Silver and Gold

I've been thinking a lot about friendship recently. I have always been blessed with great friends no matter what my situation happens to be. I'm actually amazed sometimes (though I really shouldn't be at this point) at how God places just the right person in my life at just the right time, and though I may not see it at the time, they always serve some sort of purpose. I guess that may be sort of obvious, but sometimes I just don't see the big picture.

Recently I've begun to come to terms with the fact that friends, even those who are really close, eventually drift apart whether emotionally or geographically. It's an inevitable part of life, but that doesn't necessarily make it any easier. I struggled for a long time with the fact that I may never live near my best friends and that eventually we would only see each other on holidays, and then maybe once a year, and then maybe...I don't know. I didn't get that far because I didn't want to think about it.

What I've realized is that there will always be people who drift in and out of my life. Some will be around for awhile, others only a short time. Some of my closest friendships have lasted less than three years, some more than 20. Almost all of my closest friends live at least 100 miles away. Many live much farther away than that. At the end of the day, the friendships that truly count are with people who, no matter how much time has passed, can strike up the same old conversation without missing a beat. It's always comfortable, never awkward. There's no rehashing of old wrongs, or any drama. Just two (or more) people who God chose to bring together.

The reason I brought up this subject is that one of my best friends just returned from her LDS mission in Argentina. She was gone for 18 months, which seemed like a lifetime for two people who spent nearly every day together for at least four summers. It was a long time, but not as unbearable as I had imagined. The worst times were right after she left and the last few weeks before she returned. I worried that things wouldn't be the same and that maybe we wouldn't be as close as we were before. Eighteen months is a long time to go without talking to someone. It's always when I'm expecting the worst when I am pleasantly surprised by something better. As soon as she walked in the door, it was like she never left. Right now I'm having a hard time believing she was even gone except that she knows a lot of Spanish and has pictures to prove she was in Argentina!

I love how God blesses me in so many little ways. He proves to me time and time again that even the little details of my life matter to Him. I tend to have a hard time believing that sometimes, and I really shouldn't because I'm continually being proven wrong.

I'm thankful to each and every one of you out there who I am privileged enough to call my friend. You are all amazing. The end. :)

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, "What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"

--C.S. Lewis

Anticipation

Some things I'm looking forward to:


1. Taco(less) Tuesday -Basically it's a young adults bible study. We used to have tacos, but now we have muffins and biscotti. Either way, it's a really good time. Good friends. Good music. Great fellowship. You should come. Really.


2. Megan's Return - She's coming home from her mission in Argentina in less than a month. I'm so excited...and I just can't hide it... It seems like it's been FOR-EV-VER since I saw her last! I mean, Audrey wasn't even walking when she left and now she can say her name (well, mostly she says "Bacon" or something, but still). I know things will be a little different (how could they not be?), but I'm excited to see how we've each grown in our lives.

3. Fall - I love fall. I love the way the leaves crunch, the smell of frost, pumpkins, apples, cinnamon, wearing scarves and mittens, crocheting (why yes, I am an old lady), the colors...mmm. Oh, and caramel chocolate apples. With macadamia nuts sprinkled on top...

4. Hockey Season - Justin and I are joining the Moses Lake Coyotes this year! Last year we played drop-in and went to clinics, so now we're ready to play in actual games...maybe...he is at least. Anyway, I'm really excited to get back on the ice. It's so fun and it's a great workout! Seriously, if you ever want to burn like 1400 calories in two hours, come play hockey. I never thought I could break a sweat when it was below zero, but it is possible. Plus, it's really fun to put on all the ridiculous gear and run into people.

5. Snowboarding - That's sort of a given. I'm just hoping that we can go more than twice this year. Also, it would be nice not to get stuck on the lift when it's -22 degrees with wind chill. At night. Seriously. I thought I was going to lose an appendage. My friend and I actually started to cry our toes hurt so bad. Good times.

Audrey...

Today she is two, and although it feels impossible that two whole years have passed, sometimes it seems as though a decade has gone by. I still have not figured out how time can go by so quickly while simultaneously standing still. She is no longer a baby, and hasn't been for some time, but I've only just begun to notice all of the changes in her small body. Where she once had creases and rolls from baby fat, she now possesses ankles and elbows and knees. Her face looks the same but completely different at the same time. The thick, black hair that covered her head is now nearly blond and falls to the middle of her back. Her blue eyes are the only feature that has remained the same.

The past two years have been much, much harder than they have been easy. I won't sugarcoat anything and pretend that her and I have not had struggles Every. Single. Day. From the moment I first realized that there was something more to the nausea I had been feeling every day for a week, I knew I was in for a challenge. Even her entrance into the world, though without complication, was like a power struggle. From her unwillingness to make her appearance until the last possible second before surgical intervention, and my unwillingness to back down or give up, I knew that we would always challenge each other.

When I truly think about it, I know I wouldn't have it any other way. There are things I would possibly change given the chance, but the experience I've had in this adventure called parenting has forced me to grow and change. God knew that I needed a challenge. That I wouldn't rise to my full potential unless I was driven nearly to my breaking point. I'm never truly satisfied with myself unless I am forced to push my limits, and I hadn't fully realized that about myself until Audrey came along.

All of the struggles and challenges have made the accomplishments that much better. When she has a good day or is particularly cute or sweet, I am able to really and truly appreciate it and not take it for granted.

She is amazingly sweet when she wants to be, and I think that she will grow to be someone who genuinely cares about others. She gets upset if she sees another child crying in the store and often tries to offer them her blankie (even if the kid is four aisles down). She never fails to wave or smile at little old ladies in the store, and she seems to know which ones need just a little extra lift that day. The amazing thing about that is the fact that she really doesn't give up smiles easily to strangers. She is very cautious in new situations and she likes to sit back and take everything in before fully engaging herself.

From the moment she was born, she has been a very active baby. She hit many of the physical milestones like rolling over, crawling, and walking much earlier than most babies her age, and she has continued that trend as a toddler. She runs, jumps, and climbs all over anything that will stay still enough, and she does it with ease. She can somersault, jump nearly a foot in the air with both feet together, and basically anything else that could make a mother cringe. I am amazed daily at the things that she is able to do with her little body.

Her vocabulary increases every day and she is really starting to understand what we say to her and communicate her needs to us. She loves to talk on her toy cellphone and will have a whole conversation with her cousin Toby or Grandma. Her favorite color right now is purple and she goes around pointing at all the "puhple" things. If I go through each letter of the alphabet, she is able to repeat them, and she can "count" to ten ("one, tooos, fiiive, nine, ten!").

I would have never guessed how much things could change after having a baby, but now I can't imagine my life any other way.

So, happy 2nd birthday Audrey Suzanne!

I plan to put links to my pregnancy and birth stories to this post mostly so that I can remember, but also for anyone who would like to read them. I will hopefully finish them soon.

Summertime and the Livin' is...Busy

Well, apparently blogging is not my forte (but really, did anyone say it was?).


Anyway. I got incredibly busy towards the middle of May (it's the end of July already! Wha!??)and things have just started slowing down. I am working at the pool yet again this year, mostly because it's convenient and I can pretty much make my own hours. Since I have decided to stay home with Audrey as much as possible until she's old enough to go to preschool/school, it works out perfectly. Plus, there's a little part inside of me that, as much as I hate to admit it, still loves that place. We've always been blessed with a core group of returning lifeguards who make it a fun place to work. Some of us have been there since the beginning (seven years!?) and have experienced things together that no 16-18 year old should ever have to go though. We'll be forever bonded in some way by those experiences, as sappy as that sounds.


So here's the part where I make a long boring list of things I've been up to because I'm too lazy to actually write about them...Ahem...here we go...

• Toward the middle of May I was getting ready to teach the annual week-long Lifeguarding class at the pool. I was completely in charge this year, so I had to come up with a lesson plan, find other lifeguards to help teach, and supervise the lifeguards who were gaining instructor certification. It was a lot of work, but I had a ton of fun teaching.



• I was a bridesmaid in my best friend's wedding on June 13. It was an evening ceremony right near the bank of the Columbia river. We stayed in a huge condo, played volleyball with the rest of the wedding party, danced the night away, and best of all, Justin and I had a whole weekend away from Audrey. It was nice. We've only been away from her overnight three times since she was born. It was due time.


• On Sunday, Justin and I participated in our first triathlon. It was a lot harder than I had expected, but it was totally worth it. The swim was harder than I thought it would be, especially since I'd been swimming at least 1000 yards a day leading up to the race. I ended up making pretty decent time though, and I didn't need to hail a lifeguard, which was a plus. The bike was hard mostly because there was no time to catch my breath between swimming and pedaling up the first hill. The run was the one thing that didn't surprise me. I knew it would be hard because I hate running, and it was. I felt pretty good though because I beat Justin on the swim and bike by about three minutes each. He caught up with me on the run and ended up beating me by about five minutes, but I expected that. My final time was one hour and 49 minutes, which isn't bad, but I can definately improve. The most humbling part of the whole thing was watching people finish the entire race while I was just finishing the bike ride. I'm definately considering doing it again. Maybe next time I'll actually train for more than a month...
• Audrey is turning two in exactly a week (how is that possible??) and I've been busy planning her party. I'm planning to make a layered "Mad Hatter" cake. I've never made a layer cake in my life, let alone a fancy one, but hopefully it works out. I've been a little stressed out because we're expected about 20 people and we've never really entertained for that many at once. I know it will be fun for Audrey though.
• We're also getting ready to go camping next month in Idaho. This will be Audrey's first camping trip and I'm getting a little nervous about her sleeping habits. I have a feeling we won't be getting much sleep that week. We're pretty excited to finally use all of the camping stuff we got for our wedding though. Now that it's been four years....

Well, my attention span is waning...until next time...

Hockey, Triathlons, Seattle...Oh MY!

Well folks, time for another list...I've been away too long, so I'll just recap what has been going on for the past few weeks...

• I'm playing hockey in a co-ed Spring League in Wenatchee. There is one other female besides me on the team, which makes it interesting. So far I've score two goals and had one (really awesome) assist. We've won three out of the four games that we've played so far.


• Justin and I have been biking and running a lot lately in preparation for the triathlon we are participating in this July. We've ridden up Beezely hill about three times so far, which is a record for me. Usually I get up there about once a season. I had a pretty good crash last week on the way down and another small crash last night, but all of my body parts seem to be in working order, so I think I'll live.


• My birthday was on the 27th of April (I'm a quarter of a century old!) and Justin, Audrey, and I took a trip to Seattle for a few days to celebrate. We went to Woodland Park Zoo, Carkeek Park, Seattle Center, rode the Monorail (for the first time), Pike Place Market, the Pier, and the Northgate Mall. I really miss living in Seattle, but I really don't miss the traffic. I've gotten used to the slow pace of Eastern Washington again and I forgot how long it takes to get anywhere in Seattle.


• Justin got me a Spokane Chiefs hockey jersey for my birthday! I'm so excited! Too bad hockey season is over, because now I have to think of ridiculous excuses to wear a jersey in the middle of summer...


• Justin and I (along with his mom and two other ladies) have entered ourselves in the Eagles Ironman Challenge. Basically, it's an Ironman triathlon spread out over three weeks. Our team must complete 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and 26.2 miles of running/walking. It should be a great motivator to get out and train, but it seems a little daunting at this point. The competition officially starts tomorrow (it coincides with Bloomsday) and ends on May 22.


• I got offered a job recently, and I really don't want to go into detail right now, but I'm pretty excited. It would be a full time position, but with flexible hours. Oh, and fairly decent pay too. Anyway, keep me in your prayers.

And that's about all I have to say about that. Until next time...

Happy Easter!

Audrey last Easter (8 months old)

This Easter (19 months old)

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is RISEN!"

--Luke 24:5

3K, Shmee Kay

Yep. Not gonna lie. I definitely have a case of the old lady legs today. This is due in part to my decision to neglect stretching before my run/walk/crawl yesterday. Okay, I didn't really crawl, but at the rate I was going, it probably looked as though I was standing still. I'm also thinking that maybe the fact that I haven't gone for a run in over two years might have a little bit to do with my creakiness. Just maybe. I did participate in a fun run (sooo not fun) last summer, for which I did absolutely no training, but I don't really think that counts. I thought that since Justin and I were only going to do the 3K distance, I didn't really need to train. I mean, I can so run a mile. I did, and I also got second place, which sounds good until I tell you that I ran a ten-minute mile. Yeah. I think that all of the good runners opted for the 5K. I was a little sore after that race too. Okay, a lot sore. I think I may have pulled my heel muscles? Maybe my Achilles tendon? I don't know. All I do know is that I was sore for at least a couple of weeks afterwards. I won't be doing that again.

But back to my run yesterday. I figured that since I was going to start off with a brisk walk for a couple of blocks that maybe that would be all the warm-up my legs would need. Apparently not. Overall though, I'm feeling pretty good about myself. I wasn't nearly as out of shape as I imagined I would be, and at one point during the run I almost felt good. Almost. I am definitely not having any heel issues this time, so I think the walking thing helped. I also just realized that yesterday was the first time I've really gone out for a run by myself. Whenever I've gone running before, it's been for a sport or I've gone with a friend. I guess this was the first time that I've been able to just go along at my own pace (read: oooold lady*). It was not entirely unpleasant is all I'm saying. I'm certainly not dreading my next run, although it may be a couple of days.

Tomorrow I am going swimming with a friend of mine who is training for the same triathlon as I am. We swam 1000 yards on Saturday, and hopefully we can surpass that tomorrow. I love swimming. I think that maybe the feeling I get while swimming is similar to a runner's high. After I reach a certain point in my swim, I feel like I could just keep swimming forever. It's so relaxing and so much less painful than running.

Anyway, here are my training stats so far, just in case you were dying to know:

Swimming: 2000 yds

Biking: 3 miles

Running: 2 miles

For the triathlon, which is a sprint distance, I have to be able to swim a half-mile (approximately 35 laps/875 yards), bike 12 miles, and run about 3.1 miles. At this point I think I could totally bust out the swimming and biking no problem, but I want to really improve my skills. When I bike (if the wind ever stops), I haul Audrey in a little trailer behind me, which adds a little bit of resistance (uh like 40 pounds). I figure that this can only help add to my speed when I bike without her. When I swim I've been really focusing on my technique so that I can be as efficient as possible. I think this will become important when I'm swimming in open water, which I've never done before...to tell you the truth, the only thing I'm really afraid of is running into a dead fish or some stray seaweed (lake weed?). I'm totally creeped out by underwater things, and I'm not even talking sharks or, you know, giant squid. Just seaweed. Eww...I'm cringing just thinking about it.

So, there's that.

* Phoebe: "Okay, lesson one: chords. Now, I don't know the actual names of the chords, umm, but I... I made up names for the way my hand looks while I'm doing them. So then, this is, "Bear Claw." Okay, umm, "Turkey Leg" and... "Ooold Lady."

--FRIENDS

And to make a boring post a little more interesting, here is Audrey and a glimpse into what my life is like on a daily basis. It's cute things like this that save her on a daily basis from being tossed out into the garden with the cat.

Ooh, You're as Cold as Ice

I just swam 1000 yards (40 laps) this evening with one of my good friends. It was my first time in the pool since September, and I felt just a little out of shape and creaky at first. The thing about swimming is that even though it may be hard at first, I always feel so relaxed and accomplished afterwards. Especially when I find out that I can still do the butterfly. Sort of.

I've wanted to participate in a triathlon for a couple of years now, but I've never quite gotten around to actually doing one. Oh, and just so you know, I'm not talking Ironman or anything, just a sprint distance. I'm not that crazy. Yet. So, this year I've decided that it's high time I actually make the time to train and enter a triathlon. I know that I can do it, I mean, the swimming will be fairly easy, as will the biking. It's the running that I dread. I hate running. I think there is only one time in my life that I have run more than a mile at a time. I need to be able to run three miles for the race. Boo.

So far I've biked once (3 miles, with chubby baby/trailer in tow) and swam once. Or swum. Swum is not a word...is it? Anyway, my lack of excercise has a little more to do with the weather around here than my lack of discipline. Or so I say...It really has been pretty cold lately; too cold for a toddler to ride in a bike trailer anyway. Here's hoping the weather will change so that I can start running. Ugh.

And that's all I have to say about that. I'm off to watch me some Johnny Depp (Nick of Time, circa 1995? It's decent so far, but what Johnny Depp film isn't?)

Update! With Pictures!

I'm feeling a little lazy today, so I'm going to update via bullet notes. I hope you don't mind. If you do, too bad, I'm using the bullets anyway.

• Each week I attend "Girl's Night" with various friends, and the theme this week was Rock Band. By rock band, I mean, like with actual instruments. The guitars even had strings and everything. I know that's a little old fashioned nowdays, what with that Wii those darned kids are always talking about, but anyway...we all got together and played instruments and it was really fun. My nephew, Toby, kept telling us to play "superloud!", which reminded me of some sort of Japanese cartoon. The only thing we were missing was a dirty, old garage. And a crazy drummer.
  

• On Saturday I packed up my hockey gear and headed to Wenatchee for the St. Hat-Trick's Day tournament. I was a little nervous because I'm fairly new to hockey and I was placed on a team with a bunch of people I'd never met in my life. Also, when I got there, the arena was inundated with senior citizens (and other people, I don't want to be an ageist or anything) and none of them were weilding hockey sticks. Apparently there was also a home show going on in the arena. When I finally figured out where to go, I met with my team and started warming up. It was nice to already be fairly warm to begin with since I'm used to playing in sub-freezing temperatures in Moses Lake (seriously, one night is was about -7 degrees with the wind chill). It was also great to be one of six women, SIX! There are two women who play in Moses Lake, and I am one of them. To wrap this up (because I'm even boring myself)--We lost all three games, but not by more than one or two points each. My teammates were really fun and encouraging even though I had never played in an actual game before. I almost scored about four times (I know, horsehoes, hand grenades) Our captain (and woman in charge of the women's team in Wenatchee) told me a made a "FANTASTIC" forward. That was nice.

• Audrey has been sick with some kind of phlemmy, coughy junk for over a week now, but save for one day when she had a fever, she's been pretty much the same energetic/spastic/tazmanian devil baby as usual. I decided to take her to the doctor yesterday though, because her cough was morphing into some kind of miniature smoker's cough that would wake her up at night. I'm pretty glad I took her in when I did because I found out that she has ear infections in both ears! Apparently they just started or something because she hadn't complained of an earache, or maybe she's some kind of super baby. I don't know. So, she's on antibiotics right now. I have to basically pin her to the floor and pry her mouth open to get her to take it, even though she actually does like the taste of it. Explain that one. I mean, once she tastes it, she'll take the whole dose. I guess she just has to keep with tradition and be a crabby patty about everything. Can't you just see the mischief in her eyes?
  

Sporting her new dress for St. Patrick's Day

• My little greenhouse is doing amazing well! I feel like some sort of gardener or something. Let's just ignore the fact that all I did was pour some water on some jiffy pots, plant some seeds, and...uh...yep, that about sums it up. Maybe all those episodes of Gardening with Ciscoe I watched while on bedrest payed off. He's a little goofy (read: A LOT), but he knows his stuff. Well, Ciscoe or not, mah seeds are goin' ta town, yo! It's just too bad I won't ever be able to transplant them since it's still like 37 degrees!

Snap Pea, which looks a little like a four-leaf clover if you squinch up your eyes...

So, that was my weekend. I guess it was better than sitting around watching the X-Files like I usually do. I don't know though, the fourth season is pretty intense. I mean, Scully and Moulder almost kissed once! Aah! (I know. Nerd.)

And one last picture because it makes me laugh really hard. All we did was ask her to bring her coat to us so we could go to the store...two boots, one coat, a scarf and a hat later, we were ready to go.

Dove, sweet dove...

Yesterday Justin and I went to Lowe's to look at various landscaping materials such as bricks, plants, bark, and that black plastic sheeting that is supposed to block out weeds (but it never does). I never thought that I would ever be someone who got excited by the Lawn and Garden section, but apparently things changed when I become an old, married, homeowner. Now it's a little bit like going into a really overpriced candy store and I sort of turn into this slack-jawed mouth breather. "Ooh, aren't those paint samples just delicious!" "Oh man, can I just a little bit of that granite counter top? Just a small piece? Pleeeeaaase?" "Drool...."

Anyway, we perused the various shades and shapes of brick edging while Audrey ran around like some sort of miniature landscaper oohing and aahing over each style of paving stone. We eventually made our way inside to browse some of the other departments. I've been trying to find a funky light fixture to replace the old ceiling fan in the dining room, but Lowe's is apparently not the place for funky. Also, Audrey wanted to rid the shelves of all light bulbs, so we started to head towards the register when it happened. I found the meaning of life in Lowe's.

So, Audrey has this scarf that my friend Megan crocheted (does anybody else notice that crocheted looks a little bit like 'crotchety'? I'm just saying) Lately, she's been obsessed with this scarf and she brings it to us every time we're getting ready to go somewhere. Naturally, she was wearing it yesterday while we were strolling around Lowe's. While we were browsing the lighting section, she had taken it off and dropped it, so I picked it up. As I handed it to her she said, "Tate too (thank you) Mommy!", and then seconds later, "I dove ooo (I love you!)". Yeah. She has never said 'I love you' before (or thank you, for that matter without being prompted). Wow. I told you. Meaning of life. In Lowe's.

I guess I won't be shipping her to Guatemala anytime soon after all.

Bite the Bullet

• Audrey has been talking up a storm lately. She actually answers me when I talk to her, which greatly reduces my insanity. Okay, maybe not greatly, but it's so nice not to have a one-sided conversation. Like tonight...

Me: Hey Audrey, do you want to go potty?

Audrey: YEAH! PODDY! Audey poddy!

Me: Okay, sit down on your potty chair.

Audrey: PODDY! Poddy dit (potty sit). Mommy dit. Audey poddy!

Me: Uh...yeah.

• She also does this new thing where she squints up her eyes and walks around saying, "Audey?? Aaaauuudeeeey??" which means, "Where's Audrey?", and then inevitably runs into the coffee table/couch/wall/cat/etc.
• Last year I bought this little "greenhouse" tray thing so that I could grow some vegetables for our garden. It worked surprisingly well (until the freaking cat opened it up and ate most of the sprouts), so we kept it. On Sunday I planted a few different kinds of seeds in it and put it next to one of the big windows in our house. I looked in it today (Tuesday!) and some of the seeds already sprouted! Maybe I'm the only one that finds that amazing, but seriously? Two days? I didn't even use a grow light! Ha! I wasn't even sure if the seeds were good since most of them were from last year and had been stashed somewhere in the garage through the sub-freezing winter we had this year. Now I just have to make sure it's cat/Audey proof. "Dat Mommy's!" (sticks chubby hand into seed pot). Yep. Thanks.
• On Saturday, I will be playing in the St. Hattrick's (Haha...Hat tricks...) Day hockey tournament in Wenatchee. I'm pretty sure I signed up just because of the name, because what kind of person willingly signs up to play THREE hockey games back to back? I'm sort of wondering whether it was such a good idea. I haven't skated in like two weeks, and well, haven't done anything resembling physical activity in a looong time. Unless you count raking. And surfing...the 'net...ha! HA!
• Okay, I did go biking with Audrey (she loves her little bike trailer) about a week ago, back when I thought the weather was getting warmer. Now it's back to the 29 degree teaser. Sun, blue skies...snowflakes? Wha? But anyway, biking felt great! I was actually surprised at how in shape I felt. I haven't really been doing anything since I stopped biking last fall, well, except ice skating. Maybe I'm in better shape than I thought. It's just a little depressing because last year I didn't have to do anything and the weight just kept coming off. That's probably the only thing I miss about breastfeeding. I was down to less than my pre-pregnancy size within six months, and even less during the summer. It was glorious! Now? Not so much. It's not that I've gained a lot of weight, I just feel jiggly. I hate that.
• Speaking of sizes, it wasn't until last summer that I found out that there is a difference in sizing between junior and women's (misses? I don't know what they're called) sizes. I mean, that sounds like a no-brainer, but I guess I thought the sizes just kept going up. Does that make sense? I knew that dress sizes were always different, but not clothes. Anyway, I found this out because my mother-in-law asked me to be the "model" for her Cabi show. Cabi is like designer clothing, but sold sort of like Pampered Chef, Tupperware, etc...what's that called? I don't know. A home show? So yeah, modeling. Not something that's ever been near a list of my aspirations, but I thought I'd give it a try. She asked me what size I wore so that the lady could bring the right clothes, and I told her size 6-8 depending on the fabric number of molecules in room weather pattern wonky size charting brand. By the way she said, "Really?" over the phone, I automatically assumed that she was implying that she thought I wore a bigger size (yep, I got that all out of one word). As it turns out, she thought just the opposite, and I was outfitted in a size FOUR! So, women's sizes make me feel good. Too bad the selection in the women's section in most stores feature, oh I don't know, cat's on sweaters?
• I'm going to do a triathlon this summer. Technically, it's called a sprint triathlon (because I'm soooo not running like 2390 miles. Or six. Whatever), but I'm finally going to do it. I've been meaning to for awhile...but yeah. Then a baby came out of my uterus. I want to do the Danskin in Seattle, but it fills up like the day after registration opens, so that's out for this year. The one I'm doing is in Chelan, which is good because I think I can handle swimming in the lake there. It's clear, and I'm fairly certain that no giant (octopi...octopuses?) cephalopods live there. The swimming part (1/2 mile or 33 pool laps) should be cake, the biking (12 miles, I think) should be somewhat easy (especially when I'm not pulling a chubby toddler behind me), but the running (3 miles)? I don't think I've ever run three miles in row like, ever. Seriously. I HATE running. So, we'll see.
• Is that enough? No? Okay, look! Pretty dress! This is the dress that I'm wearing for my best friend's wedding in June! I love it!

Well, I do believe that's enough random trivia for one night. Until next time...

Smooth, like buttah.

Justin and I FINALLY got the opportunity to get away and go snowboarding today! It was his first and only trip this year and my third, and since we used to go an average of 15 times a season, we were pretty excited. We couldn't have asked for a better day. Blue skies, no crowds, freshly groomed runs, and perfect temperatures. Let me just make a note that the last time I went snowboarding this year it was -22 degrees with the wind chill (Um, hello frozen appendages). So basically, it was 40 degrees warmer today. Downright balmy if you ask me. And I know you didn't.

The only downside to the day was paying $50 a ticket for a half day. Yeah. Luckily Justin's mom had gotten us a mountain money card for Christmas which covered the two tickets (exactly, with none to spare) so we didn't have to pay anything, but still. I asked them for a half day ticket and the ticketing lady informed me that they only sell half day tickets starting at noon. Um? I'm still only going to be here for half of a day. Plus, the half day price is still like $42, so it's not like they would be losing too much money. Last time I checked half of 50 was 25, but I guess things have changed...

Aside from that little bit of ridiculous-ness, we had a really great day. I'm a little sore because apparently I'm a senior citizen, but no broken hips or anything. I even got a sunburn. Yeah. Too bad it's only located on the south half of my face. Mmm...goggle tans...

And here's me, as the kids say, "Butterin' the gnar"...

Viernes

So, Audrey has hit a new stage. Someone was telling me about how the half-ages are always the worst for kids. I just realized the other day that Audrey is now one and a HALF. She's just been crazy. It's not always a bad kind of crazy, sometimes she's hilarious, but a lot more of the time she makes me want to leave her in the arcade section of Wal-Mart. She probably wouldn't even notice, and she reeeeally likes it there. So much so, that once it was closed and she was so distraught that she stood there shaking the chains like some kind of caged gorilla at the zoo. It was pretty funny until I realized that she was my kid...

She has begun to hit, kick, break, rip, and slam things when she doesn't get her way, and it's been hard to stop her because sometimes it's just so funny when she does it. Sometimes, I said. Once she wanted a treat and proceeded to throw a 15 minute fit because I told her to say please. It should be noted that she does know how to say please and she had also JUST eaten (because she's always eating).

The other day she climbed out of her crib for the first time. The mattress is on the lowest setting, and she's fairly short as far as babies go, but somehow she managed it. She reached her little foot up to the top of the rail, much like a ballet dancer at the barre, and flung herself over. She hasn't done it since, but I'm sure she'll remember soon enough. Someone I know was telling me about her friend who still has her 3 1/2 year-old twins sleeping in a crib. Seriously? Couldn't they just step over the edge?

Probably the most obnoxious change has been her ultra clinginess. She has always been a fairly cautious baby who has to sit back and take in new situations before venturing too far away, but it's gotten to the point of being ridiculous. I went to my sister's house the other day and she sat with me (uh, on top of me) for over an hour before she would go play. She's never sat still for more than 30 seconds. If I moved in any way, she would FREAK out. I've heard that babies can sense things, so maybe she's picking up on my desire to run away to Cancun, or really, anywhere that babies are not allowed. Not permanently, you know, just...long enough to find some of my sanity.

Not all of the changes in her behavior have been bad. Wait, changes? Who am I kidding. It's not like she was some kind of Easy™ baby to begin with. It's just a new kind of crazy. Just when we figure out the last stage, a new one sweeps in a we're back to the beginning. But, as I was saying, it's not all bad. Audrey's personality has really started to make an appearance over the last couple of months. She loves to make us laugh and really does like to help people. If she hears/sees another kid crying in a store, she tries to give them her blanky (even when we're a couple of aisles away). She's pretty much fearless, and she's willing to try anything. Tonight she was getting up onto this little step stool and then stepping off of it just to see if she could do it without falling (she could). It was about a foot tall. She loves jumping, dancing, spinning, and running. She copies everything I do, and she only needs to see me do something once and she picks it up. She can do jumping jacks, stand on her toes, do pull-ups on the edge of our counters. It's pretty amazing to watch her, but it's also a little scary because I know she's going to grow up always pushing the limits.

It has also been fun to hear her attempting to copy what we say. She says quite a few words rather clearly, but most of the time she just babbles to herself or the cat or us. She loves the cat and won't leave the house without saying, "Bye Ki-eee" whether he's there or not.



Some other things she likes to say:
Audee--Audrey
Bye Daddy! (Anytime he leaves...even if it's just to go to the next room)
Guk--Milk, Truck, Stuck...I haven't figured out the distinction between them yet.
Duce--Juice
Mommy
Doggy
Llama
Mahma--Grandma
Pampa--Grandpa
Ny Ny--Night Night
Mo--More
Car
Hosey--Horsey
Oh! NO!
Oh Mah--Oh man
Guy (There was this guy dressed up in a Ziggy costume-you know, from the lumber store-and she kept following him around saying "Guy!"





Aaaand, there are many more, but I'm sure that was quite enough for today. I guess I will never get bored while dealing with Audrey. Then again, I may never get any sleep either.

This picture was taken on the courthouse steps after the County Centennial Celebration this week. Just in case you were wondering, she's not staring thoughtfully off into the distance, she's looking for Ziggy.

The Great Cupcake Migration

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I don't care what anyone says, nothing says Valentine's Day like Red Velvet cupcakes and cinnamon hearts.

Picture Time!

Okay, here's another pointless little exercise until I can find the time to post something real. Or until I can find something remotely interesting to write about. Beware, I'm going to tag you...



1. Go to the 4th folder in your computer where you store your pictures.
2. Pick the 4th picture in that folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same.

This is a picture of two of my best friends, Megan (on the left) and Megan (on the right). My husband and I lived in Seattle about a year ago. We lived there only about as long as it takes to get really, really sick, really really fat, and then expel a human being from one's body. Soooo, about ten-ish months. Anyway, Left Megan was living in Seattle going to UW (she is now residing in Argentina until September), and Right Megan came to visit us allll the way from the Land of 10,000 Lakes. We ate at a place on the Ave (in the U-District) called "Gyrocery" which was just as amazing as it sounds (there were Persian rugs and camel skins and the guy working there spoke Arabic) and ate Gyros. Well, they ate the gyros while I poked around at mine while trying not to gag (my daughter's first act of defiance-morning/all day sickness). We then proceeded on to Gasworks. It's a park, not an after-effect of the Gyros. Just in case you were wondering. Gasworks is probably on my top 20 list of favorite places. It's probably not as impressive when I tell you that I've probably only been to 20 places. Still, I love it. It's the only place I've ever run to (for about three miles) and felt good afterward because I could enjoy the lovely view. There's also an impressive fireworks display there every Fourth of July, and by impressive I mean that they played Bohemian Rhapsody. Queen and pyrotechnics. You just can't go wrong...

So, we wandered over to the wonderful land of old coal plants and took in the view of Seattle. Which also happens to be the same view that you can see in this picture. This truly was the fourth picture in the fourth folder in my computer, and I'm surprised that I got such a normal one. In most of the pictures we take, at least one of us is a.) making a weird face b.) on top of someone c.) wrapped around someone, or d.) all of the above. We're a snuggly bunch. Some people call it inappropriate. That's probably true, but I think they may just be jealous of our awesomeness.

Man, this picture makes me miss Seattle. And my Megans.

Well, there you go. Now it's your turn Leah, Jenny, Tessa, Meliss, and Nichole.

Oh Nine.

Well, this is a little late, but here it is...because Meliss made me do it...

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
My husband and I started playing hockey. It's been a really good time!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I generally don't make resolutions mostly because I forget about them just about as soon as I make them. I will not be making any for this coming year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I'm not super close with Anna, but she gave birth to baby Scarlett who is proof that miracles do happen.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Sherm Clayton.

5. What countries did you visit?
Um...just the good 'ol US of A!

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Muscle tone? Ha!

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 1

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I feel pretty good about getting back into shape after having Audrey, and I've been staying active and healthy for the most part.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Just one?

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Thankfully no.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My new snowboard! Oh...and our new house!!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Wow...um...I'll get back to you on that one...

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
All the politcal/governmental stuff going on right now is really starting to bum me out.

14. Where did most of your money go?
To our new house...and our hockey gear...and mostly to Audrey.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Megan got engaged!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Well...probably I'm Yours by Jason Mraz...there were slim pickins' this year.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier. I'm alive. Can't complain.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner
c) richer or poorer? Probably about the same.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I would have made more time to hang out with friends that I don't see very often.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Weeding.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
We had three.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
I guess you could say that...but really, he already caught me...ha!

22. What was your favorite TV program?
It's a toss-up between The Office and SCRUBS.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope.

24. What was the best book you read?
Well, considering I probably only read one, I'll have to say The Innocent Man by John Grisham.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I want to say Regina Spektor. I heard her music before, but I really started appreciating it this year.

26. What did you want and get?
A house. A new snowboard. To sleep more than four hours at a time.

27. What did you want and not get?
To see the other Megan...I'll have to wait until September for that I guess.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
We just watched Traitor, which was really good.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 24 and we went to a Ben Folds concert in Ellensburg. It was pretty fun.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
To have all of my friends in the same state...or town even.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Same as always...casual, comfortable...not resembling a style of any kind.

32. What kept you sane?
Getting more sleep. Finally.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jim Sturgess

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
I hate politics.

35. Who did you miss?
Lots of people.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
I really got to know some people better and made some really good friends.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
God is in control of everything.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I know it's not from this year, but Gone Going by the Black Eyed Peas and Jack Johnson is always a good one...
"What happens if they take your material and you already sold your soul..."

I guess I have to tag someone...okay Leah, Nichole, and Jenny