Run Riverton Half Marathon: CHECK!

While out running a couple months ago I had a "great" idea, "I should run a half marathon." So, I began training 6 weeks out for the Riverton half. The whole week before the race everytime I thought of it I got butterflies. Two of my dear friends from high school agreed to run it with me. We seriously had SO much fun.

My very own cheering squad

Me and my sister

Our Big finish. Tay, Chase, and Talan crossing the finish line with me.

Thanks girls, it was so fun. I couldn't have done it without you!

One of my favorite places to go

I am a girl who loves a good deal. Those who know me well know this. However, there is one thing that I LOVE to splurge on and that is treating myself to a little time at the Sanctuary Day Spa. I don't go nearly enough. Cort's mom and dad where here last week and his mom treated us girls (me and Tay and her) to a pedicure there. It was wonderful. If you haven't been there, go you won't regret it. And thanks again Luann for taking us there it was very much appreciated and fun.

Taylor's birthday part 2

As promised here's some pictures of us all celebrating Taylor's 7th birthday. I just hope and pray the next 7 years don't go by as fast as these first ones did!

Me and Tay having lunch at her school on her b-day. I was like 5 minutes late getting there cause I had to drop Chase off for preschool. When I got there Tay looked all sorts of nerve, I asked her what's wrong and she said she thought I forgot. AS IF!...her cute friend Paige took this picture of us.

On her actual birthday we took her and the boys at their request to Jungle Jim's, their favorite place EVER! I make sure to bring an extra big bottle of hand santizer with us whenever we go there. That place makes Chucky Cheese seem clean. Here's Tay on her favorite ride.

This one I'm thinking wasn't quite as big of a hit for her.

Ever since me and Tay went to a glitter toe party at my sister's she has been wanting to do this for her birthday. I put my own spin on it, and used some glitter from the scrapbooking store with some clear polish; it actually turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. We also had the girls make bracelets and my sister came and did all the girl's hair. It was fun. Here's Tay with her some of her good friends that she met in kindergarten getting their pedicure. Such cute girls.

Making bracelets.

Getting ready to sing Taylor Happy Birthday.

Tay and Rylee are only 11 months apart and niether of them has a sister, so I'm sure glad they have each other. We only live like 5 minutes apart. We love our cousins.

Here's Aunt Whitney when we told her only 10 more girls to go! :)

I have to say Thanks to the worldest's GREATEST aunts who came and made the party such a success. I meant to get a picture of them all together with Tay but....that didn't happen. OOPS. Seriously though they were/ARE amazing. Here's some pictures of them all in the background hard at work.

And lastly, Tay and her friends.

Sisters

When I was growing up I wanted a sister sooo bad. I remember being so sad when the birth of my 3rd brother was announced. (sorry Ty nothing personal!) Finally though, when I was 7 my wish came true and then again when I was 10. And now I am so blessed to have a couple more. (Hopefully another one soon....no that was not an announcement.) :) I have been wanting to get a picture of me with my sisters since Easton's blessing when I forgot to get one, so last night at my niece Hadlie's first birthday party I made it happen! I admire and love something different about each one of these girls. So glad to have them all in my life.

Soccer

Since we are moving soon my adorable sister decided that we needed to get our boys back together on a soccer team before we go. One last hoorah. I'm so glad we did. Chase is loving it just as much as before. He grins the entire time he's on the field and one of his favorite little buddies from our neighborhood is on the team too. Chase is a crack up and so into the game, if he gets the ball to touch the goal at all, he counts it as a goal. He's a walking scoreboard. And when he "makes a goal" he'll look to me on the sidelines and tell me how many goals he's made with his fingers. I'll have to get a picture of that. Here's our little man in all his glory.


And here are our soccer boys enjoying their snack after their first game.

Growing up

Lots of firsts going on around here. Easton will be 4 months by the end of this week! I'm trying to wrap my brain around that. He is such a good mix of his brothers in every way. He looks like both of them, and size-wise he is right in the middle of them too. We gave him some rice cereal the other day for the first time, I usually wait until they are about 5 months...but I felt like he was ready and he totally was.
He eats it like a champ!

He is our little finger sucker. As long as his belly is full and his diaper is changed he is as happy as a clam (our clams really that happy??) to just hang out on the ground sucking on his hands.

Talan loves to help out during bathtime...well anytime really. That would be his little hand you see there.

Sooo big.

We pulled out his jumper the other day and he is loving that too. He has already figured out how to get it moving. Here's a couple shots of him hanging out in it. I feel like he is changing and growing a lot faster than my other kids have.

This is my favorite when he does this.

My baby is sure growing up fast.

Taylor turns 7

Today my little girl turned 7. As I was driving home yesterday from the grocery store I started to think about the day she was born, when she was a baby, and then when she was toddler, and then when she started kindergarten, and then 1st grade and then I got all teary eyed....I know she's only 7, but as I say every year, 7 sounds so much older to me than 6! I can't believe she's a year away from being baptized. I have such big dreams for her. I want her to accomplish all that she can in this life. She has so much potential to do and become anything she wants. She is so very dear to me and I love her with my whole heart and then some. We are doing a big friend party this weekend (15 girls will be here...YIKES! and that was cutting it down, I swear she wanted to invite everyone that she has ever come in contact with) Her invitations said...

"Taylor is turning 7 come get all dolled up for the ocassion."

We are doing a big day at the spa for all of them. My sister is coming to do all of their hair and my other sister and wonderful sister-in-laws are coming to help me do all of their little toes in glitter. I'll post pictures later on. Taylor is so excited about the party and about turning 7 I think she might burst.

The top ten things I love about Taylor

Her empathy for others...she has a very BIG heart

Her beautiful big brown eyes

Her natural mothering instincts....all little kids just love her

Her abililty to make friends everywhere we go and to talk to anyone. She doesn't get intimated very easily.

She doesn't take herself so seriously, now you might say all kids are like this, but I wasn't as a kid. I am still working on that! :)

Her need to include everyone always. She doesn't like people to feel left out. If she sees someone who is in need of a friend she jumps at the opportunity to make them feel special.

Her love of the scriptures. There have been many nights after I have put her to bed that I'll go down into her room and find her fast asleep with her Book of Mormon on her lap. On her birthday poster that she made for school this week, there was a slot for her to write what her favorite book was and she chose the Book of Mormon.

Her determination. If she doesn't get something right the first time, she doesn't get upset she simply keeps trying. She is a fighter.

Her love for fashion. She loves to pick out her own clothes, play in my make-up, get herself dressed and do her own hair. She is my girly girl.

The way she treats her brothers. They all absolutely ADORE her.

She is for the most part always happy. She is such an optimist. When she was a baby my dad asked me once "is she always this happy?" That's when I realized what a good nature she has about her.

I could go on and on...
WE love you Taylor bug! Happy Birthday! You make our life so GRAND.