Barber Bustlings

Elliot's day came amidst great trials this year. September is a hard month for us because it hosts the anniversaries of losing Scott's father and Elliot. Scott's sister placed her daughter for adoption in September, as well. This year brought other trials. Scott lost a coworker to a car accident; he was 32. The next week he also lost his boss to colon cancer; his boss was 33 and left behind a young family. The emotional stress has been tough on Scott and it brings up a lot of mourning in us both. The week leading up to Elliot's day both our cars ended up in the shop. Scott's car needed a new head gasket and mine needed a new computer. Both were expensive fixes and the parts for the van were 4 days away. A friend let us use her son's boat   hooptie  grand marquis. I am so thankful for that; she saved us renting a car for a week. We sold Scott's car and fixed the van, though I would have loved to replace my vehicle, too. I will have to wait on that. :(

August 17, 2013 I competed in my first triathlon a few weeks ago. It was amazing! I loved every minute of it. I felt so strong the entire race. As soon as I finished I wanted to start over and do it again. I did two run-throughs the two Saturdays before the race. Both times I encountered many problems: flat tire, ripped swim cap, low energy, dehydration, heat, forgotten water bottle and gum, and slow times. I am glad now that I went through those things because I was prepared for all of it race day, which was perfectly smooth. I even shave 17 minutes off my practice times! I was nervous before the swim, though it went well. The bike portion was fun. I passed a lot of people on the uphill parts but when it came time to shift back for the downhill parts, my bike wouldn't cooperate so I coasted most of the way. The run was mostly uphill but I took it slow and steady. Again I passed people on the uphill but they passed me on the down; my knees don't like when I run

Dishwasher is missing the bottom piece but still works.  Well, "works" means I basically rinse every dish  before loading the dishwasher and run it, just so my  kids will have the chore of unloading it.  I had to take pics the morning after book club because my kitchen was finally finished and still clean! For those of you who know how long this process took (6 months, 3 weeks - but who was counting but me?) you can understand how good this feels. I got a little emotional last week when I finished the glaze on the cabinets. What started out as a kitchen remodel quickly turned into a long process of fighting emotional demons and facing many setbacks as far as time, cost, health, energy and willpower go. We are finally making this house a home and for those who know how hard this move has been on me, this is saying something HUGE. We started the bathroom remodel in February, as well. (Don't ask - we're crazy.) When we finish that up I will

I am pleased to state here and now that I have officially moved my heart to Utah. The trip home to Az for Christmas was a wonderful reminder that I will always be loved there by amazing people and I will always have the memories and the home to return to for holidays and special occasions. But God wants me in Utah and He didn't send me here as a punishment; He sent me here to thrive. I am doing things out of my comfort zone and it is so great for me. I am building a righteous sense of self-worth and I owe it all to Him. My little family and I are able to spend time together here and truly connect. I feel I am a better mother now, that I am not just going through the motions but am truly enjoying them and the little moments. Scott is around so much more than when we lived in Arizona and he had a horrendous commute and a very demanding job. I am bettering myself at Master's swim a few times a week. I am writing for the South Valley Journal, covering the government beat in

This is what you see when you enter our  house and walk up the stairs - a kitchen with a floor  Fridge is where the fridge belongs - Woohoo!  Dishwasher needs help but works I have a pantry!  So much more room  Kitchen is totally different than when we first moved in 8 months ago So, many of you know me and some of my personality defects. I have been waiting to finish the kitchen before posting any pics because I wanted it to be DONE first. I was also planning on cleaning before taking the pictures. Didn't happen. This is where we are right now and it is good. We have come so far with so much left to do, but being in the process is no longer as torturous for me as it once was. We have completely gutted our kitchen; the vaulted ceiling rocks compared to the low 7' ceiling of the past. We added different cabinets (that we sanded and painted). We have a pantry and those extra two inches that we needed to put the fridge in its

Christmas in Arizona  Ninjago for one and all  Fun with Grandma and Grandpa  Nativity with cousins in Utah Rockin' Shepherds  Reindeer crafts Check out the chocolate on my lip that no one told me about - "I thought it was chocolate" is the excuse I heard from several people....  Crafting with Grandma  Lots of reindeer roaming around  Thanksgiving with Grandma and Grandpa (my father's parents)  This year I am going to include more pics of me. (I'm sure everyone read that blog post by the  mom who wants to finally claim her place in front of the camera once in awhile, to prove she was  actually there, emotionally and physically.  I loved that message.)  Kai piñata, from Ninjago  Our favorite little ninja  My kids are really good at capturing stills Well, we have not progressed on the kitchen at all since the last post in Novemb