Your Favorite Call Girl

Okay, so as time goes on, I feel worse and worse about writing that I didn't LOVE much about Bountiful.
Specifically I said I didn't really miss any people.
Because, really truly, that was false.
I guess it was true as I was writing it. It was kind of a mixed emotion moment.

But, today, I miss so many people.

My oldest boys went to our old ward and I had the thought, "It's too soon for me. I couldn't be there with them right now because I would never want to come back to Arizona."

Of course I miss people. I have very warm thoughts and happy memories towards so many people there. People I will forever want to see when we travel back to Utah, and people I am so thankful I can keep up with through Facebook. People that make me smile and laugh and who I am genuinely interested in what is going on in their lives.

But that being said, I didn't ever make the sort of friendships that come with phone calls and "oh-my-gosh, I MISS you" type feelings, or just PERSONAL, close, I-know-all-there-is-to-know-about-you-and-I-love-you-anyway friendships. And I think THAT'S what I was missing in Bountiful.

I think as I lived there, I didn't feel like anyone really knew me very well, and vice-versa. I lived in the same house for five years, and I've been gone for six months. I have only received two phone calls from people in my neighborhood.

And so, when I wrote my last post, maybe I was feeling sorry for myself. Or just being a grump. Who knows?

But I can say without any hesitation, I definitely DO miss the people from my old ward and neighborhood. I worked three jobs for a time while living there. Preschool was very time consuming. For crying out loud, having seven children is time consuming :) So many factors played into not cultivating friendships the way I wish I had.

But just because I wasn't BFF's with every person in the dang neighborhood doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the heck out of them. Which I did. And let it be known that I miss the people of my old neighborhood with my whole heart.

SO I have to take time out of my life to write about this little race I ran called RAGNAR 2012. This is one of my favorite events of the entire year, right up there with Christmas. I honestly think this was the most fun I've ever had with this race, like, ever.

We had the most awesome team ever, plus one incredible driver. How could it be anything BUT the craziest, most sleepless, funniest, most exhausting two days of my year? And what's not to love about all those things, right?

(Although, going without sleep for two days makes me l.o.o.p.y. I am too old for that to happen more than once a year)

This is a relay race where you have two vans with six runners each. The first van goes out and each runner runs one leg. Then the second van runs six legs while the first van rests. Back and forth, three times. So, each runner ends up running three different legs, of varying difficulty and distance. It is AWESOME. And challenging.


Honeybuckets...our best friends on this two day adventure. They really are the greatest thing ever when you are coming in from a long run. And look, Kaycie even looks sexy all sprawled out on a honeybucket!


Sistas! Krista and Kaycie. Krista was the most fabulous driver ever, keeping us all motivated and pumped up. And of course, keeping us where we needed to be at all times. Well the rest of us dozed off between legs, she didn't sleep a wink throughout the night. Thank you, Krista!!


Brittany loves Liz. We were cracking ourselves up in the backseat. We are clearly not as funny as we think we are.


Coming in from my first run. It was only 3.5 miles, but it was hot and surprisingly difficult. I was a little worried since my other legs were going to be much, much harder than this one!


Car full of girles. "SeXXXy Mama's!" Yes, triple X.


Kaycie had some dang hard legs. This is her coming in after her first...Beat!


Tiffany was a joy. Happy, happy, silly, happy. And an awesome runner just to top it off.


Lunch time at Subway. I ate jalapenos, and lots of them. I'm not sure that's wise while running a race. Something about heartburn and a ten mile run doesn't sit well with me.


"Spooning"




We are missing Nicole in this picture.
This is one of the major exchanges where we meet the other van. They are just finishing up running their legs, and we are just beginning ours. Well, our other van was full of crazy ladies who took this running thing way too serious for our taste. They were always worried about where we were and about what our times were and so forth. So, as their runner was heading up the hill, maybe 20 minutes from the exchange with our runner, they sent us a text message wanting to be sure that we were indeed ready and waiting. OHMYGOSH, of course we are! We are big girls, and we can totally do this! - that's what we were all thinking. And by "all of us", I mean, that's what I was thinking. So, I couldn't help myself. I wrote back a text saying, "I'm so sorry, but we stopped for cheeseburgers on the way up the hill and the traffic is horrible. We'll get there as soon as we can." Which would mean their runner would just have to wait at the exchange until our runner got there. And seriously, like we would be purchasing cheeseburgers 20 minutes before a major run. They were in a panic!! Several of them came rushing over to the exchange to let their runner know we were not there, and of course they saw us there. And let's just say they were not amused :) But I sure was!


This is Jaclyn taking off at the major exchange. She was the one who looked lovely no matter what time of day or whether or not she had just run a million miles. Lipstick, smiles, tight abs, and lookin' fab. Quite opposite of myself.


Nicole...she is just starting her night run. We got a little tired on our night runs, which went from maybe 9:30pm-6:00am. We had all of our long runs during the middle of the night, which I actually love.

My night run was 10.0 miles, which I ran from about 12:00am-2:00am. People had told me that I might not see anyone on this leg, which seemed a little scary, since it was a trail run, but I did not see how that could possibly be true. This is a race FULL of people, what are the odds I would suddenly see NO ONE? Well, in the beginning, there were people everywhere, but since it was such a long run, as people paced out, I suddenly found myself completely and totally alone in the PITCH DARK. It was so, so, so dark. Obviously, I had my headlamp, but that was the ONLY light I could see. Truth be told, it was pretty creepy. And more than anything, I was nervous about getting off the trail and becoming lost. Really, I have to say, the trail was NOT marked very clearly on this super long, super dark stretch. BUT...towards the end of the leg, maybe 8 miles in, a man caught up to me and ran with me the rest of the way. That was very, very helpful. And I made it!!! TEN MILES in the middle of the night. It felt awesome!!!!


GOOD MORNING!!! I think we had maybe 2-3 hours of sleep. A "power nap" if you will!


Love this chick!!! Ready to start running again! I was feeling VERY nervous for my last leg, because it is arguably one of the hardest legs of the entire race, if not the hardest leg. I think Kaycie's and my last leg are the hardest of the whole blasted race. But, funny, I don't think she was nervous at all :)


Our leg tattoos...with "Random Man". Seriously, I had no idea this guy was even standing next to me. I blame it on the sleep deprivation. Liz started laughing about this "random man" in our pictures, and sure enough, there he was. Standing next to me. So funny!


Love this driver.


Look, it's Jaclyn looking sexy again.


Again, the honeybuckets. We've lost all shame.


This is the exchange before my big, scary, totally uphill run. I'm on my way!


Right off the bat, this guy and I met up. We were running the exact same pace...so we became running buddies for this absolutely horrible, evil, evil, bad, bad leg. I could NOT have done it without him. It was seriously the longest, steepest, straight-up-the-mountain leg. We kept eachother going and tried to push eachother.


This was us at the top. WE DID IT!!!! We turned the corner and the finish line was in sight, but I could NOT move my legs to run any longer. He stayed with me and told me, "You are going to finish strong. We started this together. We are going to finish this together. We are going to run through at the exact same time." That was exactly what I needed and it gave me that last push to make it the final few feet. AND I WAS DONE!!!!!!!!!!! What an accomplishment. I was on top of the world!


The view from the top! Gorgeous!


Liz and Tiffany after Liz's super long, uphill run. WAHOO, LIZ!


I was relaxing while waiting for Kaycie to finish her leg. Which was a killer!!!! For her, not me.


I love this picture because it captures a very honest moment after doing a brutal run. I imagine I looked much the same after my run. You feel horrible and incredible at the exact same time. It is an exhilarating feeling.


Our team, running through the final finish line. We did it!!!!


Our van!!!!! I am bonded to these ladies for life.

And guess what? After all that, we signed up to do it all again next year. Can't wait!

I live in Gilbert, Arizona.




That just seems weird to say. Weird to think. I will often be driving down the road and think, "THIS is my home. Like, I could possibly live here 'til I die. In fact, as of this very second...that's the plan".
Again, strange.

And then I often wonder why that's so strange for me. I didn't LOVE a lot of things about Bountiful. There are very few people I miss from Bountiful. In fact, most things I miss have nothing to do with the home I had, or the neighborhood I lived in for so long. I think quite simply I miss being totally comfortable in a place. And I miss the beauty of living on the side of my mountain. I miss having four seasons. Let me be specific here...I miss FALL. I miss my family. I miss two dear friends.

October, until this very year, has always been my favorite month. Well, no longer. But truth be told, I am holding out hope that November becomes sort of magical. I can feel the weather changing. I am chilly in the evenings. Every morning is like a little bit of heaven: sunshine, birds, bright...and CHILLY. My very favorite combination. Each morning when I wake up, I want to put on my Snuggie, sip something warm, snuggle into the chair on my back porch, and spend a few minutes with myself - reading, praying, thinking, whatever. It's peaceful, it's quiet...and it's a lovely greeting to every morning. See, there is hope for November. Plus, it is my birthday, Chris's birthday, and our Anniversary (which I have just decided this year that we should celebrate again...a blog post for a different day :)).

The kids have made friends.
However, in my heart I am sad because they left behind some amazing friends. They each have at least one special person I hope they can keep a life-long relationship with.

My house is perfect for us.
Totally within our "happy" price range. After our ultra-expensive Bountiful house, this is a big, big plus for me. It has everything we need. It feels friendly and cozy when you walk in. The neighborhood is nice. In fact, as you drive into our subdivision, there is a sign that greets you that says, "CORONADO RANCH - A nice place to live". What a funny choice of words, but it is proving to be true.

Summer was HOT.
True. Ohmygosh, true. However, I think one of my favorite things about this year was every day after the kids got home from school they would all jump in the pool and SWIM. Together. Just for a few minutes. Laughter and fun with their brothers and sisters before the homework and craziness of the evening began. And that lasted clear into October. Now it is too freezing. But maybe those fun times make the crazy hot heat worth it? I suspect I will look forward to rounding up my family and visiting family and friends each summer. One can only take so much of 115 degrees. Reason to travel!!!





I don't have to work!!!
YAHOO! That sentence along makes everything worth it. It really was difficult for me to work so much with a family the size of mine. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if we needed it. BUT, for now, I am so incredibly happy to JUST BE HOME.

Arizona is ugly.
Also true. I don't find this state to be beautiful. Someone in my ward told me they have lived here forever and love it so much and would never live anywhere else. My first thought was, "WHAT? Have you ever been OUT of this state?" I felt like the obvious answer to that was NO.
I have been consciously trying to notice things about Arizona and this area that are lovely. My list is small.

I definitely live in Arizona. And wherever my family is, is home. Not to say I don't stress about what happens when they leave for college. Most of them want to go to BYU. Which means back to Utah. I will of course be sad to have 700 miles between myself and my children. But I guess that is life. And we will figure it out as it comes.

Pictures of the house:









My house will not look like this for long as I have bought some PAINT. "After" pictures coming soon enough.

Also, we are tearing up the backyard and starting over. It's a mess at this moment.

Man-oh-man, it's been a while. Good excuse #1 - I was busy packing for my big move to AR-I-ZONA. Not to mention I was working lots and blogging was too daunting. Good excuse #2 - I was living in a basement with limited computer access. Good excuse #3 - I had moved to Gilbert and had to worry about getting this house in order. Big stinking project. Hoping to NEVER do it again. Let's hope we like it here! Now, finally...back to blogging! Do any of you even read this anymore? So...what first? NYC, of course. It was kind of a dream trip with only ladies. Isabelle had her Dance Nationals in Manhattan, so we made it a girls trip! My step-mom, Ann, and my sister-in-law, Kaycie decided to make the trip with us, which made it such an unforgettable time!!!! I will forever love these ladies with all of my heart (and not just because they are family!). We spent so much time laughing and just being silly. I got to know them in a way I didn't before. What an amazing trip! This shall be long...consider yourself warned. I wouldn't want to forget anything! Iz in the airport (far left) All the dancers giddy with excitement!!! NYC, here they come!! Real NYC Police Officers! I know this looks a little "Bachelorette Party", but I swear it's legit. They really are Police Officers! Times Square - The most crowded place I've ever been! I could NOT believe people downtown would really park their cars this way! Stopping for breakfast after just arriving in NYC A quick stop off the tour bus at Central park Wicked...SO, so, so amazing. I had never seen a Broadway show before and I absolutely loved this one! About to see the show!!!! Can't wait! Iz and Mom We also saw "Newsies", which I also loved. The all-guy show really had such a different dynamic. The lead guy in this show is incredible. I think Chris might actually have enjoyed this one! I got a text right as we were entering the show that Isabelle had to be back RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHOW for competition. They had made some last second changes. I had a heart attack. What the heck were we supposed to do? The tickets were non-refundable, aaack! So we stayed until intermission, took a taxi to the hotel, hurried and ran Isabelle in, then I took a taxi back to the show without her. So I don't think I missed much, but Isabelle missed the entire second half. I am so glad I went back to finish it! We saw this "female" from behind dancing into the jumbo tron on Times Square and imagine my surprise when "she" turned around and it was a MAN...with breasts! My first taste of the strangeness that is NYC. Real New York style pizza. Ohmygosh, so freaking delicious! This place was our favorite. In fact, we ate there twice. Iz + pizza = happy. One night Kaycie, Iz, and myself hopped off the Subway and apparently Ann was too slow. The doors shut right in her face and off she went to the next stop. I was super surprised to see her be whisked away in the train, and in my surprise I totally tossed my phone into the Subway tracks. In that moment it was all so stinking funny that the three of us left on the platform laughed and laughed and just kind of looked at the phone laying there. Then a man came over and said he thought he could get it. As in, he was willing to jump down to the tracks and grab it. He kept saying, "I think I can get back up. I mean, I'm pretty sure. Should I get it?" THEN HE DID. He risked his existence for my stupid phone. And let me just say, I'm sure glad he did. We were still feeling all laugh-y, so we headed back to our hotel to see where the heck Ann ended up. So funny. Subway chicks totally figurin' it out! Isabelle. The day we went to the temple, I was going to take the Subway back to the hotel to pick her up once her dance convention classes were over. You could tell she was nervous about something, so I asked her what was wrong. She said, "Mom, I really think you should just take a taxi. I don't want to you be on the Subway by yourself. I don't think you are, uh, Subway-safe yet". Hahaha! I found out in several different situations that she worries about me just the same way I worry about her. I think she thinks of herself as the "responsible" one. This was eye-opening to me. St. Patrick's Cathedral. Very interesting and beautiful. 9/11 Memorial. They have done a spectacular job making this a reverent, quiet place to remember those who lost their lives. The "new" tower. Almost done! 9/11 This tree is the only one from the original site that survived. It is a symbol of hope. The city of Hoboken, New Jersey. We all decidedly loved this town. Cute and homey and kind of quaint. We visited the "Cake Boss" bakery. This was Isabelle's treat. I don't watch the show, so I can't remember who this guy is. Iz and Kaycie - both fans of this show - excited to be here. Disney Store And even better...the Reese's store. Ohmygosh, best cookies in the entire universe. We went back our last day in NYC, and they were OUT. True sadness right there. This picture has a background story that is embarrassing and kind of hilarious. So, we were out and about in New York one evening and I totally had a major, major "Female Emergency" issue. At that point, there were really only two options. One, go back to the hotel, or two, find the nearest Walgreen's and buy panties and tampons. Well, we opted for two. So, we hit the Walgreen's and I ended up with some awesome zebra print cotton panties tampons, and pantyliners. I couldn't find the bathroom after that purchase, and I was far too embarrassed to ask the saieslady where one was after my obvious purchase. So I made Kaycie ask. Low and behold, Walgreens didn't have a public potty so she sent us next door to McDonalds. Awesome. So I got into McDonald's and they inform me the main bathroom is out of order, so I had to use the scary, dark, drug-dealing one in the basement. Double Awesome. On my way down the stairs, a worker stopped me and said there was no more toilet paper in the bathroom, so I needed to go to the front counter to get napkins. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME??! What about this experience could get any worse? Well, it was memorable to say the least. And Isabelle sure got a lesson in "feminine hygiene". Lucky her. The "Immortal" girls. This was one of Isabelle's dances that made it to the Gala. Two of her dances ultimately made it, which is awesome! Frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity's. What a dang cute little restaurant! Hello, Menu's. Walking to the restaurant after some SHOPPING. Ann hooked Isabelle up with some darling, new school clothes. She shall be a fashionable diva. Walking the Brooklyn Bridge. Pardon the limp arm and ugly bangs. Whose idea...? Sporting the exercise clothes! So NOT a babe. We did a session at the Manhattan Temple, which was also one of my favorite things. It's a very beautiful temple. The said it really is a building built within a building. The temple only touches the outside walls in one place. I wondered if that was to keep it holy, but they said, no, it was to keep it sound proof. Do you see the Angel Moroni hiding there? So cool in the middle of this busy city. On the Subway on our way to see "Traces". At "Traces", our off Broadway show we saw. LOVED it!!! I loved the music almost as much as the show. Too bad the soundtrack isn't available yet. I highly recommend this show. Ohmygosh, I can't think of what this place was called, but we were there. On top of the Empire State Building. Why does Kaycie look way more fab than the rest of us in every picture??! What a view! Mom and Iz Empire State Building Biking in Central Park. One of my favorite things we did. Beautiful Iz after competing. Very cool Egyptian ruins at the MET. This amused me just because it did. At the Metropolitan Museum Visiting the Statue of Liberty "The Naked Cowboy". I watched this guy getting a little "handsy" with the ladies taking pictures with him, so when it was our turn I told him, "Noooo touchy. Seriously, though, keep your little hands to yourself". So, the whole time he was flexing his butt and totally egging me on..."Oh, come on! Touch it. Touch the firmness. Feel how firm. Just rub it. Come on. You know you want to feel the firmness." Oh, hello! I somehow refrained :)