It's About Time..

It's about time I got back on the blogging wagon. I've tried several times to do a post about our fun summer, but my pictures would not load for some reason. One day, maybe I'll get the pictures to load. So here I'll try again!

We did have a fun summer. We're still not sure where the time went, and we're having a hard time wrapping our brains around the fact that we are now full swing into fall mode with school, soccer, football, dance, piano, and soon volleyball.

This summer, we did some things I swore we would NEVER do...

...we got a dog, Bob (who is a black lab mix, and is a sweet dog, who needed a loving home. I think we are providing that for him! He seems happy and seems to like 0us. I have eaten a lot of crow. The kids have had a BLAST with Bob and have been very responsible and are taking good care of him. So far, I have had to do very little with him, which is how we are going to keep it.)

...I ran in a race. (a 5k on the 4th of July, and I survived, and actually had a pretty fun time.)

...R competed in a sprint triathlon. (I didn't think this would be possible so soon after his Christmas light accident. Thankfully, he is a speedy healer. He did awesome!)

...R also ran in his 2nd 1/2 Marathon. (and smoked his goal time by finishing 10 minutes faster than he had planned!)

...The kids all worked on getting up water skiing (OK, I knew they would do this, but I didn't think it would be this soon, and that they would enjoy it so much. Even B gave it her best shot! She would've gotten up if her feet weren't so small in the boots! And so, they earned wet suits..a promise from a few years back.)

...The kids all conquered my imposing fear of snakes, reptiles, etc. and all had fun holding snakes, frogs and lizards (I still will NEVER do that, but I will allow the kids too if they must.)

...and so, with some of the "Nevers" tackled, we decided to complete the some more "Nevers" over Labor Day...

I am not a fan of enclosed, tight, small spaces. I don't know that I'd go as far as to label myself as claustrophobic, but I really, really, really, prefer not to be confined. I can work through it, but I try to avoid all occasions that might make me feel confined, crowds, pinned under blankets etc.

That being said, our crazy friends convinced (or tricked) us into going hiking in some Slot Canyons. Yes it was beautiful, yes the kids LOVED it, yes they thought it was a blast, yes it was fun. Will I do it again, probably...will I suggest it....no way no how! Yikes we climbed through some TIGHT places. At times R had to take K off his back, and hand her to someone else. He couldn't fit with her even in his arms. At the end I was close to freaking out, I had my hands on the wall of one side, my back resting on the other wall, I turned my head to get some confirmations from my crazy friends, and as I turned my head to look where I was going, my nose hit the wall. Yes I have a big nose, but not THAT big. We survived and got some amazing pictures. Thank you Marie and Stacey for laughing at me and making thunder noises and helping me conquer a fear! Couldn't have done it with out you guys!

The next day, we decided to take a nice easy, peaceful walk along the river. The kids had a blast, playing in the river until the rain started. We were dumped on! It rained like crazy, it hailed the crazy. We were drenched, no drenched is an under statement. We were drowned rats! K and B were freaking out, as were most of the other kids. It was pretty intense. After we got to the end, and got dry I asked S what the best part of the hike was, he said "The rain. It was the worst, and the best. The hardest is always the best afterwards." So true buddy, so true!

The 3rd day, we hiked again, this time it was almost uneventful. We didn't get wet (well we did, but on purpose). We hiked to a beautiful water fall. The kids were awesome. We figured we hiked about 15 miles in 3 days. Never once did they complain. We had to slow them down. I love being outdoors with my kids, and I love when they get to experience nature and the beauty of all of the amazing things we have around us! We can't wait to go back and experience more hikes!

...the last NEVER that we are going to tackle, was decided upon last night. S is getting started with some Orthodontic work. He has been feeling picked on that he can't eat hard candy, sticky candy, fruit snacks, chew gum etc. He was told last night that when he gets braces on, he isn't going to be able to drink soda. The kids don't get to drink a lot of soda, but if we go out to eat, go camping, etc. they drink it. So R challenged them all not to drink it until the end of the year. I spoke up and said we could do it. They all were surprised and shocked that I would go along with it. They even said I couldn't do it! That's all it took. We're going to do. WE WILL NOT DRINK SODA (yes even my beloved diet coke)FOR THE REST OF 2009! WE CAN DO IT! (right????)They decided I needed to wean myself off, so I get until Sunday, but starting Sunday we will be a soda free family! Crazy. I'll keep you posted on how that goes!

Whew...sorry for the marathon post. Maybe now that I'm kind of updated, I'll stay up on blogging more...I doubt. Check back in a month or so, maybe there'll be more...but for now...never say never!