Daddy-Daughter Trip

Hi to all of Danee's blogging friends. She's letting me make a post. Cool, huh?

Brooklyn, Emmelyne, and I went on a Daddy-Daughter trip last weekend with our friends the Florences (McKay and Adeline) and the Kellys (Kayden and McKenna). We had a fabulous time and we will definitely be making Daddy-Daughter camping/backpacking trips a tradition.

We chose to go to Yosemite because it is so amazing in the spring (or so I was told as I hadn't been there since I was very little). I had high expectations for Yosemite and it exceeded even my expectations. The spring water flow was amazing as we counted almost 20 separate waterfalls that we spotted in the short time we were there. Most importantly we had an awesome time with great friends and got to spend a great time together without all of life's other distractions in the way. We can't wait to do it again!

We brought our bikes so we could bike around the valley. As we were riding to Yosemite Falls on Friday we had to stop for this perfect photo opportunity. Danee thinks this looks like a fake picture, but I promise it's real.


Here is an awesome picture at the base of Lower Yosemite Falls. You can tell the power of the wind and mist being created by the Falls. I think the girls are having a fun time here. :)


Here we are with our whole group after climbing the Mist Trail. Notice Emmelyne, "Do I have to wear a poncho?" She's definitely an adventure seeker!


We headed back via the John Muir trail to stay dry, so we got this beautiful view from above of Vernal Fall.

Click on the picture below to view a web album of photos & videos from the trip

Daddy-Daughter Yosemity 2008

I did it - I really did it!

So of you may know that a while back I started out walking while I have been slowly working my way up to running. I set a goal that seemed unimaginable when I started out of doing a 5K run. Well...today was the day. I ran my first race. It was so great. I was a little nervous this morning (hense the 12 trips to the bathroom before I even left the house this morning) but I was confident that I could do it. I have been running the 5K distance for a couple of weeks now. Shannon was my cheerleader the whole way. She kept me entertained with stories all along the trail. She even apologized for "talking too much" but it helped so much. She is a MUCH faster runner than I am and she was so great to just go at my pace the whole time. She is a great friend and a super cheerleader.
I was going to be happy to be in under 45 minutes. (I am still REALLY slow - I am working on that starting next week) I was going to be excited to be at 42minutes because that was as fast as I had ever been able to do it in and guess what I came in at 41:19! Whoo hoo. Definitely a personal best.
I know that it was only a 5K. I realize that I am still such a novice at running, but there was such an amazing sense of accomplishment that came from finishing that first race. There are some people that I feel that I must thank that helped make this possible. (Kind of like an Oscar speech I guess - I hope that I do not forget anyone)

Shannon - for being my cheerleader today and staying with me the whole time. For checking on my training along the way and lending me her old copies of Runner's World
My Rocklin girlfriends - who have set a great example for me of how empowering running can be
Christine - who bought me my first pair of real running socks when she heard that I had started running and lent me a great motivating book, "Running for women"
Debbie - for giving me pep talks along the way and sending me her food log and great articles on healthy eating
Amber - who has run with me on Friday mornings and has sent me encouraging emails along the way
Jennie - for a late night "good luck" phone call the night before the race
Rachelle and Kristin - for checking on my progress over these past few months and have talked down from some ledges when I wanted to just quit
Kristin P -for her kind words of encouragement and genuine interest in how the training was coming
Brooklyn - for being my running partner on some very early Monday mornings before school
My Biggest Loser Group - who have sent many kind words encouraging me to do well and who are out with me getting out booties kicked by Angela :)
The 80 year old grandma that I see out on my run most mornings - for yelling "You go girl" when I was at the end of my run and I just wanted to walk and needed to break through a mileage barrier
My mom - for coming to the race to cheer me on and checking on my progress every morning
Cameron and Angel - for loaning me the Garmin GPS watch so I could pace myself and train better
and last but not least Charles - who takes the brunt of all of this. He has been getting the kids ready for school in the morning, dealing with my emotional breakdowns that have come with this process, who has been so excited for me as a have broke through some huge barriers and reminds me how far I have come and not how far I have to go, who ran down the last 50 yards of the race cheering me on while taking pictures and videoing, who doesn't mind when I bother him at work just to remind him of a new mileage barrier that I broke through that morning.Gotta love him!
There have been many others that have stopped me and been so kind. Small words of encouragement always help so much.

Here's to the next Race.....Eppie's Ironwoman 7-19-08??? Let me sleep on it.



Shannon and I at the finish line. And I am done!

A special night

On Thursday evening we went to a special ceremony for Emmelyne (and other kids too, of course)that the district puts on to honor students for being "Outstanding students". It was different from any other awards ceremony that I have have been to before because they did not just call the names up the kids, they read a 2-3 paragraph page about what they do personally in their school and classroom. It was written by the person who nominated them. There was 1 child from each grade from each school chosen. It was really cool. The part that I liked best about what they said about her was, " The words,"I quit" are not in her vocabulary!" Way to go Emmelyne.

Rocket Launch

Brooklyn has been attending a special Starbase class over at another school every Thursday for the past month and this Thursday was the final commencement of all that they had been learning. They were able to launch their rocket in the air. It was really cool. They went SO high in the air. When we were getting ready to go over there I told Hudson that we were going to go over and watch Brooklyn's rocket. He said," I like rockets. I ride on Brooklyn's rocket."
me: "No honey, the rocket is too small for you but that would be fun."
Hudson:" I know we can make the rocket bigger."
In all reality I am not sure that flying on a rocket would really be his thing anyway since he freaks out when he even gets pushed on a swing to high.
Brooklyn's team won a competition at the end having the most correct answers and won another rocket kit that she put together and do here at home.


Mrs. Mucher's 5 grade Starebase class

Do you think 48 is enough?

So on Wednesday night we finally have gotten to the point where we can start planting in the garden. We mad ea little party out of it (isn't that what Davis' do best - make a party out of everything? hehe) I already told you that we have big plans for this garden and are probably being a little ambitious, ok maybe VERY ambitious! We had to ask my parents and my brother and sister in law to come over to help. We are not even half way done. We planted 48 tomato plants alone! Holy moly. I am going to be up to my eyeballs in making spaghetti sauce, salsa, canning tomatoes. And I am sure that there will be plenty to spare. The kids really got into it. Everyone had jobs to do: hoeing the beds, planting the plants, shoveling the compost to add to the beds, recording where we put what. Brigham became an expert in all of the varieties that we planted and can tell you what is where. Just like he can do with all of our fruit trees. My grandpa came over to "supervise". He brought his walker/rolling chair so he would have a place to sit but as you can see the kids had more fun rolling around on it than any use my grandpa got out of it. We are still looking for helpers to come and thin the peach trees with us. All of you who said that they would love to come and pick peaches - here is your opportunity to get in some sweat equity. We have only done one tree and we picked about 400 peaches off of just one! Let us know if you are dying to come and thin peaches. It will be well worth it when these amazing peaches and nectarines are coming off the trees in a couple of months.


Rexton was working on thinning the peach trees for us

Riding in grandpa's "walker/chair"

Love Notes

I had to share a quick note that Emmelyne gave to me yesterday. It read:

Thank you for cleenin up the hows wene we're at shool

Emmelyne said, " Mom do you know why it has a picture of Cinderella on the front? "

Me: "Why?"

Em: " Because Cinderella has to do so much of the work."

It made me feel a little better about cleaning the toliets and scrubbing the floors yesterday. Someone does notice and care!

(I guess that I should have found a lovely beautiful picture of Cinderella prancing around the house singing while she works but I thought this one was a little more true to life - me still in my workout clothes, visor on, and maybe a little grumpy.)