Weekend Warriors

I don't think I'll get back to this in the next few days, so I wanted to post a few pics of last weekend's adventures. We made a quick run up to Strawberry Canyon to camp with Jer's family. It was our annual campout with Jer's parents, grandparents, brother's fam, and aunts and uncles. We weren't able to attend the whole thing this year, but we had fun while we were there. The kids were great. Seth even had fun despite the tough terrain with his new walking skills. Luke, K'Lee, and Addison played great together and had so much fun. They went on 4-wheeler rides with grandpa, played games in camp, did lots of hide-and-seek and exploring, and had fun around the campfire. They were extremely dirty and loved every minute of it. Jer's mom puts tons of work into this trip. She has crafts and all sorts of cute things for the kids to do. Jer calls her the "camp director." Neither Luke or I are too crafty but this year he had fun dumping tons of paint on the suncatchers she brought. All the kids loved Rod and Sherry's dog, Oz, they pretty much ran the poor thing ragged.


Anyone call a plumber? Poor Seth spent a lot of time in this position.


This game eventually turned to attempting to catch the water in their mouths. The day after they played this game, the forest service guy came to camp and told us the tests on the water had just come back and it was safe to drink. Well, that was good to know. I later saw a tiny sign informing campers that the water may not be drinkable!


Seth and his Grandpa Boyd. In case you're wondering about that mustache, so is everyone else. Boyd has been growing it since he was unsuccessful hunting down a grizzly bear in Alaska with his bow last year. (I did not make that up.) He claims it's staying until he bags the prize, possibly this August. Oh well, we love him anyway.


Tree climbing or something.

We left early on Friday to get cleaned up and head south really early Saturday morning for Jer's big event. Jer's friend Brian approached him about running in the Wahsatch Steeplechase a few months ago. Despite the fact that Jer has never been into distance running of any kind, he signed himself up and has been working to get ready while juggling his family and his job! This race was not for the faint of heart. Most of the people who enter are hard-core, distance runners. The run is an 18-mile foot race through the mountains. It climbed about 4500 feet in the first six miles. That's intense! Jer said the trail was so steep in some parts it was hard to even keep your footing. Once you get to the top there are "crags" to negotiate which involve rated rock-climbing moves and some exposure.

Jer felt like he climbed at a good pace and loved the crags and the first intense downhill part. He's very agile and daring and had no problems there. He really slowed down the last about 7 miles which definitely favor the traditional distance runner. He wasn't a big fan of just pounding out the trail to head back to the finish. He said lots of the tentative people he blew past on the technical parts were able to catch and pass him easily on the flat run to the finish. His goal was to do it in under 4 hours and he did! I'm so proud of him. This run is seriously hard-core. Our ultra-marathoning friend who has done it several times says it's harder than most marathons he has done. The day was also very hot and there are apparently lots of rattlesnakes in the area to add to the fun. Lots of the people crossing the finish line were bloody and didn't look like the crags treated them so well. They even gave out the award to "the bloodiest" runner. (Just a note: The incredibly insane guys like our running friend do this event in just over 2 hours. That's just not human!) Anyway, it was fun to be there and see him finish. He did great. I am amazed at what he's done with so little time to train. It would take me a year to get ready for that. There were some crazy women there so maybe someday.

In traditional Jer fashion he was entertaining on the hill. I guess at one point on the climb it gets a bit bottle-necked and everyone was bunched up waiting their turn to climb a small section. Jer had "Good Vibrations" (I know that right there should be a crime) on his iPod and broke into the "running man" while waiting. I'm sure those of you who know Jer can picture it. Needless to say some of his fellow participants thought he had way too much energy!

Running out of City Creek Canyon to the finish.


Jer and his friend Brian. They look like they're on a date or something, but I guess this is just the post-race love. They both did awesome but neither committed to doing it again next year!

Grateful

I thought I'd do a quick post this morning because I've got a lot on my mind. I have been thinking about my kids, Luke in particular. I took Luke to the doctor today because he had this strange lump on the back of his neck. I wasn't too worried (yet), but I definitely wanted to get it checked out. It turns out that his lymph nodes are very swollen (several of them) because of the massive mosquito bite(s) he got on the back of his head camping over the weekend. I neglected to put mosquito stuff on his actual scalp, and he got a huge bite. It looked like a half of a golf ball on Friday. Anyway, all is well and his body is just fighting off the effects of the bites. I'm so glad that it is nothing.

I thought a lot about Luke yesterday. Sometimes, I guess just because of my nature, I worry about him too much. I worry when he is timid and scared about doing something I know he can do, or when he doesn't want to try something new, or if he's not doing something I know other kids his age do...anyway, the conclusion I've come to is that I worry too much about the wrong things. Sometimes I'm so concerned about wishing he would do something he's not that I forget about all of the things he is awesome at. He is such a unique kid with a personality that's larger than life, and I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. I guess the mom in me sometimes just wants to help him fit in or do better too much. I never wanted to be that pushy mom that compares her kids to others, but I find myself doing that sometimes. Sometimes being a mom is really hard and as much as I want to do a really good job I find myself messing things up a little.

Anyway, I just want both of my kids to know that I think they are the best and my family is the center of my little universe, and I wouldn't want it any other way. I don't usually get this personal on my blog, but I've been thinking about it a lot and it feels good to write it down. I just don't want to look back someday and realize that I didn't enjoy the amazing kid Luke is as much as I should have because I was too worried about making him be just like other kids. (I don't mean to make this sound like Luke is some weirdo because he's not. I'm probably the only one that knows what I mean here.) Just today his doctor was commenting on how bright and polite Luke is, and I couldn't agree more. So in honor of my quirky kid who I'm sometimes overly concerned about here are some of the very best things about Luke:
**Luke is sweet and affectionate. He still gives me tons of hugs and kisses and most of the time is so loving to his little brother.
**Luke is fun. He loves to play with his family and his friends, and he is always making us laugh. **Luke is smart. He has always had an amazing memory and loves to read books. He learns quickly and forgets nothing.
**Luke has lots of energy. He loves to run around and show off his rad moves to the family. He's always so proud of how big and strong he's getting and never passes up wrestling with Jer.
**Luke has a mind of his own. This one can be tough sometimes, but I'm glad that he's not a pushover. He is incredibly strong willed and I think that's a good trait in a lot of ways.
**He's inquisitive. Luke can ask questions and try to figure things out until he's blue in the face and my brain is dead. He wants to know every little detail about everything.
**Luke can be very cooperative. (This one is not a blanket statement.) What comes to mind most recently is his eye patch. Luke has to wear a patch on his eye 4 hours a day to try to strengthen his weaker eye. I was sad to find out at his last check-up that even with his glasses his vision right now would not be good enough for a driver's license. This patching and just getting older should help. He was really sad and didn't want to wear it the first day, but now he just puts it on like a trooper and does his thing. His friend Blake came over a few minutes ago and asked about it and Luke just looked at him like "duh" and told him it was to make his eye strong. Now they're off to fight bad guys in the basement.

Well, the list could go on, but I've got stuff to do. I feel better writing this out even if it made sense to no one but me. It really was just for my own good. I guess I just need to remind myself sometimes how good I have it! With all the time and tears it took to get my kids here, I think they are both miracles (really all kids are), and they are my joy. Okay, that's it for me, ever the sappy mom, I'm out.

Happenings

I thought I'd hurry and post some pics of what has been going on this past month or so around here. We've finally had some nice weather which has been great for the kids. In fact, I'm already complaining that it's too hot. I guess that makes me impossible. I still can't believe how fast my boys are growing up on me. They are lots of fun and sometimes frustration (please tell me I'm not the only one). Seth has had some major milestones lately. So here goes...




Multi-tasking. Luke speaks very well, but despite the fact that he eats 3 or 4 each day he cannot say popsicle to save his life. He either says "poxipull" or "popicksle."


Seth has four teeth now which he likes to show off. If you ask him to do a "cheesy smile" he'll give you one of these if he's in the performing mood.


Check out those luxurious locks. Seth's in serious need of a haircut before he has a baby mullet.


My old friend Andi and I chit-chatting before the bike ride.


My buns right out of the starting gate. That's as good as it gets.


K'Lee and Luke at swim lessons. Luke had a lot of fun this year. He only had one day when he really gave his new teacher a run for her money. What a difference a year makes! Last year Luke was horrible, and I acted like I was trying out for "Mommy Dearest." (That's not a good thing in case you haven't seen the movie. I'm exaggerating a little--but not a lot.)


Most mornings Luke runs into Seth's room and climbs into his crib with him as soon as he hears him. He then proceeds to tickle and torment but Seth usually likes it. Check out that hair.


Before the haircut. The sleeveless shirt isn't making him look any more uptown, that's for sure.


My friend Tami gave him his new do. He was pleased as punch to get a sucker.


The end result. I swear he aged a year!


Luke loves to give Seth rides in his gator. Seth has to wear his seatbelt, and I supervise. They both love it (can't you tell from the look on Seth's face).


Seth's a walking man. He's been walking all over the place this week. He goes more side-to-side than forward.


I figured I should document Luke's two favorite toys for posterity. On the left, you may have to look hard, is Roast Beef the dinosaur. I'm not sure why Luke named him that but it has stuck for over a year. Luke and I dug him out of the flowerbed at our rental house, and he has become quite the treasure. On the right is lizard. His tail used to be about 6 inches longer, but he receives some pretty rough treatment. These are his two best toy pals, and they both gave us some anxiety when they were missing for a while on our DisneyWorld trip. No worries though. They were found and all was right with Luke's world!

Happy Father's Day!

Well, Seth is napping, Luke is playing outside with his friend, and I'm delaying cleaning the bathrooms, so I thought I'd post a few pics in honor of Jer. I'm sure I'm not the only one doing a post like this today but that just means there are a lot of great dads out there. Jer is no exception. He is an awesome dad and Luke looks up to him so much. I'm so lucky to have a husband that spends time with his kids, is lots of fun, and is a great example for them. Love you!


Jer and baby Seth taking a nap.


Jer and Luke building our own "Great Wall" in the backyard.


I don't really know on this one. This unfortunately is Jer's favorite picture face.


Checking out the starfish at the Maui aquarium.


Shoveling a little snow after church.


A day out to see the elk.


Seth's first experience swimming. He loved it.


Bryce Canyon hiking adventure.

Jer Tag

One of Jer's new hobbies.

I am a slacker about tags, but I thought I'd do this one since it's about Jer, and sadly I don't write very much about him on my blog. He is the most important guy in my life after all! So here goes:

23 Q&As about my hubby
1. What's his name? Jeremy Scott but everyone calls him Jer
2. How long have you been together? Married 10 years this August!!! Together almost 12 years!
3. How long did you date? This gets a little complicated. Lets just say we had our ups and downs (mostly due to me)--1 year and a half--off and on!
4. Who eats more? Jer. Although he is not the "Billy Whopper" eater he once was. He has dropped more than 25 lbs. in the last few months.
5. Who said "I love you" first? I'm not sure. We hadn't been dating long!
6. Who is taller? Jer.
7. Who sings better? Probably Jer. We both like to sing along in the car. He's actually pretty good.
8. Who is smarter? I think we're both smart. We each have our strengths.
9. Who does the laundry? Me.
10. Who does the dishes? Mostly me.
11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me.
12. Who pays the bills? Me.
13. Who mows the lawn? Usually Jer. We kind of have to fight over that one though because we both like it. We haven't had a yard in a while, but Jer is definitely the manual labor guy. He works hard!
14. Who cooks dinner? Me. Jer does make us breakfast sometimes though.
15. Who drives when you are together? Jer. He is a horrible backseat driver. It's not even worth it.
16. Who is more stubborn? That's a toss up. We are both very pigheaded.
17. Who kissed who first? Jer would probably say me, but I'd say it was mutual. First date I'm embarrassed to admit.
18. Who asked who out first? Jer asked me.
19. Who proposed? This is a sticky one. We were engaged and unengaged several times (like 10 times if you ask Jer). He swears that I proposed that final time. I'd say we just finally agreed to get married.
20. Who is more sensitive? Me.
21. Who has more friends? Jer. We both have friends, but Jer is a lot more social than I am.
22. Who has more siblings? Jer.
23. Who wears the pants in the family? We both do. We have the same goals for our life and our family, so we almost always see eye to eye on the big things.

I'm so lucky to be married to my best friend. Jer is a great husband and dad, and I love him!


He's like a big kid sometimes.

Side Note:



Last Saturday I rode in the annual Little Red Riding Hood bike ride for women. It was good fun. I signed up for it with the intent to train and then didn't. I have been on my trainer a lot over the winter, but I have not been out riding hardly at all. I was very nervous as it approached and thought about backing out. There were a bunch of different distances you could ride ranging from 36-102 miles. I chose the 80-miler. It was great! It was so much fun. The weather was cool and perfect. There were a lot of friends I knew there plus I made a few new ones. Next year I definitely want to get a group together and do the full course. My outfit was not quite as sexy as the lady in the picture above. Jer did take some pics of me, but I haven't downloaded them yet. In fact, when you're wearing spandex biking shorts it's pretty much the opposite of attractive! There were lots of fun people and good food and the big bad wolf even showed up. Very fun!

Big Birthday Boy!

As hard as it is for me to believe, Luke had his fourth birthday on Wednesday. Crazy! I was brave and we had a party with lots (12 to be exact) other three/four-year-olds. I know that totally violates the rule of 1 or 2 kids per age of child. Oh well, we have tons of kids in our neighborhood plus cousins and other friends close by. We didn't even go to friends from preschool or other Primary friends. I planned on the party being outside, but of course it was rainy and cold, so we held it in our unfinished basement and on the patio outside. All of the kids were great and it actually went really well. Luke asked me first thing when he woke up on Wednesday when everyone was coming, so it was the longest day ever until 4:00 rolled around.

Luke's theme was dinosaurs. He's a big fan right now. One of his little neighbor friends told me right away that she didn't like dinosaurs--sad day for her because it was dino-everything! The kids dug for toy dinosaurs, got sweet dinosaur tatts, hit a dino pinata, and ate a dino cake. They all seemed to have fun for the most part and there were no meltdowns or tantrums! If moms earned merit badges like Scouts do, they would earn something for their first kid birthday party. I totally understand the every other year thing now.

It was fun though and seeing Luke have so much fun with his friends was well worth it. The next day was like Christmas when we played with every single toy he got. He was totally spoiled with tractors, balls and bats, dinos, swords, guns, fishing poles, camping stuff....he loved everything!! Earlier in the day I was coaching Luke about how he needed to say thank you for every present, and I made the mistake of mentioning that he should thank even if it was something he already had. He looked at me and said, "If I get something I already have, I'll just say, let's take it back to the store!" Seriously? He had this naughty look on his face and kept repeating that response to me throughout the day. Fortunately, he got no repeats and although I'm not sure he thanked for everything (the gift giving part was quite chaotic) good manners prevailed. You may have noticed that he received all kinds of weapons--yep--two swords, a water gun, and a gun with a holster. I have avoided guns up to this point, but I've noticed he pretends to have guns anyway. I decided the good men in my life like my hubby and my dad played with guns--both toy and real--as kids and seem no worse for the wear. After watching him and his little friend Blake "shoot" at each other from like 1 foot apart, I am trying to hammer home the point that guns are for shooting at pretend bad guys and targets--not people! I'm pretty sure the gun will be a toy that gets taken away for days on end just like the sword he got in DisneyWorld. Oh well, it will be fun while his good behavior lasts!

I got a supposed "kiddie mix" from Sam's Club to fill the pinata with. I noticed after that one of the candy kinds were jawbreakers. Really for kids?? I was so worried about if after the party (if you don't know me I have a tendency to stew about things) that I called up everyone's parents and told them to watch out for the deadly party favor I had sent home.

I had so much fun looking at Seth's baby pics that I stayed up until the wee hours looking at old pics of Luke the other day. I made another little slide show. I just can't believe four years has gone by. I included that very unflattering pic of myself right before going to the hospital to remind myself that I really was pregnant. Sometimes it seems like it never happened because it has been such a struggle, but there's the proof! Now if we could somehow make that happen again. Luke would not like the song I chose--he would definitely request something "louder," but being the sappy mom I am--I love it. Don't feel pressured to watch the whole thing --there are a lot. You will probably have to pause my playlist and shrink the music video to enjoy!