Stressin It Up!

Today is one week from when Jessica will be flying in. Im very very excited!! Today Johnny had work from 2 - 10 so we had a nice relaxing morning of tanning and swimming. Once he left for work I had no one to entertain my brain so I was forced to confront all my worrying. I cant wait to be back in California but once again we are moving without find work first. Everyone has been telling us how bad California is and I cant help but freak out at the possibility that its going to be difficult for us to find work. About 2 weeks ago I was replying to ads on craigslist for RDAs. I got a couple calls back but everyone needed someone to sart right away. They told me to call when I get back in town but chances are they have already found someone. I still see atleast 1 ad a day for RDAs and chances are better now before school is over and the new graduates are job hunting!

Im sure everything will work out, I just cant help stressing about it!

Dash for Trash

A few days ago we were really impressed with Madison's running! Last night Johnny decided to run a 1 mile race with Maddy. He was originally going to run the 10k but found out he had to work at 8 and didnt want to call in sick so instead he took the week off of running. The 1 mile race with Maddy would be easy and for fun.

We stood in line to register them and someone from the race a couple weeks ago recognized Johnny and was asking if he was going to smoke them again. He ended up giving in and registering for the 10k.

Maddy got her number and headed to the starting line with Johnny. They ended up getting dead last mostly because Maddy was distracted by water and signs and of course her favorite park! She finished the race running with a big grin on her face!

Johnny had to hurry and warm up for his race and they were off! I headed over to the other side of the river to get a picture and to cheer him on. As he ran up to us at about 1/2 way, I heard a man telling everyone around that he was the one who had finished first at the Ocotillo race. It was cool to see that people recognized him. We headed back to the finish line where Johnny came in third.

All in all it was an exciting morning and Im very happy that we are getting Madison interested in running at such an early age! I really want to sign her up for gymnastics and soccer and swimming and everything I can when we get back now that she will be 3!!!

2 More Weeks!

2 Weeks from today my bestest friend in the whole wide world is flying out here to help Johnny and I move back! Im so excited! We have been friends for over 10 years and are in need of a fun adventure! We only get one day to fit in everything we can possibly do in this town but thats all you really need! We are pretty much finished packing and Johnnys last day of work is a week from thursday. See everyone soon!

Best Day!

My mom got back from California on Sunday evening, she had been gone for a week on a nice little vacation. She was out there because my grandpa had to have a hernia repaired and she wanted to help out my grandma. The surgery went well and he seems to be recovery quickly. Anyways, while she was in CA, we were here in our usual routine with Johnny working and me taking care of Cole. It was a tough week. Cole and Madison seemed to fight more than ever!! So I decided Monday needed to be a good day with just Madison and me.

I realized that back in CA I never really did anything fun with just the two of us. We always had friends or Johnny come along. There isn't that much to do here and we go to the park a lot so I decided we should go to the Living Desert State Park and Zoo. Its a tiny little place but its only $5! Its nice because its one loop around the park so it is easy to see everything. We started off looking at the birds, then pigs, and their black bear. My favorite are the wolves. They are always so active running around their exhibit. Then we saw the snakes and prairie dogs, deer and bison and ended at the wild cats. That is also really cool! There was a mountain lion laying out on the rocks like 10 ft away. The bobcat was hiding in the shade but still really easy to find. We went through the exhibits and I would ask her what noises they make or "whats that?" It really was a wonderful Mommy Daughter trip! When we were done we got lunch and were about to head to the park but my mom needed us to pick up Cole.

Johnny was off at 4 so then we headed to get him. Madison fell asleep in the car so when we got home, we took advantage and cleaned and packed up. We got most of our clothes and shoes we don't wear packed up, so now we are pretty much done.

After Madison woke up Johnny wanted to go run so Maddy and I biked along with him. Its really fun to get out and exercise together! Johnny's foot was hurting him so we switched but now Madison wanted to run with me. Johnny stayed on the bike in case she got tired but she ran almost a half mile with only a couple stops for water or curiosity. Johnny was really impressed and excited to see her love to run. He couldn't believe how easy it was for her to run the entire way and didn't even seem to be out of breath. We might take her to the track and see how long she can go.

Even though it was about 6:30 when we were done it was so hot we decided to go swimming. Madison was a little timid at first. She stayed on the float and would tell me what animal to pretend to be. After being a dolphin, dog, frog and splashing her as Shamu, I talked her into getting into the water. I had her kick and blow bubbles and then she hung out on my back while I swam around telling me to be flounder but not to go under the sea. It was getting cold so we were getting ready to get out when she says,"Momma, wait. I want to go under the sea now" So I showed her how to hold her breath and I plugged her nose and we went under really quick. She came up with a big smile on her face and was so proud of herself! Looks like Johnny and I will be competing over swimming and running!

It was a really really great family day. As much as we enjoy Cole, it was really nice to have a day with just the 3 of us.

Easter

Egg hunts and Easter baskets that's what Easter is all about right? I have no idea but this Easter really hit me. On Friday I started thinking about what had happened that day so long ago and what the weekend was really all about. I have always considered myself "religiously confused" that's what I like to call it. My mom never went to church when I was younger so the only time I went was with friends. I participated in Sunday school and learned about God's history. Then I went to visit my aunts in Colorado and went to church with them. They are Jehovah's Witnesses and what I started hearing at their meeting was different from what I heard with my friends. I began arguing with the sermons mentally thinking, "No, that's not right." I didn't favor my friends churches, that was my reaction to every conflicting sermon I heard no matter what church I was in. So I gave up, turned to science. I have always been a logical thinker and it worked better for me. I had a teacher in high school that believed in evolution but also believed that some force helped push it along, I liked that idea.

That changed completely on June 11, 2006. How can you not believe in God when you witness the incredible miracle of life?! I began to crave a stronger relationship with Him. Johnny's hardest days of work were on Sundays and I wasn't ready to go to church by myself even thought the thought crossed my mind many times. I am really looking forward to going back to Escondido and having normal lives so we can start going to church. I really want Madison to grow up going to church, I think a healthy relationship with God is a wonderful thing.

I sat thinking about this a lot yesterday and laughed at myself in my earlier days praying for some boy to like me or to help me find the homework I lost. I realized how I have changed so much in that department as well and I hadn't even realized it. Now I find myself praying for strength to overcome things or patience or guidance. I feel so ridiculous for what I used to beg for! I hope that means I am becoming more mature and will help me understand Him better as I try to grow closer.

Anyways this Easter the Easter bunny came but I also made a point to read Madison stories from the Children's Bible. I also made my first ham by myself and it turned out really great!

Ocotillo Trail Challenge

Today Johnny ran the first ever Ocotillo Trail Challenge. They had a 2 mile walk/run and a 5 mile run. There were about a hundred people there which was more than they had anticipated. Johnny was very excited to actually run a race out here especially since he missed the Carlsbad 5k. We got there really early so Johnny had about an hour to try and stay warmed up.

The start was up at the Living Desert Zoo and went down onto the city streets. It was way different from the races Johnny ran in CA. They block off roads and have so many people that come out to cheer and run. Here they were lectured over and over about watching out for traffic and there was no one out watching, Im not sure many people even knew about the race.

As soon as the guy blew the whistle to start the race (no guns here either) Johnny took off to lead the pack. He had been running this course to get ready for a few weeks so he knew his limits. I took Cole and Madison down to the halfway point to try and get another look at him before he crossed the finish.

At the halfway point you would have no idea there was a race going on. I stood waiting in the High School parking lot for about 10 minutes and finally saw Johnny running up the street. We yelled good job and our love yous and headed back to the finish. There was no one in site, Johnny was in the lead by at least a mile!

We waited at the finish for another 15 minutes or so and saw him again. We were all very excited as he turned the corner to take first place!! Because both the 2 and 5 mile race were at the same time no one really realized he was the first to finish for the 5 mile. There definitely wasnt the cheering crowd hes used to at all the other races. Johnny cooled down and a few people came to congratulate him and comment on his speed. It was at least 10 minutes before any other 5 milers crossed the finish. About 30 minutes later everyone headed into the zoo to have lunch and wait for the awards. The top 2 runners (boy and girl) from both races got deer trophies. All the runners got a tshirt, admission to the zoo and lunch. It was a really fun morning and we are very proud of Johnny!!!

Craziness!

Ive seen a bazillion previews for the new Hannah Montana Movie that came out today. Ive watched the show a few times and its pretty entertaining but theres something I cant stand about Miley Cyrus. Im not a huge fan of her singing either. Anyways I saw previews for her movie an saw that Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts were going to be in it as well. Now I had to go see it. Im a sucker for all the girly teeny bopper movies. I have all the High School Musicals and all the movies Hillary Duff made so why not give Miley a try on the big screen?

Now that Im in this middle of now where town I wasnt sure if it would be playing here today. There is one movie theater in town that only has three screens in it and then a drive in that also has three screens. I checked Fandango but they didnt even have the theater listed!! So while I was out running errands I decided to drive by the theater and see if it was playing. Sure enough it was so I drove home and talked my mom into going to the 7:10 showing.

Come 6:40 I was freaking out to my mom. "We got to go, we got to go!!" She assured me that it was only a 5 minute drive there and it wouldnt be busy. Obviously my mother didnt realize how popular Hannah Montana was and that this was opening night! There was no way we were going to get good seats!!! We get our tickets and my mom waited in line for snacks and told me to go save some seats. I hurry to theater 2 and walk in to find that I was the only one there! I could help but bust up laughing. So I picked out perfect seats and was alone for about five minutes before people started coming in to join me. Beside the fact that it was a tiny movie theater, it was also ancient seating!! NO STADIUM SEATING!!! I cant believe people still have that!!

The movie stated a good 20 minutes late with only about 20 people there to watch. I guess my mom was right! I did find it pretty interesting to see that the ushers came in a lot through out the movie and would ask people to quiet down or put their feet down. Could you imagine how many people they would need to do that back in San Diego? There definitely wouldnt be a job shortage! They also had signs all over saying that if caught on the phone or texting at all in the auditorium more than once you would be kicked out. I cant remember the last time I went to a movie and didnt see the glow of someones phone!

The movie was actually really good. My kind of movie, lots of country and horses. Man Im a dork but tonight Im definitely wishing I was in Tennessee!

Cole's Birthday

Today Cole turned 7. It was a pretty busy day for him with school and tutoring and then baseball. We also went on a bike ride and watched Slum Dog Millionaire. Johnny and I got him some legos and pjs. He was acting like a brat as usual so Johnny told him he needed to watch out for the birthday goblin. He knew we were were kidding but it was the on going joke of the evening.

When he went to go to bed Johnny looked like he was going to go try and scare him but decided not to in case he scared my mom when she went to tuck him in. I couldnt help it, I had to do it! So when he went to tell my mom to tuck him in I ran in to hide under his bed, its a bunk bed so its not too difficult to get under because there isnt a bed underneath the top one. I figured he would probably see me right away but luckily he didnt. My mom came in to tuck him in but spotted me, luckily she didnt tell him. As she was leaving Cole called her a big fat monster and she told him to watch out talking to people like that. PERFECT! So after she turned off his light of course he went and turned it back on so I had to quietly text Johnny to turn them back off.

As soon as the lights were off I knew I had to move fast before he turned them back on again so I grabbed his comforter and yanked it off of him! I have never heard someone scream so loud or high pitched. I yelled the Birthday Goblin strikes again before I turned his lights back on. I feel bad but just couldnt help it. Needless to say his lights are staying on tonight and I am well aware that I am evil!!

The Best Birthday Party Eber!

Cole turns 7 on monday and so we had his birthday party today. He wanted a transformer party so we got all the themed cups and plates and my mom figured that would be enough. We had decided the weekend before that we should make it a pool party since the pool was all cleaned out. We found a few days ago that there was supposed to be really strong winds this weekend so I set out to find a back up plan.

I started looking online for tranformer themed parties and I got a bunch of ideas from there. We had a lot of fun but it was a lot of work. I found the different autobot characters from the movie and printed out pictures of them in robot and in vehicle form. I cut the vehicle up into puzzle pieces and put them in an envelope on the back of the robot picture. The idea was for them to complete the puzzle and that would transform them into their vehicles so they could find the allspark.

They had to complete a couple missions before transforming which didnt go totally as planned because of the wind and dirt flying in everyones eyes. The kids had to run across the yard with a handful of ice and cover megatron with it so he would remain frozen. They also had to get energy spheres out of a bucket that I filled mostly with bubbles so it was hard to see the colors and they had to get only blue ones. They had fun but we rushed it and headed back inside. They transformed into their cars and had to go on a scavenger hunt to find the allspark. Which was a box I decorated and then filled with their goodie bags. I was a little irritated because there was an older girl there that would find the clues, read them to herself and then take off for the next one leaving the little kids clueless. Then she went on about how it was so easy. I did plan it for 6 and 7 year olds not 11. Oh well!

Then for some crazy reason the kids still wanted to swim so while we made lunch we let them. It didnt last long though before they ran inside shivering! They had lunch and cake and Cole opened his presents. The other idea I read or heard somewhere was writing out the thank you cards while they opened presents and then putting it in the kids treat bags to take home so that made things really easy. I feel a little bad that Cole didnt write them though. Maybe Ill make him write more.

We finished the party with the pinata which we realized had way too much candy!!! Every kid had probably more than they got trick or treating last year!