The new site is up and if you're interested in our new location send me an email (nancyislucyatgmaildotcom) or you can even leave a message here.

New Blog

I think it might be too much work to resize all the photos on this blog so I've decided to start up a whole new account. Will I regret it? I don't know but I hope not.

Reaching my 1GB photo space limit has made me visit once again why I blog. Here are some of my thoughts on the subject.

After things settled down with my health and I wasn't so stressed out and overwhelmed with everything I slowly started picking up some hobbies again. That part of my life disappeared after I entered the having babies stage. Blogging was a baby step, something that was doable, that I could enjoy and was in the budget.

First of all it was a great way to stay connected with friends and family. Living so far away from most of our family was the biggest reason to start one.

Now, besides being able to stay connected with family and friends, I enjoy sharing ideas, recipes, recent activities, my growing photography skills, and achievements. I try to refrain from complaining, whining, and posting negative things although sometimes it just has to be done. I love that when I look at my posts and pictures on my blog I don't have to hear all the fighting, whining, torture, aggravation, depression that can go on everyday. Why do I want to relive all that and although it's unhealthy to deny it really happens, sometimes it's just best to forget and move on.

Some of my posts may make others shrink in embarrassment for me, others might seem like I'm bragging, and of course there is the judgments that people make about me/us that occurs. And although there are the negatives overall it has been really good for me to express myself here.

I enjoy getting comments and this in some ways has been a way to socialize with one another; it's another way to drop a line and in some ways means you care or are interested in me/us because you've taken the time to visit, read, and then comment.

I love that it is relatively cheap to do. I don't have to buy expensive paper, ink, albums, and all other extras that come with scrap booking. I get to record tidbits of our life to share with family and friends now and hopefully the blog will still be around for my posterity. I would hope so considering how much time I've invested in this online journal. I think that's probably the most expensive part of blogging is how much time it can take and often waste.

I try not to spend so much time doing it and actually try to go and have a life. It's quite the balancing act because I enjoy the blogs that are updated on a regular basis, the most. So what is too much blogging? I guess it's a personal decision.

So as for now, I think, this will be my last post here.

Happy Fourth!

We did the usual BBQ at the house with family, going to a firework show, and then doing some at the house routine. Chris actually ran a 10K early in the morning. 53 minutes of pain. We're slowly easing him into some big time races ;0). Good job babes!

I took a bunch of pictures of the display and this one turned out to be my favorite. It was the first picture I took of the show before I quickly moved to another spot after realizing the signal was in the way.

These were a couple of my favorites as well. Cool huh?

Well, I've hit my 1GB limit for free photo storage on blogger/picasa. How am I suppose to continue my blog? I love to include photos and can't go on without them. I guess I'll have to resize my photos and go through and delete pictures I've uploaded but are not in use. I'd hate to have to use photobucket. Any other suggestions from my fellow bloggers?

Playing Around

These are some pictures I've taken over the last two weeks that I really liked.

Scenary

This was at Silver Lake when we went fishing. This was taken after the sun went over the mountains. Love the reflection.

This is at the same lake with Mt. Timpanogas and a canoe in the shot taken much earlier in the day.

Wildflowers

These were taken during our camp out at the Spruces. We got tons of rain both nights and I tried to get some shots of the drops afterwards.

People

These are a few of Chris' cousins. My brother in law got married. Although not from here they decided to get married at our local temple and had the reception at the pavillion across the street from my house.

Cross Processing

Some fishing pictures at the lake. I played around with the colors of the pictures.

Water

It's pretty much the same shot except that I played around with the shutter speed and then did some post editing for fun. This was a waterfall on a hike we took during our camping trip up Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Family

This is our little guy making faces on the window of our van.

This was from the top of Timpanogas Cave. The kids enjoyed exploring the cave.

A couple of my favorite people in the world. Taken on our way back down from the cave.

the Utah Valley Marathon 4:51:57.7

I had such an awesome experience. The weather was perfect, the course was absolutely beautiful, and I was feeling strong. I was very concerned about the weather since we've been getting a lot of rain, hail, and thunderstorms. However, the cloud cover kept us cool and I only felt a couple drops of rain. I loved, loved the course for many reasons. I didn't have to inhale exhaust from running through a city; the course was secluded to mostly trails (which were amazingly beautiful but I'd never run on them alone because of the seclusion and foliage) and a few quiet streets. The first 10 miles were down Provo Canyon on the road. It was gorgeous. There were a lot of hills up and down. If fact the race began with an uphill. Upbeat music got me through the hills and I tried to run faster on the downhills because I knew once we were out of the canyon, it would get flat. It took me about 30 minutes to get to 3 miles. I got to the halfway point at about 2 hours 16 minutes. And to 21 miles at 3 hours 46 minutes. The last five miles were really, really HARD. But I felt my strongest the first 10 miles and between 16 and 22 miles. I stopped for a short time to take a picture with the boys after the half way point and I walked a short distance to mile 23. After a certain point, it's all mental for me. I really, really want to walk and as I see people who are done, can't help but think how lucky they are.

Chris made these cool t shirts for the boys to wear. Here's A having rice balls for breakfast. We headed to Provo in the wee hours of the morning. They slept in the van before meeting me at the half way point. What troopers!



This is past mile 14 when I first got to meet the crew. They make me smile.

About mile 16

Between mile 21 and 22. Loved these sponges that are soaked in ice, cold water.

For some reason, seeing the end helps me forget my exhaustion and physical pain and gets me to pick things up again.

It truly was an amazing experience and I did well up with tears along the course when I thought about it all.

No Kidding!

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Most Memorable Pick Ups

7. My very first pick up at BYU began with..."Don't I know you from somewhere?" Can it get more original? He later told me he had his eye on me while I was having lunch with a friend. I disappeared soon after to go to my class only to emerge an hour later. I saw him from the corner of my eye and knew at once he was headed for me.

6. Can't go to BYU and not have a fifth floor library experience. I was on the fifth floor of the library. Being a newbie at the university, little did I know that not much studying happens on the fifth floor. A guy comes up to me for some small talk. He served in Asia somewhere. I was sensing a little Asian fever from him. A couple weeks later I saw him in the same room I was studying in at the library. I tried my hardest to hide behind someone with no luck. A few years later while I was a missionary in the MTC, he was an MTC teacher and I saw him. I swear he was going to ask me out again.

5. I was waitressing when a guy, a really cute guy actually, asks me if I'm wearing a fake engagement ring or if I'm really taken. I just laughed. In Provo, there is ALOT, I mean ALOT of ring finger glancing! Anyone else agree?

4. Not your typical pick up. I had a job where I helped people with mental disorders or brain damage in their daily activities. I was at one of my clients apartment when in comes three Hispanic guys. I soon figured out that my client was prostituting for money. In Spanish one of the guys asks his friend, "Do you think she's one of them?" talking about me. GRRRR. He sits down next to me. I soon left and my higher ups heard from me!

3. I was at Smiths in Provo putting my cart away when up drives the one and only Itula Mili in his big truck and says, "My friend (as he nods to the big guy sitting next to him) wants to know if you have a boyfriend."

--Maybe the guy was self conscious about his English skills or something but come on!! At least do your own dirty work.

2. I was making the long trek across campus to my car heading home after class. There was a little, blonde guy following close by. He catches up and starts a conversation. He walks me to my car. He asks me my name and how to spell it. Then he asks for my number. I had a hard time avoiding that question since I didn't want to hurt his feelings and make things even more awkward. So I gave it to him. I had just moved and got a new number too. Folks,WITHIN the hour, he called me and said, "You gave me the wrong number." Oops, I accidentally switched a couple numbers, but not on purpose. The nerve of some people. He called several times to get a date with no success. A couple months later he calls me one last time and after I came up with another lame excuse he says, "Well, you have to give me credit for trying."

Well I'll give him that. But, Ericson ladies, a word of advice..... Don't give out your number to guys you're not interested in.

Just as a side note, this was not the only time some guy made sure to get the spelling of my name. BYU had this information line you could call and get people's info. They're address, phone number, even their freaking schedule!!! I'll admit I probably stocked someone once or twice.

And finally

1. I was a waitress at Dennys where I have never been picked up more in my life. The caliber of men there is amazing (sarcasm). Anyways, I had just hit a parked car and left a dent. Hey, I'm a woman, an Asian woman, from California...give me a break. My windows were caked with ice and the guy was illegally parked. I went into the restaurant to find someone who would drive an old, old car. I saw a young guy in a long, black trench coat and asked him if he owned a car that looked like..so and so. He said yes. Me apologetically "I just hit your car and I dent it, do you want to come out and look at it with me?" Nonchalantly he replied, "sure." So we go out there and I'm like can I give you some money for the damage? He tells me not to worry and he'll just hammer it out. I felt terrible. Can I pay for your meal at least? Sure he says. And then he asks me out. geesh. How do you get out of that one?

Some Headlines Sticking in my Head

Father Alberto Cutie joins the Episcopal Church. I first heard about this Catholic priest from CNN when pictures of him and his bikini clad girlfriend were taken of them on the beach. Scandalous! My thoughts were "dang he's a cutie." I guess if one church doesn't fit, try the next. Just to clarify, I'm being facetious.


This Chinese man pushes a suicidal man off a bridge. When I first heard about this I imagined a dangling man being pushed off a bridge falling hundreds of feet over treacherous waters. He had backed up traffic for several hours and the people were getting tired of it so a citizen decided to take matters into his own hands and it was caught on tape. Only in China.


Ugh. I'm not a huge fan of this show. I've watched it a bunch of times while staying at the lodges in Jackson Hole. It usually just gives me a headache and I wonder why I wasted an hour of my life. I've been keeping tabs on them since we found out he's been out on the town with a "friend." Geesh. To be on national t.v. during your marital problems.....what a predicament. Marriage is hard and to have to deal with all of this while millions watch. brrrrrr....gives me the shivers. Good luck Jon and Kate.

Memorial Day 09

Every year we struggle to find these graves. We go up and down the rows, reading hundreds of names until we finally find the ones we're looking for.

Can I just add the Uncle Quin is the best. We all love and adore him and are especially glad he is close by.

Goodbye Chewie

He passed away last night. We'll miss our little hamster.

Some things that make me smile....

K and the Rubiks Cube, Video editing programs, Cold Play, Chris' laugh

Field Trip to the Firestation

Munchkins this year (above)vs. last year(below)

Sprouts

I was so excited when I saw these today. I've been waiting and waiting, even replanting seeds to make sure something would come up. I was wondering if the dirt was too compact, of if the area was not getting enough sunlight or water. Now, I'm seeing the soil cracking in places as the sprouts make their way up.


These are beets that will be thinned out soon.

Strawberry patch last year at this time vs. now. I'm loving it. Hopefully we don't neglect the gardens as much as we did last year.

As a mother and as a wife I want so much to be better everyday;
I hope to be nicer, happier, funner, energetic, more giving, and especially more thankful.
You make me want to be a better person all the time.
For that, I thank you and for so much more.
Your hugs, kisses, smiles, your silliness, and sweetness make my life so bright and worth all the sacrifice and hard work.
You are the best and I'm so blessed to be a wife and a mother, especially yours.

The Grass is No Longer Greener on the Other Side

The previous owners put new sod down before they put the house up for sale. Besides the fact that the ground wasn't evened out before laying down the grass I was grateful the dead grass was replaced.

Even with the new sod, it seemed that every Spring we struggled to get our grass green. It really was greener on the other side :0). Ours would be the last to turn green but it was always this pretty, limey shade.

Over the years, you'd see me standing on the grass trying to figure out the kinks. If it wasn't the issue with limey green grass, it was dead spots, weeds, or bugs. I'd try to water out dead spots for hours while my neighbors watched. I've taken tools and poked holes in the strips that were completely dead. A simple "you've got bugs" or any other hint would have been nice thank you.

I began watching those with green, luscious grass so I could see what they were doing right and here are the things I've learned:

Fertilize in MARCH. March is the key. (We were always, always late on this)

And once again in the Fall

Spread bug killer or grubs will leave dead spots when they've eaten the roots.

Anyone have these suckers? Yup from my own yard....pretty but unwanted.

Chris has found fertilizer with weed killer in it. Yay. It helps out tons.

We still have some weeds regardless and that is when we get on our hands and knees and pick them out with this tool:

I've seen all green grass (without weeds) owners do it; I don't have to be ashamed. There really is no other way.

Don't mow too short. Longer grass keeps the moisture in better.

And this year I've discovered the best secret of all when I saw my next door neighbor tackling his grass with it:

This tool. I comb all the dead grass out. It works like a charm, opens the ground for the fertilizer to sink in. Work?!! Definitely....at least a few hours of it and a few days of physical recovery....totally worth it and a little addicting.

So there you have it: My pretty, limey, green grass (I hope it stays that way). It's darker this year and I love it. Now if I could just get my lawn mower operator to get back in town to mow it.......three weeks in Jackson one more to go. :0)