Kyleigh's Dance Recital

Kyleigh has been in dance and tumbling since last september. Well, we just had her recital and she did awesome. She also had try outs. I didn't tell her what try outs meant, just that she got to go dance for people. I didn't want to stress her out. She did awesome! The judges actually placed her in the 1st-3rd grade age group! So she is learning beginning ballet, and doing extra performances (like competitions) this fall and next spring. So we will have a busy school year because she is starting preschool this fall. Unfortunately she misses the kindergarten deadline by a 2 months, so she has to wait until next year to go to elementary school. She is loving ballet and being able to have friends her age. Her recital was great and she was excited to have Grandma and Grandpa Cooper come from Colorado to watch her, and Grandma Gardner and Grandma Great Harris come and watch too. She did tumbling the first night and dance the second night. She love to do both, and Caitlyn her best friend (in dance) is in both her classes! Here are some pictures...

Mexico!!

Sorry I have been behind!

So, We went to Mexico with my family (Jen), we left June 6th and got back on June 15th! At first we were going to drive, but changed our minds and decided that with gas prices, it was better to fly! Especially while Cooper flies for free, and the kids were only flying back with us because they spent the week before with Grandma and Grandpa Cooper. We went to San Carlos, Mexico! It was like a 7 hour drive from Pheonix. It was well worth it though! We met our kids, my parents, Shannon (my sister), Erin (my sister) and her boyfriend Mitch at my Brother James and Sister-in-law Colleen's house in Pheonix. Then drove the next day to Mexico!
I guess I should mention that all of my family except my sister Erin are Scuba Certified, and thats what the vacation was based on. Shannon, Colleen, and I certified in December and this would be our first dive trip, and first ocean water dives! We were excited to say the least!
Erin and Mitch helped by watching our kids so that I could dive with Brandon! Thanks you guys, you are awesome!!! Oh, it was Mitch's first time out of the States, and first time in the ocean. So I am sure it was a pretty exciting trip for him!
Kyleigh and Cooper LoVeD the Ocean! Cooper would sit back to where the waves would crash and then come up to his waist! If there were a few waves in a row that didn't reach him, he would start yelling and pointing at the ocean. It was so cute, I was glad he liked it, because I was afraid that he would be scared of the water! Kyleigh was brave too, and enjoyed playing in the ocean as long as someone was close to her, as the trip went on, she got even more brave, and would venture to do more.

I've been tagged!

Sorry, I guess Tiffany and Amanda both tagged me quite sometime ago, but I just didn't realize it....sorry!!!! So here it goes!
1.What where you doing 10 years ago? Getting ready for summer, and looking forward to being a senior! I was 17, and just starting to get the horrible case of Pnemonia, that the doctors wouldn't treat....I was sick most of the summer, and was miserable....

2. 5 things on my to.do list today... do the dishes! Get Kayda to the vet! Make homemade bread yum! continue to tackle the laundry! Play with the kids....

3. 5 of my fav snacks! Licorice:) ice cream (any flavor, cookie dough and mint chip are the best though) :) BBQ potato chips:) Sunflower seeds:) veggies and Newmans Own Light Raspberry Walnut dressing:)

4.What would I do if I suddenly become a billionaire? Move to Colorado and live on love ;) ha ha
Take all our family and friends on awesome vacations! Buy front row season tickets to the Jazz and Rockies for my dad...Donate it to charities, travel, travel, travel.... just happen to visit North Carolina, and New Jersey :)

5. 3 bad habits- Biting my nails....although getting my nails done has helped to stop that... Being negative about myself and thinking other people think bad things too, watching tv, surfing the net

6. 5 places I have lived? Durango, CO; St.George, UT; Bountiful, UT; Ogden, UT; Roy,UT

7. 5 places I have worked? hhhmmm let see Denny's (did anyone see that coming) Southpark Childrens Center, Weber State Housing, Avatar, and back to Denny's :)

8. 5 things people don't know about me?
*I love the rain and want to read a book with a cup of hot chocolate, and a blanket and sit by a window so I can smell it, and hear it. Our house in Colorado was the best because the roof tops there are metal and you can hear the rain pelting against it...awesome!
*I can't wake up and just get out of bed, I have to have time to adjust to the idea of being awake. I like to lay there and think. And it takes me an hour to fall asleep...Brandon can fall asleep in 2 min. (honest, I timed him) I am so jealous!
*I hate neverending chores....putting away laundry, doing dishes, the minute I have all the dishes done, someone needs a drink and then there is a dirty glass! Or I just hang up all the clothes and kyleigh takes 3 outfits off to see which she wants to wear. I do the same thing, but it still makes me crazy!
*I love to bake, but hate to cook; and I hate deciding what to have for dinner....why is it the my job? I don't get it..everyone has to eat, why can't everyone help decide...why do I have to choose what everyone has to eat just because I am the one preparing it? It makes no sense!
* I love to do crafts, but I am not creative...I am really not! Give me a pattern, a picture whatever and I will replicate it, and have fun doing it, but don't ask me to think of what to do on my own! I am too indecisive, and have no cute ideas... Try as I might, they just aren't there...

I tag Christy Fillerup, Kristie Moeller, Natasha, and Colleen

Kyleigh's 1K run!

Kyleigh was able to run in a Kids K that was held after the marathon. The kids ran the last 1/2 mile of the marathon/half-marathon. It was so cute. Brandon and I were going to run with Kyleigh, she really wanted both of us to do it with her. Well, considering we just ran our races, we were exhausted. Brandon couldn't even run, and I did more hobbling than running. I did my best to keep up with Kyleigh and her cousin Morgan. They ran the whole race holding hands! They were so adorable. They were even in the Monday, May 19th newspaper, in the sports section. The whole day Kyleigh kept asking her grandma and grandpa Cooper for a cow bell to ring as the runners were passing by. Well, all the kids that ran got a medal for completing the race. Of course, it was a cow bell!!! She couldn't be more excited, and she wants to take that thing everywhere. That bell could make a person crazy, but I am glad she enjoyed her race so much!

This top picture is Caden Gurr, he is Rachel and Jason's little boy..Kyleigh and him have been friends since she was 3 months old! They are so cute, and love being friends.

Ogden Marathon

For now here are some pictures of Brandon at his race, and after.... He will be adding his own commentary so check back for that! I do have to say how proud I am of Brandon! He did awesome!! He ran 26.1 miles in 3 hours 25 min. and 11 seconds. He was a little over 15 minutes shy of quailfying for the Boston Marathon! On his first marathon! He did awesome and is already planning his next race! He was 9th in his class, 98th in his gender and 115th overall!!WOW!! Here are pictures of Brandon running, then pictures of us afterward, including some with Jens Gibbs, Brandon's best friend who also ran and did a great job!

Ogden Half Marathon

So, now that I am starting to move again; and feel like I can start to function like a normal person...I will give you all the full marathon/half marathon update!

Brandon and I both had a very restless night before the race, so 4 a.m. came way to fast! We got up and got ready to go. We arrived and waited for Jens, Daryl, Rachel(my best Colorado buddy) and her sister Sammi. Brandon and Jens loaded first and I went to meet up with Daryl and Rach, and Sammi. We couldn't find Rach or Sammi, so Daryl and I loaded the bus and headed up the canyon. The trip seemed WAY longer than 13.1 miles and I was getting nervous! I had given up hope of being able to find Rachel and Sammi-bummer. Just as we unloaded the bus I spotted Rach! WOoHoO! Well, we got to the start and had almost and hour and a half to just stand and wait. It was cold, but they had a bunch of fires for us to stay warm, but there were way too many people so we didn't get a whole lot of warmth!

All four of us started at the same time, but it wasn't long before Daryl and Rachel were off in the distance. Luckily Sammi and I ran at the same pace. It was awesome because when I wanted to slow down or walk she pushed me, and when she was having a hard time I pushed her. It is so nice to have a running partner! I hate running alone...

I was excited to see the first few miles fly by, it sure didn't feel like I had been running that far. The water/aid stations were great! My favorite was the one with gum and another one with watermelon! The watermelon came just when I needed it! It was so refreshing and tasted sooo good! I always chew gum when I run, but I had forgotten mine in the truck, so I was happy to see gum along the way! :)

We celebrated every mile marker with a WOoHoO and a wave of our arms! I even ran like Pheobe on Friends, just to loosen up for a minute.. I was so glad to have someone to share the race and the experience with! The last two miles were hard! The last mile seemed to stretch on FOR......EV.......ER!! It felt like three miles rolled into one. At the end, as I was coming in..I saw my parents and my kids! It was just what I needed. I stopped and kissed Kyleigh and Cooper and then went on to finish my race! Sammi waited for me, she was so awesome! She said there was no way she was going to finish without me:) I couldn't have asked for a better running buddy. Maybe we will have to plan more runs together... Here are some pictures of us running and then after the run.. I finished in 2 hours 18 mins. 36 seconds..... I was super excited! I just wanted to finish the dang thing, and I ended up with a personal best! My training run of 11 miles, I ran between 11 and 12 min. miles. During the race, I ran 10 1/2 min. miles! Way better than I expected! Maybe I can be convinced to continue to run, and maybe to do another race ;)

Fun Trip on the new Front Runner

Allison Barnes and her little boy McCord joined us on the Front Runner! We decided that while it was free we would take the chance and go for a ride! The kids were excited for about 20 minutes, and then the younger ones started to get restless. We rode to Woods Cross, got off and went and got ice cream. We got back on and went to Salt Lake and then came right back to the Roy station. It was fun, and quite the experience! Here are some pictures of us riding the train...

Connor and Logan come to play!

We were able to watch Connor and Logan while Jens and Tiffany went out. We had soooo much fun! Cooper finally got some competition, and they all wanted to play with whatever someone else had. They all loved the play house! We only had one high chair, so Connor and Logan were big boys and sat up to the table! They played so well, I hope they get to come play again! Here they are...sorry there are so many, but they were so adorable I had to put a bunch up!

EEERRRR!

Ok, Sorry everyone! I have been a slacker...I am going to catch up, and then keep caught up! I just haven't been in the best mood lately. I don't know why, I just have been onery and irritated and didn't want to blog anything! I have decided to adjust my attitude and get happy! So here's to blogging again and my attitude adjustment!
~~Sorry to Brandon and the kids for living with a bear the past couple weeks! I love you more than anything in this world!
So, I am labeling this as now, but you will have to go back through Nov. to see what I have updated!
:)