"The Holidays" 2013

Thanksgiving  2013 :

 

 

 

For Thanksgiving we went to Helena to spend some time with my parents and siblings. 

My parents sold their home and wanted to get us all together before we moved out. 

All of us were there except Ken and his family.  They went to Oregon for a reunion with Kathy's family.  We missed them for sure.

 

I also had the opportunity to take some family pictures of my siblings and their cute families.  I love them. 

 

 

 

My sister Janet blessed her baby that weekend too, so we stayed for baby Kimballs blessing.  He is so darling.  Just like all of my sister's kids :) 

 

 

 

And, this is totally random, but how cool is this dead rotten tree bark?

 

 

 

December!!!!

We decided to spend Christmas with just our little family this year in Colstrip.  It was so great to just BE!  We didn't have to pack up the crew or drive anywhere and it was calm and relaxed and perfect.

 

 

Ward Christmas Party!   

 

 

 

This year Cecily had her first Christmas music program and she did great! 

 

 

Here's the fam on Christmas Eve & Christmas morning!  We lit the wisemen candles, decorated cookies for Santa, read the Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher, read Luke 2, and topped it all off with a tiny (but fantastic) See's candy line. 

 

 

 

 

It was a good Christmas. 

 

 



Baby girl goes to Kindergarten

 

Is this real?  Hello?  Where did my baby girl go?  Am I seriously 31?

 

These are things I ask myself daily. 

 

I actually didn't even cry on her first day.  I took her to school and it wasn't until she got in line and walked through the doors that I had a moment of emotion. 

And honestly, I didn't get the "my baby's growing up!" tears.  It was just a moment where I was overwhelmed with "Have I done enough?" 

 

Have I taught her to be kind enough? Have I helped her to be independent enough?  Have I encouraged her to be thankful and grateful?  Have I instilled a love of learning? 

 

As she walked through the doors I found myself feeling like from here on out, it was me against the world.  My influence vs the influence of teachers, peers, curriculum, and the media. I think maybe a lot of moms and dads feel that way. 

 

And man, is she the cutest kindergartener or what? 

 

 

 

 

The Story of Ezra's Birth

As I sit here clicketty-clacking on my laptop keyboard there is a squishy ball of perfect curled up next to my hip on the bed.  Grateful doesn't even begin to describe how I feel to have this little kiddo safe, healthy, and on the OUTSIDE of my body.  He's been here for 7 weeks. AAAAnd, we love him. 

5 days old

I like reading about other people's choices regarding birth.  I love home births and hospital births and birth-centers and midwives and doctors and doulas and such.  It's fascinating for me.  While I have my own opinions on each, I would say that I wholeheartedly support and love the fact that we have CHOICES in the matter.  I am all for each woman deciding what is best for themselves and their babes.  I have (at one time or another) considered each and every one of those for myself.

I didn't post Nolan's birth story, or Cecily's, but they're both written down.  Part of the reason I didn't  was because of all the judgment that seems to swirl around people's decisions these days. Would people think I was weak for getting an epidural?  Would my choice of having a CNM be looked at as irresponsible?  I was afraid of judgment.  Good thing I've grown up and gotten over some of that in the past 3 years. 

Here's his birth story, in case you like that sort of thing.

Friday, May 31, 2013
7am- I called the hospital from Mike's cousin's house to ask if they had a bed for me.  I'd talked with my midwife earlier that week and decided that I was ready to be induced.  The pelvic pain and pressure was getting so bad that I was having trouble walking (or standing... or sitting... or lying down... or moving at all really), so I wanted to coax the baby out asap. 

They had a bed!  Hooray!  I was going to have the baby THAT DAY!  Elation! Joy! But, mostly relief.

9am- I check in to the hospital and go through mountains of paperwork, shed a few anxious/, extremely hormonal tears, got a blessing of peace from my husband, and got an IV. 

Part of the reason I've looked in to having babies in a birth center is because I have a deep deep deep deep hatred and simultaneous fear of Pitocin.  We are not friends.  But I needed the baby OUT of my body.  REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEALLY bad. (I got really whiney about it towards the end- just ask my friends).

11am- My nurse Christine started me on Penicillin (for group b strep) and Pitocin.   The penicillin made the veins in my arm burn like acid was being pumped in to them.... so that was fun.....

3pm- Contractions are not really painful, just annoying.  The monitor (another reason I hate Pitocin- constant monitors that slip and slide and beep and drive. me. BANANAS) would not stay in the right spot, so Christine kept coming in and trying to find his heart-beat.  And, while she was really nice, it took her FOREVER to find it every time.   

3:15 My midwife comes in to check me.  I'm only at a 2.  A TWO.  I'm irritated that the hospital won't let me eat, so I circumvent the system and talk to my midwife, and she ok's it.  Once again, this re-affirms to me how much I love midwives.  I really enjoy the "To hell with the stupid hospital rules" attitude. 

Mike got me a salad and some hummus and it was fabulous.  I felt my bounce come back.

4pm- Contractions are getting painful, but are really irregular.  They up the Pit drip. 

5pm- The pain is steadily getting worse with each contraction, but there are tons of irregularities.  Sometimes the contractions are close together, sometimes they last a long time, sometimes they peak fast and back off fast. 

5:45- The pain is really bad at this point.  With every contraction I am pushing against mike's hand and tensing up my face and arms and body to try and combat it.  Not what the books tell you to do, I know.   What's even more frustrating is that the contractions are still wildly irregular.  Like my body can't figure out what to do or how to get a rhythm going.  The contractions start peaking and only backing off a little between each.  I'm not even getting a break to relax between them.  It sucks. 

I ask to get in the tub.  I can't get in the tub because I am on Pitocin and the wireless baby monitor.....is......broken.  Broken, along with my heart (ok, maybe it wasn't that dramatic.... but it felt that dramatic when they told me). 

6pm- My midwife checks me.  I am ...... a 3.  After lots of painful contractions, I'm only a 3. 

I start to cry.  How can I be a 3?  I'm in so much pain and I'm having contractions right on top of one another? 

My midwife gently suggests the possibility of an epidural. 

"I can see your body fight and tense up every single time you have a contraction.  I think maybe if you get the epidural your body will relax enough to have this baby."

I start crying.  Again.

"I feel like such a wuss.  I really thought I could do it. I am trying so hard."

That's when my superman Mikey stepped up and said the right thing at the right time.  He told me that it was entirely up to me.  That he knew I could do it without an epidural if I wanted to.  That I was strong and brave and all those things a woman wants to hear when she's in the process of giving birth.  He also said that if I got an epidural I would still be strong and brave and just as wonderful of a mother.  Truth, people.  He spoke truth.

6:15- I get the epidural and I am immediately so grateful that I did.  I want to take a nap, actually.  I can still move my legs a little, feel the contractions when they happen (although without intense pain), and I can gleefully wiggle my toes.

7pm- My nurse comes in to check me again. I'M A NINE AND A HALF!
(PS- a similar thing happened during labor with Nolan-  I went from a 3 to a 9 in less than 3 hours).

For some reason, the machine on my epidural started beeping around 7:05.  Since I was so close to delivery, and with the last two I've only had to push I few times to get them out, I told them it was fine to shut it off to stop the beeping.  I thought the babe would be out before it wore off........

Honestly, the next 45 minutes are a little blurry, but I'll do my best.

I know the baby nurse came in at some point. 

My midwife comes back and asks the nurse to "break the bed".  She started watching the baby heartbeat monitor closely and says to me "Wendy, I think we should start pushing.  I think the baby is needing to come out.  His heartbeat is decelerating during your contractions." 

Freak-outage in my brain ensues.

"I don't want you to worry at all, it's coming back up between contractions." 

I calm. A little.

I start pushing, and at some point my midwife decides to put a heart-rate monitor inside on my babe's little scalp.  She keeps saying reassuring things like "You're doing great!"  and "The baby is going to be fine" because I am continuously asking "Is he ok?  Is he ok?

Once again I go in to freak-out mode when I hear the nurse and midwife conversing quietly about how they can't get a reading on his heart-rate.

"He's turning." she says.  "It's ok. The first one is broken, I believe.  We just need another heart-rate monitor." 

I keep pushing and pushing, but for some reason he isn't coming out as fast (or as easily) as my other two.  By this point my epidural is wearing off a bit and I can feel not only pressure, but pain. 

After 20 or 30 minutes of pushing, my midwife looks at me and says, very calmly "Wendy, his heart-rate isn't coming back up between contractions.  I need you to push him out.  Now.  You can't push with contractions anymore, just push until he's here."

At that point I was no longer in freak-out mode.  I was in I'm-getting-this-kid-out-this-minute-and-nothing-will-stop-me mode.  The only moment of fear was when Erin (my midwife) quietly said to the nurse "Page the NICU, please."  I knew she tried to keep her voice down, but I have bat-like ears, apparently.

 In a whirlwind of pushing, grunting, screaming, yelling, and crying, Ezra Michael Vincent was born at 7:43pm in the evening to the sound of his fathers voice yelling "He's ok, babe! You did it! He's good!"

He weighed 8lbs 2oz and measured 21inches long. 

Despite all the fuss about his heart-rate, he ended up absolutely fine.

They asked Michael if he wanted to cut the cord, but he was so emotional from watching me give birth and the few intense moments surrounding it that he was too overwhelmed to do it.  This birth was so different, but it was wonderful in it's own way.  As cheesy as it sounds, it brought MSV and I closer.

Everything from there was calm and peaceful.  I nursed, I recovered, we left the hospital a few days later. 

Bliss.

April Showers, May Snowstorms

Montana has the most random weather.  Mother Nature decided May was the perfect time for snowstorms this year.  Weird. 

 

 

The past few months have seemed to rush past me and drag on at a turtle's pace all at once. 

I am not at all ready to have this kid, and yet I have days when I think he'll never get here. 

 

 In April I worked.  And then I worked some more.  And then came more work and more responsibility.  Ok, I'm exaggerating. But, that's how it seemed sometimes when I was sitting in the security shack (it's actually a trailer that's not at all shabby) at the mine, or when I was rushing around to a Relief Society presidency meeting, or when I was doing volunteer work with a group here in Colstrip, or when I was trying desperately to give my husband CPA study time, or when I was chasing my little kiddos (or someone else's) around.  I thought the exhaustion would never end. 

 

At some point, however, I realized that it was of my own making. 

LIGHTBULB!

I had chosen to say yes when my boss asked me to fill in at work. 

 I had chosen to say yes when people asked me to volunteer.

 I chose to tell people at church that I could be there, or meet with them, or help out with something or other. 

 And, of course, I made the choice to have my 2 little babies and add yet another cute bean in to the mix.  I CHOSE IT!  So I had to decide which was most important.

Prioritizing is not a skill I have, but I'm working on it.  My first priority was my husband and my beans.  And the bean I was growing in my belly.

I finally realized I had to choose them over all the other stuff.

 

So, I finally said no to my boss, and no to volunteering, and no to friends who asked me to watch their kid, and no to a few of my church things. (All you Mormons out there know that while you can back off church stuff, you'll never really "be done" with it.... ). 

Life has been less hectic since then, and I've been able to mostly get everything ready for this new dude.  Hooray! 

 

 

SOOOOOOOOO..............

Let's get gushy for a minute, shall we?

I'm overly emotional and mushy while humans grow in my uterus.  Deal.

 

 

I am grateful for my family.  Mike works really hard for us and has dealt with my off the charts emotions like a champ.  Love him. 

 

My two kiddos are so amazing and sometimes I sit back and am in awe of the sheer awesomeness that is this stage of life. 

Exhausting?  Heck-to-the-yes.  Occasionally frustrating?  More than I'd like to admit.

But also full of wonder and learning and discovery and snuggles and kisses and hide-and-go-seeks and zerbers at bedtime. 

I'm excited for them to get older, but OH, how I love their littleness right now.  I know I'll miss it when they're school age, and tweens, and teens and grown up and gone.   A year ago I wouldn't have said this or felt this way.  Maybe I'm growing too, huh? 

 

And, last but not least, I am grateful to be carrying my third baby. 

I spoke to a good friend the other day who has one child, and always thought she'd have more, but wasn't able to.  She listens to me whine and complain about pregnancy, and never makes me feel like my complaints are not valid or that I'm being unfeeling.  She was not chastising me in any way, but during the course of our conversation she unknowingly helped me (again) realize and appreciate what an incredible blessing this baby is.  That I get to carry him in my body is miraculous. 

Really, they're all miraculous, even when it's 4:00 am and they just puked all over their bed, or when they throw tantrums in the grocery store, or when they run screaming around the chapel in the middle of a church service.  I don't love every minute of it, but I'm trying to appreciate the joy of it all. 

 

So gloriously gushy, I know.  But it's true.  And it's how I feel tonight.

 

 

I've been super resistant to post (or even take) pregnancy pictures this time around.  I'm vain and I feel fat.  I've gained more poundage with number 3 for sure, but he'll be worth it, I know. 

Since it's for posterity, I'm swallowing my pride and posting belly pictures. 

 

35 weeks



37 weeks.  Love the wrist brace?  Fashion statement, I know!  Swelling is
awesome this pregnancy and carpel tunnel has reared it's ugly head.

A 10K While Pregnant: Torture or Triumph?

The jury's still out on that one...

 

I made a goal at the beginning of this pregnancy to be more active.  Mike and I were running about 3 times per week last summer and running became a fun part of our life.  We were run/walking about once per week in the first weeks of my pregnancy. BUUUUUUUUUUT, then my sciatic nerve started having issues.  I'll be honest here people:  I kinda gave up on being active around 18 weeks along.  And it shows.  Yeesh- I am lots larger this pregnancy than I have been with the last two, so there will be lots of morning walks and healthy eating and declarations of self-love (to overcome the body hate...) after this little boy is born.  Anyway, I'm getting WAY off topic. 

 

Mike and I signed up to run a 10K on Saint Patrick's day in Bozeman!  And I am proud of myself for finishing at 30 weeks pregnant.  It was hard. I was out of shape. My pelvis thought it was going to break in half,  my lower back was not happy with me afterward, and my sciatic nerve kept making my butt go numb,  but I FINISHED, goshdarnit. 

We dressed up. We were totally
the hottest pregnant ladies there.

 

My adorable friend Leslie is pregnant with her first and wanted to "waddle" it with me.  She was about 17 weeks at the time, I think, so I was really the only one wadding.  We had tons of fun chatting the whole way and talking about pregnancy and birth and all those girl things.  The funniest part was that all the 1/2 Marathon people started passing us and everyone kept telling us "Keep it up, Ladies!"  or "Great job, girls!"  and we couldn't really figure out why.... But then Leslie says "Do you think they know we're pregnant?"  At which point I realized how TERRIBLY I was waddling from the pelvic pain.  I laughed that it was so obvious from behind.  Leslie did not look pregnant IN THE LEAST, but she was so sweet and walked the whole way with me. 

This year I was 8 people away from finishing dead last in the 10K.  Like I said:  Finishing was the only goal, and I did it. 

 

2013 official time- 1:50:38

At the starting line. 
I wore Mike's shirt from 2012

We did the same race last year and it was important to Mike to run it again.  He wanted to see if he could improve, and he did!  Even if it was only a bit.  I was smaller last year, and I could wear my own shirt, too. 

 Run to the Pub 2012

2012 official time for Wendy- 1:00:47.  Hopefully I can beat this time in 2014!! 

 

2013 for Mike 1:02:34

2012 for Mike 1:07:42

 

I Dreamed a Dream 7 Years Ago

Our anniversary this year fell on a day when I was stranded in Twin Falls, Idaho at my brother's house.  I had planned on driving to Cali over Donner Pass that day, but the weather was crappy, so I just hung out with Ry and his fam.  Not that they're not AWESOME, but it wasn't the most fun I've ever had on my anniversary.....  I hate not celebrating on the ACTUAL day.  Who's with me on this?  Am I weird?  Mike thinks I'm weird and says we can celebrate any time, but I prefer the "day of" for sure. 

Luckily, Mike and I were able to celebrate our 7th Anniversary a few days after Christmas in California.  We went to see Les Miserables in the theater and then had a yummy dinner at Chevy's. Lemmetellya, you guys:  I just really like my husband.  He is good for me in so many ways- spanning from challenging to blissful.

SO:  Here's a few things about our Anniversary date:

Number 1:

I know some of you have probably married super sensitive men who are way in touch with their emotions, but that's..... not the case with me..... at all. When I almost broke up with him before we got married? NOPE.  Our wedding? Nothing.  Our sealing?  No emotions, my friends.  He is kiiiiiiind of a rock.

 I have seen Michael show emotion on a few, rare (and wonderful) occasions.  He got choked up while giving our oldest her baby blessing.  He immediately concluded the blessing and said amen.  The next time I saw him tear up was 2 years later- about ten minutes after our lil man was born.  I started to breast feed Nolan and Mike got misty eyed.  It was one of those "wow" moment's as a wife and mother. 

BUT, during Les Miserables Mike cried about 3 times.  He has loved the music of the play for years, so we were both really excited to see the movie.  When Fantine died and she has the "Cosette" flashback/hallucination scene, I looked over to see him wiping away tears.  I totally started laughing!  How insensitive of me, I know.  But I was so shocked.  He said that seeing a little blond girl and thinking of our cute little blond and being a dad and all.... he was just overcome. 
He also cried during the Empty Chairs song, then AGAIN during the final  Jean Valjean death scene. 
I loved every minute of it.  Sometimes I tell him his heart is made of stone (because I cry -literally- at everything), but that night I was sure that there's an emotional guy hidden within the man I married.  Loved it!

Number 2:
There was a funny lady at Chevy's who kept smiling at me across the dining room.  Then, she followed me in to the bathroom.  But as we were both washing our hands she turns to me and says "Oh, you are so cute!  I love your belly!  How far along are you?"  
"Uhhh, I'm actually only half way, but it's my third, so I'm showing early." (Insert uncomfortable laugh and glance at creepy lady).
"OH! That is so funny!  My husband and I have three kids as well!  Except they are really old.  We are really old!  But, you're not.  You're young. How old are you?"
(Insert more uncomfortable laughing and glancing at the door) "Oh, um.. I'm 30, actually....... well... thanks!" 
And then I quickly left the restroom and asked for to-go boxes.
I know this lady was simply trying to be nice and not trying to freak me out, but the whole exchange was a little odd.  It's not that I feel old at 30 years, but isn't it a teensy bit impolite to ask a complete stranger in a bathroom their age?  Not to mention that at that point I was only 18 weeks (I lied when I said I was half way.... sort-of... I rounded up) and I was pretty sure I just looked fat, not pregnant.  She totally ruined that false fantasy for me, so maybe I was bitter? 

Number 3:
My husband may not be a big-romantic-gesture kind of guy, but he knows how to spoil me and make me feel loved.  I need to recognize all the little things he does more instead of waiting for the overt and obvious declarations of love. 

So here's to the past 7 and many more fabulous decades to come.  The past year has been jam packed with blessings, healing, love, and happiness.  It's a good life. 

Treinta

What the old lady????  How the crap did I end up 30 years old? 

 Oh, right.... 30 birthdays = 30 years old. 

Huh. 

Mike and I celebrated last weekend when we went to visit Helena.  Free babysitting and all.  It was epic.  Ok, just kidding.  But it was fun.  We went to the Mediterranean Grill, which, by the way, was delish.  We tried an appetizer , I got some sort of chicken kabob thing, and we even ordered creme brulee' cheesecake and ate it ALL.  HOLY deliciousness Batman. Mike got me roses and told me how amazing I was all evening long (that is a MUST on birthdays, isn't it?).  We also went to Target and Ross without the kids.  That right there is a goooooood night, my friends. 

On my actual birthday yesterday, I sat in a green trailer at the mine as a security guard.  I had the option to either work on my birthday or Cecily's (tomorrow), and babies only turn 5 once, so I figured I could sacrifice my day for hers. 

Every year since starting this lil blog, I've come up with lists for my birthday. 27 things I've done, 28 things I want to do in the future, 28 blessings, and this year, here is my list of

30 of the most significant events in my lifetime

Aaaand- the dates could be off..... Janet's the one who's good with dates, ask her.

1. October 1982, Chapter 1: I am born. (bahahahahhahaha- I may not be David Copperfield, but I am funny pants)

2. Some time in 1990? I play the good witch of the north in my 2nd grade rendition of "The Wizard of Oz." I sing exactly one line. My mom and dad RAVE about it (as is their duty) and my love for singing was born. Suddenly I felt like I was good at something.

3.  November 1991, I have the birthmark on the right side of my face removed, and I'm left with a scar. At the time I cried and was sad because my birthmark was unique, but I realized later that the scar made me unique too, and that I could make up lots of fun stories about where I got it.

4. January 1992, I start attending Grandstreet Theatre School, a local community theater. The reason this is significant is because while attending, I learned to step out of myself, put myself out there, and become less shy. I am different than I would have been had I not been signed up.

5. November 1994, I go with my parents to the Bountiful LDS temple open house. I realize that I want to go to the temple someday, and that it's important to me.


6. June 1995, My first year at Girls Camp- I recognize that I feel the Spirit for the first time. I knew without a doubt that God loved me and knew who I was. I felt it. It was real.  

7. June 1998, I go running with the high school cross country team during summer practices and meet 2 girls from Montana City, who I would eventually be great friends with, who would introduce me to a few other great girls who I would spend the bulk of my high school years with, all of whom I'm still friends with today.
8. April(ish) 1999, my choir sings most of the movements from Carmina Burana. I've honestly never felt my soul stirred as much as it was while holding the last note of "O Fortuna!". I could hardly breathe the minute the note ended because I felt like the music was bouncing around inside my chest. Seriously, just thinking about it right now gives me chills.
9. Some time in 1999, My parents bought me my guitar. There is nothing more stress relieving for me that playing my guitar and singing to myself.
10. June 2001, I move to Provo, Utah and out of my parent's house for the first time.
11. December 2001, My niece Esther is born. I had held babies before her, but when I looked down and saw her perfect, beautiful little face I suddenly felt like I actually wanted kids in the future. I was only 19, but up until then I had seriously thought I wasn't ever going to want to be a mom. She changed that for some reason. I just held her and couldn't deny that later on in life I wanted kids.
12. July 2002, I attend Mormon/American travel studies through BYUI. I spent nearly 6 weeks traveling the US studying Mormon history and American history. I cried at the Sacred Grove. I cried at the Lincoln Memorial.
13. May 2003, I attend a study abroad to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize. This particular event was significant for 2 reasons, first because I met some of my very best friends ever on that trip, and second because I was lucky enough to get to see and experience life beyond the US. We were tourists in some ways, but we also got to explore and see things off the beaten path. I met rebel Zapatista leaders (albeit accidentally), I climbed a volcano, I saw incredible poverty and incredible wealth, and I fell in LOVE with the color and vibrancy of the Latin culture.
14. August 2004 (and Summer 2005), I worked as an EFY counselor & BC in 2005. I call this my mini mission. I seriously love love love working with teenagers, helping them gain and develop their testimony, and helping them feel God's love. Doing EFY helped me pinpoint exactly the career that I wanted and why. I am passionate about working with high school kids. Weird, I know! I just think that time in a persons life is SO amazing and critical.
15. December 2005, I am married to Michael.  Probably the most life changing event thus far :)    16. July 2006, Mike and I buy our first car together that neither of our parents helped pay for. We were practically adults :)

17. November 2006, We find out we're moving to Las Vegas because Mike has gotten his first real, professional job. Woo Hoo!

18. December 2006, Mike and I are sealed. Good day.

19. January 2007, I take a pregnancy test while Mike is on a business trip and suddenly I'm eating for two, thinking about names, and counting life in weeks.

20. April 2007, I get my BA in Secondary Education. Thus far, the only educational accomplishment to my name.
21. October 2007, Cecily is born.  My first thoughts after giving birth? "I'MAMOMWHATTHEHECK?"

22. July 2008, Cecily takes her first steps in Aunt Rachel's apartment. I think she was so excited that her new little cousin had just been born that she couldn't contain herself. For realz.  

23. May 2009, I take a pregnancy test at my sister in law's house (she even gave me the test!) and I end up telling her I'm pregnant even before my husband knows.

24 February 2010, Nolan is born.  My first thought after giving birth? "THATWASAWESOME!"

25. March 2010, Nolan laughs at me for the first time. His laugh still melts my heart like nothing else in the entire live long gigantic fantastic crazy world.

26. February 2011, Mike and I purchase our first home, which we would actually only live in for 7 months.  Life changes SO quickly, but this was a big step for us.

27.  September 2011, We move our little family to Colstrip, MT.  This move (more than all our other moves) stands out in my mind as the worst and most wonderful wrapped up in one.  We had witnessed miracles in our life, and couldn't deny that we were TRULY supposed to move here, but it was also sad to leave our home and the life we had dreamed about in our house.  ps- renting still sucks :)

28. January 2012, I get my Educator License from the state of Montana. Still haven't used it. Still glad I got it.

29. April 2012, I read "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. While I've heard the concept of "you can choose to be happy" before, it never sunk in before I read this book. I always thought "Yeah- if you want to mask your feelings and pretend." But this book delves in to what it actually takes to choose freedom of mind and happiness over becoming a victim of circumstance. It is honestly a wonderful and life changing book.

30. October 2012, I turn 30.  I'm excited for the next 30 years of adventure.   



September 11th

It's been said before that there are, in every lifetime, definitive moments for a generation.  Moments that no matter where you were, or what you were doing, you will remember forever.  For our grandparents it may have been Pearl Harbor.  For our parents, it may have been the assassination of President Kennedy. My mom told me once that she still remembers exactly where she was when she heard the news that the President had been assassinated.  17 and in high school at the time, she stood in the hallway of Helena High talking with friends.  Over the loud speaker came the announcement "Students, we are sorry to inform you, but president Kennedy has just been assassinated while on tour in Texas."  My mom said that she didn't know how to react, really, so she started to laugh.  Then she asked her friends something like "Are you kidding?"  Even while she told me the story she chuckled, not because the situation is funny but because of her inappropriate reaction to a horrible event.

 For my generation, one of those moments came on September 11th, 2001in the form of 4 hijacked jet airliners. I was 18 at the time and living in a small apartment in Provo, Utah.   Getting up in the morning is the bane of my existence, so I was lulling around a 7:30 in the morning trying to wake up while waiting for my 5 other roommates to finish showering and get out of the bathroom.  After making my way to the kitchen for some breakfast, I saw my roommate Noel run out of the back bedroom and turn on the TV. 

"What's going on?" I asked.

 "My mom just called and told me to turn on the news.  A plane crashed in to a building or something in New York City. Nobody on the news really knows whats going on." 

"Huh....., that's weird." I thought.

 As we watched the news, we kept flipping channels to see if anybody could come up with any concrete information as to who had done it or what it was.  All of a sudden, the programs were interrupted and we started seeing pictures of the Pentagon smoking and on fire.  On the bottom of the screen the words "The United States is under attack" came up.  My heart sank and suddenly visions of my four older brothers being drafted for World War 3 went racing through my mind (I'm like that- if there's an opportunity for my mind to spiral in to worst case scenario, it will). 

Since I was already late from sleeping in and I had to be at work, I went to the back of the apartment, showered and dressed, and started to leave.  I worked for the BYU grounds crew, and had to be there at 8, but, in true Wendy fashion, I wasn't ready to walk out the door until about 8:05.

My roommates were still gathered in front of the TV, and as I came in to the living room on my way out, I watched another bit of breaking news.  The South tower at the WTC had fallen.  And my heart stopped for a moment when they showed it.  "Thousands and thousands of people just died" was all I could think as I hopped in my car and drove to work.

I went to work to find my boss and co-workers gathered in the truck, listening to the radio.  We sat there most of the morning- ignoring all the turf that needed maintenance.  It wasn't until later that I learned about the north tower collapsing, and the flight in Pennsylvania. 

I realize that most of you don't really care where I was or what I was doing, but I want my kids to know things like this.  I want them to know that it did matter to me, that I was sad, and that I mourned right along with the rest of America when it happened. 

What I find fascinating about historical tragedies is the resilience of the human spirit and the goodness of human kind that emerges as a result of this.  There are a million and one stories that can be told of everyday people stepping up and becoming heroes.  When you study individual stories from Pearl Harbor, you will find everyday men and women stepping up and showing what they're made of. Whether it's shooting down a Japanese plane or caring for wounded soldiers, almost every eyewitness account I've read shows some form of human bravery.  I think the same was true for 9-11. Firefighters, Policemen, friends, and neighbors all pulling for, and helping one another. 

I saw this on one of my favorite blogs and wanted to share it as well. It made me bawl.  There truly is so much goodness in the world. 

June

Playing catch-up because I'm a slacker!  Well, not a slacker.... I just am totally over blogging for some odd reason.  BUT, I need to write all our little happenings down because I'll forget if I don't.  My kids are growing so fast and I have the worlds WORST memory.  I always tell myself I'll remember, but when I try to think back on past experiences things are always fuzzy unless I write them down. It's for posterity, right? 

On June 9th we took a trip to Helena to see the fambam and run the Governor's Cup.   MIke and I ran the  10K, and it was SO much harder than the 10K we ran in March.  The course had WAY more hills, so both Mike and I ended up with about the same time as our last race, even though we were in better shape :).  We left the kids with my parents and ran the 10K in the morning, then met up with them and ran the 5K with the stroller, 2 kiddos, and my dad.

Not to get TOO sappy, but it was pretty awesome to run the 5K.  My dad and I first ran the Governor's Cup in June of 1989 and we didn't miss a year until after I left for college (I think 2003 was the first time I missed becase I was in Mexico).  I even ran it with him the morning after my senior all night graduation party! It was great to be able to share the experience with my kids and my dad and my husband this year.  CJ ran the first mile or so, then was honestly a bit of a stink pot for the rest of the race.  She curled up in the stroller and complained about being cold :).  Nolan, however, could not have been cuter.  "I winning!" he would say as he ran and ran and ran.  He probably ran nearly 2 miles of the 3.2 mile race.  It was SO fun to see him out there enjoying it, not to mention the fact that I love my hometown and running through the streets made me happy.

We've been trying really hard to stay active lately, so I bought a second-hand bike trailer and we've been LOVIN' it.  I love the exercise, and if I can keep the kids from fighting while they're in it it's even better!  Those two..... I hope eventually they're friends.  The other day Cecily says to me "Mom, I think I don't like Nolan anymore.  We should maybe give him away."  Like he's a rascally puppy or something.  Sheesh.

We signed CJ up for swimming lessons again this summer!  There were 8 classes per session, and she ended up doing 2 sessions.  The first 7 days were spent trying to coax her in to putting her face in the water and trying to keep her from flailing and screaming and freaking out if someone tried to take her away from the side ledge.  Yeah- it was awesomely horrific. I even took her to the pool later in the day to try to work with her alone and it was a disaster. I'm pretty sure everyone in the pool that day thought I was either a bad mom who didn't discipline her kid, or I was trying to drown the poor child.  My girl has some lungs on her, and she's not afriad to use 'em.  On day 8, the head lifeguard/pool coordinator/boss lady spent some time with her one on one.  By the end of that day she was away from the side AND putting her face in.  I guess it's all about the right teacher, huh? The next 8 classes went pretty well, although she was still afraid.  I'm signing her up for fall lessons so that she doesn't lose any of the courage she's started to find.

Nolan and I did a "Mommy and Me" class, which he completely LOVED.  It was fun to have time alone with him as well.  He loved jumping off the side in to my arms the most. 

At the end of June my good friend Erin got married to the love of her life, Jake.  It was such a fun wedding! Erin and Jake are an awesome couple.  We were so happy to celebrate with them.  The wedding was at the base of the Bridger mountain range in Montana, and it was just incredible, and the perfect setting for a wedding.  Mike and I both commented on how much we love Bozeman.  If we stay in Montana after this coal mining adventure, that is probably where we'd want to be. We'll see! Erin looked stunning, and it is always fun to see all my BSC girls.  They're awesome.  PLUS, my amazing mom and dad took the kids for us so that Mike and I could have a little get-away for a night.  Niiiiiiiiice.

Near the end of June Colstrip has a big..... festival?  Party?  Community event?  They call it "Colstrip Days" and they have a parade where they throw candy and people make useless floats advertising local businesses.  They have a big farmers market thing in the biggest city park and there are a billion booths with food, crafts, more food, local art, and all the fresh squeezed lemonade a girl could ask for.  Delish! Not to mention the Amish come and sell fresh donuts.....YUM! That is also when the town does local fireworks, since most people leave town for the 4th of July. 

AND, last but not least:  Pinterest is good for something besides bad recipes and time wasting!  We made bookshelves for the playroom!  I rotate out all our books because there's not enough room on those 4  shelves for everything we have.  But the kids are reading more, so mission accomplished.

Stay tuned for July.  Hopefully I'll get around to it within the next few months! :)

I so funny...

First Race Of The Summer

Just before we loaded up the bus to go freeze at the starting line!

Mike and I ran a 10K on St. Patrick's day!

  It was in Bozeman, MT and it was SO COOL.  Everyone got a free pint of beer at the end of the race, which would have been amazing if only we drank beer.  We don't, so it was a teeny bit anticlimactic. 

 I'm kidding!  It was still fun!  

Not to mention we ate lunch with my good friends Erin and Leslie afterward, so there was no beer necessary for a good time. 

We want to run as many races as we can this summer and whip our booty's in to shape.

There's something so awesome about races! I hate training, but the races make it all worth it.  I don't know why, but running with other people around to challenge you and push you is 100X the excitement. 

I ended up with a time of 1:00:47and Mike was just behind me with 1:07:42.  I really wished I could have made it in before the 1 hour mark, but I stopped for a port-o-potty break at about mile 2, so I lost a few minutes.  Next time, I guess!

AWESOME

I should blog about Christmas.

I should blog about moving.

I should blog about the 10 Commandments Challenge (and about my lack of posts on that subject... I have a reason, I swear.  Maybe not a good reason, but a reason :)

I have all these blog posts that I need to catch up on... not for your sake, but for mine (because in reality, don't we all blog for ourselves anyway?). 

But, I'm not going to blog about those things.

Instead, I'm going to link you to THIS post- titled, "Waking up full of awesome." 

The two cuties on the left are most definitely full of awesome.

I found this originally because an old childhood friend linked to it on facebook.  I haven't seen this friend since highschool. Actually, I haven't really even spoken to her since about 4th grade, although we completed all 12 grades at the same schools.  She and I were best friends in first grade.  She had a blue coat with fur on the hood.  I had the same coat with fur on the hood, only mine was pink.  I think our uniform kinda solidified our bestfriendness. We were awesome.  We grew up and started to make friends with different people.  There were no fights or  "I don't want to be your friend anymore's".  We just grew up and had different interests, I guess.  Anyway, my point is that we were most definitely full of awesome in first grade, and sometimes I forget that I am still.  Occasionally I feel like someone stole my awesome.  But, they didn't.  I just forgot about it for a while. 

Read it. Love it. Be full of awesome.

And have a fantastico new year. 

Post Script:

I have a love/hate relationship with the site I linked.  While I don't completely subscribe to the "my daughter can't be a princess because princesses don't DO anything" mentality, I do think there is merit in encouraging your daughter (and yourself) to stop worrying about how you look and start worrying about what you can accomplish.   However, I also let my daughter play with dolls and be girlie, because frankly- there is merit in that too.  I just don't want her to think she can't acheive or become the things boys can because it's "not girly."  She can do anything she wants to, including baseball AND barbie dolls.

'Bout Ready to Rant the Pants Off Somethin'!

Ready for a rant???????? I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I just posted about being more kind and speaking softly, but this just needs to come out of my system. 

Things that DRIVE ME CRAZY: and not in a good, britney spears kind of way:

1. Peep toe boots.  

Do I really need to elaborate on this?  No?   Too bad, I'm going to anyway- First of all, they're ugly as sin.  Second of all, they're hideously impractical.  Third, they're ugly as sin.  I am getting old and do not understand the "young folks and all their trends."

2.  People who compare raising a child to caring for a pet. 

 The other day I was talking to a woman who has a dog.  I did not know this woman personally, but somehow she felt it was appropriate to tell me how similar taking care of children is to owning a pet....... ya know.... 'cause they both potty train, and you have to teach them obedience and stuff.  Uuuhhhhh, what?  PEOPLE ARE SERIOUSLY POSTAL IF THEY THINK THAT IT'S THE SAME.  It's not.  Do you worry about the morals and values that your dogs are growing up with?  Do you worry about your dog's college tuition? Do you agonize and wonder if you're teaching them discipline, values, hard work, religion, and doing a good job of it?  Does every decision you make concerning your dog weigh so heavily on your heart that sometimes you think it will burst under pressure? 

Uh, no.  I don't think so.

Teaching Fido to sit ain't really that difficult.

Please note that I really am an animal person- I think you can love them and they can TOTALLY be a wonderful part of your family.  But don't equate raising them to raising a child.  It's not the same.

3. Stores that congratulate you on buying their goods or using their services.

 I couldn't figure out how to get this picture to a landscape, sorry.  Tip your head to the side and read the first sentence.

This little note that my hubbs got with his glasses made me irritated.  A congratulatory note? Really?  Shouldn't WE be congratulating YOU on the fact that you just got a crapload of our money? 

So, that's it for now. I feel better!

I'm thinking of making this a weekly rant.

 hehehehehehehehhee.

 What drives YOU crazy? 

13.1

Where do I begin? 

 Last Saturday, October 29, 2011, I ran my first half marathon.   

Mike's excellent picture taking skills are responsible for this stellar picture of my large booty. 

I ran the Provo Halloween Half Marathon. 

IN COSTUME, NO LESS!

When I signed up for it, my original intention was to lose the last 10 lbs of baby weight and help my husband shed a few as well. 

Neither of those things happened.

And because of all the craziness of the past 2 months, I didn't train as much as I would have liked. (Read : I hardly trained at all.....)

Not to mention,  Mike pulled a ligament in his foot a month ago and couldn't run.

I still count myself successful, though. 

Because I finished.

And that is a big accomplishment for me.

I ran farther than I had ever run before in my whole life.

I kept going, even though my knees hurt and my toes had blisters.

And I finished.

Go me.

This pic is of me and the finish line.

And my IPhone

And my chapstick.

(Both of which I ran with)

And the two oranges and one green banana I ate after the race.

And some of the orange is on my lips if you look close.

Obviously, i wasn't worried too much about my appearance after 13.1 miles.

My official time was 2 hours 29 minutes and 19 seconds.

My only goal was to finish, but I was sort of hoping to finish under 3 hours,

and I finished under 2 1/2.  Wooooooooooot!

I'm hoping to train harder next time. Because there will be a next time.  And it will be awesome.

10 Year Reunion

I know I've mentioned this before, but I absolutely LOVE my high school girlfriends.  This past weekend I was able to have  a little "girl trip" with them in Seattle.  I left the kiddos with Grammy and Papa Lay and hopped on a plane! 

 I wore make-up for 4 days in a row, slept 3 nights uninterrupted, and took showers alone for the first time in months.  I am so thankful for my awesome parents!

PS- mike was working and "bring your kids to work day" isn't for another few months.

ITEM NUMERO UNO: Seattle is INCREDIBLY beautiful.  Usually I'm not a big city lover, but Seattle is the exception.  There are so many trees that you don't feel the concrete jungle-ness at all.  There are great parks and lakes and it is a veritable smorgasbord of stunning architecture.  Love. 

ITEM NUMERO DOS: My friends are so amazing.  It's been 10 years since we graduated, but we can get together and it feels like not a day has passed.  Conversation was easy, hugs were given freely, and good times were had by all.  It is hard to even write down exactly how close I am to these women.  Most of us are in different places in our lives- some are single, some are married, a few have kids, and a few don't.  But honestly, it doesn't even matter.  For some reason we can all relate to each other and connect.  I treasure the friendship I have with these 8 incredible women.  They have each become such accomplished, strong, smart, not to mention beautiful ladies.  In the last few years I have watched them struggle with illness, heartbreak, loss and setbacks, and come through with courage and grace.  OK, I'm done gushing.  But you get my point: I feel lucky to be connected to them! They bring a diversity to my point of view and make me want to be a better human being.

ITEM NUMERO TRES: We had so much FUN! We were missing 2 of our posse, Michelle and Leslie- but we'll see them in June when Erin gets MARRIED! WOOP!  Can't wait!

You've probably seen 'em on Facebook if we're friends, but here's the pics :

At The Locks in Seattle.  It's where the boats come through this gate thing..... and they get lowered down.... into the harbor..... or something.  It's simple gravity, I just can't explain it.   

Back- erin, erica, katie f, wendy

Front- kelly, katie h, & amy

PHO'!!!!!  Yum! They don't have Pho' in Colstrip :)

More pictures at the locks.  We're back lit- oops. Uhhh, aren't we simply glowing?

Erin's b-day was the 10th and mine was the 7th, so the girls surprised us with gourmet cupcakes.  SOOOOOOOO delish. And so thoughtful.

The gum wall. Eww.  And a carmel apple cider.  Mmm.

Katie and I at the market.  

 Oh, how I love the flowers, the fish, the shopping.  It was amazing.

My lovely ladies.