Peace maker

So, my boys were fighting about something in the backseat of the car the other day, and like always Brock gave in first and let Ethan have his way. This is typical Brock behavior, he is just way more laid nack than the other two. I said to them, "Oh Brock, that was very nice of you. Our little peace maker." Two seconds later I hear from Ethan, "Oh yeah, Brock! Make peace of THIS!!!" As I look back there Ethan is making the ugliest face at Brock that he can possibly manage. If it hadn't been so damn funny I might have been angry at Ethan, but I couldn't help busting out in laughter. Where do they think of these things?

On a side note, I got my camera back from Nikon, unfixed. Apparently it is unable to be fixed and I am just out the $600 I spent on the thing. I am literally sick to my stomach about it. I hadn't even had that camera for a year yet! GRR! So, I am a pictureless blog for a while. I know, it sucks, but get over it.

Home Sweet Home

There is just nothing that beats coming home. It used to be that I would feel that way when I would head to Utah to visit family and friends...that was my home. I'm not sure when or how it happened, but I am an Alaska girl through and through. There is just something about this place that gets into your blood and you can't get rid of it. It even smells better here. Alaska has been the best thing to happen to me and my little family. I would have never guessed in a million years that I would end up in this little tiny po-dunk town or that I would even, gasp, love it here...but surprisingly, it suits me. We had a fabulous time visiting with my family and friends, and the daily rain showers made me feel like I never even left home, :). I don't even have a single picture to document the visit, my camera is still at the Nikon place getting the salt water out of it!!! Thanks mom for letting us invade your house for a quick week, we miss you guys already!!

Too much!!

I haven't updated in so long that I feel like there is too much to post about! I guess I can just say that we are done with preschool. Forever! Ethan fell on his bike and scabbed up his face. Summer weather is here and we are spending major time outside playing at the beach and the park. Only three more days of school for Ethan. We head to Utah on Saturday for a week of family fun. I fell on the rocks at the beach today and dropped my camera into the ocean. I'm hoping it will air out and work (crossing my fingers!!). I got sunburned today. I have been able to go on early morning bike rides and runs in the warm sunshine!!
So there you go, a nice and long update with a ton of pictures!

Down the drain

That is where my money is going. Down the stinkin drain. Apparently it was my new shoes that caused my knees to become injured. The shoes that I spent $125 dollars on and can't return. So, I had to spend another $110 on a different pair of shoes in hopes that I can get my knees to feel better. Piece of crap.

Great news!!

Piece of crap!! I've injured myself. I have hurt one of my tendons in my knee, and it hurts like no other. I am pretty sure that I have just over-done things with my "training". I have been trying to fit in as many triathlon activities as I can while the weather is nice and it ended up in an injury. I'm not very smart because I kept running on it while it was hurting (I was limping, so I should have known better) and over compensated on my other side which is now sore as well. Sigh.

Ben Gay is my new best friend.

It stinks like an old man.

Sigh.

I am hoping that it will heal fast and that I will be able to get back into being more active. I had just reached the point where I was actually enjoying and looking forward to each days exercise. Yesterday I went to class and did what I could do without hurting my knee. It sucked. I can't run my part of the relay in this weekend's half marathon. I can't bike. I can't walk without it hurting. I am swimming tonight, so hopefully that will not hurt, too. Does anyone have experience with knee pain? Any advice??

Our week

Kind of a modge podge group of pics to show off our week of summer weather we just enjoyed...

Ethan got to ride to school on Dad's motorcycle. He thought he was too cool.



We had a weenie roast at grandma and grandpa's house with all the cousins.



I love the above picture! Ethan grabbed the bag of marshmallows and he and Kate were eating them as fast as they could get them in their mouths!!

Kite night at Ethan's school. The weather could not have been better!

Of course, the rain is back but after a week like this last one, no complaints will be coming from our house. Secretly I am almost relieved when the rain comes back. I feel like we have to be outside squeezing each and every last drop of sunshine into our lives while we can...and the house pretty much goes to crap in a blender. When we are forced back indoors I tend to get caught up on the household stuff.

As a side note, I just have to admit that my second long bike ride was not as bad as the first one...I didn't feel as violated after it. I did get a flat tire and have to walk my bike the last mile, but I could walk, so it's all good :).

Sunshine

We have had the most glorious weather the past few days. Simply gorgeous! It has been sunny with no clouds in the sky and high 60's. It was up to 70 this afternoon! This is summer time weather for us, to get it in April is rare. So, we have been soaking it up as much as we can. Avery and Brock came inside tonight and I took one look at their mangy feet and had to take a picture. It looked a lot worse in real life, but you kind of get the idea of just how filthy they were! this is the sign of a great day, if you ask me.

With all of this incredible weather I have been outside trying to get in some actual triathlon training (not on a treadmill or a stationary bike) and it has been fabulous to run and bike along the oceanfront. I truly live in a unique, breathtakingly beautiful place. Where else could I watch seals play in the water as I jog along on the path?

I just have to say it, though....the bike and I are not friends. I hate the damn thing! Why do people do that to themselves on purpose? I like being outdoors and doing something active, don't get me wrong, but when you can't sit down for three days after there is something not right about that. I even bought a memory foam seat pad for the seat but it isn't working. A friend told me that if I rode enough I would get used to the friction and develop calluses.

Shudder.

I'm not quite sure what is worse, the being repeatedly violated by my bike seat or developing calluses down there. I still don't know if I even believe her. Calluses? There?? Really???