Blaine and Tirsa Family

Trick or Treat...and other Fall Fun

2011-11-19T18:44:00.006-07:00

We've been having lots of fun over the past month or so. This year we were able to go to my sister Tiffani's house to pick pumpkins in their garden. It was way more fun than a pumpkin patch!

Mulan, her little sister, and the nicest policeman ever!

And we went trick or treating with the cousins again this year.

At the church trunk or treat, Ezra handcuffed inmate Allen and put him under arrest.

And all the girls decided to be matching ladybugs.

And our annual Witches Night Out was a really great night. Just imagine about 30 "witches" at Johnny Carinos. We got a few looks...

Autumn weather in Colorado is always so unpredictable. One day we have this...

and the very next day it looks like this...

Of course, the kids love the snow!

And I like to "play" outside in it too...

I ran the Loveland Heart Center of the Rockies Half Marathon again this year. It was a lot of fun and the company was great! Love all of these hot pink mamas!

I was very happy that Tasha and Brandie joined us for their first race ever! They ran the 10k in preparation for their first half marathon in December.

Haley and Amy were great company for all 13.1 miles.

And I had the cutest little cheerleaders at the finish line. I loved hearing, "Go Mom!"

Cali got her first haircut this month. We just trimmed it but she was very happy about it. She fell asleep on the way to pick Bella up from school that day but when she woke up she barely had her eyes opened before she was sharing the news with her big sister..."Bella, I got my haircut!" It was so cute.

I just love watching Cali play. She loves to dress up, put on high heals and sunglasses, and push the stroller all around the house. This particular day, she told me, "I have to go to work."

Well, this is no glamour shot but it is real life for me. Every single night I have at least 1-2 visitors snuggling up to me sometime during the night. I love how they want to be close to me...I just wish I could actually sleep when they are in my bed with me. Usually I end up in defensive mode trying to protect my nose from all of the head and arm flailing that seems to happen. I sure love these little people though!

And since this post is already in the running for the longest post ever, I might as well finish off with this. Blaine and I took Bella to go see the musical the Lion King in Denver. It was so much fun to have a special dinner/date out with Bella. The show was awesome and the company was the best!

What I love most about my life is the people I share it with. I am so blessed...

Sweet Seven

2011-10-27T10:29:00.003-06:00

Miss Bella turned 7 this month. We told her that she could invite "a few" friends to go someplace special. Well, Bella has always been a girly girl and in the past, only girls have come to her birthday parties. But this year was DIFFERENT because her guest list was half full of boys. And so it begins, I guess...

We took the gang to Jumpin for an evening full of pizza, cupcakes, and well, jumping, of course!

Earlier that morning I volunteered in Bella's classroom and brought cupcakes to the kids. It was fun to see her in action at school. She really is a smart girl and I loved hanging out with her. It is crazy to see her really growing up...reading, spelling, doing math, helping out with the kids at home. Somehow my red-headed baby doll grew up on me! As she grows, so does her confidence. She is good at pretty much everything she tries...school work, artwork, and sports. Recently she started gymnastics and is really loving it. She keeps advancing quickly in the sport and I love watching her fearlessly do flips, bars, etc. She is one buff little mama. I love how our relationship is growing, too. I enjoy spending one on one time with her and in addition to being her lifelong (and beyond) mom, I hope we can be lifelong friends. I love my sweet Bella Joy!

The day before her birthday, I woke her up with surprise news. I told her that special friends were in town visiting and that she didn't have to go to school that day. She really enjoyed playing hooky from school and hanging out all day long with Hadlee and Travis.

Ez-man turns 4!

2011-10-27T09:36:00.008-06:00

Mr. Ez-man turned 4 this month. Call me biased if you will, but I'm not sure 4-year-old boys can be any cuter than this guy. He wanted a spiderman party and I was happy to oblige.

He told his sunbeam teacher at church that she would be making him his cake. I guess she really loves him because she agreed to do it and made him this really awesome cake!, Thanks, Haley!

Throwing a party for a bunch of 4-year-olds is fun. They are pretty much happy with anything. We got the party started with spiderman mask making. Sarah created the masks for me. I have great friends!

Once their masks were made, they were transformed into honorary spidermen and women and then they ran all over the backyard "getting" the bad guys with their webs (silly string).

Once the spiderman villains were sufficiently destroyed (or in other words...the kids ran out of silly string), we moved the party back inside for pin the spider on the web and finished off with cake and presents.

Spider-Ez seemed to really enjoy his day and he already keeps asking when his next birthday is going to be. This might be a long year!

Everyday I thank my Heavenly Father for the blessing of being this little guy's mom. He is truly special. He came to this earth with such a sweet, fun, happy nature and that makes parenting him feel easy. He is snuggly and cuddly and he makes friends so easily. Primary teachers, pre-school teachers, parents of his friends consistently give me the same feedback: that he is the life of the party, so sweet, and good-natured. He had this personality from day 1...this is just who he is and I love every bit of him!

Bonus pic: First day of preschool

Making Memories of Us...

2011-10-26T13:54:00.009-06:00

I had a great weekend at Time Out for Women with my sisters, my Mom, my Aunt Linda, and a few friends. I don't know why we didn't take any pictures? It was a great way to refill our spiritual buckets while enjoying sisterhood and friendship. I LOVED IT!!!

While at TOFW, I received a text from Blaine saying that he needed to take Cali into his work, which isn't a good thing considering he works in an emergency room. He said she was acting kind of funny and was running a fever so he looked in her ears and saw a foreign object. So, off to the emergency room he went, took her straight back to an exam room, and played the role of Daddy AND practitioner as he removed the bead from her ear. I love the picture he took and texted me from his phone.

I just knew that our THIRD child would be our FIRST child to visit the ER...luckily it wasn't anything too concerning.

Our weekend continued with my sisters and I going to a Keith Urban concert together here in Denver. Tiff's husband even got us a hotel downtown and to our fun surprise, we found out that KU was staying at our same hotel! Now it would have really been a great story had we ran into him but of course, he had like, the whole top level to himself and a separate entrance and what not.

This is our third year in a row to see KU in concert together. Some people may call this an obsession, but I choose to call it having a blast with my sisters!

Every year that we see his concert, we make ourselves a button. This year's said, "3 sisters love Keith!"

Here's to hoping that in the coming years my sisters and I can continue making memories of us, right along with KU!

Ten years...and counting!

2011-10-02T19:20:00.010-06:00

It's really hard to believe that it's been a DECADE since Blaine and I were married. No longer are we those young twenty- somethings going to school, building our careers, and trying to build our family. We are an established couple with an established career, an established family, and established in our community. I love where we are at. It feels good; it feels right. I'm not saying its always easy or it is with out struggle...I'm just saying that we have built something great together and simply put...I love it. We felt like a decade of marriage deserved a serious celebration so we booked our vacation to the island of enchantment, Puerto Rico. Thank you SO MUCH to my mom for being brave enough to spend a whole week with our little ones! We snuck an extra day onto our vacation by getting a hotel in Denver and going to the fabulous Les Miserables the night before we left. The last time we saw this show we were newlyweds! It was truly an incredible performance.

The beautiful city of San Juan. Super HOT and HUMID!!!

The old fortress. Very cool.

Luquillo Beach...such a fun, relaxing day swimming and sipping pina coladas. Loved it!

We basically had this beach all to ourselves for 3 days. It was so cool! Blaine snorkeled a lot and I lied around reading a book and basking in the tranquility and serenity of alone time!

These were all over our hotel grounds.

Our Bungalow...

Hiking in the Yunque rainforest. Awesome!

Last night in PR...beautiful!

Hurricane Maria was scheduled to hit Puerto Rico during our stay...WHAT??? This was an unexpected twist to our vacation. So, we headed to Wal-Mart along with, what appeared to be every resident on the island, to get provisions just in case we needed to hunker down in our hotel for a few days...Thank goodness Maria had a last minute change of heart and veered away from the island.

Roadside BBQ chicken and rice and beans. Watching that lady yield a machete to chop up the chicken was impressive.

I loved sampling the local cuisine. Toasted, cheesy bread and pastries for breakfast everyday...yum!

All the locals told us we had to have mofongo...so we did. It's mashed green plantains with shredded chicken. Not too bad.

Although we missed our kids like crazy, and we felt extremely guilty when we found out that Cali was sick, we had an awesome time together all week. It was a much needed vacation! Video chatting with the kids everyday was great and we are so blessed to have such great family and friends who took over for us in our absence. The only thing left to do now is plan our 20 year anniversary trip...actually, let's bump that up to 15 years...I don't think I can wait another decade!

Camping Trip

2011-09-18T15:36:00.007-06:00

Camping with friends is the only way to go! This was year 2 of what is now turning into an annual family/friends camping trip. It was a total blast! All the kids ran around outside like children should; getting dirty and dirtier but having a great, technology-free weekend. The adults enjoyed hanging out, talking, kayaking, playing horse shoes and pretty much just shooting the breeze. The location ended up being great, and we were able to include a nice, small hike to Adams Falls. The only downfall to this site is the limited capacity. I wish so many more families could have joined in on the fun.

The kids created their own little community complete with a fortress where they could hang out. The girls turned the fortress into a home by adding the finishing touches of a rock walkway and floral adornments. It was awesome to see them using their unbridled creativity.

The mornings were a little on the crisp side but that just made for good snuggle time with the kids.

One reason this trip was so relaxing for me was the fact that the big kids helped so much with my small kids; and my kids were in pure heaven with so much attention.

Good Mama Friends...

Good Daughter Friends...

Nichole was quite the trooper...I'm not sure I'd enjoy camping at 7 months pregnant but I never heard a word of complaint from her.

I love that this is turning into a tradition. Making memories with our kids and our friends that will last a lifetime...Priceless!

Back to School...

2011-08-26T16:38:00.002-06:00

WHAT??? I have a FIRST grader!!! Almost seems impossible but Bella was definitely ready to go back to school and to go all day. She looked forward to eating lunch at school and having 2 recesses! Does it get any better than that?

The night before the first day of school, we set out her uniform clothes and I told her that I'd wake her up with plenty of time to get ready. About a half hour before my alarm went off, I was surprised to have a visitor crawl into bed with me. I was even more surprised to see that it was Bella and that she was dressed head to toe and ready to go! She did that all week but apparently the excitement has already died down as evidenced by me actually having to wake her up now. But, she is off to a great start and is having fun. She even lost one of her front teeth just days before school started. She officially looks like a first grader with that missing front tooth! Watching her walk into the school with such confidence really hit me hard...my first baby is growing up on me!

We tried to squeeze in a little more fun the last few days before school started by hitting a water park and miniature golfing. The kids are at such a great age to have fun with them. It's hard to say goodbye to summer but it is also nice to say hello to a routine again.

Until next summer...

We've got a 2 year old in the house...

2011-08-26T16:07:00.005-06:00

Our PRECOCIOUS PRINCESS turned the big 2 this month! I am trying to remind myself that TWO isn't so TERRIBLE...it is just a little CRAZY!

We celebrated Cali's birthday with a picnic at the park with friends and family. Although she was given many gifts, what she REALLY wanted most was to be left alone with this sucker. I mean really, we just kept bugging her to open more presents when she was perfectly content with her sucker!

I can really hardly believe that it's been 2 years since Cali joined our family. She is the "naughtiest" child ever but I say that with a whole lot of love. She just goes a mile a minute and I can hardly keep up with everything she gets into. Ezra loves to tell me that he isn't "naughty like Cali." She has quite the knack for driving her big brother batty but she is just as sweet and lovable as she is naughty. She is also very adept at TALKING and carries on real conversations with me, which amazes me and keeps me laughing, too. And because she is such a social butterfly, everyone seems to love her...especially ME! Love you my sweet Cali-girl!

Plenty of Pictures! A Summer Review

2011-08-04T16:23:00.012-06:00

I feel overwhelmed to even try to undertake the last month or so of blogging our activities. I always think that pictures say it the best so here I go...

After the Allen family reunion, I stayed in Utah for another week and a half with the kids while Blaine went home to work. I stayed with my parents at a rental house high in the Draper hills. The intention was to have a place where all the family could congregate and wish Beema (my Grandma) a happy 90th birthday. Extended family and friends were in and out of there all month. I took the opportunity to not only spend time with family but to also catch up with lots of old friends. It was a reminder of how so many people have shaped my life and how blessed I have been to cross paths with so many incredible people.

The whole gang. The only people missing were Blaine, my brother in law Mike, and my niece Maddie.

Beema and my siblings and I.

We celebrated Beema's birthday a few times to accommodate different family's schedules.

4 generation picture: My Grandma, My dad, myself, and my kids.

Bella had a BLAST hanging out with cousins in the hot tub.

Playing down at BYU's campus. This is part of my siblings' campaign to brainwash their kids into thinking that BYU is the ONLY option for college. (I say that a little tongue and cheek as we were brainwashed by our parents in a similar fashion.) After shopping at the BYU bookstore, Bella proclaimed that she wants to attend college there so that "I can shop here." Daddy was thrilled about that declaration. :)

Cali had a fun time pushing Beema around in her wheelchair!

Aunt Linda, cousin Amber, and Kaylee, Amber's daughter...is she my second cousin? I get confused...came up from California to visit. We went to the taping of Music and the Spoken Word together and we went running on a Draper park trail in search of the illusive backyard zebra, that we never found! Aunt Linda, Beema and I also went to the Draper temple one evening together. That was pretty awesome.

We also got to catch up with Ezra's birthfamily. It is always a treat to visit with these guys and the love is definitely abundant and mutual.

They also took us to a REAL Soccer game on the 4th of July, which was super fun!

The trip was exhausting and the kids didn't sleep well at night. Ez fell asleep anywhere and everywhere. Cali seemed to NEVER sleep which made her a total nightmare for me. Playing in the sink water became one of her favorite, relaxing activities.

Even though sleep was scarce, it was great to hang out with family and friends.

I met with Kim and her kids, one of my favorite missionary companions, at Temple square.

Jenn and I, Jerusalem friends and old roommates, met up at a splash park for the kids.

And Naomi and I, high school friends, got to visit over lunch one day.

And Kristi and I, Bulgarian bus accident victims together and former roommates, caught up with each other one evening.

And I was able to go totally old school with Debi, jr. high bffs, as we met with our kids at an ice cream shop. I LOVED how meeting with each one of these friends was like picking up right where we left off, whether its been a year, a few years, or a decade or two, it was easy breezy conversation...Friends for Life!

And what did I do 2 days after I got home from being away for 3 weeks??? I went to girls camp in Wyoming for the week. Thankfully Mom and Dad Allen were able to take my place on the homefront and provide excellent care for the kiddos and Blaine even got his mom's homemade cooking all week, which he sure didn't complain about! Girls camp was fun, dirty, stinky, and stressful but it was also AMAZING...especially after working so hard on it for half of the year. Who knew it would be like a full time job to plan a stk. girl's camp? It was incredible to work with these women: Alison, Tandy, and Leslie. I learned to TRULY LOVE them as we worked so well together and were really of one heart and one purpose.

Alison and I were tent mates. A whole week with out a shower...let's just say it got a little stinky in there! EEWW!!!

This is the view I had from on top of Brandie's Suburban as I gave the girl's a welcome speech and we talked about letting go of pre-conceived notions, fears, anxieties, and bad attitudes.

And then we sent all those worries and fears and bad attitudes heavenward with their balloons. It was cool.

Being in the wilderness with 200 12-18 year old faithful girls was awesome! There are some real gems out there and they give me hope that I might have a chance at raising my kiddos into respectful, responsible, faithful young people.

And only because this blog post isn't nearly long enough, nor does it have very many pictures (insert heavy sarcasm here), I am including just a few more to finish off this summer's review.

This is a pic of Blaine and I on one of our most fun dates ever...roller skating.

And we've spent the past two weeks going to daily swim lessons. Bella has improved so much this year. She is swimming, going down the slides, and jumping off of the HIGH dive now.

While waiting for their swim lesson, Ez and Liddie always had fun playing in the sand.

And then it was their turn to get wet.

And what did Cali do during the hour, you wonder? She spent her time snacking and trying to jump into the pool. She kept me on my toes for sure!

So it is only the beginning of August but summer is already winding down. School starts in a week and so do schedules, and early bed times and homework. Although it has been a fun summer...it went WAY TOO FAST!!!

After the reunion...

2011-07-02T17:18:00.004-06:00

We stayed at Grandma and Grandpa's house for a few days after the reunion where the fun continued with Steve, Kelli, and family...

We roasted marshmallows in the fire pit.

The kids couldn't get enough of playing with their cousins!

Mettea has alopecia, an auto-immune disease that makes her lose all of her hair. She used to have pretty red hair like Bella's. She has a wig but she doesn't like to wear it. I love her self-confidence in who she is! She put her wig on to go to church on Sunday and when Ez saw her, he said, "Tea! You found your hair!" It gave us all a good laugh.

Blaine taking Ez and Cali on a ride as he mowed Mom and Dad's lawn.

And not pictured is Blaine and I eating at In N Out a few times. Darn you double doubles!!! I'm going to be seeing you on my thighs, aren't I?!?

Allen Fam Reunion at Bear Lake

2011-07-02T16:50:00.005-06:00

Road Trip to Bear Lake

All of the Allens except Ryan, who is on a mission in Brazil.

Blaine and his brother Steve looking like twins. I almost mistook Steve for Blaine a few times...can you blame me???

Kati and I taking the kids to the park that they loved so much!

The kids LOVED tye dying our reunion shirts! It was also fun to see what the "reunion fairy" brought to them each day.

And miniature golf was a big hit!

Cali and I both got sick right when we got there so we rested in the afternoons while Dad, Bella and Ez played, played, played!

Just hanging out with family was so much fun.

Until next time Allen fam!!!

June Fun

2011-07-02T16:20:00.006-06:00

Family Bike Ride. Bella rode 5.5 miles by herself. She whined and complained a little but SHE DID IT!

What's so cool about a feather in your hair? I don't really get it but Bella and her friends were dying to have one. We took them to the beauty college where it was a "cheap" thrill.

Blaine has had his second iron infusion now. He has kicked his ice chewing addiction (PICA) and is starting to feel a little more energy now that he is iron man.
And next time you go through a McDonald's drive thru, drop some change into the Ronald McDonald home box, will ya? We were able to spend some time at the RM house in Denver with good friends who have their micro-preemie at Children's hospital for a few months. The Ronald McDonald home is a pretty amazing place, allowing families to stay and eat there for next to nothing so that they can be near their children in the hospital.

Well, I'm not quite sure if I am getting wiser but I am definitely getting older. Luckily for me, I have great friends who made me feel super special by taking me out to eat at my favorite place, Cafe Rio.

35 never tasted so good!

And then since we were in Utah on my actual birthday, I got to eat at Cafe Rio again! Yum!

And I ended the celebration that night with an ice cream shake whose size should truly be illegal.

May Happenings

2011-06-06T14:50:00.003-06:00

I love my Aunt Linda. She is in California and we are in Colorado so of course I don't get to see her very often but growing up she was always the super cool aunt that took us to the drive in when we had sleepovers. Anyway, even though she never comments on my blog, she has informed me that she is a faithful reader and from time to time she let's me know that I have truly been slacking on my blog updates. It is good to know that at least one person is interested in my family's life. So Aunt Linda...this post is for you!

May was a FUN and BUSY month! Mom and Dad came home from their mission in Chile. Cali was born only DAYS after they arrived in Chile. So they finally got to meet face to face at the airport almost 2 years later. And thanks to the modern marvel of iCHAT, Cali knew exactly who they were and was happy to go right into their arms. So sweet!

The welcoming committee consisted of mine and Tiff's family. My kids didn't hold up their signs as planned but you get the gist of what they were trying to say, right?

Mom and Dad made it home right on time to attend Bella's kindergarten graduation. Bella was so happy to have them there.

Bella and her good friend, Kara. I can't believe these girls are first graders now! Conspicuously missing from the pictures is Bella's BFF, Sophie. She left for vacation the day of graduation.

Bella and her wonderful Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hevers.

In May, I also went from this...

to this! I was so happy to get that dang cast/boot off after wearing it for 7 weeks!

But, I have been a little discouraged to realize that my foot is still healing and that the doc said it will take up to a year for a full recovery. Needless to say, I've had to back off of serious running and it has been really disappointing to me. Even just regular walking and being on my feet has been painful. So as not to be totally inactive and have the opposite problem of atrophy, I run once a week, just about 4 miles. I am on the fence still as to if this is a good idea.

And Blaine has been experiencing his own health issues. A pulled muscle has kept him away over the past few months from playing ultimate frisbee like he enjoys. And we recently discovered that he has been anemic all these years because his body can not even absorb iron. So he has been seeing a Hematologist and will now have regular IV infusions of iron probably for the rest of his life. He had his first one last week. We call him Iron Man now and I am anxiously awaiting the promised side effect of his ice chewing to go away. He has also been promised much more energy. We shall see...

And just to end on a cute note... Here's a picture of Ezra, the astronaut, at the Denver Museum. We had a fun day there when Mom and Dad A came out for a quick visit.

And it wouldn't be a blog post with out a mention of Cali getting into something edible. This pic. is of her getting into the cookies. I found her eating them "double stacked". I mean, seriously, why eat them one at a time when eating them two at a time is so much more efficient??? This girl is on to something!

Cali's Breakfast

2011-05-11T20:43:00.000-06:00

Cali helped herself to breakfast this morning while I was upstairs getting ready. Ezra ratted her out by yelling to me that Cali got into some chocolate. Once I cleaned her and the mess up, I went back upstairs to finish getting ready. That's when I was informed that she had found my "emergency stash" of suckers in my purse (emergency equals grocery shopping with three crazy kids in need of bribery). I love how she unwrapped all 7 suckers and turned them into a bouquet.

Course 1: Baker's Chocolate

Course 2: A bouquet of suckers

This girl can sniff out and find sugar from a mile away!

Tomorrow I'm going to start her day off right with a bowl of wheaties.

Bella's dance recital

2011-05-02T15:09:00.003-06:00

We put Bella in ballet/tap dance this year. Every Tuesday she complained about having to go. I told her she could quit dance when this year is over. Afterall, I certainly don't want to waist money on something she hates. Imagine my surprise then, when at her dance recital I realize that she is a SHINING STAR!!! She is really good. And not only is she good, but she exuded CONFIDENCE and grace while performing. My reserved and shy little girl was transformed on the stage. She smiled and executed her routine VERY WELL. Dare I brag a bit??? She was the best one in her class! All of the other kids were looking to her to help them remember the routine. And I think she was bit by the performance bug because she is now begging me to take dance again next year. She loved putting on make-up and getting into her fancy costume. Even though I really don't like glamming my 6 year old up like that, I figure once a year is doable. Anyway, see for yourself how well she did on the video below. I apologize for the fuzziness at some points...I'm an amateur with amateur equipment afterall.

April Awe

2011-05-02T14:57:00.004-06:00

Caught the kids with their friends digging up the backyard. Busted!

A budding guitarist.

Easter morning. I think Cali ate all of the kids chocolate bunnies. She just kept going back for more and more.

Bring on the sunshine!!!

Pretty in their Easter best.

Silly in their Easter best.

My stylish boot. It really adds some class to my wardrobe.

Self timed Easter family pic.

March Madness

2011-04-10T14:38:00.004-06:00

At our house, it has nothing to do with basketball, rather the fun and exhaustion of spring break. Of course, I only have 1 of 3 kids in school, and she is only in half day kindergarten, so it isn't like spring break is that big of a deal yet but it was nice to not have a schedule for a week and to get the kids out and about more. We went frequently to the park, to the zoo, to jumpin' (jumpy castle place), lots of play dates with friends, and the kids had fun sleeping downstairs on the couches. (I don't know why that is fun except for it is different from the routine!) Other fun things that happened this month was celebrating daddy's birthday and a visiting leprechaun who left little green footprints that led to a pot of gold chocolate. Nothing like chocolate for breakfast...yum!

Oh, and Cali has started crawling out of her crib! What??? She is only a year and a half. We had the other two in cribs until they were 2.5 and 2, respectively, and neither one ever tried to climb out. I guess Cali has inherited Blaine's climbing skills. She also really enjoys being on the computer and on our cell phones. She regularly sends my friend text messages (and I am not joking!)

But, the real madness in the month came when I was out for a routine run and suddenly could not take another step with out excruciating pain. Turns out I have "overused" my feet this past year resulting in a stress fracture. Uuuuggggh!!! I am now sidelined for 6 weeks in a lovely boot. I'm starting to think that my body isn't a fan of running, what with the plantar fasciitis and stress fracture and all. But, I promise, I will never run another marathon again if I can just have decent feet to run a few miles on a few times a week. Is that too much to ask for? I've been a bit depressed about this whole thing!

Ezra the photographer and silly face maker.

Mama's a Marathon Runner

2011-03-07T18:52:00.007-07:00

A year ago this week I ran my first 3 miles outside. On Saturday, I ran a full marathon. That's 26.2 miles of pure running! What a difference a year makes!
My sister-in-law Kelli was my partner in crime. Because she lives in Georgia, she and I had never even run together before this marathon. It was great to have her to talk to for 18 of the 26.2 miles. (BTW, Kelli is tall but I think I am standing a bit downhill from her!)

The experience itself was surprisingly very doable. Before the race, I had only ever ran 16 miles consecutively. But the weather in Albany was just right (except for between miles 14 and 16 when it poured on us!) and there weren't too many hills. And even more than the physical part of it, somehow I was able to keep myself mentally strong. I just kept telling myself things like, "Just put one foot in front of the other" and "If I can run 16, I can run 18." And then, "If I can run 18, then I can run 20". And then, "If I can run 20, it would be stupid to walk now." And on and on until I was crossing that finish line. I'd say a marathon is 40% physical and 60% mental.

I have great friends and family who supported me all along the way, even though most of them obviously couldn't come out to Georgia with me. One friend made me a marathon play list, which came in handy once Kelli and I separated, and another friend made me this awesome care package of goodies. (And believe me, I've needed it).

And my sister watched Bella and Ezra while Blaine, Cali, and I were out of town. They cheered me on from Colorado.

I completed the marathon in 5 hours and 13 minutes. That's not an exceptional time but I was happy with it! I'm pretty sore and can barely walk 2 days out. Although I am thrilled that I did this, as of right now, I'm marking this off as a once in a lifetime accomplishment. I think a triathalon may be in my future, but until then, I'll work on going up and down my stairs without wincing in pain!

Happy 90th Birthday, Beema!

2011-03-02T17:20:00.004-07:00

My Grandma is 90 years old today! I swear she hasn't aged my whole life. She is spry on her feet and in her mind and although she has been slowed down a little over the past few years, she still keeps up with so many things. She sews, she does humanitarian aid, she sends emails, and she checks blogs. Recently she has become a great, great Grandma. I am grateful to be named after her. Ezra is named after her great, great grandfather. And Cali has inherited her very lips.

Since I know that you will read this Beema, I just wanted to tell you how much we all love you. We are so grateful for your example of faith and strength. The way you have lived your life has given all of your posterity an enduring legacy to follow. Have a wonderful 90th birthday! We can't wait to celebrate with you this summer.

Bahama Mamas

2011-02-23T12:56:00.004-07:00

Things I’ll remember:

-Non-stop chatting and fun with my sisters.
-Bingo and telling a persistent bar-tender that “we’re all pregnant”.
-Sleeping deeper than I have in a long time.
-Crying the night before I left because I was going to miss my kids…And then thinking, “Kids? What kids?” the very next day.
-Feeling like I was in an alternate universe with my sisters…not a care in the world.
- CocoCay: A make believe island (Royal Carribean owns it) but a restful, relaxing day in the sun.
- Nassau: Most beautiful aqua water and white sand.
-The bartenders snubbing us whenever we asked for a soda from our pre-paid soda package.
-Eating more than necessary and somehow still being bothered that the windjammer was closed at certain hours.
-Time? Time didn’t seem to exist.
-Sweet, fun, boisterous Sally.

A few thoughts I’ve had upon returning:

-“When will the room stop swaying?”
-“Who’s bright idea was it to run a marathon a week and a half AFTER a cruise?.”
-“I’m so glad that I have sisters whose company I enjoy so much.”

A tip for those of you who may consider going on a cruise to the Bahamas with your sisters:

-Be sure to leave valuables behind (such as a husband and children you love). Otherwise…you may never go back home!

Speaking of those left at home...they were having lots of fun with their daddy. Blaine did his best to make it a fun weekend. Here are some pics of them driving in "the swagger wagon" and of their camping trip in our living room.

Bedtime

2011-02-22T19:28:00.003-07:00

Bedtime. I have a love hate relationship with the concept of bedtime. I love that it is time for the little ones to settle down and go to sleep. I hate that it is usually a big struggle to get them settled into bed and even more of a struggle to get them to stay in their beds. Usually when bedtime hits, I am exhausted. I’ve been with the kids all day and I am ready for a little down time, which usually consists of unloading and loading the dishwasher with out Cali’s “assistance”, folding laundry, and straightening up before I go to bed. But, I digress. Any mom can attest how nice it is to have a few moments to herself when the kiddos are tucked safely in their beds. So, imagine my surprise last night when I was fighting back the tears as I put the kids to bed. I was lingering in their room, even in their beds with them. I didn’t want to say goodnight.

Today I am on my way to board a cruise to the Bahamas. It is going to be a blast! I am going with my sisters and I can’t think of a better way to unwind. But, oh, I am going to miss those little critters. Sure they keep my house messy, my thoughts jumbled, and add a bit of stress to my daily life. But, they also give me more love than sometimes I think my heart can hold. I am overflowing with love for them and from them. I get nervous when I leave them. I am their primary care provider and they are used to me. I know Blaine is going to do just fine at the helm but I am the one with the anxiety. I just need to let it go. I’m sure that will be easier to do when my toes are in the sand.

I had to leave by 5:00 am this morning. Bella told me she wanted to wake up to say goodbye. I told her it would still be dark and not to worry about getting up. But, at 4:15am, a little red-headed, bed-headed, lioness looking thing came stumbling out of her room to give me a hug. I don’t know how she times her internal clock like that but she woke up early every morning last month when I was on jury duty to see me off also. This from a girl who usually sleeps until 8 or 9am. Now that is love.

So, while I may be having the time of my life in the Bahamas…a big chunk of my heart will be home with my babies. Together with Blaine, they are my sun, my moon, and my stars. They are my world and I am grateful for a chance to miss them so that I can appreciate them even more when I return home.

Missing in Action

2011-02-22T19:12:00.005-07:00

I have been MIA in the blogging world. Here is a synopsis of the past few months, according to me.

-Jury duty selection. Fascinating but inconvenient experience. But, how many people can say that they stopped a trial to ask the judge permission to use the restroom? I can.

-Training for a marathon. On a whim, I agreed to run a marathon with my sister in law, Kelli. While training, I developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot. For a while I was worried that it was going to be a deal breaker. Thankfully with lots of stretching, alleve, orthodic inserts, and foot tapings, I am about 90% better. But, did the podiatrist really say that I had to stop wearing my flip flops and floppy converse shoes? OUCH! Now that hurts!

Here's Cali taking my running shoes for a spin.

-While I was cooking dinner and talking on the phone one night, Cali got her foot stuck in a kitchen chair. After unsuccessfully trying to work it out, seeing her foot swell, and hearing her screaming, I called my neighbor and told him to bring over a power tool to cut the chair. He brought over Vaseline. It worked just fine. I guess I’m not a totally rational thinker in a crisis...that is Blaine's job. But, I did think to give Cali a sucker, which calmed her down. She was stuck in the chair for a good 20 minutes. After awhile, she just thought she was hanging out eating a sucker.

She is happy in this picture because she has her sucker.

-The tooth fairy was hired this month! Bella’s bottom front tooth became loose and after wiggling it for a few weeks, it was barely hanging on. Bella wouldn’t let anyone touch it except in a moment of weakness she let Blaine and he yanked it out. It’s a good thing too because her adult tooth was waiting right behind it already growing in. Bella woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me that the tooth fairy had come. She was so excited and I can’t get over how quickly she is growing up.

-I’ve been running on Saturdays with some good friends. Usually we run between 6 to 10 miles and a few weeks ago, Haley and I ran a half marathon of our own making. Then, in order to go farther than I’ve ever gone before, I organized a 16 mile run where friends could meet up with me at different times to join me. I ran a 4 mile loop 4 times to make it easier for friends to come and go. Right around mile 13.5, when I realized that I had just passed the point that I’ve never run before, Blaine came driving up with the kids. Bella and Ezra hopped out, gave me a hug and a water bottle and Cali said her first sentence while crying: “I want mama”. Their little visit meant a lot and 16 miles later, I was feeling good about my accomplishment. I’ve got such great running buddies, too. It makes all the difference to have someone to talk to.

-For Valentine’s Day, the young women delivered singing Valentine grams for their camp fundraiser. The kids were thrilled with their balloons and suckers.

-Cali started nursery at church. She loves it. No longer are we roaming the halls with a very busy toddler for 3 hours. Church is becoming doable again! On Sunday, Bella told me that Cali was playing with the bubbles when she picked her up from nursery. Ezra heard this and said, “OOOOH! I wish I was still a baby!” I asked, “Why is that, bud?” And he responded, “So I can still go to my other class!” Poor Ez…he is having a harder adjustment to being a sunbeam. He misses the toys and the bubbles in nursery. He sure is cute though. I mean, just look at this kid! He wants to wear ties to church now and I’ve never seen a cuter superman in my life. When wearing his superman PJs, he only responds to “superman”. The other night he called me “Super Mama”. Hey, if the shoe fits...

-My days have been busy and sometimes I get tired and stressed out. But in my calm moments, I recognize how truly blessed I am to have an amazing family. I love my husband and my children more than words can express. Children have a way of expanding your heart and multiplying your capacity to love. My kids keep me hopping and I don’t always appreciate the craziness that they provide, but I would be so lost with out them. I am one lucky lady to have what I have.

Christmas has come and gone...

2010-12-31T14:32:00.006-07:00

But I hope the magic feeling that Christmas brings of love, excitement, happiness, a belief in something good...I hope that those feelings will linger and that my kids will grow up with memories of a fun-filled, love-filled childhood.

Santa brought Bella a razor scooter,

and Ezra an extension to make his train track an 8 track,

and Cali this turtle bouncy, toy thingy.

Ezra also received a spiderman snow mask and spiderman slippers. He kept the mask on as he opened up all of his presents and made us call him spiderman all day. :)

Christmas day was so warm and sunny, we took the kids to the park practically dressed in summer clothes. It reminded me of Christmases growing up in CA.

Even though you can't see his mouth, you can tell that Ezra, er, uh, I mean Spiderman, is smiling because of his eyes. So cute!

Since Cali is also allergic to dogs, this dog that moves, talks, and grows might be the closest she'll ever get to a pet puppy.

And when Ezra isn't playing the role of spiderman, he can be found playing the role of batman, thanks to his new cape that Grandma A made him. Blaine specifically asked his Mom to make the kids some capes because he remembers how fun it was running around his house with his cape on. I remember underroos quite fondly myself! Bella uses her cape more like a princess cloak and Cali runs around with her's on but I don't think she knows why!

The morning after Christmas, Ezra was sooooo exhausted that he came down stairs, said he only wanted blueberries for breakfast and then promptly fell asleep at the table.

And we've been having lots of family fun while Bella has been out of school and Blaine has had a few days off. We took the kids ice skating. Bella LOVED it and Ez endured it for about 5 minutes before he was done!

And tumbling towers has become a nightly family ritual. We put Cali to bed and then play a few games because the family that plays together stays together...right?!?

I love my family!

December fun

2010-12-21T14:59:00.008-07:00

We took the kids bowling for the first time. It was SO FUN! Ezra was the BEST cheerleader anyone could ever want. The kids had a blast and the parents did, too.

Bella and I got to go on a really fun mother-daughter date last week. 4 little girls and their moms all went out to lunch and a movie. The girls had a gift exchange at lunch and then we all went and watched Tangled. The movie was so cute and it had the moms and the kids alike all laughing. I so enjoy our little mother daughter dates.

Santa came to our local library. Ez hopped right on his lap and requested a zhu zhu pet.

Then Cali got on Santa's lap and was fascinated with his beard. I thought maybe she would protest being on Jolly Old Saint Nick's lap but no, not at all. She was enthralled in the experience.

Bella, on the other hand, has NEVER liked being on Santa Claus's lap. She wanted her siblings to go up with her but they ended up just standing nearby and Bella was forced to go it alone with him. She survived. She asked Santa for a Razor scooter.

Bella and Ezra's friend Lyddia was also at the library visiting with Santa.

The kids in their Christmas Sunday best.

We went Christmas caroling last night and while I was buckling Ez into his seat, I found that Cali had jumped in the driver's seat. She looked so cute and big in the driver's seat with her santa hat on...I just had to snap a pic.

Blaine was working but I took the kids Christmas caroling with some of our friends. The kids had fun at first but it became too cold and Cali started crying, which you can imagine was a really nice touch to the singing!

Quick trip to Texas

2010-12-21T14:38:00.006-07:00

Blaine had a conference for work in Fort Worth, Texas in November. Because Mom and Dad A. were able to watch our kids, I got to tag along. I was sick with a nasty head cold so I pretty much laid low in the hotel during the day (I loved it!) and then Blaine and I headed out in the evenings for some fun. We are so grateful that Mom and Dad dropped everything so that we could have a little getaway. Dad even celebrated his 70th birthday watching our kids. One thing is for sure...our kids are either going to keep you young or speed up the aging process!

Playing memory with a 6 year old and a 3 year old keeps a brain SHARP!

When in Texas...ride a bull, right?!?

We stayed in the old Stockyards.

All of the following pictures are of Billy Bob's...the world's largest Honkey Tonk! Yes, that is right...we went to Billy Bob's (now that is just fun to say!) 2 nights in a row where we line danced, listened to live music, and watched professional bull riding. I was seriously impressed with not only Blaine's WILLINGNESS to line dance, but with how GOOD he was! And, I was a little surprised at how much I ENJOYED the professional bull riding show. I can't wait to see another one!

Our 15 minutes of fame

2010-12-03T13:00:00.003-07:00

It was an honor to share our family story with the local newspaper. I have copied and pasted it here or you can follow this link to read it.
Our family is the third story highlighted starting with FIRESTONE.

(Update: Today's weekly freebie newspaper came out. Imagine my surprise when I took it out of the little baggie and found a ginormous picture of our family on the cover! Apparently they re-ran the story for the weekly insert but they cut out the other two stories and just focused on our family. As I drove out of the neighborhood, I could even see my kids faces on my neighbors driveways. It was weird! Then we went to lunch at a local restaurant and saw the paper with our ginormous family picture right there at the front door for all to take. It was a fun but weird experience. I know it is only the local newspaper but it is fun to feel special for a day! )

Residents share stories of personal miracles, the flip side of tragedies

By Magdalena Wegrzyn
© 2010 Longmont Times-Call

LONGMONT — Miracles celebrate the improbable, the unexpected and the joyful.

So often, they spring from calamities and disappointments, evolving from heartbreak and devastation.

Really, miracles are the flip side of tragedies.

Hanukkah commemorates such a miracle — an unexplained moment of joy on the heels of a would-be disaster.

The Jewish Festival of Lights, which began at sunset Wednesday and lasts through next Thursday, celebrates when the Maccabees, a Jewish force, took back the city of Jerusalem from the invading Syrians during the second century B.C.

To rededicate their temple, the Maccabees needed to burn consecrated oil for eight nights.

Although the oil supply they had would normally burn for only one night, it miraculously remained lit for eight nights, according to the story.

So in honor of the holiday, we’re bringing you three stories of miracles from various faiths.

What’s left behind

BOULDER — After the Fourmile Canyon Fire engulfed their home in the foothills of Boulder, the Davidoffs weren’t left with much.

But what the Boulder family did find in the ashes of their former house on Melvina Hill is something Alice Davidoff can’t explain.

“The few things that survived were all spiritual items,” said the 36-year-old Spanish teacher at Monarch High School in Louisville.

A metal menorah she and Mike, her husband and a social worker at the high school, received from a cousin at their wedding was spared. One of the candelabra’s candle holders broke, but Alice was able to replace the piece.

The family also salvaged a mezuzah, a small case that holds a scroll inscribed with passages of Scripture. The scroll was scorched, but the mezuzah still held small shards from the glass goblet Mike broke under the chupa at the couple’s wedding.

The family returned to their property to say a prayer for their two cats, Smoky and Eagle, who died in the fire.

Alice fled the burning canyon at about 10:30 a.m. Sept. 6 after packing her twins, 5-year-old Noah and Lily, into the car along with the family’s two dogs, a great Pyrenees named Yeti and a Rottweiler mix called Wally.

Ten minutes later, Mike, 38, followed with a few possessions — hard drives, instruments and a ketubah, a traditional Jewish marriage agreement from the couple’s wedding.

The family drove the dogs to a relative’s home in north Boulder, then took their twins to a baby sitter in Superior.

By the time they arrived at the baby sitter’s, they had heard from a friend that their home had burned to the ground. Of the 14 houses on their hill, the fire destroyed 10, Alice said.

After staying with friends in Niwot, the Davidoffs recently bought a house in Boulder.

During their first Hanukkah in the new home, they are using the menorah that was saved from the fire.

“It symbolizes the survival of the Jewish people, and that’s really what Hanukkah is all about,” Alice said.

Despite their losses, Alice said the fire brought certain miracles to light.

“One of the miracles is recognizing that even though we lived in a very isolated place, we’re not isolated at all,” she said. “We’ve been so supported by the community of Boulder County.”

A new beginning

LONGMONT — For most of his adult life, Tom Baker believed medicine was the most noble profession.

“You get to a point where you don’t believe there’s a life outside the operating room,” said Baker, 58.

But after a career-ending neck injury in 1996, the former anesthesiologist and specialist in pain management found a new road.

Today, he and his wife, Annette, 52, are ordained Christian ministers and run Baker Family Ministries, a parent church organization that supports Christian ministries.

After surgery on a ruptured disc in his neck, Baker started to lose feeling in his right hand and wasn’t able to practice medicine. Ironically, the man who was double board-certified in pain management became a chronic pain patient.

And he started searching for something more.

“I was drawn back to my roots, and I knew what I needed to do was pursue God,” he said. “And it was clear but nebulous at the same time.”

Baker said his faith healed his neck and upper-back pain, helped him regain movement in his arm and cured his longtime asthma.

“I was delivered from being a chronic pain patient by prayer,” he said.

The path to a new career and a new perspective wasn’t easy, Baker said. But his miracle stems from getting through the darkness.

“That light at the end of the tunnel, it’s not a train trying to run you over, but it’s actually my future. ... But you have to walk through that tunnel to get there,” he said.

One big, happy family

FIRESTONE — When Tirsa and Blaine Allen wed 10 years ago, they knew their dream family of four children might not come easily.

Relatives had struggled with fertility and, sure enough, the young couple received grim news early in their marriage: unexplained infertility.

“When you are going through something difficult, like infertility, you just can’t see around the corner,” said Tirsa, 34. “But God can. My faith has been strengthened as I have learned to trust in his plan for me and my family. He has blessed me beyond what I ever could have imagined with my three miracle babies.”

Undeterred by the diagnosis, she and Blaine, 33, pursued adoption, and three years into their marriage, they welcomed Bella, who is the biological daughter of a distant relative not related by blood.

One year later, the Allens started the adoption process again with help from the family service arm of their church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

By the time Bella was 3, they were set to adopt another baby, a girl with special needs. But after the family drove to Utah to pick up the infant, the birth mother opted to keep the child.

Distraught and heartbroken, they returned home to Firestone.

Shortly after that, the adoption agency found another baby for the couple, this time a boy. He weighed 3 pounds and 13 ounces and was born with life-threatening gastroschisis — a condition in which an infant’s intestine protrudes outside the body — but the couple fell in love with baby Ezra and took him home after surgery.

A little more than a year later, the couple received unexpected news: Tirsa was pregnant.

“It just was something that wasn’t in our minds anymore because we were so happy with the way our kids were coming into our family,” Tirsa said.

After seven years of infertility, she gave birth to Calista, who is now 16 months old.

Along with Bella, 6, and Ezra, 3, Tirsa said she considers all three of her children miracles.

“I don’t believe (God) makes mistakes when he’s forming families,” she said. “I believe 100 percent that he intervenes. He always knew that all three of these children would be ours.”

Magdalena Wegrzyn can be reached at 303-684-5274 or mwegrzyn@times-call.com.

A family jog

2010-12-02T14:08:00.002-07:00

The little moments in life that bring so much joy! Watching the kids exercise with Blaine this morning made me laugh!

My favorite colors

2010-11-24T20:32:00.010-07:00

Ezra said to me tonight, "Mom, we need to build a rocket ship so that we can go to that big, yellow moon!"

I say, "Ezra, I'll go to the moon with you anytime!"

Then Bella says to me, "Mom, I'm going to wear my fish earrings tomorrow. Because fish are kind of like thanksgiving."

I say, "How so Bella?"

She says, "Because China people eat fish on thanksgiving." Not sure where she got that from but it made me laugh.

Then Cali is walking around with her zombie little walk, playing peek-a-boo with me while sporting the biggest smile ever.

Oh, how I love my kids! On this Thanksgiving Eve, all I can think about is how richly I have been blessed. So, to Bella, Ezra, and Cali...thank you for coloring my world crazy, beautiful, and fun! My life wouldn't be nearly as bright with out you in it.

2 halves = a whole, right?

2010-11-12T11:15:00.004-07:00

Well, I'll just start off by saying that math has never been a strength of mine but I'm going to say that I ran a marathon this year on the premise that two halves equals a whole.

Six weeks after the Buena Vista 1/2 marathon, the pink ladies struck again in Loveland at the Heart Center of the Rockies 1/2 marathon/10K. This course was not as brutal as the last one, that is for sure. The evidence of that was not found in my time but rather in my ability to actually walk the day after.

Becoming a runner has been sort of fun...mostly because while running, I get to hang out with girlfriends and while we run and chat, somehow I start to forget that I am doing something kind of hard!

We had a few newcomers to our "hot pink mamas" group. From left to right in the picture above we have: Ginny, Wendy, Joy, Amy, Tirsa, Jennifer, and Nichole.

Only Jennifer, myself, and Nichole opted for the half marathon this time around while the others did the 10K. That is why Jenn, Nichole, and I get these lovely "Finishers" medals that we are kissing.

Having already proven to myself that I could run a whole half marathon (whole half...that's funny), I decided to take this 1/2 easier. I barely trained for it (that was mostly scheduling difficulties...not my actual plan) and I decided to be more of a team player and hang out with my friends. When one needed a potty break, I actually stopped, waited in line and blew about 10 minutes of time! I never would have done that the first time around! I also walked with Jenn when she needed to. It wasn't until mile 11 that I decided to fly solo and finish as strong as I could. So, my time was 12 minutes longer on this run than the last one. I'm o.k. with that though. It has been about the adventure for me, not the time.

Amy actually first inspired me to run a half marathon when she ran the BV one last year after recently taken up running. At the time I was VERY LARGE with child and could not attempt it with her. After shrinking a bit, and after being invited to start running with Nichole, I began my runner's journey, only this time, Amy was the one with child. But with her baby being only 4.5 months old, Amy ran this 10K. We decided to take a picture together as proof that we were actually at the same race!

After it was over, some of us went out to lunch. And after running 13.1 miles, all I can say is: "Um, Jenn, get your own burger! I earned this one!"

Halloween Fun

2010-11-07T13:27:00.003-07:00

Those are some seriously adorable kids.

A newly walking bumblebee who learned very quickly how yummy candy is. Still no chocolate for her because of her milk allergies but she didn't complain about all that sugary candy one bit.

A beautiful pirate princess with awesome blue hair.

The cutest Diego I've ever seen... Go Ezra Go! Vamos Ezra Vamos!

Some peace loving hippies.

And the annual Witches Night Out. We always make quite a scene at the restaurant and random people can't help but snap our picture.

Sweet 6th!

2010-10-24T11:34:00.006-06:00

For Bella's 6th birthday, we celebrated with a candyland theme. That has been our favorite board game lately and so we brought it to life. It was super fun.

Welcome to candyland.

The game started here and moved all around the entryway, kitchen, dining room, and finished up the stairs.

The kids moved themselves around the "board" after drawing the regular cards from the board game. We numbered each kid so as they started to move in front or behind people, we could still keep the order of who went next. It was a little chaotic but fun.

This cake was so much fun to make and definitely a hit with the kids. Every kid wanted to make sure they got a sucker in addition to their piece of cake.

Here are the clues to the treasure hunt. First they decorated their goodie bag and then they went on the treasure hunt collecting items such as bubbles, a pad of paper and pencil, a krazy straw, silly bands, bubble gum, a gummy butterfly, candy necklace, and of course, after a party like this, I felt obligated to send them home with a tooth brush!

Really, I can't believe Bella is already 6 years old. I remember the day she was born so very clearly. I was so excited and so scared to become a mom. That first night that we spent with her I almost had a panic attack realizing that I was completely in charge of such a beautiful, tiny, human being. I am trying my best to be a good mom to her. I know that I have been blessed beyond compare to be able to be her mom. She has brought so much happiness into our lives and I am so grateful for her sweetness and her desire to do what is right. She is growing up so fast. She is so smart, athletic, and she is a good friend. We love you, sweet Bella Joy.

Happy Birthday Ezra!

2010-10-10T10:17:00.002-06:00

It has already been 3 years since our little Ez-Man joined our family. If you know this little guy, you know that he is pure sunshine and smiles. He has an enthusiasm for life that is contagious. No matter where we go, he is the first to make friends. He gets so excited about everything and his sweet nature melts hearts everywhere we go. He calls Bella "sweetie" and Cali "little princess" or "buttercup". He is too cute. Lately he has been saying, "Mommy, you're my best buddy." I just love this boy! I am so blessed to be his mom. He is still into trains big-time so I made him a simple Thomas cake, and he got lots of Thomas the Train toys and tracks. He has been in train heaven.

Nashville with my Sisters...again!

2010-10-10T09:59:00.002-06:00

Last year for Tiffani's 40th birthday, Tanya, Tiff, and I went to Nashville to a benefit concert that Keith Urban put on. We bought a killer package to celebrate the big event. It was a lot of fun but a let down in a few ways. We sent some helpful feedback and about 2 weeks before this year's benefit concert, they sent us complimentary tickets. So, at the last minute, we arranged a quick sisters trip to Nasvhille. We flew in Tuesday afternoon and left Wednesday afternoon. I wish it could have been longer but it was a treat to even get to go for a day. The concert was fun, Nashville is beautiful, and hanging with my sisters was a blast! Maybe we will turn this into an annual tradition!

The performers at this year's concert were: Keith Urban, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, John Mayer, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Billy Currington, and Alison Krause. We had amazing 4th row seats...and did I mention that they were free?

Autumn Color Half Marathon in Buena Vista

2010-09-20T14:09:00.012-06:00

I'm not going to lie. Running a half marathon has never really been a goal of mine. You see, that is the kind of goal that runners make for themselves. And I have never considered myself to be a runner. Until now. In fact, I've kind of become addicted to it. And I have even started to use the words fun and run in the same sentence lately.

How did this happen, you may wonder? Well, it all started this past spring when my friend, Nichole, invited me to her runners group. To say that I struggled with those first 3 miles would be an understatement. But, here I am a number of months later, and I just finished my first (and hopefully not my last) half marathon. I am still on a runner's high from the experience. I will do my best to summarize (and therefore memorialize) the event.

Seven of us went down to Buena Vista, CO the night before where we laughed and cried as we told each other stories, scouted out the running trail, and ate gross pasta trying to carb load! We may have gotten carried away with this photo op but the trail was so beautiful.

From left to right: Allie, Nichole, Wendy, Jennifer, Joy, Michelle, and myself

When it was sufficiently late, we got into bed and told more stories, then decided it was time to try and sleep, and then of course, we tossed and turned all night because of our nerves. We rose the next morning ready to get our run on! I know that I was VERY EXCITED to get started on what I had been training for.
Here are the pink ladies...

And here are the pink ladies (plus a purple and blue lady). We also responded to "hot mamas". We have 23 children between the seven of us.

And one last pic right before we started. Ready, set, go...

Joy, Allie, and Wendy led the ladies at the front. Nichole and Jennifer took off leaving Michelle and I in the dust. But, we really weren't concerned about time...we just wanted to finish! And my personal goal was to RUN the WHOLE thing with out ever walking. The course was much tougher than we ever imagined. It was HOT, we started the race at 9,000 feet elevation, and there were lots and lots of HILLS and very few aid stations! I guess we should have trained in higher elevation, at a hotter time of day, and on hills! No matter.

Michelle and I kept each other going for 8 miles. I was so grateful to have her to talk to. I've learned that I run better if I am talking. I've also learned that my inhibitions go WAY down when I run. So, Michelle pretty much knows my whole life story! It worked out well, though, because she doesn't like to talk while running. After 8 miles, and on a grueling hill, Michelle needed to walk, and in order to achieve my goal, it was time for me to fly solo. To my surprise, I ended up passing two of the other pink ladies who were experiencing difficulty with the altitude and rugged course. I ended up finishing the run having achieved my goal of never walking and getting a pretty decent time of 2 hours and 17 minutes. My average was 10 minutes a mile with my fastest mile being 7.5 and my slowest mile being 13 (no doubt on one of those blasted hills!).

The very last mile was the absolute hardest! I was so tired but I kept envisioning Blaine and the kids at the finish line and that is what got me through it.

Here I am rounding a corner. I am smiling because I think the finish line is right in front of me. Not past the grassy hill, over the bridge, and down the last grassy path! But, whew! I made it and I am one happy mama!

Nichole and I after the race.

13.1 miles!

Yes, we are mighty proud of ourselves!

And I say, if you are going to run 13.1 miles, you might as well do it surrounded by beauty! Check out the aspen gold pathways that encouraged me on my run.

I took the family back to the course so they could see just how beautiful it was.

This huge blister was my take home present! Ouch!

The kids had a great day playing with all of the other kids.

And I am so grateful for a great group of ladies to share this incredible experience with! Although I can't think of a time when my body has been this sore (those darn hills!), I am sooooooo happy I did it.

Rites of Passages

2010-08-24T15:47:00.004-06:00

Bella has passed through two rites of passages this past week; she got her ears pierced and she started kindergarten. She was so brave when she got her ears pierced and she has been so responsible cleaning her earrings twice daily. She also transitioned to kindergarten beautifully and she loves wearing her school uniform. I think she looks adorable in it. Of course, Bella got her ears pierced with her BFF, Sophie, and they are in the same kindergarten class. Going through such "scary" changes alongside her best friend has made the experiences seamless.

Double the Fun to Be One!

2010-08-09T09:57:00.004-06:00

Our little Miss Calista turned 1 this week. Since she and Ben were born hours apart at the same hospital, we had a double birthday party for the cutie pies. It was so much fun. And because of Cali's milk and egg allergies, I found a recipe online and made her a milk and egg free (and therefore frosting free) cake. She ate it like a dainty little girl but she LOVED it!

I'm pretty sure Ben was saying something like this to Cali: "Hey...wanna try MY cake? It has milk and eggs in it. AND frosting!"

And here are the Moms and babies. We are smiling because we made it through the year of hard childbirth, no sleep, fussy babies, YW's presidency calling stuff, (from which we were just released), and juggling all of our other family responsibilities. Yes, we are happy that they are 1!

Truthfully, this year has flown by. Cali started out as a horribly fussy, very difficult, and intense baby. We seriously wondered what we had gotten ourselves into! But, right around six months old, she turned a corner and became a delightful, happy, and fun baby! She has been a blast. She has such a cute, playful personality now. She loves to laugh and play with her brother and sister. She likes to make messes and get into things as she explores all over the house (evidence pictured below). She has 2 1/2 teeth now, has successfully weened from nursing (this week), and can say "night night", "nana" (banana), and "dada". She isn't walking on her own yet but will be soon. She is one sweet and adorable baby and we are so happy that she gave us the surprise of our lives and joined our little family. We love you, Cali!

What COLOR is Your Kitchen?

2010-07-27T15:03:00.004-06:00

I have a whole new blog dedicated to weight loss, weight maintenance, and optimal health. You can check it out at:

http://whynotweightloss.blogspot.com/

But here is my latest post in case you are too lazy to blog hop! :)

Did you know that the colors RED and YELLOW have been shown to INCREASE appetite while the color BLUE has been shown to DECREASE appetite? So maybe I can blame my weight struggles on the fact that I've either had a yellow or red kitchen for the past 8 years! Because surely it was the color of my kitchen walls that led me straight into the arms of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food ice cream, right?

I've been reading this book:

It has all sorts of interesting facts on weight loss, weight maintenance, and achieving optimal health. Here are a few:

-30% of the time that we feel hungry, our bodies are actually signaling for water.

-Better (healthy) food costs more, but your body needs less of it to work well. And in the end, a healthy body requires much less medical attention, thus saving more money in the long run, too.

-Small amounts of nourishment at regular intervals (about every 3 hours) is better than the same amount of food concentrated in three big meals. Feeding the body at regular intervals sends a signal to the body that it doesn't have to store calories, thus having a positive impact on our metabolism.

-Restaurant portions are now as much as 8 times the standard serving size in the FDA's dietary guidelines!

-Americans consume an average of 135 pounds of sugar each year...an increase of 26 pounds per person in just the past 20 years.

-Surveys indicate that at least 66% of American adults are now overweight or obese, and that obesity is increasing at an even faster pace among children. As a result, the coming generation may actually have a SHORTER life span than their parents for the first time in American history.

-Over 90% of us will be overweight or worse by 2032 unless we significantly change our behaviors.

I lost weight by following low-glycemic, low fat, and lean-protein guidelines. Eating this way every 3 hours (during your wakeful hours) provides your body with a consistent supply of nutrients, which keeps it from using muscle as a fuel source, but rather uses your fat as a fuel source. That is why the pounds literally melt off because your body is turned into an efficient fat burning machine. And who doesn't want THAT???

When I first started losing weight, it was all about LOOKING good! But, the more I learn and incorporate healthy habits, the more I want to FEEL good, LIVE longer, and LIVE healthier. I know I am on that path to longevity and optimal health. And it feels GOOD!

Oh, and I might as well head on over to Home Depot to browse the BLUE paint section. Anything that helps, right?

California Vacation 2010

2010-07-16T10:04:00.005-06:00

Top 10 Things that I Loved about our California Trip:
1) Going to the Beach (even though it was overcast)
2) Watching the kids play and have a blast at the beach. Even Cali enjoyed the sand in her toes (and hands, and mouth, and everywhere else sand can go).
3) Running and talking on the beach with Jen
4) Hanging out on the beach with Melanie and her kids
5) Hanging out with all of the Bryces
6) Heather and Nick's pool party
7) Taking the kids to Disneyland and being able to focus on having fun with just Bella and Ez thanks to Alana watching Cali all day for us.
8) Eating at In N Out
9) Eating a Corralles Burrito
10) Just hanging out and reminiscing on how awesome it was to grow up there.

A Few Things that Weren't So Pleasant:
1) Most of us catching a cold
2) Overcast beach weather
3) Having to leave (sniff, sniff)

Aspen Grove Family Camp

2010-07-16T09:38:00.004-06:00

Top 10 Things that I loved about the Hamilton Family Reunion at Aspen Grove this year:
1) Hanging out with my siblings and their spouses
2) Seeing all of the cousins having a blast together
3) Having free time with Blaine while the kids were at their camp classes. We played racquetball, shuffleboard, frisbee golf, swam, read books, hiked, paint ball, and high ropes course. It was great!
4) Knowing that the kids were having a blast at their day camp classes (even Cali went into the daycare classes very easily).
5) The beautiful mountain scenery
6) The family Nerf gun war. We all came ready to rumble...it was so fun!
7) BYU creamery ice cream (thanks Mom and Dad for treating us all to ice cream Monday night! Too bad you couldn't be there!)
8) Sneaking out of camp with my sisters and nieces to go see Eclipse on opening day
9) Eating at Cafe Rio and shopping with my sisters and nieces after the movie
10) The weather was great!

And a few things that weren't so pleasant:
1) The bed bugs (eew)
2) Half of the camp getting sick and throwing up, including Cali and Bella and all of my nieces and nephews.
3) The cost of camp

BolderBoulder 2010K

2010-06-06T08:43:00.004-06:00

I had a blast running the BolderBoulder on Memorial Day. That's me waving at my cute spectators near the end of the race.

My biggest fans! They came out to cheer me on even though there were more than 54,000 racers plus who knows how many supporters and staff. It was quite the event!

Nichole and I ran the whole thing together. She could have run a little faster but she was nice enough to stay with me the whole time.

Hot Mamas!

The BolderBoulder is such a fun 10K. People run in crazy costumes, there are bands everywhere, belly dancers performing, Elvis impersonators, and much, much more. I loved the sign that said, "Sea level is for sissies", although my cousin who runs in the beach sand would beg to differ.
Next stop? The Autumn Colors 1/2 Marathon in September. Anyone want to join?

The Cog to Pike's Peak

2010-06-02T17:15:00.002-06:00

While in Colorado Springs, we took the cog up to Pike's Peak, a 14,000 plus foot mountain, famous for inspiring the words to the patriotic song, America the Beautiful. After taking the train up, we understood just why Katharine Lee Bates was so inspired to write her poem that later became an American anthem. It was a beautiful and scenic ride, although it was VERY windy and cold at the top. We could hardly stand outside for pictures. And we were only allowed to stay at the top for about a half hour because many people get altitude sickness. I definitely started to feel shortness of breath within a few minutes of being at the top. It reminded me of the 9th month of pregnancy and I was anxious to start heading back down when our time was up. Our tour guide had told us that in the 5 years she's been leading tours, she has only seen 2 bears. Well, after our trip, she can now say she has seen 3 bears as there was a big black bear standing on the railroad. I got a picture of it after it ran into the trees. If you look closely in the last picture, you can see it.

The kids were so tired, or maybe it was the altitude, but Bella and Cali fell asleep pretty quickly after leaving the top of the mountain.

Garden of the Gods

2010-06-02T16:14:00.010-06:00

Garden of the Gods is truly a beautiful park and a great place to hike or rock climb. The admission is free so we went twice on our little weekender in Colorado Springs.

Quick weekend getaway

2010-06-02T16:10:00.002-06:00

We kicked off the beginning of summer with a weekend vacation to Colorado Springs. We turned the double stroller into a triple stroller whenever Bella's legs were in need of a break. I swear that stroller is like driving a train. But they sure look cute all together like my little ducks in a row.

Kindergarten here she comes...

2010-06-02T16:00:00.002-06:00

Bella and her best friend Sophie made it through their last year of pre-school. They had a lot of fun going to a big school. Bella told me that she is glad that kindergarten is only half day. I guess she isn't ready to totally leave the roost yet. Here she is at her pre-K graduation wearing the shirt that she made the last week of school.

Some of the cutest spectators.

Bella chose to celebrate at McDonalds and Cali became a huge fan of french fries.

Brave Bella, Chubby buns on the go, and YW hike

2010-06-02T15:49:00.002-06:00

I chaperoned Bella on her pre-K class fieldtrip to the Butterfly Pavilion where Bella held Rosie, the tarantula, with out any hesitation. Her only stipulation was that she had to be on my lap while she held the huge spider. I was happy for how brave Bella was being but inwardly I was hoping that she kept Rosie far, far away from me.

And Cali is at that stage where she won't sit still for half a second for me to change her diaper. As soon as I have her on the ground with her diaper off, she and her cute, chubby buns are on the go and off to explore. I have to practically pin her down to get the next diaper on. I just couldn't resist getting a pic of her in action.

We went on hike with the young women for a recent activity. We had fun being outdoors, getting some exercise, and eating our sack dinners in a beautiful location. I love the girls and it has been fun seeing them grow up over the three years that I've been in the YW program.

Blaine's MANcation

2010-06-02T15:38:00.003-06:00

In May Blaine was able to get away on a weekend trip with his brothers and his dad to celebrate Wade's 40th birthday. Wade got to choose the place and he decided on Cleveland, Ohio...home to Cedar Point, which houses the biggest and most rollercoasters in one amusement park. The men had fun reliving their boyhood days of running all over an amusement park together. Blaine said the rides were awesome and he even blacked out on one for a second. The weekend was also full of gag gifts for Wade and a trip to Kirtland, Ohio to visit some old church history sites. I am glad that Blaine got to spend the weekend with his brothers and dad because apart from me and the kids, they really are his best friends.

Swimsuit Woes

2010-05-11T15:04:00.004-06:00

I bought this swimsuit top to go with

this swimskirt bottom.

Imagine my surprise when it arrived in the mail and the swimskirt was crotchless!?! Have you ever heard of such a thing? Instead of turning my 2 piece swimsuit into a 3 piece, I decided to go to a 1 piece and ordered this swimdress.

So you can imagine my surprise when it arrived in the mail and I tried it on only to find that it is CROTCHLESS!!!

Am I missing something? Is there a new trend in the swimsuit world?

So I am back to square one and have now ordered the third piece to the original swimsuit. And I've spent way too much time and energy on purchasing a swimsuit this year!

Soccer Drama

2010-05-11T14:29:00.004-06:00

As long as I've been in the Allen family, I've heard the story of how Mom Allen "beat up the paperboy". Apparently he had been making fun of her kids on a regular basis and she had decided that enough was enough. Now, I've never really believed that she actually beat the kid up. I know my mother in law to be a very kind and gentle woman. When asking Blaine the details of what really happened, he said he thought she grabbed his shirt and while pointing in his face threatened to "knock his block off" if he continued to pick on her kids (it was the 80's...you could totally do things like that back then). This story always makes me laugh when I hear it. Well, last night at Bella's soccer scrimmage (she is in the tumbleweed division for 3-5 year olds), I had a moment when I really thought about knocking a five year olds block off. It went something like this...

Bella and Sophie (her BFF) were mostly just hanging out on the field, holding hands, talking about who knows what, skipping around, and not paying any attention to the ball. They were oblivious to the soccer game going on around them. Their coach had told them to stay in their positions, and they pretty much didn't move. Tasha (Sophie's mom) and I started to notice a little blonde haired girl that kept coming up to our girls and getting in their faces. We started wondering if this little girl was talking smack to Bella and Sophie? Then the little girl started pushing them. She would push them, run off, and then come running back to them and push them some more. Once I saw her point really forcefully into Bella's face (and later I learned that she was yelling "loser" to Bella). Well, enough was enough. A primal instinct kicked in and I became a mother bear who needed to protect her cub. As Bella neared the sideline, this little blondie followed her to push her. I ran up to her and in my Mama Bear's voice told hert to stop pushing and that it isn't nice, etc. And then with my blood boiling, I told Bella, who was crying and hugging my leg telling me she didn't want to play soccer anymore, to get back into the game and if that little girl pushed her again, to push her back (Not exactly the turn the other cheek philosophy...woops) My sweet Bella looked up at me and through her tears said, "But Mom, that isn't nice!" Now, normally I don't condone aggression. I definitely don't want to encourage it yet at the same time, I want my kids to stick up for themselves. It was painful watching Bella getting bullied like that and I really wanted to teach that little girl a lesson. What really irritated me was that it was obvious that this little girl was pushing everyone around and not one parent or coach ever said a darn thing to her. Where is the discipline, people? I hope I scared that little girl a bit. She is only 5 and already a huge bully. I can definitely say that I understand the paperboy story now on a whole new level and I kind of wished I would have grabbed blondie by the shirt and threatened to "knock her block off". But can a social worker do that with out losing her license? Hmmmm...

Soccer Stars..or something like that!

They became the black team during the scrimmage. You can tell how serious they are about the game...

I think they are doing their hair here.

See that little blonde girl right behind Sophie and Bella? One second later and I probably would have gotten a push on camera!

Soy Hungry?

2010-05-08T20:55:00.005-06:00

This little munchkin turned 9 months old this week. I was hoping to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight by the time she turned 9 months (you know...9 months to put it on and 9 months to take it off) but let's face it...I gained 65 pounds with her and that is a WHOLE lot of weight! In my defense, I have lost 60 pounds (on a good day) or 55 (on a bad day...YES, I fluctuate THAT much) and these last 5-10 pounds are really giving me grief. The problem is this: I LOVE to eat. I mean, really, who doesn't love to eat? And with all of the running I am doing, you'd think that a little overindulgence here or there wouldn't derail my weight loss efforts the way it seems to. O.K. Maybe derail was a bit strong of a word. I am maintaining my weight loss up to this point but I can't seem to shed these last few pounds. People continue to tell me that maybe when I am done nursing Cali, my body will finally release the last of it. But, that is still a few months off. For now, I am going to celebrate how far I have come.

Speaking of food and how much fun it is to eat...Cali definitely would seem to agree. She enjoys just about everything that we put in front of her. She's got the adorable chub to prove it (just look at those cute pudgy hands as she reaches for more cantaloupe!) Unfortunately for Cali, we have discovered that she has a milk and egg allergy...which makes feeding her more of a chore than I want it to be. We discovered this allergy a few months ago when she had a severe allergic reaction to some formula that I had put into her rice cereal. She turned purple from head to toe, with big, white hives, and she was throwing up. After taking her to an allergist and having the skin and blood test, it was confirmed that she has a milk and egg allergy. I carry an epi pen around in my diaper bag now.

There are obvious things that she can't have such as yogurt, milk, cheese, eggs, etc. But, I am discovering that there are so many things that have milk and eggs in it (especially milk). Chocolate for example. Oh, yeah...MILK chocolate. And most cookies and cakes have some sort of egg or milk product. Even those little baby crackers and cookies have milk derivatives such as whey. It is becoming quite difficult to figure out what to give my baby who is so anxious to start eating everything. And protecting her from herself and other people is going to be a challenge. The other day I was with some other moms and their kids. Cali was rolling around on the ground and I looked down to find her with some other kid's sippy cup of MILK in her mouth! I quickly grabbed it away but she had already ingested some of it. Luckily she only had a small reaction to it. Eventually we are hoping to be able to experiment with introducing baked goods and other things into her diet but the allergist said we'll wait until she is about 18 months old and do it in his office. So for now I am going to start focusing on all of the things that she CAN have and remind myself that although this is a difficult inconvenience, I have friends with kids who are dealing with some pretty serious medical situations. It could be so much worse! So break out some soy chocolate and soy cheese...my baby is hungry!

I AM

2010-05-08T20:51:00.002-06:00

I AM a child of God, a woman, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a social worker, a young women's leader. These descriptions of myself are part of my core being and part of the roles that I take most seriously. But, the list can go on and on. I AM compassionate, I AM a good cook, I AM an impulse shopper (hey, it can't ALL be positive, right!?!) Lately I have been expanding who I think I AM to areas that have always been foreign to me. I AM a woman with SHORT hair (and I love it!). I AM a runner (I ran 10.5 miles today withoutstoppingbytheway!) Even just a few short months ago I would not have identified myself as someone with short hair or as a runner. But that is what is so cool about identity. YOU control who and what you want to be (aside from the few definitives such as being a child of God and your gender). It is never too late to shape who you are and break out of the mold of who you have always been. I like the newer version of me. Shorter hair suits my busy lifestyle as a mother of 3 small children. I think I always thought I'd have long hair (and most likely I will grow it back at some point...I know Blaine would like that) but for now, this is what is working for me. And running? I started with the goal to run a 10K this month, which I will do on Memorial Day. But I've already moved on to the goal of running a half marathon on September 18th (anyone want to join me?). Dare I say it? I actually ENJOY running now. Hmmmm.

When I struggled for years with infertility, it became a familiar habit to rag on my body. I felt like it had betrayed me on the most intimate level. I worked through those feelings of betrayal and started reclaiming my love and appreciation for my God-given body a few years ago. Then I became pregnant and experienced the miracle of what a body can do on a whole new level. Now I want to continue to use this body that I have to do things that I never knew were possible for me...such as running far and running fast. It feels great. I don't always treat it well (like eating half a bag of chocolate chips as if it were air-popped popcorn...and it gets worse...but, let's not turn this into a full-fledged confessional). However, I am working on it and realizing that mind over matter goes a long way. After all, I AM a strong woman who can achieve my goals if I set my mind to it.

It was an honor

2010-05-08T20:30:00.003-06:00

to speak at the FSA (Families Supporting Adoption) regional conference for Colorado and Wyoming last weekend. I was asked to speak on "Parenting the Adopted Child". I stole this picture off of the FSA blog. I am obviously making an incredibly insightful and poignant remark (you sense the heavy sarcasm, right?).

It really was awesome to be among so many incredible families who have adopted or who are hoping to adopt. The adoption world is so very supportive.

When Blaine and I got home from the conference, we took the kids to the grocery store and bought angel food cake, frosting, candy, ice cream and candles. We have started the tradition to celebrate the anniversary of legalizing and sealing Bella and Ezra to us. We call it "Angel Day" or our family's birthday. Each of us (including Bella's best friend, Sophie, who is practically family) got to decorate our own piece of cake, and blow out our own candle after singing "Happy Birthday" to our family. We are trying to keep this holiday as general and inclusive as possible as we don't want anyone to feel left out (such as Cali, who doesn't have a special sealing day to celebrate).

The Month of April in Pictures

2010-05-02T09:06:00.005-06:00

Easter Fun...

Cali regularly does pilates exercises. She is working on her abs.
Benjamin and Cali were born in the same hospital on the same day! They are little buddies. Ben's family and our family take turns watching each other's kids once a month so we can go on date night. The kids all love getting together. It is a great set up.

With the weather turning nicer we've been going on lots of awesome family hikes lately. I love the end of winter and getting outdoors. We bought another backpack so that Blaine can carry Ez and I can carry Cali. Only Ez usually wants to exert his independence halfway through the hike and Blaine ends up with an empty backpack. I think next time I'll offer to have Ez on my back!

Practically perfect in every way...

2010-04-03T20:36:00.002-06:00

I'm speaking of Mary Poppins, of course. The musical was as delightful as a spoon full of sugar. Bella and I went together on a Mommy/Daughter date. We had fun doing date-like things such as holding hands and eating snacks while we watched the play. I thought it was fabulous. Bella really liked it, too. My initial disappointment at realizing that we were literally on the LAST row of seats was quickly replaced by relief once I saw how wiggly and restless Bella got at times during the 3 hour show. At least I didn't have to worry about the people behind us! Bella and I had done our homework a few days earlier by watching the movie. That way we were all brushed up on the plot and the music. And the music was great. I found I had to hold myself back from belting out along with the cast popular songs such as Lets Go Fly a Kite, A Spoon Full of Sugar, and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Some of our favorite scenes were of Mary flying with her umbrella and Bert dancing on the ceiling upside down. My date was pretty impressed. I love that she is old enough to enjoy some girl time now with me. I look forward to more fun dates.

Have you ever been so tired that....

2010-04-03T20:27:00.002-06:00

you fell asleep on the couch, then fell off of the couch with a loud thud and DIDN'T EVEN WAKE UP???

It's been spring break and we have been doing fun things everyday. This has thrown off Ezra's nap schedule. He has been having a blast but the boy is TIRED!

Grandma and Grandpa's visit

2010-04-02T17:11:00.005-06:00

We had a great time wiith Blaine's parents in town for a few days. We enjoyed a nice hike in the Boulder mountains. The day was beautiful although there was still a bit of snow on the trails. It felt AWESOME to be outdoors doing something active. I look forward to much more hiking this spring and summer. I think we better get another baby backpack though.

We also went to the Children's museum in Denver. The kids had a great time. Ezra was especially in heaven with the firetruck and the train area. Bella loved the art room. It was just a little too crowded for my liking though. Hopefully that was just due to spring break.

And as always when Mom and Dad come to town, things tend to get fixed around here. Within a few days, Blaine and Dad repaired the tire rim from Blaine's snowy fender bender, the dishwasher that pooped out on us, and our gas fireplace that hasn't worked one day in the 5 years that we've lived in this home. Now we can cozy up with a fire...now that the weather is warm! :)

Leprechaun footprints, a birthday, and some stinkin' cute kids

2010-04-02T16:49:00.005-06:00

The best thing about childhood is believing in magical things. I always love an opportunity to do something special for the kids. On St. Patrick's day, the kids woke up to little green footprints that led them to a pot of gold (rolos) under a rainbow. Then the kids had pot-of-gold cereal (aka: golden grahams).

Another year older and another year wiser for Blaine. We celebrated multiple times with a dinner and bowling date (just the 3 of us...Blaine, myself, and Cali), a family dinner with the Angus family, and then the kids and I took him Argentine pizza and oreo truffles to his work on the actual day. I will now enjoy the three months that we are the same age before I become his elder.

Geez...who pinched the baby?

And now some happier baby moments...

I'm pretty sure a short person took this picture.

We took Bella and cousins Ellie and Grace to see Beauty and the Beast. Bella used her "dress up" shawl to make the evening extra special. It was so cute.

Look what we found in the baby's crib this morning...

2010-03-08T19:55:00.004-07:00

Her big brother! Because he climbed right into the crib and entertained his baby sister, we were able to sleep in for about another hour unaware of the party going on down the hall. He even put his favorite blankie over Cali. Ez never once tried to climb in or out of this crib until today. Not even when he was the occupant. And guess what happened this afternoon when we thought both munchkins were still napping away upstairs? Yep, round 2 of party in Cali's crib. I think he is actually waking her up prematurely now to hang out. Although I enjoyed sleeping in this morning, this may not be a good thing forever if Ez continues to wake up his baby sister just for fun. He is such a little stinker...a cute little stinker! Oh, and if you are wondering what Cali thought of the company? She loved it as evidenced by all of the coos and goos.

Why start your diet today when you can put it off 'til tomorrow?

2010-03-07T20:58:00.003-07:00

Bella told me that she learned about being healthy and strong at church today and that she isn't going to eat very much candy anymore. I asked if she was going to start today and she said, "Nope, I'll start tomorrow" as she popped a sucker in her mouth. I guess that whole, "I'll start my diet tomorrow" thing begins young.

Have you missed me?

2010-03-07T20:19:00.006-07:00

I realize that I used to blog more than I do now. Somewhere between lots of sick kids, painting and prepping our house to go on the market, getting it on the market, and keeping it show-ready with three little ones, time just escapes me. Since this blog serves the purpose of scrapbooking for me, here are a few pics of the last month or so of my little treasures.

Cali has become a very happy baby. I love her smiles and watching her jump around in this jumpy thing makes me laugh. She is rolling all over the place now (finally) but she still isn't quite sitting up on her own. She'll get there.

Oh, Ez. He just can't resist Bella's pink things. I know someday he'll realize that pink cowboy boots and painted toenails just don't have a place in his world, but until then, I'll keep laughing and snapping away.

My girls looked CUTE on Valentine's Day in their matching dresses and heart tights.

The past few months have brought much snow and has been just generally cold. Is it almost spring? Please, please tell me that it is almost spring. Well, at least the kids have fun out in it.

And we've finally gotten to the point where this little stinker will take a bottle from Blaine. Not so much from anyone else, and DEFINITELY not from me but because she will take it from Blaine, I have discovered a newer freedom than what I have enjoyed the past half year or so and have enjoyed a few girls nights out.

Like this one: A bunch of us went to see the musical Legally Blonde. Most of us dressed in Elle's signature color: Pink. It was a fun night and really a funny musical.

We've been sick alot this past month. Stomach virus, pink eye, and colds. It's just been yucky. Good thing daddy can bring home the prescriptions easier now. Bella is his cute, little apprentice.

And recently I have discovered the fun of these kufi hats with interchangeable flower clips. The girls look adorable in them and I love matching them. Have I ever mentioned how expensive girls are? They are just really fun to accessorize. I've noticed that Ezra gets new clothes when I realize that his pants are now high-waters and that he doesn't have anything to wear. The girls get new clothes just about every time I step into a store. The cute things just call to me.

Something else I've been pretty dedicated to lately has been running. I go to the gym nearly every morning and run on the treadmill. I'd like to say that I am becoming a runner but I did my first run outside the other day and I didn't feel too triumphant. I will say that it was cold and I was pushing a jogging stroller. So I'm hoping that once it warms a bit and I am free to use my arms, too, that it will continue to get easier. I plan on running the Bolder Boulder in May. I love having a goal. I also hope to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight by summer (remember how I was skinny for about 2 weeks before I found out that I was miraculously pregnant?) Well, I've been working hard but I've found that post-pregnancy weight loss has been much harder for me. Nonetheless, it is coming off and I am currently about 15 pounds away from my goal. (For a gal that gained 65 pounds with pregnancy, I'll give myself a woot woot for that!.)

Lots and lots of pics...Cali-licious...Almost 6 months

2010-02-03T15:06:00.007-07:00

My good friend, Kris, did a GREAT job in capturing my Cali-licious looking like her sweet, chubby, angelic, princess self. Ez wasn't too willing but we managed to get a few pics. of the three kiddos together, too. I love these pics.

January 2010

2010-02-02T18:29:00.006-07:00

In January Blaine officially started his new job as a NP in the Pediatric section of the ER. He loves his new job as a provider and he loves working specifically with the children. After 5 years of working the graveyard shift, he is finally working days/evenings. Surprisingly this new schedule has been an adjustment for all of us but being able to sleep in his own bed every night has been so much better. He is finally catching up on years of lost sleep. (I, on the other hand, am still sleep deprived but I think such is the life of a Mom, no matter how old the kids are!) He also passed his certification boards in January and can see patients and write prescriptions on his own. Clearly there are benefits to having someone trained like he is as a daddy and with the kids experiencing a range of sicknesses during January, Blaine's expertise has come in handy quite a bit...and no more unnecessary co-pays.

Recently I have discovered how fun it is the buy the girls matching clothes. Bella is way into this right now so I am capitalizing on the small window of opportunity when she actually thinks it is cool.
Aren't they cute?!?

And as you can see, Cali is growing well. We started her on rice cereal and baby food this past month and so far she hasn't met a food that she doesn't like. She hasn't even made one sour or surprised face with any new food! We call her chubbalicious, chunky monkey, mi chanchita...it all works. We love the chub. This past month has been one of the most enjoyable months with her. She laughs and smiles and coos and goos. She is playing with toys, taking better naps, and just seems to be enjoying life so much more. (Have I ever mentioned how difficult of a baby she has been???) She still ends up in bed with me most of the night but that has just become a norm now and somehow I've learned to sleep with a little munchkin always near me.

And I just had to post this cute picture of Ezra. He is most often this happy of a kid. Of course, he is two-years-old so he isn't immune to grumpiness but generally he is one fun little guy. He is starting to talk so much more and he loves his sisters.

And speaking of sisters...this is what happens when you are sandwiched between them. You like to put on their sparkly church shoes and their necklaces while playing with their tinkerbelle flashlight and you wonder why they get all of the bling? It just doesn't seem fair, does it Ez? (Someday he is going to be mad at all of the "girly" pictures I've taken of him...)

Oh, and January has also been full of painting the house...lots and lots of painting. So much so that who has even had time to take pictures of the painting? Certainly not me! And guess what February brings? Thats right... more painting!

A December Sum Up

2009-12-31T14:55:00.007-07:00

My blogging has been lacking but there are a few things that I want to remember from this past month so a-blogging I go...

This is how cute my little critters looked for church on the Sunday before Christmas.

Ez all spiffy in his suit, Bella in her sparkly dress that left glitter and sparkles all over the church pew (woops!) and Cali all velvety smooth until 20 minutes into church when she had a major blow out!

So this is how she looked after her blow out! And I felt like a neglectful mom who dressed her baby in a sleeveless dress and no tights or shoes in our snowy weather. Just to set the record straight if you saw us at church...she arrived at church fully clothed!

Beema (my paternal grandma) came for Christmas this year, making it an especially memorable day. She will be 89 years old in March and I swear she hasn't aged a day in my lifetime! She is spry on her feet and in her mind. The kids really enjoyed spending time with her. Ez called her "Baba" and loved all of the attention she gave him. I enjoyed hearing her stories and it reminded me of how EASY we have it these days. A lot has changed in 89 years. My grandma was raised on a farm with out running water and when she was a young mom, she washed clothes by hand. I am so grateful to have all of the modern conveniences of our day but at the same time, I wonder how to teach my children the value of hard work and appreciating all that they have when everything comes so easily and all of our "stuff" is so disposable. Anyway, my grandma is one neat lady and I'm glad we were able to spend some time together.

Christmas Eve was spent with my sister and her family. Cousins Mark and Grace played the role of Joseph and Mary and Cali played the part of baby Jesus.

Christmas day was fun! The kids LOVED their toys. Ez was in train heaven, Bella got her dog that swims in water (I personally think it is a lame-o toy but she loves it), and Cali is loving her new bouncer thingy. I loved staying in my pjs nearly all day, taking a much needed nap, and spending time with my awesome family.

I also decided to cut my hair this month after MANY years of the long and straight style. I didn't go crazy and have even heard myself say out loud, "Is it SHORT enough?" January might bring a shorter style. (Sorry, can't find a good picture that really shows the cut).

A funny story that I want to remember is the thank you note that Bella wrote to Santa Claus on Christmas day. She asked Blaine to help her spell everything out. While he was spelling "stuff" he was picking up Christmas "trash" (wrapping paper, etc.) Afterwards he told me to come read Bella's letter to Santa. It read: Dear Santa, Thank you for all of the TRASH. (Instead of stuff). This was either a fraudian slip on Blaine's part or this is what Santa REALLY thinks about how his money was spent! Ha! We (Blaine and I) got a good laugh out of this one!

Something else that I want to remember about December is when Blaine and I went out to eat and had an anonymous person pay for our meal at PF Changs. That kind gesture touched my heart so much. I would have loved to have thanked our anonymous benefactor but since I can't, I will thank you, my blog readers, for all of your kind deeds that you do for people and I will try to do good things for others also. Sort of a way to "pay it forward".

And since today is the last day of 2009, I have found myself reflecting on this past year. Honestly...it was a good one. Sure it was hard with Blaine's work and school schedule BUT, for the most part, 2009 was an AWESOME year...one of the best. Bella and Ez were happy and healthy, we got to add Cali to the family in a way I never dreamed imaginable, and Blaine graduated with his master's degree and got a new job this year. I can't imagine that 2010 will bring such landmark events BUT I always love a new year and all of the possibilities that it brings. So here's to a happy new year...let's make it a GREAT one!

2009 Christmas "Card"

2009-12-15T14:30:00.002-07:00

This year we went with an alternative Christmas "card". It was fun making but I doubt I'll make this a tradition. Enjoy!

Santa and Nains

2009-12-05T17:02:00.002-07:00

Call me a mean mom if you will but I was a little disappointed that not one of my kids was screaming in terror in the Santa picture. Those always make for fun pictures.

As soon as I told Ez we were going to go see Santa today, he kept saying, "Nain! I want Nain". (Train) Once he saw Santa enter the library, he made a beeline towards him to request his train. He started crying when I told him he had to wait his turn. Once it was his turn, he jumped up right on his lap and said, "Nain!" When he got his little goody bag, he opened it up with great anticipation yelling, "nain, nain!" Poor kid thought he was going to get a train TODAY! He's an instant gratification kind of two year old. You know the type.

The UPS man nearly ruined the surprise by dropping off the big train set with said train set pictured right on the outside of the box. Bella was with me as I answered the door and she saw it. After a few little lies about the UPS man dropping off some other kids toy to the wrong house and now we have a great idea of what to ask Santa to get Ez, Christmas morning has been salvaged and I think it will be a HUGE success when our train obsessed little boy wakes up to find his much anticipated train under the tree.

New Family Pics

2009-11-11T22:04:00.009-07:00

Santa is checking HER list...

2009-11-07T12:54:00.002-07:00

I usually like to be at least mostly done with my Christmas shopping by the time December hits. I like to be prepared, I like to spread out the purchases over a few months, and I like to have presents under the tree all month long. That’s just how this Santa rolls.

I showed Bella some toys online the other day and her little sparkly eyes just lit up! She is now having a hard time narrowing down what she wants since I told her that Santa usually just brings one big toy. Today I found her drawing pictures and writing notes to Santa, I’m sure in an effort to butter him up. One note says: “Santa Clause: I love you. You are so nice. Why do you put toys?”

Well, I thought that was sweet. And I love seeing Christmas through her eyes: the anticipation, the hopefulness, and even the gratitude that she feels at a jolly old man’s kindness. Although we try to teach and focus on the true meaning of Christmas, I have to admit…I LOVE the idea of Santa Clause and I love that I am him (or her...whatever). I love hanging out in PJs all morning, cooking and eating a yummy breakfast, supplemented, of course, with chocolate. And there isn’t anything in the world better than relaxing with the family, listening to Christmas music, and watching the kids so joyful as they discover and play with their new treasures. So bring on Christmas…yes, even the white stuff. I’ve been checking my list and I’m ready!

Halloween Pics

2009-11-01T08:45:00.008-07:00

An adorable fireman, a very unhappy flower, and a super cute cheerleader.

Go Team!

Where's the fire?

Let's just say that Cali was not amused!

And here is a Halloween Flashback. This is Bella when she was 1 year old in the flower outfit. Cali is almost 3 months old wearing the same flower outfit. Enough said!

October Snow

2009-10-28T22:09:00.002-06:00

Today was a good day to...

Shovel snow (and lots of it)

And build a snowman in the yard

And go sledding.

I just hope that Saturday is a good day to go Trick or Treating!

Serious Cali

2009-10-28T21:59:00.003-06:00

Cali is a very serious baby. Her smiles are few and far between and she really makes us work for them. Mostly we work really hard trying to soothe her crankiness. Lately she has been smiling a little bit more, although she is definitely more grumpy than happy. It is so nice to see these smiles...it helps me to feel like she is going to grow out of all of this fussiness. She has even been cooing and "talking" with me these past few days and it just melts my heart.

5 years old!

2009-10-22T22:22:00.002-06:00

It's hard to believe that Bella is 5 years old! Sometimes it feels like I've been a mother FOREVER and not only a mere 5 years and then other times I feel like time is flying by and my babies are growing up way too fast!

We had fun celebrating Bella's 5th birthday with the Angus cousins. (We only do a friend birthday every other year). Bella wanted me to make a Hello Kitty cake and this was a very simple design that I found online and felt like I'd be able to duplicate it. I'm glad she was happy with it.

Bella is truly a sensitive soul. She has such a sweet and gentle spirit about her. She is a loyal friend, tries to make people feel good, and she definitely wants to do what is right and please us and her teachers. She is also a little worry wort and sometimes she wakes up crying in the middle of the night because she has remembered that she left something at a friends house or worrying about something else. She is becoming a great artist and she is sounding words out as she is learning to read and write very well. She is a very smart girl. We just love her to pieces and are so grateful she is our sweet Bella Joy.

3 Sisters and a Baby in Music City

2009-10-22T21:38:00.009-06:00

Last week I got to go to Nashville, Tennessee with my two sisters. It has been our tradition that when each one of us celebrates a big birthday (30, 40, etc) we get together and do something fun. This year is Tiffani's 40th and so we decided to go to an awesome Keith Urban and Friends benefit concert in Nashville. Tanya got us incredible seats with a package deal to go to an after party where supposedly Keith Urban and friends would be. We thought we'd have a chance to at least get an up close picture. Although we were disappointed with the fact that we didn't get up close and personal with anybody except David Archuleta, we still had an amazing time at the concert and just being together as sisters. Lucky for me, I have a wonderful cousin who just so happens to live in Nashville. She came to our hotel and babysat Cali while we partied until 2 in the morning. THANK YOU, Jessie! You are the best! (I stole this picture of Jessie from her blog since the one picture I took of her did not turn out. I am still trying to figure out the settings on my new camera).

Aside from the concert, we had fun walking around downtown Nashville, touring the Country Music Hall of Fame, and just hanging out as sisters. I found Nashville to be a beautiful city where the people are VERY friendly.

Nashville

The artists who performed at the concert were: Keith Urban, Vince Gill, Brad Paisely, Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Faith Hill, and Dierks Bentley. It was so much fun!

The after party

Adoption versus Birth

2009-10-17T14:27:00.003-06:00

Many people have asked me what my experience has been like giving birth to Cali as opposed to adopting Bella and Ez. I welcome the curiosity as I have always been very open about infertility, adoption, and apparently my life in general. I guess since most people have not been lucky enough to adopt, they naturally wonder if they could ever love a child that isn't genetically related to them the way they love their biological children. I, on the other hand, can't seem to understand why biology has anything to do with love.

To sum up adoption versus pregnancy and birth is simple. They both offer unique, wonderful, challenging, and at times miserable experiences. Neither has been better or worse for me, just different. But the end result is the same. A child of my own to love, nurture, guide, snuggle, to test the outer limits of my patience, and to remind me of how very, very blessed I am.

And look at these adorable faces! Who could ever love one more than the other?

One thing is for sure...Cali is lucky to have an older brother and sister and they likewise are lucky to have a little sister.