Runner Girl

This Very Day

2012-01-22T16:23:00.001-07:00

9 years ago today my husband asked me

what I wanted for my birthday (I was extremely pregnant at the time).

I told him I wanted to have this baby....

And so it was, 9 years ago today this darling boy

came into our family.

And I have adored him every minute since.

Happy Birthday, my wonderful boy!

Too Old

2012-01-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

No lie,
One of my "friends" at school told me
I shouldn't be listening to Nickelback.
Wasn't I kind of old for that kind of music?

NOW I've hit a new low.
I'm too old for Nickelback.

My life has lost all meaning and purpose.

Guess That Place

2012-01-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Red rock? Check.

Death-defying drops? Check.

Holding up red rocks? Check.

Weeping Rock family photo? Check.

Random ostrich pictures? Check and...

Check.

Yes, you guessed it. Our weekly trip to Zions National Park.

Back to School

2012-01-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true.
I am back for Spring semester.
They didn't kick me out.
On the up side?
Only 15 weeks to go.
On the down side?
Still 15 weeks to go.
Sigh.........

Today I am feeling education is overrated.

I can do hard things,
I CAN do hard things!!

What I Did on My Christmas Break

2011-12-31T15:48:00.000-07:00

I worked hard fall semester so I played hard on Christmas break. Here is what what happened at the Robinson house....
(Prepare yourself - it's a lot!)

We saw Santa

Spent time with Family...

And More family....

Got lots of presents from Santa....

Proof they love their brother!!

Ash happy about her new iPod

Taylor and her new hair extensions (NOT my idea!)

Cam and his haul

And finally......our favorite cousin, TYLER!!!

Ty as Joe Dirt (a family favorite movie)

And the bunny suit from A Christmas Story.

What a wonderful Christmas Vacation!!!

Hope yours was wonderful, too!

Finals

2011-12-12T20:48:00.002-07:00

Midnight cram fest...

Last 3 tests tomorrow.

I WILL SURVIVE!!

End???

2011-12-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

Remember this pic? My stack of books for this semester?
It is finally coming to an end...for a few weeks.
Finals are here. Starts tomorrow.
Test one tomorrow,
Tests two and three Friday,
Tests four, five and six on Monday,
Seven, eight and nine on Tuesday.
Then three glorious weeks to rest.

Things that Make Me Smile

2011-12-03T17:32:00.000-07:00

Spending the day on the lake with my favorite little people

My beautiful neice Abby

(We consider her our child #4)

My son at the beach. AND

My girls at the beach. AND

My favorite boy buried in sand

Beautiful morning sunrises

Rocket ships made by my buddy Campbell

Utah Football...

Especially when they kick the TRASH out of bro-in-law's

favorite team, BYU

Palm trees, waterfalls, blue water...

in any form!

BFFs that wear matching Ninja Turtle pajamas.

Plus lots more. But my camera broke, so I'm limited to photos right now.

If you are knowledgeable about cameras, please let me know!

I am in the market for a new one.

Thinking Canon. Any suggestions?

Life

2011-12-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

A month (almost) of thankfulness was fun.
Reminded me of some awesome blessings I have in my life.

My camera broke, so no new pictures.
I don't have time to go buy a new one.
Probably going to invest in a good one this time.
If you know much about cameras and want to
enlighten me, I will take it...

Now I am studying for finals.
NINE FINALS. All within 48 hours of each other.
I don't know how I will survive.
I just will.

So not a lot of blogging from me in the next few weeks.
December 13th at 4PM I will be done.
Finished with my first semester.
I WILL SURVIVE (I hope)

BLACK Friday

2011-11-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

I went shopping at 12 AM Friday morning.
Yes, I am crazy.
No, it wasn't worth it.
Yes, there were a million people.
Yes, I stood in line for ONE HOUR in Hollister,
My LEAST favorite store EVER.
All to save a few bucks.
THAT is why today I am grateful for
ONLINE SHOPPING.
No crowds. In fact, no people at all!

TURKEY DAY

2011-11-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

Today, the day of turkey and all things delicious!!

And I don't have a camera.

And I am so sad...No pictures!!!

I hope everyone have a delicious, fabulous day.

And I have been a horrible slacker. No grateful posts the last few days.

Today, I realize how blessed I truly am.
I have a wonderful family.
Nice cars to drive.
Too much food to eat.
Money to buy things I probably don't need.

I feel very blessed and grateful for all that I have.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Funny Boy

2011-11-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

This is Cam. He is a funny boy.
He comes up with the most random,
hilarious things. I can tell he really
takes his time and thinks about these things!

Here is our most recent conversation:

Cam: Hey mom, you know God Bless America? You know, the song?

Me: Yes. What about it?

Cam: Do you think God blesses all of America?

Me: I think so. Why?

Cam: Do you think he blesses Las Vegas? You know, because they have all those pictures of naked people??

Me: Pull over, I have to pee from laughing so hard!!

For today, I am grateful for the funny, imaginative, wild things my darling boy comes up with!

HAPPY ALMOST TURKEY DAY!!!

SNOW!!!

2011-11-20T08:24:00.001-07:00

This is the snow that fell the day before Thanksgiving last year

When we lived up North.

This year? 65 degrees, blue skies and sunshine.

I am grateful for snow.

It provides the water in the lakes that I boat on.

I don't like to shovel it.

I don't like to drive in it.

I don't like to look at it when it turns dirty and dingy.

But I do love boating, I and LOVE having water to

bathe, shower, flush the toilet.

So for today, I am grateful for snow.

And I am grateful to live in a place where I don't have to shovel it!

A Home of My Own

2011-11-18T14:01:00.001-07:00

Today I am grateful for a home to live in.

As most of you know, my family recently

left our home in SL and headed south.

It was hard to leave the home we had spent

the last 7 years in. It made us all

a little sad, a little lonely, longing

for the familiar-ness of our old home.

But we found a house

we like well enough.

I dare say it is even

starting to feel like home!

When I start to complain

about what my house DOESN'T have, I try

to remember I am lucky to have

somewhere to lay my head at night

(and it has indoor plumbing - see this post...)

My home is good to me. It puts up with my

endless vacuuming. It stores all of my

crazy "stuff" and keeps me warm. It

lets me walk around in my undies, if I

so choose to do. It doesn't care

what I look like or what I wear.

So for today, I am grateful to have a home!

Technology

2011-11-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful for technology.

Back when I used to be a runner,

I lived with my iPod on.

I still LOVE my iPod, even though

I don't use it a lot to run.

Now I use it to drown out extremely noisy

(and a few obnoxious)

dental hygiene students while

I am trying to study.

So for today, I am grateful for my

iPod technology!!

Which makes me think of one of my favorite movies...

"I love technology, but not as much as you, you see...

but I still love technology, always and forever"

-Kip from Napoleon Dynamite

Another Crazy Thing

2011-11-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Here's another crazy thing I am thankful for.

Indoor plumbing! I can't imagine

having to go outside in the freezing weather

to use the bathroom

(especially in the middle of the night!)

So for today, I am grateful for

INDOOR PLUBMING!!

Without it, two crazy girls couldn't have

a swim party in the bathtub!

Sleep

2011-11-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful for sleep. I think sleep is highly UNDERRATED.

3 tests this week. Not much sleep for me.

And when I do sleep? I dream about TEETH!

Last night I dreamt of occlusal surfaces, in particular.

You know, the area you chew with. Sigh.

It must be the end of the semester.

All my stress is being manifested in my dreams.

I will never take a good night's sleep for granted again.

So for today, I am grateful for sleep -

anytime, anywhere, anyhow I get it.

Food...Yum...

2011-11-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

So I realize I missed yesterday's post.

I feel horrible. No, terrible. Like a failure.

To remedy this situation, I am going to be grateful for TWO

things today.

The first is food. YUM....

Now, I'm not a discriminatory person.

Not at all. I like all types of food.

No one particular kind is my favorite.

If I had to pick a favorite? It would be...

Yep, you guessed it. The kind you eat!

(Which would explain these pesky extra 20 lbs)

I especially love candy and sweets.

So for Today, I am grateful for food.

Which brings me to my next gratefullness.

I spent all afternoon writing a research paper for school.

I DO NOT like to write. In face, I dare say

I HATE IT

Which reminds me of my favorite movie, NACHO LIBRE...

(I hate all the orphans in the world...)

But I digress. As I'm finishing my paper, I realize I haven't posted

my gratefulness today. Or yesterday! Shoot. All because of this darn paper.

But then I realize I have gained a lot of knowledge

from researching and writing this DARN PAPER!!

(And you thought hygienists just cleaned teeth...WRONG!!!!!)

So, for today, I am grateful I have the knowledge

to write a research paper.

(No, I'm not kidding. I really am!

Kind of a glass half-full type thing for me today.)

Ahhhh, the countdown to fabulous turkey-day food.

Only 11 days until the ultimate pig-out!!!

Taylor M

2011-11-11T21:42:00.002-07:00

I'm so late posting tonight!

But I have a good reason.

I was at our HS football game.

And we won - we are on to the state championship game!

I forgot how much fun small town football can be.

AND we got to sit outside in 60 degree weather!

St. George is awesome.

But I digress. Today I am grateful for Taylor.

Or Taylor M as her grandpa calls her.

She is my oldest.

My very first baby.

And now she is driving and hanging out with friends

More than she hangs out with her parents.

Oh, the life of a high schooler (is that even a word?)

I couldn't be the insane, neurotic student I am

without the help if this girl.

She keeps our house running!

She also ROCKS at playing the piano.

I have to brag - she gets up at 5 AM

every morning to practice. What a girl!

So today, and everyday (almost - just kidding, but not really)

I am grateful for my darling daughter, Taylor.

My Ashlie

2011-11-10T17:30:00.001-07:00

This is my beautiful Ashlie.

She is a sweet, sweet girl.

She is always so obedient.

I ask her to do something and she says "okay".

Never argues.

She is my child most like me.

(Not always a good thing...)

She has a spitfire personality

with a temper that flares!

(Hmmmm, where have I seen that?)

She has my sweet tooth. We both love

ANYTHING sweet!!

(she does most my baking nowadays)

I'm grateful to have this beautiful, funny

feisty little girl (if you can call a 12-year-old little)

as my very own!!

What a fun week of thankfulness it's been.

I hope all my readers out there have

some super wonderful things to be thankful for!

Stay tuned...more thankfulness to come!

(between my studying for all these tests I'm so thankful for!)

DH

2011-11-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful for my DH

(short for Dear Husband)

He takes me on super awesome vacations

(Like Cancun, my favorite place to visit)

He stays pretty calm, even when I get feisty

(I know, me, feisty? Never!)

I have pretty tender feelings towards this guy.

He moved our family to sunny St George so I can go to school.

He takes care of everything for me around the house.

He doesn't even complain about all the stuff I ask him to do!

AND he is an excellent cook!

(He makes dinner EVERY NIGHT!!)

I feel pretty darn lucky he picked me.

And he's still with me after all these years.

So for today

(and everyday, I just don't always mention it)

I am grateful for my dear husband.

The Boy

2011-11-08T06:03:00.001-07:00

Today (and everyday) I am grateful for my little boy.

This little boy that is ALL BOY

(for those of you that don't have boys, all boy means dirty,

disgusting, general stinkiness, yet very loving)

He's not so little anymore - closer to 9 than 8

We share a birthday. Is that why he's my special little guy?

Or could it be he is the only boy and it took a long time to get him here?

Either way, I am grateful to be his mom!

Here he is, doing what he does best, being silly.

He was trying to take a picture of his muscles

(which I must say, are quite impressive for an 8 year old!)

Who doesn't make a Senor Jose on their belly
with wonderful mustchases our dear friend Macy brought on her visit?
Cameron keeps his sisters grossed out,
his dad busy with his sports and dirt bike riding
(which is AWESOME at our St George house -
empty fields next door + lots of red dirt = two happy boys)
And is always first to hug his mom and tells her he loves her.

I dare say he is the best boy (and cutest) in the whole world!
And yes, I am extremely biased.

Quiet Moments

2011-11-07T19:37:00.001-07:00

Today I am grateful for quiet moments.
I don't have many of them anymore.
I used to have several quiet, reflective moments
back when I used to run (pre-bladder and surgery nonsense)
Sometimes I forget (ahem, don't make the time...)
to stop and enjoy the quiet moments.

So just for today, I am going to stop and be grateful
For the small, quiet moments that God gives me...
A sunset, a rainbow, a sunrise, a quiet morning run,
Having all the kids at school or out with their dad...

Education

2011-11-06T16:07:00.002-07:00

I am grateful for EDUCATION

(No, really. Not even kidding right now!)

Education is hard.

But nothing that is worth doing is ever easy.

So today, I am grateful for education and educated people.

People to teach me the things I don't know

(which is A LOT)

I remember when I was a teen, I seemed to know everything.

Wish I was still a teen to know everything.

Seems I've forgotten an awful lot as I've aged!

Education is good. The process of education is good.

Not always easy to remember why I'm doing it.

But I know it will be worth it.

Some day I will get to say

I AM A COLLEGE GRADUATE!!
And for that, I am grateful.

Friends

2011-11-05T15:19:00.000-06:00

Today I am grateful for Friends!

I know, friends come and go.

Some friends know everything about you.

And they still love you!

(Like the time I messed myself during a race.

My dear friend didn't leave me.

She stayed with me, even though

I'm sure it was kind of gross.

Then we laughed pretty hard about it later.)

Some friends are friends forever, no matter where either

of you go, no matter what stage of life you're in.

Some friends stay for a while, then move on.

Either way, my life has been blessed by good, good friends.

The kind that make you a better person for knowing them.

My kids have also been blessed with good friends.

What mom doesn't want good friends for her kids?

Ashlie and her two "besties"

Cam and his friends (love these boys like they're my own!!)

My BFF Tara who still calls me every Sunday to make sure I'm alive.

She makes me a better person.

She encourages me as much as my husband does!!

I love you, Tara!

Taylor and "Crazy" Maize.

A true friend dresses like a nerd with you and walks the neighborhood.

(Love you Maize!)

Morgan, Taylor's BFF.

Morgan is the kind of girl that makes you feel like a better person

because you have been around her.

We miss our dear Morgan

(I love her like my own, too!)

Friend Michelle who spent several races

(and training runs) watching me slip behind a bush

to go to the bathroom.

And she loves the Twilight

series as much as I do!

Ah, what would life be without our good friends?

I love all my friends, past, present and future.

Grateful For...

2011-11-04T16:24:00.002-06:00

Football! Especially UTAH football!
(Also grateful for GAME DAY GRUB!!)
Sad they aren't doing so well this year.
BUT
Grateful I get to watch it every Saturday!
And Grateful for a BEAUTIFUL niece
that loves to tease me with her rival BYU team.
Go Red!!

Gratitude

2011-11-03T20:10:00.002-06:00

Celebrating the month of November and my 2nd favorite holiday
(Who doesn't love a holiday all about FOOD????)
(And Christmas is first, of course - all those gifts!)

I am trying to blog gratitude each day. Here is my first one!

Gratitude for a beautiful world.

This is a pic of the ocean in Playa del Carmen.

One of the most beautiful places (I've visited thus far)

In the world!

What are you grateful for??

October is Over (Almost)

2011-10-30T18:26:00.001-06:00

Happy end of October to you all!

The temps have cooled off

(I have turned into a St. George weather snob. It hit 60 and I'm freezing!!)

The skies are a clear, beautiful blue. It finally feels like fall.

Here are a few things we've been up to in Sunny St. George!

I'll set it up for you. Driving home after cramming 6 hours for a test.

My brain was done. I'd had it. I pull up to the light and see this.

Car full of stuffed animals. Not just in the back, but the dash as well.

There were more stuffed animals in there than a toy store.

I laughed so hard I peed my pants (which I do most days).

Guess you had to be there to see how funny it was.

Cam and our friend Zach at our ward Halloween Party.

Zach is the nicest kid you'll ever meet. If you can't tell, he is dressed

as Edward from Twilight. We love Zach.

Ashlie and Adriana dressed as Malibu Barbie

PERFECT match. Though I prefer her Slurpie costume from last year.

Cam in a recycled HOBO costume. Complete with his own toilet(s).

Every hobo carries his own toilet filled with slime, I was informed.

Cam was a little sad. Last year he was a Hobo with his BFF Keller.

This year he had to go it solo. We miss Keller.

And yes, back by popular demand (by my family, of course)

the Nacho mask made its annual appearance. We can't have a

Halloween without it. And we wanted to send a pic of it to Auntie Les.

She loves Nacho Libre as much as we do!

Pumpkin carving is a success again.

We have a ninja, a scary guy and a normal guy

(their words, not mine)

"Die, pumpkin, die" were the exact words, I believe.

I might need to be worried.

And finally, a teenager learning to drive.

Can I just take time back, move it back, roll it back, whatever I have to do

to make her a little kid again? I'm not loving this.

In fact, tearing up at the thought of my baby being SO OLD

Scariest thing we have experienced so far as parents!

Notice Chris is in the passenger's seat and I am behind the camera?

I don't have the patience. Seems a big THANK YOU needs to go out

to my dad, my own personal driving tutor and coach.

THANKS DAD!!

There she is, in her inherited Green Booger.

Heaven help us!

Another month has come to an end.

Can't say I'm sad. I am really tired of studying.

And I am really ready to take a break from being a student

and going back to being a MOM for a few weeks.

BFFs

2011-10-23T19:33:00.001-06:00

Macy and Ashlie. BFFs. We can't remember how they met.

Or how long they have been friends.

Macy suprised Ashlie with a visit this past weekend.

It was amazing!! Ashlie was so "hacking happy" (her words, not mine)

to see Macy. It felt like home having her here!

A love for Ninja Turtle sleep pants are always a good thing

to share with a BFF

Another thing they share? A love for a good mustache...

Only a BFF would wear one with you while browsing the produce

at the local grocery store. Our favorite comment?

Razors are on aisle 3.

Among the many festivities were scrapbook making

and donut baking. All Macy's idea. See why we love her guts?

And a BFF visit would not be complete without a visit to the local Arby's

where one can gorge themselves on curly fries and Arby's sauce!

They cleared their busy schedule to see me prance around as a tooth fairy in the

DSC Homecoming parade. (Required or I wouldn't have been there)

There I am in my beautiful tutu. Thanks, Char, for showing me how to make it!

(Not my proudest or finest hour.)

Practicing proper etiquette (not really)

The last thing they needed to accomplish was their

bathtub beach party.

Who doesn't wear snorkel gear in the bathtub?

The true sign of a BFF? Now matter how dumb your idea, she'll always try it.

Macy, we love you and are so glad we got to have
you all to ourselves for the weekend!

Seriously

2011-10-20T20:33:00.000-06:00

Tonight was Cam's first pinewood derby. He and his dad spent WEEKS on this car! The boy was so excited, it was insane. He had a great time, I had a great time watching him be so excited.

Crazy weird, but seeing all those kids (most of whom I don't know and don't know me) made me SERIOUSLY home sick. I (sniffle) miss all of my friends and family.

Ridiculousness - I can't keep the tears away today!

I really miss my friends, neighbors, family.

If you are reading this and I knew your kids (primary)

give them a hug for me and tell them I miss them!

(still sniffling!)

Reunited

2011-10-19T18:36:00.000-06:00

Ashlie got a special surprise today - her BFF Macy was delivered to us from SL!!!

Apparently Ashlie let out a scream that could be heard in three counties...

I can't wait to see what shenanigans these two girls get into.

They are known far and wide for their bowling ball smashing

(they drop a bowling ball on random things. It's quite entertaining...)

Thank you, Bennetts, for delivering Macy to us!

Vegas Vacation

2011-10-16T16:47:00.001-06:00

I got to attend the ADA convention in Vegas
(Which was AWESOME)
It landed over my fall break so we decided to make a vacation out of it!
We booked the Grandview Condos
(which are great if you need a family place to stay in Vegas)
Here are some highlights of our week's stay!!

What Vegas visit wold be complete without a sighting of Elvis?

Not a day goes by that someone does not tell my DH (dear husband)

that he looks like Donnie Osmond.

You can't see it well, but Donnie and Marie are on the Flamingo Hilton.

Had to get a picture of Chris with his look-alike.

All the kids wanted to do was...

You guessed it. Swim!!

Taylor gets REALLY EXCITED about her french fries with ketchup.

Ashlie just likes the camera = no matter what!!

Chris loves random photos of himself

(okay, maybe not. I have to work really hard to get him to smile!!)

We ventured out to the strip.

Cam was fascinated with all the lights.

We got stuck at a traffic light and couldn't figure out what was going on.

We hear this horrendous roar coming down the street.

Turns out we were right in time to watch the indy cars

drag race down Vegas Boulevard!!

We got to watch them do laps around the Bellagio Hotel.

We had a front-row seat to watch all the indy cars race up and down the boulevard.

Here's cam, fascinated with the cars.

They were moving so fast I wasn't able to get a picture of them.

After the cars came by, their pit crews followed. Cam was so excited,

waiving and smiling. The head of ABC Racing stopped, shook his hand and gave him his hat.

Cam has not let that hat out of his sight!

The girls in front of my favorite spot in Vegas, the Bellagio fountains.

Inside the Bellagio Atrium - decked out for fall.

The tree was talking to us!

Cameron didn't believe us the gold man was not a statue.

He dropped some money in the "statue" cup

and the statue came to life! Cam freaked for a minute,

then climbed up on the golden box.

Taylor's new "do"

Swimming under the waterfall

Time to head home. Kids didn't want to leave

the pool. Made for a fun fall break!

Now, back to the books, back to school.

Midterms are here - which means I'm halfway done with my 1st semester.

Hooray!!

Winning

2011-09-18T19:21:00.000-06:00

Because I have an obsession with Utah football

(I really think I might be flirting with OCD - not sure.

Should probably talk to someone about that...)

My dear sister offered me two of her season tickets

to witness history at the BYU / UTAH game in Provo.

I had to do dental stuff all morning, so we made a mad dash

(FOUR HOUR DRIVE) to the stadium before the game.

That's the kind of commitment I have to my football team!!

We were right in time for the posting of the colors -
one of my FAVORITE parts of the pre-game procedures!

Then the game got underway...

This is my brother-in-law Blaine. He is one of the most

COMMITTED BYU fans I have ever met!

We had a great time bantering back and forth about our teams...

(We all know who came out victorious)

My nephew, Braxten, also an extremely COMMITTED BYU fan.

Tonight he was wearing his 15-signature commemorative BYU jersey

(fanatical? Maybe a little - that's why I love him!)

My dear sister, Laura, after Utah made their third

(or fourth or fifth? I lost track) touchdown.

She desperately wanted to leave, but she stayed,

suffered through the pain, agony and humiliation

so I could fully enjoy watching my team PULVERIZE hers!

A snap of the scoreboard - before another 2 touchdowns were made -

I was so excited with the outcome I forgot to snap a photo of the final score!

Which was 54 to 10, in case you missed it.

(Yes, Utah won)

Just enjoying the pure fun of winning

We were smiles all night - what Ute wouldn't be?

We ended the night watching the Utah marching band do their victory lap around the stadium.

What a fabulous night -

Winning feels so, so good.

Thank you, Laura and Blaine, for a wonderful night

(and much needed break!)

How I love my Utah football!

Nothing Much

2011-09-15T17:13:00.000-06:00

Nothing much is new in our neck of the St George woods.

Temps have cooled off. I have been wearing sweatshirts in the morning. I think I am turning into a cold weather snob!

Cam is playing soccer, Taylor is playing rugby, Ashlie is 1st chair in her school orchestra.

Chris is working hard from home and has taken up running again. (He is getting fast!)

I am studying until I want to puke. I don't do much else.
I possibly failed my first test yesterday. But I'm trying to let it go, as I have four tests this week - which is an easy week. Needless to say, DH school is not very easy.

We miss our family and friends.

We love beautiful St George.

Hope all our loved ones (the few that read this blog) are happy and healthy.

Now, back to the books!

More Random Photos

2011-09-08T17:55:00.002-06:00

Birthday Dinner - Taylor's favorite meal is Orange Chicken from

Cheesecake Factory (didn't feel like driving to Vegas to go there)

I made my own version - I was so proud of the presentation

(Darin always says you eat with your eyes first, right?) I had to show it off...

Taylor's bestie Morgan came down from SL to surprise her

(thanks for bringing her, Morgan's Dad!)

It was a feast for all!

We ended the birthday celebration with, what else,

but a cheesecake! (Should have made the drive to CF for that one...)

Our St George family gathered for this fine birthday finale of pizza, ice cream and cheesecake.

Happy (belated) 15th Birthday, Taylor!!

With Sand Hollow so close, we head out at least one night a week.
This week Cam got super brave and did a little cliff jumping with his friends.
Funny how friends can make you so much braver!

Random Photos

2011-09-06T12:49:00.000-06:00

Random Photos at the Grand Canyon

ANOTHER advantage of living in Southern Utah - the Grand Canyon
is only 2 hours away!

I was studying, so Chris took the kids to the Grand Canyon for the day.

When they got back, I asked them what they thought.
All three kids answered -
are you ready for this?

Kind of boring.
IT'S JUST A BIG HOLE!!

What is wrong with kids today?
(Spoken from the mouth of a super-mature, sophisticated 30-something.
Ha ha ha!!)

Just Want to Say

2011-09-04T18:46:00.002-06:00

I have the best husband ever.

I have some pretty awesome, incredible friends. I miss them TERRIBLY!

My kids are pretty cool - in fact, they kind of rock!

Just had to put that out there.

VS??

2011-09-02T14:44:00.000-06:00

If any of you out there in internet world read my blog - I have a question for you.

Please answer honestly and to the best of your ability (very diplomatic, right?)

Have you ever had your blood pressure or vital signs taken at your dentist's office?

Ever? Even once?

I have a whole class on it. Never had it done. Just wondered if anyone out there
in the world of dentistry does this?

On the up side, I can tell you all the normal, abnormal vital signs there are!!

Week 2

2011-09-02T14:34:00.000-06:00

Week 2 is over. Done. Finito. Hooray!

What does this mean?

Only 14 weeks left!

Anyone else ever suffer from mom guilt?

I have a ton of it. Don't spend enough time with the kids, shouldn't be going to school, kids are growing up too fast, don't do enough with the kids, etc.

How do you deal with yours?

FAQ

2011-08-27T12:10:00.000-06:00

A few questions I've been asked - (thanks for caring, everyone!!)

Do you really have 9 classes?
Yes. Yes I do.

You don't really have that many books.
Yes. Yes I do. Here they are:

Don't hygenists just scrape teeth?

No. No they don't.

"A dental hygienist is a licensed healthcare professional, oral healthcare educator and clinician who provides preventive, educational and therapeutic services supporting total health for the control of oral diseases and the promotion of oral health."

Way more involved than scraping teeth (as I am learning). Cool profession, cool school!

Week 1

2011-08-27T11:21:00.000-06:00

Week one is done and over - and I SURVIVED!

I have 9 classes, all ridiculously hard and detailed. LOTS of studying required.

The upside?

Only 15 weeks left in the semester.

Goodbye...For Now

2011-08-21T21:49:00.000-06:00

The dreaded (anticipated?) day is here.

HYGIENE SCHOOL

My official start is tomorrow at 7:30 a.m.
I will be in class until 5:30. Wow - that's a long day.
I have 22 credit hours this semester.
More than double of anything I have ever taken.
And I am the old lady in the class.

This should be fun. REAL fun.
So I have a feeling my blogging will be few and far between.
Wish me luck, my friends.

I'll catch you at the end of semester...
If I survive.

15

2011-08-17T19:35:00.000-06:00

15 years ago this darling girl joined our family of two, making us three.

15 years later, here she is, excited to drive,
Loving to shop whenever she can,
and a virtuoso pianist.

Happy birthday, my darling girl!
(Please stop growing - I can't bear to see you go)

Back to School

2011-08-16T11:26:00.001-06:00

First day of school is always exciting -
especially when you are in a new town
with a new school and new friends!

This girl was the first one to leave - big 7th grader!
Ashlie went to Intermediate School (here it is 6th and 7th with NO LOCKERS!)
Nerves abounded the night before about not finding classes,
Being tardy and being a loner - (none of which happened!)
Happy to report all was well upon her return.
Classes were found and friends were made.
Success!

Next to go is this great, big 10th Grader!
That's right, my very first, almost 15 (as of tomorrow) little girl
Started Desert Hills High School!
Because this girl has such a great personality,
She wasn't too worried or scared, just normal nervousness.
Her first words when she walked in the door?
"Mom, there are tons of hot guys in my school!"
I'm guessing - SUCCESS!!

Last to go is this little guy - my very not so little baby!
Cam started 3rd Grade at Little Valley Elementary.
In true Mom fashion, Cam and I headed off to school!
We went to his new school to find his new classroom and
meet his new teacher, Ms. Karratti (super cool name!)
After saying HI to teacher, this boy drops his backpack,
Kisses his mom goodbye and heads out to play.
Being the mom that I am, I stay put, watching from the classroom.
Cam stands out on the blacktop, arms folded,
HUGE smile on his face, looking for friends.

Of course, I start bawling. And I can't stop.
Mom guilt overtakes me for taking my babies
from their friends and making them start over.

The bell rang and I finally had to leave -
I didn't want my kid known as the new kid
Who's mom stands in the back of the class crying like an idiot.

Normally, I have my BFF Michelle with me on the first day of school.
We take the kids, cry because they are growing too big
Then we go for a run.
Not today. I was solo in my sadness. I missed you, Michelle!
(I hate crying alone and the WAH (work-at-home) hubby doesn't understand.)

Happy to report it was a good day.
He even found a friend to sit with at lunch!
(Every mom's nightmare to have her kid be the one sitting alone at lunch, right?)
SUCCESS!

3 down, 1 to go.
This mom starts school on Monday.

Happy (and GOOD LUCK!) Back to School wishes to all our
SL friends and family!

Coesters, we miss walking with you dearly!

Zion Morning

2011-07-31T20:45:00.001-06:00

Now that Zions National Park is in our backyard, we decided it was time to pay the Park a visit.

So we donned our sunscreen and loaded up the car at 7 AM

(We must be morning people)

We bought our annual pass and were ready to hike!

Cam has been climbing and collecting rocks since the day he could walk.

No rock collecting allowed in the Park.

THAT was painful for Cam! I had to keep policing his pockets for "stolen" rocks.

However, he is welcome to climb on all the rocks his little heart desires.

Cam has yet to find a rock he DOESN'T want to climb on...

Here we are - on the trailhead to the 3 pools.

It cooled to 103 degrees today, so we decided to limit our activities

to two hikes for the day. We started with the 3 pools and ended

with the trail to the beginning of the narrows.

This is the view of the upper pool. It is beautiful - but no swimming is allowed in the pool.

Which is too bad because it looked so refreshing after this sweat-drenching hike!

A view of the sky above the upper pool.

I am amazed at the beauty of the rocks and the sheer cliffs.

Another rock...

Coming down from the 3 pools - on, you guessed it, a rock!

I just thought this made a beautiful picture.

Even though we couldn't find a rock for Cam to climb for this pic.

Below - the water cascading off the middle pool.

I can't believe we get to live in this beautiful area!

A Cali Quickie

2011-07-29T11:29:00.001-06:00

Living 6 hours from the beach is too tempting.
We got in the car at 3 AM and took off for Cali.

This is what kids look like at 3 AM.

By 9 AM we were at Laguna Beach. The fog hadn't burned off yet

And the water was a cool 65 degrees.

But we didn't care. It's the beach!!

The kids skim boarded and boogied in the waves ALL DAY

Jayden (nephew) became a master at the skimmer

The girls splashed all day long

Cam dug holes to China then buried himself in them.

What a great day.

We love Cali Quickies!

A Few Adventures

2011-07-17T19:17:00.001-06:00

A few fun adventures here in St. George - it all started when my BFF

came to visit and had some business in Cali.

She took me along for the ride.

It just so happens her last name is Matheson -

so I had to take this picture for her. We drove to Vegas...

Stopped in Barstow for some gas and a much

needed potty break. Barstow - what a welcoming town!

We ended up in Newport Beach where we ever so briefly

enjoyed a senior citizen lawn bowling tournament. After some shopping at Fashion Square

and our fab lunch at my favorite, the Cheesecake Factory, we headed home.

The amazing sunset just outside of Vegas. What a wonderful 24 hours we spent

gabbing and chatting as only best friends can do on a wonderful adventure!

Of course, we now live 20 minutes from Sand Hollow, our own mini Lake Powell (and I do mean mini!!) We grabbed our awesome St. George cousins (who put the St. George bug in our ears many, many moons ago) and hit the water to cool off. It was a balmy 106 this particular summer day.

The water was rough, so it was perfect for tubing.

We had hours of fun trying to whip the kids off the tube.

Of course, I always need a picture of this little guy...

When he was two, he would ask his dad if we could go "boat on".

Still love to think about that...

We got Cam out on the tube - after his dad PROMISED he would not go fast

and would not dump him off like he did with the big kids!

Then the clouds rolled in and the water started whitecapping.

So we got off the lake and ended that fun adventure.

And finally, our last adventure included visits from some of my favorite people~ Morgan and my little Abbi.

Morgan (Tay's BFF) came and spent a wonderful 24-hours with us.

We cried a little when she left.

Then Abbie and her sisters came to hang out with me for a few days.

So good to see family that we miss dearly.

St. George is a fun place to live. I enjoy the heat most days!!

I am getting used to the slower pace and the lack of rush hour traffic.

I am not getting used to stores closing at 8:00 at night (Papa Murphy's, grrrr).

People are friendly and the bugs are really, really big!

I still don't get to run - but I am working with a new doc

who is hopeful she might have some answers for me.

I am crossing my fingers and running a little bit (as in one to two miles)

I have discovered "HOT" yoga (I don't know the official word for it)

but it doesn't give me the same sense of accomplishment running does.

To all my friends training for the St. George marathon - you rock!!

And Veyo is waiting for you ...

That's all of our adventures for now.

Countdown to the school adventure - 30 days!!

Holiday, House and Hoodlums

2011-07-05T17:18:00.001-06:00

HOUSE

Happy 4th of July (a day late)!!

I love this great country. I love all those that defend my freedoms.
I'm grateful for the freedoms I have.

Here's how we celebrated in our new hometown

There was a super awesome (not) fair going on at Werthon Park so we hung out there for approximately five minutes. Then we walked to the St George temple grounds and took some photos.

We went to a movie (Cars 2 - super awesome!), ate some food and had a generally lazy day.

(Think sleeping until 11 AM)

We went back to rockin' Werthon Park where we waited for 2 hours for a fireworks show.

Cameron, being the PERFECT little brother that he is, enjoyed annoying his sisters.

That was about it. We went home, went to bed. Super exciting! I think we'll go to the cabin next year...

HOODLUMS

Thursday night someone thought it would be funny to throw fireworks on our boat. Little did they know, it melted through the cover, landed on the seat of the bough and went off. This is the damage it left...most came off in the claning (that took us 5 hours of major scrubbing, thank you very much!) but we will still need to reupholster the bough of the boat. Karma will find you, you hoodlums!!

HOUSE

On another note, I finally got around to taking photos of the new house.

This is the entryway - super exciting, I know!

The living room. Though it barely fits a piano, so I don't know - does it qualify as a living room??

The gathering place - AKA where al the kids hang out and make mama crazy!

Another view...

The kitchen - where all the culinary magic happens (NOT!!)

Master bath - (couldn't include a picture of the master bedroom.

I washed the sheets today and didn't get around to making the bed yet)

All in all, we are settling in nicely. The weather is beautiful and HOT (I like, dear husband hates). The neighbors are friendly, the town is slow-paced and fairly quiet. We love those aspects, but miss our SL family, friends and neighbors. I guess we miss the ease and comfort that comes with having roots in one place. Guess it just takes a while to fit in!!

Countdown until school starts - 48 DAYS

Saying Goodbye

2011-06-23T14:47:00.000-06:00

Goodbye to our little house on Wisteria Way

(Glad you cant see me 'cause I'm crying)

This and That

2011-06-07T19:56:00.001-06:00

A few of our recent activities include:

Coyote Pride Awards received by Ashlie and BFF Madalyn

Photos of the friends - Ashlie's to be exact! Second to last day of school - Ashlie and Madalyn have been friends with Ethan, Blake and Bridger since Kindergarten - end of an era. Tho, the 7th Grade Teachers may thank us!!

Cameron and his partner in crime - Mitchell! Friends since Kindergarten in Ms. Gaetz's class. Now they are almost third-graders!

Cameron and BFF Keller - fellow Coyote Pride recipient. These boys have been causing trouble since before Kindergarten! The neighborhood will never be the same...

Cameron and his 2nd Grade Teacher - Ms. Gallagher. What a great teacher!! She whipped this boy into shape! Not literally, of course. How we loved having her teach Cameron this year!

Ashlie spent a season playing lacrosse - and is quite the player! This girl is lethal with a stick - but in a good way.

As a going away present, her BFFs Madalyn and Blake gave her a going-away party - complete with balloons AND pizza!!

Of course, BFF Macy was there - along with several others.

Ashlie and Blake - friends always. There might be an arrangment between mothers - that's all I'm going to say...

Ashlie and her "gang" of awesome friends. What a lucky girl to have so many people love her!!

Ashlie and Kade - matching pillow pets!

We are so grateful to have such awesome friends, neighbors and teachers! Amazing how people can bless and shape our lives. Thank you, everyone. We love you!!

Cookies Anyone?

2011-05-29T18:35:00.000-06:00

Had a couple of cute neighbors have new babies. The girls and I wanted to take them a treat - so Ashlie decided on homemade oreos. (Ashlie takes after me - insane sweetooth and a love for baking!) We were out of chocolate cake mixes - which is a shock becuase I always have chocolate cake mixes (I buy them by the case). Anyway, she tried "inside out" oreos - using a yellow cake mix and chocolate frosting instead of a devil's food cake mix and cream cheese frosting. They turned out pretty good! Here's the recipe if you want to try them yourself (just the standard cake mix oreo cookie recipe).

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cube margarine
1 egg

Mix together and roll dough into balls. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 7 - 9 minutes. Let cool and frost with chocolate frosting. (We made them into oreos - chocolate frosting on the bottom cookie, top with another cookie.)

I use canned chocolate frosting because I am lazy and it is pretty cheap when I buy it on sale. Hope you like them as much as we did!

Look Who's 40?

2011-05-22T19:14:00.001-06:00

May 12th, year 2011. The day Chris lost his youth. He turned 40, yes, 40!! on that day. To mourn the passing of his youth, I gathered his family for a farewell dinner.

Dad, as undertaker. The coffin where we buried his youth. Complete with dead flowers and all.

A Mouring Family...

Happy Birthday, dear husband!

You just get better with age.

And don't worry - you don't look a day over 30!!

Little Valley

2011-05-19T15:18:00.000-06:00

Little Valley

2011-05-19T14:59:00.000-06:00

For Michelle

2011-04-29T21:55:00.000-06:00

Okay, Michelle, this post is for you!

I has been over 1 1/2 months since I last blogged. What the cheez whiz? I must be busy!

What we've been up to....

We last left you at Ashlie's 12th Birthday. We celebrated with pedicures, shopping and, of course, Cheesecake Factory!!

Of course, her two BFFs came.

Next, after weeks of preparation, Cameron completed his award-winning diorama of chimpanzees! (Okay, not really award winning, but it looked super cool)

Taylor, after months and months of 5 AM practicing, graduated from Suzuki Level 6! We were super proud of her (the song took 15 minutes to perform - all from memory!!)

Here she is with her grandmas, always supportive!!

Here she is with her amazing piano teacher, Laureen.

As for Chris and I, we celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary in April - amazing how fast the time has gone! We are off to Cancun (a few weeks late) to celebrate.

As for me, busy with school, as usual. Pretty much holed up in my office all day, every day.

Easter came and went with no photos snapped by me. I was busy studying for finals, which are almost over. I have one left then I am free for the summer!

Our next adventure includes renting out our house, moving to sunny St. George and me starting dental hygiene school as DSC.

I'm sure the next few months will pass as quickly as the last!!

This Very Day

2011-03-19T08:25:00.001-06:00

12 years ago, this very day, we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl

we choose to name Ashlie Makay Robinson.

Ashlie loves flowers. (She wears one most every day!)

She is a delightful child and a blessing to her family!

She loves to bake (like her mom).

She loves to help her mom with anything

She is the most like her mom of any of her siblings.

Happy 12th Birthday sweet girl!

Some fond memories of Ashlie...

Our Flower Child = Ashlie loved flowers and would pick them everywhere we went!


Taylor and her "Gooby". She called Ashlie Gooby		because we always talketd about what a Good Baby she was!

Gooby in her blessing outfit made by her Aunt Kathy

Our family in 2003 Ashlie was 4!!

Ashlie and Taylor at Easter 2001

Random Stuff

2011-03-14T14:07:00.001-06:00

Hot Dog is super annoying but can be pretty cute.

I guess I love him. He's kind of grown on me.

My version of the Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Vanilla cupcake.

I will never look at a cupcake without thinking of my fun trip to New York with Kathy.

What a blast! And the cupcakes were good, too!

This is one of my favorite kids. I can't be near him without smiling.

And his mom makes the best cupcakes I have ever seen. I have cupcake envy.

Cub scouts is super cool. And my son is super adorable.

And he has really good friends.

My daughter is darling. And getting too old. Makes me cry a little.

It seems like yesterday she was a baby.

Now she's counting down the days 'till high school!

I'm super grateful for Ash's nerd herd. They are my favorite girls.

Who else would make a dinner of waffles and canadian bacon on a Saturday night just for fun?

Who else would think Ninja Turtle shirts are super cool?

My sister is super talented and makes the best birthday cakes.

Utah Jazz for Jonathan. Thanks, you're the best sister!

What If...

2011-03-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, the rumors are mostly true. I did receive acceptance into the Dixie State Dental Hygiene Program (one of 20 accepted!!). No, we are not moving April 1st, but it looks like a move to sunny Dixie is in our near future. We've decided to keep our house here (know anyone wanting to rent?) and rent in Dixie.

Apparently (according to my middle child) I am ruining everyone's life and eating all their steak (Napoleon).

Haven't sent in the acceptance letter yet. I have until April 1st.

What if we hate it?
What if we don't fit in?
What if my kids don't fit in?
What if my kids don't find awesome friends like they have here?
What if,
What if,
What if??

That Funny Boy

2011-03-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

Two really funny Cam stories:

First - after getting baptized and having his very OWN set of scriptures, he and I have the following conversation:

Cam - "Mom, you know I'm a member of the Church now, right?"
Mom - "yes"
Cam - "I think that means I should read the Book of Mormon, right?"
Mom - "Sure."
Cam - "Some words are too big for me. Don't you think that's your job to read it to me?"
Mom - "Uh, yeah."

Another funny story:
A neighbor gave Cam and Chris tickets to meet the Jazz players at the last minute. Cam was thrilled, took his Jazz jersey and hat to have signed. He tells his friend the next day. This is their conversation:

Cam - "I got to meet the Jazz last night. I got Kirilenko's autograph!"
Friend - "Kirilenko's not so great. Now, if it were Kobe, then maybe I'd care."
I am still laughing about this!!!

Kids are hilarious.

Birthday, Baptism and Family

2011-02-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

This is Cameron Christopher Robinson, the devastatingly handsome eight-year-old, getting ready for a baptism.

(Thank you, Aunt Karina for fabulous photos!)

This is one proud dad and the devastatingly handsome Cameron moments before the baptism (the two best looking boys I have ever seen!)

This is one proud mama and one devastatlingly handsome boy moments before the baptism

These are two of the most beautiful girls in the world and one devastatingly handsome boy moments before the baptism

This is one happy family moments before the baptism (it's true, two uglies make three cuties!)

This is the three amigos, three best buddies, three amazing boys moments before the baptism

(Cam and his best bud Keller and Mitchell, all baptized on the same day!)

This is one perfect boy with his great aunt and uncle at a party after the baptism

This is a whole group of beautiful cousins (who also happen to be friends) at a party after the baptism

This is one perfect boy and his grandma at a party after a baptism

This is one perfect boy with his grandparents at a party after the baptism

I am one grateful mom to have such beautiful children, a loving, worthy husband and an amazing extended family who came to witness and celebrate my youngest son's baptism.

Scouts

2011-01-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

My one and only scout.

Last night was our first ever Pack Meeting.

He couldn't stop smiling!

When did he grow up? He seems so old!

Handsome little devil, isn't he?

The Count...

2011-01-20T06:09:00.000-07:00

And so the countdown begins. A certain someone turns 8 on Saturday!

Big plans are in the works to celebrate with best friend Keller, who turns 8 on Friday!

Chocolate Anyone?

2011-01-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

I gained weight over fall semester. A LOT of weight.

(Stress and surgeries suck!!!!)

So much weight I can't fit into any of my clothes.

So now I mostly wear sweats.

It's awesome. And I do mean AWESOME.

So here I am, back where I started.

Back to the nutritionist and trainer.

Back to eating every two hours.

Yum, you say? No, not so much.

My diet now consists of vegetables, fruits and protein shakes.

It's worth it, right?

I'll let you know in 3 months and $$$$ later.

Dear, sweet chocolate, shall we ever meet again??????

Where Does it All Go?

2011-01-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

It is already January 16th! Holy cow, where does the time go?

Christmas was great for us - we took a trip to Disneyland!!

For your viewing pleasure...

Pictures of a beautiful new niece, Christmas card photos that were never used, a boy and his dog, a boy's first piano recital, a visit with Santa, Christmas eve and some UGLY Christmas sweaters!!

A week-long family trip to the happiest place on earth - and it was!!

A visit with Pooh and Mickey. A stop at the ice cream shop and some overall "Goofy"ness!!

Now it is back to the books. And celebrating a special someone's 8th birthday (more to come)

Happy January!!

Hello Bloggers!

2010-12-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my blogging friends!

Big year, long year, much accomplished.

Spent many days (and many dollars!!) being sick and otherwise unhealthy
Spent many days (and many dollars!!) cramming my brain full of sometimes interesting, sometimes useless knowledge
Spent many days hanging with dear friends (mostly the kids - I don't have friends anymore)
Spent many days loving/hating the weather
Spent many days living/loving/laughing/crying/raging/all of the above

...what more can I say?

And I can't even post any photos for your viewing pleasure because my card reader is broken! But I will figure it out.

Now, to spend many days with Mickey and friends...

Happy New Year to you all!

Where have I been?

2010-12-22T07:03:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's been almost a month since my last post! Wow!! What have I been up to?

Finished up my 5th semester (wow!) of school
Finished my 100 hours of volunteer dental assisting (harder than it sounds)
Had some visits with Santa
Did some Christmas shopping
Attended many parties
Did some more Christmas shopping
Made some cookies with my pal Campbell
Finally!! cleaned my house (biofilms - all I will say)
Attended a few doctor visits (and other things)
Worked out a few times
That's about it.

Best Game EVER!!

2010-11-27T18:25:00.001-07:00

Had the Fam over for a friendly game of football watching -
My Mighty Utes v BYU. Never leave a BYU fan unattended...

Some interesting snow art

My favorite BYU fans

We've been cougared!

Anyone who knows me knows why this is HILARIOUS - hanging outside my house.

And my Utah flag was hijacked!

Taylor and Aunt Laura

A little team spirit - cookie style!

Tia upset AFTER a mighty Utah win

Cousins, rivals, friends in the end

The cutest Ute fan ever!

Thanks for a fun evening family! ( Even if I did spend HOURS cleaning up blue streamers off the lawn, cougar prints on my windows, Max Hall signs on my garage, Y flags on my door...)

Oh, and in case you weren't watching -
My Utes WON!!!!!

Stuff

2010-11-22T20:58:00.000-07:00

NOT running the Thanskgiving Day race. Too cold. Too tired. Too blah.

Where are all my readers? Have I bored you all to Neverland?

Dear Santa

2010-11-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

Check this out! I got this idea from my friend Char

over at Crap I've Made

That's right - dry erase letters to Santa!

Love her brilliant idea.

Love even more that it was easy enough for me to duplicate!!

Click on the link above for directions.

Now that there is snow on the ground and only

3 weeks until I am done with fall semester,

I am feeling in the Christmas mood!

Or in the Christmas spirit?

Not sure the right saying for that...

But hopefully you know what I mean!

Snowing - BEFORE Thanksgiving

Almost makes me grateful I got Mono

and didn't plan a Thanksgiving day race

(Enjoy, Uncle Randy!)

The snow is beautiful coming down.

But I only like it for a few days.

I am afraid it is going to be a LONG winter!

Thank heaven for treadmills

I was cleared on Tuesday to start running again.

Christmas is Upon Us

2010-11-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

Do you want help decorating for the holidays? Then go see Wendy over at Good Egg Interiors - she is giving away 2 HOURS OF DECORATING!!! Plus she is going to throw in a visit with the Big Guy himself - go on over, check it out!! But hurry, the giveaway closes tonight!!

Test Week

2010-11-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

6 tests and counting until the end of the semester. 1 and 2 are Tuesday and Wednesday. Test 3 is next Monday. I'm almost there. So close to being done with the semester from HELL...

Utah Football

2010-11-10T08:16:00.001-07:00

Utah v TCU - otherwise known as THE WORST DAY EVER

It was cool to be there - for the first 5 minutes of the game.
Then we realized our team wasn't going to show up.
So we sat in misery for the next 3 hours.
It was like a bad train wreck. It was so awful, we couldn't look away.

I still love my Utes.
Maybe they got too big for their britches and had to have a massive, publicly humiliating reality check.
I don't know.
I still love you, my Mighty Utes.
And I still love you, Jordan Wynn.

Halloween Part IV

2010-11-01T09:18:00.000-06:00

Halloween ended with 2 parties last night, back to back.

I was too tired to take pictures.

Halloween is over. Over, over, over. Hope it was good for all of you. As for me, I think I need a long, long nap.

Now let's start the countdown to Thanksgiving (and the end of the semester)!!

Halloween Part III

2010-10-31T09:15:00.000-06:00

Trick or Treat day - again with two dirty hobos

An 80s workout Barbie...

Two Slurpees (had several people ask if they were smoothies and what is a slurpee)

The kids and all their treats...

Keller and his treats...

Cameron and his treats...

After sorting everything there were several

business deals involving the trade of candy...

Chris watching the Utes ALMOST lose to Air Force

Glad they pulled that one off

There was a lot of yelling at the TV

Workout Barbie and some of her "nerdy" friends.

Nerds rule!!

Happy Trick or Treat day...

Tonight we are off to two MORE Halloween parties!

Halloween Part II

2010-10-29T20:59:00.001-06:00

Day II of our Halloween Extravaganza started with two "dirty" hobos

Cam and BF Keller came up with these fabulous little numbers on their own.

We got up EXTRA early so we could be to school early for the annual Halloween Parade

Okay, we really got up early so we could get a parking spot at the school.

I ran into these two characters while waiting for the parade...

Have to say, these are some of the best costumes I have seen in a long, long time.
Plus, I think these two boys are too cute for words.

And, really, what is there to say about these? Other than I think these are the most amazing costumes I have seen, EVER. Thanks to Char at Crap I've Made for her sharing her amazing talent with my daughter! Hands down the best costume she will EVER have.

We sat through the ENTIRE parade (an hour, total). But it was well worth it to see this dirty little hobo...

And the Energizer Bunny...

And Cookie Monster
(these were some of my favorite costumes this year)

Next, our dirty hobos were off to get some candy at the neighborhood "Trunk" or Treat...

Of course, Tay didn't want to be left out. We can't decide if she is a ninja or a football player or just plain weird.

And that ends day II of Halloween Extravaganza.

Not one piece of candy was consumed by me today.

And it almost killed me.

Almost.

More to come tomorrow...

Halloween - Part 1

2010-10-28T20:08:00.001-06:00

And so begins my love/hate relationship with Halloween. I love the pumpkins, the costumes, the fall-ness of it all. Love, love, love.
What is there to hate, you ask?

The Candy. I am a candy addict. ADDICT. I LOVE candy, all kinds of candy. I have no self control when it comes to candy. (doesn't help I have added 15 pounds in the last 2 weeks)
And so here begins my three day love/hate Halloween weekend extravaganza!
(read each day and you will understand what I mean by extravaganza - you will be shocked and amazed at how many Halloween things this family can do in three days!!)

Carving pumpkins...

Everyone is involved...

And LOVING it!!

This is one of my loves - LOVE carving the pumpkins....

The finished product...

The Boy and his masterpiece.

This is the first year he did the whole thing BY HIMSELF!!

(Can you see the pride oozing from his smile?)

Stay tuned for day two of our weekend Halloween extravaganza!!

Happy Monday!

2010-10-25T10:00:00.000-06:00

Ashlie with her beautiful homemade dessert pizza!

Hope you have a happy Monday!!

Yep

2010-10-24T10:33:00.000-06:00

That's right, folks. I have MONO. Of course I do.

MONONUCLEOSIS, a friend of the Epstein-Barr Virus - which is a virus (duh) so there is nothing they can give me. At all.

Kind of funny if you think about it. NOT!!

On the bright side - only 8 weeks of school left. And 6 midterms. And 4 finals. On the downward slide!!

I think I will go take a nap...

Today

2010-10-22T09:23:00.000-06:00

For today I just want to be a mom. No school, no work, no church, just a mom, marveling at how amazing my kids are. I want to freeze them in time. They are growing like weeds and I am afraid they will be gone when I wake up tomorrow.

That's all.

Nothing New

2010-10-20T15:09:00.001-06:00

Nothing new to post. I am stick of studying - again, nothing new to report. So I took off last Friday and spent the day with the fam at Lagoon. We ran into a few of our friends which was so fun!!

It was a nice break. And it was a beautiful day. And we spent 12 whole hours there. So we were all extremely exhausted, a little sunburned and glad we only go once a year!!

Another Weekend

2010-10-10T20:18:00.001-06:00

...Has come and gone.

We watched our little soccer star score 3 goals at his soccer game.

We caught up with old friends over breakfast.

We watched our beloved Utah Utes pulverize Iowa State (have I mentioned how much I love my Utah Football?)

Birthday party for my dad - we are so grateful he is still here (he gave us quite a scare last April with a major heart attack).

That's about it. Now back to the grind of another week. At least it is short - UEA for the kids.

How was your weekend? What did you do?

A Long Weekend

2010-10-09T14:03:00.000-06:00

We took off last weekend for a few days of rest and relaxation at our cabin. Here is what we did...

We photographed two of the cutest boys EVER made!

We played cards with our FABULOUS friend Morgan...

We watched movies...

Giggled like girls...

Practiced our "Strong Man" poses...

Rode dirt bikes and 4-wheelers...

And acted tough...

And posed for the camera...

The dog was banned from the cabin so we kept him outside (yeah, right)...

We carved our names in trees...

We dustied up the 4-wheelers then loaded them up to come home for the winter...

We oohed and aaahed at the beautiful fall colors...


We got high on the clean mountain air...

I heard it was beautiful weather and an amazing weekend. I studied for my micro test all weekend (which I did not do so fabulous on). It was nice to get away and fun to have our favorite Morgan with us. If only every weekend could be that relaxing...

Campbell Cupcakes

2010-10-08T07:27:00.004-06:00

Meet Campbell. I love him - and ADORE him. He's been my buddy since he was 18 months old (now he's 4). My good friend Char (his mom) lets me borrow him now and again. My baby is 7, almost 8, and I miss having my little guy around. So this day I borrowed Campbell and we made cupcakes.

Campbell and I share a similar fascination/adoration/respect for the cupcake. Campbell likes them because "they are easier to eat than cake - you just get to hold it in your hand!" So smart! I like them because - well, because they are delicious! And I think the hold it in your hand thing has something really going for it...no forks, plates...genius!

Campbell went to the store that morning and bought us extra special, fancy Halloween sprinkles for our cupcakes.

We baked our cupcakes - this is the first time my cupcakes did not come out disgusting - Campbell must be magic! He did tell me his mom taught him special cupcake skills. Knowing his mom, I totally believe it.

The finished product - with two extra specials cakes for hims (his word) mom and dad.

Campbell, thanks for a great afternoon (and some delicious cupcakes)!!

Days Three, Four and Five

2010-10-08T07:12:00.000-06:00

Day three - upper body weights 1 hour, run 3 miles.

Day Four - should have done lower body, but was running late, so ran 2 miles (without stopping and in 19:58 - a best for me in almost a year)

Day Five - Rest - long run tomorrow. I am not going to do weights or a run (mostly because I am behind on my studying, lab paper and midterm prep), but will do an hour of pilates. Told (of course, by my trainer) pilates are GREAT for runners - they lengthen and strengthen muscles without a lot off stress. I am a HUGE fan of pilates!

The plan for tomorrow is to run a long run of 4 long miles (if you can call that a long run) then rest on Sunday.

Start the week over on Monday, increasing the length of each run gradually. You can email me or leave a comment if you want the training schedule. I will not bore you (if anyone is actually reading this) with the whole 12 week schedule. I think it would bore me to write it!

I have one midterm a week in October - two in one week. Running and lifting helps me deal a little better with the stress. Not a lot, but a little.

May all your runs be good ones!

Day Two

2010-10-05T09:30:00.000-06:00

Today is lower body - meaning legs and butt (I am already sore). I spent 45 minutes on lower body then a two mile run. My trainer suggested not running a long distance after a leg workout - it is possible to do more damage than good. I doubt I run far or hard enough to qualify for that.

I am eating what my trainer calls 'clean'. Lean protein sources - fish, chicken, turkey, non-starch vegetables and healthy fat (olive oil, almond butter) for each meal. At lunch I add 1/2 a sweet potato. Dinner is protein, fat and lots and lots of vegetables. Processed food makes me feel fat and bloated, so I stay away from it. Also, he suggests eating every two to three hours - between meals have a snack of fruit and nuts (12 almonds, to be precise). I also use a protein bar for an afternoon snack so I can get in my chocolate fix.

Happy training - I hope someone out there is reading this!

Day One

2010-10-04T06:12:00.000-06:00

Here goes day one of training for the 1/2 marathon in January.

First - 45 minutes of upper-body weights
Protein shake for breakfast (one hour before run)
Second - 3 mile run
My trainer told me to run AFTER weights and more fat is burned that running before weights.

Good to know!

Marathon anyone??

2010-09-29T21:05:00.001-06:00

Half, that is.

Decided I AM going to train for the St George Half Marathon on January 22nd, 2011 (which is also my 36th birthday - good way to celebrate given nothing falls out, hemorrhages or any other foreseeable problem that could require yet another round of expensive, time-consuming surgeries)

If you are interested in running it, too, here is a link to a fabulous training program by Hal Higdon (kind of my running idol)

I'll give it a shot - the half seems to be the only distance my body can handle.

Life's Short - Play Dirty

2010-09-27T11:22:00.001-06:00

First annual Dirty Dash Mud Run at Soldier Hollow Saturday September 25th, 2010.

The team = Life's Short, Play Dirty = Gary, Jeri, Jeff, Randy, Kristine

The Goal = start as a team, finish as a team through 6.5 miles of mud, hay bales, mud, walls, mud, swamps, mud, slides, mud and more mud

The Purpose = to get dirty

Results = an awesome, grueling race with mud clinging to places mud should NOT cling. The race was great - the first 3 miles were straight uphill. Then some downhill, then more uphill. It was intense - I am so sore I can barely move today. But it was a blast and felt like a major accomplishment. The teammates were wonderful - took it a little slower for me and waited at the top of the biggest hills so I could catch up. All in all, probably the most fun I have ever had at a race. Can't wait to do it again next year!

The kids got to do a much shorter version of our race - the Piglet Plunge. Ashlie and Cameron were all over that. They joined their cousins, Braden and Gavin, fellow piglets. Of course, their wonderful Uncle Randy ran with them so they wouldn't get off course. Ashlie went face first in the mud and started yelling, I can't see, I can't see! After the race, Cameron said thanks, mom. You're awesome - that was the super best day ever! Apparently I just need to let the kids roll around in mud and I = super awesome mom.

Of course, thank you to my awesome supportive husband that snapped all the great photos. Thank you for being there to cheer me on and being happy for my accomplished finish! You're the best! (It's hard to be the one on the side taking the photos and not racing)

If you are into racing, for sure check out The Dirty Dash. The most fun I've ever had rolling around in mud, hands down!

Scared

2010-09-21T19:42:00.003-06:00

Running my first post-surgery race on Saturday. Six miles. In mud. On a team.
Pretty sure I will make us last.

I have not run six miles since, well, a year ago when my insides fell out.

If you have any free time Saturday, please send good thoughts my way.

Remember this...

2010-09-20T18:16:00.002-06:00

I remembered an old quote on my way home from school and I love it. I need to remember it!!

HAPPINESS is wanting what you HAVE, not having what you WANT!

Weekend

2010-09-19T20:55:00.003-06:00

This is how the Robinson clan spent their weekend...

These two darling girls found some wonderful pink boots - who wouldn't want these fabulous boots?

We spent the day watching football - first nephew Braxton's game in Alpine, then our favorite Utes TRASH New Mexico
We also spent the evening building a lego Eifel Tower - unfortunately, it broke before we could photograph our lego masterpiece.

The Boy and his best bud spent the night jumping their bikes. As always, the weekend goes by WAY too fast!

It has Begun . . .

2010-09-16T15:27:00.000-06:00

The crazy fall soccer schedule.
Why do I do this to myself? School, soccer, piano, violin - oh, yeah, the KIDS enjoy it!

Pants

2010-09-16T14:25:00.004-06:00

I have a FABULOUS pair of white denim Liuce's Jeans. Bought them for Taylor, but they are just a little too snug. The problem - store won't take them back. They have a 14-day return policy. Of course, I waited more than 14 days to decide they were too snug on my 14-year-old daughter.

Why am I telling you this you ask? Because I want to sell them! If you are interested, please contact me. The price is $30 (I paid slightly higher, but don't want to hold on to something we can't use AND paid enough for them I can't justify giving them away)

They are a size 3. Very flattering, just a little too snug for my baby girl!!

(Brand new, never been worn)

Dirty Dashing

2010-09-13T07:15:00.003-06:00

I'm running my FIRST RACE in over a year on Saturday the 25th. I'm excited, yet nervous - it's been so long!

They are also doing a "piglet plunge" for kids 12 and under. Ash and Cam are both going to try it- should be fun. They are both excited to race like their mom.

September 11th

2010-09-11T09:02:00.003-06:00

I had to explain to my son why the American Flag is flying proud today, September 11th.

I stood at ground zero in NYC 2 years ago, with my sister, and cried.

I watched and waited while my brother served in Iraq.

My heart is full today with gratitude and sorrow.

I love America and am so grateful to live in such a wonderful country.

Thank you to all those who love and protect this wonderful country.

Wait...

2010-09-08T18:08:00.002-06:00

Where did August go? I just realized it's September!! Where have I been??? Hopefully the next four months will fly by - December 17th will be right around the corner. Why is December 17th so special? Because it is the date AFTER my last final of the semester! Otherwise known as PARTY DAY at my house! Not that I am willing or wishing time to move faster than it already is - I am sure it will do that all on its own. I only have 2 1/2 weeks to prep for the Dirty Dash 6 mile race. Aye Carumba!!!!!

(and I should be studying instead of blogging - first test is in one week!!)

Run

2010-09-07T19:16:00.001-06:00

Ran 1 1/2 miles today - not as hard as last week. Ran 2 1/2 on Sunday, made my lungs burn!

Flashback - one year ago my DF Michelle and I were running 18 miles when my insides fells out. She went on to run AND finish the ST George marathon in October. Michelle, you are awesome! Some day I hope to be a marathon finisher. (the whole point of starting this blog)

For now, a 6 mile Dirty Dash will be good for me.

Trying to remember to look forward, not back.

Holiday Weekend

2010-09-05T21:15:00.000-06:00

Happy Labor Day
We didn't get to go out of town, so we spent Saturday on the boat with friends...
Fun was had by all!

Then on Sunday, went up to the U
and walked the campus -
Love these FUTURE Utes!!

The Challenge

2010-09-02T08:46:00.000-06:00

Here's my mission - run a 6 mile race on September 24th.

Ran one mile today, September 2nd.

My lungs are burning and I feel as if my head will explode.

Not sure how to tackle this one.

Any suggestions?

(and no, I don't want to drop out of the race)

Summer Vacation - Over

2010-08-30T13:19:00.000-06:00

Now summer is over for me. I have started my classes again (physiology, microbiology, both with labs - yuck!) so I am hitting the books, hard. Hope you all had a great summer vacation and it was longer than mine!