Swim, Bike, Run!!!

It's official! I'm a triathlete!
The first annual Herriman Black Ridge Escape Triathlon

215 pounds and I did a triathlon! I'm a work in progress, but am very proud of myself.

This morning came super early...5am, however my heart had thumped all night as I was so nervous, scared, excited, thrilled. My buddies were meeting me at my house at 5:30 so we could drop off our stuff at the different transition areas. I had stayed up way to late last night making sure that I had everything I needed: wetsuit (check), running shoes (check), water bottles (check), GU (check), tri-shorts (check)...the list goes on.

We made our way to the reservoir first...which was smart...we had the pick of the racks for our bikes. We hung the bikes, put our towels below them, arranged our stuff then headed down to the T2 transition area to get body marked and put our running gear in place. Thanks to Jen and Josh for bringing 2 cars...we were able to pile in the Tahoe and go back up to the starting line.

All the athletes started showing up. The spectators starting showing up as well. Kristin's mom and dad came and she was so happy they were there.

It was an awesome morning...the water was like glass! We started to put on our wetsuits, and even got in the water to get use to it. We started to line up...the men first, then the ladies. I was so proud of myself. I wasn't the last woman out of the water and felt like I swam really well.

I ran back to the transition area to strip off my wetsuit and get ready for the bike ride. Getting the sand off took a bit, but than heavens I brought a bottle of water specific for that.

I ran out of the transition area with my bike and started on the 14 mile ride. We were able to go down hill first which was nice because of the swim. We started the decent up towards the copper mine...a gradual hill at first but then...holy cow...super steep. But you know what it means when you go up a hill...you get to go down. I went 40 mph on my bike (first time for that) and was totally freaked out! As I was heading to the transition area, my mom was there! I was so happy to see her.

I made it to the transition area...where of course...several of the men had completed the race, including Josh. I hung my bike, took my sandy socks off, but on some dry socks and starting on the 5K.

Since I have bad knees, I walked fast...I did have several people pass me, but I didn't care. As I made my way to the end of the race, my mom, my sweet hubby, my awesome kiddies, and my buddies who also did the race were there to cheer me in! Xan even came and held my hand as I crossed the finish line.

My mom took us to Ihop for brunch…I was famished and just happy to be with my family!

I was so happy to be done and to actually be able to say "I just did a triathlon!" It was such a great time and I look forward to doing it next year!

Special thanks to Kristin's friend Heather for taking such awesome photos. Please visit her website to see more of her awesome work!
http://ayaphotography.zenfolio.com/

Everybody Dance Now!

Alright..I had to post this as it is just too funny to pass up. This past Sunday we decided to watch a movie before bed. Maddy brought down Madagascar II...of course you just have to dance. Tommy just loves to dance, as we are learning, and has some awesome moves. The kids love being together. I love watching them play.

However...be prepared for a special treat from Xan! Enjoy!

Reservoir Babes!

Wahoooo! Check out the Hotties!

Left to right: Angela, Jen, Steve, Kristin, Super Hot Missy

My first triathlon is this Saturday. Am I nervous...you betcha! However, I have been biking and swimming a lot...I feel prepared for the most part...however...swimming in a lake is very different than a pool. A group of us decided to meet up at the reservoir to try it out. I am SO GLAD that I bought a wetsuit...it made all the difference in the world!

As we started swimming to the first buoy, I got nervous and started to panic...luckily my friends told me that this would happen...I was able to calm down, and make it! Then, to the next buoy..even better...then we swam across the lake and I found that if I started to panic, flipping onto my back helped a lot.

Thank heavens for good friends and a super sweet hubby who are so supportive!

UCW...Rocky Mountain Rumble

I went on the BEST DATE OF ALL TIME with my hot hubby.

Did we go to a fancy restaurant?
No.

Did we go to an awesome movie?
No.

Did we go to entertainment wrestling...
YES!

This is where the magic happens!

I work with a guy who wrestles with UCW (Utah Championship Wrestling). He has been telling me for months that I should go. Last month, his boss and supervisor went...they both had a total blast so I asked Martin (aka Tristan Gallo) when his next match would be. We got lucky...it was the last day of July AND it was the Rocky Mountain Rumble...not only did it have a championship title match, but also 25 men in the ring trying to win a shot at the title!

I even made a poster for my friend...which must have been the best poster in the place...10 people even asked to take a picture of it!

The best poster of all time! Martin had totd me he was a bad guy so I thought it would be good to put him in the Gallows...get it...Gallo - Gallows???

My mom was kind enough to watch the kiddies and off we went. I wasn't sure what to expect, the type of people to expect (well...let's be honest, I kind of knew what type of people to expect and I was TOTALLY right) and the quality of the wrestling. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised...even the regulars were very nice and super excited to see new faces in attendance.

Now, I hate to admit this, but I have watched WWE (formerly WWF...I'm a geek) for years...I was a huge Hulk Hogan fan when I was a kid and love the Rock... so I have seen a lot of entertainment wrestling in my 36 years...but never live. I was pleasantly surprised at how good they were and how fun it was to watch.

My friend did a great job of playing up his injury (which at the end we discovered was actually real...I hope you are ok) and I totally got into the yelling and screaming, picking favorites, and just having a great, white trash time!

Tristan, after hurting his hamstring.

The refs were kind enough to help him out!

It was first come, first serve seating, so we were on the front row in one of the corners. During the title match, a wrestler named Cassidy was thrown out of the ring...Paco...the champion...came out of the ring, and up to us to tell us that we had to move...I was like "what" so we got up... Paco then threw Cassidy into our chairs...I SO WISH that I would have kept the video recording...I turned it back on...we set up our seats again and Cassidy was out of the ring again. Paco jumped out of the ring right in front of us...I was laughing so hard that I was crying! Needless to say, Paco won!

The Rocky Mountain rumble began and Tristan entered the ring first...then every so often another would come in until there were 25 in the ring....I will say, it did get a little old after a while and both Scott and I thought the Rumble went on far to long...but...we had a great time!

I was able to get pictures with Tristan and Cassidy (although he did ask me to show off my guns as well). Martin's sister (I think that's who it was) took a picture of Scott and I with Tristan...hopefully I can get a copy of it.

Me and Martin, aka Tristan Gallo


Me and Cassidy...my guns are just as awesome as his, right?

Thanks for a great evening UCW...we will totally go again!

Bling Bling!

What's better than a great friend?
A great friend who gets you an awesome sparkle skirt for your birthday!

My buddy Kristin is a Leo like myself...born just 2 days later than I (ok...let's be honest, 4 years and two days later) got me a skirt to match hers for my birthday.

What are these skirts for, you ask? Well, duh...exercising! What's better than flying down Redwood Road in your full biking gear and a sparkle skirt!

Thanks for the awesome gift! I hope you had a great birthday as well!

Maddy's first day of 2nd grade

Read all about it!
Maddy Starts 2nd Grade!

My my, how time flies! Maddy started 2nd grade yesterday. She was so excited that she had a hard time going to bed the night before. Her teacher's name is Mrs. Redd and she will be in one of the pods outside the school.

We were able to go with her on the first day and it was good to meet her teacher and also see that she had some friends from her 1st grade and her kindergarten class with her.

Maddy was so embarrassed that I wanted to take pictures so I am lucky that I got these!

Maddy and Scott walking up to the school.

Good luck to my sweet Maddy! She is growing up too fast! Pretty soon she will be asking for the car...oy!

Happy Birthday to ME!

36....I'm now 36! I am in the last year of my mid-thirities. I am only 4 years away from 40! Which is TOTALLY ok. I'm like a fine wine...I only get better with age! Plus it really helps that there is a parade and fireworks all held in my honor...some say it's to celebrate Pioneer Day...I say it's to celebrate my birth.

Thanks to all those for the fabulous birthday wishes. It turned out to be a fantastic day. The night before, we were trying to decide what to do. My mom had some ideas, I had some ideas, Scott had some ideas, but nothing seemed to be THE idea....until...Scott decided to use Priceline and get a 4-star hotel room for $50 in the fabulous, but not so posh, downtown Salt Lake! We decided to get 2 of them and took the family and my mom.

We had a great time. I left work early on Friday...we packed, picked up my mom, checked in to the Hilton and set out to dinner. Not sure of where to go, we decided on Lambs (the oldest restaurant in SL, established in 1919). So...let's pause for a minute and talk about Lambs....growing up my Grandpa Robbins would take us there every Sunday. The waiters feared our family and would do "rock, paper, scissors" as to who had to serve us. Was it because Kirby and I were small children? NO! It was because my grandpa...love him I did...was an onry old man! The lights were never bright enough, the meat was never cooked enough, the bread was never soft enough. You name it, he complained about it...yet we continued to go there for years!

Anyway...Lambs...the food...eh...don't get the salmon and don't get the lamb...however, the kids meals (grilled cheese for Xan, Tommy and Maddy had chicken tenders) were quite good. The bill....$90...totally not worth it, but we did feed 6.

Here are the kiddies enjoying some treats after dinner.



There is tons of "usable art" in downtown Salt Lake...the bike racks are even artsy. Here is Xan being the monkey she is!

We had a blast walking back to the Hotel...Tommy was a big boy and wanted to walk everywhere. We went swimming and as an FYI...the pool at the Hilton...the shallowest end is 4 1/2 feet...for those that know my mom...she's barely 5 feet...thank heavens for the pool noodle! Too bad I didn't get a pix of my mom floating on it...totally awesome!

We had great intentions of visiting my adoring fans at the parade held in my honor, but decided to head down to the Gateway instead. Before that, we did have a delicious breakfast at Trofi. Maddy wanted Pancakes...and a side of bacon...to her surprise she was brought 4 slices...she was in heaven.

Anyway...if you ever want to go to the Discovery Gateway museum, go on the 24th of July during the parade. We were one of the only families there and had a blast. The first room shows gravity and air...balls can be used to put in air tubes that will push them in the air, or you can drop the balls down the tubes where they wind around to a central place. Tommy loves this area.

The next has several different things: a construction area, live doll house with kid sized furniture, dress up like a post worker, shop at a grocery store, water fun, garden fun, horse fun, building fun, etc.. and a classroom where you can sign up for events. The kiddies were able to make covered wagons in honor of Pioneer Day...I mean, my birthday.

Tommy loved the cars (so did my mom I'm sure)
and water fun....

Xan enjoyed building things with lego-like items...



Maddy enjoyed the construction area...

Scott enjoyed playing Godzilla in the construction area....

Tommy loved the cars (so did my mom I'm sure) and water....

That evening we went to my mom's house for a bbq...so much fun just to chill. The only thing missing was Sheila and the kids (they were camping).

Xan was darling and not only did she make me dozens of notes, but she sang me a song as well...

Thanks again for all the birthday wishes and birthday fun.
I love you all!

Triple T...Tommy Turns Two!

Happy Birthday Tommy Pooters!!!

Time sure has been flying by! It's very hard to believe that our little boy is now 2. Tommy has done a lot of growing this past year. Although he is only in the 60th percentile for both height and weight, he has changed so much. He understands most everything that you say to him, and although he has few words, he can show you what he needs. Currently his most common words are: mom, dad, Gram, yes (pronounced "yesh"), no, mine, car, baba (which means binky or blanket), and hello.

The morning of his birthday was fun. Right when he got up, the girls were telling him "happy birthday" and giving him lots of hugs and kisses. Keep in mind...he had just woke up so he wasn't the happiest birthday boy on earth at this point. I took a 1/2 day off work and we went swimming at Scott's parent's place. Tommy knows how to hang on the wall in the pool and scoot around the sides.

We came back to our house where we had cake and ice cream with our family and a couple close friends from the neighborhood. Tommy enjoyed eating the frosting off his cake, but his favorite part was the presents (surprise, surprise). Our friends the Daw's and the Sokol's gave him these Mega Bloks cars...keep in mind, for Christmas he received some of these and they are his favorite. After he opened those presents, I had a hard time getting him to be interested in the others. Thanks to everyone who came and gave such awesome gifts.

Since his birthday, he has been carrying the cars around the house and takes them to bed with him. He is all boy and is darling!

We love you Tommy and hope that you had a great birthday!


Tommy and some of his cars and truck he got.

Here is a video of him not wanting to give up his binky to blow out the candles!

Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue!

Happy 4th of July!

For the past several years, my mom's ward has had a neighborhood block party for the 4th of July. Not only has it been a great time for us to get together with her, but also for the kids to really celebrate the 4th with good people!

Each year it starts with a bike parade...the kids get to decorate their bikes, scooters, etc and then the streets around the church are blocked off by the local fire department. The kids get to ride around and their names are announced.

Tommy doesn't go anywhere without his binky and blanket! I wasn't able to get him in the main pix, but he's to cute to not have on this post!

My kids and Kirby's kids look forward to this each year. After the bike parade, an awesome breakfast is served to anyone who wants to come. They also have face painting, bubbles, and crafts for the kids to do.

One of my favorite things is to meet with my buddies that I grew up with. We may only get this one time each year, but it is well worth the wait!

After the block party, we drove to Scofield up Spanish Fork Canyon to be with my mom's family. My aunt Jane and uncle Dave were in from Tennessee and it was great to see them. I think for the first time my kids felt comfortable with my cousins kids...it just goes to show that they are growing up.

My mom's family is great and I sure wish we got to see more of them!

"I've Got Rhythm"

I forgot that I had this...here is Tommy boy at the parade enjoying the drums....