8 months

My mom wanted to see a few pictures of my pregnancy, so here are a few belly shots for her and all the rest of the world to enjoy.

Things have been going fine. My doctor has me labeled as a "high risk" pregnancy, but that's only because of my infertility history. Apparently once my body gets pregnant, it knows just what to do. It's been nice though having a little extra face to face time with my doc as well as a few extra sonograms. I do enjoy seeing that little guy develop and grow. It's pretty crazy stuff!

As you can tell from the pictures, my belly hasn't really popped out there yet like I thought it would. No bowling ball tummy- just a big barrel or rather large humpty dumpty shape. There are some days when I really wish my tummy would just pop out and give me a little more room to, oh say...eat, breathe, and even bend a little (although, my posture is great because there is no room to slouch). My rib cage has expanded to about twice the size, I swear and some days I wonder if I'm going to break a rib (Bella Cullen can't be the only one, right...and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you seriously live in a cave). My ribs literally ache all the time.

But you know what? I'm still loving every minute of it. I LOVE feeling this little dude moving, nudging, bumping, and kicking- and watching it is even more interesting. I'm am simply fascinated by this process and even more fascinated that I get to experience it firsthand. I had come to terms with my infertility and I was actually at a point in my life where I felt I was okay even if I'd never get to experience the full measure of my creation. I was satisfied with becoming a mother through a different means. There would always be the longing and curiosity for what it would be like, but I was so thrilled when I became a mother that it really didn't matter to me how it happened. But how grateful I am for this unexpected experience. It isn't all wonderful and perfect and happy all the time...in fact it's down right uncomfortable most of the time, but at least I get to know that for myself. I get to live it, enjoy it, suffer it, and celebrate it.


Some days I feel like Sarah, Abraham's wife, after she finally conceived and bore Isaac she said, "God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me." (Genesis 21:6)


Funny thing is that's exactly how I felt when I found out that Tyler was going to join our family, so in the end it really is no different. I am so grateful to have experienced this kind of joy in two very different ways.


(okay, so I'm one week shy of being eight months along, but 8 months sounds like a better title for a post than 7 and 3/4 months).

I survived

So last week John was gone on business the ENTIRE week. I was a little worried about how I would survive given my current condition (BIG MAMMA). But we did just fine. I think the thing I love most about living here is all of the wonderful friends I've made. They helped me survive the week and actually made it a fun one.


We enjoyed a trip to a local water park with the Shepherds. Thanks again for the invite, Tiffany. We really had a blast. Tyler kept himself happy and busy for hours playing here



I loved watching him jump across the lily pads and splash down all of the slides.



But most of all, I loved giggling to myself as I took a few pictures of this classy gentleman. Seriously, do you love the gun tucked into his shorts? Nice.





We also enjoyed a playgroup visit to the fire station. Tyler did not like the fire truck horn honking, but he was cool with assuming his position behind the wheel.





Then when Jen called later in the week informing me that Shayne would be out of town, we knew neither of us wanted to cook so we headed off to Rosa's for some good eats. It was a circus with the three kids. But I say it was a HUGE success given that no one pooped their pants, no drinks were spilled, and we didn't even get a standing ovation when we left the restaurant.


After dinner we were off to make good on a craving that Jen had set into motion a few days prior. Earlier in the week she reminded me of this delicious dessert that we both LOVE. That was all it took. Neither of us could stop thinking about it, so we had this brilliant idea to satiate the craving. We rushed home, put a movie on for the kids and set to work. Just about the time we finished, I checked the recipe and discovered that the cake would take 1 hour to cook and not the 30-40 minutes we had originally thought.


Our kids were bouncing off the walls and there was no way they were going to survive staying up past bedtime...okay truth is, there was no way WE were going to survive them staying up past their bedtime.


We looked at each other with tears in our eyes. We both very much NEEDED a piece of cake. What are two pregnant women with a very strong craving to do? We dried our eyes, gave the kiddos some cheerios and told them that was their dessert (as you can tell from their faces, they didn't mind), and set to work dividing up this lovely cake so that we could both enjoy. In the end, it was delicious, worth the work...But I'm sure it would have tasted even better if I could have enjoyed it with a friend (and have no fear, Tyler did get to have a slice or two of the cake. Yeah, we had it for breakfast the next day).


Thanks again ladies (and gentleman, in Mr. Tattoo's case) for helping me survive what could have been a very long and lonely week!!!

HHH 2008

Yesterday John completed his third Hotter'n Hell Hundred race. I have to admit that when he called me at 12:00 from the highway, my first words were, "Hi Sweetheart, either your done or dead." I just couldn't believe that he was already done.

Total riding time: 4 hours 30 min

Average speed: 22.5 mph

That goes down in his book as his fastest century ride. It puts him in the category of "sick dudes who don't stop at any of the rest stops until mile 90." Funny thing is, he was sporting a new jersey advertising for a particular ice cream sandwich...FAT BOY. Nice.

Just goes to show what he can do when he's not riding with his wife. :(

His favorite part of the ride? Drafting off "The German Piston." Supposedly this guy could seriously hammer. He was 6' 4" ~220 lbs and lean as can be, with quads the size of John's waist.

beware of the FAT BOY!!!

Reason #59 why I'm glad I don't have cable...

So we all know that children are easily effected by the things they watch on tv. I had another experience last week that drove that principle home. We were at the pool and Tyler kept going over to the waterfall and diving off a ledge that is about 18 inches above the water OVER and OVER and OVER again. He's always jumped from there, but not typically face first into the water. After coming home I noticed that he had dark bruises around his eyes from his goggles. I told him next time we go to the pool, he shouldn't dive from the high part of the pool face first. His response:

"But mom, I'm trying to be like those guys in China. I'm doing like the 'limpics."

Oh dear. My kid thinks he's Michael Phelps and I realize we've been watching way too much "limpics."

So of course, the next time we head to the pool, I bring my camera to capture this little future "limpian." I soon noticed that he swings his arms several times before every dive. Yep...you guessed it- Just like Mike. When I asked him about it he said, "I'm flapping my arms like those guys."

Here is his "undulating" under the water. Hilarious. If you've seen the lead off from the wall or the first few seconds after the swimmers dive in, you know exactly what he's trying to do here (by the way, this kiddo is a self taught swimmer. No swim lessons needed!).

Oh no. It doesn't end there. You should see him race around my house and try to jump over things and here is a classic "Tyler gymnastics" routine. This one is much calmer than his usual "run and dive head first into the ground in an attempt to do some kind of flip."

Oh well. At least these past few weeks have provided much entertainment for John and I (and I don't mean from watching the TV), but it will be good when it's all over and my son will stop thinking he's a professional athlete. But until then, I plan to let him watch synchronized swimming. Who knows what kind of fun we could have at the pool after that?

Happy Anniversary

Nine years ago today I married my sweetheart. I could go on and on about how much I love my man, how wonderful he is, and why he is my perfect match, but I think I'd rather keep that between he and I.

I'll just say that I am so very blessed to have traveled the last nine years with my best friend- someone I admire, love, and respect for so very many reasons. I'm so glad I was smart enough to hang on to this guy when I found him nine years ago. Who knew I had found my perfect match?!? I really am constantly amazed at how our strengths and weaknesses compliment each other- we are complete opposites and yet the core of who we are is so incredibly similar.

John, you're the best. I love you now like I loved you then. Thank you for who you are and who you make me want to be!

PS. Sorry that anniversary #9 isn't the "carbon fiber anniversary." Someone really should revise that list.

To everything there is a season

The other day, John was cleaning out his side of the closet. We both realized that between the two of us, we have enough race t-shirts to span the length of our house. We then began to rate our favorites and the ugliest, and let me tell you, there are some pretty darn ugly race t-shirts. One of which is this most recent bright green t-shirt with a goat on a bike that John acquired at "the Goatneck." I especially like when we are headed somewhere and John will say, “I’d better go change into my nice shirt.” I have finally learned not to expect to see him in a button down shirt with a collar, but rather his favorite Waco Wild West race t-shirt. Nice.

Anyway, along with the t-shirts come a flood of memories associated with each ride. Some we’ve done together and others we’ve gone solo, but I am so grateful for each moment I’ve spent riding side by side (or front to back if we’re on the tandem) with my favorite person in the world.
My top seven most memorable rides:

1. Heber Valley Century
What we thought was supposed to be a beautiful, scenic ride through Heber Valley and Park City turned out to be one of the most torturous mountain climbing events. It wasn’t advertised as a mountain climbing event, but that’s exactly what it was- 100 miles of mountain passes. Just when we’d reach the summit of one hill, we’d see the next one shooting up right behind it. We thought it was going to be a relaxing ride, so we actually brought the tandem…big mistake. That thing is great on the flats, but a beast on the uphill. This was the only ride I have ever cried on. Lunch wasn’t until mile 80 (yes, they feed you in the middle of some of these rides), and I was running on fumes- no cliff bars or gu left in my pockets and I was hurting for calories, and not to mention my legs were on fire from all of the hill climbing. Painful. Lovely, but painful.

2. Hotter’N Hell Hundred.
This was a good one- my first century in Texas. With temps reaching well over 100 degrees, they don’t call it Hotter’n Hell for nothing. The “starting line” was amazing with 4 lanes of traffic completely covered in bikes for 12 city blocks. There’s nothing like the sound of 15,000 wheels spinning and all those cleats popping into the pedals after the signal of the cannon and fly by of the jets overhead to announce the starting.
The main goal in this race is to not push it too hard in the heat, but to try to get done before the it gets too hot, oh and not to get dehydrated (that’s a biggie).

I think my favorite part was the rest stop at mile 90. We don’t usually stop at mile 90 simply because we’d rather just push it to the end, but in that kind of heat, you have no choice. At mile 90, the rest stop volunteers are mostly medical staff. Everyone has a stethoscope and if you stand in any one place for too long with a confused look on your face, they WILL approach you and ask if you are okay, and they DO want direct eye contact. The rest tents look more like an army tent with cots everywhere and people hooked up to blood pressure cuffs and IV’s. That many hours in that kind of heat can really mess you up. Everywhere you turn, there is someone shoving water or pickle juice into your hand or filling up your water bottles. It was…different.
The open fire hydrant at the finish was refreshing and did a great job of rinsing off some of the salt that covered our bodies. I was just glad I finished and wasn’t one of the people hooked up to an IV at the end. Sounds weird, but it was awesome, and I’d love to do it again sometime.

3. Alpine Loop
This is definitely the most beautiful and satisfying ride anywhere I’ve ever ridden. My first two attempts to complete the entire loop (starting from our apartment in Provo) ended about ½ way up with drive train problems (oddly enough things fell apart at almost exactly the same spot both times…weird). Old Bessie wasn’t up for the torque. A few minor adjustments and I was good to go. We always enjoyed this ride most at the end of the season when the fall colors come out. Our last time completing it was in October just before we moved away from Utah. (We didn't get any pictures of our rides, but it was so beautiful that we had to snap a few photos of our favorite place the following summer when we were back for a visit)

It was conference weekend, but we figured we had to do it one last time before we moved. The roads were slightly more congested with cars traveling up the mountains to enjoy the fall colors and to listen to conference. I still remember being about ¾ of the way up and having several cars drive by with windows open and cheering us on…I loved it!

The colors and views at the top are AMAZING, and there’s something about experiencing that kind of beauty on a bike…the colors, the sounds, the crisp cool air. The ride down is exhilarating and a little terrifying. It’s always much colder with the cool air moving so quickly over your sweat covered body, so I’m usually shivering at that point. The speeds, winding roads, and traffic all make me a little nervous, but it’s still a thrill speeding down the canyon.

4. Jericho Road
There is no Road called Jericho Road, that’s just what John and I called it (long story). This was where we’d head when we wanted some fast, flat rides out in the country with no traffic. My favorite Jericho Road experience was the time we caught a draft off of a pick up truck pulling a trailer filled with haystacks and pumpkins. It just felt so “autumn-ish.”
I have so many memories of Jericho Road. We’d ride out there all the time…around the lake, West mountain, or just “to the stop sign and back” Good chats, good times, good rides.

5. Lake Placid bike excursion
While living in New York, John had this brilliant idea that we could ride up to Lake Placid and back. Tyler was about 8 months old so we took turns riding and driving. John did 80 miles and I did 40 miles, then we camped that night (with showers…THANK GOODNESS), and did the same mileage home the next day. It was a unique family experience. I think my favorite thing about this ride was stopping after a long pull to find John with cold water and this happy boy waiting with a smile and a kiss.

6. Little Red Riding Hood
This is one of the country's very few "women's only" events located in Cache Valle (one of our very favorite riding places ever). 100 miles with all female riders is a very different ride than any other. The starting line chit chat is much louder and you can hear comments like, "Oh, I really like your socks. They look so cute with your jersey." The first year I went by myself. I didn't know any other female riders and I'd never done an event without John. I was a little nervous, but quickly made a few friends. The second year, I took my spin instructor (who was kind not to leave me in her dust). I had a blast with her and it made it even more fun to see John stationed at one of the rest stops as a volunteer. He did a great job slicing oranges and cheering on the riders- it was fun to have him there supporting me.

7. The Turkey Roll
This was such a blast. It was the first time I had ever ridden with a true gal pal. Jen had just gotten her first bike and she and Shayne were getting ready for this fun little ride the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Originally, I hadn’t planned on doing it, simply because I hadn’t arranged for babysitting for John and I, but the night before the event, John asked me why I wasn’t going with them and I thought, “Yeah, why not?” …because I hadn’t ridden much since completing the Hotter’n Hell two months prior, that’s why not. So I called Jen and asked if I could tag along. It was a fun little ride and I really enjoyed pedaling along with one of my best pals!

7. My Ride
One of my favorite rides was one I did about 2-3 times a week by myself. I’d leave from our apartment in Provo and head up the Provo Canyon, then past West Fork and up to the girl’s scout camp at the top. This was my ride, my time, my passion. Sometimes I would ride and think, sometimes I would ride and look at the scenery, and sometimes I would ride out all of my heartache and frustration- these were the rides when I’d grit my teeth and pound those pedals as hard as I could. I always stopped at the top to visit “my bush” for some quick relief and then sometimes I’d sit and think in the quiet of the mountains. Oh how I miss my mountains! Then I’d race down, crouching over my handle bars to see how aerodynamic I could make my body. These roads were less trafficked, so it was safer to careen down the hills like that. I loved the fee feel of coasting. I loved the cool, crisp air, I loved the solitude, I loved my ride.

And in case you’re wondering how my biking is going these days, well, let’s just say, my bike has been hung up for the year, but like I've always said, "Life is all about times and seasons." This is not a time or season for biking and I think I'm okay with that.

I rode a bit during my first trimester, but the geometry of my bike isn't really great for an expanding tummy- you can only lower the stem and raise the seat post so far. Plus, the risks are too high if I were to take a fall, so the bike has literally been hung up for the year. Sigh.

John has done a few rides without me now and I’m a little jealous when he sets off for his Saturday morning rides, but I can honestly say that I’m not terribly sad that I’m not going to be joining him for the Hotter’n Hell this year. Right now, that sounds absolutely miserable. Have I mentioned that it’s hot? Bother.

Anyway, I’m so glad for healthy hobbies and I’m really looking forward to the day when I can get “back in the saddle again.” I’ve had a lot of good memories on the bike and I can’t wait to create more with my boys! Tyler already talks about the day when he “gets bigger and can go race with daddy.” You can only imagine how excited this makes John.

And just for the record, the ULCER 100 ride in Utah has the best looking t-shirts, so go sign yourself up today so that you can have a “nice shirt” too!

Can I just tell you how much I adore this?

(Not the cute little boy with a sonic drink in his hands, but the shelves and hooks behind him. And yes, I did take him to Sonic wearing only his camo shorts. How Texas is that? But to my defense, it is HOT and we went stopped at the drive through).

John installed this shelf and hooks along with the peg board in my garage a few months ago. It has made coming home from the pool a snap! We hang all the wet stuff out there so it never has to even enter my house (and yes, Tyler does strip in the garage). It would be nice to think that someday we might also use it to hang coats and hats and stuff, but right now my brain can't even fathom that idea...it is so darn HOT! Anyway, he's also added hooks (that Tyler can reach) to our hall closet for all of Tyler's baseball hats, jackets, backpacks, and such as well as a set in our master closet for sweaty biking and running clothes. I love them all! I also had to add a picture of the shelves he and his dad installed in the garage a while back. Fantastic!

Okay, I do adore that cute little boy in the pictures too. I especially love that he saw me with the camera and immediately jumped into the frame and posed with his adorable little smile.