In the past 6 months Lily started walking and turned one. I traveled to UT, CT, NY and WA (2 times). Brad went to Boston, UT (at a different time than me) and CO. We both participated in a triathlon (Brad did 2). Not to mention since then we have celebrated V-day, Easter, our Anniversary, my b-days and Lily's. I could have blogged about each of these things by themselves but I've been a bit busy. So, to catch up on all the happenings I am going to sum it all up into one big blog and as always I will think to my self...I am going to blog sooner next time knowing it will probably be at least 3 months until I do this again. Sorry to friends and fam who live far away and have missed 6 months of cute Lily pic when you have all been so good about keeping your blogs updated so I could see your cute little ones. If you only wanted to see pics of the Tri and my trip to NY feel free to scroll pas everything else because this is a long one. Enjoy!
This is a pic of my friend Julie and I right before our triathlon May 28th. Last yr as I watched Brad do his 1st Tri I thought I could never do that because it would be way to hard. Through Brad and my sister Jeni's encouragement several months later I was considering it. When I went for my first run I kind of knew I was committing myself to it. When Julie found out I was training she said she would love to do it to and we could train together and so we did. We borrowed Jeni's bike trainer and put it in the basement during the winter, and ran on the treadmill and went to the pool. The day before the race we got everything ready, Julie picked me and Jeni up (she came all the way from WA to watch me!) and we got there just in time to see Brad heading down to the water. Brad was doing Olympic distance 1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6 mile run so he started 1 hr before us. We were doing sprint half of his distances w/ 1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike and 3 mile run.
After Brad took off we got on our wet suits, it was so cold out, I was dreading getting in the water, we had been told 5 min or so before the race we needed to get in the water and so our bodies could get over the shock of cold and focus on the race when it was time. When I got in I thought, this is freezing but its going to be ok, I can do this! In this pic Julie and I are in the middle bottom, I have my goggles on my swim cap and I'm looking back to the shore. My feet were so cold I was holding them out of the water.
When we stared off I was nervous because Brad hadn't made it in and there were only a few Olympic swimmers left in the lake. Brad is a strong swimmer so I knew something was not right. He got severe leg cramps in both his legs and had to just float for a while until he could move again. That is him coming in at the very right of the pic, w/ the silver cap. We past each other him coming in and me going out and smiled an waved. I stared out pretty good, but it things got really bad for me after that. I had done the 1/2 mile at the pool several times and knew the distance wasn't going to ba a problem. But the water was so cold I mentally couldn't put my face in the water. ( I should have been getting my face use to the water the 5 min before) every time water splashed me in the face I would panic and had trouble controlling my breathing. I would turn over to backstroke until I could pull myself together. Doing this made it so I couldn't see where I was going and I'd start swimming off course. When I'd flip back over I had to make up for the distance I had swam in the wrong direction. I was tired and frustrated I couldn't force myself to swim normally. There were a few times I worried I was not going to make it all the way back. Each buoy seemed so far, like I was never going to get to it because I was swimming so slow and taking so long. Needless to say I was in the water a LONG time. By the time I got out I'm pretty sure I had some hypothermia going on because I was so confused. I just stood there while the strippers stripped my wet suit off and Jeni walked me to my bike, dried me off put on dry clothes and my shoes. I think I would have been happy to lay on the grass for a while. But they got me up, handed me my bike and I slowly staggered away. However, I was so grateful I didn't quit. I'm thankful Jeni was there to help me transition and that Julie was waiting there for me. One of the ladies there said they probably wouldn't have let me keep going if it hadn't been for Julie going w/me. Several people didn't get to continue the race after the swim and had to sit in cars to warm up.
This is where we were allowed to get on our bikes, I wasn't quiet ready yet so we walked it a little further and away we went!
Part way through the ride the sun came out of the clouds, it felt so good. As I warmed up I stared thinking more clearly and by the time the bike was over I was tired but doing ok!
Julie really was an amazing support. I love this pic with her cheering "Yeah! We are triathletes! Come on Michelle, we can do this!" Really I couldn't have done it w/out her. Thanks Julie for encouraging me and being there for me the whole way, you were awesome. Her family made a sign and took pics and cheered us on before and after every transition and that helped us keep going. Everybody need a great friend like Julie!
Here we wre getting our finisher metals, and although my swim slowed us up we weren't last!
Here we are running in to finish! We did it Julie, we are triathletes!
It was awesome to have Jeni there waiting to give me a hug as we crossed the finish line. I couldn't have done it w/out her either. She let us borrow her trainer, her running clothes, I borrowed her wet suit, she gave us a lot of advice answered all of my questions and encouraged me all through the training process. Thanks a million Jeni for everything!
Since Brad had to go a lot farther than us we were there to watch him come in, Yeah Brad!
Thanks Diane for babysitting!
Cramer council, hey what are you guys planning...what is so funny!
Lily pulling her self up to things to make a mess with
On a Saturday, having a magic show
After going through their picture for their scrapbooks there were so many left over they couldn't part w/ so I told them they could hang a few on their wall in their room. We have different definitions of a few, but they were so proud.
Lily's first sledding trip. She was very serious and still for the first half of the time we were there. I think she was trying to figure out what her crazy parents were up to. I think she enjoyed her self after a while.
Lily before she started walking.
First steps! She didn't actually start walking for almost a month after this, but loved to walk between two people. The boys love it as much as she did
Happy birthday big girl! Sometimes we call her Lily bug, so I made her lady bug cupcakes, she liked the M&M dots and licorice antana but decided it was funner to use her spoon to flip the cupcake off the tray and see if dad could catch it. He did and that was the beginning of the funnest game ever. The boys thought it was so funny too and would dab the cupcake frosting on her face before putting it back on her tray. She didn't like that part of the game.
This is what she looked like in the end. I think she is saying, "Mom get me out of here!"
We bought her the ride on thing above. Below Brad's parents got her a jewelry box that has fake lipstick, perfume and a little brush. She loved it.
My newest nephew Issac was born March 9th, the day before Lily's b-day so that weekend we too a trip to see him and my sister Jeni in WA.
The boys had fun w/their cousin Shyla
Lily got a few more b-day gifts in WA.
On the ride home. It was a fun trip, just really fast.
We stopped at the Boise Temple on the way home to let the kids get out of their seats for a little bit.
Watching Dad leave for work
For Christmas Brad surprised me w/tickets to spend a week in CT with my sister Wendy and her family. About 2 hrs before catching the shuttle to Sandy, UT I cut the palm of my hand open and had to go to Community care to get 5 stitches. We barely made it to the shuttle. My hand was so sore by the time we met Brad's sister Steph in Sandy. We spent the night at her house and she drove us to the airport. We took a 3 hr flight to Chicago, had a 3 hr layover, and took another 3 hr flight to CT. It was a long day but Lily did really well, and so did I considering I only had one useful hand w/baby, bag and stroller! Wendy picked us up and we had an hr ride to her house. Our total traveling time 13 hr so far. The next day we went to the Beach! It is about an hr from Wendy's but we had fun! The boys, David and Benjamin threw rocks in the water, found sea weed which took a swim too and chased birds. Lily was content to play in the sand. 15hrs
The next day we went to NY and hr away from Wendy's. First we went to Battery park where we could see the Statue of Liberty. I thought I added a pic here, ops. It was really cold and since we had our 3 little ones we had to speed through things a bit. We went to the Brooklyn bridge next, it was so big! We went to Rice to riches next and grabbed some rice pudding, we got raspberry statement and chocolate hazelnut bear hug. The place only sells rice pudding and you pick what kind you want, like going out for ice cream. It was SO good! 17 hrs. The next day we stayed close to Wendy's to give the kids a break from the car and being drug around. We took a trip to the dollar store and went out for ice cream (just Wendy and me) Thanks Sterling for staying w/the kids. I almost forgot! We went to Stew Lenards that day which is a dairy/bakery I don't really know how to describe it but it was fun! And we ate a lot of yummy samples and watched different puppets(?) sing. There was Chiquita Banana, Twinky Jones, singing milk, butter and chickens there was something singing around every corner. Wish I would have added a video of one here!
The next day we went to NY again! We went to the American Museum of Natural History. It was so BIG, we could have spent at least a day in there! My favorite was the underwater portion. The pic above is real sea loins (stuffed) they were huge. I was wishing Ethan could have seen it, he loves marine life. Then we left all the kids with Sterling my brother in law and got on the subway. Sterling had Lily in a snuggli and the boys in their double stroller. I was really nervous walking away knowing we wouldn't see them for several hours and he had all 3 in NY by himself!
Waiting for the subway
We went to Time square and wandered into Toys R Us to find something for the boys. It was amazing in there! There were 3 floors and there was this huge carousel in the middle of the store you could ride. I saw a man and his little girl riding with barbie in her barbie car on the carousel. There were so many fun things I found what I wanted and then as I wandered around probably with my mouth hanging open I almost walked out w/out paying for my things! It was a lot of fun! We hurried to the M&M store and took some fun pictures and then ran through time square back to watch a Broadway show, Mary Poppins. The dancing and singing was great! My favorite part was at the very end when she flys up and over the audience there was glitter coming down from the ceiling and as she gets to the top the lights dim and it really looks like she disappeared. Magic.
After the show we grabbed a slice of pizza to eat on our way to find Sterling and the kids. It was now 5:15! We got off the subway just as he called to say., "take the next stop down. " So again we were running! We found them by Central park, ate our pizza and then went for a walk in central park. Sterling did great w/the kids of course, thanks Sterling for the wonderful day w/Wendy w/out the kids! They had played at the park and gone to a church to play in the nursery.
Central park was beautiful even in the transition between winter and spring.
Wendy and I in Central park. What a great day! 19 hrs
Anything Lily finds that looks like it could be worn as a "pree" pretty necklace, gets worn as a necklace. The next day I packed, we went back to Stew Lenards and bought oreo cupcakes and recese cupcakes and then Wendy drove me the the airport. It was really hard saying goodbye, we had so much fun! 6 hrs of flying, to Stephs to spend the night and back to the shuttle in the morning and another 4 hrs home. 32hrs. Lily is an amazing traveler!! Extra thanks to Brad for the tickets and being willing to take care of things at home while I was gone and for Diane for watching the boys all week! Thanks!!!!!!
Brad's sister Candace got married a couple of days after Lily and I got back for CT. We had to dress up the night before the reception to get pics so our family could be Photoshoped into the group shots because Brad left for Boston for a conference right after the wedding and wasn't there for the reception. We got some cute pics on our camera while the photographer was setting up.
This is the tee Brad brought back form Boston that says, I get snappy without my nappy! It has a lobster on it that looks like he could use a nap. Perfect shirt for Lily. (:
Right after Brad got home from Boston he had his first of 3 triathlons, this one was in UT and Lily and I weren't feeling very good, and didn't feeling like traveling anywhere. So, Brad took the boys. Brad's sister Steph who lives in UT w/her husband Dan did a relay during the same raceas Brad. Dan watched the boys and took pics. Thanks for taking pics for us Dan!
Lily wasn't as interested in coloring eggs as she was in eating them
The boys had a lot of fun dyeing eggs and getting colorful fingers
I came in the living room and found Lily trying to climb onto the window using the preschool box!
Eddie was sure the Easter bunny would bring him a white chocolate hollow bunny...and he did!
Ethan holding up candy from his Easter basket
Lily wearing her boa eating her chocolate bunny
Easter outfits, ready for church
Ethan and Brad played 2 duets in monster concert. They have 12 pianos (I think) and 2 people playing a duet at each piano, and everyone is playing the same song. They start w/begginers and move up to advanced. It was really neat, one group had 3 people at each piano. Brad's mom is Ethan"s teacher so she played at the concert filling in on pianos where they needed an extra person. Ethan played Lil' Liza Jane, and Yankee Doodle. Great Job guys!
Lily loves her brothers, and her necklaces.
Lily experimenting w/strawberries.
