Just stuff going on

I think it's amazing how busy you can be but never have much to show for it. I've been super busy getting things done but there is always a new mess to clean, another meal to make and more pages to read. I never have anything to show for all the work I do but I can tell that I'm busy because I don't even get a chance to upload new pictures. Speaking of pictures we did family pictures today (Ben included this time) and they went from bad to horrible to atrocious, to beyond awful. I tried to put them on my blog but it wouldn't work this time. They really are funny to see because they are that awful. But here are a few cute pictures from the past week.

Blake is my first baby that likes the swing. He loves to hit the hanging animals but I was really just trying to get a picture of him grabbing his toes. He is so cute even though he can be a pain some days. My mom sent me some clothes. She keeps calling them 'vintage' but really they are just old. However I loved this little white trash mickey shirt on Blake. He can only wear it when we aren't going anywhere it makes me laugh to see him look like such a redneck. You can tell his roots go back to Oroville.


The clothes for Daisy were all a little too short and a little too wide. Ben thought she looked like a pioneer. They were cute but she has decided to never smile for me anymore so instead of being my happy little baby she looks a little odd/creepy.

Ben has been home this week and it has just been nice to have him around. He starts his next externship on Monday. I'm excited but also a little apprehensive since it is supposed to be even more demanding than his last. But Blake is improving so things are not as hard as they were this summer.

My marathon

I just had a conversation with Kaylee that is the perfect segway into my much needed blog post about the marathon.

Kaylee: How many sleeps until my birthday?

Me: A lot. What do you want to do for your next birthday?

Kaylee: I want to do what Emma did where my birthday is at dad's school.

Emma is a girl in our ward who had the birthday of a lifetime. She was turning five and that was a huge milestone since she had been diagnosed with advanced neuroblastoma. Ben's school prepared her princess party complete with a carriage ride, Prince Charming and Cinderella. It was a huge deal. Tons of games, tons of food and tons of presents. The decorations were great, the girls had a blast and it was the party of her lifetime since she passed away three months later.

Me: Well, you probably won't get a party like Emma's. She got that party because she had cancer.

Kaylee: When do I get cancer?

Me: You don't want to get cancer because that is what killed Emma.

Kaylee: Well I'm going to die anyway so can I have cancer?

That kid doesn't quite get it but it was a funny little exchange and since the girls knew Emma we tried to explain death in a way that was not scary. (Kaylee is actually excited because she thinks that you get to fly like Peter Pan when you live with Heavenly Father.) However, like I said earlier, Emma passed away this summer after spending the last two years trying to overcome her cancer. There was a brief period when the cancer had been cleared from her body and then 24 hours later she had a seizure revealing a brain tumor. All during her struggle Emma and her family were cared for at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. St. Jude is amazing because they take on children and families regardless of their ability to pay for the services. It was founded by Danny Thomas who believed that "no child should die at the dawn of their life." With such a noble cause to help any and every child I truly believe that St. Jude is a great cause to support.

And so I am running in the St. Jude Marathon this December. But I am also running as a St. Jude Hero which means that I've pledged to raise money for St. Jude. My goal is to raise a thousand dollars and this can be done if you will all pitch in a little. I've sent out emails to those whom I have email addresses for but there are a lot of you that read my blog who could also donate. You can donate as much or as little as you want. Please help me reach (or even surpass) my goal. Click here to view my website and donate. I have seen the blessing that St. Jude is to those who are going through this struggle. I want to help so that if I should ever face this similar trial I would know there are others out there pulling for us as well. Please help me and support St. Jude. Thanks so much!

First Week of School

This has been a pretty busy week. School started for Heidi. She wasexcited to have her new teacher, Mrs. Winston. Ben took the day off and went with her to her first day. He didn't take the camera so no pictures but they probably wouldn't have turned out anyway. This was the best picture of Heidi on her first day. Sad that she is our first one and only in the first grade and already we are dropping the ball on pictures. Oh well.

With Heidi gone at school the house is so much quieter. I love it. Kaylee is happier and even more helpful when Heidi is gone. But, like clockwork, come 4 o'clock she reverts back to the old Kaylee as soon as Heidi gets in the van. Back to the screaming, whining, fighting, etc. That kid can really drive me crazy. But so far she has enjoyed being the big kid at home and even learned how to write a 'K'. We have been working on it forever and she just sat down and did it the day Heidi went back to school. She really does thrive when Heidi is gone.

And then there's Daisy who asked for Heidi to be home by the time we drove home after dropping her at school. Daisy misses Heidi but she gets along well with Kaylee. We've tried to take away her naps so that she will fall asleep sooner at night but it doesn't work. If I don't put her down I end up finding her like this at some later time in the day. This was while she was playing the Wii.

We've been really busy and have few pictures to show for it but I'll be better this coming week. I've got a post to make about my marathon coming up and am hoping that you will donate money for St. Jude. I sent an email out to those whose email addresses I actually have. It is surprising how few email addresses I actually had so be prepared for that post later.

PS-Happy Birthday Angelee! August is the best month for birthdays. All the cool people have birthdays in August!

Birthday Week/Day

Well today is finally my birthday! Birthday week has continued to be wonderful. For my actual birthday we were getting family pictures done. I always get my kids pictures taken at 4months (no real reason for that age but we've stuck with it). I was worried about Blakes pictures. He isn't the smiliest baby but he sure did well for my birthday! He's so stinking CUTE!!!!

I also got the girls' pictures. We are doing family ones in a few weeks when Ben has time off school so I just got one of each girl. Still pretty cute. Daisy would not look so this was the best we could get (and I love it!)



Here are a few more super cute ones of the Blakester. I love his chubby face. I love that his tongue is barely sticking out in the picture with me. (Notice my new earrings?? That's right. It's the upgraded version of me)

So to recap my week...On wednesday I got a new running CD to help train for the marathon, papa murpheys for dinner (love their pizza!) and a cupcake from Gigi's. i also got a package in the mail that I decided to save for Thursday. On thursday I actually had two packages. The one below came from my mom. (Can you tell she doesn't mail packages very often?)

Inside were some old baby clothes but the best part was...BOBBY! My old doll that I had growing up. He had lace on his head that if you flipped down he was a girl and if you flipped it up he was a boy. After watching Toy Story 3 I felt bad that I had just left him behind and asked my mom to send him to me. Turns out I didn't 'leave him behind' but instead Becca had grabbed from the garbage because I, in my get-rid-of-anything-you-don't-need way, had decided I didn't play him anymore so I should just toss him. Thanks to Becca for rescuing him and also returning him. Kaylee has not let him go since he showed up.

My other package contained a whole new running wardrobe! I was so excited but this definitely falls under the "reinventing" myself category. Normally I wear my garments when I work out so that means my shorts are to my knees (if not longer) and I am wearing a larger baggy shirt with sleeves. These outfits were tank tops with short shorts. This was a huge step when I ran this morning. I felt naked but I also felt so much cooler! This was such a new change that I had to even buy actual underwear and I had no clue what kind to even get. (One of the running bottoms has built-in underwear but that may be a bit too re-inventive for just now.) I took a picture but it was horribly unflattering so you won't get to see it. I did decide that I to need work out my arms more if I'm going to have a tank top on.

This morning I woke up to open my presents from the girls. These are also unflattering pictures but oh well. The girls got me slippers, a ball, two Alice in Wonderland books and then a cute box to hold my new earrings. I love it because I was just thinking I would need something for my jewelry and I didn't even have to tell Ben. I love that guy. He just knew I would want to have my new things all in some order and place. Oh yes, I also got a new ipod from the Apple store. My other one was breaking so they just gave me a new one-I love Apple! Happy birthday to me! You guys will probably all be so happy when my birthday is over but I have to say this has been a GREAT week! Just fun, stress-free and filled with people being so thoughtful. Thanks guys! Love you!

Birthday Week!!!!!!!!!!!

It's that time of year again when we spend a whole week celebrating another year of my life. At times I think maybe I'm a little too old to still be excited about my birthday but as the day gets closer I just get more and more excited!! So even though I am turning 29 and have only one year left of my twenties I still feel like I did in high school. This year's birthday week is definitely one of the best. It actual began before my official birthday week when I got a card in the mail from Angelee!! I did not expect to get a birthday card and so it was a complete surprise and simply made my day! Thanks to Angelee.

My birthday began on Sunday and though we had no real celebration plans I came home to a decorated door! I love it and am keeping it up all week long (even though Ben would prefer to take it down)

We have a very busy week for the festivities but Monday started off with bowling with Jana. I've never taken the girls to the free bowling before but they loved it (especially Daisy). It was so cute watching them bowl. I'm going to have to take them more often.

And then today my birthday continued with registering Heidi for school (Ah, School...is there really a better present than that? I never wanted to be the mom who looked forward to her kids going to school but I can tell you everyone is happier when school is in session. I'm just not entertaining enough for my kids and Kaylee can't wait for Heidi to be gone all day). After registration I spent the day with Micaela who is determined to make my birthday great. She is also determined to help reinvent myself. Thanks to her I am now sporting a stylish pair of earrings. I still feel a little weird, out of place, and too plain to wear earrings but I know my feelings of inadequacy will fade with time. And thanks to Micaela I am also sporting a 13.1 sticker on my van! That's right. When I unload my four kids from the van there will be a sticker to proudly display that I ran a half marathon. I love it. Micaela has also encourage me to push myself a little harder and complete a marathon. I have now officially signed up to be a St. Jude Hero and am going to run a marathon in December! Crazy!!! I'm excited, nervous and just praying that I don't get injured before then and have to miss it. My brother is planning to run it with me which is also really exciting (we can place bets later on who you think will win out of the two of us). I really feel like I'm becoming a new person this week. I love it. This birthday week is great and it's only Tuesday! I'm sure I will have more birthday coming up later this week.