It's that time of year again!

The kids have been tirelessly harassing me to carve pumpkins. I have been putting them off for a while waiting until it got closer to Halloween. Let's face it...once carved, pumpkins last a very short time! Yesterday I had a very frustrating day at work (surprise,surprise!) and I couldn't stop stewing about it. Then when the kids wouldn't cooperate doing homework, I desperately needed a break. It had been a long weekend with Kylie and Sydney sick, me working, and Brian out of town. So, I headed out the door the hit the gym. Somehow I can get all my frustrations out on the treadmill. It is so therapeutic for me! Anyway, when I got home Grandpa had taken Kylie to the store and they came home with PUMPKINS, and DONUTS!! We carved and painted, had donuts and hot chocolate, and had a GREAT time! It made for the perfect FHE night! I am so grateful for Brian's parents who are aware of the days I am struggling, and step in to help. They are so good to us. Kylie painted Sponge Bob, Tyson drew his all by himself and then Dad carved it, Sydney and I created a "sick" pumpkin (too much candy I guess!, and Grandpa carved a great looking pumpkin too! Grandma was in charge of pictures. I feel so helpless without a camera still, so that was MUCH appreciated! It is snowing like crazy outside right now. Winter has arrived. Guess it had to happen soon or later, although I would have preferred later! Happy Halloween!

The finished products! Don't they look great!

Joy in the Journey

Monday night for FHE I had every person in the family write on a piece of paper the 5 things in their life that were most important to them. It could be anything at all. Some of the answers were : family, testimony/relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, basic necessities of life (food, shelter, clothing), good health, education,and so on. The fact of it is, all the things that are MOST important to us, we have. We absolutely have everything that is most important to us right now. We are so blessed. Why then is it so hard at times to see that? Why do we put so much focus and energy on wanting things that, in the end, don't matter. Why can't we find joy in the journey of life more often, to find the joy in the NOW. It seems as if we are always looking forward to another stage of life, or for certain changes to come. I don't know anyone who ever sat back later in life and wished their kids had grown up faster. It makes me sick how fast mine are growing up. I don't know anyone who hasn't gone through a trial of some kind, only to find that it ended up being a blessing in disguise or that they had grown tremendously during the process. It's just how it works. And even when we are going through those trials or have to do things everyday that we would rather not be doing (like going to work!)we can, and need to find joy in the NOW. NOTHING lasts forever. Everything changes. What a true blessing that is. It is how we learn and grow. How much easier would life be if we could just find joy in the little things each day. If we really look, we can find good in everything. That is right...EVERYTHING. I dare you to put it to the test. There absolutely is a positive to everything that happens. It just might be hard to find, or take a while to figure out. We have to go through the sorrows of life so that we can truly appreciate and more fully recognize the tender mercies of our loving Heavenly Father. I am newly determined and looking forward to focusing on the joys of the NOW! And not just on the days when everything seems happy and easy. Finding joy in the NOW, every single day. Even the hard days. Won't you join me?

Lehi Frenzy Swim Team!

Swim meet season has begun. Here we go again! After a nice year long break, the girls are back at it. They had a week and a half of practice and then their first meet was this weekend. I almost forgot how stinking LONG swim meets are! Almost! Friday was 4-9p.m. and Saturday 9-12am.This was a much larger meet than normal though, so it was a not such a great way to break us in slowly! And of course, out of those 8 hrs your child swims an average of 6 min total, between all of their events! Let me tell you, those 6 minutes are pretty exciting though! Kylie and Sydney did AWESOME!! Brian and I were soo proud of them!I thought it would take a month or two before they were back in shape and in competing form. WRONG! They both kicked butt at their meet, and cut major time off each of their events. Kylie shaved 13 seconds off her 100 free and Sydney 9 seconds off her 100 IM. ( 100IM Is Individual Medley which is 25 yards of each of the 4 strokes: butterfly, back, breast and free). Their coach was impressed and knows they will continue to shave time off as they get in better shape. It was so fun to watch them and see them improve from last year. We even came home with a couple ribbons! Now if it just wasn't so HOT, LOUD, CROWDED, and FOREVER LONG in those dang indoor pools! Also, I really need to learn how to photograph swimmers. I manage to snap the picture as soon as they go under the water every time! It is a lot harder than it looks! I still have no camera (sigh...) so I used Heathers, and her camera is a little too fancy for me. Seriously these pictures are terrible. Heather tells me after the meet...that I need hold down the button half way to focus, and then take the picture. Oops...but now I know, so no more blurry pictures I promise!

Sydney in her first event (purple cap) 100 IM (look at her in the lead!)



Kylie stepping up on the block for her first event (crummy picture I know)


Kylie was smiling the whole time during her 100 breast stroke
So glad she is having FUN!



Swimming fast is EXHAUSTING! Sydney's well deserved nap!


We have such an awesome group of kids on the team, fabulous coaches, and the girls are having a GREAT time. Go Lehi Frenzy!

McKenna Can!

This morning Brett, Heather, Brian and I ran a 5k. It was a fundraiser for a 12 year old girl in our neighborhood who has leukemia for the second time. She was in remission at age 10 and now it is back. She is going through experimental chemo treatments 5 days a week. She was there at the race, smiling and happy. Her family says she has the most positive attitude, and nothing gets her down.You can read her story at McKennacan.blogspot.com. There were about 300 racers, so it was like a traffic jam on the narrower parts of the route! It was awesome there was such a big turnout for our little neighborhood! Brian beat us all with a time of around 24 min! Not bad for a guy who doesn't exercise! He also swigged a diet mt. dew right before the race. Maybe I ought to try that next time! Brett would have been that fast too, but he went the first mile and a half with Heather and I. But then he said his legs were hurting because he was going "too slow"! Sorry Brett, but if you were 4'11" that pace would NOT be "too slow!" But honestly, their legs are a foot longer than ours! That is the ONLY reason they beat us!:) I'm sure some heart defected twin slowed Heather down some too, but she was kind enough to slow her pace and run with me. That's the price you pay being the twin with the "normal" heart! Heather and I finished with a time of 32 min. It was about 2-3 min slower than any 5k we have run, but this one had a few hills and it slowed us down quite a bit! The last 3/4 mile is uphill. URGG! I thought I might die. I LOATHE running uphill! Anyway, we made it and it was for a great cause. We actually ran right by our house and my sweet daughters had made signs and were there cheering us on! In fact they were also our photographers for the event. Thanks kids! The theme of the race was McKenna Can because if anyone can beat leukemia twice, McKenna can!
p.s. Happy Birthday to Becky! I love you sooo much sis! Hope your day was FABULOUS!

Brian gives our cheering section a high 5!


The corner of the photo is Kylie's poster, Brett is in the white Lehi soccer t-shirt and Heather and I are on both sides of him, in orange and pink.


Heather and I crossing the finish line.


Hooray..it's all over!


So while you are all praying with me for my nephew Jackson and his chemo treatments, and I know you are, throw in an extra prayer for McKenna. Seriously, you guys ROCK!