Stowellzone

We signed Mason up for soccer a few months ago and that time has finally rolled around!  He had his first practice today where they got their uniforms, socks, their own new ball (too bad we bought him one for his birthday, oh well, now Kinley has one to kick around too), and picked their team name.  They are the Black Tigers!!  He just looked so cute, I made Jer take some pictures of him.  We think he’s going to love soccer.  As much as he enjoyed T-Ball, there’s a lot of standing around. Not in soccer, he didn’t want to leave practice, so we let him just keep running around, kicking the ball!  First game is on Saturday, should be interesting and funny!   He really didn’t want to get his picture taken!

I have lots more stuff to talk about, but because Jeremy’s motherboard in his computer broke, we’ve had to share my computer (I know, it’s hard!).  And the little time he’s had on it, he’s had to do clients pictures, not our own, but the new one comes this week so I’ll be posting Lagoon pictures soon and the boy’s camped out in the back yard and we have some fun pictures with that!

Well, it’s over and I’m still alive!!  I just completed my first triathlon!  I actually really loved it and am looking forward to doing another one.  Here’s some things I learned.

1. 2 months is NOT long enough to train for a triathlon.

2. Swimming with a bunch of people sucks, especially when you get kicked.

3. Gu is disgusting.

4. Wetsuits rock!

5. There’s not a better feeling than realizing that you’ve just completed a part of the race…until you realize this doesn’t mean it’s over.

6. Big hills aren’t my favorite thing to bike or run up.

7. Crossing that finish line knowing I pushed myself as far as this out of shape body would go, is an awesome feeling.

8. 2 months is NOT long enough to train for a triathlon.

I was so nervous the week before, I had a hard time getting anything done, including eating.  But by the morning of the race, I wasn’t nervous (well until I was standing in the sand hearing them count down for my wave to start), but I was excited.  Jeremy asked me once during the week if I got this nervous completing in races in high school and my response was, no, but I knew I was in great shape then and I knew I could do it and do it well.  I didn’t end up with the best time in world, but I never stopped swimming (every time I practiced swimming around the reservoir, I had to stop a few times to rest), I got the best time I’d ever gotten on the bike, and I only had to walk a few short times during the run and still got my best 3 mile run since I started training.  So for me, it was a victory!  But the competitor in me still struggles with the fact that I wanted a better time, so it’s making even more excited for my next one coming up in November.  This one is a little different cause the run is first and the swim is last and in a pool…so that part will be weird, but I’m still excited for it!  Jer is planning on doing this one with me (as long as there’s no more football injuries LOL) and also my friend Heidi is doing it too, so that will be fun!!

My mom was awesome and came up to support me and keep and eye on the kids.  She also stocked my house with food for the next few days since she knew I wouldn’t feel like cooking anything.  That was so nice, thanks Mom, you’re the best!

Jeremy took a few pictures of me when he could see me.  I will say the swim was the very hardest part for me.  I don’t think I’m a very good swimmer to start with, but having so many people around you, running into you and kicking you, made it a lot harder.  I also didn’t start swimming until 3 WEEKS before the race (yes that is really dumb) but I was thinking that it wasn’t going to be that hard….well it was…very!  I learned a very good lesson on that one.  But here’s a few pictures of me in my styling wetsuit and swim cap.

Before the race

Swimming

Getting out of water (not sure how I managed to smile LOL)

Getting ready for the bike

The biking was my favorite part for sure (also the most I was prepared for).  It was a good feeling to get up on that bike and an even better feeling when I passed people!!!!!  The big hill in the race was still a killer, but there were several people walking their bikes up it and it was nice that I was able to keep going.

Starting off

Coming in for the run!

Someone had taken my spot where my bike was supposed to go, so I quickly changed shoes than had to find another spot for my bike.  Several people from our ward were volunteering and it was nice to see some familiar faces.  And it was nice to have Jer there cheering for me! He was incredible supportive during the training and the race, I have the best husband!

Starting off ( a little wobbling after being on the bike)

Coming around the bend (Mom, Mason, Kinley, and Ethan cheering me on)

Almost there

Finish line!

Me and Kids

Me and my mom

Me and the Tri sign (LOL)

It was sooo nice to stop running and know I was done!!  It was a great feeling of accomplishment, but there’s still a nagging in me for a better time, so the training doesn’t end here and I WILL be really ready by November.  Still, I’m glad I did it…but glad it’s over, too!!

I can’t believe our little boy is 4 years old!  It just seems like yesterday we brought him home for the first time.  He had been really excited to see the new Toy Story 3 movie that was coming out so it just seemed natural that his birthday theme should be Toy Story!  The night before his birthday, my parents came up and Mom graciously watched McKinley while me, Jer, and my Dad took Mason to the theater to finally see the movie.  He LOVES going to the “big screen” and eating popcorn!  He loved the movie and laughed so hard, it was very cute.  Then the next day we went to place called Bouncin’ Off the Walls (perfect for him right?) where they had HUGE blow up slides that everyone loved to play on!  It was a private bounce room so only our family and a few friends from up here were there, it was so nice.

Our family attempt at going down the slide

Me and Jer

Mason playing basketball with our friends Bryan and Cheryl and their kids Caleb and Cambrie

Not a great quality picture cause they were enclosed but McKinley was for some reason afraid of everything and she finally started playing with her grandma’s in the end.

The Grandparents (hehe) I pretty sure Roger went down the slide, but we didn’t get a picture.

The birthday boy

The Cake (this was a fun one to make, I used fondant for the first time)

Seeing the cake

Video of him blowing out the candles

Presents

Well, only one week left until my triathlon!!  I’m really nervous and soooo not ready, but it’s happening anyway!  Remember how I said before that Jer and I were doing it together??  Ya, well due to some football injuries, looks like I’ll be doing this one alone!!  First he pulled an abdominal muscle and got a good lecture from me for even playing in the first place and THEN not only did he not stop playing, but then he sprained his ankle pretty good, too!  Sigh…oh well, I’ve been training hard, so I’m doing it with or without him.  It’s been decided that swimming will FOR SURE be the hardest part for me.  At first, I was thinking “oh 500 meters, that will be cake”…then I tried it.  Ya…not cake.  But luckily we live right next to the reservoir that we are swimming in, so I’ve been practicing hard.  I still really suck at it, but oh well.  The race starts at 7:00 am Saturday morning.  I feel really comfortable on the bike and ok about my running and not so good about the swimming, lol, but I WILL finish it!!  Jer will be taking pictures I’m sure!

Anyway, on to our summer adventures!  Right now, we have a visitor for a few weeks.  Ethan (our nephew) is staying with us while Jeremy’s parents are off seeing the world!!  They go every summer and we watch Ethan while they go.  Mason loves having him here and he’s  a good kid and a good helper.  We’re planning on some fun stuff while he’s here, including a trip to Lagoon, so pictures to follow!

Because I’ve been swimming so much, the kids have a blast playing at what the Herriman resident’s call “The Beach”.  It’s a little reservoir (well not so little when you’re trying to swim around it) that has a nice sandy beach area.  Here’s some pic’s of kids playing.

I love little kids, they are so funny.  So now that McKinley has turned into our little singer, she was playing upstairs and found a toy mic and knew instantly what to do.  Just makes me laugh.

Britt captured this picture on her phone.

McKinley just starting singing tonight for the first time. We thought it was pretty funny and cute so grabbed the camera. Enjoy!