To Be, or Not To Be

A 70.3 Ironman

This is MY question!

The training started last week. He's been weighing over the decision for some time. The past few weeks I've heard a lot of groans, probably nots, no, it's not going to happen, I don't have time, I can't do that again.

But last night, he rode his trainer for an hour.

This morning he pulled himself out of bed just after 5 a.m and left for the pool to swim.

Who does that if they're not thinking about a race, right?

So, is it going to be, or not going to be.....because this girl needs an ANSWER. This wife needs to prepare for the 6 months of serious TRAINING, in other words, "husband hiatus!"

I think I am in more fully this time, Bob. Most things are easier the second time around right? I promise to have less melt downs and tell you, "No way!" when you whine about quitting.

I must admit, even though you loathe the thing, I really like seeing you in your one-piece suit.

So, I say....

Quit the mulling around big boy

and......

"Just Do It!"

Love you, Babe!

It's A Boy!

This morning, around 9: 30 a.m., we all gathered round' in the small, crowded ultra sound room to hear, "It's A BOY!"

We all guessed it was so. No one was surprised.

The girls were sad, hoping for another sister.

Owen was glad, wanting a baby brother.

Bob swore he didn't care either way. "Are you nervous?" I asked him in the waiting room. "Why would I be nervous?" he replied. "I'll be happy either way." He acted cool as a cat. Please......the man is doing exhilarated air punches in his car all day long. I just know it!

Me, I secretly wanted a girl. I don't know if it is because I have loved my little ladies and one sweet boy, or that I know this will be our last, and it makes me sad that I won't get another girl. But, I am HAPPY! It really didn't matter, either way. I know this is best. Owen will get a brother. We'll even out the score, and it will sure help with the bedroom situation in our small but cozy home!

We all walked out of the waiting room and had a good chuckle after Payton announced, "Ozzie has arrived!"

You see, since I was the one to mention the name, Beckham to Aunt Karrie Jo and Uncle Aaron, and they loved it and ended up naming their first boy, Beckham, they feel inclined to name our next child. They sent Bob a text the other night...."How about Ozzie?!"

The scary thing is, we're calling this baby Ozzie. Bob was writing the name on a napkin at dinner the other night. Writing the name, oh, that is not a good sign. Ozzie? Really? All I can think of is Ozzie Osbourne, his posters lining the wall of my besties dark room in high school. His crazy music blaring on her stereo, and her dressing up as Ozzie for Halloween, you know, his name fake tattooed in between her knuckles. Oh, Trish, I get a good laugh just thinking of your crazy, fun self in high school!

Although I didn't know him at the time, Bob was a big fan of the man too. You can find some of his songs on our ipod still. Listening to them makes me shake my head and wonder how in the world he could be a fan of the madness. Sorry, Ozzie lovers!

Owen and Ozzie, I admit, it has a certain ring.....however, probably NOT going to be this baby's name. Sorry, Aaron and Karrie...keep trying! Time will tell what name transpires. For now, we can eliminate Lucy, Paige, Meg, and the many girl names we favored.

We're spreading the news......

It's A Boy!

Payton's 9th Birthday

It's been an eventful week for Miss Pay. She split open her eye and received her first stitches. She decided to chop off her long locks, so I asked her to strike a pose before she left. She wasn't feeling that. Whatever, this girl loves the camera!One last time for her favorite, 80's rock move.Ta Da.....

Payton's been wanting a digital camera for a really long time. She was cracking me up, she was so excited. She took lots of shots today. I'll post em' later. For her birthday she wanted to go tubing at Bogus Basin, so we'll take her and do the real celebrating Saturday.

It's hard for me to believe it was 9 years ago I had this little lady. We had a rough start, but she has been the best girl.

She helps me with everything from the house to the kids and does it all without a complaint. I truly don't know how I ever survived without her. She's the mini-mom around here. She's responsible and hard working and we love her for it!

I think my favorite thing about Payton is that she genuinely cares about people, has a big heart, and wears it on her sleeves.

Just this morning when her brother started to open her present I told him to stop, that it was Pay's present. "Oh, no, it's o.k. mom, he can open it, " she said with a smile. She truly didn't care. She was happy to see him happy.

Then today when I brought treats to her class her teacher asked her to choose one person to help her pass them out. Everyone raised their hand. I turned her way to see a look of complete agony on her face. She whispered to me, "Mom, I don't really want to choose one person, I am afraid it will hurt the other's feelings. Will you please just help me?"

I feel like I owe a lot to Payton. Her life has changed mine, this I know for certain. We tried for a baby for over three years. When I found out we were expecting and especially during my pregnancy I wanted to become more of the person I wanted her to have as a mother. This was life altering for me, and Payton is responsible for that and adding to my life in a way I never thought possible. I feel grateful every day that I am blessed to be her mother. My greatest desire is that we'll always be close, that she'll trust and rely on me, and know that I am there for her always. Payton makes me proud of her on a daily basis. She makes me laugh, and I enjoy spending time with her. My love for her is indescribable, and I hope she'll always know how special she is to her dad and me.

I love you, Payton Ally!

Nesting....maybe?

It all started a few weeks ago. I was feeling crowded, needing to de-junk, and simplify. I began by cleaning out every closet, drawer, cupboard in the house. It was a project, I tell ya. But, after seeing progress made, it felt amazing. Now I can actually open the game closet without anything falling on my head, walk in my closet without stepping over clothes and shoes, open the bathroom drawers and immediately find the toothpaste, walk around the desk in the office because all the piles of junk on the floor have been put away. I didn't realize how bad it was, until it was GONE, DONE, CLEAN!

I must say, it feels good. Sadly enough, I know it won't last long. That's life, in our household, at least. But, I'll enjoy it while it lasts and vow to try to keep on top of things!

So, my next project, the loud, bright yellow, wall in my kitchen. It must be changed. Every time I look at it it is like a siren goes off, alarming me that this wall needs paint, a change, a face-lift.....DESPERATELY! I've been intending to do so for over a year. It's going to get done. I can feel it!

Even the look of my blog was bothering me. It's ridiculous, I know. The background, colors, pictures everywhere, etc. It was overwhelming me. It too was simplified today. I don't know what's wrong with me. Could I be nesting already? I'm only 17 weeks along. I didn't think it happened until the end, if it happened at all.

Nesting.... maybe?

I can't be sure, but a big part of me....is starting to be a believer!

A Perfect Start To 2010

Since attending the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, we and the Chapmans have become pretty crazed Boise State fans. Alright, the Chapmans and I were hooked before. You can't watch the Broncos and not get excited, from the coaching staff to the players....they're AWESOME! However, it was harder for Bob to jump on the "fan wagon." You see, he played football for ISU, bleeds orange and black, and had a hard time succumbing to liking his rivals, the Broncos. But, it didn't take long, and since then, being part of Bronco Nation and following the Broncos has been a pretty fun ride, to say the least!

So, for Christmas this year, instead of buying presents for each other, Bob and I decided we'd go to the big game again!

We enjoyed the trip with a group of our fun friends ...Chapmans, Davis' and Taylors'.

Thanks guys!

Brandon's good friend was Bronco Libre. Apparently this guy will barely wear BSU colors to the games, however it was his son's dream to be on ESPN, so he had the costumes made and did this for him. They were the hit of the crowd, I tell ya. They were awesome and ended up making the cameras, newspapers, etc.! Pretty cool!

Kim's good friend, Devrea hooked us up with tickets. We purchased them through her but had no idea where they were. Last time we sat up as far as you could possibly sit. This year, 40 yard line, 25 rows up. We were stoked!Kim was our official "party planner" and organized a tailgate party. It was so fun to see all our friends from Boise, eat, hang out, and get pumped for the big game together.

This is Bob and me seconds after the big win. I can't tell ya how fun and exciting the game was. We, and the entire Bronco Nation, literally jumped up and down and screamed for three straight hours. Robert and I sat between and in front of some older ladies and gents. When we first took our seats, I felt bad and thought they were going to be pretty annoyed by our craziness. I am not exagerating when I say, every single game, Bob gets asked to sit down. It has started to really make me MAD! I thought it was going to happen again for sure. However, those sitting around us stood the whole time too and were just as intense as we were! Oh, boy was I was exhausted afterwards. No kidding, just being a fan is exhausting. Can you imagine being a player?! Ha, Ha!Oh, it was definitely worth every, hoot-hollerin' second!

Our weekend in AZ didn't disappoint.

It will go down in my memory book as one of my faves.

The weather was a perfect 70, no wind, not a cloud in the sunny sky.

Bob and I slept in every day, relaxed by the pool, and enjoyed every second of our little escape from REALITY!

We ate so much delicious food. The midnight sushi and chocolate sundaes at Houston's were my favorite for sure.

I stole oranges off of trees and tasted the most sour tasting fruit I've ever had!

I was introduced to Paradise Bakery and Trader Joes. Thumbs way up on both of them!

We laughed and had so much fun with our friends.

I met my blogging inspiration, Kara Jayne.

(I met her through blogging, just happened across her blog and fell in love...later found out she knew the Taylors....crazy small world it is! She lives in AZ so they met up at the game and I was able to meet her. She is even more adorable in person! I have learned so much, and adopted so many ideas about life, being a friend, mom, wife, etc. from her.)

The game was an exciting, nail-biter.....

and WE CAME OUT VICTORIOUSLY!!

I must say...

IT WAS A PERFECT START TO 2010!

Pounding Out the Christmas Carols

From Collages

Ahhhh, Christmas, the one time of year Miss Payton actually enjoys practicing the piano. She gets to choose her Christmas pieces. After that, it's her, practicing on her own, anxious to learn the music to the songs she knows so well. My daily pleas to get practicing, which usually turn into ONE, LOUD RAISED VOICE and threats of not playing with friends.....nope, not this time of year!

All your pounding out of the Christmas Carols paid off, Miss Pay. You played beautifully in your recital. We enjoyed watching your performance and are so proud of your hard work. It has been fun watching you improve and grow as a little pianist. Keep it up. It will be worth it in the end!

We love you!!!!!!

She Was A Ham

From Collages

"I don't want to go to practice," she pouted.

"Please stay with me. Don't leave me here all alone with these people I don't know," she pleaded with teary eyes.

"Do I have to do this stupid performance, I don't even know the words to the songs?" she moaned.

Goodness gracious...the drama!

Oh, boy, we thought......

What are we in for?.....

Because we had missed the dress rehearsal, we had no idea what to expect. What will our Avery, our Ramona Quimby, Junie B. Jones girl do? Will she throw a fit on stage or cry the entire time? Will I have to wave her down and let her sit in the audience with us? Believe me, these things have happened before. With Avery, there's just no tellin'!

The curtains opened, the lights went on, the music started...

There was Avery, bright eyed, smiling wide, singing out loud, doing the actions, strutting her stuff,

in her beautiful, red dress.......

Her singing group, Tavasi, their songs and actions that went along...

ADORABLE!

We were so impressed. The entire program was priceless, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Bob, Owen, Pay and I were all giggles, smiling, eye-brows raised, shaking our heads....

Miss Avery.....

She Was A Ham!

And So This Is Christmas...

From Christmas 1

From Christmas 2

From Christmas 3

AND SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS...

I HOPE YOU HAD FUN...

THE NEAR AND THE DEAR ONES...

THE OLD AND THE YOUNG!

Whole lot a lovin'

After a whole lot a lovin' (about 18 months....to be exact)
We're expecting a BABY!

This silly pic. of me pretty much sums up my emotions....

I'm flying.....

I've been ready for another for some time.

I honestly didn't think it would happen. I never felt alright with that. I was sooo not done.

My baby boy isn't a baby anymore, and it's been killin' me.

But now he'll get to be a big brother, and all is well.

It almost seems surreal.

I had an unexpected ultra sound yesterday. It's true. There is a little baby tucked tightly inside my already growing belly.

Witnessing that was a special surprise. The Dr. telling me the baby was looking more like 13 weeks rather than 15, was like a swift, unexpected kick to the shin! OUCH!

Oh, well......I won't complain.

ME'S HAVING A BABY!!!!!!!!!

P.S. After seeing my post, Pay made one of her own. That girl's a crack up. Check it out here.

If History Repeats Itself

The first week in January, I'll have one of the most fun weekends of my entire life (ya, I know I live a pathetic one,) and.....

Boise State will, once again, win the FIESTA BOWL!!!!!!

I love the above pics. We were at the Fiesta Bowl in 2007. Boise State had just beat Oklahoma. We were going crazy. Bob was trying to get pics. but was jumping up and down and going wild himself. I sport a huge smile across my face every time I view em'! They bring back a flood of my favorite memories. Oh, that nail biting game, the weekend with friends and family, sunny AZ, the parties, the hype, fearing the Sooners, Bronco Nation everywhere, ALL of it..........

Oh, History....please, please repeat yourself!!!!!!!