The Boo Crew

Okay.  I am finally posting pictures from Halloween.  Sad I know.  Well anyways, we had a great day, and celebrated all day long with a School Parade, School Party, and then we rushed to Ryan's work for a Halloween work party, and then straight to my Aunt Karen and Uncle David's house to spend the evening drinking, eating, and being SCARY!  Seriously, my kids trick or treated for about a 1/2 hour and then they wanted to sit at my uncle's door step and hand out candy.  My Uncle's family is super into Halloween and they do it up, like no else.  Their house was decked out in creepy and fun decorations.  They also have a fun little special effect called a remote controlled air cannon, that when it goes off, it FREAKS people out!  So the kids had a blast handing out candy and watching people be scared!!!  It was a great night!

Corn Belly's

We took the kids to Corn Belly's a couple of weeks ago.  It was a blast, complete with pig racing, a huge corn maze.  It took us 1 hour to get out of it.  The kids were pretty bored by then.  Climbing on hay bales and playing in a big pit of corn.  It was a blast.  Here are some fun pics from our adventure.

An Honest Conversation

Let me set the scene.  I am getting Taylor ready for soccer, she is in the kitchen tying her shoes and I am filling up her water bottle.  

Me: Wow!  I don't feel good...and I look horrible (let me point out that I am mostly talking to myself-while running around the kitchen)

Taylor: Yeah...you REALLY don't look good.

Me: Uhhh...Thanks...I think.

Taylor: You are welcome.  

She then hops off the chair, a bit too cheerful in my opinion.

Taylor: I will see you in an hour, you could look better when I get back.

Me: I will work on that.

Taylor:  Good.  

Just when you think that no one in the world is being honest...your 8 year old just really lets you know where you stand...

Okay, I have to run, cuz, maybe I SHOULD look better when she gets back :)

LOTOJA

Last weekend Ryan, his Dad, his cousins Brian Lifferth, Gardner & Josh Brown (tandem bike), and his roommate from BYU Rob Werner all participated in the annual LOTOJA cycling race.

For those who don’t know…"LOTOJA, short for LOgan TO JAckson, is a USCF sanctioned, road cycling race held annually in September. The race is believed to be one of the longest single-day road cycling races in North America, if not the world and is the longest race sanctioned by USA Cycling or the United States Cycling Federation."

"LoToJa is most commonly pronounced "loe-tuh-juh" and starts in Logan, UT, travels into southeastern Idaho and finishes in Teton Village, Wyoming (a few miles northwest of Jackson, Wyoming). The current course covers 206 miles and includes three mountain passes. The total climbing during the race is nearly 10,000 feet with the race finishing about 1,800 feet higher than it began in Logan (4,550 feet)."

While Ryan has never been an avid biker, his father and cousins are. Ryan decided that he wanted to do this event with his father, so (with my blessing) he spent this past summer training (and training) for the race. He spent over 125 hours on his bike and has ridden close to 2,000 miles since May in preparation for this single event. Ryan’s goodwill bank (as well has his real bank) have a significantly lower balance now due to all the training! =)

The night before the race we all went up to Ryan’s brother Robb’s house, where everyone else was gathered to sleep. After a good pasta dinner (pack those carbs in) the boys prepared their supplies and then settled down for the night.

They were all up around 5AM to prepare and pack for the race. Ryan and Brian’s heat left at 6:49 AM, where the weather was a balmy 40 degrees. Rob Werner, Rick (Ryan’s dad), and Gardner & Josh all left in different heats before Ryan.

As Ryan’s “Support Crew” I was tasked with the job of re-supplying Ryan with food and drink at each feed stop. The first stop was in Preston, Idaho (we said hi to Napoleon Dynamite) 30 miles from the start. At that point Ryan’s group had caught up to his dad’s. Ryan and Rick then rode together for the next 80 miles (over all three of the major mountain passes).

At the second feed zone, Ryan and Rick rode in together. Robb, Stacie, Kathy, and me (Adrienne and Brian’s wife were around as well) were all there to refuel them and cheer them on.

Ryan and Rick loved riding together. Here they are while they still had smiles.

Throughout the race we were able to pass the riders on the road a few different times. It was so exciting to see Ryan (and the others) as they were riding. At one point (around mile 180) I passed Ryan and felt so bad because I knew he had to be feeling some serious pain (and he was).


After 11 hours and 12 minutes, Ryan rolled across the finish line. Throughout the race he said he kept thinking that this was the only time he would ever do this race, however not less than two hours after the race he was already thinking of ways he could improve on his time for next year…..we’ll see. He’ll have to make some serious deposits in his goodwill account. =)

Thursday's Hero

As you may know, we are big BYUFootball fan(atics)! So we obviously jumped at the chance to accompany our nephew Will and his family on their visit to a BYU practice.

Our 3 year old nephew Will has struggled with a lung disease since birth. He's been connected to an oxygen tank for most of his life (but with such a happy disposition, even that doesn't slow him down much). Upon learning of Will's struggles, coach Bronco Mendenhall (BYU's head coach) invited Will and his family and friends to attend a BYU practice before BYU's first game of the season as their special guest. All part of a program Coach Mendenhall implemented called "Thursday's Heros".

We arrived at the practice facility and were given a tour of their offices and meeting rooms. After the tour we were taken on to the practice field, where the team was just finishing practice.

As the team was finishing, they gathered around Coach Mendenhall for him to conclude practice. Will was brought to the middle of the huddle where the team captains gave Will a gift basket and told him what an inspiration he was to them. He was asked to sign the flag that the team carries on to the field before each game. After doing so they told him that he was now part of the team and would now be with them as they entered the field at each home game.

Finally Will was asked to lead the final team yell to end practice. After the cheer each team member and coach shook our hands and thanked us for coming. We were very impressed with each member of both the coaching staff and football team. They were very nice and very gracious. Coach Mendenhall then took Will, his sister Kate, and his parents Tyler and Trisha off to the side while they sat and talked. He spent over twenty minutes talking with them.

While we are all very impressed with Coach Mendenhall and the work he has done with the football team lately (currently ranked 15th nationally), his work off the field (and I know many people have said this) is much more impressive than anything he has, or will do, on the field. Football loyalties aside, he represents the values of BYU and the LDS church very well. Based on our experience he is a much better person than he is a coach, and in our opinion, that’s really saying something.

Thanks to Coach Mendenhall and his staff and players for an unforgettable afternoon. GO COUGARS!

The Shot

So I am a 31 year old woman.  I hate to put it out there, but yeah, there it is my age.  I always thought that with a high number like that, you know something.  You are in charge.  You can be considered an adult.  You don't have to listen to your mom...that is unless you want to...because remember you are 31 year old woman.  

So when my mom entered my kitchen tonight and said, I am going to give you a B12 shot.  Whipped out a syringe with a inch long needle and told me to drop my drawers.  I looked at her and thought...Are you crazy?  I am a 31 year old woman (note the paragraph above), who does not like shots at all and only allows herself to be given shots for legitimate medical reasons and only by reasonably trained medical personnel.  Neither of those reasons are present here in my kitchen.  

So the negotiating began....it started with reasonable requests, like "You have been tired.  Busy with 3 kids and a husband who is always gone, it will make you feel better"....and on and on and on.  I kept restating the obvious reasons...see paragraph above in case you forgot my reasons.  There was some excited screaming...on my side, when she was getting a little close with that needle.  My kids were kinda excited at the thought of mom getting a shot, instead of them.   Finally and this always works...She says to me "Aimee Elizabeth turn around, pull your pants down and let me give you this shot...I mean it."

  Dang it!!!  That always works.  The use of my first given name and my middle name.  It is like a poison, that a mom uses to get her 31 year old daughter to do what she wants.  Even take a shot for no legitimate medical reason and no reasonably trained medical personnel in sight.  

She said that shot wouldn't hurt, but you know what...it did.  I know...I know, I have the pain tolerance of a newborn kitten.  

MEOW! 

Then on her way out...she told me to go to bed!  So right now, I am in bed with my lap top posting on my blog and checking out my face book, instead of going to bed...only because she didn't tell me to do that using my first and middle name.  Wow!!  Blessed freedom!   

 

A Conversation with Taylor

Taylor: Mom am I getting any more clothes for school?

Me: Yes, when the weather cools down.

Taylor: Is that around Halloween?

Me: Probably

Taylor: Instead of candy for Halloween...I want cute clothes!

Seriously, she is a girl after my own heart!  I love that she likes cute clothes.  It makes shopping for my only daughter so fun...Gymboree and GapKids..here I come!

Good-bye Summer - Hello First Day of School!

I can't believe that the summer has flown by so fast. The kids went to their first day of school on Monday. There is something seriously wrong in my opinion, to have to go back to school in August!! The kids handled it well and seemed to enjoy seeing all their old friends and to make new friends. Zach who is now in the 1st grade was so excited to have 2 recesses, I guess he didn't calculate that the extra recess will add 3 hours of school into his day. So now that the two older kids are in school all day and it is just me and Parker at home, I am going to live a life of leisure...you know watching soap operas, reading romance novels, eating bon bons, and laying out by the pool for the rest of August...I will let you all know how that goes!

Olivia

So last week, we had our niece, Olivia for the week, while her parents were on vacation. She is 2 1/2 years old, with a whole lot of spunk! She fit right into our schedule and was a delight to have all week. I kept telling Ryan, that I would have another baby right away, if I could guarantee that she was as sweet as Olivia. She is tough cookie though, she doesn't put up with anybody's nonsense - a little boy at the park discovered that! Here are some pics for our week with her.

Taylor and Kiara

Taylor and Kiara are like two peas in a pod. During the month of July, when Kiara was visiting from Malaysia. The two of them spent every minute possible together. Taylor would call my Mom's house every morning to see what Kiara would be wearing so that she could either match or coordinate with her. It totally cracked me up! Tanya and I both have a very serious addiction to Gymboree and often end up with the same clothes for our girls. Ask our husbands and our bank accounts...it is not pretty!

The two of them could play barbies or school or house for hours on end. It reminded me of when I was young and played pretend with my two younger sisters. They were my best friends when I was growing up. We had our differences, but when push came to shove, they were always there for me and have been my greatest supporters. They have shared my broken heart and lost dreams and continued to cheer me on. Taylor does not have a sister of her own, but she does get to experience a little slice of heaven, when Kiara is in town. When Kiara left to return to Malaysia, they both were hugging and crying and making promises that they would see each other soon. I will never forget the anguish on both of their faces. It is much like that when I part from my sisters for a very long time.

Bear Lake Camping Trip

We went camping with the Lifferth Family this past weekend.  We had a great time!  It was interesting for me with a one year old, who every second I looked away tried bolting out of camp and down the road.  I was so close to tying a rope around his waist and using one of the tent stakes to stake him to the ground!  I spent most of the time in camp following him around, trying to stop him from drinking out of other's cups and eating discarded food off the ground.  My high point was when he decided on the beach that the little sand shovel was a spoon and started shoveling sand into his month, like it was fruit loops cereal.  It was the last day and at that point I thought he would just stop after the first taste of sand, but apparently it tasted good to him and he kept going until I finally thought he might get sick and took the shovel away from him.  Taylor did a great job as the oldest cousin of helping and playing with her little cousins.  She also was the first to get up on the air chair with her Uncle Mitch, (Mitch really did all the work! - He was such a champ)  I didn't take enough pics, but here is what I have!

Baby Blessing for Sweet Kaile Tolman

On Sunday, July 13th we attended a baby blessing for my sweet niece, Kaile.  It was a beautiful blessing performed by her father, Tai.  It was a fun family gathering with great food and great people.  Here are some pictures:

Summer In Full Swing!!

It finally feels like summer in Utah! The kids and I have been enjoying all kinds of summer treats! Sleeping late (you know 7:30 or so), loading on sunblock and heading to the pool, and staying up late! Here are some pics of the kids at the pool. Our cute little cousin Malina joined us! Tex was so tired that he fell fast asleep on the beach chair.