let loose the Endorphins!

I am a bit new at this blogging thing, but if it is truly my blog I should mention my obsession with exercise and cycling. I was climbing Traverse mountain the other day, and I realized that when I am out on my bike or have worked up a huge sweat I feel more alive than I do any other time of the day. I love my heart pumping and my lungs bursting, it is the only time I am really conscious of my body and how it works. It is amazing to me how we can train our bodies to run forever or to climb a huge mountain, or simply grow stronger by lifting a few times a week. When I get into "that zone" and feel my body come alive everything around me becomes alive as well, the trees, the long road ahead of me, the hot sun above me, I am a junkie!Don't get me wrong there are days when I am just not motivated "like my Monday morning 6am cycling class, but I never regret it once I am there and moving. I know it has taught me some valuable lessons about perseverance and hard work, it makes me a better person, a better mother and wife, and I feel good and healthy, what more can I ask for. I thank my Heavenly Father for a healthy body and the opportunity I have to use it! I am so blessed

One Big happy family.

Well this week was so much fun! I got to have almost all my nieces and nephews come and play with me! I love them all, I am such a lucky aunt and mom. I thought it would be fun to go to the gardens and the dinosaur museum and of course spend alot of time at the pool. It was fun to have them all together, we even had some neighbor kids in the mix at some of our outings! It was a bit hard keeping track of everyone at one point I just kept counting seven heads at all times. No one got lost or drowned so I think we did pretty good.

The Great Outdoors.

Jason and I had a great opportunity to go help work on the new Girls Camp in Heber. It was amazing, when we arrived a Senior missionary gave us a intro to why they decided to build a new camp (all the missionaries are Seniors, they are only called for 6 months out of the year) he explained that Pres. Hinkely had, had a vision and that the church needed to buy some property for a new girls camp. The church set out to buy some property in Herber they found about 40 acres, but pres. Hinckley said it wasn't enough, ultimately the church bought 8,500 acres give or take for the camp! WOW! It was beautiful, we had a great time, I was the only woman there as a volunteer, it was pretty funny, all the old men were concerned that I was overdoing it, but if anyone knows me it just made me all the more determined to prove how strong I was even if I was getting tuckered out! We got to clear a construction site first then our next job was clearing out logs and throwing them in a ravine so they could chip the wood for trails. I love this kind of labor!

Father's Day Pig Out fest!!

Well Father's Day was sooo much fun! I don't know anyone who deserves it more than Jason! He is always putting his family first. I truly love that man! I am astounded by how much support and compliments I get from my husband. When Jason gets home from work his first thought is to find his girls and spend quality time with them, then if I don't have dinner made ( which is quite often) he sends me up stairs to relax and offers to make dinner, what a babe! He never complains that the house is messy ( well occasionally he will hint if my "organized piles get to high and smelly" )but he has never, and I mean never complained about my house keeping skills, and that doesn't mean I am an amazing house keeper, far from it. He's is my best friend and I couldn't have pick a better companion for this crazy journey through life! Fathers Day was Preston Style, if you don't know what that is, it means there was an abundance of food, laughter, and a tisp of chaos, and a few overly sore bellies when the day was done. I want to mention some of the other Father's in my life, my own dad, grandpa Fenton, man was I lucky to have a dad like my day, I don't think anyone could have loved me more! He is an awesome person. My Father in law Gus has the biggest heart of anyone I know, he has a undying devotion for his kids that I truly love about him. I can't forget all my brother's! They are all wonderful! To those I didn't see, Happy Fathers Day! And God Bess.

It's not about the tagalong.

Shiloh and dad had a date last Saturday, and I have to say I think Shiloh has the cycling gene. She loves speed and the open air! Putting her in cycling gear was too much fun. They had a great time, Shilohs favorite ride is from our house (we live by the Alpine Highway) to Thanksgiving Point. Jason likes to go to the ice cream parlor and split a ice cream sundae with her "who wouldn't love that! Jason's new goal for next year is to start a big junior team and I mean junior, he's already checking out road bikes for savannah, she will be able to race at 10 years old. Savannah is super excited I think we might have created a monster! She really loves to ride with dad! We are so tickled with our girls they are a blast to hang out with!

cartwheels!

I had a great experience at the gardens a few weeks ago, The girls and I decided to head out because it was one of the first sunny days we have had in a long time. I love the way everything comes back to life in the spring including parts of my soul. Being out in the fresh air, seeing all the colorful aromatic blooms was intoxicating for us, we had been couped up for a very long and harsh winter. Anyhow I thought it would be fun to teach Shiloh how to do cartwheels, so I tucked in my shirt and went to it, my first few attempt were laughable but it came back just like riding a bike. Shiloh and I got good and dizzy turning over and turning over, I think a few times I actually fell but I didn't care there wasn't really anyone around to see my 31 year old self flipping over and falling. So after my so called lesson we wandered up the hill to get a drink, and on the way I noticed a nice elderly couple had been watching us, I said hello to the nice looking women and we proceeded to the drinking fountain as the couple walked passed us they stopped and The gentleman "looked at me with a jolly eye and a laugh in his voice and asked me if I wouldn't mind teaching him how to do cartwheels as well, laughed and then I realized I was talking to an apostle of the Lord, Elder Tom Perry! It was really a wonderful day, later I thought about his comment and what he said holds so true to his book "Living with enthusiasm". I think we as a society have gotten in the habit of negativity. I hear alot more "I have to's" Than "I get to's" and that includes myself, really this life is a bottomless pitcher of blessings if we choose to recognize them or change the way we see them. I am so thankful for the Gospel in my life, being a member of Christ true church here on earth today. I have been given so many opportunities to serve in turn I am more blessed than I was before so I am going to try to remember "I get to's "and "I have an opportunity to" in my life and take what may seem a irritating gain of sand and remember to keep in mind that only pearls come from being positive!

Snake!!!!

I am continually surprised with my girls and their interest! But this interest I can honestly say I am a bit creeped out about! Savannah, has decided that she likes snakes, and of course sister Shiloh followed suit. Jason and the girls caught a Snake around our house Saturday doing yard work, Savannah fell in love and hauled the slimy thing around all day. Savannah, didn't want to part with her new friend so we allowed her to take her snake over to aunt Chars in a Tupperware while grandpa Gus watched them on date night. Well low and behold a couple hours later Savannah went to check on Herbie the snake and it wasn't in the Tupperware, Charlene and Steven had gone on on a mini vacation, that weekend, so char who is deathly afraid of snakes had no idea there was one lose in her house. The next day we got a call from Char she told us that a snake was found coiled up next to their phone on the counter top, needless to say it freaked poor Charlene out! She thought that maybe there was a mom snake that had, had lots of little creepy baby snakes in her house so thinking about Jason and his past history decided to find out if he was behind this snakie situation. Jason exclaimed it wasn't him this time, it was his adorable spawn that had left her such a cuddly present! anyway I hate to admit it but I was a relived that the sweet Herbie got let lose!