Swim girls, swim!

Yes, the girls have started swimming lessons. A long time ago (it seems) we had the boys swimming at the West Jordan swimming pool. They never got past the first session. So now all our hopes for Olympic greatness lies with the girls. They are taking lessons at the South Davis Rec Center here in Bountiful. They are SO happy! Maren can't stop telling EVERYONE she meets about her 25 minutes in the pool. The guy behind the counter at the local Corner 22 convenience store...the kid playing hide and seek at the park...her friends at church...yes, we've heard a lot about her amazing 25 minutes of water time. So today I took some pictures to share with the few people who haven't had the pleasure of Maren or Emma telling their exciting tale.

Connor is Maren's instructor. He's 16 years old according to Maren. And the only other girl in her session is Caitlyn. He lets them splash him in the face with water and the girls think it's great. He's teaching them to jump in by themselves and to bob under water. She has made instant friends.

Emma's class has 3 other girls. She doesn't like going under water, but she does enjoy kicking and splashing with the others. Today they put on life vests and floated around the pool. Emma looked so content I thought she'd fall asleep right there! They also really like being in the shower after their lesson. They stay in there and play almost as long as their lessons take! All in all it is proving to be worth it. The girls are getting along a lot better than before and I get to spend some time reading my book. Win, win situation. Until it's time to go home, that is. Then I get screaming and crying...Oh well. I get 25 minutes of peace anyway. Have fun y'all.

Recent Reads

I thought I'd give an update on some of the books I've read this year. My very first blog entry was a top 10 book list and since then, I've left you hanging. So here goes.
In January we read "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" by Thomas Foster. We really enjoyed this because it taught us some tricks that writers use. What hidden meaning is behind this and what does that character stand for. Very informative.
In February we read "The Bonesetter's Daughter" by Amy Tan. It was about a mother/daughter relationship from different countries. One brought up in China and the other in America.
In May we read "Princess Academy" by Shannon Bryner Hale. It's more for teens than adults but still a good read. Shannon is from Utah and it was interesting to know that from the start. It makes you think that you could be a writer, too.
We are now reading "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It's about Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet during his presidency. Over 900 pages...we should have started this a couple of months ago. I can't be reading a huge book the same month Harry Potter comes out!! I tried to tell book club to do HP instead of a regular book but they didn't want to hear it. I'm just the youngin' in the group. (By 10 years) Most of them haven't read even one of the HP's!!
On the side I read "the Secret Fan" by Lisa See. It's about two girls who are arranged friends in Japan. They bind their feet together and grow up together. And then separated by jealousy and misunderstanding. It was good. I actually cried. It will make a good movie someday.
Have I bored you enough? I only write to inform and entertain. So hopefully I have done a little of both. Either given you an idea of one you want to read or saved you some money on some that you don't. Read on.

Gone Trekking

On June 11, we had the opportunity to get in touch with our pioneer heritage and go on a trek. We drove up to Martin's Cove in Wyoming (6 hours with one stop at Walmart for pillows) and met our group. Our ward in Bountiful decided that everyone over the age of 12 was invited to come so it was a little vacation for me not having Emma to worry about. We met for lunch at Independence Rock and after we ate, we climbed up it to see some history. Around the back was a little cave and our climb started there. It was a little steep but not bad. The girls who were only wearing their flip flops didn't make it. It was pretty cool being up there knowing that we were truly seeing what the pioneers saw as they came through that area. Nothing has been changed except the highway is paved now. People have carved their names and dates in the rock and most are still pretty clear despite the age.

Then we met at Martin's Cove for our handcart experience. We were all dressed as pioneers (except our shoes were modern walking shoes) and we were all adorable! We had 5 gallon buckets to carry our stuff that we needed while walking so our handcarts were considerably lighter than the pioneers. All our other stuff we took to camp in the car and all the food was taken care of by ward members. We were a little spoiled in that department. We walked for 3 miles from the visitor's center to camp and there were only a couple of hills to worry about. Then we set up camp and had dinner and square dancing. That night, Josh and his two friends had a tent all to themselves and stayed up laughing and shining their flashlights on all the other tents. All the other camp members were yelling at them to go to sleep and they got tired of hearing it. So they unstaked their tent and moved as far away as possible from all the other tents and set up there. This had to have been some time past midnight and they did it so quietly that when we got up in the morning, we looked outside and they were gone! Like a tornado came and swept up there tent and no one else's. It kind of scared me. Where were they? From then on they were called the reject tent.

We ate like kings on trek. Pancakes, bacon, sausage, french toast, fruit for breakfast. Sandwiches and 3 kinds of snacks for lunch. Chicken, beans, baked potatoes, ice cream bars, creamies for dessert. Wow. I know the pioneers didn't eat this good.

We headed up to Martin's Cove on another 2 mile walk, plus another mile into the cove. It was cloudy all morning until we in the cove having a talk and the clouds parted and the sun came out and lit everything up. And when we headed out again, the clouds came back. It hit me that here we were standing in holy places and as the clouds parted, the veil parted just a little to let the spirit in and the past mingle with the present. It was very powerful.
However. The bishop told us that we were not really experiencing what the pioneers had to go through in this place. We had it too good. And so right as we finished our lunches, the dark clouds rolled in and the icy wind blasted through and the rain came down. We were freezing and supposed to cross the Sweetwater River. So on we walked in the cold rain until we came to the river and suddenly the rain stopped so we could cross. Everyone cold, they pushed through the river with their skirts hiked and pants rolled. Of course my family didn't feel the need to cross the river. Josh and Tim were chicken because it was still very cold outside. Andrew and I decided we would take pictures and root everyone on. I'm sorry but I didn't want to be more wet and cold with a 2 mile walk still ahead. And the no sleep from the two nights before was wearing on me. I already felt I had experienced enough to feel like a pioneer. Sorry--not an outdoor kind of gal.

After the river walk, the men were called away to go fight in the Mexican War and the women were left alone to push the handcarts up the big hill by themselves. Well that would have been fine except I was the only girl on my handcart. We had 5 teenage boys and 2 men on my handcart and they all left me... I was all ready to give it a try when the Muhlestein girls saw my problem and volunteered to help. So I had five girls come to my rescue and we made it up the hill! The men at the top cheered and clapped and then rejoined us for the 2 miles back to camp.
The next day we took the handcarts back and then walked to the devil's gate. And then we drove home. I was ready for a hot shower and a warm soft bed. I don't know if I would have made a good pioneer. My lack of camping skills definitely showed. The only time I've camped is up at Cherry Hill in August every year and usually we come home and sleep because of my little kids. It was definitely an eye opening experience even though we had it REALLY easy. If you ever get a chance to go, please do. It will change you.

CHALLENGE!!

I am starting Weight Watchers online again and in one of the community message boards there was a challenge. To do 100 sit ups a day. So I thought, "I can do that!" And so far, so good. But it actually isn't that hard. So I'm also doing arm toning at the same time. I'm using hand weights and a band to get it done. So maybe when we go to Park City I'll be a little more toned for the new swimsuit I bought! So I issue the challenge to anyone else who wants to try. 100 sit ups a day til summer. Email me if your game...CHALLENGE!

Farewell, J.Jill

I have put in my 2 week's notice at J.Jill. Yes, sad but true. I'm finding it harder to spend any time with my family. Working 6 days a week is wearing a little thin and I'm tired. Plus, they are implementing a new parking policy for employees which is not good. I will miss the 40% discount....a lot. And working there was nice and quiet. It was fun while it lasted and maybe sometime later I'll go back. They already told me I could come back anytime. I'll instead use my time to go to the gym, hang out with Andrew and start getting in shape for the pioneer trek in June. So goodbye to an era.... hello date nights with my honey. (And maybe the kids, too.)

Watch out for Elena...

This last week I accidentally ran over Emma in the SUV. I was backing out of the garage and felt the car run over something. I thought it was the cat. No, it was my baby girl. She was in the house getting candy and watching cartoons with Tim and then under my car. I don't know why she was out there. She was screaming and bleeding from her chin. I picked her up and ran inside. Grabbing the phone, I called 911 and then called Andrew. The ambulance showed up in a couple of minutes and so did my neighbor, Norma, who's a nurse. She kept telling me she looks good. She's screaming and that's a good thing. They strapped her to a gurney with a neck brace on and we went out to the ambulance. Andrew got home just in time to see us driving down Bountiful Boulevard so he followed. We got to the ER and the bishop was there at the same time...amazing. They wouldn't let us in the room with Emma at first so she was screaming and no one there to comfort her. I thought she had internal injuries or broken bones...something. How can you run over a child and there not be? But the xrays showed nothing broken. Miracle. They did show, however, a space between her skull and her spine. So she had to stay in the neck brace all night long until the MRI machine was open. So that was a lot of fun. She wanted to sit up, roll on her side, have mom hold her. Try to get a 3 year old to lay on her back for 18 hours! So the MRI showed everything was normal and we could go home after she ate some food and stood on her foot. Her foot had a really good scrape and bruising on it. She also had some abrasions on her two arms and chin. But that is all. $4000 later...scrapes and bruises! I can't believe it! But the nightmares are still here. And the tears. And the guilt. She's running around like normal and mom is a wreck! But it's getting better. Thank you for all your phone calls and letters and prayers! I know how blessed and loved we are. Thanks!

Come live by us!

Hey Everyone! Your dreams have come true! Now you, yes YOU, can come and live by us! The lot up the street just went on the market and it's only $485,000 for 2.7 acres. That is such a bargain. That's not even including the house that you build on it! Wow! Just think of it now. The views, the wildlife, the taxes. Incredible! And you would be our neighbor. Hurry now before this dream fades away!