Banks Blab

Temple Square

2012-01-08T18:28:00.001-08:00

While we were in Utah we took the kids to enjoy the lights at Temple Square. It was a warm night, and it was so fun to walk around the temple grounds. And, of course, were my kids interested in the gorgeous lights? Only mildly. What they really loved was all the fountains and the reflection pool :) Nat, Michael and Jack joined in our evening of fun. We rode trax, (Blake’s favorite part), saw the lights and had some dinner. I love being on the grounds of the Salt Lake Temple. There is such a spirit of peace and joy.

A tradition carrying to the 2nd generation

2011-12-31T18:18:00.000-08:00

Growing up, every Christmas Eve Rusty and his brothers would go skiing with his Dad while his Mom stayed home, wrapped presents, prepared Christmas Eve dinner, and got everything ready for Christmas morning. After we were married, we carried on this tradition a couple of times, but all our tiny kids made it hard to go, so we disbanded the tradition. But, now that the kids are getting older we can carry this tradition to the next generation. We took Halle, Josh, Bridger, and Bode skiing at Sundance on Christmas Eve. The kids were so cute, and they are excited to make it a tradition of their own! Bridger and Bode, who’d been a few times before, were great skiiers, and by the end of the day Halle could hold her own as well. Josh just liked to bomb down the mountain as fast as he could with Mom or Dad trailing behind him to catch him when he got too wobbly. It was so much fun, but my back was KILLING by the end of the day :)

California International Marathon

2011-12-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

16 weeks of hard training led to this day. I have run in the snow, the rain, and the heat. I have run about every inch of my town, and the three surrounding towns. I have done countless laps around the middle school track on speedwork days, I have done tempo runs, I have done long runs, I have swam and biked on cross training days, and I was READY. Waking up at 5 in the morning to run in the 15-25 degree Colorado weather was getting really old. So, I was very happy when race day finally arrived.

I’m still running with Redline Running Club, and 3 of my dear friends came on this journey with me (Or rather, they dragged me with them kicking and screaming—j/k). Jen, Amber, Alison and I, along with our coach Doug (who is much too fast for us) decided to try the “Run Less, Run Faster” marathon plan. Basically, you only run 3 days/week, but each run has a very specific purpose, and a very specific pace. We had speedwork days, tempo days, and long run days. I really liked this plan for two reasons—One, I get bored just running everyday, and I love to cross train so 3 running days was perfect. Two, I loved the challenge of always having a goal pace each and every run. This plan was tough, but I’d totally do it again.

We decided to run CIM because it’s a flat/downhill course, and it was in California, so we could get a break from the Colorado cold. We flew to San Francisco on Saturday morning (It was snowing hard in Denver when we left), and went to pick up our rental car. We walked past this old grandma car, and Jen said, “This is our car.” Amber and I just laughed because we knew she was kidding. She was not kidding. Meet Lucille:

She actually was a pretty good car—lots of room to stretch out :) We drove to Sacramento, checked into our hotel and then met up with Alison and Doug at the Expo. Expos are so fun! So many things to look at, and so many ways to spend Rusty’s hard earned money. We all got fun, sparkly headbands, and from then on we referred to ourselves as the “Sparkle Band Girls.”

Then it was off to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. In keeping with our grandma theme, we went to dinner at 4:30. The food was great, as usual, and we even got interviewed by the local news station. My moment of TV glory shows me enthusiastically slurping spaghetti. (I’m at 43 seconds). And my coach Doug even got a sound bite!

http://www.kcra.com/news/29917175/detail.html

Again, keeping with our Grandma theme, we were in bed by 8pm. We were staying in the official race hotel, and, then next morning a chorus of alarms went off at exactly 4am. It was pretty funny to hear the alarms echoing through the whole hotel. We were on the busses by about 5:30am headed to the start line. I think the bus ride was one of the highlights of the trip. We were so giggly and excited and everyone around us was laughing at all our wacky stories.

It was FREEZING at the start line. Just in case you wondered, 40 degrees is still cold. Even if you are used to running in 20 degrees. Amber, Jen and I had raided Goodwill earlier in the week for some sweet pre-race warm up clothes, but we were still pretty cold. We all had on shorts and short sleeves to race. And we all wished we had worn warmer clothes. Or at least had gloves. By about mile 3 my hands were numb.

We found our pace group, and waited for the horn to signal the start of the race—when it did, the crowd surged forward. The first two miles were a lot of dodging in and out of crowds, trying to find a steady pace. Due to my over-excitement, and over-hydration, I had to pee by mile 3. I made a quick stop to the port-a potties, and then caught back up to Jen and Alison in a 1/2 mile or so. The next few miles flew by right on pace. About mile 8 I had to pee again! Are you kidding me? I was determined to make it to at least 13 miles before stopping again. This course had lots of rolling hills, which were kinda fun. No hill was so huge that it drained your energy, and the downhills made it easy to stay on pace. We made it to 13.1 miles feeling strong. At about 14 miles, Jen said she wasn’t feeling great, and that her hip was hurting pretty bad. She pressed on for about another mile, and then had to slow down a bit. I made my second and last port-a-potty stop at mile 15. It was harder to get back on pace after that stop. I turned on my tunes and set my sights for the 20 mile mark. My goal for the race was to stay “on pace” for 20 miles (8:23/mile—which would be a 3:40 finish time), and then just FINISH the darn thing with whatever I had left. I hoped to come in no slower than a 3:45. I was able to keep pace until 20, and then every mile got a little slower, and a little slower. 20-23 were the hardest miles for me. My body was TIRED, and I knew I still had a long way to go. At mile 23 I sucked down a gu and turned on my 5k mentality. I was able to pick up the pace a bit and the crowds started getting thicker and thicker and I could feed off their energy a little bit. I swear the last .2 miles were the LONGEST of the race, but finally the finish line came into view. I have never been so happy to see those blue timing mats in my life. I hadn’t looked at my garmin for awhile, and I was thrilled when I reached down to stop my watch to see 3:45:03. PERFECT!!!

As soon as I stopped it felt like my body went into shock. I just wandered around with a glazed look in my eyes until I found my friends. We were all anxious to leave, so we grabbed our stuff and headed to the shuttle. We needed to cross the street, and we got to the curb of the sidewalk, and I just stood there staring at the 5 inch drop. My legs would not go. Everyone turned around to wait for me and I said, “That curb is insurmountable. I cannot do it.” That totally cracked everyone up, and Jen lifted me down to the street.

Jen had hurt her hip during the race, and I was already sore, so the two of us were pretty slow. Alison and Amber caught the free shuttle back to the hotel, but we were left behind, so we just snagged a taxi. The hotel was so awesome—runners didn’t have to check out until 2, so we had time to get in the hot tub and shower before heading to San Francisco.

When we got to our hotel there was a basket of treats waiting for us with a sweet little note from our families. We were so happy!

Our hotel in SF was right by Union Square, so we headed out to do some window shopping and we grabbed dinner at the fanciest mall food court I have ever seen.

We crashed that night, and I woke up in the morning more sore that I thought possible. I could barely walk. And SF is a very hilly city. It was painful. We ate breakfast at the Cable Car Café, and I couldn’t decide between the breakfast sandwich and these amazing crepes, so I got both! That’s the benefit of running a marathon…..EATING!

Jen’s aunt Kim was kind enough to be our chauffer for the day, and she took us down to Fisherman’s warf where we browsed the interesting shops, saw the sea lions, and ate clam chowder and lobster bisque in sourdough bread bowls. YUM. We also saw some scenic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and visited Ghirardelli Square where we all had yummy ice cream.

That evening, even though I was totally stuffed with food, Jen and I ventured to Chinatown and ate some really yummy spring rolls, pot stickers, and kung pao chicken. It was so fun to spend the day with Amber and Jen, and I don’t think we ever stopped talking, even for 5 seconds.

Tuesday it was time for our little adventure to end, and we packed up and headed to the airport. It was an amazing journey from beginning to end. One I know I won’t ever forget!

Great to be 8

2011-12-11T18:04:00.001-08:00

While Rusty and I like to think our family totally adores us, and they all want to drive/fly to Colorado just because they love us, the reason everyone came out for Thanksgiving was to attend Miss Halle’s baptism on Nov 26th. I’ve had a sneaky suspicion that she was the favorite every since her Grandmas laid eyes on her 8 years ago.

I just couldn’t imagine a more perfect day. Halle was so nervous the day before her baptism, and we sat down and had a long talk about how if she was prepared, she didn’t need to be afraid. We talked about how the Holy Ghost would bring her peace and testify to her that she was making the right decision. I just love my tenderhearted little girl. After our talk she seemed to feel much better. She woke up the next morning and said, “My stomach is in knots. But the good kind of knots!”

We headed to the church. It was so wonderful to be surrounded by all our family and friends. I couldn’t believe how many people came out to support Halle and Riley. The love in the room was overwhelming! Riley’s grandma gave a sweet talk on baptism, and then Nat, Carlie, Halle, Riley, Emma, and I sang “Daughter of a King.” My Mom played the piano for us. Beautiful song for some beautiful girls.

Next up was the baptisms. Halle and I walked to the changing room and quickly slipped on the white jumper. Both Grandpa Banks and Grandpa Cornell were witnesses to her baptism. I stood at the stairs of the font and watched her walk down into the warm water and meet her Dad. He was so tender and sweet with her. He offered the baptismal prayer, and then submerged her in the water. She came up beaming and gave Rusty a huge hug. Then Blake hollered, “Good job Dad!” That made everyone chuckle. Riley was up next, and she was just as sweet as could be. Back in the changing room the girls teeth were chattering because they were so cold. Despite the cold, they were all giggles and smiles. We quickly got them dried off and back into their beautiful dresses.

Sharon gave the cutest talk on the Holy Ghost that I have ever heard. She had a box full of fun props to help the girls understand the different rolls the Holy Ghost can play in our lives. There was a flashlight because he testifies of truth and light. There was a compass because he can guide and direct our choices. There was a “Beware” sign because he can warn of danger, and there was a nice soft blanket because he is the Comforter. She gave all the props to Halle afterward, and that blanket hasn’t left her side since.

Next up were the confirmations. In her circle was her Dad, the Bishop, Grandpa Cornell, Grandpa Banks, Fred Yates, David Wilsted, and Brandon Bohn. She is a lucky girl to have such wonderful men in her life! A few months before her baptism, after she’d attended the baptism of a few of her friends, I asked her what her favorite part of the service had been. She said, “After the confirmation when the Dad’s give their daughters big huge hugs.” So sweet. And Rusty was instructed that the hug be epic:) Rusty offered a beautiful prayer, through the power of the priesthood, and confirmed Halle a member of the church. She is such a sweet and amazing girl, and I know our Heavenly Father has a special plan for her. After the blessing, the hug did not disappoint. I think I’ll remember that moment for the rest of my life.

I didn’t throw her a birthday party this year, opting instead for a fun luncheon after the baptism. We had so much fun planning the food and making decorations together. We had a “sweet” theme, and so we had jars full of candy, dum dum trees, caramel and chocolate covered pretzels, and sugar cookies decorated like lollipops. And that’s only the sweet treats. We also had meat and cheese trays, rolls, salads, and fruit. I think it turned out pretty darn cute. AND, I’m sooooo glad we had family there to help. Because I may have gone a teeny tiny bit overboard. Which is so unlike me;)

So many friends came to celebrate with us, and Halle was spoiled rotten with lots of fun gifts, and many beautiful cards I know she will keep forever.

I think the only word to describe this day is JOY. Pure, simple, magnificent JOY. It rivals the day she was born. Halle, we are so proud of your decision to be baptized and make covenants with your Heavenly Father. We know he will bless you and bring happiness and peace to your life as you keep the covenants you made today. WE LOVE YOU!

One more special story: When my Mom arrived earlier in the week, she gave Halle a little white doll dress so her doll could match her baptism dress. The dress was made out of the same material as the skirts my bridesmaids wore at my wedding. I think I should steal that dress away and keep it as an heirloom.

Visions of Sugar Plumbs danced in our heads

2011-12-02T13:12:00.001-08:00

Sugar Plumb Fairies, that is. Halle and I were so excited to share our yearly tradition of attending the Nutcracker with all the girls in our family this year. The men and the boys all went to Dave and Busters. The Nutcracker did not disappoint, and we all had a magical time!

Beautiful Thanksgiving

2011-12-02T13:03:00.001-08:00

We had such a beautiful Thanksgiving this year. Beautiful weather, beautiful food, and beautiful family. It was our biggest Thanksgiving yet-We had 17 people at our Thanksgiving table :)

The day started with the Annual Turkey Day 5k over in the Anthem neighborhood. This year Rusty, Nat, Michael, Mom, Dad, and I all ran. The kids also did the Bumpkin Pumpkin 1/2 mile dash. They just love this race and look forward to it all year. I ran my fastest 5k to date (21:41), and due to our babysitter getting stuck in race traffic, Rusty started a little late, but had 250 kills. Not a bad day on the race course. Michael and my Dad were also lightening fast. Mom and the pregnant Natalie put in very solid performances. The only disappointment of the day was that they ran out of kids t-shirts. Halle was so sad—it broke my heart. She ran her little heart out, and wanted that t-shirt as her badge of honor.

We went home and cooked the day away. What a feast we had! It was close to 70 degrees, so we sent up the tables outside and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine while we ate.

(Halle setting the table—don’t judge me for using paper products at Thanksgiving—I don’t even have close to 17 place settings)

(The kids table. Jack was here too, but he refused to eat Thanksgiving dinner. Silly boy!)

My mom came out a few days early, and over the course of two days we baked 7 pies. All from scratch. They were delicious, and the first bite made it worth all the hours of work we put in. Josh did not agree. When it came time for pie, he chose instead to have an old, stale piece of Halloween candy. I don’t know how I could have given birth to a person who doesn’t like pie :)

And now a few more pictures:

Landon was in Denver for all of 24 hours. Then he had to fly home to get back to work. But, we are sure glad he came for the day.

First Piano Recital

2011-11-17T14:26:00.001-08:00

She's a natural!

Untitled from Tara Banks on Vimeo.

Halle’s Birthday in the Big Apple

2011-11-16T09:29:00.001-08:00

Little Miss Halle was lucky enough to get to spend her 8th birthday in New York City! Rusty was speaking at the AdTech conference, which happened to fall right on Halle’s birthday, so we decided to tag along with him. The boys stayed with Susan. We arrived in NYC at about 10:30pm, and immediately went to check out the hustle and bustle of Times Square. Halle could not believe all the lights!

The next morning was her birthday. Rusty had to go to his conference, but before he left we told he we had a big birthday surprise for her, but she needed to wait just a little while longer. Halle and I ate birthday breakfast at McDonald’s, and then hopped on the subway. I didn’t tell her where we were going until it was staring us in the face. The American Girl store! The look on her face was priceless, and it got even better when I told her she could pick any doll she wanted for her birthday. This place is HUGE—three stories of dolls, dolls, and more dolls. She’s had her eye on Julie for awhile now, and she chose her. We got her ears pierced, got her a pet, Pepper the dog, and lots of fun accessories! We could have spent the whole day! It is an experience I will never forget—spoiling my baby girl in NYC

Next it was off the Central Park to ride the Carousel. It was a sunny 65 degrees, just perfect to spend some time by the little lake, and enjoy the beautiful fall leaves. We also ate Halle’s favorite, cheeseburgers, at the Shake Shack.

Next up was Ice Skating at the Rockefeller Center. It’s a toss up between this and the Statue of Liberty for things Halle was most excited about in NYC. Daddy was able to join us for this, and so Daddy and Halle skated while Mommy snapped pictures. Halle really started to get the hang of it by the end.
In keeping with our non-stop day, we ate dinner at a Halal cart on the street (Rusty loves this, Halle and I not so much) and then headed straight to the New Amsterdam Theater to see Mary Poppins. What a fun show! It wasn’t my favorite Broadway by a long shot, but it was just perfect for Miss Halle. She was mesmerized, and especially love the part where Mary “flies” with her umbrella.

What Birthday would be complete without some sort of cake? Halle chose cheesecake. We had seen this place in Times Square promising “World Famous” cheesecake. I don’t know about world famous, but we had fun singing to our birthday princess in our little corner booth.

By this time we were all exhausted so we went back to our hotel to crash. All Halle’s “friends” were waiting for us :)

(Jackson had been waiting by the window for us all day long)

The next day Halle and I grabbed a yummy breakfast and then headed to the Empire State Building. It was a foggy morning, so the view wasn’t the very best, but it was still pretty darn awesome. Halle couldn’t believe how high up we were!

(Have I mentioned the other friend who came with us? Halle had her class monkey, Curious George, for the week. So he tagged along on our vacation. He got to meet King Kong at Empire State.)

Then it was off to the much anticipated Statue of Liberty! We took the Ferry out to Liberty Island and gazed at that beautiful lady. Halle loved it! Rusty took the Ferry out with us, but then had to rush back to make his last meeting of the day.

We were able to do so many fun things, and see so many famous sites. But do you wanna know what stole Halle’s heart in NYC? Her very favorite thing??

All the PIGEONS!!!

Halle’s Baptism photo shoot

2011-11-11T09:39:00.001-08:00

Halle is getting baptized on Nov 26th! We went up to Longmont and had a fun photo shoot with her in her beautiful white dress. Love you Halle!

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An Angry “Bird-day”

2011-11-08T11:19:00.001-08:00

Our sweet Josh is now 5! We had a fantastic birthday weekend filled with Cars 2, and Angry Birds. Before we get to all the partying, here is Josh’s 5th birthday interview:
It all started on his birthday with presents and a special birthday breakfast of waffles with powdered sugar, bacon, and orange juice:

We got to celebrate again that evening with a family dinner at Chuck. E. Cheese. Everyone had a great time eating pizza and playing games. We came home and had peanut butter cookies, Josh’s favorite.
The festivities continued at Josh’s Angry Bird Party on Saturday. We tried to recreate the iphone game with our very own version of “kill the pigs.” The boys loved it and would have played it all day, but Rusty got tired of building towers.

Next we did Angry Bird Tattoos, and made our very own angry bird balloons.

Then it was on to everybody’s favorite, cupcakes and presents!

Halloween Mayhem

2011-11-07T16:00:00.001-08:00

Between planning Halloween playdates (Josh did one with his friends too, but I didn’t take any pictures)

Attending the ward Fall Festival and Trunk-or-treat, and going to 2 school parties

I was too tired to take pics when the “real” Halloween came. I got 4. Here they are. :)

Eldorado Springs

2011-10-23T20:00:00.001-07:00

We have a tradition that after Stake Conference we always go on a little adventure. This time, we headed up to Eldorado Springs for a little picnic and a hike. The weather was a perfect 75 degrees and sunny. The kids had a great time throwing rocks in the river, exploring a tiny cave, and getting dirty! We will be sad to see this beautiful Fall end!

My cute Soccer Guy

2011-10-23T19:42:00.001-07:00

Josh played soccer for the first time this year, and much to my surprise, he loved it! They had practices twice a week for 6 weeks, and played games on the weekend for the last 3 weeks. He called them his “Big Games.” It was so fun to go cheer him on and watch his cute, determined little face as he chased the ball. We are proud of you, Buddy!

18, With 12 years of experience

2011-09-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

That’s right—I finally turned the big 18 + 12. 30 years old! I know a lot of people have a little anxiety when they turn 30 (ahem….Rusty), but I am actually really excited about it. So many new experiences to have, so many new things to do. Being grown-up definitely has its perks. So, here’s to my NEXT 30 years!

Rusty threw me an awesome birthday party at the park. He made Fettuccini Alfredo with chicken, and then all my awesome friends brought yummy side dishes. He also showed a sweet little slide show that I’ll put at the bottom of this post. AND, he bought me the shirt I am wearing in the pictures. How did I get so lucky? A man who can plan parties, cook, and shop…not to mention all the other more manly stuff he can do ;)

(How lucky am I to have such amazing friends to celebrate with?)

My friend, the extraordinarily talented Sarah, made my birthday cake. It was spice cake with a peach filling and topped with caramel frosting. There is only one word to describe it, and that word is DIVINE. We had cake and donuts (my favorite treat) for dessert. You should have seen the swarm of kids around the donut box. 60 donuts were gone in less than 5 minutes. I don’t think I could have asked for a more perfect day. I am grateful for all I’ve learned and been able to do in my first 30 years, and I’m so excited to see what the next 30 will hold!

Red Rocks Relay

2011-09-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

Some of Rusty’s cousins were running the Red Rock Relay and needed a few extra team members. Rusty wanted to find out what all the Relay fuss was about, so we jumped on board. And we are glad we did! We had such a fun time! We started at the top of a ski lift at Brianhead ski resort, and then ran 187 miles to the finish line in Zion National Park. We experienced all kinds of weather—snow, rain, 80 degrees, ran on all sorts of terrain—canyons, back roads, neighborhoods, giant hills, and had all kinds of fun. I was a little skeptical of the co-ed relay, but I was pleasantly surprised. Rusty trained well, and he ran his heart out on every one of his legs. It was so fun to watch him. We’d do it again in a heartbeat!

Team C.R.E.W (Crazy Runners EveryWhere!)

Glenwood Springs!

2011-09-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

Natalie, Michael and Jack met us in Glenwood Springs for Labor day. We rented a house from VRBO that the kids called the “fishy house” because it had a metal fish displaying the address. There was a little backyard with a fire pit, an apple tree, and even a little garden in the front. Halle was in heaven picking apples and digging up carrots. The boys loved running in the backyard, and the parents loved that we could put the kids to bed and still hang out in the living room. Our family had the awesome opportunity to share full bunk beds. It was very cozy :)

We decided to try the hike to Hanging Lake with the kiddos. We’d been told that it’s a hard hike, but still doable with kids. Maybe with some kids, but not with ours. That was a LONG, HARD hike. Jack did NOT want to get in his hiking backpack, and Josh’s short little legs were just not up to the task. But, after much whining, piggy backs, many snacks, and a lot of encouragement from Mom and Dad, we made it to the top! The kids were really proud of themselves and the falls were beautiful. Worth it? Not quite sure…..

Of course we had to go to the Hot Springs, but can I say, RIP OFF?? We paid about $80 for our family to go swimming in a warm pool. But, in spite of giving me major anxiety about the cost, we loved hanging out at the pool. The kids loved that it was so warm, and there was a fun waterslide that Josh can’t stop talking about.

We also hung out at a little park by a lake, made smores, played the wii, and just generally had a good time! We were so glad to spend time with the Birds, and it flew by way too fast.

First day of School

2011-08-23T09:55:00.001-07:00

Here’s to another great school year!

(Josh and his best friend Ezra, ready to conquor preschool!)

Halle the Triathlete!

2011-08-15T20:50:00.001-07:00

Ever since my triathlon last summer, Halle has said that she wants to do one too. She’s been talking about it all year, and as I was training this summer, sometimes she’d come on a little bike ride with me or a run around the block. Our awesome town puts on “The Mighty Kids Triathlon” every summer and we knew this would be the perfect race for Halle. There are transitions, and the kids get timing chips and everything. So official!

It all started with a 25 meter swim. She did it in 55 seconds flat

Then on to T1. 4:15. We’ll work on transitions for next year :)

She biked a mile in 6:23. Yes, I realize her bike is a little small. I’m working on it :)

She had a speedy T2 and then a great 1/2 mile run—4:58. She ran the entire way!

Final time: 17:09. On the way home from the race she said, “Mom, I can’t stop smiling! I can’t believe I did it!” It was a proud moment for this Mamma. Way to go Halle girl!

Girls Camp

2011-08-01T10:50:00.001-07:00

Front row l to r: Kenayde, Hailey, Mich, Whitney, Tara. Back row l to r: Anneke, Amy, Sierra, Amanda, Emily, Kimberlie

I had the fun opportunity to go to girls camp with my Young Women this June. We went to Camp Batel up near Laramie, WY and we had such a good time. We got to shoot bows and arrows, throw tomahawks, canoe, shoot guns, and eat yummy food. We had a fairy tale theme and our ward was “Camp Lumiere” from Beauty and the Beast. We had a fun skit night, and fun ward party luau, complete with dutch oven pineapple upside down cake. The girls loved bishop’s night where the bishopric all came up and brought us brownies and ice cream. We then enjoyed a beautiful testimony meeting around the campfire. It was fun to get to spend all that time with the girls, and also with my good friend, Amy Braiser, who was our amazing camp director. The only thing that was not awesome was the mosquitoes. They were just awful! There were so many, and they were so relentless, that by Friday night I felt like I was going a little bit crazy. One of our YW counted over 150 bites on her body! But, one wise leader likened the mosquitoes to Satan, and how he tries to distract us from the important things in life, just like the mosquitoes were distracting us from the fun and the beauty all around us at camp. We survived the mosquitoes and lived to tell the tale. After camp we made cute little camp scrapbooks, so these pictures are from the scrapbooks we made.

Tara, Amy, and Lynnette giving the girls a run for their money in the canoes

Tara, Kristie, and Mavanee showing off our amazing archery skills

Traitors and Tyrants and a trip to “the Cave”

2011-07-25T14:50:00.001-07:00

Timpanogos Cave, that is. We decided that Halle and Josh were old enough to make this rite of passage hike. I have so many fun childhood memories of hiking the cave with my family, aunts, uncles and cousins, that I was excited to share this same experience with my kids. It is a tough hike—1 1/2 miles and 1,065 ft of elevation gain. But, we brought lots of water and snacks and were confidant that the kids could do it. As we were getting ready to leave Josh said, “I sure hope there are no “Traitors and Tyrants” inside of the cave!” Where does he come up with this stuff???
While there were no traitors or tyrants, the cave tour was amazing. The kids did really well on the hike up, and Halle absolutely loved every minute we were in the cave. Josh liked it to, but it got a little long for him. He got a free ride down the mountain, and my quads got a killer workout from steep downhill hike + child on my back. This will definitely be a repeat activity.

Annual Pilgrimage to Utah

2011-07-23T14:21:00.001-07:00

I met my parents in Rawlins to send the kiddos off on their summer vacation to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I expected Blake to throw a huge fit when he realized I was going to leave him, but he just waved and waved and said, “Bye Mom! See you later!” Not a tear in his eye. On the other hand, Josh and Halle were crying buckets. Josh had been counting down the days since April, so I was shocked that he was even the least bit sad. But a few miles down the road and a lot of jokes from Papa and Uncle Roger cured him. Ice Cream at Little America Helped too :)

As was expected, the kids had a marvelous time being spoiled rotten, and hanging out with their cousins. Jack and Blake have a love/hate relationship. Blake loves to bite, and Jack hates it.

Some of the festivities included:

Feeding the ducks at Adventure and Learning park: Playing in the hammock and jumping on the tramp:

A treat from the Pink Shop everyday when Papa came home from work:

Watching the Children’s Parade in Lehi:
(Gotta be one of my all time favorite pics of the cousins)

And who could forget the Princess Festival. Halle had a splendid time again this year, and in case you are wondering, she is STILL a REAL princess! Thanks to Grandma Cornell and Grandma Banks for sharing this special day with her.

They also had a great time spending a few nights with Grandma and Grandpa Banks—playing on the jeeps, hanging out with their Banks cousins, watching fireworks, and going to the splash park. It’s no wonder my kiddos always beg to move to Utah!

Weekend Get-away

2011-07-21T16:21:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my wonderful parents, Rusty and I had a few days to ourselves before I had to head out to girls camp. With the kids shipped safely away to Utah, we packed our bags and headed for the hills. Or mountains, to be exact. We had a quadrathlon of events in Breckenridge—running, mountain biking, tennis, and hiking. And that was all before lunch! It’s amazing how much you can do when you don’t have to take care of tiny ones. After enjoying the outdoors and eating lots of yummy food in Breck, we headed down to Buena Vista to raft on the Arkansas. Wow. That’s all I can say. The river was running unusually high this year and the rapids were amazing. I also looked pretty amazing in my wet suit. Too bad I didn’t get a picture ;) If you are ever in that area, please stop and eat a burger and onion rings from a little hamburger dive called “K’s” I am still dreaming about it.

(This is at the top of an incredibly LONG mountain biking hill. The view was amazing. Wearing jeans to go mountain biking---NOT amazing)

We concluded our getaway in Colorado Springs at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. More tennis, hiking in Garden of the Gods, and an awesome lantern tour through the Cave of Winds.

Blake and BlogFrog turn two

2011-07-13T15:04:00.001-07:00

This post is late in coming, but the pics are cute. If you all will remember, Rusty quit his job at Ball Aerospace to go full-time with BlogFrog when Blake was 3 days old. Although technically BlogFrog is much older than 2, I will always think of that crazy time as similar to giving birth to twins. So, here are the birthday boys, Blogger the Frog, and Blake.

Happy Birthday Rusty!

2011-06-08T15:48:00.001-07:00

We had a fun time celebrating Rusty’s birthday this year. The night before his birthday I took him on a fun hike up Eldorado Canyon. It’s been a long time since the two of us went hiking, and we had a great time. The view from the top is breathtaking! After the hike we headed into Boulder for a yummy dinner at Pasta Jay’s.

On Sunday the kids helped me wrap his presents—they loved it! He got some new running shoes and a family tent so we can go camping this summer.

Later that evening we had some friends over for ice cream cake. My inspiration came from here, but I ran out of frosting, and I had many little helping hands, so the cake didn’t turn out beautiful, but at least it tasted good. The top is supposed to look like an ice cream cone melting all over the cake :)

Happy Birthday Rust! We love you so much!

All she wants to do is DANCE

2011-06-07T16:32:00.001-07:00

Halle’s ballet recital was last Saturday, and she was wonderful! She LOVES getting all dressed up and wearing make-up. She dances with 3 of her closest pals—Jenna, Berylnn, and Ainsley. We’re proud of you Halle!

The Ultimate Runner’s high

2011-06-01T14:48:00.001-07:00

If you are ever in Colorado around Memorial Day, you MUST run the BolderBoulder 10k. It is by far my favorite race of the season! Why, you might ask? Well, let me tell you. 50,000 runner make for some SERIOUS endorphins flowing through the streets of Boulder. There are crazy people all dressed up, there are frat houses cooking up bacon and serving it to runners on toothpicks, there are slip’n’slides and people with hoses and water guns, you finish in Folsom stadium and it’s projected up on the big screen, and it’s on Memorial Day so there is a spectacular show to honor our military. What’s not to love? This year the race was even more special b/c I got to run in honor of Brett, my brother-in-law, who is currently stationed in Afghanistan.

(It’s kinda hard to see my bib, but it says, “Im running in honor of Lt. Brett Banks, Flight Surgeon)

It is a tough course, but thanks to all my great training with the Redline Running Club, I still set a PR (47:42). I was very chaffed, and very very exhausted, but I did it. There are so many runners that the age group breakdowns are just year to year. So, of the 743 twenty-nine year olds, I came in 21st. Overall place 2760 out of 54,554. Not too shabby! Here’s the course map just so you can feel some of my pain:

This is me and my running pal Jen. She is AMAZING and always inspires me to do my best and to try new and difficult things:

(Redline Running Club gals and our coach, Josh)

(Folsom Stadium before the race started)

(Picture from here)

Here's the entire race in 30 seconds. Kinda cool

Here’s the Scoop…

2011-05-31T14:14:00.001-07:00

Dear Blake,

You just turned 2! We had an ice cream themed birthday this year, and it was a lot of fun. The festivities started early on the morning of the 26th with presents. You LOVED unwrapping your presents this year. You got lots of new clothes from the Cornell’s, golf clubs from the Banks, and bubbles and a tennis racket from mommy and daddy. Not surprisingly, the golf clubs were your favorite, followed closely by the tennis racket. You love to “whack” balls and are actually a pretty talented little athlete! You loved blowing out your candles on your birthday brownie, and then you ate all the frosting off the top. The next day we had your combined birthday party with Zach and Bridger. You are the three cutest two year olds I know! I made you cute little matching shirts, and we had a fun BBQ at the Wilsted’s with an ice cream bar for dessert. All the kids piled the toppings high!

Blake, you are such a sweet, happy little boy. You always have a twinkle in your eye and and mischievous smile on your face. You love anything that has to do with a ball, and you can already hit tennis balls out of the air. You also are quite fascinated with the iphone. It is a surefire way to calm you down and to keep you still for a few minutes. Your favorite foods are smarties, cheetos, and cookies. Yes, you are a very healthy eater ;). Something funny about you is that you ALWAYS take off your left sock and your left shoe whenever we get in the car. Your favorite toy is your Bullseye doll, and your monkey pillow pet. You love to read books, and some of my favorite times are snuggled up in the rocking chair reading books before bed. You also love to chase the bunnies out in the backyard. Outside is your favorite place to be. You love the movie “Cars” and you call Lightening MQueen “ka-chow.” (And yes, that is the correct spelling according to the Urban Dictonary). Blake, continue to be the fun, bubbly, special little guy that you are and I know you will accomplish amazing things—even as a toddler!

I love you baby boy! Happy 2nd birthday!
Love, Mommy

(He’s holding his two favorite things—smarties, and the iphone. It was the only way I could get him to smile.) (The Birthday Boys! Zach, Blake and Bridger. These cuties were all born within a week of each other!)

Preschool graduation #2

2011-05-19T14:24:00.001-07:00

And there’s also going to be a #3. Little Joshie is going to be a preschool expert by the time he finally makes it to kindergarten. This was my second year doing a preschool co-op with my friends, and it is so much fun! There were four of us this year, so we just taught one week of the month. The kids have such a good time, and it is so fun to be a part of their learning process. They progress so much over the course of the year, and it’s neat to look back at where they started and then see all the amazing things they can do now.

Today we held a little graduation party where they got graduation certificates, photo books, fun graduation leis, and bags of smarties because they are all such smartie pants. Way to go my tiny preschoolers!

Ezra, Josh, Teya, and Morgan

Here’s some pics from their photo books:

Hanging up my shirt (for now)

2011-05-19T14:15:00.001-07:00

After 5ish years of teaching group fitness classes and personal training, I am hanging up my shirt and devoting myself to the ranks of full-time mommyhood. Even though I was only working a few hours a week there at the end, the combination of me working, traveling husband, Young Women, and 3 kiddos was enough to make life feel very hectic. In an attempt to find more peace and balance in my life, I decided it would be best to put this on hold for a little while. I hope to go back someday when I have a little more time and energy. I will certainly miss it, as some days, going to work was my saving grace, but I know this is the right choice for me and for my family. The Erie Community Center has been such a fun, motivating place to work and I am so glad for all the opportunities I’ve been given there. So for now…..sayonara to the fitness field, and hello cleaner house! (one can only hope)

Redline Running Club

2011-05-19T14:09:00.001-07:00

Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to join the Redline Running Club. Our good friends, Josh and Kristin, have recently joined the ranks of full time entrepreneurship, and are expanding their running company to include not only fabulous race directing, but race training, and race gear (coming soon!). It has been so much for to run with this club. At the moment, much to Josh’s chagrin, we are almost exclusively women. (Personally, I think the guys just can’t keep up with us!) We meet twice a week—Tuesdays at 5:30am (no, unfortunately that is not a typo) and Saturday mornings at 6am. I have learned so much from our coaches, Kim, Josh, and Doug, and I have a BLAST running with my friends, both new and old. I am so inspired by these women. Who else could make me run 11 miles in the freezing rain this morning? Only my running club gals. I’ve already improved so much, and I am so excited for this summer’s racing season! GOOOOO Redline!

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

2011-05-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

Top 5 reasons I love being a Mom:

1. Never in my life have I been greeted with such enthusiasm as when my kiddos pounce on me in my bed in the morning.
2. I have to opportunity to develop talents that I never knew I had or needed, like scrubbing vomit out of carpet, or sprinting across grocery stores to catch glass bottles before they shatter on the floor.
3. Unexpected notes, hugs, and kisses. Or my favorite, Blake's "I Love Lou!"

4.Watching my kids grow, learn, and achieve their goals. There is nothing better than the joy on a little face when they do something they thought they couldn't.
5. Instant forgiveness. I mess up all the time, but my sweet kids are quick to forgive and never hold a grudge. I love that about them, and want to be more like them!

Thanks kiddos for making me a Mommy! I love you!

I just love these M.O.M.'s!!

2011-05-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

Here's our Ragnar video. Kristin did an amazing job. When I'm old and gray I'm going to watch this video and remember the glory days ;)

Ragnar So Cal 2011 from Tara Banks on Vimeo.

Hippity, Hoppity, Happity Easter!

2011-04-25T15:23:00.001-07:00

We had a very cold, very rainy Easter this year! Despite yucky weather, the kids still managed to have a great time at the annual Easter Egg hunt. And I think they ate all their candy in about 10 minutes flat.

Then we got to dye Easter Eggs. The kids won’t eat them, but they sure love to decorate them!

Easter morning the kids had fun finding their Easter Baskets that Dad had hidden. Blake could not resist all the jelly beans hidden throughout the house, and walked around all morning with his mouth stuffed full of jelly beans.

Halle got her first pair of roller skates, Josh got a computer game, and Blake got Bullseye, from Toy Story. Do you see the sheer joy on Blake’s face? My friend Amber has two little girls, and they both had a Bullseye doll. Blake played with it one day and then cried and cried when he had to give it back. I’ve been searching everywhere for the same toy (even the Disney Store in Downtown Disney) and had no luck finding it. Well, Amber asked Tigan, her oldest daughter, if Blake could have her Bullseye. And that sweet little girl gave her toy to Blake. We put it in his basket on Easter Morning, and he hasn’t put it down since.

Next came Easter pictures. I spent a small fortune buying new clothes for the little darlings, and all I wanted was one picture for my efforts. I got the pictures, but not without much whining and crying. (from both the kids AND me.) I literally chased Blake with a camera all day.

Little Hally also got a matching Easter dress, and I even made her a matching hair bow. Big Halle got her first pair of “high heels” and she couldn’t be more excited. It was so sweet.

We ended the day with a yummy dinner, strawberry shortcake, and our annual game of “Don’t Eat the Easter Bunny.”

Happy Easter Everyone!

200 miles of fun

2011-04-24T18:46:00.001-07:00

We did it! 200 miles from Huntington Beach to Coronado, and we ran every step of the way. The journey started Wed night as Susan and I flew to LA. We were running just a touch late, and when we got to security, I realized I didn’t have my boarding pass! So, I sprinted back to the ticket counter, got a new one, and sprinted back to security. I think I set a PR for airport running ;)

Susan’s aunt was kind enough to act as our chauffer for the day, and she whisked us off to Downtown Disney, where we ate dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. FUN.

The next afternoon we headed down to Newport where we met up with the rest of our team. We had a few hours to kill before our dinner reservation, so we took our 15 passenger van on the ferry to Balboa Island. The picture doesn’t do it justice.

Next up was dinner at the Spaghetti Factory. 24 hungry women (We had another team from our ward also running the race—the lovely ladies of the Mile High Runner’s Club) and 1 server. Dinner took FOREVER. But at least it was delicious! We ended the evening with team awards. Everyone came decked out in their apron—I made everyone cutsie flip flops to match their aprons, and we all got a pair of cat-eye sunglasses. I then presented them all with a funny award

The race began bright and early the next morning at 7:15. Van 1 was off and running while we Van 2 gals had a leisurely breakfast. We then drove to Anaheim to the first major exchange where Natalie kicked off our runners with a strong start. We were so stoked for our first runs, but there were two things we didn’t expect. #1—HEAT. It was so so so much hotter than we were used to! I think the temperature was around 90 degrees for most of our runs. #2—HILLS. We thought after doing Wasatch Back last year that there wasn’t a hill in the world we couldn’t conquer. Since we were racing at sea level, we didn’t pay much attention to the hills in our training. We sincerely regret that. California hills, you have earned our respect.

I ran in the #12 spot for the first leg, which was 8 miles of steady incline. I was the luckiest one in my van, because by the time it was my turn to run, the temperature had cooled off significantly. I had a great first run, and was excited to see my whole team again at the next major exchange.

(Our van, the Jolly Green Giant)

We were all totally wiped out from the heat. I have never consumed so much water in my life! We had two runners puke, and most of the rest of us wished we had! We hightailed it to BJ’s to refuel with some yummy food. The rest of the evening is a blur—we weren’t sure how we were going to run again, but as soon as we started our night runs, we got a second wind. It was cool outside, and there is something totally exhilarating about running in the middle of the night. We started around midnight and finished about 5:30 am. (I think). My night run was 6 miles, and I was completely decked out in glow sticks. (you can’t see the ones on the backs of my legs.) This run was almost completely downhill, so it was a speedy one.

Then, the delirium of sleep deprivation set in. We went and parked by the beach and tried to get a little sleep, only to find out that when we are that tired, we all SNORE. Every single one of us. Needless to say, we didn’t sleep great. But, some yummy breakfast and a “shower” in the Ihop bathroom did wonders to improve our spirits. We were ready to ROCK our last runs! It was so amazing to see everyone finish this race strong. Despite some people not feeling very well, extreme lack of sleep, and total muscle exhaustion, everyone finished the race with a smile on their face. That’s why I love this relay—it is so inspiring to watch my friends do amazing things. I am so grateful for their friendship, and I always walk away from these races a better person. My last run was down a fun little trail, and I gave it everything I had. After watching my teammates succeed, I didn’t want to let myself down. 5.2 miles of running all out. I was so happy to hand off the slap bracelet to Susan for the final leg of the race.

Getting Zen before our final run :)

We all put our aprons on and waited to cross the finish line with Susan. She came barreling down the path, and we all had to sprint to keep up with her! We crossed the finish line together at Silver Strand State Beach on Coronado (one of the first times we’d seen the sand along the course). What an amazing moment—12 friends—1 goal—We did it!!

Right after we were done, we hightailed it to In-N-Out. I’m pretty sure the whole reason Amy ran the race was for this moment ;)

And because you know I love pics, here are a few more of our “after party” hanging out in Coronado on Sunday. We were all excited to lay out on the beach, but it was FREEZING. Why couldn’t Saturday have been freezing while we ran, and Sunday hot so we could lay on the beach? The hot tub is as close to water as we got.

I think the cat-eye glasses should come back in style!

(This was packing light!)

California Girls

2011-04-02T15:32:00.001-07:00

In exactly 12 days my Ragnar team leaves for Sunny California to run the So Cal race. 200 miles from Huntington Beach to Coronado Island. Remember how much fun we had at Wasatch Back last year?
This year promises to be even better. Our team name is Mind Over Mileage or M.O.M. We have about 40 kids between the 12 of us, so we really wanted to channel our mommy status. And what could be more "mommy" than a 1950's housewife? We played off the brilliance of Anne Traintor and came up with some funny running slogans. We donned our aprons and red lipstick and had an amazing photo shoot. It was a night we won't soon forget! Our fabulously talented teammate Amy edited the photos, and I have to say, they are better than anything we ever imagined. Check out our Mind Over Mileage blog if you want to see the full effect.

Naughty little leprechauns!

2011-04-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

I am the class photographer for Halle's 1st grade class, and so on St. Patrick's day I got to go see what those sneaky little leprechauns were up to. All the kids had made traps, hoping to catch a leprechaun. Halle was so excited. She said, "Mom, if I catch a leprechaun, I bet I'll get to be on TV, and then I'll be FAMOUS!"
But alas, they are tricky fellas, and managed to make off with all the gold in the traps. You should have seen the mess they made!

Ski day 2011

2011-04-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

The annual "Mommy's day off" Spring skiing at Copper was amazing this year! 3 inches of new snow, a clear blue sky, warm sunshine, and amazing conversation combined for a perfect ski day. Jen, Susan, Amber, and I took off to the mountains early, and didn't get home till late. It was a wonderful, well-earned respite from Mommyhood. I sure do love my friends!

Daddy Daughter Ball

2011-03-06T12:41:00.001-08:00

Rusty here. Last weekend I got to do one of the neatest things ever. I got to take little miss Halle to a Daddy Daughter Ball. We both got dressed up (I tried to make her a corsage out of some flowers we had, but it kept flopping over), then we headed over to Lifetime fitness.

They decorated the gym just like a dance, complete with dance photos.
We had dinner (Mac & Cheese for Halle, her favorite), then we danced and danced. It was so fun to see Halle cut loose and just get to do whatever she wanted. It was also fun to see all the other dads and kids doing the same.

We headed out to the parking lot for a horse drawn carriage ride, when it started to rain. We got pretty wet, but it was worth it.
We came inside and visited the chocolate fountain with strawberrys, marshmellows, and rice krispie treats. What an amazing evening with an amazing girl… nights like that remind you what it’s all about!

Forty Under 40

2011-02-17T14:12:00.001-08:00

Rusty was named to the Forty Under Forty class of 2011 by the Boulder County Business Repot. The press release stated “Members of the group are young emerging leaders under the age of 40 in the Boulder Valley.”

We got to attend a fun networking event, and Rusty received a nifty plaque. It was a fun, exciting night, and a great excuse for a mid-week date! Way to go, Babe!This is a little clip that was printed in the BCRB with a pic, Rusty’s age, and a little bit about BlogFrog.

Beaver Creek. Not exactly roughing it

2011-02-17T13:40:00.001-08:00

I don’t think Beaver Creek could have come up with a more perfect slogan. Rusty and I had the opportunity to head up there for a few days of R&R. Well, sorta. Rusty got to present at the Venture Capital in the Rockies conference, while I got some R&R in the hotel room.

While he was at the conference, I spent the day reading, napping, and vegging out in front of the TV. I did peel myself away from my bed and go watch Rusty give his presentation. It was so fun to actually hear the “real live” version! I have spent the last two years listening to him practice and perfect his presentation. He did such a good job. I was really proud! One of his investors came up after and jokingly said, “You did such a great job it brought tears to my eyes!” Then I got to meet many of the people I’ve been hearing about since the beginning of BlogFrog—investors, mentors and friends. It is so nice to be able to have a face to put to all the names. We got to attend a fabulous dinner at the Saddle Ridge Restaurant, compliments of HRO, and then take a dip in one of the 5 hot tubs at the Park Hyatt.

(That tiny speck in the front of the room is Rusty. Darn iphone camera!)

The next day was spent skiing at Beaver Creek, which is one of the most beautiful resorts I have ever been to! The runs were HUGE, and the scenery was breathtaking. I thought I was a pretty good skier until I got on the slopes with Rusty—He DUSTED me every time. I was exhausted by the end of the day! It was so fun to spend an entire day with each other, uninterrupted by the pitter patter of sweet tiny feet.

A HUGE thanks to my amazing, wonderful, friend Jen who watched the kids for us.

Cross Country Skiing

2011-02-06T19:51:00.001-08:00

Rusty and I went cross country skiing with my siblings over Christmas Break. It was the first time I’d ever gone, and let’s just say, I am not a natural. How in the heck do you slow down on those things???

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

I am happy to report that we all waited until AFTER Christmas to get sick this year. I am sad to report that we ALL got sick after Christmas. I don’t know what it is about us, Utah, and Christmas, but it has got to end! We want a healthy Christmas vacation!! Before the sick bug hit, we did manage to squeeze in some pretty fun stuff, starting with Christmas Eve. We had a talent show at the Bank’s house (Halle and Josh sang Away in a Manger), followed by the nativity. Sharon is always so creative and the kids had a blast putting together their stables, and then performing the nativity.

Then you should have seen the chaos of present time! The kids all got pillow pets and zhu zhu pets, which were wrapped in GIANT bags, big enough to swallow Blake and Kali whole.

The same scene was repeated at the Cornell House later in the evening, but this time Halle got to be Mary. I love the way she is looking at the Baby Jesus. So precious. The evening concluded with the kiddos opening their new pajamas, and the annual sibling sleepover, where we had a rockin Wii bowling tournament.

Christmas morning is a blur, just like it always is. Presents galore, and wrapping paper everywhere. The best part of the day went something like this: Josh runs in to see his present from Santa. This is what it looked like. Notice it’s shape.

Well, as soon as he saw it, he plopped down on the floor with a very mad expression on his face. I asked him what was wrong, and he said, “I asked Santa to bring me some cars for Christmas, but all I got was this big stick. What good is a big stick?” Of course, everyone is ROARING with laughter and I assured him it wasn’t a big stick. He opened it to reveal a brand new car rug. But look carefully at what was in the middle of the rolled up rug:

Yes, a really big stick. (well, cardboard to be more accurate). Darn that Santa! Josh is a good kid—he deserves more than a big stick. :)

Every years Santa always brings the kids a new ornament. I’m sad I didn’t take pictures of them, but you can see Blake’s in the picture above. The front said “Blake” with a picture of a little boy with an angel halo over his head. The back said, “the destroyer.” Santa knows that boy well! Halle got a table and a tea set for her doll, and we have had many fun tea parties since.

Merry Christmas everyone!

The obligatory photos in Christmas clothes

2011-01-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

I usually love taking pics of my kiddos near the Christmas tree. I don’t know why, but this year it was quite the struggle to get it done. I never did manage to catch Blake when he was clean and dressed……

Gobble Gobble

2010-12-07T13:43:00.001-08:00

We had such a fun, relaxing Thanksgiving this year! Alan and Sharon drove in a huge snowstorm all the way from Utah to come spend it with us. Thanksgiving morning I ran the Turkey Day 5k race (and set a PR!) and the kids ran the 1/2 mile Bumpkin Pumpkin Dash. Josh was so cute—he would "practice” for the race by running across our living room. Grandpa blasted the Gummy Bear song (ever Josh’s favorite) to give him energy. He had to stop and walk a few times, but he had so much fun. Halle girl was a speedy demon and ran the whole way!

I had the turkey in the oven before the race, and when we got home dinner came together really quickly. It was the easiest year yet! I guess it’s true that practice makes perfect. I’ve cooked Thanksgiving dinner every year that we’ve lived in Colorado. After enjoying our feast we headed off to see “Tangled.” We all agree that Maximus was our favorite character.

But the best was yet to come. On Friday Halle, Jenna, Grandma and I went to see the Nutcracker performed by the Boulder Ballet. It was fantastic. Halle and Jenna were so so cute. They were literally on the edge of their seat the entire time. And Halle would just clap and clap at the end of the scene. I think the Nutcracker is quickly becoming my favorite Christmas Tradition.

Welcome to the Wild Zebra Spa

2010-11-17T06:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Halle girl,

Happy 7th Birthday! You are growing up to be such a sweet, fun, kind, and smart girl. We love you so much. You are my little helper around the house and I don’t know what I’d do without you. I depend on you for lots of little things throughout the day and you always come through for me. You are a peacemaker in our home, and your little brothers just adore you. You love going to school, dance, and playing with your friends. Your favorite foods are red peppers and spaghetti with meatballs. You love doing things for others, and are constantly writing notes, and drawing pictures for me and Dad. Halle, you are such a sweet girl, and make friends easily. You are a leader both at school and in our home. You are such a special part of our family, and we hope your 7th year brings growth, happiness, and fun!

Love,
Mom

We had so much fun at Halle’s party. I have been planning it all year! Her favorite animal is a zebra, and as luck would have it—zebra print is all the rage right now. We had a spa party at the “Wild Zebra Spa”( aka our house.) We invited all the mommies to come with their daughters and spend the day pampering the little princesses. We played musical nails, where we passed around different colors of nail polish and when the music stopped you painted one toe with the color you were holding. The girls made cute zebra flip flops to put on their newly polished toes. The moms gave the girls facials, complete with cucumber eyes, and the girls thought it was the funniest thing in the world. Then came the food! What would a spa party be without chocolate? We had chocolate galore! The girls had a blast eating all sorts of goodies dipped in chocolate from the chocolate fountain. And then we topped it all off with a toast to the birthday girl, and chocolate birthday cake. We all had a great time and made some fun memories!

Left to right: Autumn, Halle, Ainsley, Riley, Bottom: Jenna, Berlynn

Happy Birthday Josh!

2010-11-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Josh,
Happy 4th birthday! You are such a sweet and special boy, and we are so glad you are part of our family. I can always count on you to lift my spirits when I am feeling sad with one of your great hugs, or funny comments. Lately, you have been giving me big kisses and saying, “Mom, you are the best Mom of all the moms.” It just melts my heart.
You have always been my cuddle bug. When it was my turn to teach preschool you said to me, “Mom, if ever I want a hug or a kiss, you need to stop teaching and give me a hug or a kiss, ok?” And I am happy to oblige.
You are a little smarty pants, and can already read 3 letter words. It’s so cute to sit with you and hear you sound out the words. You are so proud when you get them right.
Halle is your best friend—you count down the hours everyday until she gets home from school, and then the two of you play and play. Your other favorite thing to do is play on the computer, or play games on my Iphone. You always come to me and say, “Mom, can I have some screen time?”
Josh, from the moment you were born you had me wrapped around your tiny finger, and you still do! I love you so much and hope your 4th year is a wonderful one!
Love, Mom

I had tried to convince Josh to have a family birthday party this year, and I thought I had won, but about 3 days before his birthday he started to cry and said, “Mom, I want my friends, and I want a piñata at my birthday!” It was so sweet and sad that I immediately gave in. We had a rockin party with our friends and neighbors, complete with cupcakes and a piñata.

Happy Halloween

2010-11-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

Since Halloween was on Sunday this year, the Primary decided to host a Fall Festival at the church on Saturday night. We ate Chili and Rolls, and played fun carnival games. The kids had a great time playing a spider bean bag toss, getting their faces painted, and having a donut eating contest. But, the hit of the night was the cake walk—the Relief Society donated almost 200 cupcakes! Blake’s favorite was the duck pond—but he didn’t care too much about the prizes, he just wanted to splash in the water. Then after the Festival was the annual Trunk-or-Treat, where the kids got entirely too much candy. I’m sad to report that since the Primary Presidency was in charge of the activity, I did not take any pictures!

For Halloween night we went to the Bohn’s for a yummy dinner and great company. Josh loved answering the door with Jamie when the Trick-or-Treaters came calling.

The Evolution of a chicken

2010-11-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

All my kids have worn the same chicken costume for Halloween. So, we’re going to play a little game of “Guess Who” Which pic belongs to which child? The answer will be in the comments.
A.

B.

C.

The Primary Program

2010-10-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

The “Best Sunday of the Year” has come and gone. I am the 1st councilor in the Primary Presidency in our ward, and we had 100+ kids participating in the program. As you can imagine, it is quite the production to get 100 children in the right place, sitting still, and paying attention. So, I was a little anxious to get up to the stage as quickly as possible after the Sacrament. About 1 min before we are set to go up, Blake is happily eating a fruit snack, and one got lodged in his throat. So, to get it out, he throws up all over Halle’s new dress. I am trying to clean the throw-up with a wet wipe, and Halle is bawling. I do a decent clean up job, give her some scented lotion so she doesn’t stink and send her up on stage in the nick of time. THEN, about 1/2 way through the program I hear a huge THUD. Our Sunbeams were sitting in tiny chairs, and I was sure one of them had tipped backward and fallen over. I stand up to look, and which little Sunbeam do I see lying on the floor? Yep—Josh. Angela scooped him up and rushed him into the hall before the first wails could leave his lips. Rusty met her out there, gave him a little pep talk, and he was back before the next song.

Other than my children’s trauma, the Program went off without a hitch. I love working in the Primary!

Halle’s part was, “Prophets are called by God. I know this because I feel happy whenever I hear Pres. Monson speak”

Josh said, “Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He came to earth to fulfill God’s plan.”

Just some cute pics

2010-10-06T14:23:00.001-07:00

I am in love with Fall time. And the weather this year has been exquisite! I meant to take some fun pictures of all the beautiful leaves, but ended up with pictures of beautiful children instead!

Blake had just bathed himself in dirt, and was none to happy when we pulled him from the dust to come and take a picture.

September at a glance

2010-09-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

Halle and her friend Berlynn performed a magic show for a ward talent show. They were amazing! Maybe I’ll post the video of their awesome magical talent.

Blake wishes I would stop going to the gym and give him a proper nap. Here he is zonked out in the middle of the child care floor with 50 kids running all around him, screaming, and tripping over him. He stayed asleep through it all. Sad.

When he’s not sleeping, he has turned into the devil toddler. Lot’s of tantrums at our house!

We’ve been getting in touch with our crafty selves at Discovery Days

Halle continues to be a model first grade student

Blake enjoys his sweets more than anyone I know. He usually starves himself for days at a time in hopes that a “tookie” will come his way.

I turned the ripe old age of 29. And I made myself an apple pie to celebrate the occasion. (I tried to make the pic look like a 1960’s housewife. I think all I succeeded in doing was looking orange)

My Husband is HOT.

We’ve been enjoying this beautiful Fall weather with many outdoor excursions. This one was biking along the Boulder Creek Trail.

Quick Get-away to Winter Park

2010-09-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

We made a last minute decision to head up to Winter Park for Labor Day. We left after church, and headed up to the mountains. We stopped and ate Pizza at Beaujoe’s in Idaho Spring, then finished the drive up to Winter Park. We got in kinda late, but the kids, of course, wanted to go swimming. So, I put Blake to bed while Rusty and the kids wore themselves out at the pool.

The next morning we swam again, and then headed out to do a mile hike to a lake that was 10 miles away. What we didn’t know was that it was 10 miles on a very bumpy, narrow dirt road, straight up the mountain. After about 40 min, we got to our destination. The wind was blowing like CRAZY, and it was about 42 degrees. I was ready just to head back down the mountain, but Rusty wanted to keep going. He was sure the wind would die down once we entered the little valley where the lake was. So, with Blake and Josh bawling their eyes out, and Halle and I freezing to death, we made our way down to the lake. Where is was still freezing and windy. The kids and I immediately wanted to turn back, but we sat frozen for a few minutes trying to eat our lunch. We started back up the hill with Josh still crying. So, I stopped the kids, and we talked about how important it is to try our best, and even when things are hard, to put on a happy face. We promised we would all do our best to get up the mountain, and not whine and cry. Halle was amazing. She was our little trooper blazing her way up the hill. I didn’t hear one word of complaint out of her. We kept saying things like, “we’re so strong, we’re so brave” and she loved it. I gave Josh a piggy back ride most of the way up and he had to say things like, “you can do it, mom!” in order to give me “energy” to keep carrying him up the hill. I put him down about 50 yards from the top and let him finish himself. Both he and Halle were so proud, and I was too!
A few days after we got home I had asked Josh to do something and he said, “It’s so hard, Mom.” I said, “Is it harder than climbing that mountain?” He said, “No.” I told him if he could do something as hard as climbing a mountain in the wind, he could surly do this small job. He thought about it for a minute, put a big smile on his face, and went and finished his job. It was really sweet.

After the crazy hike we decided we needed something fun. So we went and rented some bikes and rode along a beautiful trail right along the river. Halle and I had a tandem bike, and Rusty pulled the boys in a trailer. We stopped and threw rocks into the river—always a favorite pass time with the kids.

The kids just love staying in hotels, jumping on the beds, and having adventures. I was so proud of the way they acted, and can’t wait until our next grand adventure. As long as it’s not cold or windy :)

My Amazing Grandma

2010-09-09T07:29:00.001-07:00

My Grandma passed away on Aug 22, just a few days before her 89th birthday. I flew out to Utah to attend her funeral, and it was wonderful to reflect on her life, and commit to be a little more like her.

There are a lot of things I love about my Grandma, but the one that stands out the most is how she made each and every one of her 10 children and 41 grandchildren feel like they were her favorite. You never went away from Grandma’s house without a big boost in self confidence, because you had just spent the last hour being told how wonderful, special, beautiful, and talented you were.

The last time I saw my Grandma was in June. Blake had just turned one, and the last year had been a crazy one. Taking care of three kids often leaves me a bit frazzled, and taking care of three kids on vacation ALWAYS leaves me frazzled. I was running a little low in spirits. I hadn’t seen her in awhile, and the whole time I was there she sat right next to me, with her hand in mine. She kept patting my hand, and telling me what a special girl I was, how wonderful and important I am, how I was looking so beautiful, and asking if Rusty knew how lucky he was to have me. You can bet by the time I left I was feeling on top of the world—she successfully boosted my spirits, and left me feeling confidant that I could do anything! I will miss that so much.

My Grandma has a favorite story she loves to tell about me. I think I’ve heard it at least 50,000 times in my life. When I was little, I was a talker. My mom jokes that I could speak in complete sentences before I could even take one step. I was probably less than 2 years old and my parents were over at Grandma’s house. My mom was relating one of my latest tricks, and my proud Grandma said, “Well, isn’t she above average!” My tiny self immediately parroted, “Above average?” in that sweet baby voice. Well, that just cracked her up. So, every time I would see her she would tell me that I’ve always been above average.

At her funeral, as I had time to sit and reflect on her wonderfully rich and full life, I was struck with a few things. Things that I want to do in my own life to honor her memory.

One, make each of my children feel special everyday.

Another thing that really stuck with me was how much she loved my grandpa. He died when I was just a baby, so most of what I know about him comes from her. He was truly the love of her life, and I have never heard her say anything but loving, positive things about him. We watched a little video interview that David did with her a few years back and she said, “Never was a woman more loved by a man than I was.”

In my own life, I want to reverse that statement. When Rusty is 80 years old and our kids do a video interview of him (smile) I want him to say, “Never was a man more loved by a woman than I was.”

The last thing came from a journal she kept called “Words to Live By.” This journal had newspaper and magazine clippings of inspirational thoughts, quotes, or life philosophies. It also had a lot of her own words on how she wanted to live her life, and what characteristics she wanted to develop. There was one quote that I thought described her perfectly:

Until you understand--
Do not criticize;
Then perhaps you may wish
Just to sympathize

Grandma accepted people as they were, she loved them no matter what. She loved them even when they made decisions that she didn’t agree with, or when their opinions weren’t in line with hers. I think I can honestly say that I never heard her speak a critical word about anyone. And all of us knew that we had her unconditional love. This quote is going to become my new mantra as I seek to become less critical, and more understanding and accepting.

Natalie, Carlie and I sang, “Each Life that Touches ours For Good” at the funeral. The third verses says, “When such a friend from us departs, we hold forever in our hearts, a sweet and hallowed memory, bringing us nearer, Lord to thee.” I know as we all move forward that we will carry her memory with us, and we are better people for having had her in our lives.

Grandma, I love you and will miss you so much!

My siblings at the viewing

Grandma’s 10 children and their spouses

Nene and Charles meet again

2010-09-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is a poem written by my cousin Jeremiah. I just love it! (My Grandma's nickname was Nene because one of the grandkids couldn't say Geneve when they were little)

If you could visit Heaven, I would have to imagine a scene unlike most.

As I cast my gaze upon our Father's land, I picture a cobblestone road lined with thousands.
Trumpets blowing so loud, it shakes the heavens and a gate that is wide open for a soul that has been gone for too long.
For heaven, like earth, was not the same without Nene.

She lived her life with purpose and love, not only for every single person she met, but also for her Heavenly Father.
The heavens have welcomed her home.
As she passed through the gates to the Kingdom, she always knew there would be thousands to welcome her back.
As she passes her eyes are on each, but she is focused on one.

She was expecting him to be the first one there, but she knows this man all too well.
His quiet reverence keeps him in the back of the crowd, watching intently,
knowing that his angel has now come home.
She knows he is there, but where??

As she looks at the horizon, she sees an outline of a man she knows all too well!
He is standing underneath an apple tree that bears his signature.
For this moment has been dreamed about and lived nightly for so many years that she realizes what to do next.
She approaches the man leaning on the tree, trembling inside, trying not to erupt.

She sees him as he once was.
Strong, broad shouldered, a larger than life young man.
Words are not spoken, there is nothing that can be said, that can explain this feeling.

They embrace, and the heavens and earth shake, the trumpets sound,
for today they meet again.

Preschool begins again

2010-09-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

Cute little Josh started his second year of preschool. He loves going to school and learning. He does not love to color. He will scribble one line down the middle of his page, and say, “Done!”

I am doing the co-op preschool again with some friends. We use Mother Goose curriculum, and it is FANTASTIC. I love when it’s my turn to teach and I get to see Josh interact with his friends, learn, and try new things!

Darn you iphone with your blurry pictures!

Fathers and Sons campout

2010-08-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

Rusty took Josh on the annual church Fathers and Sons Campout. Josh was a little sad to leave Halle and he was crying. Halle went upstairs, came down with her favorite blanket, and a picture of herself, and tucked them into Josh’s backpack. She said, “Josh, now you can remember me always.” It was so so sweet, and cheered Josh right up. The boys had a grand time roasting hot dogs, eating treats, and sleeping in the tent. Well, Josh had a great time sleeping in the tent. Rusty had a great time listening to Josh snore all night long. Then they made the traditional stop at the Boulder Waterfall on the wall home. Good times!

The first day of the 1st grade

2010-08-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

Halle started 1st grade on Aug 18th. She had been a little nervous all summer because someone told her that her teacher was bossy. She came home from meeting her teacher and dropping off school supplies and she was so excited. She said, “Mom—my teacher is sooooooooooo nice! She’s not bossy at all!” The relief was apparent in her face. While we were in Utah my mom took Halle on a special little “Halle and Grandma” shopping spree and got her some adorable new school clothes. Halle was so excited to wear her new, special clothes. And she looked adorable. Straight out of the 80’s but adorable none the less. We hope you have a fantastic school year miss Halle!

Happy anniversary to us!

2010-08-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our 8th anniversary on Aug 17th. That was also the official last day of summer before Halle started school. So, Rusty took the day of work and we took the kids to “The Bay” in Broomfield. We had a fun day of swimming, water slides, and snow cones. Then that evening Rusty and I went on our anniversary date. Rusty did all the planning this year, and I must say, he did a PERFECT job. It all started with a present. He bought me a dress while he was on business in NYC, and I LOVE IT!! Then we went to the temple. From there we headed to PF Chang’s in downtown Denver. We used to eat at PF Chang’s all the time when we were first married. Dessert was at the Peaks Lounge, which is on the 27th floor of the Hyatt. One whole wall is just windows that overlook the city. It was very romantic. We snuggled up on a couch in the corner and ordered Dip your own Strawberries. It was delicious! Rusty gets an A+++ for this date. And I have to say, even after 8 years, things just keep getting better and better! I love you Rust!

My awesome new dress

Georgetown 1/2 marathon

2010-08-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

13.1 miles. Whew….glad that’s over. The Georgetown 1/2 marathon was a BEAUTIFUL race up in the Colorado mountains. The temperature was perfect, the sky was blue. It was the perfect day for running. I got to race with lots of my girlfriends from the Ragnar, including my lovely sister, Nat. She drove home from Utah with me to do the race and visit for a few days. Susan hosted an awesome Carb Loading dinner the night before, that was the perfect pre-race meal. We all had to get up EARLY in order to make the drive up to the mountains. When we got there the line for the 10 measly port-a-potties (with over 3000 runners) was enormous. We were all still in line when the gun went off. Luckily, it was a timing chip race, so your time didn’t start until you crossed the start line. Everyone started the race at once, and so the first few miles were chaos! Adrenaline pumping, Nat and I weaved in and out of 100s of people, trying to find our pace. It sure does make the time go by more quickly when you are trying not to get stepped on. The course had lots of rolling hills, but we lost about 1000 feet of elevation by the finish line. I lost Nat at the mile 4 water station—I didn’t know she was stopping until I was already up ahead of her. I recently got new running shoes (Brooks Ravenna) and I love them! This day was no exception—everything felt really good. Until mile 10. That’s when things always start to go downhill for me. Aching legs, hungry stomach, tired mind. But I figured that if I kept up my pace then the whole thing would be over quicker. No use prolonging the pain by slowing down. I just put my legs on autopilot and focused on my music. Luckily I had been doing some of my training with Jen, who always runs faster at the end of her runs than the beginning. This really helped with my stamina. The end of the course wasn’t well marked, and it seemed like the last mile took FOREVER. But I crossed the finish line strong, and with a new PR—1:48:49. Race day makes all those long, hard training days worth it. I get a runner’s high for about a week!

Josh, who we all aspire to be like, took third place in his division with a time around 1:20. But I wish you could see the trophy better. It is a gold miners pan, with a piece of fools gold hot glued in the middle. On top of the gold, is a figurine of a mountain goat. Also hot glued. Very high class ;)

Skydiving!

2010-08-22T10:55:00.001-07:00

For Rusty’s 30th birthday I gave him gift certificates for Skydiving. Read his skydiving post here. Due to a fun and crazy summer, this weekend was the first chance we had to go. And through a weird stroke of luck, Carlie was here to watch the kids for us. So, Rusty and I drove to the Boulder airport, and expected a big training session before we got on the plane. But nope—they just strapped us in our harnesses, gave us a few little instructions, and we were off to the plane. And talk about a TINY plane. There was hardly enough room for the 4 of us in the back. The view of the Rocky Mountains from the plane was incredible. All too soon it was time to jump. It was “ladies first,” so my instructor, Daryl, pushed us to the door of the plane, and suddenly I was hanging out the door at 13,000 feet, with my feet tucked up under the plane. This is when I started to freak out a little. With a “Ready, Set, ARCH” we were free falling. It was AMAZING. The wind blowing in your face, and falling toward the earth at 125 MPH. Surprisingly, it is not really scary at all. Roller Coasters make my stomach drop more than this did. After falling about 5,000 feet in about 45 seconds, Daryl pulled the parachute and we were floating. He said, “look, look” and Rusty and his instructor, Brian fell right past us and we watched their chute deploy. We did a few fun spins with the parachute, and then watched as the ground came up to meet us. I picked up my feet like Daryl told me to, and we skidded across the ground on our bums (which didn’t hurt me, but probably hurt Daryl). Rusty and Brian landed on their feet. We were a bit shaky when we stood up, and totally exhilarated. We both immediately said, “AGAIN!” It was an amazing, beautiful, incredible experience and everyone should try it!

Now and Then

2010-08-19T19:51:00.001-07:00

I just got back from the BEST trip to Utah! Rusty had a business trip to NYC, so I loaded up the car, and drove the kids across the mountains to attend my 10 year High School Reunion and to go to my good friend, Brandon Boulter’s, wedding. A few of my other friends came in from out of state, and we were all husbandless. So, it turned into a huge girl party. I have not had so much fun in AGES. We caught up on life, reminisced, laughed till we cried, and stayed out entirely too late—just like the good old days. I am so lucky that my High School friends remain some of my very closest friends to this day. I love those girls (and guys) so much! I was so sad for the weekend to be over. It was hard to say goodbye again. We were trying to calculate how long we’ve know each other, and we figured some of us have know each other since about the 5th or 6th grade. That’s 17 years!! I love spending time with these girls because they’ve been through everything with me—girl fights, boyfriends, breakups, high school drama, living together, trips, birthdays, weddings, births, early mommy years—and they still love me. That is a small miracle :) So—here’s a tribute to the good old days, and to looking forward to the next 17 years of friendship!

THEN:

NOW:

I also had the chance to catch up with my gals from BYU-Hawaii. I don’t get to see them nearly enough, and when I do I feel 18 all over again. I love it. These are some truly amazing girls and I can’t wait to see them again!

THEN:

NOW:

I tried a Tri

2010-08-01T19:41:00.001-07:00

This weekend I competed in my first triathlon, the Anthem Sprint Triathon. It was perfect for beginners like me. And it was so much fun. I’ve always thought that triathletes were kinda crazy for doing 3 events in 1—but it makes for such a fun, interesting race. I was getting a little burned out on running, but still wanted to compete in the Georgetown 1/2 marathon with all my friends in a few weeks. Since biking and swimming are such good cardio workouts, I thought it would be great cross training. And it was. Redline Races put together a great course, and a fun event. The swim was a little crazy. It was a pool swim (I know some of you will say it’s not a real triathlon because it wasn’t open water, but I don’t care). We jumped into the water (4 people in a lane) and immediately they tell us to go. I didn’t even have my goggles on yet! But I started swimming anyway, then realize my goggles weren’t on, stopped, put them on and then kept going. After that all went well. My legs felt like bricks on the run (they always feel like that after getting off the bike) but I was still able to pull a good time. Thank goodness for adrenaline! My friend, and fellow M.O.M., Jarrie, did the race as well, and our awesome friend Amber came to cheer us on and take pics. So, most the pics are courtesy of her. Two of my neighbors, Kyle and Marc also joined the fun.

At the end of the run I was kicking hard to the finish line, and the DJ said something like, “She has way too much energy—let’s send her on a second lap.” Josh looks up at him and said, “My mom is NOT going to do that again.” How right you are Josh. At least not right then.
Video of the finish line

I’m in the red swim cap.

I think body marking makes you look tough. Does it cancel out my ugly running sunglasses?

We have a Walker

2010-07-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

We have a Walker, We have a Walker (sing this to the tune of "Follow the Prophet"--it's really fun!)

Blake is FINALLY walking. He's been teetering around for over a month, taking 5 steps here, 10 steps there, but he's now convinced walking is pretty cool stuff. He is so proud of himself, and sports a HUGE grin every time he walks across the room. There is nothing more precious than a new walker, with their stiff little knees, and wobbly bodies. I love it!

Welcome to the vertical world little Blake!

Here's a few videos for the Grandma's and Grandpa's:

Walking:

Baseball

berry patch farms

2010-07-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

We made the annual trip to Berry Patch Farms. The kids had a great time picking strawberries and raspberries, digging for carrots, and making a lovely fresh flower bouquet. We also bought some other wonderful farm fresh veggies and the kids gobbled them up for dinner that night. I need to take them to the farm more often! (Or grow a garden, but it actually seems easier to just go to the farm). It is such a fun thing to do, and I’d recommend it to anyone.

Beautiful Breckenridge

2010-07-14T16:11:00.001-07:00

BlogFrog was helping sponsor the Savvy Blogging Conference last weekend in Breckenridge. Rusty was already going up there for the conference, so the kids and I decided to make the 2 hour drive into the mountains and join him for the weekend. The conference lasted until Sat evening, so the kids and I had Saturday to ourselves to explore the town. We went swimming at the hotel (always a favorite), had a picnic by the river (which turned into a very rainy picnic!) snuggled up and watched “Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakquel” while we waited for the rain to pass, and then ate pizza at “Eric’s".” Yummy. The next day we got to take a family hike to see some horses (Halle’s favorite part), ride the gondola (Josh’s favorite part), and take another fun hike in search of some beavers. (Which we never found). But it was one of the least whiny hikes to date. So we’ll take it. Josh and Halle loved jumping on the bed and eating out all the time. We have decided that when we are BlogFrog gadzillionaires that we will have a second home in Breckenridge :)

Best Quote from the trip: Rusty was with the kids in the hot tub, and Halle said, "Dad, hot tubs are so romantic." What??? You're 6 Halle, no need for romance yet.

Happy Birthday America!

2010-07-14T15:49:00.001-07:00

We had quite the eventful 4th of July. Brian, Sara and the kiddos came down to join us for our 3rd annual 4th of July get together. We had a quick and yummy dinner, then headed to the golf course to let the kids play on all the bouncy castles, slides, etc. On our way there we dropped off our blankets, cookies, sparklers, and an extra stroller in the spot where we were going to watch the fireworks. Well….when we came back, everything was GONE. We asked the people close by if they had seen anything, but they said there was nothing there when they arrived. We searched all around hoping that some silly teenagers had hidden it, or strewn it around. No luck. The kids were so sad not to have their sparklers that it about broke our hearts. We stayed to watch the fireworks and just sat on the grass, and all the kids were shivering without their blankets. But, it was a great opportunity to talk about choices, and how our choices can effect others. We also talked about attitude. We could choose to be sad and not enjoy the fireworks, or we could choose to move on and make the best of the situation. The kids put on their brave faces despite their disappointment and we enjoyed the fireworks. (for the most part) Khloee and Blake did great—neither of them cried at all. Thanks Loveridges for making the drive and sharing in a memorable 4th! (and sorry again about your stroller and blankets)

I stole these pics from Sara’s blog. She bought the boys those fun hats, and made the girls some adorable flip flops. Halle wears hers EVERYWHERE.

Swinging Bridge

2010-07-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

I love AF Canyon. And my favorite place in AF Canyon is Swinging Bridge. It is a fun little picnic site right next to the river. We decided to take the kids and roast hot dogs and marshmallows on our last night in Utah. It is so peaceful and relaxing in the mountains. The kids had a blast carrying firewood, roasting over the fire, and getting very, very dirty. It was fun to hang out with my brothers and sisters and catch up. I love them all, and don’t get to be with them often enough. I am lucky to be part of such an amazing family!

The Princess Festival

2010-07-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

While we were in Utah, all the Princesses in the family (Tara, Susan, Sharon, and Halle) attended the Princess Festival in Lindon. It was one of the cutest things I have ever been to. Halle got all dolled up as Snow White, and we had to help the Fairy Intelligence capture the wicked Snow Queen. We traveled all throughout the land and met Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, Pocahontas, Rapunzel, Alice in Wonderland, and I’m sure a few more I’m forgetting. The little princesses got to help in special tasks to help save the kingdom, and at the end, they each tried on a glass slipper to see if they were a true princess. The slipper fit Halle perfectly. (But we already knew she was a true princess!) This was the BEST mother/daughter/grandma day ever. Halle also got a special frame and two princess dresses for her dolls. Thanks to the Grandma’s for making this special day possible.

Sipping tea with Alice, The Red Queen of Hearts, and the Mad Hatter

Sitting in Cinderella's coach. Dancing in the castle

Trying on the glass slipper

Kissing the frog and trying to turn him into a prince

Flying with Tinkerbell. Complete with a Happy Thought and Pixy dust.

Run. Drive. Sleep? Repeat

2010-06-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

We did it! All our hard work paid off and Mind Over Mileage ROCKED the Ragnar Relay last weekend. 188 miles from Logan to Park City over the course of 30 hours. Seriously, I couldn’t be more proud of our team. We trained well and we finished strong. I think everyone met or exceeded their expectations for this race. And did I mention we had fun? LOTS and LOTS of fun. I wish there were words to express what a neat, inspiring, life-changing race this was. I love my teammates, they inspire me to be my best, not only in running, but in life. It was an honor to be a part of this team! I was runner #1 and it was so fun to be at the starting line. I got to run 8 miles through beautiful Logan, and reminisce on all the fun memories we had while living there. I was having so much fun on my trip down memory lane, that I was shocked to see the “1 mile to go” sign! (which is a good thing). I’d been tailing this girl pretty close the whole way, and we traded leads a few times back and forth. With about .75 miles to go, I gunned it and thought I left her in the dust. But with about 100 meters to the finish line she came flying past me. I yelled “NO” and started sprinting as fast as I could. She beat me by about 2 seconds. DANG IT. But, it made for an exciting finish. My second leg was 8.4 miles straight down the canyon from Snow Basin. My poor shins. I ended with 5 miles near Heber. Did you add that up? Yep, 21 miles. Whew. I think the last run was my favorite. It was at 6am, and we had to rush to get there because we initially went to the wrong place (after sleeping in a stinky high school gym and taking cold showers in the locker room). That had me flustered and not in the best mind set. I was trying to justify to myself that I could go slow, it was my third run, I didn’t need to work that hard. But then I started running and the ENTIRE 5 miles was lined with red glow sticks in honor of Jeremy Kunz, a runner who was killed in the Las Vegas Ragnar last October. It was completely inspiring and motivating, and I though of how hard I trained to be there, and I owed it to myself to give my very best effort. So I did. And it was awesome, exhilarating, and liberating.

In true Tara form, I have a million pictures (ok 400 to be exact). Here are some of my favorites:

Decorating our Vans at the Hampton Inn in Logan. I could see our old townhouse on Penhurst Place from my hotel window.

The ever lovely and energetic ladies from Van 1: Adrienne, Amy, Susan, Tara, Jarrie, and Natalie.

Did I mention how cool it was to run with my sister?

Van 2 gals: Carrie, Stephanie, Amy, Jen, Amber, and Sarah

Van 1, tired after completing their second runs. But we got free chiropractic treatments. Heaven.

Just completed my FINAL run. Feeling STRONG.

We did it! The finish line was a huge mess (way disorganized and crowded), and we were all exhausted. Proud, but exhausted.

Did I mention the real reason we ran this race? SPA DAY!! Here we are outside of the Zermatt in Midway. We hung out by the pool and had spa treatments all day long. Ahhh….much needed R&R.

Rusty Turns 30

2010-06-26T19:19:00.001-07:00

Yep—it’s official. Rusty’s 20’s are behind him. Read his thoughts here. The kids and I threw him an awesome birthday party at a park near our house. I baked about 100 cupcakes (no exaggeration) and we played kickball. I think everyone had a fun time!

Rust—we love you so much and know your 30’s will be even better than the 20’s!

Bolder Boulder

2010-06-10T12:19:00.001-07:00

On Memorial Day Rusty and I ran in our very first Bolder Boulder 10K road race. We now feel like we are officially adopted into the Colorado Family. The Bolder Boulder is the largest road race in the country, so we competed against 54,000 other runners. Some of these runners included superman, wonder woman, and many a man dressed in drag. It was such a fun race, with slip and slides, sprinklers, and people offering you doughnuts and bacon all along the course. Feeding off the energy of that many people is amazing. I set a PR for a 10k race, and Rusty did pretty darn awesome as well.

Top: My good friends and fellow M.O.M.s, Amber and Jen
Below: Dan and Jen, Rusty and I, and Amber, Jeremy and Jamis

See the dinosaur man behind Rusty? There was also a guy in a banana suit who was running close to me, and I was determined not to let a guy in a banana suit beat me!

CBC Keynote speech

2010-06-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

At the end of May Rusty had the awesome opportunity to be the keynote speaker at the Casual Bloggers Conference in SLC. His speech was awesome, and I couldn't be more proud. Read about it on his blog.

Some Really Cool M.O.Ms

2010-06-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

Over the past 4 or 5 months I have had the opportunity to train for the Wasatch Back Relay race with 11 of the the coolest women I know. Our team name is “Mind over Mileage” or M.O.M. for short. It has been so much fun running together and partying together. (our hubbies say we’ve found way to many excuses to hold a party—kickoff to training, planning parties, get excited parties, etc) I’ve found that it is way more fun and way more inspiring to run with friends than it is to do it by yourself. You always have someone there pushing you to be better, and cheering you on when you reach your goals. Our team has trained and run all over the country—Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New York, we’ve run 10k races, 1/2 marathons, and marathons, and our collective shoes have probably logged 1000s of miles. We are ready for this race! So….here are some of the highlights of our training season:

Amber, Jarrie, Carrie, Susan, Amy and I out for a long run on the Coal Creek Trail. Amber and I did 14 miles that day. My longest run to date.

Tara, Susan, Carrie, Jarrie and Jen. Here we are practicing for our night runs. We had to wear reflective vests, head lamps, and tail lights. We ran 5 miles at 10 pm. And see how speedy we are? Yes, that sign says 14mph :)

Amber, Jen, and I after we ran the Bolder Boulder

Not only did we have to run a lot of miles, but we had to train to run multiple times a day. So, this is the 2nd run of one of our 3-a-days. We ran a total of 21 miles in 24 hours, which is exactly the length I’ll run in the race.

Me finishing a run on the beach during our California trip

cake shoot

2010-05-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun shooting these pics of Blake. I bought 6 cupcakes at Target and let him have at them! I think he ate all the frosting, and about 3 of the cupcakes.

Happy Birthday Blake!

2010-05-28T14:47:00.001-07:00

Dear Blake,
Today is your first birthday! I know it’s cliché, but it seems like just yesterday you were a squishy, red-faced newborn laying in my arms. From the moment you were born you have brought such joy and happiness into my life. When you were a newborn, I loved just holding you close and smelling your sweet baby breath. I loved our afternoon nap together, and I loved pinching your big fat cheeks. (I still do!) As you grew, your first smiles held me captive, and your baby giggles were so contagious. Everyone said you looked like a little old man because of your mop of hair, but I cried when daddy finally convinced me to give you a proper haircut.
You are such a people person, and light up whenever anyone even so much as glances in your direction. You love your brother and sister, and are so content and happy when you play with them.
You are such a delight, and at night when you fall asleep in my arms, sometimes it’s all I can do to lay you in your crib. I just want to hold you forever. You love to read stories and you also love when I sing to you. But one thing you are NOT is a good sleeper. One year old and still not sleeping through the night….sigh.
You are such a sweet, loving baby. You give me hundreds of very wet, slobbery kisses everyday. Whenever I get you out of your crib after your nap, you tuck your arms under your body, lay your head on my shoulder and say, “ahhhhh…” That has to be one of my favorite things ever.
This year certainly hasn’t been without its challenges. Three kids is HARD work, and some days I thought I was going to lose my sanity. Grocery shopping became impossible, and most days getting a shower was a major victory. But as you grow and become more independent, things are getting back to “normal” and I know I am going to miss these hectic days because it means you are growing up.
Blake, I love you so much. You are a very special little boy, and I am lucky to be your mommy! Happy Birthday my beautiful, sweet, giggly, loving, sparkly, energetic son.
Love, Mom

Blake doesn’t really like cake, so I made him a giant cookie. Turns out he didn’t really like the cookie a whole lot either. But he L.O.V.E.D. the M&Ms. I should have just dumped a package on his tray and called it good.

WATCH ME GROW!
PS—I made his hat and his t-shirt. It was fun and easy! (and made for some cute pics!)

Moving onward and upward

2010-05-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

We held a little preschool celebration on the last day of our co-op group. I am so proud of the kids and all they have learned this year. They wore cute little graduation hats, and all the “teachers” wrote down one good thing about each student on their “diploma.” It was so cute. Thanks Joanna for hosting the party!

Halle’s class had an ice cream party on their last day of Kindergarten. They also had a Beach Day where they played water games outside. Halle is a little sad to leave Kindergarten behind, but I know she’ll do amazing things in 1st grade.

Our Trip to Cloudy San Diego

2010-05-19T11:07:00.001-07:00

Be forewarned—there are entirely too many pics in this post. But you know me—I can never just choose a few!

We had an amazing trip to San Diego last week, despite the fact that the sun decided to go into hiding while we were there. We started off with a magical day at Disneyland. Brett and Kami (Rusty’s brother) and their cute kiddos joined us, which made the day even more fun. Halle and Josh loved being with their cousins. Our day at Disney was perfect—the lines were short and we got to do everything on my “must see” list. Halle’s favorite rides were Small World and Peter Pan, and Josh loved Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster and Peter Pan. They both hated the Nemo Submarine ride. They cried the whole way through. Halle got adventurous and tried the Matterhorn, but she was terrified and kept her eyes closed the whole time. I am proud of her for trying though! Blake has a great time on Dumbo and he was fascinated during Small World.

The next few days we just hit the beach. Despite the wind and clouds, we all had fun. Halle was brave and played in the cold ocean, Josh ventured out a few times, and I kept safely on the sand. BURRRR…. As you can imagine, Blake ate mountains of sand. When Halle was a baby she’d cry if sand got in her mouth, but Blake just shoves it in by the handful.

We also went to La Jolla to visit the Seals. It was so neat to see them up close. I think this was one of the favorite moments for the kids. They couldn’t get enough!
(Those are the seals on the rock behind us)

Our last stop was to the San Diego Zoo. My kids LOVE animals (like really really LOVE them) and so they had a great time running from one exhibit to the next. Funnily enough, out of all the cool, exotic animals we were able to see, I think their favorite part was seeing a mommy duck with all her babies walking down a path. We also saw a tiny baby meerkat and a baby panda bear. My favorite animals were the koalas. They are so adorable!

This Peacock followed us all over the Zoo!

We had a little time to spare before we needed to be at the airport, so we let the kids burn off some energy (because walking around the zoo all day wasn’t enough!) at Balboa Park. It was BEAUTIFUL and when we go back to San Diego, we’ll certainly spend some more time there.

Other trip highlights included swimming with cousins, and the cousin sleepover. (Which was also a highlight for Rusty and I—after Blake went to bed we had the whole evening to ourselves.) A HUGE thanks to Brett and Kami who went out of their way to make our trip PERFECT. We love you guys and miss you already!

Rusty's funny Mother's Day Story

2010-05-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

I was totally impressed with his dinner--it was delicious. I was spoiled all day long with breakfast in bed, a new printer, a blender, and headphones for my ipod! It was like Christmas. But, the highlight of the day for me is always the cards from the kids.

Here's Josh's. He told me that it is a dungeon and I am trapped inside with an Ogre.
Josh also gave his first talk Primary yesterday, and he did such a great job. He gave a very sweet talk on all the ways we can help and love our Mommies.

Halle's card had many pages, but this one was my favorite:

I am a lucky Mommy!