Alexa is CRAZY!!!

I was taking a picture of Alexa's new haircut the other night and she just was busting out all these poses so of course I am posting them. She has her days when she is all moody and grumpy and quiet and just doesn't want to really talk to anyone...but generally she is a pretty great kid!! I love it when I catch her in a mood like this, she is dying to get her "big break" to be on TV or something so if any of you know anyone let her know, she has a great personality and is obviously georgeous!!!

 

This is a video Alexa made with my camera the night before the last day of school...she told me not to post it and I have waited but I think everyone should be able to enjoy it...I told you she is crazy!!!

So I finally got the video to work...you have to go to the bottom of the blog and pause the music so you can hear it. I hope that you enjoy it.

Amy and Owen

My sister Amy and her son Owen came to visit on Friday. Jason went on a camp out with the young men and she hates being home alone so she decided to drive down to the "U.C." and visit her favorite sister. We met up at Alexa's baseball game...

then we drove to Target and met up with Sule so he could take Alexa and Alex for a sleepover. Then Amy, Rich, Me and the boys went to Bajio for dinner then to Old Navy and then to see "Get Smart" things were going ok at first but then Amy had to take Owen out about halfway through the show and Max fell asleep on me but it was extremely HOT in the theater and his diaper was super wet so needless to say I was drenched when the movie got out and Amy was a little frazzled. We got home and got the boys situated and then got ready for bed. We started talking and Rich was just waiting for us to 'shut up and go to sleep' but he got tired of waiting and at 4:00am we went out to the living room to find him all tucked in on the couch. Sorry Rich but we warned you we were going to stay up late!!
We didn't get a ton accomplished on Saturday but it was great to just hang out. We went to a shoe party, donated blood, got diet coke's, rented movies, ate nachos, tried to get the boys to take a nap, watched a movie, watched Rich do some yard work and went to Barry's for dinner. Then she left for home and Alexa and Alex came home. They had a great time with their Dad going to Wall-E and having dinner at the theater and then going to Raging Waters on Saturday.
I didn't take pictures, I think Amy took some of the boys and I was going to tell Sule to take pictures but I forgot...next time!!
Thanks for coming to visit us Amy and next time we will have more fun, I promise!!!

Yummy yummy

Well I can now say that I know how to and have made homemade raspberry jam. It was easy enough but I did 4 batches so it was a lot of stirring and tons of sugar (thank goodness for food storage). I can't wait to eat some on toast and PB sandwiches!! I LOVE homemade jam and with my mom being so far away I have been having to buy jam and it isn't good. I guess I should have attempted making it a long time ago...oh well better late than never!!

Provo Pool

 

We met up at the Provo pool for a fun day. The kids had a great time, as always and so did the Moms. We just sat in the kid pool and watched the kids play and chatted. It was great!!

Alex's thoughts on ME

I stole this off Sarah's blog (thanks Sarah, you always have cute post ideas!)

I asked Alex (my 8yr old) the following questions and these are his responses:



1. What is something I always say to you? "Go vacuum"


2. What makes me happy? "When I give you something"


3. What makes me sad? "When you get hurt"


4. How do I make you laugh? "Making funny faces"


5. What was I like as a child? "Old Fashion, you didn't have 'cool clothes' back then"


6. How old am I? "31"


7. How tall am I? "5 feet"


8. What is my favorite thing to do? "Change your blog"


9. What do I do when you're not around? "Read a book or look at your blog"


10. If I was famous, what would it be for? "Designer of clothes"


11. What am I really good at? "Making dinner"


12. What am I not very good at? "Screaming, you scream like a boy"


13. What do I do for my job? "Help people move in"


14. What is my favorite food? "Olive Garden"


15. What makes you proud of me? "You're really good at making Max be nice to me"


16. If I were a cartoon character, who would I be? "Sandy Cheeks from Spongebob"


17. What do you and I do together? "Go to the store"


18. How are we the same? "We both like Lagoon"


19. How are we different? "We wear different clothes"


20. How do you know I love you? "You make me happy"

Seven Peaks

We went to Seven Peaks and stayed ALL day, no really, we got there at 11:45am and left at 8pm when they closed!! It was a really great day and the weather was great for a day in the water!!! Max and Rich hung out in the wave pool most the day and Max even fell asleep in there. I was laying with my head on Rich's legs and Max came and layed on my chest and fell asleep. He took like a two hour nap, that was great!! Alex saw his friend there so he ditched us most the day but he went on all the slides...yeah he went on "free fall" and "boomerang" all by himself, he is quite a dare devil. It was Alexa's first time on "free fall" and she probably won't be going back anytime soon. I even got Amberly to go on it and she loved it!! She got a little sunburned on her legs and it was a long day for her but we all had a really incredible time.

 

Max went down the baby slide but he hated it and just wanted to walk around in the shallow water of the wave pool. He loved it when all the seagulls came out to scavenge for food. They would fly down and eat people's fries and he thought that was really funny!! I could not talk Rich into going on any slides but he took care of Max while we all had fun so that was great for the rest of us. We did have a good time in the lazy river. I am so glad that we have fun places to go like this to escape the heat in the summer!!

Take me out to the Ball Game

Orem Owlz

I LOVE the Orem Owlz...I really like going to these games. It just seems like there is more action and it is a smaller stadium, you know a more 'intimate setting' if you will. Anyway we started going to these games last year and I am a forever fan. I even wanted to "host" a player but then I realized I would have to get them to all the practices and games and anywhere else they needed to go, maybe someday.

Max was really loving "HOOTZ" and I was surprised because he was scared of the Bee at the Bees game.
He kept wanting to go and give him 5.

Here we are enjoying an evening at the ball park. Alex really wanted to catch a fly ball so he hung out by the wall most the night.

Bridal Veil Falls

I have lived in 'The U.C' (that's how I refer to Utah County) for 4 years now and we have never taken the kids to Bridal Veil Falls. We were on our way back to Orem from Park City and we had some time to kill so we pulled over and let the kids throw rocks in the river and walked the trail (we didn't get very far cause it was 5pm and extremely HOT) but it was a fun little detour.

It felt great under the bridge in the shade and there is just something about the sound of a raging river that is really relaxing to me!

Max had a blast throwing rocks into the river and he would have stayed there all night.

I'm so glad that we had extra passengers (Monica, Amb and Kenzie) to share in the fun!

I always have to throw in a self portrait but I grabbed Alex so I wouldn't be alone.

That's as far as we made it but one of these days, maybe in the spring when it's not so hot I want to get a little closer!!

Rich's BIG Adventure

MYOMED Ragnar Relay Series

Deseret News Slideshow of the Race

Rich is a huge fan of running and he is very religious when it comes to his schedule. He takes his running stuff when we go to Logan to see my family and even when we go on vacation... yeah it bugs!! He runs on his lunch break (because he used to run after work but I got mad when he got home really late and waking up early isn't that easy).
He works at Tahitian Noni and they put together a team that the company sponsored and he has been looking forward to this relay since January. The name of his team is "Powered by Tahitian Noni"
Basically the team is made up of twelve people running from Logan to Park City...181 miles and it takes anywhere from 17 to 33 hours to complete, Rich's team finished in 27 hours.

Rich started the team out in Logan as runner #1 (he had to run 3 legs, his first leg was in Logan at 11am his distance was 5.1 miles, leg 2 was at 8pm and it was 8.2 miles which was very hard and had huge elevation changes, his 3rd was at 5am and was 5.6 miles).

Me, Max, Amberly, Owen and my Mom went down to the park to see Rich take off, we then drove to the exchange point to watch him finish his first leg. It was like 85 degrees when he was running and he said there were two pretty step hills but he still finished in about 30 minutes (yes he runs 6 mile minutes). We didn't get to chat long because he had to take off in the van to support the next runner and meet up at the next exchange.
Each team was responsible to have 3 volunteers and so my sisters Monica, Amberly and I decided to 'take one for the team' (even though we weren't on the team) and do a volunteer shift. We had to report to the park at 5:30pm and help with Start line take down. We were supposed to be there until 11pm but when we got there the people before us had done most the work. We were only there for about an hour plus we got 2 free shirts and some other stuff so we totally scored on that one.

Me the kids Monica, Amberly and Kenzie drove up to Park City to watch his team finish. We got there right as they went through the finish line and took a few pictures and then we went our separate ways. He went home to sleep and you'll see in future posts the rest of our fun filled day.

Here are some pictures Rich got from one of his teammates...

 

Backyard F.U.N. In The Sun

The kids always have a great time in my parent's backyard. They love jumping with the hose on the trampoline and filling up the little pool. They never seem to have the appropriate swimwear however and just wear what they can find.

Jake was having a great time squirting Alexa and Kenzie. They usually aren't such good sports about it cause the hose water is freezing cold but it was a really hot day and they were really having a great time!!
Max was in the pool with Alex ad Brooklyn (I guess I didn't get any shots of them) Max was really excited to play with the 'big gun' as he kept saying over and over. I love days when you can just watch the kids play outside and everyone is getting along and having a good time.

The MANY Faces of Maxwell

 

For some reason me and Max were sitting on the bench watching the kids play and I had my camera so I tried to take picture of him and he got really mad so I kept taking them...these all happened within minutes of each other. He was shy then mad then angry then silly then happy then grumpy then mean, that is alot of emotions for such a short time. He is a funny kid.

Thank goodness for swim diapers

Like I said we never seem to have the right gear for the spontaneous water day in Grandma's backyard so Max just played in his diaper and when I took it off it weighed like 20 lbs. At least they are absorbent!!

Let the Training Begin...

I finally started my training for the Top of Utah Marathon...yes I am planning on running my very first marathon on Sept 20th. I decided the more people I tell the harder it will be for me to back out.
I have to admit I have become pretty lazy in my old age...that is to say I lack motivation. I have a job that allows me to sleep in so that is the schedule I am used to and it is very difficult for me to wake up any earlier than I have to. I have never been a morning person (except when I was on drill team and had 4:30am practices but I had NO choice then).

I have to come up with ways to motivate myself but I have a feeling I will be doing most of my running in the evenings even though I really would rather run in the morning. On Monday we went to Shaved Ice for FHE and I didn't get one instead I put on my running gear and ran home (or jogged, I prefer to say ran) I am pretty anal and always like to map out the course I am going to take in the car beforehand so I know exactly how many miles it is. I love getting dropped off somewhere so I have no choice but to run home. I really need to dig a little deeper and get motivated. I ran 3 miles on Monday and it was still pretty hot at 8pm and I am having major allergy issues right now so my lungs were really suffering when I got home.
I decided to run every other day at first so as not to over do it. Tonight I mapped out a 6 mile run and felt really great the whole time. I average around 12 minute miles right now which before I had Max was 10 minute miles so I am way out of practice.
Running is totally mental for me...if I know I am running 3 miles I don't get tired until the end of it and think there is no way I could go another block...but when I know I am running 6 miles I am fine until the end and think the same thing. I am hoping that will hold true when I have to start doing 12 and 15 mile runs!!
I ran a half marathon Sept 2006 and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I ran along river bottom road and there were a ton of deer and it was a pretty great evening to run, Thanks to Metro Station and Fall Out Boy for keeping me company and for Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional) for my cool down walk home.
If any of you runners out there have good running music ideas I am always open for some new running jams!!
Well that was quite a lengthy post but I wanted to keep track of my progress on the blog so you will probably be hearing more about my running adventures. If anyone wants to run with me I would be happy to start with you but like I said running is totally mental for me and I just like to go at my own pace and listen to my music and ponder life...but I love it when people are waiting for me at the finish line!!! I have to thank Rich for being such a great runner and I love running races with him and my sister Monica...we all start together but then we do our own thing and they are always waiting for me at the finish line.

Rich's Surprise for Me

Friday afternoon Rich and I headed up to Midway to "The Homestead" for our anniversary. Rich made all the arrangements, he is a great husband!! We went swimming in the crater. I have seen it on the Internet and we have both wanted to go try it out, it was really fun.
You can walk up the stairs to the top of the crater and they have the opening fenced in but you can look down and see the water. So this is the view from the top
They make everyone wear life preservers (which I am not a huge fan of but whatever...I like to be able to just tread water without the hassle of the thing up around your neck but I guess safety first right Melissa)!! It was really hot in there so I sat on a water noodle for a while so my arms were out of the water to cool off.
I took this picture inside the crater looking up. It isn't very big in there and there were 8 people doing scuba certification so it was a little crowded but we had a good time.
Isn't he funny. Rich never really learned how to swim and he just doggy paddles and I always give him a hard time about it but I am just teasing him. He was really loving the hot water and didn't ever want to get out!!
We watched the Kite Runner and sat in the hot tub. We slept in until 11am and only woke up because Alexa called. It was great being able to relax and get away for a little bit. We laid out for a few hours and then I took Rich to Texas Roadhouse for a late lunch. It was his first time. We ran a few errands and then went home.
Thanks so much McKell and Joseph for watching the kids while we were gone!!

Swim Lesons

Alex had swim lessons all week and he is such a great swimmer. He passed Beginner 3 so now he can advance to Intermediate 1. Alex is half fish I think, he can stay in the water for hours and hours and hours.

Here is his jump off the diving board
Then he pops up for a breath and swims to the side

He was a little bored in this class because he could already do all the things that they were practicing. He does have a small problem focusing and listening to the coach because he just was kind of doing his own thing.

4th Anniversary

Today marks the day that we became an eternal family 4 years ago. It seems like it has been longer. I asked Alexa the other day if she remembered life before Spanish Fork and she said a little. I am sure Alex probably doesn't remember much. Rich and I decided that it isn't only our anniversary that it is really all of ours. We went out to eat at IHOP for dinner and I got the kids a little anniversary gift. Rich and I are going to celebrate together this weekend. He has something planned that he won't tell me (even though I really hate surprises...yeah I know I am NO fun, but I have always hated them. Now If I don't know they are coming then I love it but it has to be totally out of the blue).
Anyway I wanted to post these pictures of the day we were sealed together as a family in the temple. I am sad to say but I don't really remember too many of the details because it was my wedding day and I was nervous and excited etc. I do remember the wedding ceremony it was way short and not at all what I was expecting. Rich's Grandpa Cope was the sealer and he was pretty old and having a hard time remembering things so that made it interesting. I do remember when the temple workers brought in the kids and Amy and Melanie were just bawling. Then Grandpa Cope really struggled with Alexa's name and had to try several times to get it right (I am not sure he ever got it exactly right but close enough). I know that it was really important to Rich that his Grandpa performed the ordinances.
Then we went outside to get some pictures and I just remember feeling really happy and peaceful and grateful knowing that my kids would now be able to receive the blessings of the Temple and that we were now an Eternal Family.
I am so grateful for Rich and for all that he has put up with adding 3 new people to his family all in one day. He is such a loving, hard-working, understanding husband and I will always be grateful to him for honoring his Priesthood and having such a strong testimony of the Gospel. I love my kids too and I kinda feel bad that Max wasn't able to be with us at the temple but I guess he was up in Heaven thinking "pretty soon I will get to come to earth and be a part of that eternal family, I can't wait."

Maxwell turned 2

Well I feel bad and I shouldn't even document this because he didn't know the difference but we totally skipped Max's Birthday. It was a really busy week and we knew that all our family would be together on the weekend so we just decided to have his party after the fact. June 4th was his Birthday and me and the kids told him Happy Birthday and he would get really mad and say "Ales brday" (Alex's birthday)then we would sing the happy birthday song and he would run out of the room. I asked him if he was 2 and he would get mad and say NO and then spit. He didn't really understand but it was really funny how mad he was getting.
We had the party outside because it was such a great day so it was tricky lighting the candles but he did blow them out, I love this picture...the timing was perfect (yes I am totally giving myself props, is that OK)?
I stole this cake idea from Rachel it was on her blog. It's just from Macey's but if you know Max then you know how perfect for him this cake is..it even turned out cuter than I expected and he loved it!!
It was my Dad's real birthday on Sunday and I felt kind of bad that Max got all the attention but he knows we love him and he got some gifts too (except that I doubt that my Mom is going to allow him to shoot off the illegal fireworks Steve and Melissa gave him, we'll just have to do it when she's not home...don't tell!!) Happy Birthday DAD I love you. Doesn't he look great for a 56 year old??