Remember this...

A year ago... and here I am.  Or is it there I was?  Are you really that bored that you want to read what we've done for an entire year? Bit by bit, piece by piece... It is sad that I am bored enough to write it all down for you. Yet, I'm not bored, I am just in the right mood and right sentimentality to do so. I loaded ALL of the pictures on and they showed up backwards as in soonest to latest. So, you get to read about what we did just barely and finish in the land of yesteryear. 

So I watched the movie, "The Vow" last week. Seen it? That probably is another reason I am writing. I looked right at my friend and said, I need to keep a journal. Mostly so if this did happen to me, Rus wouldn't be telling me things like, "Sarah, you LOVE hunting! You LOVE to clean toilets and you think Wranglers are sexy." Just important things like that. But I did ask myself, seriously, with tears running down my cheeks if I would want the life (and the man) that I have now if I had a second chance at it ALL. And deep down in places I don't talk about at parties I knew I would. I also know that my cute husband would fight just as hard as Channing Tatum did to prove his love and devotion to his leading lady. It was just a moment of real peace for me. We have had some real "heck-ish"  moments in our years together too, but without them I wouldn't love my Channing Tatum (a.k.a Hubby) as much as I do and my kids wouldn't sit as near and dear to my heart as they do. So I think it would be fun to start this little photo show, so I can remember what I did this year and so you can have something to read for the next hour (it was a long year!). 

Before I get to the pictures, the excitement of school is upon us. Oh is your baby going to kindergarten too?? So when I said excitement, you knew I was lying?! Bummer! Let's pretend for the rest of these folks reading. That's right people, the Bubba is starting Kindergarten. And Guess what? He still says that (guess what?) a hundred times a day and loves to still talk your ear off and off and off. His assessment went kinda awesome... when asked if he could count to 20 he counted to 100 for her. Just to show her he could. It was one of those moments when your excited that your kid can count to 100 and realize it's because that is their (his and Sariah's) form of entertainment in the car. Anyone want to ride with me? Oh speaking of Sariah, she is super excited to go to 3rd grade-her mother is: super anxious, nervous, nail-biting, panic-attacking, hyperventilating and smiling through it all. Rus is so sick of me worrying that he told me he is taking charge of Sariah's school year and I can take the Bubba's. Which kind of worked out because I was assigned as Bubba's room coordinator this year. Those of you who know my crafting and decorating skills-lets shake our heads together on the count of 1-2-3...... 

I have a good friend who happens to live in Nebraska. So because gas is so cheap right now and our house is so clean, we had nothing better to do ( and because I love this dear friend). We drove for 2 days, stayed there for 2 days and then drove for 2 days (and you wonder why my super son can count to a 100?).  Did we have fun? Heck yes we did! 

Here we are on the Pedestrian bridge. Bubba and Rus were all the way in Iowa and me and Sariah stayed in Nebraska.

Who needs Channing Tatum-huh ladies!

I love this girl... and all the "fun" that comes with her!

"Sarah, you said you went to Nebraska not Florida, isn't that the Epcot Center?" No, reader it's not the Epcot Center it is the Desert Dome at the Omaha Zoo. "A Zoo, you said?"  Yes, that's what I said. Well this conversation has been lovely but lets go back to just me talking..... That's correct, just when you have convinced yourself that Hogle Zoo is bearable and not "that bad" you end up going to Omaha and visiting a zoo that if compared to something it would be like: Omaha zoo: Micheal Phelps vs. Hogle Zoo: Dave Doodlesmortz (what! you didn't see him in the Olympics? Point. made.) This zoo is #1 in the country right now. It seriously was AMAZING!! If you ever want to drive for 2 days and have to go to one place I would  slap this on my itinerary in a heartbeat!!! My kids loved it, I loved it and my spouse loved it. WIN. win. win. So after all this talking, the Desert dome has a real desert inside and there are real desert animals running around with Lizards and Snakes in cages all through it-AMAZING!

Bubba wearing his diamondback hat from teeball and he saw a REAL diamondback snake he was in heaven!

Isn't she so cute!? Sariah in front of crabs (huge ones).

Jellyfish! Seriously!! It was amazing....

My favorite part. There is probably few boys who love Gorillas more than this guy! If you happen to own one of those few boys, it would be a great injustice to them if you did not take them to the Gorilla area of the Omaha Zoo. I know I keep saying Amazing, but it seriously was. 

This Gorilla came and sat right down next to Bubba and he was so in awe he just sat there for a long time. Oh did I mention: Priceless? I even got teary eyed for goodness sake.

This zoo is so amazing that when a gorilla dies they mold it and turn it into a statue!...Just kidding but that would make it a little over the top of Amazing...hee hee.

This Orangutan (spelling?) stood in the same position for a very long time and there was a guy next to us sketching it. It was like it was posing for him or something. 

We went to the rain forest. "Let me guess, Sarah,.... Amazing?" why yes reader it was, I think you are catching on to my overall theme here-Kudos to you!

I love taking pics of Sariah when she is in her finest form. This form is called: Hungry. But I kept telling her there were signs everywhere saying, "Do not feed the animals." Sometimes I am too funny and it comes across as mean...especially when she is in her finest form. 

Well that's the end of the zoo. I didn't mention the swamp with real alligators, the amazing bears and the shark cave with real sharks to save you from hearing the "Amazing" word too much. 

Rus heard there was a Lewis and Clark  museum and so we went and visited it. They stuffed us in a room where we got to watch an hour long movie about the entire expedition. It was pretty boring and I wanted it to be over a lot sooner than it was. My kids however, never wanted it to begin in the first place so throughout the whole thing they kept saying, "are they there yet?" I bet that is what Lewis and Clark's  kids would have been saying if they had to go....Oh this picture above is of bubba inside a statue that is alongside the river or lake.

SPLASH PAD! 

So, that was our little adventure and trip for the year. We had a great time with our friends and it was fun to catch up on each other's lives. Now onto the rest of the year gone by.....

We went fishing! I really like fishing and so do the kids. It is probably what we love to do most as a family.

Sariah danced. She had a very serious competition at Lagoon. Good thing she brought along her makeup artist (that'd be me). This pic was taken right before her competition. It's. Go. Time.

She got a medal (so did everyone else). She was so stinkin excited about that medal that she had no problem posing for this picture. Doesn't she look so cute? Her dance was Japanese music.

 

Bubba graduated from Preschool. He was a stud! When they announced him he had to go up and stand next to his teacher and she read what Bubba said:

"His Favorite food is: Chicken quesadillas from Cafe Rio"

"His Favorite color is: White-because that includes all the colors"

"When he grows up he wants to be: A Builder man"

Did I cry? What do you think???? Yes, I did. But it was because of a tender moment (I'll wait while you get your tissue) and here it is:

So, throughout the preschool year there has been a "bully" he tackled, hit, punched and was just down right mean. I talked to the teacher and she said she has been trying hard. He had to sit on the "Think-about-it" chair a lot and yet, the meanie headness continued. So Rus taught Bubba some karate and some defensive moves and I told the teacher that Bubba was prepared to defend himself. But Bubba being Bubba never did and just took it. Well during the little graduation there was a part where they were shaking these little maracas (spelling?)  and the "bully" slammed his together and broke one of his. Without missing a beat, Bubba stood up and gave him one of his and then went and sat down and shook his one Maraca like it was all part of the plan. I cannot tell you the feeling I felt. It was the sweetest moment I have ever seen. I was so proud of him. Tears were falling pretty fast. He is just a good kid. 

Here are the only girls (twins) in his class and they LOVED Bubba. There are so many boys in Bubba's grade that I am seriously excited about their football season!!! I also hope the girls continue to like him because it's gonna be slim pickings when it comes time for Jr. Prom.

His teacher Ms. O. She is awesome!

I had the opportunity to be the Camp Director for my church group. It was such an awesome experience and yet, the thought of doing it all over again makes me nauseated.

I ran the Ogden Marathon. It was great and I loved it. Rus says I am done. I say there is more in me...

I ran the Salt Lake Half with these ladies from work. I loved it and it was the best one I've ever done. 

We planted a garden!!! We have squash coming like crazing and we love to eat it. It tastes so good when you make it yourself....

We went to Moab for the 1/2 marathon there. I sucked it up pretty badly. But we had fun doing everything else. Rus explored like he was Bear Grylls (one of our fav shows)

Bubba climbed this little peak and was mighty proud of himself

Sariah making sandcastles... I love the dirt there.

Bubba kept running and then sliding in the dirt like this. It was cute so I took a picture so he would stop doing it.

And Finally, we got a dog to keep Anna company. His name is Drake. This photo was taken about a year ago. So he is older and more mature now. So mature that when Anna went into heat, we tried to prevent them from doing the "deed" by taking him down to my in-laws while we were in Nebraska. But alas, he was too quick. The other day I said to Rus, " I think Anna is pregnant." He said, "Nah, she just drank too much water." To which I replied, "Well I don't think "certain parts of your body" swell when you drink too much water." Sure enough my instincts were correct, we are going to have puppies in like 2 weeks. The bad news: It is hunting season so it is likely I will be here alone when the puppies are born. The good news: My husband is on a Dave Ramsey kick and this will help our financial situation out. So if you are wanting a purebred lab puppy for Christmas, I know a certain location where you could get your hands on one. 

And that ladies and Gents is my year in reflection. There is a lot going on and like usual I am keeping my head above the water. And if I had to be reminded of one thing if all my memory was gone, it would be: "Sarah that guy telling you he is your husband, believe him and enjoy falling in love with him all over again!"

The STAGE of Summer...

I am alive. I am breathing. I am blogging. But who am I really?? I am late. I am procrastinating. I am....just me. If life was a stage and I was an actress on that stage I think I would look the Director square in the eyes and very elaborately say, " Who do you think I am?!" to which the Director would lovingly reply, "I am still trying to figure that out." (This is the weirdest blog I have ever read-whispers an audience member). So my dear friends and bored blog stalkers, this is where I stand, on this stage, trying to let the Director know I am trying my guts out to give the show of my lifetime. And this funny-making-no-sense-blog is a small glimpse into the mess that I am creating.


Since I haven't blogged since March, this is going to be a long post-SURPRISE!!! I am sarcasm.


My son got older, 4 years to be exact. How is this possible???
We went and saw the Ogden temple before it was torn down.
We had Easter (even though the girl's dress may lead you to thinking Christmas)...It was the first ever Easter egg hunt here in town and the kids got 20 eggs each. They were on sugar overload. But it was super fun. Small town life is getting to be pretty awesome.
Stop laughing at the bunny!!! All I could think about the entire time during this dear bunny's visit was the part on Steel Magnolias when the guy rides on the motorcycle in the bunny suit.
I went running. I love running. I ran a marathon relay with my cousin, mom, aunt, and sister. It was a lot of fun. Then I ran RAGNAR with some friends from work. It was AMAZING!!! I had a blast. So I thought I loved running so much that I signed myself up for a full on marathon. Then I remembered, I hate training. But I love running.



My daughter got older too. She is now officially 7. I thought the number 7 stood for good luck....She has had fun this summer teasing her brother and not listening to her parents. I adore her guts. A lot. This pic is from her very first birthday party. We had it at the park. We had a fashion show to High School Musical music and made jewelry. As we all know by now, I love being in charge of things and making sure things go smoothly, so I was super excited when it was over.
We signed the boy up for T-ball. He was an Oriole (he pronounced it Oreo). I love softball. I am very competitive. I am not a very good parent/fan of t-ball. I remember when I played t-ball. I was focused and dedicated. My son was neither. If you ask him what he liked about playing he will tell you right out: the treats at the end. I'm sure every parent laying on the grass watching their kid play was so tired of hearing me yell the following things:
"Bubba get your hat back on and get ready to run!!"
"Bubba get your mitt on and get the ball!!!"
"Bubba we do not hug (I called it wrestling to make my self feel better) the other players!!!" Bubba!!!! Bubba!!! Bubba!!!! My dear sweet grandmother came and watched him "play" and I was so embarrassed. And then again, I am so proud of him for getting along so well with his team mates. It was a great experience for him. Plus he gave his sister half of EVERY treat he got. What a kid.
One sad moment of our summer occurred when we had to put Rus' dog down. Gunner was such a sweet dog. When we got the house, Rus was so excited to finally get his dog that he has had for 13 years. Rus was gone on the first night that he slept here and Gunner was homesick. I slept on the kitchen floor next to the door so he wouldn't be alone. It sounds weird, but I felt that was our bonding moment and I have liked the dog ever since.
This is the kids right before Rus took him. Rus called me and was pretty emotional about it all. One of our really good friends is our vet so it was nice to have that comfort. We had a little prayer in the garage and then buried him in the backyard. Anna is continually looking around wondering where her older companion is. Let's just say we won't be watching that Marley movie anytime soon.
On to better, brighter moments....This is the face of achievement!!!! She can now ride her bike without training wheels. So brave. I tried to teach her a bunch of times, but I don't understand how to run with her and let go. I just kept holding on to the seat and running beside her. Rus was able to do it and she is doing so awesome at it.

This is Bubba being Zelda. Bubba is ALWAYS something. He is Pokemon characters, he is super mario brothers characters, he is robots, he is baby donkey kong, he is octopuses, he is tigers, he is anything that cute huge enormous imagination can come up with. As of right now, this very moment he is a pom pom ball with one eyeball (cyclops) and he cannot move or communicate. He is teaching me his language of moving his head certain ways to mean different things. Jealous much???
While Rus went on a work horse riding trip. I went home. It was Clinton fun days. It is not even close to the same as when I was little, but seriously-what is? We went to the parade that morning and enjoyed it with the cute travis family. Then we went to the quilt show where my mom had entered 3 of her awesome quilts. She is a pretty and talented lady, so overall I have to say she is pretty talented...hee hee. She really is a powerhouse.

Then the kids chilled on my parents' bed with Grandpa for a bit. They watched Mulan. Bubba is wearing his cape and was batman, superman, and of course captain america all in one.

We then ventured to the park. I decided to take some pics of the kiddos. This is Sariah cheese'n it.

I am kinda proud of this picture. I think that it is a great picture of the bubba. He is so kind and sincere. WARNING!!! This is one of those stories that mentions a potty moment. I don't want to gross you out, but I also don't want to leave you out of not knowing this funny tale. As most of you know, my husband is the KING of critical thinking. I met his PRINCE the other day on the royal porcelin throne (ha ha). Here is our conversation: (I enter the bathroom)...

ME: Woo-wee Stinky boy!!

HIM: Does my poop smell like horse poop mom?

ME: Yes! Have you been eating horses?

HIM: No...But!! (finger is pointed in the air ready to make a full explanation) he continues, "But! horses ARE related to cows and the other day we had scones and mine had cheese on it and cows make cheese...THERES THE PROBLEM!!

ME: You're right I didn't think of that.

HIM: Ya mom, you gotta think straight...I think VERY straight

Then Sariah is electri-fying. This girl is so me it is scary. Try and imagine waking up every day and not only facing yourself, but facing your mini self. I have no patience-neither does she. I am not tolerant-neither is she. I have a huge heart and can't get it expressed out all the way-neither can she. She feels exactly what I feel except she feels it: OUT LOUD! Sometimes, very rarely, I complain and my dear sweet understanding spouse just shakes his head and grins slyly.
We went to a charity event where the kids got to ride on this roller hill thingy. I was in shock that Sariah did it. again. again. again. again. again. It was so neat because the people helping were high school students. I kept thanking them over and over for running up and down making sure this man-made contraption didn't buck my dear sweet children off.
Who knew that 4 year olds have to stick their tongue out when riding on such roller thingys.
Kyson and his tongue getting ready for his plunge of rolling-ness.
Well ladies and gents this is the end. I am taking the bow. As I stand here on this stage of life, I think to myself, "Self, what does this show of my lifetime even look like?" On the outside it looks like I have it all....cute kids and a sweet husband. On the inside, I feel empty and broken. How in the world does this calculate..... I wish I had critical thinking skills, maybe I'll go take a seat on the PRINCE'S porcelin throne.