Murple murple murple

November 21

2011-03-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

And now we come to the part of the Silly Song where Debby the cucumber comes out in a towel.....okay....not really. Here is a giant onslaught of pics taken from one fine afternoon we spent at Beus Park in Ogden. It was the first time we had ever been there, and as the pictures tell.....we had a grand old time. Lots of good memories. I miss fall!!!!

November 20

2011-03-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

On Halloween, Honest Abe, and Indy, and Davy Crockett all went bowling. For free. In costume. It was a blast. (Maybe it was the Friday before - but it was close to Halloween.) I wish I could find the folder with my bro-in-law Zech's pics of this event. He is a true photographer and he took some awesome shots. I wish I could locate them and share them. They are SO Much better than my crappy candid cell phone junk ones. Stay tuned for some real pics. I'll keep hunting for them.

November 19

2011-03-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

I just tried to pull my pictures out of the order they were downloaded in. I wanted to get b-day pictures for the b-day. But, it took way too long. So, as a result, I don't much care but everything else will be just in the order the pics they were taken. The will not correspond to the day. Kind of a shame - Novemmber 20-27 was a great week. I ran my 1st marathon! And we had a great family vacation to San Diego. I'll keep you all in suspense. They probably won't pop up for another 20 entries or so....and by that time it might be next November before I get around to it.

November 18

2011-03-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

David's 3rd Birthday. Ahh - we survived! He is such a great little guy. For his B-Day I took him to ToyRUs and let him pick out whatever he wanted. I really had no idea what to get the little guy for his special day. So....after two hours in the toy store - he picked out an Astro Boy. My lucky day. It was on sale for 3 bucks. Nothing is that cheap at ToysRuS. He was so happy about it. He also got the new David Book - It's Christmas David by David Shannon, and a Horton Hears a Who puppett and that movie. Oh - and Cade and David got these adorable glove/scarf/hat cow and frog sets compliments of mom's free online shopping habits. I loved the hat sets - the boys loved them in the house, and I don't think they've worn them since. Grandma saved the day by getting him a pair of gloves which he has worn every day, and some books which he also adores - especially the light house one. It was a great day. We capped it off by having a cookie at Barnes and Noble....and I'm sure we sang Happy Birthday a bazillion times.

November 17

2011-03-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

Thinking back on this Oct. day that I'm recording as a November day in the middle of March.....I'm remebering just how little David was talking at this point. Boy has that changed over time. He has had this language explosion as of late, and it has really been quite fun. Two nights ago he told me a bedtime story. "Once upon a time, there was a little I - without a dot!" I cracked up. And yes, I was wearing a business suit to the pumpkin patch. Heels and nice scarf all included. I really need to move back to a busy city :) Actually, in my defense I had work right after this where I had to be dressed up - okay, not that much, but why have the good clothes if you don't wear them every once in a while, right?

November 16

2011-03-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the David soaking up the sunshine at the farm. Not too much more to say about that. In other news....he still isn't potty trained. That would be a reflection on my parenting style. And I really dont give a darn what anyone else thinks about that. Cause, last time I let Cade do it himself, and it was so easy. It didn't take two years or two weeks of torture, it took two days. As long as I have the money for diapers we are enjoying life, carefree, potty stop free, only think about the diaper three times at most a day, and we are happy. :He'll get it before kindergarten, ( I hope.)

November 15

2011-03-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

Oh dear. Here is a video of Cade's piano tune he played at my Halloween recital. Oh, this cracks me up. After the recital I had Eric record Cade and I playing his Shout Boo duet. David provided the howiling and shrieking background music to our music. He wasn't too happy about it. Cade did his best to keep going.....he could play this piece (taught to him by rote I should note) much better, but who can concentrate with all that screaming. My favorite line, "DON"T BE LOUD MOM!!!!" Love those boys.

November 14

2011-03-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

While at Black Island Farms, I saw all these other moms lining up their kids in front of this adorable old style wagon and hay stack lined with pumpkins. They were all getting "Kodak worthy blow em' up on the wall submit to Cookie magazine" takes from their kids there...so I made an attempt. I got a diaper, and a kid screaming at me about how he just wanted to play. In the end, my kid had more fun on the slide than the other kids spending twenty minutes cheesing it up for their moms. Somehow, in my mind, I won this time.

November 13

2011-03-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

David and I on the hay ride....ahhh me. As I sit here ranting on about our community issues I get bugged. Really really bugged and ticked and irritated - but more so with msyelf than with anyone else. Inside, sometimes I do get somewhat passionate about issues and items. In my head I really think that I should stand up and do something about them. In the end, my fears hold me back. I always convince myself that I'm just too stupid and I don't understand the issues well enough to really speak up..... and I know that I haven't devoted the time and efforts into truly researching the things around me....so in the end...I do nothing. Grr. I'm just a slacker mom. I get all these ideas in my head: like I want to conduct a traffic study and get a crosswalk installed to the nature park by my house. I want to get out and get petitions signed and make it happen before someone actually gets hurt there. I want to take a stance and educate people and go speak out at the community forums about all of these road building issues. In the end, I guess I don't care enough about these things, because I never DO anything about them. They are always just ideas on the back burner of my brain. This is why I guess I"m destined to be a Nelly Nobody instead of a Golda Meir or a Maragaret Thatcher. Too bad I got the looks of the idealist old lady winners, and not the stick-to-it-ness (or vocabulary) of the successful ladies.

November 12

2011-03-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Good chance I already posted these pics somehwere in October - but I couldn't find them on the last 4 page back....and I'm convinced I'm the only person that will ever look at them even if they are on here twice...so to the wind.....more picks of our annual trip to Black Island Farms. Yes, the very farm they want to tear down to build a road.....grr....especially when across the street there are gobs of unused wasting but precious wetlands. Okay, I better be careful. I don't want any death threats from the Sierra Club.

November 11

2011-03-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

This is a great before and after cycle of the boys' haircut at the beutiy college. I think the end result is simply stunning. This was a fun haircut trip. My favorite kiddy haircut place went out of business. So I decided that if I couldn't make it fun for the boys, I'd make it fun for me (i.e. as dirt cheap as possible..) So, I took them to the beauty college. David threw all the pillows all around the college at least ten times and was a complete madman the entire time.. The lady was so desparate, she handed him a squirt bottle and let him spray down the mirror for the last 10 minutes of his haircut. It took at least three towels to clean it all up - and wet hair? Wow. They really really earned their 6 bucks. I have been too embarrased to return to this locale again, though. I may be cheap....but I do have a small ounce of pride to maintain, and let's just say that my boys left me laughing and more than a little embarrased at this public showing. Good thing I have two more beauty colleges to destroy before I hit the next two towns.

November 10

2011-03-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

These are pics from a rainy Friday morning run out at the bird watch place a mile from my home. It truly is a beautiful area. I have been miffed as of late, because the whole preserve has been overtaken by some cows - that are not fenced in. There are hundreds of them roaming the boardwalk the last two times I've tried to run there. I'm just not brave enough to run next to crazy cows.....so I"m hopig they fence those cows back in soon! These wetlands really are beautiful but I've got some really mixed feelings about them. They are trying to extend the legacy highway here, and want to avoid ruining the wetlands. Okay....at the expense of yucking up 60 people's homes in Syracuse alone, and not to mention destroying two farms that have been operational for over 100 years. And as the farmers contend....mess up the farmlands and you destroy the ecology of the wetlands anyways....so....I'm trying to figure out how to make a say. I really want the road built, even if it is near my home - inf fact all the better. We desparately need a new highway here. I'm all in favor of it. I know it will have to ruin some land, and as much as I've enjoyed running in the bare wide open....BUILD THE ROAD IN THE BARE WIDE OPEN. I'm no expert but it really seems like we can spare a little wetland, and keep the homes, and parks, and farms, and still have a lot of wetland left over to enjoy. I really think there is a ton of wetland to spare - there is more wetland that communities or farms combined. Call me heartless, and ecologically incorrect, but that is where I stand on this one.

November 9

2011-03-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm really slow - but I won't give up. I start something, and I always finish. Even if it is nearly a year later! Not that anyone reads this or cares about my little blog - it has been bugging me nonstop that I never met my goal. So for my sanity I am going to finish. This is how pumpkin pie is made - a pumpkin on a toilet, squishing out its guts. I love potty humor. I should've been born a boy.

November 8

2010-12-29T13:16:00.000-08:00

One of the worst struggles for me is trying to get the kids up and running every morning. One of the things I've tried to motivate them is a challenge. Whoever gets up and dressed first gets to get the paper first. Why they like this? I have no idea - but it gets me my paper inside - and it gets David dressed, at least. I'm afraid it doesn't work too well with Cade. I have no idea how to get that boy up in the morning. I think he caught my I hate morning bug. I was like that all the time when I was growing up. Now....as an insomniac/mother....I LOVE mornings. I wake up quite early most of the time 4:30 or 5:00 and bask in the peace and quiet and solittude of the morning. Maybe with time Cade will learn to relish it, too.

November 7

2010-12-29T13:13:00.000-08:00

Fall is easily my favorite season! I get so excited for the fall. I decorated the banister out of our bedroom balcony with leaf garland and shimmery orange lights. I know - lights for every October/November/ and then December? Yes, I am officially becoming a Utahn. I guess I caught the decoration bug - a little bit - at least.

November 6

2010-12-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to catch the first snow of the season on one of my runs. It was actually quite beautiful. It was the mid morning and Cade was in Kindergarten and David was in Preschool. Eric was out of town, an I hit the neighborhood and the Bird Refuge place. It was absolutely beautiful and not too cold. I think it was my first chance realizing that this winter stuff isn't that bad after all - you CAN go out in the cold and survive!

November 5

2010-12-29T13:06:00.000-08:00

The Star Wars people kept us entertained at the Pumpkin Walk.

November 4

2010-12-20T04:05:00.000-08:00

I know - I know - you can barely see these pictures....but they are from the annual pumpkin walk our city holds. Most people waited in line to see this free display for over an hour. We went to the end (no we didn't sneak in the back) - but we just looked from the end line at a dozen or so pumpkins. There was nobody on the path. Whoever runs this does a terrible job. There a zilllions of people waiting to see the display, and they only let a few people in at a time. The result? Everyone ends up waiting a long time, and nobody is even on over half the path????I don't get it. At any rate, we saw plenty of pumpkins for us, and it didn't take us all night either.

November 3

2010-12-20T03:26:00.000-08:00

Cade caught my reaction to David taking a nap. Yes, it makes me happy.

November 2

2010-12-16T05:06:00.000-08:00

On our many trips to SLC - we'd go to the hospitals, and then we'd try to stop and do something fun.. This is from a really great park - I forget the name - but it is where the Tracy Aviary is. The boys didn't play on all the fun slides...nope...they went and found sticks for wands and leaves for dumping on my head. I love the fall. By far my favorite season!

November 1

2010-12-16T05:01:00.000-08:00

This is my way cool Davy Crockett kid. That was his Halloween get-up, and he has taken to wearing shades around. Yay, I think he is cool too.

October 31

2010-12-16T04:59:00.000-08:00

I've kind of given up actually matching pictures to the actual days....I'm more just going in order of what is on my files. So...here is a picture at the Off Broadway Theatre where I worked this summer. We went down to see Y-light - a parody of twiglight. Many of my friends I made this summer were in this prodcution, and we laughed a lot......
I guess I should try to recap Halloween, though...or actually the 30th....the day we celebrated Halloween in Utah land. I woke up and had an awesome 20 mile run. I think that was my first ever. We ran up to the mountains and back. The fall colors were amazing and I sure love those long run endorphins. I finished and wasn't even that sore. I felt fantastic. (Oh, minus the part where I got the runs...happens to me on runs.....and I stopped to knock on a strangers door...and clogged their toilet!!! Yikes.....only me.)
We went trick or treating at the hospital with Becky and we went to the Tracy Aviary. The kids almost wouldn't even go to the ward trunk or treating that night because they were so worn out. Eventually they caved - and David slept. It was a great Halloween celebrating day. I willl have many pictures of all of this coming up.....

October 30

2010-12-16T04:52:00.000-08:00

What is the worst thing that could happen to an OCDesque mother? Be blessed with a two year old who really knows how to push her buttons just the right way. Eric traveled out of town for work quite a bit in October. One rough night while he was gone....my dear little David was running amok. He ran in the kitchen and opened every last door, cupboard, and drawer. He came to get me so excited and laughing. Yes, he knew it would irritate me beyond all belief. It did make me laugh, though. Pretty intuitive for a two year old to know that that was probably the best way to ruffle my feathers!!!! This isn't the only time he has done this. Thankfully, it hasn't become a habit....yet.

October 29

2010-12-16T04:47:00.000-08:00

Cade often played with my camera, and I wouldn't have survived without the Talking TomCat App on my phone for David. We had Spencer stay with us for quite a while and the boys loved interacting with their cousin. We made some fun family memories actually hospital visiting It was heart renching sometimes, but well worth it. One of the hospitals she stayed in was a long term care center/rehab for people. Most of the people on her floor were on ventilators and most of them were children. The ones that could talk always greeted Becky with smiles and lots of words whenever we passed them in the hall. I met some pretty incredible little spirits with some difficult physical challenges on those visits. Adversity sure has a way of making some people just shine. I'm afraid it made me feel pretty weak. I don't have the challenges of many of the people I met, and I sure don't have their courage. It was a great reminder to me that there are many many people out there facing so many different struggles....and many many of them are just simply amazing.

October 28

2010-12-16T04:37:00.000-08:00

We decked out my sister's room in Halloween garb one day....complete with a basket of candy for my boys to nibble on every time they came to visit. They were pretty good troopers about all the hospital visits.

October 27

2010-12-16T04:32:00.000-08:00

My Halloween decked out boys and a blurry image of my cuddly David and his hugs. This kid is so cuddly. He LOVES to give big hugs. I don't really mind them. Okay...I even love them. It is great to have a little cuddle monster.

October 26

2010-12-16T04:30:00.000-08:00

In October when I wasn't running around in circles...I was spending the rest of my free time at the hospital or rather....hospitals. My sister Becky was really really sick. She has a pump in her back that controls her spasticity and it has been poisoning her for a while because it wasn't working right. I don't understand all the details, but I know that she was in the hospital for several months. We spent time with her in Bountiful, and at the UofU and at Primary Children's where she underwent surgery. Becky is an amazing lady. My boys had so much fun visiting their aunt. I may not love Utah yet, but I was grateful that I got to spend some time with my sister while she was down here for extended periods of time.

October 25

2010-12-16T04:26:00.000-08:00

This is from some fundraiser for some sick little girl that was at the Nature Park. Boys loved the fishing and looking at the helicopters.

October 24

2010-12-16T04:24:00.000-08:00

Of course my running/music/nature loving induced coma was often interrupted by things like....dead frogs and snakes and mud and smelly cows.....I still enjoyed it. I never thought I"d come to love parts of running in the country, but count me in with Beethoven....Debby enjots long walks/runs in the country......... I never would have guessed.

October 23

2010-12-16T04:21:00.000-08:00

Many of my early morning runs were so serene. I got a new phone that has Pandora radio on it and I've been happy as a clam. Really what could be better than pounding out long runs on the pavement listening to Rachmanninoff and Shastakovich? Oh....maybe the days where I overdosed on NPR podcasts and Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. I did listen to all four sessions of conference eventually too....I love technology. I'm pretty sure many would find better ways to spend their time and enjoy it....but being me....this new phone/music/running thing suits me just fine.

October 22

2010-12-16T04:17:00.000-08:00

Oyyy. I am determined. It might be the most BORING last 60 plus posts, but I was determined to make a picture post every blasted day this year. I have to finish what I started. Even if I don't do it well, I'm determined to finish. So here goes nothing.......One of the things I spent most of October and November doing was running. Since I decided to run a marathon, I figured I better train for this one. So I spent a ton of mornings running around the nature park and trails by our house. Of course I took plenty of breaks and took plenty of pictures of the scenery with my new handy camera. I have officially caught the running bug.

October 21

2010-11-15T05:43:00.000-08:00

I came out of the dark ages and got a new cell phone since my other one broke. I LOVE it! I even have text on it....okay and a lot more than that. I've been snapping pictures like crazy with it though. When I downloaded my pics it also downloaded my wallpaper. Yes. That is my wallpaper on my phone. Eric liked it too.

October 20

2010-11-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

Our Halloween masks. I know - scary - aren't they?

October 19

2010-11-15T05:36:00.000-08:00

Perhaps my favorite part of the night was when we were walking back to the car. It was at least a mile or more, and Cade started complaining. We decided to tell him ghost stories so that he'd be distracted from walking. He got pretty upset. It wasn't because they were scary. No, he clearly told us "Rrrr.that's just dissapointing. I don't like it." We tried to explain that most ghost stories were disappointing. He still wants to know what was in the box.....but only the nuns can know............

October 18

2010-11-15T05:33:00.000-08:00

Despite hating the flash from the pictures.....I think the boys really had fun. I'm glad I have a few pictures of this family night. It was the perfect fall evening and we really enjoyed ourselves.

October 17

2010-11-15T05:30:00.000-08:00

Since our outing was somewhat impromptu - it was kind of late. It got dark pretty fast, but we still had a great time together. We ran down the boardwalks until Eric suggested that wasn't such a great idea since there was no railings and high soupy marsh and grassess right off the edge that David would get lost in.....I'm glad I have someone who thinks about the safety kinds of things like that. It never would have occured to me.

October 16

2010-11-15T05:26:00.000-08:00

It's a bird, it's a plane.... or er.....it's Eric with the rain at a bird preserve. For family night we went to this incredible Great Salt Lake Bird Preserve place. I should really figure out its real name. It is just a couple of miles away from our house. How I've lived here two years and never discovered this place is beyone me! It was incredible. I ran around it on my 18 mile run, and had to go back the next Monday and show the family.

October 15

2010-11-15T05:23:00.000-08:00

These are my awesome piano students. Seriously - these kids have a TON of talent and they work hard. I think they all really enjoy music, and it makes such a difference. I've really hit the music jackpot with this group of kids. They are insanely talented and it makes my job soooo much fun!

October 14

2010-11-15T05:19:00.000-08:00

Of course David did not want to cooperate for the recital. He wouldn't even wear his costume. Poor Eric had to spend the whole time with him outside screaming about how much he wanted a candy bar like all the other kids. (Problem....I left the candy bars at home, and ran and picked up just enough for my students - I didnt get any for my kids because hey, now they had 9 full sized candy bars at home for them.....bad mistake.) I also forgot half my costume. I was supposed to be decked out in binoculars and a safari hat. Considering the kind of morning I had though, I'm just glad that I made it through. I started running with a few girls in my neighborhood. I had been running outside by myself for a few weeks here and there, and one morning they saw me and invited me to join them. The next week - they invited me on a long run. I've never run more than 13.1 miles, but I said I'd come at least that far. I ended up going all 18 miles with them and felt fantastic! I was even less sore than when I ran my two half marathons. It helped I had experienced runners taking breaks every two miles, and it is amazing what a power bar can do for your system! So I ran 18 miles, went to the church for our primary program practice, picked up 12 pizzas for the primary, and then ran to my recital. No wonder why I forgot a few things......

October 13

2010-11-15T05:13:00.000-08:00

This year Cade begged to be a part of my Halloween piano recital. I really think he is too young to have one on one lessons, but I didn't want to squash his interest. He picked out a piece called "Shout Boo." I taught it to him by rote whenever he was interested, and we played it as a duet. I have a video of it - but you can't hear a sound on it, because David was screaming the whole time......I'll have to try it again. Cade did a great job, and it was fun for us to play together. I had to keep explaining to my students and parents that even though his piece sounded really hard - he learned it by rote - not by reading.......It was a good first exposure to piano for him though. We'll see if he stays interested or not - but I'm decidedly not going to push. If he wants to play great - but I'm not forcing him. I've had one too many miserable students who didn't want to be there. I won't put any other teacher through that!

October 12

2010-11-15T05:05:00.000-08:00

I have no idea what this little guy is supposed to be, but it was an awful cute picture so here it is.

October 11

2010-11-15T05:04:00.000-08:00

It was Davy Crockett Cannon that won the big prize for us this year. 2nd place and free tickets to the Gateway Discovery and a bucket of other stuff. Yeah! I guess it pays to be little and cute and wear dollar store vests and guns :)

October 10

2010-11-15T05:01:00.000-08:00

Cade snagged free hot chocolate with his Abe costume. He was sad he didn't get more because the beard was pretty itchy. He liked all the haunted trails, though.

October 9

2010-11-15T04:59:00.000-08:00

Indiana Jones and Abraham Lincoln. (a.k.a. Spencer and Cade)

October 8

2010-11-15T04:58:00.000-08:00

We went to the Night of the Living Dinosaurs again - for the 3rd year. I won a free hot chocolate for my "costume" - I guess it pays to be festive!

October 7

2010-11-07T05:52:00.000-08:00

And thus concludes our trip to the pumpkin patch. For the record - no we did not get to meet the great pumpkin. I'm very disappointed indeed.

October 6

2010-11-07T05:50:00.000-08:00

How to pick a perfect pumpkin like Spencer: Say I want a big one. Walk around for a reasonable amount of time. Claim your pumpkin and say okay. Spencer is such an easy going and fun little boy. He is a sweetheart. He is definately WAY less intense than my little boys and was a joy to have around for a few weeks off and on.

October 5

2010-11-07T05:44:00.000-08:00

These guys really do love each other. The top picture is my favorite by far.

October 4

2010-11-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

If you have ever tried to pull out a camera with three kids in tow you might realize that the second you do - they all want a turn with it. (I guess only if you are moronic enough to let them do it once, and then they beg for it every time thereafter.) It makes for an interesting mix of picutres - and some of my mini photographers arent half bad. Spencer kept getting better with every picture!

October 3

2010-11-07T05:28:00.000-08:00

How to pick the perfect pumpkin like David: Be giddy with excitement. Claim opposition to the group. Everyone wants a big pumpkin? Okay, you want a little pumpkin. Go over and find the tiniest greenest little pumpkin ever and smile super big because you found exactly what you wanted. Hug mom because you are sooooo happy with your find and don't let mom persuade you you need a better pumpkin.

2010-11-07T05:15:00.000-08:00

How to pick the perfect pumpkin like Cade: Wander around and around and around and make sure you are the last person to get the biggest pumpkin. Make everyone on the hayride wait for you just so that you can be sure you have the best pumpkin. Try not to irritate your mom. Do it anyways. Finally get a pumpkin that is too big that your mom can't lift it. Ask for help. Be the last person back on the hayride with the biggest smile and of course the best pumpkin.

October 2

2010-11-07T05:10:00.000-08:00

We went to Day farms and picked out some pumpkins. It stopped raining and the sky was something else. It was perfect pumpkin picking weather. Be prepared for a patch of pumpkin patch pictures.

October 1

2010-11-07T05:07:00.000-08:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the fall. It is my favorite season. I missed it for so many years when we lived in California. For whatever reason, I even love it better than Spring/Summer. Maybe its because I can go outside and be comfortable. I love wearing a jacket - not a coat - and not a swimsuit. I'm happy in a jacket and walking on crunchy leaves. This month we had Spencer - my nephew visit lots while Becky was in the hospital. The cousins had a lot of fun together.

September 30

2010-10-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

And thus ends my "parking." I am now only one month behind - but I am more than ready to start posting fall/October pictures from this year instead of last. Three more months to meet my goal....I may not finish in style, but I'm going to finish.

September 29

2010-10-28T06:26:00.000-07:00

Boats - treehouses - and trains make this park a lot of fun.

September 28

2010-10-28T04:59:00.000-07:00

A big swing for a little guy. Life is good.

September 27

2010-10-28T04:55:00.000-07:00

The "castle park" in Kaysville is one of my kid's favorites.

September 21

2010-10-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

The Jensen Nature Park I'm sure has cropped up multiple times already in my blog. It is one of the biggest reasons why I bought the house I bought, though. I fantastic park complete with a bridge - lots of trails - ducks- fishing - small decorative waterfall- waterwise garden walk through path - etc. I'm for sure a big fan of this park that is only about a half mile from my house.

September 20

2010-10-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Your run of the mill - garden variety kid park. Not my favorite - but then again I'm not technically a kid anymore.

September 19

2010-10-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

So since the slew of these pictures are from last year - I really have no idea where this park is....but doesn't it look like fun to climb up a big patch of green stepping plants? Perhaps it was somewhere in the same Layton park with the ducks.....the world may never know.

September 18

2010-10-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

This is a park in Layton by the library. Complete with ducks - and little bridges. It is one of my favorites around here. I've ran The Classic 10K through this park a couple of times and have really enjoyed it.

September 17

2010-10-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

This is not your normal Merry Go-Round at all. So here is my last plug for this fun park: Legacy Junior High in West Layton.

September 16

2010-10-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

My turn on the swings. Cade was kind of bored because I took so long playing on them. He ended up entertaining himself with the camera.

September 15

2010-10-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

These are the "Swings" at the electronic park! You spin and spin in them, and they are on an angle, and are surprisingly addictive.

September 13

2010-10-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

More "Parking." This is one of the neatest parks ever made. It is actually a playground that is at the new Junior High in Layton. It has electronic toys geared for getting older kids out on the playground. There are zillions of buttons to press - like video games - and no instructions - so you have to play to figure everything out. I had a riot at this park. Cade was a little confused - but he ended up having fun.

September 12

2010-10-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

While I play catch up - the latest installment of pics will be brought to you over the last two years. These are pics of some of my favorite local parks. This park is Veteran's Park. It has yellow ribbons tied around many of the trees.

September 11

2010-10-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

A trip to Day Farms to pick some fresh tomatoes. My garden is done producing anything. So....we went and grabbed a giant bag of fresh tomatoes for 50 cents!!! Minus the muddy shoes we had a blast out in the fields.

September 10

2010-10-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

Cade's team was the Orange Crush. Kiddie soccer is hysterical. It is also a lot more fun for me to watch than T-Ball. So far - I don't think I see big time "soccer mom" in my future though. Cade had a lot of fun. David had fun cheering his brother on, and we enjoyed some of the last sunshine of the year.

September 9

2010-10-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

Cade played city soccer, and that started to sound like a tongue twister to me, but my creative juices are zapped. So....Cade played city soccer. Say that ten times fast, okay? Dare you!

September 8

2010-10-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Even though I'm not a huge fan of KSL - (as in I hardly ever watch it) -because I just think that church and news should be separate :) - I did enjoy their teleprompter booth. I end up frequenting Channel 2 news. Maybe it is the fact that the 2 news people are a little quirky - or that their office is across the street from the OBT and I walked past it for weeks - or maybe the fact that Kasey and his wife from the morning show are often running next to me on a treadmill at the gym while I'm watching channel 2---- whatever the reason, I guess that is the local station that appeals to me at this juncture.

September 7

2010-10-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

Bushels of Utah State Fair fun. This was sometime in September.

September 6

2010-10-10T21:24:00.000-07:00

"Back" to School David's first day of preschool conincided with Cade's first day back on track. This year round school is killing me. Somehow we'll adjust to this on again off again stuff!

September 5

2010-10-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

Even though they are posed like an engaged couple - this is my favorite school picture of the boys.

September 4

2010-10-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

Oh to be little and cute again.........

September 3

2010-10-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

These guys make me smile. It is crazy to think that they are both off to school. I must be a callous mom, because I didn't cry for either of them leaving me. I excitedly waved goodbye and eagerly picked them up with big hugs. I didn't mind so much the departures - maybe because I knew they would be back soon enough. Apparently abscence makes my heart grow fonder :)

September 2

2010-10-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to stretch out my pictures here. Prepare for an onslaught of Back to School pictures.....

September 1

2010-10-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

David's 1st day of Preschool. I hadn't planned on sending David to preschool for another year. After all - he isn't quite three - and he is nowhere near potty trained. But - it so happened that a friend of mine runs a preschool and offered to take David - with his diapers for a great price. So, after talking it over with David - we decided to give it a try. He was soooo excited to go and be like his big brother. He insisted on wearing his brother's shirt and his backpack. He loves telling us about his ABC's and he's slowly slowly slowly grasping the concept of trying to get along with other kids. Now if only preschool would solve all his whining issues.......

August 31

2010-10-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

Cade the kid played soccer whilst out in the wild.

August 30

2010-10-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Eric and Cade got to go on the father/son campout together. Cade is for sure our little California baby. He cannot stand being cold. Even when it isn't that cold - he has to be bundled up super tight. He suffered from sun overexposure for the first three years of his life I'm afraid. Poor kid.

August 29

2010-10-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

My boys just love bridges. They beg to run back and forth and back and forth on them all the time. In other news I have ....."you really ought to give Iowa a try...." stuck in my head. Help.

August 28

2010-10-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

Every now and again as part of my evil and nefarious plan - I coerce Eric to come outside with us. Really - he just works super hard and needs a rest when he gets home. I think this was taken on Labor Day - his day off. We had a nice walk in Riverdale together as a family.

August 27

2010-10-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Taken from one of our many many many walks/runs up and down the Nature Trail behind my house. I never thought I'd take to liking a quiet country trail and walking path so well. I usually prefer walking down city streets - but now I'm getting more accustomed to hearing ....nothing....but my kids :)

August 26

2010-10-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

Blogger is moving at a snail pace and is doing odd things to me. I'm just trying to get through August - and then maybe I can keep up again.

August 25

2010-10-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

I may have abandoned my year in pictures. But - I'll still try to keep posting a few more. I think once I hit the - one month behind mark - I kind of gave up. At any rate - here are some pictures of my little champion boys. They were not taken August 25 - and have nothing to do with August 25 but for the sake of continuity they are posted under August 25.

August 24

2010-09-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

It was raining one morning when I woke up.....so....I woke the boys up and put their shoes on them. I told them to come outside in their pajamas. David was a willing guinea pig - Cade refused to come out in his pajamas. So...after Cade got dressed we all went outside (I was still in pajamas!) and we splashed in the puddles. Well....kind of.....we couldn't find many puddles and the boys were so cold we didn't last very long. I'm glad we played in the rain, though. It sure made a cold drizzly hot chocolate morning in August a lot more bearable!

August 23

2010-09-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

They made me Captain of the H.M.S. Pinafore for the night backstage. The cast had a lot of fun dressing me up in Captain hats, Russian Captain hats, and sailor hats. I really enjoyed playing dress up and meeting lots of fascinating new people. I got detailed history lessons from a history professor about Algeria (loved that!) - nonstop comedic laughs from the members of a comedy troupe - stories from someone who worked in an orphanage in Mozambique - stories from Kindergarten and Middle School math teachers- lots of classical music conversations with my 3 new gay friends - stories from moms about our crazy kids - the inside scoop from the tech booth - and plenty of fun rides in the elevator up to the 8th floor to use the bathroom. Even though I am terribly introverted - I still really find it refreshing to meet new people and love to listen to all the interesting things people have to say. Yay for people!

August 22

2010-09-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

Oh dear...I let him off his leash. Watch out - there is a Cade Cannon on the loose. :)

August 21

2010-09-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite memories from my childhood was going to Seattle with my family, looking at where my mom grew up, and getting on a big hill and rolling down it. We have a grassy area by the trail by our house, and while it isn't really a "big" hill - it is sufficient for our needs. The boys love to run and play and roll down the sloping grass area. It has finally cooled off enough to go outside and do so. (I'm a wimp, I know - I don't like it too hot or too cold.)

August 20

2010-09-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is our God Milk Snapshot from Radio Disney Days at the Gallivan Center. (Bad hair day for all three of us- hence the hats -and - David obviously ate something yummy for breakfast and smeared it all over his shorts before we left......)We had a fun day in downtown SLC. Free creamies and games - shopping at the Gateway - waltzing through temple square -hanging out at the Gallivan Center - lunch at our favorite Quiznos (before the hep scare) - I'm almost ready to move downtown.

August 19

2010-09-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

The boys favorite part of the Davis County Fair was marching and waving and smiling with beauty queens. The Davis County Royalty from the Miss Davis Pageant had a musical instrument parade with all the kids. This really was their favorite part.

August 18

2010-09-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

Ah the brotherly love and friendly fair basketball competition. Even though neither one made a basket they enjoyed themselves. That is the name of the game.....for me anyways.

August 17

2010-09-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

It's a bird....it's a plane...it's a....butterfly. My boys made some butterflies at the fair out of these toys. They were pretty proud of them and asked for their picture. It is kind of funny they love to look at this blog and see themselves, and now that Cade kind of gets what it is, he often asks and requests me to take pictures of things. I'm not complaining because as the year progresses I am running out of ideas of things to snap pics of. Is it December yet?

August 16

2010-09-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

If you couldn't guess - we had a wile time at the Davis County Fair. Weber County Fair, Davis County Fair - check - and now we just have to make it to the state fair sometime in the next two weeks - and I think we will have had our fill of fairs.

August 15

2010-09-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

David really likes to swing. Whenever I hear him squeal on a swing I think -yes we should get a swingset in our backyard. And then...reality hits and I go mow my yard and see at least four snakes....and then I think again. Maybe after we have some more people neighbors instead of animal invaders we'll invest in the swingset.

August 14

2010-09-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

Wow - I am almost a month behind on here. Forgive me for taking a break from blogs. I haven't been blogging or checking people's blogs for a while....so I have probably missed a lot. I'm going to catch mine up (or try to) and then selfish me will catch up with everyone else :) Here are some pics from Grandma's backyard from our quick trip to IF. The boys loved playing with Grandma's noodle lightsabers and in her fun backyard.

August 13

2010-08-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

I have to admit - sometimes I really wonder why in the world I waste my time blogging this. It's a log of my days, and it gives me something to look back on - but I don't put much time or effort into it, and if it weren't my own I don't think I would have any interest. I don't expect anyone to look at it, and would really be surprised if any one really did. I'm not gonna wax all boring and philosophical here - but I am so relieved that I finally found a good use for my blogging. It actually came in handy. My sister Becky has been pretty sick, and so I drove up late one night (got there at midnight) - and spent the night with her in the hospital. It is nigh impossible to sleep at hospitals - but whenever Becky found a way to snooze I pulled out my trusty laptop and decided to blog a little. In the middle of the night haze - I commented on the most mundane thing - my family had been frequenting the Quiznos in SLC. I had to drive back home the next day at noon so I could play for the HMS Pinafore show. On the way home we got a phone call. My sister Sarah in Oregon saw on national news that there was a Hepatitis A outbreak - at a downtown SLC Quiznos shop. Anyone who ate there one of three days was supposed to get the vaccine. Well...lo and behold - we had ALL eaten there on August 6th - one of the three days. I almost religiously read the news - but in the haze of sleeplessness I never would have seen this story. My boring blogging saved us! (That and my sick sister stuck in the hospital - and my other sister who randomly decided to check my blog and listen to the news.) It turned out that as soon as I got home - I had to try to find someone to give me the shot. I had two hours before my show started. If I didn't get it that night, it wouldn't be effective. The time crunch was on. It turned out the boys have both had the vaccine, since it is routine now - and Eric has had it since he left the country. That left me - the lucky winner of the vaccine prize. I have no primary care doctor - so I had to go to an instacare. I told them I had an hour before I had to be in SLC sitting at a piano - and they needed to go and get me my shot! So - they complied. They were fantastic. They delivered it to me in my gluteus maximus. They said I was so petite that it would hurt less - that and the fact if they put it in my arm it would be stiff and sore - not a good thing when you have to go and play the piano for a couple of hours straight. Anyhow - crisis has been averted. I have the shot - (I get two more doses later on) - and all is well. I have made sure that the cast of the Pinafore knows just how much I love them - enough to take a shot for them all - in the rump. That probably wasn't the most ladylike thing I have ever said, so please don't quote me. I suppose I've just entered into the abyss of the blogosphere - but I should be a little more careful because apparently someone reads this sometimes and that is a good thing.....it managed to save my life....or at least give me a stiff bottom for a while.....

August 12

2010-08-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some more HMS Pinafore pictures. These have become my crazy friends that keep me company three nights a week. Eric and the boys have come to watch, and they have driven me down a few times and we have become regular customers at Quiznos. We love the free kids meals with entree purchase at Quiznos, and we have made some fun family memories by doing this, too!

August 11

2010-08-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

This is a picture fail. It was supposed to be a great quote I read on a park bench downtown.....so glad that we can see what was written, and even more exciting that I can't remember just exactly everything it said.

August 11

2010-08-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

Okay - here is a plug for my latest show: HMS Pinafore at the Off Broadway Theater on Main in Salt Lake City. I've been having so much fun - any locals - you can mention my name at the box office for half price tickets.

August 10

2010-08-20T05:34:00.000-07:00

This is a sandcastle they were building at the fair. Yes another fair picture - but not to worry, this is the last one. I haven't taken very many pictures as of late, and now I am going to be scrambling to somehow find 10 pictures for the next 10 days that I have miserably forgotten.
We were going to go to the Davis County Fair, but I think our plans have been foiled. I had to teach piano on Wednesday, and Thursday when I planned to go - it rained/poured/thundered/flashed lightning. We made it to the car from a store before the boys were complaining so miserably about getting wet, I decided I better not chance it. Today, I am sitting in the hospital with my amazing older sister Becky who is very sick....so I don't think I will make it this year. I am enjoying some family time, though. Get well soon Becky!!!!!