There was a girl...

Brenden and me with Ashlee's family

                     Soooo... Brenden likes this girl.  She's pretty much adorable, and on Monday night I got the opportunity to go meet her family and walk to the "Tree of Life" in Draper with them.   What a fun bunch of people.  After walking, FREEZING, playing tag on the playground equipment, and getting thrown into the snow by Brenden (and dragging him into the snow with me), we walked back to their house for hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls.  The weather was crazy getting there... closed freeway and snow blown roads... but what a fun night!

Some Facebook love from my boy

When Brenden says "I'm going to post something on facebook and just wanted to give you a heads up", I tend to get a little bit nervous.  This is what I found when I got on to check it out.

I love this boy.

Just wanted to take the chance to thank the lady who brought me into this world for all that she's done for me. She lets me play my drum set in her basement, she makes delicious dinner and best of all, she's even prettier now than she was then.
‪#‎afro‬ ‪#‎mum‬ ‪#‎hawt‬

 — with Tonia Snow Fraser.

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  You, Morgan Oxborrow, Karalyn White, Steven Wade Oxborrow and 105 others like this.
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  Morgan Oxborrow Awe. This is cute.

  November 2 at 9:15pm · Unlike · 3
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  Michelle McPherson what a great son!

  November 2 at 9:55pm · Unlike · 1
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  Becky Thomas I just really love seeing Tonia supporting BYU.  Go Cougs!

  November 2 at 10:43pm · Edited · Unlike · 5
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  Shonna Wabel Snodgrass Love it!!!! Your hair was and still is AWESOME!!!! This is great and for the record, it's Union Cougars not BYU!!!! Right Tonia!

  November 3 at 4:14am · Unlike · 1
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  Tracy A Watkins How sweet! What a great boy. Tonia Snow Fraser. I agree. Love you sis.

  November 3 at 6:11am · Unlike · 1
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A little turkey... A lot of chaos...

Wow, what a crazy whirlwind, emotional all over the place weekend.  Friday morning was spent preparing what I could for our little family dinner.  Wade was not going to be here for the big event on Thanksgiving day, so we had to make our own version of it before he left.  It was cozy, fun and over too quickly.  Morgan and Greyson made it down, and Brenden's girlfriend Ashley joined us as well.

The chaos part of the weekend hadn't even gotten started yet.  Soon after dinner I had an emotional (again) interaction with my dad that left me in tears, and him hanging up on me on the phone.  Oh that he could ever get over the past choices of my life that apparently haunt him so much.

Saturday morning I had to get in a run while everyone got ready for family pictures at 9am.  I blow dried sweaty running hair for pictures and we headed out the door, hoping to beat the big storm that was blowing in.  We arrived at our location, but our photographer did not.  I texted and called her and her husband, and then checked my messages.  I had made plans with her for the following Saturday, not the Saturday that we were all sitting in the car ready for.  So I decided to come up with plan B.  I found a photographer already out taking pictures of another family, and asked her to take ours.  She did, until we got rained out... but the pictures so far are ones that I am in love with.  Lucky break on our part.  While all of this was happening, my brothers were back at the house putting in 2 basement windows and setting the shower base in the downstairs bathroom for me.  When we got back from pictures, they left for the BYU football game, and left me with 3 extra kiddos.  Needless to say, mentally I was a mess.  My house was a mess, I had noise everywhere and no personal space.  I was still anxious from my phone call the previous night as well.  By the time my brothers' returned, I was SO ready to get out of the house.  Clay and I ran to Costco to do some shopping, and some decompressing.   By Saturday night, everyone had gone their own way, including my kids (with the exception of Aspen).

Sunday morning was a mad dash to Tremonton for Wade's farewell.  After picking up Morgan and Greyson, we were hoping to make it to the church soon enough to not embarrass ourselves.  Thankfully, Kara had saved us a couple spots, and we snuck in seamlessly with five minutes to spare before the meeting began.  After hanging out at Ken and Julie's house for some soup, Morgan and I got our last selfies with Wade before taking off for home.  Hard to believe I'm losing my kiddo for 2 years.  Still not totally seeming real yet.

By Sunday night, I was beat.  It was 6 o'clock and I was ready for bed.  But wait... NO!  Bedtime was not to happen for awhile afterwards.  Connor Stewart, a student of mine from 2 years ago, needed some math help, so I stayed up to try to remember stuff long forgotten.  It's amazing how much you can remember once you pull up a few reminders on Google :)

All in all, it was a crazy, emotional, all over the place weekend... one which I am glad is over, but wouldn't have traded for the world.  I sure do love my kiddos!

Gratitude should not be an annual event (note to self)

I was out for my run today, and my heart was full, and I was thinking about all the great and amazing things in my life.  I thought "I need to write these down, before I forget how much I sometimes take them for granted".  So while the rest of the house is in bed full of turkey and pie from the day, I am sitting in bed, intent on not letting my thoughts be forgotten.

This year has been a crazy year with so many changes, so many accomplishments, so many ups and downs.  This had made me come to appreciate some things this year that have heretofore gone unnoticed.

Thoughts of gratitude from my run (in no particular order) (and not all inclusive... just what came to me while running):
1) My kids.  They are as different as the seasons, but each bring its own beauty as the seasons do, as well.
2) Morgan.  I have been able to spend more time with my oldest this past few months, and I forgot how much I love her.  She sometimes makes me want to strangle her, and I know she sometimes thinks I am crazy/weird, but I just really have enjoyed getting to know her again.
3) Running.  Seriously.  This is my sanity... literally and figuratively.  I know that someday I may not be able to run, but today is not that day... and for that I give thanks.
4) Hayden.  For someone who has started from step 1, and had never handled a power tool... and built a company into what he is taking care of today, I am truly amazed and impressed.  He has given up much for me, and I am grateful for his listening ear, his BFF status for me, his crazy work ethic, the friend and listener he is to my kids, and the amazing dad he is to his girl who pretty much think he is THE KING.
5) My job.  I know... I'm weird to love teaching jr high, but it is where I feel I truly make a difference.  My students love me and I love them (most of the time... with the exception perhaps of block days... and maybe sometimes not during 7th period ;)  I have some amazing co-workers who make my job more bearable because they are in my life.
6) Wade.  This kid has grown so much this past year... both in inches and in character.  He is the peacemaker OF THE WORLD and is willing to sacrifice whatever his opinion is for the benefit of others... which is admirable, but more admirable is how much he has learned to speak his mind, and have a say.  And when Wade is around... he is THE KING, and Hayden has to step down from that status.
7) Ability to be introspective.  I hope I never lose being able to take other people's feedback and process it, and decide what really applies to me, and how I can become a better person from it.
8) Aspen.  Holy cow.  This girl makes me grateful EVERYDAY!  She is the "cleaner" of the house as of this past week or two, and if I don't watch, she has moved my stuff to wherever she has decided is "the place" for it.  She has more energy than a herd of chickens (or a classroom full of 12 year olds), and somedays my gratitude is just in having her fall asleep early.  I love her, and she gives love so freely to everyone.
9) Great people in my life.  I have some pretty amazing friends, I have an AWESOME set of in laws that anyone should be envious of, and I have some wonderful people I'm related to that would give their shirts off their back for ANYONE... and sometimes do for  me.  I love you guys, and I truly do appreciate having you in my life!  Thanks Arica, Becky, Jocelyn, Frank & Debra and Kara.
10) Brenden.  Serving a mission in Canada, and I have forgotten how much I took for granted just being able to see him when I felt like it (even if it did require a 3 hour drive).  Aspen is counting down the days to see him, and I know he is going to be such a great missionary.

Brenden, Park City and a Banjo

My missionary boy takes off for Canada in five minutes.  Kinda strange that I wrote my LAST easy "dearelder" letter to Brenden yesterday (they can be written and delivered on the same day) and the last $2 package that I could send was delivered on Saturday. Now I'm going to be spending time at the post office, and Brenden will actually get letters with stamps on them, instead of printed off of the internet. Which means he will get more lovely pictures from Aspen as well...lucky him.  I heard from him this morning, but it was frustrating because his calls kept dropping.

It has been a crazy week. We did go to Park City with Mary, and even Wade was able to come. We stayed at the Marriott, swam, and went shopping at the outlets. The highlight of the trip was the alpine slide and the lift ride to the top of Deer Valley combined with the hike down the side of the mountain to the bottom. For the mountain adventure, I didn't exactly plan great, and wore my Nike flip flops for the trip, and decided to make the hike down anyway. My feet were horribly filthy by the top we reached the bottom of the 2.5 mile trail, but other than that, my feet felt pretty good. The alpine slide was fun too. Wade and Aspen rode on one cart and raced me down the mountain. Aspen hates to lose, and every time I was a little bit ahead of them, she was start yelling at Wade to speed up. I think she gets her competitive nature from Hayden :) 

Hayden & Aspen

Walking Sticks... an essential

My hiking attire :)

Wade and Mary at the bottom of the switchbacks

Only two weeks left until school starts and I'm trying to ignore it's impending approach every day. I always get emotionally a mess (I know, shocker...) this time of year because of all the stuff that I end up still wanting to do before the summer ends. This year is no exception. Wade and I still need to get to the top of Mount Timpanogas, and I have lots of sewing still to do. Wade is at cross country camp today through Wednesday, so he will be back on Friday...that gives us two weeks to try to get to the top. Oh yeah, and try to get to Lagoon too sometime with my tickets I won. 

Wade went and worked with Hayden this past week, so he earned enough money to finish saving for his.... BANJO! It's been kinda cute watching him try to figure it out. He had to take it home yesterday to show it off.

Cheyenne Frontier Days... long TREK!

Just back from the gym, tending to Wade, Aspen and Hayden's Aunt Mary. We are headed to Park City today for a few days. Mary bought us a room up there for two nights, and we have plans to swim, ride the alpine slide, and perhaps ride the lifts and do some hiking. Morgan isn't with us, she is at her dads... long story. The short version is, she needs to rest and relax and be (somewhat) waited on. When I heard her dad was driving through town to bring Wade here after their trip to Lund, I sent Morgan with him. She needs some time to work out some of the wrinkles with him anyway.

She spun the wheel and won $25.  She bought a backpack for kindergarten

Aspen loved Frontier Days!

My view around town on my 5 miler

denver LOVES

Cheyenne

Cheyenne and Denver were SO SO SO much FUN! There was only one downside... the DRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEE!!!! We drove to Cheyenne on a Friday morning, and arrived in Cheyenne around 4pm. On the way home, however, we left Denver at 1:30 Sunday afternoon, and pulled into Lehi at midnight. Won't do that again. We stayed in a cool hotel that was similar to the style from the Titanic age, the Brown Palace Hotel. I ran a good five mile exploration route through town. This was my favorite part of the trip, actually. Cheyenne was good. Zac was amazing (as always)... however, the Marshall Tucker Band was the warm up band instead of Sonia Leigh. IT was NOT good! They were bad and I was really looking forward to Sonia. Zac has a new album out. It is (as always) great. We are glad to be home... at least until we leave this afternoon for Park City :)

Brenden got his shipping orders, and flies out to Canada next Tuesday, so his days for local care packages are numbered.

AF Canyon Half

I ended up in Provo on Brenden's P-Day with a few extra minutes to spare, so of course I had to drive by JUST IN CASE!!!  He hadn't emailed yet, so I thought maybe he could be outside playing soccer or ultimate frisbee.  No luck.  Three weeks left to try and spot him before he is off to Canada.

This week hasn't been too crazy... other than the fact that Morgan is moving home today.  Um... yeah.  And she is NOT happy about having to contribute to the household (financially or with some minor house help).  It's going to be a rough year or so.  I am not sure who is going to come out the worse for wear, me or Morgan.

starting line scenery. 

The story of my half marathon... Originally Arica (from my school) was supposed to run with me, but she ended up injured from running Ogden Marathon.  Jocelyn has been injured as well but working up to some good miles.  Two days before the American Fork Half Jocelyn bought someone's bib, and ran with me.  It was one of my favorite races BY FAR!  It was for a good cause (cancer) and 100% of race entry fees went to cancer help.  The course was AMAZING, downhill, fast, and beautiful.  That is, until mile 8, where the course came out of the canyon and past a few neighborhoods.  As I was looking at the houses and yards as we passed, I caught an edge and went down.  Being the volleyball player that I was, I went with the chest slide... which works great in a gym, but not so great on blacktop.  I don't have much padding to catch myself either, so the impact was about 90% on my chest and 10% on my right elbow and right wrist, from catching myself.  I got up and finished the race without too much problem, but the next day I was hurting.  I had x-rays done to see if there was a fracture, but there was not.  For a good week it hurt to breathe or lift anything with my right hand/arm... which is really nice considering I am right handed :)  The bummer part about the whole thing, too, is that I totally could have PR'd, but between my fall and having to cater a bit to Jocelyn's sore foot, I was a few minutes shy.  Oh well... it was a cool medal :)  Besides... for my birthday I got a race entry and will be running Big Cottonwood in September.  PR for sure!

road rash baby!

the short and the tall of it

Summer Lovin'

It's 5:50am and I have already been to the gym, and Hayden is already gone to work. Wade has been back North since Monday when I took him to the train in SLC.  I had him come twice to our 5am workouts while he was here, and he thought that was pure torture.  He did say that one of the things he misses from being in Tremonton during the summer, is that they don't make him exercise. So... in my "motherly" way that I have... I have come up with a "long distance workout plan" for Wade. If he runs 7/9 of the days he is there before coming back here, I have offered him an itunes gift card. So far, he has 2/3 days down... :)

carriage ride @ birthday party

We had Aspen's birthday party on Tuesday. It was B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.!!! My definition of beautiful means stress free. Other than getting the kids to the party, because we had to pick up a few, everything was done for us. They rode ponies, fed all the animals, had a carriage ride, ate cake, opened presents, and played. Now I don't have to listen to her and all her birthday party plans... for about a week, anyway, then she will start planning her next one. 

She stayed at Grandma Fraser's for a couple days last week, but she never makes it more than a couple nights before she is dreadfully homesick. Sure enough... her Sunday return home date had to be moved to Saturday, and that was pushing it. Friday night she was in tears on the phone begging to come home. We definitely took advantage of having her gone. Thursday we went to the Toby Keith concert, Friday I got a manicure, did a "long"-ish run on Saturday, ran a million errands, and got her birthday party plans taken care of. 

We took Wade for a little IKEA initiation last week. He had never been before, and I was pretty sure by the time we ended that he was just going to pack a bag of stuff and move into one of the little model apartments they have set up. 

Our fridge... with an artist in the house.

Aspen got her first bee sting last week as well. She was poking a stick in the hammock stand and apparently there was a hornets nest just inside the hole. We knew something had happened because the scream that came from the backyard was HORRIFIC. Seriously. A bee sting and the loss of a leg sound pretty close to the same thing, I'm sure. Aspen isn't dramatic at all. :)  After a good dose of bee-spray, we killed off a few nests hanging around the back yard.

Punching ball

I have a half marathon on Saturday in AF Canyon. I haven't really trained for it, but then again... I hadn't really trained for Ogden and I managed to pull out a PR on a marathon and felt GREAT afterwards. Something to be said for cross training I guess. 

Brenden is in his third week at the MTC, and is district leader.  His companion had to be sent home for medical reasons, so he has been adjusting to a new partner.  I have been guilty of driving by the MTC very slowly and looking for him when I have to be in Provo for meetings or whatever.  Aspen misses him already.  His blog address is elderoxborrow.blogspot.com.  I post his letters there as they come in.