Sunday, June 22, 2008

Triathlon Number 3 Complete!

We did it!!!! We survived swimming in the ocean! :) And there were no reported shark attacks! :) And we had fun doing it. So Friday afternoon I went and picked up my 4 other friends in Matt's Tahoe and off we went. We were supposed to have 2 other friends go with us but they ended up not being able to go and so we were able to fit all 5 women and 5 bikes in our car...thank goodness we didn't have to drive a second car with the way gas is right now. We drove 2 hours and to Sarasota and talked the whole way.

So here I am at Amy Lopez's house to pick her up. We tried our hardest to put the bike rack on :)


Next we picked up Tracy Bosch and then Marie Winchester and last Carrie Helms. Luckily her husband Matt came out to help us and inspected our installation of the bike rack and quickly began working on redoing what we had done :) (THANK goodness for Matt!)

We all watched very closely as he gave us Bike Rack 101. We knew we were going to have to keep taking it off and on all weekend.
OK now we are secure and ready to go!!!
I was the driver....


And here is our back seat riders :) And dumb me didn't even think to grab the camera from Amy and take shots of her riding shot gun! (Sorry Amy!)
Usually the packet pick up is at the race site or at a local facility the night before...this one was a little foreign to us when they said to come to the "Local Coffee & Tea". We started to worry that this was going to be a very small and unorganized race. We thought maybe we would be the only 5 doing the race :) But thankfully we were wrong and there were about 300 competitors. Here's the packet pick up...it is owned by the guy who put on the race and half of the place is a coffee shop and half is a bike repair shop. Kind of a strange mix of businesses, but hey it works. So now all of us little mormon moms have water bottles that say Local Coffee & Tea that we got free in our packets :) The owner was so funny and was teasing us and called us "high maintenance" just because we were bummed that they weren't going to have split times at the race (where they tell you how long your swim was, your bike time, and your run time) instead they had one lump sum time of your whole race. Also he didn't have the t-shirts yet and he told us that we would have to wait until race morning to get them, but then we were still there when a guy brought the boxes of t-shirts in and so we waited around and got them then and there...I guess we were high maintenance :)
After we picked up our packets we went and checked out the race site. BEAUTIFUL!!!! The sand felt like flour on our feet. Nice to walk in but we were a little worried about RUNNING in it! YIKES!


Then we went to the condo and got settled. The resort was located on Longboat Key and it was called The Colony which is ironically where Matt and I stayed on our honeymoon! It was the perfect size for us. Then we got all changed and went to dinner at a cute little restaurant that had outdoor seating. It was so weird to sit and enjoy a meal without having to quiet children, clean up messy little faces, and entertain kids :)





That night the nerves set in as we were getting all our stuff organized and testing our bikes. It was pretty funny because we all started trading and checking out each other's bikes right there in our room :)
The next morning we were up bright and early and had to reload all the bikes. I think we did a MUCH BETTER job this time :) Matt Helms would have been proud.


We got there and already all the bike racks were filling up and there weren't too many slots open. We all had to slide in where we could. The morning went so fast and before we knew it we were heading down to the water to start.
We had this funny idea...since we didn't know how big of an operation this race was, we weren't sure if they would have a photographer and none of us had family there to take pictures for us. So we bought a little throw away camera and decided we would "find a friend" to take pictures for us. That way it wasn't a nice digital camera that we had to trust our new friend with, and then if anything happened to it we were only out a couple of bucks. Well we found a friend :) The problem is we took a few shots at the beach and she did and before we all even got out of the water the little camera was out of shots! I think we are all so used to digital cameras where you can take a ton of pictures. So after I came across the finish line I ran to the girl to grab the camera from her so I could take a picture of the rest of our group and it was out! DANG! We thought it was a pretty good idea and we were hoping to find a friend that didn't turn out evil and decide to play a mean joke on us and just sit and take pictures of herself making mean faces at us or even flipping us off :) She turned out nice and here are a few shots...again it's not digital and the pictures are very bad quality...but hey that's ok now we have some pictures out on the beach as the race kicks off.






Here's me coming up out of the water and onto the beach...

Then here I am after the grouling race! It was actually quite a fun race. The swim was shorter then the previous races we had done. At first I wasn't liking it because I forgot about how salty the water would be. First thing when I dove into the water I got a mouth full and quickly remembered! The nice part of the swim was that at the end the waves helped you and it was like you were body surfing in and it was great to have that push. BUT THEN you had to run through that soft sand and that was HARD! The transition was smooth and the bike was fine. I felt bad because there was one turn around point that was kind of a sharp turn and the guy a couple of people back from me totally slid and crashed. Yikes! There was one little hill, and for us Floridians any kind of a hill is hard because we are used to FLAT. But it was nice to get the momentum of the down hill slope. I had my best time on my bike so I was pleased (I have a little odometer on my bike). Then the run...UGH! It is always hard for me to transition from the bike to the run because my legs feel like bricks...but this time you add the running on the sand factor and that made it even harder. We did run right there on the shore near the water and so the sand is hard and so that made it easier once you got past the soft sand, BUT it was kind of hard to look and see the people clear out there on the beach and realize that's how far you had to go! They looked really far away. But soon it was over and it was great! Triathlons are so fun because coming across the finish line you feel such a feeling of accomplishment. (And fatigue :) It was cute to see that all of us immediately after the race went to our phones to call our husbands! :)




I actually got second place in my age division! The trophies were these funny little carved coconut heads :)

That day we had planned on going back to the condo and getting our suits on and heading right to the beach to lounge all day!!!! BUT it rained ALLLLLLL DAY! It didn't really bug us though, we took naps, read, and talked and talked and talked. Let's just say many a funny family stories were shared :) It let up for a minute and so we ran out to see the beach and the pool. It was beautiful, but it only lasted a few minutes and then here came the rain! We got caught out in it and were soaked!


So we went back to the condo and dried off and changed for dinner. There was a nice little restaurant right there at the condo that had a covered outdoor seating area. Right as we got there one of the waitors told us the sun was setting right then, so we ran out and watched it and it was gorgeous! We found another "friend" and got some more pictures. Then we had dinner and talked some more. We were the only ones in the whole restaurant.





What a perfect trip! I was the party pooper and had to get us back in time for our ward, so again we had an early morning on Sunday, but it was still a perfect weekend! I was even on time for church! Matt had to be to some early meetings and so my neighbor came over when he left to stay with the kids. Sweet Matt had the house totally clean before he left for church and the kids had it totally destroyed by the time I got there :) Matt did a great job with the kids and the house duties and I am so grateful for all he did! THANKS Honey!

Here's links to the pictures from the professional photographer that was there...
Me after swim
http://www.shutterfly.com/progal/slideshow.jsp?auto=0&aid=768a5498cf43b70aefef&idx=121
Me at the finish looking like I'm dying! :) I showed this picture to Emma and she said I look like I'm dying while I was thinking it.
http://www.shutterfly.com/progal/slideshow.jsp?auto=0&aid=768a5498cf43b70b7a98&idx=164


And here's my friends!
Tracy on bike http://www.shutterfly.com/progal/slideshow.jsp?auto=0&aid=768a5498cf43b7057a96&idx=31
Amy

Posted by The Florida Roses at 10:22 PM 8 comments  

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Friday, June 20, 2008

Girl's Weekend

Today is the day...I am leaving with 4 other ladies from the ward to drive to Sarasota (about 2.5 hours away) and we are doing a triathlon in the morning! I am so excited to go. This one should be interesting doing the swim in the ocean (yikes). So wish Matt luck...he will have the kids all weekend to himself!

Posted by The Florida Roses at 8:35 AM 5 comments  

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Mischief

Someday Emma will kill me for this post...but she needs to know what a little strong willed, independent, mischief maker she was so that she can be prepared for motherhood because I am starting to believe the old saying "what goes around comes around" :) The last couple of days, ok maybe it's been the last couple of years, I am starting to notice what crazy things Emma does to make my life, well let's just say interesting. Yesterday I found a couple of locks of hair on the bathroom floor and asked her about it and yes she had cut her hair! Luckily they were small locks, but any kind of 4 year old hair cutting is not ok with me!!!! I had to explain to her that here in this home NO ONE does any hair cutting...we pay people for that. (I know my weaknesses and gave up on hair cutting when Luke was about 18 months.) She seemed to understand and actually liked the idea of going to a salon to get hers cut. Then she has been sneaking into my nail polish and acts like it is hers now and that she can paint her nails anytime, anywhere! Now I walk into my bathroom and she has mascara and gobs of lipstick on! We are now going to start locking my bathroom!!! Well tonight was a pretty crazy one that shows her independence...it had been quiet upstairs for a while and Emma knew that I was outside playing baseball with Luke and Gavin, well a form of baseball, the kind you can play with a 17 month old. Anyway I thought I better check on Emma and see what she was up to. I came upstairs and she was picking out new underwear. We have had some problems with wetting pants lately, she just gets so into her "projects" that she is working on that there is no time to stop and use the restroom. Then to make matters worse she has been lying about it too so that she doesn't get into trouble. So we have had many talks that it is better to just tell me so the laundry basket doesn't start to stink, etc. Well I came up and saw her picking out her underwear and asked her if she had wet her pants. She looked me straight in the eyes and said "No". I was so upset that she was lying right to my face, so I asked her calmly again..."Emma please tell me the truth, did you wet your pants?" Again she replied "No I did not". So I asked why the new underwear. She non-chalantly says "I pooped my pants". WHAT!!!!!!! I totally did not see that one coming! I asked where the evidence, ie. poopy mess that I had to clean up, was. She had already washed the underwear out, and cleaned up any mess that there was. If I did not ask her point blank I still would not know that it ever happened! Now how many 4 year olds out there can clean up a mess, or would clean up the mess? I bet you are saying how many 4 year olds poop their pants? Well that is a good question, I wish the episode didn't happen, but I think it is kind of funny that she cleaned everything up. Yes she is miss independent whether I like it or not.

Did I ever mention that the day Luke learned how to ride his bike without training wheels Emma did too? We were at the park and we were concentrating on Luke and we were all cheering him on. He was going around the park circle all by himself and I look back and Emma had decided that she wanted the same glory....so she had taken our wrench and taken her training wheels off her bike ALL BY HERSELF! She jumped right on that bike and she learned how to do it right along side Luke! :)

What a girl!

Posted by The Florida Roses at 11:45 PM 5 comments  

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Sunday, June 15, 2008

Matt's sister Cindy had twins!!!

Cindy and D.J. Teichert had 4 kids and today they added 2 more!!!!! Their two little miracles are finally here! Porter Samuel was born first weighing in at 7 lbs. 1 oz. and then little Kamryn came 20 minutes later weighing in at 5 lbs. 4 oz. Wow, that is a lot of baby! Cindy said she just happened to walk by the crib at the right time when Kamryn let out a cry so, she stopped to put her binky in but Porter put his arm across her immediately and she went back to sleep! HOW CUTE!

Posted by The Florida Roses at 9:03 PM 0 comments  

Happy Father's Day!!!

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers in our lives!!!! We love all of you and are grateful for the wonderful examples and fathers that you are. To my own dad...thanks for all years of supporting me in everything! Whether it was hours of sitting through our dance competitions, giving me a blessing when I was sick or overwhelmed with the stresses of school, or helping me with my school work. You were always running me around to all the different activities and my friends all loved you and called you dad too! You had patience with me and were a great teacher, and I always knew that you loved me! My testimony of the gospel continues to be strengthened by your love of the gospel. People are always commenting on what a friendly and enjoyable father that I have and I feel blessed to have you dad! I love you!

We had a great Father's Day weekend. After I got home from West Virginia I unpacked and packed again for our little family getaway. After Matt got home from work we left for the Portofino Bay Hotel on Universal Studios property. Let me preface this blog by telling you of the unfortunate loss of my beloved digital camera!!!! I was soooooo sad! It stopped working as I was packing for our little trip. And you know me and my obsession with my blog...well let's just say that was the first thing I thought of! Oh no I won't have pictures for my BLOG! Yikes! Well luckily I had my phone which takes pictures, not good pictures of course, so you will have to bear with the fuzzy, bad quality pictures.


Now that I have that off my chest I can tell you of the awesomely fantastic time we had! The Portofino Bay Hotel looks like a little Italy. When I was on Luke's field trip to the zoo a couple of weeks ago, his friend Austin's dad was there. He asked me what we were doing Father's Day weekend because he got a deal through his work on the hotel. So he booked us a room. We got to the hotel and we were starving so we got on the water taxi that takes you to Universal Studios or CityWalk, which is a strip of all kinds of restaurants and dance clubs. We went to Bubba Gumps. Yes it is filled with all kinds of Forrest Gump paraphernalia. Luke had just watched part of Forrest Gump with Matt and thought it was hilarious. So he had a good time laughing at all the things they had around. And yes we ordered a shrimp dish :). After dinner we called our friends, the ones who got us the hotel room, and met them at the movie theater that was across from our restaurant and we went to Kung Fu Panda. It was cute and the kids enjoyed it. Well not all the kids, Gavin was extremely tired and so I spent the first half of the movie out in the lobby and Matt spent most of the second until Gavin finally gave in and went to sleep in Matt's arms. It's the funniest thing because Matt is the only one that can get Gavin to sleep! I try and try but Gavin won't relax in my arms. The second I pass him off to Matt he just snuggles in and goes right to sleep! So at church when Gavin is getting antsy I just go look for Matt and he gets him to sleep right away.

The next day after a wonderful breakfast, we went to the pool, again with our friends. The pool was AWESOME! It was a beach entry pool with a water slide and a little tunnel to swim under, and it had a couple of different hot tubs. They made the kids wear life jackets if they wanted to go on the slide, which worked out perfect so I didn't have to worry about the kids drowning the whole day :) They played with Austin and Kyle, the little twin boys that we were there with, the whole time and had a blast. They were so cute to include Emma in all that they were doing. Matt and I were sitting in some lounge chairs and we got talking to a couple of girls that were there. They are here in Orlando from Tennessee to do some missionary work and spread their beliefs in Christ. It was so fun to talk to them and hear their testimony of Christ. Then they were curious about ours. So Matt and I were able to tell them about how our church is Christ's church and how he set it up today just as he did in his time with a prophet and apostles. Then we also got to tell them of how the Book of Mormon is a testament of Christ that we read with the Bible. They were very open and fun to talk to. The one girl actually has a Book of Mormon and had visited Salt Lake City and seen most of the church sites there. It always makes you feel the spirit to share your testimony with someone! Even when you are lounging by a pool! :)

After the pool we went with our friends the Stellas to CityWalk and went to eat at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. It is a very fun restaurant with Jimmy Buffet music playing. After dinner we walked around CityWalk and Luke, Austin, and Kyle learned a lesson on what a rip off carnival games are :) Austin found $5 as we were walking and wanted to spend it on the games they had. They begged and begged and so we let them all have a choice of one game ($3 to squirt a target for 15 seconds, or $3 to toss a ring on a milk bottle, etc.) or go on the merry-go-round. The boys chose the game and Emma chose the merry-go-round. The boys fun ended in seconds with all of them losing and ticked off...then they had to go watch Emma going around and around with a smile on her face! It was like pouring salt in a wound. I think they will opt for the merry-go-round next time. After we took the water taxi back we got ice cream and then called it a night!

What a fun little trip! Then today before church we gave Matt our big surprise. I couldn't believe the kids didn't break down and tell him. I had to keep them from even talking about Father's Day gifts because Matt has this way of manipulating them into telling him what we have bought for him. Last year we were wrapping his gift when he walked into the house from church. Emma told him to close his eyes because we were wrapping his present (which was a carry-on suit case). Matt asked Emma "What are you wrapping" which she replied "a suitcase". It's hard to keep secrets when you are a kid :) This year we got Matt a grill! Our grill is very old and he has replaced many of the components a couple of times! He was surprised and couldn't believe he didn't guess. Also every year his surprises are spoiled because somehow he guesses what we are giving him! Tonight at dinner I asked the kids the reasons they love daddy so much and why they think he is a good dad. Luke said "because he plays play station", and Emma said "he cooks good food". Hmmmm, not exactly the cute little answers I thought they would give. Then Luke added "he teaches me honesty". Can you tell they sang that church song that has the line in it about the dad teaching honesty :) Kids are funny how they think so simply! I think when they are older they will realize all the amazing qualities that Matt has and that he is an amazing father because he teaches them hard work both through his example of working hard at his job and then always working hard to make our home beautiful, by helping people, and by working along side them at the different chores he gives them. I remember when Matt and I were dating and we were in St. George with my family. He was helping my sister-in-law take my nephew who was in his baby carrier out of the car. So there he stood holding a baby carrier and I remember thinking how cute Matt would be as a father...I was hoping someday I would be there with him and that I would get to see him as a daddy. I was right he is the best father, and lucky me because I am married to him!!!!! Matt is also an amazing father/husband because he is always so supportive of everything we do and he always makes me feel loved! He is so strong in the gospel and I am constantly learning from him. He is very Christ like and I love to hear him bear his testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. He is so fun to be with and when he comes home from work we are all excited to see him walk through the door.
Happy Father's Day Matt!


The Portofino Bay Hotel


Luke and Gavin in front of the fountain in the front lobby. Gavin wanted to go for a swim!



Kung Fu Panda and Luke and Emma demonstrating their Kung Fu skills :)


Matt's magical touch! Gavin was exhausted!
All over the grounds of the hotel they have these cute scooters that are mounted to the ground that the kids loved to play on.


Luke, Austin, Kyle and Emma at Margaritaville


Emma enjoying her merry-go-round ride...I didn't want to take a picture of the sour faces of the boys after their games :)


Austin, Kyle, Luke and Emma on the scooters after enjoying our ice cream

SURPRISE...A NEW GRILL!
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY MATT!!!!

Posted by The Florida Roses at 8:13 PM 9 comments  

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