May in Colorado

To start off the month: Happy Mothers Day Colorado. Here is a gift from mother nature.

It was a LOT of snow. The trees didn't handle it well and once it melted I went out and sawed off all the broken branches.

 To take a break from the snow and actually have some fun we had our first outing to Chuck E Cheese. Paxton loved it! We were there for quite a while because they had a fun house maze that didn't need tokens. He played in that thing forever. We had to convince him to go on other rides but we probably should have just saved our tokens for next time.

Pax ended up loving the one with "the scary guy" where you just drive through a course. He did that one with Daddy a million times and ended up getting his name in the top 3. We'll have to look next time and see if his name is still there.

The weekend before Memorial Day I signed up for a 5k. I have only run one in the last 8 years and only had a couple weeks to "train." I really didn't want to be last since I knew it was a race with few participants. Luckily I was not last and I didn't do too terribly either. This is the beginning of the race. It was all BYU alumni that live in the Denver area. They gave us all free black shirts but I am the one in pink.

 After all the registered racers finished they had a kids race and gave them all free matching black shirts as well. Pax didn't want to wear his but it didn't matter because he looks super adorable anyway.

 I don't think he really understood what was happening but he started running and didn't stop.

 Paxton got a medal for finishing his race and was so happy that he ran so fast.

The Monday after my race was the real race. The Bolder Boulder. A 10k. Sugi was running it and did awesome according to most standards. He was not pleased with his time due to the fact that during his training he ran faster than during the race. I blame it on the fact that we stayed in a hotel the night before the race and got VERY little sleep. The hotel also said they would have breakfast available early for all the racers and that did not turn out to be true so all he ate in the morning before racing was a tiny bowl of corn flakes.

Our hotel was beautiful but we thought since it was May it would be nice outside and booked a hotel with an outdoor pool. It was freezing and not at all possible to swim in. So instead, Pax, Lucy and I noticed a nice lake nearby and took a little walk while Sugi tried to relax at the hotel.

So, the Bolder Boulder is huge. Thousands of racers. I was tracking Sugi on my phone and noticed that after we dropped him off at the starting line we were going to have to book it to get to the stadium to watch him finish. I had Lucy in the bjorn and Pax on my shoulders and mega blisters on my feet. I was totally bummed that we were going to miss the finish and not get to cheer him on. I checked my phone one last time and realized he was about to be passing by. Pax told me not to stop because he had to go potty...it was not enjoyable. However, I stopped just in time for a little break and this handsome dude came running by.

 I'm talking about the guy in the teal shirt.

We celebrated a job well done with a trip to Cracker Barrel. I love that place!

The fun never stopped that day as we ended up making a fire in the backyard for some s'mores and finished the night with pizza and a movie.

Later in May, my sister Tiffany was diagnosed with breast cancer between stage 3 and 4. She was much more courageous about it than I would have been. She seems to be doing well and as of this post she is 1/3 of the way done with chemo.

Also in May, I burned my hands. I decided to walk to a park real quick with Pax and Lucy one day. We had been playing in the sandbox and with some bubbles beforehand. We were out for just about 45 minutes because it was about to rain.

(Caution: the following picture is gross.) Nobody got sunburned but my hands looked pretty red when we got home. Then next day they started to swell and I took off my ring. That night I put on some aloe vera and noticed them starting to blister. When I woke up in the morning this is what they looked like.

Initially I thought it was a sunburn but after talking to people and seeing the intensity of the burn, it has been suggested I may have had a highly photosensitive chemical on my hands. Any diagnosticians out there with a verdict? I can't think of anything that it could have been. I could not use my hands at all. They hurt so badly. I ended up calling my mom jokingly (but seriously) asking if she could come help. She recently started her new job but asked them if she could take the rest of the week off (it was only Monday). She came the next day and was a huge help. I couldn't even lift Lucy out of her crib or get my kids dressed or change diapers. She did all that plus cooked, cleaned and did laundry. She really saved me. Thanks Mom and Bruce! I'll never forget your willingness to come so quickly.

Carter got a hold of some sweet shades and wanted to show off how good he looks.

 Stone cold baby kisser, he really digs the low angle shot.

 Really Dad? when I was a baby I didn't get away with any of this stuff Oliver does.

 All Done.

We got a live one!

After waiting 11 long weeks to hear a heart beat, we finally heard it. It seemed official at about 8 weeks when my stomach exploded out from my body. People pretty much already knew by then between the belly and the crazy amounts of ginger and mints that I was eating for my morning sickness. My morning sickness has been worse with this one, so we are hoping that it is a girl and not just an increasing trend of misery.

 I never posted for mom on mother's day, but basically my favorite moment was the month (maybe longer, but she could've stayed forever) that she stayed and helped me after Carter was born. I can promise you that if mom had not been here, Carter would be in a different home right now!!! Mom dealt with all the household drama, in-law drama, my postpartum depression and everything in between. This post doesn't do it justice because she was simply amazing!

Our Wonderful Mother

Mom I am so grateful for you and everything you put up with when I was younger.  Kerissa and I watched home videos for FHE and there was a part where you let Toshi just cut his hair.  His eyes were closed and it was freaking hilarious.  Kerissa almost died and said I hope to be as cool as your mom and let my kids do things like that....well I guess when she is burnt out there will be a lot more funny videos for our kids to see.  Anyway I wanted to talk about the yes....the presents that I would be for you and inside were the cutest animals you could possibly find.  I remember running to your bed curling up in a ball and if you did not notice me I would give you a nudge and then go back into a ball until you opened me up to find a new baby whatever (Puppy, seal, prarie dog, kitten, add anymore if you can think of them ;)) Those were the best moments.  I remember it being so fun and it was my way of showing you how much I love you mom.  I am just glad you kept going and didn't lose your patience with me.  Mom you were and are the best.  Thanks for being our mom!

NOT a slacker

Well I actually did get mom something and also sent a homemade card (boo yah) BUT I had to add a little post about our amazing mom.

It finally happened. The other night Ruby came into our room at 1 am and said she was scared and wanted to sleep with us. I walked her back and sang songs until she fell asleep. Repeat above scenario at 3 am. I was SOOOOO tired but I couldn't help but think of the THOUSANDS of times that I did this to mom. All the nights I slept on her floor, the nights I made her sit by my door - and how she did it. She did it every time and I never sensed even an ounce of annoyance. I don't know how you did it mom!

Happy Mother's Day

I was trying to think of something to post on the blog. This might actually be my first post. But the fun memory I have of mom is the time we played hoopla in Utah and she acted out Viagra. May have been the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life. 

I also started writing down some thing in church, figured I could make it into something really corny and this is the result. Hope you like it mom. Happy Mother's Day. You're the best. 

Mother

Mother, it's a powerful word. One with many definitions. It's a word that can make pain and tears disappear.  A word that refers to someone always awake to talk or willing to help with homework at any hour of the night. A word defined as work that never ends. A word that means,  all knowing.  The only word in the English language that means, one who teaches, works, loves, and cares with all her heart, and takes a macaroni necklace as payment. One that is willing to give all that she has for the sake of her family.  Someone who is willing to do everything from giving up on dreams she had as a child, to watching a 5th grade band concert for the 6th time and still cheering as loud as she did the first time.  A word that means master multi tasker. A word that in Latin means healer of ripped pants. This word refers to someone crazy enough to drive 14 hours straight at 4 in the morning to be there for her children. All of these definitions can be summed up by saying that mother means love.  But most importantly mother to me is defined as someone who has never stopped loving me and I know never will.  Thanks for helping me become the person you knew I could be. I never would have made it without you. 

Mom Post

Well it's Mother's Day, so I thought I'd put together a few of my most favorite things I thankful for about you, my Mother. (Anyone else who didn't get Mom something for Mother's Day may want to create a post as well.)  Having a child of my own has really opened up my eyes to the many sacrifices and blessings you have provided me.  First off, let me thank you for the hundreds of diapers you changed on my behalf in order to keep my bum fresh and clean.  I can't even imagine doing the clothe diaper thing, though I don't remember if this was still done on me or not.  Next comes the meals.  One of the things I hate most is to spend the time making a meal for Paxton only to have him turn his nose up and seal his lips shut.  I'm sure I did this as a child, but can definitely remember balking at some of the dinners Mom made for us as a kid and teenage.  I now realize how frustrating this can be and thank you Mom for all those meals that I didn't thank you for previously.  Then of course there's the chauffeuring.  I don't know how many times I got after Mom for being even a couple minutes late in picking me up or dropping me off.  As a kid I didn't think to consider that there's responsibilities other than taking care of my every need.  With all that you had to juggle, I thank you Mom for always being there and trying to make each of us feel special.  Having this last week away from Pax and Connie, I've come to realize how exhausting a time consuming a child can be.  And who can forget the relentless piano teaching.  I can remember blasting away over and over that stupid Wigwam song only to try to annoy you into letting me quit.  You endured a lot through those piano years, and though I have yet to thank you for the instruction (and will hold to the claim that I never will), I do thank you for your patience and longsuffering.

One final memory I wanted to share with you Mom is one that you may have forgotten, but still remains very dear to me.  I remember quite vividly a lesson taught in our Primary Class by a very stern and unique individual (I won't mention his name).  He hammered into our heads over and over that, "If you utter the words, 'I don't believe in Jesus Christ,' then you would go to hell."  I even remember him telling a story about a man having a gun pointed to his head and the shooter telling him to deny his belief in Christ or he would be killed.  I went home that day freaked out, but just like a kid being told not to throw rocks into the neighbors pool, I had to see what would happen if I did.  That night I remember being in bed (actually I was on those couch pillows sleeping in front of the fan in the hallway) and saying the words quietly under my breath, "I don't believe in Jesus Christ."  All of a sudden I was balling my eyes out.  I tried to take it back, prayed to say that I didn't mean it, even tried to sing primary songs, but nothing worked.  I thought for sure I was doomed to destruction and I was terrified.  It was at that point when I went and got Mom.  I told you what had happened, and together we knelt down and prayed in the living room.  I remember you told me everything was going to be ok, you told me that Heavenly Father still loved me, it was you who hugged me until I felt safe and loved once again.  Thank you Mom, for always being there.  Happy Mothers Day.