30, Flirty, and Thriving!

Today I turn the big 3-0!   yay me!  It isn't as bad as some people make it out to be.  Yeah, I'm older than I once was but that can be said about everyone.  I'm grateful to have made it on this earth for 30 years.  Growing up I remember my mom complaining about her birthdays, complaining about aging.  Then she got cancer.  Every birthday after that battle had been a celebration.  She is grateful for every year she has been given.  And I've decided to take her frame of mind.  I am blessed to have been given 30 years.  Those years gave me friends and experiences and a wonderful husband and 2 crazy and beautiful children.  Thank you to everyone who has been a part of them!

Here's what I've learned in the past 30 years:
-I am stronger than I think I am
-Gravity wins, every time.
-I'm not the mom I thought I would be
-I'm not the wife I thought I would be
-Sleep is not optional
-Turns out that calories count every day--even on holidays and weekends.  boo.
-Despite the state of the world, there are still so many amazing and kind people.
-Unconditional love is not a myth. It's real and it's amazing!
-The best guys are bald :)
-I don't care what anyone says, caffeine is a drug...a strong one! (and I love it!)
-Facing fears is a huge adrenaline rush!
-People change
-Nostalgia can be dangerous
-If you're not moving forward, you are moving backward
-Laughter is the best medicine for ANYTHING!
-Wii bowling is very different than real bowling
-Pulling weeds is good therapy
-Tip your waiter/waitress
-Always pay the Karma jar. (learned that one the hard way...)
-My kids have a lot to teach me about being out-going


Here's what I look forward to:
-Staying fit
-Watching my kids grow
-Living out of state
-Going back to school
-Going back to work
-Completing my first Triathlon in July
-Traveling

Losing It

So around November of last year, I was going through a hard time.  My doctor started me on a new medication and the side effects were awful!  In 2 1/2 months I gained 17 lbs.  I was the biggest I have ever been, not pregnant.  I needed a change.

I got off of that med and Trent and I decided to do a program called "Feel Great in 8".  It's a fitness an nutrition tracking system and you compete against one another for 8 weeks.  We started towards the end of January and it was hard at first.  But as time went on I was feeling better and had more energy an felt more in control of my life. 

The 8 weeks ended and I tried to still stick with the tracking.  I do Zumba twice a week and run once to twice a week. 

I am so proud to say that as of today, I have lost 15 lbs!!!!  All but 2 of the 17 I gained!!!  I feel great and  look forward to losing the next 7!!!

Boogers

The other day the kids and I were driving in the car and I hear Grant making lip smacking noises.  I asked what he was doing.  Turns out he was eating his boogers.  My reaction: "Gross!!  Grant stop it!  That's so discusting!"
Jane's rebuttle: "No mom, it's great.  You have to try it.  Boogers are yum!"
Say what?!?!?
Now I hear two kids making lip smacking noises.
"Don't pick your noses, guys!  It wil make them bleed!!!"
Jane:  "No mom, I'm not getting the hard ones, I'm eating the gooey ones.  Sometimes if there's a booger just like hanging i pick it and eat it.  It's So yum!"
Me: (insert dry heaving here)


Today I got a REALLY bad bloody nose.
Jane's response:  "Mom, you really should stop picking your nose."
Rodger that.

Santa Claus is coming to Town!

This past weekend was the annual Bassett Family Christmas party.  Cathy B. through a great party with food and games and cookie decorating and, of course, the appearance of The Big Man himself: SANTA!
Grant was so excited he kept trying to sit on his lap and everytime Santa called another kid up Grant would be bummed.  Finally it was his turn and he hopped right up on the Jolly Old Elf's knee and smiled for pictures.  The more we would say, "smile Grant" the more he waould ham it up.  He nuzzeled right into Santa's beard and then started stroking it!  Yep, he was the creepy kid, but it was so adorable.
Jane did better this year.  She's still a bit nervous around him but she sat on his knee and told him what she wasnted and that he'd have to find us in California this year. 

 

My Cute Kids

*On Wednesday Jane told me: "I got my ears checked at school today, Mom"
Me: "Oh yeah?  How'd it go? Are they good ears? "
Jane: "I did great!  I raised my hand even when I didn't hear anything!"

*We have Monsters Inc in the car right now and every time we start the car the movie starts over.  The fist scene in the movie is a monster sneaking in to scare a kid.  Grant calls it the "scary monster".  Whenever it comes on he starts yelling, "Mom!  Close your eyes! Close your eyes!" and I watch him in the rear-view-mirror as his eyes go big and then squeeze shut, big and then squeeze shut until the climax where he is literally prying his own eyes open with his fingers.  It's so cute!

*The other night I made Shepard's Pie.  Jane was whining because she didn't like it and didn't want to eat it. "Moooommmmm. . ..I don't like this!  It's not even a pie!"

*Grant has been going potty now and then and we've decided to reward his efforts with little glow sticks and loads of praise.  Yesterday I went to the bathroom and he said, "yay mom! Get a glow-stick!  I'm so happy and proud!" aaww, thanks little buddy! I do my best :)

*When Grant says the word "Temple" it sure sounds like "tampon"

*Jane: Mom, when am I going to get born again?
Me: Honey you only get born once.
Jane: But in church they said you get born again when you are baptised. . .
Me: Oh. Well your body doesn't get born again, just your spirit.
Jane: Where's my spirit?
Me: It's inside you.
Jane: (wiggling and feeling her arms) Like in my bones?!?!  I can't feel it. . .

*The other day we were walking to the park and Grant was lagging behind.  I turned to see where he was at and he was picking something up off the sidewalk and putting it in his mouth.  I started yelling at him to spit it out, whatever it was.  When I got closer I realized that he'd peeled some old gum off the sidewalk and that's what he was eating.  GROSS! total "Elf" moment.

*Jane and I were talking about being good because Santa is watching.  She said: "I don't care I'm bad and her brings me coal.  I like rocks.  I have a collection." So much for that.

*When Jane and Grant play make-believe, Jane calls Grant "Dea".  I thought that was a weird pretend name but then noticed that Grant would say, "Hey! I have a idea. . . " and with his little man speech it must have sounded to Jane like "Hey! I am Dea" 

Surviving Fall

Autumn is always the hardest time of the year for me.  With the cooling air comes depression and restlessness.  It's been this way for years.  So I generally dread the onset of Fall.  This year is no different.  But I have chosen to embrace some of the things I LOVE about this season to try to make it through. 

Canning Peaches

Usually I do this with my Mom.  This year she decided to go have fun in Europe with my dad (rough life) so I got to fly solo for the first time.  Thanks to my wonderful Aunt and her fruit laden trees, I had a TON of peaches (for free!).  It was a bit more difficult doing it all by myself but it worked out.  The house smelled of peaches and burnt sugar, I had the windows open and Grant playing out on the deck.  It was a perfect day.

Harvesting our produce

I love having a garden.  It is one of the best things about living in a house.  The kids love to pick our ripe veggies and this year they were super pleased with the carrots.  If I don't keep a sharp eye on them, they will sneak out and pull up a few :)  We had a big crop of grape tomatoes and our little pumpkins make me happy.

Music
Fall has a specific type of music, if you ask me.  Usually it's Coldplay, Damien Rice, or Tori Amos.  This year I've found a new artist to soothe my soul. Ed Sheeran.  What is it about weird looking red heads? (He and Brett Dennen amaze me).

Holidays
While I hate Fall, I love Halloween.  It is my favorite holiday, next to Christmas.  And now I have the added aid of Pinterest to get my decorating on!  I'm working on a tulle wreath and am already planning out how to make the kid's costumes.  LOVE IT!

Family Camping Trip

Last weekend we took the family on a camping trip.  We wanted to get in a family vacation before Trent starts his clinical rotations because we won't see him much for the next year and a half.  Trent and I spent hours on the internet looking up good spots, checking the fishing reports, and trying to find a campground.  We decided to head down to Palisades campground just outside of Manti.  Friday morning we packed the car with as much as we possibly could and headed out on the open road.  After 20 mins the kids were done with the car.  Too bad we still had 2 hours to go!
We pulled into Palisades and talked with the woman running the pay station. "What brings you here?" she asked.  "Fishing and camping and swimming!" we replied. She gave us a confused/sad look and said "You know we don't have a reservoir, right?  It's all dried up." What?!?!?!?!  We wanted to see for ourselves so we drove over to where the water should be.  She was right.  Where there should have been a good sized body of water stood a swampy puddle.  We were bummed!  After driving around the tiny, shade-free campsites, we decided to try somewhere else.  The kids were livid.  They wanted to set up camp NOW.  They wanted to get out of the car NOW.  So we drove back to Manti and had a little picnic which helped thier spirits (and their flat bums).

having a picnic in Manti

Trent has taken the scouts to a little place called Burrston Ponds in Mona, UT and thinks it's a great spot so we turned the car around and headed back to Mona.  When we got there we found a great spot surrounded by trees and close to the water.  I was impressed with all that place had to offer.  Swimming, fishing, they have several rope swings, frog hunting, clean port-a-potties, and huge trees.  We spent the rest of the afternoon fishing and roasting marshmallows over coals and going on walks.  That night it was super noisy with all the college kids using the rope swing well into the night.

Fishing with Dad.

Jane biffed it and scratched up her head.  She got over it, though.  Look how happy she is!

They love each other, so sweet.

Our camping spot the first night.

Grant super excited to be sleeping in a tent in his sleeping bag.

In the morning Trent wasn't feeling so well so he took the kids into town to get some medicine and I stayed and fished.  I caught 3 good sized rainbow trouts!  I was so stoked that when they got back, I took Jane out and she caught 4!  Trent went out after us and he caught 4 too!  Grant didn't have the attention span but was sure happy when we'd reel one in.

Jane's fish. Go Jane!

Ice Cream at the Big Red Barn

After lunch we went to the "Big Red Barn" about 10 miles north of Mona and got some homemade ice cream.  We thought the kids would be tired enough they would crash in the car, but it wasn't so.  By the time we got back to camp Trent and I were ready for naps but the kids weren't, so Trent took them to the city park in Mona and I tried fishing at a different pond (still in Burrston but not with loud swimmers).  As I walked over there, it started to rain and then it was a downpour so I cast my line in, rested it on a chair and then stood under a tree for shelter.  all of the sudden my line was moving!  I ran to the chair and yanked it back to set the hook. And the line broke!I looked in the water and saw a HUGE fish swimming away.  So I cast in again and immediatly got another bite!  I set the hook and reeled in . . .it was a little baby fish.  I unhooked it and cast out again.  Within seconds I had another one. This was awesome!  Trent rolled up with the kids and I told him about the fishing.  He didn't believe me so he cast out a line and within seconds he had a baby fish.  So we decided to move our camp to that pond.  By then it had stopped raining so we moved all our stuff to our hot fishing spot.  

Our camp site the second night.

 I took Grant out on the float boat to try and get a big fish.  We were trolling our line headed back to camp when something big got my line.  It was so strong it was literally pulling us in the boat as I tried to reel it in.  This was it!!!  King of the Pond!!  I was yelling to Trent and Jane on shore and reeling with all my might.  Trent yelled back "get it in the boat!!"  How was I supposed to do that?  It was a huge fish and a small boat.  I guess I could throw Bubba out.  No time for decisions!!  I got that fish right up to the boat and pulled hard.  He came up out of the water onto the side of the boat.  He was definitely King of the Pond!!!  And then the line snapped and he splashed back into the water and swam away.  I had had him!  He was mine.  I must catch him again. . .
That night we had Dutch oven pizza's (which were a work in progress) and we let the kids stay up late.  Trent and I fished for a couple of hours after the kids went to bed and then we called it a night too.

This is how we found them after they feel asleep Saturday night.  Precious!

Grant got dirty.  VERY dirty.

Sunday morning Grant woke up early (big surprise) so I took him out to try to find King of the Pond again.  We paddled around catching stupid baby fish and then I saw them.  3 Kings. . .3 ginormous fish swimming around our boat.  The stupid little fish had taken most of our bait by then so I had 1 1/2 worms left to work with.  I tried and tried until the bait was gone and the fish were no longer in site.  It was not meant to be.
We had breakfast and packed up and headed to home to do-dirt ourselves.
We had a wonderful vacation, despite some minor snags, and the kids can't wait to go camping again.  Sunday night we ate some of our Rainbows and Jane was so proud.  Family vacation=success!