Exhaustion...

these "secret" pics are awesome!

these are the quiet moments that i love the most. when i can stare in silence, listening to their shallow breathing, and asking over and over how it is that they are mine? how much i cherish the little miracles that they are. easy motherhood? no. chaotic mom love? yes.

xoxo

this is so important to me...

please READ and DO this!!!

Golf...Golf...Golf

...notice the serious golfer above wearing the golf glove?

...notice the golf cart "screw around'ers" above who use a putter to drive...literally? lol

oh yes. we have fun!

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying ~Michael Jordan

The Gala...

remember when i did this? well, the reason why i was able to do that was because of this night. the annual "ascend humanitarian" gala that my friend reno mahe wanted me to come help him with. every year reno is one of the live auctioneers and he knew that i would LOVE to help him with it. aaaand i did!

for parts of it we had a script that they wanted us to use when we were describing the "auction items". i have the hardest time with that. i was much more comfortable when i could just "talk" and share one of my peru experiences with the audience. i was actually more nervous than usual because my entire family was present. my fathers company purchased a table so that they could support this great cause...and me of course! :P

what can i say? it's one of my passions. to share. to teach. to serve. seeing some of their faces, those from peru that i actually spoke with and interacted with, brought me to tears that i had to hold back. it's very humbling to remember their circumstances and to realize that life can always be harder but that what you make of it, your attitude, is a choice. an experience that i needed in my life and at that time.

a great night! a fun night! and i can't wait until next year when i get to be a part of it again!

more fun times with thomas and the sis...

xoxo

The Sunday Search...

we have been doing alot of family activities these past few weeks. trying to concentrate and emphasize how important families really are to each other. that is one of the many things that i am thankful for that my parents showed me growing up. we were always going on adventures and day trips. even when we didn't want to, we'd end up having so much fun and coming up with another funny family inside joke or classic story....
so where did we spend sunday morning? yep. up american fork canyon searching for leaves. and how many different colors could we see. (with some bribery of course to make it be as competitive and silly as possible! lol)

wow. we really do live here. 15 minutes away from this.....

now if it could only look and feel (temp) like this all year round i'd be in heaven. (with some ski snow just in the mtns too! hehehe)

The Utah Hand-Cycle Teams FIRST Omnium...

this is one of the many reasons why i LOVE my son so much. he helps me out more than i can even truly describe in words. even when i can do it myself, he won't let me. case in point...

now WATCH THIS first because THIS can be my competitive athletic mentality...

the early ride up provo canyon was gorgeous. but i was also dying inside with fear. i was so afraid that it was going to rain (since it had been all week) and riding in the rain is MISERABLE!!! i swore after a runny st george marathon, that i would never again ride in the rain and i meant it! so yes. i was very worried....

waaaaahooooo the sun was shining and it was a good cold/warm morning for a race....

ok so whenever i am asked about this race i become sick. nauseous sick. mad sick at myself. for many reasons. like many lessons of life, when you don't prepare, the outcome is never what you intended it to be. this summer was the worst for my training. let's be honest. what training? i have been doing so many other things. but my idiocy got the best of me. i got out quick and took the lead and was #1 the whole race and thought that i had it in the bag. i didn't pace myself very well and my right shoulder began to hurt like no other on the last hill. i started thinking about random things and bla bla bla and how i was so glad to be almost done so i could ice my shoulder bla bla bla and out of nowhere she came. #2 from cali took the lead away in the last 1/4 mile and i lost by 9 seconds. yes. so pissed. yes. so furious at myself. yes. bitter betty quickly came to me. yes. not a good morning. grrrrrrrrrrr......

other than my loss, booooo, it was a great race and the feedback was very positive! can't wait until next year when i can take back my lead......lol......no really.

;)

Be still, my soul
The Lord is on thy side
With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain
Leave to thy God to order and provide
In ev'ry change he faithful will remain
Be still, my soul
Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end


~~~Katharina von Schlegal 1697

carter's future purchase part two...

kindra's future purchase part two...

"life has no limits if you're not afraid to get in it"

‎"some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and an end. life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. delicious ambiguity...."

...gilda radner

"Don't ask what the world needs; don't ask what others think you should be doing with your life. Instead, ask yourself what makes you come alive - because, more than anything else, what the world needs are men and women who have come alive. What the world needs is the natural sincerity of people living their passion in a way that makes other people's lives better. This is what being authentic looks like ..."

BAck tO SchOOl

our night before back to school photos...hehehe

and the morning first day of school photos...LOL!

carter's off to the 4th grade...WOW. i still can't believe it. the 4th grade....

waiting for the bus...

kindra's off to the 2nd grade...

of course i had to go and spy on her! i love watching them interact when they don't think that i am around. it can be so funny!

and were off to another year!!!

I'm Home....

Wow. Could this picture be any more 80's??? Try 1986 ish. Yeah. I know. And the hair-style? Awesome. I had to laugh when I found it when I was going through some of my "Canada" boxes.

Brief history. In 1985, my family of 6, moved to Burlington, Ontario which is a suburb of Toronto. My father was relocated and it was the best thing for our family. We lived there for 6 yrs until the summer before my Freshman year of High school, when we moved back to Utah. So to me, Ontario feels like home. I've kept in touch and have tried to go back every few years so I was due for another trip out.

Sorry but you'll have to go a bit down memory lane since I promised my kids I would bring them back some proof to show them where "my stories" are from.

This is the park that is directly across the street from our Cavendish home. I'd wake up, get my chores finished, look out the window to check out the activity, and go from there. It was the best sledding (tobogganing is what we called it) hill ever....so I thought. Back then it seemed SO STEEP and now it is NOTHING???
And here is 2499 Cavendish Drive, Burlington, Ontario L7P 4J4

To an 8 yr old, this was the coolest house ever. It had 4 levels, built in couches and monkey bars in the basement, and a rolling dishwasher. Seriously it was awesome

Right across the street was Bruce T Lindley public school. The first day of school was so scary. They spoke, sounded, smelled, dressed, and everything else different and I was so nervous. I had Mrs Johnstone and my classroom was out in the trailers. It was a grey November day and it was cold. The room smelled of cigarettes and coffee.

Because we thought we were moving, we sold our house :(

and then were told that no, we'd be staying. My parents had to find a house in the same area so this is when we moved to Middlesmoor.

....and NO. Not as cool as a house.

My first and best friend was Louise Hodge (below in the red) and her "Mum", Rose, soon became my second Mom. The Hodge's are from Scotland and are included in some of my favorite memories....

Next was Alanna Baker (below in the black is her sister, Adrienne and her Mom, Elaine) Alanna lives in Vancouver currently hence the reason that she is not in the photo.

We had a great evening out, sharing memories and stories, and laughing way too hard! Rose would get so angry with me because whenever we'd be in trouble I'd laugh, a nervous laugh. I'll never forget how scared I was when she pointed her finger at me, telling me "Don't you dare be cheeky with me!" My first heat stroke experience took place while camping with them by some sand dunes, and their home was where I tasted my first "sip" of wine, as we snuck a drip from the boxed wine in the fridge. Their oldest son Malcolm was one of my first "boyfriends" and his "Starship" tape was used many a time for a dance routine. We took gymnastics together though Louise was far, far, far beyond better than I but she got my athletic talent jump started.

Anyway, we had fun! Can you tell?!?

But let me start from the beginning of my trip. I flew into Toronto and another one of my besties, Darcy Zelinski Hewitt, picked me up. As the plane landed, instantly I said in my mind "I'm home." It was like deja vu as I came through the glass doors after customs. A million people waiting with signs, earnestly looking for who they were there to receive. I remember as a child being so frightened because it was sooo intense.

Darcy was the best hostess allowing me to take over their home. Even when I forced her to watch "Big Brother" although she made me watch "So You Think You Can Dance Canada"!!! We had way too much fun!!!

The next day, we met Louise down at Lakeshore for lunch. Louise brought her roller-blades so that we could go for a ride along Lake Ontario.

I find it amazing when 2 different friends "experience" life so different and yet both come to the same conclusion about what is and is not really important in life. We had a good day though it was so humid, much more than I remember it being. It goes to show that as a child, you could care less about the heat and the sweat! hahaha

My old phone number---905 336 7887

Our big reunion dinner...

Andrea Afinec

Kristen Misurka

Louise Hodge

Katie Terry

Suzanne Andrews

Darcy Zelinksi

Adrienne Baker

Lake Ontario...

"Waaaaake up!!!" LOL (this is a joke that only Darce and I will get!?!)

So in grade 7 and 8, I transferred schools so that I could enter the French Immersion program. I was so angry because my parents were totally forcing me to do this and the thought of starting over again, infuriated me. That's when I met Darcy. We were instantly bff's and even gave each other nicknames after a Health class that stuck....Vas and Def...enough said.

She was as random, still is, as I was and am. Here parents were going through a divorce, which was very hard on her, and my strong family ties were exactly what she needed. She was not a member of the LDS faith but loved coming with me to the Young Adult activities. I can count on this girl for anything. Oddly enough, we lost touch once I went back in 1995, and it was not until some LDS missionaries contacted her and then gave her my info that we reconnected. Again, 2 different lives but both coming to the same conclusion. Darcy has advanced MS and experiences some of the same disability issues that I do. Wow. Another strong person given another strong challenge. xoxo

We were waiting in the Tim Horton's drive-thru waiting to get our favorite Timbits and I told her to pose an ugly face...and this is all that she came up with. Seriously? Come on Darce!?! Let's flashback 20 yrs...

Grade 7...

Grade 6

Louise and I on a ski lesson...

Louise was having way too much fun with the posed pics...

"Pretend it's Christmas morning...."

"Be scary or scared..."

Me and Kristen Misurka...

Me and Suzanne Andrews...

The next day we met up with another one of our besties, Julie Fatijewski. Usually she is in Germany as her husband plays professional hockey over there, but she was in town so it was perfect! We decided to take a ride down to Niagra On The Lake for some lunch....

Darce getting a little car sick...

Parking was an issue and finally we found a spot. Louise jumped out to be our designated parking police. LOL!

One of my favorite little towns. The last time I was there, we were able to weasle in on a "Haunted Walking Tour" and it was awesome! I love the history that surrounds this area!

Darcy, Katie, Louise, and Julie...

Au revoir and until next time ladies and believe me, they'll be a next time! ;)