the Ironman saga

here is the story

this one time

We spend a majority of our time outside, either playing with water in the purple pool or on the neighbors swing. The a/c in our car has been broken all year until yesterday, thus the need to jump into the pool as soon as we got out of the car. I think I only got heat stroke once.

For the 2 seconds that it rained yesterday Siri needed something inside to do, so I got out a Halloween costume. Today she wanted to wear it so badly, at noon, outside, while riding her bike. Kids are very determined little people. Only when I forced her to come in for nap would she take the costume off. Her hair was all matted and hot.

Cousin baby max is now 1 year old max. Love birthday parties.
Another boy cousin is due to arrive any day now, so excited!

first time swimming

more swinging and playing outside

Siri loves playing in grandma's shoes (there are no high heels at our house to play with).

Mark was gone for father's day photographing people's momentous occasions.
As of late he's been to Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, California. He'll be in Cali again next week and the 2nd week in July and Delaware, yes Delaware, next week too. He'll be updating his site with recent shoots (including Matt & Sheri's family pics) soon. I'm proud of him. His motivation is incredible and success is admirable. PIER 23 blog

This one time, I ran over Siri's orange bike and broke the back wheel. Then two weeks later Mark ran over it again and broke the front wheel. Then I fixed it and she was SO excited to ride. Her 3rd time down the driveway she turfed it, hard. Luckily she's back in the saddle.

We played over at my in laws. Kids and water make for a good time.

Janers is a gem. 6 months old today. 94% height, 49% weight. Time goes by way faster with baby #2. She likes to roll roll roll, wiggle, roll, then grab for everything and put it straight to her mouth. She also likes to scoot herself forward using her knees.

events not pictured:
-me swimming/biking/running. I love the summer mornings, when its warm and light outside at 6am.
-mark and I thinking about where we're going to move come October
-laughing/crying that only 5 people have purchased tickets to our high school reunion
-our date last weeke..oh, wait, we don't ever go on dates. But, I just found a sitter today so we can make that happen on Saturday :)
-working in the yard, eating outside, reading books, changing diapers, feeding kids

the haps

above is a pic of me as a babe with my sweet mom. Does Jane look like me?

I'm sure I can't be the only one that gets myself and my kids dressed then realizes that we're matching, but it was done unconsciously

I like the view :)
Mark got a ton of seeds planted yesterday. Growing a garden really is a miracle. Its just rows of dirt and you watch everyday, hoping that all that dirt, water, and sunshine will really make that seed grow into the...peppers, cucumbers, lettuces, tomatoes, squash, tomatillos, zucchini, pumpkins, and sunflowers you were hoping for.

We love Draper.
I'm so thankful for our lives and our health also, we are blessed.

janers getting big enough (days short of 5 months) for the exersaucer, jumper, and bumbo. oh the gadgets and words that come into your life with kids :)

zoo time with cousins. yes, siri looks like a nerd, but she will be a sun-protected nerd :)

above:when mom picks the outfit
below: when child picks the outfit

the sticker

I have to go get more hot chocolate, just in case summer never comes. You know your husband loves hot chocolate when you have to buy the can that says "Good for Daycares, Offices, and Schools".

Every other month I have a GNO with the girls in the family. Last night we ate good food and made yarn wreaths. Yes, I crafted, all by myself. I made a patriotic one, so maybe I'll take a pic of it once I put it up on the door.

I'm still reading Atlas Shrugged, and am almost done with Born to Run. If you are a human and do any form of locomotion you need to read that book and tell me what you think. I got a little too excited and tried changing my running stride too quickly. Now my achilles is sore. Mark is reading Driven (story of Larry Miller) and it sounds like a good one to put on the list.

Mark and I have never had any type of smartphone or internet on our phones. People ask "How do you live without it?!" You don't miss what you don't have. But, Mark really does need it with how much he travels (I'm excited to not get a call at 11pm when he's trying find his way from the airport to the hotel) and the importance of getting back to people as soon as he can. So, he now has an iPhone. Its probably standard for most people to have one, but for us it is a new luxury for now.

I'm planning my 10 year high school reunion that will be in August. I meet with a few other people about once a month. Honestly I really don't want to be doing this, I wish someone else would. But when we get together, its so much fun to catch up and talk about high school and our lives now. If any of you have suggestions for what I should or shouldn't do, please share. And if you're reading this and you are in our graduating class-come, whether your motivation is excitement, guilt, or just to support me;) I'd appreciate it.

The moment

leaving for St.George

Mark crossed the finish line and in that moment, he became an Ironman. I don't know how many people have finished one, but I know that its a small percent of the worlds population and that its not an easy task. I don't have a desire to do one, but I am most definitely going to do a marathon.

THANK YOU thank you to Bill, Annie, Liz, B & JR for coming down to support us!

We're going to have a 'sticker ceremony' tomorrow. Its kinda weird, but Mark loves stickers. He always had stickers on his car and gear in high school and to this day I have to tell him 'no' when he starts to put stickers on things (since he'd rather do that then throw away a good sticker). I bought an Ironman sticker a few months back and told him we'd put it on the car when the race was done :)

Oh, and he has a love (as do other males?) for mustaches, thus, the handlebar grown especially for his race.
p.s. I also had to refuse to cut a mullet for him.

just before the swim start

windy sunday

because he can

Why is Mark doing the Ironman? Because he can.
He's thankful to have a healthy strong body, he feels that this is a way to show gratitude for it. Crazy? Yes, it is crazy. It's also probably the hardest game, mentally, that he will ever play. He's been training in this friggin ugly snowy weather and is going to race next Saturday in sunny 90 degree heat. That will throw a wrench in things I'm sure. The swim is 2.4 miles. Next imagine biking from Lehi to Fillmore. Yeah, he's going to bike that distance and follow it up with a run thats like going from Draper to the Salt Lake Airport. Running that far? I don't even like to drive that far.

I don't picture him getting hooked on this type of race. People had warned me about that. He'll probably continue to do Half/Sprint/Olympic distance triathlons, but he's already talking about how he's excited to get back to skating (skate boarding that is. Wouldn't it be funny if he was into skating as in ice skating..anyway...)

I want to share, with the entire 3 4 people who read this blog, how proud I am of Mark. First of all for wanting to do something so challenging and second, for working hard to get there. A week from now I hope to tell you the third part, which is how proud I am of him for finishing and being an IRONMAN. Is there a chance he won't finish? Yes. But that is a waste of time to think about, so we'll prepare this week and pray (yes, really) that he can do this. In a week I'll also be excited to work in the yard together and get the garden going. Have breakfast together every morning and not have a husband who tastes like salt half the time.

In other news, Siri continues to develop a funny, smart, and sassy personality.
Me "Siri, come in for dinner"
Siri "No, I'm riding my bike"
Me "Come in now please, you can ride after you're done"
Siri "No! Don't talk to me like that!!"
Yikes. I shut the door and went inside.
My other favorite is when she says "Mommy! Look at me when I talk to you!"

Janers is 4 months old. 60% for her weight and 90% for her height. She sleeps through the night (about 8pm-7am) and is staring to roll front to back. She loves the bath and looking in the mirror. She continues to be a champ at blowing out.

I take the girls to the same office with the same nurse and the same train on the wall
that was there when I was a kid!

We finally found someone to rent our townhome in Ogden, so that is a relief to me. I'm reading Atlas Shrugged and look forward to being able to workout alone and for longer amounts of time post Ironman. I tried a few new recipes this week that I loved. Lemon Ricotta muffins, Sour Cream waffles, and brussel sprouts-chop in food processor and fry up in some bacon grease. You can make almost any food taste better with bacon :) I watched an episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution-that is a show worth watching. Mark and I watch Parenthood too. I don't know why more people don't watch it, its SO good but makes me very nervous to have the girls be teenagers. I'll think about starting solid food and potty training for now.

uhh, cute Easter picture, er something.

I took Siri to Brighton.

She mostly likes it for the chair lift and fries at the lodge, but at least I can get her to go.