Say in a Homer Simpson voice: Mmmm, lasagna.

Yesterday was a weird day. I got up and took Emma to the bus stop, and then when I returned home, I was beckoned by the softness and coolness of my yummy bed. It sucked me in. I fell back asleep for an hour. I awoke to Maggie yelling "Ariba" at Dora on TV. Weird. Then I hung out at the pool with my awesome neighbor, and we had a whine session about nursing, babies spitting up, mean husbands ( not mine, of course! ), and other such topics. Afterwards, I made lunch and then came down with a splitting headache. I was down for the count. Poor Sean arrived home to an ornery wife, crazy kids, a messy house, and no dinner. But being the saint that he is, he went ahead and made lasagna. And it was great! The kids loved it. Mmmm, lasagna. So once again, I am praising my hubby. What would I do without him? He's the best.

It's over

Summer has ended at our house. School started today, and boy am I excited. Maggie and I were ready for some alone time, and to get back to a schedule of some sort. Emma was quite excited to start second grade, and she got the teacher she wanted, Mrs. Cummings.

So long, stomach, and 20 pounds.

Well, the time has come. I've reached 16 weeks (well, tomorrow), and as of last night, I can no longer get comfy on my stomach when I sleep. This is a sad day. It's not like the rest of you who know that merely days after delivery you can return to your stomach sleeping bliss. I have a big sore incision that has to heal before I can return to that bliss. It takes weeks. So you can imagine my sadness. But on a good note, since becoming pregnant, I've lost 8 pounds, which brings me to a total of 20 pounds since my surgery last November. Seems slow, but it's actually right on track for the 2 pounds a month. It's a juxtaposition of good and evil. Yes, I said juxtaposition. So I bid a fond farewell to my tummy, in more than one way. Of course, It won't be long before that tummy is replaced by a growing fetus. I think I can handle that.

This is a poll, of sorts.

Okay. Here goes. I have a dilemma. For the last 14 weeks or so I've felt like crap. This is not news. However, in my feeling like crap, a lot of things have been neglected. My kids, for example, both need haircuts, as does the dog. Those can wait. What is really bothering me is the neglect that is showing in my house. I have serious dust bunnies. Everywhere. Normally I pride myself on keeping a pretty clean house. Nothing immaculate, but picked up at least. And now, as I sit here, I have 3 piles of garbage that need to be taken out, and dishes that need to be put away and loaded in the dishwasher. I just don't have the strength or motivation to do it. So here's where the poll of sorts comes in. I grew up with a housekeeper. She did all the yucky stuff like clean the toilets and dust the baseboards, all those kind of things. I still had plenty of chores to keep me busy, but I never had to worry about doing THOSE things. Now I'm considering hiring a housekeeper to come in ONCE and deep clean all my blinds, baseboards, fan blades, bathrooms and such. This would not be a permanent thing. I just don't feel like doing it, and when I do get a bug to do it, I pay the price for a week! It is a little selfish, but it's for a good cause, right? Before I go any further, I should tell you that Sean is vehemently against this idea. He thinks he could do it all and take the money we would have paid the housekeeper and buy himself something nice. The problem with this is that he doesn't do it. He also tells me I should have the kids (namely Emma) do it, but that actually creates more work for me, thus nullifying the idea at all. So would you do it? I'm interested to know where the women stand on this subject, but the men can comment as well. Remember, I'm growing a person here. It's not just because I'm lazy!

A warning for the emotionally unstable such as myself

This is so awesome, I could hardly watch it through my tears. It makes my efforts as a mother seem trite. Simply click the link in the title, and it will take you to the video. I'll post the story here, if I can figure it out.





I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to Pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck. Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars -- all in the same day (doing the Ironman Triathlon). Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much -- except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs. "He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life," Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old, "Put him in an institution." But the Hoyts weren't buying it.

They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. "No way," Dick says he was told. "there's nothing going on in his brain." "Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!"

And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that." Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. "then it was me who was handicapped,"

Dick says. "I was sore for two weeks." that day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!" And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

"No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year. Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?" How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried. Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzz kill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way," he says. Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together. This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992 -- only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time. "No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century." And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago." So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life. Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day. That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy. "The thing I'd most like," Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once."

I was severely reprimanded

For not blogging for a couple of weeks. So here it goes. Someone, I think it was Erika, said she knew I must not be feeling well because I hadn't blogged for so long. It's true. I don't feel well. But this too shall pass. We've had a couple of exciting weeks around here. Spencer returned from his mission to Portugal, Aaron got baptized, Claire was blessed, Emma learned how to ride a two wheeler, we had a 24th of July party here at our house and went swimming and had a bbq, and have spent lots and lots of time with visiting family members. Donna and Grandma Mary were here for the baptism and homecoming, so we got to see them quite a bit. If I was a good little blogger, I'd have pictures to post of the adventures, but alas, I am not a good little blogger. We are headed to Cherry Hill today for Emma's 7th birthday, so I'll definitely have pictures from that. So there you go. Updated. Am I good for a couple more weeks? I think not.

The first baby picture of #3

Sorry about the quality and size of this, but I think it's kinda cute that it's our #3's first baby picture. My due date has been changed from January 23 to February 13. I guess we were a little off. But since I'll be pregnant for what seems like forever, what's a few weeks in the long run, right? So enjoy the fetal photo.

Things I like...

I'm copying this from Eliza. I thought it a good idea, considering we're both expecting, and cravings and aversions can change drastically from minute to minute.

1. Gatorade. Lemon-Lime or Orange.
2. Rice Krispies. Plain. With milk, no sugar.
3. The Tour De France. So cool. And long.
4. Air conditioning.
5. Roller Coaster Tycoon 3.
6. My bed. I think I've been in it more than out of it in the last few days.
7. Anti-depressants.
8. My mom.
9. Pop-Tarts.
10. A week off work.
11. Sean, for doing all the house work.
12. Kids that entertain themselves.
13. Naps.
14. Blogging.
15. A nice hot bath.

I think that sums it up. For today. Tomorrow could be totally different. I don't remember pregnancy being this hard with my other two, but I guess I am older and more tired. Sean says it was the same, but I guess we forget, or we'd only have one child!

Happy 4th of July!

I hope all of you had a good 4th this year. We had a lot of fun. We rode in the "Tour de Riverton" at 7:00 AM, which was a 25 mile loop around Riverton and Herriman. Then we took a nap, went to Target to buy fruit for a bar b que, and hung out with aunt Mimi. We were supposed to go swimming, but as soon as Mimi got here, the sky opened up, and down came the rain. So we raced popsicle stick boats in the gutter instead. Then off to the bar b que at my parents house, at which they deep fried a turkey. Quite delicious. We ate a ton of yummy food, and then watched a spectacular fireworks show, courtesy of Mimi and her quick fire talents. It was a great day.

I did it!

Well, the MS 150 has come and gone. And I did it. Well, almost. I did 75 miles on Saturday, but at about mile 69, I realized I had some pretty big sores on my nether regions. I figured they'd go away and be fine the next day, but nope. I woke up on Sunday, and they were still there, and pretty bad. I couldn't even imagine getting back on my bike again. So I only did 75 of the 150. But still, that is the farthest I've ridden, and it was a lot of fun. Sean and Jared were so good to hang out with me. We did it in about 5 hours and 15 minutes of riding time, that equals almost 7 hours total. A respectable average speed of 14.4 miles per hour. Not too shabby for a fat chick growing a fetus. Thanks to all my donors. Plan on me hitting you up for more money next year. My goal is $1000! So get those check books out!

The time has come

Well, folks. I have officially reached my goal of raising $500 for the MS 150 this year. Thanks to all that have donated. But just to let you know, it's not too late. I will be taking online donations up until Saturday, so feel free to donate online using the link on my sidebar. There is no minimum, and you can donate as much or as little as you wish. Know that it's for a good cause, and it's tax deductible at the end of the year.

Okay, no more soliciting, I promise. I will be doing 75 miles on Saturday, and 75 miles on Sunday, fetus permitting. I don't normally condone riding on Sunday, but after busting my butt to raise all this money, and knowing the kids are in great hands, (thanks Grandma!), I will do it just this once. For all my donors, I will be thinking of you while but butt is killing me. I guess we all know who my biggest "donor" is this year....Sean. Good thing it was his own special kind of donation that gave me the 9 month flu. Luckily none of my other "donors" gave me that, just money! I'll post pics, if I take any. Doubtful considering I will be too tired to lift a camera, but I'll take it just in case. Ciao!

Emma's first track meet

This year for summer vacation, we decided to keep Emma busy by letting her pick an activity. Out of Soccer, Track and Gymnastics, she chose Track. She's very good. She did the long jump, the 800m run, and the shot put. She scratched 3 times on the long jump, so we'll have to practice that one, but she threw the shot put 9' 3"!!! Quite a good throw for a girl. The 800m run was a different story. She was the youngest by at least 4 years, so needless to say she got left in the dust! But true to her personality, she just kept running even though she knew she was losing. At the end, everyone was cheering her on because they were so proud of her for not quitting! It was one of my proudest moments as a parent. I think there are many lessons we teach our kids, but when they actually do what they're taught, it makes you realize how big an influence you are in their lives. She's a great kid.

Happy Summer Solstice

So this morning I was awakened by the sound of the garage door going down. I glanced at the clock and it was 5:36 AM. I knew Sean was on his way to work and normally I fall back asleep no problem. Today I decided to turn on the news. Turns out, the first day of summer began at, Drum Roll Please, 5:36 AM. How weird is that? Since summer is my favorite season, I thought it appropriate that I should wish every one a happy summer solstice. So consider yourself wished. Peace out.

#3!

See the Nuthouse for details.

Don't they look sweet?

Abby looking so sweet














Maggie looking so sweet.







You'd think they looked like this all the time. I guess that means it's a good picture. Actually, while I was baby sitting Abby yesterday, they were having a hard time sharing the wagon. Most of the pics I captured had at least one of them looking mad. Kids crack me up. They love each other, but sometimes they just can't get along.

"Not so little Red Riding Hood"

Meg and I finishing the ride in Logan. She's in the blue, in case there's any confusion between us! ;)








Well, one down, two to go. I finished Little Red Riding Hood on Saturday, 68 miles I might add. Or as I like to call it, "Not so little Red Riding Hood". Yes, it was tough. No, not tough enough that I wouldn't do it again. It was actually pretty darn fun. It is one of only two all female rides in the country. I think I heard there were over 2000 women, but I could be wrong. Anyway, it was fun. We did it in 4:15, which gives us about a 16 mph average. Not fast, but pretty good. There were awesome pit stops with tons of yummy food, and SAG wagons everywhere. We also had police support at busy intersections (of which there were only two. It was in Logan after all). I did it with my sister Meg, who is a super fit avid cyclist, my sister-in-law Kelli, who is a die hard mountain biker, and her friend Heidi, also a mountain biker. We all stayed together for the most part, and had some fun along the way. Thank goodness for Meg who literally, I mean LITERALLY, pushed me up a couple of hills. I don't think I would have made it without her. Of course, I couldn't do a lot of things without her. She's my bestest friend.

So now I have two major rides left in the season. The next is the MS 150, to which if you haven't already, please donate! That one's on June 24th and 25th. Then the Logan to Jackson in September. 209 miles mostly uphill. I (thankfully) will only be doing one leg of that which I believe consists of 38 or so miles. No biggie. So that's about it. I think we're done traveling for now. I could use a break.

It's about time!!

Emma finally lost a tooth! I was beginning to wonder if she'd ever lose those baby teeth. All of the kids in her class, and most of the ones in Kindergarten, have already lost at least one, if not several, teeth. Finally, it popped out last night! She didn't even cry, and the tooth fairy left her $5! What a nice tooth fairy. That would almost buy her a gallon of fuel, if she could drive! What ever happened to the tooth fairy leaving a quarter or a nickel? Maybe I should start losing some teeth!

Out of the cold

Well, I hope everyone had a happy Memorial Day. I know I did. At the last minute on Saturday, we decided to get the heck out of the cold weather and head for sunny St. George. Glad we did. It was in the 30's up here, but down there we hung out by the pool in 80 degree weather. It was a good trip. I wish I had gotten a picture of Maggie, though. She was at the pool, and the only way she would go near the water was if she had her goggles on. Which isn't that funny in itself, but the fact that she only had on a diaper made it hilarious. I'm pretty sure we could get arrested for that. A 2 year old in a diaper and goggles? How tacky!

Not that anyone will see this

But HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARTER!!! He's my oldest nephew, and he's 10! I was in college when he was born. Wow, time flies.

6 Funny things about Keli

I got this idea from Brittany, thanks Googie. I thought it would give my reader(s) some insight into my quirks and off-beat personality.

1. I'm an internet junkie. Most of you know this, but I think I have a problem. I love to find things that I want in retail stores, then come home and research the heck out of it, until I can find it half price with free shipping. I love free shipping. For example, I found black leather knee high boots in San Francisco at DSW for 38.00. Good price, right? Well, I decided I wanted brown ones just like them, but there are no DSW's here, and they don't have an internet store (I know, I thought that was strange too). So I went a-looking. And I found them for 20.00 and free shipping! Boscov's.com. Check it out. They are my pride and joy, and I tell everyone how much I paid. It's so tacky, but that's me. I also love blogging, internet games, and looking for good deals on vacations. It's sick, really.

2. I'm addicted to celebrity trash magazines. Every time I go to the store, I find at least two of them in my cart. I have no idea how they get there. I started out by justifying it saying that I had to keep up with the gossip so my clients wouldn't think I was out of it. And it just snowballed from there. Anything about Brangelina, TomKat, or (gulp) Brittany, and it's like a train wreck. I just can't look away, even though I need to. I just love to see "Who wore it best" and "Celebrities- they're just like us". I kind of envy Bonnie, she lives in Malibu, and I hear that's where all the celebrity sightings are. Although I'm sure they're not nearly as glamorous in person. A little airbrushing goes a long way. But alas, I've succumbed to their marketing. I'm a sheep. Baaa.

3. I'm not a morning person. I don't like waking up before 8:00 AM. It's just not me. I like to stay up late, and sleep in. I've been lucky til now because my kids are good sleepers and they'll sleep til 10 if I let them. I don't let them as often as I'd like to. We have 11:00 church, and that's just perfect for me. I can sleep in, and still make it to church on time (usually). But school has been another thing. Emma has to be at the bus at 8:25, so I can only sleep til 7:45. Arrrgh, those 15 minutes would sure take the edge off. I can't count how many times I've crawled back into bed to cuddle with Maggie and fallen back asleep while she watches cartoons. I'm a horrible mother.

4. I can't remember the last time I had an actual vegetable. I drink V8 juice, which has vegetables in it, but a solid, chewy, unprocessed vegetable hasn't crossed these lips in at least of couple of days. In fact, I think it was Sunday at Mom's. We had corn on the cob. And I threw it up, so I don't think it counts. Note to self... Corn doesn't go down so well. My kids do better, because Sean feeds them on the nights I work. He's pretty good about getting their veggies in. Like I said, I'm a horrible mother.

5. I really love my mini van. No, really. I do. I always swore I would never drive a mini van, but here I am. And I love it. I've tossed around the idea of selling it and getting a "cooler" car, but I just can't bear to part ways with it yet. Besides, it's paid for.

6. I want to live in the country. We are thinking of buying a 10 acre plot of land in Herriman, and I'm very excited. I want to have alpacas and fainting goats. Yes, they faint. Well, not technically, they just fall over because their muscles go rigid. They're really called myotonic goats. They're sooo cute. And I seriously love Alpacas. Which reminds me, I'll be visiting an Alpaca farm tomorrow so the girls can see just how cute they are. So, if this land thing goes through, then I'll be moving from the city, with very little yard that is cared for by gardeners, to a huge farm with goats and alpacas. Wow, what a change.


So there you have it. 6 funny things about me. That is all. Carry on.