Hogge Happy

Baby Caleb

2012-02-16T13:00:00.009-07:00

Pregnancy is really hard on me. And being pregnant in my 30s has been even more difficult. But seeing Caleb's fat cheeks, and being able to kiss his adorable little nose, and smell that newborn head, I can say it is worth it!

I'll admit that having given birth to 35- and 37-week babies has spoiled me. My last two pregnancies were so mentally and emotionally challenging because I was thinking "any day now" for the entire last month. And Caleb decided he wasn't ready until 4 days before my due date--the longest I've ever been pregnant!

I’d been pretty discouraged that I was quickly approaching my due date and NOTHING seemed to be happening! I'd experienced some good contractions, but hadn't had those "false labor" episodes that at least signaled that the end was near. I became increasingly discouraged as my due date grew nearer.

So I spent a lot of time praying and trying to be patient. It was actually at church on Sunday, while I was reading the words to the Hymn “Master, the Tempest is Raging” during Sacrament Meeting, the words at the end of the 2nd verse struck me as profound: A plea to the Lord to “Hasten, and take control!” I’d been frustrated that I had no control over this life-changing event. I was anxious about when things would happen. I was frustrated that I couldn’t plan my life. I was anxious about how things would play out. As I started to remember more vividly the pains of childbirth, I began to question my desire to have another natural birth, and I started doubting my ability to handle it. I worried about caring for a newborn again, and how my life would change. But as I read the words to the Hymn, the thought came into my mind, “You want to be in control of this, but aren’t things always better when He is in control?” And the chorus reminds that all of the elements sweetly obey His will. And Peace, be still. And I did feel peace and trust again that He knew what was best.

Interestingly enough, it was that very night that I began labor. I’d had a few contractions in the evening, which wasn’t unusual. I went to bed for a few hours and awoke at about 2am to a hard contraction. I laid in bed for about 45 minutes until I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep through them as they became increasingly more intense. So I got up and read for a while.

This labor was very similar to Rachel's. The contractions became more and more hard, intense, and took much more concentration to get through them. But they didn't get close together. In fact, they were still quite irregular. I went to the bathroom around 4:00 and chatted with Vince about what to do. As I laid in bed again, the contractions actually stopped. After about 1/2 hour I decided this must not be the real thing, so I thought we should just go back to sleep. But then at 4:30, I got hit HARD by a very strong contraction. That was the turning point for me! I knew then that this was it.

So we made calls to the midwife and my mom and got ready to head in to the hospital. My sister, Beth, came to stay with the kids and Mom followed us to the hospital. We got there a little after 6am. I was still worried about them checking me and hooking me up and that the contractions would stop and I'd be sent home. So I was anxious to see if I'd progressed from the 3 cm I was at my last appointment. Fortunately, I was already at a 6, and they let me stay!

I was able to get in the tub around 7:00. I tried that for a while, and made some progress, but my contractions were still far apart and a bit irregular. When I was around 8 cm I decided to get out and try sitting on the birthing ball and standing to help move things more quickly.

The last hour was definitely the most difficult. That was the point in which my brain turned foggy. And although I could hear and was aware of things going on around me, I became so focused on myself and what was going on in my own body. I knew I wasn't thinking clearly. I remember people asking me questions about trying different positions or techniques, but I couldn't answer except for "I don't know."

Up to this point, my water was still intact. I had a hard time feeling the overwhelming urge to push, so I asked my midwife to break my water. (I was almost fully dilated.) The same as with Rachel, as soon as she broke my water, Caleb's head descended quickly. I definitely felt the urge then! Pushing was more difficult with Caleb than with any of my others that I can remember. But it didn't take very long. And at 9:52 am a beautiful baby boy was born into our family! It was a very emotional experience for me as they laid him on my chest. I cried a lot. I went through so much to get him here, and was so happy to finally have my baby boy.

At first I thought we would name him Adam, but when we saw him, it just didn’t fit. After much discussion that day, we decided to name him Caleb. He was 7 lbs 11 oz and 19 ½ inches long. He looks a lot like his daddy, and similar to his siblings, but with his own unique Caleb look. We are already so smitten with this new little bundle of joy!

Here he is at one month! This month has gone by so fast already! (Much faster than the month BEFORE he was born!)

We’re especially grateful that he is here! And that he is healthy. And that I am healthy. We truly have been blessed.

Catching Up--2011

2012-02-16T12:35:00.017-07:00

I have been horrible about blogging this past year. It's been an intense year. I had a hard time coping from my miscarriage, and suffered another in April. My church calling has been quite demanding, and I didn't feel like I had much to contribute to the blogging world. So forgive me for neglecting 2011. Here are some highlights from last year to catch you up:

Evan turned 8 this Spring and decided to be Baptized! It was wonderful to have so many people come to support him on this special day.

I love this picture of Evan with Vince's Grandma: Great-Grandma Aldridge.

Evan with his Grandparents:

Our three amigos! (Or perhaps the three stooges?)

Turning 8 also means becoming a Cub Scout! Evan's first Pack Meeting was the Pinewood Derby. He won 2nd place!

Grandpa Hogge has a wonderful tradition of taking the grandkids to General Conference after they turn 8. Evan was so excited to go!

We had a great vacation at our favorite Montana lake!

One of our most exciting (and most expensive!) events of 2011 was the purchase of Vince's new toy!

We've been waiting (and saving) for this baby for a L-O-N-G time! And although we didn't get the boat until the end of the summer, it still got plenty of use before it got too cold. Here are some of my favorite pictures on the lake:

Notice Vince's awesome grin...

A few GREAT crashes!

And a few more of my favorite pictures of 2011:

Brooke & Evan's first day of school:

Halloween:

(Notice my lovely costume!)

And our last family pictures of the year!

Give Thanks in All Things

2010-11-20T15:22:00.007-07:00

I've debated whether or not to post this, and how much to say. But I feel that part of the grieving process is me sorting through my thoughts and feelings and getting them written down. Skip the details if it's too much. And know that this is more for me than anything.

It's been quite the whirlwind of a week. Probably the scariest experience of my life. I miscarried on Wednesday morning. I was 14 weeks. It was my first miscarriage and has obviously been rough. I didn't have much time to prepare, even though I spotted early on in this pregnancy for several weeks. Once I stopped (it's been over a month of no signs of problems) and hearing and seeing the baby's heartbeat, and moving into the 2nd trimester, I figured I was out of danger.

I was getting ready to go to yoga on Tuesday night and discovered some brown spotting around 8pm. I was concerned, but not too worried. But as the evening went on I realized I'd been cramping that evening. Went to bed and woke up at 1am because the cramping was painful. Really worried as it seemed to come in intervals too. Didn't see any blood, in fact I'd stopped spotting. Went back to sleep until 2am when it was so painful I couldn't sleep. Still no more bleeding. But called the midwife on call and as I was talking to her, I started bleeding. Rushed to the bathroom and miscarried right away. It came so fast, I really didn't feel prepared.
After about 1/2 hour I realized it wasn't stopping. I fell on the floor close to passing out, and called to Vince to get my mom here fast. They helped me to the car and I spent the next 20 minutes with the A/C blowing on me trying not to black out.

I about passed out again in the ER. They pumped me full of fluids and I stabilized. They tried to see how much placenta was still in, did an ultrasound, and found some left. The bleeding had slowed down at that point, but then around 4:30 I started cramping a LOT. More painful than before even. Over the next hour to 90 minutes I began bleeding again. The DR suggested a D&C, but then came back upset. Because of hospital policy, I wasn't an emergency case so they had to wait for the OR staff to come in at 7 to do the procedure. But by 7:00 I was crashing again. Willed myself to not go unconscious. I think my BP was around 40/19 at this point. They again pumped me with fluids and put me on oxygen till I could stabilize. But because they'd had to wait to get me to the OR for the procedure, I lost a lot of blood. My hemocrit levels went from 36 when I came in to 18.5 when I came out of surgery. I'd lost 1/2 my blood. They ended up doing a transfusion, and I had to be admitted for several hours. Levels looked better by later in the afternoon and I went home around 3:00.

I've been trying to process the fact that I could have bled to death, and that I lost my sweet baby. Experiencing the miscarriage at home was enough of a trauma. But I spent several days not being able to sleep well because of worry. I didn't want to have that scary experience again. And part of me had fought so hard to stay conscious that it was difficult to let it go and sleep. But the trauma of it has slowed way down, though now the grieving part has hit.

But through all of this I have come to be so thankful. I am so very grateful to be alive. I am grateful for modern medicine. I know without medical and divine intervention, I would have bled to death. So many things could have gone much worse. I'm so glad Vince was here, as he was 5 hours away all the week before. And I was grateful this didn't happen in MT for Thanksgiving next week.

Another great blessing I've come to appreciate is the amazing outpouring of love. I am so overwhelmed. I have loved the sweet notes, phone calls, hugs, tears, babysitting, clean bathrooms, chocolates, cupcakes, LOTS of cookies, and SO much food that has been given to us. (We really have no more room in our fridge!) I have been so amazed at all the love and concern I have felt from so many. I have seen so many other women and families who have experienced similar or worse tragedies, and have come to mourn with me as I mourn. These are examples of true Christians--true disciples of Christ. And most of all I have felt literally strengthened by many, many prayers offered in behalf of me and my family. I know that we are an eternal family. I know that the Lord feels my sorrow and I have felt the Comforter lift and sustain me through all my grief. I have been amazed also to feel such grief and such gratitude in the same moment. I am so blessed. There is much to be Thankful for.

Six Little Pumpkins

2010-10-18T22:52:00.003-06:00

We went to the store tonight and bought pumpkins--one for each member of the family. :0)

Happy Halloween!

Goodbye 20's, HELLLLOOOOO 30's!!!

2010-05-18T13:22:00.010-06:00

As soon as I found out the Ogden Marathon was going to be on my 30th Birthday, I just KNEW I had to run it! Ogden was my favorite race--great volunteers, well organized, beautiful course, perfect time of year! So I signed up a good 6 months in advance. Good thing too, since it filled up so quickly this year.

I started training in the winter with a pretty good running base. But it was about mid-January, when I started running further AND trying to increase my speed all at once, that I began feeling pain in my left knee. It quickly turned from a nagging ache to a sharp, stabbing pain that forced me to stop completely. It got to the point that I couldn't run more than 2 miles without stopping. It was SO extremely frustrating. I knew my weeks were limited and that I couldn't just wait it out for several months while waiting for my knee to heal. The hardest part for me was that I felt so confused. Everyone seemed to have an opinion on what would help, or who to see. Rest it. Don't rest it. Ice it. Heat it. Stretch it. I was afraid to try anything because I just wasn't sure what would help and what would hurt it more.

But I'm so blessed to have a good, loving husband who gave me some wise counsel. After complaining through tears, he gently suggested that I just do all the things I know I should be doing (staying hydrated, warming up and cooling down, stretching, icing it consistently, etc.) and, with a little rest, see if that would help.

During this time, I'd also been struggling emotionally. I felt overwhelmed with my life in general. I felt that there was just way more to get done than I had the time to do. I felt so stretched, that I was doing so many things, but not doing any of them well. Not being able to run (which is such a stress-reliever for me) didn't help. It was around this same time that I was reading an article in the Ensign magazine about being Spiritually prepared. As I read, Vince's words came back to me: "Are you staying hydrated, warming up, stretching consistently? Are you doing those things you know will keep your knee healthy?" And I thought about how I'd been doing spiritually. The words came clear into my mind: "Are you reading your scriptures, praying, attending the Temple consistently? Are you doing those things you know will keep your Spirit healthy?" It was a huge moment for me. I know there is a strong connection between my physical and spiritual well-being. And I know that even though my problems with my knee didn't matter to my eternal well-being, because it mattered so much to ME now, I knew it mattered to my Heavenly Father. I knew it was important to Him because it was important to me.

So I began stretching and drinking more water. I also began praying more fervently and consistently. I originally thought it would be ONE key event, and my knee would be "fixed." But I began to see this as a process. I realized that it probably wouldn't click and be healed, that I'd probably have to baby it and work on it all along the way, and that I would still feel it, but that it would be manageable enough that I could run.

I had lots of thoughts of giving up. Maybe this was a sign that my body wasn't ready for a marathon right now. Maybe it was too much too soon. But I wanted this SO much! After all, this was MY marathon! This was my birthday gift to myself.

I've spent most of my life looking ahead to being a young, married mom. I'd always longed for the days that I'd have babies and start to raise them. I never really looked beyond that. (Who knows, maybe no one does.) I think turning 30, even though it's just a number, forced me to see beyond that. Once I get comfortable in a situation, I'm usually content to stay there. Why change if things are good? It's hard for me to step out into the unknown. Getting old seems so unknown to me!! And I know 30 isn't old. But it's made me realize that changes are ahead. And I hate change. So I wanted so much to run this as a celebration of my 30 years! Rather than mourn the loss of my youth, I wanted to celebrate what I've done, where I've been, and how I've lived!

These were the thoughts I took with me to the starting line.

The day started bright and early. (Well, actually DARK and early. Way too early.) I met my good friend, Heidi (pictured at the end in yellow) at 4:30am and we were able to load on the buses and take the long ride up to the start together. It's so fun to be in her company. She's upbeat and has a wonderful perspective on life. I love chatting with her. We huddled as close to the fires as we dared, trying to keep our muscles semi-warm. I was lucky enough to run with her for the first couple of miles, until she bolted ahead for her big finish.

Those first miles flew by so quickly! I was trying to suck in all the beauty of every mile. It's fun to see all those runners; I wondered what each of their stories were. I wondered at the lady who had pictures of a woman and the words, "Running for Robin" on her back. I wondered at the woman who was running for Huntsman Cancer research, whose note on her back said that one year ago today she was diagnosed with cancer, and here, today, was running for her own cause. I wondered at the couple who ran (and walked) hand-in-hand for much of the race. I wondered at the couple who carried the flags all 26.2 miles. Actually, I wondered enough to ask them. This was their 10th year running with the flags! How cool is that? I loved listening to the stories of the first-timers, and I tried to give them encouragement and told of my first experience, and how much I love marathons! All these helped me remember why I do this.

I wish I could say it was all easy and enjoyable. It wasn't. Inevitably my legs got tired, then sore, then fatigued, then painful! But I love that when it got really tough, I'd see a gorgeous bird, or a sparkling lake, or get a downhill section to help kick me past the hard spots. And if there wasn't something to distract me, that's when my thoughts would turn to my parents, siblings, friends, in-laws, Vince & my kids to help me through. I knew they were cheering me on and had faith in me to see this through. It helped so much to have Vince & Rachel jog along with me at the halfway mark. It was so good to see them and help me transition to OVER halfway there!

I found it interesting that the hard sections came at different points for me this time than the last time I ran Ogden. It was the hardest from about miles 10-12. And then again from 14-17. But once I got to the dam, I felt great! I started to pick up speed again. The last 4 miles, though, were really rough, whereas last time I finished strong. But this time I was tired and ready to be done. I first thought that I'd at the very least, be able to break 5 hours. I missed it by 3 minutes. :( But I was okay with that, all things considered. Plus it gives me another goal to shoot for next time!

But this race was a real emotional one for me. I spent a lot of those hours and hours reflecting on how blessed my life is. I was so grateful that my prayers were answered, that my knee healed so well that I could run! I thought a lot about these last 30 years. I thought about my childhood, and how simple and fun life was then. I thought about my adolescence, and my childhood friends. I thought about getting married and how blessed I am to have found Vince. I thought about my kids and how wonderful they are and how much I need my family. And it hit me over and over again how incredibly lucky I am! I have been given so much! It has been a wonderful 30 years. And yet I still have so much more to look forward to.

When I finally reached that last long stretch to the finish line, feeling so grateful, I couldn't help but spill out all those emotions when I saw Vince, & my sister, & sisters-in-law & their husbands, & my dear friend, Vanasa there cheering for me! And I thought of how far I'd really come getting to this point. Not just getting to this point in the race (which was a huge relief), but in getting to this point in my life. Things aren't perfect, and never will be in this life, but they are so, so good. And I am happy.

LONG overdue

2010-05-13T21:42:00.002-06:00

Is anyone still out there? Blogging has now sadly sunk to the bottom of my priority list. But I at least wanted to let you know I'm still alive! Here's my quick update:

After serious issues with my knee, I was considering dropping out of my race. But with lots of rest, hydrating, stretching, physical therapy, and LOTS of praying, it's healed enough that I'm going to be running the Ogden Marathon in 2 more days! It's been a long journey, but I'm happy to be able to make it. Now let's see if I can finish it!

Rachel's Tricks

2010-01-29T16:17:00.003-07:00

Sorry, friends. I know I don't post much these days. But I wanted to do a quick little update on Baby Rachel. She'll be 8 months tomorrow, if you can believe that! Here is a short little video of her performing her new tricks. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T23:15:00.002-07:00

Thanks to Vince's sister, Shalon, for taking these pictures for us. We had a fun time doing our cold little photo shoot.

We got the best smile out of Evan when he found a warm pocket of air!

The ONLY one of Rachel smiling, which is funny because she's such a happy baby!

And of course, by the end, we were ready to strangle each other! But we had a great time.

We hope you all have a wonderful Holiday season! We love this time of year when we get to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ! Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday to ME (in 6 more months)

2009-11-20T12:28:00.002-07:00

So I gave myself an early Birthday present. I signed up today for the Ogden Marathon. The best part is, it's their 10th annual Ogden Marathon on my Birthday! How fun will this be? 26.2 Here I come!

Strange Things Are Happening...

2009-11-14T17:01:00.009-07:00

We've had quite a few exciting adventures around here lately! We had a lovely Halloween, complete with a fun party at the cousins' house, pumpkin carving, and a run through the cemetary at night for a Halloween 5k! It was very fun! I ran my fastest 5k since Rachel was born. (I've dubbed it my 5k PPPR, or Post-Partum Personal Record!) 30:13 is certainly not where I WANT to be, but getting there. Slowly! (Hardy-har-har!) Vince did great though. He came in at 22:20, and earned a 4th place (pink) ribbon!!

I'll have to get more costume pictures soon, but here's the one from the 5k at least!

Carving pumpkins:
I thought this was an interesting view of our activity!
Pumpkin Brains!
Evan was so grossed out when he first stuck his hand in!
Brooke took this picture; I love it!
Our pumpkin family! We all (well, except for Rachel) designed our own faces. I thought they all turned out so fun! And I love the creativity of my kids!

From Left to Right--Rachel, Evan, Brooke, Me, & Vince!

And just for fun, I wanted to show you the spooky thing my broom can do! I took pictures from different angles just so you can see--no strings attached, and I didn't alter the photo at all! (Now if I can just get it to sweep up Vince's hair...)

And lastly, Evan. Poor kid. We went up to Vince's sister's house in ID last weekend to see their brand new (and ADORABLE) little baby. The kids were outside playing. Just before lunch Evan started bawling. He came in saying he'd been running outside, tripped (on his growing feet, apparently), and fell on the grass and hit his shoulder. I looked at it--no scratches or scrapes. Just a bump and maybe a bruise--so I THOUGHT! He cried for a while and I told him to not think about it, it'd stop hurting soon, etc. Well, about halfway through lunch I looked over at his poor, sad face and the giant alligator tears welling up in his eyes, and I realized, he's really hurting! After church the next day, I took a closer look again, and saw that the swelling was getting worse, and he still couldn't even raise his arm up. That's when I realized this was serious! So we took him to the doctor on Monday, who sent us to the hospital for x-rays. Turns out he BROKE HIS COLLAR BONE!! I felt so bad! I hate those "bad mommy" moments! But he's well and dandy now with his sling. So Evan wins the prize for the first broken bone in the family! (And hopefully it'll be the last!)

Happy Baby

2009-11-11T21:37:00.004-07:00

There are so many things to blog about! But because I'm short on time (since it's 9:45, and I'm just now posting this today) I will make this quick. But I did want to get this video on for Grammy tonight, as promised. So just a quick update on my pretty Baby!

We tried out some rice cereal the other day. She LOVED it! I'm not sure she's ready for it on a daily basis yet, but we'll keep trying every now and then to see if her body is ready.

Mmmm!
I'm also THRILLED to report that she's started sleeping through the night!! *happy dance* She goes to bed around 7:00 or so, and usually wakes up just once, around 5 or 6 am. But we've learned that Vince can get up, wrap her up, stick binky in, and she'll just go right back to sleep until 7 or 8! I'm so glad she's figured out that sleeping all night makes for a happier mama and baby! (And I have to say, I LOVE Vince for being willing to do the re-wrapping! What a good Daddy he is!)

Rachel's other new tricks: She can now roll over both ways. She loves to smack her rattles around. She loves to play with her toes. She still doesn't laugh very much, but she LOVES to GROWL! (It's very cute.) I think she should've been a bear for Halloween instead of a ladybug! She also just recently started fake "coughing" to get our attention. My favorite is her new way she expresses her love! She reaches for me when I walk by! And just the other day she very deliberately grabbed my face, leaned in, and planted a big, wet, juicy, slobbery, open-mouthed baby kiss all over my cheek! Who knew I'd melt so much while getting slobbered down my shirt??

Here is a little video of her performing some of her new tricks. It takes her almost a minute, but she does cough and growl a little! (Oh, and um. My apologies for MY fake coughing and growling! I had no idea it would be so loud--and scary!) Enjoy!

Proof That Women Are Born This Way...

2009-10-08T21:44:00.004-06:00

A friend of mine shared this on Facebook. I watched it several times. You may have seen it, but it really makes me laugh every time! Rachel's not quite there yet. But I'm guessing it's only a matter of time...

Nothin' Like a Cooing Baby!

2009-09-04T16:25:00.006-06:00

You'll have to indulge me a little. I know every parent thinks their child is the cutest and the sweetest. I wanted family and friends (especially those who live too far away) to get a little taste of what I get to see every single morning! So if you want to skip the 2 minute videos of me talking baby talk to Rachel, and her cooing back, I won't be offended. (But I do have to say, you'd be missing out; she is really cute!) ;0)

12 weeks. 13.1 miles.

2009-08-25T09:05:00.003-06:00

I have a lot of blogging to catch up on. Vince and I concluded that we packed a month's worth of stuff in about 1 1/2 weeks! And we're still trying to catch up on everything! But now that the kids are in school ALL DAY I'm hoping I'll have a little more time I can sneak on and post about our exciting month.

But for now, I wanted to give you my race report. Mostly because I'm so excited that I accomplished something that for a while I was afraid might not happen!

I had really planned on running throughout my pregnancy. I ran a few times at the beginning, and immediately noticed how tired (and slow) I was! Then the morning sickness hit, and I couldn't do much of anything, let alone run 15 miles a week! So I gave it up for a while. When I hit my 2nd trimester I started feeling much better. But I also got my appetite back and gained a lot of weight in a short amount of time! I knew I needed to get back into a better exercise routine. From then till about 35 weeks I ran as much as I could, but was still really cautious. I only got up to about 2 miles at a time. There were just so many unpleasant factors that kept me from running the way I wanted to! And the last month, I just walked for exercise, and decided to pick up running again as quickly as I could post-partum.

So when May came around, I had the opportunity to sign up for the Hobble Creek Half Marathon. A bunch of my running friends were doing it. It wasn't until August. I was convinced my Baby would be born early like her siblings, and told myself that recovering from a baby really isn't that hard or take that long. I thought it over for about a week. At that point I was missing running so much, and I had such fond memories of running this race last year. What really convinced me was that I actually talked Vince into running it, and then I knew I couldn't let him do it on his own! So I signed up! (I had to sign up quickly because registrations are limited, and it usually fills up within about 24-48 hours!)

And then, of course Baby was stubborn and only came 5 days early. And the woman's mind has a way of forgetting the unpleasantries of post-partum recovery! It took me longer to get back to running then I thought. And we found out my little brother was getting married the week before the race in San Diego! And with reunions and vacations and midnight feedings, I started to worry about how in the world I was going to have time and energy to train for this thing! And what the heck was I thinking? (Vince said the same thing too, by the way: "What the heck were you thinking?")

But we'd paid the money, and I really wanted to get back into my old clothes. So I took it slow (very slow) and walked a lot of my long runs, but kept plugging away at the miles. I became familiar again with how my body works, and how wonderful it is to feel the sweat and the breeze on my flushed cheeks. I certainly wasn't as fully prepared as I could or should have been, but I at least knew I could finish the race.

My goal time was under 2 hours 45 minutes (which sounds so long!) and for sure under 3 hours. I was able to meet up with my running friends in the looonnnggg potty line before the start. It was so fun to chat with them and get excited to run the next 13.1 miles. I waved them all (and kissed my Hubby) good luck at the start and headed towards the back of the pack, knowing I'd be one of the last to cross the finish line.

The first half was wonderful! It's all down Hobble Creek Canyon, and the miles really flew by! I was feeling good and confident. My friend, Leslie, got a few pictures of me from her bike as I shuffled along. (She signed up for the race, but couldn't particpate because of a nasty foot injury from a triathlon a couple of months ago. It was so good to have her as a cheerleader, though!)

Around mile 9 or so, I was feeling sore, and then we started seeing the hills. I'd forgotten how hilly the last few miles were! This was the point that was the most difficult. I stopped a lot and walked many of the hills. But at the last water station at 11.5 miles, I decided I would run to the finish--no more walking. And I'm proud to say that I finished 5 minutes under my goal time at 2:40!! It was still 36 minutes slower than last year (yikes!) but I was so proud of myself for being able to go 13.1 miles just 12 weeks after having my Baby!

Vince did an amazing job, too! I only wish I could've been there when he crossed the finish line! But he was way too speedy--1:42 in fact! Wow, is all I can say! This was his first 1/2 Marathon; he ran a full before his mission. But certainly the most distance he's done in a very long time. I asked him on the way home if he'd want to do it again next year. But we concluded that asking him just after the race is like asking a woman just after giving birth if she's ready for the next baby! We'll give him a few more weeks to let him decide! ;0)

Here are some fun pictures taken with Heidi's amazing camera! (So amazing, in fact, that you'll have to excuse the sweaty, salty face of mine! Vince looks great, since he'd already had an hour to cool down waiting for me to finish!)
Aren't we a great-looking couple? :D

And my running pals! Vince, me, Heidi, Jamie, and Leslie

Our Trip

2009-08-06T18:02:00.011-06:00

We always have so much fun every year at the Hogge Reunion. Great fun, great company, way too great food for my good! This year we decided to do something a little different. We usually go up to "The Lake" (won't give the name away--don't want anyone to know of our secret little spot) and camp there for several days. It's the prettiest lake I've ever seen. And not many people know about it, so it's usually not too crowded. But this year, we had two new little babies, and thought camping out wouldn't be quite as much fun for that reason. So through a family friend, we got access to a cabin on Bills Island! (I must admit, it was VERY nice to have a running toilet and shower! We're way too spoiled!) We played hard every day and even managed to get the kids to sleep at night! It's always fun to be with everyone.

After a few days, most everyone had to head home. But we had a few extra so we went back to Montana to spend with Vince's parents. I love their home, and their wonderful hospitality!

We took one day and visited the Lewis & Clark Caverns. It was a HUGE cave tour that was so amazing! I couldn't believe there was all that hidden inside a mountain. Our cave pictures aren't real great. And they do NOT do any justice to the beauty of the caves. But here they are anyway. (And sorry, I haven't had time to photo-shop out the red eyes! Spooky, huh?)

This was just outside the caves, looking over the Jefferson River.

We spent some time just relaxing at the in-laws. They have about 20 acres, and I love it there! We flew kites out in their field. (They always seem to have some wind!)

And we played croquet.

Evan is so funny. We played a game of croquet, and then went off to do something else. But Evan wanted to keep playing, so he started a game with himself. "It's me against me. I'm winning and I'm losing!"

Then we caught sight of this amazing cloud! It puffed up so huge!

After a few minutes, Vince's dad told us all to stop and listen for a minute. There was a strange sound that sounded like a waterfall coming closer. It only took us a few seconds to realize what the sound was. We had about a minute before it started to look like this:

I've actually never seen hail so big! The kids thought it was great! In fact, they decided to keep one. (Is it still in your freezer, MMM?)

One of my favorite parts of the week was, of course, the water skiing!
I was sad, though, that my body just isn't back to normal quite yet. I got tired so easily! "Next year," I kept telling myself. Next year I'll be in better shape and can hold on longer!

Rachel slept through her first boat ride. Looks comfy in there, huh?

This year was especially fun because the kids got to actually ski on their own, and LOVED it! It did take a few days to coax them out onto their own skis and back behind the boat. But once they were there, we literally couldn't get them off!!

Brooke told us that water-skiing is her new favorite sport! She even likes it better than soccer. She even likes it better than SWIMMING!

What a show-off!

But the videos are the most fun. Hope you enjoy!

Mice-ellaneous

2009-08-01T15:50:00.002-06:00

I wish I had more time right now to post about the past few weeks, especially our fun trip to Island Park and Montana! We had a wonderful time at the Hogge Reunion this year. I'll get pictures and details up as soon as I can.

This week has been so crazy--trying to adjust to being home again. It was full of laundry and errands. And the kids had to see good ole Dr Moody to fix some cavities. And Evan lost his very first (and 2nd) teeth! (Pictures to come soon.)

Rachel went to the pediatrician for her 2 month check-up. She now weighs in at a whopping 11 lbs 4 oz! What a heifer! She really is darling. Fat looks so much better on babies than on adults! She's got the rolls under her chin and on her thighs. And she's got the dimples in her knees and hands. She lights up and coos and grins whenever we enter the room! She's just delightful.

But, sadly, the worst part of the week was coming home from our 10-day trip only to discover our home had been invaded while we were away, by a family of MICE! Ugh. I HATE mice! (And I've said that sentence at least 5 dozen times this past week.)

I stupidly left out some chocolate on the counter tops while we were gone. Somehow (I'm guessing they climbed up our broom) the mice had gotten up and eaten the chocolates. Fortunately that was the only thing we could see that they had eaten. But we found evidence (meaning poop) that they had been all over the house. We found evidence on our counter tops, next to the fridge, under the stove, behind the stove, under the burners on our stove, all over the cupboards under our sink and where I keep my pots and pans (this especially totally grossed me out!), in our laundry room, and even in the bathtub! YUCK! I am completely horrified, and am now paranoid. Every time I walk into a room, I'm always searching. Every time I hear a rustle I'm wondering. I hate not feeling safe in my own home. And especially, I worry about my baby. I can't put her down anywhere. I'm always worried about where I put ANYTHING down! (Can't put it on the floor, the mice might get it.)

The few good things are:
1. We never found evidence of the mice in any other food, even in the food storage room, which is a huge blessing. (Though, I did mourn the loss of our chocolate!)
2. We've already caught 4 of them--2 adults (I think) and 2 babies.
3. My house is now REALLY clean! (Though I do still feel like everything is dirty and contaminated. That's just my little OCD, I guess.)
4. We are so much better off than so many other people in the world.

That last part especially struck me last night. It's been such an awful week for me--harder emotionally than I've had in a long time. I broke down a few times, just feeling so overwhelmed by it all and not safe, somehow, in my own home. But during family prayers I thanked the Lord for this home we have to live in, and it struck me how much I really SHOULD be grateful for this wonderful home. There are so many people who deal with much worse than a family of mice. I just need to keep things in perspective.

(But if you don't mind, please say a little prayer that we'll catch all the little varmints!)

9 Years!

2009-07-14T15:14:00.004-06:00

9 years ago today, I married the most wonderful man! And even though he may not be perfect, I know he's still the perfect man for me!

Here we are in 2000 in our engagement photo. (Boy, did we look young!!)

Brooke took this picture last summer at the same lake.

I love what a hard worker Vince is. I love that he does everything he can to allow me to stay home with our kids. I love the example he is to me. I love what a wonderful father he is to our children. My life is so richly blessed because he is there to help me and hold me.

I love you, Vince. Happy Anniversary!

The Crazy Month of June

2009-07-01T16:53:00.004-06:00

What a month!

2009-06-30T19:38:00.008-06:00

I can't believe it's already been a whole month since little Rachel was born! And what a month it's been, too! I noticed the other day that the memory card on my camera was full. That seriously never happens. As I started scrolling through the pictures, I was amazed at how much we've done this past month! I'll post a few pictures to recap the past month, and then I'll just put the rest (well, my favs anyway) in a slideshow if you'd like to see more of what we've done.

We brought little Rachel home on the 1st of June. She wasn't too keen on her new carseat. (And still isn't, come to think of it.) That week was full of firsts--first ride home, first (sleepless) night home, first bath, first time to meet Grandmas and Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins!

Brooke had her Birthday on Friday the 5th. Her special 8th Birthday! (I still can't believe she's 8 already!) It was pretty low-key, unfortunately. I would have loved to have a grand party, but under the circumstances, it just didn't happen this year. But she got presents and a special cake, and she was happy, and very sweet about it.

I wavered back and forth, but finally decided we'd go ahead and do Brooke's Baptism on Saturday, June 6th. She was so excited, and I hated to have her wait. Looking back, I'm still not sure it was the best thing, but I'm still glad we did it. What an amazing experience to see your child making such important, righteous decisions! It was a very sweet moment. I remember one of my Mom's favorite scriptures is "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." I see now why it's such a wonderful thing to see your children making wise choices! I'm so blessed!

We also decided to bless Rachel that weekend as well, since family came all that way, it made more sense. But we opted to do it at the Stake Center just after Brooke's Confirmation. It was nice having it in a more private setting. Although, I'm still sad I didn't get the full chance to "show her off" to my ward friends. Selfish reason, though, I know. I have to say, both girls looked so beautiful all dressed in white!

We had a big family "party" at our house after the Baptism. I have a wonderful Mother and Mother-in-law who took over and put it all together for me since I was busy with a new baby. I'm so grateful for them and all my family that helped that day. It's always fun to be with family.

The next week was a bit quiter. My sister, Mary, was here visiting from CO so my kids spent a lot of time at Grammy's playing with cousins, which gave me a chance to rest a lot. Then Grandma Marjorie came down from Montana. Vince ran a 5k race in our city early on Saturday morning. Then the kids had their final soccer games and got their medals. Then it was off to recitals! Whew! Another crazy-filled, tiring day.

Grandma Marjorie stayed that next week to help me out. As it turned out, her helping out mostly came in the form of painting! We've been trying to scramble to finish our basement for months now, getting ready for Baby's arrival. And I was silly enough to schedule the carpet to be installed that Thursday. So we spent the next week doing all the painting for the basement! There were a few moments we all wondered if we'd reach our deadline, but we did! But only with lots of help from family! Couldn't have done it without them. And now it looks WONDERFUL!

Grandma left on Friday morning, and decided to take Brooke and Evan back to Montana for the week. I have to say, the house was SO quiet! It gave me the chance to organize the kids' room, and move their stuff downstairs to their new rooms in the new basement. It was a nice week being able to spend with just Vince and Rachel, but I was so ready for them to come home again.

Our last big adventure was last Saturday. Vince and I decided to do a fun 5k on an easy course. And I even got my Dad to do it with me! (Remember, he was in the hospital just 5 months ago recovering from open heart surgery! What an accomplishment!) Speedy Vince ran out and back in 20 minutes. I ran/walked with my Daddy and was able to cross the finish line with him in under 40. Not my best time, but one of the best 5ks I've ever done! Vince got 3rd place for the men 18-55, and my Dad got 1st place in his age division! Way to go, Dad! So proud of you!

So there's out month in a very loooong nutshell. Now I need another month to recover! Guess the only thing left for us to do is to take a very looooong nap!

And Four Became Five

2009-05-30T13:33:00.008-06:00

Well, after waiting for so long, it finally happened. And I started this post last week, but didn't seem to ever have the time to finish. Plus, I've still been mulling the experience around in my mind for the last week, and needed some time to process it in order to tell you about it. I'm like that, though. Always have to think things through for a long time.

I will have to start at the beginning. And bear with me as I go through all the wonderful details. (Hope it doesn't gross anyone out!) I'd been feeling pretty miserable lately, especially since going in to the hospital on Sunday thinking I was in labor, and then being turned away and having to go back home babyless. Not a fun experience. By the time I made it to my appointment on Friday morning, I was so ready to be done. After talking to my midwife about my options, she asked if I wanted her to strip my membranes (even though she technically shouldn't have done it, she says, she was willing to as long as I didn't mention it to any of the other ladies in the practice). I told her YES right away!

I had some mild cramping and some contracting throughout the rest of the day. But nothing really too impressive or consistent. And I'll admit, that did disappoint me. So in order to not get so discouraged by sitting around thinking about how much I wanted to go into labor, I decided to go to my little brother's High School Graduation. Maybe the baby got bored during the long ceremony, or maybe it was walking up and down the Marriot Center stairs. But I noticed on the ride home, I started having some contractions, but only every 20 minutes apart or so.

At home, I made dinner and got the kids ready for bed. All the while I kept contracting, but they were still 15 minutes apart or so, not a big deal. But I did notice that they started to get more and more impressive (meaning painful). I really wanted to stay up and walk around and make sure they didn't fizzle out once again, but Vince wisely suggested we go to sleep. If it wasn't the real thing, it would spare me the emotional drama of it all. If it WAS the real thing, laying down wouldn't stop them, and I'd at least get some rest before a long night. He is a wise man, isn't he?

I was able to sleep for a few hours, but was still aware of contracting. At about 2:00 am I couldn't sleep anymore and decided to get up and read for a while. The contractions were definitely strong now; I was finding it hard to breathe through them, and really had to concentrate now. But they were still so far apart. At about 4:00, though, I knew it was the real thing. I called the midwife on call. She said they usually like us to wait until the contractions are at least 5 or less minutes apart, but if I really wanted to come in, I could. At this point they were only about 8 minutes, but since I was already at 4 cm dilated the day before, I wanted to get to the hospital in enough time. So I called my Mom, and woke up Vince and got dressed. My Dad and Joseph got to our house to stay with Brooke and Evan, and Vince and I left for the hospital, with my Mom right behind us. Vince could tell when I was having a contraction because every few minutes I would tell him to hurry up and drive faster!

By the time we got to the hospital and checked in it was about 5:15. They checked me and I was dilated to 6 1/2 cm. So I had made some progress. I decided to try laboring in the tub for a while to see if that would help with the pain. It was the perfect way to labor!! I was able to relax with each contraction instead of fighting with them. The next time they checked me I was at an 8. I was amazed that even in transition, the contractions were still only about 5 minutes or more apart. I think it really helped that I was able to take a break in between each one. Vince even got me laughing in between contractions. My mom commented on how she couldn't believe I was joking and laughing while in transition!

They checked me again and I was almost fully dilated--9 cm with just a lip of cervix left. The midwife, Claudia, just told me to do what felt natural. She said to go ahead and push if I felt like I needed to push. At this point though, my water was still intact (which is why I think the contractions were so manageable). After a few more contractions, I asked Claudia if she'd break my water. This was the point that everything changed!

It took a few tries to get the bag to rupture, but once it did, I had literally about 5 seconds before the baby's head came down, and FAST! With my other children, I felt like the pushing stage was the best part. Not this time! This was by far the hardest and most difficult part. I felt like I had good control until then. But fortunately, I didn't have much time to suffer, as she moved down so quickly. It's hard to describe, but at this point I felt like I was watching myself, and hearing myself, but not quite in my body--as if I were watching from above. It was an odd feeling. But a few quick, good pushes, and at 7:40 am on May 30th (just 2 1/2 hours after arriving at the hospital!) little baby Rachel Victoria was in my arms!! It was such an amazingly incredible experience! And as funny as it seems, I remember thinking just after she was born, that I NEVER want to experience a natural birth again! But even now, just over a week later, I see it differently. I guess the mind really does forget! ;0)

She has really been the perfect baby! She weighed in at 7 lbs 7 oz. (which is 12 oz bigger than Evan, and over 1 1/2 lbs bigger than Brooke!) and she was 19 inches long. She has the most amazing hair of any newborn. Her hair is dark underneath, with frosted silver tips, like Brooke's hair was, but lighter even than that. Her eyebrows and lashes are light blonde, which makes me think she may be a blondie!

She loves sucking on her fingers (or anything else that comes near her mouth) and is a great eater and a great sleeper! She fusses very little, and smiles a lot for a newborn! She even smiled at me for the first time yesterday! How clever of her!

Brooke and Evan are already smitten with their new little sister. Brooke we all knew would be a good little mama. She has been SUCH a help to me!

But Evan surprised me a little. He's never been much into little brand new babies. He usually doesn't want to hold them. But he walked in to see her the first time, and quickly got into an argument with Brooke about who was going to hold her first! Evan loves to kiss her head and stroke her hand. He loves to get close to her when she's awake and say, "Hi, Baby Rachel. I'm your brother!" And whenever he leaves for a while and comes back home, he'll run up to her and talk in his baby voice, "Hi, Baby Rachel! I'm back home now!"

I could go on and on. We're all in love with her. New babies just add such a special Spirit into our home. I waited so long for her. I'm so glad she's with us, and has become a part of our new family of five.

Kindergarten Graduation

2009-05-27T12:27:00.006-06:00

I can't believe the school year is already over! It's amazing how fast time flies!

Evan had his Kindergarten Graduation program today. It was the one last thing I was really worried about missing. So I'm so glad I was here for it! It's always fun to see the kids singing and waving and smiling at their mommies, daddies, and grammies! So here are some pictures from his program:

Then we went back to the classroom so the kids could get their "diplomas!" Here we are with his teacher, Mrs. Bryson (whom we ALL just adore--she seriously is the greatest teacher ever)!

Getting the diploma:

With another fabulous lady, Mrs. Ferrell, our teacher's aide:

Mrs. Bryson:

Happy Mama:

And of course, Grammy!

And this last picture is of Evan a week ago Monday, after he had a traumatic fall at school. He scraped his knee, elbow, and face up real good. But the worst part was the bloody "road rash" he got on his gums. It was bad enough we had to take a quick emergency visit to the dentist. Fortunately, we have a WONDERFUL dentist (thanks, Jo, for marrying into a great family!) and Evan didn't end up needing stitches. It's healed beautifully. But we came home from the whole ordeal, I fed him some applesauce and pudding, and he promptly crashed on the sofa. Poor kid.

And just for fun, I found a few random pictures of my sweet boy. Enjoy taking a quick stroll through memory lane:

I can't believe how fast you grow up! It certainly goes by way too quickly.

Eviction Notice

2009-05-25T10:40:00.003-06:00

As some of you are aware, we had quite the exciting day yesterday. I wish the day had ended as exciting as it began, but I'm SLOWLY figuring out that I have absolutely no control over anything in this pregnancy, and I have a very stubborn, very comfortable baby in my womb.

I woke up at about 2:30 Sunday morning with some contractions, which is not at all uncommon lately. But after a while of it continuing, (and because I have this NASTY cold and couldn't breathe lying down and was keeping Vince awake from my coughing) I couldn't sleep so I got up and read (and timed them) for a couple of hours. Then I got sleepy again so I laid back down. I slept okay until about 7:00, but not very soundly, as I was aware of nearly every contraction that kept coming throughout the rest of the night.

I awoke wondering if this was the real thing, but not wanting to get my hopes up. This time just seemed different, though. I had a bit of show, which seemed impressive, so I was thinking this really was it! I called my mom to update her, showered, waited to see if the contractions would change, still trying to decide if we go to church or to the hospital. About 9:30, things REALLY started to move! They became definitely more intense, longer, closer together. At that point, I knew those were all the signs to watch for. So we made arrangements for the kids to attend church with our wonderful neighbor, Marie, shipped them off, and started the 30 minute trek to Labor & Delivery!

By the time I got in the car, the contractions were 4-5 minutes apart, and at that point I had to stop and breathe through each one. Every contraction made me more excited as I knew we were having a baby today!

We got to the hospital and they hooked me all up, and started the list of questions while monitoring the contractions. They didn't seem as impressive, but that was okay. I had realized everytime I change positions they slow down for 15 minutes or so, and then pick up again. But after being monitored for an hour, they got to be good contractions again, but only about 7 minutes apart. They told me to go walk around L&D for a while to see if things got going again. At this point, I was 4 cm and 90%, so I'd made some progress from my appointment on Friday.

Vince and I walked and walked around and around the halls for a good hour. And I noticed the contractions got steadily closer together, but not as strong. And they peaked faster. So I was either having strong contractions that were far apart, or wimpy ones close together. But not both. They checked me once more after walking, and I'd basically made no change! So, they had to send me home! I was so incredibly disappointed! After weeks and weeks of "false labor" I finally felt like I was going somewhere. But apparently I couldn't tell the difference between the real thing and the fake stuff. Throughout the rest of the day, the contractions faded away. They were still pretty intense, but very sporadic. A few an hour at best. So, I guess that wasn't it. No baby yet. And for those of you who were anxious and excited along with me when I didn't show up at church yesterday, please spread the word that no, I did not really have my baby yet. I feel defeated again each time I have to answer that question. ;0)

Which brings me to the decision that I need some drastic action at this point. I've decided to issue my Baby an Eviction Notice. (I wish I could take credit for this one, but I can't. Someone else came up with it and posted it on my birth board. But I thought after yesterday, I should post one too. And it helps me at least try to keep some humor in my bleak situation!) So, Baby. You have been warned:

"Dear Baby, I am hereby issuing a notice of eviction. Please gather your belongings and promptly vacate the premises. You are being evicted due to breech of contract and destruction of private property. Expansions only to the front of the property were discussed. Not only have these limits been exceeded but expansion to the back were also made! Remodeling and gutting of the home were never approved. And due to property damage there are now several leaks in the upper and lower levels of the home. In addition the land lord has received numerous complaints of night time disturbances. Thank you for your cooperation--now get out!

Love Mommy"

Waiting for Baby

2009-05-15T16:30:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to update you all on the baby status, since it's been a while! I had my 37 week appointment this morning. Which means I'm now officially considered "full term" and they wouldn't do anything to stop labor if it happens now. (And if you don't want the nitty-gritty details, just skip on to the next paragraph!) I was checked and am about the same as last week--I'm dilated to 3 cm and am about 80% effaced.

So things are moving, but still a lot of progress to be made. I'm now, fortunately, past that "Oh, I hope the baby doesn't come yet because I want her to be perfectly healthy" phase, and now on to the "Oh, I am so uncomfortable and I just want to have this baby here in my arms and not kickin' my ribs!" phase. I feel like this is the part in the marathon where I get to count how many miles I have left, instead of how many I've come. The finish line is somewhere around the corner (or next few corners) and I can't quite see it yet. But I can hear and feel the crowd getting more and more excited as I get closer! (Sorry for the marathon analogy. But the Ogden Marathon--my favorite--is tomorrow, and I've been thinking about it all day! Good luck, my running friends! ;0)

I also feel like I'm pretty ready to have her come. I installed the carseat in our backseat (which suddenly feels SO squished back there)! And washed all the 0-3 months pink, frilly things that have been stored away for SO long. I've cleaned the house (which mostly was because we had an appraiser come yesterday for our refinance, and I wanted it to at least be de-cluttered) and even cleaned out my closet! Yeah, Vince was shocked too! I think the only thing I'm still worried about having enough time to do is reading up on labor techniques. But somehow, I wonder if I'll ever be fully prepared for labor at this point.

So if you have any last-minute advice for an anxiously-awaiting mama, I'd love to hear it! And of course, I'll keep you posted...!!

Evan's Birthday

2009-05-15T15:57:00.003-06:00

Umm. Evan had his 6th Birthday at the end of last month. So yeah, I'm slow (as always). But, especially for certain Aunties who have complained to me that I'm slow at sharing pictures, I thought I'd share these for your enjoyment! So enjoy!

Opening presents that morning before school, since Dad had to go out of town that day for work. (Notice Evan's slick hair!)

Showing Dad his new Lego Star Wars toy! (Which amazingly Evan put together all on his own, using the instruction sheet. I was floored. I don't know that I could've done it! So, do you think we have a future engineer on our hands??)

We went to Grammy and Opa's for dinner and cake that evening, since Dad was gone. It was fun sharing his special day with special grandparents! This is Grammy's present for Evan! I think he likes it, Grammy!

The funny thing about Evan's cake was that he decided he wanted a "Death Star" cake. Again, if you know anything about Evan, you know that he is obsessed with Star Wars. So I thought a while about how to do a Death Star cake. Fortunately, Evan wore his Star Wars shirt that day. So I kind of used the picture on his shirt to come up with my own variation of a Death Star. You really have to know what it is to have it make any sense. I know if I didn't explain what it really was, you would probably all be wondering why in Heaven's name his cake looks so odd. Now you know!

I love this face! This is his typical "cheese" grin he gives when he know he has to have his picture taken, but doesn't really want to! So very Evan!

I can't believe he's six! Where does the time go?

Real Quick...

2009-05-05T20:52:00.003-06:00

Our construction projects are really coming along and taking shape. I'll have to post next about the progress in the basement. We had sheetrockers here all last week. They finished spraying the texture on Saturday. Now we just have trim, paint, and carpet left, as well as odds and ends to finish. Well, and putting the bathroom all together. Vince is working on tile as we speak, er, I mean, as I type! It's feeling like a whole new house!

But I was just so excited today that I had to post a picture of our newly finished fireplace! (Well, finished for the most part--we found out the fan is faulty, so they have to order a new one and install it, but at least the outside is finished!) And it looks so wonderful! It totally changes the entire feel of our living room!

Voila!!

When Vince came home from work yesterday to see the new look, I was anxiously waiting to hear him say how beautiful it was. So I asked him, "Well, what do you think?" He thought for a moment and then sadly said, "I think we have a problem." Oh, great! I just knew he saw something that I had missed, and they would have to come back to fix it again! So I waited for him to finish his statement, and laughed myself silly when he said, "Now our couches look really bad in here!" Well, Honey, they are about as old as you! ;0)

Wish I Was Running

2009-04-18T17:03:00.003-06:00

So today was the Salt Lake City Marathon. I can't BELIEVE it's already been an entire year since I ran it! Wow! That's so amazing to me. In fact, I'll admit, I teared up a little watching the video of me at the finish line. Oh, how I miss it! I have a bunch of my online friends who were running the half this morning. I can't help but feel a little sad that I wasn't out there running today too. But I've decided to make it a goal to run the Ogden marathon again NEXT year on my 30th Birthday! Marathon #3 on my 30th--sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Every time I see a runner, I have a sudden pang of longing to be out doing it myself. As the weather gets warmer (and I get bigger!) I just want to run! Not too many more weeks, though, and that will be me out there again!

Easter Joys

2009-04-14T18:57:00.010-06:00

First of all, YIKES! I realize it has been a very long time since I last posted. My apologies! We are in the thick of things with the basement, trying to finish up before the baby comes. It's so fun to see things coming along so well! So exciting. But my blogging has suffered because of it. Sorry, sorry! But I actually took some pictures of our fun Easter festivities to show you all we can still have fun, even when it's busy! I sure love this time of year. I just love the Spring!! And I especially love when we can celebrate the life, Atonement, and Resurrection of our Savior!

We had our traditional coloring of Easter eggs. I really think Vince enjoys it just as much as the kids do! Here is everyone with their favorite eggs! They're all so typical of each person, too. Brooke's is purple with a pretty butterfly. Evan made his into a death star (of course--has to be Star Wars)! And Vince colored and dyed, and colored and dyed his egg to make it into a gorgeous globe! He's so artistic!

Here the kids are looking for their eggs and candy! So much fun!

The kids have Spring Break this week, and Vince was out of town for work as usual. So I decided to take the kids and head up to visit Grandma and Grandpa Hogge for the week! Of course, we're the only crazy ones that leave town and head NORTH for Spring Break instead of SOUTH where it's actually warm! We were welcomed into town with a snow storm! And it's been the same weather since! But at least we're more welcomed by the warmth of the Hogge Home than the blizzard outside! We love being here, and the kids have non-stop fun!

Grandpa took the kids for a four-wheeling ride, and taught them how to drive (aak)!! They were both timid at first, but were whippin' around after, oh, 30 seconds or so!

Look at those smiles!

Then Grandpa had to "smooth out the horse poop" as Evan put it. So he taught them how to "drive" his pickup! Sheesh! They learn everything here! You can kind of see Evan at the wheel on Grandpa's lap here. Apparently Brooke got those turns pretty well!

We've also been swimming at the YMCA and to the pizza buffet and arcade place they love to visit. We've played games and eaten s'mores with marshmallow bunnies, and watched a movie on the big projector! Whew! And we've only been here 2 days! Sure is fun!

And to finish off, we had a wonderful photo session in our backyard on Sunday with the kids' Easter outfits Grandma made. Don't they look adorable?! (Thanks, Grandma!!) I sure love these kids!

Of course, Brooke wanted to take some "silly pictures" and yup, pretty silly!

Evan wanted to pose just like Brookie:

Aw, good friends!
Standing by the apricot tree! (Look, it really IS Spring!)
I love this picture! So typically Evan!
And doesn't Brooke look like a sweet little angel? What a great girl!

And yes, because you know I was feeling huge before. Well here I am MANY weeks later and even huger! (Do you like the lovely expression on my face in the first picture?)

I'll be 33 weeks tomorrow! Woohoo! And I've already gotten the comments about how I look like I'm ready to have this baby any day now. But I still do have another month and a half. The baby was measuring bigger for about 6 weeks. They were concerned about a couple of things, so I've had two more ultrasounds. She went through a bit of a growth spurt, but seems to be evening out and she's right on track now. I'm still measuring about 2 cm bigger, but not as big as before, so that's good. Now we're trying to finish the basement so we can get the baby's room situated upstairs and all ready. I've got the big box of newborn clothes to wash and put away. That was fun to go through those old clothes! Haven't done that in many many years! We're all starting to get excited and anxious to see her! And I wanted to add that the best part about last week's ultrasound was the technician actually saw HAIR on her head! I had no idea you could even see that on an ultrasound! But she showed me, our little baby has a head of hair! Can't wait to see it in person!

Feeling Huge!!

2009-02-26T13:09:00.006-07:00

Sorry I'm not a very good poster anymore. I feel like my life is crazy and boring, so I: 1. Don't have much time to post and 2. Don't have much to post about. But I took belly pics again so you all can see how huge I am.

I'm officially 26 weeks today. One week left of the 2nd trimester! Woohoo! Almost to the home stretch. I can't tell you how excited I am for spring and everything that will come because of it. Vince will be back home and not traveling every week!! :D And of course, 3 more months till the baby is here! We're all anxiously awaiting her arrival.

And I'm mostly excited to stop gaining weight! I seriously am floored by how much I'm packing on. In the beginning I was so sick, I just ate ANYTHING that even remotely looked good. Then I started feeling better, and was ravenously hungry, so I ate EVERYTHING that looked good! And then I realized I need to be careful. I got back on track and for the past few months I've focused on getting my 5 fruits/veggies a day, drinking lots of water, and walking/jogging at least a few times per week. But even after being careful for the past few months, I'm still packing on about 1 1/2 pounds EVERY week! It's very disconcerting. Especially because I worked so hard to get it off, and I just moan whenever I step on the scale and realize I'm going to have to do it all again. But I'm really trying to keep telling myself that as long as I'm being careful, doing what is reasonable, that my body will do what it needs to in order to have a healthy baby. That's what I tell myself anyway!

So here, for you all to see, is what I look like now at the end of my 2nd trimester:

Yeah. Okay, let's move on...

Here are also some cute pictures of my kids making their Valentine's for their parties a couple of weeks ago. I actually love that I can give my kids some cardstock, a bunch of stickers, hearts, and glue, and let them have at it. Making Valentine's turns into a great art project that keeps them busy for hours!

And now here are a couple silly baby stories: The first one happened today, actually, as I was helping out in Evan's Kindergarten classroom. I was standing next to his FABULOUS teacher (wink, wink, I know you read my blog! ;0) while she was giving last instructions to the kids before it was time to leave. And one cute little boy out of the blue looks at me and says, "Hey, you got a baby in your tummy?" So I laughed and said, "Yes, can you tell?" And he says, "Yeah. You know, it hurts A LOT when you have a baby!!" So Evan's teacher asked him how he knew that it hurts a lot. "Because they had to shuction cup me out!" It was very adorable. But at the same time, I'm thinking, Thanks for the pep-talk, kid! Yeah. I know it hurts a lot! :D

One other funny thing. Months ago, when we were first discussing with the kids about having another baby, I asked them about what names they thought sounded good for a new baby. Brooke's ideas weren't too bad. I think she came up with Max for a boy or Chloe (?) for a girl. But Evan had the best ideas! He wanted to name the baby Ness for a boy (you know, like from the Nintendo game--gotta love boys) or if it was a girl, he wanted to name her Falina!! Pronounced Fuh-leen-uh!! What?? Apparently it was one of the names Brooke made up when the kids were playing pretend. It's hilarious what they think is a good name for a baby!

And just so you can all sleep better tonight, Vince & I have decided to name our little baby something that ISN'T Falina! :D But it was a good suggestion, Evan!

"I'm My Own Grandpa"

2009-02-08T21:01:00.006-07:00

We had an interesting conversation at dinner this evening...

It started out as Brooke's comment on how many cousins one of her friends has...

Then turned into a discussion of 1st cousins, 2nd cousins, and 1st cousins once removed...

Then sparked a memory Vince had of an old song he used to know from the radio program, "Dr. Demento"...

Here's the "Muppet" version:

I'm So Glad My Daddy Came Home!

2009-01-29T20:20:00.002-07:00

Once again, thank you SO much everyone for your love and concern. My family and I all really felt the strength of your love and prayers. It meant so much to all of us.

So pretty much as soon as Dad's balloon pump and chest tubes came out, he improved very quickly. From there everything kept looking better and better. He was up and walking (not briskly, but not shuffling either) around the ICU within a day. His spirits were much improved, and he was back to his old self.

He made such great progress that they released him this afternoon!! And now he's home. I was able to take the kids to Grammy & Opa's to see him. They haven't been able to see him since he went in to the hospital. I think they were just a little wary of the oxygen in his nose, which, he's still on oxygen since his lungs aren't to full capacity yet. But that's the only thing left! But I think the kids were still glad to see Opa and hug him (very gently)! I'm sure Dad's glad to be home, and sleeping in his own bed. And I know Mom's glad to have him there too. Dad just seemed happy to me. Mom seemed physically and emotionally exhausted! I think a good night's rest will do them both a world of good.

Thank you all again for the love and support. We can all be relieved that he's home now!

Update

2009-01-27T11:32:00.003-07:00

Thank you everyone for your prayers and well wishes. It really means so much to me and my family.

I just got back from the Hospital and I am SO happy to report that my Dad is doing much better. He really seems more like himself. He's not quite up to his joke-cracking self, but I can just tell his spirits are much improved. I was able to visit with him for about 10 or 15 minutes, but even just that much wore him out and he was ready to rest again. But even getting that much was so much better than Monday and especially Sunday. Breathing right now is one of the hardest things. Every breath is painful. But getting better. Which is why he can't visit for very long. Which, if you know my Dad is hard. He loves visiting with people.

They were able to remove the balloon last night that was helping his heart beat normally. That was a huge step in the right direction. He was able to stand 3 times during the night and the physical therapist had him move his legs. There wasn't excess fluid while he was standing which was a great sign. His fever is now gone. He slept for 2-3 hour stretches last night which I think helped a lot. And as I was leaving, the nurse came in to take out the tubes in his chest! Dad's nurse said that removing the chest tubes will relieve a LOT of the pain. We're really hopeful for that.

So Dad's had a lot of steps in the right direction. We're so grateful. And we know the Lord has heard and is answering our prayers. Thank you all again. We are so blessed. I'll add more updates as they come.

Prayers Needed

2009-01-26T13:05:00.003-07:00

I'm sorry I'm so slow at posting. I've had a whirlwind of a week (don't I always seem to say that?) and an even worse weekend. But I just wanted to pop in for a quick request for prayer for my Dad. He had a rough night last Friday. Went in to the hospital on Saturday morning. Turns out he suffered a massive heart attack and went in for open heart surgery on Sunday morning. And it turned out to be more serious than we were thinking. He's having a rough time recovering, and is in a lot of pain. Today he seems better than he did yesterday, but still certainly not himself. Mom says she's anxious for him to start cracking jokes--really bad ones that make everyone roll their eyes. Then she knows he'll be okay. So if you have a moment in your day, please say a little prayer for him that he'll recover quickly and not be in so much pain. That's the hardest thing for me to see right now.

But on a lighter note...I know some of you may not have heard the happy news: all you that guessed I was having a little girl, well, you turned out to be right!

It's a girl!

(Sorry about the pictures. I don't know how to work the scanner, so I just took pictures of the pictures. Not the best quality, but at least you can still see her cute little profile, and arm, and...well, I still can't really see how she's a girl, so good luck!)

We're all so thrilled. Brooke especially. She drew a darling picture of me and my pregnant belly a few weeks ago, before the ultrasound, and at the top wrote the words, "Girl...Be a girl..." She's been wanting a little sister for years now. I was a little nervous for Evan, because he was pretty adament that I was having a boy. But we talked about it a lot and I prepped him in case it didn't turn out the way he wanted. After the ultrasound, we went into the waiting room and sat down for a minute. I asked him how he felt about us having a girl. And his reaction was, "I'm good! Now I get to be the best part of an Oreo cookie!" Sure glad he can see the good side of a less than desired situation! Now if I can just keep that optimism, and with the Lord's help, of course, we'll be good.

Who Needs Television?

2009-01-10T20:19:00.003-07:00

I have to say, I have the greatest husband in the world! He took off 2 weeks over the Christmas break to start work on our basement. I'm still amazed that he can manage to figure out how to build an entire basement almost completely on his own! Of course, he has gotten some help from me and the kids:

Although, I'm not really sure how much they really help. But I think the kids and Vince all enjoy working together on this big project.

A few months ago, Vince began the big basement project by building me food storage shelves in the utitily room. Don't they look great?! And now I finally have a place to put all the stuff I buy from the sales I found on Pinching Your Pennies.

Yes, Mom. It is mostly cereal. Have to have my year's supply of Cheerios!

And I'm just including this picture because way in the corner on the left side is my official stash of diapers! They had a great sale this week (thanks, Heather!), and I feel so proud to have 6 packages of diapers on my storage shelf! It's been many long years since I've had to buy diapers.

The other most exciting thing that's happened in the Hogge house came this week. Remember that washer and dryer I mentioned in a previous post? Well, Vince got a nice Christmas bonus from work this year, and he decided (yes, it was actually HIS idea) it was time to get an upgrade:

A front loader, even! It's amazing what new appliances can do to boost your enthusiasm for doing mundane chores. Vince commented how...what's the word he used...BARE the laundry room looked without the loads of dirty clothes that normally pile up. Just this morning I walked in my laundry room and thought, "Oh, I want to wash something! What can I wash?" I guess it really shows that I'm old, because this has been the highlight of my week! As the delivery man was leaving on Tuesday, he could tell how excited I was to have my new washer and dryer. He looked at me and laughed, and asked, "Now, did you ever think when you were growing up that you'd be so excited to do laundry?" Nope. But I am now! And the only problem I have now is, who can I get to fold it...

One of my favorite things about getting the new washer has been to see how excited Brooke & Evan have been! They were so happy that they can help me unload the wet clothes and pile them in and start the dryer. And because it's a front loader, they have become mesmerized by the clothes spinning around and around getting clean:

Man! Who needs a television when you have a washing machine?

I Can Run Again!!

2009-01-09T17:25:00.002-07:00

I don't really have much to report. Life is back to its normal craziness. I have to say, though, Monday was a very hard day for me, as I just didn't want the nice, relaxing Holiday to end. I LOVED having Vince home full time. He took both weeks off of work to start on our basement (HOORAY!!) And he got a great start on the framing. I'm still amazed that he can figure out how to actually build stuff on his own! But, sadly, he's back traveling again, and has been gone all week. It's so hard to go from having him home all the time, to being home just on the weekends again. We sure all miss him!

And although getting back to real life has been another adjustment, I am so happy that at least I'm feeling much better now. I'm still taking my daily dose of Unisom/Vitamin B6 to keep the nausea under control. But I can finally eat most foods again. It's such a relief! Except that now I'm really starting to miss my body. It's hard to see the numbers creep up on the scale. I know it's for a good purpose and that I have to get over the struggle. But I just keep thinking how HARD I worked all those months. So I decided I can at the very least start exercising consistently again, and cut back on those extra little tasty treats, since I'm not nearly as nauseous anymore. So last week, we had a break from the snow (finally) and it was actually fairly warm and pleasant, and most of the roads were starting to melt away. So I left Vince with the kids and started on a nice walk around the neighborhood. After about a mile, I felt really good, (and since I was heading DOWN the hill ;) I decided to start running. Well, can't really say running actually. It was definitely a SLOW jog. I was planning to just do maybe 1/2 mile, if I felt good. But I felt REALLY good, so I kept going, and ended up jogging another full mile! I was so happy that it was pretty easy for me, since it's been months since I've felt well enough to even attempt it. Now if life can just settle back into a real routine again, I'll hopefully make this a nice, consistent habit again. And I'm hoping that will help keep me healthy through the next 20 weeks, and certainly after that into the summer months!

Baby Update #2--Belly Pics

2008-12-31T16:57:00.005-07:00

NurseHeidi, this is for you. I know you've been DYING to see what my growing belly looks like (though I don't know why) so I took some pictures today of me. And I'll be 18 weeks tomorrow, so I'm calling these my 18 week pictures.

Belly shot:

Full Body Shot:

And if I may, I'll brag just a little. Because looking in the mirror trying to show everyone my pronounced belly, I was feeling just a wee bit..., what's the word?...longing for my old waist back, let's say. So I got out the tape measure (I know, I know, but it was a good thing). And I have a little sheet of paper in my bathroom next to where I keep my tape measure, of the measurements I took when I was losing all that weight. So I looked back to when I started and get this: my waist measurement NOW is 1/2 inch LESS than it was before I started losing weight. And my hips were 3 1/2 inches LESS now than before I dropped the 35 pounds! So even though I'm growing, it's a comfort (and amazing) to know that I'm still not to my pre-weightloss size yet! And proportionately, I'm right where I should be for being 18 weeks into my 3rd pregnancy. And if you don't agree, please, don't tell me!

P.S. Only 4 votes so far. If you haven't yet voted, please do so at the top right of my blog page!

Baby Update

2008-12-30T18:57:00.005-07:00

Okay, Sheri. This one's for you! Oh, and Heidi, I PROMISE when I find the camera, I'll post ya some belly pics, okay?

We all had a wonderful Christmas, oh, except for the yucky throwing up bug we got starting Christmas Evening. (For more disgusting details, you can read Beth's Blog. She's much better with words than I.) But the kids all had a wonderful day, and I was happy about that and being able to spend such great time with my family, even though it was much too limited.

So, as I mentioned, I got a yucky stomach bug and ended up spending the few days after Christmas on my couch doing nothing but watching movies and trying not to be sick. Never fun. And especially when I still haven't quite gotten past the morning sickness. But the one good thing was that it kept me down and still for a couple of days.

For the past several weeks, I've been feeling very slight little bumps here and there every now and again. And wondering, "Was that the baby moving?" But, just like a shooting star, it was over before I even realized it had begun, and I was never really sure if it was the baby or, you know, anything else that might be growling or moving in my abdominal region. Most of the time I'd leave the thought with a, "Hmm. Maybe it was the baby, but I'm just not sure yet."

But being fairly immobile for several hours at a time, I began to notice those bumps becoming stronger and more frequent. I'd feel a bump, and stop and wait and feel another in the same spot a minute later. And then another, and then a REALLY strong one. There was one where I put my hand on my belly and even felt it externally. It was wonderful! At last! I can FEEL life inside my body! It really is the most incredible feeling. And I wish there were adequate words to describe it. And it's one of those things that makes ALL the pain and misery of pregnancy worth it, to feel and KNOW that there is real life, another person, growing stronger inside my body. Very cool.

And since then, I can only describe what seems to be a PARTY going on in my belly. I can't believe I didn't feel this before 3 days ago! 'Cause when this baby gets going, it REALLY gets going! And every day it seems to be getting stronger and more aggressive. And I LOVE it!

And, in more baby news, I have now scheduled my ultrasound. January 16th at 1 pm. And hopefully if the baby isn't modest, we will know if we will be welcoming another little Brooke or another little Evan. And if you'd like to give your input, please do so in my little poll to the right. I'd love to know what you think...

Pink or Blue??

Keeping Christ in Christmas

2008-12-16T09:11:00.008-07:00

Sorry it's been so long. For a while I thought I just didn't have anything to report. But now, I just don't have time to report anything!

Vince & I spoke in church on Sunday. What a great time of year to speak! We both felt really good about what was said and what was felt. So, since I'm REALLY short on time this week, and since the Christmas season is now here, I thought I'd share my talk with my lovely friends and family. It is kind of long, so feel free to skim if you'd like. And let me take a moment to wish you all a HAPPY Holiday Season!

Merry Christmas all!

I love this time of year! It is probably my favorite time. There just seems to be something magical in the air at Christmastime. I love the lights. I love the music. I love to see people happy and cheerful.

But I also admit that sometimes Christmas can be stressful. There seems to be an endless list of things to do, and, unfortunately, NOT an endless supply of money to see them all completed. And even though there is magic everywhere, I’ve often found myself getting bogged down by how much has to get done in such a short amount of time. I really think this is Satan’s way of ruining the most wonderful time of the year. I know it is he, and NOT our Father, who wants us to be overwhelmed, frustrated, pessimistic, and discouraged. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about ways in which we can overcome these feelings and be able to keep Christ in Christmas.

President Monson shared a poem with us about the Spirit of Christmas:
There’s Christmas in the home and church,
There’s Christmas in the mart;
But you’ll not know what Christmas is
Unless it’s in your heart.
The bells may call across the snow,
And carols search the air;
But, oh, the heart will miss the thrill
Unless it’s Christmas there.

One important way to keep Christmas in our hearts is to look outside ourselves. Service is the key to happiness. It is a way in which we can give our own gift to the babe born in Bethlehem. Remember that, as stated in Mosiah 2:17 “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” And we learn in Matt. 25:40 that “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

President Hinckley asked,
“Why are missionaries happy? Because," he answers, "they lose themselves in the service of others. Why are those who labor in the temples happy? Because their labor of love more nearly approaches the great vicarious work of the Savior…Of all times, it is Christmas when we must surely realize that there can be no true worship of Him who is the Christ without giving of ourselves. At this season let us, each one, reach out a little more generously in the spirit of the Christ.”

Spencer W. Kimball said, “Even though events and circumstances in the world at times become discouraging, our task, not alone in the Christmas season but always, is to be of good cheer. The Lord so often counsels us to have cheerfulness in our lives.”

Our Father in Heaven WANTS us to be happy. I think, especially at this time when we celebrate the birth of his Only Begotten Son, that our Father’s desire for us is to all feel joy.
President David O. McKay declared: “True happiness comes only by making others happy—the practical application of the Savior’s doctrine of losing one’s life to gain it. In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service. It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedience to which will bring ‘peace on earth,’ because it means—good will toward all men.”

President Monson also says, “Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than things. To catch the real meaning of the ‘spirit of Christmas,’ we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the ‘Spirit of Christ.’”
Reflecting on my own life, I realized that even in our most difficult year, there has always been another family who struggled more than we did.

Not too many years ago, when Brooke was a baby and I was expecting Evan, we moved into a tiny little basement apartment. Vince was fresh out of school, and, as imaginable, money was tight. At the same time, my own parents who lived about 45 minutes away, were struggling themselves. My Dad had lost his job, and had been unemployed for many months. We were fortunate, because Vince had found a wonderful job before graduating. And even though we didn’t have much to spare, we always had what we needed.

That year, what I really wanted more than anything was a washer and dryer. This was the first place we’d lived since being married that had washer and dryer hookups. I couldn’t think of anything more wonderful than being able to wash the endless loads of pooped on, spit on clothes in my own home, and not having to drag them and two children to a Laundromat. I expressed (or complained) this to my mom several times about how much I was pining for them. But money was tight, and it would have to wait.

As Christmas came around, my Dad still had not been able to find work. I know he was anxious and discouraged. But the people close to my parents loved them, and didn’t hesitate to bless them. As Christmas drew closer, they found more and more “gifts” left on their porch by anonymous angels. One day my mother discovered a card with $200 cash. To this day, she still doesn’t know who left it. I was so grateful there were people to take care of my parents when I couldn’t be much help.

But instead of taking the cash and buying gifts for herself, or my Dad, or even my younger siblings, my sweet mother used the money to buy me a modest, used, but excellent working washer and dryer. I tried to object, but she insisted. She told me that so many people had blessed them with so much, and because of their situation, she had missed out on giving this Christmas. She wanted to give me this gift so she could enjoy the blessings of service. I was so humbled and so grateful. My parents have always been wonderful examples of selfless sacrifice and service.

President Monson has said,
“As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always. We shall learn to forget ourselves. We shall turn our thoughts to the greater benefit of others.
There is no shortage of opportunities to forget self and think of others. Such opportunities, however limitless they may be, are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved.

"As we lift our eyes heavenward and then remember to look outward into the lives of others, as we remember that it is more blessed to give than to receive, we, during this Christmas season, will come to see a bright, particular star that will guide us to our precious opportunity.”

We also keep Christ in Christmas by remembering Him. It seems simple, but can often be overlooked as we rush about from store to store and activity to endless activity. I would admonish you at this special, glorious time, as President Howard W. Hunter encouraged us that, “If you desire to find the true spirit of Christmas and partake of the sweetness of it, let me make this suggestion to you,” he says, “During the hurry of the festive occasion of this Christmas season, find time to turn your heart to God. Perhaps in the quiet hours, and in a quiet place, and on your knees—alone or with loved ones—give thanks for the good things that have come to you, and ask that His Spirit might dwell in you as you earnestly strive to serve Him and keep His commandments. He will take you by the hand and His promises will be kept.”

Christmas can be a wonderful time to reflect on our Savior, on His life, His teachings, His sacrifice, and His Resurrection.

I’ve been reflecting on that first Christmas, so many years ago. Maybe it’s because I myself am in the middle of another pregnancy. But I cannot imagine how Mary could have endured those painful, final hours. I can’t imagine how she could have walked or ridden those many miles in her condition. I found these words expressed by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of his reflection on that humble night.

“I wonder,” Elder Holland says, “what emotions Joseph might have had as he cleared away the dung and debris. I wonder if he felt the sting of tears as he hurriedly tried to find the cleanest straw and hold the animals back. I wonder if he wondered: “Could there be a more unhealthy, a more disease-ridden, a more despicable circumstance in which a child could be born? Is this a place fit for a king? Should the mother of the Son of God be asked to enter the “valley of the shadow of death" (Ps. 23:4) in such a foul and unfamiliar place as this? Is it wrong to wish her some comfort? Is it right He should be born here?

"But I am certain Joseph did not mutter and Mary did not wail. They knew a great deal and did the best they could. Perhaps these parents knew even then that in the beginning of his mortal life, as well as in the end, this baby son born to them would have to descend beneath every human pain and disappointment. He would do so to help those who also felt they had been born without advantage.”

And yet, born in a lowly stable, He came, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! And all the Earth rejoiced at His coming! I like to imagine that I, too was there, singing with the Heavenly Host and rejoicing at His birth!

And at this wonderful time when we remember His birth, let us also remember His sacrifice, and His glorious Resurrection! I love this quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley: “There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.
"I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal, Living God. None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak His name in reverence and wonder. I worship Him as I worship His Father, in spirit and in truth. I thank Him and kneel before His Beloved Son who reached out long ago and said to each of us, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). For each of you may this be a merry Christmas. But more importantly, I wish for each of you a time, perhaps only an hour, spent in silent meditation and quiet reflection on the wonder and the majesty of this, the Son of God. Our joy at this season is because He came into the world. The peace that comes from Him, His infinite love which each of us may feel, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for that which He freely gave us at so great a cost to Himself—these are of the true essence of Christmas.”

And lastly, I would encourage you at this time of reflection, to take the wonderful Spirit of this season and keep it with you, not only through the month of December, but throughout the year, and into the next.

As President Ezra Taft Benson has said, “I hope that the commemoration of the Christmas season is more than just a tradition in your homes. I hope it reflects your deep abiding testimony of the divinity of our Savior’s birth and mission. And I hope that the sweet peace you feel during this season will cause you to be ever more committed to live his teachings and thereby demonstrate your love and allegiance to him.”

President Monson encouraged us “If we are to have the very best Christmas ever, we must listen for the sound of sandaled feet. We must reach out for the Carpenter’s hand. With every step we take in His footsteps, we abandon a doubt and gain a truth.”

I admonish all of us to take a little time this Season to reflect on our Savior. As we were promised just this morning, as we remember Him, we will always have His Spirit to be with us. I know that as we remember His life and teachings and sacrifice, as we are more willing to serve those around us, we will have the Christmas Spirit with us. And it’s my hope and prayer that we will continue to keep this Spirit with us throughout this blessed season, and throughout the rest of the year, and continue to through the rest of our lives.

I Love Thanksgiving

2008-11-21T12:57:00.003-07:00

Thanksgiving has to be one of my top 3 Holidays for sure. I love everything about it. I actually even LOVE the hours of cooking part of Thanksgiving. (Though, not so much the cleaning it all up bit.) I like spending hours in the kitchen with other women that I love and respect. Even if we're only talking about how to make the best mashed potatoes and when we know the turkey will be done.

I like making food that other people enjoy. I like that my rolls have become my signature piece. I really love the eating part! (Even this year when I'm suffering from morning sickness! I've actually been looking forward to the meal all week!) But I just mostly love the whole day (or week) when we can be with family and enjoy one another's company and make memories.

I love the whole idea of Thanksgiving. I love that it's a time of reflection on the joy in our lives and the many, many blessings the Lord has given us. Especially this year. I just feel so blessed and really, truly happy.

Firm In My Convictions

2008-11-10T12:01:00.004-07:00

Those who know me best know how I dislike stepping on toes, or ruffling feathers, or stirring the pot, etc. I don't usually voice a real strong opinion about many things, unless I really feel strongly about them. Religion is one of my strong convictions. I firmly believe in mine, and I WILL stand firm when necessary. And I'm coming to realize that my little voice SHOULD be heard when it comes to what is important.

I came across this article by Elder Neal A. Maxwell. It was an address he gave at BYU on Oct 10th, 1978. Wow! Thirty years ago, I just realized! Amazing. His talk was titled A More Determined Discipleship and you can find it here. I've always loved Elder Maxwell. Reading this has made me realize what prophetic counsel it was back then. I've added some of my favorite portions from his talk, and the italics are my own to emphasize what I found the most applicable to our day. I've been thinking so much lately about this Proposition 8 in California that passed last week. I will admit, I was nervous about it. I saw so many good members who were really bothered by the fact that our church took a stand on this. It saddens me to see people's testimonies wavering because of this issue. But it was delightful for me to see THE MAJORITY of people across all different religious and political backgrounds, that STOOD TOGETHER united to bring about such good. I love how inspired Elder Maxwell was when he gave this address 30 years ago, that is so applicable today:

Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. (See 1 Kgs. 18:21.)
President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had “never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1941, p. 123). This is a hard doctrine, but it is a particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ!
We are now entering a time of incredible ironies. Let us cite but one of these ironies which is yet in its subtle stages: We will see a maximum, if indirect, effort made to establish irreligion as the state religion. It is actually a new form of paganism which uses the carefully preserved and cultivated freedoms of western civilization to shrink freedom, even as it rejects the value essence of our rich Judeo-Christian heritage.
M. J. Sobran wrote recently: ...“What the secularists are increasingly demanding, in their disingenuous way, is that religious people, when they act politically, act only on secularist grounds. They are trying to equate acting on religion with establishing religion. And—I repeat—the consequence of such logic is really to establish secularism. It is in fact, to force the religious to internalize the major premise of secularism: that religion has no proper bearing on public affairs.” (Human Life Review, Summer 1978, pp. 51–52, 60–61.)
Brothers and sisters, irreligion as the state religion would be the worst of all combinations. Its orthodoxy would be insistent and its inquisitors inevitable. Its paid ministry would be numerous beyond belief. Its Caesars would be insufferably condescending. Its majorities—when faced with clear alternatives—will make the Barabbas choice, as did a mob centuries ago when Pilate confronted them with the need to decide.
Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. M. J. Sobran also said, “A religious conviction is now a second-class conviction, expected to step deferentially to the back of the secular bus, and not to get uppity about it” (Human Life Review, Summer 1978, pp. 58–59).
This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.

And here's the part (in bold, especially) I find to be the most prophetic. Can you see any correlation to the events of the past week??

Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.
...Am I saying that the voting rights of people of religion are in danger? Of course not! Am I saying, “It’s back to the catacombs?” No! But there is occurring a discounting of religiously based opinions. There may even be a covert and subtle disqualification of some for certain offices in some situations, in an ironic irreligious test for office.
If people, however, are not permitted to advocate, to assert, and to bring to bear, in every legitimate way, the opinions and views they hold which grow out of their religious convictions, what manner of men and women would we be?
Our founding fathers did not wish to have a state church established nor to have a particular religion favored by government. They wanted religion to be free to make its own way. But neither did they intend to have irreligion made into a favored state church.
Notice the terrible irony if this trend were to continue. When the secular church goes after its heretics, where are the sanctuaries? To what landfalls and Plymouth Rocks can future pilgrims go? ...Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel.
There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself.

So true! And wow! I am so glad we have a living Prophet today to help point us in the right direction. It just makes me want to jump up and fight for what is right!

Okay, okay. I'll finally make this official....

2008-10-30T13:41:00.005-06:00

....You know, because I am such a blabber mouth, and word is getting out anyway. And I know some of you already know this, but some of you don't and I hate trying to keep track of who knows what, so I'll just say it.

[Big breath]

Okay, maybe I won't just say it. Don't they say that a picture speaks a thousand words? Here's my picture then....

After a VERY, VERY long break, and lots of hoping, I finally got one of these:

Yup. Two lines. Which you're probably all thinking, "Oh, that explains A LOT! That must be why she looks so tired, irritable, and sick-looking every time I see her!" :) Yup. That would be why. Baby #3 is on its way, and we're expecting him/her to arrive sometime in May-ish, I hope. But for now, I'm struggling to find ANYTHING in this whole darn world that looks remotely appetizing to force down my esophagus. Because, really, NOTHING does. Nothing. You know all those lovely foods I used to enjoy? Yeah, not only can I not eat them, I can't smell them, listen to them cooking, or even look at them. Actually, I think I need to stop talking about food now...

Just know that Vince & I and both kids are ecstatic. Can't wait. And I really know it's worth it all in the end. I just have to tell myself that multiple times a day. Oh yeah. I'm the one that asked for this and wanted this! And really, I do. I've been wanting this baby for a long, long time. So say a little prayer that the next 6 1/2 months go wonderfully well for me and #3!

Nice New Toothless Grin

2008-10-24T14:25:00.002-06:00

Brooke lost her 3rd tooth yesterday morning. This was the first of her top front teeth. She had it wiggled so much that we could see the top of her tooth on BOTH SIDES (front and back). I finally just looked at her and said, "Brooke, for Heaven's Sake, just pull it out!" One good yank and it skittered across the bathroom vanity. I think we should decorate a special pumpkin this year that has the same goofy grin. And I'll admit, I love watching her gab because I love to catch a glimpse of her cute smile. I told her she now has 2 months to wiggle the other one free so she can "With you all a Merry Chrithmath."

BYU Homecoming 5k

2008-10-14T13:35:00.002-06:00

I love racing. Especially when I can race with my family. BYU had their Homecoming 5k and Kids Races this last Saturday. So we drove out (in the snow, of course--sheesh!) and met up with Vince's brother and his family, and his sister and her fiance, and we had a big, cold running day! Brooke raced the 1/2 mile with her cousin. She ended up being the last one in her group to finish, but she plugged along the entire race. I was so proud! She's wearing the pink sweater under her racing shirt.

Poor Evan. As we pulled into the parking lot before the races started, he said his tummy hurt. And then he said he thought he was going to throw up. I jokingly told him just not to do it in the car. I parked the car, he jumped out and ran over to the curb, and up came his breakfast. Poor little guy. So he decided he didn't want to run in the snow. I didn't blame him. I certainly knew how he felt. :( So here we are keeping warm:

After the kids races, Vince had to take Brooke to her last soccer game. But I stayed and ran the 5k with my sister-in-law, Shalon. It was very cold, and I was feeling kinda sluggish, so I didn't do my best run. But it was still a good run of 28:29. I was happy. Here are some pictures of my goofy running faces. (I'd seen so many photos of me looking tortured at the end of races, so I decided to pose for these. I can't decide if I look better scowling or grinning for running photos. Either way, it just doesn't look right!)

And here Shalon and I are enjoying the oranges at the end of the race. Sure was fun!

Oh, to be a child...

2008-10-02T13:47:00.002-06:00

Evan just informed me that the little disk-thrower toy he got in the box of cereal this morning is, "the best toy in the whole world." If only we could all be so contended by 5 cent toys that pour out with our cereal in the morning!

7 Random Facts

2008-09-25T11:40:00.005-06:00

Thanks to Aimee for this fun tag! (She's my favorite old next door neighbor we've ever had!)

Mostly my random stuff is the funny, quirky, OCD things I do. I swear, everyone has a little OCD, right? Some more severe than I'll admit to, but all the same, everyone's quirky in some way!

1. I like to have balance in the universe. I like it when the numbers on my odomoter are a nice, round number, or if they make a palindrome (like 103301 or 97679). It always makes me feel happy when I can catch it. I also like things that are symmetrical. If I put flowers on this side of the flowerbed, I feel like I have to put the same flowers in the same place on the other side. Or pictures on the wall. Or furniture in the room. Or olives on the casserole. Or eggs in the carton. Yeah, I'm weird. I take out the eggs in the carton so that they balance: bottom left, the next one comes out of the top right, etc. If it's not symmetrical, I feel off balance. (It's a wonder I ever wore my hair in those side ponies when they were the style back in the 80's!)

2. My fingers are constantly moving. If there's music playing, I play an imaginary piano on my fingers to go along with the song. But the more likely scenario is that I'm typing on my fingers all the time! During a conversation, or watching TV especially, I'll type what's being said on my fingers. And if I ever happen to watch something with the closed captioning or subtitles--it's even worse! I have to force myself to stop. And if I'm not typing or playing the piano, I start cracking my knuckles or peeling my nails. Yuck! What is WRONG with me??

3. I actually LIKE to clean my bathroom. I'd MUCH rather scrub my toilet than I would vacuum my house. And I have a specific order in which I clean. First I do the tub and showers, then the sinks, then the toilet, and then the floors. And always in that order. Mirrors go last as well as polishing up the chrome on the faucets. Clean bathrooms make me smile. Somehow I can ignore the hairy carpet. (Sorry, Vince.)

4. I'm a talk radio JUNKY! Some of you may already know this little secret of mine. I carry a little hand-held radio with me around the house as I clean and go about my duties. I listen to Doug Wright on KSL in the mornings. But I'm an even more avid Dr. Laura fan. (Sorry, Mom!) I LOVE her show and rarely miss it, and will even schedule appointments around it if I can! I know, can you believe me? But I think her advice is right-on. I love her take on staying at home and on treating our husbands like MEN by being their girlfriends. I love her book, The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands. It has literally changed my life! I will always be grateful for that.

5. I'm a home-body. I like to travel. I love to go see new things. We just got back from a trip to Montana last weekend, and a trip to Colorado yesterday! And I'm tired! I just want to be home. As much fun as it is to see neat things and visit wonderful people, I like being home and puttering around my own house.

6. I am SO not witty. In fact, I sometimes think I'm a bit of an airhead. I really am smart, I just can't think quickly on my feet. Yeah, I'm one of those people who laughs at jokes I really don't get. I ususally get them EVENTUALLY, but usually it takes me a minute (or an hour). I know people that can spout quick come-backs on the spot, and they come out so perfect and funny. I know people who are maybe not as witty in person, but reading things they write always makes me wonder how they can come up with such great stuff--their brains just work great like that. I usually analyze a situation for DAYS before I'll come up with a really good come-back, or comment, or joke. But by then, the moment is long gone, and alas, I can never come back to them.

7. I hate change. HATE it! I think I have a good disposition and that I can easily content myself with my situation and surroundings. But then I am content and don't WANT anything to be different! If it works, why change it? I have to constently tell myself that trying new things and stepping out of my little comfort zone will benefit me and everyone else in the long run. But I just don't want to. It's a battle I struggle with all the time. And unfortunately (or is it fortunately?) I married a wonderful man who thrives off of variety. He actually likes change! He's always thinking that doing something different is good and fun and makes life exciting. And I have to hold onto his hand (with a very firm grip) and jump out with him. And you know, if I hadn't, I would've missed out on so many things that I now love--running and water-skiing and even just flipping a house or painting a room. It's amazing how changing just a little something can give a new perspective and a breath of fresh air. Hmm. Maybe I don't hate change quite as much as I thought.

And now I can tag 7 more people: Shalon, Becca, Mary, Jo, Brooke, Marjorie (the Hogge family blog) and Mama (the Meyers family blog)

Google Tag

2008-09-22T12:32:00.006-06:00

My friend, Sarah tagged me for this one. Enjoy!

First Name: Becky
Obviously this isn't me, but I certainly wouldn't mind having those buff legs like she has!

Middle Name: Susan

Last Name: Hogge
It was interesting what came up when I searched the name. Here's something I didn't know about it: "In 1989, the Royal Mint was commissioned by the Bermuda Monetary Authority to produce 500 four-coin gold Proof sets. These coins were produced to celebrate Bermuda's first coinage, known as Hogge Money." Huh. Learn something new everyday!

Age: Twenty-Eight

Place I want to visit: Hawaii
Favorite Vacation Spot: MontanaCollege Major: Marriage, Family, & Human Development

Grew Up: Elk Ridge

Past Pet: Oscar Meyers
A goldfish I killed because I fed it too much and it ate it all and ended up bloated & floating belly-up at the top of the fish bowl--although I do that way too often myself and it hasn't killed me yet!

Favorite Treat: Ice Cream Sundae
Pictures speak louder than words. Mmmm.

Bad Habit: Cracking My Knuckles (and toes, and hips, and knees, and neck, and back...)

Mood Right Now: Happy (of course)!

And now, I'll tag my running friends, and anyone else who wants to join in. Here are the rules:

"Just search Google Images for your answers, and pick something on the first 3 pages. Some match, some are a little random. Just a note of caution: Be sure you have a good filter on your computer beforehand. Searching images on the internet can pop up unwanted material."

Have fun!

I Beat Beethoven

2008-09-14T17:49:00.003-06:00

Now that I'm taking a break from long-distance racing for a while, I really wanted to work on speed and improve my 5k time. My fastest 5k time so far has been in the 26 minute range. So I wanted to get under 26 minutes by the end of this summer. A neighboring city put on a fun 5k race this weekend called "Beat Beethoven 5k" in which they play Beethoven's 5th Symphony at the start, and racers try to get to the finish line before the end of the last movement. Knowing my love of running and my love of good music, you can imagine how fun this race was for me! The best part was they actually had a man dressed with a crazy gray wig--Beethoven--running the race. He had a picture of Beethoven on the front, and on the back was printed these words: "Accelerando. That means run faster." I really wasn't too worried about beating Beethoven, as his 5th Symphony is over 30 minutes long. But this is probably the last 5k I'll do this summer, so I really wanted to set a personal record.

The course was more hilly than I usually like. But then again, I'm used to running on hills. So I felt strong when we started chugging up the hill and I passed all those buff men and skinny ladies that are huffing their way to the top. It's exhilerating! I pushed myself the entire way, and crossed the finish line in 25:42! I also was the 8th woman to cross the finish, out of about 120 women who ran the race. Unfortunately, I was in the 20-29 year age group, and their were 5 other faster young 20-somethings ahead of me. So even though I was 8th overall, I was 6th in my age group! But I was so happy; I not only Beat Beethoven in this fun race, but I beat myself, so to speak.

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

2008-09-12T12:16:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine told me about this. I went to MyHeritage.com to see who I looked like. And then I morphed myself into Debra Messing. How weird is that?? It's kind of fun to play with. And fun to see that I could TOTALLY be a celebrity. Well, if I was that kind of person, which I'm certainly not! :0) Enjoy!

The Sweet Moments of Motherhood

2008-09-07T13:48:00.003-06:00

I love being a Mom! It is seriously a wonderful job! It was reiterated to me several more times in the past week and a half that I am a lucky, lucky woman.

After Evan came home from Kindergarten on Friday, during lunchtime, we got into a discussion about our bodies. Evan's had a bit of a cough, and during lunch he asked me, "Mom, why do we cough?" So, being the good mom that I am, I started into a long discussion on different organs in our body and how they work. We talked about little germs that get in our lungs and that we cough to get them back out. We talked about how the lungs fill up with air like a balloon and take oxygen to our heart, which carries it to our muscles so they can move. We talked about the two holes in our throats that go either to our lungs or to our stomach. We talked about how sometimes if we swallow wrong the water goes into our lungs and makes us cough a lot to get it back out. "Mom, but what happens if air goes down the other tube?" "Well, when air gets into our stomachs, then we burp," I told him with a smile. Evan thought this was hilariously funny and laughed about it for the next few minutes. And I had to stop after our conversation and say a quick prayer of gratitude for being a mom to such an inquisitive, bright, delightful little 5-year old boy!

I admit, I'm not always a great mom. After a long few days of working extra, trying to get into the new routine of school and work and practicing piano and homework, being a hormonal woman, having Vince in Vernal again for a few days, and having grumpy tired children and being a grumpy tired mom, I snapped one night at bedtime, frustrated that my children were being silly instead of going to sleep. I lectured them on why we need to go to bed on time so we're not all cranky the next day, and that I was tired and needed it to be quiet. They got the picture and were silent again when I shut the door. Relieved that it was finally quiet again, but having a pit of guilt in my stomach, I returned to folding laundry. I found a dress that needed to be hung up, but I didn't have any more little hangers. So I quietly opened the door to the kids' room to hang it up. In the dark, I caught a glimpse of my sweet Brookie, kneeling on her bed, eyes closed and head down. I stood for a minute watching her finish, thinking that in the chaos and hassle of getting kids to bed, I'd forgotten to remind them to pray. She looked up and smiled at me in that sweet forgiving way only children do, and said, "I was just saying my prayers. I say my prayers every night." A few tears filled my eyes as I hugged her and told her how proud I was that she always remembers to pray, and that hearing her say that was the best thing that had happened to me all day. That night I knelt by my own bed and expressed deep appreciation to my Father in Heaven for sending me such wonderful children who, even amid my shortcomings, are cultivating a relationship with Him. I am so grateful. I may not do everything right, but it is a great comfort to a young mom to see them learning good things.

2008-08-27T08:48:00.002-06:00

I got High School tagged by my good friend from High School, Sheri! I've been thinking a lot lately about my High School Days, since my 10 year reunion is coming up on Friday! Here's a walk down memory lane:
1. Did you date someone from your school? Umm. Yeah. Kind of one of those regrets. We dated all through High School, and through my first year of college. I wish I'd have kept my options more open, but I'm glad it all turned out well in the end. I dumped him when he was a Missionary when I met Vince. Definitely made the right choice there! :0)
2. What kind of car did you drive? When I needed to, my Sr year, I drove the teenager car. It was an old Honda Accord named Arthur.
3. Were you a party animal? Me? No. Not even close.
4. Were you considered a flirt? Not really. I liked boys though! ;0)
5. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Choir was the best part of High School for me. That's where my closest friends were. They had the best choir program at our school. I was in Concert Choir and the smaller group, called Trouveres. (I was the Trouvere Pres.)
6. Were you a nerd? Yeah, I kind of was a nerd.
7. Were you on any varsity teams? Nope. Didn't do sports in HS. Wish I had now that I know what I was missing!
8. Did you get suspended/expelled? Never. I was a good girl!
9. Can you still sing the fight song? "We are marching, we are marching, we are marching on to vict'ry every day..." The chorus, at least!
10. Who were your favorite teachers? Mr D (choir) Mrs Moos (sewing)
11. Where did you sit during lunch? In the Hall (who ate in the lunch room?) And I have to brag that I NEVER ONCE ate school lunch all 4 years of HS. I took a sack lunch every day.
12. What was your school's full name? PHS :0)
13. School mascot? Lion
14. If you could go back and do it again, would you? As fun as it was, I really have no desire to do it again. I'm really glad I'm past all of that now. Life's so much better now!
15. What do you remember most about graduation? That I was happy, and anxious to move on to bigger and better things
16. Where did you go senior skip day? I honestly do not even remember Sr Skip day! No clue if I did anything at all!
17. Were you in any clubs? Honor Society...can't remember anything else right now.
18. Have you gained some weight since then? Yes, and lost it. I actually weigh about 20 pounds LESS now than I did in HS! (I love running!)
19. Who was your prom date? My HS boyfriend, Ben. We went to prom together here and also flew to TX and went to his prom there (he moved to TX his Sr year of HS). That was kind of fun to go to two proms in just a few weeks! (And I got to have my first Texas steak!)
20. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Yup. Friday night. I'll be there!
I tagging my other friends from HS: Sarah, Melissa, Michelle.

My Baby is in Kindergarten!!

2008-08-26T13:25:00.004-06:00

It seems odd to be the mother of TWO elementary school children. It feels even more odd to not have ANY preschoolers/babies at home in the mornings. But after two days, I've concluded that this might just be a good thing! Some alone time in the morning is nice. I certainly wouldn't want it for very long, though.

Evan was not at ALL worried about going back to school. Or at least if he was nervous, he didn't show it. I woke the kids up early on Monday so we could be sure we had enough time to get ready. I started our Children's Miracle Music CD, and let the "wake up" music start playing. I then gently stroked Evan's arms and legs to get him to wake up. Nothing. He was still dreaming. So in my sweetest voice I said, "Good Morning!" Evan rubbed his little eyes vigorously. I told him to just let himself wake up, that he didn't have to get up till this song was over and it was time to make his bed, but he sat right up and said, "No! I'm awake! I'm awake!" He was very excited to start Kindergarten this morning! And he didn't want to be late and miss it!

Here he is, all ready to head to the bus:

How did they get so big??

I LOVE that the bus stop is at the park right across the street. There are lots of kids at that stop. Here they are waiting for the bus:
And waiting with Evan's best friend (whom he's decided he will marry some day):

Getting on the bus:

After I put Evan on the bus, I drove down to the school to make sure he got to the right place! The kids played for a minute, and the bell rang, and they all lined up. (Do I sense just a hint of nervousness in this face?)
Then they waved goodbye: And walked through the door. (Mrs Bryson is the blonde with a blue shirt. We LOVE her!)
I then took the long walk to the car all alone. There were several parents walking that direction, and the school principle walked the other way. He must've seen our sad faces, because he called out, "It's okay, Parents! Don't be sad. We will love them!" He's such a good man. He knew just what we were feeling. I got in the car, and just cried a little bit! I remember when Brooke went to Kindergarten that first day, Evan and I BOTH cried the whole way home! I'm actually excited to have a few hours alone during the day. I think the one problem with a milestone like this one, is this really is the day I realize that my children DO grow up. :( As much as I wish I could bottle up their cute little baby selves, and save them to peek at on a hard day, I know it is inevitable. I do miss my babies, I just have to learn how to cherish the NEW milestones and focus on those. They won't be babies forever. But they will always be MY babies!

Hobble Creek Half Marathon

2008-08-25T15:48:00.003-06:00

Saturday was my very first Half Marathon. You may think I'm a little odd, and backwards, to run 2 full marathons before I ran my first half, but what can I say? I don't always like doing things the right way. :0) My friend, Leslie, is related to the race organizers/directors of the Hobble Creek Half Marathon. She convinced me to run it with her this year. And I now fully agree with her: this is the best half marathon to run!

The course starts about 12 miles up Hobble Creek Canyon. And then you get to wind down the canyon. There are just a few, very short uphill sections, and all the rest down to the finish line are downhill--elevation loss of about 1200 feet! It was fantastic! Since we started up the canyon, my handy GPS watch had a hard time keeping up with the satellite signal. By the end I was off by about 1.5 miles! But I kept track of my time and used the mile markers along the way to figure out my pace. I can't believe how fast the first half flew by! I was cranking out 9-9:15 min miles for most of that! I was very delighted! I started having stomach cramps after about 8 miles, and had to push myself more and rest just a bit towards the end. But I finished in fairly good time, especially all things considered!

The final results were that I ran through the finish line in 2:03:55 (according to my watch)! I was optimistically hoping for 2 hours, but my goal was under 2:05, so I was right where I wanted to be. My overall average pace was 9:28 min/mile for those 13.1 miles.

Now after completing 2 full and 1 half marathons, the only question on my mind is...What's next?

First Day of 2nd Grade

2008-08-18T16:37:00.003-06:00

Man, oh, man, does time fly by, or what?? Here it is, middle of August already, and Summer Break is over and School has begun! Today was Brooke's first day of 2nd Grade. I still can't get over the fact that I have a 2nd Grader! Woo. Every year she likes me to put her hair in sponge curlers the night before. I remember doing that when I was her age. I ALWAYS wanted curly, curly hair. Alas, mine has been straight as straight for as long as I can remember. Brooke, on the other hand, had gorgeous curls until she was about 3 or 4 when she got her first haircut. And we cut the curls all off. *Sigh* Maybe they'll come back as she gets older. But at least for now her hair holds the curl really well. Much better than mine. I remember spending an hour curling it and within a half hour it was a little wavy at best. But when I put curlers in Brookie's hair, she looks just like Shirley Temple! I love it! She's been boing, boing, boinging around all day.

I'm so glad my kids love learning and love school. Well, Brooke does. Evan will find out next Monday when the Kindergarteners start. But from how excited he is now waiting around for it to start, I'm pretty sure he'll be a great student too!

And, as a side note, I just had to show you how lovely their room got. I didn't take before pictures (thank Heavens!) but you can see how wonderfully sparkling clean the kids room was while they were playing with Grandma and Grandpa Hogge. It took me 3 days (several hours each day) to fully organize, de-junk, and shine up their room. But it was worth it!

And organized bins in the closet. Ahhh. It feels good.
And the pictures are to remind me (and my two messy monkeys) of the room's potential. I just wish it could stay like this forever. No...I take that back. I'm sure in 20 years when there's no one around to make the messes, I'll be wishing they were messy again.

Family Pictures

2008-08-14T10:15:00.000-06:00

First of all, I want to thank my sister, Mary, for taking these wonderful pictures of our family. She's so very talented with a camera (and talented in a very many other things as well). But now the only problem is she took so many great pictures that I can't decide which I like the best. So I need your help. I want you to pick your top picture (or two if you need) for both my family and also for the pictures of me and Vince. I've numbered them so they're easy to keep track of. Then post in my comments section, and say which one you like best for my family picture, and for our couple picture. Thanks for the help! (Don't I have a gorgeous family, if I do say so myself. And I do! :0)

Family:

#1

#2
#3
#4
#5
#6

#7
#8
#9

Couple:

#1 #2
#3
#4
#5

#6

Thanks again for your help!

Skiing Pictures

2008-08-14T09:42:00.003-06:00

Lest you think I'm not having any fun while my children are away, I thought I'd give you a taste of what I'm spending my time doing...

My little brother and sister, Joseph & Debbie on the tube:

My little brother, Peter had never gotten up on skis before. He'd tried, but never successfully skied. He just needed a good teacher! Vince is the best. Peter popped right up the very first time, and went forever! He crossed both wakes over and over. I love the grin, especially. He looked like a natural. I guess it really is in our genes!

But you'd better watch out, Pete. Once you've been skiing once, it's in your blood, and you'll never be the same again!

Childless Today

2008-08-11T14:04:00.003-06:00

I'm feeling a little sad, and a little lonely today. My wonderful Mother-in-law took BOTH our kids up to MT to visit them this week. Which means I'm childless for the next 4 days! It's been very quiet around here. I've been looking forward to this for weeks, and yet when it was time to say goodbye, I still shed a few tears! They were fine, but I was sad because I knew how much I'd miss them. I'm sure they won't even have time to miss me; Grandma is way too fun for that!

The good news is that I've got all this free time to get my projects done that have been on my list all Summer! Today I'm tackling their room, since they won't be around to cry when I throw away their favorite trinket they got in a kid's meal 2 years ago! I LOVE it when I get in the "toss-it" mood and just want to chuck every little piece of junk. Good thing they're gone and they won't know what's missing!

The other nice thing is that Vince's parents also let us have the use of their boat for the week!! So, does anybody want to come skiing with us?!!

My car turns 100000!

2008-08-03T21:31:00.005-06:00

I have to preface this by saying, lest you think I've gone and lost my ever-lovin' mind, that I have distinct memories of doing this as a child. I know my dear husband thinks I'm a little silly for making this into such a big deal, but I have fond memories of piling into our old vehicle (now, was it the van or the station wagon, that I can't remember) with my piano teacher's children, and Mom driving around the parking lot until the odometer turned on our car. Now back in the good old days, you know, before we went digital, it was much easier to anticipate. The numbers were dial numbers that slowly turned until it flipped over to the next number. It's much less cool these days, and if you blink, you miss it, but alas, I thought it a big milestone for our poor old Toyota. So I savored the moment on my little camera so you could all enjoy it right along with me. That is, unless you, like Vince, think I'm just insane! :0)

Yay! 100,000 miles!

Corn on the Cob

2008-07-29T16:31:00.003-06:00

This week's Tueaday Tell-All is telling you all about my favorite summer treat. It took me all of 1/8th of 1 second to know exactly what I wanted to share with my friends. I think about and crave it all year long. It can only be purchased around the end of July through August. I am a fresh corn on the cob addict. And as such, I'm also very picky about my corn on the cob. I only buy fresh Utah corn from the little stands you see everywhere. In case you are unfamiliar, let me enlighten you: They pick the corn so fresh, like the morning of, and drive it up from the nearby farms by 10:00 every day. There's a nice lady or man who has the fabulous job of sitting by those stands all day waiting for people to buy their produce. I will admit, I almost always skip over the tasty peaches and watermelon. I have eyes for only one thing: my yummy Utah corn. I love the Utah corn because you don't even have to cook it. You could eat it right there at the produce stand if you wanted to. But you don't want to. You have to take it home and throw it in boiling water just long enough for it to get hot. And it has to be hot because the best part is rolling it in your butter dish. You roll it and roll it until it's coated with real butter. Then you get a napkin handy because you KNOW you're going to soon have melted butter dripping down to your elbows. Lean WAY over your plate (so as not to drip on your cute jeans) and bite in. The kernals begin popping in your mouth, squirting your tongue with sweet corn juice. And real butter. Mmmm, mleh. Now I'm drooling. Better run to the produce stand...

Our Camping Trip

2008-07-29T12:30:00.009-06:00

Vince got a holiday from work for Pioneer Day. We decided we just haven't been camping enough yet this Summer, so we packed EVERYTHING up we could think of in the back of the truck and hauled it all up to the mountains. We originally wanted to try a little reservoir with campsites right by the water, but of course, being a State Holiday, there was no room left in any of the best campgrounds. We drove around a few minutes before deciding on a very cute little spot with lots of trees, and four, count them FOUR secret hiding spots for the kids (complete with secret passwords you had to repeat each time you entered their lairs). As an added bonus, the campsite was right next to a little stream the kids enjoyed immensely. We set up camp Thursday afternoon and relaxed with steak & potatoes and s'mores, of course.

Friday morning we loaded up and headed to the lake to try out the fishing. Here's a picture of the lake:

And the kids fishing:

But it was WWAAAYYY too crowded there, so we went to a more secluded spot for our picnic lunch:

After we got back to our campsite, we wandered back behind the campgrounds to try to find the river that we heard the night before. We tried fishing all along the way, and finally found one little successful spot:
Vince caught a little one:

And I caught TWO fish, right in a row! And they were the first fish I've ever caught all by myself. Trouble is, I'm the camera(wo)man, and was too caught up in the squirmy, wiggly fish at the end of my line to think about snapping a picture. So no pictures of my two first fishies. :( But rest assured, they were HUGE!! :)

Vince's sister, Shalon & her boyfriend, Skylar met us that night. On Saturday we went for a little hike (away from all the hordes of people) and got to this pretty little blue lake:

On our way out, we drove to the lake where we got our engagement picture taken:

And this is our funny attempt to recreate it! (My, we sure were a lot cleaner 8 years ago!)

And our cute kids on the same little rock:

Lastly, my scenery pictures of the blue lake. It was so pretty with the wildflowers. Enjoy!

Memories

2008-07-22T08:36:00.001-06:00

I've seen this on several of my siblings' blogs, and it looks like such fun that I thought I'd give it a whirl:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Hogge Reunion

2008-07-17T10:26:00.009-06:00

I'm so slow. It's been TWO WEEKS since we've been back from our trip, and I'm just now finishing up this post. I don't have all the pictures I'd like; I didn't take any skiing pictures with my camera. So I'll post those when I get them from my in-laws. But at least for now I wanted you to see what fun we had in the GORGEOUS lake we got to play in.

Here I am (blue scarf) riding in the boat with my nephew, Trevor on my lap. Marjorie (my fabulous mother-in-law) and Alisa (Vince's sister) and her son Colten are behind me.

And here's Vince in the boat with the gorgeous lake behind him.
We rode the boat on Monday all together to start on the trail that goes up to The Falls above The Lake. It's a short, easy trail, so even the kids enjoy hiking up to the falls. And there was SO MUCH water this year--more than anyone had seen, and the Hogges have been coming to The Lake for, over 30 years? I don't even know how long. Generations, I guess we can say!

Vince & I with our kids and my niece Emma at the Falls. You can't see it in this picture, but we were up this close for just a few minutes, and came down DRENCHED--the spray was so intense. But it felt fabulous because it was such a hot day hiking up.

Vince & the kids at The Falls:

And me:

This is the view looking the opposite direction towards The Lake--gorgeous, no?
And of course, everyone has to pose with this beautiful scenery:

The whole Hogge clan hiking back down the trail:
Our children enjoying the traditional s'mores by the campfire:

I loved that Evan had one in each hand and was devouring his tasty treat:
The only bummers of The Lake were:

1. Mosquitos! Those nasty bugs were so vicious this year. We had to head to town after two days because we'd gone through about 4 cans of bug spray. We literally got out of our tent and had to spray immediately or we'd be eaten alive. Yucky!

2. The rain. We love skiing--sunrise to sunset. We got about 1 1/2 really good days, and then the other two we got half or full day of steady rain. Everything was wet by the time we got home. But those few days we had were well worth it!

For the rest of our stay, we went back to Vince's parents' house and ride the four-wheeler, the horses, lit fireworks, hiked, and went fishing. I'm not much of a fisherwoman. I had a negative fishing experience last summer that resulted in me paying a tremendous fine for dipping my son's "Lightning McQueen" fishing pole in a lake. But I decided to give it another try this year (legally, of couse--I did learn my lesson). Most of the experience was spent swatting more blood-thirsty bugs and stepping in muddy black swamp water. But it was worth it in the end because I got some darling pictures of my in-laws:

And the kids:

And the lovely scenery (this was the point at which I was bored):

But mostly because Vince is a good fisher:

And then we let him go. (He swam away VERY fast!):

But here are the pictures of the fish that got away:

Better luck next time!

It was a wonderful trip. Can't wait to go back again next year!!

Look what I found!

2008-07-17T09:40:00.005-06:00

This song got stuck in my head a few days ago, so I decided to hunt for it. I love You Tube! Oh how this brings back memories! I hope it does for you too.

Why, oh why don't they make cartoons like this anymore?

Tuesday Tell-All: Why I Run

2008-07-15T21:39:00.007-06:00

Today's topic is exercise. This word used to put an instant lump of guilt in my gut every time I heard it spoken. It's like reading scripture or eating veggies or doing genealogy work: all those wonderful things in life we know we SHOULD be doing, but often have a hard time...well, finding the time. I've (mostly) enjoyed being active. But since I married Vince, I've learned to appreciate it much more. And even just in the last couple of years I've learned to CRAVE it. I can always tell when it's been a while since I've exercised. I start to get crabby and feel all bleh inside, and I just start itching to get out and pound the pavement. And as I'm sure you all know by now, my exercise of choice is running.

I love what running does for me emotionally. I'm not a morning person, but there's just something magical that happens outside in the early hours when the world is just starting to wake up. I love being a part of that and seeing it first hand. I love watching the sun come up over the Eastern mountains, and almost instantly feeling it warm my body. I love listening to the chatter of the early birds who have so very much to say to each other. I love the solitude of being left to my own thoughts--I can think about anything and everything I want. No one is pulling on my arm, needing me to tie a shoe or fix a toy. No one is competing for this time--it's just me. I love that. I need that.

I love what running does for me physically! For most of you that know me, you know I've always been a...well, chubby kid. "Pretty & plump" I think is how my Mom described me! ;0) She used to tell me I was like that female bunny on "Bambi"--definitely a girly-girl, pretty & plump. Weight has always been a struggle for me. But running has been the very best way I've found to get in a really good workout and finally get control of my weight. I eat better when I run. I look better when I run! And I feel much better when I run.

I also love what running does for me socially. Even though it's such an individual sport, it creates an instant bond between people. I get so excited when I find out someone else is a runner, because they understand all that it means to me. They understand what an accomplishment it is to run a 5k in 26 minutes, or to finish a marathon, or just to brag about a really good training run. I love that running can bring together total strangers and make them friends.

And I don't have to be fast to be a runner, or come in 1st place in a race. I just have to lace up my shoes and shut the door behind me, and I really feel I can conquer the world.

Happy Anniversary!!

2008-07-14T07:17:00.003-06:00

Just a shout-out to my Love to say, "Happy Anniversary, Darling!" Eight short long years! It's been a rough road, but I'm so glad we've come so far. I'll save all the mushy stuff for another time & place, but I thought it'd be fun to see us then and now:

This was our engagement picture. (And as my nephew Hyrum always says, "Awww, cute!")

And here we are now:

And I have to say, I still think we're cute! And I really can't believe how much my love has grown in the past 8 years. We were so young when we got married. I think our love now isn't the same silly, giddy, exciting love like it was then, but a deep-rooted love that I feel in my whole body now. You're a wonderful man, Vince! And I'm a much better woman because I have you to be my man. I love you. Happy Anniversary!

And.. We're Off!

2008-06-27T09:33:00.003-06:00

Well, I really hoped my life would get less crazy. So far, not much. But at least it's FUN! I wanted to say a fond farewell to everyone. We're heading up to The Lake with Vince's family. I can't wait! I love skiing and swimming at The Lake! I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and post them. I'll try to pop back in soon. But for now, I'm off to have a much-needed VACATION!!

She's Ridin' a Two-Wheeler!

2008-06-22T21:06:00.006-06:00

We were up visiting Vince's brother who lives a few hours from our house. His wife left for an author's conference and my Mother-in-law stayed to watch 6 grandkids. So she asked me to come along to help her out! So I took Brooke & Evan and we went up and stayed for several days. We had so much fun. While we were there, Brooke kept asking me to take off her training wheels on her bike. I told her we'd wait till we got home so Dad could do it. Then it dawned on me--"I'm perfectly capable of working these tools! I may have no idea what this one is called, but I can turn it like a pro--remember, 'Righty Tight, Lefty Loosey', okay I'm good!" And before we knew it, the wheels were off, and so was she!

She wiggled and wobbled for about 45 minutes. Then we decided she needed more space, more than the narrow sidewalk she was working on. So we all took our bikes down to the church parking lot a few blocks away, and by the time we got there, she had mastered it! It happened so fast! I thought it would take several days of working on it, but she was so good. She had a few really good crashes and scrapes, but she jumped up every time and rode away.

So now my little girl is all grown up! Yes, I know she's already seven years old, but it's amazing how time flies. They start out so little, and you turn around and they're riding off on their own, reveling in their new-found independence!

The Craziest of Crazies!!

2008-06-08T15:32:00.009-06:00

Oh, man! I'm glad this is the end of the week, and beginning of a new one. Last week was CRAZY! I felt like I was running non-stop the entire week. Which is also why I love Sundays. I can finally relax, and take a nap, and catch up on my blog. Sorry if you've felt neglected. And I wouldn't be surprised if I lost all my readers this week. Hopefully life will be less crazy now (hopefully) and I'll have more time to stay up to date (hopefully). So if you're up for a long post, good! Here's a portion of everything I did last week:

Brooke finished 1st Grade. Next time she goes to school, she'll be a 2nd Grader! Yikes! And she'll finally have her little brother going with her. *Sniff Sniff!* Can't believe both my babies will leave me. But every time I say that Evan laughs at me and assures me that he will come back home every day. Even my sadness at being left home all alone doesn't keep him from wanting to go to Kindergarten!

Brooke with her 1st Grade teacher, Mrs Roberts. We loved her so much.

This was a special week for Brooke too because Thursday was her Birthday! That has been hard for me, to realize she's now SEVEN! I'm the mother of a seven-year old! I still can't get over how big she is.

She really wanted a fancy cake, but I just didn't have time to make a fancy cake. We comprimised on a rainbow cake, though. We got the kind with the colored sprinkles in the cake, and I bought M&Ms, Skittles, and marshmallows. And Brooke & her girly cousins had a wonderful time decorating the rainbow cake. It turned out really cute. She was happy because it was fancier than a plain old cake. And I was happy because it didn't take me all day to make it!

Brooke, Bekah, & Bethany putting on M&Ms. I wondered how much was put on and how much was snacked on!

Very cute rainbow, Brookie!

Typical Brookie pose & smile. I love the look Bethany is giving her too! So cute!

My Mom & Dad, and several of my siblings and Mary's kids all came over for presents & cake and ice cream. Vince's Mom drove down (she was flying out on Friday for a funeral) and she came a day early to be with Brooke on her Birthday. The funniest thing was that both she and my Mom got Brooke the EXACT same present! Obviously they both knew what she likes! She loved them both even if it was the same toy! She thought it was great that now her ponies can each have a twin. We all thought it was hilariously funny!

As I mentioned, my sister Mary is here with her family from Colorado. And my sister Beth flew in from Boston! So we have spent as much time playing together as we can. We also had a big photo shoot yesterday since we were ALL together--my entire family. That hasn't happened in a long time. So it was so nice to all be together again. I'll post pictures of our family once Mary gets them to me.

This week was also the last week of music classes. I finished teaching. We had Festival for the older kids, and recital prep for everyone. And then I had the programs to type and print. Recitals were yesterday. I wish I could say they went over without a hitch. They rarely do. There were numerous problems: the doors were all locked when I got there 1/2 hour before my first recital, the recital hall then wasn't set up, they didn't have the right disk drive to read our disks, then the drive we finally got plugged in didn't work, then we got it working but one of the disks was corrupt, etc. This is why I have nightmares before EVERY recital! There always seems to be something! But the kids all did awesome! I'm very proud of them and their progress this semester. And I have to say I have a WONDERFUL HUSBAND!!!! He was the one running around behind the scenes, driving to the studio 3 times to get what we needed so the show could go on! I don't know what I would've done without him. Probably cried! I'm also glad I decided to come extra early. And even at that, if the people had unlocked the recital early, we probably could've started on time. Oh well! It's done with now and I won't have to worry about that for 6 more months!

My own kids also performed in their recitals, and they both did great. Evan was the funniest. I swear he's going to be the class clown--I can see it all now. *Sigh* We've practiced and practiced this for weeks. He got up and played his first song fine (although he didn't even sit on the bench--he STOOD UP to play while I'm sitting in the audience shakin' my head)! Then he stopped before his next song, finally decides to sit down, and flings his right leg up onto the bench and faces the audience. Then he just stares with a completely blank look on his face. After about 20 seconds, and several chuckles from the audience, I step up and remind him he has one more song to play. He did a great job, and bowed very flamboyantly. My mom says she thinks he's must be of the mindset of a Victor Borge!

Brooke also did very nicely. Not quite as comical as her little brother, thank heavens! I'm impressed now that she can add in those extra finishing touches like dynamics and articulation that make it sound much more musical. It was harder to hear them in her actual performance, but at least I know in practicing she can really bring that all out! :0)

I also had a wonderful opportunity on Friday to meet some of my online running pals. We got together and had a yummy lunch at Heidi's house and let the kids play and just visited for about 3 hours! I was amazed at how fast the time flew by. It was great to finally be able to meet these ladies. I'd already met Leslie. She's the one that came to the SLC Marathon and jogged with me a bit. Did I mention she was days from giving birth at the time?! I loved getting to hold her sweet little baby girl. Heidi's friend Stacey came too. She was the one I rode the bus with up to the Ogden Marathon. And Meagan was there with her almost 6 month old baby too. These ladies have been a huge support for me while I've been training for my marathons. Hopefully we can get together again soon. Here are the pictures ladies:

That's Stacey, Leslie, Meagan, Heidi, and me.

And here are the kids having a great time eating hot dogs on the porch:

So that was mostly my week in a very large nutshell. In between all these fun activities I was scrambling around trying to get things finished up for my summer students, cleaning house for my Mother-in-law's stay here, taking her to the airport, and just trying to stay on top of my other normal duties. So now my family knows why I was so cranky last week (sorry, fam) but I think things will be much less stressful now. And the nice thing is these were all WONDERFUL activities! I was just grateful that I wasn't stressed out because I was doing awful unpleasant tasks. They were good and fun and I enjoyed doing them. There were just a lot of them this week!

And to finish off, here's a picture of Evan coming home from the recital all tired out. The kids fell asleep in the car coming home. I mostly thought it funny that he fell asleep with his hand in his sock:

And now I think I deserve a nap myself!

Graduation

2008-05-27T12:50:00.005-06:00

So today's TTA is about Graduation. I've actually been thinking about Graduation a lot lately, since I'm now so old that it has been 10 years since I graduated from High School! My parents have all the old pictures from before I was married. So I stole this one from my friend, Sheri. Here I was 10 years ago this month:

From left to right: Michelle, Sheri, me, & Melissa

I will admit, I was very happy to move on after High School. And I loved High School, especially my Senior year. But I was really ready to go out and start the rest of my life.

And so I went to BYU and worked hard at getting a degree in Early Childhood Education. I was accepted into the program. And then I met Vince. And then I fell in love. And then I got married. And then I got PREGNANT. And then I knew I needed to graduate! So I switched to Marriage, Family, & Human Development (which still makes me chuckle at the degree I got). I was proud that I had worked it out just perfect. Brooke was due on July 10th, and I would finish Spring Term with my last classes 3 weeks prior to her due date. The only problem was that Brooke decided to show up 5 weeks EARLY! So she was born about 2 weeks before the end of the term. I had great professors that were very understanding (I'm sure at BYU this sort of thing happens a lot) and helped me finish what I needed to when I was recovered.

I had 2 more classes I did Indepent Study. And I walked across the stage in April of 2002.

Me & my friend Kristi. We were roommates until she got married, and we both graduated in MFHD.
Brooke was about 10 months old then. And we got her a cute little cap & gown outfit so we could match! I still love the pictures:

The Hogges are wonderful supporters! Shalon, me & Brooke, Vince, my Mother-in-law Marjorie, & Alisa

My family were big fans as well: My Dad, Mom, us, sisters Jo & Beth (and Bethy-Loo, why in the world are you hiding behind Jo?)

Here are the siblings--mine & Vince's

And the parents! Love you guys!

And I just threw in this picture because it was in the same file on my computer, and I'm a little baby-hungry and remembered how adorable Brookie was at this age. I love the tongue sticking out! *Sigh!* Isn't she a cutie?
And as fun as High School and college were, I will admit I am SO glad I'm not in school anymore!

Tueday Tell-All: One Word

2008-05-20T15:01:00.003-06:00

So, since I saw my friend Sheri's blog a while ago, I've been wanting to do the Tuesday Tell-All thing. I think it's such a great idea to help think of stuff to blog about. I really liked today's topic, so I thought I'd give it a whirl:

Answer the following with only one word.
1. Where is your cell phone? ....................Here
2. Your significant other?.......................Hilarious
3. Your hair?....................................Natural
4. Your mother? .................................Friend
5. Your father?..................................Encouraging
6. Your favorite thing?..........................Friends
7. Your dream last night?........................Anxious
8. Your favorite drink...........................Milk
9. Your dream/goal?..............................Happiness
10. The room you're in?..........................Office
11. Your children?.....................................Good
12. Your fear?...................................Change
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years...........Here
14. Where were you last night?...................Home
15. What you're not?.............................Decisive
16. Muffins......................................Big
17. One of your wish list items?.................Baby
18. Where you grew up?...........................Utah
19. What you read last........................Scriptures
20. What are you wearing?........................Jeans
21. Your TV?.....................................Huge
22. Your pets?...................................Nope
23. Your computer? ..............................Dusty
24. Your life?...................................Happy
25. Your mood?...................................Cheerful
26. Missing someone?.............................Sisters
27. Your car?....................................Crumbly
28. Something you're not wearing?................Shoes
29. Favorite Store?..............................Target
30. Your summer?.................................Busy
31. Like someone?................................Mama
32. Your favorite color?.........................Yellow
33. Last time you laughed........................Today
34. Last time you cried?.........................Saturday

Ogden Marathon

2008-05-18T17:45:00.006-06:00

Okay. Sorry it took me so long to post about the Ogden Marathon. I seem to get home from a marathon and just crash for the rest of the day! Sorry if you've been waiting a while. But here's a recap of how things went yesterday at the Ogden Marathon:

The Ogden Marathon was simply a GORGEOUS race! It started up Ogden Canyon, ran around Pine View Reservoir, back down the canyon, along the Ogden River into downtown Ogden. I loved that it was almost completely downhill. I loved how beautiful it all was running past campgrounds, darling little farms, around the reservoir, through the rocky canyon, past the river; I could go on & on. It was so nice having that pretty scenery to distract me.

I was lucky enough to meet up at the start with my friend Heidi's friend named Stacey, and my cousin Janice who just ran the Boston Marathon a few weeks ago. We rode the bus to the start together and huddled around the fires to keep warm before the race started. I mostly loved that Janice was so hilarious that she kept me distracted so I wasn't thinking about what I was about to do! (I was also happy because she insisted on using the potty one more time before the start--which I hadn't done last time. I think this time it kept me from having to stop along the way. A seemingly small thing, I know, but one of my biggest regrets in SLC was that I had to stop so often and use up so much precious time waiting to use the potty!) Both ladies were faster runners than me, so we crossed the start line together and quickly said goodbye and good luck.

I admit, though, I do enjoy the serenity of solitude. I like to have that time running to invest in my own thoughts and analyze things. This time I brought along my handy iPod shuffle, which also helped pass the time running to my silly music. I was actually shocked when my watch beeped at me that the first hour had passed. I really looked down and thought, "I've already run a whole HOUR??" It went by so quickly. The first half was pretty easy and quick. I was grateful.

As I was approaching the halfway mark, I saw a familiar and wonderfully friendly sight; there was Vince waiting for me. He'd run the 5k down in the valley (in which he won 4th place in his age group and 29th place overall--way to go, Honey!), and driven up and around the other side of the mountain to meet me. He started running with me and asking me how I was doing. He ended up jogging with me for about 15 minutes, and got me up the one substantial uphill portion of the race. I was so glad I had him there to distract me from the relentless nagging voice in my head telling me to stop and walk up that hill. Thanks, Babe! It made a big difference.

Coming down the canyon after that was the most downhill section, which I thought was going to be my favorite part. It wasn't. I was expecting to enjoy it a lot more. But I got into some serious pain. I don't know if it was the continuous pounding on muscles that aren't used to running on that steep of a decline, or just the fact that I was between miles 18 and 22, which are just HARD! I was glad that it was downhill, though. I stopped twice for about a minute each time just to stretch my muscles a little. Then I kept running.

Once I got out of the canyon, I actually began feeling really good. Numb I think is the best word to describe it. The pain was still there, I just was more numb to it, or didn't care because by now I only had 3 more miles. Just 3 more miles. I can do 3 more miles! This was now one of my favorite parts of the race. Almost everyone around me began walking. But I still felt really strong, so I kept chuggin' along. It was so exhillerating to run past all those people. And sad in a way. I was sad to leave them behind, especially when I passed Stacey for the last time, who was having problems with her leg. But by now the crowds were all around, cheering us on. I turned off my iPod and tuned into the people around who brought me more encouragment to continue than my music did.

I hit 25 miles. Just ONE MORE MILE LEFT! Then I saw my sister-in-law, Heather, who had her two girls and my Brooke. They ran with me for a few yards. The girls bolted and thought it was funny that they could run faster than me! Haha, girls! You are quick, aren't ya? Then I turned a corner and the Ogden Temple came into view! That was a beautiful sight. And I knew I was close.

Then I saw Vince again. And there was my Dad. Actually, I saw my Dad's grin! It was a huge grin--ear to ear! It was a smile that said, "I'm proud of you, Becky!" I love seeing him smile at me that way. It makes me tear up even now remembering that face.

And then the FINISH LINE!! There it was. I got into the home stretch. The crowd was cheering. I picked up speed; I was still feeling good. I raised my arms and got the crowd to cheer us in a little more. I yelled with joy. I crossed the finish line. I saw Vince. And then the tears came more. It was wonderful.

It's hard to see me in this picture. I'm in a red shirt & black pants. The one running towards Vince, not the one taking the picture!

You can see me in red on the middle right side of the picture here. These were the only ones Vince could get; I was running by so fast that he didn't have time to take a good picture of me! ;0)

I took a second to catch my breath again and checked out my time: 4 hours, 53 minutes, 38 seconds! Woohoo! I made it under 5 hours! That's all I wanted. Sure 4:30 and even 4:45 would've been great, but I was just thrilled I did so much better than SLC. I shaved almost 20 minutes off my last time. And that was just 4 weeks ago! Imagine what I can do next time! ;0) And I felt so proud that I ran virtually the entire race. I walked only while I was drinking my water or eating the GU packs. And I stopped twice to stretch for about a minute. The rest of the time, I kept on running. Certainly not fast. But I ran it.

I was also happy that I was so much less nauseous than last time. I only took in water and GU packs when I could tell my body needed it. That was it. And it worked really well. Not too much, just enough. After about 45 minutes to an hour after I finished, when I felt pretty rested, I was able to make it to the refreshment table. I downed 5 or 6 orange slices in a matter of seconds! It was probably the best thing I have ever tasted!! They were so good. And the 1/2 oatmeal cookie & the chocolate creamsicle were delicious as well!

The other great thing about the Ogden race was that they had a Kid's K that started at 12:30. Both Brooke & Evan wanted to run. I was still just a little sore at this point, so Vince ran it with them while I waited at the finish line and cheered THEM on! It was so fun to have them participate too. Evan fell and scraped his knee, but jumped up and kept running.

These kids were so fast that all I got was a blury picture, but I love it all the same:

They both got cowbell "medals" at the end of their race. And they enjoyed their creamies & cookies & "Gator-Egg" as Evan calls "Gatorade!" And I didn't even care that they had chocolate ice cream dripping all over their new shirts. (Although, I wouldn't let Evan touch me till he washed his hands, I'll admit that.)

Here's my nephew, Grant, running by:

Here's Vince's brother, Doug, & his family--their kids ran too:

And the Hogge clan--we are a running family!

It was a wonderful experience and a wonderful day. I'm so glad I did another marathon. We'll see about more. For now I'm just happy that I did these two. And now I can say I've run more marathons than Vince! (No, I'm not competitive! ;0) Mostly I'm just happy to say that "I RUN MARATHONS!"

Birthday Pics & Marathon #2!

2008-05-16T12:24:00.005-06:00

Well, thanks for all the Birthday wishes from y'all! It was a lovely day. Not too exciting, since it was a weekday, but it was wonderful. I always just feel special on my B-Day, no matter what I do! So here are a couple of pictures:

Me with my angel food cake!

Me blowing out the candles. (Evan thought it was kind of funny that I only had 5 candles, like he did. But no, Buddy. I'm much older than that!!)

Truth be told, I would've much rather had a delicious chocolate cake with lots of ice cream piled on top. But I've been gearing up this week for Marathon #2, so I didn't want to sabotage my performance for an indulgence in chocolate bliss. We'll save that and a night out with Vince for Saturday AFTER the race!

And today I'm physically & mentally gearing up again for running 26.2 miles tomorrow morning! My goal this time is just under 5 hours. Anything faster than that will be, well, icing on the cake! (Hardy Har Har, I know!)

So stay tuned for a recap & more pictures! I'm actually REALLY excited for this one! Fortunately I'm a lot less nervous than I was last time. Just excited now. I spent all morning looking at maps, and doing research on the area. I think it's going to be an amazingly gorgeous race on a beautiful day. So wish me luck!

Happy Birthday!

2008-05-15T14:15:00.003-06:00

So, I'm really not one of those modest types. I like everybody to know that it's my Birthday! So I thought I'd let y'all know: It's my Birthday! "Happy Birthday to me..." And as Bethy Lou & I were discussing earlier today, isn't it the most perfect day for a Birthday?

I got to go out to lunch with Mama & Debs, which was so wonderful! I love spending time with my Mom & my sisters. And of course, as she does every year, Mama told me the story of my birth! Even after 28 years, I still love hearing that story! (And thanks again, Mom, for going through all that trauma just for me! ;0)

And even though the rest of my day will be spend taking Brooke to piano, paying bills, folding laundry, and refraining from eating too much junk before Saturday's marathon, it is still a glorious day just because it's May 15th!

Happy Mother's Day, Mama

2008-05-11T13:23:00.007-06:00

We had a wonderful weekend! My siblings and I all got together at my Mom's house to help her out in their yard--transplanting trees, planting bushes, etc. That's all Mom wanted for Mother's Day, so we decided to give her our time and hard labor! (Love you, Mom!) I already posted these pics on our family website, so sorry fam, that this is redundant. Here's a little taste of what dirty fun we had:

Joseph (my very tall little brother), Jacob (Joanna's hubby), & Vince (my hubby):

Here's my nephew Hyrum (Jo's baby) looking adorable as usual. Evan had just had a Horsey Ride on Opa's lap, and Hyrum watched intently. He was very excited when it was finally his turn:

Here I am after I scalped the lawn! I was very proud that I actually kept a whole chunk of sod intact. (Thanks to Debbie for teaching me how to do it too!):

Here's little sis Debbie digging holes for the lilac bushes. Smile, Debs!

Hyrum did the army crawl in one of the holes for the transplanted tree. (He's so cute!):

Okay Joseph! This is what you get for taking weird pictures with my camera (Haha!):
Here are the men digging out the old trees. Jacob, Peter, and Vince are pretty visible. Dad and Joseph are behind Jacob (sorry guys):

Here's a clearer shot of Dad & Joseph. I love watching the men do hard, manual labor!

Peter, I thought we were supposed to be working! Are you talking to Katie AGAIN?

Pete & Becks (I like this picture):

Can you tell we took this one ourselves? (Isn't my little brother cute?)

Okay, Peter. And this is what YOU get for stealing my camera and taking weird pictures of yourself. Nice one, Pete. Nice one: There you have it! Our Saturday celebration with the family! Don't you all wish you had such a hokey family as me?

Dandelions

2008-05-07T11:38:00.003-06:00

Since it is finally Spring here, we decided to get outside and do some much needed work in our big yard last Saturday. Vince & I spent some time getting the garden ready for planting. (Well, actually Vince did much of the getting ready; I was more on meal patrol and clean-up duty!) And since it's spring, the grass in our yard has been taken over by our lovely friends: dandelions. Now, I must say, who can deny the beauty in a sea of these happy yellow flowers in a country field:

The problem comes when they are in our yard. And especially since no child can resist the urge to pluck an aging dandelion, make a wish, and blow away their troubles with the scattered seeds:

Everyone has this experience. Doesn't it flood your mind with memories from doing this as a kid? But we just didn't want kids experiencing this in our yard, spreading those nasty seeds to grow into more pesky weeds. So Vince came up with the brilliant plan to have the kids help out by plucking the flowers off. He told them that for every flower they pluck, he'd give them 5 cents! Well, the kids took to the challenge, and while Vince worked, they wandered around and pulled dandelion heads in the yard.

Not surprisingly, Evan bored of this little game very quickly. We had to keep reminding him to put more in his cup so he could earn money for...whatever we could think of that might motivate him. Also not surprisingly, Brooke didn't really need any convincing that this was a good idea. She already had a Littlest Pet Shop stuffed animal in mind that kept her plucking away at those flowers.

By the end of the day, we counted and sorted into piles. Evan ended up earning $1 for his 20 flowers. Brooke surprised us all. She ended up with $16!! Do the quick math--that's 320 dandelions she picked! We were both pretty surprised. Next time I think we'll make each worth a penny!

Happy Birthday, Evan!

2008-04-28T21:55:00.000-06:00

So, today my baby turned FIVE, if you can believe it! I still can't. He's such a sweet boy. And fortunately he's easy to please. Here's a little recap of our special day with our now five-year old!

Here's Evan excitedly opening his first present:

I wish I hadn't tried to take this picture with the bright window right behind! Grammy was helping Evan open her card to him--just for a five-year old!

Opening more presents:

Evan & Brookie givin' big cheeser smiles:

Here's Evan before blowing out his candles. The funny part was that my camera was dying, so I made him sit there and say cheese for about 30 seconds while the dumb thing took one picture! That was the longest "CHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSEEEEEEE" in history, I think! In his mind he's just thinking, "Come on, Mom! I just wanna blow out my candles!"

This was too cute. Evan was a little anxious about getting too close, so he stood way back and had to blow about 10 times to get five little candles blown out. Good thing I didn't buy trick candles!

Aww! Typical Evan grin:

(And really, the best part is that we used this same cake for the combined family birthday bash we had on Saturday when Vince's family was here for his brother's graduation. I didn't want to bake yet another cake and have it sitting on my counter for the next 2 weeks. So I turned this cake just right so you can't see that 2/3 of it is missing! Hehehe!)

And here's Grammy, Uncle Joseph, and Auntie Debbie with the kids (where was Opa, anyway?) eating their yummies! The best is the expressions on my kids' faces! I think Evan was too into his bite of ice cream, and Brooke looks like she's crossing her eyes!

And when I tucked my kids into bed, I asked Evan if he had a good birthday. And he said "Yes. And tomorrow I get to go to school!" Oops. Guess I hadn't made that clear enough. Yes you go to Kindergarten when you're five, but not the next day! He was a little disappointed that he has 3 1/2 more months before he gets to go, but I'm certainly not!

I am now officially a Marathoner!

2008-04-20T13:07:00.001-06:00

Wow! What an experience! I have to say that running a marathon is one of the hardest things I've ever done. But I'm also so glad that I did it. I'm sorry I haven't posted about it yet, but I've been resting ;0) and thinking a lot about the experience. I have to take a few days to mull it over in my brain in order to talk/write clearly. And I'm grateful to Vince for being my soundboard, and not minding that the marathon has been the only thing I've talked about for the past two days! (Thanks, Babe!)

I've been preparing for this for 6 months. And I honestly think it was harder to do than I actually thought it would be. (Not that I wouldn't recommend it, though, so if you've been thinking about it, it's awesome too, just hard!) I've been trying hard not to feel disappointed in the results, because really the main goal for me was to finish! But I was so far off my time goal, that it's been hard to feel complete satisfaction from it. I originally wanted to run a 4 hour 30 minute marathon. Then in training, I adjusted my goal to 4:45. My chip time was 5:11:44. I was #79 out of 89 in my age group. I think there were many factors that affected my performance:

1. TOTAL lack of sleep the night before. (I was way too wound up--and probably slept 4 hours total, if that.)
2. Having to take a potty break after the 1st 3 miles. (I think I drank too much before the start, and at that point, the lines for potties were so long, I wasted 7 minutes just going to the bathroom!)
3. Wind! (It was a pretty windy day. And I was slow enough that I experienced headwind from about mile 7-13. But then I turned north, and had fabulous tailwind to the finish! That part was great!)
4. Running too fast at the beginning & using up too much energy to start off. (After my 1st potty break, I was really anxious and tense, and tried to catch up on time by running faster. I think that really hurt me more than anything, and I tired out more quickly than on my practice runs.)
5. Inadequate fuel intake. (They have these GU packs on the course, which is just a shot of frosting-ish carbohydrate, about 100 calories, in a little pouch you eat w/ water to give you a boost of energy. I've been training by taking them about every hour. The problem was they only had 2 fuel stations along the route--at miles 10 and 16. I think I was already tired by the time I started fueling up. If I could go back and do over, I'd bring my own & fuel at mile 7 or 8, again at about 15, and then again at 20 or 21 to get me to the end. But once I got to mile 20, I was so nauseous I could barely drink down water, let alone anything else. And that's when I really started to slow down. I just felt sick and weak the last 5 or 6 miles.)
6. Breaking the 1st rule of marathoning--Never do anything new during a race, only what you've tried in training. (In training I only ever drank water and used GU packs. But during the race, because I knew I'd only have 2 GU packs, I drank Gatorade on some of the stops. I've heard that Gatorade AND GU can sometimes affect the stomach in adversely, and I think that's part of the reason I got so sick. Next time I'll skip the Gatorade and just go for more GU.)

Now the positives:

1. I FINISHED!!!
2. I ran almost the entire route. I only walked at the water stations. (And sometimes a LITTLE past, but not much!) And the rest of the way I ran/jogged. By the time I finished, most people were walking the majority, but I kept shuffling along, and felt good about that!
3. I FINISHED!!!
4. I experienced such wonderful camaraderie from such fabulous runners! Like John T from Louisiana. He was probably in his 60's, and this was his 1st marathon, too! He was all alone--no one running with him, and no family at the finish. So he ironed on letters to the front of his shirt that read, "Yell 'Go John T'" so everyone knew him and cheered him on along the way! He was very sweet and felt bad for me as we were jogging along together, so when spectators would cheer for him, he yelled back at them and told them to cheer for ME! I also saw several people with the 50 states marathon t-shirt--this was their first Utah marathon. Some only had less than 10 states to go before they'd run a marathon in all 50 states! I also met a man who'd been running "since '73!" I met another man in a florescent yellow/green shorts and shirt that was a speed-walker. He walked all 26.2 miles, and finished before I did!! This was his 10th marathon in 2008! And by the end, we were all friends, and rooting each other on, and trying to distract one another by thinking of anything but the pain!
5. I FINISHED!!!
6. I am so thankful for all the people who made it out to support me! It made such a huge difference! Thanks to Leslie, my very pregnant internet friend who jogged with me (and she's due in 3 days, people!) for a few yards, asking how I was feeling, and cheering me to go another 8 more miles! You're awesome, woman! Thanks to Robin, one of my piano moms who met me at Liberty Park and jogged with me for most of the way around the park, exclaiming how amazing it was that I made it this far, what I was doing, and letting me know 3 miles was NOT that much further (even though at that point it really felt like it)! Thanks to Jeff & Becca who brought baby Tyler to smile and cheer me on. Thanks to both my parents & my (big) little bro Joseph who met me at the finish with Jeff & Becca & my family. You should've heard them yelling!! (Well, you can, if you check the video below...) And especially thanks to Vince who happily woke up at 4am with me, dragged the kids to 5 points along the way, took pictures, gave me high fives, and told me I could do what I never imagined I could've done! You're amazing, Babe! And I love you for it. I never would've gotten there if it hadn't been for you!!
7. I feel like I've learned so much from this first experience, and that I can take what I've learned now, and do it again--better--the next time!

That's right! I'm signed up to run the Ogden Marathon next on May 17th! And this course is going to be much easier, I think. It's all downhill. My new goal is under 5 hours! I'd love to get under 4:45. I think it might take me more time to reach my ultimate goal of a 4:30 marathon, but maybe that just means I'll have to train for another one in the future! It's amazing to think I'd want to do this again. But it really is exhilarating! And if you'd asked me on Saturday if I'd try it again, I honestly thought it would be misery to put myself through that experience one more time! But even the next day, I was excited to try once more (on an easier route!) to see if I could meet my goals! At least I can come away knowing what I can do to improve and do better next time! So if you're in the Ogden area in 4 weeks, come on by. I'll definitely be to the finish by noon this time!!

And now for the pictures:

Here I am shuffling by Sugarhouse Park

On the other side of Sugarhouse, going up the hill

I don't remember where this one was, but it was in the first half

This was taken on Van Winkle Expressway

Closer up on Van Winkle. I'm definitely looking tired now!

Here I am after it was all over, in the car waiting for Vince to get back from buying ice cream, pizza, and grapes for me. He said I should get whatever I wanted, and that's what sounded good! (Brookie took this picture, by the way. Not bad, eh?)

Here's me and Brookie waiting for dad

Here's Evan in the car! Hehehe! I love this picture! I guess a 4am start was just a little too early for this poor kid!

And here I am after it was all over, proudly sporting my medal, and so glad to be done!

And this is the wonderful short video Vince took of me as I was getting the crowd to cheer me on the last few hundred yards, right to the finish line. It still brings me chills watching it again. That was the greatest moment in the entire race! Thanks again, everyone!

SLC Marathon

2008-04-18T12:04:00.000-06:00

So, I didn't get a very restful sleep last night. Tomorrow is the big day! I've been looking forward/dreading this day for months! I'm all set to run my 1st marathon (SLC) tomorrow morning. And yes, I AM nervous! But I try not to think about it too much. I've already had several strange dreams about it. One in particular was odd in that it was the first time I ever was aware of feeling an actual, physical, sick nervous feeling while I was asleep. It's not like I was nervous just in my dream, but I was physically nervous in my stomach while I was dreaming about it. I worry that I'll get sick, not be rested enough, be rested too much, not be hydrated enough, not eat enough carbs, eat too many carbs, be late to the start, not have the right clothes, and then there's the whole: Will I be able to finish? thing that I can't think about too much. But I read something the other day that made me feel better. It said, you've already done the hard part--that was the training. The actual race is the fun part. You know you can do it, so just enjoy it! So that's what I tell myself every time I start feeling nervous. I KNOW I can do this, so bring it on!!

First Blog

2008-04-18T11:04:00.000-06:00

Okay, so after lots of thinking, "I should do my own blog!" I finally decided to start one up. Hopefully this will be a fun way for me to keep up and share photos with friends and family, and update you on what's going on with me. Thanks for reading!!