Out of hibernation

Well hello world!

I feel like the last five months or so i have been in hibernation mode - things have been stressful for me and i felt like the girl in the hunger games books - anyhow in the last book to avoid life she goes into a closet and just pulls blankets and sheets on her to try to avoid life - which is how i've felt -

anyhow recently i've decided to come out and rejoin the world because life moves on and much as as i might want to avoid it its best i just give in and quit fighting it- anyhow so that is why there are about 50 posts after this because i have been doing things but haven't been motivated enough to do anything about it!

Also even though it is February i've decided to be like my cousin kyra and post my goals for the year and updates on whether or not i'm succeeding in following through with them - no more sitting around and being mopey - pretty much all of my goals include running because i want to be a runner this year and also if i'm running and working out then that means that i have to eat right and usually i feel pretty good about myself which helps in so many other areas!

So here they are:
1. Continue to read my scriptures every day- last year i read every day except for 1 so this year i want to do every day without missing once!

2. Forgive

3. Run a 5k
4. Run a 10k
5. Run a half marathon
6. Run a marathon
7. two relays, epic and red rock- i'd like to make it three and run the ragnar again - so i'm hoping when it gets closer someone will need another team member and i can do it

See i told you they were mostly running- i want to run the dam run half marathon - its up in rexburg in june so i have to cracking and run the other two short ones before then- and then i am running the epic relay in august and the red rock relay in sept and then ending with the top of utah marathon the last week in sept

So i have just have to keep with my goals and not give up or be lazy!
and looking over my goals i'm thinking that i am going to need another pair or running shoes because if i actually follow through then i am going to be putting a good amount of miles on my old ones!

future cheerleader

Gracies little friend next signed up for the future cheerleader fundraiser and asked if gracie wanted to do it as well - well of course her answer was yes- so we've spent the last week practicing being a cheerleader and then friday was the big game!- the first night it was back to normal where gracie wouldn't dance or move or do anything- so that night when i was taking the two girls home i told gracie she had to dance at least two time the next time or she couldn't dance with megan, her friend, anyhow i wasn't really serious but at the same time if she danced that would be great! anyhow so the next night when we went she did it all- the warm ups and stretching and the dancing and the cheers- it was pretty dang cute! anyhow so then obviously the night of the basketball game we talked about how she might be a little scared but she could say a little prayer and still do it - anyhow and we picked a barbie out at the store that she could have if she danced- which drum roll please - she actually danced i wish i could figure out how to posts the video, its on facebook, but it was darling!

The first three pictures - i asked gracie to pose like a cheerleader and that is what i got- i love the second picture it is my favorite!

Posing with Grandma
The cheer- the little girl to the right of gracie was her friend megan
Still nervous
But she ended up doing the dance- so cute!

car show

We love going to the car show every year- but this year gracie just thought it was the best- to her it was like a playground- she would climb into a car pretend to drive and then out of it and into the next car- it was hard to keep up with her- although occasionally she would stop so i could take her picture, especially in front of the pink car!
Gracie taking me on a trip to somewhere
Everyone in the jeep- it was definitely a group favorite

Gracie posing- one of her favorite activities
Ben being weird
This was so funny - gracie looked so small in this huge truck so ben kept trying to get her to smile for the camera and for once she didn't want to so she would turn her head so he would go to other side and try and she would turn it again - this went back and forth for a little bit and then alex took out his phone and all of a sudden she was smiles for him - so ben finally got a picture of alex taking a picture of gracie
My favorite car the Xterra- one day i want to have one again!

Island park cabin

For Christmas this year my parents gave the whole family a week up at cabin in Island Park - it was sooo much fun - i've never really done the cabin thing before but it was so fun - i just laid around in my pjs all day and then we would go out and play in the show for a little bit - come back in play games or watch a movie and eat junk - mom did have good food up there but most of us went for the junk :)- anyhow it was a lot of fun
Gracie and i getting all bundled to go outside- in the cute hats melanie had made us for christmas- i love gracies shoulder pose!
Addy joining us
The two girls- gracie was surprising good in the deep snow- i thought after bundling her up like crazy she wouldn't like trying to walk around - but she loved it - she would climb up all the snowhills and down- she didn't really like the sleds or the snowmobiles- although one day we did get on a sled and tyler pulled us on the snowmobile which was a lot of fun- but gracie mostly loved just climbing around in the snow- and it was pretty cold while we were up there!

The snowmobiles were alot of fun the first time i took it out i drove for approx two minutes before i got so stuck in the snow- and of course i was away from everyone so i had to walk down the hill to mitch who was digging tyler out and then when they were done we had to walk back up the hill so i could show them were i was stuck and then they dug it out- and that was all i would ride it! But then that night we had three snowmobiles but we had to return two of them so melanie and mitch on one and me on the other and we had about a 50 minute ride to the rental place- anyhow we ended up getting slightly off track and at one point i had to drive the machine up a steep short hill to get back on the trail anyhow mel and mitch had done it kind of slow and so when they landed they got thrown off - so i decided to gun it- anyhow i shot up over the hill and my whole machine went about 4 feet in the air - but i landed it so that was good even though it scared me but we eventually made it back after getting stuck, lost and who knows what else- it took us about an 1 1/2 hours to get back and it was so cold it was around 5 degrees - but lots of fun
Tyler brought up the Wii dancing game - it was a lot of fun - the best part was that addy would get in front and try to do the dance moves as well
The girls took over my bed at night - but since they were so cute it was okay
Being lazy in the evening
Even the girls loved playing games!
Our beautiful view
Like i said it was pretty cold up there- if you can't see - it is 10:00 am and -3 degrees!

Christmas Day

Gracie and Addy were up and happy pretty early for little kids and loved all the things that Santa and brought - Gracie was at the age that she really did believe Santa was coming and so the night before i had trouble putting her to bed because she wanted to pretend to sleep on the couch so that she could see Santa- finally i told her she could go to her room and keep her eyes open all night- which i knew would never happen- and then when she heard Santa she could tip toe out and see him- it was pretty cute
Ben sleeping through the morning festivities
After stocking we always have a yummy breakfast- this year Grandpa helped the girls by giving them shots of cool whip into their mouths- the sugar high was sure fun to watch later! :)
Gracies turn- if you notice there is a bowl of fruit- so we tried to get the girls to eat that as well - but they mostly kept opening their mouth and asking grandpa to "hit me" with the cool whip
Addy waiting for the grownups to finish cleaning up breakfast so they could get to the good part of opening presents
Gracie got a dress from Santa and so she had to change into it and have her picture taken about 15 times before we could open presents- here is one of the pictures!
Sitting on Grandpas lap singing a song-in our family its a tradition that to enter the living room to get your presents you have to sit on Dads lap and sing a christmas song, everyone young and old has to do it, its pretty fun! gracie sang "Santa Claus is coming to town" it was her favorite one- she never did pick up Jingle Bells but she would sing this one over and over again
Mom always sings I saw mommy kissing santa clause
The early morning is starting to kick in for Addy
Piles of presents!!
Ben and I
Alex and Jaquel in the hats that melanie made everyone- they were so cute i love mine!
Addy got this kitchen set for christmas - if you look hard you can see how excited her face is- it was so fun watching her open it
Gracie with one of her presents

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a lot of fun as always - we went up to the Johnsons and had a yummy dinner, put out luminaries around the house and then opened presents! Gracie loved every minute of it
I came into the room and the two girls were waiting very patiently for the presents to be passed out and opened- they had made themselves a special place on the couch

Gracie with her huge pile of presents- and that was only for Christmas Eve - it amazes me how much stuff she ends up with at the end of Christmas
A picture with the whole group and all the presents that are about to be ripped into in about 5 seconds- although usually everyone does just open their presents at the same time but this year we went around and families each opened a present together - it was fun because then you got to see what everyone got or gave - so i liked it even though it took longer
Bens christmas present to me- a while ago i lost my ring and have just been wearing a fake one - so it was a very fun surprise to get this present!
And ending with my super cute girl who was just so excited about Christmas!