Hunters Happy Birthday

Hunter my baby turned one. Its always been said that with each kid time goes by faster and I realized how true this statement was when we realized he was almost one. I honestly feel like I just had him and I still long for those sweet newborn days, though I cherish these funny toddler stages as well. This past year has been one event to the next. From basketball season, to HIT training, to Ironman training, to vacations, to hospital visits, to marathon training and more. I always thought my babies were wonderful and relatively easy through each stage but man o man you put them shame. I can honestly say you never stressed me out for half a second, you sleep through crazy boy antics and rowdy wrestling fights, you were a great eater, slept all night, just chilled as we dragged you to every athletic event you can imagine. My most favorite thing to see every night and each morning was and will always be your SMILE! Those dimples melt my heart as does the way you smile and lay your head on my shoulder when I pick you up out of your crib. Your brothers and dad adore you and you feel the same about them always ready to follow them wherever they go. Happy birthday my little sweet Hunty!

 How can a birthday party not be crazy when you have nine grandkids running around like maniacs. This year I toned down the birthday craziness with one balloon for Hunter and no crazy hour long cakes, and a few presents. Another reason I love having family close is for birthdays, the kids are the best and have so much fun together.

 He wasn't so sure about the cake, grabbing for the fire was fun though, good thing Jayme warned me first.

 We ate cake and then outside we went to enjoy ourselves. Jadyn was so good to take him on a ride. She wrote this cute birthday card for him all by herself. It was pink paper stuck together with a button glued in the middle and it said, " To Hunter You Are 1! From Jadyn. Too cute. How lucky we are to have such good family!

Cedar Canyon Half Marathon

It was a family event last weekend at the first annual Cedar Canyon Half Marathon. We loaded the buses at 6am with talk of the $200 bet between Jace and Jim. Considering that Cassie and Bev and I were the only ones out of all of us that had actually ran really far it was pretty good odds to have all of us finish. On the the bet, Jace was "training" for the St. George Marathon and Jim bet Jace in this half that he could beat him without any training at all. Two hundred bucks for the grand prize.

The race was beautiful being in the mountains and somewhat nice until after to have gravity on your side. It was pretty steep on some parts. Jeff, Jim and I ran together and we started off pretty fast 8 min miles, not what I was planning but I couldn't let them beat me. Cassie was way ahead of us all as usual so we kept an 8:30 pace consistently till mile 11. I was shocked that Jim was still with us to be honest but I give him props all the way, it just makes me sick though to think of talent wasted while I sit here working my untalented bum off. At about mile 8 Jeff stopped for a break and Jim confident as always pushed ahead of me a few hundred yards and yelled back, "see ya at the finish!" Ya right I said see you in a mile, which I did. Jeff caught back up and we all stayed together till 10, when Jeff pulled ahead, I was starting to feel the pace then and knew I wouldn't make it up the hill if I pushed it now, better to wait till 12. Jim stayed with me till we started the hill at 11 and I thankfully was glad to see him go. No offense Jim, what you did shouldn't be humanly possible, but it obviously was. We all finished two minutes or so apart. Jeff at 1:53, Me at 1:55, Jim at 1:57. Jayme came in next and did super awesome for her first! Then Jace came throwing his two bones at Jim before he finished and the Bev. It was probably the most fun I've had doing a race, mostly because of doing as a family. All the grandkids finished with Bev at the end, it was so cute and they were so excited.

First Days of Preschool

Jax and Jake had their first days of preschool last week and it was so exciting for them and a little sadness mixed in with happiness for their mother. We carpool this year and I was lucky enough to take Jax and his friends the first day. They were all jabbering the whole way their and he just walked right off without even a kiss or a goodbye, broke my heart to see him so big. But he didn't resist when I insisted on a kiss, so he may be big but he still needs his mommy. Its been fun for him to have friends in his class too.

Jake had his first day the next day and his school starts at 12:30 pm. He was dressed and ready with his backpack on at 8 am! He knew his aunt Jayme was taking him (which was really hard for his mom on his first day) so when she showed up to pick up Jax at 9 am he was out the door and almost in her car before we could catch him. I told him it wasn't his turn yet and the look on his face was so disappointed! I felt so bad, from then on he asked me every hour if it was time yet. When he left finally he was so cute and gave me a kiss and yelled bye mom! When he came home he busted out his first picture and was so proud! We hung it right up on the fridge. 

How did they grow up so fast? I need them little again. Its sad to think that I only have five years to teach them and then the world gets to have more influence, those first five I am learning are so so important. So many things you want them to learn so they will be able to withstand what the world is going to throw at them! But grow up they must and I am so proud of them.

Cedar Express 31 Relay

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to run my first relay with four other amazing women. It was the Cedar Express 31 Mile Relay and it was a blast!!! There were five of us and we each run two legs of about 3 miles give or take. I didn't really think I was nervous until that morning. We decorate my car pink with a sign that said "We left our 19 kids home!" The day went by so fast and was so fun going from stop to stop and waiting for the next to come in and then to go again. We passed our pink boa which we thought was a good idea at first till we realized how hot anything around your neck is! It made it to the end. There were some tough legs, like the hills in Cross Hollow were tough. We made it to the end and we ended up taking second place in the women's division. Totally suprised us, but so awesome and so fun! I would do it again in a heartbeat, thanks girls! Loved it!

Summer pictures

These are a few pictures of our craziness this summer:

Flexi-Blocks at Grandma Squires (I love these!)

Hunter is in the plank position, between this and downward dog I thought we were never going to crawl, but by July he finally had it down.

We went up to the cabin quite a bit which is always so fun, this is all the boys practicing and lined up to shoot their targets. It was so fun to have my whole family up at the cabin over the fourth. Love them!

We had a great time at Newcastle again and the boys did a little knee boarding! The concentration on Jakes face above is so intense. Jaxon was just worried and hoping not to fall off and did great of course.

We went to a Burgess family reunion in Blanding and on the way back went through Monument Valley which is amazing, so lucky to have so many beautiful things so close to home. 

(I think I was just thinking too much about the next three hours in the car, I couldn't even smile:))

This was one of the funniest days of the summer, Jayme and her kids were over as well as the France boys and they were running out of games, till Jadyn found my yarn. She came up and said Melina could we play with this so I said sure and it was all concentration after that, they worked together all seven of them to create the largest spider web on record and were throughly entertained for well over an hour. Best thing that yarn was ever good for!

This is post clean up and the pic above doens't even do their work justice. It was strung from that TV cabinet in the back clear to the other wall, halfway up the stairs, not an inch of space didn't have at least one string of yarn on it. 

This is the job they did on the safe handle. You want to keep seven kids occupied and working together, give them yarn, a big basement and freedom to twist it however they like it. 

Upcoming

Time flew this summer and so did we I don't know if we were home for more than a few days all together in a row. It was busy, crazy and totally worth it. This summer the kids and I were able to spend a lot of time with my parents since Jeff had a lot of scout and young men activities going on. It was so fun to see them and be able to do so much. We went to the lake twice this summer and the kids both learned to waterski which was so fun to watch. I couldn't believe Jake got up, he's only three but he was determined and looked so teeny out there behind the jet ski. Jax was tough like always, it took him a little convincing from uncle Jim to actually do it. Now that school is about to start I am kind of torn between happiness and sadness. Happy because it will be nice to be back on a regular schedule again, both the boys are in preschool and I can't wait to see how much they will grow from that, I love the fall and the coolness at night. Sadness because the winters in Cedar are bitter cold, no more swimming and pools and lakes, not as many popsicles. But it will be great. Now that we are settling back into a schedule maybe I can start blogging again, wish I had my camera so I could upload some pics, but alas in hunting season it all Jeff's so he can hopefully get that big one! I have been training for the St. George marathon and as long as my knee holds up it should be great.  We haven't done many races this summer, I don't know where we would have fit them in, but I didn't mind and I don't think Jeff did either. So into Fall we go....

Life

I don't know what it is with this kid, but he cracks me up! He has these two calliks?? I don't know how to spell it, but they go straight into a mowhawk, which I hate, style or no style. This picture is straight out of the tub and boy was it wild! Look at the back of that hair! Needless to say it totally fits his personality sometimes.

I had to post this picture of our IronJeff! My parents sent this to Jeff and it was awesome to go along with how awesome he is. Not only did he do the ironman race but everyday he puts up with me makes him even more of an ironman! I wish so bad we could have had this on race day at the finish it would have been so funny. He was so embarrassed that I hung it on the front door but I love it. Thanks mom and dad for being so thoughtful!

Speaking of my ironman today is fathers day, I am not going to gush too much about my love but there are so many amazing things about him that I just am amazed he is still with me everyday. He is a wonderful dad and wants so much for his boys and there couldn't be a better example of what we want them to grow up to be. He is so thoughtful, that is an understatement, I have never know anyone who still cares and knows about all of his friends, YM's, family, extended family, coworkers, lives! He knows and cares about everyone and all that they are involved in. Man, that doesn't even paint half a good picture of how wonderful he is. He is a handsome one and those eyes just melt me (sorry too gushy) along with his laugh. I love you more and more babe! For daddy's day the boys and I have been secretly hiding and saving all his ironman stuff from the race and we had a window box picture made with all of his stuff. So stoked about this too.