Marathon Day

In every sense of the word.The morning started off by participating in the To Bone and Back relay marathon. It was a neat experience. I got to meet some fun new ladies since I originally knew only a couple from our 8 man team. Stacey ran leg 2 and then ran beside me for encouragement on leg 4. She's such a tough chick. It was more of a challenge than I anticipated but something I was glad to be a part of. Moral of the story: I definitely need to add some more hills to my running regimen. As soon as I finished running, we had to leave so I could shower at my sister in law's house and get ready to attend a wedding luncheon in Rexburg.
After the lunch, we went to the Spray Park and killed time until the reception. It was a busy place on account of the warm weather. There is also a carousel to ride. Brother got too cold too fast, but sissy is a trooper.

By the time the reception rolled around, we were completely exhausted. It was a long day!

Mighty Fishermen

Brent, Hudson, Mitch, and Grandpa went fishing down on the river at a farm we're running this year. They hit the jackpot. Brent said he never had time to cast a line because everyone else kept him too busy getting fish off the hook and more bait on. On top of the awesome fishing, they saw a bald eagle, and hay brokers kept calling Brent and out bidding each other.

Yes siree, it was the kind of day the Brent deserves and finally got.

You can see Hudson being hysterical in the background. Apparently the flailing fish was too much for him and he went and sat in the pickup.

Proudly displaying their catch.

We had a fish fry and grilled up some darn tasty trout. It was complete with a spinach salad and fresh strawberry pie straight out of the garden. You don't eat any fresher than that.

Cape

A super hero must always be ready.

He must have a fast horse.
Gloves.
Hat.
And Cape.
But that doesn't mean a super hero can't get tired.

I made Hudson a cape today. His adventures have officially started.

We Be Jammin

Disclaimer: This is not a paid endorsement.

I thought I might let you all in on one of my little secrets. If you find yourself making jams, fresh salsa, or dicing more onions than you'd care to, I've got the perfect tool for you.

The Kitchen Plus 2000.

I usually steer clear of As Seen on TV items, but I received this as a gift. At first I made fun of it and planned on sending it to DI. But one day I decided to give it a whirl and that's when I was sold. You can make fresh salsas in seconds and chop strawberries with a few turns of the handle. I've only used the triple blade for chopping applications, but it's awesome. So if you want a true time saver for canning prep, you've got to get yourself one.

That's my testimonial.

The end.

Smorgasbord of Fun

Mitch took this picture of us.
This summer thing has taken it's toll on the kids and they both took long naps yesterday. Really long naps at the same time, so it was a good day. I finally finished washing all our windows, inside and out. You can see streaks from the squeegee still so I don't know if they qualify as clean, but it's a job that's done now. I also finished putting the border around my picnic quilt so it might get finished in time to be used this summer.

Mitch, the kids' cousin, has been staying with Grandma for a week. Hudson can not get enough of playing with that kid. We had him over the other night for a weenie roast and sleep out. He's a good helper too. Whenever you ask him to help he'll say, "Yeah, sure."We've been trying to keep the yard and garden watered and weeded. Our garden is finally starting to make some headway. Our strawberries are on, so we've been picking and jamming. Yesterday I ate some of our mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette and it tasted gourmet.

We have been enjoying playing in the water, eating icecream, going on 4 wheeler rides to deliver water and treats to the guys. Summer is so fun.

Oh, and I've been keeping up on my training. I run in my first race on Saturday.

Just A Phone Call Away

So what do you do when you're popping popcorn Sunday night and your air pop popcorn popper refuses to put the pop in the popcorn? You pick up the phone and call my Dad, air pop popper advocate and popper extraodinaire.

He immediately began trouble shooting "I'm pretty sure it's a wire, they come loose. Take off the bottom and check for a loose wire."

"They're all connected."

"Okay, um. (trying to calm himself down and think logically) Oh I know. Occasionally they over heat and just need to cool down. Put it in the freezer, that'll cool it right down."

After blowing on the thermostat and hearing it click, I plug it in and wonder of wonder, it begins to work.

Dad, you're amazing.

Freeze Warming

I remember waking to the cool summer breeze blowing through every single, wide open window in our house when I was younger. I remember shivering at the breakfast table and complaining to my Dad that it was too cold. He always gave the same response after taking in a big breath of fresh air, "feels good, doesn't it?"

Now that I have my own home and pay my own power bills, I find myself trying to capture every bit of cool morning air before it warms up. Lately I've heard Hudson in his room, but he will not get up and out of bed no matter the coaxing. He stays huddled under his covers and says "I've got to "worm" up first."

I chuckle within myself and think. . . "feels good, doesn't it?"

Could It Be

Here at our house, we're beginning to believe that we are actually going to have summer.
On Saturday we went down to the river bottoms for a weenie roast with Westerns. Hudson loved throwing rocks in the river, eating hot dogs, and savoring s'mores. He kept asking where the "camping house" was. You can imagine his disappointment when we told him it was time to go home.

We enjoyed the beautiful weather and celebrated Father's Day outside with plenty of good food.

Yesterday the kids + Mitch and I went to the school for lunch, to the library, and rounded out our day by playing in the water at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Purple Tomatoes

It's been unseasonably cool. Okay, downright cold. Not only are my lips purple, but my tomatoes are turning purple as well. Don't despair if you've found your little seedlings in the same predicament, warmer weather will cure it--along with my cabin fever and lack of the summertime blues.

Now if only I can find some warmer weather. . . The forecast seems to be of little help.

Eating It

Our family Touch had been missing for a few weeks since I sent it in the tractor with Hudson. Surely lost and destroyed in some cornfield, somewhere.

My husband stood as the accused, irresponsible party.

After scouring every tractor on the place to no avail, he returned a discouraged hombre.

"Is there even a 1% chance it got put somewhere? I thought I sent it home in the lunch box."

"Hardly," I scoffed.

So I went to looking and low and behold, I found the missing iPod. It was found in an unnamed location where only I would have put it. I emerged, tail between my legs, with the no longer missing iPod.

I was served up a big helping of humble pie.

Higher Ground

Far too often during the past few weeks Brother has been caught red handed with a cookie. He thinks he's being sneaky, but as a mom I can see past his stealth. First of all, the pushing of a chair into the cupboard never sounds suspicious. Not to mention the rattling wrappers, a slamming cupboard door, hop down from the chair, and lighting quick steps back to the couch. Call me Sherlock, but I'm on to him.

That is why all treats and otherwise sweet and tempting goodies are making their way to higher ground. From now on it will take a small step ladder for him to reach the goods.

But treats aren't the only thing around here moving upwards. Sissy was cheered on by her Dad as she ascended 7 stairs. Only a dad would offer such encouragement. I quickly snatched her up and moved her back to level ground. Stairs can be so mean to little, unstable bodies.

Muddin'

Chopping triticale. Rose exit. May 30th.

If you ever decide to take an 18 wheeler muddin', make sure you've got a bigger pull tractor.

Committed

I have my training schedule and I'm committing to run the Top Of Utah Half Marathon.

There, I said it. I'm actually going to do it.

Now all you other noncommittal people, go on, commit. Let's run!

What Do You Use?

A notoriously nosy lady approached me a few weeks ago to ask what I've been using to get such a beautiful tan?

My reply, "yard work." Maybe not the answer she was looking for, but the truth.

And since I'm the sole grounds keeper of my yard and the two adjacent yards, there's plenty of yard to go around.

A few of my favorite tools lately have been a shovel, bowhead rake, and RoundUp (RoundUp will always be my favorite.)I've been putting in a big flower bed behind our house as well as leveling out our backyard. --Takes me back to the days on the USU grounds crew and lots of raking. Now only if I could find a pickup game of Ultimate Frisbee.-- The funnest part of the entire project has been dividing perennials from my old yard and stocking my new flower bed entirely from it. That's not to say I'm not looking for any other plants. If you have some prolific perennials you wouldn't mind sharing, drop me a line.

So what have you been using for your gorgeous tan?

Super Hudson and Curly Sue

Today brother morphed into "Super Hudson." He's been pretending to fly through the air wearing his sunglasses all day. My little super hero insists that M&M's are his power food. Not a bad idea, but as a mom I had to get after him for eating them right before dinner (mostly because he wasn't sharing.) He's also been chanting "Hip, hip, hooray! Super Hudson saved the day." Despite all the super hero acting, he can still waddle like a penguin like a champ.

Sissy's hair is so curly after the bath. I just had to take a picture because I'm sure her hair will be board straight like mine before too long. She has had an enormous appetite lately. She yells at me when she runs out of food "Mamamama!" Now Hudson says Mama means "more peas please." I am here to attest that whatever goes in must come out. We changed 4 dirty diapers before noon today.

Dope-Pa and Dome-Ma's

Hudson had an extended stay at Dope-Pa's and Dome-Ma's (their new nicknames.) A visit to their house is always a treat, but being left there for an extra day is really special. He has been anticipating this visit for weeks and it sure didn't disappoint.

A few of the highlights include:
emptying out the root beer keg and feeding the chickens with Dope-Pa (still wearing their pj's.)
riding on the lawnmower with Dome-Ma.
playing anything with Uncle Tis. Can you say the magic password? Doodle Mac and Scnoodenbachen (he practiced when he was supposed to be going to bed.)
going fishing and getting ice cream cones.

He had so much fun he said he didn't even miss me. Sniff.

Where I've Been

Today: What a day. I spent eight hours at the mall with my two children. No it was not by choice. My car needed to have some work done and without a loaner car to use, I kindly begged the service guy to run us to the mall. My car is as good as new, so I don't plan on having to spend another day like this again. Ever.

The past week: We've been outside. With the warmer weather, we've been trying to get the yards whipped into shape and the garden planted. We have also been riding bikes and checking on fields with Brent.

Looks like a lemonade stand, but don't be deceived. It's the only way we could all be in the garden and be productive.The kids and I walked along the river while Brent and Sergio set up pipe.Peas and black beans, Dalanie's favorite.

Once the kids were in bed last night, I reflected on my lack of patience and perfect parenting skills. It seemed like all I did the entire day was yell at kids in between getting things crossed off my to do list. It made me feel horrible, and I promised to do better. The to do lists went out the window because I've only got so long to enjoy my kids. So imagine my delight when a friend called to see if the kids and I would like to ride our bikes to the park for a picnic. I loaded up the kids and we set out to meet the other moms. There were 3 of us, each pulling a bike trailer with 2 kids. And if that wasn't crazy enough, add to the fact that the nearest park is 7 miles north which meant riding into the Idaho wind. We persevered and had a great time.
Hudson finally convinced me it was time to set up the trampoline he got from his "Parish Grandpa and Grandma" for Christmas. I've been wanting to bury it ground level, but since I'm not quite sure where we're going to want it we opted to leave off the spacer that makes it higher. It looks kind of silly, but it is so kid friendly. Now Hudson can get on and off by himself and I don't worry about him falling.

Here's to more fun day and spending quality time with my kids.

My Version

As my Dad has chronicled the challenges associated with asparagus picking, I decided to add my own two cents.
One of my truck driving jobs took me past several canals and ditch banks. As I was headed home, I rounded a corner and caught a glimpse of a few spears of asparagus poking out of the ground. I quickly slammed on my breaks, brining my 18 wheeler to an abrupt halt in the middle of an intersection. I applied the parking break and bailed out. I ran back across the one lane bridge and retrieved the previously spotted spears.

I kept trying to get back to my truck before any traffic came. Each time I headed toward the truck, I spotted even more asparagus that beckoned to be taken home with me. Finally I clutched my armful, more determined than before to make it to the truck without interference from the begging asparagus. Desperately I ran, one foot in front of the other, ignoring the little voices calling to turn around. I kept my focus and finally reached my truck. Rest of the drive home I avoided eye contact with meandering canal banks and finally reached my destination without any incidence of succumbing to asparagus pressure.

Moral of the story: Once you start, it's hard to stop. Perhaps the Association of the Anal for Asparagus should also adopt the slogan: Not Even Once.

It's all about Perspective

We're glad to have survived the past week. We started planting corn this week and it's been a marathon. We were rather short on help, one of our hired men leaving for the week and another having to take 3 days off, it's been a lot of LONG days. Since we plant around the clock it's been all we could do to keep the tractor going. Add into the mix pivots that still are not entirely up, working ground and filling trenches around them, furnishing and preparing a house for an H2A worker, and hauling silage and wood chips and you've got yourself a full week.

It takes everyone in our family to survive. The kids job is one of cooperation and tolerance as they are often stuck in tractors and trucks for long hours. I fill in where I can and try to keep everyone fed and our household running. And we all do our best to give Brent a little extra space and extra hugs.

As the kids and I were headed home at 10:00 pm one night from working ground, I told Hudson he could have some cereal once we got home and then asked what else he would need to do before bed?
He replied "Pop popcorn and watch a movie."
"What!? I don't think so, it's late, late, late!" I half screamed, trying to keep my sanity.

Did he not realize this was a very abnormal and messed up schedule for a little kid?

I guess not.

He can't tell time, so it really wasn't that big of a deal to him. As a matter of fact, I think he thoroughly enjoyed himself this week. He got to take his lunch box and stick horse with him, spend time playing at Grandma's and spend lot of time with his Dad (10 hours in just one day.)

If only Brent and I had viewed the past week as a kid.

No worries.