Tough Mudder

So many friends have asked me about Joaquin's Tough Mudder that I had to put it on my blog.  First off, it was great to be the supporter & not the participant!  It was 50 degrees & windy so even as a spectator we froze!  The course is 12 miles with 21 obstacles.  Their first obstacle was this "Artic Enema" where they drop in crates of ice into the cold water.  Then the participants (who paid good money to do this) jump into the water & have to swim under that barb wire fence & out the other side.  What?!?  And that was just the first obstacle!

The next challenge I got to watch was this crawling through the filthy water (we saw a contestant wipe off snot that went from his nose to his knees in that water, yuk!) while you are getting shocked.  Look at my man racing out of it!

 The "Mud Mile" was his next obstacle.  There were probably 6 of these "mud hills" with water in between that you just crawl up & over.

None of this phased my crazy, tough hunk of love!

 

 Here's a pix of his team "Don't Smash Your Face."  It's not like a marathon where you are trying to speed through it.  Actually they all repeat this "Tough Mudder" motto before they start that reminds them it's all about team work & no whining.  

 

As a team they have to run, jump, pull, & sometimes crawl up this slippery wall.  I have a video of the whole thing but it's rather long since it took quite a few attempts.  Needless to say the team captain actually did smash his face on the way back down, ouch!

 

This is the final challenge where you have to run/crawl through these cords that hang down shocking you with 10,000 volts of pulsing electricity.  Joaquin put his hands up like a boxer & just ran.  The next 4 guys on his team tried the same approach but were laid out in the mud when the electricity hit them.  He laughed & said he had training from growing up on the ranch with electric fences.

 

 So Joaquin's totally ready to do this again next year.  They had over 6,000 people participate & have already announced they will be holding it in July.  It will be warmer - but that's about the only that will be easier.  So what do you think?  Is the Wyne family up for a tougher challenge?  Or how about an Am. Falls team? 

A few more summer memories and now . . . school!

Well here's our fun bunch of kids!  They are holding up the grade they are in this year.  Halle just thought she was suppose to raise her hand :)

 

And here's a few last minute summer pix.  Grandma Sally surprised Jessi with her very own quilt!  She makes one for each grandchild & Jessi has been patiently waiting (well sort of) her turn.  It's just beautiful & green - her favorite color. 

We get lots of chances to hang out with Grandma Donna & Grampa Dennis!  This summer was no different - here's some fun pix of a Sunday afternoon up in East Fork.  We had tin foil dinners, smores, picked choke cherries, soaked our feet in the creek.

Every August we get to pick, shuck, cook, & freeze corn grown from the Glenns Ferry ranch.  Jesalee & Dennis picked it all this year and then we tortured our children into helping again.

 Summer wouldn't be the same without cousins.  We had Avery & Chelsea for a few days, then Max & Ally, and always Jade, Ty, & Zoe.  We love cousins!

 Quinn made an epic journey into braces!  She was such a good sport & can't wait to get them over with. 

 All my kids are excited to be back with their friends in school this year.  Here's one of my favorite pix of Shelby & Sienna. 

Our Family Boating Party

 So last Saturday our kids begged us to go boating.  So here are some highlights . . .

 Shelby, Josh, & Jessi were the first to dive in.

 Joaquin popped right up on the wake board, what a hottie.  He wowed us all with his tricks.

 Believe it or not, I even got up on the wake board!  I don't think I wowed anyone except myself for still remembering how. 

 Jessi rocked the knee board first. . .

 Halle was our happy co-pilot. . .

 Josh couldn't be outdone by Jessi so he popped right up on the knee board too . . .

 Shelby was even braver than her siblings by showing us her "no hands!"

 And last but not least, we had to talk Quinn into the knee board - but she did it!  What a woman.

To finish off the night we pulled our 5 gorgeous kids on the tube.  It was an epic boating day!

Shelby's 6th Birthday

 Shelby picked out a fun butterfly cake & we were so lucky to have the Showalter cousins here for her birthday that we made 2! 

 Shelby, Jade, & Grant. 

 Aunt Kristin made it the best party ever by buying everyone a present.  She said since they live in New York & thye're never around for birthdays, she wanted to buy a little presents (she's going to be the favorite Aunt!)

With summer always comes Quinn's begging for kittens.  This year's no different and so here are Apollo & Zeus.  Very fun playful brothers & you can see Quinn is elated!

The Wizard of Oz

 This summer Quinn & Jessi were in their first play, "The Wizard of Oz."  It was lots of late nights, lots of make up, & even more hairspray.  They both loved it.  Here's a shot of my munchkin, Jessi in green behind Dorothy & Glinda.

 Jessi was also a flying monkey but sadly that scene is pretty dark & they wore masks so I couldn't even tell which one she was.

 My Quinn is in the middle back.  She was a fantastic citizen of Oz.  She danced, sang, & sewed up the scarecrow.

 We took the family to see the play & Halle really didn't like that mean green lady.  Quinn loved her!

Here's my cutie with her 3 messy buns & crazy face paint.

I love running . . . and running . . .

 Me, my sisters Emily, Lisa, & Maria.  My sister Emily & I finished the Utah Valley Marathon!  Lisa & Maria ran the half marathon (in hindsight I'm thinking they had more fun).  Emily & I finished in 4 hrs. 12 min. - which I thought was just awesome (we averaged 26.2 - 9:30/miles).  The course was hilly, it was windy, & I couldn't even talk the last 6 miles (it was all I could do to breath) but I'm so dang proud!

 Here's a picture of us right before the race started.  Me, Emily, & Cindy (Emily's sister-in-law) all wore matching shirts.  Aren't we so dang cute?!?

I'm glad this picture looks like we are smiling, because I was almost dead.

 

After sitting for a good 10 minutes, eating & drinking I could actually pose for pictures.

 As if that wasn't enough running - lots of my family decided to make up a team for the Northwest Passage Ragnar Race.  12 runners, 2 vans, & 200ish miles - what a race!  Doug & Lisa borrowed a motor-home that Maria, Jason, Andy, Mary, Joaquin, & I all carpooled in to Washington.  Other than the AC not working, I loved the trip. Amy, Troy, Emily, & Nate met us there. 

 Joaquin wasn't afraid to sport some compression socks - and a farmer's tan.

 Here's all the amazing women (Lisa, Maria, Me, Amy, Mary, & Emily)

April & May News

 This April & May have been so crazy happy busy that I haven't sat down to blog them yet.  So here's a quick review.

 Women's Conference - it changes my view on life every time I go.  This year's lessons:

1.  My children are my best investment.  Don't think of them as "taking" time but what God's given me time for.  (A great lesson to remember before the back to back field trips in May)

2.  People are more important than paperwork - especially Joaquin.  Sounds basic but hard to remember when I just have this one more bill to pay . . . 

3.  Be excited to build a new home - it's not just one more thing to do.  It's what we've saved & dreamed of for 15+ years.  

Joaquin & I were so happy to spend a few days together in San Diego, CA with the NAPA 5 Star program.  We loved visiting Mission Beach, Balboa Park, & eating dinner/touring the USS Midway. 

 We had fun dropping by Shoshone Falls with the kids on day.  I haven't been there since before Quinn was born - wow!  So beautiful and only an hour away.

 So here's the start of our field trips.  I really did enjoy them this year, I'm not sure if it was from the new insight I received at Women's Conference or the fact that I only had Halle to tote with me.  Maybe a little of both.

 Fish Hatchery with Josh highlight?  He found inch worms that every boy in the 1st grade envied.

 Ross Park Zoo with Shelby?  There is a big brown bear right behind them that was pretty cool but Shelby & Halle loved the treehouse.  We really are going to have to build another one.

 Jessi had a great AR Water Party we loved visiting.  She the massive slip n slide.

 

This was after the Hillcrest Elementary Reading Celebration.  Halle had waited 2 long hours before she got a turn on the jumping house, but oh was it worth the wait!

 I had a home builder we are thinking of using encourage me to get on Pinterest & start "pinning" pix I like of kitchens, bathrooms, windows, etc.  Well gee, ok.  Here were some other great ideas I've used - the cool messy bun & hair twist and teacher appreciation presents (rolo's with a hershey kiss)

 It's official, my sister Lisa & her family came with us to the Monster Truck Show this year and she said I was the nicest Mom in the whole world to have endured this not just once but twice!!!  Josh & Joaquin just loved all of it but the rest of us love about the first hour is all (it lasts for almost 4).

 Shelby was the best singer in her Kindergarten Program - we could distinctly hear her voice above the others :)  My favorite part was when she would tilt her head shyly after each song & courtesy like she was thinking, "All this clapping just for me?  Thank you!"

 Quinn did a fabulous job at her piano recital.  She played "Evening at the Symphony."

 Last but not least, we adopted a baby rabbit for a week.  Our neighborhood has about a dozen wild ones that run around.  Grandma Donna caught one & surprisingly didn't want to keep it.  So like every animal we've ever owned, talked us into it.  Luckily the kids got so tired of cleaning up poop from all over the house (and I mean all over) that we relocated it to a farm.  Ahhh.