tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309283712024-03-13T10:53:15.006-06:00Chris and Elise Hansen FamilyChristian *
Elise *
Thomas *
GordonElisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.comBlogger600125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-36165453414145704922014-07-18T18:20:00.000-06:002014-07-18T18:25:53.791-06:00Update!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been thinking about getting back into blogging for a while now, so when my mom told me that my grandparents (the only people who regularly read this anyway) missed hearing from me, I decided that now is a good time to start. I haven't blogged since right before Chris's surgery last year, but I think it would be impossible, and probably boring, to try to recap everything that has happened between then and now. Instead, I'm just going to run through the highlights for each person and try to be more proactive on the blog from here on out. </div>
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Let's start with Chris: he is doing well. His surgery in September was successful, and we almost don't even think about it anymore. Sometimes I even get a little start when I see the scars on his chest. His recovery felt long, but after the prescribed twelve weeks, he really was back to normal. He says he doesn't feel like Superman, but he feels like himself, and his heart sounds strong and healthy. The doctors and nurses at St. Alphonsus were incredible, and we'll always be grateful for all of the help we received at home, particularly from Chris's mom when she spent the week with the kids. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Alphonsus Hospital</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris post-surgery</td></tr>
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Since then, Chris has been keeping up with his sports teams, working, taking classes, and hanging out around the house. He finished up another straight-A semester, and he only has two classes left this fall before he graduates in December. TWO!! We're both pretty excited to close that chapter.<br />
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Chris was an assistant coach for Gordon's soccer team this Spring which usually meant getting to act as the volunteer ref. He did a good job running up and down the field and giving the evil eye to sideline parents who questioned his ruling (one of whom may or may not have been his wife).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5TtF35t4DFE/U8mZX4gK9II/AAAAAAAAFOo/CRw0mYHMurQ/s1600/DSC_0236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5TtF35t4DFE/U8mZX4gK9II/AAAAAAAAFOo/CRw0mYHMurQ/s1600/DSC_0236.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a good ref!</td></tr>
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Chris took the boys to the fathers and sons campout in June, then the five of us went on another weekend getaway to the Idaho side of the Tetons. We were pretty excited to use our giant new tent. No more kids camping in the van!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coleman Insta-Tent. Sweet.</td></tr>
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As per tradition, we had a 4th of July party this year, complete with ridiculous t-shirts. I think they're getting worse every year.<br />
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As for me, I've been keeping very busy with all of the stuff I like to do. I finished my semesters in the fall and spring, then started with another half-time load this summer. I'm finished with all but one class this summer, so I'm feeling pretty relaxed. The new school year is going to be crazy, but we're used to that, right?<br />
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In addition to classes, I worked as the Student Activities Board Director last year, and this year, I'll be the Vice President for the Idaho Falls campus. I know it seems like a lot, and it is, but I really enjoy being involved, and I like the experiences I'm having and the people I'm meeting that I wouldn't otherwise. And now I get to put "Vice President" on my resume.<br />
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I've also been doing quite a bit of running lately. A friend and I are training for a half-marathon in August, so we're pretty diligent in getting our miles in every week. In conjunction with my training, I've participated in a couple of races. There is something so fun about running with a community; I just love it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uei2LU_EC9M/U8mhqDNgSDI/AAAAAAAAFPQ/2hMiWC8AQ2g/s1600/20140704_063908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uei2LU_EC9M/U8mhqDNgSDI/AAAAAAAAFPQ/2hMiWC8AQ2g/s1600/20140704_063908.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, my brother, and my mom at the Firekraker 5K on July 4th</td></tr>
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Thomas had a very smooth year for his first year of junior high, and we're hoping for more of the same in 8th grade.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom</td></tr>
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Tom still plays the piano, of course, and he got a perfect score at the Piano Festival this year. I was so proud of him!<br />
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Tom enjoys the quiet life at home, so most of the time, you can find him doing something inside like playing a video game or working on learning a popular song on the keyboard. He still chats with his best friend, Nathaniel, in Norway almost every week. Nathaniel and his family visited Idaho last week, and it was so much fun for them to hang out in real life.<br />
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Tom is getting ready for Scout Camp next week, and he plans to hike Tablerock again. I'm excited for him, and hopefully this time he'll take some pictures!<br />
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I'm going to try very hard not to make the section about Gordon significantly longer than everyone else's, but it's hard because he is such a busy kid! Gordon played soccer in both fall and spring, played basketball in winter, played the piano, and participated in the PACE program at school. Here are some of his photographic highlights:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WRnxikGvnAE/U8myqDLU5RI/AAAAAAAAFQM/WoKQ8XnOOYY/s1600/DSC_0053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WRnxikGvnAE/U8myqDLU5RI/AAAAAAAAFQM/WoKQ8XnOOYY/s1600/DSC_0053.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall Soccer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5pIft_BTLQ/U8myrEiWe1I/AAAAAAAAFQY/BvNQgeayweM/s1600/DSC_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5pIft_BTLQ/U8myrEiWe1I/AAAAAAAAFQY/BvNQgeayweM/s1600/DSC_0036.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basketball</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-okFqs8vOq9Q/U8myoUwNesI/AAAAAAAAFQI/2kQThL21kZk/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-okFqs8vOq9Q/U8myoUwNesI/AAAAAAAAFQI/2kQThL21kZk/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Soccer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FNAVa2siG8Y/U8mzG2os_KI/AAAAAAAAFQg/vtXNZ9qbh6c/s1600/DSC_0092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FNAVa2siG8Y/U8mzG2os_KI/AAAAAAAAFQg/vtXNZ9qbh6c/s1600/DSC_0092.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PACE Toy Company Presentation-- "Tekno Toys"</td></tr>
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Gordon also won 2nd place in the Pinewood Derby and got a full set of braces put on. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uKgVVqv39s8/U8m1AGx5vOI/AAAAAAAAFQw/IZEBDIk6-KU/s1600/DSC_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uKgVVqv39s8/U8m1AGx5vOI/AAAAAAAAFQw/IZEBDIk6-KU/s1600/DSC_0069.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinewood Derby</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xT9386LjCAU/U8m0vN8H-zI/AAAAAAAAFQo/sLa1PwQV3WY/s1600/IMG_20140521_093112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xT9386LjCAU/U8m0vN8H-zI/AAAAAAAAFQo/sLa1PwQV3WY/s1600/IMG_20140521_093112.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Braces</td></tr>
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Gordon ran his first 5K in May with some friends, and he did a great job! </div>
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Next week, Gord will participate in Soccer day camp all week, and he's looking forward to swimming lessons later this summer.</div>
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Finally, we're on to Neil! Neil had a fantastic year at preschool and will be returning to the same school in the fall for Kindergarten. He is excited! Neil hasn't felt ready to participate in a lot of activities so far, but he does plan to join Gord in swimming lessons. Neil can be found anywhere Gordon is-- they're best buddies. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neil</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sIxpS7YW2X8/U8m4lZ8DkFI/AAAAAAAAFRY/CxMypuQgLb0/s1600/IMG_20140620_103923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sIxpS7YW2X8/U8m4lZ8DkFI/AAAAAAAAFRY/CxMypuQgLb0/s1600/IMG_20140620_103923.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They made these Lego minifigures of themselves. So cute. </td></tr>
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That's it for today's quick life recap. I feel like I just skim a very shallow surface when I blog like this, so I really am going to try to blog more regularly and hopefully get past the travel log. At least it's an update, right?<br />
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Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-56033266082850722342013-08-19T22:30:00.000-06:002014-07-11T21:52:33.022-06:00Chris' heartTo tell you the truth, it feels a little bit obnoxious writing a post about the subject of Chris' health on a blog, especially when I haven't updated the blog with normal, everyday life since the beginning of this year. However, Chris and I agreed that it might be a good idea to have all of the details in one spot so that we could just refer people here to get as little or as much information as they care to read without ou<span style="font-family: inherit;">r having to reiterate the story a million times. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In a nutshell: Chris has a diseased heart valve which needs repair. He is scheduled to have heart surgery on September 17th in Boise, ID. For more details, read on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you asked me to identify a mitral valve four weeks ago, I am sure I would have guessed wrong. I knew the aorta had something to do with the heart, and I probably would have remembered something about four chambers and pumping blood, but other than that, I usually think of the heart in a much more metaphorical sense. I like to think of the heart in terms like this: "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;">Hear my soul speak. Of the very instant that I saw you, did my heart fly at your service" (Shakespeare, <i>The Tempest</i>), rather than as an organ that keeps your blood flowing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;">Four weeks ago, Chris and Tom were getting ready to go to scout camp, and they met up with the two PAs in our neighborhood for the routine physicals needed to go. During Chris' physical, our PA friend listened to Chris' chest and heard a murmur, then had the other PA, also a friend, come in to confirm. We weren't terribly concerned at that point—a lot of people have heart murmurs, and most people live perfectly normal lives without the murmur affecting anything. Still, both doctors told Chris that he should have it checked out just to make sure everything was fine. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;">A couple of days later, Chris visited the doctor's office and had an echocardiogram. The ECG is basically like an outside ultrasound on the chest, and Chris' revealed that his murmur was caused by a condition called mitral valve prolapse and mitral valve regurgitation. I like to think of it as the blood going into the heart through these little doors that are supposed to open and shut like a gate, making sure the blood is only going one way. Chris' little gate isn't working right, so some of the blood is going back out the wrong way. Here's a cool YouTube video that gives a good visual:</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">It was at this point that I did a bunch of online research to learn exactly what the mitral valve is and what we need to do about its regurgitation problem. One thing I learned is that mitral valve prolapse is actually quite common (it's one of the things that causes a heart murmur), and that most people with the prolapse have very little regurgitation, so it doesn't affect their lifestyle at all. The doctors we talked to at this point were hopeful that Chris would fit in this category, especially since he doesn't really have any shortness of breath or any of the other common symptoms of this condition.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">Our doctor referred us to a cardiologist, so we visited with him and learned that Chris' regurgitation is classified as "severe" (terrible word, isn't it?!), and that the amount of blood being pushed back the wrong way is enough to cause eventual heart failure. The mitral valve works in the left atrium of the heart which is in charge of getting blood to the lungs. Because of the leak, Chris' heart has to work extra hard to supply his lungs properly and in doing so, is actually growing and further stretching the damaged valve, making the problem worse. While Chris doesn't feel any symptoms now*, the cardiologist assured us that, if left untreated, Chris would soon be feeling very short of breath and low on energy, and that the heart disease would eventually lead to full failure. Scary. This isn't a problem that can be fixed with a lifestyle change or medication; both our doctor and cardiologist told us the same thing: Valve repair surgery is the only thing that can cure a diseased valve.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">* I should add that even though Chris and I don't think he has a lot of symptoms, I am starting to wonder if this is something he has just lived with so long that he is just used to the way he feels. He does get tired very easily, and he often feels light-headed after doing things that shouldn't be that much effort, like mowing the lawn. When I do a race or something strenuous, my face gets red and flushed, and even though I get tired, I usually just need some water. Chris, on the other hand, gets extremely pale and nauseated and has to sit down for a while to recover. I don't know if these are really symptoms, but it seems like they might be. Chris said, "I thought I was just lazy."</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">Anyway, the cardiologist knew that the valve was diseased and that Chris needs surgery, but needed a closer look, so he ordered a transEsophageal echocardiogram, or TEE. Basically, this test required Chris to swallow a probe so that the doctors could get a closer look at his heart from this inside. <a href="http://www.heartsite.com/html/tee.html">This link</a> is my favorite on explaining that lovely procedure. This test required a hospital check-in and some anesthetics, neither of which was very appealing to Chris.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">Here he is getting ready and looking pathetic before the TEE.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">The TEE showed a closer look at the prolapse, and it revealed that the some of the chords have ruptured that are attached to the muscles that function to open and close the valve. I looked at the ECG while the doctor explained what he was seeing, and even though I have absolutely no medical background, I could see that things did not look right. The door that was supposed to be straight open and shut was kind of flailing in the wind. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">Before the TEE, we knew that there were two options for surgery: valve repair and valve replacement. Replacement means taking out the valve completely and putting in a new artificial valve while repair means fixing the valve that is already in place. With repair, there is a newer procedure called a thoracotomy that allows the surgeon to go in through the side instead of the traditional open-chest option, offering a much shorter recovery time and less overall pain. Here's a picture of the different surgical options; we were definitely hoping to be the guy in the front.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">The TEE confirmed that Chris is a good candidate for the thoracotomy which is great news. The only downside (aside from the fact that he has to have heart surgery in the first place) is that there aren't any surgeons in Idaho Falls who are experienced in this type of surgery, so we'll have to travel to get it done.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">Our cardiologist referred us to two cardiac surgeons in Salt Lake City and Boise, respectively. The Boise doctor is in our insurance's physician network, so we were leaning that way, then the Boise surgeon got a hold of Chris right away and scheduled a face time consultation for Sunday afternoon. Yesterday, Chris and I sat on our bed with Chris' iPhone and had an hour-plus long conversation with the surgeon in Boise. We talked about football and food, our families and our time commitments, and of course, Chris' heart, and in the end, Chris and I both felt really good about literally putting Chris' life in this man's hands. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">We decided to schedule the surgery for September 17th-- far enough away for us to get our ducks in a row, but close enough that the doctor and Chris feel comfortable. </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">The surgeon referred us to </span><a href="http://www.medtronic.com/patients/heart-valve-disease/getting-surgery/heart-valve-repair/surgery/index.htm" style="line-height: 22px;">this site</a><span style="line-height: 22px;"> for a great explanation on what will happen during the surgery. The only part that really freaks me out is that Chris' heart will be stopped and his lung will be collapsed while the surgery is being performed. If I don't think about that too much, I feel confident that this operation is going to be a really good thing for Chris. The surgeon is really excited to work on someone so young-- he said that he feels like he will make Chris into a new man.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">Through this whole thing, I can't help but feel extremely grateful. The fact that Chris' condition has probably been around for a long time, but it wasn't heard until what our surgeon called "the keen ear" of our friend is kind of amazing. The thoracotomy procedure wasn't even really around ten years ago, and it has only been perfected and practiced regularly in the last few years. Being able to have a face-to-face conversation with a surgeon more than five hours away is incredible, and being able to meet and see him in that setting was so reassuring. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">Additionally, we are in a position with our family life and finances that taking a few weeks off for this procedure is going to work out better than it would have a year ago or a year from now. Chris' mom has agreed to come and stay with the kids while Chris and I are in Boise, and we're so grateful that she is willing and able to help us. My family is here in Idaho Falls and will be available to help us during the recovery period as well. And of course, the fact that we "caught it now," before Chris suffers any major symptoms or his condition worsens is a huge blessing. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">So, now I know what a mitral valve is. Heart disease on a 36-year-old sounds scary, but the more we understand and learn about it, and how to fix it, the more confident we are that we're doing the right thing. </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">All in all, we're going to be okay-- maybe even better than okay-- and I can get back to my metaphorical hearts. </span>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-19309306751570297662013-01-18T20:35:00.001-07:002013-01-18T20:35:31.336-07:002012 in ReviewWell. If you read this blog, you probably think I started and ended the whole "December Daily" thing on December 1st. That isn't true, though-- we really did do something for 25 days in December and I really did take a lot of pictures, I just haven't put them on the blog yet. Maybe someday I will. I hope so. Until then, I'm tired of feeling guilty and behind, so I decided to just post 12 favorite pictures from 2012 and call it good for now. Here we go...<br />
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In 2012 we had adventures, we traveled, we celebrated, we hiked, we ran, and we spent time together. It was a good year and I'm counting on 2013 to be even better.Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-21323477424439814382012-12-01T23:27:00.000-07:002012-12-01T23:27:08.436-07:00December 1: The Great Tree Hunt of 2012I really wanted to be caught up on my blogging before December, but here it is so soon! I think it's a combination of our busy schedule and the unseasonably warm weather, but this month really snuck up on me. <br />
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The boys have griped that I don't have a lot of Christmas Spirit (mainly because I refuse to listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving), so I decided to try to up my holly jolly-ness by doing a "December Daily". This is a scrapbooking term that some marketing genius dreamed up to help scrapbookers take more pictures and buy more scrapbooking supplies in the month of December. Yikes, did I just say that? See, I am a grinch! Really, though, I do think December Daily is a great idea. I did something similar in the summer of '11, when the boys and I did "something fun" every day and I documented most of it with pictures. Admittedly, I was worn out by the end of the summer, but I've recovered in 18 months and I think reincorporating the daily picture/daily activity idea into our December is a good thing to do. After all, I want our boys (and myself) to remember this December, despite our crazy busy-ness, as a happy month of family togetherness.<br />
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Today is December 1st and we kicked off our December with a trip to Island Park to get our tree. I love going into the forest for a Christmas tree. Not only is the outing itself lots of fun, I just love the trees we bring home. There is something so fun about a fresh-from-the-forest tree-- it has personality.<br />
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Our weather has been warm, so the boys and I trudged through slushy snow and were intermittently sprinkled and pelted with rain. We didn't have to go far, though, and my dad brought along a very handy chainsaw, so even the thunder and lightening didn't ruin the day. The sloppy snow was great for snowballs (Gordon tried to carry a couple in his pockets), and the boys had a great time running around. We found a lovely tree, now proudly standing in our living room waiting for lights and ornaments.<br />
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Earlier this evening, we brainstormed 24 different activities (most free!) and I printed out slips to put in the pockets of our fabric advent calendar. On the docket: movies, gingerbread, lights, and more! Happy December!Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-79302450710322593292012-10-19T13:17:00.001-06:002012-10-19T13:17:31.634-06:00Back to Blogging: May & JuneThe problem with procrastinating blog updates is that the picture pile (file, rather) keeps growing, but time doesn't stand still while you get caught up! So, I'm going to try to take a couple of days to catch up our Summer and Fall, and maybe be a little more consistent from here. It's just easier that way!<br />
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So, where were we?<br />
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May is always a crazy month with the end of school and lessons, so I didn't get too many pictures. Our dear Gord did celebrate a birthday-- he turned 7 and celebrated with a yummy cake (topped with Thor), a drum set, and an equally loud birthday party with a dozen of his friends. Lucky kid!
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The last day of school was June 1st, and we picked the boys up and headed North for our first camping adventure of the summer. For this campout, we chose Mike Harris Campground, which is just outside Victor, ID. It's a gorgeous spot and we enjoyed being one of the very few campers there. The campground is located just a couple of miles from a family-friendly fishing pond, so Chris and the boys fished for our dinner for the next night. On Saturday, we drove over Teton Pass to Teton National Park, where we rode the boat across Jenny Lake, hiked to Hidden Falls, and went on a buffalo search. It was so beautiful and relaxing-- an absolutely perfect way to start Summer off right!
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Also starting in June, my mom watched my sister Ann-Michelle's kids once a week. We decided to get all of the kids together and do some fun activities.
Our first outing was to Craters of the Moon. The kids had a great time climbing around the lava rocks and exploring the caves and posing for their future album cover.
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Next we went on a short hike at Cress Creek. I love this hike-- it's perfect for kids (only about .5 miles) and there are informational signs along the way. The kids' favorite part is hikikng up and down the little creek that runs across the trail.
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Our last outing in June was to the zoo. Idaho Falls actually has a great zoo that is well-maintained and has a lot of interesting animals. The kids loved pulling each other in the rented wagons and playing in the park afterward.<br />
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Also in June, my mom and I ran with a great group of six other women in the annual To Bone and Back race. It is such a fun day and we ran really well. The training for that race kicked off our new running habit-- we're now getting together five times a week to run. It's been great exercise and I've accomplished some goals I wouldn't have thought possible. More on that later.<br />
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Our Bone & Back team was called "Runnin' Wild" and we had the CUTEST zebra print shirts and car decorations. I'm pretty sure everyone else was jealous!<br />
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Finally, in June, Thomas earned his "Arrow of Light" award in Cub Scouts. The Arrow of Light is the highest honor in Cub Scouting, and I think he was pretty proud of his accomplishment.<br />
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Okay! May and June are caught up! More to come!<br />
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Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-83872477351643601502012-04-27T16:05:00.000-06:002012-04-27T16:05:02.455-06:00Vacation Recovery-- Part TwoAs mentioned, we stayed at Disneyland really late. We rode every ride on our list (some twice), and did everything we wanted to do, and even though everyone was complaining about tired feet and ankles, we all left happy. The boys were asleep in the car before we even hit the freeway.<br />
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Luckily, we didn't have any time constraints for Wednesday, so we all slept in late. When we were finally ready to take in another day, we headed just across the way from our hotel to a great little place called <a href="http://stackspancakehouse.com/">Stacks Pancake House</a>. The prices were great and the food was delicious, so we actually ended up going to Stacks again on Friday before heading home. Yum!<br />
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After breakfast, we went to Salt Creek Beach and spent a lovely afternoon playing in the surf and sand. <br />
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The beach made us feel like we needed to eat fish and chips, so we found a great little place at Dana Point Harbor that served them hot and fresh. Delicious!<br />
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While Chris and the boys swam at the hotel pool, Neil and I napped, then we all relaxed and the boys played with their souvenirs. For dinner, we drove down to San Clemente to a tasty New York style pizza place. It was a really nice, relaxing day.<br />
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On Thursday, we headed South to Carlsbad and LegoLand! None of us had been to LegoLand before, so this was a completely new adventure. LegoLand is absolutely perfect for kids 3-11-- younger and they are too small to ride the rides, and older and they probably want something a little bigger. Luckily, those are the exact ages of my kids, so they had a blast. <br />
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Of course, we were all completely impressed by the Lego <i>everything</i>-- especially the mini Star Wars displays and the MiniLand, USA. I was surprised that the boys wanted to spend more time checking out all of the Lego buildings than actually riding the rides. <br />
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On Friday, we just had time to eat at Stacks, then head back to LA to catch our flight. Even though it was a quick vacation, we had an incredible time and made some great family memories!Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-58497571201413567242012-04-27T07:51:00.001-06:002012-04-27T07:51:15.196-06:00Vacation Recovery-- Part OneI love vacations! We've been back from lovely Southern California for nearly a week and I am still missing feeling that California sun on my shoulders, spending quality and quantity time with the boys and Chris, and ignoring my diet. Ah. Well, real life is good, too, it's just not a vacation.<br />
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We really did have so much fun. We decided to fly directly from Idaho Falls to LAX on Allegiant for an insanely good deal, which was really exciting for the boys. Both Thomas and Gordon have flown before, but neither remember it, and Neil had never been on an airplane, so the flight was one of the highlights of the trip. We did learn on the way there that Thomas, like Chris, gets airsick, and on the way back, we learned that kid's Dramamine is the cure.<br />
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We spent our first day flying, getting a car, checking into our hotel in Dana Point, then exploring the local tide pools. We love the ocean.<br />
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Our next day, Tuesday, was spent at the Happiest Place on Earth (TM)-- Disneyland. We arrived early and stayed late, and had a truly wonderful time. I've been to Disneyland a few times and I have to say, April is one of the best months to go. It is after the standard Spring Breaks, so the crowds were really manageable, and the weather was absolutely perfect. 80's and breezy. You can't beat that.<br />
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The food was okay. I mention this because I had been dreaming of this fabulous blog post I was going to do about the supposed "World's Best Corndogs", available at a little red wagon on Disney's Main Street. I'm not a corn dog connoisseur or anything, but they were the food I craved when I was pregnant with Neil (Tom=chocolate milk, Gordon=Big and Tasty hamburgers from McDonald's--ew, I know), so I've had a few. I was REALLY looking forward to trying this particular corn dog and sadly, I was disappointed. Luckily, the food situation was remedied on Wednesday in Dana Point, but I'll get to that after the pictures.<br />
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I think this picture of Gordon trying to pull the sword from the stone is so hilarious. I love the veins in his neck-- he is <i>really</i> trying!<br />
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We took this picture with Mickey after getting wet on Splash Mountain, so excuse the hair/clothes/general ugliness. But at least we're with Mickey!<br />
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Coming tomorrow-- our day at the beach, LegoLand, and a wrap up.Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-62369355602543935812012-04-15T17:22:00.001-06:002012-04-15T17:22:34.148-06:00In preparation for this week...We've been watching this YouTube video over and over. <br />
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California, here we come!Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-30768474782821035072012-04-13T18:57:00.001-06:002012-04-13T18:57:29.208-06:00Could this be a weekly thing?Blogging weekly? I'm not committing to anything at this point, but at least we're headed in the right direction!<br />
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It's been a pretty good week for the Hansens. We had a nice Easter Saturday where the boys got lots of candy I managed to survive another Primary-sponsored neighborhood egg hunt. Thank goodness for Wal-Mart and their bulk bags of pre-stuffed eggs! <br />
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On Sunday, we enjoyed a beautiful Easter Sunday with my family. I was grateful to be able to share some lessons from the life of Christ in Primary and to bear my testimony of the gifts of His life and resurrection. <br />
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Here we are on Easter Sunday... <br />
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I feel like I look kind of chubby in this picture, but I'm working on fixing that little problem... I joined a "Biggest Loser" club. And now it's out there. I wasn't going to say anything, but I have to celebrate that this week (the club started on Monday) is the first time in my history where I've actually stuck to an eating plan for more than one day! YAY! I still have 7 weeks (and a few days) to go, and truthfully, I'm not counting on winning the thing, but I feel really good about my progress so far. Yay again!<br />
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This week has been pretty low key, but next week is going to be super fun-- we're going on vacation!! We're going to California and I am bringing my camera, so look for a picture-filled post next week. :)<br />
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<br />Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-84228053169097345752012-04-06T19:36:00.000-06:002012-04-06T19:37:44.994-06:00UpdateI haven't blogged in so long that Blogger has changed its format and I almost don't know how to do it anymore! But don't worry, I said <i>almost</i>.<br />
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Here's a quick little rundown of the happenings at the Hansen home, in no particular order:<br />
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* Gordon finished up a stellar basketball season. Even though he never actually scored a goal in a game, he had a blast and keeps talking about playing again next season. He did come really close to winning the free-throw competition after the last game, so he definitely ended the season on a high.<br />
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* Tom finished another swimming lessons session. He is getting pretty good at his strokes and has even made up a couple of new ones. He really, really loves jumping off of the high dive and spent nearly two hours during a Saturday public swim doing just that. On that particular day, I learned that an hour wrangling a super wiggly 3-year-old in the shallow section is about all I can handle.<br />
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* Neil spends all day talking, talking, talking and I think it's pretty funny. He still can't say his "R" or "L" sound, so it's cute when he says things like Hewwo (Hello) and yitto (little). A week or so ago, I took Neil to the store with me and he picked out a C3-P0 Pez as a treat and has been carrying the dispenser around ever since. This, of course, led to watching the Star Wars series and a renewed interest in the random Star Wars toys we have collected. Today, Neil was imitating C3-P0 and said "HeLLo" just perfectly, with the L sound and all. I said, "hey, you can say your L's! Can you say NeiL?" Neil said, "My name's not NeiL, it's Neow." Right.<br />
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* Chris returned last week from a 4-week-long business trip to Dallas, during which we all just about lost our minds. <br />
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* Luckily, during said business trip, I was able to leave the boys with my wonderful and patient in-laws and fly out to Texas for a long weekend. Chris and I hung out with his cousin, Jake, his wife Maren, and their darling kids, in the Dallas area, then drove down to San Antonio to visit Andy and Amanda and our sweet little nephews and niece. We ate A LOT, went to the movies for the first time since Avatar (sad!), and had really perfect weather. It was the perfect little respite from the aforementioned mind-losing.<br />
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Here we are at San Antonio's famous River Walk... <br />
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* After returning from the lone star state (Chris still had a week to go), I took the boys to the Air Force Museum at Hill AFB on the way home. The boys sure love those huge planes. In fact, Gordon has decided that in addition to the myriad other things he plans to be when he grows up (President, a doctor, a teacher, a fireman, an inventor, a rock star, etc, etc, etc), he is adding "pilot" to the list.<br />
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I think that's about it for now. Happy Friday, and Happy Easter!Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-65719097543151501202012-03-14T14:46:00.000-06:002012-03-14T14:46:35.425-06:00Musical Kits Part 1: FestivalLast week, both Thomas and Gordon participated in the IF Music Club's Junior Music Solo Festival for the first time. They were both given two original pieces of music which they tried to perfect and memorize over the course of several weeks, then perform for a judge. I remember participating as a child and it's amazing how being in a room and playing for just one person can be so nerve wracking! Both boys did very well-- Thomas scored a 97 out of 100 and Gordon scored 99. <br />
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Chris has been out of town, so I'm posting these videos of their pieces for his benefit as well as yours.<br />
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Here's Tom with Celebration at <i>Dunvegan Castle</i> and <i>Bagatelle</i>...<br />
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And here is Gordon with <i>The Thing That is Under My Bed</i> and <i>Copy Cat</i>...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OEHI-LTzurw" width="560"></iframe>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-38373986561191919262012-01-31T22:41:00.000-07:002012-01-31T22:41:50.427-07:00January UpdateWhere did this month go? It hasn't felt like January to me-- probably because it's freakishly warm for Idaho, and because we've been busy enough that the month has flown instead of crawled by. I have never been a huge fan of this month, but if it goes by like this, sunny and eventful, I could be easily swayed.<br />
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My wonderful grandparents and mother-in-law still read this sorely neglected blog, so this post is an update for them. <br />
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Thomas has had a busy month. He started swimming lessons again and absolutely loves it. He told me tonight that he might not pass his class (they're learning the butterfly--sheesh!), but I think he wouldn't mind taking it again. While he swims, I sit up in the loft bleachers and watch him gleefully jump up and down as he waits for his turn to dive. He is so much more at home in the water than I have ever been and I love that he has found something active that he enjoys so much. <br />
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Chess club started this month as well, and he still has piano and orchestra and scouts. He keeps plenty busy. I'm glad that he is busy because it's also been a tough month friend-wise-- Tom's best friend, Nathaniel, moved to Norway mid-month, and he is kind of at a loss. Unlike Gordon, Tom doesn't have a bunch of neighborhood buddies, and it seems like that awful middle school caste system has slowly started to form in 5th grade. Tom is friendly to everyone and I know that most of the kids in his class like him, but he just doesn't gel with anyone else the way he did with Nathaniel. Right now, I am praying for a good friend for my sweet little guy.<br />
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Speaking of scouts, last week our cub scouts had their annual Pinewood Derby. Can I just say that I am not a fan of the derby? Tom hasn't really cared about it either, which means that all three years, we've kind of just thrown together a car at the last minute. This year, Tom made the "Nintendo World Tour" bus-- a silver bus with pictures of Nintendo characters on the side. We all thought it looked pretty cool, but it didn't go very fast and Tom was momentarily disappointed that he lost every race. That is a bummer. Luckily, Reed's Dairy ice cream cures many a Pinewood Derby disappointment.<br />
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Earlier this month, a friend of ours took Chris, Tom and Gord up in a little airplane for a short flight around the Snake River Valley. The boys had such a fun time (minus the few minutes of turbulence near Palisades), and it was a really fun memory for them. They started in Idaho Falls and flew North over Rexburg and Ashton and around near the Tetons, then ended up right over our neighborhood on their way home. What a fun adventure!<br />
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Gordon has been really busy this month as well. In December, he started practicing with his team for the basketball season and this month they had their first game. Unlike the other sports he has played, Gordon hasn't had quite as easy of a time getting into the game. I think it's a lot harder handling the ball, dribbling, shooting, and passing, and having to struggle a little bit has been really frustrating for him. Luckily, he's getting into it more and Chris has taken him to the church to practice indoors a couple of times. The season lasts through the end of the month, so we'll see how it goes.<br />
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Gordon is such a funny thing. I've mentioned before that he and I have our challenges, and it's something I think we'll both have to work on for a long time. Right now we're trying something new-- we're both trying to have "good days" where he practices being obedient and helpful, and I practice not yelling. We agreed that we both have to help each other. It is a lot easier for me to keep my voice calm and positive when Gordon responds to what I am saying the first time, and it is a lot easier for Gordon to be cheerful and helpful when I am in a good mood. Every day we have a good day, Gordon gets a sticker. After 10 stickers, we do something fun together. We started this on January 1st and today, the 31st, we got to do our first something fun. It's a work in progress.<br />
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Gord couldn't wait until after our other activities and dinner were finished, so while Tom was at swimming lessons, we went to Wal-Mart, bought a little Lego set and a Valentine candy, and called it good. I would have liked to do something a little more one-on-one fun, but Gordon really could not wait and I could see that a fight was brewing, so Wal-Mart it was. Luckily, Gordon was super excited about his Legos and is already talking about what we're going to do in ten more days. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Neil just loves to play and play. His recent obsession is with the movies "Cars" and "Cars 2", and he loves to play with his little diecast figures from the movies. He takes his Lightening McQueen(s) and his Finn McMissile(s) with him everywhere-- they even sit on the bathroom counter while he uses the facilities. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I gave the two car toys the extra "s" because of this: Neil has two of each. Since he takes them everywhere he goes-- in the van, in Dad's car, in his bedroom, upstairs, downstairs, etc, etc, etc, he also loses them constantly. And the first thing he says when he wakes up in the morning is "Where's McQueen? Where's Finn McMissile?" So, when he lost the originals, we picked up a couple more. Then we found the originals (in the van and under my bed, respectively) and now he has two. Can anyone say "spoiled"?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Neil graduated from Nursery (the 18-month - 3 year old class in church) to Sunbeams (the class will all turn 4 this year), and after the third week, his teachers informed me that he is a bit of a bully. Apparently he has thrown crayons, hit and threatened to hit, and stepped on childrens' coloring pages. Neil isn't around kids his age very much, so it's always a shock to me when I hear that he isn't a perfect little angel. Okay, not a total shock, but still.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> The last thing I want is for one of my kids to be <i>that</i> child, so every day last week, Chris and I talked about how important it is to be nice, how we shouldn't hit or throw crayons, etc. I think it sunk in-- after church this Sunday, I asked his teachers how he was and they both said that he did great. YAY! The one did mention that he touched her leg, which was bare beneath her slightly over-the-knee skirt, and said, "it's poky." Grimace. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At least we're making progress.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's it for this update-- it's 10:40 and we have another busy day ahead of us! </div>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-35661660071711677432012-01-24T22:29:00.000-07:002012-01-24T22:29:16.337-07:00YESSSSSSSS!I finally finished posting my reviews on my <a href="http://www.cehansen.blogspot.com/2011/02/25-books-in-2011.html">25 Books in 2011</a>!! <br />
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Now it's time to start on my 25 in 2012. Today one of the worst things happened at the library: I went to pick up my books on hold and I have <i>three</i>, all of which are 14-day new releases and all of which have super long waiting lists. It's so hard to choose which one to start first, but I had to go with Alice Hoffman. You can't go wrong with Alice Hoffman. :)Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-57826518091716148652012-01-01T23:59:00.000-07:002012-01-01T23:59:11.097-07:002011 StoryboardHere's a resolution: blog more! More on that later, though. Tonight I want to wrap up our year with a little (kind of messy) photo collage. Lots of smiles, lots of fun. So long 2011!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fl8YcolCu-g/TwFUyfhXYdI/AAAAAAAAE0s/U9e_6IOtxno/s1600/Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="896" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fl8YcolCu-g/TwFUyfhXYdI/AAAAAAAAE0s/U9e_6IOtxno/s1600/Collage.jpg" width="595" /></a></div>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-40789442534821840812011-09-20T23:03:00.000-06:002011-09-20T23:03:36.685-06:00RoutineWe're in our fourth week of school here and I'm finally feeling like we're getting into a routine. It's true that I still couldn't find a better time to blog than at 10:30 at night, but still, things seem less hectic than they did a few weeks ago. Here's what we've been up to:<br />
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We spent Labor Day in Teton National Park hiking, picnicking, skipping little rocks and climbing on big rocks, water-bending, and enjoying the beauty of nature. Our only complaint was having to get back to real life the next day.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8nfz8Fuzmd4/TnloaHJ6nlI/AAAAAAAAEuI/vDmJKjGaxVM/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8nfz8Fuzmd4/TnloaHJ6nlI/AAAAAAAAEuI/vDmJKjGaxVM/s640/DSC_0041.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 3+ mile hike satisfies some Webelos requirements!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v6E_tUI9ss0/TnlpCJ5PlaI/AAAAAAAAEuM/lMSh_-8hqiU/s1600/DSC_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v6E_tUI9ss0/TnlpCJ5PlaI/AAAAAAAAEuM/lMSh_-8hqiU/s640/DSC_0069.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gordon practicing his water-bending skills</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Since school is back in session, the boys no longer have the luxury of staying up past a certain time every night. It doesn't really seem fair to send all three boys to bed at the same time, though, so usually we've just let Tom stay up and read in his room for a while before he has to turn out the lights. For the last several nights, though, Tom has been going into his room at the same time as the other kids, waiting a few minutes, then sneaking back downstairs to play a game with Chris. They usually play Mastermind-- it's quick and fun and they can get several games in before I send anyone back upstairs. It has been fun to see these two enjoy some one-on-one bonding time.<br />
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Gordon is playing soccer and had his first game last week. He loves it, of course, and has been negotiating his reward for if/when he scores a goal. So far, we've agreed that we'll go out for ice cream after the game. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L6qIrfeh91M/Tnlq-9zrghI/AAAAAAAAEuU/IVEUzxMRlic/s1600/DSC_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L6qIrfeh91M/Tnlq-9zrghI/AAAAAAAAEuU/IVEUzxMRlic/s640/DSC_0140.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
It seems a little bit cruel to post a picture of us in all of our red gear after such a <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/photo/gallery/story/700180051/BYU-Utah-Utes-football-Utes-pull-off-shocking-54-10-rout.html?photoId=598173&s_cid=fb_share">painful game</a> (painful even for the winners) on Saturday, but I would be remiss if I didn't share that football season is alive and well in the Hansen home. Chris had the boys singing "Utah Man" and marching around in their matching shirts all day long. Little goobers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RhVRVAlc3CY/TnluDqj4k-I/AAAAAAAAEuY/4GnHz0ucwfQ/s1600/DSC_0163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RhVRVAlc3CY/TnluDqj4k-I/AAAAAAAAEuY/4GnHz0ucwfQ/s640/DSC_0163.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I need to update my book list with some books I've read over the past little bit. My favorite of those has been <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Promise-Father-Books-Shared/dp/0446583774/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316581228&sr=8-1"><i>The Reading Promise</i></a> by Alice Ozma. Additionally, Gordon and I have been reading books from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=elephant+and+piggie&x=0&y=0">Elephant and Piggie series</a> by Mo Willems and they are just plain awesome. Five stars, thumbs up, and huge recommendations from me-- if you have an early reader, they are a must.Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-6703692647630569432011-09-04T22:43:00.000-06:002011-09-04T22:43:46.359-06:00FavoritesThe first week of school has passed and it's official: the boys love it! The homework hasn't been too much (so far) and Tom has a class full of old friends while Gord is busier than ever making new ones. They wore shorts every day last week which makes the transition from summertime to school time a little easier. Here they are on the first day...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a9Yu6HxQm9Y/TmRPT7V4L3I/AAAAAAAAEtc/HqTJwAVJysM/s1600/DSC_0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a9Yu6HxQm9Y/TmRPT7V4L3I/AAAAAAAAEtc/HqTJwAVJysM/s640/DSC_0042.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
When asked what his favorite parts of his school day are, Gordon replied, "lunch and recess." No surprise there, although he is a very good student. Tom enjoys writing and decided to bring home his journal with the first week's entry, titled "Ten Years from Today." <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6nrjtgYKH_c/TmRQRAXmF3I/AAAAAAAAEtk/2bSWVsjANMo/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6nrjtgYKH_c/TmRQRAXmF3I/AAAAAAAAEtk/2bSWVsjANMo/s640/DSC_0001.JPG" width="426" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Anything could happen ten years from today! Flying cars, mutated animals, and probably some new restraunts! Nobody really knows if those things will exist in ten years. All I know is that I'll be twenty years old! I'll also be an inventor! First I got to go to college. Wait, college is an estimated ten years from now! Perfecto! What kind of college, you ask? I know I live in Idaho at the moment, but I'm going to Utah Utes College. I'm going to live in Utah, too! Go ahead. Boo all you want." (Okay, so a couple of small spelling/grammar issues, but isn't that cursive lovely?)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know it's a proud mom thing, but I am completely in love with Tom's writing! It just cracks me up! I love all of the exclamation points (I wonder where he gets that?) and his little defensive strike against any Utah naysayers. I think I should make him journal every day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At home, our cherry tomatoes are ripening and I am loving going out for mini harvests every day. I'm trying to perfect a sweet balsamic vinaigrette (hint, hint Nonny & Debra!) to dip them in. They're as delicious as they are lovely and even though we have so many, they don't last long. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y97eKUODRiM/TmRR-niJm2I/AAAAAAAAEto/-6WKvJnqbXI/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y97eKUODRiM/TmRR-niJm2I/AAAAAAAAEto/-6WKvJnqbXI/s640/DSC_0046.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chris and I were in Teton National Park, one of our favorite places on Earth, with the <a href="http://www.supercrawfords.blogspot.com/">Crawfords</a>, some of our favorite people, to celebrate our anniversary last weekend. It was the perfect little get-away, and the perfect way to relax a little bit before jumping into the madness that is back-to-school. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4eu-es0qvE4/TmRSzbA96pI/AAAAAAAAEts/awGEaoAsi-0/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4eu-es0qvE4/TmRSzbA96pI/AAAAAAAAEts/awGEaoAsi-0/s640/DSC_0031.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lucky for us, we get a Labor Day break and we're going back to the Tetons tomorrow, this time with the boys. Can't wait!</div><br />
Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-49208018331133462042011-09-02T08:49:00.000-06:002011-09-02T08:49:36.008-06:00The Duck Song: Robot and "Cool" VersionsTom and Gord love <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtN1YnoL46Q">The Duck Song</a>. They have all of the lyrics memorized and even made up their own versions of it. It's pretty funny.<br />
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Don't mind the moving car...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-j6FiGy0YJ4?hl=en&fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-28322075044141373832011-09-01T22:46:00.001-06:002011-09-01T22:47:46.272-06:00It's Game DayJust in case you're confused about who we root for in this house, you could always drive by...<br />
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or ask one of the kids...<br />
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Go Utes! Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-72565472659533494692011-08-22T23:34:00.000-06:002011-08-22T23:34:55.600-06:0080...81...82....Summer is almost over and I really am so sad about it. I haven't bought a single item of new school clothing, nor have I organized the school supplies or written names on anything. I just can't do it. I'm not ready.<br />
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Even though I've been a hideous blogger for our 87 Days of Summer Vacation, I have been taking pictures. I have taken SO many pictures! So many, in fact, that my Google albums want to charge me to upload any more. While I'm deciding whether or not to fork out for extra online storage, you can still check out the remaining June and first half of July photos over on the sidebar. Every photo has a story, of course, so let me know if you want to hear. There are just too many to blog.<br />
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Here are a few of my favorites that haven't made it to the Google album yet: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g-Z7JgF2318/TlM4FA7ML5I/AAAAAAAAEtA/MXV0Fz-F688/s1600/DSC_0430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g-Z7JgF2318/TlM4FA7ML5I/AAAAAAAAEtA/MXV0Fz-F688/s640/DSC_0430.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GIa1W8Xr0D8/TlM6T5IaiFI/AAAAAAAAEtM/kXTxzFBeZ9A/s1600/DSC_0466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GIa1W8Xr0D8/TlM6T5IaiFI/AAAAAAAAEtM/kXTxzFBeZ9A/s640/DSC_0466.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZhOPVX9AJ0/TlM6zT8IKgI/AAAAAAAAEtQ/qiA60yWJqUA/s1600/DSC_0478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZhOPVX9AJ0/TlM6zT8IKgI/AAAAAAAAEtQ/qiA60yWJqUA/s640/DSC_0478.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FPBO_JZxYT0/TlM5XHKcmgI/AAAAAAAAEtE/6MrKcjanMhM/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FPBO_JZxYT0/TlM5XHKcmgI/AAAAAAAAEtE/6MrKcjanMhM/s640/DSC_0022.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RkT8eUsILj0/TlM55kM9gYI/AAAAAAAAEtI/tM7_5PLPoW0/s1600/DSC_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RkT8eUsILj0/TlM55kM9gYI/AAAAAAAAEtI/tM7_5PLPoW0/s640/DSC_0057.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />
Gordon has learned to ride his two-wheeled bike and asks at least once a day if we can go for a ride. Tonight we did a little bit of back-to-school prep and timed ourselves riding from our house to the school. If you don't count the few minutes of arguing over who gets to go first through the under-road tunnel, then we should be able to make it in about 20 minutes. I think a morning bike ride will be a perfect start to a new school day, don't you?<br />
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Chris has been in Phoenix for the past three weeks and will finally get home on Friday. I can't wait!Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-83376563630372802992011-08-21T22:07:00.000-06:002011-08-21T22:07:28.985-06:00Lucky 13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_nD_S_QT_T8/TlHM2vsNhPI/AAAAAAAAEs4/bvSCjoTvPxw/s1600/Wedding1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_nD_S_QT_T8/TlHM2vsNhPI/AAAAAAAAEs4/bvSCjoTvPxw/s320/Wedding1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I've always liked this picture of Chris and me. It was taken outside the <a href="http://lds.org/church/temples/idaho-falls-idaho?lang=eng">Idaho Falls, ID Temple</a> right after we were married thirteen years ago today. No one had a digital camera at the time, so almost all of our pictures from that day were taken by a professional photographer and almost all of them were posed. I'm kind of jealous of today's brides with their zillions of great candid shots that they can post all over wherever, while I have just a handful of not-so-natural-looking hard-copy photos. But that's what I like about this picture-- even though we're getting ready to pose, the looks on our faces isn't contrived at all. We're looking at each other and I'm laughing and we look really, naturally <i>happy</i>. I love it.<br />
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Every marriage has its ups and downs, and ours is certainly no different. We definitely have those times when we're just trying to get through, sucking it up, gritting our teeth, and forcing a smile. We both fill a lot of different roles and sometimes it can feel like we're so caught up in making things work that we forget to enjoy it. <br />
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But then there are moments like this one, maybe when we're getting ready to go on to the next seemingly important thing, when we have a chance to look at each other, laugh, and just be happy together. Those little moments make everything else worth it. <br />
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Chris is good at bringing out those happy little tidbits for me, and today I feel really lucky, and grateful, to have thirteen years worth of memories with him. Happy Anniversary, Hunst. <i>I love you!</i><br />
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PS-- I took this picture of the boys yesterday-- so cute! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BexZxwlMzi0/TlHUuw99zgI/AAAAAAAAEs8/JLpK1vcZhio/s1600/DSC_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BexZxwlMzi0/TlHUuw99zgI/AAAAAAAAEs8/JLpK1vcZhio/s640/DSC_0043.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-60615405454812349942011-06-28T18:42:00.001-06:002011-06-28T18:45:25.815-06:00More summer fun! (Days 6-14)<b>Day 6-- June 8th: Frisbee Fun</b><br />
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The reason I need to keep up with this 87 days of Summer thing more regularly than I have been is that the days all blur together and I forget what happens on the individual days. On day 6, for example, I'm sure we did something besides play frisbee, but since I didn't take pictures, I no longer remember. That's kind of sad.<br />
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But, I did take pictures of these two playing an impromptu game of frisbee while Chris and I got dinner going. I'm constantly nagging Tom and Gordon to play together, work it out, include your brother, etc, so the fact that they decided to go outside and actually play together without parental prodding makes these pictures all the more priceless. Plus, they look adorable.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gX1kn4eyeQo/TgpoU1i7zuI/AAAAAAAAEqU/nVT3PaOOgJY/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gX1kn4eyeQo/TgpoU1i7zuI/AAAAAAAAEqU/nVT3PaOOgJY/s640/DSC_0006.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Day 7-- June 9th: Swimming</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EYTFxSMVJwc/Tgpp8qLb2nI/AAAAAAAAEqc/Z5Lo4NrHgmo/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EYTFxSMVJwc/Tgpp8qLb2nI/AAAAAAAAEqc/Z5Lo4NrHgmo/s640/DSC_0018.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
We had several stormy days during the first couple weeks in June, and this was one of them. Luckily, we had buy-1-get-1-free tickets to the indoor Aquatic Center left over from Gordon's birthday party, so I took these boys swimming. My kids are part fish and all three of them loved jumping around in the water. I had quite the workout trying to hold onto little Neil-- he doesn't understand the concept of not being able to breathe while under water and tried to swim away from me every chance he could. Little booger. We were right to go swimming inside, though-- it hailed on us on our way home!<br />
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<b>Day 8-- June 10th: Backyard Yoga </b><br />
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I watched my sister Ann-Michelle's four children for three days during this week, and on Friday, it was finally warm enough to break out the pool. The kids played outside for hours, ate lunch and had popsicles, then played some more. I took a bunch of pictures, but this one is my favorite-- Tom leading his cousins in some yoga. Namaste.<br />
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<b>Day 9-- June 11th: The Scottish Festival and Trilobites</b> (pictures coming!)<br />
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We went to Utah to visit Grammuh and Grampuh, but like a moron, I forgot my camera. Luckily, Gramm is a fabulous photographer and got all sorts of good ones from our day at Thanksgiving Point. Some things I want to remember about our wonderful day: Gordon falling in love with the bagpipe bands at the Scottish Festival (he informed us that he wants to play both the drums and the bagpipe when he grows up), tasty shortbread at one of the booths, the boys loving making trilobite molds just like a real paleontologist at the Museum of Ancient Life, and the huge and delicious sundaes at the little ice cream shop at Thanksgiving Point. What a great day!<br />
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<b>Day 10-- June 12th</b><br />
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Gordon got his face painted at the Scottish Festival and was so excited about it that he asked if he could paint his own face with watercolors after church on Sunday. He's our own little Braveheart.<br />
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<b>Day 11-- June 13th</b><br />
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The boys were invited to a friend's birthday party at a cool outdoor family fun park, and I took a picture of Tom climbing the rock wall with my phone. It was cold and rainy (you can see how cloudy it is in the background), so we didn't get too spend too much time outside, but the boys still had a blast. The Idaho Falls YMCA runs a rock climbing gym that I'm hoping to take the boys to sometime soon. It seems like something we'd all enjoy.<br />
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<b>Day 12-- June 14th</b><br />
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Another day where I'm not sure what we did. All of my pictures are for digital scrapbooking stuff except this one of cute little Gordon. Man, those eyelashes! And sigh, that underbite...<br />
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<b>Day 13-- June 15th: Tee Ball</b><br />
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Gord is playing tee ball this summer with a fun group of boys in our area. Most of them live within a few blocks or so, so every Monday and Wednesday, the boys have kind of a play date while the moms sit on the bleachers and visit. It's really fun. Go Yankees!<br />
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<b>Day 14-- June 16th: Sand Art</b><br />
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We watched my friend's son while she and her husband spent a weekend in New York (lucky ducks!!) and since it was another kind of gloomy day weather-wise, we decided to do some crafts. After a fun filled lunch at the indoor playground at Arctic Circle (I had no idea they give you a free kid's cone when you stay for lunch-- sweet!), I took the boys to Wal-Mart and let them choose $10 worth of crafts. After much deliberation (and me saying, "okay, it's time to choose" about twenty times), they finally decided on a sand art kit. It was a little bit messy, but pretty fun, and the boys ended up with some cool art and father's day gifts. Just what every dad wants!<br />
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Coming soon: Fathers & Sons, more Tee Ball, the Backyard Science Fair, and more! Summer is so fun!!Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-8020504850892017722011-06-09T23:01:00.000-06:002011-06-09T23:01:38.808-06:0087 Days of Summer Vacation-- Days 1-5We're big fans of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_and_ferb">Phineas and Ferb</a> around here. The boys discovered it on Netflix and they're not the only ones who love it-- Chris and I get a huge kick out of this clever kids show, too. The first line of the title sequence goes, "There's one-hundred-and-four days of summer vacation..." and the boys and I are feeling a little gypped that we've only got 87. That 87 includes the last day of school (the first official day of summer, starting at 2:21 pm) and weekends. <br />
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Since we're trying to jam all the fun we can into those 87 days, my goal is to take at least one picture each day and make a summer scrapbook. If you are into scrapping or photography, you've probably heard of Project 365, where you take a photo a day for a year. I'm not quite at that point myself, but I think Project 87 is a good start, don't you? And there's nothing like a scrapbook to remind you how much fun you had! :)<br />
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<b>Day 1-- June 3rd</b>: The last day of school/ First day of summer. I picked the kids up from school and we went to Baskin Robbins where we enjoyed tasty kid's cones while we looked at the end-of-year reports. I'm happy to say that both boys really improved from the beginning of the year to the end, and that they are both well above average. Of course, I don't need a school report to tell me that! <br />
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Chris and I thought it would be a fun tradition to have a backyard campout on the last day of school, but when we were talking about it, we must have forgotten that we live in Idaho, where it regularly snows in June. Last year the boys ended up camping in my parents' shop, and this year, we set up the tent in the basement. Instead of falling asleep watching the stars, the boys had Toy Story 3 and the dimmer switch on the lamp. The backyard campout may have to wait for better weather, but I think the fun sleeping arrangement tradition is here to stay!<br />
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<b>Day 2-- June 4</b>: I have big plans for running this summer. No more 13-milers, though, you can be sure about that! Still, I plan to run a couple of 5Ks, a 5-mile leg in a relay, and hopefully a 10K at the end of the summer. I'm also taking a running class at the gym, so I'm hoping my times and endurance will get better as the summer progresses.<br />
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My first official run of the summer was the Melaleuca 5K on Saturday. I ran with my mom and some of our great friends from our ward and neighborhood, which was so fun. Running with people really makes a difference.<br />
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In mid-May, our church group had a 5K fun run and my time was not great, so I was very happy that I came in at 5 minutes faster than that previous time. Not a personal best, but still, I am pleased with how it turned out. My one goal was to run (jog) the entire time, and I did. Hooray! My friend won an iPod, too, which is pretty darn awesome-- maybe some of that luck will rub off on me for our next race!<br />
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<b>Day 3-- June 5</b>: I decided to just to un-do all of that good calorie burning by making a delicious, completely un-nutritious dessert on Sunday. I think we're calling it "Strawberries and Cream Pie" and the recipe was given to me by my friend Jeanette. It's light, summery, and decadent-- perfect for a Sunday afternoon! I'll post the recipe on <a href="http://www.colliesue.blogspot.com/">Culinary Collie Sue</a> in the next day or so. In the meantime, you can drool over this picture...<br />
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<b>Day 4-- June 6</b>: I've been watching my sister's four kids three days this week, so we've had kind of a crazy week. Gordon had his first tee ball game (Go Yankees!-- they're ADORABLE) but I didn't feel like I could take my eyes off of the other six kids for too long and decided to leave the camera at home. Luckily, we have several more games and I'll have fewer little bodies in my responsibility next week. Gord played pretty well and afterward commented, "Now I remember this game!" and played even better on Wednesday. <br />
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Late Monday night, Thomas came downstairs with a little problem-- he'd been chewing on this little scarf that belongs in a magic kit and got it stuck on his braces. It was easy enough to pull off, but I thought it made a pretty funny picture. Apparently in addition to taffy and chewy caramels, he should also avoid chewing on magic scarves.<br />
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<b>Day 5-- June 7</b>: In typical Idaho fashion, Tuesday was cold and rainy, so we had to stay inside for most of the day. Luckily, I had a backup plan: Spore Creatures.<br />
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We have this funny computer game called <a href="http://www.spore.com/">Spore</a> that the kids just love-- you create your own weird monster thing and make it dance and move. I thought it would be fun to make our own 3-D Spore Creatures with play-doh and the boys agreed. They invited some friends and we got to work.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1hQ_4Fp0fJE/TfGh6gOH4HI/AAAAAAAAEpI/xJenefSeYDQ/s1600/DSC_0129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1hQ_4Fp0fJE/TfGh6gOH4HI/AAAAAAAAEpI/xJenefSeYDQ/s640/DSC_0129.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Next time, I think I'll go right for the modeling clay. Play-doh doesn't stick as well and we had to use wooden skewers to help the limbs stay stiff. As the creatures have dried, some of their extremities have fallen off. Oh well, live and learn. The boys LOVED this rainy-day project, so I am sure we'll try it again.<br />
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Tom's Creature: <br />
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And Gord's (love the title): <br />
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Most of Neil's ended up in little bits on the floor, then into the garbage when I swept. He still had fun and I am pretty sure he didn't eat any.<br />
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That's it for the first five days-- I have more pictures to share, and I'll post a link to my scrap pages when I'm done in case you want to see how our summer scrapbook is coming along. Good times!Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-35578509559809517342011-06-02T15:26:00.001-06:002011-06-02T15:32:11.778-06:00Come on, Summer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xkwxOhxHwZE/Tef8_GF60LI/AAAAAAAAEoo/kht_qxNXmvE/s1600/DSC_0092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xkwxOhxHwZE/Tef8_GF60LI/AAAAAAAAEoo/kht_qxNXmvE/s640/DSC_0092.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>It's June! Tomorrow is the last day of school! My sweet little tree in the backyard really looks like popcorn popping! My garden is planted! So come on, SUMMER, what are you waiting for?!<br />
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When my grandparents were here, we discussed the fact that no matter where you live, you pay a price in some regard or another. Here in lovely, low-cost-of-living, great family community Idaho, the price we pay is in the weather. Or rather, the wind. And the cold. I feel like winter has lasted about four months too long, and I am ready, ready, ready for summer.<br />
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Yesterday I expressed my happiness at the first of June (for reasons of impending summertime) and Chris replied with, "Yeah, only three months until football season!" Sheesh.<br />
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Anyway, it's windy here, but at least we have a kite, a huge field outside our back gate, and little boys who can stay entertained for hours.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're all getting very excited for summertime, and I'm going to do my best to make sure that this summer is one of our best ever. On the docket for summer activities: camping, hiking, swimming lessons, tee ball, bike riding, and family visits. We can't wait! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">P.S. I updated my book list! </div>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-82885580018027060062011-05-17T20:30:00.000-06:002011-05-17T20:30:36.226-06:00Tidbits from a month of life...Ah, the blog. It's been pretty nuts around here lately, and I've neglected my little blog. I have taken all sorts of pictures, though, and it's about time I updated. Here's a quick run-down of what we've been up to, pictures included!<br />
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My brother and his wife were in IF for a couple of weeks before Tanya's internship in Arkansas, so we had a lot of fun hanging out with them. They arrived a couple of days before Easter so I took Tanya shopping with me when I bought some new clothes for my little crew. Tanya was a lucky charm-- I found cute, inexpensive, <i>matching</i> Easter outfits for all of us! I am sure that my time for dressing the boys in matching outfits is quickly running out, so I take advantage when I can.<br />
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The next week, I took Thomas to the orthodontist for his last of a set of three appointments in April-- and this one was to get his braces. Even though it might seem early for braces, we're actually hoping to correct and prevent with "early intervention". So far so good-- he looks adorable and he has been a real sport with all of his new food (candy) restrictions. <br />
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While Jake and Tanya were here, we had plenty of fun excursions. I'm sure Chris would say that his favorite of these trips (mostly involving eating) was to <a href="http://sammyscafe.blogspot.com/2010/05/sammys-rexburg.html">Sammy's</a>-- a little diner/shake place in Rexburg. We actually discovered Sammy's on a trip to Provo a few months ago and Chris became an immediate and diehard fan of their famous "pie shakes". Chris described learning about a shake made with vanilla ice cream and a whole slice of blueberry pie as a nearly spiritual experience. He said something about how he had always known it was true, just hadn't realized it until someone told him. Hilarious. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a8cm-5fe1kg/TdMoZXJ6IuI/AAAAAAAAEnA/urOcQEY-njc/s1600/Sammys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a8cm-5fe1kg/TdMoZXJ6IuI/AAAAAAAAEnA/urOcQEY-njc/s640/Sammys.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>Thomas participated in a day-long chess tournament hosted by his school. He has been in the chess club since first grade and is really starting to get pretty good-- I think. I have to admit that I don't actually play chess myself. I should probably start. Anyway, one of Tom's friends described him as a "baiter"-- he uses one of his pieces as bait to trap his opponent into making a fatal move. Sounds pretty clever to me! Tom earned a participation ribbon at the tournament, which means he wasn't in the top 3, but he had a great time playing and hanging out with his fellow chess-players.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nUPrXzV3KbA/TdMpCAMlamI/AAAAAAAAEnE/_CIEwm71bHM/s1600/ChessTourney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nUPrXzV3KbA/TdMpCAMlamI/AAAAAAAAEnE/_CIEwm71bHM/s640/ChessTourney.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>My grandparents, Nonny and Bob, were in Idaho for a few days early this month. We always enjoy spending time with them! It seemed like a really short visit, but luckily, we'll see them again in just a couple of months. <br />
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Gordon's kindergarten teacher sent home a note saying that Gordon was invited to share his reading skills by reading a book to his class. We picked a fun and simple book, then Neil and I went to the class to see him "perform". He did such a great job-- he is a very confident kid and seemed at ease reading to his whole class. I am thrilled with how much he has learned this year and it was fun to see him show off his skills.<br />
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This last week, we celebrated for three days for Mr. Gord-- he turned 6 on Sunday! On Friday we brought treats to his class, then on Saturday we went out for breakfast, had a lunchtime party at the Aquatic Center (with sixteen kids... holy cow), then extended the party to the slip and slide and sprinklers in the backyard. On Sunday, his actual birthday, we had another yummy breakfast before church, then a birthday dinner and ice cream and <a href="http://www.ghirardelli.com/bake/recipe.aspx?id=1099">Ghirardelli brownie</a> sundaes for dessert. Whew-- I think I put on a pound for every year of Gord's life!<br />
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My friend Becca wrote a <a href="http://renfroescoop.blogspot.com/2011/05/parenting-505.html">fantastic article/post</a> about her son, Brigham, who I really think was cut from the same cloth as Gord. I know for sure that I'm in "Parenting 505" with Gordon-- and where Becca is probably getting an A, I'm hoping to squeeze by with a C-! Case in point-- she shares about a day where she prays to be able to get through the evening with her rambunctious kiddo; I was thinking about how most of my end-of-day prayers are those of repentance for not quite making it without losing my temper! <br />
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While Nonny and Bob were here, we were discussing Gord's insane energy, stubbornness and determination, and when I complained about my parenting difficulties, Nonny said, "yes, but he is growing up to be such a neat, neat person." That comment has really stuck with me and has helped in the past couple of days when birthday-boy-brat syndrome has shown its ugly face. Gordon can be a very challenging child, but he is also an incredibly sweet, intelligent, friendly, and wonderful little boy. He truly is a neat person and I'm so glad that we have the opportunity to learn and grow from each other.<br />
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Finally, we're down to the last few weeks of school and a countdown to summer. I am SO EXCITED for this summer-- Neil is finally emerging from baby-hood and I think I can take him places without a stroller, and Tom and Gord have been busy planning all of the outdoor activities they want to do. Gordon got a new fishing pole for his birthday and Chris has already logged several hours checking out the local trout ponds. Plus, last weekend, a glimpse of summer weather blessed us for a couple of days and we took advantage in the back yard!<br />
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Oh, that sun felt goooooood. It's chilly and cloudy again, of course, but just knowing that warm weather is just around the corner is enough to make everyone smiley. Let the countdown begin!<br />
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One more picture-- our cute neighbor boys and my boys are thisclose (they even fight like actual brothers) and they all got Club Penguin toys for Easter. I don't particularly care for Club Penguin, or any video game for that matter, but the boys were very excited about their little plush toys. They played outside all day. Cute, cute, cute.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n4jP-Y_TYyY/TdMuaOjTg9I/AAAAAAAAEnc/ycA9VwcL-J0/s1600/Friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n4jP-Y_TYyY/TdMuaOjTg9I/AAAAAAAAEnc/ycA9VwcL-J0/s640/Friends.jpg" width="640" /></a>Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30928371.post-68378668540982174422011-04-20T13:50:00.000-06:002011-04-20T13:50:50.981-06:00SLC Half Marathon & Utes Spring ScrimmageI'll be perfectly honest: I am not one of those people who has a lifelong goal of running a marathon. Or a half marathon. Or really anything with -athon at the end. It's not that I'm not goal-oriented or driven in any way, I'm just not really driven to run. I think it's high time that I admit this to myself, and I'm recording it here so that the next time I'm tempted to sign up for 13.1 miles of torture, I'll remember how I really feel. <br />
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Okay, okay, I'm making it sound much worse than it actually was. Even though it's Wednesday I am still in a little bit of pain from my run on Saturday (I think it's achilles tendonitis), it <i>did</i> feel really good to cross that finish line, and I <i>am</i> proud that I can count "running a half marathon" as an accomplishment.<br />
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By the way, when I say "run", what I mean is "jog/walk". Just so we're clear.<br />
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Last Saturday, the 16th, my mom, our friend Heather, and I met in the lobby of the Sheraton at at bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed 5:45 am along with our friend Sarah and her sister who ran the 5K. We took the TRAX train up to the University of Utah where we joined 8000+ people for the Salt Lake City Marathon/ Half Marathon. The energy at the starting line was palpable, and it was really fun to take part in such a big event. <br />
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My mom broke her arm in a skiing accident a couple of months ago and just got her cast off last week, so we agreed to take it easy. This was also my first (and probably last) half marathon-- the greatest distance I'd run until Saturday was a <a href="http://cehansen.blogspot.com/2007/11/dam_05.html">10K back in November '07</a>. Needless to say, I was glad to have a partner in taking it slow!<br />
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I actually felt really good (not fast, but good) through mile 10-- so good, in fact, that I took a little picture of the mile marker and thought, "hey! Only 3 more miles! I can do this!" I'm pretty sure those were my thoughts about 10 seconds before I completely hit a wall. Those last three miles felt like another ten! After what seemed like an eternity of robotic slow-jog motion, I finally reached the finish line, finally crossed it, and finally got my little medal that proves that I did it. Yay! Whew! <br />
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I'm purposely not sharing my time-- if you've run a half marathon, you'll laugh, and if you haven't, it won't mean anything to you anyway. Let's just say that slow and steady will probably not win the race, but it does finish. Eventually. :)<br />
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After the race was over and I had guzzled two little chugs of chocolate milk, we hurried back to the hotel so I could shower and meet up with my boys for our traditional Utah Spring Scrimmage day. <br />
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We met Gramm & Gramp at <a href="http://www.hiresbigh.com/">Hire's</a>, then went up to Rice Eccles Stadium to watch next season's Utes. I didn't watch a lot of football because I was busy watching these little stinks:<br />
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Grammuh let Gordon use her camera-- brave!!-- and he was so excited to take pictures of the players. <br />
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After the game, Tom and Chris went down on the field (Neil was asleep in my arms, I was too sore to move, and Gordon was in trouble) and had fun seeing the field up close. <br />
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We visited Chris' grandpa that afternoon, but I was with a sleeping Neil in the car most of the time and didn't get any pictures. I'm hoping <a href="http://grammhansen.blogspot.com/">Gramm</a> will pass some along!Elisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146061542115404482noreply@blogger.com3