13.1M

One New Years Resolution down hundreds more to go. Last weekend I participated in the P.F.Changs Marathon & 1/2 Marathon run in Phoenix. Why did I do it? Well my answer is this, why wasn't I doing this sooner!?! I have held myself back for the past several years thinking that I was doing my "job", being the mom, the wife, the cook, the maid, etc.etc.etc., then it FINALLY hit me, I wasn't satisfied with the title of "ordinary mom" I had cut myself out of the equation and had forgotten to take care of me. So with '08 in view I started training for the new me. Finding that person I once was. Running the 1/2 Marathon was so much more personal than just "running a 1/2 marathon." It meant that this is the year I FINALLY get rid of the "baby weight", FINALLY get a few girlfriends to just laugh with, FINALLY not to sweat the small stuff, because it really is just "small stuff." and the resolutions just go on. The 1/2 marathon was awesome. Over 30,000 participants ran/walked the marathons. (only 9,000 ran the full marathon some 21,000 ran/walked the 1/2 marathon) We were given 4 hours to complete the 13.1 miles or we would be wheeled across the finish line. My only goal - not to be the one "wheeled" across the finish line! I really surprised myself at how well I did. My estimated arrival time to finish was 3:45:00 and my official arrival time at the finish was 3:16:11. Emotions ran high I as I saw my husband and boys in the stands cheering me on at the finish. Were did I get the umph I needed at the end to finish? Well I like to think it was from them. For them, for me, for the experience, I DID IT! And I now know that I can do it, anybody can. Now I am looking forward to run #2 (running together w/ BIG J), Pat's Run, benefiting the Pat Tillman Foundation in April. So IF any of you are interested check it out @ http://www.patsrun.com/.

Thanks Jason for helping me reach my goals. For early mornings, late nights, and keeping the kids out of my hair while training. This really meant so much to me, more than you'll ever know. Its Tuesday, so I guess that means I love you today!!! HA! Just keepin' it real BIG J!

Called To Serve

Called to Serve

Friday night the Whiting Klan rounded together for the unveiling of Tyson's "Mission Call." Everyone had their guesses and bets were all on the table, so were will twin #2 be called to serve!?!......drum roll please.....Billings, Montana!!! Congrats Ty! Jason & I couldn't be more proud of both you and Cord for your decisions you have both made to serve missions!!! We Love You!!!

Holiday Jumble

New Years Eve Party Bash 2007!

Another year gone by another year to set out for great things BUT first things first.....you gotta end that year with a BANG! So what better than a New Years Party with your favorite people!?! Jason & I hosted this years New Years Eve Party Bash at our pad and it was a BLAST! Crazy games, Great Food (not IF you made your New Years Res. early to lose weight! HA!), and a few of our Favorite People were all in attendance to RING out our last night of 2007! The night started out with a little get to know you (and everyones marital issues, ALL in good fun of course!) called "The Newly Wed Game." Answers were hilarious and some even a little heated BUT no divorces reported yet! Game #2 - well I don't really know what to call this game other than just telling you how its played and seeing the attached photo! We took a pair of pantie hose dropped an apple (verses the cucumber) down a leg of the pantie hose, tied the pantie hose around your waist (just keeping the apple above the ground) and you raced your partner swinging your hips (while not using your hands) to knock a ball across the finish line! This game was one of our favorites and a party hit!!!

Game #3 - Was the 'Frozen' t-shirt contest! Yes a "FROZEN" t-shirt contest in the dead of winter!!! I took a bunch of old gym shirts, soaked them in water, folded them up, packaged them in Ziploc bags, and put them safely away in the freezer until we ready for the game! Couples were given 1 towel and their imagination to de-thaw the t-shirt enough for the husband to put it on!!! Yes, put it on!!! Kudos to Tomi & Mark for being our FROZEN T-SHIRT WINNERS!!!

Thanks to everyone who came out to ring in 2008 with us!!! We hope you all have a great time!

Mr. JCrew Whiting Turns 4yrs Old!

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY

Jason "Crew" Whiting

12/30/03 * 7lbs 8oz. * 20in long

Another birthday amidst the holiday traffic! Happy Happy birthday Mr. JCrew! The years just get better and better as they grow up! This year he was insistent on having his 1st "REAL" birthday party with friends!!! I think everyone, from the lady at the checkout counter, to the teller at the bank, even from the stranger at the store & EVEN "Santa Clause", new Crew was having a Birthday Party! He was very insistent on having a "snake cake" (he picked it out himself from one of my favorite cookbooks : Cooking for Kids & Kids Party Foods). So we tailored EVERYTHING towards a dirty icky bugs, snakes, spiders...Oh My(party theme)! The party was a success and he had so much fun!!! I can't wait until next year to see what this kid dreams up for his 5th birthday!!! His imagination will only get bigger and better and I'll have to keep up with him to make more amazing cakes!!! Happy Birthday Crew!!!

Where Does the Time Go?

Stewart "Trip" Whiting

12/27/06 * 8lbs.5oz. * 21in. long

Where does the time go? It seems like yesterday that I was sitting in my hospital room sweating bullets while nurses prepped me for C-Section #2. 9 months of Hell was but a small sacrifice, for me to pay, to at the end be given something so precious and sweet. I am so grateful for Trip and his little spirit and for him coming into our home. Where have the past 12 months gone!?! Those months were filled with his firsts - first cry, laugh, bath. From scooting, to crawling, to walking.....the first year is one of my favorites!!! Happy Birthday Trip!!! and to many more good times & memories.

Moms 60th Birthday Getaway!

Mom (Sheila) turned the BIG 6-0 December 14th (and you still look as beautiful as you did when you were 21!). We stole her away to Tucson for a GIRLS weekend at Felisa's house. Mom had never had a pedi/mani so we thought what a better time than Moms 60th for a weekend getaway with the kids! We had a GREAT time having our feet and hands pampered, lunch out @ Macaroni Grill, and doing some Christmas shopping!!! Note to "Smith Girls" - GIRL GATHERINGS IS A MUST AT LEAST 2-4 TIMES A YEAR!

TAG!....I'm it!!!

Thanks to Rayna I got tagged. So here we go with a few things you may or may not have known about me!

1: I love this time of year. Not only this time, meaning Christmas, but the entire fall/winter season. When tempertures begin to drop, leaves begin to turn into beautiful displays of art, and the nights are cool enough for sweaters and jackets. When Halloween begins to creep upon us and the kids get excited to carve pumpkins and get dressed up. The smells of ThanksGiving coming along....the pies, turkeys, and the sense of service that seems mute until this time of year. When in December the Christmas tree & lights outside go up, warm fires are necessary, and snow flurries are about. This is the time of year that I feel draws so many of us together. It is truly the "warmest" time of year to me!

2: I am so grateful for the "boys" in my life! Crew is so full of love, always giving hugs and kisses, screaming "I love yous" throughout every random minute in the day, and Wrestling mom down to the ground cause she is one of the "guys" too! Trip for his little smile that seems to be planted on his face permenatly, for his little laugh, and the way he just idolizes Crew and his dad! And for Jason. Words cannot and will not ever be enough to express my love and appreciation for the man he is in my life. Lets face it, you know he is a good guy when he has to put up with me!!! I love you boys!!!

3: I secretly have O.C.D. I clean my house EVERY day. We are talking sweep, mop, vacumm, dust, clean the pee off the toilets (you'll understand IF you have boys OR husbands), dishes, etc. etc. etc. I think it is engraved in my DNA (thanks mom). Not only that BUT at night I think I check the locks on the doors 2 or 3 times before I go onto the next check point to make sure the boys are nice and warm, tucked in, and okay. This too is engraved into my DNA (thanks Dad). The list can go on BUT I don't want want to be put in a straight jakcet and locked in a padded room! HAHAHA!

4: I love the feeling of accomplishment. Whether it is dreadfully training every morning for the 1/2 marathon (which is less than a month away and I am no way near ready) and stepping off the treadmil smothered in sweat, or accomplishing the daily tasks of motherhood, helping Trip to walk, having dinnner on the table for Big J when he walks through the door, helping Crew with his pre-school work, getting ALL the laundry washed & folded (which is the most dreadful chore for me to do), surviving to the grocery store w/ both boys. In all these small efforts I feel a certain degree of accomplishment at the end of my day.

Francoise de Motteville:
The true way to render ourselves happy is to love our work and find in it our pleasure.

5: I love to get 'invovled' in a good book. Taking a little time here and there when the little monsters are napping or the husband is busy watching the game on TV or even staying up late after everyone has fallen alseep just read one more chapter. I love finding GREAT books that I can fall in love with and read over & over. Getting caught up in a book is my secret escape from the daily duties of motherhood!

6: When people ask Jason & I how we met we always tell them, "He got my brother a job, my brother got him a wife!" Jason and I became friends when I was introduced to a group of St. Johns boys at a missionary farewell with my brother Steven. At the time Jason and I didn't have much to do w/ eachother, after all I was one of those 'snotty Snowflake girls', right J!?! I dated one of his best friends and was always trying to set him up with my roomates to go out on double dates w/ us (he was always the life of the party and kept us laughing). Time went on as we both moved in and out of realtionships. It wasn't until I had left the Valley and moved home when 2 little match makers decided for us that we would get married. Steven and Amy must have been inspired, bored, or just needed some entertainment. So it was set, our first date!!! We went to the IMPROV, dinner, back to his place for a movie and a kiss (AHHH) and the rest is history!!! Thanks Steven & Amy!

Thanks Rayna for the TAG!!! Now its my turn!!! I Tag the following: The Smith Girls (this means you: Mom, Celia, Felisa, Becca, Traci, & Amy)

Just write down a few fun facts we may or may have not known about you!!! Have fun, you have officially been TAGGED!!!

The Whiting Family gets ELFED!

Okay, so I just couldn't resist doing this! I saw this on my sis-in-law, Julies, blog and laughed so hard!!! So I did one for the Whiting Family. Just trying to spread a little holiday laughter and spirit to all.


Hey, I just made a total elf of myself. Check it out by clicking the link below.
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1195776255

A Very Merry Christmas Fiesta.

Trip * Mr. C. * & Crew

Last night we had our ward Christmas Fiesta!!! Good times. Every year they have a fiesta for Christmas (because they figure everyone is probably so sick of eating turkey and ham by now, and we are, that Mexican Food is a nice change of taste before we delve into the Traditional turkey and ham for Christmas.) And as always a SPECIAL visitor payed a visit to check up on the primary children! We didn't know how our boys were going to take Santa this year. Crew was terrified of the Jolly Man last year and even in the mall he didn't want to sit on Santa's lap...and this being Trip's 1st Christmas we weren't too sure on how he would take to being held by this strange Red Man. BUT, to our surprise Crew ran right up to get in line to make sure he got his order in to Mr. C. It was too cute! I think he told him 5 times that he wanted Transformers for Christmas then continued by telling Santa ALL the Transformers names!!! And Trip was a pro!!! A little hesitant at first BUT he took a liking to Santa and his big white beard!!! Jason and I are looking forward to seeing our boys faces light up when they come in the family room on Christmas morning. Seeing the boys GLOW melts my heart!

Merry Christmas!