Post Ragnar...Much Needed R & R !!

After Ragnar was over and everyone else came home, Brandon and I got to stay in California for an extra 4 days. Thanks to our AWESOME friends Richard and Cherilyn who were willing to stay with our kids for an entire week and to my awesome brother, Jake, for letting us use his time share in Oceanside, we got some much needed one on one time and lots of R & R!! I always LOVE spending time with just my hubby and am so grateful that I am married to such an amazing man who always puts my needs above his. It was SOOOOO nice to have NO plans and to just do whatever we felt like doing. It was an extra treat too since it was over my birthday weekend!! Here are some of the highlights...

#1. SLEPT IN!

#2. SLEPT ALL NIGHT...with NO kids crawling in bed with us!!

#3. Watched 3 movies at the local theatre!

#4. Ate a LOT of GOOD FOOD!

#5. FINALLY did a session at the San Diego Temple...I can check that off my bucket list!!

#6. Toured the USS Midway...if you are ever in San Diego this is a must!

#7. Hung out on the beach!

#8. Visited Coronado Island

#9. Just hung out on the couch of the condo and did nothing!

#10. Spent 4 incredible days with my best friend!!!

On the Beach just down from the Condo

My hubby is like a little boy...always exploring!

Just chillen while my hubby explored the rocks!

A starfish that my hubby found in the rocks

Us outside the San Diego Temple...The last thing my mom said to me was 'don't forget your recommend!' And what did I go off and forget...yep...My recommend! After some phone calls and research they decided to let me in anyway:)

Brandon on the USS Midway

Brandon was being naughty so I put him in the Brig!

My Hot Honey by some airplanes

Out on the flight deck of the USS Midway

Outside the USS Midway

Coronado Island...I LOVE this place!!

Our last breakfast in Oceanside was out on the Oceanside Pier!!

BIG THANKS again to Richard and Cherilyn for babysitting our hellions...we couldn't ask for better friends!! To Jami for watching our #1 Hellion...I couldn't ask for a better sister!! To Carly for keeping Miles at night...I have been blessed with AMAZING nieces who are always so willing to bail out their Aunt Tiff! And to Jake for letting us use your time share...you are definitely my favorite brother named Jake!!!

An Experience of a Lifetime!!

Words Cannot Explain How I Feel Right Now...a few months ago my good friend, Lori Nelson, came by my house and asked me to be a part of the So Cal Ragnar Team she was putting together. I didn't really know what to say to her since Ragnar Teams are usually filled with amazing runners like, Sara, Nikki, Lori, Marinda, Karleen, Deni, etc. I went ahead and accepted the challange. I have been training, in my opinion, very hard for this event over the past few months. Along with my AMAZING sister, we put in lots of hours running 'Stonebridge', 'Artist Draw', and 'Rocky Draw'.

Let me explain what exactly a Ragnar Relay is for those of you who don't know...

#1. You find 12 people crazy enough to want to run, or even enjoy to run!

#2. You divide them in half and put 6 in one vehicle and the other 6 in another vehicle.

#3. You drive to Southern California, hence the name 'So Cal Ragnar', and meet in Ventura, California.

#4. You make sure your team has a HIGH CARB dinner the night before.

#5. You TRY to get a good night sleep the night before, but your nerves aren't very nice to you:)!!

#6. Van #1, which was Me, Jami, Lori Nelson (our team captian), Melody Whipple, Robbi Hanock, and Heather Sulzer, leaves our hotel at 5:30am so we can make our start time of 6:30am!!

#7. 6:30am...Robbi is off!

#8. Each runner in our van runs their first leg and we hand off to Van #2!!

#9. Van #2, Marinda & Reese, Shawna & Bruce, and Kelli & Spencer, which are ALL speed demons, finish their first legs and they hand back off to Van #1!

#10. Now its time for the 'NIGHT' Run! There is something about running through LA that can scare a girl into running faster than she has EVER ran before!!!

#11. By your 3rd leg you wonder if you even have the strength to get out of the van to run. You are sleep deprived, tired, exhausted, and the soreness is settling in.

#12. You FINISH your 3rd leg and you want to cry because you have just accomplished one of THE hardest things you have EVER done in your life!!!

#13. Then you wait for Van #2 at the finish line!

#14. 200 MILES OF RUNNING , 3 legs each, and 36 hours of no sleep later you all cross the finish line together as a team with a feeling that is indiscribable!!!

#15. You still actually LOVE Lori Nelson and actually THANK her for asking you to be a part of this crazy adventure!!!

THAT MY FRIENDS...IS A RAGNAR!!!

Brandon and Tim were are AWESOME drivers!! We couldn't have done it without them!

The LA Temple

The 6 in our Van #1 outside the LA Temple

Brandon and I at the LA Temple

Robbi, Lori, Me, Melody, and Jami in Quartsite on our way to CA

Out on Ventura Pier and at Dinner at Cappriccios

Van #1 during their 1st Legs!

The LOVELY Night Run!

(You gotta Love Tim's Safety Vest:)

Lori and I
Meloday trying to pry me away from the van to go run my 1st leg!
Tim stretching...so he can drive well!
Jami, Lori and Melody
Lori Pinching a Lady's bum!
Melody, Brandon, Jami and Tim Chillaxin between our 1st and 2nd runs


Me excited that I actually passed a skinny mini on all 3 hills of my last leg...yes that means she would pass my on the downside, but hey I still passed someone!!
Jami finishing her last leg...poor Jami took the wrong turn & added a 1/2 mile to her run!
Heather finishing her last leg
Melody handing off to Lori for the LAST time!!


Van #2
Shawna and Bruce
Marinda and Reese
Spencer and Kelli
Kelli handing off to Robbi
Kelli comin in at the 2nd Major Exchange
Lori handing off to Shawna at the 1st Major Exchange


WE DID IT!!
Jami and I with our Medals...SO glad that I got to accomplish this with my sister!
Van#1 showing what runner # we were
Van #2 at the finish line!
Vane #1 showing what we felt like after our last leg!


Team '51 Kids Home Alone' crossing the finish line!

Team '51 Kids Home Alone'...and yes those are smiles on our face!

I accomplished things this past weekend that I NEVER imagined I would or even could ever accomplish. I hope that Team '51 Kids Home Alone' knows how much I look up to, love, admire, and adore ALL of you!

I SAY WE MAKE THIS A YEARLY TRADITION!!

Scared Crapless...

In less than two days I will embark on a journey with 9 women and 3 men...it's a journey that I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I would be a part of. I'm scared, anxious, and excited all at the same time.

We will be doing a LOT of this...

And by the time I'm on my 3rd leg I'll probably look like this...

But I hope in the end we will be doing a LOT of this...

I know it's not where you run or how fast you run that matters...it only matters that you go and accomplish. I pray that come Saturday afternoon I can say that I did my best and finished the race!!

She's simply AMAZING...

Dear Sister...

Sorry this is a day late!! I bet you thought I wasn't gonna give you a birthday post didnt' you??!

Well...you were wrong!!

I can only imagine how excited I was up in Heaven when they told me that I FINALLY would get to come to earth and have you as my big sister. I have always looked up to you in sooooo many ways!!! You inspire me to be a better person and I want to be just like you when I grow up!! Love you more than you know!! Happy Day Late 43rd Birthday!!

Fun, Fun, Fun...

I had the oportunity to take these two girl's Senior Pics this week.

As you can see from this photo...they were SOOOO much fun to do a photo shoot with!


To check out a few of their pics go to my photography blog!

Time Well Spent...

Since my mom hardly gets any days away from her calling as Temple Matron, we told her back in February that for part of her birthday we were going to kidnap her for a weekend while they had two weeks off in April. Soooo, this past weekend me, my mom, and my sister headed to the valley. We had TONS OF FUN shopping, eating, laughing, shopping some more, eating some more, and laughing a LOT more (I hope that what happened in the valley...STAYS in the valley:)!!

Words cannot express how much I love these two women!! I couldn't have been blessed with a better mom and sister. They truly are amazing examples and two of my bestest friends. The weekend definitely didn't last long enough!!

My BEAUTIFUL mother...always leading by example!!!

My HOT, HOT, HOT sister enjoying her pedicure!

Mom enjoying her pedicure!

Pinwood Derby....

AND THE WINNER IS....

NOT US!!!!!

We LOVE the Pinewood Derby around our house soooooo much that we would rather bribe our kids with their very own large blizzard from DQ! But this year we actually decided to give it a try and we have now reminded ourselves once again why we always result in bribery.

These poor boys didn't win a race!! Even racing against each other they tied!!!

Can you see the excitement on their faces!!!

You boys are both winners to us!!

No Way...

I am still telling myself that there is just 'NO WAY' that these three will be graduating next month!!



To check out their Senior Pics go to my photography blog by clicking on the 'Pics by Tif' over
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End it with a prayer...

The other day I was gone and when I got home I checked my messages. Tristen had called from the school asking if I would bring his Bass to orchestra class. At the end of his message he closed it with..."In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." Having realized what he had said on the answering machine he started laughing! It made me laugh the rest of the day...at least I know he is striving to 'Pray Always!'



Gotta Love This Kid!!