Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

Or running in this case! Jump over to my new and crazy blog at http://runnereran.blogspot.com/

Join my friend Heather and I on our journey to the "Flying Pig Marathon" in 2011... it's a process people! First stop for me the Groom Creek 1/2 Marathon in Prescott this September. Heather will be doing the Kenai River 1/2 Marathon in September. It is going to be a long process and pretty difficult seeing as we are 4000 miles apart. But we can do it! Yeah us!

For now it is public but I may change it over time... we will see how personal it gets.

Playing Catch-up

Yeah, yeah... I haven't posted in awhile. I am trying, really I am :)


So, I am going to try to fill y'all in on all that has happened since my last post... its a lot and I am sure I will leave some out, guess that is why you stay on top of these things right:)


So after Justin's district band concert... which was just amazing, and I need to get copies of the video that Grandma took so I can post them... Hannah was up next. The final choir concert of the year and she was super excited! I invited my Mom's family to come, which I admit, I forget to do for some reason. Usually I only tell my Dad's parents, probably because I see them all the time, but this time I remembered to get the invites out early and I knew that they would be excited to come. Well, Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Jimmy all came and Hannah was so excited to see them in the audience. It was a great concert and we all went to Uncle Bears and had ice cream afterwards.

Here is a picture of the Stanley's and the Willbanks' after the concert.

It was so nice to have them be there... we really need to spend more time with them, we are so close after all.

So after that we had Mother's Day... my children are really the sweetest ever! They make me some of the most amazing stuff and they are too, too funny! I really love being a Mommy! It is the best job ever!! We went over to Max and Anne's after church and spent some great family time... the kids in the pool and the grown-ups just hanging out. My Dad even came which was so nice. It was a hard day for him as his wife left that morning to move back to Texas... he filed the paperwork the next week. I know he is sad about being alone but it really is the best thing for him. Plus, if you have ever met her, or heard any of the freaking crazy things that have happened... you would know it is so much better for all of us... Dang! that woman is crazy! She only wanted my motor home in the divorce and her car. Of course she asked for the one thing my dad couldn't give her... in true fashion! I gave it to him, what else was I going to do? I have a soft spot for my dad and I would do anything for his happiness. He will pay me later for it.. I hope. I will really miss it though!

Moving on....

School is out! My kids are so excited! This year brings lots of changes... Justin is moving on to Jr. High... really?! When did I get so OLD? I couldn't be prouder of my kids. Heather made the honor roll with only one B! Considering her problems with concentrating and talking too much during class... pretty dang good! Plus, she has so many friends... dang... I realized it when we were at the many end of the year concerts and state fairs, etc. she seems to be friends with everyone, in every grade. Hannah, my little smarty pants, participated in the LEAP program for the last quarter so her time was split between 2 classes. She still made the honor roll with all A's but she was a little disappointed in herself because this was the first quarter this year that she didn't make the Principal's honor roll... she did get a reading award and a gift certificate to Border's...that made up for it all :) Justin, where do I even start?! He has made such a miraculous change this year... I am so very, very proud of him! Last year was hard. Hard for him, hard for me... he hated school! He got awful grades, fought all the time, cried in class... trouble all the time. This year he was a completely different kid! I think some of it had to do with me putting my foot down and holding him back. His dad was completely against it, but I held my ground and it really worked out. I also shifted my schedule so that I was home in the afternoon to help with homework and just have a more balanced home. He was on the honor roll twice and on the PRINCIPAL'S honor roll the last quarter. That means that his grades were all above a 95% in every subject! He also won the contest for the best poster for his state project... a ticket to a Diamondback's game! He got a 100% on that poster and a 90% on the paper! Wow! He loves school and was sad for it to be over... what the heck! I am on cloud nine!

I have made some big changes... not sure how I am going to do them yet... but we will see. I feel like if I don't just do it I never will. So, I enroll next week at U of A in Tucson to finish my Chemistry degree. Dropped the Biology because I just don't have that much time. I have been working with them on getting my classes transfered... talk to my advisor next week but it all looks promising. Already got confirmation on a couple... yeah no more English classes for me :) Now I just need to figure out how I am going to keep paying my bills... anyone got any extra money they want to throw my way :D I will figure it out... I always do. So bring it on!

Well, that is my catch up for now. I will try to be better in the future. Oh yeah... almost forgot! I got the brick done around the bbq and wall. Looks amazing! We were going to do it ourselves, had the sand spread and everything, all the bricks in the back. But then my dad got this great idea to just have someone do it. I think it was laziness, a little bit anyways. I gave in and it took forever to get them out. But it was worth it, because he did a great job! As they were doing it, my dad looked at me and said "after watching him we so could have done this ourselves." Really?! $600.00 later?! Oh well... here are some pictures. I still need to spread more sand, get it in all the cracks and then seal it. I am going to put a wet seal on it... gonna look great!