Lake Point 5K

When I was signing everyone up for the Lake Point Days 5K race, I asked Ashlyn if she'd like to do the 1 mile or 5K.

5K all the way for her.

Until we got about a mile in and then complain, complain, complain.

Oh my, did her legs hurt.

I swear I ran half of the race backwards as I cajoled her along.

But that girl had tricks up her sleeve.

The last 100 yards she made a mad dash to the finish line making it look like I was the one holding her back.

Definitely was the worst race ever. I am not going to let her talk me into another 5K. It's the 1 mile for her next year.

Despite coming in almost last, she and I both received awards. Ash got one for being the youngest

and I took second (because there were only two runners in my age category).

Alex, on the other hand, had a great race. I didn't sign him up originally because I wasn't sure what he his demeanor might be that morning. But he was all gun-ho to run 1 mile.

As he crossed the finish line (last one to do it) he raised his hands up and yelled, "I WIN!"
**These photos were all pilfered since I seemed to have forgotten my camera that morning.

Four kids in three schools

My elementary kids (plus Alex)
Yesterday we got a call from the school informing us that Ashlyn has been moved to a different class, a 3rd grade/4th grade split and will have a new teacher. She handled the news okay, although I could tell she was a little nervous. I took her this morning so we could find her new classroom and new teacher. Honestly, Ms. Marshall looked a little unsettled herself. I hope it was just a case of first day jitters and that this whole situation will be a positive one.

Nate is the "big fish" this year entering the 6th grade.

Alex desperately wanted to go to school today after dropping Ash off at her class. So we came home and I got out a tracing page and had him trace lines and color them in as I made my traditional first-day-of-school cookies.

My high school "little fish" and jr. high "big fish" 
Kiersten started 9th grade; Erik is my other big fish starting 8th.

* * * * *

Rocky Mountain Cookies 

1 c. sugar 

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

2 c. flour

1 t. soda

¼ t. salt

½ t. baking powder

2 c. old-fashioned oats

2 c. Rice Crispies^® cereal

6 oz. chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream together sugars and butter. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Stir in flour, soda, salt, and baking powder. Fold in oats, cereal, and chocolate chips. Place by spoonful on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Summer: Our Manti trip

Well, lookee here. I found a post I never posted. Not quite sure why I never hit the publish button. Here ya go.

This is my temple. As a 9 year old I remember participating in the rededication of the Manti Temple and waving my white handkerchief.

Even though Tyler and I chose to be married in the Jordan River Temple (my favorite temple architecture), I received my endowments in this one, making it a special day since this is where I had been coming for many years to perform baptisms.

I wanted to share it with my kids and planned a trip with our Ruebush cousins to see the pageant and visit Capitol Reef National Park.

We found a house to stay at in Manti so we wouldn't be driving any long distance afterwards. For me this phone was the highlight. I was so excited to show my kids a rotary dial phone and even dialed my old phone number.

The pageant was great. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of production they've put in to it. The pageant script was the same as I remember as a kid, but the lighting and sound system was very much improved. We happened to be there the night of Joseph Smith's birthday, June 27. The audience all stood at the beginning and sang "Praise to the Man" which was a pretty cool experience.

Capitol Reef was very picturesque and HOT! We did manage a hike to see an arch and were so grateful we brought water, Powerade, and lots of sunscreen.
 

We stayed in Ferron that night and Grandma and Grandpa's pond never felt better.

 

High ho, high ho, it's off to work I go

I've got a workin' boy who loves earning a few dollars.

Sadly in our neighborhood there just isn't an awful lot that a 13-year-old boy can do to be employable. At the beginning of the summer I told him he could probably make a little money washing windows for the neighbors.

I mean, who doesn't enjoy clean windows. But who really enjoys doing it?

He finally took my advice three weeks ago, practiced on my windows, and has pretty much cleaned our entire neighborhood.

Every day he thinks about who he hasn't been to yet and then says (loudly for everyone to hear),

"Well, I'm off to work!"

Love my little entrepreneur.

A Classical kind of summer

Like I mentioned here, I finally finished Pride and Prejudice and watched this version of the movie that I pilfered from my mom eons ago:

And I thought it was okay. I liked it but didn't really see why everyone raved about it.

Kiersten got on board and read the book and then watched the movie. And in the meantime I had discovered a quasi-sequel to the book told from Mr. Darcy's perspective which I later discovered was actually a trio. These three books kept me pretty busy this summer.

I was hooked! Kiersten was hooked! My P&P partner and I watched every version we could get our hands on:

The verdict: Colin Firth in the BBC Masterpiece version is hands down the best Mr. Darcy. In fact after Kiersten was finished with our Mr. Darcy trilogy, we had to watch it again to see it from his view. I fell in love with it the second time around. Hands down one of my favorite movies.

We didn't stop with Pride and Prejudice and moved on to the Jane Eyre movies since both of us had already read the book and loved it.

Our verdict on this one: BBC Masterpiece again was our favorite. They tend to be longer, fleshing out more of the story.
This week we snuck this Jane Austen classic in (didn't care for it as much):

 
My family no longer knows what to think of me. I've watched 9 movies in 12 weeks (if you count the Colin Firth version twice), sometimes starting one as late as 10pm. This has been so uncharacteristic of me because anyone who knows me, knows I'm just not that into movies or late nights.

Maybe they've been all the wrong movies. I've got North and South sitting on my dresser and think I might indulge myself after my kids are safely tucked back into school next week.

An engagement

We're adding to our family.
So stinkin' excited for both Katie and Jeff.

Our first meeting with a new pediatrician

I don't know what it is about us, but we seem to run pediatricians out of town.

After Ash hit her 5-year mark of being cancer free, I decided that maybe it was time to switch to a pediatrician who was a little closer instead of traveling to Salt Lake.

We really liked Dr. McMillan and was happy with her and happy that she was only a mile from our house.

But family circumstances dictated that she move.

Dr. Williams took her place and we also really liked her. But for whatever reason she too decided to leave only after being here a year.

I was beginning to see a trend. Both were female doctors making them a little more unstable if the need for a move arose.

So we are now trying out our third pediatrician in as many years. HE, however is male. I did a quick interview with him when I took Alex in and I think he's going to stick around.

Alex and I both really liked him.

When he came into the room, he started giving Alex high fives and talking to him. Dr. Rich asked him if Alex was his name.

Alex looked at him and defiantly told him, "NO!"

"It's King Alex."

Yep, that's what Grandpa calls him and I think it has stuck.

Missing In Action

Man alive I sure have felt like I've been gone for awhile. Not physically gone, just mentally. The blogging world just hasn't enticed me these last couple of weeks.

Maybe because of the heat? I'm kind of ready for a cool down.

Maybe because I have bored kids who are ready for school more than they think they are?

Maybe because I know summer is winding down and I know my yard helpers will be gone, so I've been hosting "weeding parties" three days a week in the morning?

Maybe because swimming lessons have started?

Maybe because I really haven't come close to finishing any of my summer projects?

Maybe because I've been running more, trying to get in better shape for my half marathon in a month?

Maybe because Kiersten I have turned into Jane Austen junkies this summer?

Whatever the reason is for my lack of blog posts, I'm hoping my desire will return.

And with that I'll leave you with this . . . 

Yesterday we hosted a baptism family get together for our friends up the street who haven't quite got their yard in yet and couldn't rent the pavilion at the church. I offered our backyard and house and they took us up on it. When I got back from the baptism, Tyler had to show me a new critter that has shown up in our yard (as if we don't have enough):

 Yep, that would be a bat above our walk out stairs. I'm really hoping this isn't his permanent home.