Jump High!

Track season has begun.

Sam was running only the hurdles and a relay race until they saw him box jump over his own head.  Now he is doing high jump again.

They never have him practice it during the week, but they figure they can get an extra point or two out of him.  So far he has only gotten them 1/2 a point for it, but I guess that's better than no points, right?  And since he won his 110m hurdles right after, 

I guess it didn't affect his race either!

St. Patrick's day

As per tradition, we had to have green pancakes for St. Patrick's day.

I sent Emma this cute scarf and got one for myself, too so that we wouldn't be pinched due to lack of green!

Happy something-we-don't-even-know-why-we-celebrate day!

Everybody loves a Wedding

Our handsome nephew who came home from his mission from Germany about a month after we left decided to go and get married.

They did it in California- a mere 12 hours driving time away, so we decided to actually attend a family wedding (something we aren't known to do!)

Kade's immediate family

It was a fun time even though it was raining and a little too chilly.

Angus being Angus

Angus the Scottish Terrier is part cat!

He likes his belly scratched, when he wants it scratched.  

When he's decided he has had enough of human contact he will go far away from you and lie down.  He loves to walk on the edges of the furniture, including in the car.  

He is not as nimble as a cat however and has fallen off more than once, hitting himself in the head!  He doesn't seem to mind, though.  He just gets up and pretends nothing happened.

Angus is too smart for his own good.  We put some fencing up in our backyard, because he is too tiny and can get through our fence slats.  I put him out back one day and went to go to the gym.  When I came back I couldn't find him, but I had to get Joseph to an appointment so I ran around looking in neighbors backyards real quick, because I knew that's where he would go.  He loves saying hello to other dogs and other people.  I finally had to go, though.  Max texted me when he got home to say he couldn't find him.  I told him that he had run away and to go with his friend and go look.  Sam saw the text too and ran home to look.  That started almost a week of putting his picture and information on several different websites, pleading for help to find him.  I was sure he was either hit by a car, eaten by a coyote, or stolen, since he is so cute, pure bred and not fixed.  Finally Max made up flyers and I walked around with him to put them up.  2 days later we got a call.  He had gotten into a neighbors yard to say hello to their dog and then they had blocked the fence so that he couldn't get back out.  Then they just sat and waited until they found someone who wanted him.  The boys had gone door to door, but they skipped that house, because it is one of those latin homes with the gate then a walkway and then a door.  He went nuts when we came to pick him up!  I guess he does at least like us!

 We fixed the fencing so that he couldn't pull it apart and left for church.  Rob said, "I just want to go around the corner and see."  Sure enough the dog was out!  He had learned to jump up on Rob's arrow shooting targets and jump over the fencing.  As the boys chased him, a lady yelled at them to secure their dog or someone would steal him.  Ya, thanks a lot lady!  Now we have an additional layer of fencing, but we don't trust him out there.  We have come out several times and seen him working at it.  We got a collar and tag and a bigger crate that he can walk in a little and that's where he has to stay for now!  Poor silly puppy!  But the kids were absolutely devastated when he was gone and we can't risk it again!  

Birthday fun

I had a sweet friend set up a birthday lunch for me.  It was nice to have people come and say we like you enough to show up for lunch.  I have had a hard time in this ward feeling wanted, needed, relevant, or having anything at all in common with any of them.  I was looking out at the ward leaving from sacrament meeting one Sunday and Robert asked me, "what are you thinking (or feeling maybe?)" and I said, "I'm just depressed."   That's what I feel almost every Sunday now, depressed!   Luckily, there are some people that  help make it better and these ladies definitely help.

Besides a lovely lunch, my family took me to the Cheesecake factory.  We all ordered different cheesecakes and I got to try each one.  Sam refused to get anything interesting and only got the plain. It was my least favorite.  Rob actually got my favorite and I ate more of his than any others!  Joe really didn't want cheesecake, but he was forced to order one.  He got the Hershey's and it was actually quite good.

 Nice pose Sam!  Check out Max just checking out the cheesecake- it's his favorite too!

All those yummy cheesecakes in a bag!

For Emma and my birthday I had a friend send a bunch of chocolate from Germany, too. 

I sent some up to Emma, but she definitely didn't get the mother load that we got!  Yummmmmmm

Well anyway, Happy out of your teen years Birthday to our beautiful daughter!

I would run 500 miles and I would run 500 more!

One of our goals for 2016 was to run 1000 miles.  It required carefully keeping track and being very regular about our running.  I liked the regularity that we needed.  It was hard while we moved and went on trips to keep it up, but we did- even on cruises.  We both finished the goal a little early- Rob a little earlier than me (and he even had two bone spurs and plantar fasciitis.)  I also dealt with a little plantar fasciitis, but my main problem was being so exhausted all the time.  I still haven't figured it out, but I am slowly getting better.  I can't run like I used to, but I am slowly getting faster and being able to run longer again.  Remember when we were training for and running marathons?  Ya- not even close any more.  I can barely run 6 miles and I am exhausted for the rest of the day.  But I'm not giving up and I'm not giving in!

Definitely had to buy new shoes after 1000 miles!

Here's to keeping and meeting your goals!  We crushed 1000 miles!

Sam is a Mess!

In the middle of our Picture Perfect Christmas we had to stop and take Sam to they urgent care for cauliflower ear.  He had it sliced open and drained- although it seemed to take forever for it to go down in size.  We were very afraid that we had waited too long to have it done and it would now look like that forever.  

Somewhere during our time up north he developed a rash and some "drainage" that didn't look good to me.  I told him I thought he might have ringworm, but he blew me off.  That is until he got back to school and the coach took one look at him and said, "go home, have that checked out by a doctor.  I think you have ringworm and maybe impetigo.  You can't wrestle until it's gone."  So off we went to the clinic and sure enough he had ringworm and impetigo!  He is still fighting with the ringworm to this day!  He is now taking oral medication.  I was not a happy mother when I found out how many people on the wrestling team were fighting ringworm and that they never clean their mats!  Absolutely disgusting and unsanitary!!  I decided this one wasn't worth the fight however.  If he decides he absolutely must wrestle next year, we will have a discussion.

But wait that's not all!  Right after new years, Rob wanted to take his clay shooter out and try it out.  

This is what the ground looked like where we took it to try it out.  Angus kept trying to eat them!

While we were setting up, Joseph stepped back to get out of the way and accidentally stepped on the trigger mechanism which shot the throwing arm right into Sam's shin!  I was sure he had broken a leg!  When we got him to the urgent care, they were full and unable to take more patients.  Sam decided he had made it in without a wheelchair and therefore he didn't need to go in.  It seemed to heal Ok.  

Boy what a wreck that kid was over the winter!  Let's pray for a little break from accidents, injuries and diseases for a little while!