Just us Girls

The boys left us today to go camping. That's fine. The house is a bit quieter without them. Lily is definitely bored with me. She is with me all the time and I think she thinks I am boring. We started our together time a little early with some Coldstone. Who doesn't enjoy ice cream on a warm day? Then after a quick game of Disney Memory we headed off to get broccoli beef at Panda Express. Lily was so excited. She usually just gets that at home, but this time we stayed and ate there. She gobbled up her dinner and was so happy.

Our fortune cookies couldn't have fit us better. Mine said, "Get away from home awhile to restore your energies." That couldn't be more true with everything that I have on my plate right now. Unfortunately running away from the plate is just being irresponsible. Maybe I will leave when the plate is empty. That should be about June 13th at 6pm. Lily's said, "You are always welcome in any gathering." I explained that to Lily and told her it was because everyone loved her. She said, "I know. I love me too." That was followed by her sweet little giggle. She is so funny. After we came home she took a very long bubble bath and went to bed. I am enjoying my quiet time and just watched the finale of Grey's Anatomy. AAAGH. Now I have to wait until September to find out what happens. Those evil writers.

When all is said and done, even though my morale right now is a little now, and I really feel like the world is out to get me, I have much to be thankful for and that is what keeps me going.

Here we go Again!

This week has had its highs and lows. It seems we are so busy with life right now we don't know if we are coming or going. I think we managed to have two family meals together this week in the dining room. I think I am already looking forward to summer.

The boys went back to school this week. Yippie! That was wonderful. I had to drag Noah out of bed Monday morning, but we all made it on time. I have 3 new piano students so life this week was a little crazy. I went to a baby shower. Watched two of my friends kids and ran lots of errands. Oh and on top of that I had a triathlon on Saturday!

Lily got a surprise on Friday from her Auntie Barb. Barb, who isn't actually an aunt, it's a Polynesian thing, used to come over and hold Lily until she fell asleep when Lily was a tiny baby. Auntie Barb made Lily this beautiful apron. Lily was so excited about it. She wore it all Friday afternoon.

Friday evening we headed up to Mortensen Manor to spend the night. It was only 20 minutes from the race so we felt like that would be easier than driving up from San Diego. I woke up early on Saturday morning and got ready for the race. It wasn't so bad. The first 150 yards of the swim were annoying due to the current. I felt like I wasn't going anywhere. I have always talked to myself in my head when swimming and today's conversation went something like this. "Why are you doing this again? Sure they are fun, but do you really enjoy them? This is the last one. It has to be. Why am I so exhausted already? I haven't really done anything yet?" At this point I look up and realize I haven't even hit the first buoy. The conversation continues. "You better swim harder. You were a life guard and a swimmer for heaven's sake." Then, "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Swimming Swimming aaaaaah." I finally came out of the water and was so happy to see my sister was behind me. I never beat her at anything. She's ultra competitive when I am only so so. I was also very happy not to see any fish or dead fish.

I got a little stuck in the transition area. My sister left before me. That wasn't fun, but I got out and started on my new bike. That was so nice compared to my old one. I am still not the greatest biker, but it was a nice smooth ride until the end of the 12 miles. Then there is the longest, steepest hill I think I ever want to ride on. I must give credit where credit is due. I would like to thank my spin instructor who has pushed me in class and always makes us work hills. Close to the top I am telling myself, "I think I can. I think I can." My mouth is dry, my throat is dry, but I don't want to reach down and grab my water bottle because I am afraid of falling. Then I see the water station, but that too is on the monster hill and I don't want to stop to grab it.

The next transition was easier. I just had to change shoes and grab my ipod. I was so excited to use it because most races you can't. It really helped me get in to my running rhythm. The run wasn't bad. My sister finished two minutes before me and was waiting at the finish line along with Damon and Noah.

We stuck around for my sister's husband, who was running the Olympic size, to finish. It was nice to finally be the one cheering everyone at the finish. I would like to thank Damon and Noah for coming and enduring endless boredom, for the most part, to support me in my crazy endeavors. I ended up placing 3rd in my division and 13th overall for women. My sister placed 2nd in her division. That was kind of exciting.

Next stop! Camp Pendleton.

Happy Mother's day to all my friends who are mothers or who are future mothers. May you have a wonderful day this Sunday!

Spring Break...week 4

Yea! The last week to survive. It actually wasn't that bad. Here is our week in review.

Monday we drove down from St. George. We stopped at Mortensen Manor and saw the new baby chicks that had hatched the night before. They were very cute. We made it back home in time for piano lessons and Adam's baseball game.

Tuesday was spent recovering. Lily went to preschool and I took the boys for a bike ride around the lake. We did laundry, unpacked and relaxed. Noah had pack meeting that night and he received his wolf badge. We are very proud of him.

Wednesday was spent running errands. Not a very fun day. Noah had a baseball game that night. At dinner we told the kids that we were going to Disneyland for 2 days and they had to help get ready. Adam was so excited he was near tears. We also told them that we were meeting our friends there and that got them even more excited.

Thursday morning I drove the kids down to Anaheim and checked in to our hotel which was right across the street from the park. It was closer than the parking garage. We met up with the Shoff's and spent a great day in Disneyland. The crowds weren't to bad and no one got lost or was abducted. I finally made it to level 5 on the Buzz ride. We had dinner at Rainforest Cafe. We all love that place. When we went back to our hotel and got our room keys we found out that they put us in the 2 room suite. Sweet! I was so happy. Damon drove down later that night.















Friday the whole family went to California Adventure. It was nice to be there all together. I still can't seem to beat Damon on the new Toy Story ride. Adam is now tall enough to go on California Screamin' and Tower of Terror. He loved all the rides and wanted to keep going on them. Lily was happy because she was finally tall enough to go on the bumper cars and Soaring over California. She always feels like she gets left out of all the rides. I went on Mullholland for the first time and I didn't like it at all. We saw the Alladin show and got yummy milkshakes. The crowds weren't to bad so that was nice. Noah said he would try Screamin' next time. We drove home late that night and all the kids crashed.

Saturday was spent at the baseball field and doing chores. Damon had a show up in Pala so he was gone for the evening. I was so tired I couldn't even stay awake to watch 24.

I am so happy the kids are going back to school on Monday. This pig virus better not shut down our school or I am going to start some sort of revolution. I need a good week of school to recover from all the "fun" we have been enjoying. Leave a comment and have a nice day.

Spring Break...week 3

Wow! 11 comments on that last post. I feel so loved. I guess all the other posts aren't worth leaving comments on. That's ok. I won't take it personally.

Week 3 has been a busy one. I am so exhausted I think I am taking the first week the kids go back to school off. You can find me at the day spa if you need me.

Monday, as previously mentioned, we went to the beach with the Shoff's. It was so wretchedly hot I couldn't think of a better thing to do. We didn't know we were going to end up on the evening news. What a bonus. Noah was bummed they only showed the top of his head. We had a fabulous time and we almost didn't get any sunburns. My feet were red for the next few days. I can't wait for more permanent warm weather so we can go to the beach more often.



Tuesday the warm weather trend continued (I really don't miss Oregon weather at all) and we went to Sea World for the day. The kids, especially Noah, were so happy to go back. It was such a nice day to be there. We walked with flamingos, sat in the soak zone at Shamu, watched the polar bears take a swim and managed again not to get sunburned.

Wednesday was spent getting ready for our trip, sort of. The boys had an extended play date with the Shoff's while I went to my spin class. Only 2 weeks til the next Triathlon. I am a bit nervous. Lots of piano lessons occurred that day, but no cleaning and some packing. I felt bad leaving Damon with a dirty house, but I can only do so much. We drove to my sister's to spend the night before we headed up to Utah.

Thursday we drove to St. George to visit with Nana and Papa. The trip went ok. Noah was a big help especially when Lily jabbed her finger up her nose and blood started gushing out of it and we were in the Cajon Pass and there is no where to stop. He kept her nose pinched and then cleaned her all up afterwards. My heart rate spiked a little when a police officer turned his lights on and flipped around right when I drove past him. It took about an hour for my heart rate to return to normal and for me to bump my speed back up. We were very happy to reach Nana's. She made Noah cupcakes to celebrate his birthday again. He liked that.


Friday we drove up to Provo. I figure with the kids it is never to early to indoctrinate them into thinking that BYU is the only school for them. They can't stray from tradition. We had lunch at the Courgareat, shopped at the book store, toured the campus, played in the Eyring Science Center, got some yummy treats from the creamery and met up with Pookie. Then we drove up to Riverton/Draper to celebrate our cousin/nephew 8th birthday. The kids were so happy to be done with driving. All of their cousins were there and they all had a blast.





Saturday morning I took the kids up to Salt Lake City to visit Temple Square. They had never been. I told them I would pay the first person who found the temple a dollar. We walked out of the parking garage and the temple was smack dab in front of our faces and no one could see it. So funny. I kept asking them to look around and tell me what they see. They saw fountains, statues, grass, flowers, trees and everything else one could possible imagine. Finally I told them to look up. Finally Noah noticed the 5 story building looming over us. We went to tour the Beehive House. When I told Lily the name she said, "I don't want to go inside because I don't want to get stung by any bees." I chuckled over that. We saw the Assembly Hall, the Tabernacle, Church headquarters, the visitors center, and the Church history museum. We came back to our cousins house for the baptism. After dinner all the kids got ready for bed and Grandpa came down and told stories of his life. We heard all about visiting his grandparents in Fairview, UT and working on the farm during his summer. The kids loved all his stories. I loved hearing them too.

Sunday we left at 8am with my sister and her little baby to drive back to St. George and stay with Nana & Papa. We had a nice drive and a wonderful time relaxing. Damon's mom spoils us. We love her for that and everything else she does. We went to bed early because we were getting up the next morning to finish the drive. I am tired.

Rach uses the word 'junky' on TV

Hey, all - Rach and the kids were on TV today. Take a look!

Spring Break...week 2

This week had its ups and downs. It did go by pretty fast. We are having so much fun, but I am getting a little tired of being the director of fun. Here is our week in review.

Monday nobody wanted to do what I had planned. I live with a bunch of deadbeats. I had planned to take them downtown to the Children's museum and then out to lunch, but no one was interested. I then informed them that they would be riding their bikes around the lake so I could get some exercise. That's when the, "but we want to go to the museum" started. TO BAD! So I got my exercise in for the day as well as 8 loads of laundry. How in 7 days do we accumulate that much laundry? I have no idea. Adam and I were able to plant some green beans and some zucchini in the garden. We hope they grow.

Tuesday ended up being a cloudy day here, but we made the most of it and headed up to Carlsbad to see the Flower Fields. They were as beautiful as ever and we had fun tracking down all the flags and getting our passports stamped. The kids also enjoyed mining for gems. This year we had lots more fun because we went with friends. It rained later that night.

Wednesday it was horribly windy and cold so we had to adjust our outside plans to be inside plans. I asked the kids if they wanted to go BOWLING or to chuck e cheese. We went to the Cheese's. yea. They had lots of fun and I got to sit and work on a suduku puzzle while they ran around to their hearts content. I also got to go to my spin class. It was the first time in weeks and I was so happy to be back even though it was really tough. The boys were able to go play at a friend's house while I was at the gym and they enjoyed that. Adam had a game that night. I am getting a little tired of baseball.



Thursday was a fun day. We just relaxed in the morning and then in the afternoon we went to the Miramar Air Museum and then to see the mad scientist show at the library. We enjoyed both so much. That night Noah had a baseball game. We didn't get home until after 7pm so dinner was provided by Jack & the box, el pollo loco and taco bell. yum.

Friday I was pretty much tired and had errands to run and needed to meet with my trainer. I declared it movie day and we went to Blockbuster and got the movie "Bolt". The kids seemed to enjoy it. Damon was gone all afternoon and night at a show so the kids and I had a simple evening.




Saturday was full of more baseball, errands and house stuff. I planted some new plants in my courtyard. Looks much better. Damon and I went out that night and I really enjoyed my time away from being party planner.



Today was a special day. 9 years ago Noah entered our lives and changed them forever. I can't believe he is 9. He is such a big help to me and to his siblings. He is not perfect, but he does try. Grandma and Grandpa and the Mortensen's came over for dinner and playing. At one point I walked outside to find the hose going as well as all the squirt guns and found some very wet children. I just went back inside and didn't say a thing. They had fun. After cake they all crashed and watched "Bolt".

The house is clean, the kids are asleep, I watched "Amazing Race", and now I need to do more laundry. Leave a message and have a nice day.

Spring Break...week 1

EASTER IS HERE!!

This week just flew by. I don't know how other people do it with only one week for spring break. Maybe I have just gotten lazy knowing that we have four weeks off. Maybe I just plan to much fun and one week is just to short a time to squeeze it in. Here is our first week in review.

Monday was spent cleaning, doing piano and playing with friends. Not a fun day for the kids, but very necessary. Damon was home half the day fixing a window that fell inside the jeep door. I really hate American cars. I am all about supporting our own country and economy, but honestly we have never had so many things break on us that need expensive repairs than we have on our American car. I think Chrysler deserves to go bankrupt because they make such crappy products. So instead of paying the service department to fix the window Damon figured out how to do it himself. Go Damon!

Tuesday was a fun day. We went to the movies with our friends, the Shoffs. We went and saw Monster vs. Aliens. It wasn't bad, but I didn't love it. The kids did and they had lots of fun. I took the kids to Henry's before the movie and the got to raid the bins. We came out with lots of chocolate covered goodies. We also went to the lake and Adam got to ride is bike around the whole thing. 5 miles. Good job Adam.

Wednesday brought Grandma and Grandpa down for a visit. We are trying to see all 21 California Missions before Noah goes into 4th grade. So we started with the San Diego Mission. It was interesting and I think Noah enjoyed it. My dad did steaks that night and that is always a bonus. The best treat of all was Grandma and Grandpa taking both boys up to their cousins house that night for cousin camp. Damon and I got to be parents of one child for two nights. That was great. Damon took the day off to go golfing. He was so happy all day long.

Thursday Damon took his "girls" out to breakfast. Lily was so cute. She wanted to go to Denny's. She looked at the picture menu and ordered exactly what she wanted. We then went to the bike shop to get me clip shoes for my new bike. That night in the garage I got to figure out how to clip in and out of my pedals. So funny. I kept screaming as I lost my balance and Damon kept laughing.

Friday had us heading up to Redlands for the Easter weekend. We stayed at Mortensen Manor. The boys were happy to see us, but didn't look like they missed us. We dyed Easter eggs (7 dozen of them), had a huge egg hunt and BBQ, played with the new baby chicks, ate to much candy and went over to my aunt and uncle's house for dinner. Saturday morning Damon and I were able to go on a bike ride. We got three miles in before it really started raining on us. I love my new bike. It rides so much easier than the last one.

Easter Sunday is always a little crazy with trying to find Easter baskets and getting to church on time. I hadn't been in much of an Easter mood so I spent the morning reflecting on our Savior's life, ministry, death and Resurrection. We try to emphasize that with the kids. Easter is about Christ rising from the dead, not about a bunny. Maybe one day they will get it. We had another big dinner Sunday night where we all ate to much again. Now we are home and there is much sleeping from the kids.

Stay tuned for week two!