Mom and Pops

 Our Lucy girl at her 1st birthday party!

Still get to babysit this dollface regularly

My Megan, who bikes with me MWF

This is how it goes when I work out without her...

I turn into a wild animal

 And Rob and I are still going strong 
on our Saturday hikes

Silver Lake

The north side of Horsetail

Elle, with her 4 short years of life, has already managed to become famous post-mortem. A couple biographical chapters on her life and death have been published. Overachiever 😂 

Carrie, the author, wanted to get some of the people in the book together for lunch one day, so we did!

It was a power lunch. So much to talk about, not enough time, but we instantly related on so many levels. I re-read the book as soon as I could after I met everyone. Real love there.

And then there was this family of five living in our basement window well for several days...

I called animal control. No luck. I called pest control. Yes, you are welcome to pay a $200 assessment fee plus $200 per coon for a total of $1,200 for removal. Or, we can pay pest control to drop a scent down the window well to drive them out, and that will cost a mere $500.

In the end, I figured the coons had fallen in and were trapped, so I found a long board to lower into the well, and within a couple minutes, the starved mama slowly walked up the plank and left to find a new home. Hours later she returned for her babies. End of story. Yes I think I'm awesome. And Rob loves me on a deeper level.

Rob's new work warehouse. His building expanded from 10,000 square feet to 20,000 and now to 60,000. So proud of the hard work he puts in!

All this growth represents a ton of custom work with impossible deadlines and the blood, sweat, and tears that went along with it 😅 

Go Daddy Go!!

I've been here for half a century

MINIMAL and MEANINGFUL
I've been saying for two years, "I'm basically 50..." But the day I turned 50, I realized I didn't want to actually be 50.

BUT since then, I feel like—if this is 50... great! I feel healthy and strong and happy. I don't feel old or worn out or less capable or lacking in purpose or anywhere near death. In fact, I remember saying as a young pregnant mom that I felt like I was in my 80's and on the brink of death. Pregnancies were hard on my body through my 20's and 30's. Fifty feels so much better. In fact, I feel like since 60 is just 10 years off now, it won't be that bad. 

I could be wrong.

Rob surprised me with an overnight family getaway in Park City

And a hike!

Rob interviewed the kids on film for me💕 

Excerpts of the video transcript:

MIA
What makes mom happy?
Hiking, biking, exercising, working out, cleaning, organizing, you Dad, and the kids


What would she be famous for? 
Organizing or an author

Her favorite food? 
Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp from Cheesecake Factory


Your favorite food she makes?
Orange monkey bread when we were little. That was the best!


Singer?
Bonjovi, Maroon Five

Shows? 
Law & Order and Pride & Prejudice 


Funny sayings?
She said that A&W stands for "All Wight Woot Beer" 
And, "That’s one☝🏻..."

Parenting Skills?
Good at teaching, how to organize, be responsible, all the tips to survive

CAM
What makes mom happy?
Seeing us happy.
 
What would mom be famous for?
A model cuz she’s cute


What parenting skills is she good at?
Punishment [😂]
She’s easy to talk to


What is your favorite food/dessert/drink she makes?
Smoothies

If mom was an animal what would she be and why?
A poodle. She is pretty and responsible, but you can also have fun with her [?😂]


Favorite show/actor?
"This Is Us" or "A Million Little Things"


Dream vacation?
Doesn’t like humid because it makes her hair frizzy? [nope, haha, love tropical] Somewhere like China, because it’s a nice clean place [😂]


What does she say a lot?
"🎵Dishes🎶"

CY
What makes Mom happy?
I think seeing her kids do things they like and have fun


What does she do that makes you laugh? 
She doesn’t joke too much, but when she does it’s funny. She’ll just make little comments. 


What would she be famous for?
Blogging life stuff, teaching moms like how to go through hard times because she’s gone through a lot


Parenting skills?
Everything. What does she not do good is the question.


Favorite food/dessert/drink?
Triple chocolate bundt cake, her Tango Lassi, Bowtie Lasagna 


Spirit animal?
A fox 🦊? 

Dream vacation?
Her answer would be wherever the kids want to go, but she would actually want to go somewhere really, really laid back like the Bahamas, drink some pina coladas, and get massages, and just relax. 


Funny sayings?
🎵I’m not listening🎶

ROB

What makes Mom happy?

Being with the family, organizing, Church stuff, exercising, going to the temple, anything good makes Mom happy

How does she make me laugh?

She makes me laugh when she will fight with the boys or the girls and will kind of bully them. I always think that’s really funny when she does that. And she did tell a joke the other day that was funny but then she forgot it 😂

What would she be famous for?

Definitely could be for blogging or fashion or make-up, organizing

Parenting skills?

She’s just a really good parent overall. Definitely teaching kids of all ages responsibility, hard work, commitment, she focuses on making sure people have fun and can experience different things, food, dinners. I don’t know any mom who makes the dinners she makes on a regular basis just making sure we have great meals and try different things. She’s just overall a really conscientious, loving good mom.

Spirit animal?

I'm going with a bear. A mother bear just because she is so protective of her kids.

Dream vacation?

Anywhere warm with a sandy beach, and she would love to go to the Middle East and New Testament areas and anywhere that Christ may have been. 

You are fantastic, wonderful, can’t tell you how much I love you, and I look forward to spending many more years with you. I love you so much. 

MK
What makes Mom happy?
I would say the family being together and things being organized


How does she make you laugh?
Her dance moves and her choice of music.


Parenting skills?
All of it. She's a great teacher and especially how to be organized and disciplined.


What would she be famous for?
She’d be like a blogger organizing person or a make-up tutorial person. How to organize your make up and then do it, haha


Favorite food mom makes?
Triple chocolate bundt cake, protein balls, and tomato basil soup in bread bowls


If Mom were an animal?
I'm going to go with a toucan, because it’s an exotic bird but they’re really quiet and do a lot but nobody knows what they do. They’re like the hidden gems of the jungle. [😂]


Dream vacation?
Somewhere like Hawaii with calm beaches and good hiking spots

Funny family sayings/things she says?
When we were younger, she always used to sing "Goodnight ladies, goodnight ladies, goodnight ladies, it’s time to go to bed dun dun dun...."


I feel like you’re turning 50, but you’re never going to look 50. I love you and am so grateful for you to have you for half of your life, and I wish you the happiest birthday and hopefully I have you for a lot more.

GETTY

What makes Mom happy?

Seeing her children succeed and her children be happy and find purpose and meaning in life

What would she be famous for?

Like a skin care company, she’d be a model and say, "look how old I am and how good my skin still looks"

Parenting skills?

Caring, loving, protective, nurturer, home

Favorite food she makes?

She makes bomb tacos, all kinds of tacos, and I really like her smoothies 

Spirit animal? 

A type of a bird, like a motherly yet scary, protective, strong, beautiful bird, like an eagle or a hawk. [😂]

Funny sayings

"I’m done talking" 

"I cannot believe you’re 50 years old. If your son can be proud of you, which he can, I’m proud of you and you’ve helped me out so much in my life and I hope that you stay here for 50 more because I need you and I love you for always. Love you mama." 

And for my gifts, I got exactly what I was hoping for: donettes, Fairlife chocolate milk, pajamas, a veggie chopper, and magnetic measuring spoons

 They made me feel like a princess 👑