I forgot to mention...

Just before the race (see previous post), there was a speech, an invocation, a trumpeter playing Taps, and they had all the retired military guys (who were running in the race) do their salute while Taps was being played. Talk about a tear jerker right before having to run 3 miles! I was a wee tiny bit frustrated at first that they would make me cry right before having to expend all that energy to race! But, truly I'm glad they had such a nice little service before hand. After all, it was Memorial Day and the main purpose for the race in the first place. I am grateful to have had the chance to just take a minute to remember, be thankful for, and to pray for all those men and women who have and who still are fighting for our country!

There was also a group of new police cadets (I think it was police) who were not far behind us during the whole race. They really kept me motivated. I didn't want to end up stuck behind them because all their chanting (or whatever you wanna call it) was really keeping me going. It was cool.

I Will Survive!

Yesterday I ran my first 5K! It was quite the experience. I have been "training" to run this thing for months, but I had never quite made it the whole 3.1 miles without stopping. Running is HARD WORK! Some of you might think I'm a pansy for saying that. And you're right. I am a pansy.

Anyway, I was a bit skeptical that I would be able to finish the race, for obvious reasons. And there were many times during the race that I thought I would need to quit. I kept telling Barry "okay, in about two minutes I'm going to stop for a little while, I just can't keep running." But, then somehow I would push myself a bit further and a bit further. Barry would remind me that I could just slow down a bit instead of walking. He was the perfect running coach for me. He was encouraging and kept telling me I was doing great.

I am planning to run another 5K in October. Anyone want to join me?! I am not a fast runner. I finished the whole race in 33 minutes and 31 seconds. I'm certainly no speedy gonzales.

Boy did it feel good to cross that finish line (especially after I got over the wanting to throw up part)!

Thanks for stopping by.

The End.

P.S. I don't have any pictures of the actual race because no one was there to take any. My sister-in-law took a before and after (she ran with us, too), so I will post those when she emails them to me.

New Favorite Quote

So, I don't know if I can say that this is truly my favorite quote, but it really struck me when I read it in an email someone sent me this morning.

"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."

Amen to that! I am always so quick to pass judgment on everyone around me. So much of that, for me, is rooted in my insecurities and paranoia. But, that's really no excuse. I know that I don't want people to judge me for the way I act and the things I say. So often I say things I don't really mean. And I do certain things because I don't think first or because I'm angry or frustrated (usually with myself). I want to keep this quote in my head. To remember that everyone has challenges, says things they don't really mean, does things they instantaneously regret, etc. I want to give people the benefit of the doubt. Assume they mean to do good and say the right things. That maybe they're really suffering. None of us are perfect after all.

Fun in the Sun (and shade)

Just to let you know, I have published several posts today. So, if you're interested, scroll way down so you don't miss any of this amazing stuff. Your day just won't be the same without it!

Enjoying some goldfish (what would I do without those cute little fishies?!). In case you can't tell, Alton is serious about his food!

Talking to his Dad.

One of Alton's new little games is to run......

....and then throw himself on the ground. It doesn't seem very comfortable to me, but he thinks it's hilarious!

Really, folks, does it get any cuter than this???

Instead of greasing everyone up with sunscreen, I brought the umbrella outside. It was so pleasant out there in the breeze, under the shade. We had a great time just hanging out!

Alton's First Camping Experience

Barry, being the Scout Master at church, goes on a lot of campouts. He has visions of taking Alton along when he can. So, he wanted to have a test run in our backyard first. It was a definite success! Alton had fun "helping" to set up the tent. And was extremely giddy with excitement when it was actually time to get in the tent to sleep. Barry said Alton kept repeating over and over "I love sleeping in the tent. I love camping."

Cuteness

Barry and Alton making my Mother's Day breakfast. More than anything else, I think Alton just chowed down on chocolate chips (which were for the pancakes--gotta love chocolate chip pancakes!).

Evy with her legs stuck in her crib. She was NOT happy about it (although you can't tell in this picture)!

Barry is "telling Alton secrets."

Admiration.

Getting ready for a family stroll.

I can't say how much I love this toy! My parents bought it for Evy and she certainly enjoys it. But, Alton absolutely loves it! You can stack the cups or nest them into one big ball or individual ones. Each cup has a number on it (1-10) and that's how Alton learned his numbers last year. It's so fun! Go get one. =)

Taking notes in her handy dandy notebook!

See, Alton can't stand to see Evy playing with this thing without joining in. These two sure do enjoy playing together.

The only time during the day that Alton isn't talking.

I. Love. This. Smile.
And I love the kid even more.

Evelyn doing her Pilates.

I caught her right in the middle of rolling over. I love how she puts her arm over her eyes. As if she has to block out the light to sleep. So cute.

She's trying to teach me how to play the piano better.

Any time Evelyn is on the floor, Alton is right there beside her. He loves to touch her belly, take her toys, watch her roll over, and lay on top of her. She used to always cry when he was all over her, but now she really seems to enjoy it. Evy and Alton adore each other!

World's Greatest Dad.

What?!

Do you guys see what I see in this picture?? Maybe I'm just crazy. A couple of weeks ago I was having a particularly depressing day. I decided to have leftover pizza for lunch. It's my favorite food, but not exactly the healthiest option. That's beside the point. When I looked down at this, my second slice, I noticed a smiling face staring back up at me (and winking at that!). The pizza was trying to cheer me up! Ha! So, I think it was meant to be for me to have pizza that day, healthy or not.

Help Me Out Here....

Okay, seriously, I need your help. I have been hearing about the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. So many people have raved about these books. They must be good. Otherwise I might be able to get my hands on a copy at our libraries here! Do any of you (who live near me) have a copy of the series that I could borrow? Pretty please??? I could make a trade for some cookies or some celery or something!

Let me know....I can hardly wait!

Mosiah 5

Barry and I started (a few months ago) reading the chapters of scripture for the Sunday School lessons each week. We send each other an email each day reporting the things we learned and impressions we may have received. It's been such a rewarding process. It helps me to really focus on what I'm reading and to seek the whisperings of the Spirit to hear what I need to learn, it gives me an insight into my husband's mind and heart, and it gives us something meaningful to discuss in the evenings.

Today I was reading in The Book of Mormon from Mosiah chapter 5. In verse 4 it says that King Benjamin's people rejoiced "with such exceedingly great joy" over the things which their king had taught them (to remember what he taught, see http://scriptures.lds.org/en/mosiah/4). As I read that I was thinking "I want to feel such great joy more often in my life." I spend so much time feeling sorry for myself, inadequate, or depressed over the fact that I and my life are not perfect (like I want them to be in my head). Silly, I know, but it's true. Anyway, in the next verse it says that the people entered into a covenant with God to do His will, obey His commandments, etc. Then a light went off in my head. Ding! I did that too. I made covenants with God and I recovenant with Him each Sunday while partaking of the Sacrament. Then my thoughts were led to the temple and how I feel so full of love and joy each time I go. And I always leave with a huge sense of peace and desire to serve Him. So, when I want to feel such exceedingly great joy I need to go to church each Sunday and take the Sacrament in the right Spirit and I need to visit the temple often (which is not often convenient, but totally worth the effort/money/time)!

I am so grateful for the scriptures and for a husband who inspires me to read and understand them! Just taking a few minutes out of my day to sit and think about nothing other than those words has truly benefited me today. It's nice to feel joyful, even when things aren't perfect. =)

Today

Today is Wednesday.


The End.


Good story, huh?! Just kidding. Yesterday I was downloading some pictures from our camera onto our computer. Then I started looking through our hundreds (or thousands) of other photos from the past. It was so fun. Every time I got to a new set of pictures I thought "I should post those on my blog." That's as far as it went because I had other stuff that needed to get done. You know, like cleaning my house, feeding kids, cleaning up after kids, and getting ready for my night out with Barry. Yes, we had a date night (I mean, like a real one away from home with no kids). The first one in two months. It was great.

And you now what? I would post some pictures right now except that Alton is in my lap. You know what that means, I am sure. A two year old sitting in your lap. That means more wiggling than you can stand. And his head keeps finding its way right into my view of the computer. Which means that I can hardly see what I am typing. Also, Evy is actually sleeping right now so I need to take advantage and exercise and shower while she's not wanting to be held! Maybe I will feel ambitious tonight while Barry is at Scouts and basketball and post while the kids are sleeping so peacefully in their beds.


We'll see.