Ensign Peak

Since it was Mr. Orange's last day of school we decided to jam-pack it with fun.

When school let out we ran down to Thanksgiving Point to have lunch with Gramma.

Then we went to Wal-Mart to buy a backyard pool.

The kids played in the pool until Mr. Blue got home from work.

We ate dinner then headed up to Salt Lake to hike Ensign Peak.

 I love this hike.

The views are incredible.

 And it's perfect for kids too.

Miss Pink and I ran the whole way down.

When the boys finally caught up to us, we talked them into some ice cream on the way home.

Let summer begin!

Mother's Day

How was your Mother's Day?

Mine was fantastic.

Around 6:15 Mr. Orange came into the room and started whispering to Mr. Blue.  I promptly fell back to sleep and did not stir until 7:45 when Mr. Blue and the kids came into the room singing, "Happy Mother's Day to You!"  Mr. Blue was carrying a tray full of breakfast so I sat up and wiped the sleep out of my eyes while he set it on my lap.  He and the kids had made me waffles and fruit.  Yum.  Miss Pink cuddled up beside me and stole a waffle off my plate before I could even pick up my fork.  You snooze you lose I guess.  :)

Mr. Orange could barely wait for me to finish eating before he said, "Mom, now it's time for your scavenger hunt!"  I followed the clues until they led to Miss Pink's closet.  (There has been a sign on her door that said - DO NOT ENTER please.)  Inside the closet were some cards and some flowers.  Each of the kids picked out a bouquet of flowers for me.  It was very sweet.

(Mr. Blue told me that as soon as Mr. Orange woke him up, Mr. Orange put him to work.  He chose pictures off the computer to use as the cards, helped Mr. Blue make the waffles and then Mr. Orange sliced my strawberries and oranges so that they would look "fancy".  He also made up all of the scavenger hunt clues.)

The kids were wonderful the entire day.  They were even (somewhat) perfect angels at church.

After church they treated me to some delicious frozen burritos.

Then we needed to get out of the house so we walked to the park across the street.  I handed my big camera to Mr. Orange and he snapped away.  (I'll post some of his pics another day.)  I absolutely loved watching him take pictures.  He would get so excited about every shot.

I did have him take a picture of me.

Hey, why not?  It's my day - and my family always teases me that there are never any pictures of me ANYWHERE!

 The kids spent a lot of time up in the trees and on top of the slides at the park.

 All too soon it was time to come home.

The kids chose what they wanted to make for me.

We had:

(white) pasta with Mr. Blue's sauce

shrimp

broccoli

(I was allowed in the kitchen long enough to make a zucchini/avocado salad)

I was definitely spoiled.

I am so grateful that I am a mother to these two.  They teach me so much and help me to see the "bigger picture".  I love them with all of my heart.  Throughout the day they would give me little hugs and kisses, hold my hand or look at me and say, "I love you".  It just doesn't get any better than that.

My Mother's Day post would be incomplete if I didn't talk about two other mother's.

I love my mom.  I don't know very many mother's out there who still plan parties, complete with games, for their 30+ year old kids, but my mom sure does.  I love parties at her house.  She has helped me through so many things and always has a listening ear.  I love showing up at her office, with kids in tow, and she acts like she has all the time in the world for us.  She is a wonderful mother and I love her.  You can read more about her awesomeness here.

I also love Mr. Blue's mom.  I know people don't like to admit that they love their mother's-in-law, but I really do.  My MIL has treated me like her own daughter since day one.  She inspires me by the way that she sees beauty in everyone and everything.  She loves the Gospel and bears her testimony frequently to her children and, more importantly, her grandchildren.  It is always a treat to be around her and I love her.

He Knows Me

Do you ever have times in your life where you feel like you just.cannot.take.one.more.thing?  Well, I have been feeling that way for the past few weeks.  I had been getting pretty snippy, negative, and downright grumpy.  Yesterday afternoon was super-busy and I was looking forward to going to our Stake's Women's Conference - until Mr. Blue got stuck in traffic.

He called to let me know that he would be late, and being the understanding wife that I am I bawled into the phone and said, "Why are you always late when I need to get to something that is important to me?"  Bawl.Bawl.Bawl. (Sometimes I am so mature I astound myself.)  After I hung up the phone I realized how silly I was being.  The only thing I was going to be late for was the dinner.  I would be there in plenty of time for the speakers.

I am so grateful that I went.  Each of the speakers had something to say that I felt was meant just for me.  I had been praying for certain things and I felt like my prayers were answered. My spiritual cup was running over by the time I left.  Earlier in the day, Miss Pink and I sat on the couch reading The Friend.  There was a quote in it by President Monson that said, "There will be calm and wind, sunlight and shadows, joy and sorrow.  But if we really try, our home can be a bit of heaven on earth."  I love that.  It was another answer to prayer.  My home cannot be a bit of heaven on earth unless I try.

I am grateful that Heavenly Father knows me.  He knows me personally and he loves and cares about me - enough to have answered my prayers in so many ways.

Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon

A few months ago I decided it was time to run another half marathon.  I looked around and settled on the Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon.  It seemed easy enough - run around the main property, run around the gardens, run around the golf course...

Can I just tell you that this half is not quite what I expected??  Sure it was absolutely beautiful, stunning scenery was abundant, the weather was perfect, it even smelled great!  But boy was it challenging!  (Which made it super fun, by the way.)

This is not a fast course.

Have any of you ever been to Thanksgiving Point?  The golf course in particular?  I'll tell you what, the last half of the half (heehee) takes place on the golf course and it is much easier in a golf cart than on foot!  It kept it interesting...Up a short steep hill, down a short steep hill, run for a few paces, up a short steep hill, down a short steep hill, oh, hairpin turn...repeat...for the next 6 miles. 

(Yes, I am a total goon when it comes to pictures...)

 I didn't check my watch at all and was shocked when my time said 2:02:05!

It was definitely a PR for me.

I'm such a nerd and got totally misty-eyed crossing the finish line.

 When I signed up for the half, Mr. Orange said that he wanted to do the Kids Mile.  He has been "practicing" his running at recess, and he had to run a mile at track a few days before.  Mr. Orange wanted Mr. Blue to run with him (Thank Heavens!  I wouldn't have been able to keep up with him!!!) and they had a great time.  I asked Mr. Orange if he had fun doing his race and he said, "Yes!  Guess what Mom, they had water and Gatorade at one of the tables so I stopped to get a drink."  Awesome.  Mr. Orange finished in 12:47.  He took almost 50 seconds off of his time earlier this week.  And that super-speedy time includes a gulp of Gatorade.  :)

Miss Pink was trying to get out of the picture.  We showed her!

 The Racers

Mr. Orange, Me, Dad, Mom, Little Brother, and M.

My Parents, Little Bother, and M all ran the 5K.

I am so proud of my little guy!!

As part of our grab bags, we were given passes to all of the venues at Thanksgiving Point so we spent time at the Animal Park and Dinosaur Museum before heading home.  This event was so.much.fun.  For real.  We will be making this an annual tradition.

Simple Joys

This past weekend was full of simple joys...

Friday was early out day so Miss Pink and I pumped up the tires on my bike and the bike trailer and headed to Mr. Orange's school to pick him up.  The ride there wasn't too bad.  Mr. Orange hopped in the back of the trailer and the ride home nearly killed me off.  Not only did I have 50 extra pounds in the trailer, but the wind was blowing right at me and the trailer acted like a parachute pulling me back.  The kids and I made it home.  I hope that someday the kids will be together telling stories and one will start out with, "Remember when Mom used to take us to school in that bike trailer?"

Mr. Blue had a scout campout that night so the kids and I decided it had better be movie night.  Mr. Orange rode his bike and I pulled Miss Pink in the trailer.  We went to the local Redbox and picked out Spooky Buddies.  (My opinion - Awful.  Mr. Orange's opinion - Liked it.  One part was scary, we fast forwarded through it.  Miss Pink's opinion - I didn't like the dog with the green eyes.)  We took the long way home and enjoyed a nice ride through the neighborhoods and stopped to smell blossoms on the trees.

Saturday morning we were all beat.  I can't seem to sleep when Mr. Blue is not home so I stay up until 2 in the morning so that I can pass out in bed.  I bribed the kids with a trip to Wheeler Farm if they would help me clean the house.  They worked so hard and constantly asked what else they could do to help.  Since they held up their end of the bargain, I held up mine.

Side track for a minute...  Several months ago I went to get in the car and noticed scratch marks on the drivers side of the car.  I asked Mr. Blue if he knew when it had happened and he did not.  Miss Pink comes in the room and says, "Oh, I was just decorating the car with rocks."  (Really??!!!)  We had a nice discussion about keeping rocks OFF of the car.

Back to Wheeler Farm...  I parked the car and got out and noticed some scratches on the car next to me.  I looked closer and, in rock scratches it says, "I LOVE YOU MOM!"  Yes, I laughed right out loud and said in my mind, "Praise be, I am not the only one whose kids 'decorate' the car!"

The kids and I had a great time at the Farm, then we got hot (since when is it 80*+ in Utah in April???), and came home.  Mr. Blue and I actually went out on a date, just the two of us.  We asked the kids if they wanted us to stay home and hang out with them instead and they both said, "NO!  We want T & A!!!"  (Mr. Orange is pretty much in looooove with the babysitters.)  I'll admit it was nice to go to dinner, run errands, and hold hands.

Miss Pink was sick Sunday Morning so Mr. Blue and Mr. Orange went to church without us.  Mr. Orange came home and I was helping him get his suit off when he said, while eyeballing his bookcase next to him, "Hey Mom.  Guess what President Monson loved to read when he was a boy?"

Me:  Peter Pan?

Mr. Orange:  Nope.

Me:  Treasure Island?

Mr. Orange:  Yup.  (Insert a HUGE smile here.)

He thought it was pretty cool that we are reading that book too, although we are currently sidetracked with Peter and the Starcatchers.

Miss Pink felt better later in the afternoon so we found a park to play at.  The kids played on the swings, ran up and down the giant hill, got really dirty, built a grass nest, and of course Mr. Blue threw them in the air.

I know I have said this a kazillion times on this blog, but I love how easy it is for kids to find joy in life.  It's as simple as an underdog, a toss in the air, or watching birds fly in formation overhead.  It reminds me of how the scriptures teach us to become like little children.  If we truly pay attention to our children, we can learn so much.

I love it when Miss Pink runs up to me at random times throughout the day to give my legs or arms a "squeezer", then she looks up at me and says, "I love you Momma!"

I love it when Mr. Orange gets home from school and runs in the backyard, then comes running back in  yelling at the top of his lungs, "Mom!  Mom!  You've gotta come see this!"  Then he shows me how the bleeding heart has grown, or that flowers have opened, or that the clematis is getting bigger.

These are my simple joys.

Throws

This was our activity for FHE a few weeks ago...

Mr. Blue even tossed me up in the air a few times.

Okay, he didn't.

But the kids LOVE it when he throws them.

(That doesn't sound very good, does it?)

I love everything about this picture.

 Kids

+

Mr. Blue

=

Tossing in Air

BTW we did have a lesson.

And it was a good one.

I am pretty sure the kids won't remember it, but they will remember the activity.

A Hunting We Will Go...

Today was the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Nana's house.

The kids played, the eggs (loads and loads and loads and...) were hidden.

Then it was time and the kids were let loose in the yard.

Mr. Orange found so many eggs that we had to empty his basket once.  I remember when he was 1 we went to an Easter egg hunt and he picked up two eggs.  One for each hand as he was pleased as punch.  My how times have changed.  :)

Miss Pink stayed close to Dad and managed to fill her basket to the brim.

I think most of the kids ate candy for lunch.

What would an Easter egg hunt be without the Easter Bunny?  Mr. Orange couldn't wait to shake his hand, Miss Pink just about climbed over Nana's shoulder.  She was so nervous about the Easter Bunny this year.

Photo from father-in-law

Mr. Orange was thrilled to get his golden egg.

Photo from father-in-law

The group was a little smaller this year than last, but I can't believe how BIG these kids are all getting!

As usual, the egg hunt was wonderful.  The kids had a grand time afterwards playing with friends, climbing trees, and eating more candy.

Thanks Nana!

Hitting the Slopes

Mr. Blue and I have waited for this day for a long, long, very long time.

The day when we would hit the slopes with our kids.

Mr. Orange didn't have school on the 9th (a Friday), the weather was going to be perfect, it had just snowed, so we decided that would be our day.

We headed up to Brighton bright and early, got the kids outfitted, signed them up for ski school and they were off.

Mr. Blue and I waved goodbye and took a few runs.

As we came down one of the runs, we noticed our kids getting off the Magic Carpet and spied on them for a bit.

The kids were in good hands and seemed to be doing fine, so Mr. Blue and I took a few more runs.

(We couldn't believe how warm and beautiful it was up there!!!  Gorgeous!)

Mr. Blue had to prove that he still has some skills.

I'm not sure why.

I already know that he's pretty cool.

We arrived a bit early to pick the kids up from the ski school and saw them walking back to the building.  Mr. Orange was dragging his skis behind him.  Miss Pink batted her eyes at her instructor and he carried hers for her.  Mr. Blue and I cracked up watching the two of them.  Mr. Orange would walk a bit, look around, locate Miss Pink and keep walking.  Miss Pink would take a few steps, bend down, eat some snow, stand up, walk a few more steps, eat some more snow, etc.  (You can see her eating the snow in the collage above.)

We ate some lunch after checking the kids out.

Me:  How was it?  Did you love it?  Are you ready to go with Dad and I?

Mr. Orange:  No.  I don't ever want to do this again.

Miss Pink:  I cried for you Momma.  I kept my goggles on so my instructor wouldn't know I was crying for you.

(Mr. Blue and I exchanged glances that said, "What have we done?  Are they going to hate this forever? That's not good!!)

We enjoy our lunch and the beautiful scenery, and being with each other.

After lunch Mr. Orange stands up and starts putting his skis on.

Me:  What are you doing?

Mr. Orange:  Hurry up Mom and Dad!  I want to ski!

Miss Pink:  Me too!  Let's go!

(Yippee!!!)

Mr. Blue and I took them over to the Bunny Hill and we had some great adventures with the kids to finish off our day.  Mr. Orange did some pretty fantastic splits and Miss Pink proved that she has a need for speed.

In all our excitement we forgot to take a picture of all of us.

At the end of the day we all had huge grins on our faces.

Can't wait for next time!

Has Anyone Seen the Keys?? and other Sunday Fun

Mr. Blue had to go to church early today.
My plan was to surprise him and actually be five minutes early.
Ten minutes before we needed to be at church I had everything gathered up, the kids were ready, I was ready, we were good to go...
except for one thing...
I couldn't find my keys
ANYWHERE!!!!!!!!!

I remained calm (surprisingly).

Mr. Blue had driven the night before which meant my keys could be anywhere.
I asked myself, "If I were Mr. Blue, where would I put the keys?"
I looked in all the logical places - the key bowl, the counter, the cabinet in the living room, the kitchen table.  Hmmmm, nothing.  Search harder - looked under the items on the counter, the cabinet and the kitchen table.  Still nothing.

It is now 5 minutes until church starts.

Maybe the bathroom?
Nope.
Mr. Blue's coat?
Where is that coat?
Seriously, where is it?
The ignition?

At 11:00 (yup, church starts at 11) I text Mr. Blue:
Where are the keys?
Text to Mr. Blue at 11:04:
We are walking.

I slung my heavy church bag over my shoulder, grabbed the kids hands, and we were off to church - on foot.  Now usually in Utah that is not a big deal - to walk to church.  However our church is a little over 1.5 miles from our house.  As we left the house I did give thanks to my mother-in-law for giving me a dress a few weeks ago that I can wear flats with.  Had I been wearing my usual dress - with heels - we would have put our jammies back on and called it a day.

Off we went.
Luckily it was warm and the sidewalks were dry (for the most part).
We were only 40 minutes late.
We would have been there sooner but we took the looooong way to the church.  I realized my mistake after it was too late to turn around and go the short (1.2 miles) way.
We sat in the very, very, very back (I couldn't find Mr. Blue).

Five minutes later Mr. Blue walks in with a strange look on his face.  After Sacrament meeting he told me that he had driven home to see where we were - his phone had died.  He had called me from the church but no one had answered.  (Hello, it was Sunday.  This girl doesn't take a phone to church silly!) He opened the garage door and the car was there.  He came inside and called for us, but no one answered.  He started to get panicked.  (His words and I quote, "I thought the KGB had come and abducted my family!"  I'm pretty sure the KGB is the least of our worries...)  Then he saw my phone and checked my texts.  Mystery solved.

After church, things were much less eventful.  The kids were wild and crazy so we kicked them outside. They were enjoying themselves so much that Mr. Blue and I went out to see what they were up to.

Mr. Orange (like his orange outfit?) built a "sculpture" of China and Taiwan.

Miss Pink was wondering on the wonders of the world.

Mr. Blue decided to clobber them both with snowballs and the last little bit of snow was used up.

I stayed out of the way and let the three of them go at it.

The kids still needed to run off some energy so we ate some dinner and went for a walk.
Somehow I ended up riding Mr. Orange's scooter and Mr. Blue ended up pushing Miss Pink's bike home.

Favorite parts of my day...
*Remaining calm
*An unexpected walk
*Family Fun
*Riding a scooter in my dress (should've ridden it to church with the kids on their bikes!)
*Warm sunshine
*Gentle breeze
*Going to church

I heard you ask, so I better answer...

The keys.

The keys were in Mr. Blue's coat that was on top of the laundry basket that I walked past 15 times while I was looking for the keys and somehow never saw.

Finally! Some Snow!

On Monday Mr. Blue had to work.

Miss Pink had dance class.

Mr. Orange had the day off and was boooored out of his mind.

On our way to pick Miss Pink up from dance he said, "Mom, I need to go sledding.  Right now."

Me, "Well, let's pick Miss Pink up, eat some lunch, and if there is still any snow left then we'll go."

Him, "Okay."

We picked up Miss Pink and ten minutes later we were walking over to the sledding hill (my grumbling tummy lost that battle).

The kids got sleds for Christmas and this was their first run on them.
Mr. Orange was so excited to use his sled.  He ran up to the top of the hill, laid down on his sled, asked for a push, (which I gave him), and he went nowhere.  The snow was too sticky in that spot.  We decided to go where other people had gone before and the sledding was much better.

 Miss Pink face-planted it a few times.

(I think she did it on purpose so she could eat the snow.)

 After a while the kids got tired of sledding and so we ate snow, chased each other, threw snowballs (mostly at me), tackled each other, laughed, tried to build a snowman until Miss Pink fell on it, built a snow castle, laughed some more, threw more snowballs, did more sledding, etc., etc.

After an hour and a half we were pooped.

It was a wonderful afternoon.

One of those afternoons that you need as a mom.

Nothing to do, nowhere to go, just you and the kids.

Everything is perfect (except we missed Mr. Blue).

You can laugh freely.

Play with your kids.

Enjoy them.

Love them.

Watch their excitement about such little things like the snow in their mouths.

It was, well, perfect.