LA weekend

A quick trip to LA for a wedding + grass on the temple lawn = picture of us in front of the temple

all because of my mom

ten years ago I decided to run a marathon. My mom had just finished her marathon in St George and I thought it would be fun to say I did the same, so I decided then to run a marathon in 2010. What I didn't know then was how stupid of an idea it is to run a marathon. They are long, painful, boring if you are by yourself, and extremely cold if it decides to pour on you for a good 7-8 miles. But it feels good to say I accomplished something hard, even if it took me way too long. I did it. It is done, and crossed off the list. I no longer have to go out on long runs on Saturday and hope I make it home.

this is when I still felt okay... before the rain/mud/freezing cold, here is was only cold...

before I got on the bus

thank you...

THANK YOU for teaching me to love... for taking me golfing and skiing and rock climbing and jet skiing and crabbing... for teaching me to serve others with all my heart...for teaching me the importance of living a healthy life... for sharing with me the love of running... for supporting me in track and all the many sports I did as a child... for sending me newspaper clippings and sticks of gum... for making me laugh...for reading with me for hours... for taking notes on everything, like funny signs at Disneyland... for spending time with me and my siblings... for coming to my graduations and my wedding...for living your testimony and setting an example for your grandchildren... for letting me sit next to you in the pick-up truck and let me "help" you shift the gears... for sharing your car with me... for being the greatest BYU fan... for being the greatest grandpa a girl could ask for. I'll miss you and I can't wait to see you again. I love you grandpa.

enjoying life

Isn't life awesome!! I feel like we have had a lot going on lately, but then again not at the same time. We've had fun with friends and parties, I've had work and Josh is starting finals. but life is good. After Josh is done with finals we'll be heading down to Arizona for the summer. Josh has an internship there thanks to his brother Chris. We are excited to go and hang out with his family for the summer. I just hope we don't melt. I don't have a lot to say but here are a couple of pictures...

Our stake had a luau one night so I invited my friend Vanessa from work- it was great and we had a lot of fun.


On Saturday we had a couple of cinco de mayo parties. We went to a festival in downtown denver with friends from work, and Josh got a turkey leg- it was amazingly good. Then we had a party with our friends where we enjoyed amazing food and company- the pinata was hilarious.

Idaho Weekend

Congrats to Andy and Dana Gillette! The sealing was wonderful and the whole day was tiring, but a lot of fun. I'm mostly just going to post pictures now...

my cousin sent my parents flat stanley- so of course we had to take him everywhere... like the great state of Idaho


The wedding was great. Dana did a great job on the flowers- they were beautiful.



My family loves to stop and take random photo shoots- so we stopped in Idaho Falls and looked and the falls and the temple- it was really pretty.

Brothers

Alana-age 2 Andy- age 4 1/2 (love the fanny pack and outfit!!!)

Alana- age 8 Conner- age 5

For the first 8 1/2 years of my life I only had brothers. They would pick on me, fight with me, and laugh at me when I got a round brush stuck in my hair. Being the only girl wasn't always fun. All I wanted was a sister. I guess I had to deal with brothers for a while first.
I got sick of getting all the teachers that loved Andy and people expecting me to be just as smart or good at sports as he was. Luckily I was smart, just not as good at baseball and such. Over the years we had our difficult times, but during high school he became my best friend. I remember sitting by the stairs in front of his door with my younger siblings and crying when he left for college. I came to rely on him being there for me that I wasn't sure what I would do. Somehow I made it through high school okay.
Conner on the other hand was the funny one, that brother that loved telling jokes and making everyone laugh. He still does. I must admit, being older I could get annoyed with him easily, I was never the best at being patient. We had fun though. We both enjoyed art (he's 1000x better than I am, honestly, he's amazing), we both did pole vault (not because we were especially good, but because we had heart), and I enjoy laughing at/with him at most anything he does.
This past week was hard for me. Josh didn't have school because it was his spring break, but I had no such luck. I was stuck inside my building working and getting frustrated with the whole operation I was dealing with. To add to the fun I got switched, not by my choice, from the perfect shift (8-4:30) to the not as good shift (noon-8:30, and Saturdays). I didn't get the time I wanted to hang out with Josh, but I did get to talk to both my brothers on the phone. It made me smile. I am excited for what they are doing now and I am so happy for them. They are both great and headed to even greater things this spring/summer (marriage and a mission).

I feel kind of weird now for posting this now, so sorry if it was weird or cheesy, I think I just needed to write it. And The pictures make me laugh.

The ZOOBI

My talented cousin Sarah has come up with what I think is an awesome idea. I don't even need a stroller but I want to buy one...
I stole this from her blog and I didn't post all the great pictures she had, but I just wanted to let you all know about it.

The ZOOBI Ultimate Stroller Caddy and Carry Tote


So what does it do, you say!?
First of all, it's a STROLLER ORGANIZER: 2 large zippered pockets hold all the valuables, you've got a cell phone pocket, a zippered pocket for keys/chapstick, credit card... AND it holds two drinks! (waterbottles, baby bottles, sippy cups, you name it!)
It has two buckles up top on either side that allows it to attach to any stroller - ones with two handles, ones with one big bar, etc...


Secondly, it's a CARRY TOTE: So you're at the park, Sea World, mall... and you want to leave the stroller, but not all the goods - Pop out the drinks, fold the bag in half (it velcros!) and VOILA! it's a tote with a shoulder strap.


Think this lil' gem can't get any better? Here's one final perk... Undo the zipper that goes all the way around and it unfolds into a full-sized, waterproof CHANGING PAD!!! WAHOO!


Doesn't matter if all your shtuff is still in the pockets, it makes for a little pillow at one end.

If you'd like to purchase one (Hint, hint), you can buy one from me directly, or online for $29.99. Right now, I've only got it posted on Amazon, so PLEASE check it out!
****For free shipping!! Use this code at checkout: ZBSPRING *******