Spring Snow~ MARCH 28th!

Today we woke up to get ready to pack to head out to Seattle for the weekend and there was a ton of snow falling on the ground (the kind that sticks)! It looks like January out there! This is why I don't like snow....the lingering winter blues. I think God must have a great sense of humor because this is a total joke. Since mid February I have been following Maui flights from Seattle and putting vacation packages together only to then delete them. This snow has made me even more want to sip pina colada and feel the coarse sand through my toes. Next winter I WILL be in Maui!

Easter Photos....

What to do with rotten apples...

The new Daddy/Son sport is seeing how far you can throw rotten apples by using a stick. That about says it all...not much to it, just make sure you don't hit anyone (Atticus got nailed in the chest last time).

Hong Kong or Manson ?

So, this past sunday my cousin Bryn was flying from Maui to LA and was trying to catch a stand-by flight to meet up with my sister Liz and her hubby, Mark, in Hong Kong. She couldn't get on and decided to jump a flight to Seattle to then rent a car & drive 3 hrs to come hang with us(she's a flight attendant and can do that). I told her she couldn't have chosen a more opposite place than from Hong Kong, population 6,980,412, to Manson WA, population 3,178 (I think this number is wrong...maybe during the summer time!)
ALL in all,we have enjoyed going to parks with her, walking the orchards, eating, and relaxing!
What else do you do here?

Tin soup cans & Aluminum foil balls?

March 10th was our 10th anniversary! I felt like it was more like MY birthday! We spent the afternoon having massages at the Spa at Campbells Resort (I later learned that they aren't open on Monday and Benny made a special effort to get someone to come in!) We had a great laugh watching our wedding video and then had dinner at a local favorite Wapato Grill! At dinner I felt like he was perposing when he brought out a black box and so did all three people in the restaurant. Holy Diamond earings!! I didn't see this coming at all. This reminded me of our engagement when the black box had a shiny dime in it because I was expecting "that ring".
This is traditionally the year of giving "tin and aluminum". Who thought these up? Anyhow, we have a ton of this already in our pantry in the recycle bin....no need to get more!
I am so lucky to have such a sensitive husband who not only doesn't forget the anniversaries but makes them so memorable!

Hiking with Henry

I found this cute photo going through my moms camera. Atticus and his cousin Henry this past summer in Utah on a morning hike with Mimi. Lots of love!

"It's not a dog, it's my mom!!"

Tia Mia drove from Seattle for Atticus' birthday (she hasn't seen our new place yet). This week she told me she was going to bring something "GREAT" for his birthday gift. We had talked about a dog, but he forgot about it, and we aren't ready for that one (or I'm not). I told her that if it poops he can't have it...she didn't say if it did or not. We kept the kids up and greeted Mia at the porch and as we rounded the corner to see the "big gift" (I thought it was going to be a dog in a box).......the surprise was Mimi!!
~Atticus was super tired from the party and it was almost 9pm when I took this photo.

Atticus' bday party!

That's what little BOYS are made of...

Highlights of Atticus'friend birthday party....
paper airplane races, running around the house race, cereal eating in place of cake & ice cream, darth vader pinata, and scooby-doo cartoon. No tears and lots of burping! That about sums it up.

Show off your school spirit with a little gel.....

I don't know what hair has to do with school spirit, but Attticus sure enjoys the goo he gets to put in his hair on "Crazy Hair or Hat Day!" Dad is totally against hair products (or jealous of them?) and so it is one day he can go to school looking like a beach bum/punk rocker! Hope it doesn't sink into his brain and cause "crazy" behavior!!

"Running is 90% mental, the rest is physical."

This past monday Benny had the morning off and we took turns running. It was so nice to go out and not have to worry about Cozy being cold in the stroller or how long I could go until she had had it (she is at the age where she would rather walk). I love the area where we live because the views are so pretty that you forget how long you've been running and you don't have to worry about anything but an occasional dog or tractor along side you. Last year at this same time I was training for a half marathon which I did March 17th in Moab with my mom,sisters,cousins,and best friend. This year I am involved with "Girls on The Run" and we are training elementary school girls for a 5k in May. It has been fun to participate in teaching young girls about respecting & taking care of themselves along with other lessons. www.girlsontherun.org
I am always surprised when someone tells me that they "hate to run" because its MY outlet, as well as I think it's in my blood....I wish I could do it more! I enjoy the time away from any noise at my house and the fact that my only job is to keep moving forward. Isn't that a great lesson in life, "Keep moving Forward!" I listen to songs on my shuffle most of which have memories for me like who I was running with, which route, where I was, how I felt, etc. Anyhow, Benny has downloaded some interesting songs on the shuffle so half the time I am trying to find something with a beat. I always think its funny the kind of music he likes to run to. The brazilian stuff makes me feel like I have orchard men chasing me! It has been a rough couple of weeks with long nights with him at work or on-call at the hospital(he has been "ON" a lot)and so it is always nice to get out and take it out on the road.
Happy Spring Training!