Monday, May 25, 2009

american cowboy icon




Happy Birthday to my husband!

Here is our list of things we like best about you:


From Jeannie:


1. Kory gives wonderful prayers. I still remember the blessing he gave to Hayden as a baby. It struck me as so powerful at the time and has stayed with me.

2. Kory has made me realize that I like a lot of things I never would have thought I could! Like elk! Oh my GOSH that was so yummy!

3. Kory has confidence in his kids being able to do hard things. I was so impressed when the whole clan hiked to White Pine last year.

4. He loves dogs : )

5. He is a genuine horse whisperer. I remember getting to ride someone's horses over in Huntsville one year. They were pretty skittish. I thought I could coax one to calm down. Nope. But Kory walked over and put his hand on its face and pretty soon that horse was his best friend. Calm as a spring morning. It was awesome to see!


From Fati:

6-I remember when Todd, Kory, Amy and I rode horses a long time ago. And he rode his horse and went forward with his rope to catch one calf that was in the neighbors lot. I was so surprise that things like that were not only from movies. He is my very American Cowboy Icon.

7. He made a good use of this last name.

8. He is a man of action


From Todd:


8.I like all of Kory's witty remarks at family gatherings. He has a way of making the absurd seem, well, absurd, as it should seem.

9. I also appreciate what a good father he is for my favorite oldest nephew and my favorite second-oldest niece. They adore him and that says a lot about what a good father he is.


From Toots:

10. He KNOWS a lot about cooking goooood food and can cook up a mighty fine elk dinner (like the one we had at Flaming Gorge)

11. He can pack up camping gear, tent, food and all and have it ready, organized and set-to-go (in the case when just Amy and kids came to Tony Grove that summer)

12. He loves the outdoors and so do we!!!

13. He's a good Dad to two wonderful kids whom we love to be around.

14.He's got a great laugh!!! and never causes any contention

15. He has shared his yummy fish catch with us a time or two (from his Alaskan adventures)


From his favorite Wife:

16. He has a deep respect for his ancestors.

17. He can work the wranglers.

18. His smile. Still gets me every time.

19. He is a great teacher.

20. He is a wonderful father and husband, and makes time with us his number one top priority. XOXO
Wait there's more!!
From Abs:
Kory is a master craftsman. I love to see the latest improvements and newest builds when we come to visit. He built a great garden box and I love the easel he made for Amy. Kory is great with my kids. He always takes special notice of them and wants to give them high fives and show them things. James thinks he’s the best and loves to follow him all over the place ‘helping’ him do his work. Kory helped me several times with Drew in Flaming Gorge and I appreciated it so much. Drew was happy as could be going for a walk with Kory and playing with his mustache. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near Kory with a gun if I were an animal. He’s made some pretty great kills over the years and we all love it when he shares his catches and shows off his cooking skills. I remember going to a barn dance a few years back and being impressed by Kory’s mad country dancin’ skillz. Kory is tough on the outside, soft on the inside…like a hand-dipped ice cream cone. He has a deep love for Amy and a sweet love for Hayden and Emma.


Happy 35 years!!!!!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

what about your mind? does it shine on?


She has a crush. My six year old. He has asked her to the prom. 11 years from now. He has red hair and freckles, and is indeed...very cute. She has ideas. She has a plan. She has a crush.

So, big deal, I say. Everyone needs a first crush.

When I was young, my crush delivered pizza, and we used to play the lottery by ordering a pizza and hoping it would be him that delivered. It was....electrifying. To have the crush within talking distance. We hid in the stairwell, while my friends mom would pay for the pizza. Rewind. Fast forward. That crush moved on, and I grew up. The pizza place...well it remains.


Sunday, May 17, 2009

a goal set. a goal completed.

My goal was to run the half marathon in two hours and fifteen min. I just checked my official time, which was posted this morning, and it was 2:14.58 HAHAH!! Seriously!!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

FINISHED!!!!!







Today was AMAZING. I loved it. Each mile. I finished with my goal time of 2:15, although I am not sure of my final time yet.



I LOVED all the supporters!! Dad on the Dam, Mom on the turn into the canyon, Toots, Jeannie, and kids at the mouth of the canyon (the sign ROCKED!!), Kory, Hayden and Em on the last mile, Jen in the last quarter mile, and then the whole gang back at the finish line! I could NOT have asked for a more fantastic experience, or more fantastic friends and family. Whoot Hoooooo!!!!!












Friday, May 15, 2009

sad doesnt know.

Sad doesn't know that it was her time to go. That her body was in pain. That she could not take another breath. Sad just knows how much I will miss her. How much I loved her.

I love you GRAM!! I will run my bestest tomorrow, and I know you didn't like to exercise but I may need your help around mile 11!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

breakdown. let go.

Her engine is shutting down. There is no sound. The tracks don't bend. This old train...is breaking down. I don't want to let her go. So I keep on rolling. But this old train...is breaking down. I need this old train. She can't stop now. Breakdown. You can't stop nothing if you've got no control. No more control. No more connecting. Breakdown. Let go. Breakdown. Let go. Breakdown. Let go.




Sunday, May 10, 2009

a great day


me, my mom, Jeannie, and Toots.

Julie and I after our race on Saturday.


Yesterday was so much fun with a 5K race in SLC and a Mother's Day BBQ at my house with my brother Darin and Sisters, Jeannie and Toots, my nieces and nephews and of course my Mom and Dad. The guys grilled all the meat and we all ate until we could eat no more. Toots made some FANTASTIC salads, and Jeannie brought ultra desserts which I loooooved. I am very thankful today for my mother, and her great example to me. She had six kids in eight years and did so much to make our childhood enriched with the good things in life that matter. I am also thankful that I am a mom to Hayden and Emma. Every single day. Even the hard ones.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

don't forget to look up

Tonight shortly after I got home from work Emma had a major, major melt down. It usually starts out with something small, and in this case she needed help in her room upstairs...and I said "be there in a min"....and then came the tantrum. I thought the terrible tantrums were reserved for the two year olds??? So the consequence was ...going to bed at 7:30. She cried until 9:00. I almost gave in. I don't like to see my kids cry, but at some point I need to stick to the consequence that I set. I am terrible at that. "Oh no time for breakfast because you woke up late? Here take a twinkie!" "You want to stay up late and snuggle with mom? No problem, grab your blanket." Sigh. Being a hard core mom requires that you actually do what you say. It is tough.

Parenting is a lot like hiking.

I remember when I was in college taking this great outdoor literature class, and we all went hiking to Capitol Reef and as we were navigating through all the twists and turns and trying to stay away from poison ivy and sharp rocks ... looking out for areas of danger, and also trying to keep both feet on the ground...our instructor yelled to the group. "DON'T FORGET TO LOOK UP!!"...and when we did...it took our breath right away. Cliffs as far up as we could see and at the top, a slice of very, very blue sky.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

happiness is magic


My friend Shauntae stopped by today with a gift for me, a charger with the inscription 'happiness is magic'. I love the saying! Happiness is waking up healthy. It is having friends that support you. Kids that give you hugs. Driveway dancing, summer concerts (mmmm Jack come back!), camping, laying out by the pool, Christmas morning, and the unexpected moments in each day.

Monday, May 4, 2009

channeling kara goucher

One year ago I decided to start exercising in the form of running. My friend Malinda talked me into running the Susan Komen 5K in SLC, and I thought, why not? At the time, I could not even run a half mile before I had to stop...and now one year later I am nearly ready for my ultimate goal of running a half marathon!!! It is a lonely process, filled mostly with the thoughts in my head, my ipod music, my shoes that I love, and lots and lots of footsteps...most of them being in the rain or freezing cold. I run because I want to finish this goal that I set for myself. Not to be the best or the fastest, but to say, I did it. My running idol is Kara Goucher, who finished 3rd in this years Boston Marathon. She is fast, slender, and hot. All things I would like to be. :)Sometimes I think we don't know what we are capable of accomplishing. I am not athletic. Somehow though, I find myself on these long training runs and I feel great. I push that last few meters usually in the quiet of the early morning all by myself... and then, just like tons of people are cheering for me as I cross the line...I pump my fists in the air and finish like a champ.