Check!

So I've always wanted to run a marathon, and Laura Benson (the girl pictured below...which was taken almost 10yrs. ago at my friends wedding. She's gonna love it! Ha) challenged me to one. Well, after having Isla I've had stomach issues, so Kari Evans, another good friend of mine told me about a half marathon coming up & I though I'd better try that first....And TIM did it too!! WOOT WOOT! I am so proud of him! He really didn't train that much, and had shin splints real bad, and sprained his ankle a couple of weeks before, but he did it! I got horrible stomach pains at 12.5 miles! No kidding! Luckily a girl behind me saw me slowing down, and challenged me to run through the pain to the finish, and I did! I wanted to finish in under 2 hours, but made it to 2hrs. 9mins. Ahhh! Maybe next time. I'm still not sure I'm marathon material!

Feelin the Pull

Well, I'm headed back to pack a bag to head out on the road to take away what I know is mine. And I'm running down past the yellow house with Tim into the breeze where no one seems to care. And I'm feeling the pull....it's dragging me off again.

Crazed face of freedom! We dropped Isla off at my parents house and ran away to SLC.

Ate delicious food. I know it's cliche but we went to Cheesecake factory and Market Street Grill. We like what we like! This is Tim below enjoying his chowder!

We brought a cake back from Tulie Bakery. Don't you love this pic? It was super delicious delicious! We had the best time ever!! We went to the SL Temple, and a movie while we were there! We basically just enjoyed being together. It's been way to long! Ha!

Memorable Memorial

We went golfing at Summit Creek in Smithfield, nice view! It was raining and cold, but totally worth it! Then....

We decided to get the whole freakin neighborhood stuck in our backyard! Travis brought up his roadbike that he could only load by backing up into my parents ditch, but it had filled with water. So he got stuck. Then my dad got stuck. Then the tractor got stuck. WHAT? My uncle Karl was doing circles around them in his Subaru, but sadly could not help. My aunt Denise kept saying "No woman would ever get in this situation!" Amen to that Denise! Ha!

They eventually had to bring in the big guns... The dual wheel tractor with four wheel drive. Whoops! Thanks Brent!

Sad to say my parents back yard is completely torn up. It made my stomach hurt to watch! Oh well, nothing that can't be fixed! Good luck with that one dad!

Isla's Lucky Day

Today we went on a Sunday walk, and we saw missionaries, kitties, puppies, and for the grand finale....dun-dun-dun-dun...Miniature horses!! We got to go inside the trailer and pet the baby! Holy cow! Isla was going nuts, seriously a really great day!
She's in her jammies because she just got out of the tub.....then played in a horse trailer! Ha! Oh well!

Birthday Pictures

I had to post this one because a.) I love it b.) This is totally Isla

I feel like this blog is one of my children and I'm a bad mother! Ha! It's just that I happen to love Isla more, so this one gets neglected. I do have pictures to share, from Stevie Croft though! Isla had a hard time warming up to the camera, so I posted the ones that looked like she didn't hate us for making her wear ridiculous things! I just love my little Isla without end!!!

Birthday Preview

May Day May Day...Isla's 1!!! I seriously can't believe she's 1! I was sitting in church thinking back on the year, and how difficult it was, yet how much my heart has grown in the process. I think I needed some humbling, and I believe the Lord was molding me into the person he knew I could be....just a small step in my journey.

We had cupcakes because we are waiting for the mini-cake when Stevie comes next Monday to take pictures! Turns out she doesn't like cup cakes as the video shows! Ha! Here are some pictures I took, but the professional ones will be posted in a couple weeks!

Just cause she's CUTE!!

Firsts

I know this is terribly cliche but I have been super busy, so blogging has been on hold for a while...sorry! Here's an update on some of Isla's firsts: She has two bottom teeth, and is now getting two more beside the bottoms, and two on top! She took her first bubble bath, and went to the park for the first time and we slid down the slide (which was kinda scary she said :) and played on the swings!! Oh, and first Justin Bieber hair-do! Ha!

Piano Lessons

Adjusting the volume

"Look how sore my fingers are! I need a break!"

Ya I'm pretty much making Isla write an concerto grosso! Ha! I picked up this fancy little number at Once Upon A Child for a spendy $4.50! I heart that place! Isla loves her baby grand! She jams on it all day and sings sometimes too! It has a backbeat and you can record yourself (Chelsea lost an entire afternoon after discovering this). I have no idea what any of the buttons say because it's all in chinese, so thankgoodness music is a universal language!

Isla at 8 Months!

Chelsea and I did these on my way crappy camera, with some serious editing! Don't worry her 1 yr. will be taken by a professional! Ha!

Leftover Christmas Pears!!

My parents gave me some of their left-over Christmas Pears from Harry and David and Chelsea left them in her trunk to freeze and thaw for a couple of days, so...I wanted to use them still so I tried this fabulous recipe and was pleasantly surprise how delicious they were! If you have any hard, bartlett pears that works great too! Try it out, you'll be glad you did!

Pears in Raspberry cream sauce:

3 Tblsp. butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tea. ground ginger

2 dashes of ground nutmeg

1/2 tea. cinnamon

4 firm bartlett pear peeled, halved and cored

3 tblsp. heavy cream

1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed

Preheat oven to 375. In a ovenproof sauce pan combine butter, sugar, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook just until butter is melted and then put in your pears cut side down. Bake with foil on top for about 25 mins, turning them over halfway through.

Lift pears onto serving dish and bring the remaining liquids to a boil *REMEMBER THE HANDLE ON YOUR SAUCE PAN IS FLAMING HOT!!! DO NOT TOUCH* because I totally did like 3 times! Add cream, and bring mixture to a boil. Thicken for about 1 minute. Take off heat and stir in raspberries. Spoon this delectable concoction onto your pears and then I top with home-made whipcream (heavy cream, 4-5 tblsp. sugar and 1 tea. vanilla and whip with mixer).

ENJOY!!

Christmas Time

Well...hmmmm where to start? We went to Price this Christmas and got to see Ben and Kim and the kids while we were there. Isla kept waking up at the crack of dawn. I watched the sun rise over the bookcliffs one too many times! Ha! We were all basically sick, John (Tim's dad) was probably the worse! I had a good time getting away from I.F. and shoppin' with the girls though! Then we stopped in Lewiston (Cache Valley) where my parents live because 5-6 hrs. in the car with Isla was less than ideal, and we got snowed in! Long story short we were gone for like two weeks! It was very nice to see family and rest from being sick, but consequently I took like 3 pictures and they were only of Isla, so here's she is with her new doll, and hopefully next year I will be better at documenting the festivities!

Photo Shoot

So I decided to make some last minute Christmas cards for my family, and since I'm cheap and Stevie's probably slammed...I did my own lame photo shoot. Here's the blurry, unprofessional pictures I came up with:

My Christmas Card to you..

I was reading a talk by Pres. Henry B. Eyring, and contemplating the need for "Peace on Earth", a phrase often heard this time of year. I came to the conclusion that we do have peace on earth if we want it! Pres. Eyring said:
"More than any other people on earth, we have, through the glorious events of the Restoration of the gospel, felt the peace that the Lord offered His people with the words 'Be still, and know that I am God.' "
Maybe we can't stay wars or world-wide anxiety, but if we just be still, and trust in the Lord, truly we can feel peace. If the peace begins in our hearts we can spread it to our homes, and then communities! If everyone trusted in the Lord and did his will, we would have peace on earth! My goal is to really try and trust the Lord. I know to often I demand justice when what I really need to give is mercy! I wish all of you Peace in your homes and hearts this season as we turn to our Savior!