tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53673604394012673412024-03-12T19:41:31.414-04:00The Pampered PrincessPampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-32793467567088035382012-03-22T22:52:00.003-04:002012-03-22T22:55:14.539-04:00CaprisWith the heatwave we're experiencing, I started digging in my closet for some shorts/capri pants. I pulled out a cute navy pair of capris I found at the thrift store last fall for a good price. I remember struggling into them and knowing they were too tight, but I thought they were so cute I HAD to buy them!<br /><br />Yesterday I wore them to church for YW/Scouts and they FIT! They are a size 10!!!! I haven't been in a size 10 pair of pants in many, many years. They're still a tad tight in the waist, but the legs and backside fit fine. It was a "yahoooo!" moment for sure!Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-74164117899986296882012-02-27T12:58:00.002-05:002012-02-27T13:02:08.315-05:00Abandoned Blog and a SurpriseI haven't blogged in a LONG time because Facebook is quicker and I'm on there more often. But, today I decided to look at my blog and the first thing I noticed was my weight loss tracker at the top. Shockingly, I've lost even more weight since my last update! I still eat too much and too often and don't like to exercise most of the time, but I joined Weight Watchers last year and managed to lose about 20 pounds. Now, I'm back to doing it on my own and working toward this year's Flying Pig 1/2 Marathon. It's time to set my goals and get going! Jessica is planning to run it with me for the first time and I'm excited!Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-58194481271010228872010-05-03T12:21:00.012-04:002010-05-03T13:36:10.719-04:00Flying Pig Half-Marathon 2010Yesterday I ran the Flying Pig Half with Mikayla. We got downtown in the pouring rain and prayed that we wouldn't have a delay because of the lightning. Our feet were soaked through in the first mile and we ran using garbage bags as ponchos until about mile 2. Luckily, the rain eased up and we ran in sprinkling rain until the end.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div>I loved the crowd support! I could not believe how many people were lining the streets in downtown Cincinnati. People cheered and clapped and shouted out encouragement! We ran along the edges so we could get high-fives whenever possible. I even got a high-five from the Elvis Impersonator at the Krohn Conservatory. The hills were killer! But, I only had to walk about 4-5 times during the entire race. That thrilled me because I have had some really rough long runs over the past few months where I had to walk a lot!<br /></div><br /><div>Shane brought other kids and Eric down to see us run and we found him at about the 8.5 mile mark which was the split-off for the half marathon. the half-marathoners go left and the marathoners go right. I didn't even start the turn. I ran right into his arms for a hug and kiss. Then I told him we wanted pictures. I knew he wouldn't be able to come down for the finish and I HAD to have pictures with my kids. The only bummer was that Hunter was down a few yards with Eric, so he wasn't in the first family photo! But as we passed Hunter and Eric, Shane took another picture for us! </div><br /><div></div><div>Shane got everybody in the van quickly and caught up with us 2 more times on the route where he and the kids yelled out the window and he honked the horn before heading home.</div><br /><div></div><div>Mikayla was really supportive. She is a great runner and could have left me behind many times, but she stuck right by me. We had a wonderful time looking at all the buildings, and people, and beautiful sights. I'm so glad we had this opportunity to accomplish such a huge goal together! She shares my love of running and is much better at it than I am!<br /></div><br /><div>After seeing the family we ran back down into Cincinnati and I was getting very fatigued. The last mile was the worst! I thought I would be so excited and full of adrenaline that it would be easier to finish. Instead, I was praying over and over in my head "Please help me....please help me... please help me..." It kept me moving. We finished in 2 hours 39 minutes!<br /></div><br /><div>I ended up with some chafing burns on my back from my clothing and I got one blister on the arch of my foot that I was expecting anyway. But, as wet as we were, I think we got off pretty easy. My favorite thing about the race was my pace tattoo. You decided how fast you think you can run your race and pick a temporary tattoo to match. It shows you what time the clock should read at each mile marker, so you know if you are running faster or slower than you planned. I LOVED it. During every race I'm doing mental math to see if my pace is ok and this time I just glanced down at my forearm to see how were were doing. Every mile was good. We lost a couple minutes on the hills and and then made it up on the downhills. My pace tattoo was for a 2:45 finish and we did it 2:39! </div><br /><div></div><div>I wondered if I could finish a Half Marathon and now I know that I can. I did it 4 days before my 40th birthday! Today my thighs are sore and I'm tired, but I feel REALLY good. I could use a nap, but Jared isn't cooperating. At my house, "race-recovery" means doing all the housework that didn't get done because I was racing!<br /></div><div>On my other goals, I finally lost the original 22 pounds I set out to lose about a year and a half ago. I swore off pop (diet or sugar-full) for the month of April and didn't cheat at all. I think that helped with the weight-loss! </div><div></div><br /><div>I promised myself that when I finished the half-marathon I would post a picture from my first Flying Pig event. This is Jessica and me at the Flying Pig 5K on 5/6/07! When Jared saw it, he asked who that friend was with Jessica!</div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/S98AyL5VrbI/AAAAAAAAAYc/QWmjTlPhTdc/s1600/Flying+Pig+2007+close-up.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 258px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467089334837816754" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/S98AyL5VrbI/AAAAAAAAAYc/QWmjTlPhTdc/s320/Flying+Pig+2007+close-up.JPG" /></a></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/S97-M3ACAkI/AAAAAAAAAYE/kCElq2Y8iCk/s1600/Flying+Pig+2007.JPG"></a><br /><div>And this is me & Mikayla with Tanner, Savannah, and Jared <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/S97_C26ff7I/AAAAAAAAAYU/u3-m2iDtfbI/s1600/Flying+Pig+Half+Marathon.jpg"></a>yesterday at the Flying Pig Half-marathon!</div><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/S98BT93rz6I/AAAAAAAAAYk/jqc3naWPzls/s1600/Flying+Pig+Half+Marathon.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 302px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467089915188334498" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/S98BT93rz6I/AAAAAAAAAYk/jqc3naWPzls/s320/Flying+Pig+Half+Marathon.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>Here we are with Hunter and Eric!</div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/S98C-WF6ezI/AAAAAAAAAY0/GPH_94lpSY8/s1600/Flying+Pig+Half+Marathon2closeup.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 220px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467091742756600626" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/S98C-WF6ezI/AAAAAAAAAY0/GPH_94lpSY8/s320/Flying+Pig+Half+Marathon2closeup.jpg" /></a></div><div>I still have a long way to go before I reach my ultimate fitness level, but I'm definitely on my way!</div></div></div></div>Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-56327680675189050572010-02-02T13:30:00.002-05:002010-02-02T13:49:46.606-05:00February 2, 2010Holy Cow! Another month gone. 3 months from today is the half-marathon. January actually went really well. I did great with my first goal of just 20 minutes of exercise 5 times a week for 6 weeks.<br /><br />1st week- 137 minutes<br />2nd week- 217 minutes<br />3rd week- 270 minutes<br />4th week- 100 minutes<br /><br />Mikayla and I did our long runs on Saturdays.<br />Jan.9- 2.8 miles<br />Jan. 16- 5.2 miles<br />Jan. 23- 6.4 miles Run, plus 1.6 mile Walk<br />Jan. 30- Mik. was on a temple trip and I chickened out because of the cold!<br /><br />My weight is back down to within 2 pounds of my pre-Christmas weight! I really struggle with controlling my appetite under stress. One day 2 weeks ago, I did really good all day sticking to my diet plans. Then, Shane came home and we were preparing to go out for dinner. Jared woke up from a late nap and came crying up the stairs to our room. Now on my bed was an open package of fruit snacks. I don't actually like fruit snacks. Some child had started this package and left it on my bed. I had seen it several times and passed by it. I wasn't interested in eating it and hadn't yet found the culprit who left it on my bed. When Jared came up the stairs crying, anxiety suddenly kicked in and I actually caught myself reaching for the fruit snack to grab it and eat a couple bites!!!! Wow! What a telling moment. I can do really well with my eating until my stress level increases.<br /><br />I was really glad that I caught myself and recognized that I was just eating for emotional reasons. I confessed (through my tears) to a friend earlier that same week that I am completely willing to do whatever exercise it takes to lose weight, but that I can't control my appetite. She told me about a book about changing your thought process about dieting. I bought it right away. It's called <em>The Complete Beck Diet for Life. </em>I have struggled with depression in the past and have learned how to talk to myself to help combat those feelings, so I was very interested in a book about changing how I talk to myself about dieting. So far, I'm enjoying the book and I think it is helping me feel more in control.<br /><br />The plan is to lose about a 1 pound a week until May 2nd. I'm trying to get as much exercise built into my schedule as possible. So, I'm going to a Zumba class every Monday evening, trying for 3 exercise sessions at home during the week, and then a long run on Saturday. Yesterday, I did an exercise video for 50 minutes and then did Zumba last night. All in all, things are going very well.Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-55285364145874102102010-01-12T22:37:00.002-05:002010-01-12T22:57:09.675-05:00Monday and TuesMonday- I did really well with my eating through the day. Ate a bit too much at dinner, but that happens. Mikayla and I did take Jared in the jogging stroller. Wow! What a process this was. We had to get all our cold weather running stuff on and then get the stroller figured out (we've only used it one other time) and THEN get Jared dressed and ready to go. I was SWEATING up a storm and we were still in the front hall of our house! (note to self: don't put on your coat until you are really sure you are walking out the front door!)<br /><br />Pushing the jogging stroller brought running to a whole new level of difficulty! We couldn't run on the sidewalks because a lot of people haven't cleared the snow off yet, so we ran in the road. There is still a lot of ice and snow there too! So, we ran around the ice, snow, parked cars, and tried to stay out of traffic. But, the thing that killed me were the little wimpy hills! I cannot run up hills easily even when I'm not pushing a 33 pound kid in a stroller!!! We went about 10 minutes and had to turn back because I had to go to work (and I was DYING!). We will try it again, because it was a really good workout. When we got back to the house, Mikayla took Jared up the street of our neighborhood for five extra minutes. Obviously, she is in much better shape than I am!<br /><br />Tuesday- Today started out very promising. I had two jobs and instead of counting of fast food I, (are you sitting down?) ACTUALLY packed my lunch! I know, you are in shock! I packed a nice salad with turkey and cheese, an apple, and a bottle of water. I ate this while getting Jared from preschool and dropping him off at Karlin's while I headed to my next house to clean.<br /><br />After work, I fell off the wagon. I had a lot of driving to do to get Mikayla where she needed to go and the little kids TALKED MY EARS OFF! I swear I must hear the word "mom" 300 times a day. I love my kids so much, but sometimes I can't listen any more. Did I take a time out? No, I took food instead! Ate too much and got discouraged. But, after I ate at 3:30 I decided I was done eating for the day. My late after-lunch-snack could also be my dinner. And so I have not eaten anything else and I'm drinking lots of water. For my exercise today I attended a free Zumba class at a friend's dance studio. Heather went with me and although the music and dance moves were not to our taste, we definitely got a good aerobic workout. It reminded me how much I love a good exercise class and I'm determined to go a couple times a month to the Zumba class I like at another location. It is so fun to see other women dancing and feeling foolish (or some who really CAN dance). It's also nice to get away for a while and sweat away some stress!Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-91034264217143306012010-01-10T22:21:00.002-05:002010-01-10T22:25:06.589-05:00Day 2It is Sunday.....a day of rest. :) I stayed up too late to watch the Dallas Cowboys football game and so arrived at church a bit bleary-eyed. I stuck to my breakfast plan of Special K, milk, and half a banana. Had 3 pieces of chocolate on my way home! oops! Ate a reasonable lunch and dinner. However, I did "stress-eat" a large cookie when I woke up from a too-short nap and had only 30 minutes to get dinner ready for the missionaries. My best accomplishment for today was that I DID NOT EAT any dessert or snacks after dinner and I didn't have 2nds at dinner either.<br /><br />Mikayla and I are going to try running together right after school tomorrow with Jared in a jogging stroller.Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-69648219465375761332010-01-09T11:29:00.004-05:002010-01-09T13:00:32.450-05:0016 Weeks to a Half-MarathonIn 16 Weeks and 1 day I will be running a half-marathon. It will be 4 days before my 40th birthday. This week I have been gearing up and setting my goals and making plans on how I can reach the incredible goal of finishing a half marathon. I work part-time. I am a mom with 5 kids at home and one in college. I have 2 church callings and my husband is a counselor in the bishopric. Sounds like the perfect time to run a half-marathon.<br /><br /><br />Every couple of days I'm going to write my progress (or lack thereof) on my blog. I plan to lose 13 pounds by May 2nd. (That is the big half-marathon day.)<br /><br />This week I started exercising again. I was just aiming for 20 minutes a day for 4 days, because I needed a goal that I felt I could reach. This gearing up worked. I know because last night I dreamed of running again!<br /><br />Wed-Jan 6th- 10 minutes of upper body weights<br />Thurs-Jan 7th- 3 Fast Miles walking DVD & 45 min. shoveling snow<br />Fri-Jan 8th- 4 Fast Miles walking DVD & 45 min. shoveling snow<br /><br />Saturday-Jan 9th. Today Shane took the kids to the Primary activity. I started the dishwasher, ate my Special K cereal breakfast (that is important because I really hate breakfast cereal, but this one tastes good and is part of my diet goals), straightened up the kitchen, started the laundry, popped in my walking DVD, and then got ready to exercise.<br /><br /><br />I was lacing up my shoes and watching the DVD intro when suddenly I realized I was ALONE! I could actually leave the house for a run if I wanted. I couldn't believe my luck! That NEVER happens. I quickly switched to cold weather running clothes, grabbed my cell phone, and RAN OUT THE DOOR!<br /><br />I am so proud of myself. I haven't run outside since early December. I ran 2.8 miles in 32 minutes. I had to walk about a fourth of the time, but that is not too bad since I've not been exercising and I've been eating junk food!<br /><br /><br />I handled the cold pretty well. I need to remember to put on Chapstick, wear heavier gloves, and switch to a hat that covers my ears. Other than that, it was PERFECT!<br /><br /><br />So, wish me luck. I am heading to one of the biggest acheivements I have ever set my heart on.Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-18364861456261284222009-08-03T11:45:00.003-04:002009-08-03T11:49:30.726-04:00Fat ShirtsI just threw away 3 of my old "fat" shirts. It's hard to get rid of them because I still am still so far away from my ultimate goal. I've been stuck at approximately the same weight for 9 months and I'm a bit discouraged. However, I have slowly been getting some smaller size shirts and it's so exciting to fit into clothes that are more flattering. I don't want to hang onto those shirts because they are a reminder of myself 20 pounds heavier and I don't want to ever go back there. So today, I let them go.Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-21342116589881063452009-07-28T16:28:00.004-04:002009-07-28T16:47:24.533-04:00Pink Princess Racing's Fall Racing ScheduleMikayla needs to get back to running in time to compete with the cross country team at the high school. So, this morning we headed back to Winton Woods to run 2 laps. I knew I wouldn't be able to run the whole way, but I was disappointed in how hard it was. I ended up running a 10th of a mile then walking a 10th of a mile. I haven't run much since May. So, I guess it is no surpise that my running has suffered. But, I have made a commitment to take Mikayla running the next two mornings and then take her to run a 5K this Saturday. For the next 3 weeks we plan on going out 4-5 times a week. We've got to get going because I LOVE RACING IN THE FALL!<br /><br />This is a list of our Fall Races:<br /><br />The Black Squirrel 5K: Sept 26th $10 fee<br />The Run for the Nuns 5K: Oct 3rd $20<br />The Turkey Trot 5K: Nov 19th $15<br />The Thanksgiving Day Race 10K: Nov 26th $45<br /><br />These prices are the "pre-registration" prices. I have info/websites for these races if anyone would like to join Pink Princess Racing at any of these events.<br /><br />Each of these races has both running and walking divisions. If you need a goal to help keep you motivated to exercise, pick a race and come do it with us. I love Pink Princess Racing. It is our informal racing group. We encourage each other, compete with each other, cheer for each other, and love each other!<br /><br />If you have never participated in a 5K and you are nervous, talk to one of us and we will tell you everything you need to know. People of all sizes do these races. You don't have to be a skinny minnie to come hang out with us! (But, we accept Skinny Minnies too!)<br /><br />A 5K is 3.2 miles.<br />A 10K is 6.4 miles.<br /><br />My favorite race is the Thanksgiving Day Race. You get up early on Thanksgiving Day and head downtown. It is a HUGE race with tons of people. When you are done you have burned a bunch of calories and can enjoy your turkey and gravy GUILT-FREE!<br /><br />See you at the FINISH LINE!<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/Sm9iz4CyhqI/AAAAAAAAAX0/oSuincWOFog/s1600-h/mauras+finish.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363614324578485922" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/Sm9iz4CyhqI/AAAAAAAAAX0/oSuincWOFog/s320/mauras+finish.JPG" /></a><br />(That's me in the pink finishing the Flying Pig 10K. See, not skinny....still running)Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-79433797074054084292009-06-04T12:06:00.004-04:002009-06-04T13:23:53.568-04:00Jared's Trip to the HospitalIn April, Jared fell down the deck steps at Shane's parents' house. The next day, I decided I better take him to the pediatrician to see if his collarbone was broken. On the way there, he started breathing really funny. Dr. Manfroy looked him over and said his collarbone was definitely broken, but the bigger problem was his breathing, either Jared was having an asthma attack or his lung was punctured from the fall the previous day. Dr. Manfroy told me to take him straight to the hospital!<br /><br />It was a rough ride to the hospital. Jared kept choking on gunk in his throat and then dozing off. I wasn't sure if he was sleeping or losing consciousness due to lack of oxygen. I finally found Children's Hospital downtown and rushed him in.<br /><br />The doctor had called ahead and so a trauma unit was waiting. All of a sudden, Jared was on an exam bed and about a dozen people were around him and me. They got an IV going and had a mask on him, giving him a breathing treatment. Jared kept screaming, "I wanna go home now!" I kept telling him I did too, but we had to help him get better. They needed to give him liquid steroids and asked me if I wanted to give it to him. You BET I did! I sat on the bed with him, held him, and gave him the steroids to open his breathing passages. The doctors brought in a portable X-ray machine and X-rayed his chest right on the bed. <br /><br />They determined that his lung was not punctured, but he was having a severe asthma attack. We ended up spending the night at Children's Hospital. Jared had breathing treatments every hour at first and eventually it stretched to every four hours. When that happened, they let us go home.<br /><br />Before we left the hospital, I asked if I could see his chest X-rays. It was so weird to me that he had a broken collarbone, but no one seemed to care about it. Their whole focus was his breathing problem. If fact, Jared was not put in a brace or anything. His collarbone just healed on its own over then next 4 weeks.<br /><br /><br />Our pediatrician put Jared on children's Claritin for the next month to help control his allergies and that has helped keep the asthma under control. For several weeks, I didn't have to give him a breathing treatment. While my parents were here 2 weeks ago, Jared was coughing up a storm and did have to take albuterol a few times. But, he is doing great. All in all, the whole experience left me even more grateful that our children have been so healthy. And I was thrilled with the staff at Children's Hospital. They took very good care of us.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/Sify4Hq3b6I/AAAAAAAAAXk/UXom9L3crcg/s1600-h/100_7058.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343506528843820962" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/Sify4Hq3b6I/AAAAAAAAAXk/UXom9L3crcg/s320/100_7058.JPG" /></a><br />Jared in the emergency room having a breathing treatment.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SifzFBvVx8I/AAAAAAAAAXs/X9qDnY1PPoc/s1600-h/100_7065.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343506750590273474" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SifzFBvVx8I/AAAAAAAAAXs/X9qDnY1PPoc/s320/100_7065.JPG" /></a><br /> Me holding Jared between breathing treatments.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SifyuUdDpsI/AAAAAAAAAXc/cDXiW5tWqLY/s1600-h/100_7061.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343506360476870338" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SifyuUdDpsI/AAAAAAAAAXc/cDXiW5tWqLY/s320/100_7061.JPG" /></a><br />Jared didn't always like putting on the mask, so Shane took a turn!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SifyuGibZwI/AAAAAAAAAXU/0G833__zReg/s1600-h/100_7062.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343506356741302018" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SifyuGibZwI/AAAAAAAAAXU/0G833__zReg/s320/100_7062.JPG" /></a><br />Jared getting another chest X-ray.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SifytwmDVvI/AAAAAAAAAXM/MSpRwUipuSI/s1600-h/100_7067.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343506350850922226" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SifytwmDVvI/AAAAAAAAAXM/MSpRwUipuSI/s320/100_7067.JPG" /></a><br />Still in the emergency room. Jared was playing with his cars. Bobbye brought Mikayla down with an overnight bag for me and Jared's precious cars.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SifytuLHiwI/AAAAAAAAAXE/LC7iRxVvmCQ/s1600-h/100_7070.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343506350201080578" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SifytuLHiwI/AAAAAAAAAXE/LC7iRxVvmCQ/s320/100_7070.JPG" /></a><br />This is Jared in his little hospital gown in his hospital room. He wanted me to sleep with him part of the night in his bed. I got about 40 minutes sleep that night.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/Sifytf7tFBI/AAAAAAAAAW8/smRIF2gn5XA/s1600-h/100_7071.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343506346378335250" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/Sifytf7tFBI/AAAAAAAAAW8/smRIF2gn5XA/s320/100_7071.JPG" /></a><br />This is a stuffed fox that the emergency room staff brought to Jared to help him calm down. At first, he hated it. Later that night he had relaxed and came to love it. He named him Foxy!Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-44236496233153504682009-04-14T17:40:00.007-04:002009-04-14T17:59:04.070-04:00Happy EasterOn Sunday, we had our very first Easter dinner in this house and it was wonderful.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SeUDsy8SFdI/AAAAAAAAAWc/QMCx6fHWPnY/s1600-h/100_7050.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324666202559223250" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SeUDsy8SFdI/AAAAAAAAAWc/QMCx6fHWPnY/s320/100_7050.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><div> </div><div>Ron and Diane came to dinner. The kids were so excited when they rang the doorbell. Jared ran up to Diane and said, "I miss you!" over and over!</div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SeUDLDzahnI/AAAAAAAAAWE/fbAsvpit72U/s1600-h/100_7049.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324665622969878130" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SeUDLDzahnI/AAAAAAAAAWE/fbAsvpit72U/s320/100_7049.JPG" /></a></div><div> </div><div>All the kids helped with the cooking and cleaning and we even had the table set before we left for church!</div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SeUDXrCZhwI/AAAAAAAAAWM/RVUr8jCPhyA/s1600-h/100_7048.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324665839660140290" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SeUDXrCZhwI/AAAAAAAAAWM/RVUr8jCPhyA/s320/100_7048.JPG" /></a></div><div> </div><div>As we sat down for dinner, I looked at the table and realized how many people actually contributed to it. Ron and Diane brought the ham, veggie tray, and dessert. Bobbye gave us the dining room table and chairs, and the beautiful crystal pitcher holding the water. Three of the bowls on the table were inherited from my Aunt Mary a few years ago. Jessica gave me a gift card so I could buy this new tablecloth after Christmas. I bought the glass goblets and white cloth napkins on the recommendation of my friend Sherrill. One of the crystal bowls was a wedding gift. And best of all I pulled out some of my Grandma Schofield's silver to use to serve side dishes!!! It's amazing to me how many different people bless our lives day to day and sometimes we don't even realize it.</div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SeUDjtZXSWI/AAAAAAAAAWU/eNdJVVnu1ak/s1600-h/100_7051.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324666046451763554" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SeUDjtZXSWI/AAAAAAAAAWU/eNdJVVnu1ak/s320/100_7051.JPG" /></a></div><div>My testimony of the Savior continues to grow. This Easter Sunday I was again grateful for my Father in Heaven who sent his Son to earth so that my family can be together forever. Because, after everything else, that's all that really matters.</div></div></div>Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-83108614915119276692009-04-14T16:40:00.003-04:002009-04-14T17:22:16.404-04:0010 Reasons Why I Love My Dad<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SeT3yI75nlI/AAAAAAAAAVs/-uzWmlkQvzc/s1600-h/Copy+of+100_0793.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 249px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324653100223012434" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SeT3yI75nlI/AAAAAAAAAVs/-uzWmlkQvzc/s320/Copy+of+100_0793.JPG" /></a><br /><br />1) He loves his family more than anything in the world and shows it.<br /><br />2) He is brave and adventurous. He travels in and out of the United States and doesn't seem to have any fear of doing it alone. I admire that quaility a lot!<br /><br />3) He likes to read and introduced me to some great books in my youth. My favorites: the James Herriot books.<br /><br />4) He made sure we went on nice family vacations. We went home to Colorado to see family, visited Branson Missouri, Natchez Mississippi, California, the Grand Canyon, etc. Dad likes to spend time with us. One of my favorite memories of my dad is when he was planning to take my brother, Theo, on the motorcycle up in the mountains for an overnight campout. I begged to be included and so we took the car and went. The next morning, Dad fried bacon and then cooked potatoes and eggs in the bacon grease. It was DELICIOUS. I can still remember how cool the mountain air was, the sunrise beaming through the trees and that amazing breakfast.... YUM!<br /><br />5) Dad always made sure we had what we needed as kids. We didn't always get what we "wanted", but we got what we needed!<br /><br />6) He took me out for Jack in the Box breakfasts on Saturday if I got out of bed early enough. Not always easy when I was a teenager.<br /><br />7) I learned my love of flower gardening from my dad. He taught me how to compost at an early age. In Texas, he and I did the front flower beds together. I remember my sister Sheralyn volunteering to do the inside work on Saturdays, but I liked to be outside. (Okay, I didn't like to work outside when it was hot, which is a lot of the time in Texas. Dad may have had to drag me out of the house more than I remember.) We still talk about our flowers. He has a great rose garden!<br /><br />8) Dad is a big train enthusiast. He knows all about steam trains and has passed that love on to several of my children. <br /><br />9) He taught me how to swing a hammer. Dad had us kids help build the fence along our property in South Jordan, Utah. We didn't finish by the time we moved and I can't say we did the best job, but I know how to hammer and even helped Shane roof our last house.<br /><br />10) Most of all I love my dad because he loves me. I wish I lived closer to him so I could goof off with him or work alongside him like the old days!<br /><br />HAPPY BIRTHDAY (yesterday) DAD!!! You are the best dad any girl could ever have!!!!Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-13944260369789545142009-03-23T21:13:00.003-04:002009-03-23T21:17:22.643-04:00Happy DayI'm excited today because I realized that I am 20 pounds lighter today than I was a year ago on this date! I still have a long way to go to my ultimate goal, but I am definitely getting there. I have been at approximately the same weight for several months, but I think I'm going to break through this plateau soon!<br /><br />Now the plan is to lose 8 more pounds before May 2nd. It is a very ambitious goal, but that is the weekend of the Flying Pig 10K and 5K and I can't wait! Our Pink Princess racing team is getting ready to FLYYYYYYYYY!!!!!Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-18397921383045313002009-03-13T19:42:00.001-04:002009-03-13T19:44:36.578-04:00Dave Ramsey Financial ClassDear Friends,<br />I am just putting in a plug for the Financial Peace University class being taught at church on Thursday nights. Shane and I took this class last year at Rolling Hills Baptist Church and it is AWESOME!!!! Even if you feel you have good control over your finances, this class is chock full of good information. Plus, Dave Ramsey is incredibly entertaining. During each class, we watched a DVD by Dave and we came away excited about gaining control of our money. I STRONGLY encourage you to take the class if at all possible.<br /><br />Brother Jewell in the Hamilton Ward is teaching this class and its starting soon.....the 19th or the 26th. (I'm not sure which.) You don't want to miss it!!!!<br />Shane and I are planning on coming to a couple classes just for a refresher. They are SO GOOD.<br />MauraPampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-24317314665091602542009-01-06T09:57:00.014-05:002009-01-06T10:50:01.116-05:00Michael's Baptism<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWNzC9P_xwI/AAAAAAAAAUU/SRznCXmLHUE/s1600-h/100_0782.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288196882101683970" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWNzC9P_xwI/AAAAAAAAAUU/SRznCXmLHUE/s400/100_0782.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />What a great weekend! Dad came up to visit and attend Michael's baptism. It was standing room only in the Relief Society room Saturday night. I couldn't believe how many people came. Lots of friends came, Shane's parents came, and several people I didn't even recognize. Glenn Unklesbay spoke and had great insight on joining the church as a teenager. Chris, Michael's brother, baptized Michael. That was really cool. Chris joined the church last year and was honored to be the one to baptize his "little" brother. Michael's mom, dad, and grandparents also came. They are really fun people and "grandpa" had us all laughing when he started acting up during the picture taking. (Wouldn't you know my camera died just when he got silly! I hope to get copies.)<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWNzjs-BoZI/AAAAAAAAAUk/-IW0N60ma3Q/s1600-h/100_0783.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288197444667023762" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWNzjs-BoZI/AAAAAAAAAUk/-IW0N60ma3Q/s400/100_0783.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>Chris, Michael, and Shane (he confirmed Michael in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday.)</div><div></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWNzWcugMiI/AAAAAAAAAUc/BsC-WrURPGg/s1600-h/100_0786.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288197216968651298" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWNzWcugMiI/AAAAAAAAAUc/BsC-WrURPGg/s400/100_0786.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>After the baptism, Michael and Chris came up with "M is for Mormon"!</div><div></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWNz85Zyf8I/AAAAAAAAAUs/U-A7X5WcQBs/s1600-h/100_0790.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288197877501427650" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWNz85Zyf8I/AAAAAAAAAUs/U-A7X5WcQBs/s400/100_0790.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>Darlene (Michael's mom), Michael, his grandparents (so sweet), Chris, and Mark (Michael's dad) in the church foyer after the baptism.</div><div></div><div>Our families went out together to McDonalds for a little celebratory ice cream. Things got a little messy!<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWN1D2qDFyI/AAAAAAAAAU0/cenTYSgNouk/s1600-h/100_0791.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288199096535029538" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWN1D2qDFyI/AAAAAAAAAU0/cenTYSgNouk/s400/100_0791.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>Jared got really sticky by the time this ice cream was gone.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWN1zs1ugAI/AAAAAAAAAVM/W6hxxe57zTw/s1600-h/100_0793.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288199918533378050" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWN1zs1ugAI/AAAAAAAAAVM/W6hxxe57zTw/s400/100_0793.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Grandpa Schofield got a great seat at the kids' table. Next to Hunter on the left is Alanna, a neighbor friend.)<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWN2Yq0UhtI/AAAAAAAAAVU/L0sSVra6I-E/s1600-h/100_0794.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288200553645770450" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SWN2Yq0UhtI/AAAAAAAAAVU/L0sSVra6I-E/s400/100_0794.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>We noticed that all the little kids had left the table and Grandpa was all alone. (He was really okay with that.) Mikayla was worried about him and went over to rescue him. I can't believe this is the only picture I got of Jessica before my camera battery died.</div><div>What a great night! </div><div>p.s. For those of you who might not know, Michael is Jessica's boyfriend and a real sweetheart. He's like a big brother to all our other kids. We love him!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-1555692185415648102008-12-29T21:55:00.007-05:002008-12-29T22:16:08.167-05:00A New Member of the Family<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SVmOVyh9_EI/AAAAAAAAAT8/J2sng3EexL0/s1600-h/100_0769.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285412142688631874" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SVmOVyh9_EI/AAAAAAAAAT8/J2sng3EexL0/s400/100_0769.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>This is our new kid---Cody!<br /></div><div>He is a real doll. Shane and I met him a week before Christmas and had him delivered Christmas morning. The kids were thrilled. Tanner kept walking around saying he was dreaming! Cody is 11 months old and house-trained (a major plus). I swore we wouldn't get another dog until all the kids were out of diapers, but Cody was too good to pass up. </div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SVmPSHGGy3I/AAAAAAAAAUE/S-h0fso-pKU/s1600-h/100_0772.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285413179001064306" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SVmPSHGGy3I/AAAAAAAAAUE/S-h0fso-pKU/s400/100_0772.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>Supposedly, he is part Austrialian shepherd and blue heeler, but we think he has setter and pointer in him because of his markings. He belonged to Jessica's friend Aaron at school, but Aaron's family is pretty grown up and they were gone all day at work and school leaving Cody in a crate a lot of the time. So, they decided to look for a home where Cody would have lots of kids to play with. They found the right place. </div><div></div><br /><div>The first few days were pretty rough, especially Christmas night. Cody paced through the house, not knowing where he was supposed to be. Eventually, he laid down and relaxed a bit, but he was up 3 times in the night. Jessica has decided that he must sleep in her room and that has been great. She lets him out in the night if he needs it and first thing in the morning she takes him to the backyard for a long game of fetch! He has tons of energy and loves to run after anything you throw for him. He's still got a bit of puppy in him and chewed up a "Pokeball" that Hunter got for Christmas. (Hunter is still not over it and wouldn't you know Meijer is out of them so I haven't been able to replace it!) Cody buries his rawhide bones and tonight during scripture time he came running into the living room with the bone he recovered from under a tree in the backyard. It was a bit dirty. I had a hard time concentrating on the scriptures between Jared kicking a soccer ball (and then cheering for himself) and watching Cody toss his bone in the air and try to catch it!</div><div></div><br /><div>So, the chaos of our home has moved up another notch.....oh and did I mention Santa brought Tanner a set of drums!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SVmR36PukrI/AAAAAAAAAUM/ZlyMmaXBT3g/s1600-h/100_0725.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285416027410043570" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SVmR36PukrI/AAAAAAAAAUM/ZlyMmaXBT3g/s400/100_0725.JPG" border="0" /></a></div>Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-88801930311121317632008-12-13T18:03:00.001-05:002008-12-13T18:04:44.101-05:00Dear SantaThe gift you left on the front seat of our van was over the top! Thank you and God Bless!<br />Maura, Shane and the kidsPampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-48183142599121694632008-12-12T10:16:00.007-05:002008-12-12T10:25:41.956-05:00Homecoming<div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SUKBZRc4uBI/AAAAAAAAATU/954Pav1zaHo/s1600-h/100_0574.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278923984412915730" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SUKBZRc4uBI/AAAAAAAAATU/954Pav1zaHo/s400/100_0574.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div>I've been slacking on blogging. Here is Jessica and Michael before the Homecoming Dance.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SUKB44mEreI/AAAAAAAAATc/vcMyPod_GHU/s1600-h/100_0581.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278924527496375778" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SUKB44mEreI/AAAAAAAAATc/vcMyPod_GHU/s400/100_0581.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>and here are my 3 girls. Jessica, Savannah, and Mikayla.</div><div>I sure love them!</div>Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-65005159981673198012008-12-12T10:04:00.003-05:002008-12-12T10:09:17.585-05:00My Star Quilt<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SUJ9nx-PfTI/AAAAAAAAASs/Y_ww4Y5D7RY/s1600-h/100_0712.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278919835614412082" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SUJ9nx-PfTI/AAAAAAAAASs/Y_ww4Y5D7RY/s400/100_0712.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This picture is for you Grandma Martin!!! I finally learned how to put pictures on my blog using this computer. I'm hand-quilting this using a large wooden hoop, so you can still see I have large safety pins all over it. I've finished a lot of the stars and a lot of the yellow blocks. I haven't decided how I want to quilt the stripped border. The white edge is temporary to protect the edge until I'm ready to bind it. I'll probably bind it in bright yellow, maybe dark blue.<br /><br />When my mom and dad were here to visit in October, I showed the quilt to my dad and he asked me what I was going to do with it when I was done. I told him I was "giving it to myself". hee hee. I just love the colors and it makes me happy everytime I work on it.Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-7470974580170251302008-12-12T09:49:00.002-05:002008-12-12T09:54:53.962-05:00Morning Surprise<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SUJ6MZdTaaI/AAAAAAAAASk/aGMIr3YHG7s/s1600-h/100_0709.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278916066642454946" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SUJ6MZdTaaI/AAAAAAAAASk/aGMIr3YHG7s/s400/100_0709.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />I was working on a Christmas present in the dining room and decided I needed more light. I threw open the curtains and saw this beautiful buck behind the back fence. He was just looking over the fence next to the old tree house!!! I went out the back door and took his picture. That startled him and he ran away.<br /><br />Later, Jared pointed at the window and yelled "DEER!" No. There wasn't another deer. Just great imagination. It was a fun way to start the day.Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-44064253638701463222008-12-08T21:07:00.003-05:002008-12-12T10:14:53.571-05:00Chorus Concert<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SUJ_nY9LhDI/AAAAAAAAAS8/FF5Sk39wKlA/s1600-h/100_0706.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278922027922326578" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SUJ_nY9LhDI/AAAAAAAAAS8/FF5Sk39wKlA/s400/100_0706.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Hunter, Savannah (looking strangely dazed!), Tanner, and Mikayla on the stage after the performance!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SUJ_Dg1oLBI/AAAAAAAAAS0/eSUB2BrZ0gc/s1600-h/100_0701.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278921411562843154" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SUJ_Dg1oLBI/AAAAAAAAAS0/eSUB2BrZ0gc/s400/100_0701.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Tanner is in the second row, 4th kid from the left. I know....we couldn't pick him out either! :)<br /><br /><br />Tonight we went to the elementary school for Tanner's 4th Grade Chorus Concert. It was really nice. They sang 4 Christmas songs and a Hannukah song. My favorite was "Christmas is Coming and WE are Getting Fat"!!! It was a funny commentary on the overeating some of us do during the holidays. I loved the line about waddling up the stairs after Thanksgiving dinner!Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-30795868108969723582008-12-08T21:06:00.003-05:002008-12-08T21:07:45.732-05:00Yay! Yay! Yay! Kim's got a blog!I'm so psyched! One of my favorite friends has joined the blogging world. Some of you know her as Kim Whiting. Here is a link to her brand new blog!!!!<br /><br /><a href="http://whitinghouse.blogspot.com/">http://whitinghouse.blogspot.com </a><br /><br />go say hi!Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-226387335855305762008-11-14T09:09:00.003-05:002008-11-14T10:50:14.297-05:00I Was Tagged!Adrienne<a href="http://unklesbay.blogspot.com/">http://unklesbay.blogspot.com/</a> tagged me a few weeks ago, so I'm fianlly getting around to my assignment. Heather tagged me too, but I didn't realize it.... sorry Heather! Here are the rules:<br /><br />1. Link to the person who tagged you.<br />2. Mention the rules on your blog.<br />3. Tell 6 unspectacular quirks about yourself.<br />4. Tag 6 unsuspecting fellow bloggers by linking to them.<br />5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they have been tagged.<br /><br />My Quirks<br /><br />1. I dream of running, quite literally. Several years ago, I started trying to run. I couldn't even run a 10th of a mile at a time. But, after weeks and months of effort, I ran my first mile and then my first 3 miles. I also read everything I could get my hands on about running for exercise, running for weightloss, running marathons, etc. About that time, I began to dream I was running. In my dreams, I can run with very little effort. I'm strong, much thinner, my breathing is steady and my stride is smooth. My favorite running dream (okay, it's about the only one I can remember) is of running down a gravel road in the San Luis Valley in Colorado. There are fields of sunflowers on my left and on my right. That road really exists! When we went to visit our family in Colorado back in 2004, the sunflowers were in bloom and I can still see those fields just as vividly as if I were there this morning. So, one day, I hope to run in the San Luis Valley. (However, the altitude is outrageously high there, so I don't know if I could get my lungs to cooperate during a short visit. My aunt even told me Olympic runners train there!)<br /><br />2. I have a VERY strong desire to learn to speak Spanish. This may be because of my adoration of Mexican food and I just want to order EVERYTHING on the menu at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Acapulco, but I think there may be more to it. Ever since I was a little girl, I heard my dad speaking Spanish to utter strangers. I guess that has always seemed kind of magical, super-hero-ish to me. When my parents came to visit last month, I got to introduce Dad to Jessica Martin who is from Chile. Off they went, talking a mile a minute. I was standing right there and only understood 2 phrases, but I LOVED it! My brother, Theo, served his mission in Chile and married my awesome sister-in-law who is originally from the Dominican Republic. So, now Theo knows "the secret" and speaks Spanish too. I've paid attention when he and Kirudys are talking to their kids, but I've only learned one word, "mira". I don't know if that is how you spell it. But, Theo told me it means "look". When my family was at the zoo last summer, we were behind a group of Hispanic people in line to ride the train and one woman said, "Mira!" I looked and on the ground was a 20$ bill. It was cool that I understood her! Unfortunately, I was too slow and they picked up their dropped money before I could make a dive for it!!!! I hope when the kids are a bit older I can learn Spanish, for now, I just pay attention to the waiters at Acapulco!!!!<br /><br />3. I really like the large African mammals. When I go to the zoo, I love to watch the giraffes, elephants, zebras, and hippos! I'm not a real big fan of the lions and cheetahs. But, the others I could watch for hours. They are amazing to me. I love to read about them. I like to learn the different breeds, etc. I don't know why, but they are SO COOL!<br /><br />4. I love to read cookbooks. I like to look at the pictures and read the recipes and try to figure out if they would taste good. I also like to buy cookbooks. A few years ago, Shane told me I couldn't buy anymore cookbooks until I had made a recipe from each cookbook I owned. (I don't take him that seriously...hee hee.) I don't have the time to do as much experimenting and cooking as I would like, but now and then I make some new dishes and love it. Along with that, I love kitchen tools, hand towels, kitchen catalogs, kitchen stores, spice racks, cookware, etc. Thank goodness my budget is small or my small kitchen would be stuffed to the brim with things I don't really need!<br /><br />5. I like maps. When we travel, I always like to have the road atlas. Even though Shane could probably drive to his parents' mobile home in the mountains of Pennsylvania with his eyes closed, I am not satisfied. I must have a road map. It's not even that I don't believe he can get us there. It's just that I like to know where I am and I love to know the names of the rivers and lakes we pass. I like to read the names of the small towns and look for historical sites. And maps aren't just for travel time. Maps are just way cool anytime.<br /><br />6. My last and final quirk is that I have a VERY long life list. I have so many things I want to do and learn in my life. I'm still planning on learning more piano. I want to learn to cook Chinese food, write calligraphy, pet a dolphin, cruise to Alaska, see Washington DC, learn to juggle, waste hours and hours doing jigsaw puzzles, figure out how to replicate my Grandma Schofield's banana bread, visit Cozemel, Mexico, learn to make my Grandma Martin's potato cakes (she's helping me on that one), join a gym, run a half-marathon (or maybe a full marathon), finish my degree from BYU, have a real vegetable garden, etc. Life may just be a bit too short. But, I figure I'm on the Camilla Kimball plan. She is one of my heroes. She kept learning her whole life long and I plan on doing the same.<br /><br />I tag:<br /><br />1. My cousin Constance- <a href="http://waverlybowen.blogspot.com/">http://waverlybowen.blogspot.com/</a><br />2. My sister Jocelyn- <a href="http://jocelynsinanities.blogspot.com/">http://jocelynsinanities.blogspot.com/</a><br />3. My friend Sylvia- <a href="http://smilensylli.blogspot.com/">http://smilensylli.blogspot.com/</a><br />4. My extra brother Eric- <a href="http://themanofsteelleg.blogspot.com/">http://themanofsteelleg.blogspot.com/</a><br />5. My friend Julie- <a href="http://danieljuliepace.blogspot.com/">http://danieljuliepace.blogspot.com/</a><br />6. My friend Cassie- <a href="http://5inthebed.blogspot.com/">http://5inthebed.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />Unfortunately, I am not very blogger savvy and can't figure out how to "name" these links and make it look nicer. Oh well. Consider yourselves TAGGED!!!Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-28428569167622939012008-10-12T22:38:00.003-04:002008-10-12T22:46:41.544-04:00A Walk at the ParkTonight for part of our Family Home Evening we loaded up the kids, bikes, and the wagon and headed for Winton Woods. It was the first time in years that we have gone down to walk around the lake together. We had a wonderful time. We brought the wagon for Jared, but at around the third of a mile marker he was already out and ready to run. He stayed close to me the whole way around the lake and kept calling out, "Run Mom!" and then we would run together. <br /><br />He ran a mile. <br /><br />No wonder I can't get him to sit still first thing Sunday morning for sacrament meeting. The boy has TONS of energy! <br /><br />It was exciting to me to run with him and not become the least bit winded. I felt like I was on The Biggest Loser tv show where at the end they show how much healthier the person is and the person says, "I always wanted to be able to keep up with my kids." I still have a long way to go to reach my weight loss goals, but I remember the first time we went to walk around the lake, I asked Shane to drop me off at the half mile mark so I could walk back to the beginning. At that time, I couldn't even WALK a mile. That was 3 kids ago. Now, I've run two 10K races and five 5K races. It is exciting to me that for now, growing older means I'm also growing stronger.<br /><br />Savannah on the other hand chose to ride in the wagon pretty much the whole way......Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367360439401267341.post-71974225810504072772008-10-05T21:53:00.011-04:002008-10-05T22:49:32.864-04:00The Black Squirrel 5KOn Saturday the 27th of September our Pink Princess Racing Team went to Glendale to run the Black Squirrel 5K. It was a blast!<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SOlx2baKBYI/AAAAAAAAAMc/QiEHTbcCuDI/s1600-h/100_0553.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253855620188734850" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SOlx2baKBYI/AAAAAAAAAMc/QiEHTbcCuDI/s320/100_0553.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Here is our team photo. Left to right: Sylvia, Courtney (Sylvia's niece), Me (Maura), and Mikayla.<br />This was the first time any of us have done to the Black Squirrel. It was MUCH harder than Sylvia or I were expecting. When we picked up our race packets the night before the race, we were told that the first part of the race was the hardest and that it got easier after that. WOW! Talk about an understatement!!! After only a few tenths of a mile the race went up a horrible hill. I will forever call it "heartbreak hill". It was a real struggle for me to keep my feet running all the way up. I felt like my feet weighed an extra 10 pounds a piece. Due to the hurricane earlier this month, there was a lot of debris still on the road: lots of twigs, leaves, etc. When I finally saw the one mile mark, I had already decided that they had neglected to put mile markers on the race!!! ONE MILE????? Are you KIDDING ME? I swear I thought I had already gone at least a mile and a half. What a disappointment! :)<br /><br />My sport watch's battery died over a year ago and since I wasn't running much, I haven't replaced it yet. So, in place of a watch, I took my trusty cell phone with me so I could look down at the time and see what my pace was. Unfortunately, the print on my cell phone screen is kind of small and with how much my hand was bouncing I couldn't read the numbers at ALL!<br /><br />I had been sick for several days with a sore throat and wasn't sure I would be able to run the whole race. I'm happy to say that not only was I able to run, but my finish time was surprisingly good! I finished in 31:44 minutes. (I had been hoping to finish in 36 minutes or less!) My legs felt like JELLO for 5 minutes afterwards, but it was so exciting to see Eric, Margret, and her kids, and Mikayla waiting for me at the finish line!<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SOlyGdr3nPI/AAAAAAAAAMk/Koz8y22ok0M/s1600-h/100_0554.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253855895677803762" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SOlyGdr3nPI/AAAAAAAAAMk/Koz8y22ok0M/s320/100_0554.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Here's Mikayla crossing the line! She did GREAT! I keep complaining about how hard the Black Squirrel course was. Mikayla says she liked it! What an awesome runner she is!<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SOlykHI9RWI/AAAAAAAAAM0/piueIDtehSA/s1600-h/100_0555.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253856405021869410" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SOlykHI9RWI/AAAAAAAAAM0/piueIDtehSA/s320/100_0555.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div>Okay, here's me. I'm huffing and puffing, but notice the girl behind me in the cute blue "running skirt". I had passed her about halfway through the race and as we were coming down the last couple tenths of a mile she passed me!!! This could not be! I poured it on the last hundred yards and beat her! Who says I'm competetive???<br /></div><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SOlywQMAwtI/AAAAAAAAAM8/W8gDbcIEF1A/s1600-h/100_0556.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253856613609030354" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SOlywQMAwtI/AAAAAAAAAM8/W8gDbcIEF1A/s320/100_0556.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>Courtney did wonderful! She too said the course wasn't that bad! I loved getting to know her better. She is a real sweetheart and I can't wait to run more races with her! Her finish time was super!<br /></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SOly8av-eYI/AAAAAAAAANE/8edykJmfUyA/s1600-h/100_0557.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253856822602660226" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SOly8av-eYI/AAAAAAAAANE/8edykJmfUyA/s320/100_0557.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>Last, but NOT LEAST! Here is my amazing friend Sylvia. She had a rough week too and the course was STRENUOUS! But, I am so proud of her. She did not give up! Sylvia finished really strong even though she wasn't feeling very good. Courtney, Mikayla, and I walked back along the course to find her and walk in with her. It was such a good feeling when she crossed the finish line and we got to cheer for her. She is an amazing woman!</div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SOlzU3o4_4I/AAAAAAAAANU/BEtzoz2_7XA/s1600-h/100_0558.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253857242674429826" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IoCwSLJiOpY/SOlzU3o4_4I/AAAAAAAAANU/BEtzoz2_7XA/s400/100_0558.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>Now this is my favorite picture of them all. Here is our team family. I and Mikayla are in back. Then we have Justin, Jessica with Heston, Sylvia, Margret, Courtney, and Eric. What a blast it was to have Margret and her kids with us at the race! The four of us runners came home with really cool participation medals and all of us came home with wonderful memories of a fun morning. </div><div></div><div>I can't wait for next year! </div><div></div><div>(okay, i could do without the hills! Sylvia is making me go back to train so we'll be ready for next year..... yuck!!!) </div></div></div>Pampered Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14540620567708714367noreply@blogger.com9