Turner’s Halloween Party

Jason invited us to his TV/Movie Themed Halloween Party.  Here are Josh and Cari preparing their costumes….

Kris and Josh BEDAZZLING like crazy!

Josh was Richard Simmons

Kris, Cari and I were the Chipettes

Jason’s party was DA BOOOOMB!

Southridge Farms

We took the kids (and Kris ) to the Red Barn in Santaquin last Saturday.  We had a good ol’ time and I ate approximately 6 pumpkin donuts, two scoops of apple pie ice cream, an apple slushie WITH ice cream and a whole bunch of candy.  The next day I felt WAY guilty (not really) as I taught the Laurels about taking care of our physical bodies.

Here is Ashton taking care of his perfect pumpkin

Emmy was in her usual silly mood as she ate her ice cream cone

Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Museum

Last week we went to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point with Angie’s family.  It was lots of fun, not as fun as Disneyland would have been (their original plan), but it was lots more fun than I planned on having that week!   It was one of the few times I have skipped Emmy’s afternoon nap and she TIRED and CRANKY, but we still had lots of fun.

“Say What You Need To Say”

So, I highly recommend running to “Rocket” by Def Leppard (as mentioned below), but another great running song is “SAY” by John Mayer.  On days LIKE TODAY when I have a ton on my mind and a million things I need to SAY, I turn on this song and just take off.  For a mile, two miles…three or four miles, I just keep repeating this song as I think of all the things I wish I could say but SHOULDN’T.  After a while, my frustration with the world and things I have no control over, fade.

Josh showed me a fabulous trick that really came in handy today and it really works!  When you’ve just had ENOUGH, you lift up your arm and like a big, lazy bear swatting slowly at a bee, you figuratively “shove” all the stuff you can’t control away, with a nonchalant grunt.  And I’m not even kidding, all those cares just disappear.

Today, after I ran out all my frustrations and “shoved away” all the junk, I could focus on things that were really important and things I really should SAY.

MY FAMILY…the people I love most are what deserve my energy and thoughts.  My little sister, Cari, had surgery this morning.  My parents are in town, Angie’s family changed their vacation plans to go to Disneyland to be here.   Last night we all had dinner together and then, as I was leaving, I gave Cari a hug and fought back the tears as I told her that I loved her.  I had to SAY that, AT LEAST.  But there were so many other things I wanted to SAY, things that kept running through my mind today as I ran to “SAY”.

Cari, my sweet, baby sister.  I love you soooo much!  You are my shopping buddy, my tanning/pool buddy, my dancing buddy (along with Kris ), my crazy flip-handstand-gymnatics-trying buddy, my new music discoverer/provider buddy, my sewing/crafty buddy, my crying and laughing buddy.  Even though there are ten years between us, you have always been one of my very best friends.  You are gorgeous, so incredibly smart, HILARIOUS, talented in so many ways, and amazingly strong.  Thank you for being a second mom to Ashton and Emmy and pretty much all the grandkids.  I have so many memories of you working your magic, making babies fall asleep cuddled in your loving arms.   I love you so much, Cari!

Here is a “commercial” Cari made for school.  She was assigned to make a 35 second commercial describing herself.  I smile through the whole thing and laugh along with her at the end, EVERY TIME I WATCH IT!

There Are TWO Reasons I Run in Skin Tight Pants

If you ever see me out running, you probably won’t think to yourself, “That girl is WHITE TRASH!”…but, hey, maybe you would…my long hair in a ponytail could definitely look like an awesome mullet….ANYWAY….BUT if my iPod music were playing loud and clear for all to hear, EVERYONE would be saying, “That girl is WHITE TRASH!”  You see, I have a million songs on my running playlist, but the FIRST song, the song that I always begin running to and always go back to when I’m running out of steam is “Rocket” by Def Leppard!!!!  HAHAHAHAHA! I can’t believe I’m writing this in a blog post.

The tempo of this song is PERFECT for my stride…Okay, okay, aaaaand I used to love this song so much when I really WAS white trash, that it would give me happy goosebumps all over.  So it still makes me happy and gives me energy AAAAND when it ends, I know I’ve almost gone a whole mile!  It’s the BEST!