Halloween Shenanigans

So, on Thursday I found out why I have not felt 100% for the last three months. I thought I had allergies (which very well may have started the whole thing) that just wouldn't go away. I would feel OK for a week or two then I would be sick for three or four days. It was congestion like I have never felt before! A day or two in bed, lots of decongestant and a grumpy attitude followed by a week or two of feeling OK. I never had a fever and everyone else stayed healthy so I figured it wasn't anything serious. After a while I just got sick and tired of being sick and tired!!! Last week it got to the point where I wanted to take the drill to my head to release the pressure. I guess that's my breaking point because I finally called the doctor and made an appointment. The doctor told me that I have probably been harboring a sinus infection for the last few months. I had never had a sinus infection before so I didn't know that's what it felt like. I started antibiotics immediately! Now, four days later, I am finally feeling like my old self again. I just wish I could have been better for one of my favorite weeks of the year. I had a hard time getting into Halloween this year but did my best for the sake of the boys.

Here are a few things that happened this festive week...

The Saturday before, there was a Halloween Dance at the high school. Austin dressed up as Ang, the Avatar. He wanted me to shave his head. I convinced him that the bald cap would have to do. Kyle didn't plan ahead so he borrowed Austin's karate thing (I can't remember the name) and wore that. He would only wear it if I made him a black belt, so of course, I did.

Monday night we carved pumpkins for our Family Night. The boys are scooping our the pumpkin innards while I separate the goo from the seeds (My favorite part!) Later, I roasted them and ate them. Yummy!

While the boys carved, Jim read us the parable of the mustard seed. We talked about the different things the mustard seed has been compared to. Hopefully they understood.

This is Josh's pumpkin finished and lit. He was done first so his got the picture taken. Kyle never finished his!

On Tuesday, the boys went to their Combined YM/YW activity. About two hours before they informed me there was a cake decorating contest. That was the first day i started feeling really sick so we did something really easy. Six mini bunt cakes were put together to make three mini pumpkins. I made butter cream frosting and let them decorate them as Jack-o-Lanterns.

I started feeling better on Saturday so I needed to finish making treats to hand out to the little Trick-or-Treaters. I always make homemade suckers. It's pretty easy and, believe it or not, way cheaper than buying store bought candy. It just takes some planning.

Here I am pouring out some of the peach flavored suckers. I also make root beer flavored bats and black cats.

It was a fun week. I am glad to be feeling better. I wish I could have been feeling more festive but I think things went OK anyway. Now on to my second favorite holiday...Thanksgiving!

Halloween Candy

To make this holiday a tad bit less stressful I decided not to make suckers to hand out on Halloween. I was at the store on Saturday looking at the selection. I just couldn't bring myself to purchase already made candy! I have been making suckers for the last 3-4 Halloweens and love doing it. I am just going to have to be super organized this week and get it done. Pictures will be posted soon...

Concert Season

Last night Kyle had his first choir concert at the high school. Sadly, I was unable to attend, but Jim was there. Tonight was Josh's turn. He is in the junior high concert band and plays the clarinet. This time I am here while Jim takes care of business elsewhere.

We are so proud of our boys and how they are not afraid to share their talents with others
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When Blog Posts are Few and Far Between

I have realized that when I have something interesting on my knitting needles I rarely have time for anything else. Well, I have been knitting a beautiful piece of lace that has been waiting to be knitted for quite sometime. I found the pattern this past spring. I bought the yarn for it in mid summer. I just started it a few weeks ago and I am done with the first part.

I am so excited for this particular project. I am what a famous knitter and blogger, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, calls a "process" knitter (as apposed to a "project" knitter; someone who loves the end result only). I just love the process. I love picking a pattern, finding the perfect yarn and watching the magic of what can happen with a bit of string and two little sticks. Usually when I am finished with the item I find someone that will appreciate the item and hand it over without a thought of the time (or, if you are Jim, the money) that has been put into making the item. I just love the process.

It has been different with the latest project. I decided I wanted to learn how to knit lace. I found what I thought would be something that wouldn't be too hard. I bought the pattern and the yarn and then thought about it for a while. I knitted easy things like hats, scarves and socks. Even a baby sweater or two. I just couldn't start because I knew this project would be different. Well, it is! Once I started I couldn't stop and I couldn't bring myself to pick up any other knitting. (When I knit something easy I get bored so I usually have two or three things going at once) I have been working on it any time I have what I think is a spare minute. And the more I work on it the more I fall in love with it. I knew from the beginning that this would be something I was knitting for me. Something I would be keeping and using myself. And now that I am almost half way done I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. That light is shining on a beautiful piece of lace that I will be able to wrap around my shoulders. It will not only keep me warm(ish) but I will be able to look at it and marvel at the magic of what can be made with a long piece of "string" and two little "sticks". I imagine it will be something cared for lovingly by me and possibly by my children's children. I have hope that it will inspire others to start knitting. I would love to teach this magic to others.

We are children of a Heavenly Father who has given us this remarkable opportunity called life. We are here to learn, grow and create. For those of you who don't think you have any creativity at all, I say you do! (And so does Dieter F. Uchtdorf, an Apostle of Jesus Christ) We have divine qualities that come directly from He who created us all, our Heavenly Father. Because we are His children we have within us a part of Him. Sharing our talents and creativity with others is something we must do. That's why I knit hats, scarves, socks and even baby sweaters. But just as a reminder to myself that I can create beautiful things, I will keep this piece of lace all to myself. And every time I look at it I will thank my Heavenly Father for the talent I know I have only because I am his daughter.

This is picture of what I am working on. It was taken a while ago. Right now this piece is about 18 inches long. I have started on another piece that will look just like this one.

Raising the White Flag of Surrender

Dear Weeds,

You win. I give up! It is a good thing that fall is fast approaching because I just can't keep up with you anymore. My three weed pulling helpers are back in school and now it's me against all of you. Fall baseball is in full swing so I have no Saturday time to battle back.

So, go ahead and drop your little seeds. I will be ready for your little ones next spring. Maybe I will even invest in some good chemicals to help me with the battle.

Your Forever Foe,

Aimee

P.S. Let your friend Snow I will be sending a similar letter sometime in mid-March.

My Love/Hate Relationship with the NFL

I never knew what a sports fan was until I met Jim. My dad and brothers like sports and watch them. They even pay their hard earned money to go to games sometimes. They call or text me when the Jazz play the Lakers or when BYU is playing. They enjoy sports. Jim is a sports fan. He can watch the same highlights over and over even if he has just watched that particular game. He has been known to watch the same Sports Center two and three times in a row. He will watch old games that are being rebroadcast. He will sometimes even watch things on ESPN like bowling and pool just because they are people with incredible talent competing against each other.

I knew this before I married him. I've tried to understand it, I've tried to love it, I've tried to hate it, now I have just come to terms with it. It is part of the reason I have learned to cross stitch/quilt/crochet/knit. They are things I can do while also being in the same room with my husband during football or basketball season. And through the years I have learned a thing or two about football/basketball/baseball. I actually know a lot more than most other wives and Jim seems to find this sexy (even when I am in sweats and a hat and have no makeup on).

It has gotten so crazy that I am actually part of his Fantasy Football League this year. They needed another "guy" to make it an even number. So I picked my team according to things like who I think is a nice guy, who has a cool name and who doesn't play for the Seattle Seahawks. I have learned a little about some of these guys over the years. As most of our friends and family know I have worked with the NFL for the last five January's. I get a little bit of an insight on what these guys are like when there is no camera and how they treat people that work behind the scenes. (This is the reason I will never pick anyone from the Seahawks.) I probably won't win one week in Fantasy Football. I don't really care. I have often referred to the NFL as the "great and abominable church" referred to in the scriptures. When are their games? All day Sunday and Monday night. Those are times I would rather my husband not be distracted by sports but I give in for 16 weeks in the fall and early winter. It gives me something to talk to Jim about which he will actually respond to.

The other Love/Hate thing I have with the NFL was referred to earlier. I have left my family for the last five years to work with the NFL. I am usually gone between 25 and 30 days. It is a long time to be away from my family. I have blogged about it before. But it has been a great opportunity also. It has allowed me to be able to have the freedom of staying home the other 48-49 weeks out of the year. It has been a blessing both physically and financially. Being home with my three teenage boys is something I feel is very important. There has also been a spiritual aspect to it. Every year I go I gain a stronger understating of what this life is REALLY about. Most people in this world would think that getting your team to the Super Bowl is one of the greatest accomplishments in life and working behind the scenes to help make that final game happen is just one small step behind that. Sure, there is that "cool" aspect to it but every year everything gets bigger and bigger. More money is spent. More stress is added. The pursuit for perfection is constantly lurking somewhere in the pit of my stomach for three weeks. But every year, especially since my sister passed away, the difference between the path toward that pursuit for perfection that the world looks for and the path that my Heavenly Father wants me to be on gets more clear to me. It makes it harder every year to leave my family. My sister left her family unexpecdedly but I know my sister left for something much better than what we have in this life. I choose to leave and making that choice takes a lot of discussion and thought.

So, now that the first games have been played and all the hype has started, I am happy and worried. Happy that fall is well on its way. Happy that we will have many weekends with friends and family at our home watching "the game". Happy that I will be able to contribute financially to our family. Happy to see some of my dearest friends that I only get to see for that time in January. They are my family while I am away from my men here. But I worry that my guys don't eat enough vegetables while I am gone. I worry that they aren't getting to bed on time or doing all their homework. I worry my friends here are doing too much to make up for my absence. I worry that after all my hard work something will go terribly worng with my buses (which means it wasn't totally perfect) and I will be burned at the stake, sent home, or worse, those guys in the NFL will finally remember my name and not in a good way.

I Prefer "Fall Cleaning"

The kiddos went back to school two weeks ago (as you can see on every blog in the world and their first day of school pictures!). It was also a pretty busy time for me. I happen to be the Home, Family and Personal Enrichment Leader in our ward and our quarterly activity was last week which consisted of several "Provident Living Mini-Classes". We learned how to can fruits and vegetables, grind wheat and make it into bread, organize our food storage, and several other handy things. It was quite a thing to get organized. That happened to come just after we went to the cabin for the weekend along with two other families and after back to school night and after shopping for school supplies and after Fall Baseball started and after working a few concerts at USANA Amphitheatre. . . you get the point. I've had a busy couple of weeks.

But when I looked at my calendar this week, there were actually some holes! I was pretty excited because the storage room desperately needed to be cleaned out to make way for a new freezer. That was the latter part of Monday. I have had 20 pounds of tomatoes sitting on my counter waiting to be turned into ketchup. That took all day Tuesday but they aren't on my counter anymore. Yesterday I took apart the family room, cleaned everything and then put it back together. It doesn't look too much different but I slept better knowing there wasn't any dust under the DVD player.

Today I am going to tackle my bedroom. The sheets are already in the wash and I just ran downstairs to get the vacuum (via the computer ;)). I am going to clean out drawers, the closet and the bathroom. I have a stash of knitting things by bed that used to be organized but somehow started to grow and creep in several directions. That needs to be taken care of. I am going to do my best with Jim's side of the room. I am going to try to get a handle on the dust situation. I really like the windows open at night and in the morning so that is never under control. And I think I will try a new fragrance in the Scentsy that's in my room.

I like this type of deep cleaning in the Fall. I have been doing it since Josh started first grade. It usually takes me a week or two after school starts to get into a routine but by then I am caught up enough to tackle two or three rooms a week. I like turning on some music and just getting into it. On those days I usually don't shower or go anywhere until just before the kids get home from school. I apologize in advance if you are unlucky enough to come to my door on one of those days! I am usually finished with the "Fall Cleaning" just in time to get out my Fall decorations and enjoy my favorite time of year.

So enough typing. I am wasting good cleaning time!

I Really Was Looking Forward to Today...

I am very blessed. I have a home, food to eat and a car to get me where I need to go. I have a good family. I have an understanding of what this life experience is all about. I know my Heavenly Father loves me and wants me to be happy. I know there are billions of people out there that have WAY bigger problems than I do. But today I am feeling very overwhelmed and that makes me grumpy. I just want to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head and start over.

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Dear Non-Commenters,

I know you are out there in cyber-space reading this blog. You make comments to me when you see me in real life. Why not leave it here on the blog as proof?

There have been several times I almost quit writing because there are no readers. But I keep on doing it because I feel like it is a supplement to my journal.

I know you think of things when you read. How can you not? Everyone that has a brain in their head has an opinion. Why not type them out? It is very cathartic, trust me!

Thank You,

The Writers of the Fab 5 Blog

In a Pickle

I am the only person in my family that likes pickles and I only like dill pickles. The boys often tell me that pickles are cucumbers soaked in evil. Jim has often wondered why you would ruin a perfectly good cucumber by making it a pickle.

For years I have wanted to learn how to make my own pickles. Unfortunately, when it comes to the garden, Jim does the planting and I do the harvesting and bottling/freezing. It has been that way since we have been married. I suggest a pickling cucumber every year and every year I am denied. Well, this year, his brother that lives around the corner planted some pickling cukes and they couldn't keep up. I was given about 6 pounds of the little green vegetable and was on my way to learning something new (which I love!).

I started reading my USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning created by the USU extention. To my shock it takes 3-4 months to make a real dill pickle! They need to ferment in a cool, dry place before they can be processed. Luckily, they have a "Quick Dill Pickle" recipe. That's the one I am doing. I soaked the cukes in salt water over night. The I sliced them in three different ways: spears, chips and sandwich slicers. They are on the stove prcessing as I type this. I can't wait to see how they turn out! I will let you know...

Lazy River Tuesdays

For about 12 days in May I become part of a little known group called the "Lagoon School Moms". Our local amusement park gives schools in the area (UT, ID & WY) the chance to take a day off of school and have some fun. In our town we have a day for the 6th graders when they graduate from the D.A.R.E. program and a 9th grade Lagoon day. We deal with the kids for 12 days so we can get five season passes and a little bit of spending money - which usually gets spent at Lagoon.

As most Mormon Mommies know, Monday is usually the recovery day from the weekend happenings so we picked Tuesday and Wednesday to be our "Lagoon Days". Tuesday and Wednesday are generally the least crowded days at the park and, aside from Scouts, the least crowded days on our calendar. We try to get our jobs done and get the cooler packed so we can leave the house about 10:30. We take our towels and our 12x12 pop-up shade and stake our claim in a quiet corner of Lagoon-a-Beach. We get our tubes and head for the cool water. It has been very hot the last few weeks so the un-heated water is a welcome shock! The boys are old enough that they can go off and ride the slides on their own. All they have to do is check in with me every once in a while. They know I will be either laying in a tube in the Lazy River or under the shade knitting. They know that when they are hungry for lunch they can make a sandwich, eat some crackers or chips, and have some fruit for lunch. And they also know that when they are hungry for dinner we pack up and head for home. That has been our Tuesday (and sometimes Wednesday) ritual for the past few summers.

Some of you may know I don't do well in the heat. In fact, if the temperature never went above 85 I wouldn't complain one bit. I look forward to our "Lazy River Tuesdays" all week long. It is my chance to lay around in my bathing suit, get some sun and catch up on my knitting. But lately the boys have started to get a little bored with Lagoon. I can see a day when they won't want to go to the same old water park at all. They want to lay in the sun and nap with headphones in their ears or tell me they are bored more than they want to play in the water. Well, I'm not going to let them take away my "day in the sun"! Even if I have to go by myself they will never take "Lazy River Tuesday" away from me. It is just too hot in Utah in July and August to give it up altogether.

Long live "Lazy River Tuesday"!

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Thank You, Poineers

I am so thankful, especially after our trip to Nauvoo, for what the early pioneers did so I could live comfortably where I live and worship as I see fit. I only hope and pray that I may use their example of faith and togetherness to make the lives of my family and friends better.

We Made It!

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Fireflies Lit the Way Home

We saw the Pageant Tuesday night. It was amazing! It told the story of the gathering of those that were fleeing persecution. They just wanted to live in peace and worship as they pleased. It told of the few wonderful years they had In Nauvoo and how they worked together to build the Temple. It also told of them being driven out of the beautiful city they built from a swamp, not knowing where they would go next. But it mostly told of their faith. They knew wherever they were that if their faith continued God would guide and protect them.

When asked what their favorite part of Nauvoo was, all three boys said it was the Pageant.

We were able to spend the whole day yesterday in Nauvoo. It was great. We went to a little show first thing. Then we went back to the Temple. This time with the boys. It wes so rewarding to watch my boys performing such wonderful service! We went to lunch and walked around in some of the shops in town. Then we went down into the historic district and looked in the rest of the homes and shops we hadn't been to. We told the boys to be listening closely. Later we asked them which trade (job) they would do if they lived back then. Austin would have worked in the print shop, Kyle would have worked with Brigham Young building furniture and Josh would have worked as a blacksmith. Jim would have worked with Browning in his rifle shop! (That's a shocker!).

We had dinner and went to one last show. We walked into the big field where there were games and dancing before that night's show but since we had already had the opportunity to see it we decided to get back to the house and start packing for our early start. It was dusk as we walked to our car across the big grass field and as we looked across there were fireflies as far as we could see! It looked like someone had spread out thousands of twinkle lights! We drove down the old river road toward the house and those fireflies were also on either side of the road hovering over the grasses. It was beautiful.

We woke early this morning so we could pack up and get onto our next destination. But before that we went into Nauvoo one last time. We walked down Parley Street toward the river listening to some of the actors tell stories out of writings and journals of those that over 150 ago made that same walk. We paused at the river contemplating how we may have felt if we were asked to do the same.

As we drive west across the Mississippi River I feel I was able to get a tiny glimpse of what those pioneers may have felt. Grateful for the time we were able to spend in Nauvoo, a bit sad to be leaving, looking forward to our next destination and thankful to be experiencing it all with my family.
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Sacred Carthage

We got up this morning and drove to Carthage, IL. It was a beautiful, sacred place. The Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were taken there under false charges. Two days later a large mob stormed the prison, killed the brothers and seriously wounded another. Joseph fell out the window the boys are sitting by and was shot twice more. I am so thankful to those that sacrificed so much in the early years of our church so we can have the gospel and all the opportunities it brings.

We are waiting for the Pageant to start. I will let you know how it was tomorrow.
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Historic Nauvoo

We made it to Nauvoo this afternoon. We got settled at the place Jim's parents are staying. We had a little time to go into town before dinner. We stopped at one of the interactive areas called the Family Living Center. It was a big hall where they demonstrated how the pioneers made cloth, baked bread, dipped candles, and many other crafts that helped with life around the cabin. The boys made this rope they are holding.

Tomorrow is one of our temple days. We are also going to Carthage Jail. We have limited cell reception and no internet for the next three days so my posts may be few until Thursday unless I can upload a picture when we are in town.
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A Home Run of a Day!

We made it to St Louis yesterday safe and sound. We were very glad it wasn't as much driving as the previous two days! We went to Dave & Buster's for dinner and some games. It was an appreciated break from driving, hotel, get up and drive some more.

We had reservations to go up in the Gateway Arch at 10:00 am so we really didn't have to rush too much in the morning. Our time to go into FanFest was at 2:00 pm (There was a giant thunderstorm that started around 1:00 pm so we went to FanFest early!)

We took almost 200 pictures today so bear with me!

Josh is standing by the door to the capsule that takes you to the top of the arch.

This is the tiny capsule. Good thing we all like each other!

Here we are at the TOP!

Here is the view from the top looking west and a bit south. That is Busch Stadium where the MLB All-Star Game will be played in two days. You can't tell but they are holding the VIP Batting Practice. A bunch of sponsers and rich people that get to swing at a few pitches on the field.

I had the idea to take this one after we got back to the bottom. Yes, I am laying on the ground!

These were fun to take:

FanFest

We didn't take too many pictures inside but here are a couple fun ones

The boys took the Steal Home Chalange...

As you can see they are pretty equally matched. Kyle was just a bit faster.

We got out of FanFest and it was still raining. We decided to stop for an early dinner. It stopped raining while we ate and turned out to be such a beautiful evening......the boys Jim decided to have a catch with his boys.

The rain chased all the tourists away so we had the park almost all to ourselves!

A fantastic ending to a day full of adventures!

Toto, I don't think we're in Utah anymore!

I have lived in Utah for about as long as I lived in California, where I grew up. In either place there is variety in the landscape. I love the rolling hills in CA and the towering mountains in UT. I love all the outdoor opportunities the terrain provides. We are lucky enough to live amongst world famous ski resorts and national parks. It is very strange to me drive through miles of nothing just to pass a sign advertising pulling off the freeway to see the largest prairie dog in the world
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Day 1 - Pictures

Just before we walked into the ball park

Another view of the field from our seats.

One of the MANY great pictures that Jim took of the boys.

The giant scoreboard

Chipper Jones finally got up to bat in the 8th inning. They intentionally walked him and someone else came in to run for him.

A great action shot!

Day 1 - Batter Up!

We got started a little later than we hoped.

It was a long drive to Denver but we arrived safe, checked into our hotel, got cleaned up and headed to the ball park.

We just got done watching the Colorado Rockies beat the Atlanta Braves 7-6. This is the view from our seats. They were pretty good seats (once the sun set) considering I bought the tickets on StubHub.com yesterday! The boys loved it so I guess it was worth it.

The game was fantastic. There were 21 hits and 11 of them were for extra bases! There was one home run. I'd say we got our money's worth.

Tomorrow is a long driving day. I am happy to report that we have Harry Potter to keep us company on the long drive through Kansas.

Trying to remember...

I am sitting at my computer trying to remember how to mobile blog. I hope this works.
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Happy Trails...Hopefully

We are about to go on our first real summer vacation in a long time. Jim has been involved in Scouts for years and that usually takes up all of his vacation time. This will be the first summer Scout Camp is not mandatory for him. Finally, some family time!

Jim's parents have gone to Nauvoo the last few summers to help with the Nauvoo Pageant. This year is no different. They left July 1st to live out there for about six weeks. Each year they beg and plead with their family to come and visit and experience that historical city. Well, now that Jim doesn't' have to go to Scout Camp we get to pack up "the family truckster" and take a road trip. Our intention is to teach the boys about some of the sacrifices early pioneers made for our church and those that followed them. To get them to agree to that we threw in some baseball. Here is what the plan is:

• Day one will start early. We will drive to Denver. We hope to be there with enough time to check into our hotel, get some dinner and be on time to the Rockies game. I think we can do it.


• The next morning we will, again, get up early and start the second longest leg of the journey. We drive from Denver straight through Kansas and stop in Kansas City, MO. (That should be a fun day!) We will stay there one night.


• When we get up the next morning we will visit two places before moving on - Liberty Jail Historic Site and the Independence Visitor's Center.


• We will then continue on to St Louis, MO that evening. We are staying there two nights. While we are there we plan on riding to the top of the Gateway Arch. (I have to confess, I am not completely fond of heights. Well, I don't really have a fear of heights, it's the falling that gets to me. It's weird. I can be someplace very high and not be scared if there is no way of falling. Empire State Building, Sears Tower, no problem. Ski lift on a slightly windy day, that's a different story! I'll let you know how it goes.) We are also going to fit in some more baseball in St Louis. We will be there for the MLB All-Star Break. We plan on visiting FanFest. That should be really fun!


• After that, we will continue on to Nauvoo. We are staying with Jim's parents for three nights. I haven't' planned anything for those days (yet). We are relying on Phil and Sally to show us around. The only thing I have planed is a visit to the Nauvoo Temple for us and the kids. I was hoping to have some family names to take but I don't' think I will have that ready in time.


• We will leave Nauvoo and start the trek home in a more northern direction. We will drive to Sioux Falls, SD, crash, get up the next morning and start driving again.


• The next stop is Rapid City, SD. We will stay there for two nights. We will hike around Mt Rushmore (which is so far away and really isn't on the way to anything!) and see the evening program. That will be very interesting to me. The next day we will spend some time at the water park connected to our hotel. The boys are pretty excited about that one! I also hope we get to drive around and visit some of the other state parks in the area but the chances are slim. We will have already been driving a lot.


• Then we take on our longest travel day. Fortunately it is the day we go home. Unfortunately, it is through Wyoming. We will probably break up the day by stoping at the Mormon Handcart Visitor's Center. I hope we do. Being there on a pioneer trek a few years ago was one of my top five most spiritual experiences. I hope to share that with the kids.

I know it sounds like a lot. I am encouraged because our kids have always been such good travelers. I am nervous because they are teenagers. But I think it will go well. We have lots of "in-flight entertainment" to keep us busy, especially through Kansas and Wyoming. I hope to be able to blog every night when we reach our destination so stay tuned...

Slimy Yet Satisfying!

Kyle got his braces off on Wednesday. He was thrilled, to say the least. His appointment was in the morning so he didn't go to school. We got there and they took him right back (amazing!) They removed everything, polished off the extra glue and cemented in a wire across the bottom teeth for a permanent retainer. He will get the upper retainer on Monday. The orthodontist gave him a gift for being such a good patient. The balloons said "Happy Get Your Braces Off Day" and they were tied around a giant bag full of all the candy he has not been able to eat for the last 9 months (yes, I said 9 months! He had them on for less time than he has been in 9th grade!) He said his teeth feel pretty slimy and he keeps trying to such food out of the braces that are not there. Just a habit he will break soon enough!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Race for the Cure

What a great event! I had never run the whole 3.2 miles until last Saturday. I was proud of myself. This was not a hard race for me. It became easy because of the people I was running with. The announcer said that over 18,000 people registered for the race (walkers and runners). Over 400 of them were Breast Cancer Survivors! How could I think 3.2 miles was hard.

It has taken me a few days to get the pictures from Jim's computer but here they are:

This was taken from the Trax station at the corner of 300 W and South Temple looking north to the starting line which was at 300 W and North Temple.

This was taken from the same spot but looking west toward the Gateway Mall. The line of people kept going south on 400 W past the Gateway. I was lucky to be close to the starting line!

This was before I saw Jim with the camera...

This was after!

Jim took this picture of the finish line from the top level of the Gateway. Just after the finish line, there were tons of volunteers handing out even more tons of bottled water, bananas and oranges. I am up there somewhere past the oranges.

Enjoying my after race treat!

Thanks to everyone that donated money to the Susan G Komen cause and thanks to those that supported me with good luck wishes!