Our Two Show-off's

Anderson has a new trick! Kaitlyn taught him how to spin around in circles! I tried to capture it on video, but it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. I did however capture Christian doing who knows what, you tell me...?

Good Grief!

O.k., so my mom was an amazing track star in High School, and when we were all young, she would take us running with her. So I was always very comfortable running, but because of having so many babies, and the fact that we seem to have no time, I have to admit, I fell of the fitness wagon. Let me tell you, I so regret that! Well, my sis Tiff, and my Sis Tara, have been such wonderful examples. They both have not given in to the whims of the day, and have continued to maintain their fitness levels quite well. In fact, Tiffany is planning on running a marathon this spring, and Tara just finished a half a marathon. So I don't know if I'm being competitive, or just feeling like a looser, but I've decided if they can do it, than I should be able to do it as well. Well let me tell you, I do have one small disadvantage I'm dealing with, Plantar Fasciitis!


It's the weirdest thing! When I'm running, I don't feel a thing, but when I wake up, I'm hobbling around the house like I'm 90 years old! So here's my dilemma, should I push though it, since I don't have any pain while I'm running, or should I lay off my feet for a while(which I really don't want to do, since I'm having so much fun getting back in shape)? I decided I'd go biking this evening, instead of running. I get out there on the main road, and I realize I'm having a panic attack! I start telling myself, "those cars are going to HIT me!!!" You see, in some parts of the road, there is literally no shoulder. It's rush hour, and cars are whizzing by(I know, real smart, go biking during rush hour). So I decide, Aaron should come along with me, he'll know how to handle the situation, and if I do get hit, at least I'll have him nearby to call 911. So I beg him to come, and feeling a bit guilty, since he just got home from work, and that's probably the last thing he feels like doing-- but he did it, just for me. What a sweetie! Well I head out again, and even with him leading the way, fear strikes again. He's going on his merry way, while I carefully maneuver my bike, trying to keep it steady, as I stay on the white line. I call out to him,"I can't do it, I'm way too scared!" Does he hear me? Of Course not, he's now like 200 yards ahead of me! I'm forced to decide, should I turn around, or follow my hubby, who's way ahead. I go with the later option, and continue my journey. We biked up this huge hill with cars speeding by, my heart's racing, and I'm praying like crazy! Aaron stops 3/4's of the way up, and that's when we both looked at each other, panting like crazy-- both thinking the same thing, we are WAY out of shape! Well, we made it up the hill, and back home, ALIVE! I'm now a wee bit more comfortable. Maybe next time I'll actually enjoy the ride, but tomorrow I think I'll try my luck with running. By the way, if any of you have had plantar facsiitis before, any advice, is greatly appreciated!

Anderson LOVES Spagetti!!!

Boy, I made a big mistake feeding Anderson spagetti! Let me tell you--clean up was fun!

Our Camping Trip to the White Mountains

Well, now that life is starting to calm down, and get back to normal, I guess I should liven up my blog a bit. I was so bummed that we lost our entire summer due to the move, and the kids school starting in July-- but the camping trip to White Mountains made up for it. We all had a blast! It's much cooler than Tucson, and there were pine trees! I felt like I could stay there 4-ever! Morgan found his love for fishing, and begged us constantly to let him go. Aaron's not much of a fisherman, but he was such a good father, and took all the kids to the pier several times. I of course was thrilled because that meant "kid free" relaxation for me, something which is extremely rare these days. The kids and I didn't want to leave. I told Aaron he could visit us on weekends, and that we had found our new home, but for some reason, that didn't fly.

Here's some pics of our Campground. We stayed at Fool's Hollow State Park. There was a nice river next to our campground, but it was down a slope. Morgan and the kids loved going down there to fish, and they even found a nest of baby squirrels in the rocks. This was Anderson's 1st camping trip, and he was a real trooper. He seemed to enjoy it, and he even went down easily at night. Since we camped in Sho Low, and that's relatively close to snowflake, we went there and looked at some of the old homes the pioneers lived in. We also went to a Sweet Corn Festival in Taylor, and the kids had a ton of fun jumping on this Velcro thing. Here's a video of Sarah jumping away!


Christian going down a inflatable slide thingy!


I think our favorite stop was at the Petrified Forest. It was amazing, and beautiful! If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend stopping. I wish we would have had more time to explore all the park had to offer. Here's some great pics of the park, and the kiddos.

YIKES, We're Leaving WA on Sunday--This Sunday!!!

Usually I'd consider myself a spontaneous individual, however, this is even a bit much for me! I've laid in bed every night this week trying to sort through the details. We're use to moving...how many times have I packed our home since we've been married? Let's see... 15 times in 13 years!!! That's crazy!!!

Well this time, I don't have to pack a thing, and I think it's making me bonkers. I feel as though I should be working myself into a frenzy, but I don't have to--WEIRD! (Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining) ;)

I've wanted to move to a "sunnier" place for six years, and now that it's happening, I'm a mess. I found myself crying to Aaron this morning as he got out of the shower, and I couldn't even tell him why exactly. I guess it must be a combination of missing family+friends+parts of WA+stress= severe mood swings!

I am, however, trying to approach our new home with a positive attitude. Even though it will be nothing like my home in VA(which I miss more than I can express), there are some benefits to moving to Tucson.

1. I was born there.
2. My Mom can visit her hometown.
3. My kids and I will get to know my Mother's side of the family.
4. Aaron has a brother in Phoenix.
5. The LDS membership is large.
6. Close to my Sis in UT.
7. I can visit my kids easier when they leave for college/mission.
8. SUN!
9. Aaron gets a raise.
10. Lower cost of living.

Did I say SUN!?!

The kids "helped" Aaron put on a hitch, so we can haul a trailer behind our van. I've been doing laundry most of the day, but I took time out to say good-bye to Pioneer park(a favorite place of mine to chill, literally). There's a shallow river, that's safe for the kids to swim in. I'm sure going to miss it! :( They all had fun, Sarah said, "This was the best day ever"! It was nice to take a break, and relax with the kids. Well back to work I go....!


Morgan helped Aaron successfully install the hitch!




Half of our familia loca.

Aaron's 35th Birthday!

Aaron turned 35 yesterday, and doesn't mind. He just wishes he wasn't going bald. I think he looks more distinguished! It was a low-key celebration, with just cake and ice cream. The kids made him lots of origami birthday cards, and set the table with napkins that they wrote on. Mine had a big heart that said, "Mom, I Love You", and Aaron's of course said "Happy Birthday, Dad!"--I love how they express their love for us, in small and creative ways.

The Passing of Our Beloved Prophet

Well, my Mom called me last night, and told us the sad news, that our beloved prophet, President Hinckley died. We gathered all the kids around, and told them. We all mourned the loss of our Prophet. Madison and Kaitlyn said they were very sad, but for some reason they couldn't cry. We told them that he was probably very happy to be reunited with his wife, in heaven. Whenever I have felt fearful, or have worried about something, I've often thought of President Hinckley, and how cheerful and courageous he was. He always seemed so calm, and his faith never wavering. He was a wonderful leader, and exemplar. We will sure miss his sweet spirit.