Lake Tahoe~Race Around the Lake

By Joseph and Amy

On September 26-28, we took our trip to Lake Tahoe that we've been planning for months. Soon after moving to Northern California last year, Joseph expressed a desire to participate in the Lake Tahoe Marathon Week cycling race around the perimeter of the lake. He invited a couple of friends from high school who share his love of cycling to participate with him. We turned it into a reunion of sorts and had lots of fun visiting with all of our families. Joseph's mom also joined us from Utah with his younger siblings, Isaac and Celeste and helped us cheer him on.

We arrived and quickly settled into the large cabin we had rented near Zephyr Cove (where the race started and ended) and then headed down to the beach for the kids to play and to watch the beautiful sunset.

The riders......Brent Wall, Paul Frandsen, and Joseph Lee The temperatures were very pleasant during the weekend, but I don't think they were nearly warm enough for our kids to be in their bathing suits. They insisted on wearing them anyway and both of our girls jumped into the extrememly cold lake with their dad. I was surprised to see Brynn fully submerge into the icy water, and Abby kicking around with water up to her neck. They didn't seem to mind the bitter cold (they get that from their dad)....until after they got out....brrrr! I'm sure we looked like crazy parents, but they survived!
When they finished swimming, they bundled back into their clothes and enjoyed playing in the sand and on the playground with all of the other children.

We waited long enough to see a magnificent sunset and then headed back to the cabin for a pre-race pasta dinner.

It was fun to see the guys strategize after dinner. Paul had his laptop out and they were discussing pelaton etiquette and lots of other stuff about elevations climbs, nutrition, and hydration that I don't completely understand. Joseph was expecting a century type event, where things are a little more leisurely, you can enjoy the scenery, maybe even take a few pictures, but was very surprised that this race was all about speed. Joseph almost took his camera along for the ride, but Paul told him that wouldn't be a good idea. After the race, I overheard the guy who took second place, a cat-3 rider , say that it felt like a 72 mile time trial. I can't imagine what it must have felt like. The guys did an amazing job!

Here's Joseph's account of the race....

I have enjoyed fantastic cycling since I discovered the sport shortly after our marriage. First as a mountain biker in Utah and Washington during college and law school and now as a road cyclist these last couple of years. Almost all of my riding on my road bike has been on my own and I have always pushed my pace hard and enjoyed the rush and thrill of breathtaking vistas, exhilarating speeds, and leg and lung-pounding exercise. I LOVE CYCLING!!! Being a fan of professional cycling events like the Tour De France has only made my own training all the more enjoyable.

Well about 4 months ago I had this idea to enter the Great Lake Tahoe Bike Race as part of the Lake Tahoe Marathon week of events. I invited my high school friends Brent Wall and Paul Frandsen to race/ride with me, and I told them I would like us to try and accomplish the 72 mile event in under 4 hours, an average of 18 mph. Both friends were gung ho and managed to sign up for the race paying the $100 dollar entry fee before I did. I shopped online and found a big cabin to rent near Zephyr Cove where the race started and ended. Now it was just time to train! Paul jumped into training full force, riding 5 times most weeks and shedding 30 lbs. over the summer to be in peak racing condition. Brent managed 3 rides a week in Utah at elevation, and I.... well, I managed an average of 1 time per week most of the summer. Between our busy remodel at work, and a busy church calling, I did what I could. One good training ride a week early Saturday mornings. Amy was a great sport and was very understanding when I would be up and out of the house by 6:00 a.m. for 3-6 hours on a Saturday in order to get to the nearest roads with hills, which happens to be around the Lake Berryessa mountain range which I've grown to love. I live at sea level (Okay, 60 feet above sea level) and for this race I needed any elevation and altitude training I could get. (Lake Tahoe sits at 6,200 feet). In addition to those early morning Saturday rides near our home, there were a few Friday night Young Men's campouts in the High Sierra Nevada Range here in California. On each of those campouts I was afforded wonderful training opportunities on very early Saturday mornings while the youth slumbered in their tents! I'll post those pictures and write about those rides soon!

For the most part, I worked alot this summer, served in the Bishopric the best I could, and played with my beautiful Amy Jo and our kids the rest of the time.

Here are a few fun facts about the event (of course after this year's race, some of these facts have changed!)

1. This event is designed to let you see how fast you can go around Lake Tahoe.

2. The route is 72.2 miles with nearly 4,000 feet elevation gained.
3. You will receive handsome achievement awards for riding under 4 hours and 3:30.
4. And you are also competing against the field for a small purse.
5. Our current record is 3:01 held by Jeff Schalk of San Francisco.
6. We have a $500 bounty to award the person who establishes a new record.
7. Legend has it that Greg Lemond did it in 3:15 as a high school student while growing up in Reno.
8. The first 9 miles is through about 25 stop lights with a police escort for the lead Peloton.
9. Any one may ride but we do have a 6 hour time (7am to 1pm) limit for timing purposes.

When the week of the race finally arrived, I was sick... not nervous... sick with a terrible chest cold that lasted 10 days prior to the race until a few days afterward. Sickness wouldn't help me be fast! I drowned myself in fluids, vitamins, and decongestants while attempting to carbo-load the 5 days before the race. I was so excited to take Friday the 26th off from work and meet the crew at beautiful Lake Tahoe. We checked into our cabin, made a yummy lunch, talked politics and the financial crisis the nation is in, and then Paul and Brent and I rode our bikes for 40 minutes to stretch a little and get out the jitters before we headed with our wives and the kids to the lake front. Brynn and Abby and I swam in the crystal waters and it was refreshingly freezing! Aaron dabbled his toes in and Amy nervously watched us all, hoping she wouldn't have to jump in and save any of us during her 9th month of pregnancy. Lake Tahoe is clear and gorgeous! We visited on the shore until sunset and then returned to the cabin for a homemade pasta buffet - delicious!

Before bed we watched Lance Armstrong highlights from a DVD video I have showcasing his 7 Tour de France wins. Paul talked race strategy and his determination that we race hard, near the front through the police escort for the first 10 miles or so. I really didn't know what to expect. I had watched plenty of professional cycling and was awed that the group, the peleton could ride so close together and so fast! There is a 25% energy saving that comes with drafting closely behind the rider in front. Brent and I listened to Paul and said we would do our best. He had experienced peleton riding with his buddies in medical school and was better prepared strategically for what lie ahead in the morning than Brent and I were. I slept a restless but peaceful night... maybe 4 hours with kids waking up needing a drink or to find the bathroom, etc.

5:30 a.m. came and it was time for an oatmeal and banana breakfast, time to dress in our Garneau Croc's matching pink jersey's (Paul's great idea), sleeves, knee warmers, gloves, helmets, etc. Pack our spare tubes, patches, CO2 cartridges, water-bottles, mangoes and Fig-Newtons for energy and we headed off for the 3 mile ride in the dark to the start line. At Zephyr Cove Resort, where the race began, there was a buzz in the air as racer's pinned on numbers (#7247), and flourescent green stickers to the front of our bikes and helmets to signify which event we were racing in. Looking around I realized this was the nearest thing to the "real deal" that I had yet participated in. Besides the two centuries I had completed (Tour De St. George 06', and Foxy's Fall Century in Davis, CA 07') which are well supported and more casual pace (plenty of food and beverage support along the course and not officially timed), this was the first real race I had participated in. Shortly before 7:00 we were all lined up, 180 of us on a cone lined lane of Highway 50. I was next to Brent, smiling broadly and tickled pink (literally) for the adventure ahead. The shotgun fired at 7:00 sharp... where was Paul? Lucky we were in bright pink as Brent I were able to spot Paul ahead moving steadily toward the front of the pack, positioning himself according to his predetermined race strategy. The atmosphere was electric! One girl crashed right in front of Brent and I when a rider in front of her knocked over a cone. About 100 feet ahead there were both a police car with lights flashing (just like the Pros!) and a motorcyle leading the pack. The 10 or so stop lights through South Lake Tahoe City were held by police officers at each corner and we were able to fly along and through at 25 - 30 miles per hour in the massive heaving group, each rider jockeying for position, which was like a snake that sped past the casinos of South Tahoe, then curved into the dense forest along the lake shore road. I managed to keep track of Paul ahead nearly 50 feet, and Brent and I kept our eye on each other while keeping my focus on the riders and tires in front of me, touching my brakes as not to bump anyone or be the cause of a crash. This was a new and fast game that I liked! I couldn't believe the fast pace and adrenaline rush the race environment fostered within me. I wondered how long we could keep this pace in such a tight group when suddenly the road began to climb steeply upward. The riders at the front (which primarily rode for semi-pro Northern California race teams) surged forward and upward as the road switched back and forth up to the top of Inspiration Point overlooking Emerald Bay. My legs burned and my lungs seared as I attempted to pick up the pace and keep up with the leading pack. I could see Paul 200 feet ahead with a fast group going around a switchback. The larger peleton had blown up over the short and steep 12% grade, 800 foot elevation climb to inspiration point. I had managed to hang on to the tail of the fastest group in the race. (Later Brent told me that after he lost me on the climb he pulled a head of the rest and there was a big gap after him which required him to ride the next 10 miles by himself.... not an easy thing to do). Next came a 300 foot elevation descent and 300 foot rise (a "V" shape) at the top of which I had caught back up with Paul and a group of 7 before the road dropped again and I lost Paul and the 7. Rats! Quick cycling fact: a group typically rides faster then a solo rider because of the drafting effect. I pedaled in earnest to catch up and by the top of the next rise was on Paul's tail. The road then made another descend and I was off the back again before I could join the group. Double Rats!! I prayed and pedaled now 200 yards behind Paul's group and as the road went upward again I gave it all I had to bridge the 200 yard gap by the top of the rise. Because I had exerted so much personal energy trying to catch up, I was exhausted when I made it to the group. Paul recognized this and put his hand on the back of my saddle and pushed and pedaled with me for 50 feet or so giving my legs just enough of a break to tuck me into the group of 8.

From then on the theme was tuck in and hold-on for dear life! I was not going to be dropped again or it would be lights out for me! In a near straightline we hugged the white painted line marking the side of the road as we zipped along the Western then Northern shores of Lake Tahoe. I didn't dare eat, I didn't dare drink.....just concentrate, draft, conserve, pedal and for me, hold on as long as I could. When we came to a water station in Tahoe City, 3 or 4 volunteers handed us water bottles as we rode by without stopping. I managed to sip and snack on some dried mangos for energy as we wove in and out of each crystal and turqouise bay. Our group passed two much larger groups of 35 mile and 20 mile event racers, as we passed through Incline Village on the beautiful Northeast end of the lake. The pace kept picking up as we passed more racers from the shorter distance events and even caught up with some of stragglers who had dropped off the back of the fastest groups in the very front. As the road went up, once again Paul had positioned himself in the lead group going up the climb to Spooner Summit. This time I was dropped with 4 other riders. No problem, I was tired and happy and would ride strong at my own pace solo to the end. The road climbed for 6 miles before a mix of flats, small hills, and descents the last 5 miles. I crossed the line alone in 3:08.59 with Paul who had just finsihed before me, cheering me on at the finish! We joyously embraced! I was ecstatic, had completed the race more than 50 minutes faster than my goal of under 4 hours, averaged nearly 23 miles per hour, and rode probably faster and better than my conditioning level and the sickness I was suffering from! Absolute victory!!! I finished 28th out of the 180 riders, within 7 minutes of the course record of 3:01 (amazingly this year, a group of 9 which included semi-pro team racers finished in 2:59, smashing the 5 year old record!) It was a riot! I loved the experience.

I immediately called our wives and my mom to join us at the end to cheer on Brent. To their surprise, Paul and I were already done. They were with us in minutes and we cheered on Brent Wall at the finishing time clock. Amy and the girls made awesome flourescent posters to cheer on their "pink dudes". We all recieved finishers medals, a license plate cover, and we even recieved a trophy for finishing under 3.5 hours. What a fun, challenging, wonderful bike race! I can't wait to do it again next year -- and next time train more, ride more strategically, and not get sick!

Amy Jo and the kids were so wonderful to be there to cheer us on. I love my beautiful wife and kids and I love the adventure of wholesome family recreation and outdoor physical exercise. Our Father in Heaven has made some beautiful places, and the Sierra Nevada range with it's alpine crystal clear lakes is certainly among His crowning creations.

Besides a little fatigue in the legs, we enjoyed a wonderful Saturday afternoon, taking the kids to the top of Heavenly Ski Resort aboard the Heavenly Gondola ride. Our kids enjoyed hiking around and on top of the giant granite boulders and fallen pine trees. Next we drove to the top of Emerald Bay and Inspiration Point for hiking and pictures and I relived those first brutal switchbacks that blew the race apart, explaining play by play to Amy what I had gone through. We ended our evening enjoying some mexican food, then soaking in the hot tub beneath the stars and visiting with the other couples until past midnight. My wife and children are simply wonderful. Amy Jo orchestrated the food and packing for the trip so I could focus on work, and everything came off perfectly! It was so fun to plan a family vacation with friends that involved a fitness event to participate in. I will never forget this wonderful first real race, and perfect trip with my dear ones.

Joseph and Paul at the end of the race.
The kids all had a great time playing with Isaac. He helped make the trip fun for everyone!
Abby adored and doted on Paul and Amy's twin daughters, Bekah and Abby and Brent and Lindy's little daughter Lydia. On the way home she said, "I wish the Frandsen's and the Wall's could live by us!"

It was fun making posters to cheer the guys on before the race. All the kids designed their own using their own creativity and it was pretty cute to see the individualism in each poster. We have to give credit to Lindy for the more professional looking posters that we wives got to hold up. She is a creative genius and did a great job!

Joseph, Aaron and Grandma Shawny

Joseph, Isaac and Celeste....you have to look close to see Isaac, he sort of blends in with his shirt. :)
I'm so proud of my man!


We love our pink dudes! They all did awesome!

The riders who finished under 3 hours 30 minutes.



We loved being in the moutains on the Heavenly Gondola ride.

Spectacular views of the lake and the moutains.

Joseph was so proud of what great hikers the kids were. He has the mountains in his blood and it makes him so happy to be near or in the mountains.
The view of Emerald Bay as dusk approached.

It looks like snow in the mountains, doesn't it? It's actually just the granite rock of the Sierra Nevada Range.
Thanks Joseph for having the desire to participate in such a fabulous event. I love every opportunity we have to get away as a family and to enjoy our Heavenly Father's magnificent creations.

Hiking in the Hills of Berryessa

In between sessions of conference on Saturday, we headed out to the Berryessa Mountains to do a little hiking. It hasn't really felt like fall here, with temps in the 90's, but this week's temps gave us a little reprieve, I hope it lasts! The air even smelled like fall with the decaying leaves crunching below our feet. Smells so good! I really miss Utah this time of year and all of the beautiful colors of the fall leaves, but I can honestly say that while the first snowfall in Utah is magical, I am really looking forward to another winter here in California without the snow.

Four more until #4!

I'm feeling pretty great and we are anxiously preparing for our new addition. I started to realize the the bigness of my condition while we were in Tahoe last weekend (we're working together on writing about the events of our trip....coming soon!). Back to my bigness. It all started when Abby kept taking candid shots of me while we were sitting on the gondola ride. I've decided that every bit of fat gets all squished up right to the middle when you are sitting and she just happened to get quite a few shots of me relaxing and chatting on the ride. I looked at the pictures and started to laugh, saying, "I am enormous!" Brynn piped in and said, "No Mom, you are more like GI-normous!"

The second thing that happened had me laughing hysterically at the moment, on the ride home, and each time I think of it now. The cabin we stayed in had an outdoor hot tub on one of the decks. A few of the kids and a few of the adults decided to get into hot tub the night of the race. I decided to get in for a minute or two (so I wouldn't overheat, kind of makes me sound like a small engine doesn't it?). Before I got in, it was pretty crowded with all the kids and filled to the brim and so occasionally when someone would shift, the water would "psh-psh...psh-psh" out of the hot tub and spill onto the lower deck (or whatever was below us). Well, when I gracefully climbed into the hot tub, it was hard to ignore the constant PSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Yes, there was a continual pouring, not just the occasional spill here and there! I am sure the deck below looked like there was a waterfall coming from above. We laughed at how funny it would be if someone were out trying to eat or read a book and got drenched. The pouring continued until I got out. Very funny! :)

I must admit, it's kind of nice to be able blame the bigness on something so wonderful. I only have 4 more weeks to do it, so I better live it up, soon I'll have to start focusing on getting rid of the deflated balloon in my middle. Not nearly as fun! But the fruits are totally worth it!

The Mystery of the Black Socks

We've had a funny phenomenon going on around here. There are only a couple of months here where the weather is cold enough that I need to wear socks and even then, there are days here and there when flip flops will do. Well lately while folding clothes, I've noticed that I keep folding some of my black dress socks. At first I thought they had been at the bottom of the basket and I had somehow missed them for a long time, then a few days later, it happened again. I dismissed it again and thought the kids probably threw them in the laundry hamper, because I know I haven't worn them for about 6 months. When it happened about the 4th time, I started to think it was really odd and that I might be going crazy. Then while we were getting ready for family prayer the other morning, Joseph started putting on his socks, but they weren't his socks...they were MINE! We had a good laugh about how I thought I was going crazy. He said that when he can't find black socks, he just raids my drawer. Mystery solved! They did look a little funny! I guess it's time to go shopping for more socks!

Sunday at the Sacramento Temple

If the Savior Stood Beside Me

Our Primary Program was today...here are a few clips for Grandma and Grandpa. Our primary sang this song twice during the program. The second time they asked the congregation to sing all the verses with them. I lost it...and to make matters worse, the primary president asked me to say the closing prayer to represent the nursery. What a mean thing to do. I could hardly get a word out, let alone breathe.....I'm proud of the kids. They did a great job!

Brynn and Abby's Parts

This week at our house...

It's amazing how the weeks just continue to roll on by. Our little guy will be here before we know it! School is in full swing and I feel like we are in the groove of it all. As much as I hate sending them away, I love the structure that comes when school starts. I am a fairly structured person (Joseph would say I am a Nazi at times, but that's just because that's one of our stronger differences) but having somewhere we HAVE to be at 8:15 a.m. every morning forces me to get into a routine that I don't know would happen otherwise. Once we get our routine going, I am in my element. I love having a purpose and a mission and it's fulfilling to have something that I know I have to do every morning....having people that depend on me makes it easier to get out of bed at an early hour each day. I don't think we've missed morning scripture study once since we've fully embraced the new schedule and I'm not afraid to toot our own horn, I'm proud of ourselves for that!

Usually waking at an early hour means I am headed for the gym, but that hasn't been the case lately. I finally froze my gym membership. Between getting everyone going in the morning to the sciatica (that actually went away all by itself, whew!) I haven't worked out quite as regularly or vigorously with this pregnancy as I did when I was pregnant with Aaron. But I'm also remembering that when I was pregnant with him, we lived about a block away from a 24 hour fitness with a great kids program where they did activities with the kids, had a huge slide and climbing wall, plenty of area to play, disinfected every hour, did not allow food or drink (except water), had to wear socks (but couldn't wear shoes), highly regulated, parents had to show i.d. each time they checked in or out, add all that to the fact that the girls really looked forward to going and it made it a piece of cake to workout no matter how pregnant I was. Here in Woodland, our gym options are not so great. The exercise equipment is nice, and sure, the childcare is free, but sometimes "free" is a big red flag! I'm pretty sure the qualifications for the attendant are simply "a warm body." The room is tiny and the toys are old and broken, I've seen children eat in there, and I've seen kids through the window carry sippy cups and bottles of milk around dripping them on the carpet... so I can't bring myself to take my kids there. My workouts have consisted of walking to and from school, housework, and chasing the kids at the park. Believe it or not, I think I'm equally as exhausted as when I've run 5 miles in the morning. However, I can't wait to really push myself after the baby comes.

We enjoyed watching the BYU game last Saturday. It made both of us a little homesick when we saw the beautiful mountains of Utah Valley. We both started daydreaming about what it would be like to move back there someday and be closer to family. It didn't help to know that 4 members of my immediate family were there at the game or that this past week Abby has been telling me over and over that she really wants us to move back to Utah so we can live with Grandma and Grandpa again. I explained to her that we probably would someday, but that we wouldn't live in Grandma and Grandpa's house, we would live in our own house. She wasn't crazy about that idea. She liked her idea about living with Grandma and Grandpa. She thought that was really fun! I'm glad my kids have such fond memories of those days. It's not always easy for adults to make things work in a situation like that, but I have to hand it to my parents for putting up with us twice in those type of circumstances. It really was fun, and all of the frustrations and annoyances that I know we all felt at times have been washed away in the joy that we each felt having that time to become so well acquainted with one another. I wouldn't trade those memories for anything. Abby decided that as long as we could live next door to them, things would be okay. I don't think Marvell or Jody are going anywhere soon, so Abby may have to settle for something a little different.

We enjoyed watching the BYU game on Saturday as they creamed UCLA, and we all looked for #12 along the sidelines during the game (#12 is Stephen, Emily's fiance). We didn't see him during the game, but our favorite shot in The Daily Herald about the game, totally made up for it! His excitement says it all!

Speaking of Emily, and being homesick....it's been really hard not being there during this exciting time in her life. She and my mom have tried really hard to include me in the details as much as they can, but it's just not the same as being there with them. Mom offered to fly me out for the announcement tea next Tuesday, but with it being the middle of the week, and with Joseph taking a day off next week for his cycling event and our Lake Tahoe trip, I decided it probably wouldn't work. I tossed around the idea of flying out early that morning and home later that night, but I just don't feel like I should leave the kids with anyone (besides Joseph) for that long, especially since we'll be needing help with all of them until my mom can get here when the baby comes. Bummer! I try not to think about it, because I tend to get a little sentimental about it, but I really wish I could be there. I'll miss being with her as she receives her own endowment next week, but I am very grateful that we will all be there for her wedding day in December.

The primary program is tomorrow and I can't wait! The kids have been practicing their parts for the last month and memorized them pretty quickly. During the practice a couple of weeks ago, Abby got up to say her part and when the teacher tried to help her, she turned to her and promptly said, "I don't need any help!" Apparently everyone said it was pretty funny! Hopefully she'll be brave and say it on her own tomorrow during the real deal.

While we were practicing her part yesterday, she said without missing a beat, and while flipping her hand in the air..."I can learn about prayer in the scriptures. Enos prayed....who is this Enos guy anyway...for a long time for his sins to be forgiven-ed, then he prayed for those he loved." We then went straight to the scriptures and learned about Enos. She was so happy to learn more about his story and said, "Mom, would you read that to our family for family honed evening? I think everyone would really like it. " Why didn't I think to explain who Enos was before, I guess I figured she already knew. Abby is quite the delight and the handful. I love her to pieces.

With Brynn in school all day, and Abby in school a few days a week for a few hours, I have quite a few hours with just Aaron and I love it! I constantly debate on whether I should even enroll Abby in pre-school, because I don't think it's really that necessary and I enjoy being with her so much. But she loves it and really looks forward to ti, and I love that she gets to learn through play, music, dress-up, and of course lots of messy, messy art projects (that I don't have to clean up). Abby loves that she gets to play with lots of friends on school days and she really looks forward to her Tuesday playdates with Molly and Maggie, she is always asking why we can't have friends come over to play everyday. She really enjoys people! I am so grateful that I had my two girls so close. It has been a huge blessing, especially at this point in our lives. As much as the girls love friends from school, they are each others very best friend.

Having the time with Aaron is so much fun! We've always had a great bond between the two of us, but having the time with just him is great! He's starting to talk more now and I find his simple phrases adorable. I constantly find myself telling him over and over, "You are so cute! I love you!" I love his little "I ya you!" back. People ask me if I send Abby to pre-school for a break. It's actually harder for me to have one at home than it is to have them all at home at once. Having more than one, they break things up a little by playing with each other, and I can get some things done. Having just Aaron at home, I find myself starting on a project, and the next thing I know he is pulling me around the house to play with him. He loves reading. Sometimes we sit on the couch for 30 minutes reading story after story after story. He ends each story with a "De End." He then runs as fast as he can to put the book away and to get a new one off of the shelf. One of his favorites right now is "There's a Monster at the End of This Book!" ( one of my childhood favorites). He has the book memorized, and repeats every phrase, but it brings him the same delight each time we read it. We've spent some days at the park, just the two of us, and it's been fun to see him literally climb to new heights and say the words, "I did it!" It makes me as happy as I think it makes him.

Right now he is really into the pockets on all of his shorts. He walks around with one or both hands in his pockets. He looks up with a smile and says, "Pocket!" He looks like a little man walking around like that, it's pretty cute.

Brynn is a big help to me and is as sweet as ever. The kids are full of personality and each one of them is a pure delight to me. If I had all my ducks in a row, I would have 4 or 5 more! I know I could love many more, it's just the rest of their basic needs I think I would have a hard time with ;) .

Life is busy and good.

Our most recent engagement!

Congratulations to Aunt Emily and soon-to-be Uncle Stephen! Emily became engaged to Stephen Covey on September 5th, 2008. We can't begin to describe how happy we are for them! They will be married on December 26, 2008. We weren't planning to go to Utah for Christmas, but plans do change! The kids are thrilled that we get to visit grandparents and cousins at such a special time of the year, and Abby is very excited to have her birthday at Grandma and Grandpa's house! I'll be flying there solo with 3 littles and a newborn, yikes! But Joseph will join us and be with us on the flight home. We can't wait to share our new baby BOY with everyone! I just wish I were closer now to help with all of the fun preparations!

A very pleasant day!

We spent Labor Day as a family, took the kids out to dinner at the Buckhorn in Winters, CA, and then went on a little hike. It was a nice and relaxing family day.... more days like that are very welcome here!



Abby climbed a little too high while walking across the bridge. She had been asked quite a few times to stop climbing, so she had to stay between the red lines. She didn't think that was too exciting, as is evident in the way she hangs her head. Adventurous girl!

One of these things is not like the other.....

On Monday night for Family Home Evening, we took a little field trip to the Birthing Center at Sutter Davis. It was great to be able to tour the spot where we will actually deliver and for the kids to see where mom, dad and baby will be.

When we walked in, I noticed immediately that we were different. First of all, I was probably one of the youngest one in the room, at nearly 31 years of age, and second, I was one of the only mom's who had given birth before. Many were first time moms, a couple of second timers, but definitely no one had given birth 3 other times before. It was kind of funny. They treated me like I was the pro.

I don't feel like a pro. You would think that the fact that I have given birth 3 other times would make me feel like one, so why did I and do I feel so terrifed!? I think it's because it's a new hospital with a completely different philisophy and way of doing things than the other hospitals I have delivered at. My nurse midwife and the nurse giving the tour last night both mentioned in no uncertain terms. "We don't do elective inductions or elective c-sections at this birthing center. " That's been childirth for me( atleast the last 2, never had a c-section, I'm talking about elective inductions) and you know I have to say, I've rather enjoyed it. You set a date, go in at 7 a.m. have your water broken, get pitocin, get an epidural and have a baby around noon or so.

Now I have to worry about when it will happen, should I have my mom fly down around my due date or do I wait to call her when I'm actally in labor? (I could be pregnant for 42 weeks!) What if it's in the middle of the night? What if the kids are at school? Do I ask someone from here to come and stay with the kids until she gets here? How do I know when I should go to the hospital? I honestly feel like I'm starting all over again.

The kids were fascinated with the tour. Abby had lots of questions, she pulled my head down close to her's each time and asked every question that went through her head. Her first question was why there was a blue pad on the bed? Most questions she whispered, but if I didn't answer immediately she would say it a little louder, then louder and louder. It became comical when she kept saying, "Mom, HOW does the baby get OUT!!!!" I told her, "We'll talk about that later." She replied a little louder with, "But MOM, I want to know HOW the baby gets out, I NEED to know NOW!!!!" She was overcome with excitement most of the night and would spontaneously hug and kiss my belly and say, "I am so excited for our baby brwother!" We heard a few newborn cries and the girls both cooed at the sound. I could tell it made things real for them and helped them to realize this is coming soon.

The tour guide wanted to show us that birthing tub and the kids were all over that one, but Aaron caught sight of the toilet in the room, he has a fascination with flushing public and our home toilets (don't worry we always wash his hands). I caught him before he got to the flush. The kids nearly jumped into the birthing tub, which wasn't empty and covered with plastic at the time, they wanted to be right up there while the nurse was giving her explanation. Someone asked a questions about meconium and the nurse said, "If the baby does poop in the womb, we won't have you deliver in the tub." She also mentioned something about "swallowing poop." Abby then gasped and got a puzzled look on her face and said, "What does she mean, the baby poops in the water? Why will the baby eat the poop!?" I can picture her in my mind right now asking with her ever-famous furrowed brows. I told her again we would talk about it later. The entire way home she wanted to know about how a baby could poop in the water and eat it and she let us know how disgusting she thought that was.

The magical word came for me at the end of the 1 hour tour. There had been no mention of the "E" word the entire tour. She finally told us at the end, "We won't suggest an epidural, we don't encourage them, but if you get to the point where you're just done, you can ask us for one. We do have them here. We won't suggest it though, so don't expect it....you have to ask."

We feel really good about things here. It is an excellent hospital and birthing center, it's rated well, but just very different than what we are used to. It will be interesting to see how it all comes together.

I LOVE these people!

I've had some sweet feelings today that I wanted to record. Today wasn't an extra-ordinary day by any means, but there were some moments of the day when I felt so grateful to be connected to all of the people in my little family that I just might burst.

The day started with Joseph waking up at 4:00 a.m. to go on a morning bike ride. No, he typically doesn't ride that early in the morning, but this morning, he made an exception because he had volunteered to do a precinct walk for the Protect Marriage campaign. He wasn't necessarily looking forward to doing the walk, knocking door to door, but our prophet has asked that all the members of our church put forth their "best efforts" in this cause. We believe in the cause, but still, it's not easy to go door to door speaking and informing people about such a controversial topic.

On his ride, his tires blew out and so he had to take off his bike shoes and run in his socks toward his car until someone finally picked him up and gave him a ride back to his car. He showered quickly when he arrived home and headed for the church, a little late, to join the rest of the group. Because he was late, he had to do the walk on his own, rather than with a partner, something I think would have been very hard, but I'm glad that he did it (even in the 95+ degree heat) He would have preferred to go with someone else, but that wasn't an option, so he just went to work. He received all sorts of responses and reactions from people, but for the most part, things went well.

It meant alot to me that he would do this. Not just to support our Church, but I felt like he was taking a stand to protect our family and our posterity. We don't know how long we will live in California. It could be a few years, it could be many years, but I hope the efforts of all who have worked so hard will be fruitful. This whole campaign has stirred alot of emotion in me. I've had some sleepless nights thinking about the subject and have been brought to tears during the day thinking about the effect it could have on our children in years to come. I'm glad he took the time to do it.

When he arrived home, we started to think about a family activity to do this afternoon. While we were brainstorming the stake primary president called and asked if Brynn would come to a stake primary choir practice for Stake Conference. They had originally asked for 8-11 year olds, but she lives down the street from us and thought Brynn could handle it. Joseph wasn't crazy about the idea, because he wanted to go play, and Brynn did NOT want to go sing. I felt like she should, so I tried to persuade her to do it. It turned into a big fiasco with her crying about how scared she would be to sing in front of others because the lights would be on in the chapel and she prefers to perform with the lights out so that she can't see the audience......and on and on and on. I finally told her it was her choice, if she didn't want to do it, I wasn't going to make her. She decided on her own that she wanted to and we headed to the Stake Center.

When we got there, I had the best feeling come over me. It's that feeling of knowing you are where you are supposed to be right at that moment in time. I think that the bitterness of the struggle to get her there, made it all the more powerful. I get it everytime I question whether or not I should go to that extra adult session of stake conference, or some other meeting that I am begrudging. Sometimes I get so caught up in completing all of the little tasks of everyday life that I don't take time to really feel the spirit, and I don't realize just how much I am in need of that boost, until I actually get it.

When we arrived, I realized the primary kids were preparing to sing for the prelude music before the general session of Stake Conference, so they had quite a few songs they were going to practice. They started out with all four verses of I Am a Child of God and I lost it. Brynn looked down at me, instead of at the chorister, and every time she made eye contact she would break out in a huge smile. I cried and cried, but tried to hide it the best I could. They then went on to sing some of my favorite primary songs....I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus, Families Can Be Together Forever, I Love to See the Temple, When I'm Baptized, I Know My Father Lives, A Child's Prayer, I'll Follow Him in Faith, We'll Bring the World His Truth as well as a few others I can't remember right now. So I just sat there wiping away the tears, feeling the emotion of each song and hearing these sweet little kids sing so beautifully. Brynn sang her little heart out, and it was cute to hear her voice above some of the others. I could tell she was really enjoying herself and she was glad that she had decided to be there.

By they were ready for a little break, I had gotten a hold of myself, and I went with Brynn to the restroom and to get a drink. I gave her hand a squeeze and told her that her singing made me cry happy and grateful tears because it was so beautiful. She was very amused and said, "It did? I couldn't tell you were crying from up there." It was such a gift to be able to take time out on a hard working Saturday to feel those kind of feelings.

I am grateful for my little family. They bring me tremendous happiness. As I sat and listened to Brynn sing about important gospel truths, and I thought about how Joseph had put forth his "best efforts" this morning it filled me with the hope that all of our children will come to know the truth the words in these sweet songs and it also filled me with the desire to do my best to teach them about those truths. I am grateful for the reminders to do and be a little better. I have a long way to go to get it all right, and sometimes, the task really scares me, but I'm glad to be a wife and mother.

32 down and 8 to go!

I've definitely grown since my 27th week photo and even if I didn't have the pictures to prove it, I have my little ones who are always reminding me just how big I am getting. There's no mistaken', I look positively pregnant and not just like I''ve gained weight and gotten thicker around the waist.

32 weeks

During the first several months, I said to Joseph over and over. I would much rather be 6-9 months pregnant than 8-20 weeks pregnant. Now that I'm in my eighth month I would say, there are advantages and disadvantages to all stages of pregnancy. That's the truth about things!

The kids are getting excited and funny about things. We've finally started talking to Aaron about it, not knowing how much he will really "get." When I ask him now where the baby is he points to his tummy and says, "Baby in my tummy!" Close Aaron, very close! The other day we were talking about doing something as a family after the baby is born and Brynn said, "But mom, I'm not sure that you'll be able to do it, you'll have to milk the baby." As if I didn't feel like a momma cow already, that just seemed to seal the deal! All in stride! All in stride!

We are settling more now on names. Sometimes it takes a sort of compromise for us. You never know how strong willed you are until it comes to naming a child.

This little guy (at least we think it's a he) is quite the little mover. Sleeping is becoming a bit more tricky, but I'm trying to relish all of these feelings.