Camp Pendleton Mud Run

This past weekend my family and I drove down to Camp Pendleton for me to race in the Mud Run. It was a total blast! I loved every minute of it. OK, waking up at 4:30 am was the only bad part, but the rest was amazing. We arrived at the gate at 6, parked, and then boarded a bus to the starting line. There I met one of my "bootcampers" Annabeth. She was a little nervous, since this was her first race experience. But once we started the course, I think she was really focused and ready. Right off the bat two huge water trucks sprayed the runners with tons of water. Throughout the course we encountered muddy river crossings, lots of hills, high walls to climb over, and mud pits. There was also a lake we had to cross. The water came all the way up to your neck! Crazy!!! Before the finish line we had to crawl through a muddy pit, with marines screaming at everyone (Now that's real bootcamp!:). That's where all the crowds of people were gathered to watch. All the runners were covered from head to toe with thick stinky mud. All 4 thousand of us. It was so much fun! I can't say that enough. I've run many races and this one is by far the most fun. It was still challenging though; don't get me wrong about that. You feel quite accomplished at the end. I was especially proud of Annabeth because she wasn't sure if she would finish. And she did!! Way to go girl! I told her, this is just the beginning. Next year I hope to get more people to sign up. When you finish a race like that it's truly euphoric, and I just want everyone to have this kind of experience. It was also quite inspiring to see a 12 year old boy running and a 75+ year old lady running! It's never too late, or too early, to achieve optimal health and fitness. It's not just about looking good, it's about feeling good and being healthy, pushing your body to do something challenging. It's about doing something you thought you could never do. The sky is the limit!! Hope you all can run with me next year and be my muddy buddies!!

Keepin cool on a hot hot day!!

It has been very hot here the past few weeks. I'm guessing in the 90's. Since our dog doesn't have the luxury of going swimming at the pool, I usually hose him down once a day. He LOVES the water. It's fun to watch him jump through the air while biting at the water. Before I turned the hose off I filled up this aluminum tub with water for him to play in. I didn't think he'd actually get in a sit down! So cute!!!!

A is 6 today!

I told my little boy that I was not happy he was turing 6. I've said that every year since he turned 2, I think. The truth is...he's grown up sooooo fast. Next year he starts 1st grade! Where has my baby gone? Here is the spotlight I wrote that was read in primary today:

"We love our A... He has been a very happy and active child since the day he was born. Literally. The child never napped and barely slept a wink at night! Always a ball of energy. A loves to sing and dance. He's pure entertainment to his family and whoever else crosses his path. A loves going to kindergarten and enjoys playing with all of his friends there, who are also his friends at church. A is also a very good swimmer and enjoys doing canon balls into his community pool. He is also a great reader and loves to read all by himself. A really loves and looks up to his big sister, T. Whever he's out shopping with mom, he always looks for things to buy for her. A is also a snuggler and likes to have "cuddle parties" with his mom in her bed. He is a good helper around the house and especially enjoys playing with his new dog Tonka. A is a very special child of God and his family loves him sooooooo much!"

A has enjoyed a week of celebration. He was the "star of the week" at school and got to share a special stuffed animal every day at school. He also brought in his favorite book to share along with some treats to share with the class. On Saturday he enjoyed a party with his closest friends at Chuck E Cheese. I really wanted his party at the pool this year, but they are all currently closed for various reasons. I even tried to talk him into doing a party at our house, but he really wanted Chuck E Cheese....again. The first time was for his 4th birthday. Anyway, like last time, he and his friends had a great time. I feel truly blessed that A has made some real special friends here. He truly feels loved. Today, he picked pancakes for breakfast and opened a gift from his sister before we all went to church. Grandma and Grandpa Garcia were also here to celebrate his big day. After church, we had a barbecue, then cake and presents. A great day! Thank you all who have loved our special boy.

Utah/Easter 2009

So the kids and I had a pretty good trip to Utah. R stayed back to work and deal with our doggie's upset tummy.:) We carpooled with my good friend Mindy and her kids. It was a fun drive. As always, Mindy and I had lots to talk about between the many potty stops, and while attending to five chronically hungry and bored kids. Once in Utah I first got to see my adorable little nephew Shadrach, also known as "Shad." I couldn't stop kissing his loveable cheeks. My kids also enjoyed fighting over him. I was happy to see that my brother and his wife moved from their tiny BYU basement apartment to a tiny apartment upstairs. Oh, basement apartment living....brings back my own blissful memories! The bugs, the mold, the water heater that took up half the apartment, the weird neighbors upstairs, etc. etc. Good times! Moving on...... After visiting my little bro my cousin picked me and the kiddies up and drove us to Bountiful where my mama and papa live. Thanks Heather. I also got to see her little beautiful cherub, Olivia. The kids and I stayed in Bountiful for the rest of the week. The first day was my kid's favorite. They got to watch two session of conference!!! Needless to say they were bored out of their minds and reminded me every 5 minutes of their plight. I gave them a break on Sunday and let them watch "Bolt" instead. Meanwhile I got to attend the afternoon session in Salt Lake City with my parents and siblings. It was wonderful. I loved listening to the messages from our church leaders live. And of course hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing was icing on the cake. The rest of the week the kids and I went on several fun excersions: bowling, rollerskating, attending Aunt Me Me's softball game, visiting Aunt Me Me at work and eating all the snacks out of her break room, playing ping pong with Aunt Me Me, going to see Monsters vs. Aliens (not my fav.), going to see Hannah Montana the Movie ( Love it!!!!!), eating lots of sinful food, and just hangin' with the folks. T also got some quality time with her BFF Erin as well at the end of the week. Anyway, time flew by so fast as it always does when I visit my family in Utah. They are the best and I love them so much. They are truly my favorite people to hang out with. What a blessing it is that I like them so much! ...... I've also attached an Easter morning photo of my kids. We returned the night before Easter so we could be with R and his family. Doggy and Daddy were very happy to see us again!

We're still here!

Sorry, I know it's been awhile since my last post. Honestly, these days managing the blog is at the bottom of my list. Life is busy as always. Some great news though! T has finally moved up to competitive level in gymnastics! We are so excited for her. Her coach has been working with her for some time to get her ready. She's looking forward to competing in floor and beam. I think those are her two favorite events. Along with the prestige of being on team comes lots of sacrifice. T will be at the gym about 12 hours a week, which includes some ballet training. I've talked with her a lot about this and how she's going to miss out on a lot of the freedoms other kids have. I've asked her if she wanted to take a break and try something new. Her reply, "No mom. I want to do gymnastics." As she moves up in levels, the hours will also increase. I've debated about letting her take this path, but ultimately it's what she REALLY wants to do. And she's got a talent for it. I can't take that away from her. We'll see how it goes and if it's something that's really making her happy. That's all that really matters, I think.

Moving on....I've posted some pictures of our weekend with Aunt Me Me, my sister who came to celebrate her birthday at Disneyland. We always have a lot of fun with her. She is truly the life of the party. After a very crowded day at "the happiest place on earth", we spent Saturday in Newport Beach where we took the Balboa ferry over to eat at The Crab Cooker. My favorite restaurant on the planet! A great weekend with a great little sister! I love you Emilie!

Wizards of Waverly Place!

We have lots of entertainment people in our ward. Artists, actors, producers, musicians, etc. A very talented and artistic group. And that comes with benefits, of course! Two ward members work on the set of Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place. They gave my friend Kerrie 4 VIP passes to see the last taping of the season. Which was last night. Kerrie was sweet to invite T to tag along with friends Zoe and Sophie. T was ecstatic! They picked her up yesterday at 3:30 and she didn't get home until 11:00. After the taping, the kids got to go on set and meet the stars and walk around on the set. They took photos and got autographs. I only wish I had been able to go. Next time Kerrie, it's Jay Leno?! American Idol?! I'll be like a kid in a free candy shop!! Watch out!Thanks againe Kerrie. You're awesome. T will never forget this experience.

Our new baby Tonka!!

Our newest addition is a 90lb American bulldog. We weren't necessarily looking for a dog; this one came into our lives over a month ago. He had gotten lost and found us. We put him in our backyard and gave him some water. He was so sweet and calm. I was preparing to make some signs to post up the next day. However, the owner found him that night. She said that they had 5 full bread dogs and were looking for homes for two of them, Tonka included. She said he was still a puppy, 9 months old!!! And still growing! He's huge already, so I can't imagine what he's going to look like at 2 years old when he's full grown! Anyway, the owner left that night with Tonka while we pondered whether to keep him. The next day we decided that YES we wanted this dog! We contacted Tonka's family immediately but weren't able to bring him home until last night!! After we picked him up in our van, we drove around picking up food and toys. Our good friend Jay also gave us a crate for him to sleep in at night. Thanks Jay! We will be crate training him. Today I signed Tonka up for obedience classes at our local Pet Smart. Starts next week. I also need to get him neutered soon! Saying that the kids love the dog is an understatement! We'll see how strong that love is in a few months! After they have to pick up his piles in the backyard! But, honestly, so far Tonka is a very loveable animal. He is obedient, submissive, calm, and just so sweet. I think he's going to be a perfect fit for our family!