More visits from relatives

Last Sunday Brad's brother Dan and his family were visiting from New Zealand. I didn't get many pictures but we are always very excited when we get to see them. Abby just had a baby four months ago. I was playing the role of the doting aunt. Dan and Abby have two girls, Lucy and Kate. Brad came up with the name "Dabbyluka" when we refer to their family. It's too bad that our names don't mash together to some melodic sounding amalgam. Brannieraemca just sounds like some sort of prescription medication.

Our little Kiwi, Lucy.

Well I tri-ed

This past Saturday I completed my first triathlon. I competed in the Share a Smile Triathlon in Orem. My goal-finish. Did I achieve that goal? YES! I couldn't believe the amount of nerves I had that morning when I woke up at 5:45. I had to sit in my car for awhile to calm myself down.

I met my friend Becky there and after the children's race, we lined up for the swim. To quote Martin Short in the old synchronized swimming skit from SNL, "I'm not that strooong of a swimmer." Earlier in the summer my friend Cynthia kindly tried to help me with my swimming. That's when I came to the realization that I panic when my face is in the water. So, as I was waiting to jump into the water, I was anxious about three things- 1.Being able to finish the swimming course without drowning. 2. Not running into the other swimmers because I couldn't see where I was going. (I feel more comfortable doing the backstroke.) 3. See item #1. I got through the swimming though. It helped that Brad and the kids were cheering me on.

After the swimming, I ran to the transition area to get my bike. I felt pretty good about the biking leg of the race. Brad and Caleb stood at a street corner to cheer me on when I rode by. I love my family!

I was surprised at how hard the transition between the biking and running was. Never once in the three months I had to train did I ever feel any pain in my calves. When I started to run, my calves cramped up something fierce. I think it was because I was slightly dehydrated because I didn't drink very much after swimming. I walked the first 1/2 mile of the course. I drank water at all the aid stations and after that I felt better. Somewhere along the route, there was a big white hearse parked in front of a church. Not a good omen. Would they be taking someone home in that? Well, I was determined it was not going to be me!

This next picture is definitely not flattering but it shows me crossing the finish line. I really wasn't in as much pain and as close to tears as it appears in the photo.
I ran the fastest when I crossed the finish line because I saw my family standing there cheering me on. I can't tell you how much it meant to me to see Brad and the kids and my parents and brother there to cheer me on. Thank you! I love you! My mom wanted me to cross the finish line again because she missed the picture when I actually finished the race. Um, not going to happen.

I finished the race in 1:43. I'm pretty proud of the time considering it took me 18 minutes to swim.

Things I learned about myself and some things in general:
1. I can do hard things. Three months ago I could barely run a mile and I hadn't been on a bike in about ten years. To add to the anxiety, toe clips and shifting gears on a bike scared me to death. I never thought I could do a triathlon, even when I was 20 years old and could bench press 120 pounds. Now 20 years later, I'm crossing the finish line.

2. If you want to take pictures, be sure you take some before the race when you don't look so exhausted/sweaty/disheveled.

3. Some people look good in spandex bike shorts. I am not one of them.

Next goal-swimming lessons. I think I'll do another one of these sometime.

Well, that was fun

Today is the first day of school. I now have an eighth grader, a sixth grader and a second grader. (The first picture of the school is Emma walking in, I respectfully gave her her space.) Summer vacation is officially over. Although we started off slow, the pace picked up and we had many fun-filled days. In addition to the activities mentioned in the previous posts, we also--

Had spa night and pedicures at Snowbird with Sara, Laura and Ellie.

After picking Emma up at the airport, we went straight to my cousin Rex's wedding at the Mill Creek Inn where we saw relatives we haven't seen in years;



Out of all the men that were at the wedding, I still think Brad is the hottest of them all. Yow!
We got to spend an afternoon with Rachel, Ellery, Bennett and Reagan, our beloved relatives from Colorado;

We got to spend the day with another one of my BFFs Ellen, who was visiting from Tucson;

( I wish I would have taken better pictures, but I was having too good of a time to remember.)

Oh yeah, the Olympics, we've been watching A LOT of Olympics. GO USA!!!

Now we will wait and see what the fall has in store for us. Ahh, good times, good times. . . .

Seven Days

One week until my triathalon. Yikes!!!!

The Next Iron Chef

Caleb made Lacy Oatmeal cookies for the county fair Monday. He needed to have an entry for his 4H class that he has been going to this summer. He has really enjoyed being in the Kool Kooking Kids class. If you ever want cookies, pancakes or a fruit smoothie, he's the man.

Fun and more fun!

I'm trying desperately to catch up on all the activities that have been going on. At this rate I think I will be caught up by mid October if I don't have anything else going on.




On Saturday the 2nd, Brad and Rachel made it up to Snowbird at around 3:00. They got there at the same time as Caroline and her friend Trent, who were watching Derek and Laura's kids for them. We lounged about at the pool and the adults visited while the kids were playing in the water. I was also feeling quite a bit of guilt for not doing any laps in the pool. The swimming was cut short when a about a dozen kids covered in shaving cream jumped into the pool. All the people that were already in the pool cleared out pretty quickly when that happened. Thanks for thinking of others, kids. Sheesh!

After everyone cleaned up from swimming, Valerie, Caroline, Trent and I took all the kids to ride the alpine slide. The smart people (everyone but me) took the lift up to the top of the hill. I walked. Did I mention that I was not in the group of smart people? I've decided walking up a steep hill in flip flops is not fun. I wouldn't recommend it.



Everyone had a great time riding down the slide except Grace. She was actually pretty mad that her mom talked her into it. As you can see, Ellie loved it and would jump at the chance to do it again.





My niece Sara and sister-in-law Caroline. Aren't they beautiful? Thanks Carly for taking those pictures for me. I guess taking pictures in creepy stalker mode runs in the family.

Fashion (?) Shoot

Photo shoot of models Rainbow Sparkle Breeze (Emma) and Sunburst Passion Breeze (Syd). Someday we'll see these fashions on the cover of Vogue, I know it.





Rainbow Sparkle and Sunburst Passion pose with guest model Freezer Burn People Skywalker (Rachel). Hey, I didn't make up the names.

Let the Fun Begin!

Last week one of my BFFs Valerie, who happens to be Brad's sister, came to Utah with her kids to stay with us for the week. Not only have we been best friends since high school, our kids get along phenomenally well and to top that off, we are now related. How lucky am I? I'd say very! We had so much fun that I didn't even try to keep up with my posts. Now that the party's over and I'm trying to settle back into my routine.

We went to Seven Peaks last Tuesday. Now that Caleb knows how to swim well, it's a lot less stress for me. We hung out all day, baked in the sun and then headed over to Grammie and Grampa's house for dinner.

Rachel and Jake

Grace and Caleb

Sara and Emma


The next day, Rachel had to go to girls' camp. She's been looking forward to camp since last year but horror of horrors! Camp was to take place this year the same week that the Tripletts were coming. The following is an excerpt of the conversation that I had with her.

Rach: I can't believe it! Somebody has done a really bad job planning!

Me: Well, this was the only week Valerie could come with her kids. Sara was on her pioneer trek in the California mountains last week; their family was at Lake Mead the week before and Jake has football camp next week. This is the only week they can come to Utah.

Rach: No, not the Tripletts! The stake should have planned it better! (Note all the exclamation points, she was really worked up.)

Me: The stake had no idea when our relatives were coming to town.

Rach: Well, they should have called us or something! Don't they know that people have other things going on too?!?

Can you imagine the camp directors calling the two hundred or so families to ask them when the best date would be for girls' camp? Talk about a logistical nightmare! So Rachel went to camp two days into the visit from the Tripletts. We worked out a compromise though-when Valerie went home at the end of the week, she took Emma with her and Sara stayed with us. That way Rachel got to spend some time with her best cousin/friend. Here's some pictures of our day at Boondocks. Laura was also along with Max and Ellie. Hunter was at scout camp.

Nice form, Em. We're expecting a call from the LPGA soon.
Max and Jake getting competitive.

We took all the kids back to my house and we had a sleep over with nine kids. Yikes! It was a crazy, happy zoo. The next day, we took Jake, Caleb, Max, Ellie and Grace to Laura's house to take the girls to do an activity that they enjoy immensely-shopping. We spent about three hours at a mall and then we picked up Jake, Caleb and Grace from Laura's house.

Wood and Susan has a condo at the Cliff Lodge at Snowbird that they get two times a year. After we picked up the little kids and checked in at Snowbird. Wood and Susan met us there and Brad showed up after work. We ate a huge dinner and hung out. Brad went back home because Rachel was coming home from camp and he was going to bring her up to the condo to be reuinited with her family.

Syndey and Emma brought some strange clothes from my dress-up chest up to the condo and wore it all around Snowbird. I think only Sydney Triplett would be able to talk Emma into doing something like this. This is Emma, who almost didn't want to wear a Halloween costume trick-or-treating because she doesn't want to call attention to herself. They had a great time!