Moab 1/2 Marathon

Som and I SPRINTING in!

The final stretch with the four "commies" **Anne...that one was for YOU**


My BIGGEST Fans....you may not be able to see one of them (Jackie) ...he was on my right side or was it my left?? encouraging me every single step of the way! Wish I could have seen him cheering me on at the finish line with my favorite boys in the whole world! I know he was there. I like to imagine that he had that BIG cheezy grin on his face and that his hair was a little crazy (think of kid from "Meet the Robinsons") He was there...I know it!

Whit did AWESOME! She finished in just over 2 hours! Not too shabby! Way to go Whit!

Anne ROCKED it too! Her IT bands gave her a little trouble, but look at that smile! She DID it!

There's my baby! Ya, he has crusty snot stuck to his face...but he's happy! :)

Here's cute little family picture...minus me!

The "infamous" bike ride!

Corbin was bummed that he didn't get to go on the "ride". Maybe next time...next time as in 12 years from now!!

Back in January Anne Hansen talked me into running the Moab 1/2 marathon. I am NO marathoner...that's for certain, but I needed somthing to train for...so finally after alot of convincing...I agreed. I've been training for months now. It hasn't been easy...but I've learned that my body can handle a lot more than I gave it credit for. My cute sister Sommer immediately stepped up to my request (demands) of entering the race. She didn't give even a second of hesitation. She has stood...well ran by my side for the last 3 months. Never once complaining...even when she couldn't walk. She sucked it up and continued to encourage me for every single LONG mile through out training and especially during the race. She listened to "Wicked" the entire time and had a few cliff shots and was literally LEAPING with energy as she motivated me to keep going. She would remind me that Jack was with us. She would help set mini goals of passing people. She even had words of kindness as she'd tell me how much I have improved along the way. She even put up with my endless supply of excuses as to why I HAD to stop. I wanted to quit...believe me. Getting a stomach bug the morning of the race MAY have had something to do with that! It's a little known fact that running 13.1 miles and stomach bugs...don't mix very well! So, I took a few more potty breaks than I had intended...but hey I finished! I may have finished about 1/2 hour longer than I had originally anticipated...but I crossed that finish line. I did it! I don't know that I'll EVER do it again...but I feel good. I have learned that my body can handle the run as long as my mind says it's possible. I've learned that I don't want to be a long distance runner! 6 miles sounds just about right! :)

I've learned that when I pray to my Heavenly Father for help...He sends it! It may not always be in the way that I want...but He never leaves me alone. Even in our darkest hours we're NEVER alone. I wonder what it would look like if we could really see all the help He actually sends. If we could see just how often His hands are constantly part of our daily lives. I bet we'd re-think how we handle some situations. I met a woman a few months back that at the time was dealing with a situation in which her child was at Primary Children's. It wasn't a life-theatening situation and her child was going to recover. She asked me if losing Jack brought us closer to the Lord. I told her that it not only brought us closer as a family, but that our relationshiop to the Lord was stronger than I think we could have ever imagined. She went on and on about Primary Children's and how "awful" it was. Then she asked me how long we were there with Jack. When I told her only a few hours, she replied with "LUCKY...we've been here for over a month." LUCKY???!!!...did she really say that I kept asking my self as she rattled on and on and on!!! She told me that her ordeal really shook their family up and that they really struggled with even going to church. Their faith was obviously shaken. But what I couldn't understand was that her child would eventually come home. Her child never went into a irreversable coma. After she left, of course I had a break down. But after it was over I thought about it...and realized that I WAS LUCKY! Lucky because the Lord gave us a trial...a trial that I hope no one we know has to yet endure, and we held on. We clung to the Lord and relied on him. We finally we able to truly understand just how important the Atonement is. And just how much we need Him. He's been there every single step of the way. But especially when it's been hard...harder than we thought even humanly possible. He NEVER left. I feel for this mother, because the Lord gave her the opportunity to come closer unto Him and she decided to go another direction. I often think of her when things get tough. When I miss Jack so much I can hardly breathe. I think that while we lost something that can only be compared to losing a limb, we chose and continually choose to gain something amazing from a loving and kind Heavenly Father.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Ah, St. Patrick's Day. A day of celebrating our Irish roots by making everything green. This morning Corbin, Jade and I got up early to make some green pancakes. Corbin was so concerned about being pinched at school today that he not only wanted to wear his green shirt, but he wanted us to buy him green pants and shoes. Maybe next year buddy.

Jade was just happy to be part of the party and to shove as many pancakes into his mouth as babily possible.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!

Corbi-Mac-a-doodle and his little admiror

I have been such a slacker in regards to the blog lately...SORRY! I know I need to get back on the ball because I'm forgetting all the fun things that go on in the day to day scheme of things.

Corbin is getting so big! He is sooo funny! He comes up with the funniest things to say. The other day I asked him...

Mom: Corb, what do you think about us having another baby someday? (**DISCLAIMER**In a few years at least...not any time soon)

Corb: Ya...that sounds like a good Idid (Idea).

Mom: What do you think we'll have? A girl baby or a boy baby?

Corb: Ummm....prally a girl baby.

Mom: Really, a girl huh? What should we name her?

Corb: SALLY!

Mom: Sally? Hmmm....I don't know about that.

Corb: Oh please mom...please...it's my FAVORITE!


Yesterday Cobe took us to lunch. We decided on Sushi. I told Corbin that we we're having sushi for lunch and he said: "SMOOSHI...I HATE SMOOSHI"

He absolutely ADORES Coby...let's be honest...who doesn't? Right? Anyway, one while we were driving I had Corbin call Coby and say, "Dad...be a MAN and come home." It was pretty funny. But then Coby said to me..."you really shouldn't teach him bad things..." So NOW Corbin tells me ALL THE TIME..."Mom...why did you teach me bad things to say?!!"

As we were picking the name Jaden...we talked about what nicknames we'd call him. I thought of everything from "Jades...to jader-bader-butter-bug". But the ONLY nickname I didn't like was..."J.J." Corbin is such a stinker and quite the tease...don't know where he got that!! But since he knows that I don't like it, he goes around saying..."Hiiiiii Jay Jay...." Only instead of looking at Jaden when he says it...he looks directly at ME! Seriously, this kid is already getting the knack of pushing my buttons...and he's only 4!!!

My dad taught him to say..."Where's my dinner WOMAN" Thanks dad! :) So, he's constantly telling my mom and I that.

I don't know why but he calls my cute friend Melissa Higley...just Higley. He'll say..."Mom...is Higley coming over?" Weird.

I love that he says...."When it's good morning time...."

He loves to act like a little puppy. He'll get down on all fours and say in the cutest little voice..."AAARF..." Then I'll ask him little questions like..."Are you a little puppy?" To which he'll reply..."Aaarf...and nod his little head." Then I'll ask him another question like, what should we do today little puppy. And he'll say.."Aaarf" and then in a higher pitched voice...he'll say whatever it is that he wants to do." That probably doesn't make a ton of sense...Cobe and I know what I'm saying....**Disclaimer** - He is very fluent in the the language of "Tiff-en-ese". **
And after all, this blog is meant to be our little journal.

He LOVES taking baths with Jadesy. It's really quite cute. Jades is really sitting up well and is discovering that he LOVES the play in the tub with his big brother. He's learned to clap his cute, chubby little paws...I would say hands...but clearly they are PAWS! I took him for dr.'s appt. and this kid was 22lbs! 22? That's a lot...still not as much as Jackie...but still quite the little chunkskin! :)

Jaden absolutely LOVES to be near Corbin. So, did Jackie. Like Jack, just having Corbin within an eyes view is all he needs to turn his frowy face upside down.

Here Corbin is imitating the ice skating segment of the Olympics. It was pretty funny! And if that's not funny enough for you...just hearing Jaden laugh should really do you in! :)

Our poor little Jades has had a plugged tear duct since he was born. Dr. Cramer said that 90% of them clear up in 6 months...so when 6 months came and went and we still had that gross goopy eye. We decided to get it fixed. The Dr. enrolled him in a case study for infants with plugged tear ducts. They randomized us and told us we'd either have them do the procedure there which consisted of actually using an instrument to break the membrane in Jaden's tear duct gland that was causing the blockage or we'd have to give him drops for 6 months! 6 months??? I can hardly manage giving him antibiotics for 10 days. We lucked out and they told us they were doing the procedure there. They gave him some drops to numb it...then strapped him down to a board and went to town. Jaden was more than ticked and he let me know it for the rest of the day. They said it didn't hurt him, and that he was more mad than in pain...but still I had to watch them do it. It sucked...but not nearly as bad as watching nurses trying to find a vein on Jack to draw blood at his 12 month check up. My sister was there and she had to help them because I was pretty useless. After Jack ordeal...I remember going into the bathroom and crying because I felt so bad for him. Poor baby! Maybe I'm less sensitive...because I didn't cry when Jaden got his procedure done. I felt bad...but it was like when you watch them get shots. At any rate, they did a GREAT job and my cute baby can finally see out of his beautiful blue eyes. Although it still doesn't stop EVERYONE from saying..."Oh...he's so sleepy...it looks like he's ready for his nap." I seriously get it probably 3 times DAILY! He's NOT tired...he just has little eyes! :)

That's all for now....stay tuned...more to follow!