Hinton's Headlines

Developing Talents

2012-01-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

One part of parenting that Jay and I feel very strongly about is that each child has some sort of activity that they are involved in. This isn't too bad when they are just starting out but as they improve it becomes so much fun to watch them develop and grow doing something they love. Jake has baseball and plays on the high school team and a select team during the summer. Izzie plays volleyball at the middle school and for Texas Image. Libby plays rec volleyball and the cello, in which she plays with the Fort Worth Junior Strings Orchestra. So when it came time for Camdyn, the remaining time has been rather difficult to carve out, thus the delay. We are finally jumping in and she has chosen to play the violin. She has wanted to play for over a year and we wanted to see if the desire stuck....she even passed up dance to play the violin. Last week she and I headed up to Keller to rent her itty, bitty 1/8th size violin. Here are a couple of photos with the new instrument:

She is super excited and cannot wait to start! I am super excited to watch her grow and develop and I think the discipline from music will help this little one out.

Christmas 2011 - Christmas Morning

2011-12-29T18:52:00.000-08:00

This was one of the first Christmas mornings we have not had to wake the kids up. Lots of whispering around 6:30 which is very doable for me. We are one of those families who take turns opening presents so it prolongs the process - irritating children and making the parents very happy. We had breakfast and then church and then Christmas dinner - Love Honey Baked Ham! The kids were happy, we spent time remembering our Savior, his birth and his life and what can be better than that.

Rudy our Elf stayed around for one more day.....We were all sad to see him go. Who knew the little guy could be so much fun?

Cam celebrating her American Girl Doll, Molly. Santa LOVES all things American Girl.

Libby with new boots - Every girl in Texas needs at least one pair of boots.

Jake and new wood bats - let's hope they last at least through the high school season.

Izzie and her new Vera Bradley hipster.


These were the highlight of Christmas gift giving. Cam was super excited to buy gifts for everyone at Santa's Workshop at her school. She took her own money and bought nail files for the kids. They read the following: Libby - World's Greatest Grandma; Jake - World's Greatest Mom; Izzie - World's Greatest Aunt She is about the funniest thing around - love that girl!

Christmas 2011 - Marshmellow War

2011-12-27T18:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas came whether we were ready or not and after missing the Marshmellow War last year, the kids were bound and determined to wage war this year. Here are a few pictures of the action.....

Ready for Action

Does this kid think he is cool or what??

This was when Cam was all excited for the action...lasted for 5 seconds

Izzie ready

Cam has decided hiding is better than shooting

Libby on the attack

Marshmellows coming my way....not fair to the unarmed!

Christmas came whether we were ready or not and after missing the Marshmellow War last year, the kids were bound and determined to wage war this year. Here are a few pictures of the action.....

2011-12-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

Cam provides us hours of entertainment.....and we are at her mercy. Here is Jay being tested with the hope of a "free lunch"..... Be patient, the best is three-quarters the way in.

Apparently we need to teach her a little more about Christmas.....

2011-05-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from Easter morning (Jake's is from prom) that I just need to have printed and hung....little details..... They are growing so fast and time is going faster and faster.....

.... and as always, we must have some personality....

Looking Back / Looking Forward

2011-04-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

This week was full of Baseball, a Prom Date, volleyball and too many other things to mention.

Jake went to Prom with a cute girl from our church, just a different ward. Prom in Texas is a little different than Prom in Utah. There is only one Prom and either the boy or girl in the couple must be a Senior - so yes that means that Jake's date was and Senior and she asked him. There is no crazy "asking", you just ask - plain and simple. There is also no "day date" just pictures, dinner and the dance. There was an "after Prom" that they skipped out on because she had to be home by midnight and we didn't object to that at all. BTW - there is Mormon Prom, it was held the night before but Jake had a ballgame and missed out. Anyways, he had fun and it is interesting to see the differences from what we are used to and really glad they had fun and survived driving on the freeway.

The rest of our time never changes just continues on in a line of running kids all over the place. We are very fortunate that Libby and Camdyn's activities are very close because Jake and Izzie are killing us.

Izzie had her last volleyball tournament yesterday and they played the best I have ever seen them play and she has improved so much over the past 4 months. It actually makes me excited for fall and 8th grade volleyball.

I have finally found gals to run with and it is great! My running is not near what it used to be but I am excited about running with these great ladies and starting to push a little.

The best part of looking forward though is I am not traveling this week - the first in 6 weeks - YAHOO! It was pretty sad when I received a text from Izzie on Friday asking me if I was at the airport and I was at a client meeting here in the metroplex. We are excited that I am home to go to Libby's school program, Izzie's athletic banquet and just be able to come home each night - can I get another WAHOO!

We are still alive........

2011-03-20T05:58:00.001-07:00

We are still alive.......we have had birthdays (Izzie - 13, Jody, Libby - 10, and Jake - the big 16), Christmas, New Years, ice storms and the start of baseball, soccer and volleyball.

We are loving that it is March and we are have absolutely beautiful weather, love the 70's and 80's (but I hate the spring wind). Jake has started playing baseball at North Crowley High School and is starting varsity - he loves it, Jay and I love going and watching and the girls LOVE the snack bar.

Izzie has club volleyball and plays in tournaments through out the DFW area. She had really improved and her 5'11" frame helps as well. She is also participating in Track & Field at Summer Creek Middle School and does the high jump and is dying to run hurdles.

Libby is still playing the cello and recently competed at the Trophy Competition and did very well. She is also playing volleyball at the YMCA and loves her team.

Camdyn is playing soccer again this spring and has a great time. Her favorite position is goalie (no running involved). She is improving in her reading and LOVES spelling.

Jay and I are busy working, traveling for work, church callings and driving kids everywhere. He was so excited when Jake got his drivers license - one less kid to chauffeur. I am warming up to the idea.

But probably the biggest news for our family ...... We turned OFF the TV. Jay and I had lost patience with the kids and not getting homework done so the TV came off, until the NCAA tournament but we have decided that there will be no TV during the week and limited on the weekends. It has been a very good thing and really not missed at all. Who knew?

Busy.

2010-09-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

That pretty much sums up my life at this time. I am hopeful that one day I will leave work and my 5 mile commute will take less than 3 hours and I will get home before 9 pm at night. Why does it take so long you ask? Well it because I have 4 kiddos that love life and want to be involved. So we go to drivers ed (scary - he has his learner's permit), cello, YM/YW, Activity Days, soccer, baseball, volleyball and everything else in between, over and under.

So, I recycled an old banner for the fall - total loser but at least it got changed, right? I am trying to stay on top of Primary and we are getting ready for the program....and next year. And, I started running more consistently again. I have debated as to whether or not I wanted to go down this road, but the less I ran the less I felt like myself. I am tired and worn out, but I am also more focused and able to do a better job at work and since I spend 12 hours a day with my job, I might as well do it well.

Yes, my blog(s) are ignored and not well tended to but I am trying to tend to everything else as well and if I ever get my pictures off my camera, I have a great picture of Cam at soccer.

Here is hoping to a great week and maybe 1 short commute to build upon.

Champions belong on the Fridge

2010-09-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

This summer we played Speed.......a lot. The girls were obsessed and pretty soon there was a significant amount a wagering going on. Such as if Dad won, the loser would have to do a job or go to bed early. If the girls won, they would want a treat or trip to the dollar store. Finally it was time to see who really is the best Speed player and so a few weeks ago we had a tournament, complete with Pool Play, seeding and bracketing (please forgive my ability to draw a normal bracket). "Who is the best Speed player in the Hinton Family?" The Mom, Yep the Mom. Thank you Grandma Nonie for the many hours spent teaching me to play solitaire - It has paid off. So in true Grandpa Nonie fashion, the score sheet is on the fridge with the champion's name for all to see.

Cam at her Best

2010-08-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

For 6 years we have tried to get video of Camdyn at her best, Jay finally did. The sound is not great but this is her........24/7, 365. Gotta love it!

If you give Jay a Diet Coke

2010-07-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

If you give Jay a Diet Coke before bedtime he will wake up 90 minutes later and not be able to go to sleep.

If he can't go to sleep he'll do just about everything: turn the air conditioner up to get the house cooler; go to the bathroom; get a drink of water; turn the girls' iPod speakers off and play 75 minutes of Scrabble.

After getting drowsy after going 21-2 in Scrabble, his arm falls asleep after laying on his side, waking him up He snores while laying on his back, waking him up. He then is startled awake after his wife's feint cry while having some sort of nightmare. He continues to do more turning in bed than NASCAR driver.

After turning, he briefly falls asleep before waking up to his wife's alarm at 5:15, 6:15 and 7:15.

Now Camdyn is awake watching TV and asking to play cards, while Iz, who now cherishes sleep finally, is yelling at everyone to be quiet while slamming her door. Meanwhile, Libby, who watched the Rangers' 3-2 win over Suzanne's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, formerly the California Angels, last night is dead asleep.

Doesn't appear her sneak drinks of mom's DC did her a disservice.

Now Jay needs needs a DC to get through the day and when night comes he won't be able to sleep.

Empty Nesters?

2010-07-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

Empty Nesters? Not quite, but almost.

This kid has left the nest for 4 weeks. He is spending a week in Utah with family and friends and then spends the next 3 touring the east coast and jamboreeing at the National Boy Scout Jamboree. This has been 3 years in the planning and we are so excited for him to go and just about as excited that all the planning is done.

This girl spent the week at Girls Camp. She had a fantastic time and has slept pretty much since she got home yesterday at 4:00 pm (it is now Saturday morning at 10 am). We woke her up for about an hour last night to go to Sonic and she wondered why we were going to Sonic at 7 am---Silly Girl! Honestly, I have never seen her so tired, so that means she must have had more fun than we will every know.

Yes, our house has been eerily quiet and hanging out with Libby and Cam has been pretty fun, but we all missed Izzie and we all can't wait until August 7th when Jake gets home.

another blog......despite what I said

2010-07-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

I know I complained about too much to do yesterday, and nothing has changed. But the girls and I were talking about trying to find the best of everything here in Fort Worth and so we are documenting our searches. First up is the best onion rings and we started today. Hop on over and check it out - hintongirlsinsearchof.

Playing Catch Up

2010-07-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

When my life seems overwhelming or stressful, I ignore this blog. I ignore a lot of things really. Well if moving to a new state and new job were not enough, a new church calling has been added to the plate and I am doing my best to make it all fit - but I am sure changes are in store.

Anyways, we are still alive and enjoying the Texas heat and the Texas rain and having a good time. On June 14th we celebrated Jaybird's birthday. I had also signed up to feed the missionaries so the celebrated along with us.

He had been wanting an ipod dock for a very long time and I am so happy when I can buy him something he doesn't already have and actually wants.

We had our traditional banana splits, because Jaybird does not like cake. I love this picture because everyone is laughing.

___________________________________________________________________

We took the kids down to the Fort Worth Water Gardens one Sunday afternoon because they were driving me crazy and I was driving Jay crazy and so we needed to get out. They were pretty cool and the kids had a great time. Enjoy these pictures and at Izzie's request they are all black and white.

--The Active Garden--

--Made it up the Mountain--

ahhh - The Quiet Pool-

More to come but enjoy for now......Have a great week!

Proof

2010-07-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

You have all heard that "Everything is bigger in Texas" - Here is proof that tomatoes are.

We saw this tomato at Walmart last week and had to take a picture. People thought we were weird, especially when we put it back and didn't buy it. It did provide us with some good entertainment and lots of excitement when you are 9 & 6 and well 36.

Hijacked

2010-07-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

Occasionally Camdyn hijacks my phone and these are some of the results:

Have a great weekend and Happy 4th!

last 20 min of my life

2010-06-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

Too many good things to post, and a mind filled with so much it is on overload. So here is the last 20 min of my life while I try to accomplish something:

Izzie

I am not tired.

Why do I have to go to bed?

Why doesn't Jake have to go to bed?

Mom, I can't sleep.

Why do you make me go to bed?

I have tried to sleep but I can't

Can I read?

MOM!!!

Why do I have to go to bed?

Why doesn't Jake have to go to bed?

Mom, I can't sleep.

Why do you make me go to bed?

I have tried to sleep but I can't

Can I read?

Answer me please?

Mom, I can't sleep

MOM, I Can't SLEEP!

All of this after 10 minutes of me trying to reason with the unreasonable and explain why we need to go to bed.

p.s. She just saw the post and is now crying...........it never ends..............

p.s.s We agreed that this was punishment enough if she would just go to bed. She is now asleep and the mom is happy..........

Magnolia and the bee

2010-06-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

One thing I noticed while looking for houses and running through neighborhoods prior to moving into our home was the absolutely beautiful magnolia trees. I was so excited when we moved in and realized that we actually had one of our very own. We missed most the blooming in the spring because since we have been our home and it has been "Summer in Texas" or really hot. The other morning I noticed that we had a bloom out on our tree and went out to take some pictures. The poor bloom had seen better days, but I didn't care. Even better is once I got out to the tree, there was a bee having his morning breakfast. Pretty soon I couldn't decide what I liked better - the bloom or the bee. Here are some photos, hopefully you can see why I was so easily entertained.

Bottomless Pit

2010-06-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had tacos for dinner and at our house and the house I grew up in, tacos are an institution unto themselves. We all LOVE taco night. I had been cooking while everyone else was eating and when I sat down next to Jake - here is what I saw.....

This. His plate full of rice. This picture show it diminished by at least 1/3. I asked him if he had any tacos and he had 4. I am sure he was only full for about 30 min before complete famine returned.

Daily Affirmation

2010-06-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

I had a couple of other posts planned for today but came across this on Facebook and we all can use a little of Jessica's views on life.

Enjoy!

Rangers Fan

2010-06-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

We have quickly become Rangers fans. We love going to the ballpark and have taken advantage of coupons books we were able to purchase through my work. Our first game was against the Cubs, and even us die hard Cubs fans were conflicted. I was excited to go see them play Tampa Bay on Friday but it had been a very long week at work and I lived up to my reputation of being able to sleep anytime, anywhere.

You know you are jealous ......

100 degrees

2010-06-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

Here it is! First week of June, school gets out today and we are going to see 100 degree temperatures this weekend. LOVE IT!

Have a great weekend!

Body by Gilad

2010-06-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

Do you remember this? Last week I missed my run so I worked out to whatever was on FiTV and it was Body by Gilad. Brought back a lot of memories from many years ago. I felt the burn and followed all his instructions and actually might try it again if I am in a bind. I also learned that I really missed these guys....

With YouTube all things are possible, and I just might be transported back to the 80's, my parents basement and doing Hooked on Aerobics with Andee and Toby.

Tri City Baseball

2010-05-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

Jake, or Utah as he is known on his team, had his first baseball tournament in Texas this weekend. He played two games today and the rest is played tomorrow - not quite sure how I feel about ball on Sunday but we will see how it goes. They did really well and split 1-1. Jake had a great day and is ready for more. The rest of us survived the heat and hung out. Cam tried just not to "melt" - not sure how this girl is going to survive August in Texas. Here is a little photo journalism of how we spent the day.

This was a great hit - line drive over the left fielders head, almost to the fence

Nothing like a little Scrabble to pass the time.
Some of the words they had come up with were great! Si senor.

Cam trying not to "MELT"

THANK YOU Grandma Jake for the Seek and Find book!
It has given us hours of entertainment!

Cam and her rally cap. She really didn't know that is what it meant, she was wearing this way as a fashion statement. She takes after her Uncle Garrett.

Even in Texas

2010-05-28T06:17:00.001-07:00

Yes, even in Texas they have Slurpee's and they still work as the best motivator for these cute kiddos. Hallelujah!

How to spend a Saturday

2010-05-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday we drove to IKEA. I had been planning this trip for weeks prior to the big move. I knew that I would need draw organizers, rugs, towels and any handy thing I can find to make life better. Jay had been forwarned and well prepped for an entire day spent at IKEA. Unfortunately for us (fortunately for Jay) IKEA is about as far away from us as you can get and still stay in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. So after an hour-plus drive, we finally arrived. Jay was a great sport, he wandered the entire store, making suggestions and being extremely patient with his indecisive wife and 4 completely crazy, cranky kids. After three hours we left with:

A coffee table
A breakfast table
Lots of bath towels
Lots of bath rugs
Garbage cans
A frying pan
Cookie Sheet organizers
A great room rug
but no drawer organizers - what is my problem?

We are finishing putting the house somewhat together, so hopefully pictures will come later.

Just wanted to share the IKEA love!

Things we learned in Texas - Week 1

2010-05-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

Texas has absolutely beautiful sunsets - unfortunately I have been driving everytime I have seen one, so alas, no photo

You can cheer for both TCU and BYU, we just recommend don't do it in public - wear a hoodie or something.

We have absolutely too much crap!

The girls look so cute in their school uniforms! Haven't gotten a picture yet of Jake, but he does look very handsome!

Everyone looks cute in a 10 gallon hat!

This is the oldest gas pump I have seen in a very long time - the kids called it WAL-E

On the way to the Dallas Temple, there is a McDonald's shaped like a Happy Meal.

The support system of the church makes life so much easier. The kids all have friends and are busier than in Utah. We have fantastic neighbors and a fantastic ward. Jake even likes early morning seminary.

We have been very blessed for such a smooth transition, just wishing the unpacking was as smooth.

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

I had to speak in church today, not fair, but I guess when you move and leave friends and family behind, fair goes out the window. Of course the topic was mothers and my kids did an awesome job singing my praises - I didn't even pay them, but I changed up the topic a little because we all think our mom's are the best and no other can compare. So I spoke to the mothers and why we can do anything. I was blessed enough to have my parents and sister there and per my sister's request - here is my talk:

(please forgive the poor spelling, grammer and typo's - I am to lazy and ready to get on a plane)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Marianne Williamson.

We as Latter Day saint women are powerful beyond measure. We are armed with the knowledge that we are children of our beloved Father in Heaven. In Primary we sing songs that teach us that we are children of God and that our lives are precious gifts from him and that he has a divine plan for us. As YW we repeat weekly, the motto that states: “ We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us and we love him”. This knowledge that is instilled in us, provides ongoing comfort as we face the challenges of our roles as wives and mothers. We gain confidence knowing that we are about His work as we tend to fussy babies, messy houses, hours of homework help and priceless talks with teenagers. While not viewed as important or self-satisfying by the world, it is the knowledge of our divine nature that provides us with peace knowing that we are fulfilling a role in the lives of our families that is irreplaceable and the a satisfaction that cannot be obtained by any other means.
The power that we as latter day women have, provides us with the strength to do all that is necessary to be leaders of righteousness, defenders of good and examples to all around us. Sister Julie Beck, Relief Society General President, has said Mothers are the lioness at the gate of the home. We need to guard our homes just like a lioness would guard her cubs.
We can do this! We have power beyond measure to protect that which is most sacred to us. Sister Beck has gone on to encourage us to set priorities because if it matters to the mother, it will happen in the home. We must first take care of those things that are essential (essential to eternal life and exaltation): Prayer, scripture study, temple attendance, FHE, fulfilling church callings and service. Next comes the necessities (necessary to sustain home and family life): Cooking, cleaning, laundry, homemaking and homework. Then comes Nice to Do: hobbies, crafts, recreation, girls night out. Her promise to us is that if we make the Essentials our first priority, we will always have time for the Necessary and even for some of the Nice to do.

As a runner, I hate running into the wind. Often times I will find myself taking the easy path in the beginning – running with the wind. It is easy, it is warm and I seem to be running faster with less effort that normal. Unfortunately, I always must return back to where I started. This means that I must run into the wind and it is difficult, often cold and sometimes just down right miserable. However, I always make it back. It might not be the effortless looking running we see by those whom we view as “elite runners” but I make it back and always with the satisfaction that I did something hard.

How much easier and more enjoyable would it be if I would get the hard stuff – running into the wind done during the first half of a run and then been able to enjoy the latter half and finished with not only the satisfaction of running hard, but that it was much more enjoyable journey.

How often do we do this in our life? Seem to take the easy path to success only to find out that it is much more difficult by the time we reach the end. In our roles as mothers there is no easy way, no short cut. We often feel like we are constantly “running into the wind” …. And sometimes we are. But if we are taking care of our Essential things we are never running alone. We are always running with the aid of our Father in Heaven and his aid provides us power beyond measure.

We as mothers are examples to all that we come in contact with, whether it is a small child who watches what we do through out the day and the plays house with their toys or a young man or young women whom we think doesn’t care. They do care, and all in our home are watching us. They accept us for whom we are and love us despite our shortcomings but the see what we chose to do, how we set priorities and what we value. In Matthew 5:16 we read:
Let your alight so shine before men, that they may see your good bworks, and cglorify your Father which is in heaven.

Let those who are most precious to us, see us as an example to follow, that we value our role as their mother above all else. We CAN be the example we desire to be, the example our Father in Heaven KNOWS we can be, because, sisters…We are powerful beyond measure.

Last night as we spent time with my family, and they gave us a folk art picture of the city of St. George, where Jay and I grew up along with the message to never forget where came from. How it touched my heart, because those roots and family are most dear to me. We sisters can never forget were we come from. From a loving Father in Heaven who sees our full potential and he KNOWS that we can reach it. He has faith in us and our unique and individual abilities to be the very best mother we can, to be the very best example to those around us that we can. He has provided us with all the tools necessary and opportunities to become who he, who knows us best, knows we can become. It is our faith in him and his plan that allows us to be powerful beyond measure, it is up to us to forego that which society tells us to be and listen only to that voice that matters. We can do this! We can be what our father in wants us to be.

President Uchtdorf has said:

“You are a choice daughter of our Heavenly Father, and through the things you create and by your compassionate service, you are a great power for good. You will make the world a better place. Lift up your chin; walk tall. God loves you. We love and admire you”

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Stupid Emotions

2010-05-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

Today I cried. Not just a tear, but cried.

We had gone to dinner last night with some of our closest friends and she cried and then said I was a rock and I never cry. During this whole process I have tried not to focus on what we are leaving behind but the great adventure that is ahead for our family and all the things we will experience and hopes we have.

So in between Realtor appointments, work emails, a messy house and packing, I watched the new Mormon Messages with Stephanie Nielson. I could feel the emotions coming but was doing a pretty good job at being a "rock" until the phone rang halfway through. My sweet neighbor was calling to say that her daughter, whom I adore and is getting married, could use our old dinning room table - YEAH! But then she started saying how much she will miss us and the emotions started coming. I stayed strong on the phone but once I had gone back to finishing the Mormon Message, I was a wreck. I cried through the rest, I cried and cried during Elder Hollands comments. I walked through my house and cried. Cried for the memories we have had here, cried because I am leaving dear, sweet friends who take such good care of us, cried because I am pretty much unwilling to take any picture off the wall (because that makes the moving seem really real) and cried because I know that as of Sunday, my life will not be the same ever again. I had a similar experience when I was engaged and look how well that turned. So, life will go on. I will be okay. I am just afraid there are going to be a lot more tears over the next few days. So if you see me, please be patient and kind and at some point hopefully I will be a "rock" again.

Unload

2010-05-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

It is Tuesday night and I am in the hotel in Fort Worth waiting for the Good Wife to start. Date night will not happen because I am too impatient to wait until the weekend.

I am mad that I didn't get up to run today because I was too tired - isn't that everyday? Bummed that it was 83 degrees when I finished at work and I was starving and chose not to run....no surprise there.

Ate my yummy La Madeline, so good - not good that I didn't run today.

I am getting anxious to get my family here and settled, but I am realizing that I have one last night of freedom - need to enjoy it as much as possible.

I am sad that this is a really horrible post. After 11 hours of work, my brain is mush and this is all I can say. I better get my act together because Jake comes with me next week and I am sure he expects more than a bunch of junk for a mom.

Time to focus and good night!

May on the Calendar

2010-05-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Friday I made it back to Utah in time to drop Cam at school. As we were saying good bye and have a great day, she informed us of the following: " I like seeing May on the calendar." A pretty creative way, for someone who is almost 6, to remind us that her birthday is just a few days away. She has been much less creative with all the reminders over the past 11 months.

Chili's must love me

2010-04-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

I was a little concerned when I got my dinner tonight and it was in such a big box, but no concern was needed. Chili's just must love me, because the didn't let my food touch. Who else would be so thoughtful when they packed my togo box? So in return, I love Chili's too.

Quick Update

2010-04-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

Week one in Texas was crazy. Work went really well but I quickly realized I no longer have any control over my schedule and days......I am pretty much at the mercy of everyone else. This was my schedule the first week and next week isn't much better.

Weekend Update:

I was so glad to get home on Friday and go to AB's for a shake, some onion rings and lots and lots of grease...YUMMY!

Saturday was spent packing 15 rought totes full of stuff and two van loads of stuff to the DI and we have so much left to do.

Stack of totes to fill

Izzie looking for reinforcements because she was bored helping by herself

I also got to babysit three of the cutest kids I know. Some good friends of ours had a date so they let us watch their three kids ages 3, 18 months and 2 weeks. Good, Crazy times.

Gracie - 2 weeks

Jacob 18 months

Sam 3 yrs (yes, the photo is blurry)

More and more packing, cleaning taking photos of the house and my time home was half over. Today has been spent with my nursery kiddos, dinner with my sister and her family and back on a plane.

Starting to pack. Yes, lots of running clothes, but only because most the work clothes already reside in Texas and are in the care of the dry cleaners.

Hoping time truly flies and we will all be living together soon!

Is Everything Really Bigger in Texas?

2010-04-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

Is everything really bigger in Texas? The Hinton Family is about to find out. I have accepted a position with my employer in our Fort Worth office. It has been an interesting few weeks as we have debated the decision, prayed, talked to the kiddos, hunted for a house, found a house, researched schools, all while not being able to tell anyone. The announcement was made today and I start Monday and will commute back to Salt Lake on the weekends until school is finished and then we will make the big trek. We are very excited for this new opportunity and experience and hope that the next 8 weeks are as smooth as possible.

This also means we are selling our Salt Lake home. If you are interested in a beautiful family home with a pool and great schools let me know.

Back Home

2010-04-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

I am back home. 36 hours of flying and travel and it is so good to be at in my own home, with crazy kiddos, lots of laundry and daily to-do's and life is good.

I have a new computer program and tried to redo my banner and it didn't work out well......at all, so it is still March here and I need to get it changed but life is speeding right by and I am trying to embrace life and let some of the little things go. So maybe tomorrow, maybe this week and maybe we will just bypass April and soon it will be May.

This week we get to spend time at Jake's ballgames, cleaning the house, trying to finish projects I started before I left and hoping I can accomplish most of it, I will have to post an update along the way.....maybe this could be some good motivation.

Here is hoping you all have a great week.......and wishing myself luck!

Indian Gombu

2010-04-03T16:06:00.001-07:00

Lots to say about the trip so far but not today. I have the Indian Gombu..........so, so sick. The doctor has come, given shots and prescriptions and spent the last 36 hours in bed, can't wait to feel better.

Up in the Air .... Again!

2010-03-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

I am leaving tomorrow for India......again. Two more weeks with our great staff and lots of friends. Two more weeks away from my sweet family and my home.

So I am hoping to have lots of fun so that time will fly by and before I know it I will be home. Because as Dorothy said...."There's no place like home, there's no place like home".... and right now I am homesick before I have even left...or packed.

Weekend Update

2010-03-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

We had quite a busy weekend and lots and lots of fun and also so realization that I am getting old. I forgot my camera, the first sign I am getting old.

We headed to St. George for both a baseball tournament for Jake and I was planning on running in the Spectrum 10K.

As I was getting ready for the day, I found my first gray hair - UGGHHH! I have been so thrilled with the fact that at 36 yrs old I have yet to have any. It was just as white as white can be........so disappointing, so sad. Sign number two I am getting old

We spent all day Friday absolutely freezing at ballgames. SERIOUSLY! This is St. George, This is March....I EXPECT WARM WEATHER! Still fun to watch Jake and his team.

Friday Night we celebrated my mom's birthday. So much fun with everyone there, I really wished I had my camera.

We ate lots of bagel dogs - we love these and only get them at Grandma Jake's house - YUMMY!

Saturday morning, while getting ready for my race I realized I packed two left running shoes...who does that? A sign that I have too many running shoes, especially those that look alike and another sign that I am getting old.

Here is hoping this week has a fewer signs that I am getting old and more fun!

smell of spring

2010-03-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

When I got home today, my neighbor was out cutting his grass and the smell of spring was in the air and I was so, so happy. Here is wishing you happiness!

2010-03-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

I have been teaching the 14-15 yr old Sunday School class for the past few months and loving it, mostly because Jake was in there and he is such a great kid, so I was surprised when I was called to be the Nursery Leader this Sunday. I am sad to say goodbye to my Sunday School class but I LOVE nursery. When I was in the Primary Presidency and Stake Primary I would beg to go visit the nursery and spend time with the kids and now I get to every week. So I am going to completely enjoy for as long as it lasts, because when we are happy we don't seem to stay in those callings very long.

Yogi.....?

2010-03-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

crane pose

I have been a runner for many years, I love it...It defines who I am outside of mother, wife and employee. But over the last year I have been plagued with injury, mostly my hips but some in my feet and calves. Luckily none of it has been serious but it is all due to overuse, high mileage and no strength/cross training. So after the continual urging of the miracle massage therapist, I decided to give yoga try. I am completely surprised how much I enjoy it and that I am really begining to look forward to a little bit of yoga every night.

A couple of weeks ago the workout/session included the crane pose and I was shocked that I could almost actually do it - (Camdyn got a picture of it with my phone but it unfortunately was deleted - the same child). Last night's session included more crane poses and I was so excited until I fell flat on my face.......cheap entertainment for my kids. But I am determined not to give up and keep trying because as they say in yoga it is practice.

So, I have learned that at 36 I can still try new things and with practice, hopefully I will not fall on my face.

It started

2010-03-08T18:58:00.000-08:00

Today was the first day of high school baseball. A day that in our house is looked forward to by all and a little dreaded by mom. Don't get me wrong, I love baseball and I love watching Jake play. I am proud of him and all his hardwork and was so excited when I got there today and as a freshman he was starting on the JV team. But our life over the next two months consists of ballgames almost daily, not getting home and eating dinner until 8:00 at night, trying to entertain three sisters for countless hours at the ballpark, lots and lots of money spent at the 7-11 to keep the sisters happy. So keep in mind that if my blogging takes a back seat it is because I am cheering for Jake at the ballpark ..... and trying to keep all the sisters happy.

Go Wolverines!

PS. Jake is playing third, Hunter is the white team

2010 Book 4

2010-03-04T18:21:00.000-08:00

We are having our mid-level managers read this book at work, so I figured I better as well. It is an easy read that helps us deal with change. I love change so it was not overly revealing but I did learn from it. Kind of interesting if you do not like change and it only takes about 90 minutes.

five feet, eight inches

2010-03-02T15:31:00.000-08:00

This past weekend it finally happened. After years of measuring, passing Aunt Marcie, more measuring...Jake and Izzie (yes both) are now taller than me - their mom. Jake is fine, at 15 yrs old you should be growing and 5'8" is not that bad. Izzie though is another story, at 12 yrs old she is the tallest student at her school and is not only taller than her mom, she wears a bigger shoe. Completely Crazy! While I am happy for both of them in their most recent accomplishment, it is leaving me feeling a little short....and nothing I can do about it.

Olympic Fever

2010-02-25T07:53:00.000-08:00

I love the Olympics, have since I was child. Some of my best memories are watching with my sister and then if it was winter we would strap on our roller skates and skate to our hearts content in the garage and wait nervously for our scores. If it was summer, we were all about gymnastics and had quite the competition in our back yard, complete with medals and a retaining wall that made a great balance beam.

Now, I still love the Olympics, but I love the other all events more than ice skating and gymnastics. This winter I have loved Shawn White - WOW! I love Apollo Anton Ohno and telling my kids about the time we were both running at the Olympic Oval and how he is neighbors with my running friends Mike & Peggy - the kiddos are tired of hearing about it. I have loved the hockey - Who knew! I will always love the stories of the athletes - they are probably my most favorite part of the Olympics.

I love this Coke commercial. I love it because I love history. I love seeing glimpses of Olympic moments that I remember and I love that the people at Coca-Cola remembered to include include the Special Olympics. Makes me cry every time I see it.

PS. I love that I drink Diet Coke and for about 30 seconds I do not feel guilty.

UGH!

2010-02-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

Oh, because the last few days have been so great - they can only get better - right? Apparently not quite yet.............

It slipped off my kitchen counter last night while I was working - UGH! It has been replaced because it was akin to cutting off my arm, not quite as costly....but close.

Maybe tomorrow will be better - there is always hope!

Warning!

2010-02-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

Camdyn has the face of an innocent angel, but by the path of destruction she has left in the last 72 hours I am beginning to wonder. Here is a brief glimpse:

Saturday Morning:

Jay was out of town so I left for my run at 5:00 am, all in preparation for being home by 8:00 am just as the kids wake up. Camdyn apparently was up by 6:30 and had found Jay's laptop that was put away in our room and gotten in out and spent time doing who know what. Once she was bored with the computer, she found Izzie's fluorescent orange nail polish and decided that it looked really nice on our piano keys - if you know how to get it off, you are my hero!

Sunday Afternoon:

She had been asked to clean her room, this is a daily occurrence and never really gets done well, but we wanted to move Libby back in her room and it needed to be cleaned. After 4 hours of crying the dad lost it, the mom lost it and we all cleaned. She held out for 4 hours - I don't even have that kind of energy.

Monday Morning:

She had a friend over and they went downstairs to play while I was working. After half an hour the friend had to go home and I went down to find them and they were hiding - why you ask? Because they had gotten into more fingernail polish and Libby's scrapbooking stickers. Who thinks of all these things that they know wrong to do?

In order to punish her I told her she had to unload the dishwasher. She completely refused and I had work calls and couldn't fight her ( I think she knows this) so Jay in order to back me up told me he would address it when he got home. So when he got home she had to sit in time out until I got home - this ended up being 1 hr 45 min. Once I got home she had to apologize - "I am sorry I got in trouble" - Are you kidding me! She quickly (by prompting from her dad) revised her apology to "I am sorry I didn't mind" Better, but seriously.

The grand finale came when it was time for her to read her assigned books from school and she pulled out a new "red book." Earlier today when we were reading, I had told her she had to keep the book she received on Friday and read it a few more times and she was not all happy about it. When I asked her what happened to "Muff and Ruff" she refused to answer - she pleads the 5th really well. At this point it was all I could do to turn around, walk away, laugh and leave the dad to handle it.

So if you see this sweet little face, be careful. You can't say you weren't warned.

PS -Wish me luck with her, I am to tired and old for much more.

2010 Book 3

2010-02-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

I borrowed this book from my mom over New Year's but it took me a while to read. I finished it last week while I was in San Diego and it is fantastic. An absolutely beautiful memoir of what it truly means to be a friend and the value of every person. I highly recommend this book. Let me know if you have read it and what your thoughts were.

Accumulation

2010-02-17T16:12:00.000-08:00

My kids have the tendency to leave things laying around the house - ALL THE TIME! It drives me crazy. So in order to stay sane, I take away things that are left lying around when said kids choose not to put them away after being asked a gazillion times. Here is my collection over the past couple of years:

a giant Nemo
coats
shoes
pants
more books than I can count
a lot of toys (Happy Meal toys go straight to the trash, none of those in this stack - believe it or not)
dress up clothes
and a ton (literally) of crayons - I may never have to buy another crayon again!

It is amazing what they feel they can live without it it means they do not have to clean it up!

So a couple of weeks ago I cleaned up this mess. One garbage bag to the DI, another with just garbage, books given back to the kids and the rest organized and ready to be earned back.

You almost would have thought it was Christmas for both the mom and the kids! Kids eager to earn back stuff they had forgotten about and a mom happy because jobs were getting done.

2010-02-16T17:31:00.001-08:00

Our admin at work had the cutest baby boy in January. She asked me to create her birth announcement. So much fun! Let me know your favorite....

2010-02-12T08:19:00.001-08:00

Today we are getting ready to go to St. George. I am so excited for sun, meeting up with Jay, family and a completely relaxing weekend that does not have a single must do task. However, there are plenty of want-to-do's: swimming, ballgames, playing Ticket to Ride, hiking, eating, spending time with family and just plane old hanging out.

Hope your weekend is as great as I want ours to be!

PS: Unfortunately it starts out with a mom and 4 kiddos and a 5 hour car ride. Apparently there is good and evil in all things.

2010-02-10T16:07:00.000-08:00

The last couple of days I was enjoying the California sunrise and sunset. I enjoyed the warmth of the sun, the yummy seafood, running in shorts and a t-shirt, a sunrise before 7 am and the ability to go to bed at 8 am if want to.

That is about were the good stuff ended. Mostly I missed my family. Oh, how I missed these guys. I was homesick before I left. So now I am home, with the guys that I love talking about Valentine's Day parties, working on science fair projects - the biggest curse to a parent ever, and getting ready to go to dinner with Jay's family. I love the craziness and love the kids and I am so glad that I two weeks of no travel - yet........and I want to keep it that way!

2010-02-05T15:32:00.000-08:00

Due to my ignorance when booking my travel this week, I am going to miss the SuperBowl. I am going to miss the food, the commercials, the food, the friends, the food, cheering for the Colts and of course THE FOOD! It is not very often that I actually care who wins, but this year I do. I am cheering for the Colts. I like Peyton Manning and Austin Collie and I do not like Reggie Bush. Yes, I am a girl, but I am a somewhat informed girl. I choose my teams by the players not the team colors. So here is my favorite Peyton Manning commercial to inspire you to cheer for the Colts in my place.

Go Colts!

Kids these days........

2010-02-02T17:04:00.000-08:00

A month or so ago I was introducing my son Jake to the wonderful sounds of 80's music. It all started with this. So I thought I would broaden his horizons and introduce him to one of the most iconic songs of my high school days...........

Jake didn't appreciate it so much, until it was gangstafied by Jay-Z. Apparently it is now a fantastic song.

We will see if can stand the test of time, just like the original.....However, I must say I do like the Jay-Z version. The ghetto is rubbing off on this white girl.

PS - The Jay-Z video is much better!

This Week.....

2010-02-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

This week I am going to do a few things:

I am going to enjoy the fact that neither my husband or I travel this week.

I am going to try to not complain about more snow in the forecast

I am going to get caught up on my laundry and housework

I am going to ENJOY the fact that neither my husband or I travel this week - WAHOO!

Here's to Monday and kicking off a great week!

15 yrs old

2010-01-29T17:27:00.000-08:00

Today is Jake's birthday. I cannot believe he is 15 yrs old - where has time gone. It has gone to baseball practices, scout camps, airsoft wars, video games, school, soccer games and friends. Jake is the best kid. We have been so blessed to have such a fun and responsible teenager. Everyone warns you about teenagers, but if the girls are anything like Jake, there will be no problems. So here are 5 things you need to know about Jake:

1. He loves baseball

2. He loves BYU

3. He is a carbon copy of his Uncle Brock

4. He hates this crap - Blogging

5. He is will accept bribes

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKE!

For Kids who love to cook or Make a mess in the Kitchen

2010-01-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

Izzie received this cookbook from my last September for her birthday. It is by far the best cookbook I have found for kids. It covers the most basic snacks to quite complicated dinners. I love this! She is an advanced cook for being only 12 so there are lots of options but even the quick simple things are fun to make. The instructions are excellent. They utilize both written and images and even detail every utensil/dish you would need to use while making your dish. (I need to challenge Izzie to only use what is listed - not twice as many utensils as listed) We have discovered two recipes that are now part of our permanent collection: Stuffed Shells (ravioli in a large shell noodle) and Homemade Pretzels.

If you have a budding cook, child/adult who loves the Food Network... this is the book for you. It is available at both Amazon and Boarders.

Mr. Bradley Cooper

2010-01-26T19:52:00.000-08:00

Today I had to go to LA for meetings and on my flight there I sat by Bradley Cooper. The sad realization is that I didn't realize for most the flight. He was in seat 1D (next to the window) and when I boarded he had his head down (under a baseball cap) and coats on his lap. He was trying very hard not to be noticed. I wondered if it was someone that had been to Sundance but never guessed it would be him. It wasn't until the very end that I realized who it was. So here are all the answers to you burning questions:

Yes, he is just as cute in real life

Yes, he was very nice

Our conversation consisted of him apologizing for closing the window cover things because I was using the light to read.

Him offering to get a bag down he thought was mine, but wasn't

It was a very short encounter but right up there with my Tim McGraw encounter.

Other details: Adrien Grenier and Renee Zellweger were also on the same flight but I didn't realize that until we deplaned. Brad and Renee acted like they didn't even know each other.

I really need to fly to LA more often.

Do You Remember?

2010-01-25T19:32:00.000-08:00

Do You Remember this?

I found it on DVD when I was buying this. I absolutely LOVED this movie as a teenager! We did not have it on VHS but I babysat for a family that did. So as soon as I would get the kids in bed I sat down and watched "Girls Just Want To Have Fun." I was so excited to get it home and watch it with my girls but they did not have quite the same appreciation I did. Izzie was bored early on and left. Libby & Camdyn watched the entire movie with me and said that they liked it OR they humored their mom. I think it was the latter.

2010 Book 2

2010-01-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

I had purchased this book back in October while I was in India. I read the Lucky One then and had put this aside. Last weekend it was the book I was reading in the bath when I got the concussion call. I finished last Saturday, despite my attempts to read slower and slower the closer I got to the end. I loved it and I loved the characters and was quite sad when it was over. I am not sure that the upcoming movie will be the same but I am okay with that. It will give me another chance into John & Savannah's lives.

Just my luck

2010-01-19T15:47:00.000-08:00

I travel to San Diego once or twice a month for work and I have to say it is one of my favorite places. Our staff there is great but it is the weather that I LOVE! I leave tonight and I am not happy about this at all.

Frozen

2010-01-18T16:41:00.001-08:00

My weekend started out perfect. I was going to work from home on Friday to spend time with the kids who were out of school and since Jay was out of town. Because of that, I had the luxury of sleeping in and running in daylight as opposed to the dark, dark mornings. We had fog come in overnight and everything was frozen and as I was running I was thinking I wish I could freeze time, freeze the weekend so that we could spend more time together, freeze the day so that I could get caught up on work, freeze time so that I could enjoy each of my kids a little more.................It ended up be a really good thing that you cannot freeze time.

Friday night I started getting a sore throat and not feeling well. I woke up Saturday morning to meet the BBK's and was sicker than I was on Friday so I skipped the run. This meant that I was home with plenty of time to convince Jake that he wanted to go sledding with the YMYW. Izzie was so excited, Jake was not. But the reality of staying home with his mom and two other sisters was less appealing then sledding (and a little pressure from mom) so he went.

They left at 10 am so I decided that I was going to soak in my tub, read a good book and try to relax with half the kiddos gone. After being in the bath for about 30 min, the girls came to inform me that one of our neighbors was on the phone - I knew this was not a good thing because he is also one of the YM leaders. Apparently, Jake had been thrown from a sled and hit his head pretty hard and was having memory issues. NICE! I had about 5 min to get dressed before they showed up at the house and as they walked in, I was searching for shoes, yelling at the girls to get ready to go somewhere (not sure yet) and making sure I had everything we would need for the ER.

Jake and his leader walked in and the poor kid did not know what day it was, what had happened the past few days and how he got hurt. I had him get in the car, the leader took the girls to his unsuspecting wife and we headed to the ER.

He kept trying to remember as we were driving and he was repeating phone numbers, class schedules and saying that it was 2010 and he was almost 15 years old. We were taken right back and after the usual assessment and CT scan, we were told that he had a concussion. Not that we didn't already know that, but I do not mess around with head injuries and this is not this kids first by any means. But there was no bleeding and no reason to be more concerned than normal - this is a good thing.

So the two sickies headed home picked up the girls and Izzie from her YW leaders and the whining began. For some reason these girls have radar and the worse your day is and the worse you feel the more the whine and argue. It didn't stop, ever .......until Sunday night.

Finally, today I am feeling better, Jake is feeling better and I am so, so glad time did not freeze - Can you imagine if it did?

BTW - The new IMC ER is fantastic. This was our second visit in the past few months and they are extremely efficient and both visits have been as quick as possible.

Decisions, Decisions

2010-01-15T17:58:00.000-08:00

Not life or death decisions, just need input decisions. I was shopping with my kiddos and I am in need of a new purse. It has been several months since I purchased my last one and it was way to big......that is another story for another day. Anyways, I have been making do with one from a while ago but both of these are on sale. I can't decide.....I really like the yellow, it reminds me of summer (I miss it terribly) but it is light colored and will get dirty fast and my kids HATE it. The blue/tourquise (color is a little off) is nice as well and will not get as dirty and doesn't quite scream at you like the yellow does. They are about the same size, I think I like the functionality of the yellow a bit better, but the are both a change from the open pit I have now, and have had mostly in the past. Anyways I can't decide (I was able to eliminate a third choice on my own), there are things I like about both but just can't decide. The sale ends tomorrow - so decided I must, but as most of you know - I HATE decisions. SO, help me out and let me know which one I should buy.

PS. Thank goodness for the iphone, how else would I make a decision

2010 Book 1

2010-01-14T16:24:00.000-08:00

Last year I read quite a few books but I never kept track of what I had read. I tried to go back and remember each book but I would forget some along the way, so this year I am keeping track. Last week on my trip to Dallas I forgot the book my mom had lent me and so I picked this one up at the airport. It turned out to be a really quick read (which is always nice) and I enjoyed the story.

It tells the story of 9 characters who are part of a cooking class for about six months. Each chapter focuses on a different character and how that cooking lesson is part of their story. However, the star of the book is the food. I loved reading about the food, the menus, the smells, the way the food tasted. It was amazing!

If you are looking for a good book to read this year and you love food as much as I do, you will not be disappointed.

9 Years

2010-01-13T14:50:00.000-08:00

Nine years ago today our family was blessed with this sweet girl. She is like no other! Here are 5 things you need to know about Libby:

1. She is the sweetest most tender hearted child

2. She can sleep anywhere

3. She is an awesome helper

4. She plays the cello

5. She is a great friend

Happy Birthday our sweet girl!

Why I love Tuesday's

2010-01-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

Every Tuesday night that both my husband and I are home and not traveling, we have a date at 9:00 pm with The Good Wife. It has quickly become our favorite show and the "one" we cannot miss. It is the reason why, when I have been up since 4:30 am and have to get up just as early tomorrow, I will stay up and watch. Yes, we DVR but I want to watch it tonight. So if you like TV shows that have impeccable writing, characters that are honest stay true to themselves this is the show for you. So tune in to CBS at 10/9 central OR set your DVR and enjoy.

Ticket to Ride

2010-01-11T19:32:00.001-08:00

My sister asked for this game for Christmas and while we were in St. George for New Year's, it was the thing to do. We played and played on New Year's Eve and the she left and took the game with her. All New Year's day was spent calling stores and searching for Ticket to Ride and we came up empty.

Needless to say, I was very happy when I returned home from a work trip to Dallas Friday night to my family and our very own Ticket to Ride. So our weekend was spent playing game after game and we are looking forward many more.

Taking matters into her own hands.......

2010-01-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

While I was straightening up the kitchen this morning, I found this:

SERIOUSLY!

When asking Camdyn for an explanation (after several attempts to get her to confess), she said she was trying get her ipod off the charger. Well.........she succeeded and now we are down a charger. Not a problem for most people but in a family of six, 2 iphones, 1 itouch, 3 nano's and a shuffle......this is a problem.

Thank you Camdyn, for the opportunity to work on our ability to share and take turns. We are going to get lots of practice.

Skookies

2010-01-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

While in St. George last weekend, we got to try out my Dad's Christmas present. He received a set of Skookie pans. What is a Skookie, you ask? It is a cookie made in an iron pan with ice cream and toppings. Here are some pictures.....I got too excited to eat them so the last photo is a photo from the website. They were a ton of fun and really yummy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough pressed into a pan

After Baking.....Cooling

All ready to eat! YUMMO!

Back to Normal

2010-01-04T10:13:00.001-08:00

Here is sign that the holidays are over and life is getting back to normal.

Camdyn has assumed her spot on the sofa with her treat from the 7-11 while mom offices at home until it is time for Kindergarten to start.

I really wish I was 5 and enjoying life like she does!

I love January

2010-01-01T20:53:00.001-08:00

I love the month of January, no not because of the weather, but because I love making goals (in case you forgot) and the opportunity to start fresh so to speak. I love thinking about what a want to accomplish in the coming year and know that most of it will not happen but I like to think that desire is good for something. This year is the first year in a long time that my goals or things I am thinking about have nothing to do with running or health (mostly). So here are a few things I would like to improve upon during 2010:

- Increased dedication to my Savior: This includes being better at scripture study, fulfilling my church callings and temple attendance. (Somewhat broad but I read somewhere that if your list has more than 7 items on it, you will not accomplish anything so I am setting myself up to succeed:))

- Be a better mom. I need to spend more time with my kids and the things they want to do rather than being worried about all we need to get done in a day.

- Drink more water, less Diet Coke.......If I fail at anything, this will be it :)

If I improve a little in any area it is a good thing and having it written down for all to see should help.

Ditto

2009-12-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

Ditto to this.

This is why I am making an emergency trip to the land of fun in the sun for New Years!........I just can't take it any more.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Body by Cam

2009-12-29T16:17:00.000-08:00

Just in time for your New Year's Resolution to get in shape, I found out that my son and daughter have teamed up for a winning combination. Repeat the following daily and then flex for your mom.

#1 Bench Press

#2 Push Up

# Arm Curls

Best of luck in 2010!

2009-12-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

We hope you all had a very wonderful Christmas Holiday - We sure did! Here are some highlights of our celebrations and traditions.

CHRISTMAS EVE - NATIVITY

CHRISTMAS EVE - MARSHMALLOW WAR

Our family has a tradition of having a marshmallow war on Christmas Eve. It started out all in fun and now has gotten very serious, so serious in fact that next year safety glasses will be required.

CHRISTMAS MORNING

CHRISTMAS DAY

Hope your holidays were as great as ours!

PS - I got another pair of running shoes!
PSS - I got the best gift ever - an electric blanket! I am never leaving my bed again...ever!

A Meat Feast

2009-12-23T18:27:00.000-08:00

Today this came in the mail

There was a lot of excitement for this

Going in the oven............................................... 35 min later

Bibs were adorned

Yummy!

A very happy Jay!

Thank you JR! You made our day, quite possibly the month!

Jake is missing from all the photos, yes he ate - at 15 it is just too much to have your picture taken

House of Fashion

2009-12-22T15:10:00.000-08:00

Having 3 daughters, there is a lot of talk about fashion. Fashion for 12 yr olds, fashion for 8 yr olds and fashion for 5 yr olds. Unfortunately there is not talk about fashion for 36 yr olds.

So here is the best fashion ideals according to my young daughters, Izzie's 12 yr old rules would take up too much space:

1. You can mix patterns, the more the better
2. Any shade of the same color can go together - love the monochromatic look
3. All clothes look better with leggings
4. Mix styles - church shoes with basketball shorts, quite the look
5. All colors can go together

The best comment came yesterday when Izzie was babysitting and told me she was not going to let Camdyn out of the house wearing this outfit........This from the child who's sense of fashion 7 years ago, made me not really care what my kids wore because it wasn't worth the fight. Can't wait until she has kids of her own.

Even if it Kills Me

2009-12-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

Tonight I will get these in the mail even if it KILLS me! I have procrastinated long enough and if I want people to get them somewhere near Christmas, it must be done. Merry Christmas!

Update: Cards are in envelopes with the newsletter. I have addressed all mine and some of my husbands - not sure who he wants to send them to and they have a game tonight. He gets to be the lucky one and put them in the mail tomorrow.

A Year Full of Gratitude

2009-12-19T18:21:00.000-08:00

As I headed out today to finish the rest of my Christmas shopping, I realized that today is December 19th. Not a big deal to most the world, but to the Hinton household, it is the day our lives changed dramatically. Exactly one year ago today, Jay lost his job as Director of Media Relations for the Utah Blaze - the Utah Arena Football team. He was laid off when the league folded and due to the state of the economy at that time could not be absorbed into Garff Enterprises. This was a complete shock. I still remember my conversation with Jay as he explained to me what happened and I just kept asking him if he was joking.

One year later, I can look back on this experience with a heart full of gratitude for our Savior, faith in his plan for us and my husband and all of his hard work. We were able to realize that we can live on a lot less than we had been previously and so grateful for a savings account that had enough money to help us stay afloat. The Lord has watched over us and cared for us by providing Jay with three part time jobs until he was able to obtain full time employment. He has taught our children that we don't always get what we want and to truly value and care for what you have.

Our lives are not the same as they were previous to December 19, 2008. We are still adjusting to life on a lot less money, but enjoying the benefits of health insurance, 401K and an increased testimony in the knowledge that we are truly children of our Father in Heaven and he is mindful of us and all times.

I remember a conversation last winter as Jay was job hunting and we were talking about what kind of job he would get and we both knew that it might not be what we were used to, but it would be the best job for our family - and that it is!

As I reflect on the past year and look forward to 2010 and the challenges we face now and will continue to face, I am so grateful for the increase in my faith and trust in my Savior and his plan and that one year from now I will be grateful for the challenges I am facing now and the growth that will come from them .

I collect........

2009-12-18T18:34:00.001-08:00

Most girls collect shoes. They collect high heels, boots, flip-flops, ballet flats and many other varieties of shoes. I have a very small collection of regular shoes, but a very LARGE collection of running shoes. I knew it was becoming a problem when I had to dig through all the running shoes to find grey heels for work or ballet flats to wear with my favorite jeans. Unfortunately part of my new/old self, I felt the need to clean out my closet. The tally of running shoes came to 11 - these all purchased within the last 9 months. So I lined them all up and decided that I would purge some of the shoes. All have logged well over the 300 miles of running - in the running world this means retirement for the shoe. Good bye to:

Boston Marathon Shoes - well over the 300 mile mark

SGM #1 shoe - hard to part with, but never wear

Another pair of Pink Mizuno's or as I call them #2

and three other shoes that look just like those above but just were training shoes.

I did keep 5 pairs. And even better, it is time for a new pair. I switched brands in November to Nike Pegasus and my first pair have about 150 miles so it is time for a new pair - Sooo excited!!!! Is this an illness?

Being Invisable

2009-12-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

My husband sent me this video earlier today. It really made me stop and ponder many of my frustrations as a mother. Hope you enjoy!

Sweetest Holiday Wishes

2009-12-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight was our night to put together and give our neighbor gifts. We have a tradition of giving a fresh pineapple with a red ribbon. It is such an easy and yummy gift. The only trouble is that when Jay goes and purchases 100 pineapples from the produce wholesalers, we have to get them out - NOW! So begins, the tying of bows, adding tags and visiting with the neighbors.....but it is done in a couple of hours and I get to sit back and be so HAPPY that one thing on my Christmas list is complete.

DO'er Update

2009-12-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

I figured it was about time for a DO'er update. I have put off this post for about a week because writing the reality of it is not very fun. Bottom line is I need and can be doing better than I am, however I am doing better than I was previously. I am only average about 6 points a day, which is not very good, BUT stuff is getting done.

I have many projects, as do most of you this time of year, and most cannot be shared yet because my lovely children check out the blog occasionally. However here is one I can share.....

I have wanted to hang pictures above my bed for the almost 3 years we have lived in this house. I finally got it done despite many, many road blocks.......couldn't find my favorite picture of the Eiffel Tower ( dang! have to go back to Paris in 2010 ).....couldn't find any tools - no hammer, no tape measure, not level. Despite the lack of tools we got it done and surprised Jay when he returned from a trip at Thanksgiving.

More projects to share after Santa comes!

The Blind Side

2009-12-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to seen this movie since it came out and last night we were finally able to go. We took all the kids and they all LOVED it except for Camdyn, which was expected.

This move is absolutely fantastic! The message of how to treat others and standing up for what you believe in is something everyone can benefit from. The Touhy's are an example of how to reach out when you see someone in need.

Go see it!

The Annual Battle

2009-12-10T19:30:00.001-08:00

Every year Jay and I have the same argument. It involves Christmas lights - my desire to have them and his intense hatred for putting them up. I usually (all but maybe 2 years) lose. Jay hates to lose so that means for the sake of my marriage, happiness of my children and peace on earth, I give in and have a lightless house. It has become a tradition and we have already had it this year. So I had to laugh, I mean really laugh when my cute sister in law Marcie posted this picture on her blog the other day.

Jay laughed too....So at least we agree that this is fantastic!

Dear Santa.....LOL

2009-12-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Camdyn told me she wanted to write a letter to Santa. She came prepared with her paper and pencil. Her only issue is that she would not write a sentence, only one word per thought......

Santa
Good
Bitty Baby
Princesses
Barbie
LOL
Camdyn

I had told her she needed to write "Love, Camdyn" but she said no she was going to write "LOL, Camdyn." I asked her if she knew what LOL meant and she answered "Yes, it means Laugh Out Loud."

I was laughing out loud, hopefully Santa has a sense of humor and will LOL!

Snow, Snow GO AWAY!

2009-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

I hate snow, I really hate snow. Yes, I live in an area known for it's snow but I do not have to like it. We have talked about moving over the years but our kids are settled and at the age that we do not want to disrupt their lives, which means that as the mom I have to be stuck with snow. So when we get enough snow to interfere with my daily life it makes me extremely grumpy.

I went go to running group this morning but the highway was not plowed so I turned around and reacquainted myself with my treadmill. This pretty much changed all my plans for the rest of the day and makes me really, really grumpy.

I have to go out and drive in it when I head into the office, driving in snow makes crazy and grumpy.

Pretty much I wish I was a bear could go back to bed and wake up when the snow is gone.

So for all of you out there who love snow, I hope you are smiling! For me, I am going to try to find something positive about snow, I just do not think there really is anything because it is snow and it is cold and it makes me grumpy.

It Rains Slurpee's

2009-12-07T07:30:00.001-08:00

Last week I had a bad, bad day. It started with a very good run with the BBK's and then was pretty much downhill from there.

I stopped at the 7-11 for a little bribery for Cam in the form of a Slurpee so that I could get some work done and the dang Slurpee machine exploded all over my white shirt, the walls and Camdyn - NICE!

This picture does not due justice to the amount of Slurpee covering me, I was covered

Back home, in my pajamas, I set down to work. I heard a strange noise and looked out my kitchen window to see the grounds crew at the church mowing the snow - that make sense. They were just finishing up and once they were done I realized most the of the strange noise was coming from my house. I thought at first it might be the water softener, but no, it was the expansion tank. It had rusted and created a small opening and water was spraying all over my furnace room. On the furnance, on the water softener on electrical panel and most important, on our new pre-lit Christmast tree. The box was wet and I was not sure it would light up this year.

The hole is pretty small for the amount of water everywhere but in all that rust, it is there. Should have taken a picture of all the water, but didn't think about getting the camera out until after I had cleaned up all the mess

Jay was at work, so I turned off the water to the house and it finally stopped spraying everywhere, shop vac'd all the water and waited for him to get home to determine if we needed to call a plumber. We ended up calling plumber Keith ( we bought the house from him ) and he said we could exchange the tank ourselves. This was a huge vote of confidence because he knows our abilities (not much) and if he thinks we can do it, then we can do it. A trip to Standard plumbing, a little elbow grease and about 10 min and we were back in business. A very good thing because I had rationed the flushed in the toilets and we were down to 2 and I wasn't sure how long Cam and I would make it.

Pretty new expansion tank - and no leaks!

Even better, the Christmas Tree still works - WAHOO!

The Isom Family

2009-12-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

The Isoms are some very dear friends of ours. They are there whenever we are in need - which is often because lately we are very needy friends. So when Suzanne asked if I would take family pictures on Thanksgiving morning I didn't hesitate in saying YES! I had a great time and laughed way too much, which made for many blurry pictures. We did, however, get some great ones and here is a sneak peek of a few.

They are just as big of baseball fans as we are so I suggested they wear their teams gear. They have 2 Angels fans and unfortunately 3 Cardinal fans. If only we could get the to become Cubs fans........

This was just a quick picture of when I got stuck on the other side of the street. I stopped to answer a question of someone and they all crossed and I was stuck - still a cute quick picture.

Wish I was there........

2009-12-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

Tonight is the Utah State vs BYU basket ball game. I am not a huge basketball fan, but I am an Aggie fan - Jay's 5 years of covering them for the Deseret News made me one. There is no place better to watch a basketball game then the Spectrum at USU - Aggie fans are the best and I am proud to be one. So while I am wishing I was there and part of the best basketball crowd anywhere. I am home watching it on TV and starting to take care of this.

Disclaimer #1: I am a Dave Rose fan. I grew up with the Roses as family friends and always want them to do well.

Disclaimer #2: Stew Morrill is my husbands cousin

Tuesday / Thursday Kind of People

2009-12-01T17:03:00.000-08:00

Every Tuesday and Thursday and some Saturdays, I get to run with the greatest group of people - The Bingham Butt Kickers or BBK's. I started running with them a year and a half ago when I was training for my first marathon. We all trained for the Boston Marathon together and then again for the St. George Marathon in October.

I have not been able to run with them since mid September due to injury and travel and was so, so happy to see my Tuesday / Thursday friends today. I had not seen most of them since the St. George marathon and it was so crazy afterwards we only saw each other for a few minutes.

There are not a better group of people to meet at 5:o0 am in 20 degree weather to run miles and miles. So here is to Thursday morning and another great run.

2009 Boston Marathon Celebration Dinner
Cheris, Julie, Kris, Dean, Michelle N, me, Michelle M.

Day of Giving Photos

2009-11-30T19:39:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the very long photo post of our Thanksgiving, but there were many fun things to share:

Grandpa Jake watching football

Libby and the Pilgrim hats we made that set off a firestorm of anger from another child, which is a story for another day. I will just say it involves holes in the said child's bedroom wall.

We discovered Diet Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash - YUMMO!

Jake and Hank watching football

Grandma Barrett - loved that she could join us!

Izzie who volunteered to peel and cut all 16 potatoes herself. Peeling potatoes is the only thing I hate about Thanksgiving and Izzie was a lifesaver this year!

Grandma Jake who was a lifesaver as well!

Kids place setting - no china for them

Adult place setting - Jake set the table and the girls made place cards. Not the picture perfect place setting, but I have long since gotten over that and love that my kids are just willing to help!

The table cloth is a Jacobsen family tradition. Each year we write on it something we are thankful for. It is a lot of fun to go back and look at what everyone has written year after year.

Jay watching football

The food - the very best part and I am ready to do it again!

Matt watching football

Our only injury of the year was sustained by Stockton. He had a nasty collision with the downstairs kitchen counter. Unfortunately, the counter won but he now matches
Camdyn - Warrior Princess

If you made it this far you are a trooper! Go ahead and reward yourself with a Diet Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash - You will thank me for it.

Bust A Move

2009-11-29T19:51:00.000-08:00

loving this..........

Mostly because Bust A Move is the best housework song ever!

My children are mortified because I am dancing like it is 1989.

Here are a few lyrics to encourage you to hurry and go over to itunes and purchase your own

Next days function, high class luncheon
Food is served and you're stone cold munchin'
Music comes on, people start to dance
But then you ate so much you nearly split your pants
A girl starts walkin, guys start gawkin'
Sits down next to you and starts talkin'
Says she wanna dance cus she likes the groove
So come on fatso and just bust a move

Are you signing along in your head yet?

Happy Days of Gratitude

2009-11-26T22:07:00.000-08:00

Hoping you all out there had a marvelous Thanksgiving and took time to reflect on all of our blessings. I came across Paul Cardall's blog a while ago and love reading his journey through his heart transplant and recovery. He has a wonderful talk given by his father, Duane Cardall of KSL News, that was given at the annual Thanksgiving Interfaith Service in SLC. Here is a link to over his blog. If you have a few minutes, go over and read it - you will be glad you did. A beautiful reflection of gratitude that we can all take to heart and let the season of gratitude linger on a little longer.

Counting Blessings

2009-11-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

I have so many things to be grateful for - way to many to list here, so here is the top 10.....

1. My faith. I am so incredibly blessed for my faith in my Savior. The blessings I and comfort I receive from my testimony of his plan for us and the knowledge that I am a Daughter of our Father in Heaven and he is mindful of my every need sustain me in all that I do.

2. My Husband and kiddos. They are the best. We are loud, crazy and have lots of opinions but there is no one else that can make my day like the 5 of them can.

3. My Family - Love them All!!!!

4. My Job. I work for an amazing group of guys at a job that I love. Thank you JR, Steve and Mark.

5. My Friends. Suz and Polly - you gals are the best!

6. My Health. Very grateful to be healthy and able to take care of my family and home.

7. Running! I love that I have a hobby that keeps me somewhat healthy and somewhat sane. I have met so many great and amazing people because I run.

8. Junk Food. It pretty much can turn my frown upside down. Love Diet Coke, Nacho Cheese Doritos and anything that contains large quantities of refined white sugar.

9. 7-11. Not only does it provide all the necessary Junk Food (see above), it also provides the best motivation for my kids. SLURPEES! They will do almost anything for a Slurpee.

10. Thanksgiving. Absolutely my favorite holiday. Love being with family, taking time to Count My Blessings and eat lots of yummy, yummy food.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Are you kidding me?

2009-11-24T05:42:00.000-08:00

I really do not get this.........

20 years ago when he looked like this and I had much bigger, better hair, I understand

I do not get it now. All it does it make me feel really, really old and really, really out of touch with the masses. This is a good thing, but I still feel really, really old and do not like People magazine inflicting those feelings on me.

Monday Cheer!

2009-11-23T07:52:00.000-08:00

Today I feel like this..........

Isn't she the cutest thing? I was lucky enough to take some very cute pictures of her a few weeks ago.

So this morning when I was having my "adult tantrum" other wise known as a meltdown, my sweet little Camdyn decided I needed some cheering up. Here is a joke that she was sure would make me happy.

"Whose cheese is that?"

"Nacho cheese, MAN!"

Makes me laugh every time, hopefully you are too!

Friday, I'm in Love.....

2009-11-20T16:39:00.000-08:00

The Hinton girls have a new obsession....

Friday nights is "Say Yes to the Dress" night. It starts with a marathon at 4:00 pm and then continues into a new episode. Love the dresses, love the drama......I just hope my girls do not get any ideas of how their shopping for a wedding dress experience will be.

My experience was very different. I found a picture of my dress in a magazine, tried it on in Las Vegas and then had a replica made. I loved my dress! Since I don't have a copy of my wedding pictures on my computer and I do not know how to use our scanner and Jay is out of town.....

Here is a picture of us in my dress as we had our own version of "Say Yes to the Dress"

Love .... Hate

2009-11-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

Right now.........

I love the Mormon Messages on Youtube.........Hate the fact I cry (sob) every time I watch one

I love my Diet Coke.......Hate that if I drink a Big Gulp, I have to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes

I love eating Vanilla Sugar Wafer cookies........Hate that I eat an entire package in a sitting

I love my new calling teaching the 14/15 year old Sunday School class........Hate that 14/15 year olds do not find me nearly as entertaining as the Primary kids did for 8 years

I love that that we are almost half way through Jay's 2 week work trip...........Hate that we are only half way through Jay's 2 week work trip

I love that Blogger auto saves as I type...........Hate that my brain does not auto save the same way.

I love the benefits of modern medicine............Hate that the results of modern medicine take a week to come

I love that I have been told not to run for a few days and get to sleep in guilt free.......Hate that I have been told not to run for a few days and get to sleep in

I love that it is almost Thanksgiving........Hate that after Thanksgiving it will be Christmas and I am not nearly ready enough

I love having lunch with friends.........Hate that when I ate my lunch I spilled everywhere

I love that my home phone is NOT cordless and my kids have a 2 foot radius in which to talk on the phone..........Hate that I only have a 2 foot radius when I talk on the phone

Love that there is opposition in all things and I can Love & Hate. What do you Love & Hate?

Delusion

2009-11-18T16:49:00.000-08:00

I live in a state of delusion and it was confirmed today. I had the day off from work and here is how I thought it would go......

Wake up and Run
Send the kids to school and have a very happy morning
Spend the next 2 hours catching up on email, laundry and a few household chores
Doctors appointment
Go to my sister's and make Christmas gifts
Go to my son's basketball game
Have a nice dinner with my kids before sending the older ones off to YM/YW
Enjoy a little bit of time with my two younger kids

Pretty much I am delusional because none of went that way at all, here is the reality........

Woke up - did not run. My entire body ached and I was exhausted, poor Paula is very patient to still be my running friend
Got the kids off to school but they were LATE!!! Of all the days! They are never late, but today they were - BAD MOM!
Next 1.5 hrs (lost time, see above) sat and did email and did a little bit of picking up. Camdyn did this.....

and this....

Doctors appointment, not liked planned at all. Having a few tests done and because I "failed" a previous test I got to have some others. Had some complications and got to spend an additional 30 min in the stirrups waiting for everything to take care of itself before I could leave. Pretty much MORTIFYING!
Arrived at Andee's 1.5 hours late and she was very nice and helped me make a few gifts, but had to leave quickly because I had to get to Jake's basketball game.
Went to Jake's basketball game and spent the next 2 hours listening to Camdyn repeat the following: "I am hungry!" "I need to go to the bathroom" I gave her all my emergency food from my purse and took her to the bathroom, but she still repeated her mantra for 2 hours
Got home and had dinner with the kiddos and broke up fights and arguments and begged and pleaded for them to pick up after themselves.

Now the younger kids are doing homework and watching TV and I am trying to go back to my state of delusion because I have had enough reality for one day.

Knee..........Meet Forhead

2009-11-17T20:02:00.001-08:00

In case you were ever wondering what would happen if your kids were rough housing and one child's knee meets another child's forehead......... I have the answer.....

introducing

CAMDYN - WARRIOR PRINCESS

Yes, these are real injuries and we do not recommend trying this at home. Parents were present at the time, however they were happy that no one was crying - that is until the knee met the forehead.