Fun Run Love! (May 28, 2010)

Oh it was a B I G day.
Big day indeed. One we've waited for all year:
It was the East Sandy Fun Run.

We L O V E the Fun Run.

My kids love it. They want to run it and do their best.

A 2 mile run race. it's more like sprint.

The kids RUN their little hearts out.

Every year RY and I run with the 3 kids, helping them along the way.

Last year, Ashlyn won and so did Jake (2nd), they beat Ry and I to the finish line .

and every year my kiddos get in the top 3 (most yrs). It's a fun challenge.

This year a dilemma:

Ry's in Colorado.

I was alone with 3 kids.

Who to run with?

Jake woke up with stomach flu

(sorry grandma's rug/ couch! twice!)

Austin said that he wanted to just walk it with his buddies this year.

make it easy, make it fun...I was good with that.

one more down.

Ashlyn...

she wanted to run...and

she wanted to win.

(the whole school.)

yes, a challenge we were up to.

So her and I ran together. Gma and Gpa watched Mace.

My 2 sisters, Brooke and Amber were there with their kids too.

My parents came for the big day,

Ry's parents were there, friends, neighbors...it was a big event!

oh it was exciting.

The kids started at 9:00 a.m. sharp.

Ash was so nervous.

as always with big events...

she wouldn't eat.

I dropped the kids off and just hung out.

with no home to go to at this point!

(WE had packed up and already moved into our CO house!)

I chatted with Amber and Ty, Kim, and lots of friends ( I would miss!)

THEN the kids started to come out... grade by grade.

excited, happy, anxious, oh they were ready.

It was such a beautiful day.

It was warm, the sun peaked over the Wasatch peaks...

I loved it.

Here we go.

The kids go out by grade. Oldest first.

(so the little ones don't get trampled)

Cops ready, 6th graders up to the line,

the principal sounds the horn.

and they are off.

running as fast as their legs would carry them...

then

it was the

5th graders turn.

Ashlyn putting herself with (her BF whit) right up front to get the edge.

She knew she had to start off quick...She had to get ahead.

she was ready, her game face on. (yes really!)

5th graders ready?? Go!

off. of they go go go.

Here they come.

I was going to meet her around the first bend.

I met up with Ashlyn and she flew right by me.

Wow, I pick up my pace. seriously unable to catch her...

always 5 feet behind her. She was ahead of the pack...only a few out in the lead.

But with the entire 6 th grade ahead by a few minutes.

slowly one by one,

Ashlyn and Whit inched ahead, passing all the girls.

and passing hte boys (sweet. that's my girl.)

I was still behind. (sadly!) Yelling to her go go go!

I couldn't keep up, I took a short cut to meet her at the last mile.

She whizzed by me again.

She knew when she hit our "old house" she had to just give it her ALL.

and that she did.

she took off.

I was smiling big.

only seeing one girl and 2 boys barely ahead

(all of them 6th graders. ashlyn in 5th grade)

She dug in and ran.

hard.

she passed them up and flew.

I was so proud.

I saw her round the last bend and she had .3 miles left.

The crowd clapping, the teachers, the parents, kids...all cheering, encouraging her on!

Ashlyn was running her little heart out and

she

was

the

first

girl

to enter the finish line.

from behind her, I saw her little legs fly in.

I was so darn proud.

Her goal completed.

Her first place won.

She beat them all.

Two 6th grader boys entered with her but they had

2 minute head start so technically Ashlyn won.

That's my girl.

It was a "happyproudIlovebeingamama" moment for me.

( I have no pics of her crossing the finish line b/c I was B E H I N D!

my mom snapped a few of Ash. yay

If she got 100th or 1st. I was so proud.

It was a great day for sure.

AShlyn's best friend Whitney got second! yay!


Great job kiddo's!

After the awards ceremony, the twins

(most amazing awesome!) teacher surprised them with the

Young American Award.

We were going to miss the assembly because

we were leaving for CO the next day.

Mrs.C pre-ordered their awards and presented

it to them in front of the 5 th grade.

It was awesome. We love Mrs. C! really

Here is a pic of my beautiful sis Amber and I!

I had to put this pic up of Uncle Ty and Mace.

(they have a total bond...we miss you Ty!!!!)

my mom and dad!

thanks for coming!

My cutest little niece Landri! Oh she is so dang cute.

way to go girl!

It was such a great day for me.

So many emotions because the NEXT day we were

leaving to Colorado.

It was a day of Goodbye's!

Many of my friends, parents, teachers came up and said their goodbye's.

We hugged, we cried, it was happy then sad... seriously it was a day I won't forget ever!

I was overwhelmed by so much love!

I can't even tell you...

Thanks so much to all of my fabulous family and friends.

The Stott's love you.

xo!

Ashlyn's heart. A kitty lost

Layla's been gone for two nights.

She slipped out accidentally (Friday night) when a door was quickly opened for a friend.

Because of the coyotes, we haven't let Layla out past dusk.

But she slipped out.

Kitties love the night, that's when they hunt. Layla loves to be out...we have had to be so careful to keep her in...she loves to sneak out.

Now I have a daughter who is so distraught. Honestly she is.

Ashlyn's heart...

her heart is barely making it.

Every spare second she is looking, looking, looking for Layla.

It makes me so sad for her.

I woke up around 6:00 a.m. this morning and I went out looking for Layla before church...

Ashlyn and I have stayed up till midnight both nights quietly calling Layla's name in the back yard....just hoping we will see her white fluffy fur slip into the yard.

but so far,

no luck.

Send us your well wishes and thoughts.

Honestly this cat is a sister to Ashlyn.

All my kids love this kitty. (Even I like her!)

Oh I hope we find her.

Hopefully she is lost and will find her way H O M E but (Ry and I know that) most

likely the coyotes got her. (thus the reason for no kitties around here)

Will let you know.

xo. (it's so sad around here!)

Dear sisters...A Letter.

Dear Amber, Brooke, Kristin, Misty, Em, Jan, Angela, Brie,

Mom, CA, and my dear dear friends,

(you know who you are.)

Today is my one month anniversary. Did you know that?
Why does it feel like maybe a 6 month anniversary? Time seemed to of slowed down here.
Oh we have had such great, fabulous luck here: making good friends so quickly, loving our neighborhood, being invited to play groups, going out on date nights, girls nights, ward camp outs..etc...(we have been put in the right place for sure!)but put that aside for a bit.
Today I had a craving...I had a craving for my sisters.
My girls period.
Nothing would fill that void today.
Even though today the pool was heavenly....lots of great new friends for me and great new friends for the kids...lots of conversation, yes!
But...do you know that feeling of just being with your girls? my girls....the girls who know you, inside and out.
The girls you could hang with all day, talking, laughing, and simply hanging out.
Yes, that was today.
I told the hubby I really need a sister fix..
soon.
Phone chats, emails, texts, facebook...it is just not the same.
I miss you girls.
I miss our simple moments: our kids running back and forth, our walks at night, our simple diet coke park days.
Just know that I am thinking about you all.
You know the love I have for you girls.
Deeper now when distance separates.
A heart realizes the importance of such relationships.
I am a lucky girl. I have 9 sisters and friends I consider sisters.
I am lucky.
and
tonight
I miss
you
all.
I love you!
Keep thinking of me. Us Stott's out on our CO adventures...
We are loving it. honestly. But think of you every day.
Thanks for your calls, your texts, your emails,
keep them coming...
they fill my heart and give me the courage to keep going.
Love you tons!
Happy one month anniversary!
(what is 2 months going to feel like? :)

loves from your sis and

b.f

xo, Tawny!

and p.s.

Did you know my favorite month is almost here?!?

I love it! love it! love it! Really I do.

July is the most wonderful month of the entire year.

why?

because it's warm, it's happy, and it's my birthday month, and because we celebrate the red, white, and blue (twice!), we have bbq's till dusk, we go swimming every day, the kids stay out and play, the sun is up early and stays out late....I just LOVE July!

yay!

life is good.

Denver Zoo. Happy Kids. Cute animals

Stott and Folster Family.

(some of us!)

The Denver Zoo was awesome.

We had such a good time with the Folster Family.

We love hanging with them.

Thoughts about the Denver zoo:

(in random order)

~It's big! It has a lot of space. (At least 1/3 bigger than S.L Hogle Zoo)

~It has lush trees and beautiful landscape.

It made my heart miss a little bit of being home....

huge trees, big branches, gardens, shrubs....it was amazing.

and here:

~There were so many great animals: giraffes, gorillas, monkeys, zebras, elephants..etc

BUT

there were no Lions!! ....oh Mace was sad.

They switch them out for the wild dogs mid afternoon. darn!

yes wild dogs..they looked like Hyena's!

~The Bear exhibit was awesome. They were awake and roaming around.

It was hot but it didn't stop the bears from moving all around!

~The Cheetah exhibit scared me!

It was cool too see the cheetah SO close up!

Just a little fence and 5 foot barrier wall separated us and the scary cheetah!

~The kids ultimate favorite: the aquarium inside the zoo!!!

There were huge salt water fish! The boys loved it.

( I have no pics, I was helping with the twins!)

~One animal Hogle Zoo doesn't have that Denver did:

an Anteater!

They are such strange animals.... different looking too.

Big long bodies, big long noses....The kids loved it.

In this pic they are searching for ants...

(did you know anteaters eat 30,000 ants a day?! wowsies!)

~Out of all the animals, the pink flamingos were my favorite:

~Ashlyn could jump as far as a jack rabbit 6 feet,

Aus and Jake jumped as far as a grasshopper: 8 feet

~The bald eagle hands down the COOLEST animal....

The eagle was on the ground, its body enormous with huge brown feathers, white neck and face...

it was eating a bunny rabbit which made the kids quite sad thinking

about the bunnies back home :)

~The zoo took us 4 and 1/2 to

(take our time walk with 8 kids) walk around...

pic of Ry and Ry! cute boys.

~There was no water or playgrounds for the kids...( Hogle Zoo's has the water globe and playgrounds..plus a train!)

we played with the babies instead...:)

~Aus and Jake's favorite: the polar bears.

They had lots of room to live and play.

~The zoo was beautiful.

It was a great day!

The kids had a great time.

We have had fun exporing Colorado.

We haven't even begun to see all the great things.

We have a list of places we want to go...

tomorrow I am off with some girls to a beautiful park with a stream and petting zoo!

xo!

Simple moments. Father's day. my heart

This weekend was hard, I've got to admit.

Despite going to the Denver zoo, dinners, and movies with friends, I knew I would miss Father's Day (back home)

and

I knew it would be tough.

And it was.

I made it all day....

Busy with spoiling Ry for his day. He deserved it.

He treats me like a queen always....I wanted to do the same back.

We were busy making Ry happy: sleeping in, breakfast in bed, kids homemade cards,

primary songs at church, his favorites treats: strawberry shortcake, ice cold cokes (in a bottle), hoops with the boys...


I love Ry with all my heart.

He is such a good daddy and such a good hubby. He deserves the world. And that we tried to give.... and we did, he was happy.. (no pic here..RY is in bed with his jammies! it's cute :)

It was his day...



But last night, just for a moment, I was sad...

I knew my family was getting together for my dad at 6:30.

Mentally, I tried not to look at the clock knowing it was the first big family event I would miss...

but the house got quiet, the boys watching an old NBA classic game, I was alone for awhile.

I looked at the clock, 5:45.

Darn, I would be getting my dessert ready and ushering the kids out the door to get up to mom and dad's.

But tonight I wasn't.

We were home for the night.

No rushing off to Grandparents, no seeing family, sister's, parents, cousins.

No family, just us.

So instead, an idea: a walk around the lake.


A walk to get out, to clear my mind, to get the kids out. To spend time with Ry on Father's day....

but (also in my mind) a walk to start to create our own memories.

That concept I already understood.....moving away meant it was just us.

Last night I needed a reminder...


The Stott's have a new life, a new beautiful life...

Quit feeling sorry for myself, quit moping around and looking at the clock.

It was time. Time to get out...


And out we did.

It was lovely!

So lovely, just what I needed, what my heart needed.

My dad knows I love him so much. What a great father I have, a legacy, an example to me. A man I love and respect more than anything.

And I also have a man that I love dearly and so grateful for.

A good thought to remember.

I switched my attitude and cheered up....

I smiled and we walked around the lake.

My little family with Ry...

We saw fish, cranes, birds of all types, bullfrogs, and of course lots and lots of bunnies!

At the end Ry and I watched the boys go bunny catching....

the boys were running and running trying to catch those little white tails...

Ry and I enjoyed the moment together...it was sunset.

The sun was dipping below the horizon, creating an orange glow, a warm breeze was blowing...

we talked about how gratefulwe are for our families.



It was a great father's day indeed.

Oh yes it was.

All the men in my life, I am grateful for.

And grateful for new traditions and new things.

Missed you all back home, had a "moment"

and

now

I am good to go...




Love you Ry, love you Dad!

Happy Father's Day!

xo!

Pillow love and Perfect day

Seriously....today was a


(mace)

It was perfect:
Words for today:
happy sunshine, blue sparkly water, warm air, ice cream, maple donuts, happy kids.

I wish every day was today.
We met new friends (for Aus and Ash!),
I hung with cute girls at the pool...

(M surprised me with a 36 pack of D.C. yes! thank you :)
Later on, Ry and I babysat 4 month old twin girls for our friends

(we volunteered...it was their anniversary...we loved watching them..so CUTE!)
and the kids played the night away,
Ry and I topped it out with a late dinner (at the funnest outdoor mall/restaurants).

and I ended the night with talking to my cute sis Amber and(twin bro Troy earlier!)
yes. A perfect summer day....


and lastly I have pillow fever. true pillow fever.

do you like my new chair and pillow?

I love the round shape and rouche look....

I have bought 10 pillows for the house. Easy to change out to switch colors. Good accents and add new dimensions....Love them.

My next new love...the color blue. I don't know why, but I am craving blue. (not these blues.. a lighter beach house blue!) I am doing something about it. Not sure yet what but have a good idea.

see my 3 pillows?

Off to bed and off to the weekend!

Denver Zoo with friends and maybe Estes Park too!

Oh and Father Day's festivities!

xo!