Birthday Boy!

 This year J turned the big 3-8! We celebrated with chocolate cake and English toffee ice cream. The day before his birthday, J bought a propane torch kit with which to annihilate the weeds in our yard. Best. Birthday. Present. Ever. Here he is unwrapping the second and third best birthday presents ever:

 The kids wrapped it.

 Can you tell?

 Strawberries and blackberries from our garden and hard candy.

 Because every boy needs a lunch box.

The day before J's birthday was a whirlwind day. I was in and out all day -- taking kids to piano class, running errands, picking kids up again, taking boys to buy jammers (the tight swim bottoms for boys, which at first embarrassed them and then became awesome because Olympic swimmers wear them), going to lunch with an awesome friend, driving up to IKEA for a few things, going to dinner and a concert with a couple more awesome friends -- and didn't get to spend much time with J. The day of his birthday was the Brigham City Temple dedication, which made it so we were home by 11:30AM. The rest of the day was spent relaxing with our favorite furry white guy. I love him so much. Yes I do!

A Big First...

 This Big First made me cry. Up until now all of our kids have worn clip-on or zip-up ties with their dress shirts (when they wear a tie at all.) S asked for a green tie to go with his green shirt, so I bought him a regular tie. Here is J, teaching him to tie his first tie:

 This is my favorite picture:

 My handsome boys. I promise they were all happy -- not just H.

Surviving Summer

We are now three weeks into Summer Break and doing fine! Here's how the past few weeks have gone:

Sunday 6/10: Used the solar oven to cook beef stew for Sunday dinner. Oh yum. I love the solar oven! This date 18 years ago I met the man who was to become my husband. His first impression of me was that I looked like a praying mantis. My first impression of his physical appearance was that he was the funniest looking guy I'd ever met -- tall, almost unnaturally skinny and wiry, blond as they come, big round eyes behind big round glasses, round nose, round nostrils, wide curving smile. What impressed me the most (and still does to this day) was the strength and gentleness of his spirit. I felt his big heart and compassionate nature even then and it's what I fell in love with a few years later. It's what I love the most about him today. From that porch in Somerville, NJ 18 years ago to 13 years of marriage and 3 kids, it's been a wonderful adventure.

Monday 6/11: 5 mile run in the morning. The monkeys began tennis lessons, S&O on top of their thrice-weekly swimming. When we came home from our wild and crazy morning, S&O formed a band. This is the picture they had me take for the cover of their first album:

And nothing says summer like popsicles on a porch swing. This was the spontaneous picture:

This one was after I said, "Smile!" Is S approaching adolescence? Yes, I think so.

Chef H chose apples, crackers, and cheese for lunch and pancakes for dinner. We went to "Shakespeare for Kids" at the library ("Romeo and Juliet") and then to the Scera Shell to see "The Wizard of Oz." One of my friends was the Munchkin coroner, and one of S's friends was in the ensemble, so that, coupled with bug repellent and treats, made it a fun evening!

Tuesday 6/12: On account of our late night, we all slept in -- even my little alarm clock H! We weeded the garden. Chef H chose quesadillas for lunch and baked potatoes (in the solar oven) for dinner. O's best friend came to play, and a neighbor girl came to play with H. Tons o' fun.

Wednesday 6/13: 3 mile run in the morning, followed by the busyness of swimming and tennis, followed by a slow afternoon. J worked from home. After dinner I ran errands, going to the grocery store and Costco by myself, which was a real treat! It's the simple things that make life great, right?

Thursday 6/14: Made granola bars, cleaned out the van, prepared food, packed my backpack. Did the laundry, took kids to piano, collected reading rewards from the library. Chorale at night, at which I was completely distracted because...

Friday 6/15 - Saturday 6/16: I ran the Wasatch Back! Separate post pending...

Saturday 6/16: I arrived home from that crazy relay at 7, pulling in front of my house to see J working on a project, the driveway and garage a mess, the house even worse, and the kids not even close to being ready for bed. But they had fun with J, so that's all that counts...

Sunday 6/17: ...except that due to lack of sleep on my part, I was super crabby about getting to clean up after party weekend at my house and in my van. I did get up and make yummy cornbread muffins for breakfast, started the potato salad, and put ribs in the solar oven for dinner. During church I visited with one of my favorite people in the whole world, and I snuck a nap in after church. That helped. Must note that when I don't get enough sleep, the filter that catches inappropriate things from slipping out of my mouth just goes away. It sure made church interesting.

Monday 6/18: Swimming, tennis, S to a writer's workshop at the library, car wash, lunch, conducting lesson, Quiet Time, Shakespeare for Kids, dinner, bed! Somehow we packed it all into Monday! Plus a brief visit with a friend who was in town only for a few days, a quick facebook chat with another great friend that I hadn't heard from in a while, and J home early from work. H chose left-over meatloaf muffins for lunch and angel hair pasta for dinner.

Tuesday 6/19: 4 mile run in the morning. S mowed the lawn and attended the writer's workshop. I took apart the Dyson vacuum that stopped sucking a week after I bought it, extracted the carpet fuzz stuck in its innards, and rejoiced when it started sucking once again!

Wednesday 6/20: Tried like the dickens to get O (aka "Little J") up and at 'em in the morning:

 
It's amazing how much like J O is. (H is on the chair, awake at 6:30AM like his mom, obsessed with technology like his dad.) Most mornings when everyone is dressed, O is still in bed, with the covers over his head. Took the kids to Costco and the grocery store, after which I left them all at home under S's watchful (?) eye to drop by a few friends' houses and restore my sanity. After Quiet Time, S's best friend came over with her bike, so we went to the church parking lot to ride bikes, picking up a few kids along the way. Homemade bean burritos for dinner.

Thursday 6/20: 6 mile run in the morning. Chores done before piano. H's best friend over to play in the morning. H to another friend's house in the afternoon. I tried a new whole wheat bread recipe that's a winner! Chorale at night. Much-needed walk with J once I got home from Chorale. I need music and I love music, but along with music comes wacky-E. Trying to find balance there...

Friday 6/21: This morning I went to watch the boys' swim practice. That scrawny little S has some skinny arms, but when he starts gliding through the water -- holy back muscles, Batman! It's so fun to watch those kids take off like fish! I fussed with the sprinkler system at a rental and came home to find J home from work early! After lunch I lined the kids up on the carpet and with a stern look on my face told them they were in so much trouble. I said, "You kids are the best kids on the planet, so as punishment, we are taking you out for ice cream!" 5 cups of ice cream, 5 coupons, and $0 later:

We are surviving summer really well this year. We even skipped the horrible 1-2 week adjustment period that we've had to go through in the past. We've worked hard, had a lot of fun, spent a minimal amount of money, and played with friends. Quiet Time each day has saved us. We skipped it one day and will never skip it again. It gives us all just enough space that we are happy to be with each other again once it's over. I'm optimistic that we can keep this up for the next few months. Wish us luck!

The Young Professionals

I am married to what I call a "young professional." He is in his 30's, working in the technology industry at a "9-to-5" job (Oh yes, there's a reason I put that in quotes!) in the prime of his life. He balances work, leisure, self-improvement, and family and he looks dang good doing it. I have been thinking about this a lot lately, but it really hit home last night while at the funeral services of J's friend and co-worker. This man too was a young professional. He was 39 years old, a salesman at J's company, in the prime of his life. He worked hard, played hard, lived life to the fullest, loved his wife, 9 year old daughter and 3 year old son with a passion, and was infinitely positive and happy. The funeral service included a time when anyone in attendance could share thoughts and memories of Terry. His parents and a few of his lifelong friends spoke. He made such an impact on peoples' lives. I couldn't help but wish that at least one of his co-workers would get up and pay tribute to him. There were so many in attendance at the services that knew Terry from work. J considered it but, in the end, decided it was a night just for family and close friends. It really was, but it did get me thinking about the "young professional" as a breed. These men -- my man included -- spend most of their waking hours at work. Their lives, their friendships, their energy, their thoughts revolve around work (well, and if they're male -- sex.) As much as I'd like to think that the kids and I are J's top priority and center of his world, I realize that we are not. We hear quotes like: "You are what you repeatedly do." Well, J works, works, and works some more. And when he's not working, he's working out with people with whom he works. Or he's thinking about work. Or he's thinking about and texting the co-workers with whom he works out about the work-out. Or he's sore from the work-out.

It helped me to realize this. I've had a hard time lately with how much J has been at work. I've teased him at night, asking him if I should get into bed with him and whoever he is texting from work. I've tried to pull his focus back to me and the kids. I've tried and tried, and I've been frustrated and discouraged by my failed efforts. But he is a "young professional." He is work. His friendships are all at work. And somehow, it will all work out.

Happy Birthday, J!

So...I thought it would be pretty funny to put 37 candles on the cake I made for J's 37th birthday. The cake was a 4"x8" rectangle with a cupcake in the middle. (It was a camera, but it wasn't impressive, so no pictures.) The candles were placed about 1/4" apart from each other, a motley assortment. The cake was fairly bristling with candles, a few of them randomly sparking as they were the relighting kind.

I was right. It was funny. The heat from the candles melted some of the frosting off the cake. The blown-out candles made so much smoke I thought the smoke detector was going to go off. It was fantastic!

Happy Birthday, J!

"Between the Folds"

In choosing our netflix movie to watch tonight, I suggested the above title. J had watched part of it on a business trip a little while ago. His input? "There are some super-nerdy people in this movie," followed immediately by, "You'll really like it!" What's that supposed to mean, J? But you know what? I really did. I highly recommend this PBS documentary on Origami. Wow. So very cool. And yes, super-nerdy. Which I am. And totally okay with.

Wasatch Front...and Back

Our last few days in California, J took charge of the boys so I could run the So Cal Ragnar. These pictures are all courtesy of my sister-in-law, whose first Ragnar (and not the last) this was.

We started at 6:45 AM on Friday morning in Huntington Beach:


Here's Alisa finishing up her first leg,


the merman we saw along the way,


me finishing up my first leg (too bad I didn't have a camera on me during the run; you could've seen pictures of the homeless people sleeping under the bridges I ran past),


waiting to begin our second legs (a sassy bunch of women, if I do say so myself),


a beautiful sight we saw along the way (and we did thank him for running with his shirt off),


another beautiful thing we saw,


and our tats, taken at the finish line on Coronado Island.


It was beautiful, hard, hot, sleepless, exhausting, and fun fun fun! Our van was so much fun, and our team's van 2 was awesome (thanks to Valerie for filling in 3 days before the race!)! Thanks especially to my sweetie who crammed all three boys in the back of a mid-size sedan and played single dad for a day and a half so I could go exhaust myself on the race course and be completely useless for a few days following!
Can't wait for Wasatch Back!

Belated...

I am privileged to be married to the sweetest and sexiest man on the planet. (To be fair I made him pose like this.) He was out of town for his birthday, working late and being tired and miserable. I save all the sappy embarrassing stuff for his ears only (you're welcome, readers of the blog) but just wanted to alert you to the fact that he is now 36 years old! Somehow 36 is so much closer to 40 than 35 was. Now he's not in his "early- to mid-thirties." No, now he is in his "mid- to late-thirties." Happy Belated Birthday, JP!

More Barefoot

So, I ran the Freedom 5K in my Vibrams and felt awesome. The walking to the parade, standing around to watch the parade, and walking back to the van from the parade didn't feel so awesome.

I've run 4 and 5 mile runs in the Vibrams and felt pretty good. The thing is, I wake up in the morning and my ankle is stiff and my navicular is occasionally tender. Once I get running it starts to feel better. After the run, things feel pretty good. Then I shower and put on my shoes with my orthotics to pretend to listen to my podiatrist and not overdo the barefoot thing. By the end of the day my ankle is sore and my navicular is tender again. Is it the barefoot running or the orthotics? When I wear my Keens, the same thing happens. I'm really just about done with the soreness and tenderness. I think it's about time I feel completely wonderful. Just tell that to my foot...

So any conclusions? Well...
...I'm glad I had the surgery. It's really been very beneficial, for the most part.
...I think the barefoot running is helping. I can feel my left foot getting stronger.
...I'm still waiting for all the discomfort to go away and the desire to run a marathon descend upon me. (Don't hold your breath for those though!)

And, on a completely unrelated subject, I miss my hubby. He is in Washington, getting ready to climb Mt. Rainier and will come home to me in 11 days. I am counting down...

Mountain Man

For Father's Day the kids and I made J a coupon wallet full of coupons like: "Good for 3 glasses of water when Daddy's working in the yard" and "Good for 3 back massages (the kicking kind*)" and "Good for helping Daddy weed as much as he wants"

For Father's Day I got J a box of See's Dark Chocolate Molasses Chips and 2 whole days with just his boys while I ran the Wasatch Back. While I was running the Wasatch Back a skirt came in the mail for me. J texted me once while telling me that "It is like Lord of the Flies" when I asked him how things were going at home. Tonight for dinner we are going to have peanut butter sandwiches. This Father's Day seems a little backwards, but J seems ok with that, so I am too.

Once again blogger is not letting me post pictures of my mountain man, network engineer, amazing father, sweetie, so I'll find a good one later.

Found one:


* This involves J lying face down while the boys lay on their backs and pummel his back with kicks. I'll post a picture of that too.

Here you go. It's all blurry because, well, they're kicking. The pictures I took after this one are funny because someone is crying because he got kicked too. Life with boys...

Innovation

What do you do when you can't find socks? That's right. You use aluminum foil.



J fashioned himself a set of aluminum foil gaiters in which to weed whack our yard. My dad, who cuts off tube socks to make arm warmers, would be proud.

We're Gonna Be Rich

J and I have just figured out The Next Big Thing. Forget P90X. Forget the Bowflex. Forget exercise balls, the Thighmaster, that thing that electrocutes your muscles into firmness while you lay on the couch watching tv. We have the perfect idea for total abdominal fitness. You'll see it soon on late-night infomercials.

Here it is: One simple inhaler. Just a puff or two every day that injects germs or an irritant of your choice into your lungs. Then just cough your way to rock-solid abs! You'll see results in just one week. That's right -- just one week! A flabby belly preventing you from fitting into that one sleek dress? Jeans a little too tight? A weekend of beach-volleyball coming up that you're not quite ready for? Just a puff or two a day and you'll have a 6-pack that is the envy of all who look at you!

After 10 days of coughing non-stop, J's abs are almost to their former glory. That core, 10 years ago, was a sight to behold. It went into hibernation under some squishy layers, but -- boy is it back! Who needs exercise when you can just get sick and cough your way back into that perfect body?!

The Last Week of December

J had the last week of December off. During that week he helped O put together the model helicopter from Santa.

























He and S worked on the model airplane that S got from Santa.




























And H put his head on backwards:

Family Pictures, Part Daddy

J with the boys...

Just H



J & O


J & S





All my boys

Alone Again

J left this afternoon for Idaho where he'll be until Friday night. It broke my heart to have H writhing in my arms, screaming for Daddy while J drove away. He has been gone A LOT. When he left I thought I was going to go crazy. The Monkeys all decided to switch their volumes to VERY LOUD and fight through dinner. Aaahhhh!!!

But then, dinner was over. H went to bed. S, O, and I had a brief Family Home Evening. O went to bed. S went to bed. Quiet reigns, sanity is restored. O blessed bedtime!

In the immortal words of Dr. Seuss:

Today is gone. Today was fun.
Tomorrow is another one.

I'm thankful for "another one" with my little monkeys. My heart is full of love for these boys. And their dad? Well, before I can really miss him, he'll be home again too.

A Delightful Decade

Ten years ago today I married this man:



He's been out of town this week and I miss him considerably, so I will not launch into a list of the wonderfulness of the past 10 years (They've been incredible!) I will not tell you how amazing he has been as a husband and father (A-MAZING!) I most definitely will not even attempt to express my love for him (I think I'm addicted to him -- in a good way.) I don't want to make you, my dear readers, vomit. Instead I will just say that marrying him when I did (November 6, 1999) and where I did (Mt. Timpanogos Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) was the best decision of my life.

The Gun Show

So, my hot hunk of lovin', even J himself, has been working out and banishing "The Guest" (as his belly has been affectionately nicknamed), who has overstayed his welcome for about 7 years. Turns out The Guest has kept The 6-pack locked up in a magic trunk, but now that he is finding himself powerless to P90X, Mr. Tony Horton, and J, is taking leave of this place hopefully to never return.

It's pretty fun to watch J work out. (Even the kids like to watch him and giggle, so it's not just because it's eye candy for me.) By the end of the workout, the shirt has come off of J, so of course, the boys must be just like daddy.

Whenever O and H exercise now they have to take their shirts off. It's the Gun Show at my house every day!

(I have a picture of J, O, and H flexing with their shirts off, but I think the blog would be permanently shut down by J if I posted it.)

The Project, Part I

S has a World Geography project that is due October 23rd. When he brought the assignment home a few weeks ago I wanted to make sure that he knew it is HIS project. I'm trying to teach the kid some responsibility and accountability. No mommy staying up late the night before it's due, frantically trying to finish the project. He had an idea of what he wanted, and I've given him some suggestions, but he drew out the plan for it and collected a few pebbles from our yard for the finishing touches when it's time for that. I suggested to J that he could help him form the mountains out of plaster and then S could take over from there. I should've known better.




J making the wire forms for the paper mache


S providing tape for J, who is still making the wire forms for the paper mache


S working the paper mache (which is slimy and yucky and gross-feeling and yet oddly satisfying too)


S managing the paper mache, but --

J is putting it on the forms. Then, since the newspaper strips were getting a little too soggy, J (old man that he is) was getting a backache, and I was tired of hearing S freak out every time the strips broke from being too soggy and J complain of his old, aching back, I stepped in and handed the strips to S. J hovered, patching and adjusting until...

Looks good, doesn't it? J purposely put an arrete on the right that he'd like to spend some time on. When it dries, J wants to spray paint it, but I keep reminding him that, "It is Sam's project, and it has to look like a 3rd Grader did it, not the 3rd Grader's dad." We'll see if the 3rd Grader's dad can restrain himself.

Birthday Eve

Tomorrow my hubby turns 35. Why does 35 sound so much closer to 40 than 34 does? I've been teasing him relentlessly because it's fun and aging doesn't bother him. I think he's starting a mid-life crisis involving climbing really big mountains and buying crampons. Oh well, at least it's not a fast car or a leggy blond.

The cookies are made ("35" and assorted pirate shapes -- I was swayed by the cool treasure chest-shaped tin they came in at Michael's for 75% off), the gift has been purchased. I've dutifully instructed all who ask what he wants for his birthday to direct them to REI gift certificates. I've decided that, instead of recycling all the AARP mail that comes to me because of my name, I will save them and give them to J.

All is in readiness. Tomorrow I will wake up next to "a crotchety old man!"

Playing Catch Up

I am sitting on my couch, deliriously exhausted, but having to be awake to manage the irrigation water for the next 1 1/2 hours, so this post may not be very coherent. Just to warn you.

Since my penultimate post much has happened. According to my camera, we have walked the Provo River Parkway Trail to Bridal Veil Falls (along with everyone else in Utah County, it seemed that day), hiked to Stewart Falls on the back of Mt. Timpanogos, hiked the "Y", and meandered around Cascade Springs. Pictures are forthcoming, although if you are not my mom, you probably don't care too much.

O, H, and I have lunched on Provo Temple grounds, gone to the library, and generally enjoyed each other's company while S has been in school.

Here is a picture that I really like for some reason:

H's fat little cheeks, the big broccoli tree -- I don't know. It just makes me giggle.

J has been in and out of town, taken days off and worked overtime -- you know, the usual.

I just finished reading "Quicksand and Cactus" by Juanita Brooks. It's a memoir of her life in Bunkerville and Southern Utah during what historians call, "The Middle Years" of Utah history.
"The Middle Years" refers to the time after the great Mormon Migration happened, but before "The Outside" came into Utah. Very interesting read.

Sleepy lady off to check the water...