1/2 mile marathon!

Hank and I ran our first race! It was called The American River Parkway Half Marathon. I was so nervous to run because we haven't been able to train for it as much as we had hoped for. My goal was to run the whole thing. I knew Hank could do it but I was worried I might pass out or something (I am a bit delicate). It went so well! I totally ran it! Of course by the end I was so slow that walkers were passing me, even though I was running (so embarrassing!) Hank stayed with me until mile ten and then he was basically skipping to stay near me, so we decided he should go on ahead and actually run. I have to say I am so inspired now because all along the way there were these inspirational signs helping the runners stay motivated. They said things like "you never know your limits until you exceed them" and "Those who say it can't be done shouldn't interrupt those who are doing it". I was feeling great until mile ten and then I got pretty tired. Those inspirational signs were probably the thing that kept me going. I started relying on them fro support. I thought about how important it is to live everyday focused on your priorities, your values, your principles and goals. Those messages reminded me why I was paying to put my body through pain and exhaustion. I wanted to push my body and my mind so I could feel healthier and happier. I don't believe our purpose on this earth is to experience pleasure and satisfaction, but instead to progress and grow. We often find ourselves in uncomfortable or upsetting moments but we endure because of the greater goal. I know this is something I want to teach my children and I really want to have a home full of "inspirational signs" that remind us why we must go through the suffering of life, because in the end the reward is so worth it.

Easter and a bit more

Sam's first Easter egg hunt. The Relief Society put together a little Easter egg hunt. Like everything Sam wasn't as much excited as he was curious about why we were doing it.

My really good friend Traecy got me this co-pilot for Sam's birthday and we are having an absolute blast. On those few nights a week when Hank is off work we go on family bike rides and just explore. Sam usually sits back there humming to himself or singing his new favorite song "Sun, Sun Mr. Golden Sun please come shine on me", though his version is more like "Sun, Sun, ma me ma nane nana ME!"

I don't know why I don't have any pictures of Trevor and Lindsay, but they came down last weekend and visited us. We had a lot of fun just chatting and relaxing with them. We hung around the Florence's house for most of the visit and took advantage of the family go-cart!

Lucy (Hank's cousins' dog) had puppies and Sam is so giddy over them.

We spent Easter with the Florences. I think Sam got a little more into the hunt this time around.

A very dedicated egg finder.

Sam turned Two

I might have gone a little overboard for Sam's birthday, but I can't help it, I really love celebrating. His Birthday fell on Conference weekend. Here he is enjoying some waffles and strawberries.

We had the missionaries and my friend Caryl over for breakfast before conference. Hank's uncle and his family came over a bit later. I love enjoying Conference with friends and family.

In between sessions we had a little family party outside on the benches in our apartment complex. Those are Hank's cousins and his aunt. Such an attractive family!

We came back inside for presents, cookies and ice cream. Sometimes I need to just stop buying him presents! The attractive Florence family gave him a fire engine. He wanted nothing else after that. He got a little loony during this period of time. I think he had a bit too much of a good thing.

Here I am with my dear friend Traecy. We are building Sam's birthday cake for his party. She has an amazing talent for cake decorating. I have never made such a cool cake and it was an absolute blast.

I can't believe I actually had a part in this amazing creation. After it was done Sam wanted to do nothing else but stare at it.

Party! I was going to have Sam's party at a park but the weather didn't cooperate so I changed locations last minute to our apartment. I think I liked it better because we could dance and there is nothing cuter to me then a bunch of little shaking bums.

We played the freeze dance game where if they froze they got a sticker on their face. I saw one of the little girls later on in the day and she still had four stickers scattered on her face! The best was that Sam had the most fun of anyone. He dancing,jiving, just giggling and laughing throughout the whole game. I think he was just tickled to have all his friends playing along with him all at the same time!

This picture is so hilarious. Look how desperate Sam looks for cake. He is trying so hard to restrain himself but won't last much longer.

Later that day we went to the grand opening for the new play place at the mall. Oh my goodness! isn't that a spectacle! Sam was in such a good mood the whole time. He would play, run around and then spot us on the other end of the play place, drop everything run towards us, giggling joyfully the whole way. He would then collapse in our arms and tickle our faces while saying 'mama, dada, mama, dada". There really isn't a better feeling then seeing your child so purely happy.

The next day was Rocklin Library's celebration kick-off for national library week. There was face painting, balloon animals, theatrical skits, and magic shows. We spent an hour and half there and an hour and 15 minutes of that were spent watching these two trains. He's obsessed.

I did manage to grab a balloon flower. Some mocked saying he should have a sword or something more "boy like", no I insisted, my boy likes to smell the flowers. Was I right or was I right?

Oh just some fun stuff

Sam has discovered that the glass over the fireplace shows his reflection. He loves being a fireman and whenever he wears his hat he has to see how cool he looks. Sometimes he even giggles.

My birthday was this week. We celebrated by rock climbing at a rocking climbing gym. We did the free form rock climbing because it was cheaper and we didn't need to learn any special skills. It was so hard! Both of our muscles were burning and I was sore all day the next day. Here is the problem with doing something new on a whim; you want to adopt it as a new hobby. I don't have time or money to invest into a rock climbing hobby but never the less I am excited to find new venues for this activity. It was really fun and challenging and I hope I can find a cheap way to do it more regularly.

Indian food, my absolute favorite. We found this small place a few months ago and have been dying to go back. It was so delicious except the food came out way too spicy. Normally I would be so so disappointed but when we told the manger, he was so concerned for my well being that he gave me a free mango drink and lots of yogurt to tame the food down. Despite the spiciness we left with smiles on our faces. Doesn't that just go to show what good service can for a business?

Sam has now started noticing his friends. It is really cute because when he is with someone he likes he gets this overwhelming surge of happiness and bursts out with laughter and glee and then attempts to gently hug his friend. It always ends up with both parties on the floor, sometimes tears are involved. The girl in this picture was a prime candidate for snuggling because not only was she a friend, she was a "baby". Fortunately Hank served as a protective barrier between the girl and the floor.

One of Sam's favorite pass times: smelling candles. We have spent over an hour in Bath and Body Works before smelling candles. I can say the same for Pier 1 imports, Target and Hallmark. We have a shared passion. If I am at the mall and I need to get somewhere, I have to take alternate routes so he won't recognize the prime candle smelling stores. Once he has spotted a candle to smell, it's all over, I have to stop everything and... well, have him smell the candles.

Crazy week in SoCal

Sam and I enjoyed a beautiful and very crazy week in Southern California. A family I used to nanny on occasion flew me down so I could take care of their 5 kids while they went on a little vacation. Needless to say, it was quite the adventure.

 

I arrived a few days before I was needed so I was able to spend some time with my family. I had an entire day with my brother. Sam and I spent part of the day roamed around UCLA watching all the smart people hussle and bussle while we waited for my brother to be done with his classes. We then had lunch with him and his girlfriend which I am so angry I forgot to take a picture. I really liked her so hopefully that won't be my last meeting with her. The only annoying part was I had the flu and felt horrible. I was lucky I got better before the nannying began.

 

 

 

Later we got to spend some time with my parents. I came just in time. My oldest sister just had a baby and my mom left the next day to be with her. It was perfect I got to have one night with my mom. Now I am looking forward to seeing my new beautiful niece!

Sam has really been taking an interest in musical instruments recently. I think he thought my Dad was just beyond cool to be able to play.

 

Traveling with out-of-ordinary naps never go well with my baby. He slept for over 3 hours after this picture was taken. He needed it!

We also got to spend a day with Hank's parents. He loves to cuddle with his Grandma Marty.

I have more pictures then I know what to do with from the eventful week so I will include just a few highlights. Here we are making designs on paper with colored bubbles. The oldest kid was gone all day being busy so he missed out on the fun most days.

Our walk to the park with their new dog. These kids are so fun because any activity we did was exciting and fun for them.

We attempted to make a home-made pinata. It went really well except for the part when we filled it with candy. It just collapsed. It was a worthy attempt and the kids had fun so I say it was still a success.

The week went really well and I thought it would end that way, but no. I was a minute late for check-in and they closed it, so I had to buy a stand-by ticket which I didn't get on. Basically I was at terminal 8 for United Airlines from 7am to 7pm. It was exhausting but I was grateful for the time I got to spend with Sam, especially since it was difficult to have one on one with him last week. The cute thing is now he loves his airplane toys.

This is basically the result of last week.

Valentine's Day fun and some Daddy time too

Sam and I attended a Valentine's Day extravaganza at our local mall. It was loony. The line to sign in was probably an hour long. Good thing we got there early! Sam decorated this box for Daddy and we gave it to him on Valentine's Day. It was pretty sweet.

Amongst the face painting and dancing Sam's reoccurring attraction was this balloon decoration. For some reason he thought it was really cute and kept making baby faces at it.

Nothing held a note to this dog. Sam followed this character around and around. In fact the worker who was helping out kept laughing every time she saw Sam come back. I think the person in the suit was losing ideas for funny antics.

Sky Zone! The Trampoline place. Imagine a gigantic trampolined room where even the walls are jumpable. It was awesome! Yet, Sam found the trash can outside the room to be more interesting... I tried, I tried.

My mom's group had a Valentine's Day party. I was really proud of Sam for coloring this hat. He's recently taken a interest in coloring. He actually makes a few marks on the paper before popping the coloring utensil in his mouth. We are making progress.

All the kids in the group are fairly young. We tried to have a game where the kids would hop on numbered hearts until the music stopped, then they got a prize. Sam did NOT like being told where to go and eventually found his way to some nearby puzzles. I felt okay because most of the kids were running around screaming, eating the paper hearts or trying to get their prizes early. I love this age.

So for those of you who know Sam, you know he has been a momma's boy through and through. So this little experience made Dad a happy man. We were walking around a nature preserve and Sam found this rock. Dad joined him and they were have a nice time enjoying the rock together. When I tried to get in on the fun, Sam would not have it and kept pushing me away. We tried to take a family picture  but Sam was determined to have the rock reserved for only him and dad!

My sister in law tried a well with no avail. This rock is only for the men in the family!

Hank's time has finally come.

Colored spaghetti part 2

This has nothing to do with colored spaghetti I just thought Sam looked really cool.

So I brought the spaghetti out again. Sam and I made a discovery. Spaghetti is really sticky and kind of yucky. Sam would reach hesitantly into the bowl while making various  "ick, yuck, bleack" sounds with his tongue. We decided to use spaghetti's yuckieness to our advantage and found it sticks quite well to the dishwasher. I think I have found Sam's artistic side. Together we created a little picture. Sam is much more thoughtful than I am. He took the effort to pick out individual strands and place them by hand to specific points on the dishwasher wall. I enjoyed the wind up and throw approach more. I think together with both our techniques we make a great artistic pair.

The creation enlarged after this picture was taken but I think you get the idea. I call it "Bleack!", Sam came up with the name. I think it fits. You'll have to watch out for more Sam and mom originals.