Easter Celebrations

On Saturday after the Buffalo Run we all headed back to Mom and Dad's house for some lunch, an FHE message (a beautiful message from Joe on Christ from Apostles testimonies), and an Easter Egg hunt (Treasure Hunt for Eric) for the kids.

Uncle Joe is the best entertainer. He makes a great jungle gym for any kid that is around.

"Again. Again. Again!"

It looks like Joe gets a good workout from throwing the kids around.

And here comes Eric.

Easy on his full belly kids.

Grandma Jeppson was a hit with her cute Easter Egg Pails.

I think Eric was trying to smile.

Look what I can do. Is this a big enough smile?

The hunt begins. Rubie has to be shown where the first egg is. Once she sees it and gets it into her bucket she begins to understand how fun this is.

Reach.

Eric already knows how it works. I see one.

Treasures.
What is in these eggs?

Look at these eggs I'm finding.

Rubie begins to find more eggs.



She really likes this.





Look at my full bucket.
We each found lots of eggs. Now lets see what is inside of them.

On Sunday after we returned home from Church, Eric had it in his mind that we needed to color Easter eggs. He kept insisting that we do it. Because I hadn't planned on I didn't have any white eggs or fun coloring stuff. But he was so sad about it that to appease him we boiled some eggs and let him mark (use markers) to color eggs.


Of course Rubie had to be part of it and in her effort to mark the eggs, she dropped a few. Daddy helped her peel the egg so she could eat it. She and Eric make a good team when it comes to eating eggs. Rubie only likes the egg white, Eric will only eat the yellow yolk.

By Tuesday we were able to buy some white eggs and egg coloring tools. While Rubie was napping Eric colored eggs.

The egg coloring kit came with cute stickers. Eric really liked that.

Of course the best part of Easter was being with our family talking about the importance of the Easter holiday. We had a great lesson and discussion by Joe with the Jeppson family on our Saturday there. On Easter Sunday the Wilson family came over after General Conference. Scott invited us all to share an aspect of our testimony. It was special to hear each family member bear testimony of Jesus Christ. Those are precious moments that I am so grateful my children have the opportunity to participate in.

We also learned that Aunt Angela and Uncle Brett are expecting a baby in October. Yeah! Another cousin. We are thrilled for them.

The Buffalo Run

This past Saturday, 27 March 2010, I had a great reward for keeping in shape and doing lots of running this winter. Sarah and her friend Carly Tulett got me to do the Buffalo Run. It was a 25km (15.34 miles) trail run on Antelope Island. There were a few hundred runners. Of course I was scoping out the competition. I had a dream a few nights previous that Sarah and I won the race. I could see us bursting out over the last hill, seeing the finish line and racing for it. But when I saw some of the women who were running, I even wondered how Sarah would do against them.


It was a beautiful day. Our race started at 10:00am. There was the 50 miler that started super early that morning and then the 50km that Karl ran that began a few hours before. By 10:00 the sun was up and the air was beginning to get warm. It was warm enough that I started with a long sleeve shirt and running shorts and about 10-15 minutes into the race had to shed the shirt. Isn't Antelope Island lovely.

This looks like part of the trail we could have run. This gives an example of what we ran, however, nothing we ran was flat.
Carly, Sarah, and I before the run. We ran up into those hills behind us.

The race had an uphill start. I got on Sarah's heels and just stayed there. We started out fast, but we are pretty good on hills. Sarah mentioned she was a little worried that we were starting out too fast. I didn't even realize it, but we passed all of the other women right then and there on that first hill. After a while when the trail leveled out two women passed me as I had to slow down to shed my shirt and tie it around my waist. But as soon as another hill came along I was able to pass them. I kept wondering though how far ahead those intimidating runner women were? Sarah and I went back and forth leading and setting the pace. It was really fun. I loved being out there with lots of other great runners on those trails. Sarah at the beginning mentioned that she had an upset stomach. That was worrying her and holding her back a bit. But true to Sarah's nature, as we approached the end, her race winning mentality clicks in and nothing is in her way. I tried to keep up with her. We stopped to pee and then kept on going just as fast. When we topped out on the hill that I had dreamed about, my bowels just about let go. I had to high tail it off the trail to a rock for a pit stop. At that moment Sarah gained a great lead. She showed me never to doubt her abilities. Another woman closed in the gap in between us. I didn't realize she was right behind me until I came into the finish and Sarah started yelling for me to sprint, but I didn't get it fast enough, I was tired, and she overtook me for second place.


Scott was there to get the photos at the finish line. Sarah coming in fast to the finish.

I think her time was around 2 hr. 13 min.

I'm coming down the final stretch and here comes the other woman, all out sprinting.

There she overtakes me. I had been running with those two guys throughout the race as well. They ran last year also. They kept a great pace for me too.

Now I think "SHOOT!" I could have been right behind Sarah and that other woman is stealing my place!


I hear people yelling for me. Yeah!

I made it, I feel great. And that was fun. My time was 2 hrs 14 min.

Rubie was mad that her mommy ran right past her and didn't stop. I was also surprised to see my Mom, Joe, and Tai there to cheer me on to the finish line.

Well done, friend. Thanks for pushing me, pacing me, pulling me, cheering me on, keeping a great attitude, and all the training when it was hard and cold to run. This makes it worth it.


Congratulations to the top female finisher!!!

Now I wonder how Carly is doing? Did a Buffalo sniff her out yet? Is she having to run from one on the trail?

I'm Helping

I like to help mom in the kitchen. I have seen mom playing in the silverware drawer. I'll scoot the stool over. Oh, but look! I can take them all out. And I'll just throw them on the floor. That's fun.

Now I'll put them back.

This fork goes in there too.

Um, maybe I've put enough of them away.

Here is a knife. I think I need that to help.

I'll push the stool over to here.

Up I go.
I can cut the potatoes.
Oh, a tissue. I need a tissue.

What is in here?

What is in the tissue box?

Can I put a tissue in there?

No, but I can put potatoes in the tissue box.

A ball, a shiny ball!

What is this cord for?


Rubie has decided that she loves throwing all the utensils out of the drawer. Actually, I could follow her around the house picking up everything that she has thrown out of drawers. Often I find all her pants on the floor just to find the socks she was wearing or her doll in their place in the drawer. She also loves to pull out my clothes and pajamas and replace them with her things in my drawers. She will also just dump out toys for fun, not playing with any of them. Now if only I can get her to pick things up.