A Great Visit #2

This week, we had the opportunity to have my Grandparents, Ellie's Great-Grandparents, come and visit and I have to say that I love it when they come to see us.  They have served several missions around the world, but we were fortunate enough to have them close to us during their last mission because it was at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  Unfortunately, since they were released, which was a few years ago, we haven't had the chance to see them as much as we would like to because they live in California, so when we do we really cherish those moments.  Also, I have to brag because I think my Grandparents are the coolest people in the world.  For their 80th birthdays, which are days apart, they went skydiving and put it on their Christmas cards and I can't think of a cooler Christmas card.

We love you, Grandma and Grandpa Day!

A Great Visit

A couple of weeks ago, we had the wonderful opportunity to have my mom and Michele visit us and it was so much fun.  It was only the second time my mom had seen Ellie since she was born because she lives in Kansas and it was the first time for Michele, but that didn't matter to Ellie.  She went right to them like she had been seeing them every day since the day she was born and I have to say that it made me so happy because Ellie doesn't do that with a lot of people and I really wanted them to have a nice visit.  But I just wanted to thank both of them for coming and spending time with us because it was so great and we missed them so much when they left. And also, we took a three generation picture with my mom that was a little surreal at the moment because I couldn't believe that I was part of a picture that included my mother, me, and my daughter instead of how it has been my whole life which is my grandmother, mother, and me.  But it was a great time and I hope they can come back soon, and so does Ellie.  We Love You!

This is no good

Like so many others in this vast universe, I have read, and um, re-read the Twilight books.  I have lived vicariously through the lives of these teenagers and their angst, sour dispositions, and finally, forbidden vampire love.  I have enjoyed talking to many people about the books, people I would have never spoken to before like that strange woman I saw in my dermatologist's office with a patch over her eye.  Hey, she was reading the book and I had to say something.  And because I have become so familiar with these characters I expected more from the picture above.  Unlike many people, mostly women, I think the casting of this movie was correct.  Edward, being played by Robert Pattinson, is someone I think would do a good job mainly because I saw him in the fourth Harry Potter movie and liked him...even though he was a teenager.  Is that weird because I'm 27?  I won't think about it.  And Bella, being played by Kristen Stewart, is just pretty enough, but not quite drop-dead gorgeous.  And in the books, their descriptions are simple.  Edward is good-looking and Bella is somewhat plain.  So let's go  back to the picture.  Does it represent these two in the right light?  I think not.  It's as if they got to the photo shoot and the photographer had no idea who they were, had never even heard of the books, and just found out he was a vampire.  I can only imagine the conversation he had with the actors when they arrived and I'm sure it went something like this:

"Oh, you are supposed to be a vampire?  Interesting.  And you, you are his girlfriend?  How does that work?  Oh, no I haven't read the books.  Now let's see. (Photographer to hairdresser)  You know, Michael, I don't think we will be needing you today.  I think I know the perfect people who would get this done perfectly and they're cheap.  All they need is a round brush and aquanet."

(Photographer to make-up artist) "You know, Mariel, you can also take the day off.  My friend, Robert, is in town and frankly, he doesn't have a whole lot to do.  I just hope he brings the right shade of red."

And finally, (photographer to stylist) "And Jacques, take an early lunch. I'm going to go back in time to fetch my good friend, Steff.  He's the best at fashions that require button-up shirts to expose bare chests.  I wonder if he will suggest a pastel suit with white loafers and no socks.  If only I knew the state that "John Hughes Town" was in."

Cost to make good-looking guy look like a girl, $3000 dollars. Cost to make good-looking girl look like a 1940's harlot, $4000 dollars.  The agonizing screams that millions of women made at the sight of this picture, priceless. 

A Moment...with Meagan

This moment comes courtesy from a walk I make often to the Smith's grocery store that is near my house. This walk began like any other.  I needed to pick up a prescription so I lathered Ellie in sun block, loaded her into her stroller, and off we were.  While on our walk, we passed many people, mainly construction workers because there is so much building going on around my house, and as usual I see everyone around me, but never notice anything that catches my eye, that is, until today.  But this person that I noticed wasn't a construction worker, he was a teenager, either a high school graduate or a senior.  He was at the gas station in the Smith's parking lot and the reason he caught my eye was because he was wearing swim trunks.  It was the swim trunks that threw me into my moment.  As soon as I saw them, I began to day dream about the life I had at his age when a hot summer day provided so many opportunities.  When waking up at 11:00 was the norm and calling your friends after lunch/breakfast was the daily routine.  When you could throw on your swim suit without a thought to how you looked because you hadn't yet gained 50 pounds when you were pregnant and no matter how many miles you run or how much water you drink it still hasn't gone away.  When it was so hot that the only thing to quench the heat was cliff jumping at Causey Reservoir.  When you looked so forward to the drive to the cliffs because somehow eight of you fit into my '91 Mazda Protege that has been through more accidents than Evil Kinevil has broken bones and nothing is better than that drive with the windows down, the wind blowing through my hair, a 32 oz. Mountain Dew in my cup holder, and Weezer's "Buddy Holly" playing in my CD player.  When you work your 15-20 hour a week job at $5.25 an hour so that after 2 weeks you receive the fortune that is about $150 dollars in your paycheck.  When thinking about the future meant if you were going to Taco Bell that night or roasting hots dogs over a campfire.  And finally, when the words mortgage, income, and health insurance weren't a part of your vocabulary.  

But suddenly, I was taken out of my daydream because my sweet daughter had dropped her Elmo, her most favorite thing and all I heard was, "Emo, bye bye,"  which is a sweeter sound than any symphony could ever play.  I picked it up and handed it to her, and as she took it from me she had a smile on her face that would melt the coldest man's heart and I thought to myself, nothing is better than this.

I Have To Brag

My good friend, Cara, who ran the Ragnar with me just let me know that there is a DVD trailer of the race we just ran and you can actually see little old me.  I'm in the very first part where they start at the finish line and you see us from behind and I am the girl in the red shirt clapping with her hands in the air and also, about 29 seconds in, you see the guy in the cross-country skis and I am the girl in the red shirt standing right next to him.  I know, I think I'm much cooler than I actually am.  Oh, and to answer Janel's question, no, he did not have wheels on the bottom of his skis, but he still passed me. 

Happy Belated 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!  Now, I realize it's the 8th of July, but should there be a time limit on when we can celebrate our countries independence?  I think not.  Therefore, here I go.  I had to show the picture above because Grandma Natasha bought she and Ellie matching flag shirts and they looked so cute and I had to put them on display.  Moving on.  As I think about this past 4th of July, Ellie's first, there were so many things I wanted to do, even though they were things I severely dislike. The first was to go to a parade, something I find a complete waste of time and resources, but I have noticed at past parades that children quite enjoy them, so I thought, why not?  We were going to go with our wonderful friends, the Meese's, and their twin boys, but unfortunately one of the boys wasn't feeling well, so it didn't happen.  The other thing I wanted to do, for Ellie, was attend a fire works show.  Now, not only do I find them insanely boring, is there a need for the city to spend thousands of dollars, which could go to something more useful such as, oh I do know, the schools?  Apparently, there is.  But, we also missed that because the weather wasn't good.  But even though we missed these wonderfully patriotic traditions, we still have the 24th of July, also known as Pioneer Day, but I refer to it as "Mormon Christmas."  So, with fingers crossed and hopefully non-sick kids, we will do all those things in 16 days.

I Can't Believe It's Over!

Well, we did it!  We ran the Ragnar and I have to say that it was the funnest time ever.  I don't think I have ever laughed so hard, smelled so bad, or been so tired in my whole entire life, but it was so worth it and I would do it again in a heart beat.  And to the girls in my van, I love you all so much and thank you for putting up with my crazy antics.  You all kicked some serious butt.

These were the awesome girls in my van from left to right:  Monica, Kathy, Andrea, Meagan, Amber, and Cara.  Oh, and this was before the race began.  Don't we look happy, rested, and clean?

I was lucky enough to actually begin the race for our team and it was so much fun to jump off of that starting line.  I was so excited and my adrenaline was just pumping.  It was a great feeling...until

I was passed, yes passed, by a man wearing cross-country skis.  That's right, ski's.  When he passed my I actually turned to him and said, while laughing, "You've got to be kidding me." He just looked at me and smiled.

Cara was smart enough to bring her son's super soaker and it was such a great idea because it was so dang HOT.  I can't thank her enough for that.

I had to put this picture of Amber up because she looked so cute during the whole race and she was totally fast!  Amber, you're awesome.

This was a gorgeous meadow that we drove through while one of our runners was running.  So much of the race had scenery like this.  

I was just starting me second, and hardest leg right here.  It was 8.5 miles down Trapper's Loop, but I loved it.  The first part was really uphill, which was very hard, but the last part was all downhill and so much fun.  I was lucky enough to have Jake, Ashley, and Milo cheer me on this part of the race.

Me running downhill and somehow I have a smile on my face.  I guess I was just so happy the uphill was over with.

Finally, after personally running 18 miles and being awake for over 32 hours, we made it to the finish line.  Thanks again to all of my van mates.  Because of this experience, I have five wonderful life-long friends and hopefully we'll do this again next year!