Birthday Dinner

{Saturday} March 5, 2011

For my birthday I asked Wade if he would take me to Bucca De Beppo, a really good Italian restaurant. We went there for our anniversary last year and it was SO good, but that was the only time we've been. We invited Kelly & Holly to go with us, so we got Nathan & Kara to babysit all 5 of our girls {minus babies}. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling very well so I wasn't able to eat much, but it was fun to get out without our kids for a change. Porter & Khloe slept the whole time so we never even had to worry about them.

Not the greatest quality pictures on the planet but they'll do. Like so many of my other posts these pictures were taken with my iPhone. If it weren't for my phone I wouldn't have many pictures at all!

After dinner they came over and hung out for a while and we let the kids play some more. Holly brought me & Wade Sprinkles cupcakes that were heavenly!

I love these guys.

Finish Chelsea's Run 5K

{Saturday} March 5, 2011

I decided to start running toward the beginning of February, and after telling my good friend Holly she suggested that I run a 5K with her that was just over four weeks away on my birthday {March 5}. I was REALLY a beginning runner, so I thought that I probably couldn't do it but decided to give it a try since it was for such a good cause. Last January a young girl from our area, Chelsea King, was abducted, raped and murdered while she was out running one morning. I remember being so sick to my stomach for her and her family when I saw it on the news. Her family now holds a 5K run every year called Finish Chelsea's Run {this is only the second year . . . right after she was killed they did the first run on the same course that she was running. This year it was in Balboa Park}. I did a four week training program . . . did really good for the first two weeks, then so so on the third week, and only ran one mile during the fourth week. I'm quickly realizing how difficult it is to get gym time in when you have four little kids. ANYWAY, the day came and ready or not I was going to do my best!

Right before the race with Holly & Lindsay, who I told about the run and she decided to join us. So glad she did because she rocked it! She was also a beginning runner and she made it the entire way, even the crazy hill at the end, without stopping! Amazing. My family also came to root us all on. I love them!

Me & Lindsay in front of some beautiful graffiti in Balboa Park. Kidding, we just wanted a quick picture just in case one or both of us died during our first race. Ha!

Almost to the finish line. I ended up walking right after the 2 mile mark for about 5 minutes or so. I was SO disappointed in myself! That hill just about killed me, but I was able to pick up the pace and run the last half mile or so.

Yes it looks like I'm standing still, but I really am jogging . . . it's more of a "I'm going to die" type of jog, but nonetheless I AM jogging.

The girls all came up and gave us big hugs after the race.

We're ALIVE!!

Charlise was SUCH a good girl this day! She didn't whine at Wade once to get out of the stroller . . . SO not her style. She's usually the most difficult when we're out. I was so proud of her for being so good.

All of us after the race. Times: Lindsay 35:38, Holly 36:04, and me . . . the slow poke . . . 37:12. Three months after having Porter . . . I'd say it's an okay time. I really wanted to get a time under 4o minutes, so I'm actually really happy with it.

Me & my babe.

Me & Holly after the race.

Soon after we walked in after finishing the race, a woman from KUSI news in San Diego came up to us and asked if we would be interviewed if they couldn't get Chelsea's family for a live shot. We agreed, they couldn't get her family, and we were on live. I was the only one she talked to which was quite awkward . . . I kept stumbling over my words . . . but it turned out okay. I was happy it was live so we didn't have to watch it later.

During the interview . . . she also interviewed Hannah who was being SO shy, but it was fun for her. She just asked her a few questions and it made her day to be on TV. One of her friends mom said that she saw us on the news, but she's the only one that we know of that saw it. Phew. haha

Such a good experience! It was a fun way to kick off my 32nd year. {That makes me 31 by the way . . . ha} I'm so happy that I did it and plan on doing another 5K in June while Wade and his friend run a 1/2 marathon.

Pacifier {Pacie} Fairy

{Saturday} February 26, 2011

Charly . . . well . . . she LOVES her pacie. And when I say LOVE I mean LLLOOOOOVVEEES it! Well, all of them. Doesn't matter what kind, color, size . . . she. is. a MAJOR fan.

I introduced her to the idea of letting the pacifier fairy come when she turned three so that she could take all of the baby pacies to new babies. She seemed okay with the idea after talking about the pacie fairy leaving something for her behind. Mosty, I think she seemed okay with it because her birthday was a few weeks away.

This morning when I was putting her down for her nap she wanted nothing to do with it. She got up fifty three times and screamed and cried every time I put her back. I finally told her that if she got up again I would let the pacie fairy know to come early. Well, as my luck would have it, she got up. So tonight . . . guess who will be paying us a visit? That's right, the pacifier fairy. Boo.

Now, the pictures that follow show how extremely excited she is . . . tonight when she went to bed . . . not too pleased. This will be interesting.

We found a cute bag, and after we went all over the house gathering up every pacie we could find she put them all in the bag . . .

All set for the pacie fairy to come and take them.

Doing a little jig . . .

SOOO excited!!!

After the pacifier fairy came and took away her most prized possessions {really} she left her some new things to take to bed with her. A brand new, oh so soft teddy bear, and fancy Tinker Bell night gown, and some cute princess sippy cups for her "water and ice" that she begs for every night. Hopefully after tonight she'll have an easier time going to sleep without her pacifier.

Mormon Battalion Visitors Center SD

{Friday} February 18, 2011

Jeff & Jen Card came to San Diego with their family to go to Disneyland and visit with everyone . . . just a fun vacation. For the last few days they're going to stay with us so we met up with them today in Old Town San Diego to go to the Mormon Battalion Visitors Center. They redid it a couple years ago and made it really fun to visit.

There was a misunderstanding to where we were meeting up . . . we went straight to the Visitors Center in SD and they went somewhere else. Oops! While we waited for them to come to San Diego we did a few things . . .

At first we just thought we got there a little before them, so we watched a few short videos . . .

. . . then went outside where they have a few fun activities for the kids to do.

Building . . .

pumping water . . .

and panning for "gold".

They even got to keep what they found {too bad it isn't real!!}. Reha's find.

Hannah

Once we realized that we had a misunderstanding we decided to go ahead and take the tour and just meet up with them at the end.

Me, Hannah, & Porter hanging out at the end of the tour while waiting for the Cards to finish their tour.

It was a lot of fun. I'm glad Wade was able to leave work early to join us!!

Valentines 2011

I always love when the week of Valentines Day comes around and the girls bring home their class lists and can make a Valentine for all of their friends. It always brings me back to when I was in elementary school. I used to LOVE making all of my friends Valentines! Probably because it meant I'd be getting some too . . . ha!

Reha with her class list . . . crossing them off as she goes.

Hannah breaking her store bought Valentines apart.

Thank you, Mr. Wonka, for making my life so much easier. Will you be my Valentine? Sincerely, Lazy Mom.

Busy at work . . . about the time they got sick of writing their names neatly on so many Valentines.

They wanted to make Valentines for their friends, Kendall & Erika in Utah, so we took some "heart" pictures to print out for them.

Hannah's heart . . .

Reha's cute squished heart . . .

And Charly's attempt. She really wasn't grumpy . . . just concentrating extra hard to get her fingers just right. Good job big girl!