DOG YEARS

It appears as though I have completely given up on blogging. I have been a complete lazy blogger and admit it. My dear sister/ friend gave me the greatest gift this year for my birthday which was a book edition of this blog. Worthy of publication, no, not really, but truly the greatest gift!! I pledged at that moment to do better at keep up with our day to day operations and sharing them here for future editions of this book!

I blogged on this very day last year and truly, it seems like it was just yesterday. This very day last year I was counting up 13 reasons why I was still madly in love with my cute husband! Once again, here I am....only now 14 years have passed since we married. In my perusing of the anniversary cards I found one that said this " If we were monkeys, I would pick the bugs out of your fur" (open card) "If we were bugs, I would help you hide". I giggled and promptly purchased the card. Inside the card, I felt somewhat compelled to add to the list, but instead am doing so on this blog.

If you want to do LOTOJA, I will ride the whole thing right by your side (ok, in your draft, but you get this picture).

If you are sick and puking, I will get you a bucket and pray for your speedy recovery! (I don't do puke!) :)

If you must hit a deer while driving, I will applaud your decorum and driving skills in keeping us all safe.

If you need me to back the car down to the boat ramp, I will remember not to run you over (and remind you to turn the boat off!:))

If you carry the Christmas tree upstairs, I will take it from there (mr. grinch!).

If you are tearing up while watching our daughter sing in church, I will share my tissue with you (if I had one. I had mascara running everywhere!)

If ANY more of our kids want to play soccer, I will make sure you are not their coach! (I love you that much!)

If anyone is dissing you to me at the office Christmas party, or elsewhere.......I'll remind them that you're my main man and consequently, they are full of crap!

If you get the crazy notion to do Leadville again, I will try my best to do it too!

I won't tell anyone how much you love our puppy! (or make you surrender your man card!) To me it's just a sign of your tender heart, and I love that!

If you plan a guys trip to go biking, I will not plan a retaliatory strike, even though I might joke about one!

If you buy another mustard colored biking jersey, I will gladly give you my honest opinion about it.. (lovingly, of course!)

If my bike shoes stink to high heaven from a wet spring I will NOT leave them in the house or any contained space so as to soil the air. (follow my lead here babe!)

If I get some crazy idea to host something, someone, or volunteer to be in charge of something, I will let you talk me out of it!:)

If you want to take me off to a warm beach-like destination.......I would go with you!

If you want tickle my back while I drift off to sleep......I will let you!:)

Jamesta, you are my best friend and partner in crime. I'm sorry that I always have to try to join you because I cannot beat you. I just like being part of the action vs. watching it! I love the life we have built together and the adventure that it is every single day! I thank you for standing by me, believing in me and still loving me! (you do still love me right?) I pray these last 14 years haven't felt like dog years baby!!! I love you the most! Happy Anniversary!

Signs of Fall

Fall is upon us! How do I know??? Look around, the leaves are changing, temps are cooling, etc. etc.. For those of us crazies, the arrival of fall is signified by a few other significant events. LOTOJA for instance, the bikers passage into fall for many. This year we decided to bring the kids (yes all of them) with us to LOTOJA so they could see what the whole event was all about. The suffering was long, but nothing beats seeing your cute little kiddos at the rest stops ready and willing to love on you and shake up your bottle of coke so it sprays all over everyone within 15 feet (thanks girls!). Sierra did my hair so that I could strategically hide my ipod cord in my pippy braids!!:)

Jamie was practically holding me up here!:)

It was an absolutely beautiful weekend in Jackson and despite the chaos, I wouldn't have had it any other way! It was a slightly disappointing race for me, but I pinkie swore with JJ on the way up the Snake River Canyon that we would never do this again. Sadly, I love this weekend so much, I am sure someday that promise will be broken. Until then, I will have some great memories of my kids cheering me on and my amazing hubby riding 125 miles just to keep me in the race! Love you Jamesta!

I LOVE FALL!!! good times!

Frenzy

I know this title is misleading, but that is exactly the scene at the Pogue household every morning now that school has started and all 4 little Pogues are off to school each morning! Without fail the house is filled with the smell of burning toast, and/or eggos and the chaos of chasing down a matching pair of socks, which I admit is a tough task in our home. (I hate folding the socks!)

And so it is, each morning, I have a few hours of "me" time which translates into straighten the house time, fold laundry time and admittedly ride my bike time!:) It feels strange to be able to jump in the shower and have no one come to talk to you or tattle to you while you are trying to shave your legs! I'm sure that I will get used to this new routine, but I miss the chaos of summer a little bit and I surely miss my baby, who is off at Kindergarten all morning! Love that little guy!

I give you.......First day (OK, these were taken within the first week, does that count?) of school 2009 at the Pogues.

(check out the feet on those girls!!!)

Obviously, it went downhill fast, but the photo shoot is always a fun one!

DINNER ANYONE???

REWARD:

We are looking for information leading to the capture and conviction of the culprits in the following crimes:

exhibit A

exhibit B

exhibit C (strewn about the yard and porch)

exhibit D (strategically placed on the front porch)

While we give the perps props for ingenuity and perfect execution........you shall pay for your blasphemous crimes!!!!

ANY information leading to successfully identifying the culprits will be rewarded with dinner .......with us of course. (tiburon anyone? Tsunami?)

Thanks in advance for your help!

GO UTES!!!!

Item # 3

I have a little list in my mind. It is constantly changing, but contains numerous challenges I want to check off as I near the age of 40 (or higher). I love a good challenge, I love the feeling of accomplishment and I love being able to say "done", check it off the list.

Back in January, Jamie and I committed to participating in item #3, the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike race in August. With it being a long way off, I knew I had oodles of time to prepare and equally as much time to back out! I ultimately choose the former and drove to Leadville, CO last week for the big day!

Downtown Leadville with the historic Delware Hotel in the background

Beautiful Day (in the end!)

ahhhhh Leadville! Funny little, quaint old mining town. I don't know what it is like year round, but on this weekend, it is teeming with bikers or all sorts all looking for a belt buckle by the end of the weekend. We begin the weekend with a "racers meeting" which is a big pep rally. "you are stronger than you think you are, you can do more than you think you can"...."I will commit, I will NOT quit" (yes we were chanting this as we packed into the gym from 1920 with no AC). My favorite take home from the pep rally was this quote: "This race will hurt for 12 hours......if you quit, it will hurt a lot longer". So let it be done.....I commit, I will not quit!

So, the rest of the Friday is filled with a short ride and lots of race advice from the more experienced riders that seemed to make me more nervous, although, I appreciated it all. Special thanks to BK, Sam and Dug for essentially giving me a play by play of what to expect and where and how bad it was going to hurt!:) Check out their links for great recaps from a fast rider's perspective and a heartwarming story about Leadville from Dug. Since returning home, I have loved reading their accounts.

Saturday was race day and what a day it was. It started cold and rainy and...did I mention, COLD! No one but the racers got to see the most beautiful rainbow as we rounded the corner to the first patch of dirt. It was spectacular!!! I knew at point, I would have some fun today. Emphasis on the word 'some'.

Without giving a boring play by play, there were a few key points of the day that kept me going.I shall make a list:

1) seeing my awesome girlfriends at the Twin Lakes feed zone

2)seeing Jamie descend Columbine while I was doing the hike a bike o plenty!

3)the sun finally coming out

4) the hundreds of spectators that , even though they don't know me, seemed completely stoked to see a woman out there and cheered for "913" !

5) Gina talking me off the ledge at the last rest stop.

6) Jamie waiting for me at the finish line.

7) Knowing I was riding in honor of Susan, Elden's wife, who recently passed away.

FIGHT LIKE SUSAN!!!

Ten hours is a long time to be riding essentially alone with your ipod and your internal chatter. "i commit, i will not quit"......In the end ...here a a few things I know for sure. (Time for another list):

-That was really hard! ( to quote JJ)

- I am slightly crazy

-I love my friends for supporting me in this

-I love Jamie ..no explanation needed here

-gu+power bar+ gu + power bar+gu +power bar+gu= one upset stomach

Not for a minute did I doubt Jamie's ability to finish this thing, but I was very afraid of being stuck on item #3 for another year!:) All in all, it was a great time. Thanks to the boys for always letting me tag along. Jamie and I both got a really cool belt buckle out of the deal (wink, wink) and a great story to tell.

Enjoy the pictures!

da boys after their finish

the girls in the pit....thanks friends!

most of the mud washed off of me in the second rainstorm, but here is evidence that it was just shy of miserable!

Who's having a great time?

most beautiful sight of the day.....the finish line!

mischief makers

I love my kids! They make me laugh, they make me cry, they drive me absolutely insane!!!

My favorite times are when the TV is off and they are eerily quiet making mischief somewhere in the house. Sometimes, the outcome is ....well....not so good!

Sometimes, the outcome reminds me why I love them so much it hurts!

lake powell 2009

It's the most wonderful time of the year.....

LAKE POWELL TIME!!!

This year was met with not quite perfect weather, but equally as much fun!

time to exhale!

Monkey Boy

Monkey Boy and Daddy(check out the Father's Day Sticker....he wore it all day!)

the view is always so spectacular!!! I love this place!

I also love exhausted children!

I don't love it when I flip kids so hard off a tube, I have to sign a contract to engage them in the fun again! oops....sorry girls! I love you!

I also love this guy!

And these guys!!!

And these girls!

So much fun, so little time to tell all the tales!

Enjoy!

Loser blogger!

Alas, another prolonged hiatus from blogging. Instead of rambling about this and that, thoses things that have had us running at a crazy pace for the past few months, I will share a montage of photos representative of our whirlwind spring

Crazy Hair and Accessory Day at school

JOGAPALOOZA (our fundraiser at school)

Noah graduates from preschool.....yes....already!!!

Kendall and Jez perform Adams Family ...again!:)

Kendall turns 9!

Pman is so Pogue! Go speed racer!

Go Mommy!

Zuzu and her brother Gus Gus

Parker and Noah playing Abe the space monkey and the night guard!!

Pman and Daddy pre-race

Sierra takes up Lacrosse