Tuesday, May 27, 2008

hold on to your hats and glasses...

here comes the update of a lifetime. we've been busy, busy, busy around here as we prepare to leave and have been trying to pack it all in! (ha! get it? PACK it all in?) so here goes!

we love blue lily photography!!

remember this? well, we finally got the chance to take wendy from blue lily photography up on her free session prize and we are so thrilled with the results. here's a sneak peak:

cutest thing ever!! to see more, check out her blog, or to see all 20 images email me or give me your email address in the comments and i'll give you the password to check out the proofs.
if any one needs a good photographer, wendy is your girl!! she was practically doing cartwheels to make sure she got a good smile out of owey. thanks wendy!!

Monday, May 26, 2008

13.1



it's over. (sigh)
i can't believe it.
i can't walk either.
but that's another story.

6 months of preparation and training all led up to the big day yesterday. it seems like a dream now. i really want to record this well and do it justice, but i don't really know what to even say. is that weird? the day i've been looking forward to with every step and stretch and strain. and now it's come and gone and left me both full of pride and full of pain. (i promise i didn't mean to rhyme right there.)
overall, the race went well. (unless you count the ridiculous pain in my left knee starting at mile 5- yeah, that's 8.1 miles till the end - or the near serious mess that i would have made after mile 10 if that porta-potty hadn't been RIGHT there and unoccupied) but, i did finish - and that was my goal. my time was pretty good all things considered. and i was so proud of all of the other girls!
the best part of the race was seeing my family there cheering me on. clint and owey, mom and dad, even clint's parents dave and shelly, mique's family, i felt so loved and supported and basically like a rock star. i am so grateful that they made such an effort and made us feel like what we were doing really was a big deal. they were there to cheer us on at the beginning, at miles 5 and 9, and of course at the finish line. i think my favorite part of the whole day was crossing that finish line (crying of course - out of emotion, pain, relief, joy- the whole gamut) and clint running over to me with owey to hug me and tell me how proud of me they were. it was all worth it for that feeling of love and support and accomplishment. thanks for helping me get through this babe! you know this was a huge commitment for him too. all the massages, the complaining, the taking care of owey while i spent hours on the road. thank you, thank you, thank you!

i am sure i will post more pictures and gory details on my running blog later, but for now, here's a few.


me and brooke pre-race. it was pouring when we got there - we were freaking out at the possibility of running a half-marathon in the rain.


me, amy, kacey and brooke. yeah- i'm the idiot who lost her bib before the race even started. clint designed our shirts - they say "run girl, run 13.1)

here we are at mile one (notice we are still smiling?) l to r, kacey, me, amy and if you look back behind you'll see brooke and mique too.

mile 5- amy and i had broken away a bit, and were feeling pretty good up to this point keeping about a 10 min mile pace, but going down these hills is where my knee started to ache.

the big finish.


owey hangin out with grandpa (yes- still in his jammies. we did leave the house at 5 am you know.)


proof- we ran a half marathon even though we JUST had babies. (can i still say JUST even though he's 8 months old?)


the aftermath. in all our sweaty achey glory. brooke, kacey, me, miq, amy. you can't see the ice pack on miq's knee or the chafage on the rest of us. (thank goodness!)

WE DID IT!!!

my big boy... 8 months old!

so big 8 months going on 18. i tell ya.
some things he's up to these days:
  • pulling himself up on EVERYTHING! he is also so anxious to walk (watch out!) and takes 2 or 3 steps.
  • feeding himself... baby food is for babies after all.
  • trying to climb on everything. sticks his little knee up to try and get up on things twice his size.
  • loves, loves, loves diego. thinks he's the funniest thing in the world.
  • getting really good at using those little fingers to grab everything (including mom's necklaces which he has managed to break several times!)
  • figured out how to crawl underneath chairs, through bookcases... our little escape artist.
  • lots and lots of smiles and loves!!

thanks for the smiles.

and the curiosity

and the messes

and the snuggles (look at those sad tears!)

pack, pack, pack away

what a mess!! clint's last day at work was a week ago, so we have been busy packing forever now. we are finally getting close, and have succeeded in some serious de-junking, but sometimes it seems like it will never end!!




aren't you jealous?
and by the way - although at times i have been a bit of a wendy whiner about this move, i will have you know that i've learned a lot about myself and about life through this new adventure. after realizing that fear was what was holding me back from really feeling ok with this, i have felt a renewed sense of peace that comes when you are willing to let go of that fear and move forward in faith. i am so grateful to know what life is really about- it is an adventure afterall... and the destination doesn't really matter. thanks for your kind and supportive words. i usually do come around....

drew turns 2 and the cf walk

last saturday we took a break from the packing for 2 fun events- the cf walk and drew's birthday.
we met up with my mom, sister and niece down in mission bay and then with shar and her fam to participate in the great strides for cystic fibrosis walk. miq and i ran the 4 mile course (first time we've ever run together) and it was great. really, really hot, but gorgeous scenery and all for a good cause.


shar and harrison

clint and owey- part of the few who actually walked the whole 4 miles. what troopers!

later on we met up with my fam to celebrate drew's big day. he wasn't feeling very well, but still managed to get in a cupcake and some present opening.
we then took some family pictures of all of us before we head off to never-never land. i don't know where i saved them on my computer, so i will post some when i find them.

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the sun finally came out!

after a few weeks of gray skies and even rain (the nerve!), when the sun finally came out last week we had to get to the park to try out the swing. owey was soo calm and contemplative. he was intrigued by everything - the grass, the sand, the other kids. he really could have been content for hours! we finally got a turn at the swing after the russian nanny on the cell phone gave up both baby swings after an hour of pushing 2 little girls who looked ready to puke by the end. (no, i wasn't bitter.) i just couldn't resist snapping a million pictures of owey's first swing ride. i'll spare you and only post my favorites:




so serious!

what a good little helper

who needs toys when you have boxes!?





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some new faves


our happy little guy

diego's favorite spot in the afternoon. what a life!


love that face.

always playing.

our little cowboy

sometimes i just can't resist this little cowboy. the cutest thing you've ever seen? i do say so.





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Saturday, May 24, 2008

we're still alive


just neck high in boxes. i promise to post an update soon! i know... you are all holding your breath!

Monday, May 12, 2008

still on a mother's day high...

yesterday was such a great day, and i'm still on a mother's day high.

me and the man - mother's day 2008

my present from clint... breathtaking and so perfect. an "o" for my little o. thanks babe.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Letter to a New Mom on Mother's Day



Dear New Mom,
You must be tired. You may not have slept a lot in the past few months and you may not remember what it is like to have two arms all to yourself. And although your wardrobe is now complete with spit-up stains and jewelery that will keep your little one entertained, you have never been more beautiful. You may not ever be able to count on taking a shower or getting your hair and make-up just righ
t, but trust me, you are glowing.
Your whole life has led you to this moment.
Isn't that crazy? It is finally here. And your education, your jobs, your friends and family, your exciting adventures have all prepared you for the time when you would bring a child into this world and make him your world. Yes, this may include giving up what you used to know of your body, your social life, your career, and even some of your identity, but the sacrifices are nothing compared to the gift of motherhood.
Because motherhood is a gift. Many never realize what a blessing and privilege it is, but as one who has waited for a mother's day to call her own, it is nothing short of a miracle. To think of the sacred and holy responsibility to raise up one of God's children and to realize how just how much trust He has placed in you... what an amazing, amazing gift.
At times you may feel like you have no idea what you are
doing. You may think that there should have been something to prepare you for this in college or at church or somewhere and you may wonder why no one ever told you how inadequate you would really be as a mom. But you are ready. You have always been ready. Afterall, you were raised by a mother too. You watched her sing silly songs and make crazy faces all your life. You listened to her tell you everything was going to be ok and tell you how proud she was of you. You watched her love her husband and take care of her family. You saw her sacrifice many things to make sure that you knew that you were loved and that you had a good example to follow. You heard her share her love for the Savior and the prophets. You saw her love and serve her family, friends and neighbors. And even though at times you insisted you were nothing like her, you are now grateful that in so many ways you are just like your mom.
You may regret those teenage years when you thought she just didn't understand. Now you know that she does. She really does. And the love, oh the love that she must feel for you! As you look at your precious little one, can you imagine that someone else might
love you just as much as you love him? Can you believe that you were once as he was? And that she was once as you are now? And just like you, she had doubts and worries and questions, but look - you turned out alright, didn't you?
And that is the beauty of it. Though you may be teaching and training him u
p, really it is you who is the student. It is you who will learn of love and joy, of sacrifice and faith, of patience and perseverance. And then one day, he will have a child of his own... and oh how much he will love.

happy mother's day to mom's old and new.

mom, i love you so much and hope you know of the renewed appre
ciation that i have for all that you have done for me now that i have walked a few days in your shoes. you've always asked for happy and well-behaved children for mother's day. i am so happy and always working on the well-behaved part. :)


shelly, i can never thank you enough for the father you raised as your son. he is everything you could have ever hoped for. happy mother's day


clint, thank you for making my day (and every other day) so wonderful. you make it so easy to be a mom and i am so happy that our son has you for a father. i love our little family more than anything in the world.



owen, today i feel like the luckiest mom in the world. i am so grateful to have you in my life and i can't believe how good it is to be a mother. thank you for bringing a new purpose to my life and for bringing me more happiness than i ever thought was possible. from the moment i saw you i knew you would change me forever. the day you came into this world was the best day of my life, yet some how each day gets better. i love you and am so proud to be your mom.




a few good quotes about mother's:
"motherhood brings as much joy as ever, but it still brings boredom, exhaustion, and sorrow too. nothing else ever will make you as happy or as sad, as proud or as tired, for nothing is quite as hard as helping a person develop his own individuality especially while you struggle to keep your own.." -Marguerite Kelly and Elia Parsons

"the noblest calling in the world is motherhood. true motherhood is the most beautiful of all arts, the greatest of professions. She who can paint a masterpiece, or who can write a book that will influence millions, deserves the plaudits and admiration of mankind but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters whose immortal souls will exert an influence throughout the ages long after paintings shall have faded, and books and statues shall have decayed or been destroyed, deserves the highest honor that man can give and the choicest blessings of God." -David O. Mckay

"there is no such thing as the perfect mother... we just do the best we can with the help of the Lord, and who knows these children who are struggling to be free may someday rise up and call us blessed." - Marjorie Pay Hinckley

"when God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. he dousen't stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. instead he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home of some obscure mother. and then god puts the idea into the mother's heart and she puts it into the baby's mind. and then God waits." - E. T. Sullivan

what made me cry in church today...

A Child's Angel
by Erma Bombeck

Once upon a time, there was a child ready to be born.

He asked God:

"They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow but how am I going
to live there being so small and helpless?"

God: "Among the many angels, I chose one especially for you. She will
be waiting for you and will take care of you."

Child: "But tell me, here in Heaven, I don't do anything else but sing
and smile, and that's enough for me to be happy. Will I be happy
there?"

God: "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every
day.
You will feel your angel's love and be happy."

Child: "How am I going to be able to understand when people talk to
me if I don't know the language that men talk?"

God: "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you
will ever hear.
With much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

Child: "And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God: "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

Child: "I've heard that on earth there are bad men. Who will protect me?"

God: "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking her own life."

Child: "But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God: "Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from earth
could already be heard.
The child, in a hurry, asked softly:

"Oh God, if I am about to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

God: "Your angel's name is of no importance.
You will call your angel ... Mother."

Monday, May 05, 2008

and this is why i married him... and will follow him to rexburg...

me:
hi babe.
i'm having a rough morning.
will you tell me everything is going to be ok?

him:
Everything is going to be better than ok. Everything is going to be great. I can't think of anything I would rather do than go on the adventure of a lifetime with you!
This is truly going to be awesome - for THE BOTH OF US. The great people we know and love here in San Diego aren't going anywhere. You'll be able to visit and time away will pass quickly. Just like the "paradise" we found in Fountain Valley and we thought no place could be better, and then we found Carmel Valley. We are good at finding the silver lining in any place we live. We (especially you) are also good as making friends. And one last thing. Although it will be hard to leave. This is all temporary. We can come back to San Diego!
I love you Love!
I can't wait to share you and Owey with the rest of the world (well, Idaho, Provo, and where ever we go to Law School).
Life is greater with the hard stuff mixed in.
I'm sorry you are having a rough morning. Try going for a long walk. or go swimming even if its overcast.
Love you babe.

me:

thank you.
just what i needed to hear.
i love you.


him:

Besides it's Cinco De Mayo... A Mexican holiday Mexican's don't even celebrate.
(yell this) Ai, Ai, Ai, Ai, Aiiiiiiiiii

(and do this) Pretend to swing a stick at a piƱata.



don't you just love him?

what to blog about?

i realize i haven't blogged in over a week, and i just can't decide what to blog about.
do i blog about how my little boy is ALL BOY and loves his trucks, has a puffy lip (yes, from face-planting) and never stops?






(see the puffy bottom lip?)

or that he pulls himself up anywhere and everywhere, loves books, and wishes he could walk already?



or that some cloudy days and having only one car has gotten him (and me) a little stir crazy?



or that he has recently taken up streaking (thanks to the help of dad) and now expects as part of the bedtime routine to cruise his nakey little body (except for the towel-cape of course) through the house before he is forced into jammies for the night?



or about how fun it is to see these two little brothers from another mother in all their opposite-ness (yes, it's a word)?



harrison and owey

or about how much we are going to miss diego? (the new apartment won't let us have a dog)



or about how freaking cute this kid is?




or how scary i look after running? or how scared i am that my half-marathon is 3 weeks away. (i had a dream last night that it was REALLY easy... that's always good right?)



obviously, i have a lot to write about, but don't have much energy for it.
last night we had a little cinco de mayo get together with some friends from church and it felt like we were throwing our own farewell party.
and i'm a little melancholy today.
do you mind if i spill some sad feelings?
i feel guilty for feeling sad about leaving since i know this is such a great thing for clint and for the future of our family.
i feel weak for not feeling up to the challenge of starting over again and finding a new life.
i feel inadequate to be the wife of a student and to be as supportive as i know i need to be (of course i support the whole thing, but that's not to say i will be able to control my urge to freak out if i feel like a single mom at times.)
i feel beyond sad to leave behind such great friends and my awesome family not knowing if i have it in me to find new friends and that although wyoming (and family) is close, 4 hours may not be close enough.
and i wish the sun would come out today to help me cheer up a little.