My Race

I was up early and pumped about our run. The big hill was one I had done before and was a little scared of but I made it almost all the way to the top without stopping. I think I placed 38th overall in a 5K this last Saturday!
There may have been 70 people running the race. It was a fund-raiser race for 3 boys for their college. My friend Jenny found out about it and she was excited and nervous to run her first race so I ran it with her. We ran 3.1 miles in 35 minutes and had a great time. I loved the yummy fruit and pancake breakfast afterwards and the two hours without kids crying or fighting.

Quarantined

We have been quarantined this week due to the chickenpox. After the Dr appt on Wednesday we've tried to be careful and only taken Emily to a few places (okay 4). I've gone out by myself a couple of times without her as well. And yet today I am starting to feel trapped in my house. This is a wake-up call to me of how accustomed I am to taking my kids places. Or maybe now I feel a loss of the option to leave whenever. Whatever the reason, I am appreciating I live in a time where I have transportation easily accessible, the money to own and maintain my transportation, and usually have the health and strength to go out of my house. Count my many blessings....

After thoroughly inspecting all 20 of her non-itchy spots, I am saying Emily is now safe to go in public again. The Dr said when they all have scabbed over she is no longer contagious and that is what it looks like. So far no signs of spots on Ashley but we will continue to watch her this week. I am thinking that if/when she does, I will do potty training at the same time since we'll be home already.

This week I have found myself playing so much more with my kids. I have been in Barbie and Polly Pocket worlds all week. One day they also were Tarzan (Em) and Jane (Ash). I got to be mommy monkey and dad was the lion that chased them. This was the day they repeatedly jumped off couches. Today Emily announced she is officially getting married to our neighbor Jonathan tomorrow (age 4, lives next door, the only boy in her preschool last year). I kindly reminded her that we don't play with friends on Sunday and so she said they could move it to Monday. The wedding party will be in our front yard. Emily said both families could come, but then changed her mind and said it was only for her and Jonathan. Ashley loves the idea and has also picked her fiancee, Jonathan's little brother David (age 2). So maybe we'll have a double wedding. Emily has also loved playing school this week and has learned how to write most of her last name and some of her numbers. Bryan got Emily's 2 wheeler bike today fixed with a new seat and training wheels and they had a blast today biking around the block. So all-in-all we've had a great week!

Summer Fun

Here's a short outline of some events that took place this summer for the Hanks household that have heretofore not been mentioned in other posts.

My baby turned 4! Emily had her 4th birthday out in California. We had a quick birthday bowl of breakfast and opening of one present before we left for church. Emily kept insisting that she wasn't 4 yet. So we had lunch and she and Bryan made and decorated her own birthday cake. It was after we sang to her and started cutting the cake that she proudly announced, "Now I am 4."
She got a Webkins elephant stuffed animal and promptly named her Emily after herself. She also got lots of new (modest) Barbies.
She taught herself to whistle a couple weeks after that and will be happy to let you hear it.






My cousin Hannah is 12 years old and has come over many times to play/ babysit/ hang out. We live 30 minutes away from the Foster family and thoroughly enjoy having them close. We usually get together for birthdays, dance shows, etc. Here is a tea party in the basement photo.






Here's me with a group of girlfriends out on the town one night. We were at the book release of Breaking Dawn, the 4th book in the Twilight series. After hearing reviews, I decided not to read the last book (ask me if you want the details why). But I totally love these ladies! They are my friends, neighbors, co-workers (homemakers), fellow church members, running partners, book club members- I love them all!




The brother's Hanks. This one photo capturing many, many hours of long talks with Spencer and Cameron Hanks. These two men are awesome. They live in Provo and are full-time busy with figuring out life and the path to happiness. They have had many ups and downs but mostly just amazing discoveries about faith in God and His love, peace, acceptance, miracles, and mercy. These guys always seem to give me a lot to think about. We are here in Pizza Docs on Pioneer Day where we hung out for 2 hours. These 3 guys are really good for each other.


Bryan started/joined a new law firm. The firm AdvantEdge was created a year ago by 3 guys. Bryan and his good friend Jono left their firm at Holland & Hart and joined up with these guys to form a new partnership called ALG. There are 5 partners now with 4 technical writers. Business is booming for these young entrepreneurs. This is Bryan and Jono's first day at their new job. They are doing some awesome things. Check them out at http://www.alg-ip.com/

Bryan served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in San Antonio, Texas from 1997-99. During the last 3 months of his time there, he and his companion Steve Easthope came to know the Empey family- Mike and Theresa and their son Michael. Mike had been baptized a member of the church but had not been in 35+ years. He felt inspired to go to church and turn his life around for his son who was then 11 years old. Bryan and Steve taught the gospel to Mike and Michael. Mike overcame some challenging obstacles and was able to baptize his son before Bryan left the mission. Theresa decided to join the church 4 1/2 years later. We lived in Austin at the time and were able to be there for her special day. They came to SLC to reunite with the missionaries who started some major changes in their lives for the better. We had a wonderful weekend with lots talking, sight-seeing, memories, music, pictures and tears. Mike is phenomenal musician. Check out his song at
http://www.myspace.com/michaelellisempey

Chicken Pox!

Emily got her second dose of the chickenpox vaccine two weeks ago and ended up getting the chickenpox from the live vaccine! We are now quarantined for 10-14 days at which point Ashley will probably just be starting to be contagious. I know now what I will be doing for the last month of summer. Luckily both Bryan and I had them as kids and so we are not at risk for anything.
She had a low grade fever at church on Sunday which I attributed to her cold she got. So we could have gotten the 3o kids sick but we won't know for 2 weeks. Because she had the vaccine, her 16 spots are not itchy.


Here's our interpretation of the Olympic events at our house. Here you will see a debute of the new event, Women's Gymnastics Floor Routine for Two. Both girls are creating their own music to their movements. It definitely fits in the modern dance category.

Emily's Song

Three nights ago I was putting Emily to bed and she started singing a song. Upon request of friends who love her spontaneity, I wrote it down. Her inspiration comes from a Book of Mormon scripture story about a Christian convert King Lamoni and his encounter with his unhappy father.
The tune is a free-lance rhythm going up and down short scales.

"You do not fight with your father
You do not fight with your father
You do not fight with your father
You just be nice to your father
And just have hakuna-matata. (She stops singing to laugh at her own joke)
Whatever you think you know is true
You do not fight with your brother or sister
Never hit or push at night
Wake up in the morning and stretch.

You never you ever fight
Don't think of strangers
Just think of us
Just think of peaceful
Ever Jesus is coming
Watch out!

Return
You know what happened to our Father
You know it's true
You never know what is really true.
You know love and animals
Hasheen

Heavenly Father loves us
He really does
Happy
You'll be happy if you wake up
If you wake up grouchy you'll feel sad
Follow your Father
And even your mom and dad."

She asked that I sing it back to her afterwards, and she was very pleased with it.
A few days before that she and I were talking about Jesus. She asked when Jesus was coming back to earth and I told her I wasn't really sure. She said, "I think he's coming in... February."

Wesley's Wedding

Wesley and Kristen Bedford, married July19, 2008 in the San Diego Temple. This is my only picture of the lovely couple together from the weekend taken at the dinner the night before they were married. I hope someone sends me some wedding pictures soon! They are now living in Phoenix area- Wes will graduate from the Tempe police academy in August and Kristen just started working at a children's museum.

Emily got to be the flower girl during the ring ceremony. She did a great job looking cute and walking where she needed to. Thankfully she didn't fall into the small lake during the ceremony, although she was making me nervous. She loved being a helper to the bride with the dress' train and getting them napkins after cutting the cake. Her favorite part of the whole event was getting to dance with her daddy for a long time. I ordered a second dress for Ashley so she could feel beautiful too and they were both adorable. I rented their dresses online which was way cheaper and they had tons of color choices- www.gagas.com.

California Fun!!

I think we just had the best family vacation! We went to southern California for a week, mostly for my brother Wes' wedding. I think what made this trip so different is that Bryan didn't have to work while traveling. We left Monday afternoon, traveled 5 hours and stayed in Las Vegas. We went swimming that night and then on to CA the next day. We got to have dinner and hang out with my longest known friend Kristy Pilawski and her husband Jason in Long Beach. They loved watching our girls do their thing and we loved hearing about their adventures in aeronautic engineering.

Wednesday morning we slept in and then cruised over to the beach. We saw lots of dolphins swimming and sand crabs while we made our sand castle. Ashley got over her dirty hands issues fairly quickly and the only downer was my sunburned back (currently in the itchy, peely phase).
Thursday we went to Knotts Berry Farm- Maegan, Bryan, Emily, Ashley, Grammy Holly and Garrett. We spent probably 8 hours there and had a great day. We took turns staying with the girls and the other adults went on rides too. Garrett made us all go on some crazy rides for which we were all grateful we didn't lose any lunch. Emily said her favorites were the balloon and airplane rides and Ashley loved the merry-go-round horses. In this picture they are on the balloon ride with Grammy; while mom, dad and Gar were on the Supreme Scream- 252 foot drop straight down.