A year ago today

A year ago today at this time I was getting Mya and Tay ready to go up to Salt Lake to meet Micah off the plane from Iraq. I cannot believe that a year has already gone by, when the year he was gone took SOO long to pass.
I am so proud of Micah. Even though it was really hard, it taught me a lot. I remember when he first found out he had to go, he was up north at drill and I cried and cried for the whole weekend he was gone and really didn't know how I would do it. Tay was only six weeks old and Mya was so hard to handle. I was bitter at first but decided that he was going whether I had a good or bad attitude, so I toughened up and tried to do the best I could. I have grown so much through this experience, and have learned that we are all a lot stronger than we think we are.
I am also very relieved to say he is out of the Army now. I was worried when he first got home that it would be hard to get back into the groove of things and also worried how it would affect Micah but I am glad to say unlike a lot of families who are torn apart and never the same after going to war, we are so fortunate to be doing well.
Here are just a few things I am glad to not have to do anymore by myself
Going to church by myself
Not having the priesthood in our home
Eating dinner without him and no grownup conversation
After putting the kids to bed just sitting alone for the couple of hours until I go to bed not having anyone to talk to.
Worrying how I would react if someone were to break in and Micah wasn't there to protect us
Not getting to go out to dinner of a movie with him
Hanging out with friends and trying not to feel like the third wheel.
Not being able to hand the Tay off when he was a baby and had bad nights. I remember being so tired and crying right along with him because I just needed a break.
Mowing the lawn and taking care of the yard
killing bugs
Not being able to open jars or fix certain things

The first year of being a normal family again has been great!

Here is a link to the video of him coming home.
Mya was so excited! You can here her squeal in the first video and in the second, she couldn't wait for him to get to her. There was caution tape keeping the crowd back and she ran right under it to see him.
http://micahandjulie.blogspot.com/2008/05/video-of-micahs-homecoming.html

Summer fun

Here are just a few pictures of the kids enjoying the warm weather.

It's A Miracle

Mya has finally decided she wanted to learn how to ride her bike! We got it for her for Christmas and we would ask her all the time to try and ride it and every time she got on she would cry and scream bloody murder the whole time until one day she wouldn't even look at her bike anymore. She wanted nothing to do with it, until we went to my mom's. I wrote out a check without anyones name on it and stuck it on the fridge and whoever could get her to ride a bike got the check. Ted and Pam got her to ride TJ's by putting balloons on the handle bars, letting her wear elbow and knee pads, a helmet and gloves. They got her to actually get on without screaming the whole time. (looks like you get to cash the check Ted, because you guys got her to do it!) Then the other day at home she decided she wanted to try again and has become a pro.
Yesterday she rode to her friends house and it was so cute. She is growing so fast!

Coupon Class

I have always been the type that doesn't take advantage of all of the free coupons and deals when grocery shopping and always think it is a pain to try and get good deals,but yesterday I decided to just see what it was all about and if you really could save.
I went to Albertsons and only bought food that was on sale that week. They had meat buy one get one free and a lot of items 10 for $10. I didn't even use any coupons that you have to cut out and take with you, and when I was done checking out, I was so excited because I got $260 worth of groceries for $150. My total savings was $110! I know if I would have taken coupons on top of the already discounted store prices I could have saved more. My neighbor Heather went the other day and saved way more than she spent. She got $100 worth of groceries for $25.
Anyway, I am going to have a coupon class to learn how to save as much as possible, taught by Heather Petersen and Mandy El Halta, so if any of you Cedar Citians want to come I am thinking probably next Wed. the 27th so just leave your email and I will let you know the exact date and time.

Hooray for warm weather

I am so excited that it is warm! Today we went out to three peaks with friends to rappell, catch lizards, ride rhinos, and have a bbq. The kids had so much fun, That is one time when we never hear any whining or fighting. They love being outside.

St. George Triathlon

Today we went down to Sand Hollow for the triathlon. Even though I didn't compete, I sure feel like I did. In fact, I think I would be less tired if I did race. That way I wouldn't have had to haul the kids and all our junk around all day. I am exhausted.
Maybe one of these days I will get into racing, but then again maybe not. I'm not the most athletically talented person. For some odd reason not that I blame my mother for inheriting her athletic genes that she doesn't have or anything, me and athletic equipment don't mesh.
Lets take a little trip down memory lane shall we.
1- Middle school, tried to catch a softball and instead of the ball going into the mitt next thing I know I am crinkled in a little ball on the field with blood spewing out of my nose and a girl in my class saying "EEWWW, I'm going to throw up." I remember it quite vividly. I looked real cute with a broken nose and two big black eyes let me tell you
2- Middle school as well, one of the many dreaded school ski trips, all of my friends are going over a microscopic pile of snow and I try to go over it and of course somehow I manage to eat it and give myself a bloody lip not to mention I never ever made it down the bunny hills...yes I said bunny hills without my skis getting tangled me flying face first into the snow, and my goggles and hat flying off or not being able to ski straight and going off course running into a tree. Yep that's me.
Oh and I got cut from the volleyball team in high school too But don't feel too bad for me, I didn't really care about that one.
Soo, I just know that if I were to get on a bike going 25 mph I am most certain that it would end in tragedy, enough said.
Anyway, Micah, his brother Kody and Kody's wife Nicole all signed up for the St. George Triathlon relay. Kody was going to swim, Micah bike and Nikki run, but when they got down there this morning it was too windy for the swim so they canceled the swim portion and made the swimmer run at the last minute. I felt bad for all of the athletes who had trained and then were told they had to run then bike then run again. Anyway, Kody did a good job running at the last minute. Their team took 2nd place! My friend Rachel also did her first sprint triathlon and finished 3rd in her age group. Way to go guys

Lexie's blessing

We blessed Lexie last Sunday, Micah did such a good job. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful husband. We had fun with all the family and had a lunch at the park. Sweet little Lexie just slept all through her blessing and then again during the celebration after. She has been the easiest of my babies so far and we are so lucky to have such a sweet little girl (that better not turn out like Mya) j/k

Here are some pics of her blessing day. My mom made her blessing dress. It is beautiful. I am so lucky to have such a talented mom! She made Mya's and I told her I could just use the same one but she made Lexie one too. Thanks mom!