Mud, Water, Snow, Hay, Tunnles, Walls, FUN!

Saturday was the Dirty Dash 10K. My family came up for this dirty event, and stayed with us. Needless to say, we had an awesome weekend.

The Dirty Dash was in Midway, UT. The place was packed! There were hundreds and hundreds of people everywhere. Very muddy people, I might add. The costumes were endless and the event was awesome.

Our team (team name "Easy Street") start time was 11:00.




Right from the start, you run up a very muddy hill. My two brothers, immediately got in front of our team, and then proceeded to kick and throw mud all over us as we ran up the hill. We couldn't let that slide by, so we started off the race with a big mud fight. I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe, and we were completely covered in mud.

It only got better from there. We threw each other into the huge mud puddles, and then helped each other scale the slippery mud walls, to get back out. We ran and slid on our bellies during random parts of the race. My brothers did front hand springs over the hay bales, and we kind of ran/laughed/and slid ourselves through the race.

Some of the obstacles were nuts! My favorite one was a bunch of walls we had to climb over. Some of them were too tall, so we had to squish ourselves under them, with our entire body in a mud puddle. During this, there was a snow machine blowing snow onto us. It was blowing really hard, and it felt like we were in an absolute blizzard with really strong winds. It was so crazy!

We went down a huge water slide, crawled through tunnels, with another snow machine blowing snow through the tunnels and blocking our vision, we waded through a swampy, smelly, muddy, nasty lake, we ran through tires, climbed a huge rope wall, did a rope swing, hurdled over several hay bales, and so much more.

We just laughed and laughed and laughed. And we got MUDDY! Most of the time, we had a hard time knowing who was who, because were were completely brown. We had some moments of mud clots in the ears, mud in the contacts, a tweaked knee, and some scrapes and bruises, but overall, we had so much fun.

The kids and my parents were able to meet up with us at the water slide and get some pictures. Mary and Sam didn't quite know what to think of it all. William bawled when he saw us. I am sure I would be worried too, if my dad was wearing a dress, my mom was wearing a shirt with Edwards face on the front, and they were covered head to toe in mud. ;)

We ended the event swimming through a huge mud puddle. It was our last mud fight.


After the Dirty Dash, Mary participated in the Piglet Plunge. I wasn't sure how she would handle it, but she laughed the whole time. She loved getting all muddy and going through the big water slide. Her race was one mile, and she did really well. She was a good sport!


The freezing showers at the end were a killer, and the drive home in cold, muddy clothes wasn't the best, but once we got home, showered (and only got about 2/3 of the mud off) we were all laughing about it once more.

It was my sister Kelsey's Birthday, so we went out to dinner and had a yummy Cold Stone Birthday Cake at our house afterwards.

The next morning was the Primary Program. We had colored the kids hair (and ours) for the dirty dash, and not all of it came out. Poor William was sporting black and pink polka dot hair at church. Ben had a nice black stripe going down the back of his head. I didn't have any more color in my hair, but I still had dirt in my ears and under my fingernails.

The Primary Program was adorable. Mary did great with her speaking part, and Sam participated from the audience in his own way. It was so nice to have my family there to watch them. They were also able to go to Sunday School where Ben was teaching. It was nice to have them there to support and to participate in the lesson.

Everyone left after church (and a yummy dinner) and we all crashed for a while before spending the evening at a friends house.

It was a wonderful, dirty weekend!

I love having my family here and I am so grateful that we live close enough now that we can have experiences like this and be together more often. I really missed things like this when we lived so far away.

The Dirty Dash is definitely something that needs to become a tradition. It was so much fun!

Timponagas Cave

Saturday was a very busy day for our little family. I got in a great 6 mile run with a good friend to start the day. I LOVE starting a day like that! Early morning runs are my favorite. They are the only thing I will happily wake up early for(aside from Christmas morning).

Then it was off to a soccer game for Sam. His team "Orange Thunder" did great. I was so proud of Sam for wearing the entire jersey, shorts, ect., and for staying out on the field. He is a very coordinated little athlete, and he is slowly coming out of his shell to show us what he can do. I am very proud of him.

Before the game, we took our Pathfinder to the shop for a little repair.

After the game, we picked up the Pathfinder, and I dropped Ben and the kids off at the gym. I then drove back to the car shop, got the other car, and then went back to get Ben and the kids at the gym.

As soon as we got home, something wasn't right with the Pathfinder, so I dropped Ben and the kids off at the car shop while I rushed home and packed for our hike to Timpanogas Cave.

I picked up Ben and the kids, we ran to the store for some munchies for the hike, and then finally made it to the canyon to begin the hike.

And yes, I literally had no time to shower, get changed, or eat breakfast up to this point. Rock on.

The hike up to Timpanogas cave is a mile and 1/2 long. Not so bad, except for the 1000+ elevation gain!!!! Pretty much, it is like stomping straight up the side of a mountain.


The hike up was steep, but so pretty! There were some tunnels to go under, and the cliffs and mountain sides were so majestic.

I was SO proud of our kids! Mary and Sam hiked the entire way up to the cave! Ben and I were very shocked and so proud of them. We stopped a lot to give them breaks, and to give them snacks, but they were troopers. Really. They did awesome!

We made it to the mouth of the cave, right on time...literally. We had an assigned tour time (the tours were sold out three days in advance), and we had to be there by that time. We reached the top within seconds of our tour starting. Go us!

The tour through the cave was so neat. Sam was wide-eyed the whole time, and he kept saying things like, "hey Mary, we are inside of a big mountain right now!" or "I can't wait to tell Landon (his best friend) all about this." He was so intrigued with the whole thing.

William was very squirmy through the whole tour, but there were parts where we could let him roam, and roam he did. When we were done with the tour, William's face was completely black. He must have taken a few bites of out the cave at some point. Our tour guide thought it was hilarious.

Mary freaked out at the beginning, because it was so dark, and they shut the door behind you. But, she got used to the idea, and soon she was just as interested as Sam. She like making pictures out of the different formations.

(um, yeah, the pictures are dark..but so was the cave)

Ben and I loved looking at all of the different formations and learning about how the cave was found, and all of that good stuff.

The hike back down wasn't as bad as the hike up, but it put a lot of pressure on our knees because it was so steep. I ended up carrying Sam down a lot of it, and Ben had William on his back. Mary stomped back down the whole thing by herself. Again, we were amazed.

We thought the kids would crash in the car on the trip home, but they were still bouncing around and hyper, as if they hadn't just hiked 3 miles and done a 45 minute tour through a cave.

We came home, ate pizza, watched a move, and zonked. It was a great day.

All in all, we would totally do it again. It was a great family outing for us, and the kids, as well as the adultes, loved the cave. We love finding these little things here in Utah that we can experience and make into memories.

Superman Does Triathlons Too!

My kids are absolutely positive that their daddy is Superman, or at least something so cool that he couldn't possibly be human.

Sam is convinced that Ben can pick up boulders the size of our house and throw them. He is also sure that Ben can jump high enough to land on the moon.

The kids are positive that Ben is the fastest runner in the world, and the he can snow ski "as fast as a race car!"

They are constantly asking me things like, "Hey mom, can dad hold his breath for 20 minutes?" or "Hey mom, I bet dad could lift up our whole house."

I always reply, "I am sure he can." I think it is great that my kids think their daddy is the best. I know I sure do.

So, on Saturday, as we watched Ben complete his first triathlon sprint, I knew that he had just moved up to a whole new level of coolness and superness with the kids. As well as with his wife.

Ben has been training hard and has gone "out of the box" with what his normal workout routine is, in order to do this. He improved very fast and quickly adapted to swimming and running (he is already very good at biking). I was impressed!

With abs like that, he has to be Superman.

He rocked it at the triathlon! It was weird for me to be a spectator during an event like this, and it was also kind of nice. It was really fun to watch Ben do something that he has been working towards, and to see him do it well. It was so cool to see so many people, do so many different events. It really is a very well-rounded race to do. It looked HARD! Almost as hard as that bicep. ;)



We all cheered Ben on while he was at the transition stations from swimming



to biking


to running


to the finish line.



He is now contemplating doing an Olympic triathlon. Go Ben go! We are proud of you. And we are happy to have our very own Superman living in our house.

Home Away From Home,...but feels like home????

While we were in Colorado Springs, we stayed with our rockin' awesome friends, the Fortin's. We stayed at the "Fortin Inn" where we received 5 star treatment. Seriously! We had amazing food, awesome company, good conversation, lots of laughter, and one night, they watched the kids for us, and then bathed them and had them ready for bed when we got back. Wow!
We even had a survey, left on the nightstand by our bed, that we were to fill out regarding our stay.

On the bottom of the survey, in small print, it says..."18% Gratuity will be added to all guest parties of 3 or more. 25% added for children 6 and under. 48% for Utah residents."
It was hilarious...uh, I mean, it was very professional and courteous of them. We hadn't planned on staying with anyone overnight, because we didn't want to burden anyone. After watching Mary, Sam and Tyler so happy together, it was impossible to separate them. Not to mention, Ben and I and Mike and Mel. We are very grateful that we were able to stay with them. The kids were grinning constantly. They played hard and begged and begged to stay longer. Ben and I felt the same. We love Mike and Mel so much. We went to the park for a few hours on Saturday, and got some good pictures. Mike put a video together that pretty much sums up what going to the park with our family is like. I am trying to get it to work on the blog, but until then, I will let you all guess what went on. While we were at the park, we met up with a few other friends as well. I didn't get any pictures with them. In fact, I didn't get many pictures of this trip. We were all too busy enjoying the moment and soaking it all in. I don't think pictures could really capture the feelings we felt anyway. It was awesome, to say the least.

Saturday evening, Ben and I met up with some of his good buddies from Cintas at a restaurant one of them started up. It was fun to hang out with them and their families. I know that Ben holds them in high regard, and really loved being with them again. The Philly Cheese stakes were phenomenal as well!

We went to our old ward on Sunday. It was so weird to be sitting there, and to feel so at home and comfortable. It felt like we had never left the ward. Everything just felt so right and we fit so naturally. We stayed behind after Sacrament meeting and relished in the goodness of so many good friends and people. The warm embraces of so many friends warmed my spirit and filled a deep hole inside of me. The hole that was created when we left. I didn't want to leave....ever. I had a good cry in the car after we pulled ourselves away from the church building. It was one cry of many this trip. I felt so torn between where I wanted to be and where we need to be. It was so hard. I am so grateful for Ben, who just held my hand and listened. His Faith helped me a lot on this trip.

Sunday evening, Mary was jumping on Tyler's bed, and she tripped. She smashed her face on the bed post with such impact, that the blood from her nose literally sprayed part of the wall. Mary does not cry from pain very often, so when I heard her screams, I knew something was wrong. Her nose bled through my shirt, Tyler's sheets, Mary's dress, the white carpet, and everything else Mary got near. Her nose swelled quickly, and she is now sporting two black eyes and a very bruised and swollen nose. We won't know if her nose is crooked until the swelling goes down. Mary was down for a while, but after some ice and Motrin, she was back to playing and laughing later on in the evening. Her nose continued to bleed about every three hours for the next two days, and it is very tender, but she is doing ok. Poor kid!

We had dinner Sunday evening with our good friends, the Murdocks. They live just down the road from our old house. We drove by our old house, but to be honest, I couldn't stand looking at it knowing that someone else was in there. We didn't stay in front of our house very long. It would not have done anything good for my already fragile emotions. I LOVED that house, and I love the memories we have in it. Dinner was great and it was really fun to be back in the neighborhood, with friends, just hanging out on a Sunday evening. Again, it felt so normal and so comfortable. I felt like I was home. The kids had a blast playing with their friends they haven't seen in a while. They hit it off again quickly.

Monday morning, we went on a hike in Monument, with the Fortins. It was a pretty hike, and the kids (and Ben) had fun climbing the rock we hiked to. We also saw some VERY random people with Lamas??? Monument, to me, is one of the most pretty places I have ever been. I thought that when we lived there, and I still feel that way now. We did a lot of hiking there. (that white building is part of the Air Force Academy..can you believe we got to see a view like this every single day!) After the hike, we said a sad goodbye to Mike, Mel and Tyler, and headed back to Utah. We made one quick stop on the way home. "Santa" had to stop at the American Girl store. Once I saw how cool it was though, I found an excuse to have Mary go into the store (after my Santa duties were done and safely hidden in the trunk). Her black eyes were wide with excitement, and she loved everything about it.

I have to admit, it was pretty amazing! It was like a museum of very cool dolls and hundreds of accessories. There are currently only three American Girl stores in the United States, so we were excited to see the place. It did not disappoint. This is what Sam thought of the store.

We made it home at midnight Monday/Tuesday, and started school and work the next morning.

Aside from the emotional roller coaster I mentioned in the last post, it was truly a wonderful trip. Our family had so much fun! We plan on visiting Colorado Springs at least once a year from here on out. It is too much a part of our lives and our hearts to not go back. After all...it is our home away from home now.

Deep

We spent this past Labor Day weekend in Colorado Springs.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect as we began our trip back to the place where we left a piece of our hearts just over a year ago. We were all very excited and looking forward to meeting up with good friends and being back in the absolutely gorgeous town that we couldn't get enough of, even when we lived there.

I knew it could be a little difficult, but I wasn't ready for the major flood of emotions that swelled up inside of my heart as we drove up to Colorado Springs, and only got stronger throughout the time we were there.

I am usually pretty open on my blog. I am not normally a very open person, but I have always felt for some reason, that my blog is a place where I need to be. Some posts can be very uncomfortable for me to put out there, but there is always a feeling that I am doing something I should be doing, so I go for it.

To be honest, this time, I just don't know what to write. I am so incredibly vunerable right now. My heart hurts, and it hurts badly. In order to protect it, I am not going to go into much detail about the thoughts and feelings that plagued me on this trip. I am needing to take a step back and let my feelings get back to their proper place.

We are happy here in in Utah. We have wonderful friends and neighbors. Our home is in a wonderful location. We have been so very blessed. I have no reason to complain, and I honestly am happy here.

That said, it literally almost killed me to be in Colorado Springs, and to feel so much like I was home, that sometimes I felt like it still really was. Once the realization would come, like a slap in the face, that we were visitors this time, the tears would flow and I would hurt. My spirit was home there, my heart was home there, and I ached with every part of my soul, to still be a part of that wonderous place.

I cried a lot. I laughed a lot. I felt the warm embrace of numerous friends that in my heart and mind, are family. I clung to them, and didn't want to let go. I stared and stared and stared at the beauty. I felt so many feelings and emotions, it was almost like drowning in the ocean. One wave after the next, without time to recover and get your feet on the ground. Everywhere held a memory, a feeling, and a piece of me.

And I prayed. What was said in those prayers, I don't feel the need to share. But I needed my Heavenly Fathers help this weekend in more ways than one. And I still need him near me, to help me heal my heart and gain some understanding.

Sometimes the Lord asks us to sacrifice, and we won't know why. But one thing that Ben continued to tell me over and over and over again, is that the Lord will bless those who are willing to sacrifice for Him. Moving from Colorado Springs was the single most difficult sacrifice I have ever had to make. Ben will say the same for him. One day we were planning our life there, our long term dreams and goals...and one strong revelation and two months later, we had a house in Utah. The next month, we were gone. And so was a part of my heart, a very big part.

I am clinging to my faith right now, and the hope that I will get the anwers I yearn for and the peace I need. The Lord needs us here in Utah, and I know that. I can never deny the feeling I felt when the Lord told me that we would be leaving Colorado, and we would be leaving very soon. My heart broke into a million pieces, but my spirit knew it was right, and Ben and I chose to obey the Lord. That is why we are here.

Overall, I do not regret going back to Colorado. As a family, we had a wonderful time. In fact, we decided to make it, it the least, an annual trip. We took pictures and had some blog worthy moments, and I will probably post those at a later time. For now though, I need to protect my heart once more and go forward with faith.

Doughnut Falls

After Sam's soccer game on Saturday (and after the gym which was after getting the car fixed, which was a little before Ben got his ski pass), we decided to do a hike as a family.

It was our first one where Mary and Sam would do all of the hiking. William would be the only one in the pack.

It was just under three miles round trip. Perfect.

It was AWESOME! We all loved it. Both Mary and Sam kept on saying, "this is the best hike ever." And I think it was.


We were together as a family. We were in the mountains. We were having fun. And it was gorgeous.

After an absolutely crazy and really stressful week, it was so refreshing and wonderful for everyone.

The falls were very pretty and we spent a while there just soaking in the beauty and the peace of one of the Lords marvelous creations.

I have a feeling there are many hikes to come, and I can't wait.





Hey..who took that picture?

(no, that is not Ben, it was some random guy who needs a belt)

eek, and this one too?


Bahahahaha

I Am Proud..

of my boy.

Sam is growing and learning a lot these days. He is all boy, through and through.
He is also gentle, humble, and meek.

He loves to play outside, he loves sports, and he loves balls. However, he doesn't like any of these things, when they are done in front of people.

My little Sammy can be shy.

And that is why, I am so proud of him for
#1 wearing his soccer shirt and his shin guards/socks to his game
#2 actually going out onto the soccer field with his team.
#3 and sticking it out to the end.

He may not have worn the shorts that go with the shirt.
He may not have been aggressive and run after the ball with everyone else.
He may have asked a few times if it was over yet.

But he did it. He played the game. He wore most of the jersey. And he pushed aside his fears.

I am excited for what this soccer season has to offer.

Go Sam!

Don't Judge Me

Let's start from the beginning with this one. It will be necessary before I reveal what I have done. Something I NEVER would EVER think to do.

Mary has seperation anxiety. If any of you have been following the blog, or have spoken with me in the past year, you know all about this fun issue we get to deal with.

Mary began showing small signs of it when we lived in Colorado, but nothing to alarm me too much.

Then we moved, I had a baby, and she started school. HELLO seperation anxiety, goodbye my dreams of waving my daughter off to school where she will happily go down the path with her friends, love recess, and come running back out to me when school is over, all excited about what she did that day.

School isn' the only area of concern. Babysitters, dropping her off and picking her up from gymnastics, even me just asking her to stay in the car while I run something in to a neighbors house. All of these things cause panic attacks, hyperventilating, calls from the school, lots of tears, and a heartache so deep in me, as I watch my daughter suffer, that I can hardly stand it.

Why does my little girl have to suffer so much. She realizes that it isn't normal to get so upset and scared, but she can't help how she feels. There is a fear, deep within her, that is raging and very real. It is very frusterating to her and it embarrasses her, but she is just as confused with it as the rest of us. I feel so badly for her.

We got a really good hold on the whole thing last year, after she had been in Kindergarten for a while, and we had a good routine. No more panic attacks. She still showed signs of her anxiety here and there, but all in all, we had a good hold on it.

Then 1st Grade started.

Day 1 She loved school, but got sick.
Day 2 She mentions that school is REALLY long and that she misses me. She loves her teacher, and has a bunch of friends in the class. Her teacher said she did great.
Day 3 Mary is crying when I pick her up. She is sick, and she says she was scared that I would get lost and not be there to pick her up.
Day 4 Mary stays at her desk (clinging to it, as the teacher told me) after the bell rings for school to be over. She is hyperventilating. She won't leave the school with the other kids. I am waiting outside wondering where Mary is. She finally arrives hand in hand with her teacher. Mary is sobbing, shaking, and can't breathe well. I have a talk with the teacher.
Day 5 Mary won't let go of me in order to go into the school at the beginning of the day. Her teacher lets me walk her in to her desk. Mary is crying after school when I pick her up. Teacher says she does great until the bell rings for them to go home. Then she panicks.

And so the saga continues.

The only way Mary is ok, is if I get her and everyone else ready early in the morning. We ALL walk Mary to school. We wait right next to Mary, in her line, until the bell rings. Mary holds my hand. Then I walk her right up to the door. Me and the other two kids then walk back home.

When school is over, I have to drive to the school. Park. Get out of the car and walk right up to Mary's door. I am there to greet her right away, and we come home.

In between all of this, I have to reassure her constantly that I will always be there. Nothing will happen to me while she is at school. And so on.

The same happens with gymnastics, babysitters, and any other time I leave her sight. And it is not just me. At recess, for some reason, one of the aids had to go inside the school. There was not an adult outside. Mary had a panick attack.

Another time, her teacher left the classroom to get something, when she came back, Mary was crying.

If there is a substitute teacher in primary, Mary won't go. And so on.

I know this is getting long, stay with me. I need to get this out, and people need to understand.

Mary's "issue" is horrible for her, and in turn, it is a nightmare for me, as her mother. My heart breaks for Mary, and the weight it puts on my shoulders, to always be by her side, is really hard to be patient with. Morning have been hectic trying to have everyone fed, dressed and ready to go walk Mary to school. Sam gets tired and I usually end up carrying his bike, and pushing he and William in the stroller UP the hill 1/2 mile to our house. It doesn't sound bad, but doing this every morning, gets old....fast.

The constant worry every time I drop her off somewhere, or I have to go somewhere, is also a big burden. I end up worrying a lot, and most of the time, my worries are correct.

SO, naturally, I have been on my knees with this for quite some time. We have tried everything we can think of. We have researched her condition. We have talked to a school psyschologist. We have talked to other parents, teachers, coaches, etc. We have spent the last year working through the mental part of it with Mary.

Then a thought popped into my head. The thought became several discussions with Ben. The discussions turned into a plan, and the plan was just innitiated today.

Mary has a phone. Yup, my 6 year old, first grader has a cell phone.

Before you judge me, please finish reading. I know it sounds crazy.

Mary only has three contacts in her phone. Me, Ben and her grandma. She has no texting, not games, no internet, NOTHING...period.

She doesn't know her own phone number, so she can't give it to anyone. And she can only have it at school, and MAYBE gymnastics. And any other time Ben and I decide she needs it.

She knows the rules and is willing to accept them.

I am happy to report, that today, IT WORKED!!!

Mary rode her scooter to school with her friends...no tears. I stayed home and Sam actually got to sleep in!

Mary called me right when she got to school, and I talked to her until the bell rang. She was happy and fine. She then turned her phone off, put it in her special place in her backpack, and it will stay off, until the bell rings for the day to end. Then she will call me again and talk to me until I get her.

Her teacher knows about the phone, and was more than willing to let us try this with Mary.

I am praying that the progress continues with Mary in other ways, and that mentally, she can work through this.

Until then though, she has a way that she can ALWAYS get ahold of me, no matter what. And that is a great source of peace and comfort to her.

I have always been one to scoff at children with phones. I often wonder what on earth the parents must be thinking. I have learned my lesson. I will no longer judge. You NEVER know the situation or the reasons. It is just best to give people the benefit of the doubt.

I Looked Out the Window...

And what did I see?





My little boy Sam, riding a two wheeler bike around the street!

I was so shocked by the sight, that I went outside to watch, and all I could do was laugh. Sam completely taught himeslef to ride a bike without training wheels. I didn't even seem him doing it. He was jumping the curb and riding fast, as if he has been doing it for a year. He hasn't stopped grinning all day.
Go Sammy!