Running...

A few months ago I made a goal to put some good miles in this past spring. What I didn't anticipate was what seems to be a bulging disk in my back. So I have just been trying to exercise without doing anything to make it worse. Unfortunately every time I think it's over, it isn't. C'est la vie!! So until further notice, I won't be doing a whole lot of running... which I still hate but strangely miss!!

In Defense of Self Defense

 

When I was 17, I worked at my family's video rental store. If you are too young to know what that is, think Redbox but where all the videos are lined up on shelves and you have to interact with a human in order to rent one. My mother ALWAYS told me to be aware of my surroundings. I would roll my eyes because of course as a teenager I was invincible. One night about an hour away from closing I heard my mother's voice in my head, "Are you aware of your surroundings?" I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I casually looked over to the parking lot and sitting in a car right outside our store were two men staring right at me. I don't know why they were there, but the feeling my intuition was giving me was tangible. I jumped on the phone and called my parents and then texted a friend at the ice cream store next door and asked him to bring me some ice cream and hang out until the men left. He did. And it worked. The men drove off. I stayed on the phone until I was able to close up shop and go home. I have never felt so threatened in my life and I was so grateful help was nearby. I was also so grateful for the Holy Ghost letting me know danger was nearby.

 

 

Fast forward several years and I read a story of a woman who was sexually assaulted on the Pacific Crest Trail. Immediately people began to question why she would decide to go hiking alone. Every guide book will tell you that is not safe. There is safety in numbers. In response to this, others accused those questioning her preparedness of victim blaming. One woman continued to point out that women shouldn't NEED to be prepared for attacks of this nature. That women should be respected and valued as human beings and that she refused to learn ANY self defense or take any precautions simply because she didn't believe women should have too.

 

 

I agree, women SHOULDN'T have too...in a perfect world we should be able to hike alone without fearof attack. We shouldn't need to watch for suspicious vans parked next to us. We shouldn't need to consider taking different routes home each day. We shouldn't live in fear of the wrong person learning our husband is away. We shouldn't need to wonder if the "nice" man offering to help us with our groceries has more cynical motives. I shouldn't have a self protection stick attached to my key chain. I shouldn't have needed to create the habit of holding it at the ready. I shouldn't have to practice the defense moves I've learned. 

 

BUT WE DO NOT LIVE IN A PERFECT WORLD!!

 

The men who would hurt us do not care about our philosophical ideals of utopia. Yes, women SHOULD NOT need to know how to defend themselves. But we HAVE to be realistic. We HAVE to be honest about the world we live in. One day I hope to live in a world where everyone lives peacefully together and there is no danger for women. But that is not here and now.

 

One in four women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Ignoring the danger or refusing to learn how to defend yourself isn't empowerment. Learning to protect yourself against those who would attempt to control you, violate you and harm you IS!

 

I have read other's say that those who practice self defense are paranoid. Listen, I don't ever think I will need to use what I have learned. But I am not willing to take a chance either. If I am ever in a position where knowing some simple self defense tactics or precautionary measures could save my life, I am so going to be so glad I paid attention.

 

View this knowledge like your food storage or 72 hour kits. Same principles apply!! You never hope to need it. You never WANT to need it. But you have it incase you might.

 

In a self-defense class I took taught by a previous Bishop and Chief of Police officer he made a point to tell us that the statistics and stories he told us, though horrifying, were not meant to scare us. He didn't want us to live in fear. Aware, yes. Fearful, no! The point of self defense is actually the opposite of fear. It is preparedness.

 

I encourage each woman I know to invest in their safety. To find a personal protection device that they feel comfortable with. To take a self defense class. To research defense tactics and practice them often so you are ready (Husband's are great for this!). Become aware so you can be less of a target and stay safe!

Whether you are a self defense master or just wanting to get started, here is a great place to start:



 

 

NOTE: I want everyone to know that I DO NOT BLAME VICTIMS of these crimes. The woman hiking alone was in no way responsible for what happened to her. That responsibility lies solely with the man who attacked her. If it wasn't her it would have been someone else. These people are opportunistic. We can do all we can to avoid giving these people the opportunities but these attacks will continue to happen. Had she had someone with her, chances are the attack may not have happened. But it is in NO WAY HER FAULT. And I hope that man is stopped before he has the chance to prey on anyone else. It does not matter what a woman is wearing, it does not matter what steps she has taken to protect herself if any, it is NEVER her fault. There is NO EXCUSE for these attacks. There is no justifying it based on the victims actions.  RAPE is not about SEX. It is not about sexuality. It is about control. I say again, IT IS NEVER THE VICTIM'S FAULT. YOU CAN NOT CONTROL THE ACTIONS OF OTHERS. YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHERS ACTIONS. Take precautions to protect yourself but NEVER THINK FOR A SECOND that if you are assaulted you are at fault.

Changing the Focus: Same Blog, New Title

Originally this was supposed to be a blog chronicling the crazy army life we live. But eventually, I simply ran out of things to talk about. And seeing as our army journey could be coming to an end soon(ish), our army life is winding down. Which is ok! But I miss blogging and I wanted to have some accountability... for running. Being 5 foot nothing, you can imagine how NOT built for speed I am. I HATE running. But I LOVE how I feel afterwards. I LOVE the way it makes my body look and really that is enough for me to keep doing it. But of course when you hate doing something EVEN when you KNOW that afterwards you will feel amazing, it is sometimes challenging to get yourself out the door. So this change of focus is to help me stick with it!! I am also going to bring you the:

 

The Spring Sports Challenge!!!

 

This is for me but if you want to participate, you are more than welcome!!

 

You can run/walk/bike/swim...any exercise that gets you mileage. From March until June! And here are categories (keep in mind these are my goals. You can change them to fit your needs.)

 

GOLD MEDAL: 180 miles

SILVER MEDAL: 150 miles

BRONZE MEDAL: 120 miles

BLUE RIBBON: 100 miles

 

I am shooting for gold. My goal is three 5k's a week... yikes! You have no idea how this is going to push me!! But because I have posted for the world to see I am holding myself accountable. Here we go!!

This Week on Facebook: Feb. 1-7

It has been a LONG time since I have written on my blog. I need to get back into this because I LOVE it. It is so easy as a wife and mother to stop doing some things you love! Between running my own business, husband just getting off of night shift (thank goodness!), kid's being sick... It's been all I can do to keep my head above water!! But hopefully the worst is behind us. Now on to the post!!

 

 

Do you ever notice a theme in your Facebook newsfeed each week? This will of course differ for each person because each person follows different things. Here are my thoughts on the trends that hit my newsfeed:

 

 

 

Are leggings and yoga pants...pants?

 

You may have heard about a wife and mother who wrote a post about no longer wearing leggings. This caused quite a stir among my friends! Why? Because most of us fall into an age group and category of avid yoga pants wearers! But to my surprise, there seemed to be a 40/10/10/40 split (official stats right here!) of opinions:

 

40% Were absolutely against the wearing of yoga pants or leggings. Sighting that they are too tight and in that essence revealing. They really don't leave much to the imagination. Just pretend their flesh colored and you are basically picturing the person pants-less. Posts by these friends spurred debates about modesty stating that they wouldn't want to be a stumbling block for men.

 

10% Were ok with leggings or yoga pants so long as the lady's top covered the buttocks. Because it seems across the board that appears to be what everyone is concerned about.

 

10% Were ok with them as long the lady's top or skirt hit the knee. (A Mormon standard for modest dresses or skirts.)

 

40% were unequivocally in support of leggings and yoga pants. Many stating that men need to learn to control their thoughts and that women are not responsible for what they think.

 

What do I think?

 

Well first off I should admit that I am a yoga pants wearer. It's once of my vices...one of my many many vices. I personally don't wear leggings because I have no intention of reliving the 90's. And for some reason leggings feel more revealing to me than yoga pants. I hope we can all agree that tights, aka panty hose ARE NOT PANTS. But here is my final say in the matter:

 

 My boys will be taught that they are in control of their thoughts. Women are people and not pieces of meat no matter what they are wearing and they are expected to treat them as such.

 

I also believe in being considerate to others. Here is the thing. Porn addiction is real. I would hate something I was wearing be a trigger for an addict who is trying to recover.

 

 

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate?

 

A measles outbreak from a person who went to Disneyland has caused quite a stir!! And once again I feel like social media is beating a dead horse. Why? Because quite frankly the studies and statistics from both sides are so staggeringly contradictive there is no way to really know what is right!! You have both sides using scare tactics. On the one hand you have the mom from down the street telling you your child will be autistic if you vaccinate and on the other you have doctors telling you your child will die from some disease that is perfectly preventable if you vaccinate. You will hear terms like "herd immunity" and you will be asked to weigh the consequences. Someone posted this: "When it boiled down to it, I would rather deal with my child being autistic than them getting the measles!"

 

Uhhhh... That doesn't sound right too me!

 

Where do I stand?

 

Vaccines aren't perfect. The last 3 years of getting the flu vaccine and we still get the flu and a myriad of secondary infections and my youngest's asthma pays us a visit! However my children are up to date on all their shots. We waited with our oldest till he was two to begin vaccinations, much to the support we received from our doctor who also did the same thing with her children. After much prayer and consideration we felt that was right for him. In thinking about when to vaccinate our youngest we had no such feelings and proceeded to keep him on schedule. Are there adverse reactions to vaccines? We would be dumb not to think so. People react all the time to western medicine. I and my two kids are allergic to Amox. And let's just say that morphine works maybe a little too well on me. My oldest reacted very badly to one vaccine. He got really sick and his leg swelled up like a balloon. People can have a bad reaction to any of the chemicals in vaccines. There is a reason why babies can not have the measles vaccine. The risk is too great. HOWEVER, I do believe in vaccines. I believe that it is because of them this outbreak isn't taking over our country. And I feel better knowing my children are to some degree protected. We are social beings and can't just lock ourselves away from the world. My kid goes to school and my husband goes to work. And they bring it all home! I don't even want to know the horrors being passed around an elementary school or a job where getting a sick day is near impossible. You had better be dying to get that sick day and thus my husband works with sick people on a daily basis. I am not in support of those who refuse to get vaccinated because they believe that since everyone else is, they don't have to worry. That isn't fair. Because you are putting babies and the elderly at risk, not too mention people who have compromised immune systems like cancer patients. But at the same time I am for people making their own medical choices. So if you don't vaccinate, I support your right to choose. I just may not like your choice.

How much sleep should you be getting...

Have you heard that the powers that be have changed the standard on how much sleep you should be getting? All of my friends on Facebook have! I didn't look into it... because not being able to rise up to meet such lofty standards depresses me. I would rather keep trying to slothfully go about my day not knowing that my children are killing me with their inability to sleep through the night most nights. Or that my husband's erratic and insane hours likewise but me in harm's way. (Seriously he went to work at 2:25 am this morning... Is it nap time yet?

 

 

Jamberry has announced the designs that are being discontinued!!

 

I am shocked by some of these! The Icy Polkas for one!! Get them before they are gone here!!!

 

 



Jesus The Christ

Ever since I first read this INCREDIBLE book I have wanted to make reading it a yearly thing... Well you know what they say about good intentions!

But this year I am actually going to do it! 

I think the Christmas Season to Easter Season is kind of the perfect time to read this book!

I've had several requests for my reading schedule so here it is!!

Back Friday to Christmas: 109 pages to get through to after Christ's birth. 5 pages a day!

Christmas to Easter: 689 pages = 7 pages a day!

The dates won't match up completely but it should get you really close and definitely help you get into the real reason for the season!!

You can read this book online for free HERE

or on your Gospel Library App and the I believe you can download it free when you download the Deseret Book E-book App.

If this blog was a child...

I would be charged with neglect... SEVERE neglect!

Other things have just taken priority. The writers block also hit me. I am also still trying to figure out how I feel busier with one child gone to school and only one at home...shouldn't I feel like there is less to DO?! 

And you know what?! I am FEELIN' it. BOY am I feelin' it.

Who hasn't in their life right? Probably super awesome, selfless people who never ever think about themselves. Thanks for raising the bar and letting the rest of us feel like failures :)

When I feel run down I dig in my heels and try to fight it with caffeine and more sleep...ok you caught me! Just more caffeine. But eventually my body and mind hit muscle failure and I start thinking about the V-word.

VACATION

But this is where it really gets pathetic (because you thought I had already reached that level! Psych!)! I don't want some fancy shmancy vacation where I get to lounge on some white sand beach. 

I literally want to spend the day in a hotel room, Animal Planet/HGTV/Food Network white noising it for me in the background, with me and my laptop and PINTEREST. 

That's it. Ok well there would be chocolate too but then I would be set. All day just VEGGING. That sounds like JUST what I need. 

Believe it or not, I have actually lived this fantasy. A couple years ago when I visited my husband in Korea, he had to work and so I got to spend hours pinteresting my little heart away while National Geographic took me on adventures all over the world. It did get boring after day 1 but that first day was epic.

Remember I said there was chocolate?!

Family Home Evening: Family Coat of Arms Edition

I remember back when I was in a teenager and my family took a trip to the beach. We stayed up most of the night talking about how important family is. My dad talked about how families are like links in a chain and that our goal is to be a strong link in that chain versus, say a paperclip. We talked about how our choices impact our children and our grandchildren and the incalculable number of people that will follow us in this chain.  And then we designed a family crest or coat of arms. 

This is something I have always wanted to do with my little family. A coat of arms was very significant back in the day! It let people know who you were and where you came from. It is what you would put on your shield when you went into battle. The symbols used just drip with meaning and purpose.

So we found a free Coat of Arms Generator. Came up with a family motto. Picked our charges and VIOLA! Our family crest was born!

We chose blue because it represents steadfastness, loyalty and strength. All things we want our family to have. Red is for warriors. We explained to the boys that Satan wants nothing more than to split our family up and that every day we are fighting a battle to keep it together. The blue X is for protection. The band down the center is for bravery. The silver in the shield itself represents cleanliness, wisdom, joy and peace. The crescent in the center was used to represent our hope for greater honor or in other words our hope for exaltation as a family. Our family motto is of course written in Latin but means: Heaven not Earth. Meaning our family is meant for something more. It is forever. It doesn't end here. Clayton chose the dragon which represents how a dragon protects its treasures. Which he is definitely protective so it fits! I chose the bear because I very much am a mommy bear. I will protect and care for my children at all costs. It's also a symbol of health and bravery. Things I want! Little Man chose a snake because he loves them. Snakes symbolize wisdom which fits him very well. Baby Boy chose the lion because he loves tigers. But the lion fits him very well as it represents bravery. This kid has very little fear. 

My plan is to paint it and then frame it so it looks a little more legit and so we have it as a reminder of our goals as a family. It is no secret how important I believe family is. And I love that we now have this crest! So if you need an idea for FHE next week, here you go!

For a great list of what these symbols mean go HERE!!

"Mommy, do you want me to grow up?"

As I put my son to bed on Sunday, he asked me, "Mommy, do you want me to grow up?"

The response that instantly came into my mind was a resounding, HECK NO!!

This week is a big week for him! He started Kindergarten and is turning 6. 

I paused and thought it over and then said, " I want you to grow up. I want you learn and laugh and love. I want you to be able to have a family one day and feel the things I feel. I want you to know what it feels like to make mistakes. I want you to know what it feels like to overcome them. I want you to watch your children grow. I want you to know the love that can come from being married for all eternity. I want you to spend the many years of your life getting to know your Savior. I want you to be able to share what you know with others. I want you to grow up because the world NEEDS boys like you. Boys who are kind, that stand up for others, that are courageous and strong. While I would love to keep you forever little, more than that I want you to do more, feel more and enjoy life in a way you can't now. It will happen before I know it. I'm not ready for that day. But I know I am doing everything I can to make sure you are ready. And that's the most important thing a mother can do."

August Rabbits: It's finally here...

I would say "Happy Rabbits" but this Rabbits is not so happy...

Dear August...

I've decided I grew up in a special utopia where August is still religiously protected as prime SUMMER territory. But the last two places we have lived have made a blatant attempt to challenge my beliefs that SUMMER is for FUN and AUTUMN is for SCHOOL. I remember growing up and hearing horror stories about how so-and-so's cousin who lives in Arizona started school practically in JULY!! GASP!!! Surely such evil couldn't exist in the United States... the land of the FREE!? 

Am I being dramatic? Of course! But there is a very good reason why I care SO MUCH this year...

Little Man is starting Kindergarten. And I'm a little more than miffed that this whole coming of age situation is basically encroaching on my ideals of Summer. Really, if we were digging a little deeper I would actually admit that the reason I am so put off is because my BABY IS STARTING SCHOOL!! 

Once again I have become THAT MOM I said I would never be. I thought I would be excited to see him go to school... BUT HE'S SO MUCH FUN TO HAVE AROUND!!!

Especially lately as he has decided to finish most of his conversations with me with a slight bow and a "Your Highness." Like who wouldn't want that around ALL THE TIME?? It's totally random but I can't say I hate it!

Dear August 2014...

The Family Night App Review:

I love sharing. Especially when I stumble across something as great as this!

I am not the first Mormon mother to admit that maybe her family's FHE's are less than spectacular. Recently a friend introduced me to a new app she did the design for and it is just what my family nights needed!! It's called "The Family Night App" and it is amazing!

Last night was our first Family Home Evening back from vacation and I was super excited to try out. 

To start you make a profile for every person in your family! You can add pictures for each person. Then you can also customize your agenda. The app automatically assigns members to the tasks you've added to your agenda! 

 Now the coolest parts about this app is in the agenda portion:

For the opening and closing songs, you can click on the music notes and it will take you to the in app music section complete with songs from the Hymnal and the Children's Song Book. And MY FAVORITE part? Click on the song you choose and up pops the sheet music and you can play the accompaniment right from your mobile device! 

Next you can click on the calendar and go over the coming events for the week! It will then take you to your mobile device's calendar! 

The lesson's feature is another huge plus for me! Once you click on the lessons section you can choose  "Gospel" and that will take you to the app's Pinterest page of FHE lesson ideas. Or select "By Topic" if you want ideas for a specific topic. Selecting "FHE Manual" will take you directly to the church's official family night manual! (I didn't even know they had one!!) Lessons right at your finger tips!! A HUGE blessing!! 

Select "Activities" and you will taken to the app's Pinterest page for activity ideas!!

Finally, we of course can not forget dessert and the creators of this app didn't either! Select treats and you will be taken to the growing selection of dessert ideas from many of your favorites like "Creme de la Crumb" and "Oh Sweet Basil!"

This app is so much fun and easy to use!! It definitely helped me plan our family night and bringing all those resources into one convenient place is SUCH a time saver!! I am so excited for Monday nights now!! This app is available for Apple devices and is only $1.99!!  Definitely check it out!! And be sure to like the Facebook Page for updates!! 

I thought I would see a rattlesnake at some point...

And today was that day!

I was in the middle of patting my back for hitting the 5k this morning when something slithered almost under foot. You see, I live in the desert.  I run in rattler country. I also run on a gravel path (UGH that gravel...how I hate that gravel so much!) that would be an excellent spot for a viper to sun bathe... at least I think so, if I was a snake that is. 

This snake was the second largest snake I have ever seen in the wild. The first was a four foot long black thing! And I just about stepped on him. 

I JUMPED! I jumped high enough to make any Olympic high jumper proud! I screamed. I turned back around just in time to see it slither into the grass...

And then I laughed. It is still true. I THOUGHT I had seen a rattlesnake. But at second glance I realized it was simple the biggest garter snake I have ever seen!! 

Catching these guys was a past time in my native land (Oregon). So I got right up close to snap a picture and debated nabbing him to bring home and show the boys. But decided to let nature be. I'm sure I had given him a bad enough start to his day by almost crushing him. No need to make it worse! 

Today was the day I THOUGHT I saw a rattle snake!

The Potty Train: The Sequel

This is my second time round on "The Potty Train" and believe you me I was NOT excited when Caden started showing signs he was ready as if to say, "ALL ABOARD!"

The reason as to why I was so reluctant was because I felt I absolutely failed my first son when it came to this milestone. At the time I thought I knew he was ready and maybe on some level he was but emotionally and mentally he had some growing that should've happened before we jumped on the band wagon. But of course I was pregnant and irrational and tried to force it on him when all the signs were there to stop. It took him a good YEAR till we were accident free. (Yes I can be rather stubborn.) And it was horrible. It wasn't until he was finally going on his own that I saw the error of my ways (Stubborn? Yes. Smart? No!). I began seeing articles suggesting that kids aren't physically able to hold their bladders until age 4! Almost half the kids at the normal potty training age can't hold their bladders the whole night through. While I did sticker charts, bribes, time outs... I ignored the fact that he simply just wasn't ready. Thankfully he is turning out to be an amazing kid despite all I am doing! 

So when my second turned two I had no lofty goals or dreams of grandeur of being diaper free anytime soon. I wanted it, for sure! He poops six times a day on a regular basis for crying out loud! But I knew he wasn't ready and I wasn't going to push it. 

He turned three and I still knew he wasn't ready. And that was fine with me! But sure enough, a couple of months later and the train whistle she was a blowin'! So we decided to give it a shot! We tried for a day and it was horrible. He had accident after accident. So at the end of the day, I shrugged my shoulders and said "No big deal!" And we went back to diapers. No kid shaming, no punishments. In my opinion, potty training should be full of praise and excitement. Accidents WILL HAPPEN. And if they are scared or upset by your reaction they will resent the potty. The brain and the bowels still hadn't quite figured out the connection. And that is ok! 

A week later, my mommy gut told me to try again. So with baited breath we tried again! And this time he got it! He was ready. He has had a couple of accidents but nothing major. He gets it. And that's the biggest hurdle with potty training. 

So without further story telling here are my tips from the second time around:

1) If they keep having accident after accident, even if you know they are smart enough to get it, they may not be ready. If they are seriously resisting going on the potty, even fighting it, don't let it become a power struggle! If it becomes a battle, then going to the potty means they've lost and you've won. Going to the potty has to be about them winning! In my opinion, stubbornness and fighting won't win the potty war, patience will.

2) Positive reinforcement: On that very first day we started giving Caden a sucker every time he went pee. Well that back fired. He hadn't finished the first sucker by the time he decided he could push some more pee out. So for him we did a sticker chart for pee (Just a blank piece of paper on the fridge) and he got a sticker each time he peed. He loved this! Every time he got a new sticker we would count how many he had and I would emphasize that he had gone to the potty this many times! It was a way for him to visually see his success! He gets a sucker if he poops mainly because I dread cleaning up poop and he loves suckers so its a win win! Also his older brother gets a sucker when he poops too. And I make sure to let Caden know about his brother's success. "Will got a sucker because he went poop! That is so awesome! He's great at the potty!" 

3) Buy or Make THESE:

They are underwear with an absorbent layer! I can't describe how much I love these! They help so much when an accident does happen because most of it won't end up on your furniture! I saw an idea where someone went and bought the generic cloth diapers and sewed those into the underwear they already had. I'm not a seamstress but I thought it was a great idea!

4) Timer: This time I put Caden on timer. I started with ten minute intervals. Then when I felt he could hold it a little longer I would add 5 minutes. If he had a lot to drink I am might take him potty a little sooner just to avoid an accident. Because the goal is to have more success than misses. But by day three he was doing such a good job holding it (we even ventured out of the house!) that the timer stopped and he goes all on his own! I will remind him still if I feel its been a while since he went but he can tell whether he wants to go or not. 

5) Consequences: This has to be done so carefully. Because you don't want the punishment to overshadow their success. If they feel like a failure they won't try to be better. They will just keep believing they are bad at the potty. For Caden, when I knew he had it down but he'd get distracted playing in his room and have an accident I would remind him that it wasn't ok to go potty in his pants and that if he did it again he would need to sit in a time out. Well he did it again and to time out he went but that was the last accident he had. After the time out I made sure to take him back to the sticker chart and count all the times he has gone potty and praise him for going SO MANY TIMES! I really believe that if you are going to issue out punishments it should be done in a way that doesn't reflect badly on the whole potty experience or lower their self esteem. 

Learning from my past mistakes has made this time around so much better! For me and Caden! These tips won't work for every kid because every kid is different. But this is what worked for me and hopefully if you are struggling on the potty journey, something here can help! 

ColoRADo Adventures: Helen Hunt Falls Hike

We had planned on hiking William's Canyon today (my son thinks its pretty cool to have a canyon!) but when we went to go sign the waiver at Cave of the Winds we were informed that it is closed and has been for two years! (Thanks a lot internet!) So we quickly located another hike and I am glad it worked out in the end! It was steep and had I gone before taking the boys I may not have thought it was something they could handle but they were troopers and had fun...despite Caden getting a pretty nasty scratch on his leg. It had been gorgeous on our trek to the top when we suddenly some thunder cracked overhead.  I'm all like:

"It changes so suddenly. One moment it's paradise, the next it's trying to kill you."

So we booked it down the mountain Snowy River style:

Or something like that :)

Just in time too!

Missing in Action:

I have taken a bloggy break. Not on purpose but because life just gets busy sometimes. Not only are we in a new place and trying to integrate ourselves into Colorado Society, I started a new diet that is AMAZING, put myself on a cleaning schedule to make sure my house stays PCS ready because you know those army rumors are already circulating, jumped back into home school preschool and making sure Will is all set for kindergarten, training for a 5k, trying to find time to paint, read and work on my photog skills, oh and trying to figure out where we want to go after Clay's contract is up or if we want to stay in (which is probably the least likely). 

I've been busy! But a good busy! Things are going good.

We've been trying to figure out what we want to do for kindergarten for Little Man. We loved the school in Alabama but of course moved and now we are trying to once again weigh our options. My biggest fear is him falling behind or not thinking he is smart because he really is. I worry about that whether I am homeschooling, charter or public! So much to think about...Opinions are greatly appreciated! 

So that's my update for now. Hopefully I can learn to juggle better and will be able to blog more!

ColoRADo Adventures: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

My final evaluation of the zoo is that while I felt it was overpriced (I've been to A LOT of zoos) and it wasn't the BEST zoo I've been too, it was still a great place to visit!

Nauvoo:

(I love seeing Elder Bednar's Special Witness clip...because WE MET HIM THERE!!)

(Sad news for my Nauvoo family...Dottie's is closed.)

(An unfired brick is called a pug. To dry them they had to rotate them daily which is called hacking. This is hacking a pug!)

(Loved my next door neighbor's house!)

(There is SOOOOO much grass in front of the temple now! It was sad to have no trace of the JSA but I gotta say, seeing the temple more is nice!)