Happy Day!

Occasionally all that running pays off. Today was one of those days. I ran the Snow Canyon 5k and got 1st in my age division. It was a beautiful day and great course. A bit of a tough uphill 1st half, but that made for a fun downhill on 2nd half. I went to this race alone but ended up seeing Emily S. & Katrina H. there, friends I hadn't seen for awhile. Also saw Wildbill from FRB and Marion (Sara's friend). Good times!

Halloween

This year the kids came up with their costume ideas with no help from Mom & Dad. Toby & his guy friends (Kale & Seth) decided the three of them were going to be "GIRLS". It was hilarious. Arielle wanted to be a dog, but then I ran across a kangaroo costume. She decided she'd embellish and be "Kangaroo Jack" for those of you who haven't seen that movie- he's a "rapper" Kangaroo. So Arielle added a bandana & bling to her costume. I got to take most of the day off work and play "mom" which is always a treat now that I work so much. I helped with Arielle's class Halloween party and watched her school's Halloween parade where the kids march down all around school in their costumes. Then at night we went to our ward's annual Trunk or Treat then onto trick or treatin' in a fun neighborhood that gives out ice cream cones & full size candy bars. We all had a blast!

Moustache Week

Ok, ya'll know that Jim likes to grow facial hair and he has been blessed with a lot of it. Imagine how thrilled he was when his manager at work declared Halloween week "Moustache Week". For the month of October all the guys grew big beards then shaved and left just the 'stache for the last week of October. Jim of course has a nice thick one. Is it bad that when we're out together I feel I have to give a disclaimer... like "he doesn't usually have just a 'stache....."?

Arielle is so COURAGEOUS!

Arielle has always been tough. She doesn't scare easy (been doing the big kid rides at Disney since she was six and loves it). Bugs, snakes & the like don't make her squirm (in fact she loves going around collecting them) AND she doesn't even sniffle when she falls out of the tree and gets cuts & scrapes. So yeah, she's brave! We were so proud of her this past week when she got recognized at school for another kind of bravery. Arielle was presented with the courage award for his class at the monthly hero hunt award assembly. Here's what Mrs. Puzey had to say "Arielle was voted by her classmates as our Hero for October. She demonstrates courage by standing up for what she believes, by always telling the truth, and by making right choices. Way to go Arielle!" I think this is the most important kind of courage to have. Congrats Arielle!

Fall Break

The Sloans have been visiting for the past week. So far we have fit in lots of fun stuff! For family night we went to the Staheli Farm where we picked pumpkins, got lost in the corn maze and played games. It was REALLY cold & windy that night (yes, occasionally it gets cold in St. George), but we still had a blast. The adults went to Samuri 21 for dinner one night, sat at a fun hibachi table and Julie & Steve tried sushi for the first time! Isabelle & Arielle were obsessed with making bead lizards all week. Stella (next door) got into the action too. The three girls had a sleepover and made bead lizards all night (they even named the lizards!). Toby & Conner got to shred it up at the skatepark while Lincoln & Winston tried their hardest to get run over by big kids,LOL. (Lincoln was on a scooter & Winston on a bike w/ training wheels- they would ride out in front of 20 yr old bike stunt riders...scary...) Julie & I got out for a few hikes & runs, trying to make up for the junk food we eat every night when we hang out. One day we took Jim and the boys to Snow Canyon and hiked WhiteRocks. Lastly, Mom & Dad stopped by on their way back from Vegas to SLC to see the progress on the house (Jim & Steve have been working on painting and landscaping the house). The week's not over, but I wanted to post some pics of the fun we've been having so far!

St. George Marathon 2008

Well I won't spend too much time on a race report here- you'll have to go to http://shufflingsista.fastrunningblog.com/ for the nitty gritty race report. Last year the weather was probably the best for SGM and this year the WORST!!!! I didn't make my goals, but I was just happy to finish the race out there yesterday. It poured until mile 20 and was very windy. My friends who are elite runners say most people's goals were off about 10 minutes for the effort put in yesterday. That makes me feel a little better. Jim only took 1 lousy pic at the finish (not his fault, hard to take good pics through the mass of people at the finish) so when the marathon photographers get their pics posted I will put one up here. Glad its over, looking forward to 5ks, 10ks and Half Marathons...(little burnt out on full marathons for now...)(read my race report on link above, its more positive - written while the endorphins were still in my system- LOL)

Powell !

After 8 years, this vacation keeps getting better & better! Family, Boating, Surfing, Wakeboarding, Tubing, Sandcastles, Lizard Catching, Kyaking, Waverunners, Indian Ruins, Swimming, Fishing, Grilling, Campfires, Guitars, S'Mores, Cute Toddlers, Sassy Kids, Relaxed Grandma & Papa, Blue Sky, Hot Days, Cool Water, Reading, Tanning. HEAVEN!