Love/Hate.....

This is the relationship I have with running. Right now I want to start with the hate cause I feel like it overpowers the love. The last few times I've gone running I honestly can't stand it. I have been getting shin splints really bad, my knee always hurts, and my hip has really been bugging me. I know I'm getting old but I'm not that old yet. My body feels like is in it's 70's. It's really frustrating. I feel like endurance wise I could keep running but it just hurts really bad so I can't.

But I do love the feeling after I'm done running. (After the pain is gone) And I do love that there is nobody bugging me, or asking me questions, or talking to me. I love being by myself for at least 30 minutes at one time. Sometimes longer if I'm really ambitious. And I love listening to whatever I want on my ipod and not High School Musical or Hannah Montana. Okay maybe I do love it more than I hate it.

Tomorrow is the run that I decided to sign up in for some reason. I hope that it is one of those I love running days and not I hate every second of this days. I went downtown today and bought some insoles to go in my shoes. Hopefully that helps a bit. Maybe I'll just pull a Steve and pop some Tylenol before I go. Either way tomorrow it will be over and I will not have to think about it anymore. Yay!!

One down, one to go.....

So for a while now I have been procrastinating two things. Potty training Summer and taking away her soother. Both equally painful in my opinion. Well she decided on her own that it was time to be potty trained. I have NEVER had any of my kids do this but she just decided it was time to start going in the potty and has been doing great ever since. No bribery, no treats, no charts, hardly any accidents. I think after the last year of crying non-stop, tantrums, clinging, stubbornness I deserve this. (she does have a sweet side too)

Now if I could only think of an easy way to take her soother away??... She is over 2 1/2 now and I know she looks completely ridiculous with it. Even Haylie told me the other day that Summer looks really cute without her soother. Any suggestions????

Just for Leslie.....

Here you go Les, I'm updating my blog. Just for you. I even typed four different posts. Read one a day though cause who knows when the next post will come.

Here are two of my cute sisters. Quite possibly the only two people who even read this blog faithfully. Their birthday's are a week apart so we had a joint party for them when they were home. Neither of them have had sugar for a while cause they're having a no sugar contest right now but they were aloud to cheat for their b-days. They have more will power than me!!

The river....

A few weeks ago everyone came home for a few days. I love hanging out with my family and the kids had fun playing with their cousins. We were extremely lazy the whole time so one day we decided to get out and go to the river for a wiener roast. It was a little chilly but I'm glad we went anyways. Here's a few pictures from that.....

Part of the crew. I love the kids trying to warm up their hands. It really wasn't that cold.

I know this isn't the best picture but I love it. My dad has a little soft spot for his grand kids and I'm glad I captured it here.

My mom keeping Kash warm or the other way around.

I know this isn't the best picture either, taken threw the windshield. I just couldn't get over how cute these two looked on their dirt bikes. They just look so minature. They were so excited to ride all the way to the river and back. Briggs thought he was pretty cool.

If Steve had his way we would be camping at the river every weekend and everyone would have their own bike or quad to cruise around on. Love this picture! Especially that Kash is sucking his thumb in it. Makes him look really manly on his bike with the biker clothes.

When Steve went to the sand dunes this year he came home with this little outfit for Kash. He was pretty proud of himself for finding it. I does look pretty cute!!

Piano recital....

Last week Haylie and Micah had their piano recital. They are so lucky to have their Grandma Holland that is willing to teach them piano. She is amazing. They were a little nervous to play their songs but they both did a great job. I love playing the piano and it is so fun to see them enjoying and learning the piano. As much as I love them taking lessens, I'm really excited for it to be over for the year. No more stressing about them practicing. I find now that it's over they play even more cause it's just for fun and it's something they don't have to do but want to.

Sunday pictures....

So every once in a while when we are actually running on time on a Sunday morning which is pretty rare, I like to get a family picture. Right now it's pretty fresh in my mind the pure chaos that went on before this picture, the lost shoes, lost toothbrushes, digging threw laundry mounds for lost shirts, the lost brush, the amount of time to do every one's hair only to have them roll all over the bed and wreck it minutes after it was done, the dirty kitchen I was grumpy about, the grumpy kids cause it was fast Sunday and they were hungry, the struggle on what to wear to church cause nothing seems to fit me right, and the rush to get all 8 of us showered and bathed cause we didn't do it the night before. I wonder if 20 years from now I'll look at this almost perfect picture and think, man I really had it all together back then or if I'll remember the crazy Sunday morning routine?! I hope I don't forget these years cause as crazy and busy as they are I love them!

So mad about the piano bench the camera was set on. Brette I need a little photoshop done. While your at it maybe photoshop out Briggs's hand. Of course he had to be doing that cause that's just him.

And I love this picture. I look at it and honestly can't believe that all these kids are mine. I still find myself in awe some days that I actually have six kids that I get to raise cause half the time I still feel like a kid myself.

Fund Raiser.....

So the other day Haylie had her friend Kelly over. They decided it would be fun to have a stand and sell things. I usually cringe at this idea cause it ends up being a lot of work (for me) but I decided to be a good sport and let them do it. So they decided to make cookies and of course chose the messiest kind of all, sugar cookies. There was no convincing them otherwise and they promised they would do it all and clean it all up. (ya right) So as they were making the cookies they decided to give all the money that they would make to one of there other friends so that she could buy a dog. Well they got the cookies made, decided not to ice them cause not everyone likes icing (less mess for me), and then decided to pop some popcorn and sell that too. They made signs, packed everything and a picnic table up the street cause our street wasn't busy enough and off they went. In my mind I was feeling bad for them cause they had such high hopes and I didn't think they would make any money. But sure enough, they sold all the cookies but two and all the popcorn and came home with $8. They were proud as can be!!