Another Birthday?!

Where does the time go?  There was a lot that took my time this year and as my birthday approached I felt like I hadn't done too much just for me.  In July I did a little self-assessment and decided there was a little more I wanted to do before my 40th year came to a close.  I started my 10 week "NO EXCUSES" plan.

I wanted to increase my habit of personal scripture study and get back on track with my exercising.  I also wanted to improve my eating habits - really making progress on two out of three isn't bad, right?



I was able to read the Book of Mormon during this 10 weeks.  I enjoyed reading it in a shorter time frame and really felt the influence of the spirit in my life.  I invited my family to do it with me.  I only had one taker.  McKenna and I did it together.  We also decided that since we were doing that together we could encourage and help each other in the Young Women Personal Progress Program and get our Value experience and project for Virtue completed which included reading the Book of Mormon.  I really enjoyed working on these value experiences with my daughter.  She is so good and faithful.

I also determined to get at least 40 minutes of exercise at least four times a week.  Over the last year I had let my exercise habits slide due to other stresses and commitments that took more of my time.  I loved having the extra time in my day, but wasn't loving how not exercising made me feel.  It felt good to get back in the habit.

Besides exercising, I also wanted to work on my eating habits - I will need to keep working on that one this next year though.  I didn't find myself making excuses so I figure it didn't really fit into my ten week plan anyway and cut myself a little slack when I couldn't change this as drastically as I wanted.  This was going to take a little more effort than ten weeks to form a habit.  I did learn that my eating isn't because I make excuses, I just do it without thinking.  When people around me would eat, I would join them.  As you can imagine with growing teens, there is always someone eating at my house which meant I was always eating.  Well, at least I pinpointed the problem.  I'll work it out in this next year.

Carson, Tasha and Clint and the girls helped me celebrate.

Jim, Kris, Mom and Kathy (along with Greg) also came to the party.

When my birthday rolled around in the end of September, I felt I had been successful and I was a little better than I was at 39.  I had a great birthday celebration with the family (my Mom even surprised me and was here from Utah) and then Cathy and Lani treated me to a girls night out for dinner and to enjoy the Zac Brown Band in concert at the Clark County Amphitheater.  I am so lucky!

2013-2014: Another School Year Begins

The years are flying by!

McKenna begins 7th grade.

Carson's first year of seminary and high school.

Austin's senior year.

It was just yesterday I sent Austin off on his very first day of preschool. It's times like these that pull at a mother's heart strings.  Here are his first day of school pictures from Sept 2000 to Sept 2013:

Preschool

Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

Sixth Grade

Seventh Grade

Eighth Grade

Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

Bike to the Temple

The Whole Group - committed to helping everyone make it successfully.

A year ago the youth of our ward participated in an activity called “Choose the Ride.”  They prepared all summer to ride their bikes 33 miles from our stake center in Vancouver to the temple in Lake Oswego, Oregon.  Due to family circumstances and athletic schedules none of my family was able to participate.  I was so disappointed so when the McKagues decided to do it again and wanted our family to do it with them, I jumped at the chance.

McKenna and Sage taking a rest stop at the top of cemetery hill.

McKenna and I did several bike rides through the summer to get her ready.  I enjoyed this special time with her.  Eric also dusted off his road bike and took a few Saturday morning rides with me to prepare. One Saturday morning all of us got on our bikes and rode up Prune Hill to make sure we were prepared for the hill climbs in Lake Oswego.  I love my bike and I love my family.  This was heaven for me (well, would have been without the complaining).  Austin and Carson weren’t too happy about this family activity, but they came along.  Hopefully they will look back on it and have some fond memories.

CRAMP!

Time to refuel and regroup.

Preparing for and finishing this ride was not too unlike preparing for and attending the temple.  Going to the temple and receiving the blessings Heavenly Father has for us takes preparation and work.  It means that we have to give up some things we want for something better.  Sometimes when it gets tough it takes the people around us to set the example, encourage us, coach us and help us pull through it, but they can’t do it for us we have to put in the work.  It was great seeing all my family make it to the temple.  I can imagine better Father Lehi standing at the tree of life beckoning to and watching his family make their way along the iron rod.

We made it!

Backpacking with Gizzy & Dad

By: Carson

To finish out the summer our family wanted to go on a group backpacking trip. However, with lots of different activities starting and school on the way, most of the family was busy and didn’t have time to go backpacking. Dad, Gizzy and I were the only people with time to go, so we left the rest of the family to the stressful mess our house had become as the beginning of the school year got closer and hiked Siouxon Trail, somewhere the scout troops have been before.

We hiked in a little over 2 miles, after multiple stops for Gizzy (I think Dad needed a break too) and found a nice camping site next to the creek. Dad and I hung out while Gizzy explored, and once it got dark we built a fire. Dad forgot gas to the stove so we had to cook our meals over the fire, which was an interesting experience, but all worked out in the end! Gizzy found a special spot where two log benches met and he spent most of the night there while me and dad talked next to the fire and played cards. 

We had a relaxing night in the tent with some good bro time, and after hiking out and getting back on the road to home, I was glad we took the time before summer was over to enjoy the outdoors and have some father and son time. When we got back the house was as crazy as before, but I was a little more prepared for school to start after spending some time on the trail.