Thanksgiving Point Half

I like to have a race in the works to keep me motivated to stay active.  It's sad...but unless I have something to look forward to and someone to do it with me, I'm not very good at maintaining my exercise routines.  I was really happy when Curtis said he would do the Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon again with me this year.  We did it last year and it is just such a gorgeous run and a very well organized and challenging run (the hills will kill ya).  Emilee and Tucker said they would do it with us and that made me even more excited.  The furthest either of them had ever ran before was a 5k, so this was exciting and a record setter for sure.

Sadly before the race Curtis's schedule at work changed and he was unable to run the race with me.  Since we had already paid for him I talked my athletic nephew Bailey into suffering with me.  He hadn't trained at all and I'm pretty sure he felt like quitting about half way through but I made him stay with me and he was awesome.  I finished in my BEST TIME YET, taking 20 minutes off my time from last year.

It was a beautiful day and a beautiful run.  

Happy Birthday Cannon

My baby is 5!!!  Please don't make me say it again.  It is so depressing that my kids are growing up so fast.  Cannon is without a doubt the most amazing little guy I have ever met.  He is SO thoughtful.  He makes sure I get a kiss and hug every day before I go to work and is always so happy to see me when I get home.  He loves everyone and makes friends really easily. He loves music and sings with me in the car and that melts my heart.  He still asks me to sing to him at night and I hope he always will.

He's extremely imaginative and loves Harry Potter, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and anything else that is fantasy or action related. Lego's are his absolute favorite thing in the world and he would spend all day playing with them in his room if he could or if someone else would play with him.  He much rather have someone with him than be alone (me too buddy).

He is so polite.  He has been his whole life.  He gives me complements every day.  My new favorite is when he tells me I'm adorable.  He really is the sweetest thing.

I love you SOOOO much Cannon!!!  I'm so glad I get to be your mom.

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY CANNON!!!

Adventure #4 - SPA

SPA DAY!!!

Don't worry...there will be no pictures of this day.  Curtis and I enjoyed a romantic day at the spa together filled with crazy body wraps and mud baths and facials and massages.  You name it.  It was a full day of pampering.  It was awesome.  Not sure Curtis liked it all as much as I did but he was such a great sport and it was so sweet of him to do something so thoughtful for me.  I love you CDC!

Happy Birthday to Me

As you get older it seems like birthday's can get less and less exciting.  Luckily, I have awesome friends and family who make sure that DOESN'T happen.  It is so fun to have a day dedicated just to you!  This year was one of the best birthdays ever.  I woke up and taught a special birthday ride at spin and had pretty much every single person I really love in a room sweating and getting healthy with me.  It meant so much to me and is still one of my most favorite spin classes I have ever taught.  It will be a birthday tradition I hope I can carry on for a long time.  After an awesome morning ride I went out to breakfast with my family.  Curtis had to work all night before and all night the day of my birthday (typical) but family and friends made sure I wasn't forgotten.  Plus he had made up for it with a trip to the spa days later. (Adventure #4).  

Lunch was spent with some more of my sweet friends who surprised me with a great lunch.  That night I partied with my family and enjoyed a dinner out with friends and family as well.  My niece Gabby is incredibly talented and has really got into making cakes lately.  She made me the MOST ADORABLE CAKE EVER!!!  

It was incredibly delicious too!!!  I loved it so much!

That night my entire family and some of my closest friends came out to Karaoke Cafe to celebrate one of my favorite things (Karaoke) and we had such a good time.  If you haven't been to Karaoke Cafe you should check it out.  It's this adorable hole in the wall family owned place in Murray where you get unlimited soft drinks and Karaoke for 3 hours for only $5.  They also have food you can buy that isn't too bad.  They have an amazing selection of songs.  It is a way fun place to pretend you are a rock star for one night.  :)  

It was just an awesome day filled with awesome people. I think 33 is going to be the best age yet.  

Em's Engaged!!!

I once saw a sign in a shop that said "I loved you too much to just be your friend so God let me be your sister."

Emilee is without a doubt one of my very best friends.  I am so lucky to have her as my sister.  We are SO alike.  Even though we are 7 years apart in age people ask us if we are twins ALL THE TIME.  We have very similar personalities.  I always say she is the better/prettier version of me.  :)  Just like me she fell in love with the wrong guy only to have someone even better come along and mend her broken heart. 

Tucker is an awesome guy and we are SO excited they are getting married!!!  The day after he proposed I shot some pics with my camera.  These are just impromptu at my parents house.  He proposed to Em right on the door step after re-creating their first date all over again.  This time instead of ending the date with a hug he got down on his knee and asked her to be his wife.  She said YES and they are getting married in September, just 3 weeks after Cody get's married (my poor parents).  She will be the last of my siblings to be married (my lucky parents).    

A few days later I took my camera out again and we headed to a more scenic place to get some amateur photos for the "Save the Date" card (which I am proud to say I totally designed myself and they turned out pretty dang cute for a total non-talented person like me).  

Seriously so happy for these guys to start their life together.  

Emilee deserves the very best and Tucker is one of those guys you know will be an amazing husband and father.  

CONGRATS EMILEE AND TUCKER!!!

My Second Job

So....last July my dear friend Sarah told me about this "boot camp" fitness class she was taking from a friend of hers who was a personal trainer.  I was getting really sick of running (and so were my knees) and decided it would be a fun way to spend some time with her as well as help me get into shape.  Little did I know it would change my life forever.  Meeting Jenn was one of the best things that has happened to me in a long time.  She is not only an amazing personal trainer but a great person.  She has quickly become my friend. 

Thanks to her awesome training I lost 6% of my body fat the first session (8 weeks).  I am feeling super healthy and strong for the first time since I had kids and all my lame-o health problems.  

But that was only the beginning.  She opened her own indoor cycle studio and introduced me to the world of spinning.  I became quickly hooked.  I love cardio.  I need cardio.  I'm getting too old to have running my only source of cardio activity.  My joints HATE running.  Cycling, however, my body seems to love.  My joints don't hurt at all and I leave each spin class feeling like I got my butt KICKED.  Between cycling and boot camp I have lost over 12% of my body fat and reached my fitness goal in less than a year.  I feel the best I have my whole life.  No joke.  

The more I cycled the more I loved it.  She approached me one day about becoming an instructor.  If you know me...I HATE being in front of people.  I'm too much of a dork.  I talk weird and my brain doesn't work and I'm just too self conscience to put myself out there like that.  The more we talked about it though, the more I knew I wanted to try it.  It was time I face some of my fears and overcome some of my weaknesses.  So I DID IT!!!  I got certified and am now teaching at Kinetic Fitness Cycle in Layton.  Check out their page!!!  If you are ever in Layton and want to ride I will hook you up.  It is such a great way to get into shape.  I would love to see you there.  

COME RIDE WITH ME!!!