HSM3

So I finally watched HSM3...I'm about a year late.  Well Trey watched it with me because Matt was not having any part of that.  When Troy and Gabriella were dancing on the roof and he was lifting her up and twirling her around, Trey kept saying, "that girl is strong mom.  She's so strong." Well apparently Trey thinks Troy is a girl...the hair must have been confusing him. I tried to explain that Troy was a boy, but he wasn't buying it.

Needless to say we're both fans.  Duh, the opening scene is basketball so naturally Trey was instantly hooked.  Trey's new number for all of his sports is #14...Matt is having a hard time with the move away from the Jarvis 25.  My take on the movie?  FREAKING LOVED IT!!!! 

I'm a Marathoner...well 1/2 Marathoner

My sisters and cousins and I ran the Provo City Half Marathon and 5 K on April 4th 2009! It was a great weekend! Well the race itself was less than desirable, but the weekend as a whole was very memorable. 

This was my first big race and I had trained faithfully for 14 weeks (well really 16 since I started too early, I was a little over zealous). I had high hopes for the 1/2 marathon, but training in Florida for a race that was in Utah came back to bite me. I had been training in 70 degree weather to arrive in Utah with a bitter 29 degrees on race day. 

It snowed the whole race with mile 7 being the worst because the snow was moving horizontally into our faces the entire time. At mile 9 I started hyperventilating while I was crying because I couldn't run the whole thing. (Who knew running was so emotional, that wasn't the only time I cried during the race). So, I had to stop because my knee was killing me. I started running again after a short break and then met up with my sisters and dad at mile 10. 

Well I made it another 1/2 mile and my hip, knee and ankle were shooting pain with every hit of the pavement. Then my knee gave out and I could barely walk, Kelly was basically carrying me for a while. But freak I had already run 10 1/2 miles, I wasn't going to stop now! So reluctantly I walked the last 2 1/2 miles to finish my 1/2 marathon. It was great to have the support of my sisters and cousins to help get me through it.

So my first big race didn't go at all how I had planned, but I'm not giving up...I'll start training for the next 1/2 marathon this month! My new plan is to run faster so that I won't have to run so long! Oh, and I'm going to run it down here so that I can actually finish while running the entire race. 

P.S. We all wore tutu's because we're "tutu fast"! EVERYONE loved them. We got comments on them all throughout the race. Even the guys liked them. I'll think we'll keep them around and use the tutu's for our next family race. 

Jet Setting

The boys and I have been flying all over the place, well mostly to Utah. It's been great since we've moved to Florida, I think we've seen our family more often since then. The boys are really good fliers, smarties and suckers are the "reward" (aka bribe) of choice for a job well done. We've got the routine down really good; one mom, two boys, two suitcases, two carry-ons, one double stroller, and two car seats. I'm a spectacle walking into the airport, but it's worth it to visit family especially when we're so far away. Here are the boys just relaxing watching a movie...thank goodness Delta has satellite TV!

Just Your Average Thursday

So last week me and the kids went to get Breton's blood work done...we got there at 10 am with a waiting room filled with tons of old people (probably on their last leg :)), but we checked in and waited.  There was a sign that said no food or drink, so I stuck with that for about 15 minutes, but my kids are only quiet with food in their mouths.  So to the benefit of us all, I broke out the snacks.

Well, an hour later I watch 3 or 4 people that had checked in behind me go back and get their tests done.  So I go up and ask if they had called our name yet and she says, "Yes, I called James."  Well, our last name isn't James!!!  So she had called the wrong name and we missed our chance!!!  Hello?!?!  I've been stuck in the waiting room with 2 crazy kids for an hour because of illiteracy (oh Florida)!  It was a Seinfeld moment.  "Cartwright...Cartwright..?"  Anyone on board?  Remember that episode (the one at the Chinese restaurant), Matt and I laughed about that one.  

Another 30 minutes later we go back (yeah, apparently we didn't get our place back in line even though she called the wrong name) and she asks for Breton's stool sample.  So I hand her the diaper (that I had carried around with me since 8:30 am) and she says, "you have it in a pamper?"  (Pamper? Really, they don't say diaper here. Weird.)  She tells me this is not how they do it...um, how else will I get his stool sample to the lab?  I mean, Breton isn't even 2 yet so he's obviously not potty trained.  I still want to know how they expected to get that stool sample from him. 

So then we get to the blood--6 vials.  That's like half of Breton's blood!  Well, he was instantly bawling and I was crying too.  Trey's in the background saying (in a loud 3 year old way) "Mom, why are you sad? Why is your face all red?"  The nurse is asking me if I'm scared?  Duh, lady I'm not stupid...I just feel bad that I'm subjecting my baby to this torture.  Well, about 10 minutes later we're done with blood, both of us crying the whole time through.

Then I have to take the diaper in the bathroom and smear stool on three sample cards and then scoop the rest in two specimen bottles all the while I'm playing referee between the boys and trying to keep them away from the toilet.  Oh geez, it smelled bad in there. 

Well, that was my day.  An hour and 45 minutes in a lab with two energetic boys and me on 3 1/2 hours sleep (I forgot to mention that I worked the night before and didn't get in bed until 4 am).  So imagine this whole story with me and even less patience than normal...not a pretty sight!  Well, I'm laughing about the situation now, hopefully it will put a smile on your face too!

Lion Country Safari Website Pic

Last fall we took a trip up to Lion Country Safari.  We have a friend that does the marketing for the park and she asked us afterwards if we took any pictures while we were there that might be "website worthy".  

Check out the following link and see if you recognize the kid feeding the giraffe. 

www.lioncountrysafari.com/safariworld_entertainment.html

Say It Ain't Tebow!

I would be remiss if I didn't add a post on the most exciting and disappointing experience of our new life here in Florida.  

I've been a huge Sooner fan for as long as I can remember so it is always a dream come true when they advance to play in the National Championship game.   This year it was particularly special though because that game was to be played in the stadium where I go to work.  Any other year I'd have to pay at least $1,000 just to get in the game (not to mention airfare) but this year I could go for free!  It seemed like fate that I would be able to see my Sooners win the big one live and in person.  

But then a man named Tebow turned my dream into a nightmare.  We definitely shot ourselves in the foot one too many times for a guy like him not to take advantage.  Ultimately it was still one of the greatest times of my life...not only the game itself (watching most of it from my own private suite with a few co-workers) but the whole week leading up to the game.  It's a time that I won't soon forget.

Our First Family Christmas

This was our first Christmas with just our little family.  I was pretty worried that it would be uneventful and lonely, but we loved it.  Christmas in Florida has it's advantages...we were going to head to the beach for the day, but Trey had other plans after he saw his new bike. 

This is Trey's face when he opened his first present...a barbie.  Well, it's a Ken barbie so that doesn't really count, right? He calls him "my boy".  He came with a swim suit and a basketball outfit, pretty much perfect for Trey.  It's February now and Trey still plays with him.  He's not very good at getting him dressed (but maybe that's a good thing). 

Breton opened a train for his first present and he was content for the next week. We tried to get him to open the rest of his presents, but he wasn't having it...he was too excited about his new train.  Ahhh the simplicity of little kids.  

Here is Trey learning to ride his new bike from Santa Claus.  He caught on pretty fast.  I think we get demoted for not getting our kid a bike until he was 3 1/2, we should be fired...we're lame parents!

Breton was happy just to run around and play football.  Can you believe the beautiful weather on Christmas day?  Seriously, the weather is keeping me sane while we're so far away from family!