Catching up with my Boise adventures.

Wow! I can't believe it is already July. I feel like I have been driving in the fast lane without any breaks these past couple weeks. I have just a couple weeks to slow down a bit and then it all picks back up again.

This past month has been amazing and yet very trying for me. After my tough mudder race (which was amazing by the way) I wasn't recovering as I would have liked. And had been feeling sick for a long time. I come to find out I had walking pnemonia! Wow and to think I just did a 10 mile, 19 obstacle race with pnemonia! So I was put on antibiotics and they seem to have done the trick. I'm not quite back up to 100% yet but doing much better.

Then there was my solo trip to Boise to visit my family and to go to my little sister's baby shower. It was just me and my 3 kids. Dan wasn't able to get off work to come but oh how I wish he would have been there. Oh where to begin....? Maybe rather than go through all the details I'll just list the mishaps that occured on this trip.

1. I found out the day before I left that my parents were possibly splitting up. (yay for going into a vacation knowing I'd be enduring drama the entire time) not fun. I almost considered cancelling my trip.

2.Decided to go ahead with my plans and after driving 5 hours I stopped halfway in Richland, WA to get a hotel for the night. I was hit by a lady who ran a red light after I had just filled up with gas! And she had the audacity to say she had the right of way! I look up at her light as soon as we hit and her light was STILL red!

3.Was escorted to a hotel in my beat up van by the police officer only to find out they had no more rooms available. Serious melt down at the front desk for this mama. Luckily the clerk felt bad for me and called a buddy at a nearby hotel.

4.Had to deal with making phone calls to insurance, arrange for a rental, and a tow to a collision repair shop with three very hungry and tired kids jumping around the hotel room. So glad no one got hurt and the kid's spirits weren't tainted one bit. Sometimes I wish I could be as carefree as my kids were. Kiera's words after we crashed were, "That was scary mom, that was my first crash!"

5.Went to Boise in a rental and was left in the dark as to whether my car would be fixed and completed by the time I was ready to head back home or not. Didn't hear back until a day after I had planned to head home. Was stuck in Boise while my mom and brother had to go to work. Luckily I had cousins in town who went to the pool with me for a few hours.

6.In the end I found out that my beloved Toyota Sienna was a total loss! It was going to cost over $10,000.00 to make the repairs. And I also found out that in the state of WA they have what is called Dual fault. This means the lady who ran the red light may not have to reimburse me for the $30-$50/day I am paying to have a rental vehicle since insurance only covers $15/day.

7.Then on my way home this overly stressed, worn out, and exhausted mom gets a $260.00 speeding ticket. I had no idea I was going that fast til I passed a semi and looked at my speed. I was not used to the rental as is rode a lot smoother than my van, plus who wouldn't be speeding after having the week I had had? I was a zombie! I immediately slowed down to the speed limit only to have a cop pull behind me 3 mins later. Apparently he clocked me at a previous overpass. It was just icing on the cake.

8.Then if that wasn't enough stress to handle I got caught in horrible fog going over the blue mountains. I couldn't see anything! I had to slow down to about 40mph and hope the semi behind me would see me and not rear end me. Whew!

9. Now that I have been home for a few days I got the news that my step dad has left my mom. I thought things were getting better. Or at least that is what it seemed like while I was there. I spent all last night trying to get a hold of anyone to go and give my mom a hug! I cried and hurt for this situation that I have no control over. I tried to drop all my worries by going to a Zumba class which did help quite a bit. But I am sooo looking forward to a break. I have no idea what I am supposed to be learning from all this right now but I had better learn quick. I don't think I can handle much more.

I am trying to look at the positive and see the happiness and blessings all around me and not focus on the bad. I did have some fun experiences while I was on my trip and the kids enjoyed spending time with Grandma and Grandpa. I have no idea what I am supposed to say to them or how I am going to explain things to them when the time comes and they find out Grandpa or "papa Clint" is no longer there. But for now I will focus on the positive and day one day at a time.

Here are some pics I took while we were there.

Kayla's Baby Shower

My cousin autumn holding Emerson (Courtney's little guy)

She loved the quilt I made her!

Isn't she the cutest mama ever?!

My grandma Nona Thornock. Love her so much!

Grandma Norma Mitchell, Courtney and Hailey

Left to right: Kiera, Ethan, Emma, Leighton, Riley, and Roman

Kayla and Benji. Cutest couple ever!

My nephew Paxton, (Tyler's son) We celebrated his 1st Birthday at the splash park

Had to treat the kids to a summer snow cone. We don't really have them here in Washington. MMMmm

Grandma Thornock giving Emma some goodbye squeezes!

 

We picked up "Papa Clint" from work and went out to feed the ducks.

Our last day in Boise we spent the afternoon at the pool with my cousins Courtney, Kelsey and Mary with their little ones. The weather was awesome that last day!

Kelsey with her baby Leighton and Mary's daughter Addy swimming in the background.

Me and my cousin Courtney. Loved seeing this girl! I have missed hanging out with her. My Emma and her Riley are just a month or so apart. I wish we were closer to have them grow up together. I also got to teach Zumba to her dance team girls as their work out one morning I was there. It was fun!

Kiera decided to try swimming with her face in the water! No coaxing from mom this time either! Way to go Kiera!

I miss hanging out with my cousins. We grew up very close and would get together for everything! We'd probably have a family dinner to celebrate someone loosing a tooth! It was so good to see everyone.

Courtney with her youngest, Roman

Mary (My cousin Steven's wife) and her youngest, Emerson

Kelsey and her baby Leighton

Tough Mudder 2013

This past weekend was one of the funnest weekends I have ever had! It was the week of my Tough Mudder. If you don't know what the Tough Mudder is look it up or go to their website www.toughmudder.com. It is amazing!

I did the event with a friend from Oregon. We became friends since both our husband's grew up together. We also had her brother-in-law on our team as well. The three of us conquered this event and are officially Tough Mudders!

The course is 10-11 miles long and there were 19 obstacles along the way. Some of the obstacle names were, "kiss of mud," "artic enema," "walk the plank," "funky monkey,"trench warfare," "Berlin walls," "cage crawl," "wounded warrior carry," "everest," and "electroshock therapy." They are all obstacles that are designed to be like military training obstacles. They were tough but the whole spirit of the event is No Mudder Left Behind. Everyone helps everyone through.  It is all about comradery and teamwork. It's not a race! It was awesome!

I posted on my FB page a few days before the event how excited I was but still a bit nervous. I said, "I am sooo excited and am looking forward to that huge feeling of victory at the end. But knowing I couldn't do it without all the other mudders out there with me. It is going to be amazing! I know I am going to hurt, scream, ache and want to give up at times but that's not what this life's about. Its giving it all you got and pushing yourself to achieve greatness. And we're all in it together! That's what makes this event so great" and yes it was all of that and more! It was so much fun and so cool to see everyone working together, stranger helping stranger. I even had someone come jogging behind me, tapping me on the shoulder on his way by and said, "tag you're it." It was a boost of encouragement and when I caught back up to him I tagged him back. I even had someone on the wounded warrior carry take me the ENTIRE way. He didn't put me down for us to switch spots. It was awesome!

I posted a bunch of the videos that Dan took of us on our route on my FB page. So if you're friends with me on there be sure to check those out. 
Here are a bunch of pictures. Just keep in mind they aren't in order.

At the Start! Nice and Clean still, but not for long...

Made it to the top of the hill! Can see the finish line from here but oh so much still to do between here and there.

The Berlin Walls obstacle. Our man Stan Wester on the bottom right.

The day before the race on our way to the campground. Had to pull over and take a picture.

Stan and his Orange headband! I wish I had a pic of Jessi too but she was in the car nursing her 5 month old after a much needed lunch break. Can you say super mom?!

I did it! I earned that orange head band! Official Tough Mudder!

This sign was posted at the bottom of a very long and steep hill climb. The way back down was even worse. Very steep and rocky! I can't believe some people did this event bare foot!

Jessi on top of the Bail Bonds obstacle

1/4 of the way through. I thought the sign was pretty funny.

The muddy mile. Probably one of my most favorite obstacles.

And old church building we passed on the way there

 

Way to Go Team 'Muddy Mormons!'

The Tough Mudder was an amazing experience and I WILL be doing it again! And Dan even said that he'd be interested in training for it with me! I'd love to have a bigger team next time too. The more the merrier. But it sounds like our next big event might be the STP (Seattle to Portland) 200 mile bike race. This is Dan's idea too! Should be exciting! Saddle up!

Ethan's Preschool Graduation

I am so behind on blogging right now but I think it's because it is the end of the year. In fact today is both Ethan's and Kiera's last day of school for the summer!

Today was Ethan's Preschool graduation. He has learned so much this year and is leaps and bounds ahead of where I expected him to be right now. He will do awesome in Kindergarten. Here are a few pics from his graduation program today. It was so fun to hear him and his classmates sing all their fun songs for all the parents.

Ethan receiving his preschool diploma from his teacher.

The big graduate!

Ethan with his WONDERFUL teacher Mrs. Shoen.

Baby Quilt Finished!

It is Done! I finished my little sister's quilt today. I love love love it and I just can't wait to give it to her in a few weeks! And I'm also making a second one for a cousin and its almost done!