What have we been doing?

Losing teeth

Visiting natural wonders

Having love ones visit

Run run run 

More running

Swimming swimming swimming

Making promises 

Girls camp-which is so much more fun as a leader than a girl

Soccer games

Enjoyed the Christmas season

Spending the best times together

Working hard or hardly working

I work a full time job, a mother of two, I try to keep a house tidy, teach swimming lessons, support a husband with multiple church duties, also I have multiple church duties and I work a security job on the side. It's a fun job. I get to work at different venues around the salt lake valley. Sometimes it's so hard because I have to walk around for 4-6 hours (positive-it's exercise) but it's rewarding other times like this summer I got to see the hottest ticket in town 1D. 

Last night my security job rewarded me again. Even though I endured vomit and lots of drunks, I got to see P!nk. I like her music so it was exciting to see here perform live. 

I am grateful a supportive husband who picks up the slack for me when I overbook myself. For patient children who when I work two jobs in one day love to snuggle and tell me how much they love me. 

It's not so bad to be a working mom. 

Valentine's day!

I have mixed emotions about this day. I like it for the extra love I get to shower on my children and my husband. But I often get annoyed because of the expectations I set up for myself, when they don't happened...well I don't feel so warm and fuzzy.
This is how I was feeling at the beginning of the week. I love my husband, he is great. Holidays like this one are hard for him. He always says "I don't need a holiday to tell you I love you" needless to say with the lack of romance and money we have subpar Valentine's days.
Imagine my surprise when I came home from work yesterday to a sheepish looking husband! I was wondering what he had been doing while I was at work. He took out a slim box from his backpack and said "I can't wait until tomorrow" The box was a new iPad mini. Spoiled? YES!
I couldn't believe it! I also enjoyed the sweet pictures he took too. I became a happy,gushing, romantic girl for the day. I wanted to spend more time with my love today, that I left work early to surprise him with lunch. After 11years, we might finally be getting it right!

Some sledding fun!

To start off our new year 2013! We went sledding. Jersey loves the white stuff. The kids were going down steep hills and catching air.
Phoenix was a little more apprehensive about sledding though. We worked together on making some snow hills so the others could jump them.
I started to freeze which always means that it's time to go.
I grateful that my sister in law and family wanted to get out of the house this morning so we could enjoy the snow.

Happy New Year!

Wow what a year!
Our top ten
10. Jersey's dance review
9. Bear Lake camping
8. Mike's knee surgery
7. Paris ice caves, Idaho
6. A new kitty named Katniss
5. Grandma Connie passing away
4. Road trip to Arizona
3. Spending time on the beach in CA.
2. Rhiannon running the St. George marathon( her first)
1. DISNEYLAND, three days at the happiest place on earth.
I can't wait to see what happens in the next year.

Little things that make me smile

Watching the sun rise on my morning runs. The best way to start a morning.

The wind in my hair

Working on a goal that I never thought possible. I was accepted to run in the St. George Marathon.

Phoenix's responses to homework.

I have been listening to the Sound of Music soundtrack. I love that song "a few of my favorite things"

Goldilocks ride

On May 12th I rode my bike 63 miles. The Goldilocks ride is an all women ride. There were about 3000 participants. 

With my friends, I am the second in on the right.

A few weeks before I rode my bike 64 miles. This was another ride called The Front Runner Century, metric century. It was from Salt Lake City to Ogden. This was a ride that Mike had signed up for before he got his surgery. He asked me if I wanted to do the ride. The longest I had gone on my bike was 32 miles. I decided to take up the challenge. It was difficult task but I was able to do the ride because I had some great friends that I had made, that kept me going.

My finish time and distance.

Well I had signed up for Goldilocks before Mike's race, I was going to ride 40 miles in the Goldilocks ride but since I had just ridden 64 I went for another 60 miles. For some reason this time felt so much better. I don't know if it was because I knew I had done it before that it didn't feel so difficult or if it was because I was with my friends again. 

So happy I finished!

The ride was amazing. Such a well planned ride. There was an awesome lunch provided too. It was amazing to see so many women riding their bikes. So many levels of ability. I have to say I was a bit emotional about the whole thing. When it was over I just couldn't believe it. I had done another long ride. It took me 5 hours but it was a fun 5 hours. I can't wait to do it again.

We got a CAT, well a Kitty.

We have a baby in the house. A furry one. She is a cute calico cat named Ginny Weasley Nielsen.
We don't have great luck with pets. So I hope that we have this one for a long time. Mike was out of town and when he leaves I get some really great ideas. ie. I painted the whole house while he was gone once.
A few years ago we had to get rid of our cats Rachel and Phoebe. It was a sad day. Since then the kids have asked for an animal. Mostly they have wanted a dog. Over Mike's dead body can we get a dog. Mike is a cat lover. So the night that he was gone I was looking on KSL classifieds for kitties. There are lot right now since it's spring time. I found some that were cute and didn't look like our previous cats. The lady never called me back but there was another ad that had free kitties. They were 6 weeks old. Mike had a Saturday off and we took a drive to SLC to see these free kittens. Jersey was so excited she could hardly contain herself. We fell in love with our little calico cat. Phoenix was asleep but when he woke up said that we should call the kitty, Kitty Softpaws. Like from Pussy and Boots fame. We all agreed that her name should be Ginny. As I writing this I would like to change her name to Katniss. I will have to ask the kids in the morning about that.
So our kitty likes to attack anything that moves. My hand is scarred. But she loves to cuddle. When it gets to be late into the night she will curl up next to and purr this really loud purr and clothes her eyes. I glad she can go into the bathroom and sleep there all night. There have been a few nights where we let her roam the house. I didn't get that much sleep those nights.

It's official..... The kids liked the name change so she is now Katniss Everdeen Nielsen

It takes just one

In 2009 my husband started running and getting back into shape. We had lost our slenderness, blame it on work, raising little ones that only ate McDonald's or just the fact that we had become lazier than we had in the past. He encouraged me but to his dismay I didn't want to do anything about my weight. I was realizing that I wasn't going to be the size 2 girl he had married. I had excepted the fact that I was going to be soft in the middle. I was a working mother with a lot on her plate. 

I didn't need another thing to do. 

Looking back I'm grateful for his push to get out and exercise. I believe that this has help my children  to more become active. Plus seeing their parents trying to eat healthier and lose weight. We aren't weight obsessed but we have made changes in our eating habits and the activities we do as family. 

On Saturday the children and I ran in a neighborhood 5k and mile run. I had already ran 9 miles in the early morning. I was heading back home on my route and my husband saw me. He took me home so I could get the kids ready for the run. We ran to church house where the run was going to take place. That was another mile for me. Phoenix wanted to run in the mile race and wanted to win. He did! He was 6th over all and first in age group, 6 and under. He was so happy. He even got a medal. Jersey and I ran the 5k together. She had never ran 3.5 miles in her life but was determined to do it. I think her time was 45 min. She was 9th in her age group. She was sad that she didn't get a medal but I was proud that she ran. I had a great time running with my children. They can't wait to do another race. 

Though my husband is recovery still from knee surgery his inspiration for us to stay active is with us.

My long lost Mother's Day post

Moms, what would do without them? 

I can't stand to not talk to my mom for more than a few days. Sometimes I call her just to hear anything that she might be doing even if it is the same thing she did yesterday. 

It's hard to live so far away but even though I'm not a tear drop away, I am a phone call. 

My Mom and I at Temple Square, shortly after she arrived. It was a beautiful spring morning.

My Mom came to visit for two weeks. I had so much fun. She was a big help to me. I took on a project that was bigger than I could handle. She help me through it and we finished the project. She wasn't so excited to help with this project because she had to use a glue gun. 

Something I learned about my mom while. 

She doesn't like glue guns. 

The leftover flowers that we made.

We made 300 rolled fabric flowers for a Daddy Daughter dance the school was putting on. I volunteered for corsages and decorations, mostly with the lights. 

I couldn't have done what I did without my mom's help. 

I realized that I like having a third adult in the house, to help pick up the slack for me. 

She can come anytime and we will keep her busy. 

But alas all good things must come to an end. My mom had to go to Arizona. She is now helping others that are need of it. My Grandparents are moving and she is helping them get ready. This is what I love about my mom. She is always willing to help. No task is to big or small for Laurie Patterson! She is a superhero with Superhero kindness and patience. I hope I can be like her when I grow up. 

Magic

Last month my friend Sarah and I went to the Utah Symphony. (wow, I can't believe it's been a month) The Utah Symphony was playing the music of John Williams and the famous pieces that inspired him. If you haven't heard of John Williams he wrote very very famous music. Some of his pieces, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, just to name a few. 

I like classical music and pop culture so this was perfect mix. We went with out our husbands because well they don't find the symphony or any classical music enjoyable. My mom was in town she came with us too. We had a fun night! 

Before the performance began we got to take some pictures with characters from the movies. Chewie, some stormtroopers and at the end Gold Leader and Snape. I had fun acting like a dork. 

Afterwards we walked over to the new shopping center Downtown and ate at the Cheesecake Factory! Delicious!

May Day May Day!

What another month has past! This year needs to slow down. After Mike's surgery I have felt like my life is spinning out of control!
We have had birthdays, graduations, daddy daughter dance with prep, baseball games, soccer games, dance, running, biking, swimming, Easter, family time, weight watchers and tons of fun.

Jersey Jean turned 9! NINE! What? How did this happen? I can't believe it. Jersey is growing up so beautifully. I'm really proud to have her as my daughter. She asks why I pick on her to help me out at times? I tell her it's just a part of growing up. She didn't really like that answer. I love hanging out with her. A boy even called her on the phone tonight. WHAT!!!! No! I know it's only a few short years. Seriously we need some kind of serum to making children stop growing so they can be with us a little longer.
Mike is recovering nicely from his surgery. He is now walking with a limp but no crutches. He has his hands back. I told him that now that he is feeling better it's time for him to pick up some slack. (kidding) I would be no good as a single parent, I know this to be true. Mike helps me with everything from running the kids places to making dinner. I don't cook very well. I like to buy the food to make things but Mike is usually the one who cooks the food. His leg is still swollen at night because of the things he is doing during the day. He takes full advantage of his days off.

My brother in law Graduated from BYU on Jersey's birthday. We went done to support him and my sister. Graduation always make me cry. A part of me really wants to go back to school and get my degree. The other part still doesn't know when I would have the time, money, energy to go back. I really don't know what I want to be when I grow up. The things that I would like to be I think it's a little to late.
Phoenix is on the River Cats Rookie league for baseball. He is doing well. Better than last year for sure. He likes to talk so when he is on the field his mouth doesn't stop moving. He is doing great in soccer. He is one of the fastest on his team. But how do you teach a kid that it's okay to be aggressive on the soccer field? I have enjoyed watching him play both sports.
Jersey is doing better at dance. She loves going and would love it if I would sign her up for competition dance. Not until she is 12. She very graceful when she dances.

Seriously I wrote this at the beginning of the month and now it's two until the end of this month. Oh goodness. I really need to blog more.  Here is to more posts!

Mike's knee surgery

Three years ago Mike went to play basketball with some friends. When I came home from work he was in bed with his leg elevated with ice on it. He said he think he did something to it.
He continued to use hurt knee doing all the things he loved to do. Finally the pain on his knee became unbearable. He could no longer play basketball and running was painful.
We decided it was time for ACL replacement. On April 6th he had the procedure performed. He had never had surgery before and was really nervous. I was nervous for him since I had never been in that position of waiting while he was in the surgery.
The surgery was quick. The DR did a great job. When Mike was coming out of surgery he was really funny and sweet. He kept calling me his "beautiful wife" and telling me he loved me. So sincere were his words.
Today is his first day back to work. He is doing a good job getting around on the crutches that the hospital gave him. He is looking forward to getting back to normal. He has learned to be dependent on me and others for help. He was told his recover will be slow. He didn't like that very much.