October 26, 2010

Halloween Family. . . thanks to Dal!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Hard times. . .

With so many things happening to us, or to those around us, I thought this video particularly touching...

October 25, 2010

Where's my camera when I REALLY need it?

I WISH I had a picture of Dallin's face a few minutes ago!! He was just heading to the shower after a heated rugby practice (which was after his play practice...).

Just before he shut the bathroom door I said, "Hey, did I tell you??? (pause pause) We're going to have a BABY!!"

I thought he was going to pass out!

For a split second I couldn't understand his reaction, then I "got it" and quickly said, "NO, NOT ME!! SILVER!!" The look of disbelief/relief on his face said volumes!

But the glorious news is SILVER IS PREGNANT!! And this time it's not a false hope!
NAT & Silver
From Horses 5-22-10


I took her to the vet this afternoon who did a physical exam on her (good thing she was in a chute or the vet would have had the bejeebers kicked out of him!) Since she's 3 months along, the fetus has already dropped down in so the vet couldn't feel the foal. Out of the generosity of his heart (without charging me!) he did an ultrasound on Silver. I could see "Baby Silver's" ribs, heart, and tail in the few quick flashes we got!! It was SOOOOO cool!

Since we don't know the exact date Silver was bred (sometime in July), we're going to use Jaimi's birthday (July 11th) as the breed date. So the foal date will be around June 4th!! WAHOO!!!

(Silver and the stud meet for the first time in July!!)
From BERYL & PINE VALLEY 7-2010

(one of the foals from this stud)
From BERYL & PINE VALLEY 7-2010


October 24, 2010

Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans!"


--John Lennon

October 23, 2010

CALORIES & BUDGETS

It probably sounds strange to link calories and budgets, BUT there is a correlation!

This past month Dad and I have been doing something different...well, mostly I have been doing something different, but Dad is helping. We've been "bugged" the last year or so that it seems we just get further and further behind financially, even though we're trying really hard to not spend very much money. Three weddings, 4 hospitalizations, numerous doctor visits, etc., etc., MIGHT explain some of it. But we were still frustrated.

SOOOOOO, at the beginning of the month I put a spiral notebook on the kitchen counter and said, "I want to write down EVERYTHING that comes in or goes out financially EVERY DAY! Don't let me go to bed without writing it down."

And so, that's what we've been doing. Suddenly, we are both MUCH more aware of where our money is going, and I tend to think twice before spending money because I know I'll have to write it down.

That's when it dawned on me that it's very much like calories. If we don't know there are 2000 calories in one small box of Crunch and Munch at Wal-mart, it's very easy for me to eat the entire box by myself. Once I found out the incredibly high caloric content of that box, I have NO PROBLEM leaving it on the shelf!!

If we take the time to track (calories or dollars) that come in or go out, we have a much better chance of being successful at what we're trying to accomplish. IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS. . .it's just another kind of DUMB!

I am AMAZED at the difference it makes, and I also feel rather STUPID that it has taken me over a year to figure this out. Oh well...better late than never!!

October 18, 2010

Dallin at the Benefit Concert

Nice duet Dal!! Great warm up for the play!!




Mom got to accompany Jadon and Shelby!

October 17, 2010

Still here. . .

The other day someone said, "You know you're too busy if you need a planner..." I thought that was an interesting thought, and temporarily made me glad I don't carry a planner! Well, I think the flip side is, "The person who is so busy that they need a planner, but doesn't carry one, is very close to becoming insane!" Here I am!!

Sheesh! I haven't written on the blog, I haven't written in my journal...but I have jotted notes on the calendar. Doubt I'll get much further than notes for now.

Some of the highlights:

Dallin wasn't struck by lightening thanks to a last minute decision to check on something in the auditorium before he headed out to his car, which was parked right in front of the tree the boys were standing under when they got hit by the lightening.

Rod's shoulders are continually improving. He put his arm around me at church...which he hasn't been able to do for awhile!

I am now out of my boot and into my running shoes, although I'm not allowed to run yet.

My piano students did VERY well with the piano evaluations this year. 5 of the 20 entered were given the highest ranking available; 13 were given the second best, and 2 were given Excellent marks. I was pleased! AND three of the five were chosen to perform in Ogden at the State Convention Recital. COOL!

We had a really nice Fall Piano Recital at the St. George Tabernacle last week. We sure are lucky to have such a great place to perform in! Now, if I can just find the time to get the videos uploaded!!

Dallin and I have two performance gigs that we actually get PAID for!! One in December and one in March. It's lots of fun to perform together!

We've done a lot of riding the past two weeks, and we've gotten a lot of work done at the corrals. The replacement barn looks great, and the corrals are getting a facelift, too!

Dad and I, Kristy and Jenny (mission comp) rode down in the Anasazi Valley on Saturday. It was really cool, and we ended up on Pride Rock. Made me miss Natalee!

Well, that's the brief "catch-up" for now! There's lots to tell, but so little time!! I love each of you. Keep working hard at being the best you can be for today, then do even better tomorrow!! ^_^

Love,
Mom

October 4, 2010

Marathon Weekend 2010

My foot surgery kinda wiped me out of the marathon-running game, so the next best thing would be to cheer on my kids and my running friends, right?! That's what I thought!!

However, I didn't get up with the kids at 3:00 a.m. since I had stayed up until 1:30 a.m. waiting for Kristy and Charles to get back from the Las Vegas airport...Charles had flown in from Kansas City at the last minute (to run under my bib# since I wouldn't be using it), but he was on the red-eye flight. They got home around 2:30 a.m., and with a brief "nap," Kristy, Dallin and Charles were ready to leave for the marathon bus loading a bit after 4:00 a.m.

Summer and Elizabeth (my training partners) were also running the marathon together, and I felt little pangs of envy as I thought of the excitement of the race and that I COULD have been running with them! (I actually considered calling my doctor for permission to run "just a part of the marathon" with my boot on, but then I thought he might not be too impressed with that.)

Julie Schram and I headed up through Snow Canyon State Park to view the runners at about mile 18. But nearly half-way there cars lined the sides of the road, and I knew this vantage point was NOT going to happen! I flipped the car around and headed to our second choice...Snow Canyon Parkway and Bluff...mile 23.

This was a great place! It wasn't congested, Julie and I enjoyed sitting in our lawn chairs, cheering on different people and even seeing some people we knew!! Julie and I walked up the race route, looking for all of our runners, covering one-half to three-fourths mile.

At one point Dallin called me on his phone wondering where I was...he was passing the north entrance where he was EXPECTING to see me. He was a bit disappointed that he'd need to run nearly 5 miles to get the extra encouragement he needed from his mom! When we met up he was VERY spent, and his feet were killing him. He draped his arms around me for a bit, and then we walked arm-in-arm while I talked to him, and gave him some medicine. By the time he and I were back to the chairs he was ready to finish the last three miles, and he did it in a total time of 4:57:44!

After seeing Dallin off, I headed back up the route where Julie was.

In the meantime I heard from Kristy. She was very disappointed that I wasn't at the north entrance! She was going to jump in the car with me since she was hurting so badly. I explained to her what had happened and simply told her, "Get on a shuttle...do NOT finish this race." She was a smart girl and listened to her mother! The shuttle dropped her off by us.

Summer didn't have a phone, so we weren't sure WHERE she was, but Elizabeth DID have a phone, so we were able to talk some. She sounded really good and like she was being very smart listening to her body. She said Summer was ahead of her. We had walked quite a bit, but then thought we might just head back to the chairs. So we did and moved them closer to the intersection.

Daniel Belmont and his wife were running the marathon, but she was REALLY struggling. I was able to give her some stuff to help her through the end of the race. Medicine and fruit snacks are a BIG help!

Shortly after that we saw Summer! She looked hammered!! We were on the opposite side of the barricade trying to talk to her, encourage her, give her some water, etc. Suddenly, I knew what I needed to do. I gave Kristy my purse and keys to the car and said, "Take care of things. Drive where you need to...I'm running Summer in." And I did!

I was SO grateful I could be there for her, and share in part of the marathon that we had trained together for. People looked at me very strangely and even made some comments about my running with my big black boot. It wasn't terribly comfortable, but I knew Summer needed my mental support to get her through the toughest 3.2 miles of the marathon. And she finished splendidly!! About 45 minutes later I watched as Elizabeth crossed the finish line, beaming at her great accomplishment!! It was a GREAT race!!




ADDENDUM:
I went to Dr. Burton this morning for my check up. He was NOT impressed when he found out I had covered 5 miles of the marathon route in my boot. After tersely ordering some x-rays, he went to see another patient. After getting the pictures taken of my foot, I was left in the room with one of the x-rays in plain sight...and I could see where the bone had been broken and come out of alignment. I was SICK!! How could it break and me not feel anything?!?! I haven't been on any pain meds for the past few weeks!

When Dr. Burton came in I knew he was going to be mad. He looked at the first picture, then the next and the next. After looking at all five he said, "Wow! You are healing remarkably well!!" I about cried! I asked him to show me what he was seeing because all I could see was the place where the bones didn't come together. He assured me saying, "What you were looking at is where we took the knuckle out of your toe. This place here is where I cut the joint and wanted it to fuse back together well. It is!"

Without much thought I said, "Oh good!! Will you please write my husband a note and tell him that I've been a good patient?!"

Dr. Burton somewhat sternly said, "No, I can't do that."

Not giving up, I asked, "Could you write a note that says I'm healing well in spite of my stupidity in running part of the marathon??"

He smiled and said, "THAT, I can do!" And he did!!

HOORAY!!