Today is mine and Todd's seventh anniversary. Seven really good years.
I've been bummed about it, though, because Todd's missing it. He's been in Alabama for an Army course for the past two weeks and is scheduled to fly home tomorrow. Tomorrow. This would be the second wedding anniversary the military has prevented us from celebrating together.
Todd texted me mid-day and said he was getting bad reception and a terrible internet connection, so to scratch our Skype meeting tonight and we would just catch up on everything when he was "back in civilization." I was pretty sad about that. Our wedding anniversary, and we barely even get a couple of minutes to talk to each other. (He called in the morning, and we did chat for a bit.)
So I was surprised when I heard my Todd ringtone on my cell phone tonight at 9:30. I answered. "Hey, happy anniversary! I didn't think you were going to call tonight. It's pretty late for you, aren't you in bed yet?" (11:30 in Alabama.) We chatted for just a minute or two before I started hearing Todd's voice in two places at once: my phone speaker, and outside my front door.
He surprised me by coming home early! And apparently it was a pretty big feat, too. Things wrapped up at 10:30 this morning, and right away he got on the phone to try to change his flight. He snagged one that was leaving in an hour, and sped the whole way to the airport. He got on his plane only five minutes before take-off, still carrying his big, should-have-been-checked suitcase.
He's asleep now. I'm not quite ready. I am crying here, overwhelmed with love for this man who is gone way too much, and makes me ache, I miss him so much. Seven really great years. I'll take 'em. I'll take him.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Crazy for Halloween
We have been crazy for Halloween over here for weeks now. Holidays are turning into a huge party now that Hazel's old enough to remember traditions and get excited about it all.
We kicked things off with a trip to a pumpkin patch. My one goal was to get a great picture of the two kids together, and this is the only one where they both look pretty good. At least there was one...
Hazel ran all over the place, enjoying the tractor ride, the little corn maze, the bounce house, the petting zoo, and especially (weirdly) the haunted house. We had to bribe her to get her to sit still for the sibling photo. She wouldn't slow down to look at the camera once after that.
She's pretending to be scared of the haunted house, before going through for her 20th time.
Eventually he warmed up, but it took quite a long time.
We bought our pumpkins at a fourth the price at the grocery store a few days later. It seems like we've carved a pumpkin every night since. That's all Hazel wants to do every night.
We got tired of it and talked her into painting one the third night she asked.
We decorated our porch and it is hands-down the biggest hit of the holiday. Hazel opens the door several times a day to gasp, hand on heart, and exclaim that it's "so spooky out here!" She loves to turn on the lights in our jack-o-lanterns each evening as well, and can't stop talking about what the trick-or-treaters will think when they see it. 
Now, costumes. I finally pinned Hazel down and made her commit to being Rapunzel. She's changed her mind about nine times this month, which was fine until I had to get serious about making costumes. We found a great purple dress-up for her to wear, and planned to festune her hair in all her flower bows, recreating the part in Tangled when the little girls do Rapunzel's hair in the village. I made Jack a ridiculously cute Pascal costume with felt and cotton balls. I'm mighty proud of it. 
But then we went trick or treating at a shopping mall last Tuesday, and the friend we invited to come with us was also Rapunzel, but she had this fantastic wig made of yarn, and suddenly, Jack looked well taken care of, and Hazel didn't look like Rapunzel at all, just some generic "princess" or something.
I knew I had to step it up, so I asked permission to copy, and had a fantastic yarn wig myself when we made our appearance at the church trunk-or-treat Saturday night. 
Rapunzel and Pascal
We kicked things off with a trip to a pumpkin patch. My one goal was to get a great picture of the two kids together, and this is the only one where they both look pretty good. At least there was one...
Hazel ran all over the place, enjoying the tractor ride, the little corn maze, the bounce house, the petting zoo, and especially (weirdly) the haunted house. We had to bribe her to get her to sit still for the sibling photo. She wouldn't slow down to look at the camera once after that.
She's pretending to be scared of the haunted house, before going through for her 20th time.Jack seemed about to cry when I set him down in the straw among the pumpkins. When Hazel was his age, she climbed all over the pumpkins, picking them up, rolling them around. He had no clue what to do besides make me feel guilty for putting me down.
Eventually he warmed up, but it took quite a long time. 
We bought our pumpkins at a fourth the price at the grocery store a few days later. It seems like we've carved a pumpkin every night since. That's all Hazel wants to do every night.
We got tired of it and talked her into painting one the third night she asked. 
We decorated our porch and it is hands-down the biggest hit of the holiday. Hazel opens the door several times a day to gasp, hand on heart, and exclaim that it's "so spooky out here!" She loves to turn on the lights in our jack-o-lanterns each evening as well, and can't stop talking about what the trick-or-treaters will think when they see it. 
Now, costumes. I finally pinned Hazel down and made her commit to being Rapunzel. She's changed her mind about nine times this month, which was fine until I had to get serious about making costumes. We found a great purple dress-up for her to wear, and planned to festune her hair in all her flower bows, recreating the part in Tangled when the little girls do Rapunzel's hair in the village. I made Jack a ridiculously cute Pascal costume with felt and cotton balls. I'm mighty proud of it. 
But then we went trick or treating at a shopping mall last Tuesday, and the friend we invited to come with us was also Rapunzel, but she had this fantastic wig made of yarn, and suddenly, Jack looked well taken care of, and Hazel didn't look like Rapunzel at all, just some generic "princess" or something. 
I knew I had to step it up, so I asked permission to copy, and had a fantastic yarn wig myself when we made our appearance at the church trunk-or-treat Saturday night. 
Rapunzel and PascalSunday we made our traditional pumpkin soup for dinner, and had friends over to share it with. Lame, no pictures.
And tonight we went trick-or-treating through the complex. Hazel's gathered quite a haul over the past week. Time to hide most of it!
And tonight we went trick-or-treating through the complex. Hazel's gathered quite a haul over the past week. Time to hide most of it!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Milestones
Today Jack stood on his own for seven seconds! He took his first step a couple of days ago. He's on the brink of walking, folks.
Between Jack's naps we were outside drawing with sidewalk chalk and Hazel wrote an H! I didn't even know she could do that! It's the first time she's written a letter without sharing a pen with me. 
And a couple of days ago Todd was writing her name on a water bottle and she told him every letter to write: "H, A, Z, F, L." Close enough.
Between Jack's naps we were outside drawing with sidewalk chalk and Hazel wrote an H! I didn't even know she could do that! It's the first time she's written a letter without sharing a pen with me. 
And a couple of days ago Todd was writing her name on a water bottle and she told him every letter to write: "H, A, Z, F, L." Close enough.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Jack at 9 Months
Jack is 9 months old now. I know, I can't believe it either! I have daily flashbacks of his cuddly newborn sweetness (although, mercifully, I rarely think of the murderous nighttime feedings). It is blowing my mind that the holidays are just around the corner, and after that comes Big J's first birthday. Time flies.
We think he's huge. In fact, the night before Jack's pediatrician check-up, I asked Todd if he had any questions he wanted me to ask the doctor, and the only concern he had was the very same one and only question on my list: Are we feeding this kid too much? He's a bottomless tank. But apparently, one in four babies his age are bigger, because Jack was right in the 75th percentile for both height and weight (29 inches, 22 lbs 7 oz). So I'll stop complaining about my tired arms and spend more time smooching those chubby cheeks.
He babbles mama, dada, bubu, and a couple other sounds. He loves to blow raspberries, make fish kiss sounds, and figure out other interesting noises he can make with his mouth. He naps like a superstar and loves to rub soft things against his face. He's cruising on the furniture, and for the past week he has been utterly obsessed with holding our hands and walking everywhere. He loves to stroll about, and when he stops to look at something, he holds tight to me with one hand so his mode of transportation doesn't leave him stranded. 
Jack is still as content, unassuming, and snugly as ever. He is a true sweetheart. I love his mellow temperament. He is the easiest baby that ever graced the planet, I swear. It's hard sometimes for me to remember to give him as much attention as I want to because he's so peaceful and undemanding, and Hazel soaks up every inch of eye contact and verbal engagement I'll give her, then beg for more. Every once in a while I pray in the morning for help to remember to give Jack my time and attention, because he won't ask for it, but I want with all my heart to give it to him still. I hope I can find a balance between my two kiddos so they both feel they're getting all the love and attention they deserve and want. I can easily see both of them feeling neglected even as I give them all I've got.
We think he's huge. In fact, the night before Jack's pediatrician check-up, I asked Todd if he had any questions he wanted me to ask the doctor, and the only concern he had was the very same one and only question on my list: Are we feeding this kid too much? He's a bottomless tank. But apparently, one in four babies his age are bigger, because Jack was right in the 75th percentile for both height and weight (29 inches, 22 lbs 7 oz). So I'll stop complaining about my tired arms and spend more time smooching those chubby cheeks.
He babbles mama, dada, bubu, and a couple other sounds. He loves to blow raspberries, make fish kiss sounds, and figure out other interesting noises he can make with his mouth. He naps like a superstar and loves to rub soft things against his face. He's cruising on the furniture, and for the past week he has been utterly obsessed with holding our hands and walking everywhere. He loves to stroll about, and when he stops to look at something, he holds tight to me with one hand so his mode of transportation doesn't leave him stranded. 
Jack is still as content, unassuming, and snugly as ever. He is a true sweetheart. I love his mellow temperament. He is the easiest baby that ever graced the planet, I swear. It's hard sometimes for me to remember to give him as much attention as I want to because he's so peaceful and undemanding, and Hazel soaks up every inch of eye contact and verbal engagement I'll give her, then beg for more. Every once in a while I pray in the morning for help to remember to give Jack my time and attention, because he won't ask for it, but I want with all my heart to give it to him still. I hope I can find a balance between my two kiddos so they both feel they're getting all the love and attention they deserve and want. I can easily see both of them feeling neglected even as I give them all I've got.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
"I don't see anything wrong with it," Todd said.
I went to a baby shower this morning. When I got home, Todd was playing with the kids at the park next door. I came over to hang out with them, and was more than a little flabbergasted when I saw what Todd had dressed Hazel in. A shirt and tights. That's it.
"That dress is getting too short," Todd said. "I was ready to throw it out."
"It's a 3T shirt, not a dress."
"Then why does it have ruffles on it?"
"Just for decoration. I can't believe you took Hazel out of the house dressed like that. I'm kind of embarrassed to be in public right now."
Todd wasn't. And Hazel wasn't. So we stayed and played and I got over my mortification by laughing at how funny Hazel looked running around in those things. But I may have to lay out clothes for Hazel the next time I expect Todd to get her dressed.
"That dress is getting too short," Todd said. "I was ready to throw it out." "It's a 3T shirt, not a dress."
"Then why does it have ruffles on it?"
"Just for decoration. I can't believe you took Hazel out of the house dressed like that. I'm kind of embarrassed to be in public right now."
Todd wasn't. And Hazel wasn't. So we stayed and played and I got over my mortification by laughing at how funny Hazel looked running around in those things. But I may have to lay out clothes for Hazel the next time I expect Todd to get her dressed.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
The Cat Lady
We live on the back corner of our apartment complex, facing the wall that divides us from a large city park. An anonymous individual leaves cat food and water in tupperware on the grounds near the park fence for stray cats to eat. The HOA has made mention on several occasions that they wish this person would discontinue this practice. The warnings have been unheeded.
Living so near the food drop location, I have had two exciting opportunities where I glimpsed the person I believe to be feeding the cats. Both were last fall, when I was pregnant with Jack.
1. I was bringing Hazel home from the park. Sitting on the steps just past our stairway, with her back to me, was a woman I'd never seen before. Long, wavy, waist-length blond hair. I'd place her in her mid-40's. Stroking a collarless cat I'd frequently seen nibbling at the afore-mentioned food! She did not turn around as I and my chatty child neared, which I found suspicious. For reasons I now cannot remember and do regret, I took Hazel inside the house and then came back out to look at the Cat Lady again. Alas, she was gone.
2. Mere days later, I was at my garage and spotted a lady with long, wavy blond hair driving an older car past me on the way out of the complex. I immediately called Todd to report another sighting of the Cat Lady. Because of the direction she was driving from, my best guess is that she lives in the building perpendicular to ours.
Jokes about the Cat Lady have been made in our house on a fairly regular basis over time.
Our rental company representative called me about two months ago to ask if I or any of my neighbors were the one leaving the cat food, as it is right in front of my building. I laughed, and told her I wasn't the Cat Lady and that she didn't live in my building. She asked me to confront CL if I ever saw her again.
It's all been very amusing and casual and just something to laugh about. Until...
Just before Labor Day, Todd discovered a pack of four raccoons nibbling at the cat food at night. He didn't think much of it at the time. But a few days later, he and Hazel were coming home from the park and spotted the pack running along our sidewalk in broad daylight! They headed straight for the cat food. Todd threw a few rocks at them to try to scare them away. Quite the contrary. They hissed at Todd and continued on with their feast, acting all hostile and making Todd worry for Hazel's safety.
The third sighting occurred as an entire family unit, in the early evening. I held Jack and Hazel at a safe viewing distance while Todd climbed the wall and vigorously chucked rocks at the raccoons for several minutes. After quite a long battle, they retreated far enough away for me to make a run for it and grab the cat food.
At that point, Todd declared war on the Cat Lady. Homeless cats or no, we can't sit back and let the Raccoon Gang invade our territory, acting all hostile and making us worry about the safety of our children.
For the past month, the entire Bonner clan has been keeping a constant eye out for cat food. Whenever we see it, we dispense of it. Hazel asks about the Cat Lady every time we walk past the drop spot. I've stuck to straight-up dumpster drops, but Todd's been working hard to send a clear message by rendering CL's tupperware useless.
Cat Lady switched to paper bowls and started leaving the food on the park side of the fence. Usually it's just barely close enough that I can still reach it if I strain, but Todd has quite frequently had to jump the fence to gather food and containers. One day she got aggressive and dumped the food in a pile on the ground and left the empty bowl next to it. She's got her own ways of sending messages.
Todd and I took a walk past the building I suspect CL lives in, and I think we may have found her unit. Behold, the porch:
We thought about dumping a bag or two of cat food on her porch, but decided that's like funding her project.
Frustrated with how this war has seemed to have no end, Todd took it to the next level and wrote Cat Lady a note, which he taped to the fence next to the remnants of her latest water bowl.
"Dear CAT LADY
I understand your concern for the cats and desire to feed them. However I have now joined the side of the HOA and am requesting you cease feeding the cats over here immediately.
There is now a family of 4 raccoons living here and eating your cat food. These raccoon have hissed at and threatened me and my kids not just at night but at 4 pm in the afternoon. This is unacceptable. I suggest you invite the raccoons over to your house for dinner as it is obvious you don't live in this area.
Putting food on the other side of the wall is still unacceptable. I can easily jump the wall and throw that away too."
Since then, the feedings have slowed down. She might just be out of town for a few days. If not, Todd admitted he's a little disappointed the Cat Lady might be done, as his next step was to add rat poison to the food. He said, "I can't throw all the food away, so I'll just make the food worthless. She's a sneaky little devil."
Living so near the food drop location, I have had two exciting opportunities where I glimpsed the person I believe to be feeding the cats. Both were last fall, when I was pregnant with Jack.
1. I was bringing Hazel home from the park. Sitting on the steps just past our stairway, with her back to me, was a woman I'd never seen before. Long, wavy, waist-length blond hair. I'd place her in her mid-40's. Stroking a collarless cat I'd frequently seen nibbling at the afore-mentioned food! She did not turn around as I and my chatty child neared, which I found suspicious. For reasons I now cannot remember and do regret, I took Hazel inside the house and then came back out to look at the Cat Lady again. Alas, she was gone.
2. Mere days later, I was at my garage and spotted a lady with long, wavy blond hair driving an older car past me on the way out of the complex. I immediately called Todd to report another sighting of the Cat Lady. Because of the direction she was driving from, my best guess is that she lives in the building perpendicular to ours.
Jokes about the Cat Lady have been made in our house on a fairly regular basis over time.
Our rental company representative called me about two months ago to ask if I or any of my neighbors were the one leaving the cat food, as it is right in front of my building. I laughed, and told her I wasn't the Cat Lady and that she didn't live in my building. She asked me to confront CL if I ever saw her again.
It's all been very amusing and casual and just something to laugh about. Until...
Just before Labor Day, Todd discovered a pack of four raccoons nibbling at the cat food at night. He didn't think much of it at the time. But a few days later, he and Hazel were coming home from the park and spotted the pack running along our sidewalk in broad daylight! They headed straight for the cat food. Todd threw a few rocks at them to try to scare them away. Quite the contrary. They hissed at Todd and continued on with their feast, acting all hostile and making Todd worry for Hazel's safety.
The third sighting occurred as an entire family unit, in the early evening. I held Jack and Hazel at a safe viewing distance while Todd climbed the wall and vigorously chucked rocks at the raccoons for several minutes. After quite a long battle, they retreated far enough away for me to make a run for it and grab the cat food.
At that point, Todd declared war on the Cat Lady. Homeless cats or no, we can't sit back and let the Raccoon Gang invade our territory, acting all hostile and making us worry about the safety of our children.
For the past month, the entire Bonner clan has been keeping a constant eye out for cat food. Whenever we see it, we dispense of it. Hazel asks about the Cat Lady every time we walk past the drop spot. I've stuck to straight-up dumpster drops, but Todd's been working hard to send a clear message by rendering CL's tupperware useless.
Cat Lady switched to paper bowls and started leaving the food on the park side of the fence. Usually it's just barely close enough that I can still reach it if I strain, but Todd has quite frequently had to jump the fence to gather food and containers. One day she got aggressive and dumped the food in a pile on the ground and left the empty bowl next to it. She's got her own ways of sending messages.Todd and I took a walk past the building I suspect CL lives in, and I think we may have found her unit. Behold, the porch:
We thought about dumping a bag or two of cat food on her porch, but decided that's like funding her project.Frustrated with how this war has seemed to have no end, Todd took it to the next level and wrote Cat Lady a note, which he taped to the fence next to the remnants of her latest water bowl.
"Dear CAT LADYI understand your concern for the cats and desire to feed them. However I have now joined the side of the HOA and am requesting you cease feeding the cats over here immediately.
There is now a family of 4 raccoons living here and eating your cat food. These raccoon have hissed at and threatened me and my kids not just at night but at 4 pm in the afternoon. This is unacceptable. I suggest you invite the raccoons over to your house for dinner as it is obvious you don't live in this area.
Putting food on the other side of the wall is still unacceptable. I can easily jump the wall and throw that away too."
Since then, the feedings have slowed down. She might just be out of town for a few days. If not, Todd admitted he's a little disappointed the Cat Lady might be done, as his next step was to add rat poison to the food. He said, "I can't throw all the food away, so I'll just make the food worthless. She's a sneaky little devil."
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Hazel's Haircut
I got my hair cut a couple of weeks ago, and ever since Hazel's been asking to have her hair cut as well. I've been stalling to make sure it's something she'd really want, and she wasn't just "trending" or whatever. She's been very persistent about it, and Todd was around to help this morning, so we went for it!
This was Hazel's very first haircut, other than a rather unsuccessful attempt to trim her bangs a few months ago. She watched Rapunzel while I snipped and did a fairly good job holding still. I was worried that I was saying goodbye forever to her darling little ringlets, but thankfully they're still alive and well (and mercifully hiding my uneven snips). I love the look and am pleased that I didn't completely butch her.
This was Hazel's very first haircut, other than a rather unsuccessful attempt to trim her bangs a few months ago. She watched Rapunzel while I snipped and did a fairly good job holding still. I was worried that I was saying goodbye forever to her darling little ringlets, but thankfully they're still alive and well (and mercifully hiding my uneven snips). I love the look and am pleased that I didn't completely butch her.
She was utterly uncooperative when it came to before and after shots. This is the best I got:
After:
Before:
After:
Monday, September 19, 2011
The Trenches Part 3
We've been at it for 3 1/2 months now, off and mostly on, but I think it's safe to say Hazel's pretty much potty trained now. I've stopped asking her if she wants to go potty except for when we're about to head out the door. She goes when she feels like it, which is far less often than I was making her try, and she holds it between. She stays dry during naps and even at night. 
She's only had one accident in the last two weeks, and she was standing in front of the toilet with her panties pulled down - she was so close and it was not a big deal to me because she was still right on with what she needed to do.
Hazel rocked it when we were in Utah. No accidents that whole week, and she was completely off routine. She kept it together and did awesome.
And our big hurdle, poop? She's been having dum-dums every single day. She poops at our house, at Target, in her froggy potty on the side of the road, at church, at friends' houses. She pooped in a porta-pottie during Todd's race. Wherever, whenever. It's no big deal anymore. Now I've just got to wean her from the reward sucker.
The only thing holding her back is that I still put her in a pull-up when I'm nervous about an accident. (At night, during long car rides, etc.) I've got to let her go all panties and see what she can do. Although, she keeps the pull-up dry, too, so maybe there's no harm in it? What do you think?
My favorite thing is that she's taken the phrase "go pee-pee in the potty" and shortened it. She now announces that she goes "peep in the pod." I think that's so hilarious. She's such a goof.
She's only had one accident in the last two weeks, and she was standing in front of the toilet with her panties pulled down - she was so close and it was not a big deal to me because she was still right on with what she needed to do.Hazel rocked it when we were in Utah. No accidents that whole week, and she was completely off routine. She kept it together and did awesome.
And our big hurdle, poop? She's been having dum-dums every single day. She poops at our house, at Target, in her froggy potty on the side of the road, at church, at friends' houses. She pooped in a porta-pottie during Todd's race. Wherever, whenever. It's no big deal anymore. Now I've just got to wean her from the reward sucker.
The only thing holding her back is that I still put her in a pull-up when I'm nervous about an accident. (At night, during long car rides, etc.) I've got to let her go all panties and see what she can do. Although, she keeps the pull-up dry, too, so maybe there's no harm in it? What do you think?
My favorite thing is that she's taken the phrase "go pee-pee in the potty" and shortened it. She now announces that she goes "peep in the pod." I think that's so hilarious. She's such a goof.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Wasatch 100 Endurance Race
Last week we took a trip to Utah. We flew instead of driving, which was so nice, like ripping off a bandaid. It was still stressful, but over with so much faster.
We spent lots of time with Missy's kids, "the cousins," as Hazel says. She was completely in love with their large selection of dress-ups, and their yard. She and Shaylee were inseparable. I wish they had more opportunities to see each other.
Todd and I did sealings at the Mount Timpanogas Temple (where we were married). I couldn't get over the fact that Missy has TWO temples only five miles away from her house. Makes me jealous.
We got together quick with my mom, Kathryn, Ryan, and Chris and ate dinner together in Provo.
I had a mini roommate reunion with Kelsey and Stephanie from freshman year. The kids played in the water at this man-made pond in American Fork, and we gossiped and caught up on life in person.
I think Todd was so bored with no other men to talk to. We wish we could have seen Paul and Joe, too!
We stayed one night with our friends from California, Brian and Megan Bruschke.
Then began the ultimate purpose of our visit: Todd ran the Wasatch 100 Endurance Race. He started at 5 am Friday morning and finished at 3:19 Saturday afternoon.
I drove him up to start the race. Here he is taking off. I was queasy with worry. He was excited.
He ran the first 39 miles alone.
After that he had pacers running with him: his brother KB, then his friend from college Tim, then his brother-in-law Burke.
I took the kids along to cheer for him as he passed through checkpoints at mile 39 and mile 53. Here he is about halfway done. Does he look tired to you?
He threw up bile a few miles before this and felt nauseous through the entire rest of the race. He says that was the hardest part.
I can't not post this picture. Who is this gorgeous kid? Where did my baby go? Hazel was excited to cheer for Daddy. She wanted to run with him and get a trophy.
Utah sunsets are my favorite.
Crossing the finish line Saturday afternoon with Burke. 
Laying down in utter exhaustion once he was finished. 
Todd changed his socks and washed his feet every 25 miles or so, but he still ended up with feet that looked like this:
This was Todd's third time running the Wasatch 100, but his first time finishing in the 36 hours they allow. I am proud of him for accomplishing such a hard task. And, I hope that crossing that finish line and earning a Badger Heart belt buckle will give him the closure he needs to not ever run it again.
We spent lots of time with Missy's kids, "the cousins," as Hazel says. She was completely in love with their large selection of dress-ups, and their yard. She and Shaylee were inseparable. I wish they had more opportunities to see each other.
Todd and I did sealings at the Mount Timpanogas Temple (where we were married). I couldn't get over the fact that Missy has TWO temples only five miles away from her house. Makes me jealous.We got together quick with my mom, Kathryn, Ryan, and Chris and ate dinner together in Provo.
I had a mini roommate reunion with Kelsey and Stephanie from freshman year. The kids played in the water at this man-made pond in American Fork, and we gossiped and caught up on life in person.
I think Todd was so bored with no other men to talk to. We wish we could have seen Paul and Joe, too!We stayed one night with our friends from California, Brian and Megan Bruschke.
Then began the ultimate purpose of our visit: Todd ran the Wasatch 100 Endurance Race. He started at 5 am Friday morning and finished at 3:19 Saturday afternoon.
I drove him up to start the race. Here he is taking off. I was queasy with worry. He was excited.
He ran the first 39 miles alone.
After that he had pacers running with him: his brother KB, then his friend from college Tim, then his brother-in-law Burke.I took the kids along to cheer for him as he passed through checkpoints at mile 39 and mile 53. Here he is about halfway done. Does he look tired to you?
He threw up bile a few miles before this and felt nauseous through the entire rest of the race. He says that was the hardest part.I can't not post this picture. Who is this gorgeous kid? Where did my baby go? Hazel was excited to cheer for Daddy. She wanted to run with him and get a trophy.
Utah sunsets are my favorite.
Crossing the finish line Saturday afternoon with Burke. 
Laying down in utter exhaustion once he was finished. 
Todd changed his socks and washed his feet every 25 miles or so, but he still ended up with feet that looked like this:
This was Todd's third time running the Wasatch 100, but his first time finishing in the 36 hours they allow. I am proud of him for accomplishing such a hard task. And, I hope that crossing that finish line and earning a Badger Heart belt buckle will give him the closure he needs to not ever run it again.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Belize, August 2011
Todd and I went to Belize with his parents and siblings (without our kids) the first week of August. We've been planning and looking forward to this trip for the good part of a year. What a wild experience. Trying to document it didn't really do it justice . (Especially since I haven't seen anyone else's pictures yet - I'll have to enhance my post when they come streaming in over the next few weeks.)
Day 1
Larry and Ellen, KB, Kelsi, Missy and Burke, and myself flew from Salt Lake City on Saturday. We arrived in Belize City in mid-afternoon. We grabbed rental cars and drove two hours west to the jungle hills of San Ignacio. We ate dinner in town and then drove through the dark along super rugged dirt roads up to our jungle lodge. Everyone was pretty bushed, so we went to bed early and made plans to sleep in late the next morning.
Highlight: The rental car guy, Julio, locked the keys in one of our vehicles at the airport, then broke the antennae off the car and used it to jimmy the door unlocked.
Lowlight: We were a little shocked by the bugs in our cabanas. I tried to block out that I'd already seen a couple roaches, and Missy screamed when she saw the spiders. Ron, the proprietor, tried to sooth her with "Oh, that's just a house spider. Just a little guy." If that was little, I don't want to see big!
Day 2:
Our group gathered for breakfast around 10:30. Then we grabbed some inner tubes and hiked upriver for about half an hour. We saw lots of leaf cutter ants. I thought that was cool.
We floated the Macaw River for a couple of hours. We ate a late lunch at the lodge and then drove into town to meet up with the rest of our group: Todd, Laura and Tyler, Erika and Steve, and Beany. We ate dinner together, grabbed a few supplies at a local market, and headed back to our lodging for the night.
Highlights: Reuniting with Todd after two weeks apart. Playing with Ron's super cute pet cody. Sleeping in for the first time in a long time (and the only time the entire trip!). Al (the other owner of the lodge), perched on his seat in the dining room, leg crossed, had only two things to say - in his nasally voice - to every exclamation of ours about the humidity, the bugs, the food, the rain, anything: "Welcome to Belize," and "Well, you're in the jungle."
Lowlights: We were looking for a little unexcavated area of Mayan ruins as we hiked, and completely passed it unknowingly. Also, the river was really low and slow, so it got a little dull by the end. We got tired of picking up our tubes to walk over the rocks that were supposed to be our rapids. Plus, it was raining, so we didn't see any toucans, when we had thought we'd see a ton while we tubed and I was really looking forward to that.
Day 3
We drove out to Caracol to see the biggest Mayan city in Belize. We had to drive through a military check point along the way and drive with an escort as protection from bandits from Guatamala. The ruins were incredibly cool to see. We got quite a workout climbing up all the steps to the top of every single pyramid.
On the way home we took a short hike down to Big Rock Falls, a beautiful waterfall along a river with a natural pool at the base that we could swim in.
Highlights: We saw no banditos, but had quite a few laughs joking about them. It rained heavily while we were at Caracol, which gave us a (welcome) break from the sweltering heat. And I saw a bright, beautiful toucan as we were hiking out!
Lowlight: I left my swimsuit in the car when we hiked down to the falls, so I was fully dressed in a t-shirt and nylon pants when we swam in the pool. My wet pants were dragging me down and I couldn't fight the current, so I mostly lounged on the rocks while everyone else swam and cliff jumped.
Day 4
It rained and rained and rained all night long, and in the morning we received the terribly disappointing news that our tour of the ATM cave had been canceled due to flooding concerns. We were so bummed because we were leaving for the islands the next day so there went our only chance for what we'd heard was one of the coolest tours ever. We scrambled to put together a good itinerary for the day with several activities Todd had researched but hadn't chosen because we didn't have time for it all.
We went to the Belize Zoo and saw all the animals native to the country, including more toucans, huge harpy eagles, tapirs (the national animal), crocodiles, jaguars and ocelots.
Then we drove to the Blue Hole National Park and planned to swim in a gorgeous water hole and check out St. Herman's Cave, but both were closed to the public due to the rain. So disappointing.
Eventually we made it to another ruin sight, Cahl Pech, but by the time we arrived everyone was wet and ticked off and the ruins were going to close in just thirty minutes, and we just bagged it.
We went back to our lodging and swam in the pool instead, and that was lots of fun. We played Marco Polo and everyone became friends again.
Highlight: We made a stop in San Ignacio in the afternoon and chatted it up with the tour company. Somehow we landed ourselves new spots in the ATM tour for the following day, pending weather. We rearranged all of our travel plans out to the island to be able to make it to the tour. Everyone was praying for no rain that night!
Lowlight: We did a ton of driving and got not a lot out of it. Everyone was restless and snippy by the afternoon. It was kind of a bad day.
Day 5
It didn't rain all night! Everyone woke up elated. The ATM cave tour was on! The tour started with a drive out, followed by a 45 minute hike up to the cave. We had to cross a river four times, with water heights varying from ankle to waist deep.
At the mouth of the cave, we put on helmets mounted with headlamps and swam through a pool in the cave opening. We were in water almost the entire time. Sometimes the water was low, just up to our ankles or shins, but it was frequently waist or chest deep. We climbed over boulders and often had to maneuver support positions with both feet and both hands. It was intense, challenging, and completely exhilarating.
Once far enough into the cave, there was a spot you could climb up higher and get out of the water, and it was here that the Mayans had offered sacrifices, both food and human. There were pottery remains all over, as well as skeletons. The touted highlight of the tour is the "Crystal Maiden," a complete female skeleton crystalized to the limestone floor.
Highlight: For me, the best part was the hike back out of the cave. I wasn't as intimidated by the challenging maneuvers required, and our guide took us back by a slightly different route that was even more adventurous. We were all pumped to think he had evaluated our skills and deemed us worthy to go back a more dangerous, more exciting way. There was one spot we had to squeeze through a jagged opening that only had enough room for your body when you contorted it just right. The current was pushing the water along and you had to really hold on to the rocks and use your body strength to control when you moved where. You had to turn your head sideways to fit through and we were all advised to "watch your jugular." It was exhilarating. When we reached the pool at the end, we each dived into the water, helmets and all.
Lowlight: Our tour lasted about an hour and a half longer than we'd been told it would, so when it ended we were really booking it to get to our island on time. We drove as fast as the sleeping policemen would let us (massive speedbumps in each village) 
and made it to our port town of Dangriga half an hour after our boat captain gave up on waiting for us and left. It was a race against the setting sun to find another boat out to Tobacco Caye, and Dangriga didn't seem like the safest place to spend the night if we couldn't find anything.
Eventually our eleven-person crew (Erika and Steve didn't come with us for this portion of the trip) squeezed onto a speedboat with our luggage and off we went, away from land and across the ocean as darkness settled upon us. Everyone was freaked out. It seemed pretty dangerous, but was (hopefully) the better choice of two evils. But (highlight) once I stopped worrying about our ship captain throwing us overboard in the middle of the ocean and taking off with our luggage and money, watching the stars appear in the night sky as we crossed the ocean was truly incredible. There were no lights to mask their beauty. They beamed and were breathtaking.
Day 6
We woke up to this view:
Todd and I, Missy and Burke, and Beany went scuba diving on the reef just past our caye. We saw tons of colorful fish and beautiful coral in the nice, warm, turquoise water. In the afternoon Todd went on a fishing trip while I read in the hammock on the deck of our cabana that, yes, hung over the water.
Highlight: Great visibility in the water. We could see for about 50 feet. Our guide, Erik, was annoyed with it because apparently it's normally 200 foot viz, clear as far as you can look. But for Todd and me, who certified in 4 foot viz in Monterey, it was fabulous.
Lowlight: Our accommodations came with a sweet deck, but were otherwise nothing to brag about. It was hot and there were no fans so our windows were always open. We had pretty much zero privacy because everyone else's cabanas were just a couple feet apart and we all had our windows open. Our bed was terrible. Our mattress was a foam pad. But, (highlight) that second night there we took that foam pad out to the deck and slept out there. It was much more comfortable, and we once again had a terrific view of the stars.
Day 7
Early in the morning Todd and I went snorkeling. We saw just as many fish as we did scuba diving the day before. That's double sided: incredible (and free) snorkeling, but it made the time and money spent getting scuba certified seem like such a waste.
Todd and I and Missy and Burke went back out with Erik and scuba dived all day. We went to Grover's Reef and did a couple of wall dives which were sweet. It was much better diving than the day before and blew the snorkeling out of the water, so certifying paid off after all. We saw huge lobsters (2 or 3 feet long), quite a few lion fish, puffer fish, barracuda fish, tons I don't know the names of. There were several different types that had irridescent colors that were so beautiful. We saw two different sea turtles, the first from a bit of a distance and the second right up close. I swam inches away from it for a solid minute and wanted to touch it, but didn't want to scare it away. That was incredible.
That night Missy and Burke and Todd and I went night snorkeling with dive lights. It was kind of nerve wracking not being able to see what was around us. We saw a couple of octopus, a squid, and several more rays.
Highlight: On the boat ride back from diving, we rode alongside a pod of dolphins, probably eight or so. They swam right by our boat for several minutes. Todd and I layed down on the nose of the boat and reached our arms out. Todd came within inches of touching one.
Lowlight: The lunch our lodging packed for us was tuna salad. It was kind of gross but we had to eat it because we were starving and there was no other option.
Day 8
Todd and I, Missy and Burke, Ellen, Beany, KB, and Kelsi all went on a boat ride out to a different part of the reef to snorkel. We saw a ton of eagle and bat rays, as well as plenty of other gorgeous fish and coral.
On the way out, we found an abandoned lobster trap and hauled it in. None of them were huge like we'd been seeing diving, but it was cool to hold them, and we had some for dinner that night.
Late that afternoon Missy and Burke, Kelsi, Todd and I went on a shark hunt, snorkeling on the outer side of the reef just beyond our island, hoping to find a shark. Alas, we were not successful. Also, the way we took to get out was difficult, so we chose to snorkel all the way around the entire island to get back (it was little, 100 yards across).
Highlight: There were huge conch shells all over our island, in the water along the shore, and decorating the bases of trees and pathways all throughout our lodging. I found a couple really beautiful conches to take home. Todd found a teeny tiny one (two inches) that was beautifully colored, but still had half a creature living in it. We snagged it and are still working on killing the stink out of it, but it's going to look fantastic on our bookshelf.
Lowlight: By the end of the day I was seasick from all the swaying: wind blowing, hammocks swinging, waves pushing you in the water... I didn't enjoy that last snorkel much. I also felt overheated. I would stop in all the cold pockets of water to try to cool off. It was the only place that wasn't hot and humid and I had had enough.
Day 9
We traveled home. First leg: speed boat ride back to Dangriga. Second: a quick taxi ride to a little airport. Third: a 15 minute flight on a tiny 13 passenger airplane to Belize City.
Fourth: Check through customs and get on a big plane to Houston, then on to Salt Lake City. Todd and I grabbed our bags and immediately left in our car to drive two more hours to Logan. The next day held a 13 hour drive from Logan to Sunnyvale, with the kids. It wasn't the end of the world, but we were tired.
Long enough? Sorry. This is the only place our Belize trip is being recorded.
Day 1
Larry and Ellen, KB, Kelsi, Missy and Burke, and myself flew from Salt Lake City on Saturday. We arrived in Belize City in mid-afternoon. We grabbed rental cars and drove two hours west to the jungle hills of San Ignacio. We ate dinner in town and then drove through the dark along super rugged dirt roads up to our jungle lodge. Everyone was pretty bushed, so we went to bed early and made plans to sleep in late the next morning.
Highlight: The rental car guy, Julio, locked the keys in one of our vehicles at the airport, then broke the antennae off the car and used it to jimmy the door unlocked.
Lowlight: We were a little shocked by the bugs in our cabanas. I tried to block out that I'd already seen a couple roaches, and Missy screamed when she saw the spiders. Ron, the proprietor, tried to sooth her with "Oh, that's just a house spider. Just a little guy." If that was little, I don't want to see big!
Day 2:
Our group gathered for breakfast around 10:30. Then we grabbed some inner tubes and hiked upriver for about half an hour. We saw lots of leaf cutter ants. I thought that was cool.
We floated the Macaw River for a couple of hours. We ate a late lunch at the lodge and then drove into town to meet up with the rest of our group: Todd, Laura and Tyler, Erika and Steve, and Beany. We ate dinner together, grabbed a few supplies at a local market, and headed back to our lodging for the night.
Highlights: Reuniting with Todd after two weeks apart. Playing with Ron's super cute pet cody. Sleeping in for the first time in a long time (and the only time the entire trip!). Al (the other owner of the lodge), perched on his seat in the dining room, leg crossed, had only two things to say - in his nasally voice - to every exclamation of ours about the humidity, the bugs, the food, the rain, anything: "Welcome to Belize," and "Well, you're in the jungle."
Lowlights: We were looking for a little unexcavated area of Mayan ruins as we hiked, and completely passed it unknowingly. Also, the river was really low and slow, so it got a little dull by the end. We got tired of picking up our tubes to walk over the rocks that were supposed to be our rapids. Plus, it was raining, so we didn't see any toucans, when we had thought we'd see a ton while we tubed and I was really looking forward to that.
Day 3
We drove out to Caracol to see the biggest Mayan city in Belize. We had to drive through a military check point along the way and drive with an escort as protection from bandits from Guatamala. The ruins were incredibly cool to see. We got quite a workout climbing up all the steps to the top of every single pyramid.
On the way home we took a short hike down to Big Rock Falls, a beautiful waterfall along a river with a natural pool at the base that we could swim in.
Highlights: We saw no banditos, but had quite a few laughs joking about them. It rained heavily while we were at Caracol, which gave us a (welcome) break from the sweltering heat. And I saw a bright, beautiful toucan as we were hiking out!
Lowlight: I left my swimsuit in the car when we hiked down to the falls, so I was fully dressed in a t-shirt and nylon pants when we swam in the pool. My wet pants were dragging me down and I couldn't fight the current, so I mostly lounged on the rocks while everyone else swam and cliff jumped.
Day 4
It rained and rained and rained all night long, and in the morning we received the terribly disappointing news that our tour of the ATM cave had been canceled due to flooding concerns. We were so bummed because we were leaving for the islands the next day so there went our only chance for what we'd heard was one of the coolest tours ever. We scrambled to put together a good itinerary for the day with several activities Todd had researched but hadn't chosen because we didn't have time for it all.
We went to the Belize Zoo and saw all the animals native to the country, including more toucans, huge harpy eagles, tapirs (the national animal), crocodiles, jaguars and ocelots.
Then we drove to the Blue Hole National Park and planned to swim in a gorgeous water hole and check out St. Herman's Cave, but both were closed to the public due to the rain. So disappointing.
Eventually we made it to another ruin sight, Cahl Pech, but by the time we arrived everyone was wet and ticked off and the ruins were going to close in just thirty minutes, and we just bagged it.
We went back to our lodging and swam in the pool instead, and that was lots of fun. We played Marco Polo and everyone became friends again.
Highlight: We made a stop in San Ignacio in the afternoon and chatted it up with the tour company. Somehow we landed ourselves new spots in the ATM tour for the following day, pending weather. We rearranged all of our travel plans out to the island to be able to make it to the tour. Everyone was praying for no rain that night!
Lowlight: We did a ton of driving and got not a lot out of it. Everyone was restless and snippy by the afternoon. It was kind of a bad day.
Day 5
It didn't rain all night! Everyone woke up elated. The ATM cave tour was on! The tour started with a drive out, followed by a 45 minute hike up to the cave. We had to cross a river four times, with water heights varying from ankle to waist deep.
At the mouth of the cave, we put on helmets mounted with headlamps and swam through a pool in the cave opening. We were in water almost the entire time. Sometimes the water was low, just up to our ankles or shins, but it was frequently waist or chest deep. We climbed over boulders and often had to maneuver support positions with both feet and both hands. It was intense, challenging, and completely exhilarating.
Once far enough into the cave, there was a spot you could climb up higher and get out of the water, and it was here that the Mayans had offered sacrifices, both food and human. There were pottery remains all over, as well as skeletons. The touted highlight of the tour is the "Crystal Maiden," a complete female skeleton crystalized to the limestone floor.
Highlight: For me, the best part was the hike back out of the cave. I wasn't as intimidated by the challenging maneuvers required, and our guide took us back by a slightly different route that was even more adventurous. We were all pumped to think he had evaluated our skills and deemed us worthy to go back a more dangerous, more exciting way. There was one spot we had to squeeze through a jagged opening that only had enough room for your body when you contorted it just right. The current was pushing the water along and you had to really hold on to the rocks and use your body strength to control when you moved where. You had to turn your head sideways to fit through and we were all advised to "watch your jugular." It was exhilarating. When we reached the pool at the end, we each dived into the water, helmets and all.
Lowlight: Our tour lasted about an hour and a half longer than we'd been told it would, so when it ended we were really booking it to get to our island on time. We drove as fast as the sleeping policemen would let us (massive speedbumps in each village) 
and made it to our port town of Dangriga half an hour after our boat captain gave up on waiting for us and left. It was a race against the setting sun to find another boat out to Tobacco Caye, and Dangriga didn't seem like the safest place to spend the night if we couldn't find anything.
Eventually our eleven-person crew (Erika and Steve didn't come with us for this portion of the trip) squeezed onto a speedboat with our luggage and off we went, away from land and across the ocean as darkness settled upon us. Everyone was freaked out. It seemed pretty dangerous, but was (hopefully) the better choice of two evils. But (highlight) once I stopped worrying about our ship captain throwing us overboard in the middle of the ocean and taking off with our luggage and money, watching the stars appear in the night sky as we crossed the ocean was truly incredible. There were no lights to mask their beauty. They beamed and were breathtaking.
Day 6
We woke up to this view:
Todd and I, Missy and Burke, and Beany went scuba diving on the reef just past our caye. We saw tons of colorful fish and beautiful coral in the nice, warm, turquoise water. In the afternoon Todd went on a fishing trip while I read in the hammock on the deck of our cabana that, yes, hung over the water.
Highlight: Great visibility in the water. We could see for about 50 feet. Our guide, Erik, was annoyed with it because apparently it's normally 200 foot viz, clear as far as you can look. But for Todd and me, who certified in 4 foot viz in Monterey, it was fabulous.
Lowlight: Our accommodations came with a sweet deck, but were otherwise nothing to brag about. It was hot and there were no fans so our windows were always open. We had pretty much zero privacy because everyone else's cabanas were just a couple feet apart and we all had our windows open. Our bed was terrible. Our mattress was a foam pad. But, (highlight) that second night there we took that foam pad out to the deck and slept out there. It was much more comfortable, and we once again had a terrific view of the stars.
Day 7
Early in the morning Todd and I went snorkeling. We saw just as many fish as we did scuba diving the day before. That's double sided: incredible (and free) snorkeling, but it made the time and money spent getting scuba certified seem like such a waste.
Todd and I and Missy and Burke went back out with Erik and scuba dived all day. We went to Grover's Reef and did a couple of wall dives which were sweet. It was much better diving than the day before and blew the snorkeling out of the water, so certifying paid off after all. We saw huge lobsters (2 or 3 feet long), quite a few lion fish, puffer fish, barracuda fish, tons I don't know the names of. There were several different types that had irridescent colors that were so beautiful. We saw two different sea turtles, the first from a bit of a distance and the second right up close. I swam inches away from it for a solid minute and wanted to touch it, but didn't want to scare it away. That was incredible.
That night Missy and Burke and Todd and I went night snorkeling with dive lights. It was kind of nerve wracking not being able to see what was around us. We saw a couple of octopus, a squid, and several more rays.
Highlight: On the boat ride back from diving, we rode alongside a pod of dolphins, probably eight or so. They swam right by our boat for several minutes. Todd and I layed down on the nose of the boat and reached our arms out. Todd came within inches of touching one.
Lowlight: The lunch our lodging packed for us was tuna salad. It was kind of gross but we had to eat it because we were starving and there was no other option.
Day 8
Todd and I, Missy and Burke, Ellen, Beany, KB, and Kelsi all went on a boat ride out to a different part of the reef to snorkel. We saw a ton of eagle and bat rays, as well as plenty of other gorgeous fish and coral.
On the way out, we found an abandoned lobster trap and hauled it in. None of them were huge like we'd been seeing diving, but it was cool to hold them, and we had some for dinner that night.
Late that afternoon Missy and Burke, Kelsi, Todd and I went on a shark hunt, snorkeling on the outer side of the reef just beyond our island, hoping to find a shark. Alas, we were not successful. Also, the way we took to get out was difficult, so we chose to snorkel all the way around the entire island to get back (it was little, 100 yards across).
Highlight: There were huge conch shells all over our island, in the water along the shore, and decorating the bases of trees and pathways all throughout our lodging. I found a couple really beautiful conches to take home. Todd found a teeny tiny one (two inches) that was beautifully colored, but still had half a creature living in it. We snagged it and are still working on killing the stink out of it, but it's going to look fantastic on our bookshelf.
Lowlight: By the end of the day I was seasick from all the swaying: wind blowing, hammocks swinging, waves pushing you in the water... I didn't enjoy that last snorkel much. I also felt overheated. I would stop in all the cold pockets of water to try to cool off. It was the only place that wasn't hot and humid and I had had enough.
Day 9
We traveled home. First leg: speed boat ride back to Dangriga. Second: a quick taxi ride to a little airport. Third: a 15 minute flight on a tiny 13 passenger airplane to Belize City.
Fourth: Check through customs and get on a big plane to Houston, then on to Salt Lake City. Todd and I grabbed our bags and immediately left in our car to drive two more hours to Logan. The next day held a 13 hour drive from Logan to Sunnyvale, with the kids. It wasn't the end of the world, but we were tired.
Long enough? Sorry. This is the only place our Belize trip is being recorded.
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