Finding Krissi

Today I finished reading a second great library find. The name of the book is "The Wednesday Sisters," by Meg Waited Clayton. It is a great story about friendship and the power and strength one can find in themselves when they have the right people in their lives. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. The book begins in the 1960's with young mother's, whose identity is largely based on their husbands. It was an interesting read for a thirty something to realize how much the world has changed. Specifically, how much it has changed for women. These women are the same age as my mom. It was interesting and I have to admit a little sad to see how different the world was for women not that long ago. A lot of the years in the book hit home, especially as they began to enter the year I was born, or the year my husband was born, or the year I was three. The main character in the book was a brilliant girl who was not allowed to go to college. Her father had to pay for f...

Tomorrow or Today depending on which day you read this post I will be riding my bike 45 miles. Registering for the ride has made this journey to ride my bike 100 miles very real.  Since tomorrow will probably be one of my last rides indoors I have decided to Twit about it. I'm not quite sure how my body is going to react to 45 miles and almost 3 hours on a bike. I'm pretty sure my head is going to be yelling bad words at me, at best. I'm sure there is going to be a lot of, this is crazy, what are you doing to yourself.  By Twitting about it I am going to feel a whole lot more accountable to get the ride done. Especially, if I feel there is any chance that people are logging on to see where I'm at and how it is going. If your feeling inclined I should be on the bike by 1pm Mountain time Friday the 27th. Check it out and make sure I survive! 

Hello Friends! I am so excited to post this weeks blessing post. I can not even express to you the joy that is currently in my heart. I am a very happy girl. The world seems better. There is nothing that could possibly bring my mood down. Why, you ask am I in such a jovial mood? Because friends, it is seed planting time! Yes, it is time to take tiny little seeds and foster them into pretty little pants that will either delight the eyes or the stomach. Depending on what seeds we are talking about. Brent, I, and our two youngest just spent an hour ohhing, ahhing, and picking and choosing this years garden. Here were mine and Al's choices! Here are Brent's and H.'s choices! My husband and son are bit more on the practical side but as you can see we should have a yard filled with pretties. Be honest you know that I am going to drive you crazy with garden pictures this year so what do you want to watch grow? Vegies or Flowers? I'm betting flowers but of course I would wouldn...

Have you ever picked up a book by an author you have never read? A couple of days ago Brent and I went to the library. Brent is very organized when it comes to checking books out at the Library. First he request a book, when it comes in he goes to the library, he then checks the shelves for any other books by the author he is currently reading, he then checks out his books. Why the boy never joined the military I'm not sure. As previously discussed I am more the grab and go girl. I walk down the aisle going, "Hum this looks interesting, this looks interesting, huh that is a clever title." Before long my arms are loaded and I am ready to go.  So far I have started two of the library books that I picked up. The first one I am on page 10. All I know for certain is that some old guy was killed in a church. Besides that I haven't been able to follow the story. I find that the author must have amazing skills if I am lost by page 3.  What, who, wait a minute, is that a guy c...

The truth is everybody should know at least one health nut. They are good for us, they tell us things that we didn't know. So instead of feeling just a little guilty, when we eat something we suspect might not be good for us, we feel a lot guilty because now we know it is not good for us. In the long run it helps us to make better food choices or at least know we are killing ourselves. Rather then just suspecting we might be killing ourselves. In my neighborhood we have one such health nut. Who I am positive will out live us all by at least 50 years. Obviously I haven't gotten to the point that giving up my favorite foods is worth a longer life. I'm pretty sure life with out my favorite foods would not be worth an extra year or two. However, I have to admit that I am impressed with her dedication. I'm also impressed with the knowledge she has about food. It is amazing what she knows and what she has learned. At times it is also amusing. A little bit ago her and I had t...

The CDW had this  link to this video check it out. Tell me it isn't all true!

Me, Myself and I has left a new comment on your post "Talkin Back": You're welcome. Your picture linkage way of posting actually taught me how to do other things. But I'm glad I could show you a short cut. Me: Really What did you learn? Share I want to know. Sharla has left a new comment on your post "Lom Bok, Eastern Inspired Living": Funny.. My room is currently the color of the cashmere throw. It's beautiful. ;) Good Choice. Me: I knew you had good taste! Larson has left a new comment on your post "4:40am": I so hear you! I went through all the above when I used to go spinning with my friend at 5:30am. It really helped having someone to go with. I need you closer! You could help me go again! It is cold in the morning and hard to get up to exercise but yep it always feels great when it's over! Me: ☺ It totally helps having someone go to the gym with. Even if you don’t roll out of bed for yourself you think of the person waiting for you....

I grew up in Utah. I lived in the same town that my parents grew up in. I lived in the same town that my grandmother grew up in.  My sophomore year of high school I went to the same high school my parents went to. My junior year of high school my parents both faced very difficult job decisions that meant we had to move. So at the end of the first quarter of my Junior year we moved to Kansas. At the end of the school year we moved to California. In three years I attended three different high schools. A couple of months ago at the request of a friend I joined facebook. I wasn't really sure what to expect, I went through the steps, signed up, posted a pictured filled in a bit of info and I was done.  I didn't give it much thought as I began to add friends. They were the people that asked me join so it made sense to me. Then suddenly I had a request to add a friend from high school (my first high school).  Which made me chuckle, and giggle and think, "Wow, I haven't seen h...

I'm just home from the gym. My legs are shaky, my shirt is sweaty, and my muscles are loose. Saturday, I biked almost 30 miles on a hill before getting off the hill and finishing up at 35 miles. This morning I went for a nice 70 minute jog. (Legs are not HAPPY!) Last night before going to bed I registered for "Little Red." Paid my non-refundable registration fee. Needless to say I'm what you would called, "FREAKED!" Holy Cow what have I gotten myself into, a 100 mile bike ride.  Do you know that this ride will actually take me out of one state into another and back. Does that sound insane? Who gets up and says hey lets ride our bikes to that state over there and back? I think I have officially lost my mind. How does one know for sure if they have lost there mind? Short of registering for a 100 mile bike ride. Do you know people do these all the time? They do them for fun! Maybe that is the definition of insane. Well what is done is done and I have 16 weeks...

In our ward every Sunday in Sunday school we get to listen to the older generation tell us how bad the world is getting, we are further treated to how badly behaved the children are, and what a bad job the parents are doing in the world today. I use to leave church every Sunday feeling defeated. If I work this hard and it is wrong then why am I even trying? Then I began to remember what I had been taught. First, every generation becomes more divided. The weak are becoming weaker the strong are becoming stronger. We have faithful, good, honest, people coming into this world daily. Another thing I believe, is while I believe in my faith, and the teachings of my faith, there are strong people of every faith coming forth. Sometimes the weak seem to overwhelm the strong but in the end the strong the faithful the good people of this world will persevere.  We have children growing up and becoming some of the greatest people of history. All of this is made possible by the people that they co...

Most of the time I ramble on and on with very little clarification of why I am theSwimMom. Like most mom's that is only a portion of what and who I am. So you get a lot of the other and very little of the actual "Swim" part. However, when it comes down to it I do consider myself a swim mom. I drag my children to the pool on a daily bases. I spend my weekends driving all over to attend meets. I know what a heat is, I know what an event is, most days I even know the order of an I.M.. I know what I.M. stands for. Being involved in the sport of swim has opened many doors for myself and my children. Including, leading me to my job as a swim instructor. I love swimming and I try not to bore the world in general, though I'm sure I do, with the swimming details of my life. But I am a swim mom. Last weekend we attended a swim meet where I watched two of my children compete. The best thing about swimming is every time your at a meet there is only one person you are trying to be...

I am bound and determined that another Thursday will not slip through the cracks. I can't quite figure out where the weeks go. It seems like everyday there is this or that and before I know it this and that and that and this have ate the whole week.  Sometimes the thought of continuing to keep all of these balls in the air is overwhelming. How do mom's do this? I'm working on the whole, one day at a time, attitude.  It helps to take things in 24 hour chunks. If I think any farther out I start hyperventilating.  Brent's job is still slow, which we were expecting, so not a big surprise. The news has officially been banned from the house. It is so frustrating to hear what is going on and have no control over it. I could go into a whole rant but it doesn't do any good. But who knows a good rant could make me feel better.:) To tell you the truth this whole blessing challenge has really helped me. It helps because I look at my life and figure out all the parts that are go...

4:40 am! That is the time that my alarm sounds. I hate 4:40 am. However, because my alarm goes off at 4:40 am, I drag myself out of bed, thinking lots and lots of bad words. With a whole stream of reasons why I should not be out of bed flowing amongst those bad words. Then I somehow manage to put my contacts in. Which at 4:45 am in the morning is not an easy task.  Even my eyeballs rebel against the cruel and unusual punishment of being open let alone being subjected to contacts at 4:47 am.  Somehow with minimal stumbling I manage to dress and leave my house by 4:55. By this time my brain is a little more awake and a little more accepting of the 4:40 wake up call. Most mornings I swing by and grab a friend or she swings by and grabs me. Just depends on who is moving a little quicker at this ridiculous hour. We drive to the gym complaining about the stupid snow and how winter has to end eventually. We really don't understand the whole concept of global warning when there is a foot o...

The problem with home improvement projects once you finish one project your eye instantly goes to the next. One deep breath, one, “Wow that looks awesome,” and then you say, “However, I really need to figure out what to do with….” Luckily I am married to a man who does the same thing. He doesn’t really fret much with my constant list of home improvement projects. On the list right now is a much, desired red wall. I really want to paint one wall in my home, red, red, red. Currently, the wall is chosen and samples of red paint are taped on the wall as I figure out which one is going to be, “The Red!” Next on the list is our bedroom, which keeps getting bumped on the list. “Why,” may I ask, “Is it mom and dad’s room always ends up last on the list?” This time I am saving my pennies and I am going to do our room. One way or the other I am going to create a space that I can retreat to as the children around me grow bigger and consume more space and energy. While I am saving those pennies ...

Hi,  Remember me? I know that not everyone post every day but seeing as I post almost everyday missing a few days seems like forever. Because I know that you all can't live with out my cheery optimism. (You get I'm kidding?)  Anyway, believe it or not this post has been sitting on my computer since Friday I just had to add a few pics in and I am just getting to it. Very busy weekend and I'm beat. By the way went to swim meet on Saturday and it looks like I may have figured out the whole taking pictures at indoor sporting event things. I was very excited to find out that I might have actually gotten some good indoor pics. Aren't you excited? Your not? Oh, well too bad you still have to look at the pictures and be excited for me!  :) I had decided that your comments make me laugh and often I want to respond back and I don't get around to it.  So for now on I am going to try to respond back on Friday. Unless, it turns into Monday but you know I try, right?  Without fur...

If you read my kid update post last week you might have noticed that I said the following, in regards to A. and swimming, "Against his wishes, desire and will continues to swim." One part of being a mom that I was not prepared for was the times that I know better.  Those times that your child tells you they are unhappy, they tell you that they must quit in order to be happy, that by not letting them quit you are ruining their life. However, in the back of your a head a little voice says over and over, "Bull!" This has been the battle that A. and I have had since September.  Over and over he has told me how miserable swim makes him. Over and over we have battled about going to swim.  The whole time I knew swim was good for him.  The whole time he told me it wasn't.  It is a very long and complicated story about why I wouldn't let him quit. Let's just say that I knew I shouldn't. On Monday he came home from swim in an unusually good mood. Which made m...

When we emptied out the office, we filled 10 boxes to the brim and over with books.  We had outgrown our existing bookshelves and were starting to pile books on the floor.   We knew that the books had to find a new home and preferably new shelving. I have always had a dream of having a whole wall of books. I found having books fall to the ground every time Brent walked by assisted in Brent sharing my dream. We decided that our downstairs front room was going to be our best bet. However, up until recently we had used the room mainly for hiding the kids and their messes. By the way, this room has no windows (no natural light) so taking pictures was a lesson in frustration.  I have to apologize now for the less than perfect pics. Here is the wall we chose. Notice kid junk, boxes (housing books) and a fan that should have been put in storage 4 months ago. (Keeping it real people) The next two pics are a sample of how many shelves had to be painted.  Each one had to be primed and then given...

Some of you may be wondering, why Tuesday’s have all the sudden become; Krissi gives the blog world a sermon day? I know that over the last few weeks I have sounded, well, a little preachy. That is not my intention. Mainly, my intention is to figure out how to be more optimistic. Figure out how to have more confidence in myself. Figure out how to become the person I want to become. So as you are reading Tuesday’s post keep in mind the following. When I say we, I mean me. When I say you, I mean I. It is just easier for me to pretend that I have all of this figured out than to admit there are mornings I can’t even put my pants on right. Okay, see there I go lying again. I can put my pants on right, just sometimes. . . they don’t fit, which brings on all kinds of downward spiraling attitudes. Which do little more then make my day crappy. I mean week, okay, okay, I mean month. I need a Twinkie, to much honesty here, I defiantly deserve some chocolate. Who cares that my pants don’t fit. (Ha...

Would you like to know the one area of my marriage that struggles above all others? Well more then likely it would have to be the issue of personal space. From the time I was young I have had issues with people entering my space. My mom will tell you that I have been this way from birth. Hollering until I was put down and left alone. I have often thought that the use of a bubble that restricted contact within so many feet would be an awesome invention. On Saturday, after I finished my bike ride for the week, the kids asked to go swimming. Since all of them can swim on their own, and after a 40 mile bike ride I did not want to swim, I decided to do a little writing while they swam. At the pool we swim at, and I work at, there are two long cement benches. They span the entire length of the lap pool so they are 25 yards long each. As I sat down, the kids ran and jumped into the pool, and I went to work writing. Looking up now and then and making sure every one was accountable for. After a...

Remember my whole January thaw, mother natures joke, not going to fall for it again, post . Well she got a little trickier this year. She gave us quite a few weeks of nice weather, she was even kind enough to melt almost all the snow out of our yard.  On Friday when I posted my signs of spring post I really believed that we were going to get an early spring.  I was very excited and very happy that spring was on the way. Woke up this morning to several inches of snow.  GRRRRR!! Okay, Mother Nature, Ha ha ha you got me.  I've been punked by Mother Nature.

Coughing, sneezing, not breathing, not sleeping, hurting everywhere. Have I mentioned that I hate winter.

Snowy, Flowy, Blowy, Showery,Flowery, Bowery, Hoppy, Croppy, Droppy, Breezy, Sneezy, Freezy. George Ellis 'The Twelve Months.' If there is one thing that I love about Utah it is the constantly changing scenery.   You never have a chance to get bored because before you know it everything starts to change. Regardless, of Phil the groundhogs proclamation of six more weeks of winter, the proof that spring is coming, are starting to show. Which makes that happy place inside of me glow and do a little dance. While the snow is beginning to melt the trees are showing signs of leaves to come. There are tiny little tulip and spring flower sprouts all over my yard. Which makes me anxious and excited to begin gardening.  Be warned if you thought last summers post were a little heavy on the garden post.  Meanwhile, the sun pouring in through the windows just makes me close my ideas and soak up the rays. Which means this weeks blessing post is brought to you by the signs of spring. If you wo...

I looked at the calendar and was shocked to see that today was Thursday.  Especially, considering I was convinced that today was Wednesday.  I have no idea how I missed an entire day.  I think it is the kids fault.  They are now stealing entire days away from me.  I don't know how they did it but I know it was them. Meanwhile, I am suppose to be posting a post of something I am grateful for.  What I would be grateful for is another day.  So then today would be Wednesday like it should be instead of Thursday like it is. That makes perfect sense, right? Well, tomorrow I will be posting a blessings post.  Meanwhile, I thought I would run a little kid update.  Seeing as it is there fault that an entire day is missing. Even though they steal days, I guess you could say they are the greatest blessings in my life.   S. has put every drop of focus into growing.  Her current goal is to pass me.  She declares that soon she will look down upon me.  I laugh at her, call her shorty, and tell he...

Reason # 945 my sons will not be allowed to be home by themselves. EVER! 

Standing at the bottom of a hill you can’t help but to look up. If you are lucky or unfortunate enough to have a personality such as mine, you look at the hill with a sense of dread. In your mind and heart you know that the hill can not or will not be conquered. You are defeated before you ever start. That is good! Who wants to climb the stupid hill anyway? Of course, while you're saying, thinking and believing that the hill, mountain, mini Everest, can not be conquered, somebody has the audacity to run right past you and head up that hill. They act as if the hill did not even exist. As you look up it obviously does exist. What is their problem? The nerve, the audacity, how dare that person prove that the hill can be conquered! Especially, considering you were so sure it couldn’t be done. As you stand there watching the backside of that person grow smaller and smaller you can’t help but feel inferior, as if somewhere along the line you were not dealt your fare share of talents. I’v...

While I am not the biggest football fan, I have to admit, that the Super Bowl was an awesome game.  I love watching games that are close, one minute one team is winning the next minute the other team is winning. It creates all kinds of fun suspense. Honestly though, the number one reason I watch the super bowl is the commercials.  Every year companies bring out the big guns and hope to capture our attention and hopefully our bucks.  I did a little research about this years super bowl commercials. Turns out that one second of commercial time, during the super bowl, cost 100,000.00 dollars.  Meaning a thirty second spot cost three million dollars.  That is the cost of the spot, then there is the cost of actually making the commercial.  Turns out that companies make a bunch of commercials then using a test market find out which ones will get the best response.  The amount of money this all cost baffles the brain. Hard to believe that companies are suffering cutbacks while they shell that ...

Watching the super bowl, which is actually turning out to be a decent game. Who would have thunk? Just wanted to give you a heads up tomorrow's, the SwimMom Question, "What was your favorite Super Bowl Commercial?" So far Dorritos , Pedigree, and the Potato Head commercial are my favorites. See you tomorrow.