Christmas 2012

Fun day. Matt and Staci were here from Tuscon. Dad bought Dan Wilkinson's SuperCub. Mom crocheted hats for the kids that were adorable.

I'm hoping at some point that we all decide to eliminate gift giving all together and donate time to a shelter or something. I feel like such a consumer. Will my kids see value in anything since they're always given so much?

As much of a Scrooge as I pretend to be, I really do enjoy Christmas for about two days. Especially when Nicole wraps and buys all the gifts. Haha. Thanks sweetheart!

JJ- electric scooter. Practice for when he's a senior citizen. Also a pair of skis, boots, and bindings. Beads and bead craft books. Slylanders Wii game.

Cate - Barbie scooter. American Girl doll named McKenna and accessories. Lala Loopsy doll. Dora Mermaid doll.

Seth- plastic bike, car, basketball stand, and slide.

Nicole - manicure set. Car detail...which will last 3 days before the carpets once again have smooshed French fries in them. Bosch beater attachments, cinnamon shaker.

Me - Go Pro Video camera. Apple TV. Canvas family pictures.


12 more months to save up for next years financial beating.

Basketball Chaos

JJ birthday party is still a blur. Here's what I DO remember:

13 kids under 8 years old
3 adults
Vastly understaffed
Screaming. Lots of screaming.
Constant line to bathroom
$100 worth of snacks
Singalong in the car to We are Young by fun.
Didn't see one minute of basketball
One kid tried to negotiate with me to play games on my phone. I guess he was bored.
13 left and 13 came home. Victory for me. Even if the Jazz lost.

The great 2012 remodel

I thought an 8 year old house would be pretty current but according to many I am drastically wrong. Here's what needed updating:
Fireplace
Paint
Carpet
Entertainment center
Tv and stereo
Lockers in hallway instead of closet
Bookshelf in piano room.

$30k later. Here we are. House in shambles. Camping in the basement. Trying to find good ways to pay for it and be happy about the lost opportunity cost of that $30k.

I will say this. It really does look good. Nicole picked out great colors and the fireplace/entertainment center are first class.

So I will so my best to not think of the new airplane, car, or boat that is now a part of my home and simply enjoy my new abode.

Moab Triathlon

So I decided to run a triathlon. Just a sprint distance. Meaning...1/2 mile swim, 8 mile Mountain bike, and 5k run. Let's just say I was a tad out of my league.

For the swim... I came in 72nd place out of 74. But I did beat two swimmers. Hooray. Problem number 1: no wetsuit. It was 60 degree water temp. Not good for controlling your breathing. I was virtually the only one without a wetsuit. Problem number 2: wind. Blowing straight in my face on the final stretch. Not a great idea. Problem number 3: lack of training. I had trained for maybe a total of 3 hours in a pool. Never done an open water swim. Smart. Needless to say..I was cramping up, hanging on to rescue crew, and willing myself to finish the swim before I drowned.

The transitions were fine for my first time. The bike ride was extremely technical and I spent a lot of time walking the course. An old jeep trail called Steelbender. Very tough trail. But I finished in about the middle of the pack.

The run was tough too. Uphill to a waterfall, then back down and around Kens Lake. Running in sand the entire time. Finished in about the top 20%.

What an experience. Challenged me like I had never been challenged before and it taught me that procrastination and being unprepared can literally kill you.

The rest of the trip was a blast too. Hiking arches. Morning and evening bike rides on Slickrock trail. And Mike snorting BBQ sauce at the restaurant. Good stuff.

St John

The annual adults only trip to somewhere warm in the winter. This year: St John, USVI.

Absolutely stunning beaches and water. Snorkled every day. House was kind of a dump but it did the job. Food was pretty good but it was all bar/pub/grill food that was slowly killing us with calories and fat. We didn't have quite the navigational adventure like Costa Rica this time, but we did have an iguana in our pool, outdoor showers, skinny/steep/windy roads, and a mass mosquito migration that ate us alive one day. The rubber dingy rental was a kick, as was the power boat tour of the BVIs. Travis showed us a nice contrast between a purple sunburn and a celestially white butt, Teniel showed everyone her two friends that left the bikini top after a powerful wave, and I showed everyone my inability to manscape my armpits. Which I'm still defending as masculinity.

Overall it was a lot of fun as usual. Cinnamon Bay was the best beach. Willy T's the best floating restaurant and the soggy Dollar Bar was the epitome of Carribean relaxation. It's cold here. Why dont I live somewhere warm???

Fitness Pal

So since the beginning of the new year, Nicole as I have been trying to limit our calorie intake and lose weight. The biggest thing other than consistent exercise has been an app called My Fitness Pal. It's taken over our lives!! It's basically a journal of our food intake and exercise. For me, it's been helpful to see what the food I eat is "costing" me in terms of calories. Pretty scary. So far I've lost 12 pounds and I think another 5 and I will be about where I want to be. Although I'll be very hungry.

Resolutions for 2012

Today was the first day of 2012. Apparently it is supposed to be the end of the world this year. I'm not holding my breath. Although the December snowfall was the lowest on record ever. Maybe the doomsdayers were right.

This year, I have several goals. First; I would like to lose 20 pounds. I'm about 195 but that's about 20 pounds too heavy. I don't look that fat but my cheeks get chubby and I certainly could lose some around the middle.

Second; I would like to be a lot nicer to Nicole. What I mean by that is not that I am mean to her, but simply that I don't complement her often. She deserves much more attention and much more encouragement than I give her. That should be my number one priority.

Third; I need to yell at my kids less often. God knows they deserve it sometimes. But its not that I yell at them that often. It's just that when I do yell at them, they remember it. And then they yell at each other because they think that it's okay for dad to do it. We learn by example I guess.

Fourth, I would love to learn to play the guitar better. I need to learn at least one new song each month with both lyrics and guitar. Not that I want to run off and join a rock band. But, it would be nice to be able to break out the guitar and play a song or two for the kids or at a party. In fact, Seth absolutely adores music. Anytime a song comes on you should see the grin on his face and head movements and the dancing. He absolutely loves music. I want to be the source of his entertainment.

Fifth, I want to run a triathlon. The Xterra race is in August and I would love to compete in that. It's a mountain bike, swim, and Trailrun that has become very popular here in Utah.

Sixth, for personal development, I want to be more in control. I want to have more focus, and be less subject to distraction. I realize that this is a lofty goal however at least I can take baby steps.

Happy new year! Let's go get em in 2012.