5!

5 years ago today, our lives changed forever. Thank-you for the BEST five years of our lives!

Love, Mom and Dad

Locomotive Diversity

While I was chatting on the phone with my friend, who's name has been withheld to protect her dignity, who was tooling around the Target on a "Jazzy"...

Who should come ROARING up in my driveway on their brand new PURPLE HARLEY?...

Who says my friends are homogenous?!!!

3 Pronged Attack

When Superkid was a baby I fed him with one spoon, and it seemed to work well enough. Abizella required 2 spoons, one for her busy little hands and one for me to shovel it in. Tadpole requires 3 spoons (the "3 Pronged Attack"). 1 for each of his busy little hands and one for me to shovel. The truth is, it takes upwards of 10 spoons so he has plenty to drop and say, "Oh! Oh!".

And as long as we are talking about Tadpole talking... here are a list of some of my favorite things he says...

"Choo Choo!" whenever he hears the train (12 times a day) or when Thomas the Train is on T.V.

Shoes "Shuz"! Whenever he is ready to go outside, pronounced "Ousside"

and "Yeezus" for the picture of Jesus by his bed that he likes to curl up with at night...

Of course, curling up with un-snuggly objects in not unusual at our house...

Welcome Welcome Conference Morning

All of the great traditions involve food...

And snuggling...

Family and Friends

One of the best parts of going back to Utah is getting to be with my family and friends that I don't normally get to see. Because there were so many events going on, I really got to take in a lot. I wish I were better at snapping pics. Before I flew out there I saw some pics on Brian and Melissa's web site of some of my cousin's kids that I haven't seen in 10 years. Honestly, I would not be able to pick them out on the street. It breaks my heart not to know them better. But I did LOVE getting to see my Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and their kids (and how much they look alike!) while I was there.

Here is my favorite Uncle David meeting Little Tadpole. Everyone should have a cool Uncle Dave!

And his wife, my mom's sister, Aunt Carolyn

Aunt Val and Cousin Angie (Adah, you remember her from the swinging singles ward).

Uncle Dan and Aunt Louise (My Mom's sister)

My Mom, Cousin Lisa and her Daughter Sophie

Aunt Nelda and Aunt Zella (ever wonder where Abizella comes from?)

Cousin Suzy, her daughter Sierra and little K-Man (Nersey's son)

Cousin Julie, Aunt Zella Jean (like I said, ever wonder where Abizella comes from?) and Julie's daughters Mylie, and 2 more I forgot their names, doh! (rescue me Mindurs!) ...and another not shown.

I LOVED seeing old friends too! 

Here is Sarah and her new baby twins Oakley and Ashley!!!!

...and Jupawsly's daughter P.J. (How did I not get a picture of Jupaws, and Mel?)

...and my high school and Rusky friend Wendy. When we were in Russia the longest we were EVER separated was 8 hours, and it was a total accident. It is hard to believe I have only seen her twice in 7 years!

Crossing enemy territory.... (Warning: The following contains graphic displays of BYU loyalty. In the interest protecting those of you with delicate U of U sensibilities, I recommend closing this website now).

Mr. BYU  Prof. himself and his lovely wife Melonius and Superkid and Abizella's long lost friends Cuddles and EZ. (At least they had the decency of leaving their "true colors" behind the Zion Curtain)

And Jeff, Delise and Co. on their way behind the Zion Curtain for a game. Thanks for making us a part of the day's festivities.

And a BIG Treat! The George's were visiting in Utah too! The way Superkid hugged Sandy in the parking lot of Thanksgiving Point you would have thought he found his long lost mother. 

And it was PJ's 1st birthday!!! Thanks for celebrating with us!

Wanted: A New Running Buddy

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my last running buddy... but the truth is she is just A LOT faster than me. I finally untethered her and she is flying along at amazing paces. After a summer of convalescing from excruciating double plantar fasciitis (marathon), an undiagnosed broken toe (fall with Tadpole) and a sprained ankle (fall with Abizella), I am back running. At first I thought I would make my new "nike + ipod - nike" my new running buddy. Especially after my first run with it. It clocked me at maintaining a 10 minute mile pace for 6.5 miles (Wahoo!). I was thrilled... but eventually brought my head back to reality and remembered that was my old favorite 5 mile route and at my running prime I was holding 10 minute mile pace. Turns out the old "nike + ipod - nike" is about 20% off, jams my ipod and I really hate music blaring in my head while I run.  So I am dumping that buddy and hoping Santa brings me a Garmin 305. But just in case I have been too naughty for that magnitude of a gift, I have been scoping out possible running buddies. So far everybody that I know that runs is faster than me. But this hasn't prevented me from checking out a few possibilities at the gym. I am just wondering what kind of approach one would use when prospecting a new (almost stranger) potential running buddy. "Hi, I run REALLY slow and you look like you might too, do you want to run together?"

I would just run by myself, except I just won't. It is 90% of the reason I like running, I like the socializing and the free therapy sessions. I count my running buddies as my best friends. They have all seen the good the bad and the ugly (and I am not just talking about the "pit" stops). They all know I am long winded and self absorbed, and I already mentioned really slow, but they stick with me anyway. When I was recently married I met my friend Sarah at the old high school track a couple of times a week to chat and run. We even did a few 5K's together. Jupawsly and I ran together up until I moved back East. She was such a great partner that she consented to run the St. George marathon with me even though we couldn't physically train together, but I honestly couldn't have done it without her. ...or for that matter Sandy, who trained with me even though she WASN'T running a marathon (at least not that year). My sister Mindurs was a great running partner too, although I spent a lot of time choking on her dust. And then there was my last running partner that not only pulled me through the training of my first marathon, but also the Boston marathon. 

I guess my want add goes something like this:

Wanted: Running partner/emotional therapist. Must have high tolerance for long stories and long runs. Can run 10 mph, but will more likely run 11 mph. Must turn a blind eye to frequent road side potty stops and a deaf ear to frequent whining. Preference given to generous massage therapists.

Who wouldn't want to run with this?!

Let me know if you are interested!

"Who Wants to Live in Utah?!" "I DO!"

We have this little game we play as a family. Someone shouts out a question and then the rest of us shout, "I DO!" as fast as we can. The cutest thing ever is that about a month before Tadpole's birthday he joined in the fun (making him the most intelligent baby EVER!). He doesn't pose the questions, but he does get the cutest, "I DO!" out of any of us. The day we got back from vacation Superkid started the fun by shouting, "Who wants to live in Utah?" and then beating everyone to the punch he yelled, "I DO!" Who could blame the kid? Who wouldn't want to live where ALL of your grandparents are constantly showering you with love and affection (and toys, candy and entertainment)? And where there is always lots of fun cousins to play with. It was heart breaking to drag the kids away. It really is a crime not to see the family more often. We are just grateful for the time we had to be with everyone. The kids are constantly talking about their cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents.

And now the "Mass of Ketchup" (...yes I am plagiarizing from Melonius)...

Fun with Grandpa Bob and Grandma Sandi at Boo's Cabin

This hammock was a definite favorite place to play sardines

Tadpole and Izzy snuggle time

Correct me if I am wrong Grandpa, but didn't Superkid put you in your place by telling you he was pretty much an expert at fishing?

We LOVE Grandma story time!

and Watermelon time too!

We had a great time visiting with Pop's Grandparents, we wish we only had more time... and next time we are bringing a bigger bag to haul away those tasty  Utah peaches!

We had so much fun at Boo's cabin that we begged Glama and Bampa to take us up to their cabin too! 

Nerz and the K-Man

And we infused our Eastern kids with some Western adventure

And the best part of good filthy fun is getting sparkly clean with your stinky bum cousins.

And then snuggle

Cindurs and Davis

Davis and Tadpole

Abz and Nicholas jammin

Nicholas, Coach and Ashy collapsed in exhaustion

Abz Superkid and Cousin Davis and I at the park

And don't even get me started on the family pictures! I will say that we beat the odds and we ALL managed to be there (one VERY serious car accident and violent illness later). A major feat for 29 people....hopefully there will be more pictures soon!

And you can't go to Utah and Not go to Hogle Zoo! 

Abz and Aunt Jenny

Uncle Brian and Izzy

The train is a BIG fav!

Especially for little Tadpole who calls it a "Choo!"

I am not sure if we had more fun looking at animals are being animals...

And then we collapsed at the park...

Except those slide enthusiasts

...and swing enthusisasts among us!