bring.it.

2 mile swim.

did the dishes, a load of wash, (found my good swim cap in a pile of clean and dry clothes, which means it went through the dryer), fixed breakfast, family prayer & scripture study.

25.8 mile bike ride.

and the day has just started.

bring the food, cause I'm ready to eat a horse.

Huaaaaaah!

FINALLY started the day out right.

New Eyes

Today was a big day.  A monumental day!  I've been waiting for three years to have my vision corrected so I can not worry about contacts or glasses.  To prep for this day, I have worn only glasses for 4 years.  And it paid off!!!  I didn't have the ghost veins in my pupils and corneas that my optometrist thought I would have which makes having LASIK near impossible.

I'm not gonna lie....I was a little nervous. 

Don't you think the hair-net suits me?!  LOL!

I BEGGED Ryan to stay and take pictures of the procedure so Tanner and Taylor could see it, because Tanner insisted that "You won't look like our mom if you aren't wearing your glasses!"...And he was able to see a few minutes of it before heading off to work....even if it was only on a tv screen. :)

I'm under the black machine and the bed pivots
back and forth under the white machine....spiffy stuff!

This is what you see when in 'the chair'.  I had to look only at the green light in the center.  The yellow lights had to stay lined up, in a square.  The white and blue lights were SUPER bright!!!

This is after my 3 hour Loratab-induced nap on Taylor's bed in the boys' dark bedroom.  I felt terrible and wanted to cry.  Not because I was in pain (uncomfortable, yes) but because I was scared to open my eyes!!!  Can you say "sissy"?!  I would compare it to the feeling of not wanting to use the bathroom after having a baby.  I kid you not.

This is what Hell looks like.  

I can take off my bug eyes to put drops in, but will have to sleep in them tonight and wear them tomorrow.  I'm so cool!  I also cannot don't have to wear makeup for at least a week.  And then only light eye makeup for the next three weeks....I think I can handle that.  I am not sure my teenage-skin will fare well without concealer though.  Who knows...maybe it will clear up. :)

Now, at 8:30pm, nearly eight hours after having a laser and amazing doctor correct my vision, these are going to be my BEST friends!  I am using them like one eats chocolate on a bad day.  :)

Thanks to my mommy & daddy for taking the boys for the weekend while I recover without children under foot and quite possibly become VERY productive with some reorganizing that's been put on the back burner.  :)

_____

@ Kate:  I was really afraid, too.  I had Ryan and my dad give me a priesthood blessing the day before and that helped calm my nerves immensely.  There was lots of pressure from the suction thing....and it probably wouldn't have hurt too much except I popped the suction thing off twice with my eyelids (the lights were bright at that point and I wanted my eyes closed)....Not intentionally though, because I didn't really know I was doing that....they totally numb your eyeball.  LOL!  And I was also worried about looking at the green light....but it's not for long and wasn't that hard...when the suction is on, you can't really see anything....so looking at the light was much easier than I thought.   The nurses were amazing...gave me a Loratab and when my sweet friend Karen dropped me off at home, I walked straight to bed and slept so good. :) This morning (day after) I feel GREAT!  My lashes are a little gunky from all the eye drops, and the back of my throat is nasty, again from all the eye drops, but I laid in bed and could see the alarm clock across the room!!!  It. was. fantastic!!!!

What do I have to lose?

So...it's no secret.  I'm kinda-sorta-really-absolutely sentimental.  Over anything, and everything.  Not emotionally, I just really value my ties.  Especially my roots.

It's also no secret that I've been working my behind off to lose some of this ice cream-baby weight...and it hasn't melted one bit.  Not even an ounce!!!  (I promise, I'm not joking...I weight EXACTLY the same as I did on September 1st....not cool!)

I think it's time to turn up the intensity...what do I have to lose?  Besides blowing my knees out running a marathon?  Nothing.

I think I'm going to do it.

Do What????

THIS...  I'd be swimming over the ranch my grandfather and his sons owned.  I have VERY fond memories of this beautiful place...and which I'll name my next child after...and that's the biggest reason WHY I want to do it.  Because I'm sentimental.  Getting in shape and actually accomplishing this feat is just an added bonus.  Told you I was sappy!  :)

I talked about doing a triathlon last year, but started too late in the season to really get anywhere.  I did that 50 miler on my bike, and swimming and running would have totally been welcomed.  LOL!  I've been biking at least 50 miles a week for 6 months, and swimming will come back without a huge problem...just need to build up my endurance (and get some better eyes).  The only thing I'm kinda-sorta worried about is running.  I used to hate it...but on Friday, when I ran for an hour (with some walking and jogging of course, but also some RUNNING in there), I realized that I can do it.  I can do anything.  And this is something I will do.

Now would be the optimal time.

I mean, I teach at an athletic club, and instead of getting a paycheck in the mail, I get a family gym membership (you're not supposed to know that, but whatever...it is what it is.) ...so why not get a trainer so I don't seriously hurt myself...and make good use of my 'pay' while I have it?!?!?!  Ryan also has a membership...we should totally be a team.

Yeah - there's some ducks I need to get in a row first (like asking if Ryan would do it with me), but really; what do I have to lose?

50 miles.

37 of them were sandy washboards.
13 of them were filled with a beautiful downhill rush.

It.was.awesome.

My tush is tender. A bruise the size of my hand on my thigh is more than embarrassing.  Partly because I got it when my bike tipped over while I  was treading sand.  Partly because it's so ugly, but who's looking?

The 8 hours of sleep in West Yellowstone in the pouring rain in a tent with my sweetie was priceless...there were no children to wake us from being cold or wanting to explore at 5 am. The air was crisp and inviting.

My mental state might be wavering for even considering such an expedition; but it was exhilarating!!!

And I'm realizing that I really am 9 years behind my husband.  He was in his biking prime when we met...now that he's aged, I'm ready and rearing to go...I want to get a sitter every weekend for the rest of this beautiful weather and go.go.go and climb.climb.climb and get that adrenaline rush that comes from roaring down a breathtaking mountain path with a wall of rocks and shrubs up one side and turquoise rivers below.  I wish his knees and back could take a few more beatings from being on the road.

A climbing trail of mountain terrain (our first 15 miles or so) is nuttin' compared to a level railroad grade of washboards (the middle 30 miles).  I'll take the switchbacks and gravel any day to soggy sand and four-wheeler-ed-to-death 5% grades.  LOL!

I regret shedding my camera that last 18 miles.  Like, I might go  BACK and do it again before it get's too cold JUST go get those gorgeous pictures along Warm River.

But I don't regret pushing my mind and my body to do something I never thought was possible for me.

50 miles.  Bring it.  Again.

{11 months}

Is my baby really turning into a toddler?  Because he's starting to toddle over when he pulls himself up to the couch...And he's turning one year old in 31 days!  Say it isn't so!!!


Please forgive my laziness in the picture taking department today...I have a massive sunburn (maybe heat exhaustion??  LOL!) from a 6 miler today, and I was too tired to play with the manual settings and get it just right, hence, the 'auto flash' and whatnot.  Please don't hold it against my sweet-fatty-waddy baby, that his mommy was too tired to do a 'real' photoshoot today.

He has not just two teethes (pronounced:  teeth-ez), but FIVE!!!  Oh, boy!!!  Two on bottom:

And two on top with a THIRD starting to peek through!

And we're still nursing.  Go us! I like to say I only nurse him once before bed, but who are we kidding...he still wakes up at midnight and 6 am, and I'm usually too tired to care, so he nurses then, too.  The boy hasn't slept through the night since he was 8 weeks old.  And neither have I... Help me!!!

And he's still not crawling...and I am SO okay with it!  It'll come...I'm not worried in the least.

He loves to open and shut things...doors in particular.  Loves books (especially the ones from the library...go figure), loves his brothers, loves eating 'our' food, and refuses to eat from a 'jar'.  Loves to wave "nigh-night", and loves to cuddle and to say "ahhhhhhhhhhhh" as he is bounced along in the bike trailer.  He also loves "baaaas" (balls) and today he said "uh-oh" multiple times as we were playing the 'throw the sippy on the floor' game.  Love him!!!

Isn't he the cutest, fattest version of his daddy!?!?!  And mommy!!!  LOL!

We sure love our baby Kort'w'en.  You are growing so fast...too fast!  Slow down and be my baby a little bit longer, will you?  Pretty, pretty please???

I did it!

I did a 5K this morning...last minute decision, with my little sister, and little brother and his wife...we rocked it!  It was mostly fun, and I'm not terribly crippled yet...so I guess I survived.  LOL!

We did a 'trial run' on Saturday (because I haven't gone running for about 2 years), which left me aching and dreading the 'race'...but looking at the moment (all forty-five minutes of it) it wasn't as bad as it could have been!  Despite the two inches of mud and gravel for 2.5 miles of it, I didn't die, and I didn't have to crawl across the finish line.

More updates and pictures when I can get home to my own computer.  :)

***I should clarify...I never said I ran the whole thing.  I ran the first 3/4 mile, than walked/jogged, mostly walked the rest. It was brutal...those muddy hills were hard...and there were a lot of them!!!***

Thursday Fun

Oh, my goodness.  We had so much fun getting away from it all, that I keep coming upon more and more pictures!

Off we go! 

We (Mom, Katelyn, Desi, and Me) went on a brisk and quick bike ride...only 4 miles, but long enough for three tuckered out boys to fall asleep at 5 pm...

Snug as bugs in a rug.

Cold enough for coats, gloves, and a face mask.

We laughed so hard every time Taylor drifted off...his head would crash down on my back and then slowly go back up, only to come crashing down again.  He was so tired!  One of the reasons I ended up getting the bike seat he's in, is because it had a higher back and some sides like a carseat, so that when he or any other child would fall asleep, they could relax...it must be tilted at an awkward angle or something, because he preferred to have his head falling forward on my back.  LOL!

In the world of milestones, we have a climbing baby who refuses to crawl!  :)

Kortlen loved this small step under my mom's kitchen island/bar stools.  So much that he'd play on it for 30-40 minutes every time we were in the kitchen (we spent a lot of time in the kitchen!).  He even loved the stairs down by our room in the basement...but the little stinker will. not. crawl.

I'm not wanting him to be completely mobile yet, trust me!  But I'm slightly concerned he's not crawling yet, and he turns one next month.  He can, however, still get wherever he wants by scooting and rolling.  He's a fast one!

Triathlon Training...

um....so I want to do a triathlon.  yes, I have something to prove.  and yes, this is the first I have seriously considered it.

Have you ever competed or participated in a tri?  I know a lot of my blogging friends run 5k's, half marathons, marathons, and crazy 24 hour races (that's you, Becky M.!!!)...and I hate running with a passion....but I'm loving biking and I used to be a fish.  No, really.  I used to spend 2-4 hours in the pool every day, and I really miss it.

I know it won't take too much time to condition in the water again...well, maybe a little bit of time...and I know I don't have the right kind of bike (I have a mountain bike, not a roadie)...and my gym shoes/running shoes are a good four years old...but they're still white, so I can still use them, right??

I've found some sites and articles and completely signed up for a Tri in Pocatello on the 23rd of July...but I didn't hit the 'complete' button for two reasons.  (i don't know 'how' to do a tri, and Ryan kinda laughed at me when I told him I'd be spending $40 on the registration fee...and then we added up all the other fees like a pool pass, new shoes, new tires, etc, etc, etc.)

Any suggestions???  Where do I start?  If I don't do it now, i'm afraid i'll never do it...

Wanted to share

...some small little snippets; adding to my previous gratitude post.

Kortlen waves.  My others never did till about 14 months.  It's adorable, and charming.  And he knows it.

We applied to an amazing job that would be perfect for Ryan.  And I'm praying like crazy.  Feel free to join me. It's at Bettis, as a Human Resources Business Partner.  It'd be a perfect fit.  And I'd be incredibly grateful.  As would he.

I chopped my hair.  Again.  I love it.  Traded some dress altering for a haircut.  LOVE!

A must-read: THIS post by Diapers and Divinity.  LOVED it.  Forget whatever show you were going to watch, or project you were going to do tonight.  When your kids fall fast asleep at bedtime (or for a naptomorrow) READ THIS!!!

"Being a good mom is a lot easier if you're a good wife."

This just hit home to me today.  Just wanted to share.

...Off to figure out dinner and fold the laundry...it never ends...and it make me so happy that I CAN nurture and love and support.

Achieve a goal

It's something I strive to do every day.  Achieve a goal.  Any goal. It could be as simple as taking a shower, or as involved as reorganizing our food storage.

I also encourage my boys to do the same.  It can be simple, complex, easy, hard, monotonous, or new; but it must be something.

Tanner and I set a goal in September to practice the piano every day for 20 minutes.  We also have set a goal for Tanner to learn to swim by the end of May.  This might be more on the part of my desire for him to have some sort of musical education and get some energy out while learning a valuable skill, but still.  A goal is a goal.  The first one has been more of a challenge, and to be frank, we haven't practiced since January.  But Tanner is making great progress on the second one!

Tanner started swimming with the Idaho Falls Swim Team at the beginning of March.  We have an amazing coach, who is much more patient than yours truly.  In fact, I had the awesome experience of swimming in a Western Zone meet in Hawaii in 2001, with coach Denise, known lovingly by Tanner as "Coach A'nise".  She is simply amazing with children and has Tanner wrapped around her little finger.

Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we are up and out the door by 7:25 am so we can be to the pool, dressed, and ready to go.  He 'swims' from 7:35-8:20, and I'm loving EVERY minute of it.

A recent goal has been for Tanner to 'go underwater' and be completely submerged without having a tizzy fit.  Together, Tanner and I made a chart, and even bought a Lego set as incentive.  For two weeks, Denise and I have been building up his confidence...and you know what?  It has paid off.

Today, Tanner achieved an awesome goal.  He was my brave and courageous little boy that went under water THREE times!!!

He earned himself a Lego set, and has been playing with it since we got home.  In case you can't do the math, that's about 10 hours.  The boy has barely stopped long enough to go to the bathroom, and eat  meals.

Check out the 278 13 pictures I got this morning.

That is the face of 'sound effects'. 

Luggage truck driver dude with a mullet.  No kidding.
 Legos have come a long way in the last 20 years! 

He figured out how to 'read' the 'distructions' and
put each creation together WITHOUT my help!

Yes, he built this ALL. BY. HIMSELF.
I did a little staging, but he put it all together!

"Cargo plane about to crash land!"

"Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."

"Engines have power!"

"Safe landing....everybody off!"

The 'distruction' book had more pictures than instructions,
so he took EVERYTHING apart, and made new creations for seven hours.

Showing Taylor the tool that takes apart the Legos.  

Where were these little tools when I was a kid?
 I was the designated 'Lego Biter' to get them apart for my brothers. 

Taylor was pretty amused, but was good not to touch anything...

...only when Tanner said it was "okay" did he dare get close to it!

Today has been a beautiful day.  Tanner and I haven't fought AT ALL, and neither have Tanner and Taylor.  Come to think of it, it's been quite nice and quiet!  Taylor watch Tangled 3 times, and Kortlen played with the cardboard lid to a paperbox while I cleaned and did laundry.  (Don't worry, tomorrow will be MUCH different.  They're gonna have to EARN their 'free' time!  But it was nice while it lasted.  LOL!)

Now, if I could find something that could keep Taylor's attention BESIDES a movie, we'd be accomplishing yet another goal.

P.S.  Anybody have a box of Legos that you're tired of stepping over or your kids are tired of playing with??? I'd be willing to buy them and take them off your hands for you!!!

Spring is just around the corner

We desperately needed out of the house, so we headed to the funnest park in our area, and the closest one, too.  By the time I got down and reassembled the bike trailer, realized all the tires on my bike, the trailer, and Tanner's bike were FLAT and the gas stations's air compressor was not functioning; I decided to bag biking to the park, and we walked.

It was a balmy 41* F this afternoon, and by golly, we're gonna make good use of the sunshine!  There were just three rules the boys needed to be reminded of:

1.  Stay by mommy holding onto the stroller, especially when walking down the street. (While cutting through the cemetery, I'm not as worried.  It's a pretty quiet place, if you know what I mean.)
2.  No sand.  Period.
3.  When I say it's time to go, it's time to go.

Both Tanner and Taylor were agreeable to the rules.  Kortlen didn't have a choice.  

I was even a nice mommy and let them drag sticks and play shootin' games with their whip-like branches on the walk there.  And home.  (milestone for mommy!)

We. Had. A. Blast!!!  Despite my blown-out pictures, I think the smiles tell all.

I can't believe how perfect his eyes are!!!
If only he wasn't doing something so silly with his mouth.  LOL! 

Kortlen loved watching his brothers!!  They had him giggling pretty good when they were in the swing and they'd  go back and forth, back and forth.  By the time I snapped this shot he and I were both pretty much done.  After all, it was only 41*.

After freezing for 20 minutes, I decided it was time to get warm by walking back home...so home again, home again, jiggity jig we went.

Later that night, it snowed.  Just a skiff, but still.  Glad we were able to get out and get some nice cool air in our lungs!

To the Moon

Tanner gives me surprises every day.  He is blossoming so much!  He is getting ready for Kindergarten, and I'm loving it.

I gave up on pushing the issue of writing, memorizing numbers and letters, and he's surprised me by asking and wanting to learn. Perfect. I used to be very worried because he would never draw, or color...now I wake up to him sharpening his inherited (my coveted color pencils!) coloring sticks and putting his imagination on paper.  It is amazing to watch his brain work.  Simply fascinating.

Today he drew a picture of a rocket going to the moon.

He even let Kortlen help.

I love how the moon has craters on it, and the rocket is bending to get to its destination.

The way he talked to me about what was in his drawing, and cooed with Kortlen melted my heart.

I love you...to the Moon...and back, sons!

Speaking of the moon, I snapped this fun picture right before Ryan's basketball game...it would have been cooler if I had a tripod...but oh well...it was worth a shot!  It's super grainy, because I lightened it so you could see the clouds...The moon was HUGE tonight!  It was gorgeous. 

{7 months}

The past week was a bit involved for this little guy...

After three days of 101* fevers, that I thought were from teething, I finally decided to take Kortlen in.  It may or may not have had to do with the fact that it just wasn't right that his body, specifically his arms and legs, would have bouts of 'flinching'.  After observing him to see if it was from loud noises, and such, I determined (after picturing all the worst-case-scenarios) he was having some sort of seizures.

I was able to get him right in, and after visiting with our pediatrician (who is also our wonderful Bishop), concluded that he was having Myloclonic Seizures.  Very common in children, and I shouldn't be concerned unless they last for more than 5 minutes.  (which is an Eternity, and I'm very fortunate we didn't experience anything over a few seconds.)  After a good dose of Tylenol, his fever subsided, and so did the 'flinching'.  Weird.  I'm just so thankful that he's doing better.

And he's been pretty healthy ever since.  Still a little congested, from the cold (that started the fever that started the seizures), but other than that, he's good!

He's holding steady at around 18 lbs, which he's held for the last three months.  He's our chubby-wubby, but evening out.

Kortlen is a pro at getting around by rolling, and he's got it figured out.  Between being a rolly-polly baby, and  being proficient in turning 360* on his stomach, he pretty much gets where he needs to go.

He LOVES sweet potatoes and corn.  At the bottom of the list are bananas and peas.  Not mixed, just separate.

Yesterday I noticed he is doing girlie push-ups, getting stronger and preparing for a full-on "all-fours" match with his brothers.

I've been quite content with the older two boys running and playing and wrestling, but am a little aprehensive about Kortlen wanting to join in so soon.

Milestones

Even though our pediatrician advised us to wait till Kortlen was six months old to start solids (with Tanner it was four months, Taylor it was 4-6 months, now it's JUST six months), I decided to try some rice cereal with Kortlen.

He is constantly grabbing my plate, wanting my silverware, and even opening his mouth when I put food into mine...

This chunky monkey LOVED it!

Funny thing, is after making up a spoonful of rice cereal with warm water (about a 1/4 cup made), Taylor wanted to try some, too!  Every other spoonful when into his mouth while Tanner and I gagged.  I think Tanner finally left because he was dry-heaving so bad!  It was hilarious!

Each day before bed I've offered the cereal to Kortlen.  He's eager to have the first mouthful, and a little apprehensive after that.  I don't blame him.