Its been awhile!

Wow! I haven't blogged forever! Life has been very busy, so here's a very brief update on our goings ons!

1. We spent a great Thanksgiving with my family. Both of my sisters, Chantel and Misty, who live out of state, were able to come to town for the holiday. We had Misty's family stay here and it was great!
2. The day after Thanksgiving, Pete and I took the kids on our final Disney Trip of 2009. We broke down and bought year passes last January, and were very grateful to spend another fun few days at Disneyland. Admittedly, I am a little sad that we won't be going again for awhile.
3. Both of my boys started basketball. Pete is the head coach for Mitchell's team and the assistant coach for Jake. I really appreciate his willingness to be part of that with his busy schedule.
4. I have continued working with my personal trainer and convinced Pete to work out with me 2 days of the week. Since I started personal training, I have lost about 20 lbs. I feel great! I still want to lose a lot more, but what a great start toward my goal (especially during the holiday season--feels good to be losing instead of gaining!)
5. Pete and I had a fun opportunity to return to New York City! Have I mentioned I love that city? Pete had a conference, so during the day, I entertained myself by taking dance classes at the Broadway Dance Center. It was a humbling, fun dream come true for me and I would do it again! Pete and I also saw 4 Broadway shows--Billy Eliot, Hair, Fela and Westside Story. We also loved being in New York during the holidays. We were able to meet up with Pete's sister and her family one night for burgers in a greasy hole-in-the-wall (well, more of a curtain in the wall of the Parker Meridian Hotel) and see our friend Will as a lead on Broadway.
6. We are enjoying a wonderful Christmas and school break with our kids. We had lots of family party's and a great Christmas party with our friend's from medical school. We are still looking forward to spending more time with my sister Chantel and her family, a tennis round-robin with our neighborhood friends, and skiing at Alta as a family. We are very mindful of how blessed we are with wonderful friends, family and opportunity to enjoy this amazing world that we live in!
Well, that was a little longer that brief so I'll stop! But I wish all of my friends a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

One of those days!

Do you ever have those days when you just feel like staying in bed, but you can't because life goes on? That's kind of how I feel today. I'm not sure why. Who wants to stay in bed when you've been sick and in bed the last couple of weeks? Not anyone sane. That said, I am feeling much better, still just a little worn down. I've gotten back into my work outs and most of my normal life routine, but by the afternoon, I really just need a nap. I'm still hopeful that the rest of my family won't get sick. Tyler has definitely gotten it, and I'm afraid Madeline is getting sick, but I'm hoping its just a cold and not swine flu.

This has been a good week for our family. We are done with football, lacrosse and soccer season and starting into basketball season. Thankfully, basketball is not quite as intense as football or lacrosse. Plus, the kids piano teacher had a baby, so we have a little break there as well. I am making the kids practice, but its one less lesson to attend. The best thing about the week was that it was Mitchell's 9th birthday. We only do friend parties on even birthdays, so for Mitch's birthday Tuesday, he wanted to eat at Panda Express and go see Astro Boy. The next night, we met at Rocky Mountain Pizza with my family and went bowling afterwards at Olympus Hills Bowling. I laughed when my sister-in-law Jodi pointed out that we were in the world's worst places for avoiding the flu--pizza and salad bar followed by putting our little fingers in sweating bowling ball holes. Thankfully she stopped at Dan's for hand sanitizer. I think Mitch had a good time. Its crazy to think that my kids are getting so old! My baby is 4, and in January, 3 of my 4 will be baptized. Anyhow, we are grateful to have Mitch in our family. I loved what his school teacher said about him, that he's a thoughtful, deep thinking little boy. We love and appreciate Mitch for all that he adds to our family.

The kids had Friday off from school, all except Tyler, who still had preschool. I tried to make up for sick days at the gym and worked out Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I love it while I'm there, but man have I been tired in the afternoons. Pete and I attended "Is He Dead?" at Pioneer Memorial Theatre and really enjoyed it. The theatre has a program where they present one new show each year. This year's was a Mark Twain play written late in his life, very slap-stick, but entertaining. Saturday morning, Pete left for Arizona for a golf Birthday weekend with friends. His big day is Monday, when he'll finally join the ranks of being 37.

As you can see, I have no reason to feel down. Life is good! I must still be recovering a bit--that might explain my lethargic nature as of late. Or maybe its this crazy diet--only one more week in the weight loss challenge. Last week I was in 4th place in the competition, but I think the scale at the gym was off. I was 4 lbs. heavier at home. I think I really lost 2 lbs, but their scale showed me as losing 6 lbs. That would be nice, except I haven't weighed that little since last Monday, and then it makes it look like I've gained weight, when I've actually lost another pound this week. I know . . . I'm a little obsessed. Its nice to finally make some head way in losing weight, but I don't want it to take away from my family or other responsibilities.

I'm rambling again . . . time to go each some raw broccoli.

37 and laying in bed!

I must have over done Thursday night and Friday at the gym, because Saturday, Halloween, I ended up laying in bed all day with chills, a terrible sore throat, the works. Is it H1N1? I don't know, but today, though I'm feeling a little better, I'm going to take it easy. I have been sick Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and now Sunday. I don't count Friday, because though I didn't feel 100%, I felt well enough to get a few things accomplished.

My family is treating me well though. I got breakfast in bed this morning, as well as gifts and homemade cards from the kids. I have a bunch of church responsibilities, but Pete is very capable and helping me out today. So, though its not the most exciting way to spend my 37th birthday, it could be worse!

The kids had a great Halloween without me. Jake played his last football game, then Pete took the kids shopping and to watch my nephew's football game. That evening, the kids trick-or-treated, while Jake and his buddies set up a "haunted house" around our backyard. Surprise, surprise, we ran out of candy this year. In the past 3 years we've lived here, we have had very few tricker treaters, so we didn't buy very much candy (plus I was trying to avoid temptation while I'm on my diet). This year, we had to break into our kids snack packs and ran out of everything! Yeah! That's one of the things that has been different about living on our street. Its very private, which is great, but then you don't get trick-or-treaters! Sometimes I miss living in a neighborhood, but I'm having a hard time convincing any members of my family to want to move. That's okay! We have a great house, schools, ward, and nice neighborhoods near us. Plus, we really have great neighbors on our street--I definitely can't complain!! I just have a "boredom" virus that likes to mix things up a bit, and moving sounds like a good way to do that!

I'm starting to ramble, I think I'll take a nap. Here's hoping that I'll finally be well tomorrow!

A Good New Author and a Happy Halloween!!

I have not been well this week, and so finished a book I've been reading. This is my second book by this author, Ethan Canin, whose writing is classic and beautifully descriptive. This book, Carry Me Across the Water, was not as good as the first book I read by Canin, America America, but both demonstrate his ability to convey characters and stories in a fluid, soothing manner. They are not the most compelling reads, but if you love classic literature and descriptive writing, this is an author you ought to read.

As for being sick--I'm starting to wonder why it is that when I get motivated and pumped to get in shape, my body responds by getting shin splints or the flu? The good news is, I haven't had an appetite, so I haven't gained any weight, but I don't think I've lost any either, and I want to for this weight loss challenge with my personal trainer. So far, in three weeks, I've lost 7 lbs. I still have a long way to go, but I can tell that I'm getting fit and I feel great. I think that's the most important aspect of all.

My little dance troupe and I performed Thriller twice more this week. Once for the ward Primary party and again tonight for the Special Needs Mutual Halloween Party. Yesterday, I about passed out--I probably should have stayed home in bed. Tonight I felt a little better, which was good because after our performance, we taught a simplified version to the kids. It was so fun! Then we all did it together twice. So fun to see those cute kids smiling and walking like zombies with their "monster hands." I'm glad I felt better because it was worth it. Nice to have friends who'll participate in this fun events.

As for Halloween, this year I have an "awesome" blue power ranger (Tyler), Cleopatra (Madeline), and Harry Potter (Mitchell). As for Jake, I think he takes after me in the not good at costume department. This morning he came upstairs in tights, a pink ballet tutu, a hot-pink furry coat, a basketball jersey and a batman cape. He threw on my orange Daphne wig and we called him Fancy Nancy for his school story book parade. I still don't know what he'll dress up like on Halloween, I just know he wants to pretend to be dead on the lawn and scare people. At least he's creative. Pete and I went as Fred and Daphne from the Scooby Doo gang. Pete looked classic in his blond wig. Mine was a bit too orange, and I'm not as svelte as Daphne, so I didn't pull it off too well, but it was a fun idea. I'll post pictures tomorrow. Happy Halloween!!

Thriller was a hit!

We performed Thriller for our October Enrichment meeting and it was a hit! We booked two gigs afterwards, the ward Primary Party and the Young Men and Women's special needs party. The photo was taken by a very talented friend of mine, Katherine Turley. I choreographed the dance, but it was fun to see the talents of everyone involved influence the final product. Tori Ashby and Nicole Berry really helped the performance with make-up, wigs and costuming. Deborah Wunderli cut the music. Everyone spent countless hours practicing. It was so fun. Here's a picture they took to make a poster for a prize give-a-way the night of the party. I think we'll tone down the make-up for the next two performances--might scare the kids! Tyler said I looked really creepy and he's right. Can you tell which one I am?

In other news, I started working out with a personal trainer two weeks ago. I work out three times a week for an hour and follow a strict diet. So far, its working. After the first week, I lost 5 lbs. Its been more difficult to follow the diet this week, but I'm done pretty well. Tonight I broke down and ate a garden burger and a few fries at Red Robin. I couldn't help it!! Anyway, I'll keep you posted on my weight loss on Monday. I hope I've lost at least a couple of pounds, but if not, I can tell that I'm tightening up, so it'll come!!

Thriller Inspiration

Okay, some of you may be wondering why I posted dance steps to Thriller. My cute friend Talli from California told me about how she and some ladies in her stake performed Thriller, so when we decided to do an October Enrichment night called Good Things Willow Creek, I decided Thriller might be a fun entertainment segment (Good Things Utah is a morning show here in Utah, that often has groups perform). Anyhow, we have 10 ladies willing to join in the fun and perform Thriller. My friend Talli posted her video on her blog--you can find her on my friends page, if you want to watch her video. Great inspiration for "zombie character and costumes"! Maybe I'll post our video if one is made that evening!! So that's what I've been doing in my spare time--choreographing and practicing Thriller! Love it! Erin, I loved Thriller as a kid too. I had the opportunity a year ago to teach Thriller to the 4th Grade at Ridgeline Elementary School, which they performed for their Spring Dance concert. As my son's 6th grade P.E. (volunteer) teacher, I thought it would be a fun October gym class to teach them a simplified version of Thriller too. Maybe I'll attend Odyssey's Thriller this month and make it complete. Anyhow, thanks to all the cute ladies in my ward who are helping me out and making my original ideas even better. Now we have a fog machine and black lights--should be awesome!

Thriller Dance Steps

This post is for the ladies in my ward helping me out with Thriller. Here is a written version of the dance steps. I'm sure they're confusing--Hopefully it'll be more clear the more we practice.

THRILLER DANCE STEPS (from Sept. 16th)

*Step Right, Left 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Shoulder shrugs
*Step right left, shoulder shrug right, head drop to shoulder 1 2 3 4 shoulder shrug 5 6 shoulder shrug 7 and 8.

Monster Walks Left and Right
*Step right, facing right, arms teed, hand flick 1 2 step together flick 3 4, repeat 5 6 7 8.
Step right side, together with monster arms, head thrown back 1 2, repeat 3 4.
Repeat on left side, step left side, together with monsters arms head thrown back 5 6, repeat 7 8.

Slide Right, Pivot Sequence
*Right step, left together right, throw back head 1 and 2, right step left together chest rests on knee 3 and 4, pivot to left 5, plie 6, snap up 7, snap down 8.

The Egyptian
*Clap overhead (feet come together) 1, slap sides 2, slide right with Egyptian head 3 4 5, left step in 6, shoulders up 7, shoulders down on And, head flip right 8, head flip front on And . . .
Repeat The Egyptian Left
*Clap overhead 1, slap sides 2, slide left with Egyptian head 3 4 5, right step in 6, shoulders up 7, shoulders down on And, head flip left 8, head flip front on And . . .

Monster Walk with Swing
*Monster hands up, walk right crossover left, repeat 1 2 3 monster hands swing left 4 swing right 5 swing left 6, crossover right 7, step left 8 swing right 1 left 2 right 3 crossover left 4, step right 5 swing left 6, swing right 7, swing right 8.
Right arm up 1, down to side with plie 2, swing around with left foot and left shoulder shrug forward 3 4 5 6 until facing back, head flip over left shoulder 7, head flip back 8.

Monster Lunges
With hands on bent knees, step (toward back of stage) starting with left foot, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8.

Good thing we're practicing for the next month! Thanks for helping me out. Nicole

Labor Day Adventure

Yesterday, being Labor Day and Pete having the day off (yeah!!), but feeling sick after his fun trip to Texas, made our possibilities for adventure a little more limited. We couldn't really do an overnighter since my boys were pretty worn out after their trip, and Mitch and Madeline had piano lessons Monday morning. But we did have a neighbor (thank you Anne) give us 14 tickets to the Bee's baseball game. After trying unsuccessfully to get another family to join us, we decided to let our kids ask friends. Jake invited 2 friends, and Mitch and Madeline each had a friend. Tyler was very sad that he didn't get to invite "someone his size" but decided that Mitch was his friend too. We had to take 2 cars to accommodate all of the seat-belt needs, more expense but definitely safer and cheaper than a ticket. Anyhow 7 kids, 11 pizzas and sodas, 4 ice cream cones, 11 snow-cones, and 7 innings of sitting in the hot sun, we carried a sleepy, sweaty Tyler home. The Bee's were being beaten, I have no idea who won, but I'm assuming it was Sacramento. I could tell Pete was done. So the kids spent the rest of the afternoon playing Statues in our shady backyard, something I have grown to love about our house--afternoon shade on a hot day, while Pete and I watched the US Open Tennis match between Wacniacky and the Russian girl (whose name I've forgotten, something like Slovenka). Then we feasted on a take home Wingers meal and sent our kids to bed. Yes, I did get in two more chapters of the Boxcar Children and succeeded in scaring Tyler. This morning, as we drove down Walker Lane, a wooded part of Salt Lake, I asked Tyler if he wouldn't want to live in this beautiful area. He replied, "mom, don't you remember last night in the Boxcar children, how you said children shouldn't be alone in the woods? If we lived here, I would be alone in the woods and I need to have a mommy." Oops! At least he's remembering what I read. Anyhow, its nice to spend time with my cute kids and my fabulous husband. We are very blessed.

Confessions of a Lonely Wife

Okay, so I can finally write about my weekend now that Pete and the boys will be home tomorrow. I am wary of posting anything while my hubby is gone since my cousin, who lives in Arizona, was robbed after posting about a vacation on fb or a blog, I can never remember which. Isn't that terrible . . . they even did a news story on it. So, since that time, I really try not to talk about a vacation until its over, or to say I'm home alone, until I'm not anymore. But I have found that I post a lot less because by the time I get around to writing about my experiences, I've forgotten half of what happened. I'm rambling--back to the point.

Pete, Jake and Mitch had a fun . . . LONG . . . boy's weekend to Texas for the BYU vs. Oklahoma game (which BYU won tonight, in a very close game, 14-13). They left Wednesday evening, so they spent Thursday touring the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, eating lots of delicious Texas food, and watching the Utes beat the Aggies (no surprise there). Friday, they went to an aquarium and then spent the afternoon boating with Pete's brother Mike's family. Jake got up on two ski's and Mitch was the tubing champ. Saturday, they attended my nephew Kyle's game, then headed to Six Flags until it was time to attend the football game. Have I mentioned how crazy, busy my life is? Can you see why, when my husband lives like this even when he's on vacation? Don't get me wrong, I think its great--its just exhausting at times.

I, on the other hand, have realized a few things about myself while Pete has been gone.

1. I don't sleep well when Pete's gone. I didn't get to sleep until 2am Thursday night, and woke up at 4am this morning and couldn't get back to sleep.
2. I read a lot (finished 2 books) and watch a lot of movies (3 and a half) when Pete is gone.
3. Life is less chaotic with two children (especially when I have no activities to attend since its a holiday weekend).
4. I eat out a lot more when Pete is gone. (Tyler actually talked me into eating at McDonald's twice. We spent 2 hours at McDonald's play land on Friday night and then had it again for breakfast today. YUCK!).
5. I don't get a lot done while Pete is gone because I get so little sleep, watch too many movies and read too many books. This is opposite of my spouse who painted my laundry room for me while I was gone to Germany and had the house in tiptop shape upon my return.

I have concluded from this experience that Peter is better for me than I am for him. When he's around, I am a productive, efficient, mothering machine. When he's gone, let's just say . . . not so much! As for Pete, you take me out of the picture and our house is run like a well oiled machine. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but its the truth. Maybe my biggest purpose in life is to show other husband's how great their wives are, help them really appreciate how great they really are, when they can compare them to my laid-back, slovenly ways! And women gain more confidence in my presence, as they realize they're not the only ones who don't fold their laundry often enough, or sweep, or organize disorganized closets, or do the dishes or weed the yard. Okay, I'm revealing too much, but on a positive note, Tyler and Madeline have both bathed this weekend (especially after playing at the FILTHY McDonald's playland for two hours). Madeline played "Yankee Doodle" on the Big-esque (think Tom Hanks movie) piano at the Golden arches thanks to my insistence on her practicing the piano. I learned that Ronald McDonald and the Joker are brothers, a valuable piece of information passed on from Mitchell to Tyler and then to all of the customers at the above named fast food joint (I think all that creative, imagination is inherited from me). We've read 5 chapters in The Boxcar Children at bedtime, so I can't be too horrible! It just goes to show how loneliness affects people differently, or maybe I just need Pete more than he needs me!

Funny Tyler story. Thursday I took Tyler to the library. As we were pulling into the parking lot, I was reminding Tyler that we need to be quiet in the library, speak with a whisper, that sort of thing. If you know my little guy, you know he talks non-stop in a rather loud manner, all day long. A reminder was a necessity. After my 2nd reminder, Tyler yells at me "Mom, I always talk with a quiet voice." Enough said.

Today, after my lazy weekend, I took my daughter and niece to see a show at Hale Center Theatre in Orem. The show was Over the River and Through the Woods and it was a funny, surprisingly moving show. I have a lot of fun memories hanging out in that theatre (never acting in a production, mind you) during high school and college. When Pete and I were first engaged, he did a show with our friends, Will, Amy and Kolby entitled The Nerd. Will is now a Tony nominated actor starring in Hair on Broadway. I could say, who wudda thunk, but I always figured Will would make it big one day! Pete hasn't had much opportunity to act in community theatre, but I think he should. As a matter of fact, I've decided that one of these days, I'm going to tackle my fear of acting and take a class somewhere. It's something I've always wanted to do, but been too petrified and self-conscious to pursue. Why not? If I can ride my bike for 111 miles, I think I could take an acting class. I know, I know . . . it doesn't mean I'd be any good, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be good at all, but it would be good for me and fun! I'll have to see what I can find . . . maybe I'll take a refresher tap course, voice lessons, and an acting class this fall and audition for 42nd Street in the Spring . . . I can always dream, right?

Well, one more night of tossing and turning, then Pete will be home. Craziness will ensue, and hopefully, I'll read a little less, and get a little more done!

Fond Memories

Last night, as I was reading The Boxcar Children to my kids, I had such great memories of my first time reading that book. I was in 2nd grade, like my daughter, and my teacher was Mrs. Osborne, my favorite teacher of all time. Mrs. Osborne was married to a professional tennis player, and had a daughter named Olivia (I remember, it became my favorite Barbie doll name for awhile), though I can't remember her other daughter's name. She was very cautious about playing on the jungle gym because the above named daughter, who had waist length hair, had lost a chunk of hair when it was stepped on by a fellow student while she was hanging upside down from the jungle gym. If my memory serves correctly, my teacher looked a bit like Grace Farrel from the movie Annie. Anyhow, I associate Mrs. Osborne with reading that book, because after lunch recess, as we came into the classroom, she would turn out the lights, have us lay our heads down on our desks, then read to us by candle light. The Boxcar Children became one of my favorite books. I love that memory! I'm sure it was against school rules and fire codes, but it was the best way to listen to a story. So last night, though we didn't have a candle, we did read the Boxcar Children by "camping lantern" light--I think that's a pretty good substitute. Aaaahhh! The good old days.

Ughhh! Girl fights!

I am not prepared to help my daughter deal with the often cruel world of being a girl. She's only a second grader for heaven's sake--can't it wait until she's in Jr. High? I was a shy, quiet little girl, who usually had a few close friends, rather than big groups of friends. I remember girls being mean, my reaction usually to just kind of fade out of the picture. But my Maddy is a social child, and though I'm sure the problem is in part of her own making, its really hard to witness. When we first moved to this house, I was so happy that we had two little girls Madeline's age living next door, but now I'm realizing that having a little distance from friends can be a good, though less convenient, thing. I'd love some suggestions on how to deal with this not very fun problem.

Back to School tomorrow!

I can't believe today's our official last day of summer. We had a busy day meeting new teachers, last minute school shopping, and later going out to dinner and home for Father's Blessings. Its also our last day with our nephew Blake staying with us. Its been so pleasant, he fit right into the family, we'll miss having him around. I've already begun to dread my crazy new, after 3pm schedule. I need to train myself to efficiently use my time while the kids are at school so the after school time doesn't seem so impossible. Here's a brief overview of my weeks to come.

Monday: Piano lessons, FHE
Tuesday: Football, Lacrosse, 11 yr. old scouts, YM for Pete
Wednesday: Dance, Football, Activity Days, Scouts
Thursday: Football, Soccer, Lacrosse
Friday: Hopefully lots of fun playing with friends!
Saturday: Soccer, Lacrosse and Football games
Sunday: A welcome respite from the rest of the week's busyness!

Tyler starts preschool this year, 2 days a week, so I figure I can get in some good bike rides on those days, and skiing in the winter. I am also volunteering with 2 other moms as the 6th grade P.E. teachers, which should be fun but busy. Aaahhh well. Another summer down, another school year to begin.

News Headlines

I've been very fascinated and saddened by a news headline on Yahoo (I know, hardly reliable news, but all that I look at currently) about a female athlete who won the 800, but is being questioned about her genetic make-up. Why this is fascinating to me, I don't know, except that it targets a conundrum of science that I don't understand. To look at this girl physically, you can understand, to some degree, why her femaleness would be called into question. She is very muscular, masculine looking, flat as a board, and apparently, has a deep, gruff voice. She is not being questioned for cheating, there is just concern that she is not truly genetically a girl. The poor girl has dealt with this her whole life, calmly, aside from one time when an individual was trying to ban her from using the women's restroom. To this, she threatened to pull down her pants to prove her femaleness, thankfully, not having to resort to such actions. My question is, so what if she isn't genetically a girl? Her whole life, that is what she has thought she was. Is it fair to take away her chance to compete because her physical body doesn't fit into the definitions of male and female that our society has defined? Especially since I've been married to Pete, a urologist, I've learned of some genetic defects at birth that may leave some individuals androgynous. I wonder how our society will learn to deal with these types of issues as they become more apparent and as science progresses. Anyhow, that's the thought that's been on my mind tonight, preventing me from sleeping. The injustices done to those who have no control over their situation. I think I'd better sleep on it, though I doubt I'll have an answer tomorrow, or anytime soon.

I did it!!

I am so happy! I actually rode all 111 miles, the last 40 were killer with headwinds and hills, but it felt so good to complete the ride!! I could not have done it without my good friends Brook and Kim. Brook and I started the race together, and we were both determined to do it!! We knew we might be slow and that it might kill us, but we were determined to see it through. We met up with Kim at lunch and she was great to stay with us for the rest of the race. She has done several of these races and I'm sure she could have gone ahead of us, but it was fun to have her along to help us!!

I felt great until about 86.5 miles, then I started wondering what I was trying to prove to myself!! We were riding against the wind, and though they weren't big hills, when you've already ridden that far, they were tough. But how can you quit when you've come that far. By the time we hit 100 miles, I was starting to feel a little loopy and giddy! When we finished, I was so euphoric, I decided I was totally up for the fundraising dinner at LaCaille. So we hurried home so I could shower and change into my "fancy get-up" and headed to LaCaille. I felt great until after I'd eaten dinner, when my tiredness hit me like a wall. I told Pete that we needed to find a nice time to leave or I might fall asleep, face down in my dessert. Yesterday, Sunday, I felt the effects of my LONG ride more keenly, but considering that I was on my bike actually riding for 7 1/2 hours, and out for about 9, I think I'm feeling pretty good.

I am really grateful for all of my wonderful friends and family who gave me confidence and encouragement! I entered the ride as incentive to work-out, but was so nervous the week before the ride!! I really started to doubt my sanity and abilities. It was nice to have so many "you can do its" from friends. It feels so great to complete an accomplishment like that!! I had seriously considered doing another ride in September in Park City--I'm not sure yet if I'll do that, but I know that I'll try and ride another century next summer. Thank you, thank you to Brook and Kim!! What a fun adventure, and even better for having done it with friends!!

The ULCER is tomorrow!

I am so nervous . . . my big bike ride is tomorrow. When I get nervous, I get tired. Not a good combination for a 111 mile bike ride. At least my air conditioning is fixed so I can sleep well today. I really, really want to finish the ride and do the full 111 miles, but I'm not confident that I'm physically up for it. I've been training hard, but I'm not sure its enough. Oh well, what can I do but try my best! I have to keep thinking, I can do it, I can do it. Unfortunately, I have this nagging little voice in the back of my head saying, "are you sure? Maybe you can't!" Oh well . . . wish me luck.

On Wednesday, my friend Nicole and I went for a ride, trying to attempt finding the trail for this ride. We had a hilarious experience. The first part was fine, just funny because we couldn't read the map well enough to know if we were on the right path. We kept taking little dead end roads and then turning around and looking for a new trail. We turned around at about 13 miles, figuring we could get in a 25 to 30 mile ride, and a little more confident because the path was very flat. Somehow, instead of ending up at Thanksgiving Point, we ended up in Saratoga Springs at Redwood Road. Meanwhile, my kids keep calling . . . can Mitch play with this friend or this friend? Do I know where Maddy's tennis racket is? Can Maddy play with Alyssa? I'm starting to feel a little stressed about my kids and have no idea how to get home. A somewhat helpful girl at the Rite Aid said she thought there was a back road to Thanksgiving Point. Of course I chose the wrong one (my poor friend Nicole). Anyhow, it looked like it was going in the right direction, until it took a sharp turn back in the opposite way in which we wanted to go. That's when I saw the dirt road with a "Keep out" sign posted. Nicole and I decided we could plead our case--being mother's in a hurry to get back to our children. So we walked across this field, on a gravel path, that I didn't realize was chewing up my new toe clips. I've yet to decide whether I ought to just go buy new ones, but that's a separate matter. We finally reached a berm of trees and plantings. I thought the Thanksgiving Point Golf Course might be on the other side, and I knew it had a bridge over the Jordan River, a major obstacle to reaching our destination. Nicole saw the golf path on the other side, so we decided to go for it. We rode our bikes on the golf cart trails, until we came to a lawnmower, who told us we couldn't go any further until the Jr. Golf Championship golfers took their turns on the tee-box. Then he kindly showed us which way to go to get to the bridge and back into a neighborhood, so we could make our way back to Thanksgiving Point. One wrong right turn later, my fault again, we finally found the way back to Nicole's car!! It was a fun ride, 28 miles, and a memorable adventure. Nicole's a good sport and in great shape!! Good inspiration for an old lady like myself!!

The Briefest of Updates

Jake decided to play football after all . . . summer is officially over!

I have a second post on my decorating blog-www.fontainedebienvenu.blogspot.com so check it out!

I am tired! I've done 75 miles on my bike this week and I can feel it today!!

Like I said, it'll be brief, so I'm done!!

Summer Highlights

I keep thinking I'll have time to blog about our fun summer, but time keeps slipping away. So, here is an abbreviated "highlights" of our summer so far!

June:

End of baseball (Mitch), soccer (Madeline) and Lacrosse (Jake) seasons
Lacrosse tournament in Park City
Pete's big Tribal Golf Tournament in St. George

July:

Trip to Vancouver, WA with all of my family (except Pete and Jake, all extended family that is) for Cohen's baby blessing. While we were there, we had a great time playing in the fountains, picnicking in the park and listening to the Jazz Festival in downtown Portland. We had a great cave hike adventure at the Ape Caves in Mt. St. Helen's recreation area, the longest lava shoot in North America. Since all of the girls were together, we had a pedicure/manicure shower for my sister Heather, whose getting married in September. Great times--always fun hanging out with the family--25 of us, all staying in Misty's house!

Trip to Moab, Utah with the Boy Scouts. I got home from Washington Monday night (I drove with my parents) and turned around and let on Wednesday morning to go to Moab. I haven't been back since Pete and I lived there the first summer we were married, working as river guides on the mighty Colorado River. Such great memories. We scoped out camp and hiking spots for Pete's Boy Scout Adventure. We ate pizza at Eddie McStiff's, swam at the Moab public pool, bought some art from a Main Street Gallery and generally enjoyed reliving my younger days when I lived in a swimsuit all day and it wasn't torture (unlike now)! Pete, Jake and Mitch camped with the Boy Scouts and then did a daily river run on Friday and a 10 mile hike on Saturday.

Mitchell's Field of Dreams at with the Bee's. This was a fun event for Mitch and the Alta Canyon Phillies. They were invited to go down onto the field with the players, play some catch in their positions after telling the audience their name, and then tour the facilities. We had a great time and were proud of our Mitch!

Fisher family trip to Laguna Beach, California. Pete's parents rented a beach house, a mere 62 steps from the beach, for a week. We had a fabulous time, playing at the beach, taking two days at Disneyland, attending the Pageant of the Masters, and renting a Surrey bike for 6 in Balboa Island. I loved the the Pageant of the Masters, a Laguna tradition since 1932, that recreates works of art using live models. The sculptures were amazing, but I especially loved the paintings and how they came to life on stage. All in all, a great family vacation.

Jake and friends Supermen and Women basketball camp. Jake and his buddies made fliers and organized a sports camp for kids 4 to 8. We are in the midst of it this week, and though its a bit crazy, I'm proud of Jake for following through.

Tennis lessons. The kids and I are all taking lessons this summer and its been great. I've also had the chance to meet with some friends in the mornings and play. I feel like I'm getting a little better bit by bit, but mostly I'm just having fun.

Looking forward to:

A relaxing August. Jake decided not to play football this year, so I feel like I have much more time on my hands. We don't have any big plans for vacations, just enjoying the great recreation around us.

The ULCER. This is a 111-mile bike ride I have been trying to train for this summer. I'm not sure I'm ready for that long of a ride, but I'm grateful for the motivation its given me to get out and ride my bike. Wish me luck on finishing on Aug. 8th!!

A Second Blog

I am starting a second blog as an outlet for my interest in home decorating and gardening. It is in the beginning phases, but if any of you have ideas and pictures you'd like to contribute, email them to me at www.fontainedebienvenu@gmail.com. The site is called Fontaine de Bienvenu Home and Garden, the name taken from my maiden name before it was Americanized. Bienvenu means welcome, and a little side note, my grandfather and great grandfather had the middle initial W. which stood for Welcome. Anyhow, check out the blog at fontainedebienvenu.blogspot.com and send me all of your great ideas. I am especially interested in gardening tips, easy summer recipes and home improvement upgrades using spray paint or other paints. I'd also be happy to advertise for any related businesses, so let me know! Happy decorating!

Motivation

I am happy to report that I am finally motivated to start training for the ULCER bike ride I'm doing on Aug. 8th. I signed up for the 111 miles--I may or may not make that, but I've been out for a few rides and I'm feeling much better. Last night I rode with my friend Kim, whose also doing the ride. Today I rode alone. I've also been playing tennis in the mornings with some friends. I may not have reached my weight loss and healthy living goals yet, but it feels good to be working toward it!

I had a great trip with my family to Vancouver, Washington to visit Misty and her family, and to participate in the blessing of adorable baby Cohen. I am off on another adventure in an hour, so I don't have time for details now, but I am grateful to have such a great family!

Summer Reading Recommendations:

A Veiled Deception by Annette Blair (this was a really fun, light, mystery read--definitely chic-lit, but great!)
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Mrs. Perfect by Jane Porter
My Enemy's Cradle by Sara Young
I Capture the Castle by Dodi Smith
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Plain Truth by Jodi Piccoult
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
Something Borrowed; Something Blue; Baby Proof; Love the one your with all by Emily Giffin
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Cold Sassy Tree
The Book Thief
The Red Tent
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Happy Reading!!

It's been a great week . . .

having my sister Misty, and her cute family staying with us! Our house has been very busy with 10 kids running around, and 1 baby. Today we went to a splash zone, last night we had 9 kids sleeping over, and had a big Father's Day BBQ. We have 4 more days of fun to look forward too.

I also finished another book and wanted to share some quotes. The book is "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant, an interesting read that inspired me to read the story of Jacob and Dinah from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament. This book is written by a Jewish author, therefore written from a different perspective than that which I was used to. But I loved a few quotes from the end of the book, attributed to Dinah.


"Death is no enemy, but the foundation of gratitude, sympathy, and art. Of all life's pleasures, only love owes no debt to death." (p. 320)

"In Egypt, I loved the perfume of the lotus. A flower would bloom in the pool at dawn, filling the entire garden with a blue musk so powerful it seemed that even the fish and ducks would swoon. By night, the flower might wither but the perfume lasted. Fainter and fainter, but never gone. Even many days later, the lotus remained in the garden. Months would pass and a bee would alight near the spot where the lotus had blossomed, and its essence was released again, momentarily but undeniable."
"Egypt loved the lotus because it never dies. It is the same for people who are loved. Thus can something as insignificant as a name-two syllables, one high, one sweet-summon up the innumerable smiles and tears, sighs and dreams of a human life."
(p. 321)

Happy Father's Day!

It's been a great day spent with the father of my four great kids, and my father-in-law. We had a dinner at Debbie's house, with all of Pete's family. Debbie asked each of the in-laws to say something that they love about Byron. A little unusual, in that we are the in-laws (or out-laws as some like to say), but it turned out to be a nice idea. Since I'm the only woman, and admittedly, not the best public speaker, the task seemed a bit daunting. On the way to Debbie's house, I joked about doing an interpretive dance entitled "Ode to Byron". I may joke, but I'm lucky to have a great father-in-law. One of the things I like best about Byron is his joie de vivre, as the French say. He has a great enthusiasm and love of live that is both contagious and inspirational. Byron is always quick with a smile and a joke. Those are qualities he has passed down to Pete, my husband, some of the qualities that first attracted me to Pete.

Speaking of Pete . . . what can I say about Pete? He's an incredible husband and father, my best friend. He makes me feel like the coolest, sexiest woman in the world ( and I know that's not true), but still . . . I trust him, I laugh with him, we share many things in common and appreciate each others differences. I'm lucky to have ended up with such a great man. So Happy Father's Day!

Now you may wonder, why I haven't mentioned my own dad. I was just saving him for last. I think ending up with such a great guy was in part because I have such a great dad. With an example of a loving marriage in my own parents, the expectations in my own marriage were set high. My dad is the greatest! He is such an example of honesty and integrity. He also helped me to appreciate the gift of feeling emotions deeply. I have a hard time expressing myself, especially verbally, but I'm grateful to recognize and appreciate the simple things in life that make us happy. I learned that from my dad. Like, noticing the beauty of nature. Another thing I learned from my dad, was not to be a quitter, to endure. My natural weakness is to give up when things get hard, but dad wouldn't let me do that. When I was a freshman at BYU and really hating it, I remember calling my dad and saying that I was through. I wanted to transfer to the University of Utah and be done with the "weirdness" at BYU. My dad said, "You committed to BYU for a year, and you need to see it through for the year. At the end of the first year if you want to transfer, then fine. But see it through." At the time, I was a little mad. I had a crazy roommate (that's another story, probably not a good blog one) and culturally, BYU was very different than my upbringing. But my dad was right. By not quitting, I was able to look at the courses at the U of U, and really think through what I wanted from my education and what each university had to offer. It turned out that although most of my friends were at the U, the class courses were more science oriented than what I wanted. At BYU, I was able to take dance classes, theatre, art, the liberal arts courses that I loved and were more suited to my talents and interests. That is just one example of the many life experiences and which my dad has taught me to be a better person by evaluating my goals and personal convictions. I love my dad. He always let me know that I could be anything I put my mind and effort to. I'm grateful for the confidence he had in me and the hard work and sacrifices he made for me and my siblings so that we could be where we are today. I'm also grateful for the importance he placed on being a good person that people can count on, and on the importance of relationships with others. I'm a better person for the love and care that I receive from my husband, my father and my father-in-law. Happy Father's Day!

I Love Park City!

This past week, my family has spent part or most of 5 days in (or nearby) Park City. First, we spent the day with my family at East Canyon. On Tuesday evening, I drove up with the kids to meet Pete for dinner after he golfed in Park City and then we shopped at the outlets for our kids shoes. Yesterday, today and tomorrow have been spent at the Park City Shoot Out Lacrosse Tournament for my oldest son, Jake. I love Lacrosse, so its been a fun week even though the boys have been beaten pretty mercilessly by these teams from California, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona and Texas. At least they beat the Nevada team and we still have 2 games to go tomorrow. Anyhow, its been so much fun, I tried to convince Pete that we should just move to Park City. He didn't buy it! I guess I still need to work on how to persuade him. So far, he's only agreed to a "possible" retirement address in Park City. Man--its hard never getting my way!!

Funny Kid Stories and other happenings

Mitchell: The other day, driving in the car, somehow the kids and I started talking about how we have to be careful what kinds of things we look at, you know, the watch out for pornography talks you have with your kids. Anyhow, Mitch says, "Mom, I know what you mean. The other day when I was playing on the computer, I saw some pictures of girls in bikinis . . ." I pause here because as a mom, you know what your heart does when you hear your child say this. Did they see more than bikinis? I'm glad he's telling me now, but why not then? Anyhow, you get the idea of how my mind is running . . . So I say, "Mitch, did you see anything more than bikinis? You know to shut the computer if anything like that comes up, and then come and get me." To my utter dismay and astonishment he says, "No, it was just bikinis. They were pictures of you and your friends." Oh yes, those high school pictures from my senior year trip to St. George. The ones I left on the shelf by the computer so I could re-scrapbook them since I originally used masking tape. Nice . . . the "pornography" I was concerned with was caused by my own lack of modesty as a girl! Hmmm! At least that's all it was.

Madeline: Right before Christmas, I took Madeline on a mother/daughter trip to New York City. We had a fabulous time, and though she's only 6, I can tell its had a real impression on her. When we watch movies, she always recognizes when its set in New York City, and she gets really excited about the fact that she's been there. The other night when we watched the Tony awards, she said, "I've been to that theatre!" because it took place at Radio City Music Hall where we saw the Christmas Spectacular. We also saw 2 musicals, so she has become more interested in the theatre. Anyhow, the other day we were listening to the soundtrack from "Wicked" in the car. Madeline asked questions about what was going on in the musical and which characters were singing. When we got home, Madeline asked if she could take the CD to listen to in her room. I told her to be careful and then went back to unloading sleeping Tyler and groceries, and all those other tasks that keep mom's busy. About an hour later, I went upstairs to check on her. She was laying on her stomach, legs swaying, listening to the CD and looking at pictures from our coffee table book of Wicked, a Christmas gift from the couple whom we saw it with in NYC. Such a cute sight! And I can say, it was worth every penny to have a fellow family member grow to love the theatre as much as I do. I have a feeling we have lots of fun adventures ahead of us.

Tyler to Pete this morning: "Dad, I totally saw you on TV." (In regards to watching Pete's news interview last night).
Tyler to me several days ago: "Mom, can you fix Mr. Potato Head's junk?" I think I must have been caught a little off guard, because when I didn't answer immediately, Tyler said, "You know, his bum." Where does he get this stuff? Well, that evening, I got my answer when I heard Pete say "Tyler, stop messin' with your junk." I'm sure you know what Pete was referring to and now I know where Tyler learns most of his funny phrases. I can't blame Jake and Mitch any longer.

Funny things my kids like to say:

Madeline: "Oh snap!"
Tyler: "Oh, pickle sauce!"

All of my kids favorite restaurant, as of last night: The Sizzler. Yep, I have no idea what possessed me to agree to take them to dinner at the Sizzler. I haven't been back there since I briefly dated Rich Marstella in college, and we used to meet his parents there on Friday evenings. That's been many, many years ago, and never have I craved going back. Well, I gave in. My kids were very grateful though (a good thing because it was expensive). I kept hearing from my 3 oldest, "This is the best restaurant. This is my new favorite place to eat. Thanks mom, you're the best. This is the best food." Sheer appreciation from my not always grateful children. They ate till their stomachs hurt. Meanwhile, I made 3 trips to the bathroom with a very upset stomach! Sizzler did NOT agree with me. So kids, I'm glad you thought it was so great, but I have no intention of going back!

My sister Misty and her family are coming in town this week. Jake has a lacrosse tournament for the next three days. And I had a fabulous lunch date with my amazing friends from high school. I've been friends with Liz since kindergarten, and with Julie, Kim and Francie since junior high school. Always fun to spend time with them. So if we could just get it to warm up around her, summer is off to a nice start!

Hike to Deseret Peak

Yesterday evening, Pete and Jake, hiked with Janae, Pete's sister and her son Spencer, to Deseret Peak. Janae sent some cute pictures, so I thought I'd post them.

Its all happening at the Zoo!

I am thankful for a sunny, mild temperature day to enjoy the zoo with my kids. We had a great time!! I'll post photos later.

Another rainy day in Salt Lake

Wow! This weather has been incredibly wet and cold. Day after day of rain and big thunderstorms is unusual weather here in Salt Lake. Its amazing the effect weather can have on your psyche and on your schedule.

This morning, Mitch and Madeline began piano lessons. I stayed for the first part, took a walk, and then came back for the last part of the lesson. There's a lot to learn about reading notes and keys for little ones on the first day, but it was fun for me to come home and pick out some simple notes after listening to their lesson. I think that will give me greater ability to help them practice and I may actually learn to read music and play the piano myself.

After piano, Pete had a surgery cancel, so he came home for a few hours. When he was headed back to work, I asked if he would drop me and my bike at the post office, so I could mail the bills and ride my bike home. I'm trying to get myself in shape for a bike ride in August and this weather has not helped my cause. Anyhow, he kindly consented. As I was riding home, the clouds rolled in dark and ominous. I high-tailed it home, hoping to avoid the rain. Jake and his buddies wanted to play basketball at Cottonwood Heights, so we jumped in the car to drop them off. As I waited outside to be sure they made it to the gym, the storm hit. Unbelievable the power of the elements. Within minutes, the rain gutters and storm drains turned into miniature rivers, swelling and overflowing with water. At street corners where two intersections met, small lakes had formed in the streets. As you can imagine, driving in this type of weather is a bit stressful, so with a white-knuckles clutching the steering wheel, we headed for home.

As I'm driving, shoulders clenched and neck tight, I noticed that Madeline is humming. I look over at her seat and she's tracing the rain drops with her finger, humming to herself. I glanced in my rear-view mirror and see Tyler, peacefully asleep, mouth wide open, slack-jawed (he inherited that from his father). It made me think about the level of security we give our children. Thankfully my stress in driving wasn't translating into Madeline's observation of the storm. Lightning cracking, thunder booming, ground shaking, hail pounding the windshield didn't seem to phase her. Instead, she's humming pleasantly to herself, actually enjoying the storm. I think that's the beauty and innocence of childhood. The confidence and security to know that people love you and will take care of you when the storms come. I'm grateful to observe these moments periodically, to give me better insight into the simple pleasures of life. I think the tension shrank from my shoulders, a little bit anyway.

We decided to drive down a road where you cross a bridge over Little Cottonwood Creek, a river that meanders through the area where we live. The bridge dips fairly low, and the water level was just below the bridge, rushing and muddy with debris. I think that was the first time during the storm that I heard a little gasp from Madeline. Thankfully we're home now, safe and snug in our house. I guess it's another movie day here.

Fun Date Night

Pete and I had a fun date night tonight with our friends the Buckwalters. First we met for a 9 holes of golf at the Old Mill Golf Course, and then had an excellent dinner at Porcupine Grill. I ordered a vegetarian pizza, minus the eggplant, and it was delicious. Though I am not a great golfer, I do enjoy it and I'm happy to report I hit my first par 3. I know . . . its not saying much, but still, an accomplishment for me.

We also had a fun first Saturday of summer vacation today. Jake was involved in the second day of a lacrosse tournament, so we left bright and early this morning to watch his team defeat Bingham 3-2 in a very exciting, close game. Jake's team won their second game 7-0, although the night before they didn't have the same luck, losing the first game 5-13, and the second 5-6. I was unable to watch the second game since I had to chauffeur Madeline to her last soccer game of the season. She had a great game and steadily improved through the season. Her team had a soccer party in the afternoon, and Jake was invited to a boy/girl swim party. I'm still not sure what I think of these boy/girl parties before junior high school. Seems a bit young to me, although there's nothing wrong with having girls for friends. Mitch and Tyler, again, played great supportive roles, being shuttled to and from games and cheering on their siblings. Mitch finished a great baseball season earlier this spring, with 2 extra tournament games. He also really improved over the season, playing catcher and first base, the boy is a natural slugger! Most importantly, all three big kids had great grades to finish out the school year. That always helps me to know we're on the right track.

Tyler isn't complaining of broken bones any longer and he's memorized the chorus of Wheezer's "Troublemaker". Ya know "I'm a troublemaker, never been a faker. Doing things my own way, never giving up." This is the song, when asked to sing a song after being complimented on his cute voice, that Tyler first thought to sing. To our friend who also happens to be the Bishop's wife. That's when I wonder what improvements I could make in my parenting skills. My kids don't sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or the ABC's, they're singing Wheezer's "Do you want to destroy my sweater?" Hmmm?

The only thing I wish were different in my life right now? Yard work! I wish I didn't have to do it. I just don't feel like planting flowers and I really don't want to water the few flowers I have. And mowing the lawn . . . yeah, pretty much sick of that and its early in June!! It doesn't help that our lawn mower is broken, so we've borrowed our neighbors ride on mower. So much quicker than our little mower, but it wouldn't help my kids learn how to work. I mean, I have 3 boys, we can't hire someone to do our lawn or buy a riding mower, that's just not right! Not to mention, I mowed the lawn as a kid (still do), Madeline can definitely help as well. Maybe when we have less obligations in other areas, I'll find some motivation, deep within me to work on my yard! I hope so.

Today . . .

Then tomorrow, and we're officially done with school this year! Hurray!! I think I am more tired of homework than my kids.

Poor Tyler

My little Tyler is not feeling well today, and in classic form, he makes the funniest comments. Sadly, he's feverish and laying around. He woke up in the middle of the night, went back to sleep, woke again and crawled on the bench at the foot of my bed and fell asleep again. He was awakened by his siblings getting ready for school, so he walked 10 steps down the hall and layed down on the wood floors and fell asleep again. You know your kids don't feel well when they fall asleep on wood floors. When I picked him up to move him to a bed, he said "I need a bandage. All my bones in my body are broken. Please give me a vitamin." The kid cracks me up! As far as I know, bandages and vitamins don't fix fevers, but when I feel feverish and sore, it does kind
of feel like all my bones are broken. I hope the Tylenol kicks in soon and that he starts feeling better.

Little Girls and Baby Dolls

This afternoon I watched my friend's darling almost two year old daughter, Charlie. We had such a good time. She is in that adorable still little baby, but starting to talk stage. She walked in the door and wanted to go straight up to Madeline's bedroom--Charlie knew exactly where all the baby dolls were. We changed all of the dolls clothes, did their hair, fed them, walked them in the grocery cart, put them in the high chair, etc., etc. It was pure bliss! And she called me mom . . . oh it makes me sad to be out of that stage of life! Tyler is still an adorable 3 1/2 year old and we have a lot of fun together. My other kids are also in great stages--we can finally go on family bike rides together, with only Tyler in a bike seat. But still, there is something about babies! Will this ever go away? Maybe this is why grandma's are so crazy about their grandkids. Anyhow, I am glad to have little nieces and nephews that I can cuddle with, and thankfully, Tyler has a little bit of a Peter Pan Complex, and doesn't want to grow up, so I can still cuddle and squeeze his cute, chubby cheeks! I'm so grateful to be a mom!

I'm reading the best book!

Now, keep in mind that I love history, so before you go out and buy this book, Desert Queen, realize it is a historical biography of a woman named Gertrude Bell. I had never heard of her, but as I read this book, I have this growing desire to go back to teaching history. Miss Bell would have been a great addition to my Women Studies class, or to help my understanding of the Middle East. Just as when I read Three Cups of Tea, I find this book fascinating, especially since I have so little background on public relations in the Middle East. Three Cups of Tea was very inspiring, seeing what an individual's determination and hard work can accomplish. The same is true of Gertrude Bell, only her story was pre-World War I, a Victorian English woman, who didn't have the right to vote, let alone the gumption to travel alone to the Middle East and help create the Iraq of today. There are photos in the book of Miss Bell, with her feather clad hats, sitting amongst fifty men, she being the only woman. In an Arab world were women were considered far below men, she was given an audience with sheiks and holy men who had never even seen an English woman before.

I often wonder, when Tyler is in full day school, what type of work I would like to pursue. Usually I think about interior design or owning a shop, but when I read books like this, I get so excited about the possibility of teaching again. If only I'd had some of the experiences and knowledge I have now, when I taught 11 years ago. Our trip to Chicago and the art institute there also made me think about going back to teaching. To teach AP Art History now would be bliss compared to my experience when I was 23 years old and learning as I went along. Anyhow--after I finish the book, I will write more. There are some fascinating quotes and insights from 1919 about Iraq that shed a lot of understanding on current day circumstances.

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a fantastic, relaxing weekend for Memorial Day. Lately, I have felt overwhelmed with all of the "stuff" I seem to fill my life with. It was really nice to have a weekend with no practices or ball games and only a few obligations. Pete had Monday off, which is always nice. We started the day with breakfast at IHOP--Jake's request. Pete and I shared crepes and they were delicious. Then, we loaded up our bikes (it took two cars, I think we need to invest in a bike rack) and headed to the Porter Rockwell Trail in Draper. I love this trail for family bike riding. It's mostly flat, quiet, and stress-free since there are no cars to worry about. I tried out my new road bike, and it was amazing how much less effort is required to ride a road bike compared to a mountain bike with a baby seat! Pete was kind to take Tyler this time. We got snow cones and Subway sandwiches for lunch and then headed to the driving range to hit some golf balls. Tyler may be a little young for this activity, but it was very fun. The only thing missing was Mitch, who got to spend the night at his cousins house. We picked him up at 5pm, then hit the local wings joint for dinner. Afterwards, we went and saw Night at the Museum Part II. I really liked it, although I never saw the first one. Pete and Jake thought it was just okay. What a fun day spent as a family, well mostly. Cute Mitch had two sleepover this weekend. He now thinks Memorial Day is the coolest holiday ever. Even though we missed him, I think he had a great time.

I'm not sure what it is lately, but Salt Lake is beautiful right now! The mountains are green, yet still snow-capped. The skies are blue with billowy white, clouds. There are still flowers and trees in bloom everywhere--its spectacular! We have these poppy plants in my front yard, and the greenery is kind of ugly, but they are so gorgeous in bloom. My favorite plant is my bleeding heart, although I just planted 2 lilac bushes and they may become my favorite. I am also happy to report that the tulips I planted in December (oops, I forgot to plant them in the fall) all bloomed and were beautiful. Now I need to get busy and plant the rest of my flower beds. I'm not as excited about that, plus our lawnmower broke. Its only 2 years old--aren't lawnmowers supposed to last for at least 5 years?

From Chicago to Las Vegas and Back Home Again!

I thought I'd take a minute to post about my two most recent trips with Pete. Pete is fortunate in his job to have lots of opportunity to travel for conferences. Every once in awhile, if our kids schedules allow, I get to follow along. I had the opportunity to travel with Pete to Chicago. We stayed at a great old hotel, The Knickerbocker. It was in a great location for shopping on Michigan Avenue. We didn't arrive until quite late, due to a delayed plane flight, so we sauntered over to the hotel across the street for a very late night snack! I won't mention the time, but man, we shared the best cheeseburger I've had in a long time! The next morning, Pete had conference, so I was able to sleep in. Then we wandered around the Magnificent Mile and admired the great architecture that Chicago is known for. We stopped for chicago style pizza, and later, cheese popcorn from Garrett's. I think we walked around for about 5 hours.

That evening, Pete attended a dinner with some friends from Michigan, then we headed to the Chicago Field Museum for a conference event. As we walked, a brilliant red Chinese dragon was winding its way between the tables, as traditional Chinese music played. There was a strangely costumed woman, wearing wings and stilts, that wandered through the crowds, a little unsettling, honestly. Sue, the big fossil of a T-Rex, and the big Mammoths in the central hall, were fun to see, as was the exhibit on a real pirate ship dredged from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Apparently, it's the only ship ever found with its "pirate booty" in tact. We also enjoyed reconnecting with old friends from Michigan.

The following day, Pete and I spent the majority of the day at the Chicago Institute of Art. What a fantastic fine arts museum! We concentrated on the European artists on the upper floor, so we could be sure to see the famous Seurat. I think we spent another 5 hours wandering around the museum, something we definitely couldn't have done with our kids in tow. My favorites are the Impressionist paintings, especially those by Renoir and Monet.



That evening, we met up with some of our old friends from BYU and an old mission companion of Pete's, Jared and Matia Marcucci, for dinner at a restaurant with a hip, 1920's vibe. We had such a great time, laughing and reminiscing about the past. It's always fun to hang out with friends, and few people can make us laugh like Jared Marcucci.

The next day, I had to return home to kids and mom responsibilities, while Pete had 2 more days at the conference. But, before I left for the airport, we had brunch at the Four Seasons hotel. Great times!

View of the Bellagio Fountains from the Eiffel Tower, Las Vegas

To my surprise, a few short weeks later, Pete surprised me for our 14th Anniversary with an overnighter to Las Vegas. I didn't know where were going until we boarded the plane. Pete didn't pack clothes so that we could shop at the Caesar Palace Forum Shops for a show that night. We didn't go too overboard, but it was fun to be that spontaneous, and much quicker to not wait for luggage. We ate at a great Italian restaurant and then saw a cirque du soleil show. We stayed at the Paris Hotel, since I've always wanted to go to Paris (you can't really do Paris, France justice in an overnight trip). We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and watched the Bellagio Fountains below us. We had an incredible room with views of the Strip and the Bellagio Fountains. The following morning, we grabbed breakfast at Mon Ami Gabbi, out on the patio, before heading back to the airport. I loved not knowing what we were doing or where we were going. I have so much scheduling to do on a regular basis, its nice not to worry about the details. It was especially nice not to have to organize childcare--Pete took care of everything. I am lucky to married to such a great guy! Pete, you are the best thing! Thanks for 14 fabulous, exciting, adventurous years!

Now that I'm back to reality--last night I was cleaning up vomit at 3:00am--its nice to look back on Pete and my mini-vacations! It's great to be married to my best friend. We have many more years of adventures to look forward too.


The Paris Hotel

New Developments and Additions

Big news on the Fountaine side of the family, all regarding my sisters.
1. Heather, the baby of the family, is finally getting married! She got engaged Easter weekend and will get married in September.
2. Chantel, the middle sister, moved with her family to Denver. I'm not as happy about this as the other two developments, but what can I do? We will miss them living nearby, but wish them the best!
3. Misty, just 18 months younger than me, had a baby boy, Cohen Neils Tobiasson (I may have spelled that wrong). Here are some photos of the adorable baby!




In other news, Pete and I celebrated our 14th Wedding Anniversary in grand style. I think it warrants its own post, so more details later.
I hope all my favorite mother's had a fabulous day on Mother's Day! I had a great, relaxing day that I'll write about at length later.

Lap of Luxury

A friend told me prior to surgery, that the best thing about her recovery from a similar surgery was her beautiful, long fingernails. This was the positive, luxurious side of recovery--the inability to do a lot of work--resulting in gorgeous nails. Granted, I chose an obnoxious color to highlight my nails (orange-what was I thinking?), but I thought it would be fun to post a "during" recovery photo and a "back to reality" photo.

Busy Days!

Wow, despite the fact that spring refuses to come around here, our schedule hasn't let up much. Mitch is playing baseball, Jake is playing Lacrosse, and Madeline is playing soccer--that equals 5 practices and 4 games a week. This Saturday, we have soccer at 10:15am, baseball at 11:00, and Lacrosse at 11:00am, all at different places. I'm not sure what we'll do when Tyler is old enough to be added to the mix! Anyway, it's all fun.

We've had crazy weather in this part of the country. Tulips are blooming, trees are blossoming, but we have snow on the ground. I'll admit, it's a bit depressing. I've got to figure out some way of not letting it get to me--I'm willing to mow the lawn and weed again, if we could just have some sunshine.

We had a fun Easter weekend. Pete was on call for most of it, so we stayed home until Sunday after church, when we headed up to the cabin to catch the last lift so that we could stay over at the cabin with our friends the Harmsen's. You may recall my struggles skiing in to the cabin last weekend. For our family to ski into the cabin, Mitch, Madeline and Jake are all on their own (and they are great little skiers), although Jake was loaded down with a backpack. I also carried a backpack with food in it, we all wore pajamas under our ski gear so that we wouldn't have to pack much, and then Pete carried Tyler in the Kelty backpack. He dropped us off at the cabin (much easier this time around, and sunny), then he headed back down the mountain to help our friends. Amy, the wife, had only skied one time before, they had two little ones to ski on their own and twins to carry in backpacks, plus their backpack full of clothes. Pete ended up carrying one twin on his back and the backpack on his front. They all had a good laugh about it and we had a fabulous time hanging out in the evening and then skiing all day on Monday. Thankfully Jake remembered that he and Mitch had practice Monday night, so I headed out at 2pm with my boys. Pete got the cabin cleaned out and helped our friends down from the cabin. It was quite an adventure!

We also had a fun Easter egg hunt and brunch on Saturday afternoon with the Wolfenbarger's and Hopkin's, some of our friends from high school. It's fun to see our kids playing so well with our friend's children, plus they got all sugared up and that's always fun. Sarah is the cookie master, she made these delicious sugar cookies that were decorated so cute, my cookies never look or taste like that!

As for the more important aspect of Easter, the focus on Jesus Christ, we had a great sacrament meeting/testimony meeting in our ward. Pete bore his testimony about the inspiration of his Uncle Lowell, diagnosed with MS 25 years ago, but who managed to stay positive and teach anatomy to med. students at the University of Michigan, despite being a quadriplegic. When we lived in the same ward, Pete's uncle and aunt spoke on Easter Sunday one year, and we were both extremely moved by his uncle referring to a scripture in which we, after this life, will stand to be judged. That may seem a strange scripture for Easter, but Lowell described how grateful he was that he would one day "stand" before God. Something I take for granted sometimes, but such an amazing promise. Anyhow, another dear friend, who recently lost a second baby during her second trimester also bore her testimony of the comfort of knowing about eternal life and the strength of community we have in helping one another with our burdens. I have felt that so keenly, with all of the kindness extended to my family as I recovered from my surgery, the blessings of friendship and family in my life. It was a nice way to focus on the spiritual aspect of Easter.

One last thing to report--Jake was a smashing hit as Paul Bunyon in his school play! He even got to sing a solo. He has a great little voice and turns out he's a pretty good dancer too! The whole class did a great job!

Well, it's 2:30pm and I'm still in my pajamas--it's always better to clean in pajamas, plus, I kept thinking if I didn't get ready for the day, I might actually exercise. I think I'll give up on that idea for today!

Finally figured it out!

So I finally downloaded a playlist and checked to see if I have a pulse! I've realized most of my favorite songs are ultra mellow! Check out the KT Tunstall song--one of my new favorites from The Women soundtrack. If anyone has any tips on how to download music from iTunes onto my playlist--let me know. There's another great, happy song by Lucy Schwartz called Count on Me that I would love to put on my list that's also from that soundtrack.

Turning the Corner

I am happy to say that I am finally feeling like my old self after surgery, almost that is! During my recovery, I have had ample opportunity to exercise my mind. My body? Not so much. I've read lots of books, amongst them a biography of Abigail Adams and a page turner by Wally Lamb. I also read Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis (I'll double check the title) and a Bobby Pendragon book, as well as a murder mystery by Patricia Cornwell. Total of books read since surgery equals 8 (refer to book list for other titles)! I've also had lots of time to think about how I'd like my yard and house to look. I've had lots of time to imagine myself looking healthy and hot--now I get to move on it!

Saturday, I let Pete talk me into going up to our cabin at Alta. That may not seem like such a big thing, but you have to take two ski lifts up the mountain and then ski down into the cabin. Like I said, I haven't had a lot of exercise lately, and after a huge snowstorm with lots of powder, getting into the cabin was a real challenge. I fell more than I have since I first learned to ski at 15. At one point, I thought I'd just lay in the snow and take a nap, I was so exhausted. Thankfully, a skier almost hit me, motivating me to get up and into the cabin. We had a great time, even if I was a bit frustrated by my trembling, muscle atrophied legs. My weakness motivated me to try and get going again. I had really wanted to bike the marathon this year--I'm not sure I'm up to that yet (I haven't completely given up hope though). I have decided that I need to start moving, so this morning, I put in a new favorite movie, The Women with Meg Ryan, and rode my bike and then walked on the treadmill. My goal is to finally shed all of this extra weight I've accumulated and get healthy! I am going to start training for the Century Ride in Logan in June, even if I can't do the marathon bike ride in a couple weeks. It's nice to feel like I can do these types of things again. It's frustrating to feel tired after making a grocery store run. The other plus is that I think my surgery has accomplished the goal of making exercise easier for me. My post children body necessitated many trips to the restroom and made exercising in public a bit embarrassing. It was nice to notice the difference in my physicality as I've been skiing, biking and running. That makes it worth 6 weeks of inactivity!

A new tag!

Thanks for the tag Talli! I hope Pete runs into you and Jeremy while he's in L.A. He said you were running in a marathon--good for you! So this was the picture I came up with based on the tagging instructions I'll post below. It's a photo (a blurry one) of Madeline in 2005 on our trip to San Antonio. Madeline would have been 3, around the same age as Tyler now. Only then, Tyler was a large basketball in my belly (I'm so glad it wasn't one of the pregnant photos of me because I was huge and fat, even more so than now, although I had a better excuse then!) These were the days when Madeline would only wear dresses, but apparently she was tired of touring the Spanish missions in this photo. Despite this photo, it was one of my favorite family trips that we've taken. The river walk in San Antonio is a really fun place to be. I'll post a few of all the kids from the same trip just for fun!

It's photo tag; here are the rules:
1. Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same
I tag Janie, Heather W., Andrea and Jami.

Photo taken on the bridge above the river walk.

Kids dancing at a restaurant on the river walk.

Kids swimming at the resort hotel we stayed in . . . if I could remember the name, I'd totally recommend it!

My kids were so little! Fun to reminisce.

Another funny Tyler moment!

This morning, my kids were running late, which necessitated me driving them to school. Since I get out the house so little these days, Tyler and I went on a short drive. I was listening to a mixed CD I made, and a song by Madeleine Peyroux came on. Tyler said, "Mom, can we please listen to a boy song now." To which I replied, "Yeah, after this song is over . . . I like it." Then Tyler said, "But mom, this song is inappropriate (in his own pronunciation--it's a hard word)." I laughed, saying "Really, why?" To which Tyler said "It says a bad word. It says . . . (pause as he tries to think of a really bad word) FART. You know, I tooted, I farted, I got electrocuted." Though I'm thankful that's as bad of a word as he could come up with, I couldn't help but think, "Why does my 3 year old say those kind of things and when did he learn to manipulate so well?" Thankfully, by the time we finished our conversation, a "boy song" came on (Pink Floyd), which apparently was appropriate. Good thing he didn't notice the one bad word in that song!

Tyler's Talk

Today I ventured to church for all of 15 minutes to hear Tyler's first primary talk. He had been given the assignment to talk about family, so Pete helped prepare a talk and they practiced several times. Tyler was adorable--he's only 3 1/2, but has an amazing vocabulary and a cute little voice. Unfortunately, with all the primary kids oohing and aahing, Tyler only got in . . . "My name is Tyler Fisher" and "in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." That microphone can be so distracting and makes such funny noises. When the kids starting giggling (because he's so cute, of course), Tyler clammed up. Pete had the bright idea of asking Madeline to come up to the stand and help him finish. She did a great job! After the kids came home from church (since I ducked out after the "talk"), I asked Tyler why he didn't say his talk like we practiced and he said "because I was too embarrassed." Poor kid. We sure start them early in the church . . . first public speaking assignment, age 3! Maybe next time, at age 4, he won't be so embarrassed!

Latest News Brief

*Pete has been Superdad for the last few weeks. He stayed home to help with the kids and house while I am recovering from surgery. He's back to work this week and looking forward to performing "Irish tunes" with some friends from work at a St. Patrick's day party. They are singing several songs from "Once" and one from U2, plus some of Pete's funny Irish songs. It's gonna be awesome with guitar, base and a violin, plus female background vocalists--I hope I can make it to the party!
*I have been feeling better and better every day. My biggest issue now is just being tired! I had a doctor appointment Tuesday, sat in the car while Pete ran errands (first time I've been out in two weeks), and stayed up later to listen to Pete's "band" practice. Wednesday, I woke up, then went back to sleep for 4 hours--deep sleep! That's a little scary with a 3 year old running about!
*Jake was just cast as Paul Bunyon in his 5th grade "opera". His big singing solo is "Missing one blue ox . . . " Should be stellar. He's also chosen to play Lacrosse this spring.
*Mitch is Mr. Cub Scout and continues to be the peacemaker in our family. He's been a great help with Tyler while I've been recovering. Plus baseball starts soon.
*Madeline had to give up her dance class since the studio changed locations and I can't drive yet! She's still dancing around the house and excited to play soccer and with friends more often.
*Tyler has gotten to do all sorts of fun activities with many of my friends and family who've been helping out. He's played 'inside' at McDonald's, a real treat apparently! We've also watched lots of Scoobie Doo--pretty awesome!

Post-Surgery Post!

I am one week and 2 days past my surgery and feeling pretty good. I have really appreciated all of the friends and family, both near and far, wishing me well and helping in all manner of ways. I did really well in the first few days after surgery, to the point where I started to wonder how I could possibly rest for two whole weeks. Sunday, all of that changed. We're (meaning me and my doc) not quite sure why, but Sunday afternoon I ended up in the ER with excruciating bladder spasms! I felt like I was in labor, only without the minutes of rest between contractions. After a shot of morphine, a CT scan, etc., it was decided that I should stay overnight for observation, since there was no internal bleeding or problems that they could see. I did great the rest of the night, but the following morning, after the nurse removed the catheter and IV, the bladder spasms started again and wouldn't dissipate. All the meds used to stop the bladder spasms stopped all other systems and I ended up leaving the hospital with my stomach as swollen as an 8 month pregnant belly. I don't think I could have left the hospital if I weren't married to a Urologist, since my problems are Pete's area of expertise. Anyhow, at home, I was still in pain, so Pete and my doc decided I was doing better with a catheter. That catheter stayed in until Thursday morning--that day I finally started feeling better. But Friday morning, I awoke with more bladder spasms, which we quickly shot down with Lortab and muscle relaxants. You can imagine how doped up I was--I was not very functional, but by Friday afternoon, I was feeling better again, and I've been doing well today. CRAZINESS!! I'll never take good health for granted! I really appreciate friends and family who stepped in to help me with my kids and me. I'll always appreciate the many kindnesses directed toward myself and my family in the last week. Wow!

Anyhow, I have my almost 2 week appointment on Tuesday, and if all goes well, I can start driving again then. The way I feel now, it's hard to imagine that I'm ready to drive yet, but I'm hoping the fog I'm in will lift soon. It's kind of funny at times--I'll start to say something, or even try to think of something to write, but the words don't come or my mind drifts elsewhere. I have felt very blessed and loved and that makes this situation much easier to get through. I will admit, this may be my first and last surgery. At least if I can help it!