The long road.

To try to save time, energy, and gasoline- I decided to ride the bus with the kids into town Friday. This way Dave would not have to drive ALL THE WAY back home- then back the same exact way to go to Cache Valley for the night. I also needed our overnight bags. Why in the world I did not pack his car the night before escapes my mind completely! What an adventure it was- before the weekend even began!

Lori was kind enough to drive us over to the park and ride where we boarded the bus. A trip that usually takes me 40 minutes was an hour- not bad at all! We wove in and out of the airport- which made for conversation with the kids. When we arrived downtown- we had to walk 3 blocks to catch Trax for the next part of the trip. We catch the train- which fills to such a after work level- Nicole, Jordan, Kira, and I are all sitting on each other in one seat! Finally reaching the stop which is across ed the street from David's office. How long do you think this takes us? I mean the trip into town was only an hour? Yep- 2 hours for a 43 minute trip! I was ready to go back home! So up the dreaded I-15 through rush hour traffic we go. One of the reasons we moved was to avoid the I-15.

HOLY COW- Can I even begin to tell you my annoyance with the Legacy Highway controversy? For how many years did some group who wanted to protect some marsh bird cry and complain about the proposed road? This road was supposed to have been built at LEAST 10 years ago- and when did it ACTUALLY open??? Yep- two weeks ago. I am not completely heartless! I am sorry to the little marsh birds who had to move 3 miles away- but the Legacy highway is a miracle! Rush hour on a Friday night is always such a nightmare- 2 hours minimum for a 50 mile drive. Its a wonder people are not shooting the drivers next to them in fits of rage! With the highway open we SAILED to Weber County- never once tapping the breaks- it was utterly amazing! Marsh birds the farthest things from my mind as we make it to Cache Valley an hour and 45 minutes later when we had estimated 3 hour drive! So wonderful! They knew the highway would eventually win- 10 long road raged filled years later.

We did miss the height of color through Wellsville Canyon- which was sad- but we ended up Smithfield canyon the next day for some beautiful pictures of the kids. We were able to go to sweet little Desmond's baby blessing- and spend a very enjoyable time with Dave's family. It was a nice time. It was worth the long trip- which could have been SO much longer!

It is time that I (edit* just skip this- I wrote this one for me!)

Came up with a plan. I have taken the last month since leaving my job to become myself again, regulate my sleep, take time for reflection, figure our our how I can reverse my thinking, clean my self, and read. (and read LOTS!) I feel so much more alive, happy, and ready to take on the world!

The week before I quit- I was just drowning. I finally decided to get some guidance. Dave was supportive of course, but I was so afraid of letting him down. Never wanted him to have to worry. ( why I felt like this was just another way to keep me sucked in! ) Lost- I ended up at the church house, hoping to speak to someone. While I am SURE the bishop would have said the right things to help me- the Lords decided to send someone else to me instead. I cried my eyes out- and through the chaos of it all the right words were found to give me direction.It was like I could hear the Chorus of strength swelling behind me! I followed the advice and knew what to do. FINALLY!!! (Feels good to live that moment again1 WooooooooT!)

Why am I going back to this- (again? I know! I am sorry!) Its now time for me to start doing the things that made working so HARD for me! Yes, I am happier, I have walked Kira to school many times, and stayed home with a sick child, but I have so much I wanted to do!!! Its time to put my plan into action. I thought but sitting, writing, thinking, it may be easier to do! I have done so much for myself this year to make my life better! I am so blessed- but I want more! Yes! I do! and Heck! I deserve it!

• I am pleased that I have my headaches controlled to a minimum. I am willing to dive in a bit farther and get more finally. I have a goal- to run again. Dave and I have a plan to start training in February- but as I am a bit farther away than him- I better start now. I will start today. I have been walking 3 times a week- but officially moving to 6 days a week. Yay me!
• Dinner is going well. I plan things and stick to it. I am now going to start planning breakfast as well. The kids get up and fix whatever while I do another one's hair or sign planners, or whatever. I am getting up 5 minutes earlier to make food for them!
• I have been working on my singing lesson one day a week. I am going to do two! Wed. mornings I am spending another 90 minutes. I have plenty of time on Wednesdays.
• My house looks pretty all the time. bathrooms get cleaned 2 times a week, mopping twice, vacuuming once, I could do the blinds once a week. (UGH) and base boards once too- but I plan on painting one day a week. I have a whole house to paint...even one hour a week is doable.
• While I am very please we read our scriptures together 5 days a week, and I have time to read them on my own- I think I want a different approach. Since I miss out on a Sunday school lesson every week- I think I am going to start following the lesson plan and work through it as tho I am going to have to teach it. I feel like I miss out sometimes with the in depth discussions while in Primary. I would NEVER trade places- but thats my new goal! YAY!

• Lastly- I want to be able to serve a bit more. I am trying to make my self available, and look for opportunities to serve others. Next week (and I am SO STINKING excited!) I will be watching 4 little dolls so Bonnie can go and spend time with her hubby. For 2 whole days! I can't wait! If I had not asked Heavenly Father to help me be on the lookout for ways to serve- she may have not have mentioned needing someone. I am sure there are more people to serve- I just have to be ready!!!
• YOu better bring me some sute mathing clothes for them! :D

Ok- good start to my plans! I am sure this will help me become a better person, and continue on the road to self discovery. Help me be a better wife, mother, friend, and daughter. I deserve to be happy- and I am going to stop being so darn hard on myself. Well- we'll see! I at least will try!!!!

Why! Thank You!

Why are we so hard on ourselves?
I make dinner- everyone in the house likes it- but I can't accept the compliment.
I get ready- I am convinced my hair is hideous. Don't tell me otherwise.
My kids do (normal) something I do not agree with- it must be my horrible parenting.
A lesson at church-it directed at me because I am flawed in that area.

Seriously! Why do we be get on ourselves for every little thing thing? I am sure it is not good for us- and somehow the little put downs effect us. As I sit and contemplate this topic- I see the wonderful good things about Dave, Nicole, Jordan, and Kira every time I look at them, but its pulling teeth to do the same for myself! I don't even feel like my self worth is bad- but maybe I have trained myself to think I can't like myself. Does this make any sense at all? Too bad I can not express my thoughts without my words getting in the way! lol. So here it is:

I will graciously accept compliments.
I will think good things about myself. (including my hair!)
I will be accepting of the perfection in my parenting. ( well- ok that was a joke!)
I will be grateful for the blessings all around me, and deserve them, and deserve them.

Why is taking a compliment so hard? Is that a class I missed in middle school? It must be that darn public school system. Lets blame them shall we? Or- it was those side ponytails of the 80's that warped our brains on one side. OOO I think I found a winner!

Last- Nicole came running in the other morning saying the sky was so pretty. I actually agrre- Nice picture Nicole.

The television has been turned on.

We watch movies- at least 3 a week . (this week was filled with Hitchcock films! Suspicion, Vertigo, The Birds) but as far as regular tv? nah- nothing good is on. Feeling out of touch with the news? Not really- I do have the internet.

Last night I thought however, I would watch some news. Sometimes the world is depressing. I knew what was going on- but reading it compared to hearing it is not such a downer. Bah! but that is besides the point! I am such a meander- er of thoughts! I heard fantastic news while watching TV- Last night TV was back! We have a few shows to watch every season- and last night started the Heroes season. (So disappointed that Dr. Sheresh injected himself with the funky strain of DNA. )

How many of you watch Heroes? Any ideas to what the season holds? I am sure Dave is full of theories. Lets hear them!

5 Ways To Surf Like a Complete Moron

ok I totally stole this from here: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/21/5-ways-to-surf-like-a-complete-moron/

but it's totally dead on correct!

Back in the days of ICQ #s lower than 10000, and Yahoo was only a word shouted to show enthusiasm and not the spam factory it is now. I was totally into viral videos and funny e-mails,
I was waiting for my $5000.00 from Microsoft to arrive just from send e-mails to 10 people, and I couldn't wait for my free 5000 KB mp3 player to arrive, all from just signing up on a few websites.
Aafter a little research and a lot of disappointment, (about a week) I got tired of reading all of the funny email, videos, save the poor dieing kids, and stop global warming emails I could handle. There is nothing I hate worse than getting e-mail like that.
There are fun e-mails but the "e-mail this to everyone you know or your cursed" email, will not get send on by me. I usually reply with an e-mail for idiots lesson.

Ok enough negativity! just thought I'd share one of my biggest pet peeves. and a lesson or laugh for all!

So here it is: my 5-point method for turning your computer into a quivering pile of malware-infested, hacker-friendly trash.

1. Don't bother updating your software. Things like Java, Flash, and your web browser are constantly updating. How annoying is that? If your Flash games play, and the little Java thing is always near your system clock, it's probably working just fine. Security holes in your outdated internet apps let the information move through faster.

2. Believe everything you see. If a pop up window tells you that Windows has found spyware on your computer or that you have 324 errors in your registry, you'd better click on it. That's not the kind of thing you want to take a chance on. I mean, the registry is where stuff...registers. And spyware removal software that advertises Shamwow style must be trustworthy, right?

3. You need more free smilies and screensavers. Everyone loves smilies, especially the friends that "msg u bak n 4th @ myspace". And screensavers? Shut up. I love having fancy animated crap displayed on my monitor when I'm nowhere near it - that's how everyone walking past knows what a cool guy I am. None of the websites giving this stuff away want to piggyback any nasty BHOs or other malware anyways.

4. Use your main email address and the same password everywhere you register for an account. Why make things confusing? No one will ever figure out your password hint based on details from your Facebook page anyhow. Hackers have better things to do than try and get into someone's dumb old Yahoo Mail account. Except for that guy that did it to Sarah Palin, I guess.

5. Everything on Limewire is a real video or song. Dude, it's totally possible to cram Iron Man into a 72mb download, or squeeze Free Bird into a 540kb mp3. It's called compression. Duh. As if someone could just rename a bogus file the same thing as a movie and hide a trojan inside it.

Out on the town

Three things of note: (if you are in need of a place to go out)

• Thaifoon- a fabulous restaurant at the Gateway. It was very good. Jonathan bought some iceberg lettuce wraps- the peanut sauce was GREAT. Rebbekah had this HUGE bowl of lo-mein- which if I remember right she only had like 1/4 of it! I had "Evil jungle princess shrimp." Yep- get that! Dave basically had the same as me- just with chicken. It had a spicy red curry with peanuts!

• We also went to this adorable game store in Sugarhouse. Its called Game night. They have a huge selection of games. They have games you can play- or if you buy a game you are welcome to sit in the store and play it. They bought a super funny game called compatibility. You have a deck of cards with all sorts of random pictures. (a stuffed rabbit, a sunset, a flag waving, a hair old guy, children playing in the sand etc... ) A category is chosen (mountains, natural, sleep- whatever) and we all have to try to pick the same cards as our partner. What a hoot!

• Carls Junior (downtown SLC ) you must have a quarter to use the restroom. I made Dave use the women's room also- I was not spending 50 CENTS!!!
  

This weekend we went out with Jonathan and Rebbekah. I wonder why sometimes we let distance come between friends.

Dave and Jonathan have been friends since high school- in fact I was friends with him too- when Dave and I met we were surprised we had a common friend. Rebbekah we met after they were married- They soon became our close friends. They were the only people we knew who were married also (gosh for a long time we were the only ones!) and they helped us get one of our first jobs.

We always loved them- then time. Time comes along and we speak less and less. Why we do this- is beyond me. We had a fun giggly time. We will have to go again really soon.

Word of the week

mordant-

1. black, grim, mordant

(harshly ironic or sinister; "black humor"; "a grim joke"; "grim laughter"; "fun ranging from slapstick clowning ... to savage mordant wit")

I found that totally funny article on how to stay in debt. I laughed for at least 5 minutes. I had to add a few of my own comments- but it was super funny.

Dave is never serious. Every word he speaks in laced with sarcasam or irony- so one day I went looking for a word to describe him- and mordant seemed to amuse me.

10 easy ways to stay in Debt

1. Don’t keep track of your money. At all. After all, paying over-limit and insufficient fund fees are a great way to accumulate more debt.

2. Use credit cards for everything. But make sure to not pay them off in full each month. You want to float some of that money for a rainy day, or something. After all, it’s like *your* money since the credit card lets you have it, right?

3. Don’t save. Saving is like the anti-debt. Don’t save anything, for any reason.

4. Shop for fun, and make sure to let your impulsive side show. Buying on impulse is a great way to keep that debt running high.

5. Interest rates? Cash back? Who cares! I want a credit card that is pretty and matches my purse*. Oh, and can I put a picture of my cat/dog/kid on it? Even better….

6. Buy the most house the bank will let you. Because if the bank will give you the money, it has to be okay.

7. Do not shop around. Just buy it wherever, would it really save you any money to check prices? In fact, I saw a commercial where it was just a waste of time to check prices and commercials never lie. Do not confuse this with “do not shop”. Shopping is good. Shop early, late, and often.

8. Credit card full? Get another. Or move the balance somewhere else and charge it up again.

9. Or - wait! Put it all into a home equity loan! Then charge it up again. Awesome.

10. Don’t care. That’s the biggest one. Just… don’t … care. Don’t let debt keep you up at night. Don’t worry - be happy!

Some of my weirdest recipies

I can not eat white flour, white sugar, or yellow cheese. So sometimes I have to be creative.

Quiche

1/2 cup pitted, sliced olives

3/4 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan or Provolone cheese

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 small Roma tomato, seeded, chopped and drained well

1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, finely chopped and well-drained

1 cup chopped cooked meat (optional but I like to use chicken breasts)

1-1/2 cups cream

4 eggs

Creamy Bacon Burger Soup

This filling, tasty recipe will fill a large crock pot and satisfy a hungry crowd. Just halve it for a smaller yield.

If you like some "kick" in your food, you should add some fresh or canned peppers or chilies, hot sauce, etc. to the base recipe.

· 1.5 pounds lean burger, browned and well-drained
· 2 cups Hormel real bacon bits (these have less fat than regular bacon bits, Whatever you do, don’t use those fake bacon bits, they would make your soup too salty /smoky.and fake food for the lose!)
· 1 small onion, diced and browned until deep golden brown
· 12 cups water
· 3 tablespoons onion powder
· 3 tablespoons minced dried onion flakes
· 2 tablespoons garlic powder (NOT garlic salt!)
· 1 tablespoon instant beef bullion
· 8 ounces diced cream cheese

Simply combine ingredients in a crock pot (or a large stockpot on top of a slow stove) and cook for several hours. *If/when grease appears on the surface, just skim it off and discard.

I have to avoid white flour- and wheat pasta is yucky and there fore pointless- so I have found a fun variation for a recipe I call:

Pasghetti

• 1 cup crumbled feta
• 1 cup grated Romano cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 SMALL bunch Italian parsley
• 1T Italian seasoning
  
• 3 cups no sugar added spaghetti sauce
• 2 lbs LEAN burger/ or Italian sausage- but I won't
  
• 16 oz Broccoli slaw
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Layer the slaw on the bottom of crockpot, mix feta, Romano cheese, eggs, parsley, Italian seasoning then spread over slaw. Cook meat, and mix with sauce and Parmesan, and layer it.
Cook on low for 6-10 hours, serve with Mozzarella sprinkled on top.

They will never miss the pasta.

I also stuff chicken with broccoli all the time. Lots of fake taco salads with no chips and white cheese, and I eat lots of that YUMMY Oikos yogurt. ( Its an organic Greek yogurt...the plain one and I stir in a few crushed raspberries. It has 15 grams of protein in ONE cup- regular yogurt might have 5!! Its the BEST yogurt...not terribly cheap tho. HEY! I have to have something yummy!) I eat natural almonds when I can, and I eat an Orange every day. Everyday!

I miss my regular cooking repertoire - enchiladas and lasagna and potatoy cheesy heaven type things- but-

No headaches. Probably because I have no MSG, fake sugar, or other artificial stuff to eat.

So much for plans

USUALLY when I make plans- they crumble into oblivion. I have been known to become quite frustrated with this problem- then refuse to make any plans what so ever. That ends up being disastrous as well: things do not get done, things get forgotten, or we spend way too much money.

When I quit my job- (the smartest thing since marrying David) I knew I would have to carefully plan everything- or else I may find my self in a big old mess. So I made a plan.

Movies: Yes- no one has seen us in a movie theater for 4 weeks. Can you believe it?! (seriously so sad.)
Soda: I have been brave enough to give it up- but Dave only gets 2 a week. Don't worry! He is still breathing!)
Shopping: What's that?
Groceries: OK_ so I can't give that up! We have to eat! and thus- where the majority of my money goes. Sure- we could go to movies if we ate cheap icky food, already boxed, processed, or filled with msg foods, for most of our meals. That will not work! When I saw my Doctor in June- he wanted to try something crazy to get my headaches under control. The man is a my hero! I have had literally 5 headaches since June 1st- compared to what should be what...85? So I am NOT about to screw up my wonderful new head status by not doing as I was told! ( a losing a bit of weight is nice too!) -wow did I go off topic!

SO I MADE A GROCERY PLAN! I will plan 3 weeks of dinners- buy all of it- plus odds and ends of lunches and breakfast- and I will be ok right?!?!

This has never been all that fantastic in the past. My darling children would eat a key ingredient, we would get an unauthorized pizza skewing the food budget, I would have to spend more than my grocery money to get all the required ingredients, and so on.... So why bother- buy some food- make some food- be happy right?! Not this time! I have succeeded! Its only taken me 14 years to master- but folks I have done it! Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since I set foot in a grocery store- except for 1 (ONE!) trip to get another head of lettuce! Is that amazing! We have had great- all made from scratch-headache avoiding meals for 3 weeks! Its so exciting! Surely you are not as excited as I- but for the 100th time- its my blog NEENER NEENER NEENER!
I already have my list made for the nest 3 weeks- and ready to go Tuesday morning when all the new ads and coupons are active! Plan lucky family will have another 3 weeks of homemade bread, vegi soups, clam chowders, ridiculous amounts of broccoli- I will even branch out and make some quiche!

Wow- I am so much happier these days! Wish I could share it with everyone so we could all be this happy!

Hind Sight

I used to...
- Spend hours a day making my self look fantastic- (ironed my hair on an ironing board!)
- Listen to the real KJQ and the early X96
- Write in a journal every single day
- Sleep on the ground, trampolines, and crash on Darrell's couch
- Skip school to hang out with boys
- Only had boys for friends (Bonnie is the exception)
- Saw my sisters only a few times a month
- Went ice-blocking on Old Main Hill
- Dyed my hair every month
- Read my scriptures every single night
- Waxed- ( remember the YUCKY smelling wax on the stove at your house??? Yay cold wax!)
- Movies at the Utah -cheap sticky and stinky
- Wish to play the piano
- Write poems- secretly
- Run, and run hard
-Fake baked

Now I...
- Yay! A shower, teeth brushed and a spatter of mascara- I Look HOT!
- I-pod! The End still listening to Jimmy Chunga
- A few blog entries a week does the trick!
- Sleep in my king size bed. Die a little inside every I have to sleep on an air matress!
- Wish I could be in school! (online would be better than driving into Salt Lake tho!)
- Little boys are friends with my son- hang out with a few people. ( Bonnie is still the exception)
- See my sisters only a few times a month.
- Go careening down a hill on a block of ice?!?! Nope- now I ice boo boos.
- Dye my hair twice a year- when I get sick of pulling out those 4 gray hairs!
- Read my scriptures in the morning, and with my family every night.
- Shave/pluck Waxing is too painful!
-Play Guitar Hero
- Accepted that poetry is not my thing.
-Walk. Dream of running again. Maybe. I LOVE to run.
-Stay snowy white and PROUD of it!


What would old me tell young me?
What on Earth will I tell myself in 30 years?! Do you think it will be much different?

Word of the week

Supercilious - sneering, snide

Want to know who I think of when I see this word??? Think of Severus Snape. His jeering, sneering, look- every time he taunts Harry. Can you just see it???

I want to share more of the crazy words I like- I have posted a few- Its now time to make it a weekly addition to the blog. I love words!!!!

Manners? What manners?!

We heard about this fantastic book called 365 manners kids should know about 5 years ago. We ran out and bought it. It had a new manner concept for everyday of the year. We did 2 a day with the kids and were very pleased that our children really did better because of it. I vaguely remember handing Jordan the book as a consequence once too- to go through the index, find the manner he was not following, and read and write a report on it. ( I know- we are terrible parents!)

One thing I noticed about my kids since I was working- (Oh- it does not effect your kids at all! It teaches them about your work ethic- BLAH BLAH BLAH...) is that things we learned flew out the window and were lost. A very noticeable difference! How the kids treated me and each other for one! Last night during family home evening I announced the return of the manners book. Yes- groaning from the Swaner home were heard a crossed Tooele valley! (Sorry for the disturbance- you will thank me later tho!) Jordan asked why we had to do it again- and instead of fumbling though the REAL reasons- I read straight from the book. (speaking on the topic of manners in general...) ..." There may be some value in being relaxed at home, but at what cost? One of your goals as a parent is for good manners to become habits for your child. If chewing with his mouth closed is necessary when he's out but not when he is home, chances are he won't chew properly at home OR when he is out."

Nicole mentioned that NONE of us chew with our mouths open- darn literal children! So I had to explain- how we treat each other at home was FAR different how they act out- and they started to grasp the reintroduction on our book- I mean COME ON! If Beethoven played the piano HORRIBLY while at home- how would have his performances sounded?

This is a fantastic book! I love it- it has manners, (Some I had never even heard of) and ways for application in your home. So we will be reading it every night before we start our nightly reading and prayers. I would gladly loan it out- only not for 364 more days... but call me- I can look up anything you need in the index and read it to you!

I apologize if you have witnessed the decline in our family. But we are on in- trying to reconcile the damage we've caused! (well- the damage we can solve!)

The most frequent question

*journaling entry

I am being asked every time someone sees me- I am asked- "How are you doing now?" Anyone who has spent anytime with me know that this was probably the hardest summer of my life. Don't get me wrong- I really liked my job. It was a blast! I loved setting little personal goals- and accomplishing them. Some of the people I worked with were fantastic- and made work fun. I actually liked the regulars who came in, and one thing is for sure- I was always busy!

I had such a hard time leaving the kids while I went to work. I heard repeatedly that the kids were fine, and I should look a it in a way that my kids were learning my work ethic because of it. But seriously. What a farce! What my kids were getting was NOT the best of me. Sure I still had several hours a day with them- actually about the same about of time as now that I do not work. They don't want to hang out with (GASP) their mother all day (!) or they are in school. So what's the big deal?

Because. They were getting me about the same amount of time every day- but they were getting the very worst me. Tired, crabby, rushing, tired me. Did I mention the tired me? Complete strangers had the witty, interesting, and alert me. How on Earth is that fair? Why would they deserve that? My kids did not learn that I was working hard- they learned that their mom was a mean ol' hag when she had to get up so early, or had a bad day. I HATED taking out my physical pains out on them!

I still get up in the morning- swinging my legs onto the floor- wincing in preparation for the expectation of pain in my feet. I am STILL pleasantly surprised each morning when they do not hurt at all! I have such a nicer home, and making dinner does not seem like a chore. I read 2 over 700 hundred page books this week- scriptures 12 of the last 14 days, and look forward to evening! I don't watch the clock- worried about getting in bed in time. I can talk to the kids with out nodding off- and no work drama consuming my mind! I feel fantastic.

Yes. I can not go to the movies. I probably can't even drive out of Tooele. If someone wants to ask me out for lunch- I will have to say no- and Nicole, Jordan, and Kira- Please do not grow out of your shoes! But my kids are getting the best of me- and that's exactly why I KNOW the Lord wanted me to stay home.

I am so grateful for all who call to see how I am. All who are willing to talk when I need it. It has been so hard and scary- but surely I will see some blessings from the change.
(now YAY! My sister is done with her book so I will ask her to go on a walk!)

Answers- update

After Dave's excitement- we know definitively why all the pain. He does have some crushed discs in his neck/back and evidence that it has happened before. David is happy to finally know- and he will be fine again. He will begin physical therapy and continue taking his Aleve. Should turn out just fine- and already had a decent night of sleep without too many problems. He was also told to buy a temper-pediac memory foam pillow. I thought that was not too bad- but he had to get the official name brand one...yikes its only 130 dollars. (um Merry Christmas honey)

Remember movie night tomorrow night! Bring a blanket to warm up in!

Rain Races and MRIs

That's a title! I am sure you have moved to edge of your chairs in antsy anticipation! " What could she possibly have to say today! I can hardly wait!!"
In fact- you have been waiting with baited breath for the next time I posted. Its hard- so much pressure to be the main source of entertainment IN YOUR LIFE... but- alas I am only a simple gal- only me and my keyboard. Wow- there i go again- getting side tracked! Rain, races, and MRIs. Thats where I was headed. Must stay focused.

We had friends come stay with us this past weekend. We enjoyed ourselves. Its nice that we have friends who make time for our friendship when we all can. Thanks Doug and Michelle.
We had to drive North to see Hollee run in her second 5K. She has been working really hard- and she wanted more of her family to see her. On the way- the big crazy storms that hit Northern Utah rolled in. It was crazy and amazing- we were in gorgeous blue skies- then the storm looming ahead. I snapped a couple of pictures through the horrid windshield in our car. (it was so DUSTY outside!) It was a gorgeous storm- those of you who live out here- the lightning over the Great Salt Lake- oh beyond description!






Then we saw Hollee run. Her best time before this run was 41 minutes for a 5K. She also was running in the heat of the day- but her run this time? Well- See for your self!





Great job Hollee! I have been trying to convince my family to do 5Ks together- Dave and nicole have been on board but the other 2- not yet. Maybe someday!





I took some pictures during the race. Jessica and her kids were all at home sleeping still. :( so I missed pictures of them.

• Jordan and Jack
• Andrew
• Alison
• Poppy and Samantha
• Jordan Eli Andrew and Jack
  
• 

Sunday night began a downward spiral. Dave has had back pain for years! He just deals with it because he is not a pill popper type and the horror stories of back surgery is enough to scare the life out of anyone! But by Monday morning- Dave could not even move. If know him at all- he is so not a complainer- so if he does complain- you know its BAD! So we found an anti-surgery back doctor. Then off to x-ray, MRI, and scheduled for physical therapy. today he goes back in to discuss what the MRI showed- but was quite sure he has crushed discs from his many antics as a teen lol. Poor Dave.

Now- see. The title has not lived up to the post- I am more boring than a snail- trying and trying to climb up the side of a house where 2 young girls and moving it back to the bottom as they roar with laughter. Creeping creeping creeping and NEVER getting anywhere. We are as boring as watching the pot- on the stove to come to a boil- where the flighty mother has not even turned on the burner, or an inmate at the county jail who has nothing to do except watch the WWE or read a Louie La'More book. (Totally would have to be the book!) So sorry to disappoint.