Ugliest Game EVER!!!

For those of you following this year's March Madness madness, I think it's safe to say that last night's Memphis vs. Missouri game was quite possibly the ugliest games ever played - with balls bouncing uncontrollably off of feet, hands and the rim (how in the world did the score get so high??). It looked like both teams were recruited straight out of the Institute for the Insanely Uncoordinated. I was cheering for Memphis, like most everyone else, not only because I picked them to win that game, but because Millie had picked them to win it all! Unfortunately, after watching that game, I don't think either team even deserved to be in the tournament. Best of luck to NC, not because I like them, but because I want to win my brackets... again!

Cake Decorating

Jacob and I have been watching Ace of Cakes of the Food Network, which is awesome! They make amazing cakes. I'd like to learn more about cake decoration techniches. Of course I'll never be able to have such perfection, but I'd sure like to learn at least some basic decorating skills.

I've decorated a few cakes in the last year or so. I made a Mickey Mouse cake last year for Ellery's birthday. A couple weeks ago I made a heart cake for Valentines day. I'd like to be better at it and make cute birthday cakes for Ellery and future kids.

My sisters Katie and Abbie also are wanting to learn to make cute cakes, so we are all taking a cake decorating class!! We just had our second day of class Saturday. We had to bring our own cake in and decorate it. We only had like 15-20 minutes at the end of class to actually decorate our own. (We had to practice different technicues first.) So we brought them to my mom's house and spent the rest of the afternoon finishing our cakes.

You can see my cake is very uneven, the blue icing around the whole cake is SUCH a mess!! There is a big spot on the side where I dented it in, and never fixed it. I am pretty happy about how my rainbow and pot of gold turned out though!

Perfection!

There are relatively few things in life in which one can achieve perfection. Last night, I did just that. Wii fit heading soccer balls on the advanced level.

Here's what that score looks like. one hundred and twenty soccer balls, six hundred and fifty five unblemished points!

Her Parent's Child

It seems the majority of people we talk to (those we know and even those we don't really know) all seem to agree that Ellery looks more like her daddy than her mommy. I've always stuck to my guns in denying this because, what poor little girl wants to grow up looking like her dad... let alone me?

I think she has a sporting chance to look more like her mommy though. She seems to be looking more like her as time goes on!

Especially in this pict!!!






Daddy did her hair again!

Ellery's Hair

For those of you in disbelief that I not only do Ellery's hair, but that it's way cute too... here are a few pix. And NO Millie didn't do it so I could steal the credit either... I'm getting video next time if I have to! :)

Our New Home

Considering we're still kind of settling in and trying to decorate our new space, I think this is still just a house (condo)... but we're working to make it our home... at least for the next year, until I know where I'll be going to school for my master's program!

Play time

Ellery and I have started going to the University Mall now and again in the mornings while Millie sleeps (the mornings after she has to work). It's much easier (and WAY more fun) to keep Ellery from making too much noise and waking up Millie. There are always a lot of other moms (and usually one other dad) with their little one(s). Most of the moms just sit on the benches and visit while their kids run around and play on the fake trees, dinosaur bones, and rocks. Every now and then they (the moms) will get up follow their kid(s) around and regulate play, either that of their own child or try to tactfully regulate other people's children (all the kids are preschool age). Any fathers that are ever there (including myself) usually just sit out of the way on a fake rock and watch the kids, rarely, if ever, intervening in their play, and never conversing one with another.

I'm not one for social interaction when it comes to such settings... but I do like to watch Ellery and how she interacts with others.

For the most part she just keeps to herself in her own little world. She spends time running around in circles looping around the fake trees, then spinning till she falls over and tosses in a few jumps up and down now and again. She plays in and around the dino bones and likes to go down the small wavy slide attached to the fake tree house. Every now and then she comes up to me and hugs my leg and says, "hi da da" then runs off again. Like I said, for the most part, she's in her own world and seems happy to be so. However, every now and then she'll bump into another kid and realize there are other people her own age and size (or close to it) and she stops what she's doing and watches them. It makes me wonder what goes through her mind when she does that because she watches very intently sometimes.

For the most part, all the kids there play well together, whether in their interactions with each other, or just keeping to themselves; there are really no big conflicts or crying, everyone just seems happy to be there.

One thing that sticks out above everything else is, there are a lot of ugly kids in Orem. Seriously. I know my judgment may be slightly clouded because Ellery is my little girl, but she is easily the cutest kid on the playground. I think today she shone exceptionally because I did her hair in six super cute pig tails that interconnected into three. Should have gotten a picture. She's taking a nap now, so, I guarantee those pig tails wont be in when she gets up.

Tilapia Dinner!

If you don't want to hear about a yummy dinner that my mom made up the recipe for, and that Jacob made tonight for dinner than stop reading now.....otherwise, read on!!!

Ok so, he sauted onions, mini red and yellow peppers, and mushrooms in kosher salt and olive oil. Then added the frozed tilapia, garlic salt, lemon pepper and let it all cook for 25 minutes or so. He then added chopped fresh tomatoes and shredded cheese the last 5 minutes. Serve with rice and enjoy!!

It was so so good! (good enought to deserve a post!) I really don't like peppers or fish that much, but the combo of everything was so delicious! We had the same meal last Sunday cooked by my mom, and so we just had to try it again tonight!

Ellery's New Bed

Some of you have been hounding me to get these pix up, so, FINALLY, here they are!

A few weeks ago I decided to build Ellery a bed... after all, she THINKS she's a big girl now! I wanted to build the bed myself (no, that does not mean buying the parts from IKEA, or someplace like that, and assembling it) I wanted to design and build a bed just for her!

Millie wasn't too keen on the idea and wanted to just buy a "cute" bed from a store. Apparently she does not understand the inner workings of a man's brain that drives us to: A) cook outdoors, B) play/watch sports, C) channel surf at 90 mph, D) put our hand down our pants when we watch TV, E) maintain a nice yard, and F) build stuff (also considered "using power tools").

Rather than try to explain the need to build, I just told her it was important to me to do it, and she reluctantly granted me permission. Thanks Bean!

I don't think it turned out as "cute" as Millie wanted, but I like it, and more importantly, Ellery likes it!!! I built it so the head board and foot board can easily connect and disconnect from the side runners with actual rail brackets to make moving easy!

Mii Family

Wii fit, healthy competition!

One of the best things about being a part of three very competitive families (Webbs, Ropers and Walls) is that there is always incentive to do and be better (or the best) – regardless the subject.

Just after the marathon Millie and I bought Wii fit (so did the Ropers). The Walls have had it for some time and they really showed us a thing or two when we were staying with them that week of the marathon, and it set up a benchmark of what to shoot for – speaking strictly of the balance games. Sure Wii fit (aerobics, strength training and yoga) is really about personal development and betterment - competition against one's self only; but let’s be honest, the balance games are only there for fun, or in our families’ cases, competition!

Now that Millie and I will no longer be registered on the Roper’s Wii fit (to make room for Brandon and Katie – a major flaw in the fit, only eight can be registered at a time, lame-o!!!) I wanted to make sure my competition base stays broad and keeps pushing my limits! Thanks to Rob and Annie, and even Abbie in some games, I have been forced to shoot for perfection to remain on top! Thanks guys!

I don’t want to lose that edge, or competition, so I’ve decided to post where I stand on a few of my better performances (pictures are posted above their label):


Soccer Heading - Beginner setting


Soccer Heading - Advanced setting


Down hill ski - Advanced setting


Down hill ski - Beginner setting.


Ski jump


Table Tilt - Beginner setting


Tight Rope Walk - Advanced setting


Tight Rope Walk - Beginner setting


Balance Bubble - Advanced setting


Balance Bubble - Beginner setting


Snow Boarding - Beginner setting


Lotus Focus


Super Hula Hoop


The Ultimate Body Challenge

So... How do YOU stack up? :)

I am strong...I am powerful...I am healthy...I am a marathoner!

It's been over 2 weeks since the marathon and I really need to write about my experience before I forget too much of it! So, here goes.....

Now, why would I want to run a marathon? Where did I get such a crazy idea? And so on and so on... Well I got my inspiration from a girl at work. She had recently ran a marathon, and had trained from a book called, "Non-runners Marathon Trainer." It trains you to complete a marathon, even if you have no prior running experience. I enjoy to run. I have done it to keep in shape and really not going more than 4 or 5 miles at a time. So, I decided to push myself a little further and go for the whole thing! I convinced Jacob to do it with me. We started running in June, and our official training started in October.

We both had ups and downs in our training. Jacob had problems with his knees, and skipped out on a lot of runs. He eventually started training on elipticals to decrease trauma on his aching joints. I was really worried about him not training enough and consequencely not being able to finish the marathon. Well soon it would be my turn to experience a running injury. I think it was about 7 weeks before the marathon. I was running only 5 miles that day. I probably had only 2 miles left when my left buttocks started hurting pretty bad. Now I had some repetitive aches from running like my right foot, left calf etc., which would hurt a little every time I'd run. But this pain was very new and very different. By the time I got back I was practically limping! I stretched it, iced it, and ibuprofened it. The next day I tried running and miserably failed. For the next 5 weeks I was hardly walking, and in no way able to run. I was forced to stop running and had to cross train on the eliptical (which was still very painful, but at least something). These weeks were the longest runs of the training and I was missing out on them! I can't say enough how maddening that is. The pain in my butt went away quite suddenly actually, which was strange but I was able to start running again. The only problem was that this was 2 weeks before the marathon and these were our taper weeks. The longest run would only be 9. So now my worries of Jacob not training enough were turned to myself not being able to finish. I decided I would still try and have fun. If I didn't finish, I didn't finish but I would still try.

The day of the marathon came, despite all my worries. I was quite nervous but decided to put it behind me and just have fun. And I did! It was soooo much fun!! We had been carbing up for weeks and were actually quite lazy days before the marathon to conserve as much of our energy and glycogen as we could. So when the race started I was so full of energy and wanted to just take off and go! Despite my rush of energy, I held back like our training said to and went at a pretty slow pace knowing I had a lot ahead of me. I'm glad I did because I never felt completely exhausted or the need to rest and walk. I held my slow pace pretty good. Nice and steady....like a tortoise! Ok so, I did stop a couple times. Mile 6 my family was there to cheer me on. I stopped to take off my jacket and throw it to them, and was off again. Mile 11 they were there again cheering me on! This time I stopped to take off my pants. Don't worry I had shorts on underneath. Then about a mile later, I think it was 12, I stopped to go the the bathroom, and was off again. That would be my last stop until the finish line. At the half way mark, I still felt great. I had been sucking on candy the whole time to replenish my carbs, but was still worried about depleting everything before the end of the race. So I gagged down a pack of enery gel and washed it down with water. Nastiest stuff ever! Ugg! So gross! But I knew it would help. At Mile 17 my family was there cheering me on more! Yay! I still felt really great and was having so much fun! They said Jacob was way ahead of me and were going to go straight to the finish line to see him cross. 9 more miles. Mile 19 is where they were handing out GU energy gel packs, so I took one and gagged it down like before. There was a lady who was a 5 hour pacer for the marathon. She was holding a big pole with 5:00 on it. I tried to stay a little ahead of her through out the race so I could at least finish in 5 hours. Well it was about mile 22 or 23 when she started to pass me up. I could see her getting further and further ahead. I tried to speed up but I just couldn't. I don't know if this was 'hitting the wall' or not. I didn't feel like I couldn't go on and had to stop, I just simply could not go any faster.

I slowly finished the last few miles. There were many encouraging spectators cheering and hollering the last little bit to help keep up going. As I rounded the corner to the last stretch, I saw someone with a bright yellow shirt on. I first thought it was Jacob because he had on such a bright shirt, but soon noticed it was Bret! Malik was with him too, and as I passed they both gave me an encouraging high five. I then heard my name being shouted out and looked to see Jacob's family cheering for me. Maybe ten feet or so after them I heard my name again, and looked to see my family waving and cheering for me. I was so happy to see everyone there to support and encourage us. As I crossed the finish line, I was overcome with relief and excitement and was just very emotional. I looked to my right to see Jacob (who had finished about an hour before me). He had been waiting for me and greeted me with a big hug. I held back the tears as we embraced. We did it. We both finished! My official finishing time was 5:03. I didn't quite make it under 5 hours but at least i finished!

Recovering...We got our picture taken together at the end, ate a lot of food that was being provided such as bananas, fruit cups, potato chips, orange slices, popsicles, cyto-max, raisins and so forth. Then we met up with our families, took pictures, and finally made it back to Tevia's house to shower and stretch and nap. I'd say the hardest part of the marathon was the recovery. I was so so sore. It hurt to just move. That night I think I acually cried because I hurt so bad. The pain eventually went away and now I'm ready to run another one! I think Jacob and I had such a positive experience that we both would like to run more marathons, next time hopefully with no injuries and maybe we will beat our own individual times!

The Marathon: Part Three, The Actual Race!

Let me just start off by saying that the P.F. Chang's Rock N Roll Marathon was SO much fun! I recommend it to anyone wanting to run a marathon, it's flat, fun, and for just about everyone! Seriously, we saw people of all shapes and sizes, age, race and I'm assuming religion (not that that matters, but it sounds good).

Attitudes from friends and family, and events leading up to this marathon were mixed and unexpected. The Ropers were never too inquisitive about everything, other than a few comments and questions about who will come down to watch, where they'll stay, and will we be ready to run in time? Being so close, the Ropers were always in the loop on how our training progressed and when we missed runs (which there were quite a few) and what injuries we were dealing with. The Webbs never really had any input on the subject until we got down to AZ. Surprisingly, most all their comments were pretty negative: "you're stupid" "you're crazy" "gotta be pretty dumb to run a marathon;" all the comments that most everyone THINKS when one thinks of running a marathon, but nothing that should be SAID to the already nervous and anxious runners preparing for their first marathon. But, despite what anyone else thought or said, the day arrived.



Our start time was 7:40 am; according to race packet info we were to show up at least an hour before our start. Needless to say, due to the anxiety of our first marathon and having driven down from Utah (a good nine hour drive) just a few days before, and having such an early morning race, Millie and I went to bed the night before with a little help from Ambien! Getting up and getting there was easier than expected. The morning started out crisp (a cool 45 degrees or so, practically balmy compared to Utah temps this time of year). Tevia and my parents dropped us off at our corrals (starting areas) and went down a ways to watch us begin the race. Millie's family was planning on meeting us around mile five or six, then eleven, seventeen, twenty and the finish line. My family opted to hang out at home all day, watching our progress on the computer then meeting up at the finish line. Millie's family drove up to the five mile point just as I was passing by and Rhonda jumped out of the car trying to snap a picture as I rounded the corner. Millie was a little behind me and stopped to remove and hand off her jacket to them. Mile eleven; Millie's fam was eagerly waiting my arrival. I was still feeling pretty energetic, but it was good to see them in the crowds and boosted my excitement to keep going. At Mile sixteen or seventeen they were a little late again and arrived just as I was passing by. So they took a trip around the block and honked as they passed coming the opposite direction. After waiting for Millie to pass the seventeen mile mark the Ropers headed to the finish line. For me, mile 20 came pretty fast; much faster than I had anticipated, and I was quite surprised at myself that I hadn't once stopped to rest or even slowed my pace to walk; but by this time my legs started to feel tight and I thought, "I'm making good time, my only goal was to FINISH the race (no time limit set for myself) and I don't want any injuries now, so I should take a moment to stretch a bit before the second half of the race." (anyone who has run a marathon would probably agree that it IS equally divisible into two equal halves, the first 20 and the last 6.2) As I tried to slow to a stop I almost fell on my face, my leg muscles must have become so programmed to the rhythm and motion of running that when I tried to stop them, they just kept moving! So, I thought, "well, if they want to keep moving, I might as well let them." So I did. However, about a mile down the road I decided to give it another try and stretch out a bit, muscles that move involuntarily can't be a good thing. After a quick stretch I started off again... trying to get going again after stopping in the middle of a marathon is NOT an easy task, but I went on and was able to keep close to my same pace (about 8:30 min mile) until the end of the race.



I crossed the finish line in 3hr 52min without a single family member to witness it; oh well, I was just happy to have finished! The Ropers got held up in traffic and were trying to find a place to park and the Webbs/Walls ended up leaving late from Glendale thinking I wouldn't finish so quickly. However, they all arrived shortly after and it was good to see them all there while we waited for Millie. Millie finish about an hour later with a finish time of 5hr 5min. I'm glad everyone was able to be there for Millie as she finished, I think she looks SO cute in the pictures of her around the finish line!



It really was a great marathon! We look forward to running it again next January (Jan 17th, 2009) and we hope to see you all there; and not just as a spectator, but IN the race! Many of the Ropers are already gearing up for the event. After completing it myself, there's no doubt in my mind that everyone in our families and circle of friends could complete the marathon with us next year... it just might take some longer than others to finish, but WELL worth the experience!

Millie and I will also try to get into run the Disneyland half marathon this fall. We'll keep you posted on how that comes along!

The Marathon: Part Two, Patagonia

Although the trip down to Patagonia, AZ really had nothing to do with the marathon, I want to include some of the "fun," or maybe memorable, highlights of that leg of the trip.

We: Bret, Tevs, their boys, my mom, Millie, Ellery and I, headed down the day after the marathon (on Monday) to go visit our grandma (my mom's mom) Borrego, who is staying there with one of her daughters after experiencing various health problems. For those of you not familiar with where or what Patagonia is, feel free to google maps it, or just click HERE. Be sure to zoom out to about half the state level to get a real sense of it's location.

On the way down to Patagonia we stopped by the Sonora Desert Museum. My family had been there once before long ago and it was a neat little place to go. The drive out is actually very pretty, if you enjoy desert views and large saguaro cacti (which I do). The museum is much like a zoo, only most of the animals on display are snakes, lizards and arachnids living in terrariums. Even so, the kids, including myself, really seemed to like it and I recommend it to anyone. However, if you do take small children or are adverse to the scorching summers that Arizona can concoct, I suggest going during the winter months... the weather was perfect for us!

We left the museum and headed south on I-19. A short way down the road Enok started to say "poo poo" (Enok, Bret, Tevia and Ellery were in the Wall's van, Millie and I followed behind in our car with Jarek and Malik). Tevia asked Enok if he went poo and he said "no," but they could faintly smell it. Enok was clean. Ellery on the other hand had squeezed a small one out. We all pulled over and Millie performed clean up. I few miles down the road Enok started to say "poo poo uh oh, poo poo." Tevia asked Enok if he was poopy, again, "no." Instead of pulling over again, Tevs thought she'd be sneaky and just take Ellery out and change her on the floor of the van while driving. However, she sorely underestimated the power of Ellery's second wave poops. Tevia went to lift up Ellery's dress to check her only to find her entire front side COVERED in gooey sticky poo. This is what Millie and I have come to call a "front butt splosion" (yes, splosion - as in explosion). Although I was not in the vehicle at the time of discovery, I'm sure it was a sight to witness. Bret (driving) does not handle bodily excrement all too well, not even of his own children, even less so of others'. The van filled with screams from my mom and Tevia at sight and smell of the mess as Bret did well just to get the windows rolled down and keep the car on the road as he hurried to the nearest exit; all the while Ellery remained perfectly calm and nonchalant as though nothing at all was the matter. As usual, I got to do the really bad clean up. We took Ellery out and I striped her down in the parking lot of a gas station and started scooping the gooey yum yum off of her with baby wipes. Thankfully, Tevs had a gallon bottle of water in her van that we were able to use to wash the rest of Ellery down. I only wish we would have gotten pictures of it; one of those things you just have to see to fully appreciate! Good thing I decided to pack a change of clothes for Ellery that morning, and if you notice the pictures of her (in the previous blog post) at the museum and the video of her in Patagonia, same day, different outfit. That's my girl!

On to Patagonia. Patagonia can hardly be considered part of the United States as it is south of Tucson, and if you've ever driven anywhere south of Tucson you would know what I mean. All the road markers and signs are in Spanish and there's not an English voice to be heard on any radio station. Most of the homes (in the "main" part of town) are brightly colored with an older model minivan and usually a lowered truck with "Gutierrez" or "Hernandez" decal lettering on the back window, not to mention the quintessential dirt yards with thousands of yard decorations and old tires for fences. My aunt's place was up on the hill overlooking the big city.



It is a blip on the map. There's nothing more to do there than go back in time and see what life was probably like in a border town in the early 1900s, just add somewhat newer cars and less horses.

The Marathon: Part One, Getting There and Being There

The trip down and the run itself went very well.

We drove down Wednesday afternoon, nine hours in the car with the wife (who worked a shift the night before and was running on less than four hours of sleep) and a 21 month old daughter who was never one to sleep in a car - you would have thought it would have been a nightmare of a drive. But Millie got some sleep on the way down, and although Ellery didn't fall asleep until we left Flagstaff (with two hours left in the drive) she was really pretty good... thank goodness for video ipods and episodes of Spongebob!!!

We stayed with my sis and bro-in-law Tevia and Bret Wall (and their boys) which was great for several reasons. First of all, it's good to see them, our visits are too few and far between. Second, Ellery LOVES to play with Enok (Bret n Tev's youngest boy), and I think Enok really enjoys having someone else around that is as energetic as he is!

On Friday night we went to Brian and Jo Lynne Hutchinson's (my adopted 2nd parents) for dinner. It was a great meal that helped us with our final efforts to load up on carbs. Jo Lynne made her world famous (or it should be at least, since it's the best I've ever encountered in all my travels and explorations) flan. Basically pure carbs (sugars)! I believed it helped out in my marathon performance, which is covered in part three of this blog sequence.

The entire trip was great!!!

We spent time playing with the kids in the nearby park,drew pictures with sidewalk chalk in the driveway, played with the boys and their toys, and went to the Sonora Desert Museum on our way to the beautiful booming metropolis of Patagonia to visit Granny B.

And since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll let these pics do the rest of my talking:

A new world record

So, the pictures Millie posted from the New Year's festivities just don't give the night justice. During the Wii Olympic games I managed to set not one, but two world records (for the 100m and the 110m hurdles). Here is video of on of those world record runs.

Usain Bolt, eat your heart out!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!!!

We brought in the new year with my family at my aunt and uncle's house. We spent most of the night eating lots of yummy food, playing the Wii,Jacob broke a couple world records in the Olympic Game,and of course sparkling apple cider.
We got to watch Carson Daly in New York, yay! (but not really)
Fireworks are always a must on New Years Eve!!

I think Ellery partied a little bit too much last night!!!

Almost Christmas!!!

I can't believe it's almost Christmas! I'm so super excited. I've been looking forward to this Christmas more than usual. I think because Ellery is in a totally cute stage right now, and will be more excited about everything. I got her some fun presents. I'm so excited to give them to her and see her reactions.

I've been feeling more of the Christmas spirit this season. It's been fun to drive around and see everyone's lighted houses. I like to sit with Ellery while looking at the Christmas tree and playing with the choo choo train. She loves it! I've been trying to play Christmas songs on the piano more. I've lost a lot my talent there. I need to keep up on playing. Jacob and I have tried to give Ellery some new winter experiences. We helped her make her first snowman, and the next day took her sledding. I've also been enjoying the traditions my family has each year. We have advent the 4 Sundays before Christmas and read the Christmas story in Luke and Matthew, have treats, and play a game. One of the weeks we made gingerbread houses. My mom, Jacob and I were on a team. We did a pretty good job I thought, althought sometimes I'd like to take over and do it all myself! Last night we spent the night in SLC. Instead of looking at the temple lights, this year we went to the Pioneer Village. It was pretty fun, got some free candy, cheap crafts, and attented a kinda lame puppet show which Ellery totally loved so I guess it was worth it. The best part was that it wasn't FREEZING COLD like it was last year. That night we opened our traditional new Christmas PJ'S presents and took lots of fun pictures. This morning we took Ellery swimming at the hotel. She spent almost the entire time standing at the edge, jumping in the water and we catch her. She is so brave!!

The end of the season is almost over. So sad. I'm glad I've been able to enjoy it so far. More is to come I'm sure! :)