New Addiction

I have a great new addiction.  I'm pretty sure the hubs doesn't appreciate this because the last day and a half the house has kind of been put on the back burner while I worked on my new addiction.  What is this new addiction you might ask, well confession time...it's digital scrapbooking.  I absolutely, with every fiber of my being, hate, yes that's right, hate scrapbooking.  It takes way to long, makes a big mess, and never looks good when I'm done.  Well I've now found a way that still takes a long time, but doesn't make a big mess, and if you don't like the page when its done you can easily change it.  I've been using the 30 use trial of Photoshop Elements and I love it!!! I'm currently on my last use of it so I have to leave it open otherwise it's good bye Photoshop until I can justify buying it.  I have finished our family 2009 scrapbook it just needs a few final things and I will send it off to Shutterfly to be published.  FYI they're having a sale right now you get 30% of a book.  Sweet!! 
Here's two of my pages. Now remember I'm not talented in the scrapbooking department so no making fun!
PS I got all of the stuff for free from Shabby Princess.  The link is on the left side of my blog.

Big Boy in the House!

It's official I no longer have a baby or toddler roaming my house.  My little boy is now officially a big boy.  Bentley turned 5 on June 30th.  I can't believe it's been 5 years since he entered my life.  He is definitely the center of mine and Brian's lives.  Now he's 5 his current favorites are: reading (he just started reading books on his own and loves it), riding bikes, T-ball, friends, games, golfing, Batman, being a ninja, the list goes on.
I'm so happy to have Bentley.  He's so patient and kind.  Happy 5th Birthday Bentley!!!

Bentley Newborn

Bentley 5 yrs-doing cool Jedi moves

For Bentley's birthday he wanted to have a SpongeBob party.  We decided to have a SpongeBob water party.  The party started out great, sunny and warm.  Within 15 minutes it started to downpour like crazy.  Everyone was drenched.  I had to grab all of the birthday stuff plus all of the little kidlets and go running back to my house.  It was surely a party to remember. 

At the party before the rains came flooding down

This is the first year I haven't made Bentley's birthday cake.  Since I was in class all week long I couldn't swing making a cake.  I think Bentley actually like having a store bought cake.

Lunatic Tri

A few weeks ago I raced in the Lunatic Triathlon in Price.  This was the first triathlon I have done and it totally ROCKED!!!  I have no idea why I've been wasting my sweet time on racing just running races when I could have been doing triathlons the whole time.  The race started at 10pm so it was completely pitch outside when it started.  I was decked from head to toe to wheel with glow sticks.  Bentley highly enjoyed that.  This was the first triathlon in Price so the course we pretty awesome Hahaha!  No really it wasn't that bad except trying to bike out in the boonies in pitch black doesn't work so well.  They did tell us though that the police had sent out reminders that everyone's dogs should be on a leash and the dog catcher was making a round before the race started.  Oh good, that makes me feel a lot better. 
Anyway, the race was great.  I loved the swimming part besides the facts that 1.  I jumped off my bike, ripped my shirt off (I had my swimsuit on underneath) and my shoes and went running across the street and up to the gate to the swimming pool, went to jump in and realized I forgot my goggles and swim cap at my transition station.  So I quickly ran back across the street and grabbed those.  2. I was literally swimming on top of people.  I couldn't pass because we were doing a serpentine swim so there were swimmers going both ways.  We got to swim through the finish line which was fun. The whole thing was a RIOT!!!  Even Brian and Bentley enjoyed it because I came in every half hour and they watched the whole swimming part. I'm totally doing another one this year.  I can't wait!!! 
Here's a few pics.  There's more on my fitness blog.

My wonderful mechanic!

This is how Bentley chose to pass the time.

At the finish line.  I know I look horrendous.  If you leave a comment don't say anything about this picture!!

Delightful Doughnuts!

In the summer Bentley and I have some sort of activity planned everyday.  Well Thursday is cooking/baking day.  Today we decided to use a recipe from the Pioneer Women.  We used her homemade doughnut recipe.
I mixed up the dough last night because it has to be refrigerated for several hours.  This morning we woke up and rolled out the dough that had now doubled in size.  Bentley had a great time cutting the doughnuts and the holes in them.  After that they had to rise for 1 1/2 hours.  Then the fun began.

Dough right after it was made, ready to be refrigerated

 What a handsome chef!! Doughnuts cut and ready to rise.

 All risen!  Ready to fry!!!

Fry Baby Fry!!! (They're 100% fat free)

 Glazing the doughnuts.  He may or may not have licked his fingers.

 All glazed and ready to be devoured!!

The verdict...DELICIOUS!!!

Brian came home for lunch right in time to enjoy some fresh, hot doughnuts.  

Need I mention that's all he ate for lunch

 Showing off our doughnuts and aprons

If you would like to make these yourself click on the link for the recipe. Doughnut Recipe

They really weren't to hard to make and turned out yummy.  Definitely worth a shot.  

How many miles do you think I'll need to run after this adventure?  

In preschool Bentley had a journal that he would draw in everyday and he's been telling me all the things he was going to write in his journal when he went back to school.  He was bummed when I told him he wasn't going back to preschool any more so he wouldn't be able to write in his journal.  So a few days ago we made a summer journal.  Here's today's journal page on making doughnuts.

It says: "I made doughnuts.  They were good.  My mom helped me.  We ate them then dad came. Then dad took them."  
I like how he blames Brian for everything.  PS Brian really didn't take them.  LOL  There's still a plate full left.

Frogs at the Library

Today Bentley and I went to story time at the library.  This was the first time we've been and it was so much fun.  Today's stories were all about frogs.  After reading Bentley colored a picture of a marsh and marsh animals.
If you're looking for some fun summer books to read to the kiddos here are two of them we read today.

Utah Valley Half Marathon

This can also be found on my running blog.  I will put pictures on there, not on here.

Let's start this by talking about the training for the half marathon.  Due to lack of time and in the end desire I didn't train for the race as well as I should have.  3 weeks before the race I ran 8 miles.  That was the longest run I did the entire training.  After that run I ran a total of probably around 12 miles when it should have a least been in the 3os.   Anyway my goal for the race was to do it between a 10:30 and 11:00 minute mile.
The race was on June 12th.  It started at the lovely time of 5:30am!! I had to be at the Provo Mall at 3:30 to get on the bus, so that meant I needed to get up around 2:45 to get ready and get over there.   Well, I went to bed around 10:30 then I laid there until 1:30 because I couldn't sleep due to nerves and excitement.  So yes, I got 1 hour of sleep  to run 13.1 miles on.
 I got to the mall early enough to be on the first bus.  Honestly I could have tried to sleep in a little bit and been on one of the later buses.  On the way up to the starting line I was watching out the window for the mile markers that were set up until we got to the canyon where it was pitch dark.  When I was riding through the canyon on an old clunker bus in the pitch black all I could think was I must be on the marathon bus this is a lot farther than 13 miles.  But sure enough they checked my number bib before I got on to make sure I was a half marathoner.  I was definitely on the right bus.
 Once the bus finally got to the final destination of the starting line we all got of and hurried around the fire pits that were burning.   I met a few friends while waiting around the fire pit which was nice to pass the 2 hours until the starting of the race.
 Finally at 5:30 we were all lined up and ready to go.  The sky was starting to light up a little bit.  It was supposed to be bad weather but it was actually quite nice for a half marathon.  In mile 3 it started to sprinkle a little but it felt so nice.  The run down the canyon was beautiful.  I knew I could run all the way down the canyon because I had done it before.  That was my goal run all the way out of the canyon then I'd see how I felt.  I might need a few walk breaks.  I got out of the canyon and was still feeling great.  This was mile 7 now, only 6.1 more miles to go.  I knew Brian and Bentley would be at Jamestown Square waiting for me so I decided I could run without walking to there.  I made it there still without walking which was now mile 9.  By this time my toe was starting to feel like it was getting a blister and I was feeling kind of sick.  I only had 4 more miles.  I can do this!!!  I got to mile 10 and had to make a pit stop because I was so sick.  After the pit stop I continued running until mile 12 where yet again I was sick!!! I mean SICK!!!  I walked a little here and there in mile 12 then I hit mile 13 and had to make a stop.  That's how sick I was I had 2/10 of mile left in the race, I could see the finish line but I had to stop because I wasn't feeling well.  After my little pit stop I took off for the finish line.
I crossed the finish line and didn't collapse.  I actually felt really good.  I got my finishers medal (which I didn't get from the last one because I was to tired to stand in line), went and picked up my bag, got a creamy bar, and checked on my race shirt.
I'm not sure what my official time was because it's wrong on the marathon website.  It says I was speedy fast which I know I wasn't.  However my handy Garmin I had on the whole time and timed me and I stopped it at the pit stops.  Without the pit stops my time was 2:26.  That is an 11 minute mile.  I cut off 14 minutes from my last half marathon.  YAY!!!! I did it!!! I beat my PR!!!
Now I'm still exhausted from not having slept the night before the race.  My muscles are sore. I'm pretty sure I did something to my foot and I have a blood blister on the end of my toe.  The crazy thing is with all of the pain I'm planning my next one. Hopefully my foot will heal quickly so I can run soon.  I'll be doing a lot of biking and swimming to keep off my foot for a while.
It was a great race!! Great weather, I was in one of my favorite places in Utah, and I know this sounds weird but both times I've ran a half marathon I know my grandpa Stansfield is there running with me.  I love running the long races for that reason it's an amazing experience!!!

Preschool Graduation

Bentley has totally LOVED preschool this year.  His teacher Miss Mari and her aid Mrs. Steward were absolutely fabulous!!!  I couldn't have asked for a better teacher.  Every day he wanted to go to school instead of the babysitters. 
I had one of the reading techs at the school take my class for a half hour so I could go to the preschool graduation.  It was adorable.  The sang songs, did chants, and danced. Bentley's part in the program was "Welcome to Preschool Graduation".  Bentley has missed his friends from school.  I'm pretty sure that he and his best friend Drew will be in the same kindergarten class.  They're both signed up for the Dual Immersion Kindergarten.  This is a program where half the day is taught in English and half is taught in Spanish.  Bentley can't wait for kindergarten and loves seeing his kindergarten teacher when we go to the school to work.
Here's some pictures of the cute little program.  They even made shirts for it.  Each shirt has every kid in the classes hand print on it and labeled with their name.

Drew and Bentley