Sighting on the Green Belt

Mommy Mommy what do you see…
I see a green turtle looking at me.

Reagan Reagan what do you see…
I see a mommy and daddy duck fleeing from me.

Hallie Hallie what do you see…
I see three brown squirrels running up a tree.

Mommy Mommy what do you see…
I see four fish swimming by me.

Reagan Reagan what do you see…
I see five joggers running past me.

Hallie Hallie what do you see…
I see six yellow butterflies flying near me.

Explorers Explorers what do you see…
Three girls on the green belt happy and free.

Walking Down Memory Lane

Today I went on short hike with my girls up the the corner marketplace. It is just a little over a mile from our house. We talked the whole way there and back and it made me remember all the fun trips to the country store in Tropic, Utah when I was a kid.

It was always one of the best parts of visiting my grandparents. I and my cousins or my siblings would walk the four blocks to the store where we would spend our money on candy, silly toys or fireworks. Then we would hurry home to share and play. Sometimes we would even take a couple of trips in one day. There was just something about being big enough to make the trip without our parents and spend our own money. They always had penny candy and candy for a nickel, so even with my limited funds there was something I could afford. The store clerk knew our grandparents and would recognize who we belonged to. I can't count all the time I got asked if I was Richard's daughter. It felt like home even though we were only there for a visit. People would wave to us when they passed us in the cars and we would wave back and laugh, because we had no idea who they were, but they seemed to know us.

When I think of living in a little town this is what I think of. I like the idea of people knowing my kids, of the safeness of walking to the local market, and people stopping to say hello and wave. Our city is growing and I don't even know that we will stay in this town, but I like the way the community has a small town feel. Here people still wave. Here we can walk to the store.

After I bought the girls each an ice cream sandwich and we started back home I couldn't help but smile. Maybe it is still possible to have a little bit of the small town life. Maybe there are people who still want to take the time to remember you and send a smile your way.

Colinism: BFF

Mark's first post of the year!

A friend of TARA's used the term "BFF" in an email recently, so TARA and I have been joking with the term for a few days. So TARA is going to a baptism tonight and as I say goodbye at the door, I tease her "If you bring a cookie back for me, I'll be your BFF!"

Back inside, Colin, Reagan, and Hallie were finishing dinner. Colin asks me "Dad, what does BFF stand for?" I like to hear his ideas and thoughts, so I quiz him back "What do you think it stands for?" He thinks for a few seconds, then slowly offers "Best .......... Female ......... Fantasy? Dad, is Mom your Best Female Fantasy?" I finish swallowing my tongue and choking on myself and say "Best Friend Forever." Colin looks mildly disappointed and says "Well, I guess that is okay, too."

Fun Update

I know that I'm a little behind in my writing. What a disappointment that must be to all you faithful readers. Ü Mark and I have been very busy, but mostly with fun. Mark has started playing basketball again with the ward team. They just won their first game on Thursday. It was a great game with a play by Robert Zimmerman that will go down in history.

I have decided to take my life back and stop sitting back and letting things happen to me. I am stopping the junk in the garage from growing out of control. I even built an organization unit out of PVC. (Thanks Kerrie) I love it and next year I will be able to find all of my Christmas decorations.

I am putting myself out there and making friends. I joined book club, a workout group, and a play group. I am getting to know the people in my neighborhood. No more sitting at home missing Colorado. (Okay I still miss Colorado, but this is my life. This is the life that we have chosen. I still have no doubt this is where the Lord wants us to be and I'm not going to sit around feeling sorry for myself. What fun is that?) There are great people in Texas.

I am taking back my waist line. I lost it for a while there. I even invested in new pants and that still didn't stop me. I kept acting as though this was happening to me instead of gaining control. It is true that it is harder in my living quarters to get the amount of movement that I had in our house, but that isn't much of an excuse. Four weeks ago I finally got mad. I was going to take back my health. I upped my workouts, stopped with the sweets and snacking. I'm still working on getting a good nights sleep, but I know I am going to do this. I am doing it. I've lost 16 pounds.

As a family we are taking bike rides, going on hikes, playing at the park and in our back yard (on the kids trampoline and circle swing). We have gone to a carnival with snow that was trucked in and house drawn carriage rides.

Mark and also I took our first trip to San Antonio last weekend. We ate at a restraunt called Rio Rio and sat right next to the water on the River Walk. We listened to Dave Ramsey talk to us about getting our financial lives in order for most of the day on Saturday and came back recommitted to our plan of saving for a house before we buy.