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

....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

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

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...

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

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

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

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.