Four Things You Don't Know About Me

 

Four things about me that you may or may not have known in any particular order.

      Four jobs I have had in my life:

          1. Worked at a day care

          2. Office Manager at a Vet Clinic

          3. Worked at a hair salon working the tanning beds

          4. Accounts Receivable for a clean room company

 

      Four movies I have watched more than once (or 100 times):

          1. Grease

          2. Tommy Boy

          3. The Shawshank Redemption

          4. Saving Private Ryan (thanks Mike!)

     

Four Places I have lived:

          1. Glendora, California

          2. Portland, Oregon

          3. Canby, Oregon

          4. Hubbard, Oregon

     

Four T.V. Shows that I watch:

          1. Ghost Hunters

          2. The Office

          3. Deadliest Catch

          4. Law & Order (any)

      Four places I have been:

          1. Mazatlan, Mexico

          2. Oklahoma

          3. Rexburg, Idaho

          4. Yuma, Arizona

      Four People who e-mail me (regularly):

           1. Mike

           2. (does spam count???)

           3. wow, I need more friends!

           4.

    

Four favorite foods:

           1. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

           2. Creme Brule

           3. anything Niki makes

           4. Belgium waffles

    

  Four places I would like to visit:

           1. Hawaii

           2. Australia

           3. New York

           4. Grand Canyon

           

Four things I am looking forward to in the coming year:

           1. Sun

           2. Girl's Camp

           3. competing in my first Triathlon

           4. Camping with the Allen's

 

Thanks Mary for sending me this.  Although, I would have done much better if it was "THREE things you didn't know about me"!!!  4 was hard!

A Huge Thank You!

On this Memorial day, I'd like to send out a huge thanks to every man and woman who has served in our military.  I can not express my appreciation enough for what you have sacrificed on our behalf.  It's not said often, but I know that the freedom's that are so easily taken for granted, were obtained and defended through the sacrifice and blood of our military.  THANK YOU!

Yes, I know, I know!

I'm a delinquent.  I'm sorry.  It just seems like nothing exciting is happening.  And we just get so busy!  So, I'll just update a bit.  My sister came out on Friday night.  We had invited her oldest son to come out and attend an OSU Beaver's baseball game with Mike and Conner.  So, she came with her 2 year old.  On Saturday, when the boys left, all us girls went to the zoo.  We actually had a good time.  There were a million people there, but we didn't get rained on, so it was all good.  I only lost the older girls once, so that was pretty good.  My sister took a bunch of pics and as soon as she unloads her camera, I'll post some.

 

Mike and Conner had fun at the baseball game with my nephew and Conner's friend Tyson, who came down from Washington.  They had a sleep over on Friday night and they were having a blast.  It was nice that all the boys got along so well.  We enjoyed having both of them over and hope to be able to do it again soon.

 

I think Conner has decided NOT to play football this year!!!  YEAH!  It's been kind of a mess and I'm not really happy with the way things have gone so far with sign ups.  I don't feel that Conner should have to play with 5th & 6th grade kids.  I know, he'll be in 5th grade.  But his birthday is so late in the summer that he'll be playing against boys who are up to 3 years older and so much bigger than him.  The crazy thing is that there are boys who are older than him that will be playing 3rd & 4th grade football because they were held back a year...  Seems silly to me!  But it seems like our football guy isn't very interested in hearing what my concerns are about that, so maybe it's best if he doesn't play this year.  The poor kid is so small that I want him to be able to actually play, and be SAFE!  Apparently, that's not a big deal to others...  Ok, off my soapbox now!

 

We're still well into baseball and softball.  If you add the end of the season dance performances too, we're keeping busy.  Oh, plus my first triathlon is in less than 3 weeks, so now I've got to up my training...  UGH!  I'm starting to get butterfly's just thinking about it!  But it will be a great learning experience for me.  And a huge accomplishment when it's actually over!

 

Alia is ready to start cheerleading.  We're hoping that they get a coach so that they can actually have a squad this year.  She's been waiting so long to finally do it, I hope it works out!

 

I think that's it for now.  I'll post some cute zoo pics as soon as I get them! 

Sorry, Another bike post!

I just got back from my Reach the Beach bike ride.  Oh my goodness.  What an AMAZING experience.  Sarah and I drove out to Amity on a gorgeous morning, back country roads and peace and quiet with NO kids!  We got to the high school to check in and meet our riding pal, Mike.  We headed out and were in for beautiful (hot) weather and rolling hills on farm roads.  Our first stop was in Sheridan where we fueled up with some yummy food and a potty stop, then off to Grand Ronde.  Again, beautiful back roads, amazing weather and great company and an easy beautiful ride.  Grand Ronde was our halfway point.  It also brought a yummy hot lunch of loaded baked potatoes and soup (soup?  It's 90 degrees out!) that were hot but tasty.  After a short break, we headed out for the hard leg of our trek.  This was much harder for all of us.  It felt like lunch was sitting like a brick in the bottom of my stomach and I was spinning my wheels not getting anywhere.  There was a wicked head wind that made it feel like we weren't moving at all, despite peddling as fast as I could!  I finally got my second wind as we were coming up to stop #3.  We made a quick stop there and kept on trucking.  This is where the "hard" part was.  After a nice smooth downhill came the uphill.  It was pretty steep.  I got off and walked, but Sarah pulled through the whole thing.  I was amazed.  She did awesome!  After that it was pretty flat.  We trekked into the finish line in just under 4 hours!  Of course, that was actual riding time.  It didn't count our breaks, but we did it in the time we wanted.  Yeah us!!  After some fun freebies and a delicious dinner, we headed back to the car and came home.  It was an amazing and empowering experience.  I'm already looking forward to next year.  I think we'll attempt the 75 miler and I'll have my Mike come with me too!  I just kept thinking how much better my experience would be if he was with me.  Next year...

YES, I KNOW!!!

You're tired of hearing about my bike and I need to update my blog.  I get it!!!

 

Mike went out of town on Monday.  He was in Georgia until Thursday night.  His mom, Janet, has been staying with me.  Between handling all of the kids stuff by myself and fitting in some fun stuff with her, I haven't been able to sit down at the computer much.  So let me back up...

 

Last Saturday, Mike planned on participating in the "Canby Gator Grinder" sprint triathlon.  However, it filled up really fast, so he was placed on a wait list.  He trained for it, but his number never came up, so he wasn't able to do it.  Seeing as how he did all his training, he was a bit disappointed, so we made up our own triathlon.  We called it the "Lader Gader".  He came in first place!!!  Ok, so really he was the only one who did it, but none the less...  He swam 500 meters at the pool, then biked 13.2 miles to our house and then jumped off his bike and ran a 5k.  He finished in 1:21:07!  Amazing!  Great job!  Only 4 weeks until the "real" one!!!

 

Monday night Conner's baseball team got spanked.  It wasn't pretty!  Conner played second base for 2 innings and was only up to bat once in the whole game.  At least he walked at his once at bat and didn't strike out!

 

Tuesday we went to the St. Paul Food Storage Center.  Our ward had a fun potluck bbq and then we were able to go inside and dry pack can some basic foods.  ALL of the kids helped out.  It was really fun.

 

Wednesday Conner's team played again.  This time they won.  They actually had a pretty good game.  The babies stay with me and played in the dirt.  The weather was FINALLY nice!

 

Thursday Leise's team played.  I was at the airport so I missed the game, but Grandma told me that Leise played an AWESOME game!  She had a big hit and was even able to score.  They finished with a tie, but I don't think the girls cared!

 

Last night Mike treated me to a new outfit for my big ride today.  I got new bike shorts (actually made for a girl!  It DOES make a difference) and a BRIGHT yellow shirt.  Yeah!  I can't wait to ride.  Then we went out to dinner with his mom.  It was a lot of fun to slow down and enjoy adult conversation without being interrupted a million times.

 

So, now I'm waiting for my ride to head out to our start point for our big ride today.  I'm really excited and I think I even have everything I need.  I'm sure you won't want to hear it, but I'll fill in the details later!

I LOVE MY BIKE!

On Thursday, my friend Sarah and I went on a bike trek.  Getting ready for our 55 miler next week, we mapped a course that is about 32.5 miles.  It was so much fun!  We traveled all over.  Started off with a lot of flat ground, but it was fun to get started.  In the middle, we did a ton of hills.  It was awesome!  It took us about 3 hours and 20 minutes of that was rest time.  I am so looking forward to next Saturday.  I think I can actually do it!

 

Great job Conner on his team win on Wednesday night (I don't remember if I already posted that).  He has 2 more games this week and is looking forward to the opportunity to pitch.

 

Ann-Elise was SMOKING HOT at her game on Thursday.  She is turning into a great fielder.  She has been playing short stop and gets a lot of balls her way.  She had a beautiful stop and perfect throw to 3rd base to get an out.  We're still working on her hitting, but she is doing amazing!

Husband Tag

I've been tagged with Husband Tag... keep reading to see if YOU have been tagged!

So here we go...

What is his name? Michael, Mike, & Dad

How long have you been married? 12 years, 13 in November

How long did you date? We're still dating!  But we dated for 2 1/2 years before we married.

How old is he? He is 35

Who eats more? It depends on the meal, but I hope he does!

Who said I love you first? I did, but he shut me down.  Then I had to wait for him.  He came around eventually!

Who is taller? He is, but that's not too hard!  I'm pretty short.

Who sings better? I think we're both about average.

Who's temper is worse? Oh, I win this one!

Who does the laundry? Generally me, but he definitely know how to do it!

Who does the dishes? Me. Although, the older kids have to take turns unloading the dishwasher.  For some reason, I hate to do that!

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed (when you are facing it)? Me again.

Who pays the bills? I do, but I'm ready to turn that over to him.  He's WAY more spending conscious than I am!

Who cooks dinner? Me.  And most nights, I actually don't mind!

Who mows the lawn? Conner!

Who drives when you are together? He does.

Who has more friends? He probably knows more people than I do, but I have more "close" friends.

Who has more siblings? Well... there are 4 kids in my family.  He has 2 blood siblings, but if you count step and half siblings, then he does (and we do because they are family!)

Who wears the pants in the family? We make decisions together, however, he has final say (and I'm ok with that!!!).  We both voice our opinions and then generally come to a conclusion together, but I like being able to put major decisions onto him when I'm on the fence.  He's amazing and I trust him.  He is way more "balanced and clear headed" than I can be!

Ok, I'm tagging... Mary (sucks when you're the only one who posts comments, huh!)

Every once in a while they surprise you!

As we were heading out to Ann-Elise's softball game last night, a friend was next door.  She and I were saying our hello's.  Her son leaned out the back window of her car and said "tell Conner thanks for the dollar".  Huh?  My friend went on to explain that when she had given me a couple bags of clothes for Conner, he found a dollar in one of the pockets.  Knowing that it wasn't his, but belonged to her son and instead of just putting it in his bank or wallet, he actually went next door and gave it to the boys uncle to give to him the next time he saw him.  My jaw hit the ground.  My son?  Really?  I got in the car and talked with Conner about it.  Really, with no adults knowledge, he did the right thing.  I was so impressed.  Those are the moments of accomplishment for me!  No prodding necessary.  He decided to "choose the right" all by himself!  Way to go Conner!

And GREAT job Ann-Elise on your first softball game.  She was so tired after a fun afternoon of bowling and pizza with her best friend and school principle and teacher, but she was a trooper and played in her game anyway.  She also had an AMAZING play at 2nd base and made the 3rd out!  YEAH!

Another 10k down!

I ran my second 10k on Saturday.  For those of you who don't know, a 10k is 6.2 miles.  I had talked with my friend Laura about it a couple months ago and told her she should do it with me, then I went and signed her up.  Happy Birthday early, Laura!!!  Anyway, she went.  Reluctantly.  But she went.  We got up early and drove out to Hagg Lake, which is about 50 minutes from us.  We got off to a rough start.  Poor Laura was having a horrible morning.  Well, it can't get any worse, right?  We head out to the lake.  Yep, we get lost.  I have this awesome GPS, but the battery was dead and I couldn't find the car charger.  We make it there anyway.  So what if we had to call Mike when we got lost.  We almost found it on our own!

 

Anyway, we got there about 30 minutes before the race.  Go through check in and then potty stop.  We are ready!  Oh, I forgot to mention, that on the registration, it described that course as "rolling hills".  Ok, I run in HUBBARD.  Where the only "hill" is the one my house sits on.  It's FLAT here!!!  But I'm sure that we can do it!  We get lined up and time starts.  We're off and running.  We had decided to leave our ipods in the car so we could visit as we run.  Well, let me tell you, there are no "rolling hills" out there.  There are FREAKING MOUNTAINS!  It was an out and back, but I swear, it was up hill BOTH ways!  However, it was beautiful.  It is amazing watching the "real" runners go.  I am amazed at their speed and skill.  Maybe someday...

 

We actually had a great time and finished in (for us) a pretty good time.  I was able to shave over 2 minutes off my old time, but the last one was flat.  So, if you factor that in, we did great!  Oh, we finished in 1:29:35.  We don't need to discuss the fact that there was a 78 year old man who ran the 10 MILER in less time than that...

                              

Now, I have about 2 weeks until my "Reach the Beach" bike ride for the American Lung Association.  Then 6 weeks until my first Triathlon.  I know that I'm not the best athlete out there, or the skinniest, but darn it, I feel great when I'm out there and just knowing that I can do it is worth it!

One Word...

Not as easy as you might think... answer each question with only one word!

1. Where is your cell phone? table

2. Significant other? Hot

3. Your hair? short

4.Your mother? busy

5. Your father? funny

6. Your favorite thing? shopping

7. Your dream last night? weird

8. Your favorite drink? water

9. Your dream/goal? thin

10. The room you're in? dining

11. Your hobby? running

12. Your fear? alone

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? school

14. Where were you last night? Hilton

15. What you're not? skinny

16. Muffins? sure

17. One of your wish list items? massage

18. Where you grew up? Portland

19. The last thing you did? baked

20. What are you wearing? dress

21. Your TV? big

22. Your pets? annoying

23. Your computer? dying

24. Your life? amazing

25. Your mood? great

26. Missing someone? Michael

27. Your car ? foreign

28. Something you're not wearing? shoes

29. Favorite store? Amazon

30. Your summer? soon

31. Like someone? kids

32. Your favorite color? green

33. When is the last time you laughed? today

34. Last time you cried? today

35. Who will resend this? anyone?

Reach the Beach

My buddy Sarah talked me into riding in the 55 mile leg of the American Lung Association's "Reach the Beach".  I signed up today and I'm really excited about it.  However, I am required to raise at least $50.00 for the cause.  If you want to donate to help me out, just follow this link.  And thanks for your support!

Layers of me.....

LAYER ONE:
Spell your name with animals.

B- bob cat

E- eagle

C- chicken

K- kangaroo

I- iguana

LAYER TWO:
Name: Becki

Birthday: March 15

Nickname: Beck, Goldfish

Current Location: computer desk, hubbard Or

Eye Color: brown

Hair Color: brown at the moment

Right or Left: right

LAYER THREE:
Shoes you wore today: none yet, but I'm going to put on my Nike runners
Your perfect pizza: light sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, roma tomatoes

LAYER FOUR:
Best holiday: 4th of July

Most missed memory:  Hanging with my friends Tara and Jesica in my teen years.  Don't miss those years, just my friends!

LAYER FIVE:
Pepsi or Coke: diet either

McDonald’s or Burger King: McDonald's

Adidas or Nike: Nike

Lipton Ice Tea or Hot Chocolate: Hot Chocolate

Chocolate or Vanilla: vanilla

 

LAYER SIX:
Curse?: unfortunately yeah sometimes

Do you sing?: not very well, but yes

Want to go to college?: possibly when Caile's in school.  But I don't know what for!

Get motion sickness: nope

Think you’re a health freak: Not a freak, but I'm trying to be healty

Play an instrument: nope

LAYER SEVEN
In the past month. . . . . .

Drank alcohol: never

Gone to the mall: what's that?

Eaten an entire pizza: does a Jenny Craig personal pizza count?

Been on stage: nope

Gone skating: no

Made homemade cookies: I did make some from a box.

 

LAYER EIGHT:

Have you ever… . . . .

Been in big trouble with your parents: More times then I can count

Lied about your age: yes

Used a fake ID: Does a "borrowed" id count?

LAYER NINE:

Age you hope to be married: For all the rest of them

Number of Children: 5

 

LAYER TEN:
In a girl/guy........

Best eye color: Blue

Best hair color : No hair :-)

Short hair or long: short for guys

LAYER ELEVEN:

Number of people you could trust with your life: 1

Number of CD’s you own: Personally?  maybe 10

Number of tattoos: zero

Number of piercings: just 1 set of earing