A great weekend to end a great week

This week has been so much fun and I have loved having the week free of school and other distractions. I am planning on posting about our St. George trip soon, but while it is fresh in my brain, I wanted to post about this weekend. I finally am back in to racing mode and I had my first distance race of the year. To me, it's the first real race of the season. I like running 5 & 10K's but in my heart I am a distance runner. (I say my heart, because I'm not so sure my body agrees with me most of the time) I love working towards a distance goal and gradually building up my mileage until I can conquer the feat of a race. This morning's race was a half marathon and it's the longest I have run in 2 1/2 years. And even thought it totally kicked my butt, I loved it! There are lots of things that I would change about how I raced if I could--but since I can't I will only focus on the fact that I finished and just loved running that far again. I don't care that it hurt, I don't care that it was so stinkin' hard for me to keep just keep running and I don't even care that I didn't even come close to my goal time, no matter how unrealistic it was. What I do care about is that I got to have a great weekend with some amazing friends who make me laugh and totally inspire me. I am so impressed with Aubrey who totally stuck it out even though training was a minor nightmare for her--13 miles at 13 weeks is pretty amazing! I am in awe of Laurie and her amazing racing abilities, she totally rocks it in every race--although I need to learn that even though I LOVE LOVE LOVE running with her, I probably shouldn't keep trying to race with her:-) I am SO SO SO grateful to Melissa for sticking with me and keeping me motivated to run--who knows if I keep up with her, maybe me legs will look like hers--she really was my lifesaver and I don't think I would have finished, OK finished well, without her. I'm impressed as always by Cami and her ability to make everything more fun--and dang that girl can jog:-) And of course I love Lisa to pieces and was so sad that she didn't run with us, but thrilled that she came for the girls weekend. It was so much fun to see her on the course taking pictures and making me smile, she is my partner in crime and I can't wait for her to be back in the mix. I am so lucky that I get to run with the funnest group of girls around who keep me laughing and smiling all the time. For me this race was more than just a starting and finish line--it was a weekend free of kids and husbands--with the best company I could have asked for! We had a blast just being girls and being together. Thanks girls for making my weekend rock--we missed you Abi!

*As a side note, I just need to send a shout out to my brother and his cute family who sat on the corner to cheer me on--you guys totally made my day and other than finishing, it was the highlight of my race! Another shout out goes to my awesome parent's who let us crash at their house and who were there cheering me on at the finish line--you guys also made my day. And my friends wanted me to thank you again and again for letting us stay there. Two of them even said that your beds were so comfortable that they would like to come up just for a nap--love ya-you guys are the best!

And the REAL winner was and is....

I mean to post this before I went to St. George, but kind of spaced it off, so without further adieu...
I have neglected to share the real news of the winner(s) and loser of our quest to find a new vehicle. Before I share the pictures, please bear with me while I tell a quick story of how we acquired not one, but two cars. (We only kept one.) And let me share with you that I hope we never have to shop for a new car again.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, Craig sold his Grand Am (my apologies to Matt for taking away his opportunity for countless reasons to add an it to the end). I foolishly thought that selling the car would be the hard part, boy was I wrong. Once it was gone, there was the issue of sharing, but the bigger issue by far was getting Craig to decide what he wanted. He spent every waking minute thinking about, researching, or test-driving cars. For a whole week he would go to bed certain he wanted one car and then wake up deciding it was something entirely different. He test drove cars, SUV's and trucks (but not real trucks, just the funny looking fake trucks) and had a mile-long list of the pros and cons of each. In a week long period, he talked to more used car salesmen than is healthy, and in the end he literally made himself sick over having to make a choice. Finally after his week-long mental absence, he made a decision. On Saturday afternoon the kids and I took him on the hour-long trek to get his car. After staying with him for about 5 minutes at the dealership, I made sure he was OK and then left him with these parting words. "I don't care what you come back with, just come back with something." And then the kids and I went on our merry way to complete the 2 hr round trip. Later that night, Craig came home with this:It wasn't what we had planned on, but I loved it! My dad had a 4 Runner when I was a teenager so it brought back great memories. But most of all I was thrilled that a decision had finally been made and that the car buying process was over! That is, I was thrilled until we put the kids in bed that evening and Craig and I had a chance to talk about the new car. To make a long story short, he had complete and total buyers remorse and I have never seen him agonize over anything like he did over this. Thankfully, the dealership was completely willing to let us exchange the car and now we are the proud owners of this:While they may look like the same car, I can promise you they are not. Our car is a Toyota Highlander. And in case you are wondering the thing that made all the difference in the world was a 3rd row of seats and couple thousand dollars. And while I thought the best news of all would be having a new car, it's not--the best news is having my husband back!

And the winner is.......

I'm sure you have all been waiting with baited breath to see what we have decided to do in the vehicle department, so without further adieu I present you with Craig's new car:I hope you like it!!

And the winner was and is....

I have neglected sharing the news of the winner(s) and losers of our quest to find a new vehicle. Before I share the pictures, please bear with me while I tell a quick story of how we acquired not one, but two cars. (We only kept one.) And let me share with you that I hope we never have to shop for a new car again.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, Craig sold his Grand Am (my apologies to Matt for taking away his opportunity for countless reasons to add an it to the end). I foolishly thought that selling the car would be the hard part, boy was I wrong. Once it was gone, there was the issue of sharing, but the bigger issue by far was getting Craig to decide what he wanted. He spent every waking minute thinking about, researching, or test-driving cars. For a whole week he would go to bed certain he wanted one car and then wake up deciding it was something entirely different. He test drove cars, SUV's and trucks and had a mile-long list of the pros and cons of each. In a week long period, he talked to more used car salesmen than is healthy, and in the end he literally made himself sick over having to make a choice. Finally after his week-long mental absence, he made a decision. On Saturday afternoon the kids and I took him on the hour-long trek to get his car. After staying with him for about 5 minutes at the dealership, I made sure he was OK and then left him with these parting words. "I don't care what you come back with, just come back with something." And then the kids and I went on our merry way to complete the 2 hr round trip. Later that night, Craig came home with this:It wasn't what we had planned on, but I loved it! My dad had a 4 Runner when I was a teenager so it brought back great memories. But most of all I was thrilled that a decision had finally been made and that the car buying process was over! That is, I was thrilled until we put the kids in bed that evening and Craig and I had a chance to talk about the new car. To make a long story short, he had complete and total buyers remorse and I have never seen him agonize over anything like he did over this. Thankfully, the dealership was completely willing to let us exchange the car and now we are the proud owners of this:
While they may look like the same car, I can promise you they are not. Our car is a Toyota Highlander. And in case you are wondering the thing that made all the difference in the world was a 3rd row of seats and $1000 lower price. And while I thought the best news of all would be having a new car, it's not--the best news is having my husband back!

Petition for Spring

Dear Mother Nature-
I am writing to you in regards to the weather situation that has begun to cause me some concern. Tonight, I will start a petition in hopes of persuading you to end the winter-like weather that has been plaguing my days with gloomy thoughts. I realize that you have your own motives and reasons for doing things, but in my opinion, it is time for spring. I expect April to be filled with some showers, but I would prefer them to be rain showers instead of snow. I realize that sometimes there needs to be wind, but I wonder if it would be possible for you to change it to a warm breeze rather than a frosty biting storm. And I understand that gray skies are at times necessary, but would it kill you to show us the sun every once in a while. To help you understand where I am coming from I would like to share the following ideas with you:

Spring weather should not:
* Require that I hunt down hats and gloves for myself and four children to wear at a soccer game
* Make me crave soup (we had it twice last week and I was wishing for more tonight)
* Cause me to wear 3 layers on a morning run and still be cold
* Be accompanied by any sort of snow (especially when the cover the tulips that are trying so hard to come out)
* Have a need for a blanket and down comforter on my bed
* Force me to wear my winter coat (that I didn't even wear in January)
* Dash my children's daily hopes of being able to play outside due to the frigid temperatures
* Ever be associated with the word frigid!

Spring weather should:
* Cause soccer games to be enjoyable (not bordering on torture)
* Be a time for BBQ's and picnics
* Have streets and yards filled with kids enjoying the bright SUNNY weather
* Require that I pull out my running shorts and tanks
* Make flip flops return as my main source of footwear
* Allow me to wear capri's again
* Let my kids play outside all afternoon (while I lay on a blanket and read)
* Make it possible for us to take family bike rides
* Cause me to be bright and cheery

I know that these things are not impossible and I am certain that I am not asking to much. Also, I don't mean to be a nag or a bother, but until you can comply with my requests for spring, I will be heading to St. George so that I can remember what the sun looks like!
Sincerely-
Becca

For those of you that feel a need to sign your name to this petition, please leave a comment, I will make sure that Mother Nature receives your suggestions:-)

The Perfect Trip

Yesterday I had to take all four of my kids to Target. Normally this is a task I avoid at all costs. I mean really, who would choose to willingly inflict that kind of punishment on themselves--with all the "I wants" and the gimmes it's not that enjoyable. Then there are the inevitable 2 (or more) trips to the bathroom, the tantrums/meltdowns because "so and so got to help with this and I didn't," and please don't forget the one year old who loudly protests to being strapped in to a cart while her three siblings get to roam freely about the store knocking things off shelves and creating an air of chaos on every isle. And to top it all off, there is always someone in tears, someone in trouble, and me close to both!
But this trip was different--the sole purpose of this trip was for the kids to spend their not so hard earned cash. Recently everyone acquired some cash from Grandpa due to their performance in the NCAA bracket pool. Andrew tied for first place and Madeline was in a close second. (Ben just got paid out of pity--he came in dead last, but only slightly behind Craig who copied his bracket from a guy on ESPN). I wasn't able to take them to the store on Monday and it really was pure torture--to have cash and to not be able to spend it--they made me promise to take them on Tuesday. So after Madeline was done with dance we headed straight for Target. An hour and a half later; after searching every isle that had anything remotely interesting to children, we walked out of the store with two dart guns, one blow gun, some lip gloss, a collapsible stuffed animal storage tower, a bouncy ball, a soccer ball, a football, a Nerf basketball and hoop, a water bottle, a book, a digital/video camera with a video journal, and three very large grins. It really was the perfect trip. No one got in trouble, no one cried (unless you count Sarah's complaints about being strapped in the cart). And best of all, I never had to say no--the kids had free reign of the store and while I helped them find the things I think they would enjoy the choice was all theirs. They loved the freedom of having money to spend and the ability to make their own choices and as of this morning, they are still really pleased with all of their purchases. Too bad we have to wait until next year's tournament to have a chance at a trip like this again--thanks dad!

I Love Conference

As a teenager, I would have never imagined uttering these words: "I love general conference." Back then the only thing that I loved about conference was the fact that I got to wear my jammies all day long and enjoy not going to church. Now so much has changed. I love being able to sit, still in my jammies of course, and take in everything being said. I love being able to see the living prophet and in turn to be able to feel his genuine and sincere love for me. I love hearing the apostles teach me and remind me of things that I can improve upon. I love watching and helping my kids play "Conference Bingo" But most of all I love the fact that I can walk away from two days of meetings, meetings where there is a large focus on the things in my life that I need to change or that I need to improve upon, and not feel discouraged, but rather feel uplifted and empowered. I was particularly touched by President Eyring's and Elder Ballards talks. Elder Ballard spoke on motherhood and reminded me that I am currently working at one of the most noble and important jobs in the world. I loved the humor he added to his talk and the reminder he gave me that as monotonous as my job may seem, it is more important than anything in the world. Elder Eyring reminded me of how blessed I am to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and helped me to think of some practical ways in which I can improve my spirituality and strengthen my testimony. I am so grateful to belong to this church. I am grateful for all those that serve in it. I am grateful for the compass it is in my life, for the truths it has taught me and for the person those truths help me become. I am grateful for the knowledge I have of the sacrifice that my Savior made for me and for the deep and eternal love that my Father in Heaven freely gives me. I am so blessed to be a part of something that is so much bigger than myself and I appreciate weekends like this past one that help remind me of how blessed I truly am.

Out with the old and in with the ??????

For those of you who have know Craig and I for any length of time this should be a familiar sight:

Well, not anymore. It's gone. The car that we have had for our entire married lives (and then some) is no longer part of our lives. We recently found ourselves without a car payment and Craig thought he wouldn't mind shopping around for something a little newer. We were in no rush, but we both agreed that it would be silly to make a choice without trying to sell his car, so we listed it online and within 2 days it was gone. One call, one test drive and poof it's gone. Our garage suddenly seems so big and lonely without it in there. To top things off, we are both a little shell shocked and we both have a bit of sellers remorse. Craig because he has no choice but to spend some of his hard earned cash and he feels like he has just lost his favorite old shirt that was just so darn comfortable. And me, because I have been sharing a car with him for 5 days now and I don't know how much more I can take! To top it all off, this process is a bit more challenging than either of us were anticipating. Craig really has no idea what he wants, it seems like every day he has a new top choice and a new plan. We are officially in the market for a new vehicle and we are open to any suggestions. So tell me, what car do you think best suits Craig--maybe that will help make our decision easier. (But please hurry--this sharing thing 'aint so much fun!)

Checked out

Today was just one of those days where I have been on the go since the second I woke up which just so happened to be pretty dang early this morning. I don't even think I really sat down (except in the car) until dinner time, and by then I was exhausted. It had been a long and busy day and I was nearing my breaking point. I decided that I was done, but knew that I needed to last just one more hour until bedtime. I was hoping that I could make it, but I wasn't sure. Then, when Andrew was clearing the table, he happened to drop my new glass pan and it totally shattered. At that point, I really was done. I completely checked out of my normal self and my normal motherhood roles and declared the day over right then and there. I simply walked out of the kitchen and decided that I would be like everyone else in my family and do exactly what I felt like doing. I knew that if I tried to get one more thing done, I really was going to loose it so instead, I left the kitchen hoping and wishing that Craig would take care of the mess and the dishes. I decided to not worry about bedtime or anything else that was looming in the background and instead Madeline and I laid on my bed and finished reading the book we have been working on. Surprisingly, the evening ended on a better note than I had anticipated. I think I'll have to remember that coping strategy in the future--I think everyone likes that version of me better than the alternative!