Callin' 'Em Like She Sees 'Em..

So.. to switch things up from my usual
"jeans with something" look,
the other day I threw on some dark gray cargo pants, with a white long sleeve thermal.
I'm not saying it was my best get-up ever.. but comfy.
Sophie walked into my room, gave me a once over,
and stated very clearly:
"Those pants are ugly."
Pause.
"But I like your shirt."

Ummm....
thanks??

Big News. HUGE.

So WHAT does Jasen resemble in this here photo folks??

Utahs newest Kohls DISTRICT MANAGER you say??
You are CORRECT!! Nice guess.
(Insert The Jeffersons "Movin' On Up" jingle..)
My oh my has the man arrived!
After a whirlwind of the last D.M. suddenly resigning, and 4 high-stress interviews with the Kohls big-wig bad boys in Wisconsin.. he WOW'd them so hard they called him 4 hours later.. on his lay-over home, to offer him the gig!
We're so proud. (Of him.. obviously-- but I personally just plan on becoming more 'proud' in general, as in, stuck up. I'm a D.M.'s wife. Prepare yourselves.)
We are actually quite humbled by the whole event.
For all kinds of reasons, the timing was literally, divine.
Jasen has worked his tight little tail off for over 7 years with Kohls, and I think has earned every bit of his latest recognition. There was not a better man for the job! Both his peers and superiors at work have been so supportive and siked for him.
We are excited about so much of what it means..
(like finally putting the loyal, yet oh-so-trashed KIA's,
to rest..) but our hearts are breakin' just a little bit every time we remember it means leaving our precious little Cache Valley, and the people here we have come to simply ADORE.
The promotion demands we move more "central" to the Salt Lake City area..
so this is where y'all come in..
any suggestions??
We are leaning towards South Jordan.. Daybreak in particular (not only is it darling.. but my cousin and her husband who already live there.. are even MORE darling..) and Jasens equally darling sister and family are in Herriman.
So.
Talk to me kids.
Thoughts?
Recommendations?
We may just rent for awhile being that we aren't sure (along with our credit being TOAST from having to short sale our St. Louis home..)
so let me know what ya got for me.
I'll be waiting.

And Now.. Why I Didn't Heart Halloween..

Cause I usually DO heart Halloween.
Everything about it: wigs, candy, pumpkin patches..
sassin' up the typical witch costume..
ALL of it.
But THIS year.. it kinda.. um.. BLEW.
I'd bother explaining, but it's sorta LAME.
No, wait.. I have to.
But since it's after midnight.. and we all know I should be in bed.. I'll keep it short, and quickly list just WHAT factors contributed to the "suckiness", if you will:
1. The cold.
2. The rain.
3. The cold and rain, together.
4. Running too many grown-up, necessary, but not at all festive, errands that day.. leading to a late start in the nights event.. therefore leading to..
5. Jesse getting to his posse late (along with misplacing his mustache adhesive.)
6. Sam not knowing what to be.. or even if he felt like going anymore.. and then deciding.. no, he did not feel like going anymore.
7. Bo not being able to find any of his friends that had all started trick-or-treating at NOON, and finding he was suddenly embarrassed to dress up at all.
8. Sophie.. demanding that no matter what her brothers were doing.. she wanted to go.. and she wanted to go NOW.
9. And ME.. scrambling in a mad panic to go.. anywhere.. just go.. cause somehow the freakin' Halloween Queen herself, had forgotten to buy CANDY-- and kids were approaching.
(Yup. I was the lady handing out stale doughnuts. Where have my priorities gone?)
10. Finally getting to a neighborhood to do the deed.. and having two boys sit pouting in the car, in the rain..
while Sophie pranced joyfully through the horribleness chanting:
"Trick-or-treat! Thank you! Happy Halloween!"
Okay.. the Sophie part made me happy.
A holiday can't be a total bust with THIS Pirate Princess around:


When I apologized to the car-full of ticked kids for the night not exactly panning out as we'd hoped..
her reply was precisely:
"It's O.K. Mom. I'm not mad. I still love you."

So.. maybe it didn't BITE it that hard after all.

We hit some townhouses later to make Sophies little tiny pirate legs get more for their efforts (the doors are so conveniently close together!)and followed her in the dry car as she fearlessly marched onward,
alone,
from door..
to door..
to door.

We ended the night digging for the last decent reject pumpkins to carve at Wal-mart..

..because, of course.. somehow we'd missed getting around to the carving, of the pumpkins.. (busy week folks.. busy week.) and made everything better with a Twizzleberry Yogurt stop on the way home.. cause after all.. who doesn't need more sugar on Halloween night?

Sophie made sure she didn't miss out on even one last melted drop.. which made us laugh out loud.
She didn't appreciate the laughter,
therefore said she was sad, and mad..
to which Bo replied:
"Wow. THAT'S a rough combo."
Which made us all laugh out loud, again.

So we had our moments.. but over all.. not going down as one of our best.

We'll aim higher next year.

Why I Heart Payday.

Because when you only have $1.49 left in the bank.. you're out of milk.. and gas..and you're pretty sure another overdue Redbox fee is pending out there somewhere-- it gets stressful.
Maybe it's time we started that crazy concept called,
"Budgeting."
To those of you who are payed, as we are, every other Friday..
and today is that day..
Happy-Happy Payday, to you.

Well THAT Was Fun..

So the fam and I just went up to Park City for my
PINK Half Marathon..
Fun plan? Check.
Good family bonding time? Check.
Tight quarters riding up?? Check.
Here's a sample of what a family of six looks like in a car for barely, 5..
cause their minivan for 7..
"don't run good".
COZY.
Needless to say.. we were short a seat belt or two..
but obviously getting to my race trumped child safety.
(Don't tell the authorities.)
Sophie kept busy doing this..
and was quite content most of the two hour drive.. til' she did this..
upon being told we would be stopping by the outlets before getting to the hotel hot tub.
After a delightful stop at the Nike store..
the girl did get her hot tub time in..
(Have I mentioned the pleasure I find in orange and pink stripes.. on her belly??)
Happy kids, are so much cuter than angry ones.. NO?

Moving on..
The hotel was quite shmancy..
I appreciate a little shmancy now and then.
I mean.. fire on rocks?
What's not groovy about that??
Right under our place was a cool little gathering place..
(that if you're observant, and hungry.. you will notice housed the oh-so-tasty Kneaders.) We enjoyed eating it, out on the patio, in the perfect temperature, in our gorgeous surroundings, multiple times.
When it got too late to eat anymore there..
we got some to go.
Indulging, is fun.
So are complimentary robes.
The next day was the big race!
I got me some pink on.. ate my usual banana.. and got ready to RUN!I then continued to run for exactly 1 hour, and 36 minutes (and maybe 9 seconds?? Don't recall. Should I know that??) and rounded the last bend to see my little family-o-peeps cheering me on!That would be me reaching out to love on them.
They make me happy.
Maybe I coulda shaved that last nine seconds off if I hadn't stopped for thier sweet little high fives.. but it was totally worth it.It's nice to be greeted by tiny legs in striped leggings.
(Oh. And pink Converse with ruffle socks.)
My Fan Club Pres. was very supportive..
and I never could have handled having all the kids there to be apart of it without him.
We sat in the mountain sunshine waiting to receive my "1st in age group 35-39" award!

(Are we surprised Sophie wanted in on the spotlight??)I ended up 6th overall out of the 400 runners.. and left feeling KINDA thrilled about the whole thing.

Just Some Stuff..

Sophie, smelling a perfume sample at Kohls:
"Oh my gosh.. this smells like a dream."

Bo, while looking at a collage of baby pictures of himself, sings to himself with a silly grin..
"Oh Bo, what a cute baby.. you're just so much cuter than your big brothers.."

Sam, who has suddenly become interested in 'watching his weight', when taking a piece of bread from the sacrament tray at church, turned and whispered..
"How many calories in that?"

Jesse, trying to explain why he just didn't click with some kids, asks..
"Ya know the kind of kids that try to use logic, to be funny?? Or like, scientific observations? It's just not that funny."

In other news:

We're missing a chicken. Hmmm.
Anyone seen Princess Girl? She's the white one.
Guess we should of put a collar on her.
Last night Sophie saw a chicken in Africa on the Amazing Race,
and asked if that might be ours.
I doubt it.

We finally got our butts in the back yard and picked up the 200 peaches that had fallen off our very heavy laden peach tree branches.
I made cobbler, and ate half the pan, in under an hour.

I ran in the rain on my favorite trail today.
It felt so good..even if I had 15 gnats on my shirt and 2 in my EYEBALLS afterward.
EW.
I'm running a half marathon in Park City this weekend.
Wonder if there's a gnat problem up there.

My KIA broke down on me again.. and then started again.
Ya just never know if you're gonna make it where you're going or not.
I like livin' on the edge.

That's all for now.

Just A Swangin'.. (And A "Swor-in"..)

Sophie loves to swing.
LOVES it.
She will run to the yellow swing that Grandma bought,
that hangs from our huge front tree.. 10 times a day.
Just to swing.
It's just, so, fun.
She used to need pushing..
but has now mastered the art of pumping..
so is free to swing whenever she darn well feels the urge--
but still prefers, as young princesses will, to be pushed.
Delights, in being pushed.
DEE-lights I tell ya.
Jasen has started to take her on little later night sneaks over to the school playground for a good night swing on the big school swings.
It's dark.. and they go even higher.
She laughs like it's the most fun she could ever know..
and never, ever, tires of it.
She comes in giddy.
Elated.
Her cheeks cold and flushed from the night air.
I love how simple the pleasure of it is to her.

I also love.. that while takin' a little poop yesterday,
(Sophie still. I know-- you were thinking it was ME.)
she stuck up her middle finger and said,
"Is this a swore? My friend said this was a swore."
I laughed out loud.. and then replied..
"Yeah. Kind of. That's a way people swear using their hands."
"Oh." She answered. "Why do people do swears?"
"Well.." I continued..
"I guess some people think it's cool. Don't you think that's kind of dumb?"
"Mom." she says, in this kind of tender, but reprehending sort of tone..
"Everybody makes mistakes."

Grow Up Already...

So just when I think I MIGHT be becoming more like those "grown-ups" I've heard talk of..
(ya know the ones: they watch the news and prepare budgets.. they keep receipts and take vitamins.. and I'm pretty sure they know how many countries there are in the world.)
So although I do not do any of the above mentioned items..
I do show glimpses of a grown-up here and there.
I mean, after all:
I recycle.
I keep my kids clean.. pretty clean.. and fed.
I can do basic math. Very, basic, math.
And there's a BUNCH of wrinkles on my face.

So as I was saying.. I think I'm legit in a few facets..
if only a very, rare, few.
But the other day-- in the bathroom of a frozen yogurt place called "Spoon Me"--
I seriously started doubting my maturity in general.
In those ever-so-popular vinyl letters, they had decorated the walls with phrases like:

"You.. Me... Spoon?"

or

"Feel like spooning?"

I know. Cute. A play on words with the places name.
But what turned it from cute..
to freakin' hilarious, for me, personally..
was the way in which other customers..
much likely a bit younger than myself,
had cleverly peeled all the S's and N's off every "spoon".. turning it into.. um.. "poo."
Therefore.. the phrases had become..

"You... Me... poo?"

or

"Feel like poo ing?"

Or my very favorite..

"Shhh. Just poo."

I laughed out loud.
Like a 5th grader.
For a good while.

I mean what's not funny about THAT?
(Don't answer if you're in a real grown-up kinda mood.)

Losing the "Cool" In "Cool Mom"

Soooo... Sophie started a new dance class on Thursday.
Of course she was excited.
Of Course.
Of course she wore her best multi-colored tu-tu and matching bow.
Of course.
Of course on the ride there,
I started singing some made-up ditty that went a little something like this,

"Very first day of dance class!
Very first day ofdance class!"

Of course.

To which my 4-year-old..
who in the past has always seemed to find me quite enjoyable and witty..
replied:

"Could you please not do that.
It makes me feel embarrassed."

Of course.

A Small Request...

So.. I REALLY enjoy the white New York Cheesecake flavor of soft serve yogurt at the Maverick.
REALLY, enjoy it.
And when they have it.. it usually stays around for awhile-- until they switch out the flavor to something I find disgusting.. like cookies and cream.
(Cookies and cream YOGURT... really?)
So here we are in September, with hot weather coming to an end, and I'm panicking just a smidge because last I checked.. it's still cookies and crud.. and I want me some white New York cheesecake, before it SNOWS.
My request?? That any of you frequenting the Maverick.. comment that you'd love to see the return of the white New York Cheesecake flavor (there is power in numbers..)and inform me immediately if you see the switch has been made. I'm not joking around here folks.

I know. Pretty important stuff.

Hey-ster There-ster

Um.. my Bo that I've spoken recently and oh-so-fondly of..
has outta no where-- began his own little Bo language.
It goes a little something like this.

"Hi-ster Mom-ster. I'm-ster hungry-ster."

No big thing.
I'm guessing it won't catch on like pig latin.
I just find it hilarious.

Birthdays and Races and SOUP! Oh MY!

See this little weirdo??

I adore him.
My Bo turned 8 back in August-- and chose to make the exact same goofy drinking soda face at this years party.. as he did at last years.

He also, just like last year, received a last minute "wrapped" (in t.p.) gift from Sophie, and was very sweet to act grateful for the stale Starburst she surprised him with..

..and again, had a darling group of wet, hyper 2nd graders run around our yard to celebrate!
I could share all 20 pictures of them making wet, hyper 2nd grader faces.. but I'm behind in my bloggable bits.. SO.. moving on..
Bo's birthday is always the preface to summers end.. and school beginning!

So here you have my token "First Day of School" shot. Again.. the Bo.
(I really did take some of the big boys..just can't find them in my files-- my "files" would make your head spin.. file savvy, I am not.. but I promise Jess and Sam were dressed and smiling. I swear.)
NEXT!
My first half marathon.
What can I say...I DIG, the running.
Here's me eating my pre-race banana.. in kinda stupid warm-up pants.

And here's me 13.1 miles later!

I posted some of the professional pics they take along the course of me on FB.. but props to Jasen for catching this one near the finish line.
I loved it. I had no idea if I could run that far or not.. so was excited to finish in 1:41and am hoping to beat my time at another Half going on up in Park City in October!
(Come with me! Anyone? Anyone??)
Of course having some darling "athletic supporters" cheering me on made it even BETTER.



In other news.. the tortilla soup I made for dinner last night, and lunch today.. was so tasty I had to photograph it.

Big enough bowl for ya?
I heart avacados.
Oh. And there's a mouse in my house. SICK.
Kay. I think I'm all caught up for the moment.

Chicks In Tennies...

LOOK! I ran another race! Get a friggin' load-o-me.

ACTUALLY-- get a friggin' load of ALL those adorable little runner girls.
Precious, are we not??
All fresh-faced and eager to begin our adventure!
The Cache-Teton EPIC Relay to Jackson Hole!
We each had 3 legs to run over a 2-day continuous race-- and we were ready to get THAT party started.

Sally was up first in all her smiley-grinned glory,
and we only lost her once..
for a couple minutes.
Here we are a couple legs in-- STILL feelin' perky..

Quarters WERE tight.
7 chicks,
7 sleeping bags,
7 bags,
and 7 POUNDS OF SNACKS..
a snug lil' SUV does make.
But on we rolled!
My first leg was a 7-mile stretch through the always po-dunk-yet-loveable Preston Idaho. I booked it as hard as I could-- and though SIKED about my 7 1/2 minute miles (I've never timed myself!).. enjoyed a crazy bout-o-nausea almost immediately upon finishing. YUMMY.
Shortly after.. I proceeded to poop like a dog, behind a barn, in the weeds.. but we don't really need to talk about that.
MOVING ON..
After completing the first 6 legs, we met up with our second van of even MORE darling Lightening Ladies..

I mean seriously... DARLING.
(What's not fun about HER??)

And then proceeded to our next "rest stop".

I use the term "rest", loosely. Don't know 'bout you.. but nodding off in a sleeping bag, in broad daylight, on a High School lawn.. does not come easy for me.
Besides.. I had all these cute people to talk to..

and we all know.. the talking DOES come easy to me.. so why bother??
No real rest was had.
My next leg was a 3-miler through.. um.. who the hell KNOWS where..
where much to my surprise, and I spanked it with 7 minute miles! Who knew?
Of course every leg began and ended with me using one of these beauties..

which always makes a girl feel glam.. but is better than, ya know.. weeds behind a barn.
We stopped for the night while the other brave van trucked on with their next set-o-legs.. where, long-story short.. I ended up shivering under my $2.50 Wal-Mart towel praying for daylight..

til' we got the call at 3 am that the first team was done and we were back in action under the oh-so-chilly Wyoming stars!
Now I'm just boring you all.. so I'll wrap it up.. but gotta say I loved my last 7.5-er through the gorgeous canyon in the BRISK mornin' air.. and somehow pulled out 7 minute miles again, making me feel like a supa-star for just a quick moment in life.
GOOD, STUFF.
Every one ran their little exhausted guts out-- so proud of all of em'..
and woo-EEE did it feel good to hit Teton Village at the finish line.. fill our achin' bellies.. and lay in the mountain sun awaiting the 2nd van.
TA-DA.

We even got medals. And random male competitors hanging out in our picture.

Loved every second of it.
Let's do this again real soon.

Things That Make me REALLY Happy..

Her..

at her first ever day at dance.

Them..

goin' fishin'.

And ME..

running my first 15K, and LOVIN' it.

Even if the race shirt was very, very, unattractive.