Ohhhhmmmmm

Brandon and I have been doing our yoga 3x/week for how many weeks now? Maybe 3. We are big fans. Brandon is sure he can run faster and shoot better on the court--sure, why not. And I, well I am feeling quite empowered myself. I feel like I can do things I once only reserved for the man of the house--like taking out the garbages and filling up the car with gas. I think our excitement has rubbed off on Cannon. Here is a basic intro to yoga:
1. UPWARD DOG

2. From upward dog , straighten the back, look forward.
This is PLANK. Do a pushup here, if you want to.

3. Keeping hands and feet flat on the floor, lift the buttocks skyward and look down.
This is DOWNWARD DOG.
Finish by returning to position one: UPWARD DOG. Ohhhhmmmm, don't forget to clear your mind and BREATHE. Do 6 of reps of this routine before bed and you'll be sleeping like a baby. Ha!! If only Cannon slept like a baby--he's more like a 2 a.m. alarm clock that won't go off.

Attention City Slickers!

You know how sometimes you just need a change of scenery?! Well, thank goodness for Saturdays. We decided to take a fun family trip to our nearest mountain getaway. It's so great to be able to hop in the car and drive 15 minutes before the view changes completely. Trees, hills, rocks, wildlife (in the form of roadkill, sadly.) We ascended up the mountain to about 10,000 feet--try marathon training at that altitude!

The view of the valley below was amazing. It was like being in an airplane. We could see the little patchwork of farms below while being practically in the clouds. At that point we turned into a forest of quaking aspens, which were a lovely golden hue. Then we saw it--the strikingly blue Fish Lake.

We ate the lunch we packed along the lakeshore trail and did some walking. Our girls had fun finding treasures: rocks, leaves, old animal bones?, The lake water was so tempting to wade in but they found out quickly it was FREEZING cold. No water skiing here.

I think all the girls got some one-on-one with mom and dad and some good family bonding. We all found our mountain experience to be extremely refreshing!

Any of you city slickers that need a change of scenery--or just want to do some marathon training--come on down...er up!

Our 6-month Old is Gifted

This little guy was playing the piano and singing along yesterday afternoon. A little bit of drool got on the keys but so what? All artists have their eccentricities. Our kid is gifted.
In church today, during the quiet passing of sacrament, he decided to give his talk he'd been practicing all week. In his loudest clearest voice he repeated, "BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...." His calling the people to repentance went on for a good 10 min. and even the girls were a little embarrassed by him. Dad said he had "great confidence in his delivery."
He'll be doing firesides by 9 months.
HAPPY 6 MONTH BIRTHDAY TO OUR BABY CANNON DUHN.

It's not very often that I walk out of WalMart with a warm and happy feeling. But, yesterday was different. Kate and Brynn were at Liberty Girls (aka homeschool club.) Adrie was the only one that wanted to go but too bad 3 yr. olds aren't allowed. I thought about begging...I ended up taking her and baby to Walmart. We were just going in to pick up some pictures and some garam masala so I could make cc's rikki tikki tembo chicken dish. They didn't have it so I made my way to the photo section when I got swept into the children's clothing section (the store is laid out just so that will happen). Anyway, there in the girls section I found...tada...$3 dollar outfits--that didn't even look like they were only $3 dollar outfits...see? cute huh. I think I was able to get Kate a complete wardrobe for next summer.

Meanwhile, Adrie out of the shopping cart is pushing baby in the shopping cart and they are out of sight. I panicked imagining where a 3 yr old and shopping cart could have ended up?---in the boys section. Yikes. I put Adrie IN the cart so I could safely get back to browsing. She, in her clear diction, yells out from the top of the cart, "Mom did you sleep in that shirt?" When I mumbled a yes she started loudly taunting, "YOU'RE IN YOUR P.J.'S, YOU'RE IN YOUR P.J.'S"--definitely time to go! Even after, that Adrie ended up with her own $3 dollar outfit and the messiest frosted chocolate donut in the case. So we left that store with a pretty good feeling overall and darn it I didn't even use the handicap sticker.

Shopping seems to have this effect on all males.

What is Your Excercise Personality?

Every time I get in the car and see that handicap sticker dangling from the rear view mirror I think, "Dang It! I have GOT to return that thing back to my mom." I drove to a YW activity and when I pulled up the girls all said, "Who's handicap in your family?" ...Dang it I have got to return that thing to my mom. I've been saying it all week. But, now it's starting to grow on me. I think I might LIKE having that thing in there. It has occured to me, only recently because I'm a little slow, that I could really be living this up....at Wal-Mart for example. I could finally get a decent spot without having to walk a mile. How about the Home Depot parking lot? And my possibilities pretty much end there. So, I guess I'll get that thing in the mail...in a couple more days. (She has a spare (don't worry)--it's not like she's having to hobble across the big box parking lot)

Speaking of not having to walk very far---I need excercise! I know when I start to get mentally ill that I haven't excercised in a week. BD practically had to kick me out of bed to go running the other day. I just haven't set up a good routine--Do you have one? My favorite excercise is running--maximum benefits in the shortest amount of time. That's my style. If only Cannon would sleep better (I blame him for everything lately), If only I went to bed earlier, if only my legs didn't feel like lead from taking a year off!! I will work up to it I WILL. BD says he doesn't run unless it involves chasing a ball. He is playing tennis in our city league tomorrow morning.

I do have a new favorite excercise I'd like to throw in the routine...

Last night BD and I did YOGA (he actually wanted too--this isn't like ballroom dance lessons). Whoever said Yoga was too slow and boring (all my friends) -- NUTZO! I was dripping sweat! You have to hold these amazing poses and be super strong and flexible and BREATHE! We only made it for thirty minutes of our DVD but I felt amazing afterward--taller, straighter, more graceful, sweaty--a warrior-woman. I'm hooked. 30 min of walking/Running 3x/week, 30 min. yoga 1-2x --that's my ideal workout routine.
Ask me how my workouts are going in a couple of weeks--and make sure I've mailed back that dang handicap sticker!