Color Run

Here's a photo journey of our trip to Arizona! 

We couldn't start the trip off without a stop at a gas station -- Thank you Melanie, for staying off the animal!

This stop was really cool.  This monument celebrates the Quilt Walk by some settlers of Panguitch.  the men walked on the quilts their wives made to keep from sinking into the mud as they went for much needed food. 

Here we are at the beginning of the Color Run!  We are wearing nice clean white shirts - which we know will get DIRTY!

Less than a mile in and we see the first color throw!  So do the 6000 other 'runners' . . . ...Can you believe how many people there are here?  There's still more behind us waiting to get to the yellow color.

This is a great photo because you can see the lake we run around.  In the distance you can see the green and purple color that's being thrown at people.

Melanie celebrating her finish!

Jaime celebrating!

Me, with a super duper close-up!

Mom, came with us but didn't run.  She did join in the color party at the finish line (they did a HUGE throw every 15 minutes at the finish).  Ha!  It was so cool to see my mom in color and having a good time!

After the race we found plenty to do!  We went outlet mall shopping and then to Bahama Bucks for some Hawaiian ice.  It really was FABULOUS!

Sunday morning we headed home.  But that got all messed up as we kept detouring to see EVERYTHING!  Here we are at the Mesa Temple.

And here we are, stopping at every piece of art on Mesa's main street!  So fun!

To show how crazy we are, we took a huge loop to Lake Havasu so we could have an antipasta salad at Mudshark's!  DELICIOUS!  (Only we would drive 2 extra hours to eat a salad!)

Can't miss the London Bridge if you are in Havasu!  Here's Jaime hanging with the brilliant men who decided to buy the bridge and move it to the middle of the desert.

Popeye's!  Need I say more?  Guess I could say it three times - as that's the number of times we ate here in three days.  Sad . . .really sad.  But so TASTY!

Man, do we know how to pack in the fun in three days, or what??!

Let me be BRIEF

Went on a shopping trip with Josh yesterday.

He needed a new suit for his upcoming region meet.

(That means that his other suits have sat in the bottom of his swim bag and gotten all NASTY!)

Anyway, Josh opted for a BRIEF suit,

Instead of a normal jammer . . . . .

Ummm,  Hello?  That's way more of my MAN child than I was prepared to see.

Holy cow!  Where did my baby boy go?

(I'll try to capture a photo of this 3/4 naked swimmer and post it later)

Meanwhile, good luck Josh!  Swim hard in the 200 and 500 yard races.

Woods

How long's it been since you went to a Woods Class?

You know, the class in Jr High where you make candy machines, keychains, pen sets, etc?

Wednesday I'd have told you had been 25 years.

But today, I can tell you it's been 1 day!

It was fun (for me).

Ethan didn't seem to enjoy his mommy going to class with him though. . . . .

But what's a mom to do when her son is getting an "F" in the class and there's two days left in the term?

This mom does what she says she'll do when there's more than one missing assignment --

And I show up in class to "help".

Ethan was mortified!

But he's getting an "A-" as of this morning!

Guess it works to have mommy keeping you on track in class.


(Someone needs to get my kid therapy)

Craftiness meets Running-ness

With Melanie's help I created this little gem that I LOVE!

It's so fun to flip through my race bibs and see what I've been able to do over the past two years.

Escape

Watching the news tonight I am forced to recall a book I read earlier this year.  It's called Escape.

It's the story of Carolyn Jessop and how she escaped from the polygamist organization in Hilldale, UT.

I really would suggest that you read this, it makes the news reports even more meaningful and scary!

Carolyn does a great job in the book of pointing out what it was really like, but still shielding you from some of the more 'private' moments that she had.  

Really makes me want to go on a crusade to awake and enlighten the people there -- I know that sounds like I know what the right thing is.  But I guess that's exactly what I am saying.  I think there is value in human life, in the life of women and children. I believe that there is not suppose to be oppression in religion's name.

How do you convince a fanatic that they are a fanatic?  I still want to try though -  

The news tonight really, really bugs me.

GoodRead

I can not stop thinking about the series of books I just finished.  I find stupid ways to think about my daily life in reference to the books.  

I contemplated their meanings and thoughts all through stake conference today.

I even devoted my whole evening to finishing the books while at Jeff's company Christmas party. It's really hard to focus on blackjack when desperately wanting to pull out my book and read.

Oh, Mistborn,  I love you.  Brandon Sanderson, you're a genius!!

P.S.  Thank you to the Sumsion's and Dillon's who suggested this book to me!

Family Photo

My Mother-in-law wants family photos from each of her 6 kids, as her Christmas gift this year.

So, I've snapped photos for two of Jeff's siblings.

My own family's photos . . . still undone.

** a bit unhappy that I struggle to get people all in focus, clearly and sharply.  Any suggestions? **

Fall Run

I think this may have been the last time I see South Fork Canyon without snow until spring.

Sad . .. 

There's hard, and then there's harder

I'm a regular complainer lately.

Somewhere along the way we've turned a corner,

and parenting the boys has become very hard for me.

I feel like I have less control,  that they listen less, that I am less of a parent.

I'm struggling!


But, as is the case, when I whine -

I get it pointed out that my life ain't so bad.

I've heard heart wrenching parenting stories at work,

from parents and grandparents.

I call to make appointments to help kids,

And get sobbing parents and grandparents who are at their breaking points.


Yes, suddenly my hard life doesn't look so bad.


There's Hard, but then there's Harder.

And then I feel grateful and try to re-group.

While I pray for total strangers.

What do you get?

What do you get when the Science teacher hands out these:

To this person:

A BLACK EYE!!:

Thanks, science teacher, for handing these poppers out to boys who want to see what happens when they stick them to their bodies!  Dur!