Capitol Theatre

Matt's boss gave us tickets to Capitol Theatre this weekend.  The show was "Bring It On".  We didn't think Cole would be interested and Bailee is too little, so we let Brooke invite a friend.  We stopped at Cafe Rio for dinner on the way down and then hit the show.

It was really good!  Even Matt liked it -- and the girls were enthralled.  A lady behind us gave the girls M&Ms at intermission because they were so well behaved.  We had already bought them $6 gummy bears at the concession stand so we weren't going to spend anymore :)

While we were gone, Annie and Nate kept Cole.  He and Tate got to go out for ice cream.  We got home so late that the girls slept at my house and the boys slept at Annie's.  They thought that was really cool! (this is a very rare occurrence because I don't allow sleepovers).

Early Spring

We have had unusually warm weather  this winter.  It has been such a huge blessing and sanity to be able to let the kids go outside to play and run off some of their energy. We all hate being cooped up in the house!  As soon as the snow melted, the kids wanted to be outside.  This particular day we went to Ryan's park while Brooke was at school.  They were in heaven!  Bailee, especially, loves the swings!  Her teachers at school tell me when they play outside that is always what she wants to do.  She always wants an "underdog".

Haircut

I was upstairs one day and I *thought* Cole and Bailee were watching a movie.  I came down a while later and the basement was a mess and the vacuum was out.  I thought it was a little odd but not too odd, since Cole likes to vacuum.  I started cleaning up and went in the pantry for something and found some hair.  Uh oh.  Immediately I knew Cole and cut Bailee's hair.  I asked him if he had and he mumbled something like only a little.  It looked like only a little so I cleaned it up and then asked Bailee to come here so I could inspect the damage.  She had her hair (which I might had had never been cut and was down to her butt!) in a side pony tail that day.  Well, most of it was gone!  Because it was in a side pony, one side was super short and the other side was super long still.  I started crying and told Cole he needed to come here now.  Well, he wouldn't come.  He was hiding and I figured it was because he knew he was in big trouble.  

This was all about the same time I was supposed to be leaving to get the big kids from school (I was tending my neighbors 2 kids this day).  I was so upset... I made the big kids walk home so I could take care of the mess at my house (which isn't a big deal -- the walk all the time when it is warm).  I also called Matt and told him he needed to come home from work NOW.  I didn't know what else to do. Well finally, Bailee told me where Cole was hiding.  To my surprise, when I found him hiding behind the couch, he had cut his hair too!

I was so upset about Bailee that I hadn't even notice he had cut most of his hair to his scalp!  AHHHH.  I found someone to fix Bailee's hair that night and we ended up having to cut off more than half of it to even it out.  So now it is a short little bob.  It is super cute... but I may have still cried the next few days when I got her ready :)

Cole's head had to be totally shaved so he has a buzz cut in the dead of winter.  Needless to say, all scissors in our house are now hidden.  I thought Cole was old enough to know not to do that... but apparently not.  He has now cut Brooke's hair, his hair, and Bailee's hair.  I sure hope we are done with haircuts!

Fire Station

Matt took Cole to his yearly field trip to the fire station.  Cole has been obsessed with firefighters and fire-anything for years.  This year was no exception -- he loved it.  He was even brave enough to get in the fire truck and ambulance.  When they were getting ready to leave a call came in and they heard the bell ring.  He thought that was pretty Cole.

We have loved his preschool and this year his cousin Rylin was in his class.  I can't believe it is almost time for him to go to Kindergarten!

Sewing

Brooke took a sewing class in the month of January.  If you were under 9 you had to have an adult go with you and since I tend everyday, I couldn't go.  Blair offered to go.  They made a table runner and did such a great job!  She can't wait for the next class.

Grandma's House

Grandma has a a big playroom in her basement (my old bedroom).  The kids love to play down there.  She has all the old dress ups and babies we used to play with as kids.  My kids have so much fun dressing up and being moms and dads.

Hardware Ranch

Grandpa Mike tended the kids one day while Matt and I went to the temple.  He took them to see the elk at Hardware Ranch.  They had fun and think Grandpa is pretty cool.

Ice Skating

The kids have been begging to go ice skating at the park since it opened.  Matt finally took them on Friday.  Cole picked it up really fast and loved it.  Matt has been calling him C-Matty-Ice-skater since.  Brooke took a little longer but once she figured it out she had a lot of fun!  Bailee got to ride around in the stroller and walk on the ice with Matt.  Maybe next year she will be big enough to skate.  They haven't stopped asking to go back.  Guess it was a hit.  (sorry not the greatest pictures)

More Hunting

Matt has really decided he loves hunting fowl.  Now, in addition to pheasant he is also hunting geese.  He went with the guys from work and they set up a blind and everything.  He said it was really fun and can't wait to go again.  I've created a monster.  My husband is becoming as redneck as my dad and brother :)  If I'm not careful soon all of Prime will be on Duck Dynasty (seriously... the guys he works with remind me of the guys on that show!)

2014

As a new year starts, I like to take the time to reflect on the past year and set some goals to help me improve in the coming year.  2013 was a good year.  It is the first time in a long time that we haven't moved or had plans to move soon.  Even though the start of the year was a big adjustment, I have truly come to enjoy our home and the place we live.  I feel like we are finally where we are supposed to be and I can focus my time and energy on other things.  My callings this year have helped me to grow and I have a feeling that as the year progresses I will find this to be true even more.  I am completely terrified to teach the Old Testament-- I have never read it and I know nothing about it.  As I prepared my first lesson for this Sunday I can already tell that I am going to be the one most blessed and that I am going to learn a lot!  I feel like I have come a long way physically, I exceeded my expectations for Boston and I am looking forward to continuing to improve.  I love that my running gives me something to work for.  I have come to truly enjoy my time at home with my kids and even though I still get burned out and fed up, I know that this is where I belong and that someday I will cherish this time and these memories.    

Goals from last year: 

Spiritual:

1.  Continue to attend the temple monthly, with Matt --  this has been a goal of mine for almost 3 years and it is something I look forward to and need.  I may have missed a month this year, but made up for it by going twice several months.  

2.  Spend more quality time with my kids -- I am still working on this, but feel like I have improved a lot.  I don't know that I'll ever be one of those moms that can ignore a messy house and sit for hours and play cars and barbies with my kids, but I have tried to show them that I can stop what I am doing sometimes to play a game or get them something they need.  I'm sure that as they get older and get into school I won't have this time as much so I hope that they can learn to trust me and talk to me now.

3.  Have family prayer daily --  This is hit and miss for us.  I have been through phases where I am really good at doing it, especially in the mornings as they leave for the day and I can tell it makes a big difference when we do.  I need to be better about remembering.  Still going to work on this in 2014.

Fitness:

1.  Continue to strength train 2x/week -- I have done very well with this.  I am learning to like weights and can tell a huge difference in my running (mainly not getting injured as much)

2.  Eat healthier/drink less Diet Coke --  this is a goal I have had for several years.  This year is the best I have ever done at it.  Training for a marathon helps me a lot to keep my eating on track and I know it makes a huge difference when I eat good foods and enough good foods.  I've also done a lot better with drinking less Diet Coke, I completely gave it up for over a month when I was training for Boston.  I'm a little less dedicated now but still try to limit myself.  It makes me feel so crappy, I don't know why I drink it, but I do.

3.  Keep track of my yearly mileage running (trying to hit 1500)  -- I ran just over 1428 miles in 2013.  Not quite my goal, but very close!  The first half of the year I ran a lot more because I was training for Boston.  June was also a high mileage month with Ragnar.  My highest weekly mileage was 45 miles... the week of Ragnar.  I had a few others come really close to 40.  My average weekly mileage was 27.5   July and August were my lowest mileage months because I was burned out.

Goals for 2014:

Spiritual:

1.  Continue goals from last year -- temple monthly, time with kids, family prayer daily

2.  Improve personal prayers

3.  Be Positive -- Choose Joy

Fitness:

1.  Continue goals from last year -- more specifically eat more vegetables and run more than 1500 miles

2.  Break 3:20 marathon -- last year I ran Boston in 3:25, I am currently planning to run Ogden in May and  hope that a very strict and intense training plan (that bumps me up to a higher mileage than I've ever run) will get me there