Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day, the un-official start of summer. Too bad it's taken me a couple months of summer to finally get pictures and updates posted. Our Memorial Day was pretty eventful! First, I made the best purchase in the history of blenders. Not a day has gone by that I haven't used my Blendtec blender. It makes me the most delicious green drinks each morning.
 

Second, I planted my first garden ever. When we were growing up in Castle Dale my dad usually planted a garden, I helped him water it and we always groaned and moaned about the prospects of weed it. But, this is the first time I did it all by myself. Well... almost, I had a lot of help from my neighbor Liz, who is a great gardener and gave him seeds and helpful tips!
 

Finally, I participated in my first full hero WOD. Red Desert Crossfit chose to do the "Murph" WOD as a tribute to fall soldiers and those serving in the armed forces. It was a very intense, and at times, and emotional journey. I set a goal to finish in under an hour, and barely squeeked it out in 58:30. Murph consists of a one mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats, another one mile run. There were times that my eyes welled up with tears, and a few times, insane laughter shook my whole body. It was a great feeling of accomplishment just to finish it, and I coined the term "Murphed Up" to describe how I felt for several days afterward.

Dancing, Lagoon, and Friends

We finished up the dance season with a final competition at Lagoon. Christian kept Carter with him at home, Christian's parents watched Caleb at their house in N. Salt Lake, and Cali and I trekked through the freezing rain to Lagoon for one last competition.

Between dance numbers we took refuge from the rain at the Hansen's house in Farmington. Cali and Ariana got wild and crazy while Johana and I caught talked and shopped. It was hard leaving their warm house and all the fun to go back into the rain, but the show must go on.

The girls did really well on both of their dance numbers, and received high honors and an award for their hip hop routine. By the end of the day Cali had a super sore throat, I suspect that standing in the rain for several hours took it's toll, and she ended up getting pretty sick after the fact.
 

Cali had a great first year dance season! Of course my feelings about dance are still mixed, but I have to hand it to her teacher for making the experience a great one for her!

Butt Light Year

After all the Toy Story movies, and all the little underpants in our house, I don't know why I didn't think of "Butt Light Year" sooner.

Final Choir Concert

 

Somewhere in the hustle and bustle of the end-of-the-school-year madness Cali participated in her final choir concert. She loved being a part of the Sage Elementary choir, and was able to sing in four different concerts while she was a student there. At the end of the year she received an award for "Four Great Concerts".

For this final concert she played the xylophone during one of the musical selections. They practiced for weeks to get it just right, and it sounded pretty great! The theme of this concert was "Dino Stars", from time to time we still break into songs from this concert.  

 

Spiderman and Ironman

 

Spiderman = because he got tangled in these webs at a birthday party.



 

Ironman = because he tried to color himself red, you know... because Ironman is red.

Enough of This Costume Already!

 

I really do appreciate the frugality of Cali's dance teacher and the wisdom behind using the same costume for the entire year. However, my blog/camera/phone/facebook is now all full of this fuzzy stripey little number. The girl however, I cannot get enough of!

Denver Day Three

 

Now, this is more like it. Julie and I didn't hang around for game three, instead, we hit up the shopping at Cherry Creek. Lots of walking, lots of shopping, lots of laughing. We joined up with Christian and Kurt for dinner at the famous Morton's Steak house that evening. Much eating ensued!

 

 Christian and Kurt had some bats engraved with the saying, "Yankees for life". For real? I am still laughing about it. Being around these two is like being around your annoying older brothers. Julie and I are the only voices of maturity and sanity, which is a little scary in and of itself.

We had such a great time, the perfect spring break after a long winter!

 

Denver Day Two

 

Our second day in Denver happened to fall on our 14th wedding anniversar, May 8th. After soaking up the freezing rain the night before, Christian and Kurt decided that they needed a new approach. So, off to REI we went to purchase "rain pants". We took a little stop to try the camping chairs before moving on.

We tried to take a cute "it's our anniversary and we are so happy picture", but Christian is the most difficult picture-taker of all time. If he'd just smile and act normal the first time we could avoid the multiple attempts, and the ornery/annoyed face. In honor of our anniversary, and his lack of photographic cooperation, I chose to post this one. I don't even care that I look awesome and he looks lame!

 

This is as close as I got to CC Sabathia, he didn't pitch the first or second game. I tried to put my arm around him, but it went much better in my head...

 

After standing in the rain for game one, we got smart and hung around the indoor restaurant at the top of the stadium. It was warm, the food was good, the view was good, and I thought about trading my ticket with someone so I could stay warm.

 

 

Eventually we had to leave the suite and head down to our seats, which were just a few rows back from one of the baselines... which ever one most of the foul balls are hit down. What is wrong with this picture, how have we survived 14 years? In freezing temperatures one of us drinks hot cocoa and one of us gets a couple ice cream cones. Seriously.

 

Denver Day One

 

In early May we took a trip with our friends, the Hunter's, to Denver to watch the Yankees play some baseball. According to those who really care/follow baseball, the Yankees only play in Colorado every three years or so. Why? You ask. Well, it has something to do with inter-league play and something about something about baseball stuff...

Christian was still pretty gimped up from the famous Achille's injury earlier this spring. Thankfully, we were able to secure a handicapped pass so he could gimp less far that he normally would. Julie and I had a lively discussion about which of one of the two male adults featured in the photo above was actually more deserving of the special pass.

 

We drove most of the morning of May 7th to get to Coors Field. Of course we had to be the first ones at the gates. What would a baseball game be without 2.5 hours of waiting to watch 3.5 hours of playing? 

 

These two guys were not quite as goofy as they were upon entering Yankee Stadium in New York, but if you want to get Christian's goofy grin to make an appearance... take him to a ball park. 

 

The kid or small man with the "Jeter" jersey on was standing on Christian's seat. Had we waved our tickets around and thrown him to the ground, as Julie suggested, we too would have Robinson Cano's autograph.

 

Around game time we settled into our seats and got ready to eat some ball park food, I mean, watch some baseball. Upon closer examination of our tickets, we found that Christian and Kurt had conveniently booked mine and Julie's tickets about seven rows behind them.

It worked out just fine, once the rain started pouring, Julie and I headed to the concourse for shelter and more food.

 

Soccer

 

Carter had a really great soccer season. According to his calculations (they don't officially keep score at this age) their team won every game. He's a quick little thing, and I was surprised to see how much stronger and faster he's gotten since last fall.

Soccer isn't his passion. Which is unfortunate, because he's showing some very promising signs of a good soccer player. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, our conversations go like this...

Mom: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Carter: A major league baseball player...

Mom: Ok, what's your second choice?

Carter: An NBA star...

Mom: What if you decide not to be a professional athlete, then what would you choose?

Carter: Mom, (eyes rolling), don't make me go to the NHL---he's never played hockey a day in his lfe.

This conversation has led me to a series of mind blowing thoughts about raising children, just one of them being, "what do you do when your kid is really good at something.... and the kid only kind of likes that certain thing." Follow-up question, "what do you do when you and your child's interests vary so much that you don't know how to reconcile their talents from yours...?" There's just a couple brain busters for you!

In other good news, Caleb spent most of soccer season NOT running away. I hate to say that we've turned a developmental corner, because I don't want to jinx myself, but Caleb seems to be more interested in playing on the playground than running into the road. This is a welcome change from last season. In even better news, he managed to play on the playground without tackling any other children to the ground.

Finally, if that wasn't enough good news for one 3.5 year old, he figured out that peeing in the "blue poop" is almost as fun as behind the tree!

 

Scissors

This picture shall serve as a reminder that I should never, under any circumstances, cut my own bangs! What seems relatively simple, is actually not. Thankfully, hair grows and the difference between a bad bang trim and good one... is only about two weeks. Eeek!

On the other hand, Carter got a pretty handsome haircut at the mall. Scissors should stay in the hands of the professionals!

There's Nothing Like a Trophy

Cali has participated in several dance recitals and dance competitions this year. From these experiences I've learned that; (a) Cali really enjoys dancing and is pretty good at it, (b) I am the worst dance mom in the history of the world. 

The particular dance competition featured in this photo took place in Green River on a Saturday afternoon. The studio gave us the times that our tiny dancers would be competing, and then suggested that we arrive an hour (or two...depending on how the competition was going...) before their scheduled performance time.

Christian was gone to the temple with a group from our ward, so I was determined to make this experience as easy for me as possible. It hasn't taken long to figure out that seven year old boys and three year old boys, don't love dance competitions. I really can't blame them. My plan was to arrive as close to the designated time, assuming that the competition wouldn't be running ahead of schedule, as possible.

We made it to the competition with about 3 minutes to spare, apparently sometimes said competitions do run ahead of scheduled... We stood up on the track overlooking the gym floor and watched their dance number, then watched several other teams as we waited for their second number. Carter was content to zone out on the iPhone, Caleb is a little be trickier to entertain. However, two bags of Doritos and a rope of licorice seemed to do the trick. 

As soon as she was done we high tailed it out of there, so fast in fact, that I had to snap these pictures after we got home. Cali was disappointed that we didn't stay for the "dance party" i.e.hundreds of girls flailing around on the dance floor while waiting the results of the competition. But the participation trophy seemed to soften the blow. 

Later that day, via Facebook, I saw that one of their dances won a major award. I am still confused about the categories and the scoring within the categories, but with all the congratulations flying around on the Facebook, it was apparent that they did pretty well.... Like said, worst dance mom ever.

Hello, and Welcome

Hello, and welcome to the new and improved Wild Meowzer's blog. Well... not really new, and only time will tell if it's improved, but welcome anyway!

In the process of transitioning from a public to a private blog, I was asked the penetrating question, "Cammie, why are you making your blog private?" Good question. Not sure if I have a good answer, but I have some reasoning.

Facebook is a great place to stay connected with friends, relatives, spy on people, etc... However, it is my opinion that a blog is a more personal snapshot of life, a place to journal, share thoughts, write something longer than a status update. After years of blogging (sometimes more frequently than others) I just thought it was time to improve the personal aspect of blogging, and making it private seemed like a natural first-step.

I have many pictures to upload, and I plan to bring you such exciting events as... many dance competitions and recitals, spring (freezing) soccer season, crossfit related accomplishments and strange bruises, a new niece Layna LuJane, the tramatization of Bethany moving to Blanding, the bang cutting mistake, Denver the Yankees and the Hunter's, being married for 14 years (whaaaaaaaaaat), choir concerts, and friend reunions. Life marches on whether I blog about it or not, but I am determined to catch up... eventually.

In the meantime, I'll share an attitude changing experience I had the other day. Exhaustion is my Kryptonite. When I get tired or worn down by life, I get crazy. Not only that, but as I look around and in my crazy state, it appears that everyone else is totally normal floating through life without a care in the world. Logically, I know that it's not true. Emotionally, I can't make sense of it. As a general rule I try not to get to crazy town often.

In a crazy town moment, where I was sure that everything around me was out of control, I read the most interesting article. Laura Hillenbrand is the New York Times best selling author of Seabiscuit and Unbroken. I loved Unbroken, and I highly recommend reading it to everyone. Since I am such a huge fan I naturally "liked" Laura's page on Face Book and started following he status updates. One day she posted an essay she wrote for the New Yorker. This essay won the 2003 National Magazine Award for best essay and remains one of the most popular ever written for the New Yorker.

Reading her essay certainly helped pull me out of whatever crazy town visitiation I was headed for. Please read it, you won't regret it, and you will gain a very interesting perspective.

A Sudden Illness

Teeth Drama

 

If you've already had 7 root canals and 10 crowns on your teeth, when your mom says, "don't chew on a pen!"It's a great idea NOT TO. Poor Caleb and his teeth. The pen chewing and teeth popping incident occured on a Friday afternoon, so we had a weekend of this crazy snaggle smile.

Monday morning we were in the dentist office, in Provo, to have it fixed. To my credit, and my Utah galavanting skills, Cali, Carter, Caleb, and I walked out our front door at 7:00 a.m. The weather was bad, as were the roads, so we didn't make it to Evanston until later than expected. However, we made it to Provo by 10:15 a.m., waited, saw the dentist, restrained Caleb, fixed the tooth, ate lunch with Alexis, played on the Carl's Jr. playland, drove across town to Deseret Book, left the Provo area, and was home at 4:00 p.m.

Booyah! That's how we get things done/waste a day because you live far from the city!

Kitty Whiskers...again

Maybe I should just get him a cat? Then, maybe, he would stop trying to turn himself into one...

The Big 36

 

It was not the most ideal way to spend a birthday, but we were just glad that he was finally home. After almost a week of waiting in SLC for surgery, and then another week in SLC waiting to have his leg put in a cast, the kids couldn't get enough of him. With very limited mobility, he was that their mercy, bunny ears and all!

I don't really know what to say about Christian turning 36, he wasn't phased by it, but something about crossing into your "late 30's" seems a bit strange. Thankfully, I have yet to reach that milestone, but I know that it's inevidable.

With his birthday on a Sunday, and General Conference Sunday, we spent some time doing nothing and watching conference together. Of course, he took a lot of naps and my job was to get him anything he needed... Did I say we were glad he was home?



Kate's Blessing Day

My brother Brandt and his wife Alexis blessed their cute little baby Kate on Easter Sunday. Christian's post-surgery recovery was a little rough, and had to stay in SLC to have his leg put in a cast, so I took the kids and we went to Provo.

Being there with Brandt and his new little family was the perfect way to end a very imperfect couple of weeks. Kate is the cutest little baby, and Alexis' cousin made her the most amazing dress, so she was quite the stunning little baby.

Cali and Carter attended the primary class that Brandt teaches, and they loved having Aunt Brandt as a teacher. After church we all gathered together for a delicious lunch. 

I find it pretty scary that Brandt's baby girl makes my baby girl look like a woman. My favorite thing to say to my brother is, "oh, really... well, wait 10 years."

We tried, yet another, picture with all the Peacock cousins. It turned out like the previous 40 attemps, about average. Maybe we'll try it again in a few years. When Kate is Cali's age Cali will be 20, so I'm going to stare at this picture, with its imperfections for as long as I can.