MAYBE YOU CAN GO BACK

I have been busy this week. My good friend Suzanne got the cutest purse as a gift and I admired it a few times, well a few weeks ago she made a copy of the purse and it was BEAUTIFUL and I decided I wanted to give it a try. I asked her if I could borrow the bag she made so I could measure and make me own pattern and try to make one for myself. She was gracious enough to lend me the handbag. I was so excited, but at the same time a little nervous. I am not a novice at sewing, but had never made a purse.

So after bowling Monday morning I went to JoAnne's fabrics and looked at their upholstery fabrics. I was in heaven!!! It was so much fun to walk down the aisles and touch the fabrics, hold one against another to see if the two would work together. It has been so long since I have been "really" sewing I forgot how much I enjoyed it. How much I enjoyed the hand of the fabrics, walking through the notions isles and looking at the different trims and buttons and recognizing the potential each one has of becoming something beautiful.
After choosing a couple of beautiful and luxurious fabrics I headed home and converted my kitchen area into a sewing room. I do have a craft area, but I wanted to be close to the kids as they worked on they worked on their homework and ate dinner. I made a pattern using an old brown grocery bag, which worked perfect and the cutting began...the exterior body, lining, pocket, handles. There is something so awesome in cutting a piece of fabric knowing that when everything is done this flat piece of fabric will become something and have a personality.
By 2:00 am, long after the kids had gone to bed, I had finished my 1st purse. It was beautiful, better than I thought it would be. I made some pretty satin flowers to decorate the front of the purse. I couldn't go to bed until I took pictures and posted what I accomplished on Facebook, but it was more than just a purse that had emerged. There was a piece of me that had been reignited.

Many years ago I was a student at FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising) with the idea of becoming the next Donna Karan. My life changed a year after starting school and I knew what I wanted more than to become a world renowned fashion designer was to be Steve's wife and a mom to our children. A mom that was focused on them and their accomplishments, so the creating side of me went dormant. I came up with ways to use those talents as a mom...I have spent hundreds of hours scrapbooking and creating a beautiful place to store the memories of my wonderful children and our trip and events. When the kiddos were little I made Halloween costumes and dresses for my little girls and decorations for the different holidays to make our home a fun place to be in. Don't get me wrong, I have LOVED my life, I don't regret any decision I have made. I am extremely blessed in every way. But now that my kids are getting older and don't need mom around as often, it is neat to know that there is that creative side of me that, once I shake the cobwebs off of, can still take a simple piece of fabric and transform it into "SOMETHING".
Welcome back CREATIVE NIK.
I hope you will stay a while.
~~MOMMY NIK

LION KING

Last night the Parkway Stake put on "A Night of Broadway".

Each ward chose a musical to perform a portion of. There were performances from Annie, Bye-Bye Birdie, Music Man, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Mary Poppins and then our ward did the Lion King.

Katie, Becky and Belle signed up to participate. They spent many of their Tuesday evenings rehearsing with the other members of the ward; learning the songs, the dance steps, etc. Which meant for the next few months these were the songs the girls spent their free times singing.

This Saturday we finally got to go and see all what all the hard work had produced. They performed the songs "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", "Can't Wait to Be King" and "Circle of Life". The girls were dressed like cheetahs while the primary children were dressed like lion cubs. The adults in the ward carried cardboard cut-outs of elephant, giraffe, rhino, lion and warthog heads. It was quite fun to watch.

The girls had a wonderful experience. From going to the rehearsals, to practicing the songs together, all the way to performing in the actual production. Belle had actually been sick for the weeks leading up to the play. She wasn't getting better and we took her to the doctor where we found out that she had a little pneumonia. The doctor put her on a Z-Pack on Thursday and Saturday she was feeling quite a bit better and she began asking if she could perform anyway, which I gave in to. And I am glad I did, it was so much fun for Steve and I to sit in the audience and watch our girls dance and sing.

We have so much talents in our ward...singing, dancing, art...so much fun to see it all on display. Hope that the Stake will do something like this again.

A Creative Month

I had something reignited in me...CRAFTING.

I use to LOVE crafting, but somewhere along the way my life got too busy. I have been scrapbooking, which I still absolutely adore, but I had not painted wood or sewed in so LONG!!!!

Then an "angel" entered my life...I became friends with Mikki. She is a SERIOUS CRAFTER!!!

The Queen of the power tools...

the Duchess of tole paint...

the Princess of Glitter...
She has so many great projects and ideas that she is willing to share with me and other friends.

We made these cute Thanksgiving decorations to hang on our Switcharoo Tree. We also made Halloween ones and she has ideas for Christmas, Valentines Day to also make.
This was a cute project we made during girlfriends night. So simple, but so stinkin' cute!!

Once those creating juices got flowing I was inspired to finish the quilt I had started in the spring. I had taken various old t-shirts I had collected over the years and cut them down to 12 x 12. I only tied it together, but I did hand bind it and am so proud of the job I did at that.

I am so grateful for my new friend and for her reminding me of the things that I use to enjoy doing.

RUNNING SCARED

Steve ran in what will probably be his last race of 2010...the Provo Halloween Half Marathon. What a fun race to finish the year off on. He joined lots of other racers in costumes as the ran down Provo Canyon. He pulled out the "Scarecrow" costume I made him several years ago when we dressed up together as Dorothy and the Scarecrow. We had heard that it is a pretty fast course and that many people can PR on this one. So I was a little nervous that with the costume on he might not have a fabulous time, but he managed to finish with a time of 1:22...which is pretty darn good. Not a PR, but he 2nd best 1/2 marathon time.
I am gonna gush a little. I am so proud of Steve and his ability to do so well when he runs these races. I love standing around the finish line and watching the other racers come by. Then the moment comes when I get a glimpse of him. It is not usually so easy to pick him out as it was this time (not many guys dressed like scarecrows running ). I get so excited. I get so torn between taking pictures of him running or cheering him on. I usually choose the cheering and miss getting some better shots.

My Old Friend

What a treat I had yesterday...my friend Michele was flying home to Maine after spending a week with her daughter and new grandbaby in Idaho.

She only had less than an hour, but Steve and I drove to the airport and hung out in the baggage claim area as we visited with her.

We were besties while I lived in Maine. Every summer we spent a week in a rental house on Cobbossee Lake. So many memories of trick-o-treating together, eating lobsters, laying out by the lake, Christmas shopping trips to Portland...Those were good times that I still cherish.

We are not as close as were in those days. Whose fault that is, I don't know. It does make me sad that our friendship has changed, but I guess that is how life is...relationship evolve and change. It is nice knowing she is still in my life and we share those special days in Maine.

BINGHAM BAND

Zack spent the last week and a half at band camp (8:00 am - 8:00pm). He has signed up be in Marching Band at Bingham High School. They do not usually march the oboe, which is the instrument that he has been playing since 7th grade, but there 2 oboist that were interested in being in band, so they made it work. And the piece that they have chosen is titled MEDUSA and the oboe is very complimentary to the piece.

During the first few days of band camp, he audition for a solo and he got it. We are very proud of him and excited to see him marching this year. He will have a very busy schedule for the next 3 months which will end when they go on tour to California in November. Should be a fun experience for him.

HOBBLECREEK 1/2 MARATHON

I wa-ogged (walk/jogged) in my 3rd half marathon of the year. I have been a little more nervous than I usually am before a race. My experience in the Ogden 1/2 in May was HORRIBLE and I was afraid of having some of the same problems. I was also nervous about all the steep down hills that you run in Hobblecreek. Needless to say, I still got myself out of bed at 3:30 am and got my running clothes on, taped up my feet to hopefully prevent blisters and got my bagel and banana to eat before the race. Steve and I drove to Mapleton and boarded the bus about 5:15 am and it took us up the mountain. This, in my opinion, is the most nerve racking part of the day. That 13.1 miles seems so much longer when you driving it in the bus. The bus let us out about 1 mile from the starting line, so you walk up a hill to get to the start. Our friends, the Hanceys, had driven their rv up to the camp site, that is located at the start, so we found them and hung out in a warm rv before the race. I kissed Steve good-bye and wished him luck as he made his way closer to the front of the running pack and I headed toward the tail end. The race was suppose to begin at 7:15am, but we did not actually start until 7:55am. I was a little bothered by this...you want to avoid running when it is super hot and those 40 minutes we waited, was eating up that "cooler" running time. Before I knew it, I was off, crossing the start mat and activating my timing chip. I felt GREAT. I would alternate between jogging and walking. I especially jogged on those down hills and took advantage of the momentum you get. I kept pace with my Garmin watch. I was doing awesome (for me). Last year I had finished this same race in 3 hours and 19 minutes, so my goal for this year was to finish in 3:15. But by the end of the 2nd hour I could see I was on pace to get their closer to 3 HOURS!!! I was so excited and not feeling any of the aches and pains I have felt before during a race. When I got to mile 10, I saw Steve. He had finished his race and came back up the trail and found me. I have to tell you have blessed I feel to have such a supportive husband. I was so excited to tell him about how well I was doing and how good I felt physically. I did slow down a little when I got to the part of the course that leads through the neighborhoods (about mile 11 and 12) and it was then I started to feel a blister on the side of my heal, rubbing every time I stepped. I pulled out my ear buds when I saw the sign that said MILE 13 and ran on the grass trail that lead to the finish line. I finished with a time of 3:08!!!

One of the biggest lessons I have learned in the past 3 years of participating in these 1/2 marathons is EVERYONE RUNS THEIR OWN RACE. I am so proud of what I do. I am slow and I walk/jog the whole thing, but I am doing it. I am in the back of the pack, but I am doing it. And this race was neat because I could see improvement. I jogged more than I usually do, I can feel my body has gotten strong from the work I have put in. I love the sense of accomplishment.

PERSEVERANCE

Steve and I took the family to Yosemite this month. It was a family trip we had been planning for a few months. I was excited to take the kids to this National Park. It is just such a beautiful place, but that was not the only reason I was excited to go back...yes back. Steve and I had been there about 5 years ago. During that trip Steve had planned a hike that started from Glacier Point passed by a few beautiful waterfalls and ended at Happy Isles where you could pick up the shuttle to take you back to you campground. It was an 8 mile hike. I was TOTALLY out of shape and was carrying many more pounds on me (think 6 five pound bags of sugar strapped to your body). It took us 10 hours. The last 2 miles probably took us more than 2 hours, much of which had been done on my bum. Yes, I said on my bum. Descending the granite rocks that lead down the trail from Vernal Falls. It was an eye opening experience and one of the things that made me realize I needed to do something about my weight and health if I wanted to be a participant in my life and not just a spectator. Especially since I married to Steve. He is such an outdoor enthusiast, I should be able to accompany him on (some of) his adventures and not be stuck in the car or camp because I am so out of shape. When the hike was over I was glad I had finished it (alive), but also pretty embarrassed and I felt bad for Steve, to be in this beautiful park and he and spent the last few hours unable to appreciate it because he was concerned that I might not be able to get done without assistance from rangers. So once this trip was calendared, I saw this as a great opportunity to "conquer the hike" that had literally kicked my butt. Steve and I toyed with the idea of doing the whole hike beginning at Glacier point with the kids, but then determined that the 8 miles might be a little boring for them. So we opted to hike up from Happy Isles at least to the top of Vernal Falls and then back down (seriously, I think this is way harder than the original hike we did 5 years ago). The trail was nice and shaded in some parts, but it was a climb. You ascend nearly 1000 feet in the 2 miles to the top of the falls. I took it slow and steady as we climbed. My little "billy-goat" kids just bounded up the trail. They would stop every so often and wait for me and Steve to catch up. It was great, the closer you got to the falls, you would get sprayed by the falls. It was so refreshing, just what I needed. But just as I remembered there were more of those granite stairs...that good thing was that they were not as tall as I had remembered them to be.

I made it to the TOP!!! It was hard work, but definitely I was in better shape that I had been 5 years ago and I was proud of my performance getting to the top. We looked over the edge and watched as the falls crashed to the bottom. It was incredible but to be quite honest, I was still celebrating making it to the top and knowing that only half the hike was done...I still had to go down...1000 feet.
I had time to relax though. I took off my shoes and socks and stuck my feet into the Emerald Pools at which time Steve surprised me with a Diet Coke from his backpack. That was the best present he could have given me. I savored every sip of that. Steve and the kiddos went off to see the bottom of Nevada Falls which was about half a mile from Vernal. I stayed there and sat on a rock and had a mini celebration in my head until I saw them approach and I knew the hard part was about to begin.
We started the descent and I won't lie, it was as hard as I thought it would be. I don't have very strong knees. That is one of the reasons I wa-og instead of run. So every stair I stepped down on, I could feel my right knee want to give out, but I did EVERY stair on my feet. My wonderful husband took it slow along with me. He would let me know when I was holding up traffic, so I could pull over and let people pass by me. I just kept thinking, "...slow and steady wins the race..." Thank heavens for those trekking poles they helped me on each stair. Once the stairs were done, the rest was cake...ok, maybe not cake but it was easier. It was a descent, but I have done that during my half marathons, so I treated it like a half and kind of jogged my way down. That made it so easy and before I knew it we were at the shuttle stop waiting to catch a shuttle to take us back to our parked truck.
I know lots of people hiked around Yosemite that day and had been on trails that were harder and longer than what I had done, but for me I had hiked "my" Everest and made it to the top. I proved to myself that I can do ANYTHING I put my mind to. I may not have grown up a jock and in my youth took whatever class I could to get out of PE, but I can be a sporty chick. I can be the woman that Steve deserves to be married to, to share these experiences with. I can be a woman that my girls can look up to. They knew how hard that hike was for, but they watched me persevere, not give up and I met my goal. Best of all I can look at myself in the mirror and know that I am the woman FINALLY on the outside that I knew always existed on the inside.

AUNT CHERIES VISIT

My Aunt Cherie and cousin Michael came for a visit over he 4th of July weekend.

It was great to spend some quality time with them. I have not seen Michale for 19 years...he was just a little boy who was fascinated with my cassette playing walkman. He is not quite such a little guy any longer and technology has come a long way.
It also gave me the chance to spend som time talking with my Aunt Cherie. She is a pretty neat lady. Kind of sad she lives so far way and the opportunities to get together are so few. But I am grateful for the visit we had this summmer.
We took a drive to the Buckhorn Panel in Emery County. The sun was in an awful position to see the indian writings clearly and definitely impossible to take pictures.

After that we drove to Millsite and had a pleasant lunch at the golf course restaurant.

GUERRETTES VISIT

Glen, Kim and family came from Maine and stayed a few days with us. The first day they arrived we drove down to Manti and watched the pageant.
Saturday was fun as well. Which ended with the Slaughs, who now live in Vernal, coming for a BBQ. So much fun to see all these kiddos grown up. It was also fun just to get together with these two couples who hold such a special place in my heart. (would have been even better if the McNaughtons and Stanleys had been there)
The kids played bocce and swung on the hammock.
It was fun to watch these 3 girls play and giggle together!!
The men also got into the bocce game play.


"Make new friends, but keep the old

One is silver, the other GOLD"

FATHER'S DAY 2010

One of my favorite family traditions...FATHERS DAY HIKE/BREAKFAST.

We have been doing this for a few years. We make a simple breakfast and then find a place to hike to and have a picnic. I think it Steve enjoys it too. This year we headed up Little Cottonwood Canyon. Unfortunately the place we have hiked to in years past was closed due to the snow melt, so we hiked the other side of the road where there was a pretty stream and a cool waterfall. It was a great morning, with a pretty incredible husband and dad!!