The ties that bind~

This is a hard week for me. Maybe even more difficult for Pudgie. This is the first time I have let my babies go out of town with someone, other than me.

Jax and Brinkley are on an impromptu adventure to San Diego with Grammie and Grampie Jensen. We are waiting to hear every single detail, day by day!!!

~Our Three Ring Circus~

We did not plan for this weekend to be jam packed with fun and exciting things like it has turned out. Tonight was planned a month and a half ago, so the lake and the rest of this coming week just came out of no where.

Tonight we surprised the kids with the circus. We made them dress somewhat nice and took them to Wendy's for dinner. Right away Jax was onto it. He just kept asking, "Why did we have to change our clothes for Wendy's, in the truck?"

Once we arrived, they still had no idea what we were doing, since there were no real signs on the east entrance!

They were definately surprised. Luckily they all behaved and even Pudgie enjoyed it as best he could for a 9:45 pm ending! Jax and Pudgie loved the motorcycles in the cage and Brinkley loved all the beautiful rope climbers costumes. My favorite was the elephants. I have no idea why, but I was just mesmerized by those giant animals laying down and pretending to go to sleep.

Jax and Brinkley are onto another great adventure now!

Pudgie can't drive 25~

It is rare that we take a serious day of rest around here. We are just like most families...going, going, going...so...

Today we took advantage of the free boat we have all summer. We were both worried about taking it out on our own so we enlisted the help of my sister and her husband. A day at Lake Pleasant is just what our family needed.

We supplied the boat and they brought on the ski's and away we went for a day over-filled with fun, family, sun, and so much laughter!

Pudgie and Brinkley were slightly afraid on the boat at first. I would qualify Brinkley as terrified and Pudgie more or less in shock, but after a few minutes... we were fine and all about smiles!

We found a spot, dropped anchor, swam, ran the jet ski's all over and just had a great time.

Pudgie finally rode with us after Tommy threw him into the lake to make the moaning cease. Uncle Scott was gracious enough to not ride at mach 3 as to not make this little guy afraid for life. I, on the other hand, was not so nice. I'm the mom, I can do this. I put Pudgie in front of me, my niece Kayleigh on the back and took my sister's ski up to 55. Not a great idea with my little clutch master of a boy in front of me. He would lean so far to the right, grab my wrist and arm, and hang on so tight, I could hardly steer or accelerate. I finally found the perfect speed for the little guy. Pudgie can't go over 25 without getting stressed. His rides were calm and he finally enjoyed them.

Tommy got to take out Brinkley and Jax. They also took out my niece Hannah while he and Jax rode. Tommy has done a lot of time on ski's so it is no suprise to me that he launched Hannah, 20 feet off the ski, during a turn.

Hannah decided she wanted to take me for a ride. My little 7 year old niece is a complete speed demon. She rides BMX and loves danger and speed. I have no idea where she gets that from. She ran us up and back, round and round that lake like she owned the place. I don't think she ever had our speed under 55 unless we were doing doughnuts.

The day ended with a little ride on the MCSO police water craft. GO FIGURE! Two wonderful deputy's were awesome enough to escort Tommy to find me, when Hannah and I were running low on fuel, then they took Jax, Hannah and I back to the boat where everyone nearly had heart failure when he hit the lights with us onboard. Pudgie loved it!

All's well that ends well. What an amazing day we had. A well deserved amazing day with our family!

~SWITCHING TEAMS~

Tommy and I did a new workout today. We always compete with each other, but against each other, if that makes any sense. Today he brought Matt and Dulce in from his squad and we did a team workout. I took Dulce on my team and Tommy took Matt. They killed us by 5 minutes on our time. Now with that being said, Matt is ginormous at 6'5" or something like that, so one of his rowing strokes is like 25 of mine. INSANE! You guys did awesome. I, on the other hand, can not walk now. You will not see a picture of me laying down though!! 150 wall balls, 150 kettle bell swings and 5000 meters on the rower. Rules were... you can only have one person resting at one time, and you can not do the same exercise at the same time. BUST IT OUT! Dang it was hard!

YOU KNOW IT IS AN AWESOME WORKOUT WHEN YOU CAN STILL DO THE THUMBS UP HOLDING THE PUKE BUCKET!!!! I LOVE IT!

Tempe Beach Park~

I was so unhappy with the splashpad at the park, right along with all three of my little ones. I fully expected that Pudgie, at least, would love it....

NOT SO MUCH!

At least we tried and got a few cute pictures in the process.

A SHIFT...

I have been feeling it for over a week now. Nothing earth shattering. It wasn't like a lightning bolt. Gradual, one might say.

The summer has been hard on me. I know my kids see it. I should say they hear it daily. I scream at them to pick-up, get-up, shut-up, clean-up, stop hitting, stop screaming (yes, I am screming as I am telling them to stop screaming.) It makes absolute no sense for me to hit them while yelling, "stop hitting," but sheer frustration had set in and my children were becoming animals and I was fried.

They fight like cats and dogs some days. They say the nastiest things to each other, they kick and yell and throw things at each other...all before 9 am most days. Planning days of things to do has not helped. They are typical little kids that are good until after the fun. Then the tired little demons were coming out to play and I was furiously screaming and threatening and constantly spanking. Then the days started appearing where they were nice to each other for longer than 8 seconds at a time. Brinkley was cleaning the toys up without being asked. Jax started helping with Pudgie and wanted to play nicely with Brinkley all day. I started wondering whose kids these were and when they arrived on my doorstep.

It hit me today while I was driving home from a very disappointing outing at Tempe's Splashpads . It was never about my kids. It was about me and my attitude towards them and myself. My attitude shifted when Tommy and I started training at the gym we now belong to. I took away my kids ability to run the house. I changed my attitude. My kids had too many choices and as bad as it sounds.... Summer would now be about ME and how I wanted to have fun. I started looking past the insignificant things and centering our family's world on some more important things. It seems funny to even talk about it. Somehow though, I can see past some things that were making me irate two weeks ago and laugh at things I was spanking my kids for.

It is still just a little shift. A little shift that made me decide to run at the gym today. I have not run in 6 and a half years because of my accident. I was told to never run..ever. I was told I shouldn't run. I was told I can't run. I believed some of this for a long time. It overflowed into other aspects of my life for so long. CAN'T, SHOULDN'T, WON'T, DON'T...... I didn't realize how those words were making things miserable around here for me.... and to top it off, I have been taking it out on my kids and Tommy all summer long.

It is amazing how good it feels to not yell at the kids because we have toys on the floor. The dishes can wait, some days, for hours on end. Someone always offers to help with this and that and in reality, when I don't yell, things gets done faster and the house is nicer to be in. Laundry is not going anywhere, so why scream about that. Summer is really almost over and then another will come and go until there are no more summers like this. Owning up to my attitude and actions is what it comes down to. There are still going to be days that I would sell my kids to the lowest bidder. Days that I don't dare blog about because it would need serious sensoring....

All in all though...it ain't so bad. And I think I may just run again!

Jaxi Bear Smarty Pants

Jax and Binky were assigned their teachers for the 2008-2009 school year. I finally got the assignments on Friday. When I opened the letters, Jax's had his results from his 2nd grade Terra Nova tests.

In AZ, our 2nd graders take Terra Novas like other parts of the country take CATS tests etc. Older kids take AIMS here.

I had heard Jax did well and was not too worried about what his scores were. Jax is extremely smart. He has a true photographic memory and the only time I ever have to really help Jax with homework is when he is sick or over-tired from a long week. Jax can also name sniper rifles by sight, not to mention their scope names and ammo they use..... not the most useful information for an 8 year old but it comes in handy when one of Tommy's SWAT guys has a question about the right gun to use, in Ranbow 6 Vegas, just for Jax.

I was not quite prepared for Jax's test results. I also could not be more proud of my smart little man. Jax scored 99% straight across the board on his tests. I am not sure I could ask for more out of him! (Well maybe cleaning his bathroom a little better... but what are you going to do?)

Jaxi, we are so proud of how hard you work... and how you do it so effortlessly! Here's to 3rd grade buddy!

COME PLAY WITH ME...

Tommy and I had a date today. I had to be up at 4:00 a.m. to paint the house I am decorating..I got a text that they will be home a month early and this house is no where near done. I hurried to finish the kitchen and dining room in a few hours so we could make it to our very important "couples therapy" as I call it these days. You see....

I am very much at home in a gym. I always have been. I am not intimidated by the hot chicks walking around aimlessly and the big jug heads that have had a few too many shots of "something" just simply amuse me. I like to lift with the boys, first, and then gab with the girls, second. Not so much anymore. I can't talk after my workouts anymore and I can't hang with the boys with the workouts we are doing. I can't do half the weight they use now. The movements are so unfamiliar to me, but amazing.

I can't remember a time when I didn't regularly go to the gym. Since my motorcycle accident I still lift 4-6 days a week and pretty heavy for a girl, but some things I have slithered far away from. I am not intimidated by the exercises... it is more that I am scared *&%#less that my spine and pelvis will crack apart at the pins and plates. I think that would just kinda suck and ruin my day. I know this will not happen. I have gotten it in writing from Ortho's and spine specialists that I will not just break in this manner.... but there is a part of me that runs from the new and reverts back to the old that I know is SAFE .

In 1996 when I started the police academy, there was always a running joke. Every morning you would see all of the cadets running for the bathrooms before our mornings began. To put it bluntly.....things were either coming up one way or going out the other. Morning Butterflies were what we called them. The fear of the daily unknown. It had you so excited you could barely contain yourself, so scared you couldn't keep your measly breakfast down and so stressed you wanted to wet your pants. If you were lucky, you only threw up.

I loved those rushes. I miss them. I have missed them for a long, long time. Until today.

They are back. Today when Tommy and I walked into our new gym...the butterflies were a flutter and I bolted for the bathroom. I hadn't eaten so I knew I wasn't going to hurl, already did the whole bathroom thing before we even got to the gym so that was out.... I just stood there thinking.. Holy crap... what if I break in two today?

I knew what our workout was already. Jason kindly posts them on the Competitive Fitness Blog every night just so we can prepare for death. I had never in my life done two of the three moves we were going to be taught and all I could do was pray...

"Dear God, please let me be able to walk out of this gym on my own two feet today because I am worried."

Needless to say, I made it through another body crushing, mind building, spirit lifting, ego boosting, muscle torturing, crossfit workout. Tommy and I did them side by side with our trainer yelling at us about form, attitude, mental preparedness, body sculpting, power and hip explosions. I wanted to quit. I wanted to throw the bar and all the weights to the floor and walk out. I knew better. I don't quit. I never have. My back survived, my pins and my plates are still intact, my shoulders are aching and seriously feel like I have hot irons poking them when I shift to pick up Pudgie and my core feels like I did 5000 sit ups.

Tommy and I are now addicted. We have quit our other two gyms. Yes, My kids love going to Competitive Fitness rather than Lifetime...the one with all the "toys and pools."

Tommy's new slogan is:

"The more you sweat off duty, the less you bleed on duty"

Since I have gotten a few comments on our blog, but 30+ personal emails, again, I am offering everyone a chance to come play with me for 10 days at our gym. Come and see how someone like me, with the severity of my injuries, can go through these workouts and feel 1000% better than when I walked into the building. Come and see how your body is supposed to lift weights with natural movements. It is not about how fit Tommy and I already are. That is not how crossfit works. We all have our own starting point. The movements are the same for everyone. The weight is adjusted for all, individually.

Come feel your body change.

Come boost your metabolism.

Come re-learn exercise.

Come compete with all of us.

Come change your way of thinking about "lifting weights"

Come feel your lungs nearly explode

Come feel your muscles burn

Come exhaust your core

Come strengthen your heart

Come build your body, mind, and spirit

Come find your own potential

Come play...... It really is fun...In a sick~mind sorta way.

It's FREE.... What have you got to lose...except the summer blahs!!!!

P.S. Check out this Crossfit Camp Pendelton You Tube Video. This is how the Marines really train. (along with Navy Seals and other Elite Special Forces) Tommy and I have done the wall ball they show and numerous other exercises. It is simply amazing what a simple exercise can do for the body. Plus, it will make you think twice about eating junk food!

10 days free.....

Anyone who knows Tommy and I, understands how much we love the gym. Unfortunately we get stuck in ruts and since I don't like change I will stay somewhere forever...even if I am not getting results.

That has changed! We joined quite the gym for Father's Day and it is kicking us up and down!

I absolutely love it. Tommy does too... you just won't hear us say that right after we are done with the workouts. This gym specializes in Crossfit training. The gym is Competitive Fitness on Warner, just west of the railroad tracks. It is absolutely amazing. It is what a gym should be!

If anyone would like to join me or Tommy in the gym one of these days, we have passes for 10 days free. I dare anyone to say, "that's all your workout is today?" Tommy tried that, ONCE!

Check out their website and see what it is all about. SUPER FUN TIMES!

Our trainer thought it would be funny to post this picture on their websites blog. This is what happened after Thursday's 20 minute workout!

~THE HEAT IS ON...~

I AM A HUGE GROUCH LATELY. JUST ASK POOR TOMMY. ERRR, MAYBE NOT. I DON'T EVEN THINK HE IS TALKING TO ME RIGHT NOW.

WHEN I TOOK OUT A BAG OF GARBAGE THIS MID-MORNING...MY FEET BURNED WITHIN 5 SECONDS OF STEPPING INTO THE SUN LIT COURTYARD. BLECH.

TEST TIME...AND THIS WAS SCARY

1 MINUTE INTO THE SUN

2 MINUTES IN THE SUN

3 MINUTES AND I AM NOW MELTING WATCHING THESE!

4 MINUTES- JAX'S RED ONE IS COMPLETELY MELTED

5 MINUTES IS ALL IT TOOK FOR ALL OF THEM TO COMPLETELY MELT.

NO WONDER I AM IN A GROUCHY HOT MOOD!

DADS AND MOMS

DADDY'S FATHER'S DAY PRESENT!

A LONG DAY SWIMMING WITH GRAMMIE AND GRAMPIE~POOR TIGGER HAS NOT RECOVERED FROM ALL THE SWIMMING AND PLAYING WITH THE 3 OTHER DEMON DOGS!!

I never got the chance to finish my Mother's Day post so I wanted to combine the two. I think it only reasonable since my parents are like peanut butter and jelly. Even though both are fabulous apart, together they just ROCK!


I have cool parents. I always have. My parents were always the ones that had fish fry's with friends and Nebraska football parties. Our's was the house that all the kids got to hang out at. There was never a time that my parents didn't hesitate to put an extra plate for the friend, or twelve, that stayed late through dinner. Don't get me started on all the parties they let my sister and I have. (Then there were the ones that I thought that we hid when they were out of town... who did we think they were kidding? They knew.) The best part about both of them was that they trusted us to make good judgements and bad ones. They let us fall flat on our faces and always picked us back up and dusted us off.


My Mom has an instant temper and fights for it all. She has always been the outspoken one and is quick to jump to anyone she loves defense. She loves sparkle and girl time.


My Dad is "Switzerland," as my sister calls him. He never judges anyone or anything outwardly. He is the rational one. He keeps the playing field even for all.


Growing up I remember thinking.... I want to be just like my Dad when I grow up. He was a cop and then became the corprate big wig. I wanted the same. Then I wanted to be just like my Mom. She had great friends and was at every single one of my softball games... no matter what part of the country I was playing in. She shopped with me, told me matter-of-factly that I was gonna regret a lot of the decisions I made in life but that was the only way to learn, we traveled together all over... Tahiti was my favorite destination, she wiped away the tears from many a broken hearts, and she was just cool.


Dad worked a lot. He is a work - a - holic. SERIOUSLY. I know this is where my work ethic came from and what I want to pass on to my children. He taught me that if you give less than 110%, then give nothing at all... because you are not really trying. If you fail when you have given that 110%, you have still won. I took that with me and never truly failed at anything I have ever tried.


Mom taught me that the world is tough on women. It still is. Statistics show this. Women are still not paid the same for all the same jobs. Some have caught up. Let's face it, people still think stay at home moms have it easy. My Mom was both. She had a great career and then stayed home with us right before I graduated high school. She taught me that there is so much life to live outside in the big world.... and to go out and chase any and every single crazy dream I could conjure up.

My Dad totally cracks me up. He is rarely impressed by anyone. Money and fame do not make him bat an eye. He thinks expensive cars are there to make up for ones short-comings and that real men cry and hug and tell you, "I Love You." My Dad will not hesistate to hug you....anywhere, anytime, in front of anyone. He proved that Thursday morning at work when Tommy's entire squad was fighting an individual at the hospital. When my Dad showed up he walked right up to Tommy, matter - o'- factly and kissed him square on the lips....in front of his entire squad and Tommy's squad as well. From what I hear, jaws hit the floor!

That's my Dad! Once he loves you...He LOVES you!!!

While we spent the day with my sister and her family and my Mom and Dad yesterday, they told us that they would be renewing their wedding vows this year. I was so excited for them. It is a rare thing in this world when two people have been married 40 years! I can not wait!

Happy Father's Day and Mother's Day Mom and Dad... and of course to you Tommy! Without you.... I wouldn't be a mom!

PS. TOMMY ~ NEW RULE...NEXT HOLIDAY IS CELEBRATED ON SATURDAY WITH MY FAMILY SO YOU CAN BE A PART OF IT!! WE MISSED YOU YESTERDAY... and every holiday that we have celebrated on Sunday this year!!!!

TAG PAYBACKS..... THX TRISH....

How To Play This Game of Tag: Post these rules on your blog.
List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself.

Tag 5 people . Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog!

NOTE TO SELF: DON'T READ MY COMMENTS ANYMORE!!!

3 JOYS~
SO MANY MORE THAN THREE BUT I AM NARROWING AS I TYPE~

*LONG AND SLOW KISSES THAT SEEM TO GO ON FOREVER FROM TOMMY

*THAT FEW SECONDS BEFORE PUDGIE FALLS ASLEEP. I CAN HEAR THE CHANGE IN HIS BREATHING AND WATCH HIS LITTLE EYES FIGHT THE SANDMAN AS HE STARTS TO HUM SOFTLY BEFORE HE FINALLY DRIFTS OFF

*RAINY DAYS INSIDE

*PAINTING

*THE FEELING WHEN ONE OF MY KIDS SLIPS THEIR LITTLE HAND INTO MINE AS WE ARE WALKING

*HOLDING HANDS WITH TOMMY

*BEING ALONE

*WATERING MY TREES

3 FEARS~

*ANYONE I LOVE WOULD EVER FEEL THE PAIN THAT I HAVE FELT

*LOSING MY CHILD

*TOMMY BEING HURT AT WORK AND AN SPD CAR SHOWING UP AT MY HOUSE

3 GOALS~

*WORK ON PUDGIE'S SPEECH

*WORK ON BRINKLEY'S TEMPER

*GET AWAY MORE SO I AM NOT SUCH A YELLING MOM

*EAT HEALTHIER TO GO ALONG WITH MY WORKOUTS

*SORT LAUNDRY SOONER

*WORK AT BEING BETTER AT CHANGE!

3 OBSESSIONS OR COLLECTIONS~

*I AM OBSESSED WITH NEW WORKOUTS, ESPECIALLY CROSSFIT ONES. GOOD THING NOW THAT TOMMY AND I ARE WORKING WITH A TRAINER AT A SPECIALIZED GYM. (WHICH HE IS NOW KILLING US AT)

*RUTH'S HOT SAUCE-THUS MY NEED FOR THE WORKOUTS. ANYONE ON MY STREET CAN VERIFY THAT I AM OFFICIALLY ON THE CHIPS AND HOT SAUCE DIET EVERY TIME RUTH MAKES ME A BATCH OF HOT SAUCE. I SERIOUSLY NEED AN INTERVENTION!!

*I COLLECT SHOES. THAT BEING SAID, I CAN NOT WEAR 90% OF THE SHOES AND BOOTS I OWN DUE TO THE DAMAGE DONE TO MY LEG AND FOOT.... BUT I LOVE MY SHOES. I TOUCH THEM AS I WALK BY THEM IN I MY CLOSET. I TALK TO THEM. SOMETIMES I SLIP THEM ON MY FEET AND JUST ADMIRE HOW BEAUTIFUL AND SEXY THEY ARE. I LET THEM GO ON DATES WITH FRIENDS SOME NIGHTS. I SHOW THEM OFF IN TEXT MESSAGES BUT I RARELY, IF EVER, WEAR THEM ANYWHERE FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES. THEY ARE MY SILENT FRIENDS THAT NEVER TALK BACK AND ARE ALWAYS JUST A SHELF AWAY. I LOVE MY SHOES. TOMMY HATES THEM!!!

3 RANDOM FACTS~ MAYBE SURPRISING~

*THIS IS GONNA COME BACK AND BITE ME I AM SURE BUT.....GROWING UP MY DAD USE TO CALL ME "POOH BEAR." THAT NICKNAME STUCK UNTIL I STARTED PLAYING FIRST BASE IN SOFTBALL AND IT TURNED INTO "STRETCH" BECAUSE I ALWAYS DID THE SPLITZ WHEN "STRETCHING" FOR THE BALL.

*I TURNED DOWN A FULL RIDE SCHOLARSHIP TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII

*I HAVE A SERIOUSLY HUGE ISSUE WITH TRUST.

*I HAVE VERY FEW FEMALE FRIENDS

*I WOULD DO ANYTHING IN THE WORLD FOR THOSE FEW FRIENDS

*I AM A GRUDGE MASTER (AS TOMMY CALLS ME) I AM A HORRIBLE FORGIVE AND FORGET-ER

*I SERIOUSLY HATE EATING HEALTHY. I LOVE SOUR CANDY AND IF I COULD, I WOULD LIVE ON IT.

I DON'T KNOW YOU...

WHY WOULD I SMILE FOR YOU?

BESIDES THE FACT THAT I CAN'T GET ONE DECENT FAMILY PHOTO OF ALL 5 OF US TO SAVE MY LIFE.. NOW I GET A GOOD LOOK AT HOW BIG MY 8 YEAR OLD JAXI REALLY IS NEXT TO ME. I KNEW HE WAS BIG, BUT DANG....NO WONDER I USE COUPONS FOR GROCERIES!!

Prayers

I rarely ask anyone for help. I usually think I can handle the weight of the world. It has always been a issue I have suffered with all my life. Not today.


Today has been one of the worst days I can remember. I got the horrible news that the second most important man, at one point he was the only man that mattered, in my life, was severely hurt in an auto accident this weekend. I am crushed. I am sure his family is devastated.


I have written about him in the past. He is as close to God as a human can get. He is my trauma surgeon that saved my life on February 27, 2002.


I am torn right now between severe anger and complete sadness. It is not fair that a man that has saved so many and given so many their lives back, is now fighting for his.


If it were not for Dr. Thomas L. Wachtel I would not be here, Tommy would not have our son Justice and life would not be what it is.


I am asking anyone who reads our blog to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pray for him. I don't care if you are Catholic, Mormon, Baptist or you don't believe in a God... whatever. Please include him in your prayers and his family as well. Thank You!