Dylan's Olympic Night

Dylan's tumbling class held an Olympic night for the parents tonight.  I didn't think it was going to be a big deal, but it was pretty cute.  I was quite impressed with the setup they had.  It was nice that they had plenty of room for the parents to sit and take pictures too.  I got everything ready so I could video Dylan's big night at tumbling - I charged the battery, made sure the video camera was with the digital camera, put the camera case in the car...  I remembered everything, or so I thought.  We got there and the tape was at the end and of course I hadn't brought an extra.  I was so mad.  Oh well, at least I brought the other camera.  So I have a million pictures on here of him doing some of the different things he's learned.  He loves it.  For now it's just a good way for  him to get out some extra energy, but it's amazing to see how he's progressing.  When we started in February, he couldn't walk across the balance beam at all (I guess he takes after me and my less than superb balancing skills).  Anyway, here are some of the pictures.  

Stretching

The Opening Ceremonies

The balance beam

Cat's cradle

Back walkover 

(I think...I'm not a gymnast myself so I have no idea what I'm talking about)

Straddle on the bar

A summersault where you sit in straddle position first and then summersault

(Sorry, I am horrible at this)

They roll over this and then tuck and roll into a summersault on the mat.

It's pretty cool to watch him launch onto this thing and dive into a summersault.

A pike on the trapeze bar

They swing on the bar into this big tub of foam cubes.  Dylan LOVES it!

Receiving his metal

Showing off his metal.  

He was so excited to get one of these things.

After the Olympics, Preston finally got to play for a minute.

Marcos tosses him up and flips him around at the same time.  He usually just catches him in the air, but he decided to toss him into the foam cubes for the landing.  You can tell by his facial expression just how much he enjoys this little activity!

Salt Lake

Today I had to go to Salt Lake and decided not to waste the gas for the trip down.  We went to visit Great Grandma Betty and then went over the Liv's house.  The kids were pretty good although Preston did get fussy towards the end.  Preston loved Grandma though and snuggled up to her when he was tired.  It was so sweet.  Dylan enjoyed the cookies she gave him and loved watching Lion King (his latest obsession).  It was a pretty good day for all of us!

Marcos & Gustavo's Birthday Party

Dylan at the top of the spider web

Preston's climbing skills

Blowing out the candles

Dylan climbing the rock wall

Alicia and me playing on the teeter-tauter

Dylan climbing

Dylan and Tony being silly on the "spider web"

Kenya, Dylan, Angie and Tanner

Preston giggling

Dylan and Connor just hanging out

Tony, Jett, Kamyn, Dylan, Connor

We had a little get together to celebrate Marcos and Gustavo's birthday, which are both on the 15th.  Tony gave Gustavo a rocket so after dinner we all went over to the park to launch the rocket.  We had a blast!  The rocket took forever to launch so we sat on the hill hanging out and laying while we waited for the guys to get it figured out.  Next thing you know, it took off.  Seriously, mid-picture, the kids were looking at the camera and the next picture they're all looking straight up in the sky.  We tried to factor in the wind, but we were a couple neighborhoods off on the landing.  They found it though.  While a search party went out looking for the lost rocket, the kids all played on the playground.  We had so much fun.  They had a teeter-tauter thing that you stand on and we all took turns playing on it.  I was laughing so hard.  They also had this spider web (that's what Dylan called it).  Dylan's inner monkey came out even more than before.  Marcos could not get over the fact that he was climbing to the top of this big thing.  It was fun to watch everyone.  We went back to the house, had a quick piece of cake and then headed home since we had another party the next day for Barney's daughter, Sundee.  Crazy August birthdays!

Swimming

Last week, we went to the Roy Aquatic Center with a few friends from the neighborhood.  We got there late because Dylan had tumbling so the other kids had already been swimming and had lunch before we even arrived, but it was still so much fun.  Preston was a handful to chase around though.  That kid is way too brave.  He waddles into the deeper water and then loses his balance and gets pulled under water every time.  And yet it never scares him.  He gets up and does it again.  Crazy baby!  With all the baby chasing going on, I completely forgot I had my camera with me.  By the time I got the camera out, half the families had gone home, but I got a picture of Dylan's friend, Addison, and him sitting on one of the chairs together.  It was cute because it was completely unposed.  They just sat together sharing a snack.  I love it when kids are cute with each other that way and you don't have to keep reminding them to be nice.  Before we left, Dylan decided he was big enough to go on the slide by himself.  He was so nervous that it took him forever.  I think 20 people went ahead of him before he got brave enough to give it a try, but after he did it he was so proud.  He wanted to go down again and again.  Luckily it was time to go.  It had already been a long day at the pool.

Outdoor Fun

Preston finding the new "pool"

Just splashing around

My gardener

Sprinkler fun

Preston's new obsession with climbing - he climbs EVERYTHING!

Dylan in control of the sprinkler this time

The swimming pool and sprinklers have been a summertime favorite.  The kids love being outdoors and it helps keep the temperature manageable.  Unfortunately, Preston doesn't always wait for a swimsuit when he wants to play in the water.  He's always ready to get wet and play.  One morning we found the "empty" swimming pool had actually been blown upside down during a wind and rain storm and was filled with new rain water.  I didn't know this, but Preston discovered it very quickly.  Silly baby!

Tomi's Last Night In Town

Marcos' mom and sibling at the Mandarin

Tomi and the boys (don't ask me what Dylan's doing...I don't know)

Dylan giving "besos" to la tia Tomi

The night before Tomi left to go back to Colombia, we went to the Mandarin (just the adults).  We almost didn't get to go.  First, we couldn't find a babysitter because it was YM/YW night and most of my family was out of town.  We finally got that figured out.  We decided to pair up with Dave and Laura's sitter.  That way they'd be closer to the restaurant in case there were any problems.  Then about 3:00 that afternoon, Preston had one of those baby moments that you feel horrible about as a parent.  I thought his shoulder was out of place, but it turns out his tendon was pinched between the bones in his arm and his elbow.  It was so sad to watch him be in so much pain and not know what to do.  He fell asleep in the car on the way to the doctor's office and even asleep was still whimpering every 30 seconds or so.  Poor little kid.  Luckily, the doctor knew how to put it right back in place and we made it to the dinner (although we were a bit late...sorry everyone).  Anyway, it was delicious food and good to spend some adult time with Tomi before she left.  Preston wasn't doing very well when Laura called home to check on the kids though so we missed the gelato run to go pick up the munchkins.  By the time we got to the gelato place, we decided to skip dessert and just used the last few minutes to say our goodbyes.  It was nice to be able to get in some talking time minus the crazy kids.  We love you Tomi and will miss you dearly! 

A Bit Of Catchup

I forgot I had pictures in my camera so I have a few things I wanted to catch up on.  This one is from a dinner/birthday party we had for Laura, Marcos' sister a couple weeks ago.  Don't you love how many kids it takes to blow out candles.  Classic!

Tagged...Six Quirks

Hmmm...I'm supposed to list six quirks and tag six people.  I tag Tiffany, Audra, Rachel, Courtney, Sarah and Stacey.  This is a tough one, but here we go.  

1.  I have a weird counting obsession.  I don't know if I'm clumsy or what, but I have always counted steps.  I always know how many stairs there are and I always have to end on my right foot.  If there's an even number, I start with my left, if there's an odd, I start with my right.  I'm not as extreme as I used to be, but whenever I get ahead of myself and start on the wrong foot, I don't believe I'm at the top when I am.  It throws off my balance or something.  

2.  Along the same lines, I used to count regular steps I would take when I was just walking.  They always had to be in fives.  Okay, these are for sure quirky things, but it makes me seem OCD more than anything.  I don't think I am though...usually.  

3.  I usually eat my food one dish at a time.  I don't know if that's quirky or not, but that's how I do it.  I don't eat one bite of one and then another bite of another.  I choose one dish, eat it, then move to the next.  I usually start with the vegetables and end with the tastier stuff.  Kind of like finishing off with dessert.  And I don't like my food to touch either (I doubt many people do).  Maybe that's why I eat it that way - clear the palliate between tastes or something.  

4.  I'm a fairly organized person, but nothing extreme.  I sometimes wish I were more organized.  I get overwhelmed and usually decide that mediocre is okay with me.  But I LOVE buying stupid products to organize my stuff.  I don't know why I think they are so cool, but I love gadgets and totes and other things that help keep life in order.  And then I get more stuff and think I need to start all over again.  I kind of like the totes or whatever to all match.  Hmmm....a little more OCD.  The problem is I never actually finish getting everything organized so I always feel a little out of place.  It's a bit of a problem for me. 

5.  I have to take a glass of water to bed.  Marcos got me addicted to that.  I never needed a drink of water growing up.  After I got married, Marcos would bring a cup of water and set it on the nightstand.  Now I'm the one that has to bring water with me in case I need a little sip in the middle of the night.  Lucky Marcos.  Now he doesn't have to haul water to bed, he just steals mine!  Arggg!!!

6.  Some crazy part of me likes using the space under our bed.  It's all organized and useful, but it makes me feel good that stuff we don't use a lot isn't taking up valuable space in the closet.  I think most of it would fit other places, but I like to utilize otherwise useless space.  Weird.  I don't know when that started, but I don't think I had stuff under my bed before I got married.  

Happy Birthday, Marcos!

I haven't been very good at sending birthday shout-outs, but I'm going to try to be better.  Today is my sweet husband's 34th birthday.  He's not even here for me to try to make the day a special one so the least I can do is publicly remind him how grateful I am for him.  He's off with the Young Men again on some crazy mountain man type hike.  Hopefully it ends up being a good way to spend his birthday.  It doesn't exactly sound fun to me.  

When someone has a birthday, my sister-in-law lists her top ten favorite things about them, which I think is a really good idea so here it goes.

Top ten reasons I love Marcos (in no particular order):

1.  He has always loved me.  I know that sounds lame and conceited, but it's true.  I could never figure out why, but I'm definitely glad he had more insight into our future than I did.  He knew very quickly that he had deep feelings for me and was willing to risk just about anything to get me to feel the same way.  I can now appreciate his patience and at times embarrassment to pursue me.  

2.  He is a wonderful father.  I'm sure everyone says that of their spouse, but he really is.  My boys adore their Papi.  They are sad when he leaves and excited when he comes home every day.  He is such a great example.  I can only hope my boys pattern their lives after such a great man.  He is fun and loves playing with them and teaching them all sorts of dad things.

3.  He is a sensitive and caring person.  He thinks he's all tough (or pretends to be sometimes) but inside he's nothin' but marshmallow fluff.  In fact, this quality is probably what drew me to him the most.  He has such a kind heart.  It's a gift.  I feel like I've always been the sensitive type myself, but he's definitely got me beat.  He cares about EVERYONE and has an amazing ability to see others as God sees them.  He is compassionate and forgiving as well.  It doesn't matter who it is - he can see people as children of God, no matter where they come from or what they may have done.  

4.  He's a great athlete.  Yes, I had to throw this one in or he would've killed me.  He insists the reason I fell in love with him was because of his mad soccer skills and I guess I can't argue with him completely.  Although that was not what drew me to this sweet, loving man, he is a great athlete, which I found pretty attractive.  It's fun to watch him play tennis or soccer and marvel at his skill and endurance.  Yep, definitely good genes.

5.  He motivates me.  It was a little annoying to train for my race with Marcos.  He hadn't been "training" at all and just flew up the mountain dragging me with him.  I'm glad that's the case though.  At times I had to tell him to turn all his motivational words off so I could focus on not passing out, but I'm so glad he has the ability to keep up with me and push me beyond my own self-imposed limits.  It sometimes drives me crazy, but I love it at the same time.  The man has way too much energy and cheers for words.  Seriously!  

6.  He makes me laugh.  Okay, some people make everyone laugh and I'm not sure I would quite place him in that group of true comedians.  Yet somehow he knows just what I need to not take myself so seriously.  I love that I can let loose with him and see the world through much less serious eyes.  I love laughing with him at things that only the two of us would understand.

7.  He's a hard worker.  Yes, he's a true procrastinator, but he is also a very hard worker.  He takes his work very seriously and always goes the extra mile.  I'm sure it helps that he loves his job, but he told me once that he's never disliked a job he's had.  Amazing, seeing as many of them were much less than perfect.  His attitude I'm sure adds to his ability to take his work seriously, but he is very committed and loyal to whatever he is doing.

8.  He loves life.  This may be the trait I most envy in my husband.  He really is a content person.  I often have to will myself into contentment, but he was just born that way.  He really isn't bothered by much.  Yes, people on the freeway make his blood boil and often the refs in his soccer games, but that's not what I mean.  In general, he's just okay with where things are in his world...no matter where they may be.  

9.  He is usually the center of attention.  This one can be annoying at times, but I do appreciate it.  I often lose his attention at a party or gathering and shift into the background when his desire to "perform" takes over, but I can't help but admire how easy it is for him to be in front of others.  There is not much embarrassment in him.  I'm a people person myself, but much more guarded than Marcos.  He is happy to be the one putting himself out there.  Everyone knows Marcos - he feels the need to get to know everyone and it's hard not to know him.  

10.  He compliments me in practically every way.  It's taken me nine years of marriage and eleven years of knowing Marcos to wholly accept the fact that we were made for each other.  Like I said before, I'm much more guarded than he is.  Although sometimes our strong personalities push a little too hard against one another, his differences seem to fulfill everything I'm lacking.  I think it became much more obvious on trek.  We really are much better together than adding the two of us separately.  I don't know if that made sense or not, but it's true.  Once our egos move out of the way and we recognize the need for each other, the world flows smoothly.  He seems to fill in right when and where I need him to and I do the same for him.  As cheesy as it sounds, I do think we were made for each other.  

Top ten (um, 17...he didn't want to stop) reasons Dylan loves his Papi:

1.  I love when he takes me on walks around the cul-de-sac.

2.  I love going hiking with him.

3.  I love when he jumps with me on the tramp.

4.  I love when he plants a garden with us.

5.  I love when he plays with Preston.

6.  I love when he plays with me in the toy room.

7.  I love when he takes me to the playground.

8.  I love playing guitar with Papi.

9.  I love watching movies with him.

10.  I love when he gives me hombros (carries him on his shoulders)

11.  I love listening to BB King with him.

12.  I love watching soccer and shouting "goal" and then we hug.

13.  I love when he gets me dressed.

14.  That he loves me so much.

15.  That he likes me.

16.  When he plays animals with me.

17.  I love taking naps with him.

Top ten reasons Preston loves his Papi (although I don't speak fluent jibber-jabber, I'm going to attempt to translate for the little waddler:

1.  He changes my diapers.

2.  He feeds me when I'm hungry.

3.  He gives me baths.

4.  He dresses me.  

5.  He plays with me.

6.  He teaches me to be nice.

7.  He holds me.

8.  He comforts me when I'm sad.

9.  He teases me.  

10.  He loves me too.

Baby Imprint

Preston woke up from  his nap a couple weeks ago with THIS on his face.  I'm not sure what he was sleeping on, but I thought it was pretty funny.  Now, for those of you who do not appreciate the work that went into this photo, imagine getting a 16-month-old to hold still and face the right direction while you try to focus your camera on the words engraved on the side of his face.  Not the easiest task I've ever had to complete.  It took a few tries, but we finally captured the moment.  

Difficulty Falling Asleep

No this is not about my lack of sleep, although I did lay there awake forever last night.  Some nights are just hard to wind down.  And then the crazy lightning storm came and kept me up for another hour.  Yep, this is yet another post about my dear children.  For some reason the boys did not want to go to bed tonight.  We tucked them in and they both were screaming.  This is not normal for them so I went to calm Preston down and then Dylan followed me down the stairs.  Repeat steps A and B several times and you understand the last hour and a half of my life.  I finally decided to put Preston in the other room in his playpen and put Dylan to bed alone.  It just wasn't working for us tonight.  Preston's now asleep in the toyroom, but my sneaky, little Dylan is still milking it for all it's worth.  He knows he can't come out of his room so he snuck into our bedroom to get the phone and called Marcos on his cell phone.  Marcos had to go discipline him, but came straight downstairs afterwards to tell me about our crazy kid.  We both busted up laughing about the whole situation.  If there is ever a way out of something, Dylan will find it.  

Brothers

This is one of my favorite pictures of the boys.  It sums up their relationship so well.  Dylan climbed up into the high chair behind Preston.  Preston was screaming for a minute until he realized Dylan was just playing and trying to have fun with him.  Then Preston gave in and smiled.  They are so cute together.  Dylan teases, Preston screams, they both wrestle and fight more often than they should, but they love each other.  If Preston is crying and Dylan thinks it's because of something I have done, he gets so defensive of his brother.  He's ready for an all-out dual with me.  I'm glad he's so protective and loving, even though he can be such a tease sometimes.

Just Like Kids Again

So this week, I let down my hair a little bit.  I'm pretty good at playing with the kids, but it's just been so dang hot lately that sometimes I choose to watch from the sidelines.  Anthony was over one day this week and the kids finally got to swim.  It's been such weird, unpredictable weather that we haven't had as many backyard swim days lately.  I got them all suited up and slathered them with sunscreen and then decided to put my suit on too.  Luckily I didn't get sunburned.  I wasn't sure what the outcome would be with two preschoolers in charge of rubbing the sunscreen on my back.  I filled up the pool and went to turn on the sprinklers for the kids.  Next thing you know, they're throwing water at me and I'm running away screaming like a school girl.  Dylan thought it was so funny to get me wet and have me run away screaming.  I finally stole the hose away from Anthony and soaked all three of them.  Preston was still sitting in the same place splashing in the pool.  He LOVES the water.  What a fun afternoon!  I don't have any pictures to show for our spectacular event...I was too busy enjoying myself! 

Another time, we went to the park to play.  The kids both loved the swings and played on them a lot.  Marcos and I sat there pushing our two boys.  It was cute watching Dylan climb up the bars and then slide back down.  It's a trick he couldn't do last year.  He's getting to be so big.  It's hard to believe he's my little boy now and not my baby.  Preston learned about another bridge that goes up instead of down and he was so pleased that he could go over the bridge without holding onto anything.  It was the sweetest thing to watch him waddle across that bridge faster and faster each time, giggling with excitement.  Later, I witnessed my social butterfly talking to another boy about 6 or 7.  He said to him, "Hey, do you want to be my friend?"  I don't know if that's a Dylan thing or a 4-year-old thing, but he always asks people to play with him or to be his friend.  He's very direct that way and usually makes friends quite easily.  Anyway, the boy acted really put off by a younger kid talking to him and just ignored Dylan's question.  Part of me wanted to cry or intervene as I watched the hurt creep onto Dylan's face, but I'm mature enough to understand that rejection is part of life and something our children will all experience to one degree or another.  He must be growing up.  He used to get really mad (and sometimes still does) but this time he just walked away to another area of the park and found some other kids who did want to be his friend.  I was so proud of him.  Man, if only we could shelter our kids from such pain.  I'm sure that's what the Lord feels about each of us.  Unfortunately, it's a necessary growing process.  But, despite the moment of sadness on my part, it was such a carefree day at the park.  

Another day, Dylan begged and begged us to jump on the tramp with him.  It took awhile, but we finally gave in.  It's been so hot that our poor swamp cooler is lucky to keep the house bearable right now, let alone comfortable so getting all sweaty, hot and tired isn't always super appealing.  We decided we didn't care and went outside to jump.  It was so much fun.  Just the four of us out on the tramp taking turns bouncing each other.  I held Preston on my lap while Dylan and Marcos bounced us pretty high.  Then we switched and Dylan and I bounced Marcos and Preston.  It was hard work, but so much fun.  I was laughing so hard I'm sure the neighbors wondered what was up at the Uboldi home.  I love moments where you can just enjoy life instead of worrying about what happens next.  If there's one thing my kids teach me, it's that.  My house wasn't as clean as I would've liked, but we made some good memories this week.  

A Little Bit About Preston

Preston is getting busier every day.  I had hoped the mischief we experienced with Dylan would pass us by with our mellow little fellow, but it seems I was wrong.  He is getting to be so independent.  He'll usually listen to what you say, but if you try to help him do it, he's going to let you know you're bothering him.  I love this stage, but it definitely keeps a mom busy.  Here are some of the things I hope I never forget about Preston at 16 months.

• I love watching him discover his world.  He is so intrigued with such simple things.  It's amazing how much I've forgotten about having a young toddler.  He'll turn something over and over examining it with such amazing intensity.  I forget how new this world is to him still.
• I love how he lights up when he finally gets something right.  I could not take my eyes off of him at the park today.  He saw the shaky bridge in front of him and wasn't sure how to proceed.  He turned around backwards like he does on the stairs, but realized he then had to stand right back up.  He went across that bridge several dozen times and by the end was carefully stepping down while he cautiously kept one hand close to the railing.   You could see him beaming with pride at his new skill.  
• I love his baby posture - shoulders back, chest and belly poking out, neck supporting his big bobble-head, long arms swinging along as his legs assume a wide-stance position to balance his awkward little body.
• I love the way he runs.  His chubby little cheeks bounce just a bit while his short baby legs move at lightning speed.  I think his brain must get ahead of his body sometimes because he can't keep up with how fast he wants to go and trips over himself more times than not.  It's so cute.  He just pops right back up and keeps on going as if nothing had happened.  It's part of his daily routine.  
• He's still so easy to please.  His favorite thing to do when he is upset is to scream.  It's a high-pitched, annoying sound, but I'm getting quite used to it.  As soon as you can figure out what he wants (the big cup with the straw instead of the small one with the lid) he shuts right up.  It's like an automatic switch.  It's drama at its best.  You'd think his life was over and then he's completely over it.  
• He's starting to climb on things when he needs to reach higher.  I found him on top of the totes that hold the plastic animals today.  He was using them as a stool of sorts to reach Dylan's cash register - the one that I purposely keep on the top shelf.  I remember this phase with Dylan.  I'm hoping he doesn't have as much of a need to reach things up high because he's got Dylan to help him out.  Finding Dylan on top of the freezer at 18 months was a traumatic event and something I would rather not repeat with Preston.
  
• I love his friendly personality.  At first we thought he was going to be so much more shy than Dylan, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  He and Dylan seem to both love people, but in different ways.  Dylan loves the attention he gets from people, while Preston seems to thrive on the connection he has with others.  Recently it has become much more apparent.  He will wander away at church and end up on some older man's lap.  He will often stare at them for minutes without moving.  It's like he's trying to make a connection with a new person.  It's truly a beautiful quality my little one possesses.  It's almost healing to watch how he connects to others.  I can't help but wonder why he has chosen a certain person to "bond" with at that particular moment.  He really is a sweet soul.   
• I have always and will always love Preston's innocent smile.  His smile is so sincere and honest and is reflected through his eyes.  It's like you're staring right into his soul.  It's one of my favorite things about him.  

There are so many things Preston loves right now.  Here is a short list of things I can think of off the top of my head.

• Holding something.  He always has to have something in his hands while he's running around.  It's often a ball, but can be just about anything.  You rarely see this kid without something in his hand or mouth right now.
• Water.  Everything water goes.  He loves putting his hand under the faucet, splashing by his water table, playing in the pool or hanging out in the tub.  And yes, I've even caught him playing in the toilet a few times.  I just about gag every time I have to scrub him down after his toilet adventures.  Ah, the disgusting things moms have to endure.
• Dirt or sand.  He loves both.  Getting dirty happens many times a day.  He loves everything about dirt.
• Eating everything.  If he can get his hands on something, he puts it in his mouth.  No matter how many times he has tried it, he continues to eat dirt, rocks, flowers and other fun outdoor things.  If he's choking outside, it's usually on one of my flowers.  He can't help himself - he reaches for them and just pops them in his mouth.  Crazy kid! 
• Throwing things.  Preston LOVES throwing things, but has yet to master hard throws and soft throws.  Everything is full throttle with a pretty good aim, which is very dangerous when he's got a heavy toy car in his hand and is standing right over you.  In case you wonder, Preston's bruises on his forehead come from falling down all the time and Dylan's come from Preston's good aim.  
• Playing games.  He is starting to really understand humor and thinks it is hilarious if I turn around quickly to look at him in the car and then turn back to face forward.  Little games like these can go on forever with the same belly laugh reaction from Preston.
• Dylan.  Preston loves playing with Dylan.  He climbs on him, tries to take Dylan's toys, imitates Dylan's dinosaur noises, plays ball with him and basically just follows him around.  It's so cute to look over and see Preston watching Dylan and trying to copy his every move.  He's so used to being with big brother all the time that whenever Dylan is gone, Preston's not sure what to do with himself.  One time, Marcos took Dylan in his car and I had Preston with me in the other car.  He started crying and looking around as if he were lost.  He's rarely alone in the back seat and wasn't sure what to think about it.  I tried to talk to him and play with him, but he was pretty serious the whole drive home.  
• Sliding down the stairs.  We taught him to go down the stairs backwards and now it's just a belly slide for him.  He can take all 10 stairs in two seconds flat and then looks up at me and smiles.  

This is not even close to a complete list, but I wanted to at least mention some of the things Preston is up to these days.  For those who are not completely captivated with my children the way I am, I apologize.  I've been using my blog as a journal of sorts and wanted to update myself (and everyone else) on the life of my sweet little boy.  

Our Weekend

The weekend did not slow down after the race.  That evening we had dinner at my mom's house to celebrate Angie's birthday (August 2) and Nate's birthday (August 3).  It was fun to get together and see everyone.  The kids had a great day and played really well together.  They also LOVED helping blow out the candles on two different cakes.  

Sunday was Kenya's baby blessing.  My sister, Alicia, is the baby of our family and had the first girl after a long chain of boys.  The blessing was beautiful and the kids were pretty well behaved.  All the boys shifted from seat to seat, rotating which aunt, uncle or grandparent was entertaining them.  All in all, it was a successful meeting.  We didn't even have to take Preston out, which NEVER happens.  After church, we had a little luncheon at their local Senior Center.  It was a great idea.  Everyone fit in the same room and could easily talk, help with food, and keep cool.  The food was delicious and the company was great too!  After lunch, Aarsky (pronounced air-ski) took the kids on a tour of the fire station next door.  He's a firefighter and the kids thought that was so cool.  It made the day even more of an adventure for all of our rambunctious little ones.  

After the blessing, we hopped in the car and within a few minutes, both of the boys were sound asleep.  It had been a long morning and was now after 3:00.  We let them take a nap and then headed down to Mercedes' house for a little birthday celebration for Laura.  Her birthday was on July 31.  It's a busy time of year with lots of birthdays for both of our families.  It was a fun gathering as well, but Preston was a bit on the fussy side, having only slept for about an hour the whole day.  Oh well - it was still worth the visit.

Kenya's Blessing

Bair Gutsman

Yesterday I conquered the mountain.  I've mentioned bits and pieces of my training for this race, but I don't think I ever fully explained it.  For those who don't know, the Bair Gutsman is a crazy race up the mountain by the weather balls in Farmington and then back down Farmington Canyon.  It's about 7 1/2 miles up the mountain and then another 5 1/2-ish down the canyon road.  I signed up for the race simply out of peer pressure.  My sister-in-law, Amy, signed up because most of her family was doing the race and her brother owns it.  Then Laura, my other sister-in-law, decided she would sign up.  I figured it was a great time to do a race.  I didn't really look into it, but just paid the money and hoped I could get myself trained enough in 5 weeks.  I had no clue since this was my first race ever.  When people asked me yesterday if this was my first time completing the Bair Gutsman I told them it was my first race ever.  The response I got was "That's brave."  Basically it's different than most races.  You're on your own up the mountain, there's a small drink station at the top and then you're on your own down the canyon until the finish line.  It really felt like it was me and the mountain.  When I could stop focusing on moving my feet or not tripping and falling for two seconds and look out at the scenery, it was amazing.  It truly is a beautiful place for a race.  Unfortunately, I was only able to divert my attention from the race a time or two.  

I was pretty much in the slow pack from the beginning of the race, but that was fine with me since my only goal was to finish.  A week and a half ago, Marcos and I went to the top of the mountain and I decided I was not ready for such an intense race.  I talked myself back intoit  though, but I knew I would need to pace myself if I was going to finish.  That I did.  I hung out with the couples, families, and older men and pretty much was comfortable with my pace in that crowd.  It's a tough race that way because it's such a small trail so you need to be going at the pace with those around you.  Kind of stressful, but I met many a 60-year-old man concerned for my well-being.  I definitely chose my group well.  I jogged and hiked and kept moving my feet until I made it to "death row" which is about a half mile from the top, but is straight up the dang mountain.  This is basically the area that killed me the last time and had me mentally psyching myself out.  Marcos, my sweet husband, had convinced me I was strong enough to do it and told me he would always be with me - even during the race.  Well, right as I started climbing death row, a sweet song that we kind of consider to be one of our "couple songs" came on my iPod.  It's called "Better Together" by Jack Johnson.  Holy cow, I almost lost it emotionally.  Just as I needed a little boost, there was my reminder that Marcos was right there with me.  I had to take a minute to breathe so I wouldn't start crying because I knew that would definitely throw my breathing off and I did not want to pass out.  

I got to the top of the mountain and was so proud that I'd made it.  One leg felt so weak I thought it would give out on me.  I did not know how I was going to start my jog down the mountain, but I figured I'd just have to push through it.  I got my little cup of gatorade and started my decent.  I'd practiced going up and running a little, but didn't have much more time to train than that so I knew the only way I could finish was mentally pushing through it.  My body has never had to do 13 miles in so short of a time.  Man, that 5 1/2 miles was SO LONG!  One winding mountain road that never ends.  I kept thinking the finish line must be just around the next bend.  I had to stop thinking about it and just focus on putting one foot in front of the other.  By this point, I could feel the blisters growing, had to try to focus my breathing to slightly relieve my increasingly painful side-ache, and had to tell myself I was strong even though every muscle in my body felt weak and tired.  At one point, I thought I'd slow my jog to a walk for a minute and rest, but I quickly realized that the only thing that did was allow the pain to manifest itself more intensely so I shifted back to my jog and settled in for the long haul.  

After what felt like forever, I finally made it to the "last bend" and could see the finish line down below.  I was so happy that I had made it that I almost allowed my emotions to get the best of me again.  Before I knew it, I could see Marcos' giddy face running up to take pictures of me with Dylan following closely behind.  Poor Preston was locked in the stroller wondering what was going on.  It was so good to see my family that I could barely focus on the race.  They announced my name and someone pointed me to the finish line that was right off the side of the road.  I was kind of in a daze and was not exactly following what was going on at that point.  I had to cross over the little mat that would log my time.  They took the microchip off my shoe, handed me my bag and t-shirt and I held Dylan's hand and limped over to find a place on a log to sit down for a minute.  I tried to stand up to follow Dylan around for a few minutes.  He was so excited to be in the mountains hiking and I wanted to share that excitement with him.  Trying to stand up from the log was one of the hardest things ever.  Once I let my muscles start to rest, they did not want to get going again.  I had to let Papi help Dylan while I drank my gatorade and shared it with my thirsty little baby.  Dylan LOVED refilling my gatorade for me though.  After a few minutes of rest, I was ready to go home.  I wanted to enjoy the moment a little longer, but I was pretty spent and a bit nauseous after chugging my gatorade so I decided I'd have to enjoy the rest of my glory from home.  

Honestly though, it was such a big moment.  To go from thinking there was no way I could complete this race the week before to actually finishing was incredible.  I can see why people torture themselves and push their bodies to the limits like this.  It was awful and awesome all rolled into one great big race.  So I've been tired, sore and starving for two days.  Apparently I burned a pretty decent amount of calories.  Yesterday I ate lunch at 12:15 and was completely starving by 2:30.  That's never happened to me before.  Crazy race!  And I'm so much more sore than I thought I would be.  I knew I would be sore, but not like this.  I think I used every muscle in my entire body - calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes, shoulders, abs, lower back....  I'm trying to figure out how my biceps could possibly be sore - I didn't use them once.  So if you see me limping around the neighborhood for a few days, just smile and wave.  It's a badge of honor for me - even though I look ridiculous.  It's going to take a while for this tired body to recuperate.  

The final bend

Crossing the finish line

So happy to see my family

Sipping gatorade and sharing it with Preston