Good Riddance.........

pretty much sums up the year 2011 for me! I can't express enough how happy I am to have it over and in the past. It is mostly full of painful memories that I wish I could erase except for the fact that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. I have learned and grown more than I ever would have thought is even possible in a lifetime and been stretched to the max!!! Talk about growing pains! Well now that it is over I am more than ready for 2012.....honestly it couldn't be worse than 2011. I have some great new goals for this year and am really excited to see what happens. I have a great and very supportive family and close group of friends that I couldn't make it without. So cheers to a GREAT 2012 baby:)

Flying solo!!!!

Needless to say it has been awhile since I posted. My life has done a complete 180 in the last 6 months. So for those who don't know guess you will now......Ryan and I are getting divorced after 11 years. So a couple months ago I left AZ and moved to my dad's which has been such a blessing. Considering the circumstances the kids and I are doing quite well. The kids love their new school and living at grandpa's with all his animals and garden veggies. I don't know if anyone could have prepared me with what 2011 has brought. Through all this heartache and transition I am now seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Life is crazy and I NEVER thought in a million years this would have happened to me, but it has, single mom of 3 kiddos. I am so lucky to have them and see their smiling faces everyday. I have grown and learned so much this year, my support system is AMAZING to say the least. I have the greatest family and friends ever and a Heavenly Father who loves me and watches over me. I am still standing after all of this and consider myself very blessed!!!!

RAGNAR 2011......

was on Feb. 25 & 26. It is a 200 mile run split up between 12 girls who run 3 different times(3 legs) each!!! It started in Wickenberg on Friday morning at 7am and ended in Tempe Saturday evening about 4:30pm. We were in 2 separate vans with 6 runners in each and a great van driver. A couple of these wonderful women above talked me into this race. I had 4 months to prepare to run long distance. I was very hesitant at first to sign up but really learned to love to run after about 4 weeks into training. This picture above was taken 2 days before the race........we had a carb loading dinner with spaghetti and garlic bread:) Here are 9 of the 12 of us.

This is the name we gave ourselves............"Mama's Run Wild!!!!"

My partner in training Becky, Alisha and I gearing up for our first leg...........!!!

We are the girls of Van #2.........Anika, Mel, Me, Becky, Alisha and Angie. Showing off our tat and muscles!!!

Ready, ready, ready to RUN!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting all our safety info before the race.

Chantelle (our van driver), Angie, me and Becky all smiles before the race.

Alisha and I chillin' in the van before our turn:)

I was runner #11..........so my first leg was 5.4 miles and I started about 5pm Friday night. After 4:45pm to dawn you have to wear reflector gear and a head light. So though the sun was just setting I was lucky enough to be the first runner of the day to put this bright stuff on.

Getting in a good stretch minutes before I head off.

My bff Becky giving me a pep talk before I leave.

Here is Anika running in to pass the famous bracelet off to me. This is protocol before the next runner can obviously take off.

And I am off like a streak of lightning.......................

Finishing the last couple yards of my first leg............can't wait to pass the bracelet off to Angie:)

So happy to be done with my first leg............only 2 more to go!!!!!!!!! The sunset above on my blog heading was taken when I was walking to my van only minutes after this picture was taken after this run. It was a breath-taking sunset...........literally!!!!!!!!!

Meeting back up again with Van#1 girls at our major exchange...........time to rest for a couple hours before we start again for van#2.

I am so proud to have finished the race. It was seriously the hardest thing physically I have ever done........and at one point would have way rather given birth than continue on running. I got ZERO sleep in that 36 hour span and was so sore on Sunday. I ended up running 12 and a half miles in all. Doesn't sound like much, but split 3 ways and on no sleep and little food it was exhausting to say the least. It is only the 2nd race I have ever done, but plan to keep running and do many more races. So I totally messed up with this blogging and the continuation of Ragnar continues below......................keep reading!!!!!!!

On the RAG!!!

Final stretch Baby!!!!!

Getting the famous bracelet hand off.

Becky giving me the famous slap on the butt for my final leg!!! 4 more miles:)

My last 20 yards of leg #3!!!!

Me handing off my final bracelet of the race.

Smiling cuz I just finished my last leg.......I did it!!!!!

Van #2. Angie, Alisha, Me, Becky, Mel and Chan.....minus Anika cuz she's running!

Back of our sexy shirts!!!

My classic "windmill" move only performed on a good day.........and it was a GOOD day!!!!!

My happy dance I just finished my last leg:)

My sweet and supportive husband at the finish line with flowers!!!
I love him!!!

So HAPPY I did it and it's over:)

Becky and I hungry for our medal!!!!

On top of the world.......I mean VAN!!!

All 12 runners, 2 van drivers and some random girl in white!!!

A Witch......

is what my precious little girl was for Halloween. I know this post comes 2 weeks late but my talented friend took these pictures for me and I just love them. Layla was hilarious.......she wouldn't smile to save her life!!! She was acting so shy when it came time to take her pictures. She loved telling everyone what she was for Halloween. A few days after Halloween, Layla and I were at a store and a cute little old lady bent over and said, "Oh what a cute little girl." Layla looked up at her and said, "a witch!" The older lady looked at me confused and I explained that's what she dressed up as for Halloween. It was pretty funny!

p.s. My boys were at school when these pictures were taken........they wanted to be the same things they were last year, Megatron and a Pirate:) I do have plenty taken of them from this year and last so no worries;)

Call me crazy.....

but with a little persuasion I have signed up with a bunch of great friends to RUN the RAGNAR in February!!!!! No, I am not a long distance runner right this second but I have always wanted to be. I ran sprints in High School and loved it. I swear everyone I know runs and I want to do it too......to stay healthy and have greater endurance. One day I want to run a half marathon......just putting it out there. If people on the biggest loser can do marathons, then by heck so can I:) Let the running begin!!!

Goodbye Perfect Summer!!

We started off this lovely summer with Layla's birthday party at Chucky Cheese!! She picked out a Dora cake and had all of her AZ cousins there. Can't believe she is 2!!!!

Here she is sliding down the ski-ball game......gross I know!! She has a mind of her own:)

Here she is stepping on the red dots when they light up. Now she has shoes, but she has a thing that when she walks into a store or building, she kicks off her shoes and won't wear them inside. She has gotten better now, but there for a few months it was a battle to keep her shoes on in public unless she was outside of course!!

Here is my babe driving us to UT to stay for almost a month. He couldn't take that much time off work of course. But he loves us enough to drive us there and fly home, and then in 3 weeks fly back to get us to drive home. What a good husband I have:)

My cute boys traveling like angels in the car:)

Finally getting to UT to see my dad and family. The kids love their grandpa and all his animals.

There's Dawson and Layla helping grandpa feed the horses. They just love helping him:)

Me and my BFF Melissa meeting up Millcreek canyon to eat and catch up. One of our favorite traditions we did weekly in the summer when I lived in UT!!

Her son Canyon and my Layla catching up as well!!! They are so cute and we hope that 20 years down the road they get married:)

Melissa and I going to see the "Twilight Saga!!" All 3 movies in a short 7 hours. We loved it and had a great time!

My cutest kids ready for bed in a hotel in Wyoming on our way to Colorado with my fam!!

Beautiful Colorado!!

Driving through Wyoming, near Evanston at sunset!!

On a short hike to a beautiful waterfall!

My nieces and kids with Grandpa at the end of our hike:)

Me and my kids with the beautiful waterfall behind us!

My handsome boys!!!

We went on a 12 mile bike ride in Steamboat Springs Colorado. It was so fun. Here is Chandler stopping to smile for me.

My sister Natalie pulled these two little munchkins, Layla and Addilyn on the bike ride. I think they cried for at least half the time. Of course at the end they finally fell asleep!! Cutest girls though:)

Uncle Darin with my Dawson on the bike ride. I knew my little 5 yr. old wouldn't last 12 miles without a little help. This worked out perfectly and is one of my favorite pictures:)

Swimming at a local pool. My kids LOVE to swim!!

On the last night in Colorado, my dad took out the entire family for dinner on this Ranch. You park your cars and get on these carriages that are pulled by a team of horses and ride 2 miles up to a ranch to have dinner!! It was so dang much fun!!

Here we all are getting ready to go:)

Beautiful scenery on the way. So green and wonderful!!

Here is Chandler taking a turn at roping this steel bull. Everybody got a turn and did so well.

Here are all my sisters and me with my dad and grand kids. This was the group that got to go to Colorado. We are just about to leave the ranch.....happy and stuffed with great food!!!

Here we all are inside eating the wonderful dinner!!!

So we got back to UT just in time for the 4th of July (one of my favorite holidays!!)

Layla getting stars painted on her face at the park. She looked so cute!!

My boys eating their must-have sno-cone on the 4th! It was a warm one:)

Dawson and I being silly pulling a funny face at the park!

So Ryan drove to UT to get us and then we headed straight to Newport Beach for a week to vacation with his family!! Here is my babe doing what he loves most.......sitting on the beach:)

While we were in CA we went to Knott's Berry Farm with the kids and had a blast. I must say in my 30 years this was my first time going. I think we will go back again next year cuz we had so much fun.

My boys having too much fun!!

My boys with their cousins, Kolby and Brylee. I think they went on this spinning ride 5 times in a row!!!!

This is where you'd find my babe sitting every morning and evening on the front porch of our beach house. This was the view......BEAUTIFUL!!! With the boardwalk directly in front between the brick wall and sand. It was so fun to sit there and people watch 24/7!!!! This was definitely Ry's favorite spot to be:)

Love birds on the beach:)

Me and my handsome boys about ready to take on some waves!!!!

All 3 of my kids doing what they love most.......just playing on the beach!! They want to live in CA cuz they think this is all they'd do all day every day:)

Chandler boogie-boarding!!! He was awesome and dared going out further than me!!! He is a brave kid:)

My sweetest family at Newport Beach!!! Second year in a row and keeping the tradition of going back every summer. We love it there!!! What a wonderful summer we had!! Now on to my favorite time of year........Fall:)