Feeling old?

Want to know a sure way to feel old? Have your daughter tell you that her youth church dance has an 80's theme. And that she's all excited to crimp and rat her hair and wear leg warmers in fluorescent colors. All things that I used to do when I was her age. What ever happened to having a 50's theme with poodle skirts and saddle shoes?Those gloves that Rebekah is wearing? They're Julianne's. She bought them just this past weekend at the mall. At the same store where we also saw a bunch of leg warmers for sale. Maybe this dance had nothing to do with reliving an era of the past but more to do with ushering in the newest fads of the future. Maybe I don't feel so old after all.

Favorite Photo(s) Friday: Soccer girl

It's Fall. In past years Fall meant soccer. Of all my kids, Rebekah is the one that enjoyed soccer the most and was on a team for 4 years. And although I'm not really one to get excited about stereotypes, I guess you could say that I was a "soccer mom". I LOVED going to Rebekah's games. Rebekah was always the smallest team member but her coaches loved her because she was FAST and could weave in and out of other players to steal the ball away. Rebekah didn't like the pressure of playing goalie, didn't really care to be a forward and have the glory of making the goals (or the disappointment if she missed). Her preferred position was fullback. She defended the goalie. She got that ball turned away before the goalie even had to worry that it was coming her way. And she was good at it! I miss soccer games. Not the craziness of the schedule but more just the sitting in my big chair at the park, chatting with the other parents, cheering for Rebekah and enjoying the whole atmosphere of a fun sporting event in the Fall. Here's a few of my favorite photos of the soccer years...

This is Rebekah and her friend Deidra in 2003...their very first soccer game ever. Look how little they are! They didn't win a single game that season but they sure had fun!


I love seeing the contrast between Rebekah and some of her other teammates in this picture. Spring 2007.

Each new year and new team Rebekah would get a new soccer uniform. Colors changed...two years red, one purple, one blue...but the one thing that never changed was her number. She always insisted on being number 4.

The Greatest Show on Earth

They say it's the Greatest Show on Earth. I've never been to the circus so I couldn't really say. But Lilian and I did go to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus parade this morning. It's a grand old tradition of trotting out the clowns and elephants in each new town on the tour...giving people a sneak peak of the fun to be had.

Running

I took Bryan with me on my evening run. He hates running...I thought we'd be walking much of my normal route. Wrong! He smoked me! And then when we got back he said, "That wasn't too bad. I guess I can go running with you more in the future."

It'll be nice to have a running buddy...but it's slightly discouraging that he can so easily pick up a route that took me awhile to work up to! Sheesh.

An Adult

I was doing some dishes just now. Washing pots and pans left over from lunch, emptying the dishwasher and loading it again. All of the sudden it just seemed so grown-up. And like a wave crashing over me my thoughts raced...

I'm 36 years old. I've been married 16 years and I have 4 kids. I share my bedroom with a man! This is our house and we have everything to make it run. I'm an adult now. I'm my parents! The way I saw them when they were this age and I was just a kid. Doubtless, my kids now see me that way.

I've been that for quite awhile, of course...but every now and again it amazes me. It's a good and wonderful thing. I'm so happy about it. But heavens, how did it all happen so fast?

Myrtle and Gloria

Katie and Sarah aka Myrtle and Gloria. I'm guessing that this picture was taken while we still lived in Texas which probably puts me around 4 years old and Katie at 3. Myrtle and Gloria were the names we chose for ourselves when playing "house". We insisted on being called these names, even by our parents. I know I've said this before but I'm so glad that I have 4 sisters who, no matter what happens and which way life takes us, will always be my best friends.

Favorite Photo Friday: Curlers

October 2005. Early 9:00 church is not pleasant for one who is not a morning person. But here is 7 year old Julianne, annoyance and fatigue written across her face, still obediently working those curlers out of her hair in a valiant attempt to be on time for primary.

Happy Birthday House!

When we first saw our house we weren't serious buyers. Just casual, always keeping our eyes open, kind of lookers. We casually looked through this house. Surprisingly, instead of finding all sorts of things that we didn't like or wouldn't work for us we found many, many things that we did and would. But the price. That gave us pause. Especially for so casual of lookers. So we decided no, we wouldn't be jumping ship on our old house quite yet. But then... Then the thought of that house kept invading our thoughts. We started talking more seriously, rather than casually, about what if's and should we's. And I realized that I better drive back over and take a look at that house again. What about the town? What about the neighborhood? I hadn't paid much attention when we had originally made the drive out there. I went for a drive the next day looking carefully and critically at it all here, there and everywhere. Where would we get groceries and gas? Where were the schools and parks? Were there kids out playing in the neighborhood? And then I stopped the car in front of the house and rolled down the window to get a clear view. And I sat. And sat. Looked and looked. Finally I took a picture and headed back home. I downloaded that picture to the computer and left it open on my desktop for days. Looking at it every time I passed by. Pretty soon I could imagine our family there in that house. I could see where the kids would practice piano, who would be in which bedroom, which pictures would hang on what walls. I could see us sitting together for dinner in the kitchen, watching TV in the basement, hanging out on the back deck. And all of the sudden, that was OUR house. Not just some random spec home being built in a random neighborhood 15 miles up the road. So we made an offer on that house. Two years ago today we moved in.

Remembering 9/11

The sheer magnitude of what happened that day still has the ability to take my breath away...even 8 years later. It feels like this should be a special day. A day where we do nothing but reflect and remember. Flags are flying in my yard and throughout the neighborhood today in honor of the victims and heroes of 9/11....and yet, life goes on. A day, more or less, like any other. My neighbor had her baby this morning, Rebekah has a party to attend this afternoon, I had a PTA planning meeting earlier and ward temple night later. But I don't think anyone will ever forget where they were when the Twin Towers fell, the Pentagon was hit and the heroes of Flight 93 took action.

Introducing my daughter to Mr. Darcy

Julianne and I spent two days watching the five hour A&E version of "Pride and Prejudice" this past weekend. And get this...it was Julianne's idea! I didn't persuade, cajole, coax or in any way talk her into it. For years Bryan has been talking excitedly about the day when he can watch "Lord of the Rings" with his son. How he feels about that is how I feel about sharing "Pride and Prejudice" with my daughters. It was like we hit some kind of milestone sitting in front of the TV together. (And how funny is it that someone has labeled this picture the "tan breeches moment"? As opposed to the "wet, white button shirt moment"? Or the "black formal dinner coat moment"? All of which, of course, are very nice "moments" for the handsome Mr. Darcy...)

Harry Potter

We are Harry Potter fans at our house. Even Lilian. An example? Just today she was running around the house with an unsharpened pencil as a wand yelling "expelliarmus!" I read all 7 books to the girls a couple of years ago...watching each movie as we finished the book. And then, last fall, I started them all up again with Brandon. We finished the 6th book last night so he and I headed to the movie theater today for a mother/son date. He got his first look at how movies made from books are never quite as good as the material they are based on. He spent much of the movie saying, "That wasn't in the book!" or, "Wait a minute....that's not what really happened!" Overall, though, it was a great little flick and I fully admit that tears poured down my face when Dumbledore died.

But why, you ask, did I not take the girls with me? They'd already seen it. Bryan took them shortly after it came out on a day that I had rehearsal and Brandon was with his cousins. This picture resulted from that trip to the theater.

Looks like tomorrow we'll be diving into the seventh and final book...the longest book of them all. I wonder how long it will take us to get through it?

Biking

I was naive when I first realized that I'd need a bike to compete in my triathlon. I had bought Brandon's bike for $100...so surely an adult bike would be just a little more than that, right? I was rather shocked and overwhelmed when one of my neighbors took me to the bike store to introduce me into the biking world.

Compact or triple chainring
Clipless pedals
Shimano 105 componentry
carbon or aluminum frame
crankset
derailleur
fork
shifting

HUH???

I rode various brands of bikes. I spent hours on the computer doing research. I peppered biking enthusiasts with questions. And finally put down a much bigger wad of cash than I ever would've expected on a new bike.
Then came the question...what if I end up hating riding? What if, after all that time and money, I end up only using the bike for the triathlon? I was determined to not let that happen. So I've been riding all summer...averaging about 2-3 rides per week. At first it was a matter of pride...thinking to myself, "I don't care how tired I am or how much my behind hurts, I WILL ride this bike!" Then it was, "Wow, what great excersize! I've lost 5 pounds this summer!" Now it's more along the lines of, "Let's ride tonight...and tomorrow morning...and the next day too!" I'm enjoying my rides so much I'm craving them. And I am so attached to my bike it's like I've made a new friend. I even pat the seat as I walk by it in the garage and think fondly about how many miles the two of us have been through together.

This past Saturday I rode in the Hess Cancer Foundation Legacy Parkway Bike Tour with my biking buddies. Just a 20 mile, flat, out and back, fast ride. Wow, we had fun! Mylissa and me before the ride began.

Brenda and Burke. Brenda got her bike last summer and just within the past few weeks convinced her husband, Burke, to get on board. Think there is any chance I'll get Bryan on a bike eventually??