EMBRACE THE CHAOS: March 2010

Monday, March 8, 2010

Ragnar Relay Race

We did it! Spencer and I were crazy enough to run in the Ragnar relay race. What?? You don't know what it is? Well, let me tell you all about it:

1. Team of 12 runners-old friends from Tucson

2. 2 vans of 6 runners each

3. Prescott to Tempe

4. 204 miles

5. 28.5 hours

6. Nasty costumes

7. sleeping in the car

8. sleeping in an elementary school

9. sleeping while I'm running

10. Spencer ran 3 legs equaling 18 miles total

11. I ran 3 legs equaling 16 miles total

12. Spencer's brother, Sam, ran too
13. Spencer's Dad drove our van

14. Stacey took care of our children

15. 12 hours of sleep after we got home

Well, my little sister, Kristin, has an amazing story. She came home from her mission 2 years ago. It was a very hard adjustment when she came home. She wasn't comfortable in social settings at all, and so she immersed herself in her schooling and work for over a year. Then she decided to apply for grad school. I encouraged her to apply to ASU so she could live by me. She did, and was accepted, and decided to come here. I was so excited and offered her a place to live. She informed me that she would live with me for a semester, and than planned to find roommates so she could attempt to be more social.

WELL, a lady in my ward had a daughter going to the singles ward, and I asked her if she could take Kristin to church with her. They became fast friends. This friend of Kristin's started to date a guy, and so Kristin would hang out with them and this other guy's roommates. A new roommate (Mike) moved in a week after Kristin did, and they started to circumstantially hang out. They went bowling together and... BOOM-the butt-looking game (bowling) triumph's again-they became attracted to each other and started to date.

So, that was in September, and they got engaged in December and married in February. (sigh) I have to say that I take complete credit in her meeting her eternal companion. Don't you agree?

Here are pictures of their wedding:

DAY 1:

The festivities started out with pedicures and manicures. I decided to take Carli with me, because I thought it was half price for kids, and I wish I could have had a pedicure at 4 years old! When we got there, I found out that kids only cost 3 dollars less! I couldn't believe it. So, I decided to be cheap and I just let Carli get the pedicure and not me. Carli loved it... all the way until she realized you could get a manicure too but she wasn't getting one. I couldn't believe how much she whined for a manicure!

Doesn't she know she's the only 4 year old around that was lucky enough to get a pedicure??

DAY 2: They chose to get married in the Mesa Temple, so my family started flying in. It was a very unique wedding, because only my siblings and some of their spouses were there. No one could bring their whole family because of the airline prices and the short weekend in the middle of the school year. It actually turned out really nice. Karen hosted half the family, and I hosted the other half and some of Kristin's friends.

We had a BBQ with Mike's family. He's the oldest, so he's the first one to get married in his family.

Spencer and my Dad

Danielle, Cale, Grant, and Laurie

Debbie holding Laurie's new baby girl

Kristin and Jamie-her BYU friend (Mike is in the background)

Pam, Sandi, and Matt (Debbie's husband)

Donna and Jeff (I caught everyone chewing. haha)

Kristin and Mike

I guess the flash is too bright for Danielle

Does anyone else have problems with brothers-in-law giving their kids too much dessert?

BRIDAL SHOWER

Lingerie from Mother

Lingerie from Me!

Nice!

DAY 3: Wedding day: February 20th

Kristin getting beautiful for the big day. Carli, Jamie, and Kammi are also in the picture.

I wonder what she's thinking about!

Coming out of the temple (she forgot her veil-haha)

Cale with Kristin

Carli with Kristin

They actually took most of their pictures the night before. All the pictures with her veil were the night before. Without the veil were the day of.

Kristin, you've never looked better!

My family at the Temple

The parental figures

LUNCHEON

we're supposed to eat our food-not each other!

RECEPTION

Bryan, Kammi, Matt, Debbie, Spencer, Sharon, Danielle, Cale, Carli, Dad, Kristin, Mike, Mom, Mark, Karen, Makayla, Jeff, Donna, Pam, and Sandi

All the sisters (Donna, Pam, me, Kammi, Kristin, Debbie, Karen, and Sandi (the other side didn't get the memo that they were supposed to lean in)

And Kristin with her one and only brother, Bryan

Debbie, Karen, and Sandi

Donna, Jeff, Kammi, Bryan, Pam

Looking good, Mom and Dad! This is their 7th wedding to put on-6 of them for daughters!

The line

The cake-they stuffed it into each others faces: nice job

A movie is always the solution when your children are naughty and wild.

I wonder who will catch it?

Cale can't catch a ball, but he could catch the garter-no problem.

DECORATING THE CAR

balloons

more balloons

and even more balloons

This is Donna tying cans to the back of their car

This is Donna and Kammi RE-TYING the cans to the car, after Mike cut them off! very sneaky.

Finished project. Our work is done.

Congratulations, Kristin and Mike! We love you! And good luck getting into your car!

Funny Quotes

I found Cale trying to drag our old microwave into the house. I asked him what he was doing, and he said, "I want a microwave in my room."
Cale: "Dad, Why am I short like you and not tall like Mom if I was in Mom's tummy?"
Cale: "Mom, I don't always want you in command of my food!"
At dinner, my kids were not happy with what I was serving. Carli said,"Why do we have to eat burritos again?" and Cale said, "Why do you have to put melted blobs of cheese on top?" So I said, "Why do I have to have such whiny kids?" And Cale said,"Well, if you didn't put blobs of cheese on the burritos, I wouldn't whine about it."
Carli suggested to Cale that he get on the floating bed in the pool and she would push him around. He said no, and she asked why. He said, " Because I don't want a crazy back-seat driver pushing me around the pool!"
(this is what Spencer said as we were touring D.C.) I knew where we were, until I realized I didn't know where we were going."
My sister, Debbie, was telling Cale all about what surgeons do. I asked Cale if he wanted to be a doctor when he grew up, I told him that doctors make a lot of money, and he said, "Really? Well, I would give all my extra money to the poor people." I said, "are you sure you don't want to use it to by a big house, a nice car, or a boat?" And he wisely said, "Mom, I think the poor people would need it more than me."
Carli: "Mom, I love you because you let me do whatever I want."
Carli: "Mom, when I see Mike kiss Kristin, I get really jealous."
Carli: "Mom, I should probably dress my barbie, because I don't think Heavenly Father would be very happy if the barbie came to life and she was naked!"

Funny Happenings

I was telling the kids that I had something I had to go to on Saturday morning, and that I hoped it wouldn't be during Cale's BB game. Carli said, "Well, Mom, if it is, how will Cale get to his game?" And I said, "Dad will take him." And she said, "Oh yeah, I forgot about him!"
When we were at my Mom and Dad's house for Christmas, we watched "Dumb and Dumber" one night for old time's sake. We didn't know Carli had snuck to the stairs and was watching the movie quietly. We quickly sent her to bed as soon as we found out. Then a few days later, Cale was asking Carli what kind of pet she would want if she couldn't have a dog or cat. She said, "nothing". Cale said, "not even a bird or something?" And she said, "No way! There head's fall off!"
We were showing our kids our old VHS wedding video last night. When it was over, another home video came on screen and it happened to be my brother's birthday party when I was about 15. I had taken a burnt out, smoking birthday candle and was pretending that it was a cigarette. I really looked like I was enjoying it. I looked over at my kids, and their eyes were as big as saucers. Cale said, "Mom, why are you smoking?" Spencer gave me a disapproving look and I felt so ashamed.
We were eating in a restaurant, and Cale said, "Mom, look over there." All I saw was some empty tables, so I asked, "what is it?" And he said, "That's what the lunch room looks like when I'm eating!" (Apparently he is always the last one in the lunchroom eating, and all the lunch ladies are always pressuring him to hurry and eat.)
Cale was teasing Carli about something, and she calmy said, "Mom, I'm going to be like Joseph Smith and not get mad when Cale is being mean." Well, guess what happened? Cale immediately stopped teasing, because it was no longer any fun!

EMBRACE THE CHAOS

2011 Bookworm List

Monday, March 8, 2010

Ragnar Relay Race

Kristin's Married!

Fitness Tip

Funny Quotes

Funny Happenings

Family

Friends from high school

Friends from BYU

Friends from U of A

Friends from Phoenix