blossom.

Our Engagement

Celebrating Pi Day

Pictures taken March 14, 2012

For Pi day we had a neighborhood Pie eating activity.

There were about ten different pies.

At first I took my favorite - coconut cream.

But then I decided it was time to sample some that I NEVER eat.

I tried the key lime and the rhubarb.

I found that there is a reason I never eat them.

I'm not really a fan.

After the pie, we played Bingo.

The boys each got to the point where they needed one more piece.

Ironically, it was the same piece.

If one won, so did the other.

It would have been a perfect tie - a mother's dream.

Unfortunately, the game ended before their piece was called.

And so they went home sobbing.

I guess yummy pie only takes you so far.

Date Night

 

Once a month, our housing offers free babysitting so that parents can get a date night.

The boys get to take their pillows and go have a party.

They have activities and treats.

And when the evening gets late, they lay down with their pillows and watch a movie.

Andrew and I decided to take advantage of the evening.

For our date, we decided to go get frozen yogurt.

The catch was that we were going to walk there.

It started to rain as we left and I wondered if we should change our plans.

But it was only a light drizzle and we were feeling adventurous.

We wandered in the dark, through unfamiliar streets for about three miles.

I had only eaten at Red Mango once.

Andrew had never been.

We both loved it.

Then it was time to start the three mile trek home.

About one mile into it my feet felt like they wanted to fall off.

But somehow we made it home.

We sat down for a minute or two before retrieving the boys from their party.

It was seriously one of my favorite dates ever.

Hours of walking hand in hand with my favorite guy - what could be better?

I hope we get to do it again soon.