Runner girls

My poor neglected blog . . . I can't decide whether to try and catch up, or just move on. I miss blogging - it is really the only journal that I keep. But the past year of my life has been the hardest ever. There are things going on that I cannot being to publish for all of cyberspace - difficult things, extremely personal things. Its made it difficult to blog because its far too personal. I've considered going private, or even starting a second blog, because I do think I need to write my feelings down in order to process everything.

Oh well . . . In the mean time, check out my cute girls:

They ran a race over the weekend - a one-mile fun run. I am proud of how well they both did. They were in an age group that went all the way to age 11, and G got 6th place. Bryn got 8th, and she ran a 14 minute mile. That's pretty good for a 4 year old dontcha think?
I also planted some foxglove this year. I've always wanted to experiment with it, but its always so expensive. Not this year - I found it for only $1. And I think I'm in love.

What's blooming?

Spring has arrived, and my garden is alive. Despite the return of my awful allergies, I'm loving my flowers.
Sunny yellow daffodils
Yes, this is a tulip
My dad gave me 50 hyacynth bulbs last year - I plan to buy more this fall. My entire front yard smells so good.
Forsythia - it wouldn't be spring without it.
Bleeding heart - my favorite.

Snowshoes

I think my blog is becoming nothing more than a glorified photo album. Some day I'll post some actual words. But until that day, here's some pics of a fun day snowshoeing with the family.

Brynlee is four!

Last weekend was Brynlee's birthday. What a sad state my blog is in, to think it took me a week to update her birthday. Even now, I wonder what there is to say, other than how much I love her. And how big and bright she is. She can even (almost) write her name:
She wanted an ice cream cake - we just did a small one, since she shares her birthday with Grandpa, and there were lots of other desserts. But this one was delish - chocolate cake with Oreo ice cream. Yummy!

The only thing she asked for was a blonde wig, that was straight and went to her bum. Thankfully, the year-round party supply store had plenty to choose from.

Milestones

Recently, we've experienced two big milestones in our family. Actually, one has nothing to do with the other, but I'm lumping them together in this post.

The first is regarding Bryn - she's now an official ballerina. In January, she started taking ballet, and she's amazing. Considering the fact that she's been walking on her toes since she started walking, I think its safe to call her a "natural". What girl doesn't want to be a ballerina at some point in her life anyway? And check out her quads - ever seen muscles like that in a 3-year-old?


And in keeping with my other posts about the mileage on my car, it recently hit a huge milestone: 99999 - marking the end of my extended warranty (insert sad smiley emoticon here :( ) Although this time, I was simply driving to my in-laws, I took a picture anyway - because I'm weird like that. Also included, is a picture of where I was when it happened, so I can always remember.

Fun with Bump-its

I know this will probably make everyone insanely jealous, but I got me some Bumpits for Valentine's Day. Ok, maybe they weren't a "for real" gift (kinda like the Snuggy I got for my birthday), but a gift they were nonetheless. And we used them to create beautiful hairstyles. Check it out:

Voice mail

I think voice mail is pointless - because I have caller ID, if someone calls me I just call them back. I figure that if they called me, they want to talk. I'm likely going to be calling them anyway, so why waste the time with listening to voice mail. Its rare that I actually even listen to a voice mail immediately after it was left on my phone. Pretty much the only time I listen to a voice mail immediately after it has been left is if I don't recognize the number. Consequently, I tend to have many messages in my in box.

Yesterday, for example, I got a call from a number that I didn't recognize, so I waded through the 8 or 9 other messages to figure out who had just called me. Most of the messages were from people telling me to call them back. But, about 3 messages in, there was one that was slightly different - it was from my 5-year-old daughter Grace.

It was a cute message - it started by her saying that she had called me to play a joke. I remember that day about a week ago, when I had caught her in the car (luckily safely parked in the garage) with both the land-line phone and my cell. She's been busy learning phone numbers, and apparently when I had stepped away for a few minutes, she decided to test this new-found knowledge. I remember being angry with her (rightfully so) because she had gone outside without letting me know.

So, as I listened to her cute message, I smiled. She sounded so sweet and funny - and I guess I was impressed that she understood well enough how to call a phone number without adult help. I was sitting at work, smiling as I listened to her sweet voice explain how she was tricking me. I even welled up a bit, thinking about how sweet she sounded. But as the message went on, I heard my own voice come on. Heard myself asking her what she was doing in the garage, and when she didn't answer (because of course, she was trying to play a trick on me) I heard my voice become angry. I sounded harsh and mean. I felt my eyes well-up again, only this time they were burning with tears of shame and sadness. I was very ashamed of how I sounded talking to my daughter.

Granted, she should not have been outside without an adult, but I did not have to react so harshly either. I felt horribly about it all day. In fact, I couldn't wait to see her that night, and to tell her I was sorry. And when I scooped her up into my arms to tell her how much I loved her, she actually didn't remember the incident. I hope that is because it really wasn't that big of a deal to her, and not that I yell so much that the incident didn't even stick out in her mind. Either way, it was a bit of a "wake up" call for me.

My 2010 resolution

Every New Year, I make pretty much the same resolutions. What does that say about me? That I have absolutely no follow-through. Or maybe that I resolve to do too many things? At any rate, I'm going to simplify my life in 2010 (but that isn't necessarily a resolution). Its a fact. And in so doing, I'm only making one resolution:

I'm getting my body back

I'm going to get my consumption of sweets and diet soda under control. I'm getting a running regimen back. I'm getting my skinny momma back. I'm getting ME back!

How's that for simplicity?

2009 in Pictures

I didn't do Christmas cards this year. But, really, who am I kidding? I never do Christmas cards. I at least try and do some type of "virtual" card though - something. But not this year. So, in a lame attempt to catch people up on our lives, here's the highlights of 2009. My favorite thing about each month:

January

January was cold and snowy. On New Years Day, we decided to go sledding as a family. We picked what we thought was a small, safe hill. There was only one tree at the bottom and the hill was just big enough to be fun for the little kids. Unfortunately, Brynlee's sled found the tree. She hit so hard that it knocked her boots off - her face was bloody and she wouldn't open her eyes. Defintely a scary moment. We spent the majority of New Years Day in the ER getting her check out. Luckily, because she had a hat and her hood on, her head was ok.








February

February was also cold and snowy. Really, not much happened other than Brynlee turning three. I cannot believe my "baby" is so big. She was potty trained right before her birthday too. And she is such a princess. I cannot imagine life without Brynlee - she brings the comedy to our family, as she is always making a joke. She's also compassionate, loving, musical, and really bright.











March

March was definitely a fun month, as we took a family vacation to Orlando Florida. We were able to spend several days at Walt Disney World and a couple more days at Sea World. The girls LOVED Disney. Gracelin is a daredevil, and went on every ride that she was tall enough for - including Tower of Terror seven times in a row. The only reason she stopped riding, is because the park was closing. Poor Brynlee was literally a hair too short to ride the majority of rides, and really felt left out. I suspect that we'll be making another trip at some time in 2010 to remedy that. The girls are wonderful travellers - even when we took the red-eye flight, and went straight from the airport to the parks. They didn't miss a step.





April

Easter came in April this year, and as part the festivities, we spent a rainy afternoon at the Easter Festival at Wheeler Farm. The yucky weather didn't deter anyone - the kids thought it was lots of fun to be able to actually use an umbrella (it doesn't rain much here). Other than the giant creepy Easter Bunny that followed us around, it was great.

May

May finally brought nice weather, and the chance to finally get outside. We decided to start a tradition of Saturday family hikes (I think we only actually went this one time though). Brynlee is still a bit young for anything strenuous, but Gracelin is a hiker. She just loves being outside, and is so athletic.

June

In June, is the annual Lehi Round-Up celebration. And since Lehi is my second home (thanks to my job), it is almost an obligation to attend the festivities. The girls love it though - dressing like cowgirls and going to the rodeo is right up their ally.

July

In July, we took a vacation to Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park. We travelled with Grandma and Grandpa, as well as some aunts, uncles, and cousins. We all stayed in a condo at Teton Village, and had a great trip. It brought us the chance to do some hiking, swimming, shopping, and to spend an evening at the Bar-J Wranglers. More cowboy stuff - the girls were in heaven.

August

In August, Gracelin started kindergarten. She was totally ready, and so excited to be in school. She's really excelled too - she's reading well and making lots of new friends. G is such a bright and amazing girl - and she's so well-behaved. She's content to sit in the shadows, until she's doing something physical. She's learned to ride a 2-wheel bike this year. She played soccer and scored several goals. She's taking gymnastics, and can do some amazing things (especially on bars, her favorite). She's even taken up ice skating. I think that 2010 will be the year she learns to snow ski.

September

September was a quiet month. We spent our days getting used to having a school-age kid, while balancing gymnastics, soccer, and homework. Life is so busy.

October

October my favorite month - not because of Halloween, but just because I love the shorter days and the changing leaves. The kids love Halloween though, and I was even a good sport this year - I dressed up for them. G and I were both witches, and Bryn made a last minute costume change - from a "glampire" to a ballerina. She is such a girl.

November

Thanksgiving was spent at the Fairbourn's this year (we take turns). It was a small group, but it was still perfect. We are so grateful and blessed.

December

Which brings us to December - Christmas. What a fun Christmas we had this year. The girls, who are 3 and 5, are the perfect age. They really "got it" this year, but it is still magical for them. It has been such a great year for us - of course, we've had our "ups and downs", but we are richly blessed. Here's to 2010 - an even greater year.

Ice skating

Ben and I decided it would be fun to take the kids downtown to ice skate. We decided to go to the Gallivan Center, an outdoor venue in the middle of downtown. Knowing it was going to be cold, we were prepared: gloves, hats, scarves, and even snow pants for the girls. We made the trek through rush-hour/christmas traffic, and luckily found parking right across the street. As we began to unload, we realized that we had forgotten coats for the kids - gloves, hats, scarves, and snow pants wouldn't quite be enough. So, after a quick trip a couple of blocks away, and a purchase of coats one size larger than the kids need (they were REALLY on sale), we made it.
The place was alive. Christmas lights, carols, and a fire pit. All that was missing was Santa.
Neither of the girls had been on skates before. It was quite the adventure.
Of course, there were plenty of slips/falls/spills/near-misses. But they actually caught on pretty quickly. Especially G, who actually made it around the entire rink without falling. Of course I'm biased, but she just seems to pick up on athletic activities quickly. (a trait she obviously inherited from her father)

Brynlee did pretty well too. . . .for a 3-year-old. And I think that if she hadn't gotten hungry, she'd have done much better (she's like her momma when she's hungry. . . watch out!!)

After skating, we topped the night off with a trip to Jason's Deli - which of course wouldn't have been complete without the free ice cream cones. What else goes with ice skating?

G told me that she couldn't wait to "get back on the ice".