Progress

I have been training for....uh hmmm (clearing my throat- and letting my head get a little big) a 178 mile relay race that takes place in June! Logan to Park City, Utah.

I have decided to chart my progress on this blog because I love progress.
I AM making progress. I run easier. A little lighter. A little longer.
Guys- I think my buns are shrinking!

Here's a before picture. Check them out and see for yourself....(about 6 months ago)














Here's now! Look at the difference! -may even be a slight fudge to say they are shrinking.











oh- darn! I'm having issues loading the pics.
(Like I'd EVER publish pictures of my big back end! Had you, didn't I!)

Happiness

mmmmm- One of my favorite things is Dove Desserts Collection, silky smooth chocolate promises. You know- the little candy pieces that have a heart-warming message on the wrapper. Well, I was eating one today, ok-- 5, 6, maybe 7- shut up! (that's a swear word in my house, by the way)

Who would know such a nice message would be inside???

"Happiness is in the heart, not in the circumstances"

I'm thinking of my family and friends. The circumstances we find ourselves in. I've been helping one of my friends pack up her house so she can move- not because she wants to. One of my other friends' husband is without a job and has been for about 6 months and lost their house, another friend will be moving out of state for work because that's where they could find a job, not because she wants to. One of my friends down the road just had a baby, got deathly sick and had a hysterectomy. One of my friends recently got divorced. I'm thinking of family members who have had feelings hurt by other family members. I'm thinking of family members who's lives have been completely changed by decisions of a loved one.

I'm thinking of all these circumstances that are, for the most part, out of our control, which have brought on so much sadness.

Is it really possible to look beyond our circumstances and be happy? Is it?

I believe so. It's just such a huge challenge! Some days I really wonder!

Not good. Not good at all, if you ask me!

Yesterday I had the day to myself. sigh. It was good. sigh. Not to rub it in, friends but... wow! So I know what you're thinking.....what does a girl do with a day to herself. Well, laundry, laundry, laundry, dishes, a little more laundry and a lot of reading. I loved all of it except for the laundry and dishes.

Geoff was gone (again. He works so stinkin' hard; too stinkin' hard). He was all over the state yesterday, in fact. So I had the day alone.

After laundry and dishes (well to be truthful I mostly didn't do laundry and dishes because let's face it; you put a load of laundry in and have to wait an hour before you can do more) I read. And read. And read. I love reading. I love reading your blogs, I love reading books, short essays, General Conference archives, magazines, blogs of writers, recipes, journals, electric bills, street signs, menus, etc. etc. etc.

I'm getting to the point here. Give me a minute to muse already!
So I spent most of the day reading friends' blogs. Of course they were mostly all about the Easter holiday and how darling your kids were in new clothing and stories of the Easter bunny, what you made as special treats for the kids, Easter egg hunts, candy, candy, candy, the scrumptious dinner you prepared. It was fantastic and I was jealous!

Why, you wonder? Because Saturday night Geoff dear announced to the whole family that the Easter bunny had died. Now... I read one of my friends' blog about how she sunk the entire Easter bunny thingy too but that she was honest with her young kids. She just right out told them that those Easter baskets they see in the grocery stores were for parents to buy to pretend to be the Easter bunny.

And again, I know what you are thinking..... wow! Doesn't she (Lezlie) have older kids? Yes, I do. Oldest is almost 14; youngest is almost 7. But I grew up always believing (or was so told by my parents) that as long as you believe... they will come; the Easter bunny, Santa Clause, the tooth fairy, etc. etc.

Geoff dear and I disagree with the death of the Easter bunny and I wonder if it can be fixed. hmmm- maybe next year we can say that the Easter bunny had a cousin??? I don't know. Death is pretty final.

I was glaring at Geoff dear all day Sunday. Kill joy! Scrooge! Fun taker awayer!
No new dresses, no egg hunts, no Easter bunny.

DID HE HAVE TO DIE? Couldn't he just have needed some time off this year? Couldn't he have just run out of eggs and candy? Or even wounded his poor little thumper leg. Or been delayed with bad weather in Alaska? Or been short on the baskets what with these economic times and all?

We did have a lovely dinner and scrumptious dessert, wonderful FHE on the meaning of Easter, wonderful church meetings and talks. It was a good day.

Would've been better with the Easter bunny.

Sir Easter bunny----WHEREVER YOU ARE----I BELIEVE!!!

A moment of bliss...

Last night as Geoff and I lay in bed after putting the kids to bed we were just chatting with each other when we heard singing. We stopped to listen and what I heard did my heart well. I smile just thinking about it.

We heard Wesley singing the words to the hymn, "Called to Serve Him" while he lay in bed with the lights out. It was as though he were putting himself to sleep singing sweet lullaby's. After a verse of that hymn he moved on to, "Ye Elders of Israel". After that, "I Am A Child of God" and a few other Primary songs.

It didn't even matter that his voice was cracking under the strains of puberty or that he didn't know some of the words to one of the hymns or that he was way off tune. What mattered was that he was singing them. Softly. To the best of his ability and it was good. Powerful, even.

Pinewood Derby

I just love that time of year! The time of year that Geoff gets to make a pinewood derby car for the cub scout activity. Oh! Did I say Geoff? I meant Tyler. Right. Tyler worked to get the car ready for Geoff. Actually- they both worked together to make a great car. Tyler won several races and had a great time.



His car is the "Green Machine"

Katie's Birthday!

Remember in one of my last posts I told you about my crazy friends kidnapping me for my birthday? Well, Katie was one of those crazy friends (I should say IS one of those crazy friends). I did get a little revenge. My other best friend, Stacey and I told Katie we wanted to take her out for her birthday but we didn't tell her that more of her best friends would be at the restaurant to celebrate with us.
We had a GREAT time! We went to Cheesecake Factory. I'm going to try to name everybody:
from the right side of the picture (cut off) is my mom, then Jodi, Lindsay Johnson, Katie, Shelley Wilson, Leilani Alger, Megan Tew.
From the left side of the table:
Susan Cook, Stacey Noel, Jessica Moss, Gayla Mead, Lisanne Steele and Melissa Masitis.

Arizona Sunset

Showlow, Arizona

I was kidnapped!

These are some of my goofy friends. Hey- the goofier the better, I say.
On my birthday (yeah- way back in Feb) they kidnapped me. Here's the story:
Geoff made a plan with me the night before. "Hey dear, let's go bowling tomorrow" he said.
I just looked at him with one eyebrow raised trying to think of the most sarcastic thing to say but only came up with, "are you feeling ok?" It was a Saturday and he NEVER instigates fun on Saturdays; it's for work and catch-up. I can't remember the last time he wanted to go do something fun on a Saturday other than when we're out of town and that does happen frequently. My sarcasm didn't work. He only dug in deeper, "yeah, let's go bowling. We'll take the kids too so don't plan anything for tomorrow around noonish".
Wow! A little reluctant but excited I agreed not to plan anything. I began worrying that his work load had really begun to get at him. I began to worry about his stress level. I just thought something was really "off" with him.


So the next day around noonish I was up lying on my bed waiting for Geoff to finish getting ready for the day when all of a sudden I hear people burst through my front door. I hear, "get down on your knees, this is a hold-up. Everybody down!"
I'm thinking what in the world when all of a sudden these crazy women with nylons on their heads are in my bedroom! They even held guns. It was my crazy friends coming to kidnap me.

I heard later from Ashlyn that Caleb was downstairs when they entered the house unannounced and he was so scared he was trembling!
They took me to lunch, a movie and shopping and we had a blast!
Here are the kidnappers in order from left to right:
Susan Cook, me, my sister Jodi, Paula White, Stacey Noel and Katie Clarke. Melissa Masitis met us later.
Thanks girls! I love you, too!


See, I knew something was wrong with him! He was in on the whole thing trying to make me stay home so my friends could make their plans a success.
A note to Geoff: If you're trying to surprise me you must act NORMAL. Things that you do and say out of the ordinary put up a red flag.
Way to go, dear. Thanks for helping my friends make my day so fun!

Sunrise in Arizona

I have wanted to blog these pictures for a while now. You can see the date on them was from January.
These are pictures of a sunrise atop South Mountain here in Arizona.
BEAUTIFUL!

My mom's surprise birthday

Yes- I'm a little late in posting. Her birthday was February 18th and her party was the 21st.

We decided for her "forever 30" birthday party we had to make it a surprise. We had a great time!

All of you who were there made it wonderful! Thank you for loving her too.

Here is a video we caught. Way to keep her preoccupied Tyler!

We had 40 people smashed into my kitchen area anxiously awaiting her arrival.

Amy Scott made that beautiful cake and my word was it delicious! She sells her goods, you know! Just call her up and order. (for privacy I won't publish that phone number but if you're interested please let me know!) I'm not kidding, guys! It was fabulous!