I have lots more stuff to talk about, but because Jeremy’s motherboard in his computer broke, we’ve had to share my computer (I know, it’s hard!).  And the little time he’s had on it, he’s had to do clients pictures, not our own, but the new one comes this week so I’ll be posting Lagoon pictures soon and the boy’s camped out in the back yard and we have some fun pictures with that!

1. 2 months is NOT long enough to train for a triathlon.

2. Swimming with a bunch of people sucks, especially when you get kicked.

3. Gu is disgusting.

4. Wetsuits rock!

5. There’s not a better feeling than realizing that you’ve just completed a part of the race…until you realize this doesn’t mean it’s over.

6. Big hills aren’t my favorite thing to bike or run up.

7. Crossing that finish line knowing I pushed myself as far as this out of shape body would go, is an awesome feeling.

8. 2 months is NOT long enough to train for a triathlon.

I was so nervous the week before, I had a hard time getting anything done, including eating.  But by the morning of the race, I wasn’t nervous (well until I was standing in the sand hearing them count down for my wave to start), but I was excited.  Jeremy asked me once during the week if I got this nervous completing in races in high school and my response was, no, but I knew I was in great shape then and I knew I could do it and do it well.  I didn’t end up with the best time in world, but I never stopped swimming (every time I practiced swimming around the reservoir, I had to stop a few times to rest), I got the best time I’d ever gotten on the bike, and I only had to walk a few short times during the run and still got my best 3 mile run since I started training.  So for me, it was a victory!  But the competitor in me still struggles with the fact that I wanted a better time, so it’s making even more excited for my next one coming up in November.  This one is a little different cause the run is first and the swim is last and in a pool…so that part will be weird, but I’m still excited for it!  Jer is planning on doing this one with me (as long as there’s no more football injuries LOL) and also my friend Heidi is doing it too, so that will be fun!!

My mom was awesome and came up to support me and keep and eye on the kids.  She also stocked my house with food for the next few days since she knew I wouldn’t feel like cooking anything.  That was so nice, thanks Mom, you’re the best!

Jeremy took a few pictures of me when he could see me.  I will say the swim was the very hardest part for me.  I don’t think I’m a very good swimmer to start with, but having so many people around you, running into you and kicking you, made it a lot harder.  I also didn’t start swimming until 3 WEEKS before the race (yes that is really dumb) but I was thinking that it wasn’t going to be that hard….well it was…very!  I learned a very good lesson on that one.  But here’s a few pictures of me in my styling wetsuit and swim cap.

Before the race

Swimming

Getting out of water (not sure how I managed to smile LOL)

Getting ready for the bike

The biking was my favorite part for sure (also the most I was prepared for).  It was a good feeling to get up on that bike and an even better feeling when I passed people!!!!!  The big hill in the race was still a killer, but there were several people walking their bikes up it and it was nice that I was able to keep going.

Starting off

Coming in for the run!

Someone had taken my spot where my bike was supposed to go, so I quickly changed shoes than had to find another spot for my bike.  Several people from our ward were volunteering and it was nice to see some familiar faces.  And it was nice to have Jer there cheering for me! He was incredible supportive during the training and the race, I have the best husband!

Starting off ( a little wobbling after being on the bike)

Coming around the bend (Mom, Mason, Kinley, and Ethan cheering me on)

Almost there

Finish line!

Me and Kids

Me and my mom

Me and the Tri sign (LOL)

It was sooo nice to stop running and know I was done!!  It was a great feeling of accomplishment, but there’s still a nagging in me for a better time, so the training doesn’t end here and I WILL be really ready by November.  Still, I’m glad I did it…but glad it’s over, too!!

Our family attempt at going down the slide

Me and Jer

Mason playing basketball with our friends Bryan and Cheryl and their kids Caleb and Cambrie

Not a great quality picture cause they were enclosed but McKinley was for some reason afraid of everything and she finally started playing with her grandma’s in the end.

The Grandparents (hehe) I pretty sure Roger went down the slide, but we didn’t get a picture.

The birthday boy

The Cake (this was a fun one to make, I used fondant for the first time)

Seeing the cake

Video of him blowing out the candles

Presents

Well, only one week left until my triathlon!!  I’m really nervous and soooo not ready, but it’s happening anyway!  Remember how I said before that Jer and I were doing it together??  Ya, well due to some football injuries, looks like I’ll be doing this one alone!!  First he pulled an abdominal muscle and got a good lecture from me for even playing in the first place and THEN not only did he not stop playing, but then he sprained his ankle pretty good, too!  Sigh…oh well, I’ve been training hard, so I’m doing it with or without him.  It’s been decided that swimming will FOR SURE be the hardest part for me.  At first, I was thinking “oh 500 meters, that will be cake”…then I tried it.  Ya…not cake.  But luckily we live right next to the reservoir that we are swimming in, so I’ve been practicing hard.  I still really suck at it, but oh well.  The race starts at 7:00 am Saturday morning.  I feel really comfortable on the bike and ok about my running and not so good about the swimming, lol, but I WILL finish it!!  Jer will be taking pictures I’m sure!

Anyway, on to our summer adventures!  Right now, we have a visitor for a few weeks.  Ethan (our nephew) is staying with us while Jeremy’s parents are off seeing the world!!  They go every summer and we watch Ethan while they go.  Mason loves having him here and he’s  a good kid and a good helper.  We’re planning on some fun stuff while he’s here, including a trip to Lagoon, so pictures to follow!

Because I’ve been swimming so much, the kids have a blast playing at what the Herriman resident’s call “The Beach”.  It’s a little reservoir (well not so little when you’re trying to swim around it) that has a nice sandy beach area.  Here’s some pic’s of kids playing.

Britt captured this picture on her phone.

IPSC had their annual work party at Boondocks this year.  Lucky for us, it is pretty close to our house!  The kids had a great time, everyone rode on the boats (well everyone but me cause I had run back home for the stroller) and then we all played mini golf, which Mason LOVED!  We thought he’d like a few holes, then get bored, but he played hard the whole time.  He was even the only one to get a hole in one!!!  Jeremy just happened to be videoing when he did it too!

Here’s a few more pictures of the day, they had a blast on the bouncy things.

We went to the parade for Herriman Days and WOW there were a ton of kids!!  The parade route was fairly long so we weren’t really worried about finding somewhere to sit then we got there and the streets were packed with families and a million kids.  One thing we love about there area is that there are so many young families.  The kids enjoyed the parade, they got some candy and McKinley loved watching the dancers and cheerleaders.  Mason is not a fan of loud noises so he stayed back to watch all the fire trucks.  Later that night we went to the little carnival and Mason jumped on as many rides as we would let him.  We were actually a little surprised, as active as he is, he isn’t much of a daredevil, but he loved them!  He even asked to go in the haunted house!

We, of course, went to Delta for the 4th of July, there’s just nothing like Delta on the 4th.  We get to usually see our high school friends cause most people go home for the 4th.  It was my 10 year reunion, and even though they almost ALL live in Delta, none of my friends that I hung out with at school were there!  I couldn’t believe it!!  But I had a good time catching up with people.  The kids loved the parade again, McKinley has a hard time giving up her candy though, she doesn’t even want to put it in her bag so she can get some more! That girl has such a sweet tooth.  My dad sneaks down and backs his truck up in the middle of one of the roads right before the parade starts every year and we end up with a really good spot!  The derby is always fun, but with limited seating this year and knowing McKinley probably wouldn’t enjoy it, she, my mom, and I stayed and watched a chick flick while the boys went to the Derby (well the boys and Kay, LOL).  Mason LOVES the derby and usually for months after we get play by plays with his own cars.  It was, as always, a great holiday!

The cheerleader threw us about an entire bag full of candy!  Go Ali!!!

Jeremy has been really busy with his photography.  He just does it as a side job, but more and more people are calling him.  It’s pretty fun, I think he does a great job.  While we were in Delta for the 4th, he took some pictures of a guy I went to high school with who was leaving for Iraq soon.  I’ll just show you one of my favorite pictures of him!  Good luck, Nate, and thank you for serving our country!!

Grandma couldn’t walk very good the last part of her life and she loved to go for walks, I think Kelli said it best “We love you, Grandma! Go for a walk.”

Thanks for all the good times!

–Till we meet again

The Greensboro Grasshoppers have taken the 2010 Herriman T-Ball City Series.  Going through a rigorous season with fierce competition they managed to stay undefeated.  They trailed the championship game by a large margin, but managed to pull out a win in the finial (second) inning.  They ended the last inning with every single player hitting a home run!  It was amazing, and something that will most likely never be accomplished by human kind again.

Mason did a great job for his rookie year and is thinking he may want to go play in the major league in a few years.  The only thing that is standing in his way is distractions.  No no, not the girl cheerleaders!  Hard to believe, but it is the dandelions, grass and other things he can pick and throw while standing in the outfield.

He started the year a little shaky at bat.  He switched between batting right and left handed but after a few games and countless hours of practice,  found his groove batting right handed.  Once he was able to overcome this batting slump he never looked back.  Even with the initial slump he never struck out.  He ended the season at bat with a perfect record.

We do have a clip of his last time at bat where he made a home run and scored a crucial point for his team.

What a fun season!  Mason made lots of new friends, and had a good time playing his first sport.  He is signed up for soccer in the fall and we are looking forward to watching him play.

Here’s some pictures of the kids playing while we worked.  Mason loves his bike helmet and once it’s on, it’s hard to get it off of him, LOL!  So it’s on in most of the pictures I took.  In this first one, he was not wanting his picture taken!

We have some scrub oak in our backyard and it’s just awesome right now, so I made Mason stand there (helmet and all) to get some pictures.  (Jeremy is hard at work while I’m taking all these LOL)

McKinley was sleeping through most of the yard work, but I made Jer take some pictures of her when she woke up cause look how cute that outfit is!!

And finally, Jeremy has been talking about being able to bike to work since we started looking at houses in this area and now with the weather finally warming up, he decided he really wanted one now.  Well, anyone who knows Jer, knows that if he really, really wants something, he’s bound to get it.  After talking about it for a week straight (almost non stop) he drug me down to the bike store to “see if I would maybe want one, too”  In other words, if he can get me interested, better chance of him getting it!  Well, of course, it worked, I saw and rode one I liked a lot and soon we were walking out the door with 2 brand new road bikes.  My only condition?  We had to USE them!!  So (gulp) we are going to do a triathlon in August!!  What??!! I know!!  It’s a pretty small one, only 3 miles of running (thank goodness), 14 miles of biking, and 500 meters of swimming.  So not too bad, hopefully it will get us in shape!  Here’s some pictures of the bikes!  Jeremy riding his with Mason shouting at him “Dad, you’re doing so good!!”

Look how cute my bike is!