Birthdays

How does something this small, and precious....

Turn into a little terrorizer like this??

My sweet little 'nephew' Talon, just turned 4! I remember the day he was born, I was soooo excited to love on him. He was the best baby I had ever seen! He just moaned and groaned and would occasionally open his baby blue eyes to see who was holding him. He was so tiny, and had a head full of dark hair. (Totally opposite of his older brother; who was a HUGE, bald baby).

Talon, at four, you are your own little independent soul.

You go to preschool, and attempt at making friends.

You have a HUGE attitude, good and bad :]

You are a lover.

And very much a fighter.

You love baseball and soccer.

And you love to go to the pool with me and Tanner.

'Mayen' and Scott love you little boy. Hope your 4th birthday was a blast!!

Better Late Than Never

This post is so late, but I said I was going to post pictures from the Luke Bryan/Jason Aldean concert... And I'm just getting them off my camera and onto my computer (sooo lazy!). So here it is. Some of the pictures are blurry, that's in respect to my jam session I was in the middle of.. You know you can't just stop to take a photo in the middle of a jam session?! Haha :]

I can't put into words how much I LOVE concerts.. As a matter of fact, I'm going to 3 more this summer: Sugarland, The Country Showdown (lots and lots of bands i.e. Eric Chruch, Little Big Town, Montgomery Gentry, Jack Ingram), And Trace Adkins! I needed something to keep me busy while Scott was away... Gezz!

It's that time again.....

We found out early this week that Scott will be leaving in 2 weeks for the summer... Wow. I knew this was coming, but good grief. This came way sooner than I anticipated! It's bittersweet really. It's good he's going and getting back to work, but it's so hard being without him. Three months was rough last year, this time around- the possibility of 6 months. Me and the boys will be regulars in Grace when this is all said and done, we may even take up residency :] So he's been bookin' it to get the trailer back in 'order' for living in. A good clean, inside and outside, and refilling. It's nearly impossible to think of all the things you may possibly need in 6 months, hopefully Grace has a good store, and it helps that his Mama isn't that far away either.

This is just kind of a funny story that just popped into my head.... When Scott left last year, me and Diesel were having to make trips to Malta at least 3 times a week... Not because I missed Scott, but because the dog missed Scott! He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't sleep... He just paced and cried for a good month! I hope he doesn't pull this stunt again! Scott seems to think he'll take him and he can live with him over the summer, but I think the same would go if he were away from me for too long... This dog is a child, I'm not even kidding! Haha!

Well, that is all the news going on around here. Hope everyone is doing well!

Until next time,

Maren

Marathon

I have somehow convinced myself I am going to run in the Pocatello Running the Gap Marathon in September! Any of you who know me, know that I had had less than perfect knees since... uh, birth! Haha. And also know how much I HATE running! But, I really wanted to get serious about getting back into shape, so what better way to do it than by a good run!? I have been training A LOT. And I am so impressed by what I can do, despite what I thought I couldn't do. I'm totally proving myself wrong. Thank goodness I have a willing, awesome, keep me motivated kind of partner... Diesel Dog, of course!! He loves our runs and has made great friends with the neighbor dogs :] I love being able to go to my old elementary school and use the track there on the weekend, but during the week while the kids are in school, I go to OK Ward Park. One lap around is .2 more than Chubbuck, so I get to push myself harder there and slack, just a little, on the weekends! I'm working on getting my lungs use to an intense workout (asthma) and I am about able to run for 30 minutes straight... Considering 3 weeks ago they felt as though they were going to blow up around .5 mile! I'll keep everyone posted on my progress. I'm hoping to really bump it up now the weather is getting SO NICE!!

Hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather as well.

Until next time!

-Maren

Conference & Easter

I love Conference. And what a blessing it was to be on Easter Sunday this year. At first I was a little bummed because I love to go to sacrament and listen to the messages on Easter. But then I thought, well what kind of messages am I going to hear if they are from the prophets?! Duh... It took me a minute. I think I've said this a few times before, but I always feel as though the leaders speak right to me. The last 2 years have been so rough, losing my grandma, Scott's grandpa, my uncle Scott... the list could go on and on. I thought the talk on not letting the earthly things, get in the way of the spiritual things (I wish I could remember the Elders name). Wow. What a powerful message. I looked over to my mom, and she was crying. She knew what he was talking about. Conference is such a great way to start fresh for the next 6 months. It's like a clean slate every conference. They give us the knowledge we need, and replenish our spiritual need a few months later. When President Monson opened up about his wife, I saw a new man. A side I don't think you really see of him. It was neat to hear him talk about her. With President Hinckley, he always talked about Marjorie, always. It was a pleasant surprise. The messages this go around were powerful, as usual. But I felt a different motivation from this one. It means something, but what, I'm not sure of yet :] I am so grateful I am a member of the Church. How lucky am I to have been born a member. I loved listening to Elder Uchtdorf talk about the converts and all they went through, just to be a member of the church. You really don't realize how lucky you are to have been born in this faith. Even though all the persecution we've been through, and will continue to go through. I know the messages the Prophets give me are true, and I know this church is true.

"Easter is a sacred day, a day of thanksgiving and divine worship,” President David O. McKay once said. “It is not a day just for rejoicing because of the opening of springtime, not merely an opportunity to display beautiful hats and fine clothing—it is an occasion for the expression of gratitude to God for having sent His Only Begotten Son into the world to be ‘the way, the truth, the life.’ ” I got this quote out of an Ensign from 1982. Isn't it wonderful?!

Hope everyone had a great Easter/Conference weekend