Catching up! Let's start with Vegas Baby!

So I got one of my wild hairs a few weeks ago and in a two day period Brian and I decided it was time for a trip so we picked close by; Vegas. Now we've only spent time there once and it was really really hot, so we didn't LOVE our experience. We packed up, dropped the kids at our best friend's house, (thank you Glenn and Kecia!!) and hit the road. We just took our time driving and really enjoyed our time together. The trip itself was relaxing and fun, a little colder than we thought ( we just can't win with the weather there). We rode a gondola which was fun, ate at Maggianos where I stuffed myself silly but it was so worth it! We basically enjoyed each others company. With that being said, I'm not sure we're Vegas fans. It really wasn't our favorite atmosphere so we probably wont be doing that again. And blogger is having serious struggles getting my pictures on for me, so I'll have to add those later! We were able to totally fool the kids that Brian really stood by Indiana Jones at the wax museum!

Grateful for UT?!

I've just spent a lot of the day reflecting and whether anyone sees this or not, because it's probably been 6 months since I wrote last, no one even knows this blog still exists! Part of the reflection comes from a large up coming event. Tomorrow is the 8 year anniversary of when I became a mommy. Which also happens to be a big birthday for Tyler. My darling little Tyler is getting baptized Saturday. I'm so excited for him! I don't know if it's all the growing up going on around me but I just feel a little like life is just beating me today. Like I'm trying to run with it, but I just can't run fast enough. Those of you who know my competitive side, this is not a recipe for inner peace. I walked out my front door today to get Jake from school and felt the sun mixed with extreme cold and wind and something about the air made me miss Washington so bad it hurt. Which lead to a what am I doing here? Which lead to where have the years gone? And suddenly I'm in this melancholy state, which doesn't bode well since my amazing in-laws are due to arrive in 2 hours and I haven't showered yet. (It's 12:01 pm) And then by the time I got home from getting Jake I had moved to grateful, which I thought was a quick and nice turnaround. I don't usually admit this, but there are some things about UT I'm grateful for. Listen up, this is the only time this list will appear in public. ;)
1. I do love the mountains, they are majestic and at any given moment can turn you gaze upward, which automatically changes your life.
2. I love the lack of mold. As beautiful as the rain forest look in Washington is, I do not miss the 40 days of straight rain which then make your yard smell like last years fridge science project.
3. Family. Although we are all from Washington, somehow we are all here. Why is that? Until we can answer that, there's no where I'd rather be than near the people who have to love me no matter what!
4. Glenn and Kecia. they live here, so for that reason, we need to live here! Life just wouldn't be as much fun and filled with as much love if we didn't live by our best friends and their darling little Emma
5. I love my gym. I'm sure I would have a gym in B'ham I loved, but I LOVE this gym. They have amazing instructors that have changed my life, literally.
6. Along with the gym, I'm grateful for a new found love of Eastern arts. I've spent at least 40 hours in the last year practicing yoga and although Brian teases me that he never thought I'd be able to be still long enough to even remember how to breath much less meditate, this has brought a peace to my life that I never realized could exist. This is because of my amazing yoga instructor Abbey, whom I absolutely adore. She makes it real and personal even in a class full of 30 people. Washington doesn't have Abbey, so she goes on the UT list.
7. The running trails. They don't have many hills here, not like home anyways, so running seems a little more lazy, although the altitude just kills....still....
8. Jake and Tyler's friends. I love the kids they hang with. I've heard more moving, sweet, funny things come out of the mouths of these children I've grown to love and respect than I've heard from most adults.
9. The opportunity UT provides to make me really reflect on who I am and who I want to be. I find a lot of cookie cutter people here...uh a lot....and it just makes me have a profound gratitude for my ability to be myself. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't just be comfy in my own skin, I would hate to have to dance to someone Else's tune, I'm glad to live in a place that reminds me that being yourself is one of the most important things you can learn.
10. I love the sunshine. Even the word looks beautiful, let me say that word again..SUNSHINE!!!! You can't write that word in Seattle. (well you can, but it just looks funny)

So there you go, silly sappiness from me. I guess a day of reflection is what it take to get me back to the blog. Maybe I'll go all out and change my blog decor from Autumn to spring!

Edited at 1:17 to add:
I must be having a grateful day! I keep thinking of things I love!
11. Eggs in the city. Although finding places to eat that fit our strict requirments are hard here, this place fits the bill !!! There is nothing like a basic burrito with side of ranch..oh man, I'm hungry!
12. My chili's chillins...I've made some friendships that will last a lifetime! Ry, Stogs, this one's for you :)
13. Coffee connection. This is the only place that has it right. An avid hot cocoa drinker, this place suits me to a "T"! Comfy couches, good tables, unique service....yes I do drive 36 minutes for a hot chocolate.
14. The radio stations. I love that there is more variety than hip hop and Neil diamond.

I might have to just keep this list going.... it's probably good for me :)

Christmas

Here is Christmas eve in their new jammies and Christmas morning, waiting for dad to get the video camera.

this was the year of Ben 10, G.I. Joe and legos. (of course which year isn't the year of legos?!)

We had a really nice morning, really relaxing and awesome snow!

Wordfull Wednesday...

So a blog I follow showed a post today called wordfull wednesday. Where in six words you are to describe your life right now. Everyone kept saying how hard it is to do. I scoffed at them. However, after wracking my brain, I've grown new respect for these women. I have nothing. Sure I can think of six words, even more that describe my life right now, but which six do I choose? Tonight isn't a good night for this, I'm cranky, due to naughty little children doing their best to see mom become a meanie pants. So if I'm going off tonight, my six words are:
cranky tired and done, Just done.

If I'm looking at the big picture I have a wider range. I've thought of things like happy, strong, running, peaceful, silly...yada yada yada.

So...still thinking. I think I'm going to name this post thoughtful thursday. Let's see if anyone reads this blog, it's ok if you don't, it's really for posterity anyways :) But if you do, leave me your life in six words. I'll even go till next thursday, heaven knows I probably wont have this figured out by tomorrow!

Jake's first soccer season

Well we started out rocky with soccer this year. Jake didn't seem to understand the concept and spent his first practice crying that no one passed him the ball. Tell you what, it was a major feat for me, miss competition, to be nice about that one. My instinct is to say, "get the heck on that field, wipe off those tears and do you dang job!!" I resisted. Instead what came out was something more like "I understand that you're upset but your team is counting on you to be out there trying to help. Here's a hug, wipe off your tears and get out there until practice is over."

I felt that was major improvement.

When we got home Tyler took him out in the back and taught him different ways to steal the ball. As the first game approached I was more nervous than him! Turns out practice with Ty paid off...

We didn't have a single tear at the game and he left saying that was the funnest thing he'd ever done in his life! Victory!!

Curiosity could kill the cat....

I decorated for Halloween. Actually I did it three weeks ago. The light changed coming thru my windows one morning and I knew it was time. I tried putting up those fake spider webs with some spiders in them. They haven't worked out so well for one member of our family.....I heard a meowing and went to see what she'd done now. Honestly it looked like a scene from Lord of the Rings with Frodo and the big spider. I think she was trying to get one of the fake spiders out.
That stuff was pretty sticky and the more she struggled, the worse it got. I couldn't resist a picture or two!

Where's the beat?

Uh, is it just my computer, or are none of our playlists working?! Are they working for any of you? I miss the music! Blogs aren't as much fun without a soundtrack!