10 things that make me happy ~ a post a day

10 things that make me very happy...

1. Spending one on one time with each of my boys.

Maybe it is just their ages, or the fact that they are boys.... but when they are together, they are usually fighting.  So I always love when I get the chance to spend some quality one on one time with each of them.  I love the little conversations that I will have with them and all of the funny little things that they have to say.

2. Date nights with Scott.

There is nothing better than getting a baby sitter and getting to go out to dinner, shopping and a movie, just the two of us.  After a long week it is always so appreciated to just have the quiet time together.  It reminds me of when we were dating and loved going to dinner and a movie.

3. Thursdays.

Thursdays are my favorite day of the entire week.  It is the only day that I am home, that Bridger goes to school (I know, meanest mom ever).  This is a sacred 2 hours to me!!! Alicia and I have turned this into bike time, and even through the winter, would go down in my basement and ride on our bike trainers. I loved this time. Thursday nights are also packed with my favorite tv shows... the Office, Greys Anatomy, Scandal and Project Runway.  I am usually up passed midnight watching all of my shows.

4. A Clean House.

Why is it that this is probably on every mom's list???  Life is just so much better in a clean house. 

5. Exercising.

I should probably join a 12 step program because I have a serious addiction.  Biking, running, swiming, yoga.... I love it all.  I love the quote "you are only one good workout away from a good mood" This is so, so true for me.

6. Kisses and snuggles from Bridger.

I would love them from Dakota, but he is just too much like his mom and would prefer to high five from a distance.  But Bridger is my little snuggle bear and I could hold him all day long.

7. A fun activity with my family.

Usually every activity that I can imagine up for our little family of 4 turns into pure chaos, with everyone crying and whining.  But every once in a great while, we do something and it is everything that I had imagined and everyone has fun.  We just got back from a trip to Carlsbad , CA that was awesome.  Even Scott said that he was so glad that we went as a family.  Moments like that are the best!

8. Diet Coke.

Sometimes I will decide that I am going to quit drinking diet coke, but I usually can't make it more than a few hours before I realize that there is nothing to look forward to in the day without it....  People say that if you stop drinking soda and then start again you won't even like it anymore, I beg the differ... One time I stopped for a few months.... When I took that first sip again, I felt like we had never been apart and loved every drop!  WHat can I say, true love lasts a life time!

9. Grapes.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I can independently down multiple Costco containers of grapes in a week, no problem!!!

10. Long breaks from work.

I love getting done with a shift at work and knowing that I over a week until I have to work again.  This doesn't always happen, but if I work my schedule just right, I can work a couple shifts together and then have a big break in the middle.

What do I do? ~ a post a day

I obviously stink at posting every day, but I am going to try to keep doing a few more topics in this last week of May,

Topic~ What do I do?

As far as my actual job goes I am a Registered Nurse, 

lucky enough to work on Labor and Delivery.

This is by far the best unit in the whole hospital to work on....

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love to complain about crazy, laboring moms,

but I truly love the drama of it all and know that I would be so bored if every delivery went perfectly smooth.

I am extremely lucky to only have to work once or twice a week, which in reality sometimes makes my jobs seem less like work, and more like a little break from my full time job of....

cleaning

cooking 

car pooling

homework

cleaning

driving all over the place

laundry

boxing referee

grocery shopping

cleanning

jumping on the tramp

playing batman

building legos

soccer mom

looking for 4 year olds that love to hide

breaking up more fights

and did I mention... cleaning

Being a mom really can be so exhausting, but some how it really is the best!
All it takes is just one cute comment from my boys, or seeing them put their arms around each other and it makes all the craziness melt away!

Favorite Quote, a post a day

I looked through pinterest at all of the quotes I have pinned and 

I decided that I have to choose one that is inspirational and one that is for laughs....

Inspirational~

 “Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal 

is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. 

The fact is that most putts don’t drop, 

most beef is tough, 

most children grow up to just be people, 

most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, 

most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. 

Life is like an old time rail journey…delays…sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling burst of speed. 

The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.” 

 ― Gordon B. Hinckley

(I seriously love all of President Hinckley's quotes and miss him so much)

For laughs, but so true~

 "Love is spending the rest of you life with someone you want to kill 

& not doing it because you'd miss them!" 

A post a Day for the month of May....

In an effort to revamp my blog and really get going again, I decided to take a cue from my bff, next door neighbor Alicia and do a post a day, for the rest of the month of May.  (In reality it will just be posting a lot more than the lately, usual....) The blog ~storyofmylifeblog.blogspot.com~ has different topics to write about each day....
so here I go!

Post #1  "the story of your life in 250 words or less" 

 

I was born on October 24th 1984 at American Fork Hospital.

I was my parents first born.  They named me Summer, after a little girl that I think my dad thought was cute.  They went on to use Autumn and Mckenzie Spring.... but Summer was their favorite!!!

Basically from the moment I was born I wanted a sister... sadly a boy came next,

but that didn't stop me from calling him Autumn.

6 more kids followed and I truly wanted a girl each time.  

My youngest brother was born the day after my 18th birthday,

rounding our family out with 4 boys and 4 girls.  

Growing up I always loved Dancing and for the most part I liked school.

Above all.... I really loved boys!

 I don't think that a moment went by that I wasn't life and death, in love with one boy or another. 

Lucky for me, the summer after my Junior year I met Scott while he was working at Subway.

I knew I wanted to marry him after only a few hangout ~ make out sessions :-)

Later that same year my baby sister Aspen passed away from Leukemia,

sparking my later career in nursing.

February 13th, 2002... that's right, the day be for Valentines Day, 

Scott left on his mission to Lansing Michigan.  major tears,,,,

I filled the next 2 years with graduating from high school and 

heading off to Weber State for College.

Scott and I were married in August of 2004, 6 months after his return.

I knew I wanted 2 things for sure,

to wait until I was 25 to have kids

and that I wanted all girls!!!!

It should have been no surprise when Dakota joined our family in November of 2005.

Bridger followed not too soon after in January of 2009.

Now we live in Highland and I feel like I am still trying to figure out how to be a good mom and wife, but I am so grateful for my life today and the road that got me here!

Spring Break

 We were super boring this year and stayed at home for Spring Break.

Scott was really busy with work and I had to work a few days too.  I was nervous that I was going to go crazy with all of the free time, but we filled the week with a lot of fun activities.

On the day that I worked, Dakota went to "Science Camp" and the Natural History Museum. 

He learned all about rocks and geology and informed me that it was the best day ever!

We immediately signed him up for a week during the summer!

Bridger spent the day with the Finlayson's and the lucky boy got to go to the Zoo!

When I got home from work, he talked non-stop about all the animals.

He especially loved the monkeys and the peacock!

 

 One day went with friends in our neighborhood to see a Lego Exhibit at the  Kimball Art Museum in Park City.  The pieces were unreal!!!! 
It is amazing what you can build with just legos....

After the museum, we all went out to Pizza on Main Street.  

Having 6 boys all together was a littler chaotic, 

but everyone seemed to have a fun time.

My favorite day of Spring Break was spent skiing!!!

Alicia, Connor, Dakota and I went up to the Canyons and enjoyed every minute of the warm weather (although the snow was not the best...)!

I was so impressed with Dakota's skiing ability.  He is getting so good!!!

I have never taken him without Scott and was a little bit nervous,

but the day turned out perfect!

These 2 were so cute together,

March Races,

Last month we went on 2 different trips,

for 2 different races....

1st we headed off to Moab where I did the Moab 1/2 Marathon 

with a group of girls in my ward.

I was really excited because we had been training hard and did a treadmill class that is supposed to help with speed.  I was ready for my fastest time ever....

but the rolling hills and flat ending prevented me from reaching my goal :-(

Now I just want to sign up for a nice down hill, canyon run.

The rest of the weekend was a blast!  We rented a condo with the Finlaysons.

We filled our time with lots of hiking and great restaurants!!!

 The next weekend we went to St. George for Tour Del Sol Bike Race.

It was a 2 day, 3 stage race...

and it was like nothing I had ever done before!!!!

The first stage was a time trial, 

which consisted of 12 miles going as fast as you can, no help from anyone.

When we pulled up, I seriously wanted to turn around and go home, I was so intimidated.  

There were teams of bikers warming up on trainers and everyone's' bikes were unreal.

I did okay on this stage, but immediately after wished I would have pushed harder,

plus I didn't place very well.

The 2nd stage is called a CRIT.
You basically just go around a big track in a group for 30 minutes.  

I only had one goal for this race.... Stay with the group and don't get dropped!!!!

Because you are on a track, everyone can see you,
and it is very obvious how you are doing.

I was so nervous to have Scott there.

It ended up going really well and I placed 6th!!!

I still have a lot to learn, 

because in every picture I look like I am in last place going around the turns....

The final day and stage of the race was a 40 mile road race.

I had ridden the course before and knew that there were a ton of hills, but I felt ready.

A couple miles in there was a big hill and at the top, my chain fell off!!!!

I was devastated. I felt like I would never be able to catch up to the group and the thought of doing 35 miles by myself made me want to cry :-(

I had no choice, but to fix my chain and then ride my butt off!!!

Thanks to pure adrenaline from the fear of being last, I was able to catch up to Alicia and we worked together the rest of the race and ended up finishing 5th and 6th!!!

 

The race was so much work, but I had so much fun!!!

I am so lucky to have moved next door to Alicia 

so she could introduce me to the awesome world of biking, 

and help me every step of the way!

Happy Birthday Aspen

 It is hard to believe that it has been 12 years since Aspen was born.

It makes me so sad to think of all that she would have been doing these past 12 years.

I wonder what she would look like and what her personality would be like....

 Can't wait for the day we get to see her again!!!

Happy Birthday Aspen!!!!

love, your oldest sis