General Conference Sunday

As many of you may know, we do not have TV. OK, we have a TV, but we don't have satellite, cable, or even antenna channels. So, we don't get General Conference at our house, unless we watch it on our iPhones or iPods. We did just that during the morning session, but I will admit that we skipped the afternoon session, and went on a family drive, instead. (We can read it later, or watch it online). Our drive took us to the Fox Creek area, near the Conejos River. This is near some land that Shane's Dad, Jim, leases for cows to graze on during the Winter.

Her are the kids, enjoying the scenery.

And here I am with Shane, enjoying our little cuties.

 Emma, Shelton, & Sasha. Respectively.

Shelton laughs as he poses for the camera.

Emma acts like a goofball as she fakes us out. Too funny!

Sasha is also getting goofy with the camera! Don't fall in, Sasha!

I wonder who they get it from? Hmmm...

I love this one.

They found lots of sticks. They pretended that they were canes, like Grandpa Shelton used.

They thought about hand fishing, but the water was too cold.

This is after a long walk, so they are starting to lose their steam.

What a great day!

All Aboard for Autumn & Alpacas

Each year, Little Treasures Pre-School has a field trip in the Fall for all of the little ones that attend the school. For the past 4 years, I have had a child go on this fun-filled day that they refer to as: All Aboard for Autumn & Alpacas. Obviously, the letter of that week is "A". He he he.

First, we board the train in Bountiful.

Then, we ride it to Antonito.

We look around at the old trains, and take a class picture. Cheese!

Then, it's off we go on the buses, to the Alpaca Farm in Fox Creek. The kids get to pet and feed the Alpacas.

Then, we go on a nature walk to enjoy the lovely Autumn colors.

Sasha loves her friends! Here she is with one of the Norton triplets (sorry, I can't tell them apart), Emily Vannoy, and Chloe Tailleur.

Class picture time, again!

Little Treasures is especially good at taking lots of pictures of the kids for their end-of-the-year memory scrapbook.

And of course, the kids always gravitate towards the Conejos River, where they scare the teachers and parents by getting way too close. Yikes!

The kids also scare the adults as they throw rocks into the river, over the heads of other classmates. Sometimes, the rocks they choose to throw are pretty big, as they realize that bigger rocks=bigger splashes.

And I must say that I love every bit of it!

I can't believe that this is the last year I get to go on this awesome "A" field trip, because Sasha will graduate from Little Treasures next year. Sniff, sniff.

What a great day! I love this field trip. Trains, Alpacas, and the river are all huge selling points with pre-schoolers. Worthy of mention is the fact that Emma's Pre-K class did not go on this field trip when she attended Little Treasures 7 years ago. Back then, they used to go to the Alligator Farm in Hooper, CO, near the Sand Dunes. Why don't they go there anymore, you ask? Funny story... the alligators should all stay in their swampy, watery, caged-in areas, but one day, that was not the case. At the end of one of the class field trips at the alligator farm, the Little Treasures teachers lined up all of the little 3 and 4-year-old pre-schoolers on the side of the bus. One of the teachers boarded the bus to get a camera for one of those notorious class photos, and as she leaned over one of the bench seats, she noticed that an alligator was resting on the ground on the other side of the bus!!! Needless to say, they boarded those kids as fast as they could, and have never returned for any more field trips where pre-schoolers could possibly become a tasty snack. Personally, I like the new "All Aboard for Autumn & Alpacas" field trip, and will miss it in the future as all of my children are growing up way too quickly. 

This IS Halloween, HALLoween, HALLOWEEN!!!

Halloween had quite a few activities for us to enjoy. Sasha's Pre-School class performed some darling and spooky Halloween songs for the parents. Earlier that day they performed at the nearby Nursing Home. Each year on Halloween, the Manassa Elementary School has a parade in town, with the kids in Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd grades. They wear their costumes and collect candy from the local businesses, and parents of the kids. This year, Sasha and I brought our Zombie Van to the parade, and delighted the kids with my Halloween music mix. Shelton's teacher liked it so much, that she asked if I could bring the CD to class for the kids to listen to during their class party. Sasha and I went to Shelton's 1st grade Halloween class party, and I brought 2 bags of chips for him to share with his classmates and their families. This is significant to me because last year I brought elaborately decorated monster cupcakes to his Kindergarten party, and Frankenstein Monster pudding cups to Emma's 5th grade party. That night, we also had a Halloween Open House Party at our home, so I baked all day, and got pretty stressed-out. This year was a dream compared to that. I really got to enjoy the day with the kids.

Sasha & Shelton are having some snacks and Halloween treats at Shelton's class party.

Shelton and his classmates enjoyed playing musical chairs to our spooky Halloween songs.

After school, we picked up Emma, and then went to Kim McCarroll's house to play a little Halloween prank on her. After leading our Zumba class, on Tuesday, she asked the class what time kids in this area start their trick-or-treating. We told her, thinking she would be taking her 7-year-old son, Robbie, out on the town, but then realized that she actually wanted to know what time to skip out of town. Not only did she want to avoid giving out candy, but she also planned on skipping Robbie's treat collecting. Well, since my girlfriends and I have made it a habit to play pranks on Kim, we took this opportunity to continue on in that tradition. At 4pm, 6 Zumba Moms, and their many kids, went trick-or-treating at Kim's house! Since she didn't have treats for us, we played a trick on her, and did our Zumba Thriller routine on her lawn with the music blaring from my Zombie Van's play list, which has really gotten a lot of mileage this year. It was great fun! She loved it.

Emma's Middle School had a carnival for all of the students that day, and Emma won an award for the best costume, in her Pirate Wench outfit. They got tickets for the carnival by bringing canned food items for donation to needy families in the area. There was a kissing booth, that had little Hershey's kisses that one could give to other students, and a hitching post, where Emma married 3 different boys! 

At home, the kids got in a little bit of rest, and for dinner we enjoyed Mom's homemade chili, mummy's in a blanket hot dogs, and Halloween cookies for dessert. Dad was late, as usual, which may have made me a bit grouchy, but since he usually misses out on trick-or-treating, I should be grateful he made it at all. Emma went off with a friend, and so Shane and I took Shelton and Sasha around town. It was the best year ever for me, because it was the first one that I didn't have to walk my kids to and from each of the houses. They went by themselves, and I got to stay toasty-warm in the car. Bonus! Too bad I had to hang out with a Zombie that night...

All of the Chili's managers dressed up as Zombies this year. Eew!!!

Manassa 1st Ward Halloween Trunk-or-Treat

Here I am, dressed as Sandy, from Grease.

A few years ago, I thought it would be fun to dress as Sandy for Halloween, but opted against it because I was a little too overweight to pull it off. Shane had a HUGE crush on Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) as a young lad, and so I had to be at my best in order to surprise him with the ultimate Halloween treat. This year, I figured I might as well go for it, and I dressed up as the "Bad-Girl Sandy" instead of a Kitty Cat, like I've been dressing as for the past 11 years. When we arrived at the Ward Trunk-or-Treat, I was delighted to find Danny Zuko there!

 Sandy & Danny!

(Jenny & Luke Anderson)

The kids had been so excited for this night when they could finally wear their Halloween costumes and get lots of candy. We were blessed with wonderful weather on this October night, and enjoyed the party as the Stake Pavilion, until the sun went down, and the cold set in. There were hot dogs, doughnuts, and hot chocolate to snack on while the kids played games and earned prizes.

MARIO! Shelton was a perfect Mario, with sound effects and actions that perfectly mimicked his favorite video game character.

Sasha was a lovely Rapunzel in her pretty, pink ballet dress, and a Tangled wig.

Emma & Chico

Emma, a Pirate Wench, and Chico, a Jack-o-Lantern.

And check out Emma's new braces!!!

Sasha poses with her friend, Corbyn Thomas, a Candy Corn Witch.

Mario gets spooky!



What a fun night! We decorated our Zombie Van for the Trunk-or-Treating, and had spooky Halloween music blasting for all to hear. Thriller, Monster Mash, and music from The Nightmare Before Christmas, were enjoyed by all. Shane didn't make it to the party, after all. He was supposed to get off of work at 5, but got held up, as he often does. Afterwards, we went home and watched Grease so that the kids could see who Sandy was. They liked the movie a lot, but didn't think I looked like Sandy. Not one bit. Emma asked if I would be dressing up as Sandy for the next 11 years, and I told her that I wasn't sure, but that I thought it was a good idea. "A 40-year-old Sandy?" she questioned with a very surprised look on her face. Oh, well. I tried, right?

Campfire Chic

I love that Shane is such a doer. He works so hard at getting things done, and with such diligence. I am definitely the dreamer and he the doer in our relationship. One day, I mentioned that I would like to have a small fire pit in our yard to have our own family weenie roasts, and he went ahead and built me one within the week! I love it! It's rustic, and totally campfire chic. Our first family night at the fire pit was a huge success. The kids got bored with it, so Shane and I stayed outside (alone) until the fire was out, like good, responsible citizens.

I especially love Sasha's scarf, draped over the branch for the tree stump.



Sunflowers

One of the most difficult things about living in Manassa is that I am so far away from my family. I do not get to see them nearly enough, and each visit seems too short. My parents came in August to spend some time with us, and to enjoy their guest room, which Sally-Mom was entirely responsible for. We completely re-decorated the room a year ago when she came to visit, so we all call it, "Sally-Mom's Room".

Occasionally, my parents are lucky to visit during the wild sunflower season, and this visit found those lovely, yellow flowers everywhere. My Dad took some gorgeous pictures of the girls in the fields near our home.



Emma & Sasha

Me, and my beautiful daughters.

Smiling with Papa.

Emma, Sally-Mom, Sasha, Jenny.

My Mom and I in front of the red door. The day I painted it, 2 Amish kids came over to watch. Seriously. They were mesmerized by the bright, naughty color, I suppose.

90s Nostalgia

This one is a little intense, and you won't quite "get it" if you don't download the songs I make reference to.

It's so funny how the 90s are back "in". I guess I shouldn't be surprised... the 70s were the bomb when I was a young adult of the 90s decade, and it's been 20 years, so the 20 year nostalgia cycle is repeating itself with my generation trying to figure out how time has passed by so quickly. It amazes me how I can hear a song from those years and be completely taken back to the feelings, thoughts, and attitudes indicative of that time in my life. Music is so powerful, and has especially carried me through trials, experiences, and events of my life. The writer of a blog I follow (Momastery) posted about an old favorite song by Alanis Morisette, Thank You. She was really feeling it, so I thought I would get out my old CD case and find my copy of her Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie CD. Search, rumage, search, dust off the case full of 100+ CDs, & found it! Funny, Alanis is naked on the front of the CD, and I am immediately reminded of how this bothered my little sister, Julia, 5-years-old at the time. Sasha (now 5-years-old) comments about the nakedness, and I give her the Mom answer instead of the deep, college student answer I gave years ago). I play the song, and Sasha dances with me to it's catchy beat, and I feel just like I did at 21, except with a different girlfriend dancing alongside me. Sasha is super cute with her grown-up dancing that a 5-year-old would only be capable of if she were a little sister, and she catches on to the words "thank you" and comments that this is a good song about good manners. Dance, dance, dance... I'm loving it! And the words mean so much more now, with a few decades of experience underwing.

How 'bout getting off of these antibiotics
How 'bout stopping eating when I'm full up
How 'bout them transparent dangling carrots
How 'bout that ever elusive kudos

Thank you India
Thank you terror
Thank you DISILLUSIONMENT

Thank you frailty
Thank you consequence
Thank you THANK YOU SILENCE

How 'bout me not blaming you for everything
How 'bout me enjoying the moment for once
How 'bout how good it feels to finally forgive you
How 'bout grieving it all one at a time

Thank you India
Thank you terror
Thank you DISILLUSIONMENT

Thank you frailty
Thank you consequence
Thank you THANK YOU SILENCE

The moment I let go of it was the moment
I got more than I could handle
The moment I jumped off of it
Was the moment I touched down

How bout no longer being masochistic
How bout remembering your divinity
How bout unabashedly bawling your eyes out
How bout not equating death with stopping

Thank you India
Thank you providence
Thank you DISILLUSIONMENT
Thank you nothingness
Thank you clarity
Thank you THANK YOU SILENCE 

(The ALL CAPS are for when she really belts it out).

We continue with the next few songs on the CD, and Sasha loses interest as some of the songs just sound angry and out of control, the Alanis Morisette can get at times. She leaves the room, and I turn to the song That I Would Be Good, a heartfelt, emotional song that I haven't heard in at least 13 years. All of the sudden, I am crying in a mournful way that is reminiscent in nature. The words are speaking to my heart again, but this time, they remind me that those old hurts and struggles are not my own any longer, but that new ones are in their place. Here I am, years later, and not much has changed. Life is still full of trials and struggles, and they seem so overbearing at times.

that I would be good even if I did nothing
that I would be good even if I got the thumbs down
that I would be good if I got and stayed sick
that I would be good even if I gained ten pounds

that I would be fine even if I went bankrupt
that I would be good if I lost my hair and my youth
that I would be great if I was no longer queen
that I would be grand if I was not all knowing

that I would be loved even when I numb myself
that I would be good even when I am overwhelmed
that I would be loved even when I was fuming
that I would be good even if I was clingy

that I would be good even if I lost sanity
that I would be good
whether with or without you
(Lovely flute solo, here).

So, this is when I become a great deal wiser as I realize that I am still the same girl I was then, because I will always be her. Life goes on, ever changing, ever painful, yet ever wonderful, ever joyful. I've solved all those 20-year-old problems, and that is why they seem so trivial in nature now. And the challenges I face now, will seem trivial when I reminisce about them in 20 years, or so.

Here are the girls I most loved singing and dancing with way back when!

Kyndra Lund & Caroline Eccles (Snow Cousins)

And just to keep this post a little less intense: here I am doing The Firm workout video in the dorms of The University of Utah. I especially love the matching scrunchee.

When I was chosen to be the hot, single girl in Van Cott Hall's copied version of MTV's Singled Out, I said that my lifelong dream was to star in my own workout video. I guess that truly, not much has changed! And I will get that body back, because I am just as determined to succeed now, as I was back then.

Soccer Mom

I am officially a Soccer Mom! I don't exactly know why I'm so excited about this. I mean, I've had the minivan to go with this title for quite some time, but somehow I just feel that getting to call myself a Soccer Mom means that I am finally in that phase of life that I was so excited about when I first had my sweet, little baby, Emma. It sneaks up on a woman, you know? First, you have these little kids that can't do a darn thing for themselves, or you, and you wonder if it will EVER end: sleepless nights, poopy diapers, play dates that really include you, endless messes, and the whining, (oh, the whining!!!) Now, I am in full-on carpool mode, rushing my kids off to this activity, that sport, as well as music lessons, church activities, and the many dance classes I also have to teach (so that they can have that opportunity). So, here are the pictures of the three cutest kids ever, and their soccer teams.

Emma- 3rd from the left, top row.

Shelton- 2nd from the left, top row, flexing.

Sasha- on the right end.

Soccer is new for us because this is the first year that Conejos County is involved. Some awesome Soccer Moms were tired of driving to Alamosa (30 miles away) for soccer practices, so they formed our own league. (Thank you Melissa Mortensen!) We still drive to Alamosa for games on Saturday mornings, but they are all between 9am-12pm, so it doesn't feel like too much of a time commitment. My kids have all enjoyed it, but Shelton particularly loves it. It is the perfect sport for him as he loves to run and run and run, "Just like the 5 Little Pumpkins story, Mom!" Shelton says. (He is a Sowards, and Sowards are born runners. His only complaint with his new PE teacher is that she does not make them run enough laps. Too funny!) He has played so well, scoring goals, and getting good with his footwork. He also has the trash talking down, and I love to hear his juvenile taunting as he rushes past me on the sideline. He thanks the other team for kicking the ball out of bounds, gives them a thumbs-up when they miss a goal, and tries to make them think that he is the best soccer player ever. What a goof! Shelton's coach is David Ayala, who happens to have grow-up in South America where soccer (futbol) is the thing to do. Ironically, he is the Bishop that my brother, Jared, served with in Oceanside, CA. His wife is from the San Luis Valley, and they decided to move back here about a year ago. They are great people, and we are blessed to have them here. 

Shelton's team is very competitive, WITH EACH OTHER!!! They all want to score the goals, so they steal the ball from each other and throw in an elbow or two, to do so. 

Here is Sasha, about to score a goal! She is on the Bear Cubs team, which is an instructional program. She is one of the oldest cubs, as she just recently turned 5, and she has got the goal scoring thing down pat, as well as playing defensively, so that the other team will not steal their treasure. Cute!

Getting Dirty!!! The Mud Run

Shane and I have been wanting to start a new hobby together. I realized that besides being extremely attracted to each other, having our cute kids in common, and being very into our religion, we don't have a lot in common. We like to watch movies together, and sit next to each other at night, iPhones in hand, laughing about things on Facebook, but other than that we don't have any hobbies in common. So, we decided to start running together, and have been doing so for about  2 months. We have been training for a Mud Run that was put on by Kim's Fitness, where I do my exercise and Zumba classes. The Mud Run was a few miles from our house, behind M Mountain, at the SRS Motocross track, on Saturday, September 15th. During this past exercise session, I almost won a weight-loss contest after losing 10 pounds, but another gal beat me by .3%. I was disappointed by this, but was anxious for Shane to win the race, and show everyone that SOWA POWA is real! I worked very hard training for this race by trying to lose weight for the contest, and got in between 6-10 workouts/runs each week for 8 weeks. It certainly payed-off, as I was able to improve my time by 5 minutes from the first time I tried running the dry portion of the race. I ran the entire Mud Run race, a 5K distance with a challenging climb over M Mountain, and some intense obstacles in the muddy motocross track, in 33:50, and came in 9th place overall. Of course, my studly husband won the race, and completed it in about 27 minutes. He was worried about running because he has been busy and hadn't run in 2 weeks before the race, but his amazing running abilities were enough.

Here we are! Before the race, in the freezing cold.

Ready to run!

My good friend, Julie, is ready to roll as a volunteer. She would be running, but her back is in need of surgery, so she cheered all of her workout buddies along like a true champ.

Here he is! The champion.

The Shanes! My Shane, and Julie's Shane.

Manassa 1st Ward girls represent!

Moi, Ginger Thomas, Shannon Jarvies (they both beat me, but not by much).

Here I am, posing after my first running race, ever. Ever!!!

And finally, here we are, the dirty couple.

I realize that he is a lot dirtier than I, but even in a Mud Run, I'm a lady.