Happy Birthday to Me!

My sweet babies made me feel extra special today by sleeping in, which meant that I also got to sleep in... till almost 9:00! Then we went on a birthday hike with my wonderful sister and her kids before they drove back to Utah. It was a lovely hike (I'll post photos later). We all hugged goodbye and she took off on her journey and I took off on a few errands before returning home--get gas, pick up some coupons, and pick up a few groceries. About a mile and a half from the gas station, my car kind of started to cough. "Oh, no," I thought, "I couldn't be out of gas!" My car can go 400 miles on a full tank and it had only gone 295. "Please help us to arrive at the gas station safely," I prayed. The light in front of me turned red; I had to stop, and when I did, that was all she wrote. I couldn't even pull over to the side (although I'd at least had the foresight to pull into the right lane).

There I was on a busy street with my two little kids, far from any gas station. I turned on my hazards and started pulling my kids out of the car. Nobody stopped to see if I needed help. I had no phone, knew nobody in the area (within walking distance), and had no phone numbers for anyone who could possibly help. Pip was in the backpack and Squeak was in the stroller, and I was about to head to the closest house and beg for some help when a stranger stopped. "Ma'am, will your car move if you put it in neutral and I push it?" Then another stranger stopped and offered to help push. I steered, and they got my car off the busy street. "Do you have a phone?" they asked. "No," I replied, "And I'm kind of embarrassed to say this, but I think I ran out of gas." Stranger number two said, "I live right around the corner. I've got a gas can in my garage and I'll bring you whatever's in it." He returned in no time at all and gave me enough gas to get me to the gas station. He told me if I needed anything else, his house was around the corner and his wife was there and could help me. They were both on their way somewhere, so they took off.

I thought, as I drove (safely) into the gas station, that my prayer had been answered in such an odd way. Yes, I ran out of gas in the middle of a busy street. But two strangers, both busy and both on their way to something important, had helped me arrive safely. It totally made my day!

A Testimonial

Two pregnancies
Zero stretch marks on my belly

Thank you, Annie's Handmade Skincare!!


My friend makes her own lotions and creams (as Nacho Libre would say). And she makes soap and lipgloss and other delicious-smelling treats for the skin. She uses natural ingredients and does not use mineral oil (it's very difficult to find a lotion at the store that doesn't have mineral oil, which, she told me, doesn't really moisurize because it just sits on top of the skin instead of being absorbed).

My personal favorites for pregnancy were the sugar scrub and the hand & foot cream (extra-thick lotion) that I rubbed on my belly daily. Her fragrances smell so good, I feel like I could lick myself!

Here's what she says:

All of Annie's Handmade Skin Care products are made from scratch with high quality ingredients that won't dry out or damage your skin. You can customize them with any fragrance or combination of fragrances you choose. Wow, what a deal!

Check her out:

http://handmadeskincare.biz/

Feeling Victorious

Are your running buddies as cute as mine are??

So I ran a 12-miler last week. Big deal. I've done that distance dozens of times. But this time I did it pushing a double jogger. We were not fast. I had to stop to let my 2-year-old pee. I had to keep handing out cheerios and water and bread. I pointed out red cars and white trucks and bicycles and ducks. I even sang primary songs to quell the boredom. And we made it! I was so proud of my munchkins for being such good sports about it all.



I remember feeling victorious last month too. I only ran 7 miles that day, but it was my first long run in preparation for my BIRTHDAY HALF MARATHON on February 7. I had been waiting for the perfect day when D could be home with the kids while I went running, but that day never came--he had to work every Saturday (and every weekday too). I finally decided it was up to me. I picked a day, got up early, and after an hour and a half (including breastfeeding, getting all of us dressed for the "cold" in AZ, getting us fed, packing snacks, changing the last-minute poopy and taking care of Squeaks potty needs, etc.) was able to get on my run. Gone are the days when doing a long run just means setting aside the time! Then, less than a mile into my run, I realized my Baby Jogger was getting harder to push. I looked down. Flat tire. I'd been runing with it for 8 months and had never gotten a flat tire! I briefly considered just pushing through the 7 miles with a flat. What a dumb idea! So I turned around and ran back home. I fixed the flat (Pip was screaming at this point), went back out (Pip calmed down once we started moving again) and finished my run. YEAH!

These photos were taken during a short run, not a long run!

Oh, the mockery!

Let us all vow together, right now, to stop eating Crisco from the can.

Thank you all for your great ideas. Not only did they help me with this year's choice, but now I have so many ideas for future years. Yeah! So I decided to try something a little bit different this year, because the comment above got me thinking--I have a real problem with eating Crisco from the can. I see the glossy, beautiful, white paste and can't help sticking my whole head in the can and having a big lick. Mmm! Just kidding. But I do have a problem with eating peanut butter from the jar and chocolate chips from the bag. So that's what I decided to give up this year. If chocolate or peanut butter has been prepared in something, it's OK (and surprisingly, I don't really have a self-control issue with prepared stuff, but I've been known to down a lot of PB or chocolate chips straight from the jar or bag). So happy new year, folks!

HELP ME, PLEASE!

I need ideas. The new year is fast approaching and I need some help. Those who have known me for a long time are aware that each year I give up one type of food (just for the year; I start eating it again the next year). This tradition started when I was in high school and all my Catholic friends were giving something up for Lent. I decided to join in and gave up chocolate, and then I decided to just keep going until the end of the year. Thus the tradition was born. I love doing it because it reminds me that I have self-control.

I've been doing this for so many years that I'm running out of ideas though. So far, I've given up: chocolate, soda, candy, chips, ice cream, peanuts, donuts, cookies, yeast breads with 100% white flour (I was really running out of ideas!), M&M's... Can't remember every single one, but that's most of them.

So I need some ideas. It has to be something that is unhealthy and also a food that I would miss (i.e. I'd have a hard time giving it up). So not something like pork rinds since I don't like pork. Also, it can't be overly inconvenient to give it up--like sugar--I'd never be able to eat anything made outside my house...

Anyway, help me out, people!

Been Doing a Little Bit o' Yoga

I've always wanted to get into yoga. Really get into it. Especially after having Micah for a roommate. She is so centered, so healthy, so strong. Back in those days, I was always training for a marathon or triathlon, and one can only dedicate so much time to working out. I was already doing two workouts most days... Ah, the excuses! I did some prenatal yoga while I was pregnant with Squeak, but not often enough to really feel like I was getting into it.

So there's a new yoga studio nearby, and they were offering one week of free yoga. After about a month, D and I were able to figure out a time when he could be here almost every day so I could go for my free week. So I started going. WOW!! I was hooked after one class. I felt so energized! I felt such a connection between my body and my spirit. I felt so alive. I came home and D said, "Wow, what happened to you there?"

Sumits Yoga is a hot yoga studio. It's awesome! The room gets heated to between 102 and 105 degrees. It's like working out in a sauna. You're able to stretch more deeply because of the heat. They also use great music as part of the routine--very loud and with a strong beat during some parts, and more slow and meditative at other parts. I especially enjoyed the warrior sequence. I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a try.

Squeak had a blast posing with me after I got home.

If you practice yoga, you'll notice that my warrior 1 and warrior 2 are kind of sloppy. Yeah, I've got some work to do!

All I want for Christmas is a 9-inch Zipper

This Mother's Day special is a bit old, but if you haven't seen it, you'll love it. "I'm not a woman anymore...I'm a mom!"

My Favorite Little People

Squeak has become quite maternal with her job as big sis!


The jury's still out about those eyes...


And that baby tub--Squeak thinks it's so fun to take a bath in it because it belongs to Pip.


Wrestling in the crib--it's the funnest part of bedtime!


Squeak was never in love with the Exersaucer as a baby--she got bored within a few minutes. But now she puts herself in it. I love how she's trying to spoon feed Pip from the Exersaucer.


Every day we thank the Lord for our fun, happy kids. They are such a delight! I'm grateful for the things I'm able to learn from them. Hopefully I can teach them a little something too.

"A little more of this, a little less of this..."

OUR awesome friend Travis sent this warning to D. He is such a wonderful friend to BOTH OF US. We laughed and laughed and laughed. It takes a few minutes to load, but it's a great one.

Para que sepan, I'm not a fan of diamond jewelry. Actually, one of my favorite gifts from D was a set of dumbbells. Just to make this fun, what is the least romantic gift you've received? My former boss told us he gave his wife a bathroom scale as part of the 12 days of Christmas--see if you can beat that!

Celebrating Physical Fitness

One of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions is to celebrate physical fitness. For many years, I ran the International Thanksgiving 4-mile race (not sure how it got to be "international" in Orem, Utah, but that's what it's called). We decided to do one of the local hikes here in Phoenix this year, Squaw Peak. Loved it! We were especially grateful for our new hiking boots and the mostly-overcast day.

Our munchkins loved the ride

There's D with his 50-pound pack (about 30 pounds of Squeak, 10 pounds of backpack, and 10 pounds of water and other hiking essentials). My pack was only about 20 pounds.

It was a nice, challenging hike--kind of like doing a continuous stairmaster (1200 feet of climbing in 1.2 miles).