Who Cares?

I know it has been about 4 months since I last put anything on this blog.  Good thing there aren’t any rules regulating what I do and do not do. 

It has been a very busy 4 months.  We had 4 birthday parties, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Not to mention, work, school and dance classes.  Yet somehow we are still alive. 

One of the highlights was that Sundee and I went on a cruise in October.  Yep we left all 4 kids!  They pestered people for a week without mom and dad.  I think they were good, if they weren’t no one told us different so my kids are the best kids around.  We visited Jamaica and the Bahamas.  We were supposed to go to the Grand Caymans but because a hurricane we were diverted.  It was okay because we spent an entire day on the beach playing in the water and getting sunburned.  In Jamaica we went on a zip line and it was a blast.  Jamaica is an interesting place.  And for those of you that have never been on a cruise I highly recommend it.  This was our second and we enjoyed it as much as the first.

This was the zip line crew. 

And us leaving the port in Miami.

This was as we were getting back on the boat.  After being in the sun, and salt water with dried salt in every crack and hidden part on your body.  Not so fun when it starts to dry up.

We did have a lot of fun.  It was also nice to have a week to sleep in and relax.  By the end of the trip I missed my kids.  We were able to Skype with them while we were in Miami on the ship and when we got back and were at the airport.  They really enjoy doing that. 

Other topics of interest are very few.  Bree and Addi are enjoying pre-school.  Bree is ready for Kindergarten and can’t wait.  The Biggest milestone for Jax is that he is now potty trained.  WOO HOO only 1 in diapers and Teryn is close to being done with them too.  No Diapers! what will we do?  It’s been 5 straight years with diapers in this house.  It’s an expensive habbit.  Maybe we need a reality show…

 This post would just not be complete without a picture of the crew themselves.  here they are!  yes they have mismatched gloves but who cares, they are having the times of their lives in the snow. 

I think this video sums it up!!! 

One Month Ago... Or So.

About a month ago I ran the Top of Utah Half Marathon. It was my third year running this race and my 7th half over all and fastest time. I came in at 1:37:48. I was very satisfied with that time. My goal was to finish between 1 hour 30 mins. and 1 hour 40 mins. I'd say I made it. That morning you have to be to the start line really early and so we decided to stay at the Quality Inn hotel in Logan. We stayed there last year too. Sundee stayed home with 3 of the kids and my dad and I took Bree with us this year. We ate at Sizzler the night before and it was a lot of fun because Bree was so excited to be with just us that she was giddy the entire time.

Bree and my Dad made the Top of Utah photo shoot this year, front and center, not looking at the camera of course. I made it on last year, this year I was not so lucky. :)

The next morning the race offers a shuttle service, yellow school bus, from the hotel to the start line. They said you had to be outside by 4:45 a.m. to catch a ride. Well i was out there by that time and waited until 5:50 a.m. and never a bus showed up. There was about 11 or so of us waiting. I was a little upset to say the least. I was now stuck with having to knock on the hotel door, wake my dad and Bree up and have them take me to the race. As I walked to the door a couple of gals yelled, "Sir. want a ride?" I quickly agreed and as I walked toward them realized, they just called me Sir! I'm not sure how I feel about that, made me feel old.

Anyway I got to the start line on time, and felt really good. I wasn't hurting or worried about the race. I had been training and knew even if I didn't get my time I would be able to finish no prob. So the race started and one thing I like to do if there is a timed start that records when I cross the line, is to start off the start line. I don't like being up front with everyone because then I feel too much pressure. The race started and I was off.

I was running in my New Balance Minimus shoes. Which if I can suggest a pair of minimalist or flat shoes, I would definitely recommend these shoes. I've done two half's in them, Ragnar and a few 5K's in them. They are great for how I like to run and provide just a little bit more protection than the Vibrams, because rocks hurt in Vibrams.

Finishing!

Anyway,

Throughout the first 8 or 9 miles I felt great averaging a very fast pace for me. As I hit mile 10 my calf was feeling like it was going to cramp on me so I slowed a little and actually stopped to take in a little extra water. I think I took in too much and the next two miles were a bit slower than I wanted. I had to pick up the pace a little on the last mile but by then I was already playing mental games with myself and was frustrated with how I was running.

Then I crossed the finish line and as I came close I could see they let Bree stand in the path and wait for me to cross. They asked her if she wanted to run the last little bit with me but she was too shy to do it, so she just waited. It's nice to have people at the end waiting for you, it makes it all worth it and the high you get is what makes you come back for more.

And there it is, another half marathon down. I'm glad I did it and this was the first one that I didn't hurt afterwards. My muscles were a little tight but overall I felt great, and that to me is a huge victory. I like being able to run and not hurt. Now I'm not sure which race will be next but there will be a next and when I do run, you can be sure you'll hear about it.

Pictures

Because I am a slacker when it comes to this I will make this brief.  We had family pictures a while back.  The kids all cooperated for the most part.  They turned out really nice.  We had them taken at Wheeler Farm and it was really hot.  But I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Running Again

I think I may have a problem.  This post will be mostly about some running I have done over the last few months.  So to begin I should talk about the first run since the last one…

Clinton City, well the youth council for Clinton City hosted a 5K, 10K, and half marathon.  I thought it would be fun to support the city I worked for and give it a shot.  I helped plan road blocks so I knew the route very well.  I signed up for the half marathon.  I understand that the 5K and 10K had a lot of people come out to them.  Once the race started I was feeling good but I was not trying to break any records, I was just there for the run.  As we made it to the first intersection the leader of the pack made a left turn instead of going strait.  I knew this was wrong but by the time I was at the intersection there were 10 or so people ahead of me.  Needless to say we ran the entire thing backwards.  It’s all good because it’s the same distance, but it was a little harder at the end going up a hill instead of down, owell.  I finished that race in 6th place overall and 2nd in my age group.  I was pretty happy about that since I wasn’t running extremely hard.  There were only about 39 or so that ran the half anyway.  But here is picture proof of that one.

The next thing I did was the Ragnar relay once again.  This makes it my 4th Ragnar in the last year.  Yes I think I have a problem.  Maybe even a slight addiction.  We just got done doing it and are already signed up for next year.  Anyway, this year since I knew which legs were more difficult I thought I would select an easier one.  This year I didn’t have hills to combat, but I did have the distances.  I think my overall total mileage was around 22.  They were fairly casual runs, aside from the distances.

I was runner number 1 and we were part of the very first runners to leave at 5 in the morning.  That is way too early for me.  So away we went, well me and about 80 others.  I was mid pack or so because with 2 runs following this one I had to pace myself.  Also being mid pack allowed me to just run and not have to focus on what turns needed to be made, the rest of the pack would lead me right?  I should have learned my lesson from the story above but I didn’t and the leaders of the pack ran up some stupid his a half mile until they realized it was wrong and back down the hill a half mile we went.   I was a little irritated but I could have been better prepared too.  So that was no big deal what’s an extra mile right?

This is my first leg attire.

The 2nd run went off without a hitch.  I ran from Snow Basin down the hill.  It was a really good run and I felt good the whole 8 miles. 

Once that was over it was time to try and get some rest.  I was able to sleep for a little over two hours.  This was a huge improvement from the other Ragnar relays I’ve done.  I think it’s because I’ve learned the tricks on sleeping.  So we rested at a destination not near our next exchange point so we had to wake up early and get ready for runner 12 to hand off to me at the Oakley Rodeo grounds.  We saw all the cars and runners headed to where we thought was the final exchange for me but in fact we were one exchange too early.  I was dropped off and stood at 3 a.m. in 40 degree weather waiting for the next guy to come in.  After an hour of waiting and no one coming I borrowed a phone from a girl and my van was on their way back to get me.  The road was closed so they had to get a police escort to come and get me.  We were only delayed an hour and 40 mins.  I was exhausted, tired, cold and ready to be done.  So my last 6 mile run I ran as hard as I had energy for and ran a 7 minute mile.  I got it over with. 

So after a long 33 hours we finished.  We didn’t set any records or place but it was a good time.  So good we are doing it again.  So yes I think I have an addiction to the Ragnar Relays, they are a good time.

Team One Mile at a Time

Oh yeah and we did it with only 11 runners instead of 12.

I think that is enough for one day, I will post about Lagoon, The Princess Festival, Swimming and two other races I’ve done in the last month in a day or two.  There is only so much running we can stand to hear about.  So here’s the Lagoon preview.

Late again

I understand I am behind on posting anything new lately. I would say I have been really busy, and I have not had the time. Truth is I'm just not as busy as I try and convince myself I am. I am going to, hopefully, post a few different things over the next couple days to catch up.

First I think I should start by posting what should have been done a month ago. May 30th we celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary. Yep nine years! Hard to believe it's been that long. We didn't do anything overly elaborate for the anniversary but we did stay at a nice hotel for the night in Sandy. We went to dinner and a movie and it was nice to just have some time to ourselves since that is hard to come by these days.

So nine years have come and gone and we are still enjoying each other. Here's to the next nine and hoping they are as good as the last.

Not a picture of just the two of out on the town, but a picture with the two of us in it none the less. My upcoming posts will cover this picture when they are up.

Easter-ish

It would appear that we are quite the slackers when it comes to posting updates. It’s a good thing they're worth the wait. Easter came and went. The kids had a great time with all the egg coloring and egg hunting. I missed the memo somewhere that said Easter is now like Christmas and kids are supposed to get all sorts of presents. I guess ours will just have to suffer without and one day they might read this and realize we are so mean (or poor). Anyway it was a good time. I guess it usually is when you can spend time with family and have a good time. Like years past we had our friends Ben and Jess come over with their kids to color eggs. Out of 24 or so eggs colored we had mostly pink a few purple and one blue. Poor Jax is outnumbered 6 to 1 when they come over.

We also found out over the last few months that Teryn is allergic to penicillin. How’s that for awesome. I guess the only way you can find that out is to have a reaction to it. She had an ear infection and so she was taking amoxicillin and broke out in a rash, then her face became swollen. It was pretty scary for a few days but the Doctors just treated it like it was no big deal. Eventually it passed and wasn’t a big deal.

Bree, Addi and Jax have been good, nothing new to report with them.

I(Bryan) ran another Ragnar Relay race in April. This time we traveled to So Cal. It ran from Huntington Beach to Coronado Island. It was scenic in some parts and not so much in other parts. The leg I ran was pretty difficult and it covered 25.5 miles in all. I was pretty tired by the end of it. Good part about my legs were they were the most scenic. It was also pretty hot, and for Utah this year that was something we have seen very little of. Our team placed 68th out of 470 something and we took 1st in the public service division. Overall it was a good time and definitely a neat experience. I’ll post some pictures and hopefully a short video of my view.

Huntington Beach, starting line.

The Orange Ragnar Van.The Big Bay, San Diego

Team Pig Envy, Coronado Island

One of my favorite pictures, even though I’m not smiling pretty. Padres Stadium(Petco).

Time

It appears that a lot of time has passed once again and we have not updated a thing on here.   I will also mentioned that not a thing has happened over that time.  Well except a bunch of sick kids all the time.   This post may seem a little negative and complaining, so consider yourself warned.

Sundee did have a birthday in February so that was a little excitement.  But really what can you do in the winter, with four kids that are all sick, especially when you want to enjoy your birthday.  Well I decided to get Sundee a new pair of shoes for her birthday.  I was nervous that I would get “the look” that tells me I screwed up big time.  Fortunately for me, I didn’t get that.  Yes, I know I am pretty awesome.

 

So here is a picture of what the shoes look like.  She has joined the revolution….

 

Addi and Teryn also got conjunctivitis.  Yes this is as bad as it reads.  I suspect it came from church and the nasty toys and kids that show up sick.  I don’t want to go on a rant and tell people they should leave their kids (and themselves) home if they are sick.  Don’t bring them to church and get my family sick because you need two hours without them each week.  I understand needing a little adult conversation with friends and no kids, but at my expense?  I think not.  C’mon People!!  Anyway I’ll get off my soapbox now and just keep skipping church until it’s warmer and my kids won’t come home with all sorts of nastiness.  Here is a picture of how Addi feels, it’s not the greatest but you get the idea. 

The last few months have been good despite all the coughs, pukes and poops.  Teryn is walking and mobile and into everything.  All the kids are getting bigger and time passes so fast.  It’s only a matter of time before I can put them to work and have them bring some income into this poor little family .  On a good note, Addi is potty trained!  Only two in diapers instead of three makes a big difference in the wallet.  We were pretty excited she decided she needed to be done with diapers. 

Speaking of diapers, one last thought.  When you have so many kids, and so many diapers being changed each day, the task of going out to the curb with each diaper to put in the can becomes, well tedious.  So to make life easier we put a few in a sack and place it outside the door until we can get them to the can.  Well a neighborhood dog has decided that it likes to get into the poopy diapers, and drag them onto my lawn, and a couple neighbor lawns.  If you think that is disgusting then you would be right.  Not only is it disgusting that I have to pick it up the dog owners still refuse to lock their dog up.  So this occurs quite often.  The only time that dog is in it’s house is when it’s time for the family to go to bed.  Now I don’t wish ill will on anyone, not even my enemies, but I will say that I do hope all those Doggy kisses at night are worth it!!

WOW

Wow it has been a long time. I just noticed this blog is way out dated. For the 3 or 4 of you that actually stop by here from time to time I apologize. By way of big news... well we have none. Things have been pretty hectic in our home the last few months. December was great. The kids were spoiled big time. They got a lot of toys and new clothes. I think we are good with toys for quite some time now. They all loved Santa Clause. None of them were scared, in fact they probably pestered him enough he was done with them. They got to see him a couple times at different parties so they enjoyed that.

Bree and Addi had their first dance recital. They did great and really love going to dance. They are in different classes so they had to wear different costumes that they loved. The one thing I can say about dance and the classes and recitals, pricey.

Teryn is still being a crawling baby. She won't walk but I really think she could, she just doesn't want to yet. She is still the calmest most relaxed kid we have. She's great! Jax is starting to talk more and more. It's neat to listen to him try and communicate with us. He is the happiest kid around, and still growing a ton.

So here we are in 2011. We hope this year will be as fun filled and adventurous as the last year. Well adventurous as you can get with 4 little ones.:) By our standards 2010 was a fun year, we hope to re-live it this year.

The only news for the last year... We made it 12 whole months without having a new baby, let's hope for 12 more:) That means, no more formula and no feedings every 2-3 hours. But we still have 3 in diapers. psh, owell.

Well here are a few pictures of what we did in December.