Who doesn't like a Mystery?

This can has been in my pantry for a few months now. Notice it's lack of label. Tomorrow we will open this can and make dinner with what ever happens to be inside of it. I'm so exited!

Spring Break 2010 is winding down.

Today will be filled with laundry that hasn't been touched all week. A kitchen that has needed organized for...ever. Making a salad or dessert for lunch with Sam's family tomorrow. Writing a primary talk for Abby. Finding a primary scripture for Gracie. Bathing/showering of 5 stinky children. Watching Go Diego Go and Max and Ruby. Picking up a friend from the airport. And then, drum roll please, drrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-Going to bed early...for the kids, I will be waiting up for my dear husband.

PS- Our outing to the movies yesterday cost $100. What the? About $65 for movie tickets and $35 for drinks and popcorn and candy. Why does everything have to cost so stinkin much. Red Box and microwave popcorn is looking really good to me right now.

Spring Break- Day 5

Today we went to How To Train Your Dragon. It was really cute. I went with my SIL Kathy and 11 small children. They were all very well behaved. Then we went and hung out at Grandma and Grandpa Tenney's house for a little while. Then It started snowing again so we headed home and I thought about cleaning my kitchen, but then I didn't. That pretty much sums up day 5.

Spring Break-Day 4:Blaaah

I'm only posting this because I'm bored, because truly there is nothing worth posting. I shoveled the driveway today, and we played Monopoly. Bryce won, I lost. Did I mention that I am bored. The power is out so I can't even watch TV. Soon the battery on my computer will die and I won't even have that. I think I'll go take a nap. This picture has nothing to do with anything, I just like it and I miss spring.

Spring Break- Day 3

Snow, lots of it. Pajamas, all day. Board games, movies, cleaning the kitchen. Good thing I went shopping and stocked up on the necessities. Wish I had gotten some *Cherry Coke Zero!


*Update- You can all stop worrying about me. My totally awesome friend Nadezda brought me a case of Cherry Coke Zero!

Spring Break-Day 2: Welcome Home!!

Sam's parents got home today from their 18 month mission in South Africa. All 20 of their grand kids were at the airport to greet them with signs and hugs and kisses. We are so glad to have them home and so grateful for their good examples.

Spring Break- Day 1

It's spring break and today was totally gorgeous, and it might be the only day of spring break that is, so we headed to the zoo. Great idea, right? Yes, it must have, because everyone in the whole wide world had the very same idea. It takes us about 45 minutes to get to the zoo from our house. As soon as we left, 3 of the kids said they needed to pee. I told them that they would have to wait til we got to the zoo. Little did I know that once we got to the zoo we would spend another 45 minutes trying to find a place to park. Bryce was shaking the whole car with his pee pee dance, but they all made it.

Unrelated News-I'm so tired and my feet and legs are so sore but I want to keep moving and not lose momentum, so today I went for a 3 mile walk. I ran into my friend Shay, who was also walking. We stopped and chatted a bit. She told me that she was taking her daughter to a friends house and saw me walking and that is what inspired her to go for a walk also. It's just a small thing, but it got me thinking. Shay has been an inspiration to me in so many ways, most notably photography. There are so many people who inspire me, in big and small ways. Meg, I haven't told you this but you inspired me to read the Book of Mormon in 60 days, I'm almost there. My ex-BF's sister who doesn't even know I read her blog inspired me to start running. So what I was thinking is, when we do good things it's just natural that we will inspire others to do good things also. Now if someone could just find a way to inspire me to clean my house.

Randomness- Tonight I made my self the most tasty salad. Baby spinach, chicken, avocado, gala apples, walnuts, and poppy seed dressing. Yum!

Happy Sunday

I'm a runner! Highlands Ranch St Patrick's Day 5K

After all of my recruiting efforts, Heather is the only person I got to run with me. Thanks Heather, You're the Best!

We found out early in the week that a big storm was blowing in on Friday. Apparently the luck of the Irish was not with us. Friday we got 5 to 8 inches of snow. We decided that we would get up Saturday morning and drive to Highlands Ranch (about 20 minutes away), we would at least pick up our t-shirts and decide from there if we would run or not. It was about 17 degrees and super icy and slushy. It was not looking good, but we figured we would give it a shot anyway. We got our shirts, and then it happened. The sun came out!

The only positive thing I have to say about the race is that I finished it and almost in the time that I had set as my goal. My goal was 45 minutes, and my time was 45 minutes 27 seconds. Other than that the experience pretty much sucked. The coarse was slick, my legs cramped, I had a hard time breathing and Heather had to drag me part of the way. The only thing that made it worth it, besides the since of accomplishment, was the pedicures afterwards.

Will I do it again?

Probably, cuz I'm crazy like that.

Top O' the mornin'

Last Saturday I was at my parents house with all of my kids. Grandma Mary made us a traditional Irish meal of Corned Beef and cabbage and boiled potatoes. We were kind of scared, but it turned out okay. Most of us ate most of it. She also told us a little about our ancestors that came from Ireland. My mom's mother's family is from Ireland. My mom has been doing lots of research about them and has found some great stuff. It was a nice way to celebrate our heritage.

Yesterday we celebrated our Irish heritage by eating green pancakes and green eggs and washing it all down with green milk. The kids set leprechaun traps and we waited. In the afternoon, while we were minding our own business playing outside, a pesky leprechaun came and destroyed our living room. The traps were empty, but he did leave chocolate, so we forgave him for the mess. He left a note mocking us for not being able to catch him. Maybe next year.

Last year the leprechauns didn't come to our house. I had no idea how much my kids enjoyed it until they didn't show up and the tear started. I later went to a parent teacher conference, where Abby's teacher showed me a paper she had done about her favorite holiday, ST. PATRICK'S DAY! She had written this paper in November. So she had been waiting all that time for the leprechauns and they didn't come. This year we made sure to make it extra special. It was a great day, except for that one little thing.

my worst

What kind of gift should you bring to a family to apologize (again) for hitting their daughter on her bike, with your car?

Seriously!

She's fine by the way.

Her bike, not so much,

but it all could have been oh so very much worse.

I was driving through my neighborhood on my way to take my boys to scouts,

and Abby to her first night at Activity Days.

One of my kids had left their bike in my driveway, so Sam had parked my car on the street.

Facing the opposite way of what I usually go to get out of my neighborhood.

But rather than turn around I just went the way I was facing.

As I rounded a corner I was distracted by a guy I know painting a door in his front yard.

I looked at him for a split second and when I looked back there she was.

The little girl on the bike.

right at the front driver side corner of my car.

I slammed on my brakes and screamed.

As far as I could tell,

I bumped the front of her bike,

knocking her off of the bike,

away from my car.

Then I ran over the bike.

Truly, I can not think of a time that I have been more shaken.

I jumped out of my car, and to my great relieve, the little girl was fine.

I asked her where she lived and we went to her house.

She apologized to me.

I think that she was so scared that she was in trouble.

I told her that I was sorry and I wasn't mad at her, I just needed to tell her parents what happened.

Her dad came to the door and I feel apart.

I told him what happened,

and he was so nice.

He had that "just please stop crying" look on his face,

and he even gave me a hug.

I offered to get her a new bike,

but he said she already had a new bike and that he had payed $15 for that one at a garage sale.

Apparently she was not supposed to be outside,

so she probably is in some trouble.

I hope not too much.

I hope that her parents just hold her tight and

thank God that she is alive.

That's what I am doing tonight.

I don't blame her at all.

I know that kids don't pay attention.

Which is why us big people with big cars need to pay extra attention.

I'm a serious mess tonight.

Just ask my husband.

136 College Ave

N43o 49' 22.78"

W111 o 46' 57.89"

This is where we met.

This is where we had our first kiss.

And that is the Latitude and Longitude of that Location.

Why would I know that?

Well, I came across a blog, with a link to this site, and I thought it was super cool but my husband doesn't wear jewery. So, I decided to go here, and got a super awesome desk set with a pen and a glass globe on it and I had the Latitude and Longitude, of that place where it all began, engraved on the front of it and gave it to Sam, just because. I also had the pen engraved with "My life would suck without you". Cuz it would and because that's kind of our unofficial song (Glee Cast Version). Speaking of Glee, where have you gone? And, when are you coming back? I miss you.

I was considering having "I really like you" engraved on it. Cuz' that's what I told him right before I kissed him. That's right, I kissed him.

Sisters

and I hope that someday you will be verrrrry best friends.

Gracie!

I'm a runner. 16 days to go.

Today I set a new personal record

13 minutes,

that is strait running, at 5 miles/hr.

Only weeks ago

I was struggling to go 1 whole min.

without stopping and walking.

I have been a little wishy washy

about running the St. Patrick's Day 5K

on march 20th.

But tonight I went for it.

I registered for the race.

Who's going to j0in me?

Today was a wonderful, sunny, warm day.

I went to aerobics,

Then the park

Where I soaked up as much sunshine as I possibly could.

Then I cleaned the car,

Which was looong overdue.

The kids played football and basketball and rode bikes.

After I was done cleaning the car I was watching the kids play basketball.

Bryce was playing with our neighbor Luke

who is 10.

They were playing against our other neighbor, Alex,

who is 14.

Alex asked me to come play on the younger boys team.

I was wearing flip flops,

so I kicked them off and started playing.

Pretty soon Alex's younger brother Jake came

and said,

"I'm playing too"

Alex said

"Why do you want to play now, when you didn't want to a minute ago?"

Jake said,

"Because Ms. Natalie is playing now.

It's funner when she plays"

Then Bryce, who is 9,

and really should be totally embarrassed of me by now,

said,

In front of all his friends,

"Everything is funner when she plays."

WoW

Totally made my day!

Today- I'm a runner

I haven't ran in at least 2 weeks,

and when I did run,

well,

it wasn't going so great,

but today

I

rocked

it.

Remember, it's all relative,

and for me every tiny success in this arena

is a

very big deal.

I did a 5K in

42 minutes,

of those 42 minutes I ran,

really ran,

24 minutes.

My longest consecutive run was

9.5 minutes.

A record for me.

I was even kind of enjoying it.

I didn't even have muscle cramps.

It was hard.

I was really pushing myself.

And at one point all I could do was picture myself on the floor

passed out

behind my treadmill.

But still

I kind of enjoyed it.

The weather is supposed to be nice the rest of the week,

so maybe I'll try running outside again.

wish me luck

I still need it.

Lots of it.

Me- *Singing*

McKay- STOP SINGING

Me- Why?

McKay- It's hurting my ears.

Me- I thought you liked my singing

McKay- Nope, I don't

Thanks for the confidence boost. I really needed that today.

Now I'm off to the gym.

I know you're all wondering how I'm doing with the whole

"I'm a runner" thing.

Well,

let's just say that if it were going well,

I would have been blogging about it.

I HATE RUNNING!

but I'm not giving up.

Yet.

St. Patricks Day 5K run/WALK

here I come.

18 days and counting.

Warm enough

The weather has been in the high 30s,

which in my book is warm enough.

Warm enough for

bike riding

and skateboarding

and basket ball playing

and foot ball throwing

and in between activities,

snow ball fights.

I'm so ready for spring

but since it won't be here any time soon we will continue braving the elements,

because the alternative is staying inside together all day

and if we have too many days of that in a row,

I promise you someone will not survive it.