Boys and their Toys

We left our beautiful 70 degree temperatures to drive up to frigid Utah. We enjoyed the new Hoover Damn bypass, but not the wind and cold that greeted us in Nevada. After some time in Provo seeing friends we headed up to Franklin, Idaho, to stay with Loren's parents. We borrowed snow clothes for the family (thanks, Mary and Lisl) and introduced McKay to the white stuff outside.

While there we got to drive tractors, four wheelers, and shovel snow. For some reason the kids loved shoveling snow. I got to drive the quads for the first time in the snow, and had a great time.

Luckily we only have a rock yard in Phoenix, so Loren has no chance of talking me into one of these.
Everyone got a turn.
Notice the shovel in the background?

We also got to hit the Pepperidge Farm factory, play with new toys, and enjoy spending time with Grandma and Grandpa. Also, one of these days I will win at pinochle. Not any time soon, mind you, but one of these days.

Christmas Part One

I took the boys to see Santa at a ward party. The enjoyed chasing around the girls and eating ice cream. They were a little less excited to see Santa.

I love Gingerbread Day at the library. I look up the registration day in November, I put it on the calendar, and I call right at nine. I'm a little weird about it, to be honest. But if you could just go, you would understand. The boys get to read Gingerbread stories, sing Gingerbread songs, and then... decorate Gingerbread people! Ah, the happiness of it all. The best part is that they share! McKay's was prettier, as he let me help more, but Logan is quite proud of his creation.

The Polar Express (or Expreth if you are McKay)

Our boys love trains, especially little McKay. So we decided that we were going to take them on the Polar Express train while they were little, and still in the Christmas mood.

We invited Loren's parents to come down to balmy Arizona and join us in the fun. Besides some fishing, soccer, hunting, and general playing we planned to take the hour or so train ride out of Williams, Arizona.

We stopped at a Route 66 themed restaurant for dinner, which Logan loved. Then to the train! We put on pajamas and enjoyed cookies, hot chocolate, and looking at all the lights.
It was more fun with grandparents!
After going through a magic light tunnel we made it to the North Pole and picked up Jolly Santa Claus.
The boys and Grandpa got bells for being such good kids.
I can still hear the bell ring, can you?

I am officially a soccer mom

Yes, I know that soccer ended in December... I'll admit I'm a little behind.

This fall we decided to enroll Logan in the beautiful game; futbol. His team was part of our community center, so all the games and practices were five minutes away. We also signed him up with two of his buddies, Collin and Mason, so he was guaranteed a good time.

Soccer for four-year-olds is hilarious, of course. Mostly we were excited if they were running in the right direction. The first game didn't go so well, but as the season progressed he started to warm up. He still fell more than the average child; we worked on getting up without crying.
Here is Logan getting ready to take a kick. Look how small he is! What a little cutie!
By the end of the season he was usually getting a goal or two each time; this picture was taken right before he got a goal.
There is a three month break before the next session, but Logan is already asking when he can start again. McKay is also desperate to get on the field, they play a lot at home and I am glad nothing has broken yet.

I love the cleats (tacos?) and the shin guards. Go, Logan!

I Did It!!!

I. Don't. Run. Did you see the period at the end of that sentence? Because it was a pretty declarative statement. I remember the fourth grade, being the second to the last person to finish the one mile run--and I'm pretty sure the other kid was walking. I have never been able to run. Whenever we did those Presidential Fitness programs in school I always counted on the "sit-and-reach" and "arm hang" (girls didn't have to do chin-ups) to make up for my truly embarrassing running times. When I learned in health class that certain people are more "white meat" muscles and others are more "dark meat" I just assumed I was the one who couldn't run.

I moved to Arizona last year, which happened to be only an hour and change from my little sister, Stacy. I was talking to her in January when she mentioned she was running a 5k in October. I decided to do it with her. I was extremely nervous, but I thought I had ten months to train so I could probably handle it. Being a new SAHM, I needed a goal to work towards.

When I first started running I could run exactly .2 miles, from our house to our park. That's it. Embarrassing, right? I hadn't run a mile in over 15 years, and had never run more than a mile in my entire life. But I started slow. And kept at it.

In May Stacy and I ran a 2 mile race in Prescott. We came in at about 22 minutes and were extremely proud of ourselves. To be fair, it was a very hilly course. I started working towards three miles, buying a treadmill so I could run inside during these awful Arizona summers.

Then I got up to three miles! Awesome!

(Stacy and I getting ready to run the Anthem Turkey Trot 5k.)
(Me, Stacy, and others from the Eyecare Associates of Prescott team, running the October Fight Against Diabetes 5k.)

A funny thing happened one night in August as I was preparing for our October race. I ran four miles. I realize that to my awesome running friends this is a nice warm-up; but to me it was incredible. I began to get the feeling that maybe I really could run. I decided, as I was running and had nothing to do but think, that maybe I could do more than I thought. I decided to run a 10k in December. I called my father-in-law, Ray, and asked him if he wanted to run with me. He is amazing and jumped right in.

Over the next two months Stacy and I ran our two 5k races and I slowly worked up to my 6.2 miles. When December came I was able to run a nice race, I didn't feel winded or tired, just happy to see everyone.
McKay ran up to meet Ray, who promptly picked him up and ran him across the finish line. Logan joined in soon after this was taken. Cutie!
I finished with a time of 1:01 and change. Had I known I was that close I would have picked it up a little more!

So why the long post? Because I have told myself for 20 years that I can't run. And I can. It might not be fast, and it might not be pretty, but I can do it. So what other things have I told myself that I can't do? I learned that while I may not have innate talents in certain areas, that doesn't mean that they are impossible. It may take a whole year to do it, but it can be done. Now I'm trying to decide what to do for next year.

What have you told yourself you "can't" do?

Thanksgiving!

A holiday for eating? Count me in. My Mom flew down to hang out with us for a week, and Stacy and Lilly came to join the fun. The kids enjoyed playing with each other:

And they especially loved all the extra attention they received from Grandma!

We took the boys to the Train Park, where they got to take a ride and play on the equipment.

Of course they thought they should climb on the roof:

I'm not really a fan of pumpkin pie (gross), so I made some alternatives:

Loren cooked a delicious turkey, after participating in a hard fought turkey bowl. Stacy, Mom and I thought it would be a great idea to go to the Anthem Outlets at 10 pm on Thanksgiving, which was insanely crowded. We stood in line for two hours, and the interstate was backed up an hour as well. After getting home at midnight we thought it would be great fun to get up at 4:00 for more shopping! Three stores and we were home by 7 to greet our waking kiddos! Um. Perhaps not my smartest move ever. My best purchase was 30 batteries for $3.50. Maybe next year I'll pay extra and sleep.

What a great week!

Logan is Four!

I cannot believe our little guy is four already! Sometimes it seems as though we've always had him, and other times it feels as though we had him just yesterday. Logan is such a good kid. He is pretty mellow and low key. He is also shy until he warms up. He is so funny in that sometimes he is afraid to show his excitement, and the happier he is the smaller his smile gets. Logan will still cuddle with me, and want to be carried. He really likes to "fix" things with Daddy, and bake with Mommy.

Logan loves Lightning McQueen, he has worn out our copy of the video and consistently asks for McQueen related presents. Here he is blowing out the candle on the Lightning McQueen cake my Mom made for him (notice I took their shirts off before giving them cake--I learned a few things in these four years).

For his birthday we had his Grandma, Aunt Stacy, and cousin Lilly come over for dinner and presents. He has so many people who love him! We also brought cupcakes to park day and preschool, and went out to McDonalds with a friend to celebrate.

In his new Lightning McQueen bedroom, complete with a Cars bedspread and pillow (courtesy of my mom).
The other night while Logan was saying his prayers he mentioned "and thank you to my loyal fans." We sure do love our little guy!