Running in Circles

:: hazel ::

1. is loving play-doh again.

2. Hazel is starting to be in the crafty mood- she wants to cut, glue, and tape anything. I think i need to stock up on supplies.

3. Hazel has been obsessed with a dead duck we saw on the road. She wants to know if its going to be resurrected too.

4. She's made two little best friends that live in our complex, brothers names Caleb (4) and Kyle (2). they play tag, and cops and robbers, and firefighters. I've really enjoyed getting to know their mom too.

5. She gives me a thumbs up after dinner and says this is the "best dinner ever"

6. loves to exercise with me and has better push up form than I do.

:: henry ::

1. we took his binki away during the day and now all he does is babble and squeak.

2. is loving animals- dogs, ducks, squirrels, pretty much anything we see out on a walk.

3. Henry loves brushing his teeth. I don't know if its more fun to climb the stool, get your hands wet, or actually have a toothbrush in your mouth, but he loves it all.

4. can regularly wave goodbye, clap, blow kisses, give hugs, and sign "all done," "more", and "please".

5. is obsessed with the veggie pouches I buy. He loves the peas, carrots and apples flavor the best.

6. still eating a lot in general, but has nothing to show for it height or weight wise.

1. Summer is almost here and I'm really looking forward to swimming days.

2. I start teaching a Pilates Class at our country club in April.

3. I need to paint my nails

4. Hazel has so much energy that if we don't play outside for at least and hour she bounces off the walls.

5. Henry got his first pair of sneakers- black converse.

6. I bought pants in the smallest size yesterday.

7. I ran my fastest mile ever last week- 5:46

8. Brice and I enjoyed our Saturday with a long run together and then massages.

9. I don't feel baby hungry at all at this point.

10. Some of my very closest friends in Dallas are moving in the next few months (Sydney, Chrissy, Nikki)

11. Cash/Envelope budgeting works much better for us than anything else.

12. I'm still eating way too many M&Ms

13. I need 8.5 hours of sleep every night. I go to bed by 9:30 everynight

14. I'm itching for a move or maybe a different apartment

15. a clean car makes me so calm

16. I need to get off the treadmill and outside more, but I don't want to get mugged in the dark

17. March Madness is overrated

18. Pizza sounds good after every long run

19. Making the bed is higher on my priority list than showering

20. I gave a talk last Sunday in church.

21. I've actually read my scriptures everyday this year!!

22. Buying the kids new clothes is so much more fun than buying myself or Brice something new.

23. Favorite stores to shop are Gap and Nordstrom

24. Henry gives me full mouth, hard kisses when asked and I love it.

25. I really love seeing Brice run and am really proud of him.

26. I'm hoping to run a 3:15 or faster marathon next month!

I turned 26 this week. I think I'm officially a twenty-something now. 

My friends made great efforts to get us out of the house and to the park to play, out to dinner, and showered me with gifts. Brice splurged on a necklace I've wanted since Christmas and Hazel tried hard to be extra good. Tomorrow is my longest training run (23 miles)and then Brice and I are spending the afternoon together getting massages. So really I've felt special and loved and appreciated all week.

My birthday was great, but all day my mind kept wandering to my own mother. I thought about what March 16th, 1990 must have been for her. I'm pretty sure her labor with me was induced, so she didn't wake up in a rush to get to the hospital. I am the third child in our family, so I tried to think about the love and feelings of overwhelm she must of felt. She already had two kids at home and they say #3 is the hardest because then as parents you're outnumbered. I thought about the contractions and recovery she had to go through. The year of breastfeeding and trying to get her body back into shape. I thought about all the feelings I've had as a mother- wanting time to myself, time to rediscover my passions, the love for our children, the love of the Savior, and the tiring days of having a new baby at home involve. I wondered how many tiems I fought naps when my mom was desperate for me totake one or what was I like when i was teething and potty-training. 

The birth of a baby is the most special day, but it is followed by a lifetime of emotion and effort and I'm just so grateful to have been born into a family that has loved and cared for me- and for parents that made sacrifices and hard choices to welcome babies into their family. 

This weekend was a good one. I was up early on Saturday morning to get my 19-miler run done. It went great. The air was cool and crisp, the sun warmed me up just right, average pace of 7:19/mile, and only this morning am I feeling a little stiff and sore.

After Brice went for a short run we packed a lunch and headed to the Dallas Arboretum. We've been there a handful of times now, but we've never made it over to the Children's Garden.

 Hazel and Henry both loved all the little gardens and activities. Going out with two kids, now that Henry is so busy is definitely a two parent tag-team thing. We usually assign ourselves a kid to watch and play with and then switch later on.

The rest of Saturday was spent playing at the park and taking advantage of some Chipotle coupons we got for a free meal! 

On Sunday, Hazel gave her first primary talk and did great! She was definitely enthusiastic and we had practiced enough that she was able to put some spunk behind it. Her assignment was "Heavenly Father speaks to us through the prophets."It's fun watching her and the other Sunbeams in there. Those primary teachers and leaders sure are patient!

It was my first Sunday fasting since being pregnant with Henry. I forgot what that's like and my run the day before didn't help at all. I really was so thirsty all day!

A friend went out of town and left me her Jetta to drive for the week and its made me all sorts of nostalgic. and so grateful! I have an interview tomorrow to teach fitness classes at our apartment complex so wish me luck!

Happy Birthday Dad!

:: hazel ::

1. She's been calling us by our first names all week and even sometimes calls me "mother."

2. I think she gets the "mother" from the movie tangled.

3. She got her first talk assignment for this Sunday. She gets to speak about the prophet.

4. she fell asleep at naptime yesterday and then didn't go to bed for the night until after 9 pm.
5. She is starting to not want to sit in the stroller any more.
6. has been answering "of course" to everything. I can't tell if shes being darling or sarcastic.
7. Really wants sunglasses- i hope the easter bunny can come through on that one.

:: henry ::

1. he is obsessed with throwing things into water and over edges. If anything goes missing i look behind the couch and its there.

2. Speaking of throwing, we've noticed that Henry uses his left arm to throw but his right hand to pick things up.

3. Still napping twice a day and goes to bed so easily.

4. loves pushing his cars and trucks around and has starting wanting to sit and be read to.
5. Has outgrown his infant carseat so we really should get him a new one.
6. his separation anxiety is in full force.
7. loves to brush his teeth and knows exactly where to go when we say its time to brush.