I Really Can Do Hard things

This is proof that I really was there.

Cami, Amy, Me & Kristin. Happy and smiling before the race.

This is proof that I really did cross the finish line, 13.1 miles later. The clock in the picture is wrong, by the way. It kept jumping around for some reason. My official time was 2 hours 41 minutes and 55 seconds. My goal was 2 hrs 30 min. but at least I finished. This was definitely the hardest thing I have ever done. The first 7 miles weren't that bad. By the 10th mile I was DONE!! I just wanted to stop and lay in the grass and cry. I walked for a while then it was harder to get running again. When I saw the finish line I ran as fast as my legs would go then threw myself on the grass and chugged some water, breathed very heavily and cried. The best part was seeing my family and friends there at the end.


This is a picture of us (I know it's kind of far away) all together at the end. You can't see it but I am stuffing my face with grapes. They never tastes so good before.

Currently my awesome running shoes are sitting at the foot of my bed feeling very lonely and empty. They just may remain that way until Spring. I think a break is what this Marathon Mommy needs.

Reasons to Celebrate

September 11, 1997 - September 11, 2009

12 AMAZING YEARS TOGETHER

As we were . . .

As we are . . .

Suited perfectly for ETERNITY, Me & You

**********

September 12, 2006

Kelsie Maria Olson


Look who's 3!!!



Friends!!!!






And of course the cake that she asked for over and over . . .






That I decided to take a stab at all on my own . . . .




And I think turned out AWESOME according to Kelsie's smiling face and sparkling eyes!!

Not Forgotten

I have been called out. Called out by my wonderful mother-in-law who made me realize that I have been neglecting something that I love to do. Something that I sometimes ponder on all day so I can make it just right. I am talking about my blog. Have you noticed? It's been a really long time since I have made the time to sit and tell our daily stories. I didn't think many would miss it, but I am happy to see that a few of you have been wondering just what we are doing over here. There have been lots of events flying by, just no time to blog about it. I am going to try and make the effort to get back into a routine of blogging because I like it and it makes me happy and because I want my mother-in-law to be happy, too. Here goes me playing catch up. This may not be in chronological order, but it works.

Jacob turned 9 in August and this was my attempt at making a cake using fondant. Thanks to the instruction and guidance of her and her, I was able to come up with this. Not too bad for my first time, I think, and Jacob loved it so it was well worth the effort.

Also in August, Jacob and Kayla started school. Different schools this year. Luckily they are both very happy and everything has been very smooth in making the transition to a new school and the schedules work out well for all of us. Kayla started 1st Grade and Jacob started 3rd grade. Here are a few pictures of their first day of school.

Kelsie was not to be left out of the photo opps.!!





Jacob get to ride the bus to his school this year. He was both excited and nervous about this on the first day.

Kayla quickly found her "gang" from last year and was happy and at ease.

So much more to blog about, no more time for now. I will return tomorrow (hopefully) with the next episode in my attempt to catch up on my blogging.

September Scentsy

JACK O'LANTERN
Welcome fall with the oh-so-mischievous, Jack O'Lantern, Scentsy's unique interpretation of an enduring seasonal favorite, and our newest Warmer. From the embossed green, swirling vines on top to the perfectly-carved grin and debossed pumpkin sections, this "Jack" is sure to be a delightful decorative accent in any room this fall.

Jack O'Lantern's base, in a high-gloss pumpkin hue, glows like a real carved pumpkin when lit, and is topped off with a kelly green embossed dish - perfect details for bringing a safe and fun pumpkin indoors.




TOASTED CARAMEL SUGAR
A Sweet and rich fragrance that will warm your heart and home - featuring warm milk with caramelized sugar and toffee, all swirled together with the scent of silky, sweet vanilla musk.

Jack is only $27 this month and a bar of Toasted Caramel Sugar is only $4.50.

NINE Years Ago Today

Nine Years Ago Today . . .

I stared into the eyes of an angel for the first time.

Understood, a little better, the point of my existence.

Felt complete, to that particular time.

My heart was in my arms.

I experienced feelings and emotions I never thought possible.

We became a family.

I became a mother for the first time.

The one I had been praying for had finally arrived.

I fell in love with my husband all over again in a completely new way when I saw him holding our son, and I saw the look in his eyes.

I thought life could not possibly get any better than that moment.

Jacob - 6 months old.

Jacob today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!

Jacob is . . .

A great big brother

An amazing athlete

Very bright

Loves Math & Science

a Wii Pro-Bowler

LOVES the Seattle Mariners & baseball in general

very tender with his two sisters, most of the time

Collects cards like: Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, Bakugan & Chaotic

Eats like a horse!

Doesn't like sweets too much

Dashing, according to his best-friend Carson

A great Cub Scout. He loves everything scouting.

Faithful

A Purple belt in Tae-Kwon-Do

Cried the last day of school because he would miss his teacher and friends

Likes Rock-n-Roll music

wants to race demolition derby cars when he is 16

wants to have a project truck to work on with his dad

needs his momma when he doesn't feel good

My baby, still

Big SCENT Event

I hope you all have been enjoying your summer! I have a lot of really HOT Scentsy information to pass along to you all. These deals are just as hot as the weather outside!!!

First off: AUGUST WARMER AND SCENT OF THE MONTH - The warmer is SURF'S UP. This new warmer's surfboard base contrasts beautifully with its chocolate brown lid decorated with wave-inspired designs. Varied, embossed surfboards in shades of yellow, orange, blue, brown, white and green appear to pop off the high gloss, sky blue background. You can get SURF'S UP for only $27.00 the entire month of August. The scent is TANGERINE TANGO. A sunny and "citrusy" fragrance combining refreshing, sparkling tangerine and green, fresh lemongrass. Pick up a TANGERINE TANGO bar this month for only $4.50.

Second: SUMMER CLEARANCE SALE!! August is the perfect time to stock up on all of your favorite Scentsy warmers and fragrances. To make room for our exciting, new FALL/WINTER 2009 products, everything in the SPRING/SUMMER 2009 catalog will be offered at a 10% discount for the month of August!!* All warmers - $27.00. All bars - $4.50. All wall plug-ins - $13.50. *The following products are excluded from the August 10% off sale: Perfect Scentsy, Scentsy Sampler, Double the Scentsy, Starter Kits, Scent of the month and/or Scent & Warmer of the Month combo kits, and August Scent of the month and warmer of the month product (Tangerine Tango and Surf's Up)

Third: Also, in order to make room for the new product coming in, Scentsy is discontinuing some fragrances. The following Spring/Summer fragrances will be discontinued on September 1, 2009, and are only available for order until 11:59 pm (PDST) on August 31, 2009. There are a lot of favorites on this list that are a little shocking, so if you favorite is on here, STOCK UP NOW BEFORE IT IS GONE!!

Blueberry Cheesecake, Cashmere, Eucalyptus, Exotic Vanilla, Falling Leaves, Fresh Cut Cantaloupe,Grapefruit Blossom, Grapefruit Pomegranate, Havana Cabana, Hearth & Home, Herb Garden, Irish Cream, Juicy Peach, Leather, Lemon Lavender, Lots of Lavender, Luxe Vanilla, Meadow Pear, Mediterranean Spa, Mulberry Bush, Mysterious, Nutmeg & Orange Zest, Pomegranate Orange, Red Delicious, Sandalwood & Cranberries, Sangria, Sheer Saffron, Silk, Spiced Orange Harvest, Spruceberry, Strawberry Sweetie, Sweet Indulgence, Sugar, Sweet Tea Magnolia, Tarocco Mint, Tea Blossom, Toasted Apple Butter, Tuscan Garden, Verbena Berry, Wasabi Ginger, Watermelon Patch.

Fourth: MYSTERY HOSTESS ON-LINE EVENT!! Beginning August 4, 2009 and running through August 18, 2009, I will be having a Mystery Hostess Event. This means that every person who places an order with me during the above dates will have their name put in a drawing for a chance to be chosen as the MYSTERY HOSTESS. The MYSTERY HOSTESS will receive all of the HALF-PRICE and FREE product that is earned during this on-line event!! The more orders that are placed, the more FREE and HALF-PRICED items the MYSTERY HOSTESS gets!! Pass it along, tell your friends!!! If you refer a friend to me who places an order you receive a FREE CAR CANDLE!! Contact me today and I will get your order in!!!


Fifth: NEW!! Fall/Winter 2009 Catalog is coming September 1, 2009!!! Be the first to host a Scent Event in your home or a Basket Party and you will receive the September Scent of the Month Bar for FREE!! The first three people to schedule a home event/or basket party with me will receive this yummy new fall scent in a bar for FREE!! There will be TONS of NEW warmer, plug-ins and fragrances in the NEW catalog. Let me help you share them with your friends and family and earn FREE product while doing it! Start thinking about Christmas gifts, birthdays, anniversaries or a warmer for that college dorm room!! Scentsy makes the perfect gift for any occasion!! Contact me today to schedule your Scent Event or Basket Party!!!

Did you get all that? Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I am also available for "smelling sessions" in my home. Want to buy some scents but can't remember which ones you like? Give me a call and we can set up a time for you to come over and smell all of our wonderful scents!!

Have a SCENT-sational week!!

On the Coupon Wagon

Today ws a great coupon day for me. I have only been couponing for about a month now and let me tell you, I AM HOOKED. I can't believe that amount of money I am saving (and the amount of money that I used to waste) just by taking some time to sit and clip coupons and be a smart shopper. I just had to post a picture of my buys. Now I know that there are a few of you out there that did the same thing and did WAY better than I did. I still have a few tricks to learn from you all I think, but I still wanted to share. Those of you who were a bit more successful than I was will have to tell me how you did it.

This is what I got: 3 boxes hamburger helper, 3 boxes tuna helper, 6 Ragu sauces, 3 Bertolli alfredo sauces, 5 boxes pop tarts, 2 Progresso Light soups, 5 Knorr rice sides, 6 boxes of cereal, 4 boxes Bisquick mix, 4 boxes Betty Crocker brownie mix, 2 packages Klondike ice cream bars, 2 Pringles cans, 2 Wish Bone dressings, 3 boxes Fiber One bars, 2 boxes Quaker instant oatmeal, 2 Chex Mix snacks, & 2 jars Best Foods Light mayo. All of these items together would cost $190.29 at Albertson's. I paid $44.88!!

Not too bad, I think. Like I said I know others were able to get better buys, but I was really happy with what I did get. My pantry is full and so will our bellies be!!

Summer Odds & Ends

It's been a while since I last posted anything. It's not that I have been out of town or been doing anything too exciting, but as summer goes when the kids are home - we have been busy. I have also been on Face Book a little more lately because it's fats and easy to type up a one-liner and be done rather than to have to come up with an interesting post. Here are a few odds & ends of things that we have been doing.

• We have been spending every morning/afternoon down a Memorial Park in Pasco attending swim lessons. This has been great because it entertains the older two while Kelsie gets to play in the wading pool. Jacob & Kayla have become very good swimmers and Kelsie is becoming more brave in the water.
• For about a month, we have been going to Lunch in the Park right after swim lessons. This was a great program where kids 18 and under got a FREE school type lunch such as hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza everyday. Don't let the lunch ladies catch any of the moms nibbling on a carrot, though, or you will be banned from the lunch line!! This was great because my kids got to eat for free and I didn't have to make and clean up lunch. I got to sit and visit with my wonderful friends while my kids ate and played. All were happy. Unfortunately, the program has come to an end. So now I have to feed my kids lunch and I don't get to sit and visit with my friends everyday, bummer.
• Since the weather has been scorching HOT, we have been spending time with Kevin down by the river with his favorite toy - his jet-ski. The kids LOVE it, I don't mind it but I don't enjoying sitting in the hot weather. Luckily the river water is nice and cool.
• We have not had to opportunity to GO camping this year, so we decided to camp out in our backyard. I was afraid, when I told Kevin & the kids my idea to do this, that they would think it was dumb and would complain the whole time. Boy was I wrong. They loved it!! Kevin and Jacob built us a little fire pit and set up the tents. The girls got on their jammies and brought ALL of their stuffed animal friends out to the tent. We roasted hot dogs and made smores. And all 5 of us slept out in our two-man tent. Great memories. I think the only only complaining was me because the smoke from our fire would linger in the house and that drove me nuts. I HATE the smell of campfire smoke on me and my belongings after camping. A camper I am not. I kept having to yell at them to close the door, but I guess I do that everyday, anyways.
• One word. FIGHTING. All. Day. Long. Seriously. They pick on each other for every little thing. I am so over trying to be the referee. I just broke up a fight as a matter of fact. And they are getting worse. Kayla is starting to hit when she gets angry or pushed to the limit and Jacob is VERY good at pushing her right over the edge. She has unleashed the fury that is Kayla. Little sweet, gorgeous smile and eyes, Kayla. I am sitting here right now looking at the calendar, counting the days until school starts. Is that sad?
• Baseball. We have been to quite a few Dust Devils games. Everyone seems to enjoy them, especially the boys. The girls like the mascot, Dusty, and the silly games they play between innings. I like the Family Feast night where everything is $1 and I admit I do love to watch a good game of baseball. Kevin has gotten to know a few of the players and Jacob loves to talk to them after the game. I think it makes him feel like he is one of them. It's kinda cute.
• Running. Yes, I know that you all know about my new "hobby", but this is all that is really new with me. I started out really good an consistent, but in the last few weeks have gotten lazy and have missed at least one of my four days that I run during the week. I accomplished a 10k (6.2 miles) and am looking towards September when the Half Marathon (13.2) is scheduled. I didn't say I was looking forward to it, just towards it. Some days I think I am nuts and there is NO WAY I am signing up for that and other days I just know that I can do it. We shall see. 6.5 miles is the farthest I have ever ran so 13 seems kinda scary and mental to me.
• College. What? Yes, college. My baby sister, Ashley, is off to college (WSU) in a few weeks. Kevin & I have been trying to get her excited and prepared for this all summer. She has been scared and nervous and just not sure about the whole thing. She is the baby of my family and the whole idea of college just freaked her out. What if my roommate is crazy, how will I do my laundry, what will I eat, etc.. Kevin and I were so worried that she would just decide not to go. It was like pulling teeth to get her to go to her Freshman orientation last weekend, and guess what? She LOVED every second of it. She met some great people and got her schedule all figured out. Walked around campus and saw how great this new chapter in her life was gonna be. Since she got back home she has been counting down the days and finally getting into the college spirit of buying stuff for her dorm. It has been fun. She leaves for cheer camp on the 12th and then reports to campus on the 17th, a week before all the other students, to get ready for back to school activities on campus. I am so glad she is finally embracing and looking forward to the new adventure.

This is all I can think of right now. I am sure there are some other fun things I could throw in there, but alas, I have to go and break up yet another fight.

Accomplished

What can you do in 1 hr 12 min and 31 seconds?


I can finish a 10K (6.2 miles) - and I DID!


Now I know I CAN and I WILL do it again.


I am so thankful to all of my running buddies for the support and encouragment that I receive from them, and to my WONDERFUL husband and children who surprised me by waiting at the finish line for me.


This has been a GREAT day and it's not even over yet:)

MIDNIGHT

Have you noticed the countdown clock on my sidebar? I feel it my duty to inform you that it's WRONG!!!! HARRY POTTER opens TONIGHT at MIDNIGHT!!! Can you tell how excited I am!! I tried to read through the series again before tonight came, but only made it to book 4. Apparently my kids need me to do stuff for them:)

I am way more excited to see this movie than I was for a certain vampire movie!! Don't get me wrong, I was giddy watching Robert Patinson on screen as Edward, BUT the TWILIGHT books are no where near as well written as the Harry Potter books and the books make the movies in my opinion.

So even though I DO own Harry Potter glasses, a wand, a Griffindor scarf and a Harry Potter shirt, when I go to the movie tonight, I will not be bringing any of these items with me because I want my friends to sit WITH me and not be embarrassed by me. And for those of us who have read the books, don't judge me if I start crying at the end, we all know what's coming but I cried when I read the book. I really hope this movie does the book justice.

I will now go about my day watching the clock and making some Harry Potter Party treats to share tonight.