34 Feels Good

Weekend birthdays are the best. They can go on and on.
And mine did.  Scott had scheduled me for a massage on Thursday.
My kids had been working out my sore leg muscles with a rolling pin, so this was a high class treat.
It was a bit painful, but for a good cause.

Then on Friday I went "hiking" with Ging.  I had wanted to hike part of Timp or
possibly Stewart Falls.  Unfortunately both trails were snowy and so we hiked the foothills
by Ginger's house.  It was a beautiful walk with great company. We had smoothies afterwards.

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Friday afternoon Scott took me to the new Pirates movie. I'm not a big movie buff, but I find the Pirate movies entertaining and it was just that. It was nice to get away together in the middle of the afternoon and eat a large popcorn for lunch.

Saturday was the actual day of my birth. (Thanks Mom.)
I got up early and met Terri for breakfast at Communal.
We had my birthday lunch there last year and I've been eyeing their breakfast menu for months.
Terri arrived with a pink polka-dotted balloon in hand dressed for the temple.
We shared a delicious breakfast of lemon crepes with creme fraiche, drinking chocolate, a giant biscuit with raspberry and strawberry jam, and the house omlette with home fries.

Oh mama.  You just savored each bite.  It was wonderful.
When we finished we drove around and found Britney's apartment and tracked her down at work.
We pulled into the MTC on her lunch break and chatted for a bit.

At home Binh and Joe had come to visit with their friend Bachel.  They brought a giant Costco chocolate cake, and the children all sang.  That evening Scotty and I went out with 3 neighbor couples.  I laughed so much my cheeks were sore.  It was such a great time.

On top of all that I got cards in the mail, well-wishes online, and phone calls with singing and promises of slobbery kisses.

What a fantastic 34th Birthday.  I wish each year was like this. I loved having time to connect with people individually doing things I loved.

My Mom has a journal entry from the day I was born.  I was not an easy delivery ( little did she know that was a sign of things to come).  Mom has heart problems and things were not going well with her heart during my delivery.  In a panic I was delivered with forceps and still have those scars on my face.  Mom was  not able to hold me as they were carefully watching her heart.  She continued to ask for her baby knowing this would make her feel better.  They finally obliged.  Having had children of my own I am so thankful to my own Mother for her sacrifice in getting me to this earth.

My Toofs

You read that right. Toofs.
Once upon a time we had Asher convinced that if you had a fake tooth or teeth they were referred to as toofs.  See, Scott had his tooth knocked out as an unruly kid flying down a hill on a bike. Trying to beat his Dad home because Scott shouldn't have been out of the house. He wrecked into a car and his face met curbing. (Funny, a similar thing happened to him as an adult. Except he was flying in a jazzy. Word.)
So anyhow,
we had our innocent kid convinced and he continually referred to fake teeth as toofs and we loved it and laughed.
After all isn't that what children are great for.

So Chloe has braces. I'm a bit jealous.
But there are only so many student loans a man can get. Actually there are quite a few a man can get if he goes to school for, oh say, 7 years.

Anyway. I'm not on the list.

I'm a bit bitter.

I wasn't on the list as a kid either.
My teeth weren't "bad enough".  With several siblings I rated middle of the pack- not perfect straight like Ginger's, not corn on the cob through a chain link fence like.... Molly's.  Sorry  Mol.  There's proof, but I won't post it if your comments are nice :)
I whined to Dad about the gap in between my front teeth, and he claimed it gave me character. The gap fixed itself in my early twenties.
I have crooked bottom teeth and an overbite. My smile covers those things.
But I dream of a perfect pearly white smile like Molly now has, Ginger was born with, and Terri paid through the nose for.

So I made a free consultation appointment at Chloe's orthodontist.
I just wanted to know...how bad are they?
They took lots of strange pictures of every angle. Then they blow those pictures up in front of your face with the orthodontist goes over things with you.

I have to say. Nice guy. Real nice guy. Some of these quotes, taken out of the context of the whole conversation sound, well, mean.  But he is a nice guy.
I know I've got an overbite and crooked bottom teeth, but imagine my surprise when he turns and asks me, "Were you hit in the face or did you have an accident and hit your face as a kid?"

Huh?
Really?
ouch.
I wanted to say yes so I had an excuse for the next thing he was about to say.
But it's a no, so...my jaw bone is longer on one side than the other.
Yep.
Left jaw bone longer than right. Significantly.  So my bite sits funny, my mouth opens crooked (I've noticed this on tape when I talk), my chin is too far back, and not in alignment with the midline of my face AND I"m buck-toothed.
Wondering if I can blame my rough delivery with forceps for this?  Anyone have Dr. Henry's address and I'll send him a bill?
To soften the blow the orthodontist did mention that my two baby teeth have the longest roots he's ever seen on baby teeth!! Go baby teeth.
He also mentioned "Hollywood polishing" to even out the bottom of my front teeth. I remember sitting on the bathroom counter with a metal nail file and going to town on the bottom of those front teeth.
That would be "Burley polishing" I presume.
Wondering if it would be better at this point to have them all pulled and get some toofs.
Tempting.

It was Dirty Fun.

Oh yes it was.
The Dirty Dash 10K was on Saturday.
My sweet friend Gretchen rallied the troops and formed a team.
I was in from the word mud. Sounded like my idea of a good time.
But this was better than I expected.  These people did not wimp
out on the mud, the obstacles, the rough terrain. It was all there, and
I loved every stinky, sweaty, slippery minute of it. Especially since
Em decided to join us at the last minute because of a teammates injury.
Em makes all things a little more exciting.

We started the race @ 11:00 up a steep muddy incline with snow shooting down on us. Let it begin. I really had to concentrate so I wouldn't slip.  After that it was steady inclines up the mountain.  Our first challenge was hay bales.  Several hay bales in a row. We got in a rhythm, but then I mentioned how awesome it would be if someone just cleared one of these things like a hurdle.  Never one to dismiss a challenge, Em went for it. And cleared it.  There were cheers from behind.

Next challenge- the wall. Well, several walls.  Preceded by a mass of slippery deep mud. That kind of smelled "farmy".  You had to hoist yourself up with your arms then kick over. With feet that were weighted with a pound of stink mud.  We made it through the several sets of walls and continued on to the tubes.  They were fairly simple and we cruised through.

A deep ditch with a steep slippery exit brought Em's backside on top of my head.  I boosted her heiny and she pulled Gretchen and I up the bank.  This is where things got real ugly.  We approached the lake and a swampy area.  The mud smelled like putrid death.  My gag reflexes kicked in.  Along with jell-o legs which were not a result of the smell.  People were up to their thighs in thick black puke mud. I should've realized what could've happened here. After all I've known her all my life and she thinks like I do- just quicker.  Em came at me from the side with a quarterback sack.  I hit the mud and she was out of there before I could grab her ankles.  I pitched some stank mud at her and promised myself I'd get the last laugh.  Then she proceeded to do some "mud angels" out in the middle of the muck.

We ran into Dad and Mom at this point.  Mom cheered like a banshee and Dad proceeded to record...people besides us.

Up the hill we went to the gigantic slip and slide- 5 people wide.  It was a crazy ride that shot me out the end into a mud hole.  We waited for our teammates and then headed to the last muddy obstacle.  A giant mud pool.  We flopped in and I wasted no time grabbing Em around the neck and dunking her.  We finished. It was a mess. A brilliant fun mess.  After being sprayed with an ice cold fire hose and settling on my level of cleanliness we were homeward bound.

My first 10K mud run- a stinking success.

"No No Boo Boo!" She's been saying that all her life.

Forgive me Em.

p.s. This is not a time machine mud pit. Dad's camera is living in 2008.

Our team at the finish with me helping Emily resist the urge to smear my face.

Dad commented on our smell a time or two.

After being hosed off. Brrr. Miserable. 

Those who didn't go to the party...

There was a Back 2 School Party tonight.

Chloe, Asher and Aidan were all invited.

They go every year and have some good food, 

a fun D.J., and talk with friends. 

But what about those of us who didn't get to go?

Well, here is what we did from 6:30-9:30

Cole got to take a bath.
With a cookie.
After all he's "being held back" as he tells his friends.
One more year to have him all to myself. 

Located treat jar.

Reached a treat, but not the right treat.

Went in again for the starburst she was hoping for.

BINGO! Ate the starburst with the wrapper on. 

Put a new doorknob set on the front door.
Including chiseling out the wood for the proper fit.
Man I feel like  a woman.

Sisters Go Camping

What a great idea!

Sister camping.

I imagined it like girl's camp, but a bit...crazier.

And it was.

First of all I have to give big KUDOS to my husband for watching our children

AND 2 of Jen's and 1 of Wendy's.  Without him it wouldn't have been possible.

We camped up Spanish Fork Canyon in Terri's pop-up trailer. (thanks Shawn!!)

It was lovely.

You know what I love about sisters?  Everything.

*They're my best friends.

*They really know me, and really laugh at me.

* I know how to push their buttons and it can be so funny.

* They'll tell you when your feet stink.

* They'll tell you your dinner was great when you know better.

* They can give you any gift that with the right words/card will always make you cry.

* They enjoy the finer things of life. i.e. Creme brulee smores!

* They love their late night tradesies. (foot massage exchange)

* They are funny!!! We can really make each other laugh.

I'll take you through the highlights in pictures.

This was our arrival picture of all of us.
Yes it was suppose to be ALL of us, but my camera
was obviously zoomed in. So it's me and Wend. Don't hate.

The stark realization of what these hole in the ground toilets smell like was almost too much.
My eyes watered, I got the dry heaves, my quads started to burn from crouching
without touching the seat. What a good time. 

The girls collected firewood so it felt like real camping.
Shawn pampered us by having everything ready to go. 

This shot was Wendy's idea.
I like the different decisions in footwear for camping.
Skater shoes
Wedge flip-flops with diamonds
Slip-on sneakers that stink (no socks)
Tevas
Hmmm?  What does this say about us?

Let the games BEGIN!
I pre-warned them all that I would be winning all games.
Oh they rolled their eyes at me. But you'll see how it all turned out.
This game was Wendy's idea: Ninja
We had strange names and had to hit/kick each other.
Perfect game. Right?
The redheaded ninja took this game by storm with her quick moves.

On to the photoshoot. 

Here are my favorite shots.

Classic Jen

The pucker before she spat.
This reeks of supermodel.

Grr. That's all think of when I see this one.
Grrrr.

My Surprised Face.
Smacked my knee into the firepit after this one.  

Next game: Cherry Pit Spit
Goal: Spit your pit the farthest
Winner: Mwah. I really used the power in my neck to propel my pits.

We had little gifts for each other before dinner.

This was Terri's great idea.

It reminded me of secret sister during girl's camp.

We each had a little thing for each other.

I gave things that reminded me of some of my sister's favorite qualities.

A pen for Terri: She's so eloquent. So gifted with her words. This was to encourage her to continue sharing them.

A pack of thank you cards for Wendy: Since I was a little girl I remember Wendy being such a great writer. She always sent letters, cards, thank you notes to me. I have saved so many of them. Even in college she kept writing. If you could discern her flowery hand writing she said some great things. There is so much joy in receiving a thank you card, or an actual letter in the mailbox. Wendy has always been good at this. 

Some chapstick for Jen: I've always thought of her as my protector. As my older, tougher sister she protected me from bullies through grade school and anyone who would hurt her little sister through college. It was a stretch but the chapstick is a protectant for your lips. 

There were some tears, some high fives, some laughs.

Definitely a highlight. 

Does Finn look like he wears a toupee?
I think so too.
A toupee with the perm I had in 8th grade. 

Um... what can I say here.
Oh I know,
"Lookin like a fool with your pants on the ground."

This shot is so she'll forgive me for the one above.
Idn't it cute?

Another of Wendy's ideas.
Is it just me or does it look like Terri may have possibly gotten some whiplash here?

And then we went on a nice walk and posed by the campsite 

that corresponded with our age.

Another potty break.

This Target bag was my new invention to make it through the experience.
It really worked too.
As a bonus, if I puked this would keep my shoes clean.

On to the night games.
You're keeping track of wins right?

Pictionary:
Wendy and I destroy them.

Catchphrase:
Wendy & I win.
Partner switch.
Jen & I win.

We had to play the vegetable game where you can't show your teeth.
Terri and Wendy pretty much giggled throughout the game.
So much giggling there were tears.
My jaw was so sore the next day.
I think I may need to add this to my workout. 

I was the first one to bed. 

I promoted myself as a bunk buddy.

No snoring, sleep talking,

kicking, teeth grinding.

So I slept by Wendy.

She ordered my stinky shoes outside.

Terri hid hers in a cabinet.

As I slept soundly the girls got ready for bed and then

WHAM!!! the whole trailer tipped to my side.

It seems we unbalanced it by all being on one side.

It was quickly remedied but what a jolt from sleep.

This is the sweet little mousey treat I found in my shoes in the morning.

Terri made a scrumptious breakfast burrito, creamy yogurt with fresh fruit and granola, and hot chocolate so thick and creamy it was like pudding when it cooled.

This was so much fun. It felt so decadent to be without children and just enjoying every  moment with my sisters. I definitely vote for a repeat with more sisters.

Love you all.

Asher and Amy take on the Provo River

You read that right. 

I decided I should take Asher on an adventure.

He loves to take on scary rides, so I figured

a real outdoor adventure would be a good fit. 

We headed up the canyon in the afternoon.  It's about a 30 minute

ride from our house and Asher filled all 30 minutes with conversation.

He told me about friends, and the sports he likes,

school, and his goals for the new school year.

It was fun to just sit and listen.

We got ourselves

a double tube to ride down the river at High Country Adventure.

On the way up the canyon on our shuttle an employee of HCA was

telling us the "rules" of riding the Provo River.

Go around the islands in this order: Left, Right, Right

Get out before the bridge! It is dangerous. People (or a person) have died.

He was funny but serious about following the rules and repeated himself 

several times.  I could see Asher's wheels spinning.

I think he was a bit nervous about what we were about to encounter.

We were the first two in the river.

It was 50 degrees.

Our bums were numb within 5 minutes.

We also ran into the edge of the river within those first 5 minutes.

There were low branches which I tried to lift over Asher but 

my reach wasn't long enough and a branch knocked him square in the head

and took his hat off into the river.

It wasn't the best way to start our 90 minute adventure.

He was nervous and very cold.

I tried to reassure him that he was safe and made

sure to be diligent about keeping us away from the edges after that and following all the rules.

He really started to relax after we made it safely around the bridge.

And a fisherman even found his hat and gave it to us. 

I was constantly getting in and out, in and out and I was soaked

I didn't get cold until the last half hour. The sun went behind the clouds

 and there was a breeze blowing up the river. When we got back to the car it took several tries 

for me to turn the key. We sat in the parking lot for 15 minutes with the heat on high.

Then we had some Subway sandwiches and headed for home. 

It was a fun day.

 I think it was good to show Asher he could trust me to keep him safe (well, after the stick to the head thing). 

It's all about the animals.

He loves them.
All of them.
He loves to read about them, study their tracks, pet them, hold them, share interesting facts about them.
So I decided Aidan and I would spend our one on one time at the Living Planet Aquarium.

I think the building is deceiving.
It doesn't lend the passerby any ideas as to what
animal treasures are inside.

Touching the manta rays was definitely a highlight. Last time we came he was too nervous, but he tackled it over and over this time. I got in on the slimy action too. One manta ray even came up out of the water at Aidan as he went to pet it. It was scary cool.

Of course the sharks were awesome.  So beautiful and strong and right in front of your face. We caught a glimpse of a sea turtle spending it's first day in the shark tank too. 

My number one favorite animal there were these Gentoo penguins. They are the fastest underwater swimming penguins in the world!  And they were fast. They'd dive and circle around and pop back up onto land. Aidan and I sat and laughed and pointed, spending most of our time watching these cute penguins. Aidan took the penguin quiz and announced, "I'm kind of an expert on penguins."

There were so many fascinating things for us to see; pygmy seahorse, octopus, jellyfish, poison tree frogs, anaconda, piranha.
What I loved about spending this time with Aidan was his excitement for the next animal ("Mom, come on you've got to see this!) , the way he'd hold my hand from exhibit to exhibit, how he'd take his time really looking/studying each creature, no fear of any animal just fascination. It was a great day spent with my Aidan and the animals.