Okay, so I started writing about Halloween, and it NOT what I want to do right now, so here is a little tidbit to get you interested in our day.
I love it! My child is a spaz! Oh, and yes Haden is doing the "Walk Like an Egyptian". The only dance he knows!
Okay, one last post before I hit Halloween. (all right let me be honest, I’m working up the motivation to edit my Halloween pictures right now….not being too successful)
General Conference weekend brings on the Girl’s nights. The last couple of times the Preece women get together on Friday night so the guys can take the kids and then the men get together on Saturday after priesthood. This time was a HIT! Jacqui came up with the great idea of making a meal that we had never done before.
Meal: Grilled Gourmet Pizza’s – I am SOOOOOO addicted!!
Disclaimer: I’m totally stealing pictures from Grandma Burrell. I didn’t have my camera, and she did a great job documenting the night…so don’t be surprised if you see these again somewhere else!
Checking out the pumpkins at the grocery store before buying our ingredients.
Grilling peppers, onions, and seasoned chicken before putting the crust on the grill.
Working together in the kitchen. Kat made yummy Tucano’s lime drinks to go with the dinner.
Jacqui being daring enough to work with the dough on the grill. The hint: Lots of olive oil. I’m going to have to go and invest in a Costco-sized bottle now!
Enjoying the pizza. Everyone got to “design” their own, and then have a taste of every one. I loved them all. In fact I have grilled pizza’s 2 times already this month and look forward to doing more. I do need Jacqui’s instructions for doing the cinnamon sticks though!
Thanks for a great evening ladies!!
Wow, it is amazing how much difference a year makes. Last year I started with this race when my cousin Amy called and got me committed to running the 5k. So here we are, exactly 1 year later, 15lbs lighter, and a lot faster.
After running the 1/2 marathon 2 weeks earlier, I figured I could pull off my first 10k without much trouble. (I couldn’t believe I skipped straight from 5k’s to a 1/2!) Unfortunately I didn’t count on the bum knee I got from the last race. Running any longer than 20 minutes and pain starts shooting down my leg. I tried everything in the 2 weeks between races to help my knee, but finally just realized I would have to just “get through it”, and look forward to taking a BIG break after the race. (Isn’t that a great attitude?)
The race went great! I had a lot of pain from mile 3 to the end, but it was bearable until after the race. I don’t think I ever saw Dan in the race, he took off so fast, but I had a couple of other friends running, so it was nice to keep them in sight.
Here’s the stats:
| Dan | 47:20 | 7th place – division | 24 of 57 | 7:37 mile pace |
| Alicia | 54:56 | 3rd place – division | 17 of 64 | 8:50 mile pace |
Dan was so excited about his time! Unfortunately, he had the most competitive age group, so his placement wasn’t great. Oh well, next year he should do better in the higher age bracket!
I loved my time and placing. The biggest bummer was the fact that I missed winning my age division by 56 seconds. Our 1st place won the race overall, and the 2nd place literally passed me in the last 1/2 mile. I was hurting so bad at that point I didn’t care, and now I keep thinking..”If I only had run a little harder that last mile!” Man, I can see how running can get addictive!
There we go, Alicia’s year of competition. 5 - Tri’s, 5- 5k’s, 1 – 10k, and a Half Marathon. Improved from a 10:12 mile to an 8:50 mile pace. (Yeee Haw!!!!) It has been a lot of work, but I have loved every minute of it. I loved pushing my body to see what it is capable of, and can’t wait to see if I can improve more next year! Bring on the off-season….I am SO READY FOR IT!
In Mid-October Dan and I really stretched our comfort zone. We ran in the SoJo Half Marathon in South Jordan. My Tri-buddy, Amy, and I had originally planned on running together, and then both of our husbands decided to join. Amy had to back out but Dan, Ben, and I still ran.
I won’t lie. Running any kind of marathon has NOT been on my list of things to do. I have never like running much, but the last year has at least gotten me more comfortable with it. I figured if I could do a Tri, I only needed to get used to about 45minutes more of exercise to be able to pull off a 1/2 marathon. Thankfully, Amy had found a marathon workout schedule that was geared to people who were used to training for Tri’s, so it wasn’t too difficult putting on a few extra miles one day a week. (Although, I admit I miss swimming!)
So Dan and I took off WAY early on a Saturday morning to catch the bus. It was cold, but not awful. The whole thing was a great experience. Dan left me in the dust the first mile, but it was expected. I managed to run the whole race! It was mostly downhill, which helped, but there were a couple of uphills stints along the way. The coolest was running up the hill in front of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.
We totally rocked our times!
| Dan | 1:50:21 | 11th place – division | 75th of 229 | 8:25 mile pace |
| Alicia | 2:05:36 | 23rd place – division | 108 of 295 | 9:35 mile pace |
My original goal was 2 hrs 30 minutes, then during training I moved it up to 2 hrs 15 minutes. There was a moment I thought I could break 2 hrs even, but the last 3 miles killed me. The steeper downhill for the last 4 miles killed my knee (although I didn’t realize how bad until the next week).
Dan and I were both really excited about our times and are looking forward to doing a couple of 1/2’s next year!
We were invited to a party at Hee Haws Farm and Corn Maze at the beginning of October. So for FHE we took off to have a little fun. The kids were in heaven. It was all you could eat Krispy Kreme donuts and hot chocolate, along with everything else at Hee Haws.
Biggest downside: Losing the 2 older boys in the corn maze. They run too fast. Thankfully, they were smart enough to get out and wait at the entrance for Mom and Dad to get out. No harm right? Just Mom’s blood pressure going out of control for about 30 minutes!
We all took a turn going down the giant potato sack slide.
Connor loved jumping off the hay bale tower into a haystack.
Then Garrick decided he wanted a turn doing it. He was a little more timid, but he did slide down eventually.
This was the first time we actually went out into the pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkin off the vine. It was a neat experience…so many to choose from.
Connor was the pickiest about which pumpkin to pick out.
Then Haden wanted to put in his 2 cents. We found a winner though. Now to carve it up in a couple of weeks.
Got a picture in the 2 seconds that all 3 of them were actually looking through the holes. A little small, but they had fun. Despite the wind, it was a fun FHE.
A few things I have learned over the past year in our new digs:
| 1. We have more flies in our house in January than any time during the Summer |
| 2. We get invaded by the ladybugs in the fall—They are NOT as cute as I remember. In fact they are creepy when they fly right at you! |
| 3. There is a bobcat that lives up the street, and wanders around the neighborhood in the winter. |
| 4. My kids have found pet snakes throughout my yard. |
| 5. We grow MUTANT snails! |
(But they make great science experiments for my boys)
| 6. I’m still hoping the mouse traps in our basement are precautionary. (or at least that the snakes are doing their job.) |
| 7. I now understand why the neighbors have chicken-wire fences around their flower gardens. The deer have no fear! |
| 8. My dogs know how to find my house…Unfortunately they need to do it BEFORE the cops pick them up. |
| 9. There are plenty of horses, goats, pigs, and chickens to keep my boys happy when we are wandering the neighborhood. |
| 10. Seeing 10 deer in the field behind my house every morning in the winter is priceless! |
Another soccer season done. This one was definitely a different experience. First off, PG soccer started in July and ran every week for 2 months. There was only one game a week, which was nice for chasing Connor around, but I think I almost prefer the shorter season. Connor and Mom were ready to be done by the end.
Another difference was that they played the whole team. In Orem the team was split in half and each half played on a smaller field. This year gave Connor the opportunity to run up and down a full field. Those boys were tired after 40 minutes
The change that Connor loved the most was that they actually used goalies. Connor loves playing a defender, and was so excited to put on the goalie jersey and sit in the box. (Granted, I think he enjoyed playing imaginary games back there more than the soccer game at hand!)
The funniest thing was Connor insisting on wearing his gold socks from last year. No matter how much Mom threw a fit, he still ended up wearing them. Oh well, it sure made it easier to pick him out of the crowd. Oh, and makes great “what was I thinking” pictures for when he is older.
Best thing out of this season: Connor got to play with a bunch of kids from the neighborhood, and it helped with his getting to know more people. Oh, and they were REALLY good, so he got the boost of having a positive experience at the games.
Our last one! On Sept 10th we did our 5th and final Triathlon for this year. Both of us were more than ready for it to be over with. 5 competitions in a season was a little too much. Not to mention, with my finger injury and Amy’s being sick, neither of us was really feeling up to competing. But we did, and endured through it!
You could definitely feel the fall weather in the morning. It was a little chilly when we got there, but it warmed up nicely by the time the race started. This was a traditional Tri (swim/bike/run) which I was excited to do. We had only done one other traditional this year, and I was wanting to see if I could perform better.
Goal: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
400 Meter Swim: 10:19
This was the one part I was the most nervous about. With my finger accident I wasn’t allowed in a pool for 2 weeks of the 4 I had to train, and then I had to take special provisions with bandages and other things. It made things really uncomfortable when I finally was able to get into a pool. (hitting the edge of the pool with my finger was HORRIBLE). I had a couple of good workouts right before the race, and it helped.
The pool was awesome. They had large lanes that made it easy for passing, and people were really good to move out of the way. I felt great getting into the pool and through the whole swim. I was a little slower than I had hoped, but I’m blaming that on the transition timing strip being around the front of the building. Overall, I felt great hopping out of the pool.
Transition 1 : 1:40
Not a great time, but much better than my last one. It helped that I wore my shorts in the pool. Next time I race I’m picking up drawstring laces for my shoes.
9 Mile Bike: 32:13
Once again I borrowed my neighbors bike. It was great! This time there was a generous hill to get up at the beginning of the loop. It was great having a nice bike to get up that hill. Totally looking into a new bike for racing.
5k Run: 27:45
Best time yet on the 5k in a Tri! The run sucked!! The hill on the run was twice as steep as the bike, and we had to do it twice! I was proud that I didn’t have to walk. The only bummer was I was a little unclear of where the finish line was, so I didn’t sprint the last little bit. Oh well, I was still happy with the time.
Final Time: 1 Hour 12 Minutes 29 Seconds!! (3rd Place in my division!! 12th overall!)
What a way to end the year!! It was a great experience, and this was a nice race to end on. It was very family friendly and well organized. Thanks for suggesting it Amy!
I can’t believe I shaved over 10 minutes off from my first Tri! I have learned so much and enjoyed pushing my limits. There were so many times I wasn’t sure if it was worth it, but I’m glad we made it through this year. Now I ‘m trying to figure out how to stay motivated through the winter. Definitely cutting back on the number of races next year. It was hard work, and hard scheduling workouts and races. Not to mention EXPENSIVE. I learned a few lessons on registering smart (if you are doing a number of races get an Active.com membership), and what gear is really necessary (good running/swimming shorts).
Whew! What to do next….oh yeah, Dan and I registered for the SoJo Half Marathon in October. That’s right, Alicia is jumping from a 5k distance to the Half Marathon. Bring it on baby!
We did very little camping this year. It was a little disappointing, but I was just not motivated to get out and organize everything. Oh well, maybe next year. We did keep our 2 major annual campouts, the Harward reunion, and the Labor Day Weekend with our family friends.
We headed up to Whiting campground in Mapleton Canyon and have fun playing board games and eating TONS. The biggest hit this year was the kids discovering the water ditch a little way up the trail. They were well entertained.
My tough guys! Okay, I know, it looks like I stave my children. Believe me, they can out-eat me sometimes!
The system they set up for catching the kids before the grate. There were 5 people as a buffer to catch the kids.
I love how the kids all played together. Ages ranging from Sophomore's in college to high school students, to Jr. High age, down to my 2 year old. Everyone was great to take care of my boys and the other younger children.
Garrick sitting with his adopted Aunt Katie. (with her beloved Red Sox shirt) He was pampered all weekend. The kid got to do (and eat) whatever he wanted. He went through withdrawals the next week.
Garrick getting a chance to go down the ditch. He wasn’t sure about it, and finally decided that he didn’t need to get wet. What a fun time!
With Ian’s homecoming we took the chance to get some family shots in case we couldn’t get a professional shoot scheduled before winter.
I wanted to get a family picture while my kids were dressed nicely. They were chomping at the bit to get out of those Sunday clothes.
Got to love those shadows! Oh well, we at least look happy.
One of the few pics of me and my sweetie.
Yep, Alicia forgot to put on her shoes. Oh well, I was comfortable.
A few family shots:
The Harward siblings. As always, tallest to shortest. Although, I think Richard may end up beating Ian out. Oh, and isn’t Tiff’s pregnant belly adorable?? We are so excited!
Another summer gone, and school was greatly anticipated! The boys were both so excited to start school. Connor started 2nd grade with a new teacher who had just moved up from Kindergarten. Mom is hoping he has a better experience this year.
Connor was even more excited to find out his best friend who lives up the street was in his class again this year.
I just love this picture. It makes me shake my head.
Haden started Kindergarten, and boy he is so independent he doesn’t think he needs Mom’s help with anything school related.
Haden loves his teacher and is just lapping up everything with school. I am loving having to supplement his stuff to keep his skills up (thank you pre-school!) to keep him occupied until Connor comes home. His teacher is great about giving him challenging work when the class is working on basics, so that makes Mom happy.
What a cheeseball. He is so different from Connor. I get a play-by-play of what happened during the school day. He also knows the names of the kids he plays with. Oh yeah, and he has a few girlfriends already. Of course. Sigh, here we go.
My brother Ian came home from his mission to San Antonio, TX in the middle of August. I forgot my camera for all the family things, but luckily my bro-in-law was religious about taking pictures.
Dan and the boys went over the night before to help out with signs.
Connor and Haden had made their own signs the week before, so the were excited to show them to everyone.
We almost missed the big arrival, and just about gave my Dad a heart attack, but luckily Ian took an extra few minutes to take pics with the elders on the plane. Everyone was in place when he came out. Time to take a turn getting a hug.
Garrick was 2 months old when Ian left. It took him a little while to warm up to the tall guy.
I couldn’t believe how much my brother changed. He definitely grew up in more ways than one. It was great to have his example for my boys.
