Who's that Girl?!!!???

Tell me.....is it possible that

this girl (eww..yuck)

and this girl (oh...she's pretty)

Are the same girl????

Ya!!! I know!!! Crazy!!!!

Apparently I need to take a little more time

getting ready for my walks/jogs.
Oh well, life is fun. At least

I clean up well. LOL!!

Buzz Oates-No Excuses 5k

Click on picture to see larger.

Well we had a really fun time at our No Excuses 5k that was on Memorial Day down at William Land Park. Blake was able to do another 1/2 mile & he came in @ 4 mins 6 secs. He was the 2nd 6 year old to cross the finish line. I was so Happy for him. I was also excited when Brad decided that he would join me on this 5k. I was really glad he was there!! He pushed me & I needed that (although he said he thought I was going to die). I'm still having some issues with my allergies & breathing (excuses, excuses). Anyway, Kimi was with us most of the time too. She would go ahead & we'd catch up all through out the 3 miles. She's a funny girl. This time they didn't have the clocks at the mile markers & I still haven't figured out how to use my expensive watch correctly(figures) so I had no clue how good (or bad) I was doing. We were getting closer to the finish line & I was so tired (I pushed myself & jogged for longer lengths of time than I normally do) but when I saw that the time was 42 mins I started to go as fast as I could. I crossed the line at 44:10 but my actual chip time was 43:09. Woohoo!!!!! That was way better than the 5k that was a week before (like 7 mins faster). I was so "freakin" happy!!!! Anyway the pictures that I took & had people take are above. There are probably more on Grandmother & Grandad's camera but I hope you enjoy the collage above (I'm sorta into making these right now. Don't know if they're better or worse. I think they take up less space. Whatever, I can do what I want, it's my blog) LOL!!! After the race we went to Pancake Circus. It was sooo good. I don't think I've ever seen Blake eat so much food in his entire life!! Or Sonny. They really needed it I guess. Well the next 5k isn't until July buy my 1/2 marathon is coming up in about a month. Hope I'm ready!!

Blake's field trip to the Zoo

Blake got to go to the Zoo with his class for a field trip. I let him take his camera because I always like to see what he
comes back with. This time it was a little crazy!! He did get some good shots of the flamingos, giraffe & monkeys.
He was very impressed with the reptiles (he usually is thought). Those shots were a little difficult for him but oh well.
It's fun for him. So I made this kind of collage. I did weed through a bunch of them & there were still a ton of pics left.
Anyway have fun if you decide to look at all the pics (ok grandpa, this is where I expect you to tell him that you saw all the zoo pics he took the next time you see him).


Click to see larger images.

Folsom Fun Run

Blake & I went to our 1st race about a week ago. It was the Folsom Fun Run. All I will say about it is this.........it totally sucked & I will NEVER do it again. The whole set up was bad. But we were able to practice so that's good. My time was terrible 50:35 (50mins 35secs) & I had a really hard time breathing. Plus there were weeds in the parking area & I couldn't get them all out of my sock so they crept down beneath my toes. Okay, I'm done complaining, but seriously,
NEVER again.

Here's Blake before we figured out where to go.
Blake right before his race!!
Blake's the 4th one from the left. This was so chaotic & it was a free for all.
At most of the other races we've done, they separate the kids by age. Not
this one. Oh well. He still did a good job.

An Afternoon at the Lake

Blake, Sonny & I went to the lake with Grandpa, Naunie, Aunt Amelia & Baby Mason about a week ago. It was a nice day. Too bad it wasn't hot enough to go swimming. Oh well. When we got there my dad met us at the dock & I walked down with Sonny to get on the boat. I turned around to realize that Blake was standing at the end of the dock just waiting. I told him to hurry up but he just stood there. So I put Sonny in the boat & he proceeded to freak out & I went & got Blake. He wanted me to carry him & I said no way. So I got them both on the boat & we put life jackets on them. Safety, safety, safety. Then off we went. Blake was ok once we got going but had to tell grandpa not to go too fast. Sonny wasn't quite sure yet. This was his 1st time on the boat, besides being in utero. I told him to look at the water in the lake & he said, "no, that's the ocean." Funny kid. He started to enjoy the ride & then wanted to sit by himself. Makes me a little nervous cuz you never know what kids are gonna do & he could just pop out over the side. He was making funny faces & I wish I would've had the camera with me right then. Aw...dang it. Blake & Sonny had a fun afternoon playing in the water & Blake went for a long ride with Grandpa. Sonny was good about putting his life jacket on when he was playing in the water. I had a nice time chatting with Amelia & Naunie. I'm glad we went. By the way..........when Blake got back from his boat ride, his hair was all windblown & freaking awesome. It looked like the hairstyle that Brandon & Dylan both wore on 90210. If I could just figure out how to recreate it...hmmmmm
need to experiment with the hairdryer. Here's some pics I took.

Click to see larger images.

Fun with Water

One day last week the boys were sooo HOT that I said it would be ok to play in
the sprinklers & the hose. Blake went to change but I just let Sonny
play in his clothes. No big deal. They had TONS of FUN!!! Sonny was fun to watch
while he discovered the sprinklers. He's a little
braver than Blake was at this age & they both loved covering the hose & seeing how the water would
spray in all different directions. No, your eyes do not deceive you!! Sonny pants
did fall to his ankles because they got so heavy with water & his waist
is too skinny!! Good times!!!

Click on picture to see larger images.

Here's a little video that I took. It's always way better when you are actually there but you'll get

the idea.

Finished Bibs.....Finally

Here are a couple of bibs that I made for my friend Suzy's little girl & also the
little girl I babysit. Pretty easy to do. I just get a little lazy & bogged
down with other stuff that it took me a while
to get these done. Thanks Steph for teaching me how.

Happy Late Birthday Suzy

Bye Momma!!

Ok I have to blog this even though I have new pics I gotta post. This is sooooo cute (at least to me). For those of you who know me you know that I babysit 3 days a week & then work for my mom-in-law 2 days a week. So, on the days that I leave to "go to work" I go out to the car & then Sonny comes running after me yelling kiss, kiss, I need a kiss. So, I wait patiently til his little legs have carried him to the car, open the door & lean down to give him a kiss. Then he runs back up to the porch & waves until he can't see me anymore. I think it's so cute (I do worry that he won't go back in the house where he's supposed to go). The funniest thing about this is that before I leave to go out the door I ask both boys if they want kisses. Blake says yes & Sonny says no!! I think he likes his little ritual he has created. I like it too. And yes, I wait for him. It melts my ♥.
By the way a lot of times he's still in his p.j.'s & that's even cuter!!
Oh, & he's been calling me "momma" for the past few days, not mommy.

What a GREAT Mother's Day

Yes, this year I believe was the BEST Mommy's Day I've ever had!! Amazing. It's actually kind of a hard day for me but I always put my best face on. My life is not perfect (what, I hear you all snickering) but I do try to remember the good things about mommy's day & try not to remember the things that make it hard. Believe it or not, there are a lot of other mom's out there that have a hard time too. It's not just me. The only difference is, I don't skip out on the festivities like some other mom's I know. It's not that I don't like the recognition, I do, it's just I have my own issues ( and no, I will not be spilling my guts here & now). Let's just remember that no matter what, every mom is special & deserves to be told Happy Mother's Day in some way. So, now that that's out of the way, let's get down to the fun stuff!!

Mommy's day started for me on Friday!! Yes, Friday. Brad & Blake went on the annual Fathers & Sons Campout with our Stake. I was so excited for them to go. Blake's finally old enough to go & do stuff like this & it wasn't raining cuz Brad said he wouldn't go if it was raining!! Hurray!! My husband & son went on a camping trip together. ( For those of you who know my sweet Brad, he doesn't usually like to do social things cuz he's just Brad, so this was way, way excititng for me!!!) So, they left & off I went to take Sonny to Grandad's so I could go to the Temple with, Grandmother, Lisa & Kimi. It's always a treat to go to the Temple!! After our session (which was unusually small for a Friday night) we met up with Grandad & Bryan @ Cattleman's & had a fun Mommy's Day dinner with family!! I was so impressed with Sonny, he was very well behaved. I had such pride in my heart. My kids are awfully spoiled but we try really hard to instill discipline for when they are acting inappropriately. Then Saturday I took Sonny & met up with Lisa for our 6 mile workout. Then home & ready for Blake's baseball game. After that I got to go out b myself for a few hours. I went tanning (yes, I go tanning), got a new pair of shoes (gotta ♥ gift cards), & went to Kohl's & used my giftcard I got from Lisa. Then I went & got my favorite from Chipotle. Yes, what a great day!! Sunday was great & I got my gifts from my "own" little family. The pictures are below:

What better way to show your mom how much you "really" LOVE her than with a card full of Star Wars guns. (the other side was full of light sabers)
This is a paper mache bowl that Blake made for me at school. He was so proud
& of course I have "stuff" to put inside.

Blake & Sonny were with Sisa & they picked out a bunch of charms for me to wear.
I ♥ them all. Plus I've started wearing more jewelry so it was perfect!!
And from my sweet husband. I am a HUGE Twilight fan & he got me this really
awesome book!! I'm not done going through it, I'm taking my time. It's great!!

He also got me this really cool apple paper weight. It goes along with Twilight.

After Church we went over to Brad's mom's & he made dinner for us. That was his gift to his mom & we had a very nice time.

I hope that everyone else was able to get some "me" time like I was & was able

to feel loved & appreciated just a little more.

(side note: the day ended with my sweet angel Blake getting in massive trouble because I walked by & saw him with his hands around his brother's neck because he wouldn't be quiet!! He was punished & sent to bed @ 7:00 with no stories & no family prayer. It wouldn't be a complete day without one of them getting in trouble. Ahhhhh, the joys of being a mommy...)

Thank you to Brad, Blake & Sonny for

giving me the opportunity to be a mommy!!!

I ♥ you!!!

Happy Mommy's Day

I just wanted to put up a quick note before the day gets away. Happy Mommy's Day to all of the wonderful mom's out there. I hope that you will feel appreciated today & every day for all of the things you manage to get done on a daily basis. You are loved & admired!!!

Dentist Appointment

Just in case you were wondering, the trip to the dentist was a success. I know you were waiting to hear what happened. I ended up going with Brad & taking all 4 kids. I'm so glad that we go to a Pedatric Dentist that has a play area & video games to keep the kids occupied. Sonny was a little traumatized by the whole cleaning, but oh well. He's going to go back & get sealants on a couple of his molars just for precaution. Well, that should be fun. LOL. Blake did excellent as always. No cavities!!! Woo hoo. It's the best feeling when he doesn't have cavities because he had to have tons of work after the 1st time we took him in ( He was 3 1/2...I think). What a memory. Anyway, it was nice to have Brad there. He watched my babysitting kids out in the play area in the waiting room. We were there for only 1 hour. Awesome!! If anyone needs a dentist for their kids go to Weideman Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Cindy is so awesome!!

Every time we (I) go to make sure the boys are brushing their teeth I can't help but sing

Brusha, brusha, brusha.....from Grease. (If I knew how to post a picture from the internet this is where I would insert a picture from the movie. But alas, I have no knowledge

of how to do this.......a little help, please)

OH MY GOSH!!!

So usually I don't get on my blog this early in the morning but here I am. I kicked Blake off cuz I want him to "play" with his brother & the kids I babysit. As always I go through my blogroll & I notice that..............I have a new follower!!!!! OH MY GOSH!! I don't know why but I am so excited. I know that I'm not as witty or clever as some of the blogs I read but I feel just a little more important. Thanks to Olivia & Rachel for being followers already!! Thanks for being a new follower 4 nuts in a nutshell. By the way she's having a Mother's Day Giveaway. Go check out her blog 4 nuts in a nutshell you will not be sorry.

P.S. is it weird that I have lightsaber noises in the background? Oh yeah, I kicked Blake off when he was playing StarWars on lego.com.

What I accomplished today!!

Some days I wonder, what the heck did I even do today. Other days I just want to know when I can sit down & rest. Well, here's what I accomplished today:

1. 1 load of dishes

2. Vacuumed the front room & kitchen area

3. Moved my laundry basket from my room to the front room (still not folded)

4. Fed the kids

5. Killed another black widow (at least it was outside this time. Still get the willies thinking about it)

6. Threw some crap away in the "big" garbage can....broken toys etc. in the back yard

7. Sewed buttons on 5 bibs that I finished months ago (finally)

8. Walked/jogged 4 miles

9. Bathtime, scriptures & prayer

10. Read to Blake for 20minutes early in the day instead of right before bed which I hate because I am so tired by their bedtime that I just want him to go to Freaking bed already :)

11. 2 posts on my blog

12. Finished another book!! I am on a reading kick. I ♥ to read but am sadly disappointed that I have the 1st & last books of this series. There are 2 in between that I need to get. Anybody a fan of the "Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants"

Wow.........what great accomplishments!!! Tomorrow I am sending Brad to the dentist with Blake & Sonny. I'm nervous for him. I usually take the boys but I'd rather he take our 2 kids instead of me taking 4 kids to hang out at the dentist. I think I'm chicken. I'm also nervous cuz I think he'll do a better job at dealing with everything that goes with the dentist. I mean he already does better with the boys at the pedatrician. Is he trying to take over my roll as nurturer? Oh wait, I'm talking about Brad......LOL....I'm glad that he helps me out with stuff like this even though it's hard for me to let go of that control.

Baby Sign Language

So I find that I am not someone who used baby sign language so I've never really understood why the big fuss. Not really sure why but I didn't even try to teach it to my 2 kids. Now, don't get me wrong, I have seen so many moms & babies using it with great success but me, just not my thing. Well, the little girl I babysit just turned 1 back in April. She knows how to say "more" in sign language. At 1st it was cute but now it's really just annoying because I don't know what she wants "more" of. That's all she knows. I talked to her mom & asked if she's teaching her more & she says that she's trying but she just won't do it. Well today I was trying to show her "food". As much as I don't use it I do know a "few" words, a "few". Well she didn't get it, oh well. Brad tells me to stop messing with her & I said no, if she's going to do baby signs she needs to learn more. Right? I mean, that's how they're trying to get her to communicate. So later we were outside playing & after a while she came up to me & did both signs for "more" "food"!! I was so excited & praised her & took her in & gave her a snack. So now I will continue with those 2 signs & hopefully move on to "drink" & "thankyou" & "yes" & "no". Anyway I did ask her mom if she's been teaching her & she said finally this weekend she did the sign for "food". We were both so happy. Anyway, I will do some of the signs with her, but I really think it's equally important for her to hear the "word" & not just do the sign because I think that some kids don't use their words as much as they should when they can use baby sign. Just my opinion. I know she's only 1, but she needs to know the sound to the words just as much as the sign because at some point she won't need to use the signs anymore. I think Baby sign is a great way to communicate in the beginning & so awesome for kids that really need it. I'm sure that people will totally have separate opinions, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately.

Serious Problem....Blog Junkie

Ok, I have a serious problem. Here goes. Every time I get on the computer I can't help jumping from blog, to blog, to blog. I am a blog junkie. Am I the only one? I think not!!! My life was so incomplete before I began blogging. I seriously have not even been doing it for a whole year yet!!! Now, if I could only get caught up on my regular scrapbooking. Oh well. Someday. So I have found another new free background blog & a mommy blog that I am now following. I will be updating my blog shortly with the links & all that jazz. I simply cannot help myself when it comes to changing my blog background!!! I think I need to be committed. Honestly, if I could rearrange my house & furniture I would do it like once a month. So I guess this is where I can get my groove on. The reason I'm on tonight is to plan my "sharing time" lesson. Look how far I got. It's ok. It's actually a pretty easy topic & since we don't start til 11:00am I've got more time in the morning (only if everything goes smoothly) hahaha.



Oh, P.S..............I won something from my friend over at thepinkpetunia. I don't know what it is but I sure am excited. She is such a crafty lady. I only wish I could be as creative as her. Thanks Deb.