Today

1:00- Put the kids down for a nap

1:30- Kids still not sleeping. Decide to go in and get Campbell, so Dane will sleep.

2:00- Dane has finally quieted down, so I go in to change Campbell's diaper and put her back down. Instead, I find this:

I guess Campbell will just have to wait.

Campbell

So, I realized that I haven't posted much about my favorite little sweetie lately. She is getting SO big, and VERY mobile (in her own way). She is 8 months now, and seriously the most gorgeous baby girl I have ever seen in. my. life. Totally, completely, smitten. Forgive me if this post is a little disjointed. That's how my dear ol' brain is feeling today.

She is so much fun these days. She is getting more and more interactive every day. She LOVES to cruise around and grab onto anything and everything in sight. If you decide to take something that she has her eye on, she will let you know how she feels about it.

Though she is not crawling yet, she does get up on her knees and rock, and has a very effective way of pulling herself to wherever she wants to go. I actually had her in the Bumbo the other day, and ran to go to the bathroom. When I came back, she was on her tummy next to said Bumbo with a car in her mouth and a smile on her face. It's a good thing she was on the floor to begin with, is all I'll say about that!

She is never happier than when she is playing with her brother. And nothing makes me happier than seeing my two beautiful children playing nicely together. Dane is getting better at sharing with his sis, and Campbell couldn't be happier playing with all his toys.

Brooke took this picture of her as a pirate. She loves to grab at her headbands and take them off of her head.

We are so blessed to have Campbell in our family. She brings so much love and joy with her, and we ALL adore her!

Dane

Dane is really very, VERY good at being two. I'm pretty sure he has perfected the art, in fact. Though he did get a headstart with practicing before his 2nd birthday, he has become a master at it since.

Much to Brock's dismay, he loves finding my makeup and practicing his artistic skills.
"What?!? I'm just "making something" here. Oh, that mess on the floor? No idea."

Lipglass does wonders for your complexion, don't you know? You should try it sometime.

Despite all of his shenanigans, he really is my best little buddy. I adore him, and am so grateful to have such a bundle of energy around to keep things interesting. I'll tell you what, there is NO chance of getting bored around here. No sirree.

Just a few things I love about my little muncher-roo:

-He loves to build "bridges" these days, and wants me to sit and build them with him.
I love that he wants to play with me.

-He loves to read a million books a day, and his favorite question (even when he absolutely knows the answer) is "What's that?" or "What are they doing?"

-The other night, I put him and Campbell to bed, and I usually give Campbell the last kiss before I leave the room, but this time I didn't, and he was adamant that I not leave the room before I gave her a kiss. This morning was the same story when Brock left for work. Bell was sleeping, so Brock didn't want to wake her, and Dane had me get Brock back inside to give her a kiss.
He is always looking out for his little sister, and he loves her so much!

-When he wakes up, he comes and lays down on the floor by the door, so he can see out under the crack, and says, "Mommy, I awake. Come 'ere an' open the door, meeeee."
I love it.

-When going to bed at night, he LOVES to be sung to, and is constantly requesting "Last more song."
I tell you, it's hard to resist.

-He has picked up on the fact that I do NOT like spiders. So he brings them up every chance he gets, just to see my reaction. "Mommy, I eat spiders." "Mommy, I like spiders." "Mommy, draw a spider." He'll find them in any book he can, and say, "Mommy, look!"
He is such a funny kid!

-No one can make sister laugh like her big brother. No one.

Top of Utah Half

On August 28, 2010 I ran my second half marathon.  I was fortunate enough to convince a couple of my sisters to do it with me.  (I have the absolute best sisters on the planet, just in case you were wondering.)  I've decided races are much more fun when you have someone to do it with you.  Even if I'm not running along side them, just knowing that someone I love is in it with me makes the whole experience much more enjoyable.  

Brookie and Meek headed up to Logan with me, Brock and the kids.  Brock's brother, Logan, was sweet enough to invite us to stay at his place for the night (as he lives in a house with a few other guys while he is going to school.)  We picked up our packets, and tried to get as much sleep as we could before we had to wake up much earlier than any of us wanted to in order to get to the buses on time.

It was a beautiful run starting at the Hyrum Electrical Plant up Blacksmith Fork canyon.  The race started at 7:00, and the weather was beautiful.  I honestly don't remember what my time was (I'm writing this entry a year and a half after the fact...better late than never, right?), but I didn't care.  I had an 8 month old baby girl, and just wanted to run the whole thing.  I accomplished my goal, and that is good enough for me.

I was able to find Brookie before the finish, and we ended up running the last bit of it together, which was awesome.  I loved crossing the finish line with one of my very best friends, who also just happens to be my sister.  

The finish line is always a bit of an emotional experience for me.  Especially when I see my amazing husband and kids.  I think of them often when I race, and unbeknownst to them, they are the ones who cheer me on, and keep me going when I think I want to quit.  Running for me is more mental than anything, and they help me keep my head in the game.  I honestly could not do it without them.

After Brookie and I finished, we waited at the finish line for Meek.  We waited for what seemed like way too long, and I was starting to get worried that something had happened.  Meek has never been much of a runner, but she was an absolute champ when it came to training for this race.  She worked soooo hard, and had had some issues with her IT band, so I was concerned that she was on the side of the road somewhere unable to continue.  I decided I would just walk back along the course until I met up with her.  

I found her, and thankfully she was still moving, though barely.  She was having major IT band issues, and was in so much pain that she could barely walk.  She has a bit of a stubborn streak, however (though I have no idea where she got it since the rest of us are absolutely NOTHING like that) and would NOT give up.  She was determined to do her very best until the bitter end (and she may or may not have really been bitter with me for convincing her to run this blessed race....)

We jogged as best she could for the last mile or so, and she FINISHED!!!!!!!  I was so proud of her!  She completed something that was truly difficult for her to do, and someday, maybe, I can convince her to do another one with me so she can have better memories associated with racing :-).

The proud finishers:

My good friend Michelle, who lives up in Logan, was able to run the race "with" me too.  She smoked all of us, but it sure was fun to see her at the beginning, and the end :-).

And this is a cute picture of the fun Dane had swinging in uncle Logan's hammock.  Isn't he the cutest?!?

For Aunt Bri and Uncle Andy

We sure love and miss you two!!!