Bear Lake Triathalon

Friday and Saturday I had to work to help at a Triathalon (where very fit people run, bike and swim) to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities at Bear Lake. Sammy and I worked Friday night at Utah State handing out T-shirts and hats to those who were picking up their registration packets. We had a great time! Ronald McDonald came and "worked the room" for a while, here is a picture of Sammy with his new buddy Ronald.

Saturday, we had to be back up to Bear Lake bright and early. I intended on getting there by 6:30 a.m., but didn't make it until 8:30 a.m. We were so tired. We had to bring the kids up because they had issues at their sleepover/babysitters and wanted to come home. So, we got up at the crack of dawn and headed to Bear Lake (a near 2 hour drive). We finally arrived, Sammy got set up with the kids on the Beach where the swimmers started and I was taken off by car with some other guy I didn't know to some place on the "run" path in a campground, it was kinda freaky getting carted off with people I didn't know to a place I was completely unfamiliar with. But, the guy I was there with was hilarious, we had a blast. We handed cups to ALL the runners as they passed by, some wanted it just thrown on them, so that was a kick. We seriously laughed our heads off for 3 plus hours. We were totally on an adrenaline rush. We actually ran out of water, and cups at different times but we found a fountain nearby and were able to refill. It got really crazy at times, but it was really a lot of fun. OH, and we were constantly attacked by mosquitos and the runners were just throwing their cups on the ground. There were hundreds of cups all over the road, my parther was going crazy because it was so messy and he said he has OCD. Too funny! It would have been really nice to have had a garbage can from the start. But, another volunteer down the road from us came with one towards the end and we helped him pick all of them up. What a mess! I did get to see a lot of the people we gave t-shirts to the night before, like the guy on vacation from Germany. He was way ahead of the pack, so I am thinking he did pretty well, or maybe even won his event. I am sure the locals were pissed! Anyway, me and my partner were walking back because we gave up on someone picking us up, it was probably a mile and a half. My arches were killing me in my feet and he was exhausted from being there at 4:45 am and bending and straightening writing numbers on calves. So we were quite a pair. But just as we got close to the starting point, Sammy was driving our way (I have never been so happy to see him) looking for me. He was worried (how sweet) because he was starving and he knew I hadn't eaten ANYTHING that morning, and he was worried about me. That was really sweet. He gave us a ride back to the base and I found my Ronald McDonald partners and said goodbye.

Needlesstosay, Sunday I was exhausted. I think I was still in a semi-coma Saturday night when I went to bed. I fell asleep and then my phone rang at 10pm and it was my mom, I just reached over and hit the "ignore" button because I was so out of it and then I dropped the phone, well, it landed in a large cup of milk on the table next to the bed! Can you believe it?! It seemed to be ok, but all the dampness detectors were now pink, so no chance for a warranty replacement on it. It wasn't working, then it started working later that day, so I think it has survived. But that gives you an idea about how "out of it" I was from those two long days!

I am kinda hoping that they do it next year, at least Iwill be more prepared and know how it all works. It was really a fun weekend, despite being totally exhausted.

Zack and Football

"Nobody knows what a boy is worth and the world must wait and see, for every man in an honored place, is a boy that used to be."

Well, I had hopes and dreams that Zack would be the next Brett Favre, a quarterback for the NFL, but that dream came and went in a matter of 7 days.

He started HELL week (as they call it) with two hours of conditioning in the hot summer heat. Zack did pretty well, considering he had spent two months playing video games, with not much cardiovascular activity. He only had trouble with the running, but it proved to be his downfall. He would run out of breath, they wouldn't let him walk, and he would panic, thinking he was going to die. His coach was unsympathetic despite me and Sammy's attempts to get him to understand and work to help him over this little hurdle.

He survived that week, but when he wore the full pads the following Monday, it happened again and he couldn't catch his breath. The coach came and screamed at him. I was furious with Zack as well out of total frustration. He was a mess and we had to go home. Tuesday we went and talked to the Director of the Rec office to see about possibly moving him down one level, but he felt the coach on that team was equally as tough and it would be best to try and work it out. He assured us the coach was a "good guy" and would work with Zack and promised to talk with him. I all but forced Zack to go to practice, even through his tears, but I asked him to give the coach a chance to change. Well, it didn't work. The assistant coach was screaming at him and walking towards him like a bull in a bullfight, Zack was scared to death I think. The head coach came over after practice and gave Zack the same lecture he had given the past two times. Saying he need to work hard and give his all, well, Zack was giving his all and working very hard. When I mentioned he gets scared about not being able to catch his breath, he said "there was nothing he could do about that." It was clear he had no intent on helping Zack get over this breathing hurdle which would only have taken a day or two, so I allowed him to quit. I hated to see him go through that, and what is so sad is that he HATES the game of football now. And what is worse is that he didn't even get to play the "game" of football. So it was ruined for him before it even got started but the jerk of a coach who couldn't have some compassion and care for a kid who just needed a little help. Very sad.

Here is a picture of Zack on the first day he had to wear pads, he looks a little like Frankenstein!

Summer is Over

Well, I can't believe summer is over already! It sure flew by this time, I guess I was having fun this time around. I didn't have to go in to Weber State at all over the summer and I think that made a huge difference. We spent lots of time at Classic Water Slides and at Granny's pool. The kids also bolwed in a bowling league again, this was their second year. They both had friends on their teams, so that made it even better. Well, except for the girls team, Jordyn and Belle faught every day, so we may rethink the friend team next year.

The weather is still hot, but it could be worse. We had a few days over the past couple weeks where I could feel the crispness (is that even a word?) in the air giving us just a taste of fall. I am definitely ready for some cool temps, coffee and fall colors!

I finally bit the bullet and quit my job at Weber State when I returned from summer break. I gave two weeks notice, but only ended up having to stay one week which was fantastic since I didn't have to work the first day the kids were back in school. I will miss WSU, I met a lot of amazing women (and men) but it was time to move onward and upward to Graduate School. Plus, now I can be home with the kids if they are sick with no guilt or worry. So far, I am loving it and Zack has already been out sick two days with the croup, so I think I made the right choice.

Here are some pictures we took during the summer! Enjoy!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I thought it would be fun (and memorable) to take Zack to the midnight showing of the latest Harry Potter film "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince." The first mistake was letting Zack have a sleepover the night before, because they were up until around 3am. So, he already started the day off exhausted. Then he started guitar lessons that same day and we did a lot of running around. We went and bought some candy and then headed to the theatre around 10:30 p.m. He ate some candy and then it was just too long of a wait and he started getting sleepy and complaining he wanted to go home and go to bed. I was not happy, especially since I had such high hopes of this being such a great experience for him and a great memory. Fortunately, once the movie started, he perked up and made it through the nearly 3 hour long film. It had some amazing effects and was pretty funny, which was a surprise. I think I expected more action similar to the previous film, but this one seemed to leave a lot of loose ends. We got home around 3am and Wednesday will be a very LONG day for me, but it was worth it. We are looking forward to the next film due to come out in 2010.

I'm Selling Discovery Toys

Hi all, I am now an "Educational Consultant" for Discovery Toys! My kids loved these toys when they were little and I am excited to bring it to Utah. Check out my website at: http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/home/laraujo

Megan is Graduating Today

My cousin, Megan, is graduating from high school today! She is at the top of her class of over 400 students in Brentwood and has been accepted to UC Davis where she will be studying something on the lines of Biopsychology. She is really into the brain! CONGRATULATIONS MEGAN, WE ARE ALL SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!

Scooter UPDATE

Scooter managed to get his cast off himself on Memorial Day, so I had to take him to the darn ER Vet to have it put back on. His vet said to bring him back to them 10 days after that to have it checked, so we took him in Thursday. He was in a SUPER grumpy mood that morning, he was growling at me and clawed me when I was petting him, I think he had had it with that cast thing! After they checked him and brought him out, the vet tech said the Doctor took off the split and that the leg looked really good. She said he was "going at it" licking the leg the minute they took it off. He has some sores on his paw and on the back of his arm I think from the lack of air and pressure from being in the split for 5 weeks. He is still acting like he has a cast on, doesn't use the leg much unless he is sitting or stretching it out. They said it will take a while for him to realize he can use it again. They will recheck it in a week and we will go from there. He still can't go outside for two weeks, so I hope that goes by fast, he just sits by the sliding glass door and looks at the other cats outside, it is so sad!

Sicker than a DOG

Monday started off just fine, the kids and I were hanging around the house, not doing much. Me and Zack were playing Monopoly in the afternoon before I needed to head to work. I was going to start getting ready to go around 2:20 p.m. when I started having pains in my stomach. It just wouldn't stop, so I called the hospital to tell them I was staying home sick. Within 1/2 hour I was violently ill, throwing up non stop. I had the kids call Sammy and I told him he needed to come home because something was wrong with me. I threw up so much there was nothing left and was dry heaving over and over again. I couldn't even keep a sip of water down. I was so weak, I could barely walk to the room and was white as a ghost. I don't think I have ever been so sick in my entire life! Sammy talked to the advice nurse and she told him to give me ice chips so I wouldn't get dehydrated, and if it wasn't better in 2 hours to take me to the ER. We had just bought a snow cone machine and so Jordyn was feeding me shaved ice, it was so good! I think it saved my life. I stopped throwing up around 6:30 p.m. and was starting to get my color back around 8:30 p.m. I was still not feeling completely better, but was on my way. All night my body ached, I think from the strain on my muscles for such a long period of time.

Wednesday I went back to work at the hospital and Thursday I got my appetite back, finally! I pray my kids and Sammy don't get it, it was seriously the most horrible thing I have experienced I think in my entire life!

My sister Laura and my nephew Chase and cousin Isis had the same thing, so it is definitely going around. I've talked to a few other people to have had or know someone who has had the same thing.

Jordyn was so sweet the entire time, she kept checking on me, brought me ice and water whenever I needed it without complaining. If I made a noise she was checking to make sure I wasn't dead. She will be a great mom someday!

Scooter's Broken Arm

When I came home from work on Tuesday, I found Scooter (my gray cat) holding his paw in the air and not letting it touch the ground. It appeared swollen, but no other signs of trauma anywhere on him. I thought it might be a bee sting like Willie had on his paw last summer, so we waited until the next morning to see if it would go down. He was still in bad shape Wednesday a.m. He growled and hissed if you touched the paw. I took him to the vet and they thought it was a bite of some sort, so they shaved his arm to take a look. They found a bruise, but no bite wound. His wrist was a bit loose, so they did an x-ray and low and behold found his arm bone to be completed fractured and sticking out to the side. The doctor explained how it needed plates and pins and screws and all I could see were dollar signs ($$$$$$). He said a specialist in Salt Lake would charge about $1500 to fix it. I said I couldn't do that, he said he could fix it for about $750. So, I went ahead and had him do the surgery, and they would allow us to pay half now and the rest later (THANK GOD). He also had a dislocated wrist because of the way the bone broke and overlapped the other bone. The vet has no idea how this kind of break could have happened. He assumes he got it stuck in something and his weight (VERY FAT CAT) made it snap.

The surgery went really well and Scooter is now back home and in a splint up to his armpit. He flops it around, but is getting used to it finally. I am sure he'll be getting around pretty good in a day or so.

Needless to say, our 19th wedding anniversary (May 5) was put on the back burner as will Mother's Day, but it is worth it to save my little Scooter!

Kids on the Farm

Jordyn & Bell selling rocks, they made $7 dollars each! Look out Donald Trump, these may be his new apprentices!

Zack, Terron and Colton bring back the chicken eggs!

Jordyn and Bell, they love that tree! They hang on and bounce up and down, tons of fun!

Bell up in the air!

Here are some cute pictures of Jordyn and Zack on the Farm!

On the Farm

My sweet Jasmine!

Jasmine and Grandma (looks like she's about to spit!) YIKES!

Our newest addition, Debbie! So sweet, but a bit shy still!

My love "Jovi"! I love this cat! She is so beautiful and has loads of personality!

Here are some pictures of the animals on our Funny Farm!

More St. George pictures (part 2)

Zack & Jordyn rock climbing

The sad flat tent before we went home

Me and Zack

Me and Jordyn

Grandma and Jordyn

More St. George Pictures

Zack & his Dad




Zion

The gang at Weeping Rock

Zack and Grandma hanging out by the fire!

Here are some more pictures from St. George!

St. George - camping trip from "you know where"!

After Jordyn's state meet, we headed to Snow Canyon where we camped Saturday night, we got our tent up and all situated. I took the kids rock climbing and we got to watch some young kids learning how to rock climb with ropes. It was pretty amazing! We had hot dogs for dinner and Zack built his own fire in the fire pit! He was so proud (what a pyro!). Zack ended up with some kind of rash from rolling around in the grass at the state meet, so I had to get up and take him for a shower in the middle of the night. Poor guy! He also had to chew a Zyrtec because he can't swallow pills (geez)!

Sunday we got up and hit the road to Zion Canyon. We went to Weeping Rock and Grandma Bev made the .60 mile hike up a trail despite her back and hip pain. I thought she was going to fall off the cliff a couple of times, but we made it up and back. It was so beautiful and we wished we could have seen more sites. Jordyn was scared to drive through the mile long tunnel, so we headed back to the campsite a little early. We stopped at some gift shops on the way back and the kids both got some recycled glass that were pretty cool. You know Zack, he is a "digger!"

When we got close to the canyon, we noticed a pup tent flying across the road in a residential area (not a good sign). We found our tent flattened by the hurricane winds that had started. There were black clouds looming and because of the strength of the winds, we decided to pack up and head home. I wanted to stay and probably would have if my mom wouldn't have been there, Jordyn was crying because she wanted to stay too. It just wouldn't have worked out. So, we loaded up the van and just as we were leaving, we had a huge "Cicada" bug flying around in the van, I said "Oh, my God, its a Gargoyle!" Too funny! We got it out of the van, then started out of the canyon just in time because it started to rain!

We hit some snow around Beaver and almost stopped to stay in a hotel, but we pushed through and made it home around 11:30 p.m. that night. What a nightmare!

My mom stayed for two more nights, then headed back to California. I am sure she was happy to be home after our crazy adventure!

Until next year . . . . . . .

State Meet, St. George

We headed to St. George for Jordyn's state meet. We picked up Grandma Bev at the airport and then drove straight down to St. George. We stayed in a hotel the first night, the kids enjoyed the swimming pool and jumping on the beds! We went to the meet on Saturday, Jordyn had a great bar routine scoring a 8.85 and making her giants! But sadly, she fell off the beam TWICE! It ruined her shot at the All Around, which she would have won or taken 2nd had she not had the two .50 falls, but she ended up winning first place on bars. She had a great floor routine and a nice vault (taking 4th on vault). So, she is the reining Level 7, 9 & under Utah State Bars Champion! Pretty cool! We are looking forward to Level 8!

Jordyn's meet, Utah State University

Jordyn had her last regular meet at the same place the Utah State University gymnastics team competes. It was really exciting to be in such a big place and we had our pick of seats! Jordyn had trouble on her bar routine, but she had her best beam routine this season, earning a 9.05! She ended up in a three-way tie for 2nd place! Her teammates cheered her on and they all just love her. She is like their little sister because they are all a few years older than her.

Jordyn's meet, Park City

Jordyn had a meet at Black Diamond in Park City. She did really well and came in second on bars, she made her giants and they were great! Her auntie's Laura and Sara came to cheer her on!

Sledding

I took the kids sledding on Sunday and Monday, February 15 and 16 at the Roy Train Station parking area. Maddie and Bell came with Jordyn and Chase and Terron came with Zack. They had a GREAT time! Jordyn kept going over this hump on the hill and bouncing about 5 feet in the air off the tube! She didn't get hur luckily, but ended up with a little cold.

Zack, Chase and Terron had a lot of fun too. Chase "overcame his fears" and went down the big hill on his stomach. I told him not to do it any more becuase he could break his neck, but he was VERY proud of himself. Here are some cute pictures of all the kids!

Zack's first dance - February 12, 2009

Zack all dressed up for his first "dance" at school. My handsome boy . . . . He really didn't want to go to the dance, but after learning some fun group dances in PE (e.g. the Hustle, Macarana, etc.) he seemed kind of excited about it. The sad thing is they are supposed to fill out a dance card with those he wants to dance with, but he was out sick and they filled it out for him. So, he was pretty disappointed by a couple of the girls he was obligated to dance with, but hopefully there were a few good ones in there. There were also some "boys choice" so he would have a chance to dance with someone he may have wanted to put on the list.

Zack had the most fun ever at the dance, he danced with several girls, one twice! He also danced with a few of his teachers, so cute. They had soda and cookies and of course that thrilled him!

He really didn't want to go when he first heard about it, but I assured him he would be sorry if he didn't go. He realized how right I was and is really looking forward to the next dance in March so he can get his groove on!