Another Fun 5K

My friends and I ran the Flaming Gorge 5K last Saturday. It was so much fun to run with these girls. So much so, we're going to do it again! I was pleasantly surprised to find out earlier this year that I can run 3.25 miles without stopping and without dying of boredom. I ran track in high school but stuck to the sprinting races. I tried to run cross country as a senior, but never got the hang of it.

As an adult, I think I've developed some endurance and patience that I didn't have as a teenager. Although running just for the sake of running isn't overly fun for me, I've learned a lot as I've tried to improve. Mainly, it's more fun to run a race with friends!

I tried to keep up with Jesika {orange shirt}, but it was no use. This girl can seriously run! I felt pretty good when I could still see her ponytail, but once it vanished, I knew she was long gone. Emily {purple shirt} rocked this run out on the first day of being 28, after a long night of birthday partying! And Amanda {purple tank} ran her first 5K in years!

We were kinda sore, a little sweaty, and super happy to have finished!

Chillin' and Cherry Hillin'

Last Thursday we made a run to Layton to meet our friends at Cherry Hill. Christian was working in SLC all week, and we originally had plans to stay with him for the night, and then head to the water park... But, as it goes, plans change. So instead we got up early on Thursday and arrived just in time to start our pre-weekend party.

Jesika and her kids come every year and love this place, now I know why! This is a perfect place for young kids to have a great time. the rides aren't scary {unless you ask Carter} and there are plenty of kid friendly water features. Not to mention, you can bring your own cooler and find a nice shady spot to relax in while you wait for your food to digest.

I didn't get any pictures of these kids in action, I was too busy having fun in the water to get my camera out. But, I did get a few during our snack breaks. I really like the ones of Caleb. Unfortuatley he pulled his swim cap off before I could get a picture of it, but I think he looks like a young Michael Phelps. He also may have taken in as many calories as Michael Phelps as well...Swimming makes us hungry!

Carter was forced {by his evil wicked mother} to try the Double Dragon slide. I was just sure if he tried it, he'd like it. I was wrong. He hated it even more, and may have some serious psychological damage to deal with in the future. Other than that, he had a great time in the lazy river and the pool!

I think Cali's face in the first picture pretty much says it all. She worked Cherry Hill over! She, Kenady, and Presley didn't stop except to eat and occasionally go to the bathroom. It was so fun to see those girls having so much fun and excersicing a little bit of independence too. We let them go on a couple of rides alone, and they thought they were pretty cool. Truth be told, I thought they were pretty cool too.

It's sad that we lived in the SL valley for 10 years and never once ventured to this cute little water park. Well, better late than never, I'm sure we'll revist Cherry Hill again. Carter HAS to try that Double Dragon again!

About Three Weeks Ago

Three weeks ago my little brother was still a swingin' bachelor living the high life. Ok, not really, he was counting down the days to his wedding and has been living happily ever after in the "Wild Wood" trailer with his lovely wife ever since.

The day before his wedding we took the kids to the Castle Dale swimming pool and then hung around with family, as picture above. I love the picture of me and my dad, you can't see it very well but his shirt says, "I don't know if you know this but...I'm kind of a big deal around here". If you've been to Castle Dale, you know this is true. Cali and Carter also decided to engage in one of the Peacock family traditions of climbing up the back of the house. Don't know why it's so cool, but it is. Cali also had to stop climbing just long enough to pose with her new aunt, Alexis.

Their wedding ceremony in the Manti Temple was beautiful and special and all those things you would expect from a wedding. Watching the two of them look at each other brought some tears to our {mine and Bethany's} eyes. Our crying was cut a little short when one of our many uncles passed out mid-ceremony. He felt terrible, and quickly collected himself and the wedding proceeded!

After the wedding my parents hosted a lunch where we had some time to visit with our relatives. Brandt's friends gave some heart felt and funny toasts, and Brandt sang to Alexis. The highlight for me was when Bethany, uninvited and unannounced gave the best tribute a sister could give to our one and only brother. She does not mess around when the microphone is in her hands! Yes, Tyler Gilson, I saw you tear up a little too.

The collage of pictures above are just a few of my favorites from this part of the day. For the first 12 years of his life Brandt had no brothers at all, but Christian has served as his honorary brother for the last 12 years. These two have had a lot of adventures and good times together. Also, love the picture of my husband and all my brothers. My sisters married the two best guys ever, there's a lot of pressure for my sister Dory. Finally a cute one of Brandt and Alexis during the lunch. I know they were anxious to get out of there, and....well,..

I think Bethany snapped this one of Christian and me at the temple. It's nothing too great, but really illustrates our relationship. Me, trying to drag him off like I know where I'm going... And him, looking at me like he's not going anywhere. I think this would be a perfect picture for a 50th wedding anniversary invite.

We tried to get a few snap shots of our little family. The professional photographer {who was amazing, but the way!} got some really good ones. I think I like this first one best. It really shows off my core strength and the control I have over my upper body.

This one is pretty good too!

We don't mess around when it comes to weddings. After a day at the temple, a wonderful lunch, a million pictures, we still had a whole night of partying ahead of us! The reception was in a beautiful outdoor location in Castle Dale, and once my kids went home with Grandma Vicki and Grandpa Carl, the party really started!

I still can't believe my baby brother is all grown up. It's bitter sweet. I am excited to see what new adventures are in store for him, and so happy to have another sister!

Baseball and Boy Stuff

When Christian found out that the Yankees were playing in Chicago this year, he immediately started hatching plans to watch a few games. When he realized that they were playing three games in Chicago over Father's Day weekend, it was a done deal.

Christian and Carter left on Wednesday {June 15th} to spend the night in Salt Lake and be ready for their flight on Thursday morning. After spending most of Thursday in airports they arrived at their hotel and got settled in for a weekend full of baseball, sons, fathers, and brothers.

On Friday they met up with the rest of their party. Carl flew from SLC with them, Dustin came from Texas, and Carson drove up from Marion. According to Carter, the Cubs won and some old man robbed me of a ball. C.C. Sabathia threw a ball in Carter's direction during batting practice, and an old man reached over his shoulder and stole it. Very traumatizing for a five year old. He later asked Christian if he could wear all green and hide in the ivy in the outfield and wait for another ball... good plan, but sadly not feasible.

Here are a couple of handsome Yankee fans {Roz, I know you will gag when you see the words "handsome" and "Yankees" in the same sentence}.

All Yankee fans with one Cubs fan thrown in there. Luckily for their brotherly bond, the Cubs won on Friday and the Yankees won on Saturday.

The highlight of the trip, and of Carter's young life, was when Carter was picked to go down on the field during batting practice and stand near the team. While waiting to get into the field early on Saturday morning, the person in charge of choosing the kids saw Carter patiently waiting and gave him a field pass. Christian was so jealous!

Carter was a little nervous without his dad with him, but they allowed the parents to sit in the row of seats behind the kids. Carter got very close to some very famous Yankees, but with all the Cubs fans {and being a little nervous}, he didn't push his way to the front. He did, however, get Joe Girardi former player and current manager to sign a ball for him.

You can see the Yankees stretching out just feet away from one of their biggest little fans.

There's his ball. He was very proud, and had a great time. It was fun for Christian to spend time with his dad and son and brothers. When he got home he said, "I can't wait until I can take Caleb too." Me too...

A River, A Lot of Suckers, and a Dramatic Grande Finale

While Christian and Carter were gone to Chicago, my friends and I got together to walk the Green River Parkway. It's a paved trail with beautiful views of the river and little parks along the way. We didn't make it very far because the parkway was roped off due to high water. The kids played and the adults talked. Caleb remained contained for the entirety of the excursion due in large part to 15 dum dum suckers. A little sugar goes a long way for this kid.

There are some cute swings along the way too. A couple of them were closer to the water and nearly submerged, but this one was far enough away for the kids to swing and stay dry. While Kenady, Cali, and Presley swung; Teag taught Caleb the art of throwing rocks into a river. From the confinement of the stroller, he actually got pretty good!

Our day was going along just swimmingly until Cali fell into the Green River flat on her bum. She jumped up and in dramatic Cali fashion pitched a giant fit about her legs "stinging". I told her to calm down, the water was just cold...she was just a little embarrassed or scared...and she was acting a bit like a baby. She persisted in scream, jumping, and grabbing her bottom. As any good mother would {once I quit laughing at the randomness of the fit} I pulled her pants down to check out what all the fuss was about. Her legs were covered in white hives. I then felt pretty bad about laughing. I washed her off, stripped her down, got a corn dog from Arctic Circle, and after the 20 minute car ride full of crying and a shower....she lived.

They Looked Better Two Weeks Ago

One of the many summer camps that Cali is participating in this summer {along with introduction to acting, vacation bible school, and reading camp} is floral design camp. She went last summer for the first time, and it was on the top of her list for this summer too. She made so many beautiful arrangements, and learned so much about how to care for floral arrangements. As you can see, after several weeks, her arrangements are looking a little rough. It has been so nice to have so many different and beautiful flowers in our house, but I think today is the day that we say good bye to them.

...And That Was Heaven

My brother attended a wedding for a friend several months ago where one of the father's in the wedding party proposed a toast. Throughout the toast he included the words, "and that was heaven" several times after describing certain touching events that he and his child had participated in over the years. After hearing Brandt's rendition of the wedding toast several times, we've incorporated the phrase into our everyday vocabulary.

At least once a day I, or one of my siblings, will use the phrase, "and that was heaven". We think it's pretty funny, even if no one else does. However, sometimes the phrase becomes less trite and more meaningful.

For example, the other day when I gave Caleb a graham cracker, a dump truck, two large cups, and a hose. Just ask Caleb, he'll tell you, "that was heaven".

eShakti

My very stylish friend Natalie devoted one of her vlogs {video blog} on 100percentcottam to an online store called eShakti. I watched the vlog and was impressed by her dress {she was wearing it in the video} and her excitement.

eShakti.com is an online store devoted to beautiful, affordable, and {my favorite} customizable clothing and dresses. Have you ever seen a dress you love, but it's too short...the story of my life! Have you ever seen a dress you love, but it has no sleeves...also a very reoccurring theme in my shopping life. If you have these same issues, you need to check out this website. You provide them with your measurements, sleeve and length modifications, and you get your perfect dress.

After looking around for a black dress {with no success} for my brother's wedding, I figured it was a good time to try something new. I picked a dress {pictured above}, I entered my sizes, added a cap sleeve, and a knee length, changed the color to black and I had my perfect dress in 10 days. They guarantee to ship your order within 3 business days, and provide a full money back return policy...even if the order was a custom size. You can't go wrong.

If you have an occasion {or no reason at all} to shop for a pretty dress, blouse, or skirt I recommend you try eShakti. Right now if you enter the promo code JUNPRV you get an additional 15% off your order.

The picture posted above is the same picture I saw on the website. The pictures beloware my custom version of that dress. I received so many generous and thoughtful compliments about the dress, I knew I had to share! Happy shopping!!

{the dress came with a black sash, but I added the red belt via Down East Basics to add some color and to go with the theme of the wedding. The shoes are Steve Madden, and although very cute, I was done with them after the formal picture taking.}

Adventures in Spray Tanning

In an attempt to look glowing and golden in my black dress for my brother's wedding, I decided it was time to venture into the world of spray tanning.

Wait, back up... In my 20's I spent my fair share of time in tanning beds. In fact, I even talked Christian into participating in the warm goodness that is tanning. However, as I've gotten older {and wiser} I've tried to steer clear of the potential melanoma causing rays.

The last few years spray tanning has come a long way. No longer the streaking orange mess that it once was, rather, a fairly cheap, temporary, and safe way to look tan without the cancer side effects. I know several girls who own their own spray tanner and air brush themselves to perfection on a regular basis. So I thought...why not?

With the wedding festivities commencing on Friday, I figured that Wednesday would be a good day for a spray. I stripped down to my underwear and sports bra and had a total stranger {but a very nice one at that} airbrush me to a golden tan. She gave me some advice; (1) you will feel sticky, (2) you should not shower for 6-10 hours, (3) when you do shower a lot of the tan will wash off, but a lot will stay, (4) don't do dishes or let water run down your hands onto your arms, (5) if you have any dark spots, try a salt scrub or lemon juice to remove the dark color.

I felt pretty confident that I would be looking hot by morning. Shortly after my tanning session Christian and I loaded up the car and kids and drove to Price. Christian had to work in Utah, and we had to be there for the wedding, so we all went together a day early. She was right... I was sticky. A four hour car ride gave my tan a good long time to sink in.

When I woke up in the morning I was shocked to see how truly dark I really was. I remembered advice #3 and figured that most of it would wash off. I went running, so did my tan. By the time I got back my clothes were orange and my neck was striped like a zebra. Time to get in the shower. Yep, a lot of it washed off. I was relived, and excited, and hot! Then I looked at my hands...

For whatever reason the water seemed to have no effect on the darkness of my hands. Then I remembered advice # 5 about the salt scrub and the lemon juice. Ok, I thought, I will have to work on my hands a little. No big deal. Right. Then I turned them over and realized, my palms were the same color.

Let me tell you somethings that do not work on Pocahontas-style-spray-tan-hands. (1) salt scrub, (2) lemon juice, (3) swimming in a chlorinated pool for hours. Now let me tell you something that does work. Bleach. Straight up Clorox {with a little water}. At the suggestion of my sister Dory I participated in 15 minute intensive bleach soak. Guess what, it worked... It was just shy of peeling off my flesh, but it worked.

One more shower... a lot of lotion.... and my hands were back to almost-normal. Will I be spray tanned again? I don't know. But if I do, I'll wear gloves!

The Pictures...

These are the pictures from my "Finally" post. For some reason they went missing after I posted them.

It's Like Pulling Teeth

Between Brandt's wedding and his reception. Or in Carter's world....between playing for hours with his grandma and cousins and being forced to wear church clothes not on a Sunday. His wiggly tooth came out. While he was taking a pre wedding reception bath, I asked him if I could try to pull it out. I literally touch it with a tissue, and it fell right out. No pain. No pulling. No screaming. Well, that is until afterward and he tasted the blood in his mouth. Then the hysterics began.

I gave Christian the tooth so he could see how small and cute and tiny it was. Big mistake. Giant fingers meet tiny slippery tooth, let's just say by the time Carter got out of the bath the tooth fairy had already left him two dollars and a note on the counter. Carter was thrilled. He was so excited that the tooth fairy had found him at grandma Vicki's house, and that he didn't have to wait until the night to get his money.

All the excitement prompted Cali to ask several valid questions like, "why did the tooth fairy write that note on the notepad that I'd been coloring on all day...I know it's grandma Vicki's notepad because it has the same crease in the corner...."

Finally!

We really weren't sure if it would come... We thought that maybe it had passed us by... We were hesitant to put our winter coats away... But I think it's safe to say that summer is FINALLY here.

I know that there is the potential that it may snow again in Rock Springs before the 4th of July, but for now, we are declaring the official start to summer. What better way to kick off some fun summer adventures than a trip to the Castle Dale pool!

Last Thursday afternoon we spent a few hours basking in the warm desert sun. There was still some traditional Castle Dale style wind, but we came from Rock Springs so we considered it a breeze. Bethany, Cali, Carter, Caleb, me, my dad, and our friend Rebecca from Scotland along with her baby Ezmae splashed it up for a few hours. Cali got brave and jumped off the diving board a bunch of times. Carter kept busy on the slides and water features. And Caleb tried to swim away into the deep end so many times we had to take turns reeling him in.

It was a fun afternoon and good way to get our summer started. We hope to make a couple more trips to this pool before the summer is over!

A Fond Farewell

When we moved to Rock Springs in December 2008, Christian's younger brother Carson and his wife Nykelle were already living here. They moved to Rock Springs in May of 2008 after Carson graduated from college, and had just moved into to a new house they built in Green River by the time we arrived. Carson helped Christian with the construction and completion of our basement, and Christian helped Carson with his yard and deck building projects. We saw them occasionally, and mostly at family functions, but we didn't make the 20 mile treck to Green River very often.

Last October they sold their home and moved to a town house in Rock Springs. They were in our ward, and Nykelle started working out at the rec center with me. We had a great time together.

As children, your parents make sure that you get along with your siblings....believe me, I do it to my kids all the time. However, as adults, your interactions with your siblings are what you make of them. I've learned some very important lessons and truths as I, as the oldest of five {Christian is too}, have seen my childhood sibling relationships develop into adult life-long friendships.

On May 4th Carson, {a very pregnant} Nykelle, and their cute little daughter Mia moved to Illinois. It was hard to see them go, but I am glad we had the last few months together to get to know them better and spend time with them. My kids are going to miss Mia a lot. I think Mia will be missing them too.

We put Caleb and Mia on the couch together to take a few pictures and the both rolled over for a big fat kiss. I'm glad I had my camera ready, because I couldn't have made them pose any better if I had tried.

These two little friends are only six months apart. Mia was born in May 2009 and Caleb in November 2009. Of all the Pollastro cousins, these two are the closest in age, so it's been fun to watch them grown together.

Here's a funny picture I found of the two of them from February 2010 Mia was 9 months old and crawling around, Caleb was three months old and kind of looking like a 9 month old.

June 10th, 2011

This is a day that deserves it's own blog! My cute little brother got married to his long-time love, Alexis. It's been years and years and years in the making, and we couldn't be happier. There are a million more pictures, and just as many adventures to share, but for now... Here's a little sneak peak!

The Best Day{s} of the Year

I was talking with a group of friends one day about our kids being out of school soon, and things that we were planning to do this summer. One of the friends told me that she feels an equal amount of excitement toward the first day of school as she does for the last. I think she summed it up pretty nicely.

Cali's school counts down the last 26 days of the school year by having a theme that incorporates a cooresponding letter of the alphabet. Around day "M" I was ready for the school year to be over. School was officially over on June 2nd, since that day I have been the referee of many fights as the kids get used to being on each other's turfs once again.

We are excited for the summer adventures, we've already had quite a few, but I know that the first day of school will be just as exciting for all of us as the last!

Early Morning P.E. Program

During the last quarter of the school year Cali has been participating in the Early Morning PE Program. The teacher sent a note home asking the parents to evaluate whether or not their child could benefit from some additional physical exercise. What kid can't! I filled out the form and she was selected to particpate. For the last few months she's been going to school on Wednesday mornings 1/2 hour early to {in her words} "do her workout".

On Thursday night all of the parents got to come and see what physical skills the kids had been working on. There were parachutes, jump ropes, hula hoops, scoop-ball-thrower-things, a climbing wall, and all the free water a kid could drink!

Cali bowed out a few minutes early to goof off in the bathroom with a friend. Seriously. I could have screamed. But, Carter and I had a wonderful time exploring the world of elementary PE. I've decided that an elementary PE teacher may have been the calling I missed in life. Getting paid to jump rope and hula hoop...why did no career councelor direct me to this occupation?

Cali and Carter had a fun time playing catch with the scoop-ball-thrower-things. Carter is going to save his money so that he can buy a set of his own and we can play catch all summer!

Help

As if Caleb didn't move around enough... As if he didn't already attack most small children... As if my nerves weren't frazzled enough already... He went and jumped out of his crib. Deep down I kind of knew that it was only a matter of time. After all, he can do chin ups on the oven door, turn the gas range on, push the water button on the fridge, climb on top of the table {and attempt to jump to the couch}, and climb the railing on the stairs. I must have been in denial that the crib could contain such angst.

The first escape was graceful, I didn't even hear him land. The second, was more like a thud. The third, well...I'm not sure what you would call catapulting out of bed at 3am, but I can tell you...it's not good. I looked into getting a crib tent, but I think he can gnaw through mesh and other fabric-type products.

So, in an attempt to prevent broken baby bones, Caleb now has a big boy bed. Oh, crap! Does this mean I have a big boy? This is just too much for me to deal with in one day.

A Double Carter

He is a very well rounded child. He can play dress up with the best of them, and scurry up a climbing wall.