#joggermommarathon

Around May 1st, my awesome friend K-Dawg Mabb told me about a little online event going on that was just screaming my name... because it involved running, online activity, and winning prizes. Yep, that just about sums up my interests! There's a site called JoggerMom run by a lady named Kelly. I'm a tad envious of Kelly. She has triplets, and I kindof wish I did too (not joking!). AND her "job" is reviewing jogging strollers on her website. Dream job! But at least I get to participate in the awesome "race" event she created - the JoggerMomMarathon! 26.2 miles in the month of May. A very do-able goal for any mom, no matter how busy. I used to get that many miles done in just 2 or 3 days.
But the past few months, I have only been running once a week (a Saturday race), occasionally throwing in a mid-week run. So I had to turn it up a notch to be sure I got those miles in this month! The prizes (new jogging strollers) are being given away to the finishers in a few days. *crossing my fingers*!! If I win, I have to provide evidence of my miles. So I kept track of them with my runkeeper app on my phone. Running w/ my phone used to be annoying. Now I feel naked without it! In addition, there is a "silly running photo contest" going along with the virtual event. Of course I had to do a couple submissions :)
Another benefit of participating in this was that I had to learn to use Twitter! Had to communicate w/ the group using #joggermommarathon tags. I'm still not very savvy w/ it. But I kindof understand how the whole hashtag and @ sign and RT thing work. Probably not going to be a regular tweeter, but I'm glad I understand it a little better and could use it more if I needed/wanted to.
So..... now this is over.... I need a new quirky online activity-related event to participate in and dream of winning! Or maybe I should just get more sleep.....  :)

screen shot from runkeeper.com -
this doesn't include the races I did

Left hand side has mileage breakdown w/ dates

Tarzan Bennett

He LOVES swinging/sliding/gliding on these things!
We can let go, and he'll hang for a few seconds. Tried to get a picture of that.

He's getting so strong - such a "tough guy."
Climbing higher and higher each day, taking more risks at the playground, getting more skinned knees and minor injuries.
Such a boy.
So cliche, I know.
But it's so new for ME.    I love having a son!
Still kinda weird to say that - I have a son!

My little Bennett-buddy-boy.

We're all about formal dinners here

Sliding

Where the heck is that breast cancer cure?!

I've been keeping up on my quirky little hobby of doing a local road race every weekend. I recap about them on a different blog so I don't clog up this one with race details. Especially since I don't have anything extraordinary to report. I'm not fast. I'm not slow. I'm not getting in any better or worse shape. Just jogging along in barely sub-20-minute land. That tends to happen when running only once or twice a week. Just having fun. Especially when I can involve my family in the fun, like at this Susan G. Komen 5K in Salt Lake. It sounded impressive to my mom when I called her and told her I got 3rd place out of 12,000 registrants.  Too bad there were only about 3 of us actually racing. The rest were there for something about breast cancer, I think. Lots of pink ribbons everywhere.  You'd think with so many thousands of people across the country racing around to find that dang cure, they would've located it already....

Party for B!

Old man Brian is leaving the 20s club! Very reluctantly.  So to make him feel better about his aging, we're throwing him a big ol party here at this park next week.


Ten points if you can spot all three kids!

If you wanna help us celebrate, or just want free Brian-style food, you're invited! This is a great park - lots of fields, two playgrounds, nice pavilion, volleyball and tennis, and a strong outlet to handle the frozen yogurt machine we're renting :) Would it be too much to hire a band, a few clowns, a bounce house, some flamingo dancers.... ? :)

7 years!

After work we dropped the kids off at the Tanners' home and hit the courts for our anniversary date! It's been forever since we've played tennis- which is sad because I LOVELOVE tennis- maybe as much as running. Or maybe more now as I get older and realize I probably can't run for the rest of my life (knees are already giving this old lady some trouble) but I would bet I'll still be playing tennis with my Brian for decades to come! Maybe eternities.... Do you think there's tennis after this life? I hope so.

Brian comes home in the weirdest cars...

Out of Brianna's Mouth Lately

"We've got a mystery on our hands!"

"Don't go out there Bennett, it's a dangerous world!"

"Mom, you're not cooperating with me!"

"Does Jesus know it's St. Patrick's Day?"

"GibbaJabbaBishiBoodoo...... Hey Mom, I'm speaking SIGN LANGUAGUE!"

"Alright BABIES - here's the rules: you can't come in my room without clothes on."

"Mommy, did you toot? Say sorry and I'll forgive you."

"Bennett and Courtney won't get in the stroller, mom.  We're going to have to do this the HARD WAY!"

"Courtney you are a true hero and you have a beautiful heart inside of you and all your dreams are going to come true. They will. I know it." "You're nothing but a little BEAN, Courtney." [around 2am, while totally asleep] "No, NO! I don't like it when Bennett does that junk." [I read an Easter book to Brianna that was talking about Jesus as the Good Shepherd]  "So who is the BAD shepherd?!" "Ahhhhhh, it's a great day to go potty!" "Bennett, you have SUCH great ideas!"

If you're in Spokane....

I told my mom about this great fundraising idea we're doing here for the Salt Lake Mother of Twins Club at Chilis. Their "Give Back" program will give a percentage donation to a nonprofit when customers bring in the flyers. It's a win-win-win: the restaurant gets more business, the nonprofit gets funds, and the customers get to support a charity simply by going out to eat! So of course my mom, Debbie Smith, middle name AMBITIOUS... immediately jumps on the idea for her favorite 501c3 - Merry Glen, where our Sammy lives. She contacted our good friend Matt Turnidge, owner of Costa Vida in Spokane, and he loved the idea. So mom asked me to create a flyer (do you like it? You better. Took me forever.) and we need to shout it from the rooftops now! Everyone within 100 miles of Costa Vida in Spokane needs to print out this flyer (or show it on their phone) and buy loads of food there (they have excellent fish tacos, right mom? :)

The HorseyGoRound.

I've become one of THOSE MOMS.

The ones giving in to their children begging for quarters to put in machines that play circus music.

But it's hard to be too mad at myself, seeing how ridiculously happy they are in.
25 cents for 90 seconds of fun.
Worth it.

I never get tired of this scene.

sassy

Somebody wants a HUG !

Two guys just holding hands shopping for tools....

Brian's new business

Too blurry? "Brian's Nails" is the name of the salon in the background

Car rental wasn't working out so he decided to open a nail salon.

Everyone looks better with a mustache.

I've been spending (wasting?) lots of time lately with Picasa's new photo editing features. Picnik closed down - acquired by Google, of course (because Google is taking over the world, and I'm ok with that). So now there's a bazillion fun things to do to photos. Adding accessories and changing colors and borders is just the beginning. Who needs PhotoShop?!  (um, real photographers obviously).  So now there's yet another thing to compete with my limited discretionary time.  

Vote for Kent !

Today I helped my in-laws make these 4x6 cards to pass out to the 10,000 residents of Emery County, in hopes of electing Kent to the County Telecom Board  (whatever that is?!)

Seriously, I hope he gets it. He'd be great at it (whatever it is!).
Kent's a very kind, generous and hardworking guy. Everyone who knows him likes him.

But it's tough competition, apparently... when Brian heard the name of the other guy, he said, "uh-oh... he's already got the vote of half the county because he's RELATED to them..." !

Small town politics, sheesh!

Letting off Landlord steam...

I probably shouldn't write this where it can be publicly seen... but I figured this is a better alternative to a Facebook post....

I HATE BEING A LANDLORD!!!!

Why do I get such exasperating, dishonest, disrespectful tenants?!

This is round two of headaches from the Provo rental!  (can't complain about the Cedar tenants - they've been a blessing). 
Seriously... I get deception and excuses every month. And I'm so naive, I give them the benefit of the doubt and let things slide. Things like due dates.
[enter sarcasm] Crazy how that 1st of the month just sneaks up on ya all the time... it's not like we ALL have several weeks of warning before it comes around....
You'd think I'd have learned my lesson after our last tenants there, who suddenly flew the coop owing us a month's rent. We've had a collection agency after them for months now.  My brother warned me not to rent to them  (for a very specific reason that I can't state on here. But call me. You'll nod your head in agreement).  Then I thought I was lucky we got new renters in immediately.   HA.  Lucky me?  Stupid me. We had dozens of applicants  (and STILL get calls occasionally) and we chose these ones because I had compassion on their situation. And I internet stalked them and they seemed like good people.   So, lesson learned: NEVER BE NICE TO ANYONE!!!  You only get burned.
Please, U.S. housing economy.... improve.  Improve veryvery soon.  So we can sell these townhomes-of-torture and be free from the swindling con artists that plague the 1st of my every month.

Looks gross, right?

What's better than a green drink? A green drink popsicle!