Lots of Updates

Whew! I've been seriously neglecting my blog lately- "so much to do, so little time." We've been having many adventures lately, and I think it's about time I do some catching up on here. We spent our Sunday afternoon at my brother's house for a good ol' BBQ. As much as I love BBQs, I was worried about being able to stick to my "good eating habits". I did pretty well with my salad, corn on the cob, and small helping of Salmon (SO delicious!). In the end, however, I could not resist my favorite snack sitting there on the counter, staring me in the face- POTATO CHIPS! Grrrr.... Other than the too-tempting food, the BBQ was great fun. The kids did a little jumping on the sprinkler-soaked trampoline, kickball & bubbles, while all of the adults lounged, visited, and occasionally joined in the fun. Great times!
Memorial Day was CRAZY! We thought we'd spend a nice, relaxing day hiking with some friends up at Silver Falls. When we got there, it was SLAMMED! I've never seen that place so busy. There were lines of cars in both directions just to get into the parking lot at the South Falls. So, we drove on past, knowing that there'd be space up at the small Winter Falls Trailhead. We were wrong. We were also wrong to assume that there'd be parking up even further at the North Falls Trailhead. Eventually, we parked across the street halfway down a little side road, among several other vehicles. We hiked back down the road, across the street, and finally made it to the trails. I definitely prefer nearly-deserted trails to the packed trails that we traveled that day, but it was still beautiful and enjoyable, and the kids had a great time hiking and exploring together. Yesterday, we spent some time with our friends next door, so the kids could ride bikes and play outside together. Eli and Colton showed off their super-sweet bike tricks, Lexi kept running after the big kids trying to keep up (and succeeding), and they all went on a little bug hunting excursion through the fields.
Thank goodness for our beautiful, sun-filled days!
Last, but not least- WBW & Weight Loss: I have had a few food weaknesses once again this week (see above) and 1 skipped workout. For the most part, however, I feel I did pretty good. Even though I went another week without losing any numbers on the scale, my jeans are fitting better. There's definitely some fat/muscle exchange going on. There's still plenty of room for improvement on my eating habits that I will strive to conquer this week. I'm going away with some friends this weekend, and I will try my best to keep my junk food intake to a minimum (I'm just praying that no one brings potato chips!). I think I'll take my bike along too, and take advantage of the great trails while I'm there.
WBW:
This is the first time I took Travis rafting with my family. We tried (obviously unsuccessfully) to take the kayak down "Blossom Bar", a difficult class IV rapid (on a scale of I-VI). It was my fault, since I was calling the turn, and did it too late. We slammed into the boulders and flipped out. Travis immediately traveled all of the way down the rapid, while I ended up stranded. I attempted to get the kayak turned right-side up and jump in, but to no avail. The water was rushing too hard and too fast. I finally had to let go of the kayak, which caused me to get sucked under the boulder momentarily. When I resurfaced, I climbed up on the boulder, caught my breath, then jumped back in and rode the waves down. Ahhhh- good times :)

Program & Garage

I can't believe I forgot to post about Thursday! Anyone who's been reading my blog for a while, knows that I am a SYTYCD ('So You Think You Can Dance') fanatic. Thursday was the night of the long-awaited season premiere. Of course, you'd think that I was in on the couch, with my eyes glued to the dancers. That was NOT the case! I was happily missing the premiere to attend Elijah's end of the year school music program. I got there early, camera, camcorder, & tripod in hand. I immediately located the best spot for filming and staked my claim. I had spend the whole day working on getting the camcorder working again, and was thrilled with the prospect of being able to finally use it again. Unfortunately, the school's music teacher noticed my eagerness and asked if I wouldn't mind making a film for the whole school. Of course, I accepted because it was the 'right' thing to do, but I was internally crestfallen that I wouldn't get to spend all of my time filming close-ups of Elijah. Sure enough, I was so busy trying to capture everyone in the film, that I didn't get to watch Eli as much as I would have liked to. I did, however, get to see his speaking part (which he did most fabulously!). I LOVE going my kids' programs/performances/plays. It thrills me to no end, and I'm glad I was able to catch this one on video!
Today, we planned to spend our day at the Oregon State Track Meet in Eugene. Lexi had other plans. After just a little while, Lexi hit her limit of bleacher confinement, and I was forced to come back home with her. On the way home, I had a mental struggle about what to do for the rest of the day by ourselves (I had plenty of time to think, since Eugene is almost 1 1/2 hours from home). Part of me really wanted to take her hiking and picnicking- just her and me. That would have been a delightful day, surely, however, I decided on the more sensible option- cleaning the garage (woohoo!). The day we moved in, the garage got jam-packed with excess 'stuff', waiting patiently to be sorted through. Well, today it finally got done. Lexi was much happier than she had been at the meet. The garage was full of toys she hadn't seen in quite some time, and she was completely and totally occupied with her 'new' finds. This allowed me to bestow the garage with all of my attention, and I'm delighted to report that our garage is now spic 'n' span (double woohoo!)!

WBW & Weight Loss Update II

Workouts have been going well, although I did slack off a bit this week. I also slacked a bit in my eating habits, thus a lack of weight loss this week. I'm not too disappointed, because I think that this one week of slacking makes me more motivated for this coming week. I can see that in one week of working hard, I was able to lose 4 1/2 pounds, then in allowing the exact same time frame to pass, I have nothing to show for it, just for not putting in the little bit of extra effort required. A week will pass, no matter what. Do I want to be another 4 1/2 pounds lighter by the end of that week [like last week] or not [like this week]? I say I do, so that means I need to have just a little bit of self-discipline. It doesn't take a lot, really. My routine is really quite easy to adhere to. I just need to do it! Bring on the week!


WBW:
[Man, my nose looks gargantuan in this pic!] It had to be a slow day of fishing, for this little guy to be a keeper. You can see this guy has been cleaned, and I can tell you with certainty that I did it. Yes- not only do I love to fish, but I actually love to clean them too, as strange as that may sound to some. Travis wants nothing to do with it, so I always have been & will be the one to clean any fish that come into this house. I remember my dad teaching me as a kid. After a fruitful day of fishing, we'd come home, head down to the barn, fill up a bucket with water, pull out the pocket knives, and go to town. Good times :)

Bug Abode & SF Trek

After this morning's workout, Rhiannon and I chilled in the front yard while all of the kids went bug crazy. The bug day started with a ladybug, and ended with a moth. They were thrilled with their finds, and insisted on constructing a home for their little friends. They gathered leaves and flowers, then worked together to complete a most beautiful abode.

"Hmmm... where do we start?"

Teamwork
The finished abode
Little lady

Travis was able to come home early again (hooray!), so we headed up to Silver Falls together. Today, we opted for the South Falls. We had followed the trail around the back of the falls, and were preparing to continue on, when we were faced with a decision. Normally, we cross a bridge that leads back up to the top of the falls, but today we were feeling a little more adventurous. We decided that we needed a bit longer of a trek, so we continued on another trail, not knowing just where it would lead or how long it would take (why in the world there wasn't a map at the junction, I haven't a clue). So we continued on down that path for a solid 2 1/2 hours before we finally stopped to talk to some other hikers. Apparently, we were on the "Canyon Trail" that made a 8 1/2 mile loop around the park. Oops! Luckily, we were able to find another trail that cut back much sooner, but in the end, we all hiked at least 5 miles. The kids were amazing. They fussed just a little on the way back to South Falls, and each took a turn or two each being carried a very short distance. Otherwise, they were quite content. We have a family of avid little toddler hikers! Woohoo!

An ant crawled across her shoe
[^^^^ They sure are a weird bunch ^^^^]

"Child Proof"

Apparently, just because something is "child proof", doesn't necessarily mean it's "Lexi proof". This morning, the kids woke up before us again (I am dead to the world until someone wakes me up). I didn't know it until Elijah came upstairs to tell us that Lexi had gotten into the gummy bear vitamins. GREAT! Trav & I jumped out of bed, and ran downstairs to find a chair pushed over to the kitchen counter, and a so-called "child proof" cap in the cupboard where the vitamins were supposed to be. One thing we didn't find, was Lexi. Travis called for her, but got no response. That's when I spotted her legs curled up under the dining table. I pulled back the tablecloth to find her with the empty vitamin bottle in her hands. While Trav gave her a talking-to, I grabbed the bottle and rushed to the den, where I looked up overdose information. First I found a thread where a woman had posted a question about it. Every response was "get her to the ER NOW!!" As panic was rapidly building, I looked up the poison control center phone number, and gave them a call. Luckily, these particular vitamins don't have any iron in them. The only thing that presented a very minor risk was the fact that she had just consumed 10 days worth of vitamin D. Two hours, and a couple of prayers later, she still hadn't shown any of the signs they said to watch for, and was in the clear. The kids have now been strictly informed that they must wake us up when they wake up, and are not allowed to go downstairs until Travis or myself is out of bed with them. Also, all vitamins (regardless of "child proof" status) are going to be locked away with the medicine.
On a lighter note, we had a splendid afternoon at our friends' house. After church, we headed home for lunch (which Travis made, and was DELICIOUS!) before driving out to Scio. When we got there, we all walked to Thomas Creek to play, explore, and swim. Afterwards, we made the trek back to their house for a little BBQ and Guitar Hero action. Wonderful Sunday afternoon with wonderful friends! I love spring!
**Of course, I forgot my camera at home, but my friend had hers, so hopefully I'll have some pics to post later on**

Our New Grad!

Rogue graduated from preschool this week- woohoo! The "graduation" was fun. I don't think too much detail is necessary, because the picture surely speaks for itself. He is quite the character, that one....

District Track Meet

Yesterday we spent our afternoon/evening at the District Track & Field Meet in Molalla. There was luckily a few little sandy areas that completely occupied Lexi & Rogue, and Elijah hung out most of the time in the team tents with the athletes. It was nice that they were so entertained, so that Trav & I were able to watch the meet. Cascade girls won the meet by 40 points, and the boys placed 2nd, missing the win by only 8 points (for complete results, see here).
In the first race of the day (the 4x100 relay), the "official" starter screwed up big time. At the District Meet, if you false start, you're out of the race- no second chances. So, when the second gun fired off, indicating a false start, everyone was instantly nervous to see who was eliminated. It was Cascade- the fastest team in the race. Our girls stepped off the track, wiping their tears, since they just lost their chance of going to the State Meet. A few minutes later, I looked down the track to see our first leg putting her blocks back on the starting line again. As I said, there are no second chances, so spectators from opposing teams around me were voicing their indignation. Our girls indeed won the race, and I later learned the reason for the whole fiasco. Most sprinters start down in the blocks, but our girl had opted for a standing start. Apparently, the starter didn't allow her to get into her "set" position before firing his gun, and since she was still moving when the gun was fired, she was issued the false start. He removed her from the track, but after Cascade's coach jumped in, pointing out that it was his mistake, not hers, she was allowed back on. Not only did this guy make a mistake by firing his gun too early, he also nearly cost them their district title & trip to state. The girls had to be completely flustered after the whole thing, but thankfully still managed to pull off the win.
Another significant point of the day came in the boy's 800m. Cascade had a runner with a PR of 2:04, placing him 5th coming into the race. An athlete with a time like that is usually likely to only improve by a second or less each race. Our runner, however raced an impressive 1:58, and won the race- very impressive!
Next week- STATE!

WBW & Weight Loss Update

First of all, thanks to everyone who responded on my last weight loss post with ideas and encouragements :) Shortly after posting that blog, my friend & neighbor Rhiannon asked if I wanted to join her on her P90X workouts. Awesome! I had heard about it & seen the infomercials. I was SO in! So, that's what I've been doing every morning. I walk next door, the kids play, and we workout in the "off-limits" living room. I've been so grateful to have a great workout buddy! As far as dieting goes, I haven't cut anything out entirely. I've just cut back on my usually-massive portions. I also try to forgo any nighttime snacking altogether, which was probably my highest calorie & fat intake of the whole day. So, as of today, I have lost 4 1/2 pounds. Yay! Rigorous exercise is definitely the key. Dieting alone would never do me any good. I'm glad I have a solid routine down that is already showing results, and will hopefully continue to do so.

And now for this week's WBW:
It's another cross-country photo today. This is the infamous "Trask Mountain Assault" meet. I know it appears as though the mountain defeated us, but I assure you- WE DEFEATED IT!

A Fun Little Evening

Travis was, thankfully, able to come home earlier than normal yesterday. To my delight, after he walked in the door, he suggested we go exploring at the Aumsville pond. Yay! Everyone got their exploration gear on, and headed out the door. When we arrived, there were a couple of teenagers fishing, and they let the kids have a look at their catch. While they were talking, I noticed a couple of cans of chili that had been opened, then eaten directly from the can itself. That fact, combined with the clothes they were wearing, the way they spoke, and the small old pond we were at, instantly made me think of Patrick F. McManus stories. If you've never read his books, well- you're missing out [here's a link to one of my favorite stories, if you're interested]. For those of you that have read his books, you know great the descriptions of his various fishing/hunting/camping outings are, and you can imagine the scene set before me. Anyhow, after a quick chat, we hit the trail. We wandered around, a bit perplexed by how quickly some of the trails had grown over since our last visit. We made it all of the way around, then piled back in the car and hit up the local diner before going home. A fun little evening in the little town of Aumsville.... {FYI- Eli was a bit evasive, so I don't have many pics of him. It was also late when I edited these last night, and looking at them again today, I realize that I was a little "saturation-happy" on some of them, but I don't feel like re-editing them right now, so you get what you get....}

I Want to Keep You

Last night, as I leaned down to give Lexi a kiss goodnight, she reached out her arms, wrapped them around my neck, pulled me in, and whispered, "I want to keep you." ♥

A Sunny Day [sort of]

This morning, I awoke to sunshine. "Yay," I thought. A little slide show of different locations to explore after school went through my head as I readied the kids. That's when I heard it. It can't be. There's no way. I just looked. Please, please, please let me be hearing things.... I pulled apart the blinds to see rain pounding down like hail. As my own personal dark cloud gathered over my head, I grumbled through the rest of the early morning preparations. By the time we left, it was only sprinkling, and by the time we got to school to drop Eli off, I was sporting my shades again. I was convinced that today was meant to be sunny afterall, and that downpour was just some freak occurrence of the day. [Side note: this veggie soup I'm eating right now is super yummy! "Amy's Lentil Vegetable Soup"- try it!] I was wrong. The whole day gave me whiplash, as it continued to go from bright & sunny to overcast & rainy all day long. Keeping my fingers crossed, I still decided to try my luck and drove into Salem to Waterfront Park [some of you may recall that this was the dreaded location where I took a bunch of great shots on Sunday, only to later discover that the camera had spent the entire day sans memory card]. It was raining lightly when we arrived, but we waited it out, and after only a couple of minutes, we were free to roam about the park. We managed to spend a couple of hours before we finally left. We were almost back to the car when I started to feel the little raindrops....