My Favorite Christmas Present

For a long time, I've wanted something that I could hang my race medals on.  Before I found anything, I've been hanging them on one, single push-pin.  Then, one day my friend Jocelyn sent me a link to a place called the York Sign Shop.  They did medal holder boards.  So, I began researching and looking at other places that did them.  However, I kept going back to the York Sign Shop because I just loved the look of theirs.  So, when Christmas rolled around, and my parents asked what I would like, I knew exactly what to tell them.  So, shortly after Christmas I went online and placed an order.  I LOVE the saying/quote that is on the board "Always Earned. Never Given." because it shows that I had to work hard to earn each of those medals and am SO PROUD of each of them!  Each medal has a different story, meaning, and memory behind them and I love that!

I think I have a pretty good start to filling this board up.  6 medals down and 7 more to go, and it will be filled.  I will be earning one of those medals in the Dogtown Half Marathon in February and another one at the Bryce Canyon Half Marathon in July.  So, 5 other races to fill in the other spots!

What We're Up To.....

I haven't blogged about anyone much.  #1: I'm too lazy. #2: I'm too lazy. #3: I'm too lazy.  I need to be better about it though, so I have a more documented remembering of things going on.

MIKE:  Mike is still working as a criminal defense lawyer for Shatz, Anderson & Associates.  He's been there around 5 years.  He does an excellent job and works hard for his clients.  The job wears thin on him though. It's hard for him to work in the line of work he's in.  If you think about it, a lot of jobs you work on a project and you see a positive, end result.  With Mike's job, he works hard for his clients but, often times they still are going to jail or have a fine, etc.  He just helps lessen it, if he's unable to get them off the charges.  What I love about Mike is how open-minded he is to each individual case.  He gives everyone the benefit of the doubt and doesn't judge them.  Mike even says that most of the people he represents are good, good people.  They just got into a bad situation, etc.  So, I think Mike is the right kind of person for the job.  For me, it's hard to not think, "Well, if they weren't in that position then they wouldn't be in trouble!" but, he looks at the big picture and tries to help everyone.  Also, if he KNOWS that he can't do anything to help them, he doesn't try and lead them on and drag them around for their money.  He's honest and straight up with him.  Mike has also done some divorces.  Other than his job, he is still out playing golf and playing tournaments here and there with his lawyer buddies.

LAURA: My life is pretty boring, when it comes to just me.  I still continue to run (if you can call it that) and exercise.  It's not easy and I struggle at it sometimes but, I know it's been such a huge help for me!  I'm currently signed up for the Dogtown 1/2 Marathon (in February), the Bryce Canyon 1/2 Marathon (in July), and will be signing up for the Spectrum 10k (in March) very soon.  I love being a Mom and I struggle being a Mom!  Life is kicking my butt right now.  It seems like every angle of my life is kicking me in the head right now but, it could ALWAYS be worse!  I'm still the ward organist, choir accompanist, and MiaMaid advisor in my ward.  I continue to cut hair here and there but, not too much.  I qualified for a breast reduction.  So, once I'm done with the 3 races I've signed up for, I will get scheduled and get chopped, ha ha!  I also go in and help Rylie and Connor's class once a week, for an hour.

CONNOR: Connor is going to be 9 in February and is in 3rd grade at George Washington Academy.  School does not come easy for Connor and that makes me sad.  Connor was diagnosed as severely ADHD back in 1st grade.  No, it's not the ADHD where Connor is a typical little boy who is hyper and doesn't need help.  It truly is ADHD.  He really, really struggles to focus.  Therefore, he ends up with mounds of homework every night.  I really feel for him and can't imagine what goes on in his mind.  However, I can't just let everything be given to him so, I still push him very hard because he IS very smart and IS very capable!!!!  When Connor isn't being tortured through homework, he can be found riding his bike, running around playing make-believe outside, playing games on the tablet or computer, drawing, writing a story, playing with his science and telescope stuff, or practice his wizardry (yes, he thinks he's a wizard).  Connor also takes karate and loves it.  He was tested and passed to move up to a yellow belt a few months ago.

RYLIE: Rylie is going to be 6 in March and is in kindergarten at George Washington Academy.  Rylie LOVES school!  She is polar opposite of Connor.  She gets home from school and is done within 30 minutes of getting home.  She really has caught on and is picking up her education really well.  Rylie has been taking dance for a couple years and LOVES it! She's taking a jazz class and also a ballet class.  Rylie loves to dance always and really finds joy in it.  Rylie also loves to play outside, play with her dollhouse, her tablet.  Rylie is also great with babies and little kids.  She loves to help cook and is the mothering type.  Rylie is very calm, sweet, gentle, and tender-hearted!  She is by far my easiest child to deal with and RARELY gets into trouble.  She's also very quiet and you have to really listen to hear her.

CORIE:  Corie just turned 3 in December.  She also started Sunbeams a couple weeks ago.  This was strange because Connor and Rylie were both nearly 4 when they started Sunbeams, because their birthdays were after the new year.  However, Corie turned 3 right before the new year.  So, she seems very young.  Her first Sunday was rough.  She didn't understand why she couldn't go play with toys and have a snack.  She cried and cried when I left her.  Shortly after I left the Primary room, she walked up to the microphone and just stood there, and wouldn't leave. So, they left her there.  Well, she was assigned a talk for the following week (last Sunday).  She did SO GOOD on her talk!!!!  I was VERY proud!!!!  We also started potty training her on Monday, AGAIN!  WE tried in December but, she was NOT interested.  She held it and held it and refused to go.  Well, this time around is a different story!  She is doing awesome!!!!!!  She's only had a few accidents, on the first day.  Of course, she hasn't stayed dry through the night or her naps but, that'll come.  Other than those 2 times, she's stayed totally dry!  Oh, and she hasn't done #2 in the potty yet.  Corie loves to play with those figurine horses you can get at Wal-Mart or ACE Hardware!  She also loves to play with Barbies, or any sort of dress-up doll!  On the flip side, she loves to wrestle and torment Connor and Rylie.  She's very aggressive and tends to hurt them more than once a day.  Corie is a good combination of Connor and Rylie but, definitely more a clone of Connor......which scares me!  Corie is also really fast!  I don't know if it's her short legs (she's the shortest one, in age comparison, out of my kids) or if she is just naturally fast!  It'll be fun to see if she stays that way.

New Year's Resolutions!!!!

Last year I made just one New Year's Resolution and, I'm proud to say, I completed it!!!  My New Year's Resolution was to stick to my workouts and complete the St. George Marathon!  Booyah!  Check that off my list!!!!

This year I've decided to made a New Year's Resolution for different aspects/areas of my life.  Here they are:

1. PERSONAL:  I am going to focus on no comparing myself to others.  I do this CONSTANTLY! Anything from hair, body size, voice, makeup, shoes, clothes, hobbies, mom-skills, etc.  And then I pick myself apart, how I should be more like that person!  Then I find myself trying to down-play someone else's positives to make myself look and feel better in my head.  I know this is wrong and is my weakness.  If someone is better than me at something it means they are someone I can learn from. That is why we are all different, so that we can learn from one another.  We all have something to offer.  I'm also going to surround myself with people that are positive, care about me, and that have the right outlook on life and how to live it.
2. SPIRITUALLY:  I am making a goal to get back to reading my scriptures daily and saying my morning and evening prayers, on my knees.
3. PHYSICALLY: I am working towards having a breast reduction done.  I am already approved and could do this surgery this month.  However, after discussion with my Dr. and what he thinks would be best, I am going to wait until after July.  This is for 2 main reasons.  The first and main reason is because I want to be closer to my goal weight.  In order to do this, I need to lose anywhere from 50-70 more pounds.  The 2nd reason is that I want to run the Dogtown 1/2 Marathon (in February), the Spectrum 10k (in March), and the Bryce Canyon 1/2 Marathon (in July).  The surgery has a 6 week recovery time.  If I did the surgery now, wouldn't be recovered/healed enough to train for those races.  So, after the Bryce Canyon 1/2 Marathon, I will go back to the Dr. and get scheduled and get those puppies chopped off!
4. MENTALLY:  I definitely need to be better at telling myself things like: "You are beautiful!", "You can do this!", "You're worth it!", "You're a good Mom!", etc.  Then I need to believe in those statements! 
5. MARRIAGE:  I want to make a goal of putting down my phone and focusing on the time with my hubby.  Especially at night, when the kids are in bed, and we're just hanging out.  Even if we're not doing a dang thing.  Just focusing on being with him, rather than taking up the same air.  I also want to do my best to not tell Mike every little problem and concern I have.  
6. CHILDREN:  I want to make more of an effort to sit down, play, and read with my kids.  I've never been a good hands-on Mom.  Sure, I am EXCELLENT at taking my kids places and letting them go crazy.  I just have not been good at sitting down, playing, and goofing off with my kids.  I struggle enjoying it but, I know my kids need it and it's about them, not me.  I will also be making FHE, scripture study, and family prayer a priority. 
7. HOUSE:  I want to make a cleaning routine/schedule.  It won't be a minute by minute schedule but, it will be something to where I clean/organize certain things on certain days.  I hope this will be me feel less overwhelmed and scatterbrained.  I also plan to do this so that I have Saturday's more open to spend less time cleaning and more time chilling with my family.

This all may seem like a lot.  It is a lot.  These are all changes that really need to be made though.  If I take them on, step by step, I can do these things.  Will I fail sometimes?  You betcha!  The great thing is that I can pick myself back up and start all over again!  Here's to an amazing year!!!!!!!