TIm McGraw

Zach called me Thursday morning from work and said he bought 2 tickets for Tim McGraw for that night.  I had so much fun, and Zach was a good sport to listen to 3 hours of Country Western music.  Payback for those stupid concerts I've had to go to with him (i.e. Built to Spill).  He even sang Where the Green Grass Grows, which was the first song Zach and I listened to on our first date.  Sorry the pics aren't the best, they are from my phone.  Lady Antebellum was the opening act, not my favorite but way better than Jessica Simpson who was the opening for Rascal Flatts

Ragnar

Just got done running Ragnar with my sister-in-law Becky and her friends.  It was a lot of fun, a lot of pain, and not a lot of sleep.  It's 188 miles divided into 12 runners, 6 in each van, each of you taking 3 legs Running from Logan to Park City -- it was gorgeous!  Van one starts and you get to rest as the other van is running.  Our van was first so we ran our first and second legs on Friday.  We got to catch about 4 hours of sleep in a high school gym (something that isn't fun unless you are still in high school). Then up again at 6 to start our third leg on Saturday. Something about experiencing something so crazy actually creates a weird bond, which I think is why it was so fun...because the running part really wasn't :-)

Start of the race.  5 am wake up call that's why we're all so beautiful.

Our Van; Me, Becky, Rachel, Kristen, Lisa, and Camille

Some of what we got to run through.

After our 1st leg was complete

Just getting done with my third leg which was my longest leg 8 miles gradual uphill, with a one mile stretch that was super steep.

We wore these slap stick bracelets (remember them from when you were little?) and they had a computer chip thing in them I guess. At each exchange we would pass it to the next runner.

All of our van done with our legs.

Riding the Gondola to the finish line (this may have been my and Camille's favorite part).  The second van runners had the last stretch, but at about 100 yards from the finish line all the team members join in with the last runner and run together through the finish line.

Our team (minus Rachel and Kristen) at the end. 

As tired as Becky and I were we signed up to do it next year with our family...so Jim, Elisa, Luke, Zach, Judd, Mom,Bryn, Trey, Kade and Josh get training!!!!!

May 19th

Last year for our Anniversary we went to Sonic with our kids  :-)  Which honestly I enjoyed.  We both worked that day, and it was Zach's late day so he didn't get off 'til 7:00 .... now why he didn't get home til 7:30 was a fight!! Anyway, he did much better this year we went to a fondue restuarant.  It was different and fun. 

This was the night Zach asked my parents if he could marry me Feb. 13th  He looks so pale :-) and young.  After my mom told him that I would still be going to dental school and he wouldn't derail me, she told him "Why are you asking us anyway, if Anneliese says no then you don't have to ask us."  (Leave it to my mom to make the situation awkward for Zach.)  Little did she know that from the first time I met Zach, I was really hoping for a proposal.

Happy 9 years Zach.  I couldn't be happier!

Bryton's Birthday

Can't believe she is 3.

Pedaling took her a couple days but she can go go go now.  Too bad the weather has been bad lately.  Every day she asks to ride her bike -- I can't wait for summer.

April 17th

Happy Birthday to my spunky, happy, three year old!  Here are just a couple pics I have of her through out the year that I never posted on the blog. 

The next few pictures are some I just found of my cousins wedding that was last August.  Bryton was center front stage on the dance floor all night - in fact she was the last to leave the floor.

Check out my dad in the background :-)

Leading the dance line

I think we might have some trouble in her teenage years :-)

Bryton and Anna - they are so cute together

Also, today Bryn, Jenny, Josh, and I ran The Robie Creek half marathon my first (and last) half marathon.  I had no interest in doing one - ever!!! However, Zach and my lovely sister had other plans and signed me on up for it.  It's called the toughest half marathon in the Northwest and let me just say I would agree! It was horrid!!!  8.5 miles uphill and a 4.6 steep downhill. The gun went off about 3 mins before we even reached the starting line so our official time by the gun was a bit different than our ankle chips said we were.  My always, more talented, sister - ran it in 1 hour 54 mins by her ankle chip.  AMAZING!! I was 2hr11min.  I was hoping for 2 hours but good night that uphill was a killer!!! Josh 2hr2min... 

Right before

Notice I'm not so excited

This is about 2 hours later after we came off the mountain and had gone to get a Jamba Juice.  There are purposely no pictures right after the race - I looked like death.  Look how excited Bryn and Josh still are.  Stupid kids.  Let me just say I would rather go through Bryton's birth and all the complications that went with it than ever run that again.

The Truth Be Told

As I was doing laundry in the other room I heard this from the kitchen.
Ty to Zach "When I grow up I'm going to need a big car 'cuz I'm going to have six kids."
Zach "Oh really?"
Me shouting "You may re-think that after you have your first."
Zach "Yeah, especially if they keep you up at night when you're tired because they are afraid to go to bed." (we are currently dealing with this issue often at our house)
Ty "I'll just ignore them."
Zach "Oh, like I do you?"
Ty "Yeah, I'll just let the Mom take care of them."
Yes, proof that us mom's do everything!!!!

Ty's Imagination

Ty is constantly talking to himself- creating - imagining... whatever.  He goes into his on little world for hours with Spongebob and friends, either made from blocks, drawn by him ,or cut out from coloring books.  Last night he couldn't find two of the spongebob characters before he went to bed.  I told him in the morning we would color them and cut them out, but that it was time to go to bed. This morning he informed me that he couldn't sleep all night because Sandy (whoever that one is) was crying all night for her two missing friends ( I think he said spongebob and the seastar guy).  I wonder if he honestly thinks he hears them talking???  If so the Blackfoot Mental Hospital might be getting a new patient soon  :-) 
At times his imagination is great because, like I said, it will keep him occupied and I get things done.  Other times, it's super annoying.  Like when he is giving hypotheticals to me about them, and wants to know what would happen to them in that situation.  Or, when he wants me to tuck them in at night - making sure to give them a kiss.  So, because of that, Zach and I have relentlessly tried to make him understand that cartoons are just drawings and are not real.  He tells me they are, but they live in California.  (I also tried to explain that many of the things in California are not real!!!)

( Ty's Spongebob Drawings)

Well, also this morning we turned to a cartoon I've never seen before.  It had talking cats, a snake and some other creatures.  The kids were quite amuzed and when it got to a part with a dancing snowman I sarcastically asked "WHAT??"  Ty then said "Don't worry Mom, it's not real, someone is in it." (Yeah a talking cat was inside the snowman)  Apparently dancing snowmen are not real, but if you are wondering talking cats and snakes are.    We love you lots Tyger Monkey!!!

Gold Fork

Bryn and Luke are up in the mountains doing their rural medicine rotations.  Bryn in Cascade and Luke in McCall.  So, we decided to join them for the weekend, and lucky us it happened to be at the same time as McCall's Winter Festival.  We had a blast... the fireworks, ice sculptures, face paintings, back-country skiing, but the best had to be...

Gold Fork Hot Springs.  It's in Donnelly and so much fun.  Here are a few pics.

Each pool got progressively cooler

The bottom of this pool had sand :-)

Bryn and Luke not worrying (at the moment) about residency next year!!!

The Hot Springs claims that the waters have "healing power."I don't know about that, (Alcohol, if I drank, seems to be the only healing power I'd need lately) but we did have a good time just relaxing!

Swimming

To begin I need to share some background. Ty is super super skinny. I am always telling him he needs to eat or I'll get him taken away because people will think I'm a bad Mommy for not feeding him. Bryton as a baby was pretty chunky -- not nasty chunky but cute chunky. So, we've always called her "fatty" or Chunky - monkey" meaning it in the most endearing way. Well, she's thinned out considerably, but still has a gut which makes her little body so cute -- and the nicknames have stuck. Yesterday we took the kids swimming with their cousins. (sorry no pics) Bryton, as always, was being so brave jumping in to us in the deep end, going under water and holding her breath.... Ty, on the other hand, was having a good time but only staying in the shallow end where he could touch. I brought him to the deep end and asked him to please try to be brave and jump into me like his sister. So the conversation went something like this.

Me: Ty why don't you try jumping in to us.
Ty: No Mom!
Me: But Ty it will be fun and I will catch you.
Ty; I don't want to Mom.
Me; (getting frustrated by this point) Ty look at Bryton, she's doing it. Are you really going to let your little sister be more brave than you?
Ty: Um, Mom don't you know fat things float!!

Polar Express

I know the day after Thanksgiving is supposed to be for shopping, but I tried that last year and it was miserable. So, this year we took the kids to the "North Pole" on the Polar Express Train.Getting ready to go. The kids were so excited to go to Santa's house. Bryton just thought being on the train was neat.Grinch 1 and Grinch 2On the way we sang Christmas songs with Jingle Bells and it was a tantrum when we had to give them back.Polar Express

Looking out the window at Santa's house as we arrived.

Telling Santa what to bring.

Bryton actually wasn't scared of Santa - just mad she wasn't getting a candy cane immediately!

Oops, Ty forgot a present and had to go back.

I think the kids had a great time (I did), and what a fun and magical memory to have.