Top 13 of '13

Well, I'm finally getting around to blogging our Top 13 of 2013!  This year, I did something kind of different.  I didn't pick just good things.  I picked a few not-so-good things that had a big impact in our life.  All the good and bad together made us better, stronger people and we are grateful for all of them.  So, without further adieu, here are our Top 13 Events of 2013:

#13:  Spending a day at Lagoon...

We had a blast!  We went with my sister, Ashlee, and her family & had such a great time.  All the boys were little daredevils.  Vivvie...not so much.  Even the kiddie rides scared her.  But, we had fun torturing her by forcing her to go on a few.  Yep, we're *those* parents.  But, it worked with Cohen.  He was also very timid of amusement park rides when he was younger.  After forcing him on a few, he realized he wasn't going to die, and then decided he liked them.  Now, he's just as big a dare devil as his older brothers.  We're hoping the same thing happens with Viv--because she won't survive in this roller-coaster-loving family if she doesn't toughen up a little bit.

#12:  Our Day Trip to Moab...

Our schedules were packed during the kids' Spring Break.  We found that we had one day where everyone's schedules were open.  We wanted to do something fun, so we decided to go to Moab for the day.  Yep, one day only!  Connor had been assigned Grand County for his County Fair Project, so we went down to make a "commercial" telling people why they should vacation in Grand County.  If you missed it the first time, or you just secretly want to see it again (shhhh, I won't tell anyone), you can click here.  My amazing friend and co-worker, Sauce, took our sub-par videography skills and edited them together into what we think is a pretty awesome 4th Grade project!  It was a great little trip--even if it was just for one day.

#11:  Connor Receiving His Arrow of Light Award...

Connor achieved the highest award that you can earn in Cub Scouts--The Arrow of Light.  He had to do a lot of work to earn this award, and we are proud of him for accomplishing it.  Now, he's a Boy Scout, and Mike gets to be his leader right now!  They are having a great time together going on campouts--even in sub-freezing temperatures--and doing other *manly* stuff...

#10:  Connor and Aiden Running Their First 5K...

They both did extremely well!  Connor ran the 5K in only 26 minutes!!  That's less than 9 minutes per mile!!!  And, Aiden ran it in 49 minutes!!  Way to go, boys!  I'm still trying to figure out how Mike & I gave birth to a couple runners?!?

#9:  LOTOJA Weekend...

Poppy competed in his 12th LOTOJA (Logan to Jackson Hole).  206 miles in one day.  What's even more impressive is that he is now 60-years-old!  How many 60-year-olds do you know that could do that?  Mike was pretty bummed the whole weekend because he wasn't able to compete, thanks to a shoulder injury and reconstructive surgery.  More on that in a minute.  But, hey, there's always next year!

#8:  A Mother's Day Surprise...

On Mother's Day, both my family & Amy's family surprised us by showing up on our morning show.  We had planned to have both our Moms on the show that morning for a little pampering from the Park City Waldorf Astoria Spa, so we knew that they would be there--but we had no idea our husbands and kids would be showing up!  They came in during our cooking segment, and gave us quite the surprise.  It was beyond awesome, and totally made my day...

#7:  Our Fall Trip to Moab...

In early October, we went down to Moab again.  This time for a long weekend with my parents, and Kristin, Dan & Landon.  All the National Parks were closed because of the Government Shut Down, so we thought it might end up being a pretty boring trip.  But, it ended up being one of the best trips yet!  We were able to find some pretty amazing spots outside of park boundaries that we had never seen before.  One of our favorites was Corona Arch (pictured above).  It was a beautiful arch, and was such a fun hike.  We will definitely be back again--even if the parks aren't closed!

#6:  Aiden's Broken Pinkie...

Aiden hit his pinkie weird on the ground one day while trying to pick up a toy.  We all thought he had just jammed it, but it was broken--and boy was it ever broken.  It was broken so badly that it required surgery and two pins to hold it in place.  Since then, he's had a hard time getting full mobility back to it, so we continue to do physical therapy three times a day on it.  We are seeing slow improvement with it all the time.  The doctors and therapists are going to have us continue to do physical therapy for the next two months.  If it's still not able to fully bend and extend by that point, another surgery and more therapy may be necessary.  We're really hopeful that we won't have to go down that road.  Guess time will tell.

#5:  Mike Shoulder Injury...

This has been the year of injuries and surgeries for us.  Mike went mountain biking on Memorial Day.  No big deal.  He goes mountain biking all the time.  Well, this time, he hit something and ended up going over his handlebars.  He landed weird on his shoulder and ended up separating it.  It looked so gross.  His shoulder and arm were not attached to the rest of his body anymore.  They were literally hanging there, only attached by skin.  Nasty!  He injured it so badly that a donor ligament was required in order to repair it correctly.  We had to wait a few weeks for a donor ligament to become available.  Once there was one, Mike underwent surgery and then several months of physical therapy in order to get full mobility back in his shoulder and arm.  This is the reason he couldn't compete in LOTOJA this year.  But, I'm happy to report that Mike is now good as new (almost) and is excited to get back on his bike (including a new road bike he just bought a few weeks ago) this spring.

#4:  Cohen's Hospitalization...

Back in February, Cohen got a stomach flu.  He threw up for 72 hours straight.  The doctors kept telling me that he would be fine and that I just needed to wait out the virus.  So, we waited...and waited...and waited...while he continued to throw up anything he swallowed.  Finally, at the 72 hour mark, everything in me screamed that he needed to go to a hospital.  He was so gaunt and wasn't very responsive either.  So, at midnight, we drove through a snowstorm to the hospital.  Cohen was diagnosed with Acidosis--a condition where your blood turns acidic and basically starts poisoning the body.  It happens when you throw up for a long period of time.  He was admitted in critical condition, and was probably only hours away from his kidneys and other organs shutting down.  Acidosis usually isn't caused by stomach flu.  It's caused by much worse things--like when an appendix has burst, or when someone has swallowed something poisonous, or when someone has diabetes, or when--worst of all--they have a brain tumor.  Tests and CT Scans were ordered.  Obviously, I lost it.  Thankfully, all the tests came back negative.  The flu had just hit Cohen so hard that his blood turned Acidic.  They kept him hospitalized for the next couple days while they diluted his blood.  Two days later, his acid levels were normal & we had our happy little boy back...

It was such a blessing!  I know that I was given a prompting that night to stop listening to the doctors and to take Cohen to the hospital.  I don't even want to think about what might have happened had I not listened.  I'm also thankful for all the people (many who didn't even know Cohen) who prayed for him.  When he was first admitted to the hospital, we were told he would be there for at least 3-4 days.  That's how long it would take to dilute his blood back to normal levels.  He was released two days later.  I know that is because he had so many people praying for him!  This experience taught us that modern-day miracles *do* really occur & that the Lord is always mindful of each of us, especially in our times of need.

#3:  Our Road Trip...

In August, we took a road trip to a bunch of the National Parks & other fun sites we had never been to before.  We visited Dinosaur National Monument...

Monument Valley...

The Grand Canyon...

Hoover Dam...

Las Vegas (the adults had all been here before, but none of the kids had)...

Cedar Breaks National Monument...

And Bryce Canyon National Park...

To be honest, I wasn't totally excited about this vacation.  I was worried that it would be too much driving and that it wouldn't be all that fun.  Boy was I wrong!  It was one of the best vacations we've ever taken!  I really think it brought our family together & really helped us bond.  There were no lines to wait in, no rides to go on, no characters to meet and eat with--it was just us and some amazingly beautiful creations.  We loved every second of it, and are planning to do more vacations like it!

#2:  Mike's New Job...

Mike accepted a position with Vivint back in November.  He is heading up the engineering team in their new Wireless IT Division.  He loves it!  And, it's a good thing because it's a lot of work to get a division up and running.  Most weeks he puts in 50-55 hours.  He usually leaves for work around 6:30 am and doesn't get home until 6:00 at night.  But, he loves it.  He loves the fun atmosphere there, and he loves heading up his team and problem-solving all the issues that come with starting a new division.  Vivint Wireless has opened up a few test markets--and the neighborhood we live in is lucky enough to be one of those test markets.  Yes, there are a few kinks they are working out--but anytime there is a problem, they are learning from it & making their network better.  In a few months, they are going to be dominating the high-speed wireless world, just wait and see!  I'm so happy for him & this exciting new step in his career!

#1:  Aiden's Baptism...

I think the best thing that happened to our family this year was--without a doubt--Aiden's baptism.  We are so happy for him and proud of the choices he is making.  As I was sitting at his baptism, I had many of the same feelings I had at Connor's baptism.  The most prominent one was the joy I felt in seeing my children make good choices.  I don't think anything in this world brings more joy to a parent than to see their kids making good choices.  It was definitely the highlight of our year!

So, there you go.  Our Top 13 of '13.  It was a year of challenges & joys.  But, the joys still highly outweighed the challenges.  I am so grateful for all the blessings we were given the past year.  2013 was a great year for our family!  Here's to hoping that 2014 will be even better!  --Lindsay

My Life As Viewed Through a Cell Phone Camera

I made the switch to an iPhone a few weeks back.  As I was going through the pictures on my old android, I realized there were lots of great pictures that deserved to be blogged.  None of them really warranted an entire post, so I just thought I'd throw them all together in a random photo post.  So, here's my life over the past eight months as seen through my cell phone camera:

Since we now have a child old enough to babysit, Mike and I have been going out on a lot more dates!  I love it.  Seriously, having a babysitter has revolutionized my life!!  It's amazing, and makes life so much easier.  Anyway, here's one of our dates--just down the road at Johnny Rockets for burgers, fries and shakes...

Connor's scout troop did a service car wash for all their moms for Mothers Day.  Not sure if my car was much cleaner after the fact, but it was fun to have these boys attempt to wash it.  This is Connor's friend, Weston, spraying us down...

Cohen and I went to get ice cream for one of our dates.  We went to Maui Chill, which is a place where you put as much ice cream and toppings in as you want and pay per pound.  We love it, as you can probably tell.  I think there's more toppings in that cup than ice cream...

Cohen's preschool class did their annual Mother's Day program.  Always so cute...

My mom made Vivvie this little bag.  She loves it!  She always packs it full of stuff, throws it over her shoulder and then says, "Bye!  I'm going to church!!"  So funny...

One of my dates with Aiden.  We took a spin on the go carts...

And then played some mini golf.  Handsome little dude...

My job doesn't suck.  Especially when IHOP comes and makes french toast for the morning show...

And it also doesn't suck to get to work in the summertime just as the sun is rising.  Beautiful, and it looked even better in person...

One thing that does suck is when a mudslide goes through your neighborhood...

A city water line burst, sending water and mud flowing down the streets.  Luckily, no homes were damaged, but we ended up with a lot of mud and rocks in our front yards.  We had to power wash the grass while raking as much of the crud out of it as we could.  It was hard work!  I was covered in mud from head-to-toe...

This girl is quite the little ham.  She is constantly making us laugh with the funny little things she does.  Like this picture, for example...

Apparently, shirts are optional when teeter-tottering...

I did weather live from a classic car show one day.  I took this picture and sent it to Mike.  He was extremely jealous, to say the least.  His reply was, "You really get paid to do stuff like this?!?"  Yes, I do...

One day at work, I realized my outfit made me look a little like a flight attendant circa 1973.  Still a super cute outfit, even if it does remind you of flying the friendly skies...

For one of Connor's dates, we took his friend, Hayden, along with us.  These boys decided to go bowling and then proceeded to kick my butt at the game...

My four little monsters seeing "Monsters University" in the theatre...

One night this past summer, we babysat our new nephew, Landon.  As you can see, I had lots of great "helpers."  Even a few of the neighbor gals came over to "help"...

Baby mani/pedis are the best...

Viv loves them!  And, I love those cute little piggies...

Viv decided to pick some flowers out of the flowerbed and put them in her hair.  She came to me and said, "Look Mom!  I pwetty!"  Yes, you are little girl--even when you look like an orphan child after a long day of summertime fun...

Cohen chose to go rock climbing for one of his dates...

He then took a ride on the pirate ship...

And talked me into going on it with him as well...

And then, somehow, he talked me into going on the bumper boats.  Those darn bumper boates.  How I hate them.  But, I just can't say no to this face...

Ummmmm, we got soaked!  And, when I say we got soaked, I mean we *really* got soaked.  Cohen loves to squirt people.  Loves it.  Thinks it's hilarious.  And, when you squirt others, they tend to squirt you back--a lot. Remind me never to go on the bumper boats with this kid ever again...

And, since we were already cold, we figured we'd get colder with some ice cream...

Motherhood can wipe you out.  My sister, Kristin, is learning this first hand right now.  She fell asleep like this at my house one day, and I couldn't resist snapping a picture.  You never know when you're going to need a little blackmail with this girl.  Hehe...

Vivienne loves to pretend she's princess!  Our neighbors gave us some of their old princess dress ups and she's constantly putting them on and pretending to "go to the ball."  Here she is dancing the night away...

And the award for Best Big Brother goes to Cohen for his portrayal of Prince Charming in quite a few of her imaginary royal balls...

After the ball is over, Viv always rides home on her "Belle horse."  I guess she calls it that because Belle rides a horse in "Beauty and the Beast"...

We had a pass to Thanksgiving Point this year & used it quite a bit.  The kids loved the Tinkering Traveling Exhibit that has been at the museum the past several months...

After we visited the traveling exhibit, we always had to head into the Dinosaur Museum.  The erosion table is always a favorite...

As is posing on fake dinosaurs...

Not so much a favorite of Vivvie's though.  She's pretty much scared of anything and everything...

National Ice Cream Day.  Ben and Jerry's sent us ice cream at work.  Yep, my job doesn't suck...

Another pretty sunset.  This time as viewed from our neighborhood park...

My kids love to play the game Headbandz.  Taking selfies is a great way to figure out what character you are.  I wonder when my kids will catch on to my little trick...

Mini golfing with a handsome date...

My co-anchor, Amy, and I must be on a similar wavelength.  We constantly show up to work dressed in the same color.  Just call us the Bobbsey Twins.  People ask us all the time if we plan it, but the answer is always no.  I guess great minds just think alike, even about fashion...

Well, well, well.  Look what the cat dragged in!  My old co-anchor, Issa, has been co-hosting the weekend morning show with me from time-to-time when Amy takes time off.  Yes, we're eating ice cream.  If my metabolism ever catches up with me, all the free food I get at work will be the death of me...

Shoe cam!  A viewer on Facebook asked for a close up of my cute blue shoes...

I made this sandwich.  Yep, I made it!  Sun dried tomatoes, salami, provolone & a homemade pesto.  Eat your heart out, Pintrest...

Amy & I in our patriotic red & blue.  Yet again, not planned...

Ice cream date with this hot dude.  We started laughing so hard, we couldn't stop.  Had to take a picture.   I don't even remember what was so funny, but it was hilarious to us--obviously. Such a fun night...

Another twin moment.  Feature reporter Brooke Graham & I both dressed in orange & blue for the 2News Fall Premier Party at La Caille...

One brother rubbing her feet.  Another brother rubbing her back.  This girl has got all her brothers wrapped right around her little finger, and they treat her like a queen.  I kind of feel bad for the man she marries someday...

When you're the only girl in a house full of boys, Cinderella and Prince Charming sometimes end up piloting Star Wars space ships...

Cuddling with Poppy while watching a movie...

Every princess needs to know how to curtsy.  Viv's got it down to a science...

On the one year anniversary of 2News This Morning Weekend returning to the air, we were surprised on the show with flowers & this wild cake...

The flowers just kept coming that weekend!  I love fresh flowers...

First snowfall of the season.  It came way too early for my liking--at the end of September.  It shouldn't be snowing when there are still leaves on the trees...

The kiddos at "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2."  This was such a cute movie--and it has a Meteorologist in it, so you *know* I'm going to love it.  My favorite line of the movie:  "Ah, Meteorology.  The science of smiling and having pretty hair while pointing at a map."  Yep, something like that...

My burning bushes looked amazing this past fall!  They were almost a florescent pink.  It made me happy every time I looked out my back windows...

We hit 100,000 on our Ford Fusion a few months back.  I had to pull over and take a picture to document the moment.  Sad thing is, this car is only 4 1/2 years old!  Are we commuters, or what?!? Good thing it gets 35 miles to the gallon.  We love this little car and hope to get another 100,000 miles out of it before all is said and done...

Amy & I matching again.  This time it was teal.  The colors look pretty different from each other in this picture, but in real life they looked pretty similar...

One night at work, I found this in my work bag.  Apparently, Viv wanted me to have something to play with if I got bored...

Viv also though it would be fun to tear one of my Halloween decorations apart.  I love my children, I love my children, I love my children...

Always a fun day at work when Lucinda the Witch stops by...

Nana & Poppy brought cupcakes over for my birthday...

My little voting buddy.  This picture reminds me of a story I don't think I ever wrote down.  Back in 2012, I took Cohen & Viv with me to vote.  It was a long line because it was the Obama v. Romney presidential election.  We waited in line for almost two hours to vote!  When Cohen asked what we were waiting in line for, I told him we were going to vote.  He was pretty stoked about it!  Once we finally got up to the front of the line, Cohen was really excited!  I was pleased to see my little four-year-old be so into the democratic process!  After I took my turn at the voting booth and we started walking back to the car, Cohen said, "But Mom!  We can't leave!  We didn't get to go on the boat yet!!"

"What boat, Cocoa?"  I asked.

"You told me that we were waiting in line to go on a boat!"  he replied.

"Oh shoot!" I replied.  "No, I didn't say 'boat.' I said 'vote.'"

I had a pretty sad little boy on my hands after that.  This year I made sure he knew we were going to *vote,* not *boat*...

You know it's the beginning of the Christmas season when 14 catalogs come in the mail on the same day...

Connor's class did a Native American Fair.  They were broken into groups and each given a different Native American tribe to study and do a presentation about.  Here's Connor with his group.  And, I can neither confirm or deny that the girl he likes is this group.  I can also neither confirm or deny that she has blonde hair and is peeking out from behind him.  No doubt that spiffy Native American headdress he's wearing will help win her over...

Have you had chips and salsa from Barbacoa?  If you haven't, you must try them sometime.  A co-worker of mine (who we all call Sauce) was headed there for dinner, so I joked that he should bring some chips and salsa back to me--and he really did it.  That's why we all love The Sauce Man...

Another ice cream date...

And another--this time it was a double date...

There's a fire pit and rocking chairs under all that snow somewhere.  Oh summer, hurry back please...

Vivvie has started requesting Punzel (Rapunzel) hair, which basically means she wants it down & curled, rather than up in a ponytail or pigtails.  Here was my first attempt...

Not too shabby for my first time...

Now, she requests Punzel hair almost every single day...

And, how can I say no to this face?!?

Mike asked the boys to go shovel some of the snow off the trampoline one day so it wouldn't get too stretched out from the weight of all the snow.  Next thing I knew, the whole family (including Viv) was outside--but Mike was the only one doing any shoveling.  I saw them out the window and thought they looked so darling that I had to take a picture...

Aiden made this cute little "You rock because" sign at school for Mike & me as a Christmas present.  You can write on the glass with a dry erase marker to fill in the blank.  One morning over Christmas break while I was in the shower, the boys made our bed (to the best of their abilities--if you get my drift) and left this little note on it.  Love those kiddos...

So, there you go!  My life as viewed through a cell phone camera.  I love these little moments in life!  They really are the reason life is so worth living!  --Lindsay