more ragnar pics

Here we all are at the finish line. Yay! We did it, Ragnar 2011

Carolyn, Marinda, Shauna, Machell, Collette, Julie, Jarrica, Amy, Kellie, Misty, Jane (not pictured: Wendy)

Ragnar Pictures

I Rocked at Ragnar! I had a great time and ran 21.2 miles. It was a great experience and I would do it again for sure. I'm addicted to running, and had such a great time with the girls I ran with.

If I were...

I really want to learn how to use my camera.  We had our door open last night and the moon and clouds were AMAZING!! After all the rain the air smelled so clean and the wind in the pine trees was so peaceful.  I had to get a picture, but of course it doesn't do it justice.  It was beautiful.  The rain all weekend was wonderful and I went out for a run yesterday morning and it was perfect, 55 degrees, no wind, cloudy, just perfect.  Good last long run before my Ragnar Relay on Friday/Saturday.  I'm excited for that, but it could be because I'm not sure what to expect, I just know I love to run and I'm excited to see my friends I haven't seen for a while.  Hopefully the moon will shine on for me on Friday night at about 2 am when I'm running on a trail non-supported in the middle of the desert somewhere around anthem.  Here's hoping!  Happy running, and moonshining (in a clean way ;)

Actual pictures

So, I have these, the most recent pictures of the girls, but I finally got the pictures organized, but need to figure out a way to make them faster and better sized for the blog.  This is a start though. I have pictures from before Halloween last year to post. Events to cover:

Half Marathon

Moving

New house (at Harper's)

Thanksgiving

Christmas

New Years

New school for Emma

Bike riding (CHECK!!)

Here's the bike riding pictures.

Here's Audrey riding free.  She is growing up so much.  She's had the most difficulty with the move and the change with our family.  She is so sweet and tender and this was a huge thing for her to build her confidence in herself.  She's amazing.

Kennedy riding the bike she inherited from Audrey.  She is a peddling fiend. Watch out, here she comes. 

Emma giving her "I love you"/"Rock On" hand sign.  One handed riding on her bike from Santa.  She is rocking on two wheels. 

pictures...

I really need a tutorial in how to be faster with this dumb blogger thing.  It is simple, no frills, but I would rather cut off my arm than sacrifice the precious time to "cutify" it.  That's my own word.  SO, if anyone has a short tutorial on how to make a slideshow, or upload pictures quick, I  mean Lightning fast, or even how to organize my pictures so I can find the good ones to share.... do you sense my frustration.  I haven't given up on the blog, just overwhelmed by it.  I'd rather be running. I should be running. Ragnar is 4 weeks away.  I'm getting my shoes. Later

Where in the USA?!

We are settled (98 and 3/4 percent) to quote Dr. Suess's "Oh, the places you'll go!"  I can't belive it's been so long since I posted.  SNAP!  Now that I've scolded myself, on to other news... Our new address is

1302 N Constellation Ct.
Gilbert AZ 85234.

 Our cell phone numbers and emails are the same. 

We love our new ward (old ward  really, It's 6th ward, Tim grew up in this ward).  Everyone is amazingly friendly and outgoing and we feel so welcome.  The girls love it too.  Primary is wonderful.

Emma's last day at Haley Elementary was emotional for her. She ran in the school fundraiser Jingle Jog and placed 11th in the whole school!  Way to go EMMA!!  She was also awarded for "Character Counts" and she was so pleased.  It is a very special award.  She is going to miss her wonderful teacher Mrs. Cummard and all her sweet classmates.  She cried for a few hours after school when the realization hit that she isn't going back to Haley.  She is a tender kid.  She is really sensitive to the needs and feelings of those around her and I'm so proud of her for that.

Audrey will stay in her amazing preschool at Ms. Becky's.  She loves it.  She loves to play rock star and cowgirl.  She thinks she's an official cow girl now because we are surrounded by horses and chickens and dogs.  She spends hours with Kennedy riding bikes and playing in the dirt.  Tim couldn''t be happier.

Kenndy is amazing.  She speaks so well.  She loves her sisters.  She told me today with all the enthusiasm of a 2 1/2 year old, "Mom!! My friends are here playing with me!!"  I asked who are her friends? She says," Audrey and Emma!!  I'm so happy her friends are her sisters, even if only for a few moments during the day. 

Tim enrolled in his Masters program.  Phew!! The school marathon continues.  I'm so proud of him.  He is my BEST friend.  I'm so glad we've been together through this challenging year.  My family makes it all worth it.  I do it all for them.  They are amazing. 

I am so grateful for this Christmas Season.  We are appreciating everything so much more because we are so much less cluttered with worldy things.  I wouldn't have said this 6 months ago,  but I'm so thankful to be out of the burden of our house.  It was preventing us from dreaming and moving on in so many ways.  We are so  blessed to have sold it.  We miss our dear friends and neighbors terribly, but we know this is part of the plan for our family at this time.  It is wonderful to have that sweet assurance through tough times, and also to have the love and support of family to get us through.  It makes me realize that with family we can get through anything. 

Last but most, I'm so grateful for the healing balm of the Savior and his amazing gift of life and the Atonement. I feel it's healing powers each day, especially through trials and challenges.  I am so grateful to celebrate His birth and life with those I love and care for.  May we all find room for him in our hearts this Christmas season and keep him in the center of our lives.  It is unlikely I'll post again before Christmas, so Merry Christmas to all, and Happy New Year as well.

My list of lists

I've been having a lot of thoughts lately, to-do lists running through my head, (what-if lists too) but unbelievably, no "I'd rather be" lists.   I've had a quote running thruogh my head from the Disney movie "Up" when Mr. Fredrickson and Russell are watching "Ellie" the house float away. 
Russel: "Sorry about your house Mr. Fredrickson."
Mr. Fredrickson: "Ya know, it's just a house."

Words to live by right now.

We close on the short-sale of our on Friday.  Baby steps (moving boxes) until Friday.  We are so blessed to be released from our house, mortgages, stress, and the chains that would have otherwise dragged us down to where I know not.  We are SOOO blessed to sell, even short sale and we've been released from all remaining deficiencies on the house, another miracle.  Thats been it in a nutshell.  How do you nutshell this experience? It has been a series of miracles from A to Z and there is no denying it.  I'm so grateful for the spirit of peace we've had through this experience.  Because of that peace all the other 'things' that have come up have been easier to handle.  I'm thankful for my ever faithful husband who, when my faith is lacking, supports me and I'm so thankful for the strengh to support him when he needs it. 

It seems the only time I have to post anything here, I don't have time to grab pictures, or I'm not on my computer with the pictures.  Ugh.  I do want to share some details of my birthday/Halloween weekend. 

Everything came back great from the buyer's lender's appraisal, so that cleared, then we had the home inspector come on Saturday morning at 8.  We found this out on Friday night, so I went to trunk or treat with the girls and left Tim to clean in his usual amazing way without kids to blaze a path of destruction behind him.  The girls had fun at trunk or treat, or candy fest as I call it, and their costumes were great. 

Saturday morning I ran 11 miles faster than I have ever run (yay me!) because I had to be back to shower and get the kids out of the house by 8 for Tim to tidy and go through the house with the inspector.  That all went great (the inspector even said it's one of the nicest houses he's seen in a long time).  We came home and ate lunch and got in costume for the Hocus Pocus Pops at the Phoenix Symphony with the kids.  It was a hoot!  We had a good time with the kids and they quite liked it too.  Yay music!! 

Sunday was a mellow day, and rather than trick or treating, we went to show off costumes at the grandparent's houses.  The girls had plenty of candy and had a good time.  I'll eventually get pictures up, but for now we're packing and getting out of the house by Nov 24.  We have a lot coming up, so I'll do my best to keep updated...
Thanks for reading.