How I Do It All

The first week of school has been an enormous slap in the face.  Although my personality is well suited to routine, after what amounts to almost a full year of doing what I darn well please, this adjustment to the school schedule has felt incredibly rude.

Today is a typical day...early workout, early piano lessons, herd Kate out the door, run to the flower shop, make a bridal bouquet, rehearse a musical number, and now I'm quickly eating noodles so Janet and I can can pears and tomatoes before my afternoon lessons start.  That's right...it isn't even noon yet.

Someday when my memory has faded, and I remember how busy I was and yet wonder how I "did it all," I want to happen upon this post.

This is how I did it:  I parked my kid in front of Spongebob with a Sausage McMuffin, then I swigged down a big Diet Coke, and everytime I managed to unclench my jaw I shoved a sugar cookie in my mouth.

Now you know my secret to productivity.

Unclear on the Concept

Judd Family Reunion

Saturday was the Judd Family Reunion in Hoytsville. True to form, I was having so much fun catching up with my cousins that I took no pictures at the actual reunion, but I managed a few at the Hoytsville Cemetery afterwards.

The girls at my grandfather's grave.

These headstones belong to my great-great grandparents.

Kate at the grave of my great-grandmother.  This is who she was named after.

Great Grandma's house in Hoytsville.

Relaxing on the Lake

We were lucky to score an invite to go with our neighbors out on their boat last Monday night.  I'm not a water skier, but Bruce is.  I think he was double excited then. 

Jacie and the girls. I adore all three of these gals.  Also, yes, I do feed Kate.

Noah thought he was dodging my lens, but instead I give you this photo titled, "Noah's Amazing Backbend."
Also featured, Bruce and Kelly.

The fire at Camp Williams was still burning.

Like riding a bike.

Youth Conference 2012

I've recently been called as Laurel Advisor. It's a nice change of pace after spending the last 3 years in Primary.  I wasn't able to help out much during Girl's Camp and was excited to make up for my slacker ways during Youth Conference. 

Phase One was a ten mile hike from the Draper Temple to the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.  We started early in the morning and got to see the sun rise. 

The kids did great- very little complaining.  I was complaining in my mind about our very slow pace when I fell in a hole and scratched my leg up bad, so I guess that will teach me. 

Phase Two was at Camp Williams.  We stayed in the barracks and had devotionals, obstacle courses, lots of food, swimming, rappelling, and a movie night.  We packed in a lot of fun.  I also managed to pack in a 25 minute detention by two federal agents when I took a wrong turn onto the NSA construction site. 

Christianne and I- still smiling after the NSA had their way with us.

Christianne, me, Annette, Sarah, and McKenna

The kids after the obstacle courses.

Taking a leap into the drink.

Me, getting ready for a little rappelling.

It was a good time all around- we have great kids in the ward and the leaders are the same.  Bruce and the girls even had the house picked up for me when I arrived home.

Timp Half and Other Adventures in Friendship

A couple of weekends ago was the Timp Half Marathon. It was a fun race because I had so many friends running it. I had my main running partners all in- Michelle and Steph from the neighborhood, my sisters Amber and Em, my Philippine connection Jen, and several other delightful neighbors.  Bruce was absent only because he was running/swimming/cycling the Spudman that very same day.

A second reason that this was a fun race was that I wasn't gunning for a PR- instead it was a training run for me, and I was pacing Jen.  The race experience is sure different when you don't feel like you are about to die every second!  It was actually really enjoyable to run with someone the whole time, and I think Jen enjoyed beating her PR by about 20 minutes.  I do have one small confession about pacing:

Dear Jen,
Remember that mile and a half between the elementary school and the silos when I told you to relax because we were going to take a slower mile and catch our breath?  That WAS relaxing...except that we didn't slow down...not for one single second.
Love, Me

Jen, Em, Me, and Steph

Amber and Em- flush with victory!

After the race Jen and I took our kids to Thanksgiving Point.  It was such a fun reunion- Kate loves Zander and is so cute with him.  She cried and cried when we had to say good-bye.

Last week I was able to reunite with a couple of my best friends from high school- Rachel and Stacie.  Rachel lives in North Carolina, but we have long felt that our daughters were soul mates, and they proved us right.  Lucy and Kiki held quite the horse show for us- there were several heats and the scoring was ultra-competitive.

Stacie, Rachel, and I

 Back to the Spudman:  Bruce took THIRD in his category and was rewarded with a very creepy looking ceramic potato.  His race buddy took first in the same category so they too enjoyed a fun and friendly race.

Boondocks With the Girls

Bruce's company party was at Boondock's this year.  Elise was visiting and the girls were thrilled to have a night of unlimited rides and games.

Look at the fierce look on Bruce's face.
It's hard to believe a grown man can direct that much venom at two small girls.

Getting ready to ride the go-karts.  They were very nervous because this was their first "driving" experience.
There was no need to worry about Elise- she was by far the slowest driver on the track, casting desperate looks about, and generally being a big grandma about the whole thing.

Kate was a little more brave than her cousin.

We also played the world's quickest round of mini-golf.

Charlie was pretty thrilled to have his sister home.

Pain and Agony

With kindergarten looming, Bruce and I decided it was time for Kiki to give up her blankie.  It has not been an easy go of things.  We are just in Phase One: Enjoy the blankie at home ONLY.  If we go anywhere the blanket stays.  She has been seriously unhappy/angry.  We have promised her a 3-D dino movie if she can leave the blanket at home for two weeks.  Her reply?  "Can I bring my blanket to the movie?"  Um, no.  Also, since she only sucks her thumb when she has the blanket, it seems a good idea to try and cut down future bills for orthodontia by having the thumb sucking over with ASAP.  Aunt Liza feels Kiki's pain- she sent us the following poem yesterday:

THUMBS

Oh the thumb-suckers thumb

May look wrinkled and wet

And withered, and white as the snow.

But the taste of the thumb

Is the sweetest taste yet

(As only we thumb-suckers know).

Shel Silverstein