The Dog Who Saved Halloween...

Tonight was a special treat for Ellery.  I told her earlier that if she took her nap then we would watch a Halloween movie later.  I was very impressed because she said ok, went straight to her room, got in her bed, pulled the covers and went to sleep!  (this is NOT like Ellery)  So after trunk-or-treat with our ward we went to a local Red Box.  The movie she wanted was a Cat in the Hat Halloween special but it was out of stock.  I tried explaining this to Ellery but she simply did not care and starting crying and making a scene.  Since there were people behind us in line we just left.  Ellery finally calmed down in the car and said she'd be good and asked if we could go to another Red Box.  I agreed and took her to another one.  I'm pretty sure the first movie she saw was "The Dog Who Saved Halloween" and immediately wanted it.  So this is what we watched tonight!  I layed out blankets and pillows and we watched the movie while the girls scarfed down all of their candy.  (Well mostly Aayla scarfed...Ellery would politely ask, mom may I please have another piece of my candy?)  Back to the movie...It's JUST like a cheesy, bad-acting, kid-version of "The Burbs."  The best part was one scene showing the moon and you hear a wolf howling.  Ellery lit up and said, "Mom did you hear that?  I'm in this movie!  That was me!!"  It was sooo funny.  She makes me laugh.  Yes, her costume was a wolf this year.  It was a fun night.

WEEK 4: 3,5,3,8

3)  Didn't run!!  Too busy playing in Arizona with my cute kids.

5)  Didn't run!!  Too busy playing in Mexico on the beach, eating paletas, cookies, brownies and tacos.

3)  Didn't run!!  Too busy in Mexico again, eating brownies, drinking coke, clamming, and relaxing.

8)  Ran 8.04 miles in 1:18:55.  Average pace was 9:49.  Finally back into running again.  I had a horrible running week, meaning didn't run at all.  (although the week itself was awesome)  So today's run was good.  My left hamstring is really starting to hurt.  I've been stretching really good after all my runs but is still hurts.  I thought after not running all week would have helped it but it aches extra much today.  My right hip is also starting to ache.  It was hurting back when I was training for ragnar and now it's back.  I think it's time to start icing after my runs.  I did take some ibuprofen right before.  During the run I tried being really positive.  I ran on new roads and I think this really helps me.  I kept myself curious about what was up ahead and what this new area looked like.  I was excited to keep going because I wanted to see new places.  I also took my running belt and drank about every 1.5-2 miles.  I felt pretty energized and not exhausted at all.

WEEK 3: 3,4,3,7

3)  Ran 2.82 miles in 25:26.  Average pace was 9:01.  I did good today.  I pushed myself to go faster.  It ended up being fine because the weather was cooler.  I'd like to try and increase my speed during my short runs.

4)  Ran 4.07 miles in 39:12.  Average pace was 9:38.  Another good run.  I felt good throughout it.  I ate a nurtrigrain bar and a cup of water before leaving.  No side aches.

3)  Today's run was also good.  Nothing special.  I went at a good pace.  I felt energized.  I realized I stopped my watch during the run and never restarted it so I don't have a pace to record.

7)  Ran 7 miles in 1:10:39.  Average pace was 10:06.  I felt great today.  I took my running belt and drank water through out the run.  I had a nutrigrain bar before.  I really enjoyed this run.  It was fun.

WEEK 2: 3, 4, 3, 6

3)  I went 3.24 miles in 31 minutes.  Average pace was 9:34.  I felt good during this run.  I stretched and warmed up a little more before heading out.  I started out strong but by the end I was definitely going slower.  The wind was blowing which made it so nice.  I wasn't as hot.  I really kept focusing on relaxing my arms.  I notice I get anxious toward the end and when I finish I'm so tired and feel I couldn't have gone any longer.  I'd like to get to the point where I finish a run and still feel like I have a lot of energy and can keep going.  It's probably more in my head. 

4)  I ran 4 miles in 40:26.  Average pace was 10:09.  I felt great today.  Was I just complaining about the heat?? Cause it's so cold today!  I think I run better in the cold though.  I didn't get that weak feeling.  I didn't lose like 7 pounds of water from sweating either :)  It was great.  I also took my time today.  I didn't go as fast as I usually do.  My hands were freezing though.  I wish I had gloves.  By the end my forearms were numb. 

3)  Didn't run.

6)  Ran 6.04 miles in 1:00:44.  Average pace was 10:04.  I felt really good during the whole run.  The weather was perfect...nice and cool.  I took it easy for the first 10-15 minutes then got going a little faster.  I never felt the need to stop and never got overwhelmed and anxious to finish.  I think I do better with the longer runs because I know I'll be out longer and will just do it.  Rather than 3-4 mi runs I think, "Oh this is so short and easy, I'll just hurry and get this done."  and then I get anxious toward the end.  I did feel like I could keep going when I finished!  Looking foward to more runs!

A Day at the Phoenix Zoo

We went to the Phoenix Zoo today. The weather was great for the kids (not too hot or sunny) and Ellery was having so much fun she didn't even seem to mind the wind that picked up in the early afternoon!

We got to see/pet the sting rays, feed the giraffes, and see pretty much all the animals in action. I think the slightly cooler temps brought them out of daytime sleep mode, so it all made for a good day! Plus, it helped that the kids were all pretty well behaved with no uncontrolled traumatic meltdowns. :)


The video should be fixed now.

Week 1: 3,4,3,5

I just finished my first week of marathon training. That's right I am going to be running another marathon this coming January.  It's a good reason for me to get into better shape again, mentally and physically.  So according to my training it recommends me to write down how each of my runs go right after I finish them.  It will help me reflect on what I need to work on and what has helped me get through some runs.  So here is where I'd like to record this.  I promise it won't be very interesting.  I am doing this for me and to encourage me to stick with my training.  Don't feel obligated to read on.  :)

3) I ran this run with Esme in the stroller.  I felt pretty winded throughout the run.  My side ached pretty bad for most of it.  Toward the end I had to briefly stop because the pain was so bad.  I also felt like I was a little dehydrated.  The temperature was fairly warm and I was sweating a lot.  I finished but I don't think this was a very good run at all.  I'd rate this run 4 RPE.

4)  This was a better run.  My side still hurt but not as bad.  I never had to stop.  I still got really hot and wished I had more water in me.  I focused more on my form.  My arms and shoulders were more relaxed.  I tend to flex my arms more than 90 degrees which apparently you aren't supposed to do.  I really concentrated on letting them be loose with my thumb and pointer finger just touching.  This keeps my fists from clenching.  I felt so exhausted at the end.  This discourages me cause I feel I need to be in better shape and not have these short runs drain me so much.

3)  So far my best run this week.  Still had that same side ache but much less than both runs this week.  Maybe its because I have so much on my mind but it went by faster today.  Still focused on my form but for the most part I was distracted and just ran til I was done.

5)  This was a good run.  I never really got a side ache!  I was focusing on my form and was deep into thought.  I was really hot though.  I really discovered how much I really don't like running in the heat.  I get so hot and sweaty and start feeling weak.  In my training it says to tell yourself it doesn't matter toward whatever element is bugging you.  So I just said to myself a lot, "it is hot but it doesn't matter, I will keep running and finish despite how hot I am."  I got through and felt good and relieved when I was done.  

Havasupai 2011

So, Millie has been bugging me to post about our Havasupai hike for the past few weeks now since I have the computer here in AZ with all the picts on it. However, since I don't want to write a long post about how absolutely beautiful it is down there since the reality is, words, and even pictures, don't do the place justice, I'll just say:

If you haven't been, go.




Also, here are a few tips:
1. getting a mule to pack your pack down and out is worth it.
2. don't bother bringing a tent.
3. have PLENTY of water for the hike out... at LEAST 3 liters.
4. bring a camera, extra battery and a memory card with space to spare
5. bring some cash. although the village takes cards, sometimes their machines can be down and/or will require you to purchase a minimum before you can use a card
6. bring a pair of hiking shoes for getting down and back out - but have a pair of water socks or water shoes with drainage in the sole for playing in the falls
7. there are no fires allowed in the canyon, so make sure if you need to heat anything you bring a small camp stove... and something to light it with.
8. Mountain House is pretty much the best backpacking food ever created.
9. check the depth of the water before jumping from any falls/rocks.
10. respect the land and make some great memories!!!

day 1 alone.

Today was my first day at home alone.  I stayed up late last night finishing Fable Haven 3.  So because of that and since I am working tonight I was able to sleep in, yay!  It's quite quiet in the house.  I watered the garden and cleaned out all the rotting tomatoes.  Then I did a little online shopping, pinteresting and facebooking.  I went for a 3.5 mile run.  It ended up being a horrible run.  I had to stop twice.  I don't think I drank enough water.  Then i showered and went to the store.  I had to buy more toiletries that I left behind in Arizona since I was flying home and they didn't meet the less than 3oz. rule.  When I got home I picked some good tomatoes and made a bunch of salsa!  mmmm.  Whenever I'm at Tevia's it inspires me to make some salsa.  So now I'm eating my dinner (with my salsa) and will head to work in just a few minutes.  I'll hopefully be working a lot from here on out to make the time here alone go by faster. 

Ellery's First Day Riding a Bike

Millie and I differ on several things in life; then again, I probably differ with most people on most things about life. One of those things we differ on is the school of thought when it comes to learning how to ride a bike. I STRONGLY disagree with the use of training wheels. I absolutely hate them and the idiot that invented the stupid things. Millie, on the other hand, believed they were a safe means to teach a child to ride a bike. Instead of butting heads over the trivial matter, Millie turned to the internet for other alternatives. She discovered a method to train which includes removing the pedals, allowing the child to learn to walk, then run, then coast on the bike, then putting the pedals back on and letting the child take the next, natural, step to actually ride the bike.

The idea looked logical and most likely effective, so we decided (together) to give it a shot.

We bought Ellery a small bike for her birthday (in April) and removed the pedals. The weather here in Utah was less than conducive to bike riding (rain, rain and snow) back in April and May, so the bike hung in the garage for most of the summer. We got it out once or twice and had to force her to get on it (she insisted on only riding her tricycle). One of the reasons she didn't want to ride the bike was because it was Dora, and not Disney's Cars. So we compromised with her and I got her a Cars helmet to ride with. We put her on the bike a few more times (without pedals) throughout the summer for a total of maybe a few hours or so.

Yesterday, Millie got the bike out again and decided to put the pedals back on. She did, and within a couple of hours Ellery was not only riding her bike, she learned how to start and stop all by herself!!! She thinks she's so big.

Granddaddy Basin 2011

Although the Walls couldn't make it up to Utah this year for the annual Uinta trip I decided to keep the new tradition alive since it's such a great trip! No, I didn't go alone; I don't think all the arguing in the world would ever convince Millie to let me do that - I might get eaten by an imaginary bear or something. No big deal, I'd rather have some company anyway so I invited a few friends. My brother-in-law Brandon was the only one of those friends that could make it and I was glad to have him along!

The hike in was great. We started the hike around 1030am on Monday; perfect weather. We took our time with the 2.5 mile hike to our camping spot on the west side of Betsy Lake and set up camp before heading out to "Walter's Hole" to get a little fishing in.

It was a good first day of fishing as I reeled in this BEAUTIFUL 21+ inch brook trout!! She was big, fat and feisty with teeth that matched her temper.

Although that was the only catch from Walter's Hole that day, I think Brandon was almost as happy to see such a fish as I was to catch it... well, maybe not quite as excited. Still, it made for a great start to the fishing trip. Oh, and for those of you that might be wondering, I let the fish go. Something that big and beautiful needs to all the chances it can take to pass on those genes and ensure good fishing for my children someday!

When we got back from Walter's Hole I was so exhausted (and a little dehydrated) from the day's activities that I got a killer migraine... so bad in fact it made me vomit - four times. Then I lied down and took a two hour nap. When I got up, we went fishing some more at Betsy Lake. That night, Brandon and I were exhausted so we ate our Mountain House dinners (delicious!!!) and hit the sack. The night sky was crystal clear and moonless so the stars were out in full force. I can't remember the last time I saw the milky way so bright, so vivid, all the way across the sky!!!! We couldn't figure out what it meant! :)

The forest was absolutely silent, so ANY noise we did hear tended to wake us up, it's hard to sleep soundly when you're that vulnerable to the forces of nature.

The next day we got up early (for Brandon) and headed Betsy for some fishing. I caught a good sized cutthroat trout but Brandon's luck wasn't making for much of a fishing trip still. I decided to take him to the ace-in-the-hole fishing spot of the Granddaddy Basin - Shadow Lake. It was everything I promised him it would be. We caught a fish with EVERY cast; lost count after 20 or so. A few of the fish we pulled out, gutted and fire roasted right there by the lake - can't get any fresher than that. It was Brandon's first time cleaning his own fish, and his first time cooking and eating one over a fire like that. The fish from Shadow aren't huge, but they're delicious and fun to catch!

After a few hours of catching fish after fish we decided to make the trek back to camp for a rest before heading back to Walter's Hole. On our way back to camp, we took a short cut up the side of a cliff on the way back to camp and, being boys, we could resist to roll a few boulders from the top. We got a few REALLY big ones to get some good momentum, but didn't think to video until after we had run out of the big boulders to roll - but we got a few vids of some of the smaller ones.

We got back to camp, took a nap, then headed back out to try our luck one more time at Walter's Hole. It wasn't looking very good as we could see ANYTHING surfacing or swimming around out in the crystal clear water. Then, all of a sudden, Brandon got a bite! I rushed over to help him land it and take pictures. Another beautiful big brook trout! Not quite as big as the one I caught the day before, but not much smaller either. After pictures, we let his fish go as well.

It seems Walter's Hole will only give up one fish per day, because the remaining few hours of fishing resulted in nothing.

That night we made a huge hot fire to celebrate as we talked about the trip's accomplishments. Both Brandon and I had caught more fish than we bothered to count AND our own personal record fish as well. We could go home happy.

Note: Just for an idea of how big my fish was, the Utah state record for a brook trout (catch and release) is 23" caught by Travis L. Clark on 12/06/97 at Boulder Mountain. Next time I go up there, I'm bringing a tape measure, not just my arm and a camera.

It was a good thing we had such a good day yesterday. This morning, we got up, went to fish at Betsy (because it's the closest in proximity to our campsite) but after a few hours of casting and reeling with no fish to land or release, we decided to call it a day, head back to clean up camp and head home.

I really look forward to next years trip!



Other trip highlights:

There was snow up there this year! Quite a bit. I went sliding down it on West Granddaddy Mountain.

The bugs were RIDICULOUS!!! The past two years I don't remember then being ANY bugs. This year the mosquitoes and mutant flies were out in full force. The mosquitoes wouldn't leave Brandon alone and the flies seemed to think my head was some sort of playground. So annoying!

Rolling boulders was great, a first time experience for Brandon, and something that never gets old for the boy child in all of us!

The Basin was pretty much empty. There were only two other cars at the trail head when we came in - camping in that much solitude is something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.

The weather was PER-FECT!!! An occasional puffy cloud during the day to keep the sun at bay, temps in the high 70s - low 80s, and the clearest moonless nights at night with lows in the mid 40s. We took the fly cover off the tent last night and slept "under the stars" since Brandon's tent is full mesh from about 8" off the ground and all the way around without the fly on.

It's always fun to see big game in the wild. We saw several deer (mostly does - female deer, not "does" as in "that does it") and a fawn and one big buck.

I hate the English language.

Anyway, a great trip! Looking forward to next year!!!

Camping, Derby, Chalk

We finally went camping this year!  We realized we hadn't gone all summer and since it is coming to an end, decided to go.  Katie, Brandon and Esme came with us. 

Jacob and I found a nice camp ground up Hobble Creek Canyon.  It was nice to get away and have fun.  The girls playing in the stream and attempted to fish early on in the day.  Katie took them for a little walk.  Dinner was hot dogs, then the kids went to bed.  I'd like to say it was pretty uneventful from there but....well, we heard Aayla crying in the tent after being in there a while.  Jacob checked on and found she had opened a brand new tube of A&D diaper rash cream.  More than half was gone.  It was smeared all over the blankets, sleeping bags and all over her mouth.  If you don't know Aayla, she loves to eat creams, lotions, soaps, etc.  You have to be careful with that girl.  I knew she had eaten some.  I figured a lot since she was very pale and started choking and crying and acting like she was going to throw up.  I held her and she eventually calmed down.  I got really paranoid and worried what it would do to her.  There was no cell phone reception in the canyon so I couldn't just call Poison Control.  I finally decided to drive all the way back down the canyon to call.  They told me she would could be nauseous,  vomit, or have diarrhea.  Great.  Back to the canyon we went and she was fine.  By then it was dark.  We stayed up by the fire talking and laughing, then went to bed.  Breakfast was our traditional biscuits and gravy made by Jacob.  Yum! 

Before we left I took the girls down to the water to play some more.  Ells didn't want to get her clothes wet.  NONE of them!  She just loves to be naked any excuse she can find.

This past weekend we were able to go to the Demolition Derby with Brandon and Katie.  Why haven't I ever been to one of these before??  It was so awesome!!  Who knew a bunch of old beat up cars crashing into each other until they no longer can run could be so entertaining?  Did I mention it was awesome, cause it was.  I just need to remember to bring earplugs next time.  Don't make fun...I just want to protect my hearing.  I'd like to keep it when I'm old and decaying. 

Jacob caught a T-shirt.  He was very happy.

The girls lately have been really into side-walk-chalk.  Ellery loves drawing 'stories', or 'parties'.  She is so funny.  I can't remember what kind of party she had the other day, but it was some theme party she had drawn.  Here is a picture of her drawing the story of the 3 little pigs.  It's hard to tell but the yellow is the straw house, the black is the stick house and the blue is the brick house.  She drew the 3 pigs in pink and then started drawing the big bad wolf in black on top of the pigs because he was chasing them, and then blowing on their houses.  Note the eyebrows on the wolf.  They are angry eyebrows.

Aayla loves the chalk so much too.  She pretty much likes to draw on anything.  I keep having to tell her to just draw on the ground.  She goes for the front door, patio pillars, retaining wall bricks, siding of the house, etc.

The Dumping Place

I know the vast majority of the few posts I have done in the last year have been about our home/yard; this one is no exception.

Our grass and gardens have been doing great this summer, with only a few unfortunate exceptions. Millie decided to have a slip n slide party a few weeks ago and left the plastic tarp out way too long on a day that was way too hot. Needless to say, there is a nice 8'x 10' dead grass burn mark in the back yard. Honestly though, as frustrating as that is, the remedy is simple enough: remove plastic, water frequently, mow out dead grass as new grass grows. However, shortly after the burn, another spot appeared in one of the nearby corners of the yard. Literally, a spot.

My first thought was something along the line of "that's a strange looking dead spot." It just appeared out of nowhere and almost a perfect circle. I thought for sure this was the result of another one of Salisbury's lazy ass waste management techniques which meant I was probably going to have to break out some more concrete to save my lawn.

I was right.

It was impossible to tell just how deep the round of concrete waste was, but I took my 16lb. sledge hammer to it for about three minutes without making a scratch. It was a hot day, so I decided to give it a rest for the time being.

This morning I decided to have another go at it. I beat at the concrete again with the sledge for about 5 min. and it cracked - not much, but enough. I started to pry at it with my shovel and was able to remove a piece. With each piece that came out I thought to myself how I'm rescuing my lawn. However, with each piece that came out I had to tear more lawn up to remove more and more concrete. By the end of it all, that small spot of dead grass was just the tip of the concrete waste pile that was lurking under my lawn, waiting for enough dry hot days to kill my beautiful green carpet!You can see the dead spot from the slip n slide in the back ground of this pict... it is getting much better than it was originally.



It's a comforting to know all that concrete is now out and will be one less thing I'll have to worry about while I'm away on clinical rotations this fall, but it frustrates me to no end to think about how careless Salisbury was with our yard during construction. Oh well, it's done.

Blogging

I have mixed feelings about blogging lately.  Sometimes I feel it is stupid and pointless and a waste of time.  It takes me away from more productive activities.  I don't really feel I can justify taking time to sit down and blog when we have been living out of a laundry basket all week, or there are dishes in the sink, or I just want to take a nap. (cause who doesn't love naps?)  Besides, who really cares if I blog or don't blog?  It's not like our lives our so interesting that people are sitting on edge wondering what we have been up to.  Plus I don't think many people even read it or are heart broken when I stop blogging.  If there are no updates here, there are plenty of other blogs that people can waste their time with reading.  (Don't worry, I'm not looking for any compliments or a status on who actually looks at this blog.)

On the other hand, I'm not a total Debbie Downer when it comes to blogs.  I would like to keep it updated.  If only for me to document our lives or write down some feelings or funny things that the kids do.  It's fun to look back and remember fun times.  So...despite how I think blogging is kind of stupid, I feel the need to do it.  I'm going to try and update more often.

Since it's been ages since I've written anything, here is a brief update of the last 4 months...

In May, Jacob and I took Ellery to Disneyland and it was awesome!  Ellery absolutely loved it.  Her favorite ride was "It's a Small World."  She still sings the song almost every day. 

Jacob's birthday was in May.  We had a pinate that everyone pulls a string and there is only one that will open it and let the candy out.  Ellery went first and it so happened to be the string that opened the flap.  It was a little disappointing but Ellery loved it.  Here's all the kids rushing in to get the candy.

Aayla's just cute on Memorial Day.

In June I went to Girls Camp for a week and it was a lot of fun!  I love all the girls in our ward.  The following week I ran in the Ragnar Relay with a group of 12 people I work with.  We ran 192 miles!!  It was a hard but a lot of fun.  I love running. 

Katie and I took the girls mini golfing.  Bad idea... Aayla running all over the place, Ellery taking FOREVER to hit her ball in, Esme crying, too many bags, balls, clubs, to hold, and the heat, oh the heat.  We stopped after hole 8 or 9.  The racetrack was a lot funner.

Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays.  I pretty much missed it this year.  I had to work the night of Stadium of Fire Fireworks and on July 4th.  My family got together with my cousins and had a barbeque and fireworks.  I was sad to miss both nights of fun.  I did, however, get to participate in the Freedom Run.  It was my dad's idea to have the whole family run in the 5K on the morning of July 4th.  It was really cool.  I think we'll do it every year!

My birthday was in July.  We had a cake decorating contest with my family.  It was fun.  I made a bunch of mini cakes, fondant, and frosting and gave everyone 1 hour to make a cake.  Everyone did a really good job.  Abbie was the winner though with her Nemo cake.  It was a good birthday, I got a lot of fun gifts too! 

Annie's birthday was the next day and we spent the afternoon at my house playing slip n slide!  Ya I know that's a total kid game, but it was so much fun.  We've pulled it out a couple time since and let Ells and A's play on it.  Aayla mostly liked to drink the water.

Abbie and I had a contest who could make the ugliest face....you decide the winner.

Ellery still thinks she is a kitty.

Aayla has been eating Otter Pops all summer.

Brinley and Meggie spent a few weeks here.  Ellery was in heaven.  She loved having them to play here to play with.  She usually  ends up in a fairy or princess dress when they are here.  She looks cute, but totally our of place. 

Our garden is getting so big.  We've been eating a lot of squash, zucchini and tomatoes lately.

Jacob pulled out a huge chunk of concrete under our grass.  The grass wasn't growing and turning yellow so he found the problem.

They are cute girls and like their big Teddy Bear.

Home

Words can't express how good it feels to have a lawn, green, lush, beautiful. The yard isn't finished but it's definitely coming along! We even got a peach and a nectarine tree planted this weekend!

The Yard

So, we got the sod down just before our Disneyland trip. It looks great, but the rest of the yard still needs to get finished. Hoping I can get it done before I start school back up again next week!!

DESERT TRIP 2011

Desert Trip this year was fun.  Much less windy than 2 years ago when we went, although it was quite windy the first day and very cold the last.  The kids had a fun time being outside.  Ells loved playing with Enok.  It was fun to see our family and friends.  We have no pictures for the last day due to our camera breaking because of all the sand.  The same thing happened to our camera last desert trip.  I was even more careful with it and it still broke. :(