A POST!!

For the last four months I thought that I would never be able to post to my blog again.  Come to find out I just can't post from my computer.  Since I'm swapping sitting with some friends I am going to take advantage of their computer. :)

A ton has happened since my last post. 

In May I ran the Fargo marathon in Fargo, ND.  It is incredibly flat in Fargo.  That part was great.  When I picked up my packet it was almost 100 degrees outside.  Weirdly the weather turns quickly there and we ran in 60 degree weather the next day.  I was hoping to qualify for Boston again, but missed it by five minutes.  I pushed and pushed.  The last ten miles I was running in a 20 mph headwind.  It was rough.  I went with a friend who also ran the race.  Fargo is about five hours away from Rochester.  After finishing and getting through that post marathon sickness we hobbled to the car, drove to her friend's house, showered, called our husbands and started the drive back home. 

The next day Wayne and I took the kids to Minneapolis.  We went to a park and walked around.  I felt something shift in my foot.  After three months we finally figured out that I have a bone pushing against a nerve in my foot.  I haven't been able to run since the marathon, which has been really hard for me.  This week I had a cortisone shot in my foot and am hoping that it is enough to get my it back to that happy place.  If it won't I'll need to have surgery to break the bone and straighten it out.  I'm really hoping it doesn't come down to that.

In June we went to Utah to see family.  It had been two years since Wayne's last trip to Utah.  We had a blast.  I stayed with the kids for two and half weeks.  Sadly, Wayne can't take more than a week vacation at a time.  He had to fly back after a week.  Before he flew home we were able to leave the kids with family and go on an overnighter.  We stayed in downtown Salt Lake, went to City Creek, and ate some really good food.  We did that a lot. :)  I again, returned home with some pounds I had to lose. 

We also took the family to Lagoon.  My sister, Ali, and her family came too.  We packed in food and came ready for the entire day there. The kids were over the moon.  I was shocked at the rides my little Trevor was going on.  He went on everything!!  His favorite ride was Wicked.  Jacob loved the Colossus.  Alexis loved anything and everything she could ride.  She was super sad that she wasn't tall enough to go on the biggest rides with the boys.  We all went on Rattlesnake Rapids.  Who was dumped upon??  Yes, that would be Moi.  We went to Lagoona Beach right after that and let our clothes air out while we swam. 

We saw family a lot, that was wonderful.  We had our family picture taken.  We saw the Utah Symphony perform a patriotic concert.  We went to Taylorsville Dayzz, packed a picnic and saw a Neil Diamond impersonator in concert (the guy was awesome though!!).  After the concert there was an AMAZING firework show that was set off to music.    We discovered the Sweet Tooth Fairy and ate at a lot of our favorite places.  Rochester is great, but the food selection is not. :)

Jacob asked to stay in Utah for the entire summer.  Trevor and Alexis have both said they want to move to Utah to live by their grandparents and cousins.  Wayne will start to look for that final job in about a year.  We will see, we will see.

Over the summer we went to the pool three to four times a week.  Drumroll please . . . . Trevor decided to swim!!  Your eyes are not deceiving you.  It really happened.  Alexis is a fish to boot and Jacob is a fabulous swimmer.  It was so much fun watching them swim and play in the pool.

We were able to go to Thursdays on First a few times.  Every Thursday during the summer vendors set up on First Street.  There is music, food and shopping.  Wayne was on call every Thursday, so it was me and the kids.

We took advantage of the library.  Every Wednesday we went and checked out hoards of books.  We also saw a few concerts (one by a Grammy Award winning artist) and watched a NASA specialist give details about Curiosity, the first rover to land on Mars.

The kids also went to Quarry Hill camp.  It was the first time that I have sent them all to the same place at the same time.  It was heaven to have those two and a half hours to myself.  Jacob went hiking and canoeing.  Trevor's favorite part was analyzing animal habitats.  Alexis adored the opossum and is still singing ladybug songs that she learned at camp.  We will definitely be doing that again.

Trevor turned seven just before school started.  We are having family parties this year.  He chose to go to Chuck E. Cheese to play games and eat at Godfathers Pizza.  We were completely on board with that one.  As soon as we walked into Chuck E. Cheese the kids started to scope out the games.  Chuck E Cheese himself was walking around giving out free tickets to kids who would dance with him. Trevor wasn't paying attention when he saw him he threw his head into Wayne's backside.  When Wayne tried to pry him away he ran the opposite direction.  Those costumed characters FREAK Trevor out.  Trevor tried to convince Alexis of their terrifying nature, but she wouldn't have anyone scaring her away from an adorable furry animal.  What kind of animal is that anyway?  A rat, mouse, hampster??  Anywho, Jacob set up a very cool (I almost said adorable) scavenger hunt for Trevor the night before his birthday.  We ate chocolate chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate mint frosting and chocolate dream ice cream.  Trevor chose the dessert.  I must say he is my child through and through. 

My next door neighbors have left town for a few weeks and told me to finish picking whatever we would like out of their garden and off of their apple tree.  We have taken them up on that offer.  I have processed over 100 pounds of apples.  I have our supply of apple pie filling, applesauce and apple fruit leather.  I told myself not to pick any more apples, but I couldn't help it and probably picked up another 30 pounds today.  My hands look like a mechanics from all of the stains I've received from picking, peeling and processing.

Wayne has ZERO call nights and ZERO weekend coverage responsibility for the next seven months!!! Can you tell how ecstatic I am?? We went to the St. Paul temple last night together. Next month we are leaving the kids and heading to South Bend, IN to watch the BYU vs. Notre Dame football game. We are like a couple of little kids waiting for Christmas. 

School started up the day after Labor Day.  This next week is when all of the extracurricular activities begin, which also means this is when my life gets crazy.