365days230

It's never too late to PAR-TAY!

We had our annual Halloween shindig tonight, and I'd have to say a good time was had by all. We postponed because the star of the show, Miss HaLee Jo, wasn't able to make it last week. So we relived Halloween a little bit complete with a costume contest, chili, sugar cookies and homemade root beer.

Prizes were awarded for best costume. HaLee stole the show as an elegant ballerina. The competition was stiff though...her parents closely followed suit as home made super heros. My mom and Norm were neck-in-neck with "Team Hunter" as a witch and wizard. I tried to join in their theme and went as a black cat. The best part of Halloween this year was the fact that I didn't spent a single penny on my costume. My mom quickly helped me piece together my cat ears five minutes before the party started (I had leftover felt from our peacock costumes a few years back). She's one crafty lady...that mom of mine.

Here's our cute ballerina. I can't get the photo to turn, so you'll have to angle your head in an odd way or turn your computer screen to ohhhh and awww. Trust me, it'll be worth it. She's so.dang.cute!!

Here are the party poopers. We are still glad they could come. Damon promised to wear a costume next year...we'll see if that really happens.

Of course, the good times would not be nearly as good without Jack and Elle. Elle fell in love with my mom's caramel popcorn. When I sent her home with some she was over the moon. She has a sweet tooth like her auntie Amber :).

I think this marks party number 8 since I came back to UT for school in 2004. I'm already looking forward to the good times next year. Big thanks to Ali and the Matheson sisters who inspired me to start such a fun tradition. I love them for that and so many other things. Happy belated Halloween!! I can't believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I'm excited for more good times with the fam.

Happy Halloween!

I rediscovered this old photo yesterday and just had to share. A blast from the past is always a good time. I'm supposed to be a cute cheerleader, but I look rather ghost-like in this photo, and I love how none of us are smiliing. Gotta love the 80s...no digital cameras to be had. My dad was a one and done family photographer, so we have a lot of BAD pics from those years...no smiles, closed eyes, gaping mouths, etc. So sad little Chance isn't with us, but he wasn't even born yet. However, he did sport the ghostie costume a couple years later.

Since I'm going down memory lane, I figure I should record my costumes while I can still recall them. My parents, as much as I love them, neglected to take annual Halloween shots.

pre-K: a pink bunny (I'm sure I was other things, but that's all I can recall)

K: clown (the newspaper that was balled up to make my clown legs look big was ITCHY...I borrowed the costume from my cousin Suzanne)

1st grade: Susan and I were Carebears, essentially our moms used iron-ons on a sheet that we tied at the shoulders...not super cool, but something fun to laugh about today, which we did just last week

2nd grade: I was a grandma. I borrowed my Grandma H's old wig and cat eye glasses and this floral dress from my mom. I wish I had a picture of that. I'm sure I looked hideous. I think I even had a cane...or maybe I'm embellishing the memory. I can attest to the wig as it was certainly itchy.

3rd grade: My cousin, Karolee, and I dressed as BYU cheerleaders. I wish we had a picture together. I think that had to be my favorite costume hands-down. I loved the process of piecing together our outfits at the BYU bookstore. I borrowed the pom-poms from my Grandma and Grandpa H--they were members of the Cougar Club.

4th grade: The punk rocker in my came out. I loved spraying my hair bright pink alongside Shelley Steineckurt.

5th grade: I was an Army guy courtesy of my dad's fatigues

6th grade: I dressed as a hobo...nothing too exciting.

7th grade: Don't ask me why I was still trick-or-treating in the 7th grade, but I had this grand idea to use one of those giant plastic pumpkin bags people use to collect and gather leaves. I cut out places for my arms and legs and stuffed myself with newspaper. Little did I know I would be "pooping" newspaper as we trick-or-treated with the Hayes family while my dad was in Saudia Arabia.

I don't remember dressing up until I went to the Halloween dance in high school my junior year. I borrowed my friend Camille's grandma's disco outfit and went as a disco queen.

My costumes got better in my adult years once I met the Matheson sisters and their costume box in California. They shared their toothfairy costume with me and reminded me how fun it is to dress up. Since then, I've convinced my mom we need to dress up for our annual "carving" parties, which has been postponed until next weekend so our guest of honor, HaLee, can be there. I've been a witch, a ladybug, a peacock, a beauty queen, Chance and a pirate. I'm still working on my costume for this year. Good thing I still have a week.

Gotta love Halloween and its kickoff to the holiday season. So many good times and good memories.

Where in the world?

The busy travel season for work has hit full force. I mentally tried to gear myself up for the nearly eight weeks of non-stop travel, but I don't know if one can really ever prepare for such a whirlwind. Here's my schedule in case you are wondering where I've been, where I'm going and why I've been too tired to talk as of late. And if you want to join me, pick a trip. . .any trip and tag along. I'd really love the company.

9/19-9/25 NYC (I stayed over Saturday and Sunday for a little fun with Kimberly)

9/26-9/27 Milwaukee

9/28-9/30 Denver

I have spent time at the SLC International Airport four days in a row this week--Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm sorta happy I don't have to be there today unless it meant I was coming home for the week.

10/3-10/7 New Orleans

10/10-10/14 Dallas

10/14-10/15 San Diego

HOME!!!!!

10/25-10/29 Portland, Oregon

11/1-11/3 Denver

11/7-11/11 New Orleans

I'm head over heels in LOVE. . .

Arriving Wednesday, August 10 at 6:45 a.m., weighing in at 8 lbs 1 ounce and standing 19 inches tall

I thought I had an idea of what true love might feel like, but that was not the case until I met my little niece, Miss Halee (Hal EE) Jo three weeks ago tomorrow. Isn't she beautiful? She looks so much like Bronco when he was a new born. I feel nostalgic everytime I kiss on her. Of course she inherited Jody's lush lips and darling nose. Miss Halee lucked out and truly got the best of both her parents. And I am totally and completely in love with this darling little girl.

Beau and Chance are feeling the same way. Here's a quick snapshot of a recent conversation I had with Beau:

Beau: You know, Lamby (that's me), I love Halee more than I love you.

Me: That's okay because I love her more than I love you. I guess we are even.

Beau: Oh good. I knew you'd understand. She's so dang cute!

Me: Isn't she? I just want to kiss on her all.day.long.

And here's a conversation I had with Chance. . .

Chance: I took a picture with Halee.

Me: I bet it's cute. You need to send it to me.

Chance: I will, but you should know you might want to make it your screensaver.

Me: Oh really?

Chance: Really!! I have it up as my screensaver and it's so cute. In fact, I plan to leave it up for at least a year. I love that little girl.

Me: Me too!

After so many years of enjoying our family of adults, we are all so excited for this little girl to be in our lives.

Big thanks to Bronco and Jody for making me a full-fledged auntie. Good work, kids!

And special thanks to all of my friends and bonus sisters for letting me be a surrogate aunt to all of your cute kiddies. Even though the title of aunt is now official, don't think for a second that I'll be relenquishing my surrogate auntie duties now or ever.

FINISHER

"Finisher" that's what my medal for the Timp 1/2 says. Miracle of miracles, I completed the race Saturday and have a new found respect for all of the runners in my life--namely my sisters/bonus sisters (Em, Jamie, Becca and Liza). Those girls are speed demons!

Training for 13.1 miles has been quite the journey. I ran along many random trails in various cities while on the road. I sacrificed my beloved Pilates for runs, I became a big fan of the Garmin Forerunner. In fact, you could say I got bit by the running bug at one point and dreamed of running a marathon for about 2.2 seconds after I finished my second 10-mile run.

That 10-mile run was the best run of my life. Rather than make my way through the rolling hills of Midvale, Cottonwood Heights, etc., my mom came up with the brilliant idea for me to run down Payson Canyon. Since I would be running down American Fork Canyon, that seemed like a great idea. Not only that, she volunteered herself, along with Norm, to be a moving aid station throughout my run, so I didn't have to worry about planting water, packing tissues (my nose runs when I run...so weird) and what not.

So we loaded up early Saturday, July 16 and drove the 10 miles to the top of the canyon. I'll admit 10 miles seems like quite the distance when you are driving in the car. I was amazed I had made it the week before and excited to see what my body would do again.

Thanks to my cheering squad I averaged 9:17 a mile and completed my 10 miles in 1:32. It was so much fun to meet up with my cheer leaders every couple of miles and to hear their words of encouragement as they passed by me on the way to the next random pit stop. I averaged a 10:07 pace my previous 10 mile run--the run I failed to hydrate properly and spent half of my time running up hill. Any how, I finished my run down Payson Canyon on a high thinking that I just might be able to run my first 1/2 right around the 2 hour mark.

Sad to say, I tweaked my hip flexor during that run. I didn't realize it was so bad until I went to run a few days later :(. I only made it 1.5 miles before I had to turn around and hobble back to my hotel in Boulder, CO. I stopped running completely trying the rest approach and then made many trips to the chiropracter, purchased a foam core roller, consulted several running friends and colleauges and when it still wasn't 100 percent by last Thursday night, I broke out the Ibuprofen. Who knew so many runners drug up for a race? The thought hadn't even crossed my mind, but I wasn't about to let all of my training go down the drain.

So, I reframed and decided slow and steady was the name of the game. I carefully made my way down  American Fork Canyon and was feeling great until I thought one of my toe nails had fallen off. I had to take my sock and shoe off at mile 9 to inspect since the pain was severe. Thankfully it was just a nasty blister, so I continued along the course, making my way through my childhood neighborhood, past the old Manila Church, along Temple Road and to American Fork High School. At mile 11, my thoughts turned to my Grandma H. Today's her birthday and she's been on my mind. I've been thinking about her life and the legacy she left when she passed on three years ago. She used to walk from her house in American Fork to our house in Manila at least once or twice a summer in her younger years. As a small child, I thought she was a modern day pioneer walking all that distance. I now realize it was about 5-7 miles or so away, but as a youngster, I vowed to do it someday--to walk like she walked. I like to think she'd be proud of me and my walking efforts over the years and now my journey into running.

Those last two miles were tough, but my Grandma carried me through. In fact, I honestly felt like she was running alongside me, such a tender thought, and just when I thought I had had enough, I saw my sweet sister's face, Miss Em (who had the run of her life, by the way, coming in at 1:52--woo woo) waiting to run the last 100 yards or so with me. All of the sudden, I found a burst of energy I had not felt since mile six and crossed the finish line at 2:11 on the dot with a 10:05 pace. Sure it wasn't 2:00, but I did it!! I FINISHED even after taking a two week hiatus prior to the race, even after worrying my hip might not ever be the same, even after feeling a bit discouraged. And once again I was reminded we all need a team of cheerleaders in our life--whether they stand on the sideline telling us we are "looking good, seriously looking good!" or they run alongside us physically or in spirit. 

Big thanks to all of my cheerleaders, if you are reading this, that means YOU as I only share this blog with people I love, for not only cheering me on in this effort but for cheering me on as I run the marathon of life. I couldn't do it without each of you! And when all is said and done, I'll be dedicating my "finisher" medal for life to all of you.

Y, H and ?

Sunday was a pretty good day. I went to church, helped in the nursery (exhausting) and sported a new skirt from Anthro.

The day was made even better by a last minute dinner invite from Y. She was fixing salmon, and I had all the goods on hand to put together a tasty summer corn salad courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe (see recipe below. . .so so very yummy). All was going well as I placed my computer far FAR away from my cooking space to boil the corn and get my chopping on. All was going well until I went to dump the hot water that had cooked the corn down the sink. All was going well until the steam from the water started to burn my hands. And all was still well UNTIL the big, heavy All-Clad pot slipped out of my hands, tumbled into the sink while releasing at least a gallon of water across the counter top, which just happened to be the place where my computer was sitting.

My reflexes were lightening quick as I grabbed my computer from the soaking counter top and began to dry it off while silently praying it would still be good to go.

I thought a miracle had happened because all seemed well until I went to type later that night and that's when I discovered three of my favorite keys apparently no longer have the desire to execute a letter when pressed. Here's the outcome.

"Tanks so muc for dinner last nigt. Everting was delicious!! And so ealt too. Sorr about te tpos. Can ou guess wic two letters are broken on m keboard :( I forgot. Te question mark is broken too. So sad. I ope te kes are eas to fix.

Anow ere's te recipe for te salad.

Summer Corn Salad

*Note: To julienne the fresh basil, stack 4-5 basil leaves on top of each other and roll them up to make a long tube of basil. Slice every 1/8-inch down the length of the basil roll and as the basil unfurls, it will be sliced into thin long strips. The corn could also be grilled to turn this simple salad into a grilled version. This salad is very adaptable – you can increase the corn, add a few cloves of finely minced garlic, flat leaf parsley, and/or julienned baby spinach (in place of the basil). Go crazy!

*Serves 6

6 ears of corn, shucked
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add one tablespoon sugar and one tablespoon vinegar. Add the cobs of corn to the pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Cover the pot, remove from the heat and let the corn sit for 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the pot. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the kernels in a medium bowl with the red onions, tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Love ou!

A

p.s. I just discovered te rigt and left arrow kes are broken too. Even sadder!! At least te ard drive is still in tact.

I guess my prayers were semi-heard. I think my use of a certain expletive that starts with a S and ends with a T might have negated my pleas to the heavens because that was the first thing out of my mouth as I saw the water spread and head straight for my MacBook. The praying started after. . .I need to get my priorities straight. For the time being, I'm using a portable keyboard that plugs into my laptop. Oh, the adventures of life!

Double Digits

I completed my 10 mile run Saturday just by the skin of my teeth. I know people run marthons. I know folks do iron mans. I know human beings run hundreds of miles barefoot in the desert. All I really know is I'm happy I made it to mile 10. This was the first time in the history of my life that I made double digits on a run. Sure I've done that plenty of times walking, but running is a whole new beast for me and my little legs.

There were a couple moments when I wanted to give up (or at least get on all fours and drink from a stranger's sprinklers), but I kept watching that darn Garmin attached to my wrist and knew I wasn't stopping until it read 10.0 miles (I like to think I had too much pride to get down and drink, but I was really worried that if I got down, I might not get up again). And while I wasn't fast, I averaged a 10:07 mile pace, I finished. There may be hope for me come July 30 when the big 13.1 stares me in the face.

 

Sisters

Last month, we celebrated the upcoming arrival of Halee Jo with a baby shower. It was a fun day--ewwing and awwing over all the cute baby clothes. I'm so excited for my niece to arrive next month. She's a going to be one lucky little girl. I like to think I'll be her favorite auntie, but truth be told, I have some stiff competition. For 26 years, I hoped for a sister and now I have five amazing sisters. I honestly don't know how I got so lucky. It's not very often we all get to be in the same place at once, so it makes this picture even more special to me. I love these girls.

From Left to Right. . .

JODY knows every word to every single Disney song and is not afraid to belt out a tune or do a little dance for our family. She's going to be an amazing momma in the coming weeks. She's also up for all sorts of fun--snowman making, sledding, etc. I love that she's a big kid at heart, and I love how much she loves my brother.

JAMIE has the best stories that keep us laughing, and she's uber-talented in the world of design. Not only that, she was born to run. And she can never lie--she's too honest. She makes my brother a better person, and I love her for that. 

BECCA gets up at the crack of dawn (4:30 a.m.!!), runs her booty off, teaches piano to dozens, takes her own piano lessons, whips up five-star meals and always thinks about others. Did I mention she has two adorable girls? BTW, she's so good to my dad. She makes cherry pie for him on his birthday. That in and of itself makes her a saint. Good thing she still swears on occasion or she might be exalted.

LIZA lives in Idaho, which means I don't get to see her as often as I would like, and has the cutest kiddies. She's kind and loyal and handles life with dignity and grace. By the way, she runs too. She runs in the dead of winter and she makes marathons look easy. And just like her sister, she's good to my dad, which means so much to me.

EM is my partner in crime when it comes to all things catering and any good recipe. We make a good team when it comes to party hosting. She's a health nut (she knows my body weight and body fat percentage and loves me just the same) but knows how to enjoy good food (just ask her about our trip to Serendipity in NYC a few years back). She's my rollerblading partner and the one who convinced me to sign up for the Timp 1/2 marathon. Notice the trend. . .my sisters like to run :). And she's been so good to my brother. I can't imagine him with anyone else.

I really could go on and on about each of these lovely ladies, but the bottom-line is--they are incredible women, who love their families and would bend over backwards to help someone in need. I'm continually amazed by the kind things they do for me and so many others. I always love spending time with each of them. In my dream neighborhood, we'd all live on the same block.

 

On the road again. . .

I spoke too soon. I just booked my flights to Chicago next week (thankfully it's just an overnight trip), and I may have to go to New Jersey the following week. I can't complain. It's been so very very nice to be home the past couple of weeks. To make the most of my time at home, I've. . .

Skied with Bronco for his birthday. Yes, can you believe Snowbird is still open? The snow was not so good, but the setting was gorgeous. I've never seen the mountains so green. And of course, it was a treat spending a little 1:1 with my brother. I adore that kid.

Hiked in Millcreek. Last Saturday, I caught up with a dear friend from my brief banking stint. We took in the fresh air as we stretched our legs along some random trail. It was gorgeous. I wish I could go for a hike everyday in the summer.

Been running. Actually, I ran 9 miles yesterday, which is as MAJOR feat for me--a non-runner. If I keep up my commitment to train, I think I'll be well prepared for the Timpanogos 1/2 marathon on July 30.

Barbequed. I took a fun class at Harmon's this past weekend and discovered the beauty of a grilled fig.

Celebrated Dad's Day. We took in strawberry shortcake to my dad on Saturday and then I made it to my mom and Norm's for a small BBQ--just the three of us--Sunday night. I wasn't able to join the rest of the family for b-fast, but it was kind of fun to have Norm all to myself.

Partied with the sisters. We wanted to squeeze in one last girl's weekend before Halee Jo arrives in early August, so we packed in the car and made our way to St. G once again. The weather was good to us. We had fun singing along to "The Little Mermaid" and "Grease" at Tuacahn. We laughed about crazy dating stories and first kisses and we thankfully didn't catch any nasty diseases from our gross hotel. As always, it's a weekend that will fondly be remembered. 

Mowed a lawn. I put my professional lawn mowing skills to the test last week during a Habitat for Humanity project. I think it's been 10 years since I really mowed a lawn. Spencer Lawn Care would have been impressed that I still "have it!"

Read Stargirl. I picked it up on a whim at B&N while I was in PA a couple weeks back. It's the cutest book I've read in a long long time. It's a quick, easy, engaging and insightful summer read. If you want to borrow my copy, just let me know. I'm willing to share.

Taken advantage of my gym membership. I went to a yoga class last week and loved it. I wasn't feeling up to my 9 mile run on Saturday, so I opted for the "Cardio Interval" class. Let's just say, I was wishing I had gone running 10 minutes into the class. It was intense. I don't know if I'll be repeating it again anytime soon.

Prepped for the 4th. I have a fun friend coming to town, and I'm excited to take advantage of the fireworks, BBQ season and all the good things UT has to offer this time of year.

Welcomed the first day of summer with popsicles. Last week, on Tuesday, June 21, I pulled out the "party cart." The party cart is a little something I came up with during my airline days. I'd decorate it up with balloons, streamers and what not and deliver random goodies to random departments or colleagues who needed a little pick me up. People would get so excited when they'd see the party cart coming, and I thought it was about time the consulting world got a little taste. It's amazing how something as simple as a popsicle can change the dynamic of what would otherwise be a boring Tuesday afternoon. 

 

 

Home, Sweet, Home!

After being on the road non-stop for the past 7 weeks traveling to Seattle, Spokane, Maine, NYC, New Jersey, NYC, Ft. Lauderdale, NYC, St. G and Pennsylvania, I am HAPPY to say I am home for the next month. Never have I ever been so excited to be home.

Sure traveling can be fun, but it can be exhausting too. For the next month, I plan to enjoy cooking in my kitchen, gearing up for the Timpanogos 1/2 marathon, hosting out of town guests for the 4th, BBQing and spending time with those I love. I'm going to savor every moment because I know the road warrior ways will be back before I know it.

Like I mentioned in a previous post, traveling for the airlines was much much different than my current world of travels. I'm still trying to get up to speed. . .