Swensen Sentral

Warning: Proud parent moment. So Chase joined cross country this year. As if he didn't have enough going on with soccer, choir, and violin. All his choice. Anyway, it's pretty low-key. They practice a few mornings a week and only have two meets. One was a few weeks ago. A mile run against all the 4th and 5th grade boys in the school. He came in 2nd place with a 6:21 mile time! We were so proud of him. I was holding back tears. It was ridiculous. When in the world did my kid get so fast? He outruns me now! Not that I'm super fast but I ain't slow either.  So today was his second and final meet. A mile again, this time between 19 schools, and divided by grade. So he ran with only 4th graders. We knew he would do well. We knew he was fast. But we also knew there were a LOT of kids and highly likely many other fast ones. Also, he hurt his knee yesterday and iced it all night and this morning. It was hurting him. He was worried it would hinder his running. And he was really ...

Family dentist appointment. Our first since moving here! I'm so relieved to have it done.  Dress up with friends Hot day. Cold floor.  Lunch with grandpa.  Cooked squirrel and chipmunk.  Lost another tooth.  Big big boo boo. Poor girl. 

We ran in the elementary school 5k this morning. It was the funnest thing we've done as a family in a while. Rick ran up front with the big kids, and I lagged behind with the littles and the jogger. I pushed them the first mile, and then they wanted to get out and walk. I thought they wouldn't last very long but they totally surprised me. Sawyer ran the last two miles all by himself, and refused to get back in the jogger. Soleil rested only a few times in it for like 30 seconds each and that was it. She was determined to keep up with her brother.  It touched me to see how sweet they were together.  Mostly how Sawyer takes care of his little sister, and how she looks up to him so much.  At the end, Chase came back and ran with Sawyer and Soleil to the finish line. It was the cutest.  Love these kids of mine.  Oh and Sawyer said some funny stuff during his run... "Mom I'm never going to rest or give up. I'm going to keep on running."   Then after he got prett...

Chase got his first motorcycle (electric) Kids caught their first fish and learned how to fillet it I failed at cooking my first pond fish  Sawyer lost his first tooth And Soleil swam alone for the first time (Oh darn, I thought I took a picture but I guess I only have a video of it) It's been an epic summer day. We would love visitors to share it with!

I'm so thankful to the men and women who served our country so that we can enjoy the freedom that we have today. We celebrated our Memorial Day by picnicking at the park with ward friends, and then Rick took the boys to the movies while I took the girls swimming. It was a really fun day we got to spend together as a family, and it couldn't happen without the sacrifice and service of brave men and women who fight to protect our freedoms. I'm so thankful to them, and thankful for this great country we have to live in, that allows me to enjoy the pleasure of life with my family. And I especially am grateful to the men in my family who have served: my father-in-law Karl Swensen, my grandpa Tom Woltmon, and my great uncle Earl, who died at 19 while serving. Thank you, thank you, thank you, to you all. Your service is not forgotten. God Bless America!

Today is that day for me.  Here is all the gory details of my last two days, so if you don't want to hear it, don't continue on. Tuesday afternoon (4/28) I started having really bad cramps and bleeding.  This is unusual for me since I have an IUD in.  It's a long-term birth control method that stays in my uterus and prevents any eggs from implanting there.  I've had it for 3 1/2 years now, and have loved it.  Never had a problem with it, I don't have to remember to take pills, or deal with monthly periods.  It's great. So when I started cramping and bleeding, I thought maybe it was related to some stress I've been dealing with.  I tried Ibuprofen, Midol, and hot packs, but nothing touched the pain.  I went to bed that night and slept restlessly. Wednesday morning, I took a hot bath and more Midol, and tried to continue on with the daily routine of getting kids to school and such.  But my cramps were getting stronger and the Midol wasn't...

Have gotten behind. Here's some updates.  Amelie had a beautiful baptism.  Rick and I celebrated our 12 year anniversary I started babysitting the two little blond girls in the picture for extra money.  We dogsat our friends two dogs over Easter weekend and boy was our house chaotic. They rotated between playing and sleeping.   The kids LOVE the trampoline. It's a favorite pastime and the favorite spot for all the neighborhood kids. Definitely worth the money.  Celebrated Easter and General Conference with the missionaries.  Love snuggling with my kitty.  Finally finished our mudroom closet! Met Rick for lunch and fed the koi fish. Got to attend a Cardinals game with VIP tickets from a friend and enjoy exclusive access to the field and all-you-can-eat food during the game. So fun.  Every morning Soleil tries to put a swimsuit on for her daily outfit, and every morning I tell her to go change into normal clothes. This morning was no different. Afte...