Annual First-Day-of-School Pictures (late, as usual)

I was looking through my pictures and realized I never documented the ever-so-exciting First Day of School! It is the annual tradition at our house to take these important pictures in front of our huge, out of control flower bed......which means that I have to start planning for these pictures in May (when I plant the zinnias--and it can only be zinnias forever more because they create such a big flowery backdrop) and then I have to cross my fingers that the flowers will grow! Luckily, this year the flowers grew tall and wild like they usually do, so here's another year bigger in front of the flowers!

Starting with poor little Isaac, who could feel the excitement in the air--he knew something fun was going on, and soon realized that the fun didn't include him :( Istead, he had to hang out with boring old mom all afternoon and then take a nap. He sure misses his sisters, but I have to say, he and I have spent a lot of time out in the sandbox playing and watching the big Parsons trucks drive by our house. We've had some good bonding time!

Emma grew up a lot in one day! She went to school and came home feeling so smart and grown up, and she's acted that way ever since. I didn't cry when I sent Madison to her first day of Kindergarten--I was too excited along with her. But this year I realized how I just sent Madison yesterday, now I'm sending Emma today, and tomorrow it will be Isaac. I cried a little this time around. But Emma looked so beautiful and happy and brave going off to school, and she will be make an awesome Kindergartener!

Madison began her 2nd grade year with a new look and much better vision! We got her glasses right at the beginning of the school year and she loves them. She takes such good care of them and wears them with pride. She takes such good care of Emma, making sure she gets a good seat on the bus and does her best handwriting during homework time, etc. Madison wasn't so excited to start school (mostly because she doesn't like to work, and she knows school means homework, structure at home a.k.a. CHORES, piano practice, etc) but she jumped into the routine and is doing awesome. As usual, she still has way too much fun with all her friends, so life is good.

Here is Emma, Austin, and Sarah. They all live right next door to each other, right in a row. Not a day goes by that they aren't outside yelling into each other's front windows or riding bikes around the driveways. It has been so fun watching these three goof off at the bus stop every day (plus about 10 others in our neighborhood that just began Kindergarten).

This one is hard to see, but this is Madison and Emma yelling out the bus window on the first day coming home. It just made me smile, seeing the two of them sitting together, instead of sitting with their friends. They were holding hands coming off the bus--so cute! They really are friends! (sometimes their behavior says the opposite and I wonder....)

I still miss them both while they're off at school, but now that the routine is setting in a little, I've found an hour of the day that is SILENT! Isaac goes down for his nap while they are gone and I have about an hour to myself--that part hasn't been so bad! If only I could freeze time right now--I can handle them starting school this year, but no more! Stay little! (I wish)

A Little Too Ironic

I'll start with a little background information. I guess you could say that I like to run. Especially lately. I've always liked going for little jogs, ever since high school. It wasn't until after I had Madison that I really started running, thanks to my awesome friend Becky who dragged me out with her. After a while, there were a few of us that could be found outside together in the wee hours of the morning, getting some "therapy" time, as we call it. It's therapy, but it's more than that. I've gained some truly great friendships through running--and we have plenty of time to talk about plenty of things out on the road. It is my "me" time--to sort out my thoughts, sweat out my frustrations, and just renew some energy for the day ahead. Especially after these last few months, I have found that running is just as beneficial for my emotions and my brain as it is for my physical body.

And so, in-between babies, I've kept running.....meaning I've had to start from scratch a few times, but that is part of the fun of it--seeing that all that hard work pays off. The other fun part is training for a race here and there. It is such a sense of accomplishment to run farther or faster than you ever have before. The first half marathon I ran was so awesome. Thirteen miles sounded SO long! I could not even fathom the thought of going twice that long......but there has always been a little goal in the back of my mind to someday attempt 26.2.....somehow. I watched my running friends complete their first marathon a couple years ago and still could not fathom the thought! But after watching them do it, that little goal in the back of my mind moved toward the front a little more. And all the sudden at the beginning of this summer, I realized I feel good! I'm not pregnant, I feel good, I'm in pretty good shape, and I could possibly do this!

And so we started training--it's just been Julie and I this time around, and boy am I grateful for her--she is awesome! I could not have done the training by myself! It's actually been very enjoyable and hasn't seemed that long. But running for four months with one goal in mind....... completing some very difficult runs, changing some eating habits along the way, mentally channeling all the positive thoughts you can muster at times, contributing lots of time and effort in the REALLY early hours of the morning--it has definately been a challenge! And strangely, so FUN! We've gotten all the way through the training down to the last few small runs, tapering and resting a little for the big event.....

......And that is where I am right now mentally, emotionally, and 99% physically--I am at the marathon! There is only 1% of me that is not there. It happens to be my little baby toe, which at this moment is sitting in a bucket of ice (my whole foot, actually, and it is cold!) So finally we're to the IRONIC part, excuse the excess of background info. It all happened really fast....while teaching piano lessons I jumped up to catch some books that were falling and kicked the leg of the piano bench really hard. It didn't hurt that bad, but then it started tingling in a strange way and I looked down. I knew then and there that it was broken. I waited until after lessons to freak out. It's been a roller coaster ride for me since.

So yeah, I've never broken a bone in my body. I can't remember the last time I stubbed my toe, even. Great timing. Isn't that just a little TOO ironic? I'm trying not to wonder too much. I'm still not sure what will happen, if I will run the race, if I should, if I can.....I don't know. I'm just giving it time right now but I don't have much of that! I know lots of people would think I'm crazy to even consider running still, but after all that training and excitement it is so hard to switch gears in my mind! Last night I was feeling like I would be fine if I couldn't do the marathon. And this morning I want to throw a big tantrum again.

So we will see. My apologies for this LONG and somewhat pessimistic post. I just had to get some of this of my chest! I'll keep you posted on the outcome....nine days until the big day! I still really, really hope I'll be there!

FINALLY! (Catching up on Summertime Adventures)

We're back.....finally! I am so sad to see summer go this time, but looking back at the pictures of all the fun times makes it a little better. We had a really busy and really fun summer (minus the quarelling with siblings that seems to get so much worse when we're with each other all the time....that is the only reason I'm happy to see summer go and school begin!) Here are some of the highlights of the past couple months!I know I already posted a picture like this previously, but considering the amount of miles that these kiddos are putting on that truck.....this is a daily event at our house now. Isaac pushing that thing up and down the road, filling it full of stuff, riding in it, etc. The girls push him around in it and ride their bikes along side him.....we LOVE our long driveway road!

DIRT + WATER + A BUCKET?!!? How can life get any better? Spending the day at Bear Lake was definately a favorite for Isaac.

Emma and Madison make some really beautiful (really sandy) mermaids. Between the trips to Bear Lake and sand box in the front yard, I getting really used to having sand EVERYWHERE in the house!

I don't know how this picture got here--in the middle of the Bear Lake pictures--but it's cute anyway. Kelly filled our freezer full of ice cream bars and the three sugar-hounds caught on really quick. I found them on several occasions just like this (no "Mom, can we have an ice cream?".....not even a guilty look on their faces)......I guess they know that if they cover their faces in ice cream and smile really cute, I'll just take pictures instead of getting mad at them for eating five ice creams a day.

And more Bear Lake fun in the MUD!

Emma taking a ride in Isaac's little swimming pool.

Madison spent the whole day making this sand fort--it was quite the event when Emma decided to knock it down after all that work......I was too busy breaking up the fight to take pictures of that one.

Isaac with his sand, water, and bucket again. That's all he needs to be happy.

What a good Dad, building sand castles with the kids while I soaked up the sun all day long. He got his reward, too--and I got mine....the kids always love him more than they love me, and I got a pretty good sunburn that day.

This is at the Dinosaur Park in Thermopolis, Wyoming. I'll bet you've never heard of that town before! On our way to Cody (to visit Grandma and Granpa "D") we stopped in "Thermop" and stayed overnight. They have some fun hot springs to swim in and this really cool Dinosaur museum. You'll notice in these pictures that Emma was not in the best of moods. Every time we told her to smile so we could take a picture she turned her back. But hey, she has a cute back too, and the dinosaurs were so cool! And even though we forgot to take pictures while we were visiting with Kelly's parents and his brother Dave and Dawnell and family, we really did have lots of fun (that's why we forgot to take pictures--we were having way too much fun). How lucky we are to have such great family, both near and far!

Here we are posing for a cute family picture at a rest stop on our LLLLOOONNNGGGGGG way home from Wyoming. When we drove into Franklin I begged Kelly to stop and let me out so I could walk home. Nine hours in a car with three whining kids and no DVD player....wasn't the greatest part of the trip.

Don't let them fool you--they look really cute and happy in this shot, because it was taken about twenty minutes into the trip. I should have taken another picture 8 1/2 hours later, but by then our car was such a junk pile that I couldn't find my camera. Plus I was too busy just breathing. Did I mention that the driving part WASN'T the hightlight of the summer?

Madie and Emma with "Luann" and "Brookie" the jaguars. The newest additions to their stuffed animal zoo.

Here is Emma rowing her boat on the lake by the cabin where we went for the Nielson Family Reunion. The cabin was a few miles away from the entrance to Zion National Park (which would be 8 hours in the opposite direction of Wyoming, I might add....lots of driving we did this summer!). We had so much fun at the cabin with cousins and auts and uncles--I am so grateful for my family! I just feels so good being with them, seeing how everyone has grown up so much, and what awesome people they are becoming. There were three cousins of mine that had just gotten their missions calls right before the family reunion, and a few that had just returned home....it is amazing to think how many people around the world who will be influenced by just our family. It was a great trip, and well worth another long drive! Plus, Zion National Park is just the most beautiful place!

Isaac eating Watermelon (very intensely), still at the family reunion.

Here is Isaac and I hiking 3 miles up and 3 miles back down one of the "moderate" hikes at Zions. (Actually a whole bunch of us went, so luckily a couple of my cousins helped me cart Isaac around). It was very beautiful and a really fun hike, but whoever names the hikes "moderate" must be a much better hiker than myself (which isn't too surprising). I was glad we stuck with moderate verses "difficult" or "intensely difficult". That could have resulted in disaster.

Kelly and the girls on the "River Walk" hike at Zions. Wow, it was so beautiful there!

Madison, Emma, Isaac, Seth, and Grady at Downata Hot Springs. I think they spent the majority of the day playing right here at the little baby Splash Pad......which was okay by me because the pool was totally crowded full of people. Thank goodness for such fun cousins to play with all summer long!

Same cousins, swimming in the backyard at home. Emma, once again, was not in a picture taking mood......

Now she is (in a picture-taking mood)! Bring out the ice cream, and we're all smiles!

Well that covers most of our summer, since we were mostly MIA as far as blogging goes. There was one more trip that we took with just my immediate family up Ogden Canyon to a really nice resort by the lake. My brother brought his boat and we had a great time! I need to get pictures from my sister since my camera was out of batteries for that whole trip. But I wanted to mention it so we would remember--it was one of the most fun weekends of the whole summer, so thanks Mom and Dad for that fun trip!

And thanks to my cute family for a really fun summer! I wish these summers wouldn't pass by so fast! But here's to the start of another school year and some fun FALL adventures to come!