Wow, time flies.

We started the month of October celebrating Braden's ninth birthday. Here's a picture of that. I have a lot to say so everyone bear with me. So I went back to school in August. I haven't had time until now to even get online for longer than to check my email so now I am going to catch everyone up to what's going on. I am almost done with the semester, thank heavens. Looking back I don't know how I made it because I had a lot of homework plus trying to be a mom to my three lovely kids, a wife to Scott and then also trying to work. Ha. Well, I didn't get a lot of jobs substitute teaching so I applied at UPS and after waiting since the beginning of October, I am finally going in next Monday for a uniform and to start a seasonal job as a driver's helper. I am excited. Scott is still waiting to hear if he got a coach postition he applied for but I have faith that he got it so we are going to have a celebratory dinner for him. The kids are all doing great. Kate and Nik are getting ready for the annual production of the Nutcracker and Braden is gearing up for Junior Jazz. We had a great Halloween, the kids did well trick or treating. The weather was great so Scott and I went fishing for the day at Maple Lake near Payson UT for our 11th wedding anniversary. It was great. We got 9 fish and they were very tasty. I can't think of anything really more to say. I am sending out Christmas cards soon. Till next time, see ya. P.S. The kids were a pirate, a ballerina and a mermaid. There's also a picture of the fish before we cooked and ate them.

Catching up again

Ok. So Scott and I took our kids to Lagoon on Friday for Stake Lagoon Day. It was a blast, but here I am on Monday still feeling it. We got there around 11:00 and left at 12:00 midnight. We went with some friends of ours and just made a whole day of it. We went on almost every single ride and some more than once. Saturday was the Stake Primary Activity and I went to be one of the helpers. That was fun but again, I was wasted by the end. Then after church yesterday our friends took us to a well to get some really great water. I didn't even know it was there. I guess it's been there for years and years but I never even knew. Through all of this exciting stuff I started reading a book called "The Secret." If you haven't heard of it you should look for it in a library somewhere and check it out. It is really neat what it talks about. Anyways, that catches me up to today. Oh and we have been watching the Olympics whenever we can. (Unfortunately my kids are not as interested as Scott and I are so they only watch a little.) So until next time, have a great day.

Fly Fishing?

Ok. So I guess I am really bored or really desparate. Or both. I am sending out a call for help. You see, I want so badly to learn to fly fish. But I know absolutely nothing. Well, not nothing at all as in I have never fished before in my life. Nothing as in I am a bait fisherperson right now. I know there are many differences. So if anyone out there as any ideas, hints, tips, or anything else that may help me, please, please, please share them with me. Just leave them as comments. Well, I gotta go for now.

Another camping trip?

Yes, we did go camping again. The last place we went to was Payson Lakes. We heard about it from my best friends. They had been there several times and said it was a great place to go. We went there fishing last year, just Scott and I to celebrate our anniversary. We had such a good time we decided to take the kids back the next time we went which was this summer. They had fun. Now about this trip. We got to rent a van because our van is too old to go up Parley's Canyon. Check it out. Isn't it the coolest thing you have ever seen? It is by far the coolest van I have ever driven.

These next pictures are when the kids decided to play in the stream that was behind our camp site. They had a hard time staying dry.

Katelyn and Scott were the only ones that caught fish from our family. Some of our friends that went with us caught a few as well. All in all we had a great time even if it was cold at night and in the early morning. At least during the day we had great weather. I hope to learn to fly fish soon. That's my new goal. I wanted to do the bait fishing to start out but now I want to "graduate" to fly fishing. I may never go back to bait fishing again but that's ok. We also hiked a bit and spent time just hanging out. It was relaxed and a great time.

My Exercise idea for busy moms

So, this is how I exercise but I have to give credit to the relief society for making it happen. 3 days a week, a lady in our ward who also teaches aerobics classes at a gym, has a group of us exercise with her for about an hour a day. We meet at the church and exercise in the gym so that all of our kids can all play together and we don't have to worry about where they are while we exercise. She then has each of us exercise the other 2 days a week on our own. I personally started running in the end of April just .5 miles a day. Now I run/jog/walk around 4 miles a day. Yes, I get tired. Yes, I want to quit sometimes. Yes, Scott watches the kids for me so I can do this. But while I am running, I listen to my mp3 player and I am in my own little world for 45 mins to 1 hour. It helps me be able to focus better on being a parent. Somehow, by taking a little time for me, it really is benefitting my kids. I know it sounds crazy because I am not right with them all the time 24/7. But I feel like if I have a bit of time for me, I can give a lot of time to them and I don't get burned out. I have a ex-friend that "lived for her kids." She literally lived only to please her kids. She gave them everything she had emotionally, and everything else. She lost her mind one day and now her kids live with her ex-husband because she couldn't do it anymore. I try really hard not to overwhelm myself with guilt about doing something for me. At first it was hard because I felt selfish. Now I realize that improving me improves my family. I hope I don't offend anyone by this blog. If I did, I really am sorry. This is just my opinion. I only hope that my ideas aren't to radical for others to stomach.

Memory Tag

I got this from Annamarie's blog. I just thought I would give it a try.
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Kari's average day

This is why my page isn't updated regularly. I am not excusing myself, I am just giving a reason so everyone can know that if I had things my way, well, it would be different. Ok. On average this is my day. Get up with Scott and see him off to work in between the hours of 5:45 am to 7:00 am depending on his shift which varies a lot. Start watering. Hopefully finish watering the yard or doing the weeding (depending on the day) before I exercise at 9:00 am with some friends of mine. While watering or weeding, get the kids their breakfast, get them dressed and ready for the day. Then turn off water and pack kids into van to go to exercise class. Get done exercising in time to take oldest child to racquetball practice by 10:00 am. Entertain other two kids while trying to stay on top of kids at practice because I ended up being their coach. Leave practice and run a few errands until kids voice that they are starving to death. Realize that it's way past noon and rush home for a hurried lunch. As lunch is finishing realize that jobs for the day are not done yet. Assign jobs to children and then proceed for the next 2 hours (minimum) to help all three of them do the jobs that were assigned. Around 3:00 pm kids want to play with friends so soon what feels like the neighborhood comes over. In reality more like 3 or 4 kids come to play for a few hours. While friends are here, try to get as much of the remaining housework done. Husband gets home from work and asks about dinner. I laugh. Somehow dinner does get made and kids' friends go home. The table gets set and dinner is consumed. Dishes and clean up and then I look at the clock and think I can squeeze in a run. By the time I get home from the run it's almost reading time and bed time. Read to kids for 30 mins because everyone says that it helps them read better as they get older. Previous experience has shown that this is the case. Brush 3 sets of teeth and help husband tuck kids into bed. Drop in exhaustion around 10 pm realizing that tomorrow will be just as busy and I still haven't had time to blog. So that's my excuse. By the way, I didn't exaggerate. I never thought I could possibly get this busy. Oh and all the extra stuff too. The park trips, the bike rides to the library, the racquetball games, the enrichment nights and on and on. I guess until life slows down, my blog spot will just have to be updated when the camera gets to full of pictures. Thanks to all of you who read what I write and comment. It makes me feel good.