Monday Memories 072::2 Years

 First Daughter - two years old - 2007

Second Daughter - two years old - 2009

Third Daughter - two years old - 2011

Son#1 - two years old - 2014

 

It is so crazy to me to think that it has been almost seven years since First Daughter turned two. 

So crazy.

 

 

 

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Monday Memories 071::Girl Mix 2012

Girl Mix 2012

Hey Now::Hilary Duff
Just Dance::Lady Gaga
That's How You Know::Demi Lovato
One Time::Justin Bieber
Who Says::Selena Gomez & The Scene
Introducing Me::Nick Jonas
Party Rock Anthem::LMFAO
Eenie Meenie::Justin Bieber
Skyscraper::Demi Lovato
Just the Way You Are::Bruno Mars
Part of Me::Katy Perry
Stronger::Kelly Clarkson
Wouldn't Change a Thing::Camp Rock 2
Beauty and the Beast::Jordin Sparks
Butterfly Fly Away::Miley Cyrus
Ever Ever After::Jordan Pruitt
U Smile::Justin Bieber
This is Our Song::Camp Rock 2

Not quite sure how I missed this one, but this is one of our favorites.
These tunes were constantly playing summer of 2012 - the summer Uncle & Aunt were living with us - the summer we travelled to CA and OR and MA - the summer of dance parties - the summer of beaches - the summer of three girls and a boy - a summer full of wonderful, fun memories.

Hope you enjoy!

P.S. I know I owe some of you some copies of some mixes...at one point I ran out of blank CDs and forgot who still needed some...please email me and let me know if there are any that you are still waiting for!



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Monday Memories 070::Christmas Edition

 waiting on the stairs, Christmas morning 2012

Our Christmas mornings start with the kids lining up and waiting on the stairs.
It's a fun teaser to add to the anticipation of Christmas morning, and a chance for Mom to get her camera reading before the kiddos see their loot from Santa.

Third Daughter was not happy about this tradition. :)
When I told her to wait on the stairs, she thought that meant she wasn't getting her presents.
You see...the stairs is where our kids sit in time out. 
She misunderstood why I was asking her to wait on the stairs.
Is it mean that I thought that was funny?  :)

When I was a kid we had the same tradition.  We would line up on the stairs, youngest to oldest, and then our parents would go check to see if Santa came before we were allowed to see our presents.  It added to the anticipation and was pretty fun. 

I think our kids like it too.
Christmas morning is so fun!
I can/t wait.



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Monday Memories 069::If You're Happy And You Know It

Third Daughter, 8 months old, November 2009

 

Videos like this make me so happy.  And a little teary.

I am so incredibly thankful to be mama to this sweet little girl.

And so thankful to have moments like this captured on film.

 

 

 

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Monday Memories 068::A Missed Opportunity and a Lesson Learned

grandma Bonita & grandpa John

 

With my Grandma Joy passing away last week and the circumstances surrounding that, my thoughts have been led to my Grandma Bonita and the circumstances surrounding her passing.  This memory isn't my most favorite one, but it is an important one in which I learned a lesson about following promptings.

 

I came out to BYU during the fall of 2001.  Both sets of grandparents lived within 20 minutes of campus, which was the closest I had lived to either of them in my life.  We always lived across the country from both sets of grandparents and all of our extended family.  We saw our grandparents a couple times a year and got to know them the best we could in those short visits.  I was excited for a chance to get to know them better once I was in Utah and living close to them.

 

Shortly after I moved out here, I had a couple conversations with my grandma about her life, meeting grandpa, and falling in love.  I was seeing Grandma in a new light - seeing her outside of the old grandma I knew, and I was excited to get to know her and more about her life.  I so badly wanted to develop a close relationship with her. 

 

But my intentions didn't take me as far as I wanted as fast as I needed to.  I didn't have a car and so getting off campus to see them took some planning on my part, which hardly ever happened.  I did, however, have a phone and thought often about calling to talk or to set a visit.  I thought, and I thought, and I thought, but I never actually did.

 

One week, that November, I was overloaded with these thoughts.  I kept thinking and feeling so strongly that I needed to make an effort to connect with my grandma, that at the very least I needed to call her.  I thought, and I thought, and I thought.  And life was busy, and tests kept coming, and rehearsals, and concerts, and...and...and...I didn't call, and I didn't go over.

 

And then one day I got a call from my dad.  Grandma was in the hospital and it wasn't looking very good.  Shortly after that I got another call telling me Grandma had passed.

 

It was too late.

 

My heart full of desire and intent to develop this relationship with my Grandma, whom I loved dearly and felt like I was just barely getting to know, sank deep into my chest.  I felt awful and sad and instantly full of regret.  I knew that the Spirit had been prompting me, and increasing in urgency, because my grandma was about to pass.  He knew it, but I didn't, and he was trying to tell me that I was running out of time.  I was so sad that I didn't act on those promptings and that I had missed my opportunity to be with my grandma in her final days. 

 

As I've said in a recent post, I am so thankful for my grandma's writings because I really feel like I've gotten to know her through those.  I feel closer to her when I read her words and I really miss her.  I look up to her and love her and can't wait for a chance to hug her again and get to know her even better.

 

I am so thankful that my experience with Grandma Joy went the other direction.  Similarly, I have felt the importance to visit her, call her, and be in contact with her as much as possible.  I didn't make it over there as much as I thought about it, but I am glad that we did when we could. 

 

A week before Grandma Joy passed, I took the kids to visit her and grandpa on a Friday after school.  It had been a while since I had visited because I was nervous about bringing the five kids.  I worried about overwhelming my grandparents with the kids' energy and noise level and craziness.  I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to control the kids in such a small space.  But it had been too long and I knew it was more important for us to be there than for it to go perfectly, so we just went.  And the visit couldn't have gone better.  The girls colored, grandpa took Son #1 on a walk to see trucks, Grandma held Son #2, she shared scriptures with me, and we all laughed and hugged and enjoyed each other's company. 

 

One week later she passed away.

 

When I heard about Grandma's fall and that she would probably not make it, my heart immediately filled with prayers of gratitude for our final visit with her only a week earlier.  I am so thankful that my kids have that memory of her fresh in their minds.  I am so thankful that we didn't miss that opportunity and let life get in the way this time of being with our grandma whom we loved so dearly. 

 

I am thankful for the chance to get it right the second time. 

 

I love both of my grandmas.  I look to them often and hope to live up to the example they are to me.

Family is such a blessing and our loved ones continue to bless our lives even after they pass.

 

 

 

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Monday Memories 067::Two Joys

 Grandma Joy with First Daughter, July 2005

 

When Husband and I found out that our first baby was going to be a girl, we knew that we wanted to use the name Joy as the middle name.  Both of our mother's mothers are named Joy.  And so, First Daughter inherited the middle name Joy, after two of her great-grandmas. 

 

This sweet Grandma Joy is my grandma.  She fully lived up to her name.  She was always seen with a smile and always found the joy in every little thing.  She always told us how beautiful we were, smart we were, talented we were, how much she loved us, and would say it with such emphasis and enthusiasm.  She loved everything we did and everything we said.  She loved being around family and loved sharing letters, stories, and memories.  She loved the scriptures and the words of the prophets.  She was a woman of faith and an example of love in it's truest form.

 

We have been so fortunate and so blessed to live close to her for the past 12 years.  She has been very much a part of our lives and a part of our children's lives.  We visit them whenever we can.  When First Daughter was a baby, that was pretty often. Our children talk about them all the time.  Family is so important to us and it's important to me that our kids make as many memories as they can with their great-grandparents.  I am so thankful that our kids know and love their Grandma Joy.

 

My grandma passed away this weekend.  It was bitter sweet.  I love my grandma and will greatly miss her.  My heart hurts for my grandpa as I know how deeply he will miss having her by his side.  But I rejoice thinking of where she is now - her relief from her old, frail body, her reunion with loved ones that passed before her, and her entering the presence of her beloved Savior.

 

I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the comfort it brings.  I am thankful for the blessings of the temple and the knowledge that family can be together forever.  I am thankful for this time that I've had living close to my grandma and for the chance my kids have had to get to know her and love her.  I am thankful for her example and the honor it is to be her granddaughter.  I am thankful for the memory we made with her, a little over a week ago, filled with images of her laughing and hold Son#2 for the first time.  And I'm thankful for the chance to hold her hand and kiss her cheek, just days ago, and whisper in her ear how much I love her.

 

I love my grandma so much.  I am thankful to know that she is safe, she is happy, and she is home.

four generations

 

 

 

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Monday Memories 066::A Snapshot

my 21st birthday, Sept 2004

Some things about this picture::

01:: This is how I see myself in my head, even though I know I clearly don't look like this anymore.  Look at those arms!  And that tan!  I am definitely not 21 anymore :) but someday I will be back in shape and it will feel wonderful.

02:: That watch.  Husband bought me that Fossil watch when we were dating.  I can't remember owning a watch before then (except for that digital one I had when I was about ten).  I remember it cost $45 or something like that and I thought that was so expensive!   $45 for a watch?!  I didn't need to know the time that badly.  :)

03:: Lacrosse bumper stickers on the fridge.  I was still very much in the world of lacrosse.  I coached at Orem High, I played for BYU a couple years before this, I ran the BYU girls lacrosse camp, and played whenever I could.  I never thought I would see a day when lacrosse wasn't a part of it - yet here I am.  Maybe I'd get those arms back if I played more :)

04:: The flip phone.  That was my cell phone and it was awesome!  Pretty sure Husband bought it for something like $250.  That's such a joke now.  Pretty sure it now resides in a toy box in our playroom.  It's the most expensive toy we own.

05:: Uncle Tom's Cabin.  I bought myself that book for my birthday.  I was on a "classics" kick since I didn't do much reading before college.  That book still is on our bookshelf and it remains unread :)

06:: Scripture case.  My other birthday present.  We were pretty poor students and I was so excited about that case.  Oh to have such a simple life again! 

07:: I was pregnant.  This was a little over one month before our first anniversary.  We had known I was pregnant for about a week and were so excited.  Pretty sure I smiled like this all the time back then - at least until morning sickness kicked in.

08:: Grandpa's basement.  We were living in my grandpa's basement.  This was our kitchen which consisted of a table, fridge, sink, and counter.  No dishwasher, no stove, no oven.  Oh, we did have a microwave and a George Forman.  Good times cooking in that kitchen.

09:: Old San Jose picture.  That picture in the background is a picture of old San Jose, CA, Husband's hometown.  My sister in-law gave us that print along with a picture of Old Boston Towne for our first Christmas as a married couple.  The two pictures still hang in our living room and I love them.

10:: Dave Matthews Concert.  Not in this picture, but my other birthday present was tickets to a Dave Matthews Concert.  Husband had won them off a radio show (so cool!).  I think it was my tenth time seeing them in concert, but that didn't make me any less excited.  They are my favorite band ever and I love seeing them in concert.  They are incredible live.  It was super fun, but we left a little early because I was pregnant, super tired, and I had school early in the morning.  In that moment I realized I was not very cool anymore :)  But it was a cool way to celebrate and a fun memory.

It is crazy to me how fast time goes by.  My mom used to always say that she still feels like she's 20, and I used to always think "whatever Mom...," but now I totally get what she meant and how she felt. 

I still feel like the same girl in this picture.
Sometimes I have to remind myself that 9 years and 5 kids later, I'm a little bit different :)



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Monday Memories 065::3 Months

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Monday Memories 064::To Be A Sister

me & Sis Inlaw on the Freedom Trail in Boston, summer 2002

Today I am thankful for this amazing sister I have. 

 

Over eleven years ago, this sister of mine flew all the way out to Boston to meet me.  Her brother and I were dating pretty seriously and she was preparing to leave for a 1 1/2 year mission.  She wanted to meet me in case I married her brother while she was gone.  So Husband (back then he was Boyfriend) and she flew from San Jose, CA all the way to Boston, MA for no other reason than to visit me.  Isn't that amazing of her?

 

We did some of the touristy Boston things like the Freedom Trail seen above.  I think I walked more of the Freedom Trail that night than I ever had at one time before in my life!  I'm pretty sure we ended up taking a taxi back to our car because we had walked so far and it was so late we wouldn't be able to walk all the way back.  We also went to the Boston Commons, Nubble Light House, and some other things I can't really remember now...

 

I remember chatting with her and getting to know her and really enjoying that.  I remember being young and selfish and pretty focused on her brother, (sorry about that!) but appreciating so much the chance she gave me to get to know her a little before marrying into her family.

 

She has taught me so much about being a sister.  I have always felt loved and accepted by her.  The older I get the more I realize what an incredible blessing that is.  She is so great!  I love her and am so thankful to have gained such an incredible sister when I married into such an incredible family. 

 

And I'm even more thankful that we finally get to live close to these guys!!!  Her family has (finally) moved to Utah!  We love being able to see them more often and are way excited to go trick-or-treating with them this week.  Yay for having family close!  We are so blessed!

 

 

 

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Monday Memories 063::Wedding Eve

We had a wonderful tenth anniversary - the four oldest kiddos spent the night at Brother & Sis Inlaw's place, we had dinner in, watched a movie, spent some time in the hot tub, and slept in the next morning.  So simple and so wonderful.  I didn't realize how much we needed a night like, but we really did need it - nothing to do but just be together.  I really really loved it, and loved being with this guy -

Husband & I singing "Summer Lovin" the night before our wedding, Oct 2003

 

This picture was taken the night before our wedding ten years ago. 

For our wedding dinner we went casual and had pizza and karaoke at my parent's house with all our extended family.  There was a lot of extended family there, even though we were married in Boston which was very far from where all our extended family lived.  We were so thankful that so many were willing and able to make the trek out there to celebrate with us.  We know there were others that also would have been there if they could.  We felt very loved and very blessed to be surrounded by so many loved ones.  We still do!

 

Our pre-wedding party was so fun.  It was a great way (we thought) to break the ice between two families that didn't know each other very well.  Most people took a turn at the microphone and were able to get a little goofy in front of everyone.  It was really fun.

 

Husband and I are seen here singing "Summer Lovin'."  Husband is so much better at karaoke than I am.  Like, so much better.  But even though I have about a five note range and I'm embarrassingly bad at singing karaoke, I really love it.  It's so fun!  And like everything, it was so much more fun singing with Husband.  He has a gift for making me (and most people) feel more comfortable.

 

Other performances I remember from that night - my parents singing "Sun Rise, Sun Set" from Fiddler on the Roof (so serious...), Uncle Ed singing "It's Still Rock N Roll to Me," me and my sibs singing "You've Got a Friend" - a childhood memory of ours, Husband's Little Bro belting "O Darling," my grandpa being there and singing, my new-to-be Father In Law turning karaoke into a real sing along when he jammed along on the piano to anything by the Beatles, Billy Joel, or Elton John (he's awesome), and lots of singing along and laughing by everyone.  It really was a fun night and got us pretty excited about being a part of two incredible families.

 

One thing I love the most about being married to Husband is how he is able to lighten up any situation.  He always knows how to have a good time and laugh in pretty much any situation.  He doesn't take himself too seriously and he is teaching me to do the same.  He's just a really fun guy to be around which has made the past ten years pretty awesome.  I'm a pretty lucky girl.

 

We'll have to make sure to include karaoke in our 50th wedding anniversary celebration.

And perhaps we'll do a "Summer Lovin'" encore.

 

 

 

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Monday Memories 063::Trick-or-Treating at Work

Trick-or-Treating at Husband's work, Halloween 2007

 

Mostly because I've been thinking about and reminiscing lately about life with two kids...

 

I pulled up Halloween pictures from 2007 when First Daughter was two and Second Daughter was 6 months.  Those pictures make me happy - I think I always will remember these two at these ages.

 

The other day I drove by where Husband's work used to be at the old Word Perfect campus in North Orem.  It was literally a drive down memory lane - the brisk air and fall colors brought back a flood of memories from this time in our lives.  We would visit Husband often (or drive him to and from work when we only had one car) at this office.  We would bring him lunch, stop by to say hi, heart attack his car, or come for some special event, like Trick-or-Treating in the office.  We haven't done this in years (not sure if they even still do it...) but it was really fun when our kids were so little.  They were so happy to go cubicle to cubicle collecting miniature candy bars from Dad's friends.  It was like the pre-Trick-or-Treating before the real Trick-or-Treating.  Actually, that's exactly what it was - lol.

 

At this point in First Daughter's life she was all about everything princess.  We got her a dress up chest full of princess dresses that year for Christmas, and pulled one out early for her to wear for Halloween.  She was thrilled.  The princess phase died earlier for the younger girls (they're always trying to be like their big sister, who is no longer in to princesses so much) so those couple years of First Daughter's life are so precious to me.  Little princesses are so so sweet.

 

And I just loved that butterfly costume Second Daughter wore.  It was so soft and squishy (just like her!) and I just loved it.  Third Daughter would have called it cozy :)  She wore it two years later.  We have passed it on this year to our niece who is equally squishy and I can't wait to see her in it.  (Even if she doesn't wear it for Halloween, yes I still expect to see a picture of her in it...hint hint...hint...)

 

Halloween is so fun with littles.  Every holiday is so much fun with littles.  We are still trying to finalize costumes for this year, but I think we're almost set.  It's so fun seeing the kiddos get so creative and excited about their costumes!

 

 

 

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Monday Memories 062::First Day of Preschool

August 2008 - First Daughter's first day of preschool



Today I dropped Third Daughter off at her first day of school.
I had a nostalgic moment driving away from our beloved preschool, thinking back on the first time I dropped off one of my kids at that same preschool.  These pictures were that day.

First Daughter seemed so incredibly old and grown up to me that August morning when I dropped her off for the first time.  It was the first time I had left her somewhere to have an experience completely independent from me.  Now she had her own life, her own friends, her own memories.  It seemed like a gigantic step and the beginning of a new chapter of our family.  I'm pretty sure I left a bit teary eyed that day.

In a couple days she will be starting third grade, Second Daughter will be in first, Third Daughter's in her second year of preschool, and I'll be hanging out at home (and running around playing taxi driver) with the two little boys.  My goodness how time flies and how quickly our family has grown.

I am very much looking forward to the school year. 
I love back to school time and I'm itching for fall. 
It's my favorite time of year :)

But I'm trying not to wish away the days because these pictures are proof that kiddos grow up sooner than you're ready for them to.  And I know I don't even know the beginning of it...
I feel like if I blink they'll all suddenly be teenagers.



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Monday Memories 061::A Homecoming

Little Brother, August 2011

In August of 2011 I was able to go home to Boston, sans kiddos, to welcome my little brother home from his two year mission in Argentina.  I was so glad I was able to do that.  It was so wonderful to be with my family and to be there to welcome Little Brother home.  I love his guts and missed him so much while he was gone.  Being there to give him a big hug was really really great.

It was kind of a funny reunion though.  We were waiting by the baggage claim for him, and weren't looking in the right place when he came down the escalator.  Instead of standing there waiting for him with open arms (which we planned on doing) he actually ran up to us from behind and gave us all hugs.  Mom & Dad were delayed in traffic and not at the airport yet, so we convinced him to go back upstairs and reenact the whole thing again so Mom & Dad didn't feel bad that they missed his official return.  It was funny and awesome, and we eventually did tell them the truth, but for a few moments we let them believe they made it on time :)

I really love that Little Bro has been living here in Provo while going to school at BYU.  I think he's pretty awesome and love that we've grown closer in these years he's been in college.  We were even lucky enough to have him living at our house last semester.  It was so awesome having him here and we miss him a lot.  So excited for him and his fiancé's upcoming wedding!

There really is nothing like family.  Even when things aren't going perfectly, family is what it's all about.  These relationships and these people are so important and I love the two incredible families Husband and I came from and cherish the family we are building together.



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Monday Memories 060::Brave Girl

August 2011

 

We don't have a set rule about getting ears pierced in our family.  We've always just kind of left it up to the kiddos.  Whenever they ask we explain what happens, how it hurts, what it takes to keep them clean, and that they don't actually get to wear the earrings they want for a long time after getting them pierced.  We wait to see if they continue to ask and see if they really want to get their ears pierced.  If they really do, them we let them.

 

First Daughter got her ears pierced when she was two.

Believe it or not, she was well informed, understood, and indeed really wanted them pierced. 

Very characteristic of her.

 

Second Daughter was four.

She was very excited at first, and then a little more nervous during the piercing prep.  She was brave through the whole ordeal, shed a few tears, but then was all smiles after.  She takes very good care of her ears and still is a bit nervous every time we change her earrings.

Very characteristic of her.  :)

 

Third Daughter still hasn't asked for her ears pierced.

She will pretend to wear earrings - hang fish hook earrings from her ears or put stickers on her lobes.

She asks to wear earrings, but when I explain that she can't because he ears are not pierced, she has not yet asked to actually get her ears pierced. 

I'm not sure if she even knows it's an option...

We'll see when she figures that out and insists on getting hers pierced.

 

 

 

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Monday Memories 059::July with Grandma

July 2011

 

 

July of 2011 was a fun and unique month.

My mother came for the entire month!  She rented an apartment not too far from us, so that she could spend about six weeks within driving distance of her parents.  And we got to benefit as well.

 

I was in my first trimester pregnant with Son and not feeling great.  It definitely was helpful to have Grandma around and to have a "distraction" from the yuckiness.  Up to that point we hadn't lived close to family during any of our pregnancies, so it was nice to have some help that time.  I felt less guilty that I wasn't able to care for the kids very well because my mom was here to help pick up the slack and keep things fun (and too sympathize with me when I needed her too - mom's are good at that).  They even got to have a sleepover at her apartment!

 

My dad wasn't here for the entire time my mom was, but he did come to visit.

He was here during the 4th of July and we were able to go to the hot air balloon festival with him. 

I think this picture was taken on the 4th, between the festivities in the morning and fireworks in the evening.  The girls were swimming in our blowup pool in the front yard trying to handle to heat. 

It was a hot July that year!

 

Boy am I glad to not have morning sickness again...

 

 

 

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Monday Memories 058::Cozy

Third Daughter snuggling with Son's "cozy" Halloween costume, Oct 2012

 

This picture makes me giggle.

 

Third Daughter has a beloved blankie that she loves to (and tries to) bring with her everywhere she goes.  It's a soft minkie/fleecy fabric that she calls "cozy."  She sticks two fingers in her mouth and rubs her top lip with the corner of her cozy blankie.  She has sucked on her fingers since birth, and has been snuggling with that blankie for as long as she has been able to grab it.

 

I know it's a habit we will eventually need to break her of.  It breaks my heart a little to think about that.  It is very sweet and endearing and I know the day she no longer does that is the day she no longer is a baby girl (I know she's four and not much of a baby anymore, but still...).  When Third Daughter and I are cuddling in my bed, or when she climb in bed to sleep with me at night, I often am awoken by her rubbing her blankie corner on my upper lip.  It is her ultimate sign of affection and I love it so much.

 

But anyway...back to the picture...

 

Son's Halloween costume was made out of a soft fleece. 

I walked into his room and found Third Daughter sucking on her fingers, trying to rub the sleeve of Son's costume on her upper lip. 

She said it was very cozy :)

 

 

 

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Monday Memories 057::We Love to See the Temple

I couldn't help but choose a series of pictures for this Monday Memories.

This simple, short outing is a sweet memory for our little family and I love how these pictures capture the little moments (even though there aren't a lot of face shots...).

We had a family home evening lesson about the temple shortly before this outing and had made a goal as a family to focus more on the temple.  This particular Sunday we took the kids to the Provo Temple after church so they could feel the spirit and peace of being on the temple grounds.  We walked around, sang Primary songs, looked at the flowers, and took pictures of each other.  It was a sweet Sunday afternoon together as a family. 

 

I love our little family so much and the sweet memories we have.  I think our girls at the ages they are in these pictures will always be a favorite stage of mine.  I miss them being so little...

 

I love the temple so much.  I love knowing that our family can be together forever because of the covenants Husband and I made there the day we were married.  I love that we live so close to a temple and can go there often.  Temple dates are some of my favorite date nights.  I can't wait 'til we can go with our children.

 

I hope that our children develop a love for the temple too.  The temple has been such a blessing in my life - a place to find peace, answers to prayers, and guidance when life feels crazy.  The temple is one of Heavenly Father's greatest gifts to us - a place where we can feel His presence and feel closer to Him. 

 

What an amazing gift from a loving Father!

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Monday Memories 056::My First Race

Freedom Run 5k, July 4, 2007 - my first race ever!

 

After I had Second Daughter, I had the crazy idea to run a race.  I had never really enjoyed running before, I wasn't sure I ever would enjoy it, and was very nervous about the idea of a race.  And a 5k?  Up to that point, 1 mile seemed like torture and 3.1 miles seemed impossible - never mind doing it in a race where people might be watching.  But I decided to give it a try anyway.  At the very least, it was a great goal to get a jump start back into shape after having a baby.

 

Second Daughter was born in March.  I figured July 4 was far enough away to give me time enough to train and close enough to make me push myself and work hard.  I think I trained for about 8 weeks.

 

Every night at 8 o'clock, after the kids went to bed, I went out running in the neighborhood.  I loved that quiet time alone at dusk to decompress and work my body.  It ended up being something I looked forward to every night.
 

When I started I couldn't run one mile.  But I went out every night and did what I could.  I didn't have any experience running or training, so I made up my own game plan.  I started off running as much of a mile as I could, then walked the rest.  Each night for one week I pushed a little farther until I could run 1 mile without stopping.

My next goal was 1.5 miles.  I ran until I couldn't, then walked the rest.  Once I reached that, I pushed to 2, and kept going that way until I reached a full 5k.  It was a training schedule that worked well for me and felt very doable.  It was my first experience with a training schedule of any kind.  It felt good to have a goal and a schedule to keep me motivated and on track

 

And eventually, race day came.
The morning of the race I felt really nervous and really excited.  I woke up early and drove myself across town to the starting line.  The sun hadn't quite come over the mountain peaks and the July morning air was cool and comfortable.  At the starting line, just south of BYU campus, I watched the hot air balloons majestically peak over the trees tops.  It was an amazing sight that helped distract me, just a little, from the nerves I felt.
 

But then, to my surprise, I was greeted by many familiar faces at the starting line.  I didn't know that so many of my neighbors were runners and had the tradition of running in the Freedom Run.  I was excited to see so many that shared my hobby and nervous thinking that they might see how inexperienced (and slow) I was.  I still wasn't confident that I would be able to finish the race and I wasn't comfortable "failing" in front of people I knew.  That seems so silly now, but I was really nervous then, and wasn't sure how good I would be at running.

 

The race felt good.  I felt strong and prepared.  I loved the energy of the crowd, the comrodarie of the runners, and the adrenaline of the challenge.  And when I passed my little family cheering for me right before crossing the finish line, I felt amazing.  I was so proud of what I had accomplished and felt how proud of me they were too. 

I did it!

I had trained.
I had prepared.
I had finished my first race without walking.

I was hooked.

It was then that I fell in love with running and couldn't wait to sign up for my next race.

 

If you have ever thought about running a race or starting to run, do it!  You will not regret it.

Running is so rewarding in so many ways and is so much more possible than you think.

Just start where you are and make a plan to gradually improve at your own pace toward your own goal.  It is amazing what our bodies are capable of - so much more than we think.

Right now I am craving running so badly!

I miss it and can't wait to get back on the trail.

It always feels like starting all over again after having a baby, but it feels so good to get my body moving again and to push myself back toward my athletic potential.

I seriously cannot wait.

 

And I definitely plan on running in next years Freedom Run.
It's a super fun race and a wonderful tradition.

Anyone wanna join me?  :)

 

 

 

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Monday Memories 055::A Giant Belly

my 36 week prego silhouette, December 2011 

 

Look at that giant belly.

It is amazing what our bodies can do.

 

There really isn't much to write about this picture.

I just wanted to show it because I didn't have the guts to show it when this actually was my belly.

For some reason, it's not so embarrassing now, even though I'm just as big (maybe bigger) with this baby,

 

Son was by far my biggest baby.

I got the biggest with him.

And I was pretty sensitive about it (does anyone really like to hear how big they are under any circumstances - even pregnancy???)

I knew I was big.

I knew he would be big.

I told the doctor I was carrying a 10 lb baby, and even though he didn't believe me I was right.

 

I still am amazed that I carried him.

I am carrying this baby very similarly to Son and it is amazing me once again.

I'm not convinced this baby will be quite as big as him, but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

Pregnancy is amazing.

But I am definitely ready to be done (and so anxious to run again!)

 

 

 

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Modany Memories 054::We Can Take the Heat

Second Daughter, 3 months old, June 2007

First Daughter, two years old, June 2007

 

I remember this day (and this time in our life) very clearly.

It was a very very hot day.

I remember it being an abnormally hot summer that year.

We would get out of the house and hit the park as early as possible to beat the mid-day heat.

But even at 9 o'clock in the morning, it was really hot this day at the park.

You can see how red First Daughter's face is from running around in the heat.

You can also see that there wasn't really anyone else at the park.

1) because it was early, and 2) because it was so hot.

But we braved it anyway.

 

Second Daughter and I parked ourselves on a bench in the shade to watch First Daughter play.

She was gaining more confidence - walking on the rope bridge, climbing up the ladders, and sliding down the fire poles by herself.

It was fun and amazing watching my two year old be so confident and capable and brave.

And it was amazing how resilient those kiddos were in the heat - I wasn't sure I was able to stand it.

 

Our lives changed dramatically in those first months after Second Daughter was born.

One of the biggest changes was our schedule - specifically our sleeping schedule (or lack thereof).

We were used to First Daughter sleeping 12-14 hours uninterrupted every night.

She never woke up before 8:30 in the morning.

After Second Daughter was born, one of the kiddos was waking up every 1-2 hours each night.

I was getting up 6-7 times each night (which doesn't amount for very good sleep) and since First Daughter had moved to a big girl bed, she was emerging from her room between 6-6:30 every day. 
This was completely new to me (I know, I know...I was a very spoiled new mother...) and a difficult adjustment.

I am not a morning person.

 

And so...

In an attempt to adjust, we were usually out the door by 8 or 9 to pass the time in the mornings and the beat the heat/crowds (and to keep me from getting too frustrated with the kiddos and the lack of sleeping I was getting...)

 

Pictures of the first year of Second Daughter's life always fill me with me with very mixed emotions.

It was a very difficult time for me.

I feel sad that pictures from that time remind me of how hard it was.

I struggled a lot.

I spent a lot of time feeling sad and frustrated.

I spent more time and energy trying to figure out how to be happy and how to be a good mom.

I felt inadequate, incapable, and embarrassed.

I worried about how my struggles were affecting my kids.

I slept very little.

I cried a lot.

It was really really hard for me and I worried that I would never figure it out.

I remember feeling like I was just really bad at life.

I wanted so desperately to be different than I was.

 

But that time and that struggle was also a very important, very necessary turning point for me.

It was then that I made a decision to keep trying, keep going, and keep working on truly being happy even though many days I didn't feel like I wanted to or could.

It was then that I learned how to really pray, how to trust in and rely on the Lord, and to confide in my Husband (and trust that he really did love me unconditionally).

It was then that I decided that my family would come first no matter what and that there was nothing more important than working on improving our family life.

And I knew that time would not stand still for me to figure things out.

 

Life would go on and my kids would grow up whether I conquered my struggles or not.

I didn't want to waste any more time missing out on the joy of raising children.

 

I used to look at pictures from that year and feel overwhelming sadness - like I missed out on the first year of Second Daughter's life and that I let my family down.

Now I feel a little less sad and a little more proud to know that we made it through and to see how far we've come.

 

I have a deeper love for my family and am humbled by the blessing and privilege it is to be a mother.

I am amazed by and thankful for the Lord's watchful care over our little family.

I see how He blesses us and strengthens us every day.

 

I can honestly say that I am a better, stronger, more confident mom today because of the challenge that we went through then. 

And for that reason I am incredibly thankful that it was so hard.

 

Because the harder the challenge, the greater the triumph.

And then comes the joy :)

 

 

 

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