Coming Home

Hey all, We are leaving today and we will be back home in Utah this Friday or Saturday. Hope everyone is well and we're excited to see all of you soon!!!

The Last's

We've been busy the last couple of weeks trying to get in some last time's with our friends here in Virginia. We've still got more to come but here's what we've been up to lately...

Jackson just got done again with spring soccer. I'm not sure if this is the sport for him. What do you think (#7)?



Andy got a great deal at the Marriot, so after a long hot day touring D.C. we got to cool off in their pool. Here's Jared and Jackson, Rus and Cole, and Andy and Daxton.



Katrina and I did what both of us have wanted to do for a while and ran the monuments in D.C. I didn't want to take the camera running so we tried to get a lady to take a picture of us before we left but she got upset at us for asking her and ran away. So this is a sad attempt to take a picture of ourselves. We may not be too easy on the eyes, but considering neither of us slept all night, it was a fun run! I have to say D.C. must be one of the healthiest cities ever, there are people running all over all day and night.


The girls from the graduating class had a pajama party where we all made our favorite treats and gossiped all night. Well, there wasn't a whole lot of gossip, but I did learn a lot about all the other girls from our class!








This was a little silly for me, but we threw a B-day party for Jackson one month in advance. I did it under peer pressure, but it was really fun and Jackson had a blast. Except it's really confusing for him. It was a birthday party, but he doesn't get to be four yet. He told all the ladies at the gym today he's sixteen. It really doesn't matter to him because for some reason he gets to have 2 birthdays - and if you remember Christmas- he get's 2 Christmases. I think moving back to Utah is going to be the hardest on him, only having 1 party per event per year.




And FINALLY, The ward throws an annual good-bye BBQ for the graduating seniors. Here are most of the guys from Jared's graduating class...


And here are all of the wives. For some reason it looks like I've added 5 inches, I guess all the pizza and leftover cake from Jackson party was majic, or maybe I was standing on a hill.

Clarification

I just wanted to clarify that I ran it in 46 minutes and 33 seconds. I wish I could do it in 43 minutes. I don't know if that will ever happen in this lifetime. I'm not even sure if I can do it in 46 and 1/2 minutes again. But thanks for thinking that I actually could pull something like that off :)

Majic Shoes

I hate to get new running shoes because I never know if they will fit right until I run in them and by that point it's too late to return them. A few weeks ago I bought a new pair hastily and I didn't like the way they fit, but they were really cheap so I decided to try them out anyway. I got on the treadmill expecting a blister filled run but 6.2 miles and 46.33 minutes later I survived. Feeling pretty well I might add. I don't beleive I was built to run. I don't really consider myself to be a runner. I've never really been very good at it, but I do it because it makes me feel good in a lot of ways. I just had to pat myself on the back a little because it's taken me 4 years to get past the 48 minute 10K and it was a nice accomplishment. Even if I am the only one who gets to benefit, I feel happy about it.

What are you anyway?

I was at Utah Sate in the Kent Concert Building when a guy from my orchestra came up to me and said, "If you don't mind me asking, what are you anyway?" I would have been offended and very confused if I had not been in situations like this at least all the time my entire life. Sometimes it's kinda fun to watch people ask me awkwardly and stumble for the right way to ask me what I'm made of, but most of the time I usually let them off the hook quickly and just tell them.

I sometimes tend to forget that I don't always blend in with the crowd. Lately I have noticed a trend that whenever I go somewhere someone will just start up a conversation with me in Spanish. I noticed that all the people from the Spanish branch say "Hola" to me. I assumed they said that to everyone, but I asked the other people that I work with in Nursery and they said that the members of the Spanish branch usually just say "hello" or nothing at all. I notice it in other places too. It first started with just an "hola" here and there (usually in walmart) but the other day I was in the mall and a guy looked at me and said "hola, como estas?" I thought that it was a little random then I went out to buy some girl scout cookies and there were two girls and one decided to help me in Spanish. Then a few weeks later at Kroger a man came up to me and asked me if I needed any help, in Spanish. Oh and I can't forget the time I went to take Jackson to the doctor, and when the doctor came into our room she looked and me and said very slowly, "DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?"

I've been Hawaiian quite a bit. Polynesian too. One time someone asked me if I was Greek. I've also been Philippino and Chinese. Oh and someone got me confused with one of Jared's ex-girlfriends who was American Indian. I think I've pretty much been everything but Japanese/Caucasian. I'm working on that one.

Oh BOY!

I don't know what it is about this kid. I thought he'd grow tired of terrorizing things by now, but he's still going strong. I haven't taken pictures of him after his daily rituals, only because by the time I get the camera out he's gone getting into who knows what else. The only reason I have this picture of him is because he is relatively tied down. I actaully keep him in his high chair for a while (about an hour or two depending on how much I plan to get done) in the morning for breakfast because he hasn't figured out how to unbuckle himself yet and he seems to be happy watching television this way (the only way he'll sit and watch anything). I know most people are trying to avoid having their kids watch too much t.v. but this is a breakthrough for me to have Tanner actually in one spot for more than half a minute. He does still take a great nap every day so I do have that.

Anyway, as for the rest of us...plans for us are still in the making as far as where we are going to settle down. But as for now we are moving to Utah and that's for sure. Jared also passed his National Dental Board Exams with flying colors and I'm really proud of him!! He has worked so hard and has really been a great Dad and Husband through it all! Way to go Jared!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you!

Now all I have to do is run to the store and buy a whole new set of make-up since mine has been generously poured, broken, and shaken all over my bathroom.

The More the Merrier

We've had some more company to keep us entertained last week. Jared's oldest brother Cole and his family came for a visit. The kids were so excited, when I told Jackson his cousins were coming he said, "is it my birthday?!?"

As opposed to a couple of weeks ago we had a perfect WARM day at the beach, although the water was still ice cold. Everyone still got a taste of the saltwater anyway. Here's Jared, Cole and Kylee the brave ones.


Here are Colton and Whitney digging a hole where Tanner spent 90% of his day playing.


You can't go to the beach without doing this.


Since we are strong converts to Chuck E Cheese, we had to spend several hours playing a little dance dance revolution.


We really need to get one of these in our house.


Thanks to Kylee, Colton, Whitney, and Chelsea we didn't see much of our kids the last few days. It's been a hard transition getting back to being parents again. It's sad to see them all leave!! Not too long though....