July is the best! Play, Play, Play.

July starts out with the Fourth of July. Chad and I always run the Blacksmith Fork Canyon 15K Freedom Run, which ends at Hyrum, UT (by Logan). This always makes for an early start for the day. We both had good races, and it was fun to run it with Chad's sister, Carrie, and Mom. We had a little fan group at the end. Chad's sister Nicole and her husband Andy watched our kids (thanks Weeze!), and met us at the end, along with Chad's dad and Carrie's husband and kids. Very fun race. We stayed for a pancake breakfast then hit the road for more adventures. We went to a Carnival in Riverton, and stayed for several hours, thoroughly wearing out the parents. Then we had a BBQ, and did fireworks later that night. Chad and I have been joking that we need to Go, Go, Go all summer to fit all the play in. Each weekend, that is truly what it feels like!

The next weekend, Chad and I did an early hike up to Upper Red Pine Lake in Little Cottonwood Canyon, then the whole family went to Liberty Park. We had a picnic and splashed in the water. Then we explored the park, stopping at the 7 canyons waterfall (awesome), and the duck pond, and the carnival rides. Once again, parents were very tired after a full day.

The third weekend in July brought another long hike for Chad and I up Bair Canyon in training for the Bair Gutsman. Chad's sister Carrie came with us. Chad's mother watched the kids, and took them to a ward bike parade, breakfast and water party until we got back. Then we went to Lagoon for the day. What a great day that was!! The kids ran to rides ALL DAY. Kate walked (we didn't bring a stroller), and at the end of the day she took off running (I personally could barely move). We COULDN'T wear these kids out. We did lots of kids rides, Audrey rode all but the biggest rides (The Spider was a little too much for her, but she loved Colossus, Wild Mouse, the White Rollercoaster and everything else), Carson was able to ride The Bat for the first time, and he loved it. We also spent an hour or two in Lagoona Beach. For the third week in a row, the parents were very tired at the end of the day!

Last week, my mom and dad came to visit from Texas! We call them Nanna and Poppa. We enjoyed playing daily with them. It is so fun to see the kids get excited to see Nanna and Poppa. My dad has a way with little kids and soon had them reading books and talking with him. Here they are at our house after a dinner and during Family Home Evening. On Tuesday, a couple car loads of us went up to Pocatello, ID to visit my Grandpa King. It was awesome for my dad to see his dad. We had great visits and the kids love playing in the big backyard, sneaking raspberries and climbing the apple trees. It is always fun to visit them. Here is Audrey sitting in the lap of Great Grandpa King. My parents made the trip to Utah because my older sister, Jen, was about to have her first baby. Sure enough, she delivered a healthy baby boy early Tuesday morning, July 22. It is so fun to see the excitement of Jen and especially Jim over their new baby. Here is Jen, during a BBQ she hosted at her house the day she got out of the hospital, on the 24th of July.

On Wednesday, a group of us made the trip to Kennecott Copper Mine to take their tour. I always enjoy that sort of thing (it reminds me that I used to be a Chemical Engineer, even though now I am just a Toxic Engineer of diaper changes). My dad, also an engineer was interested as well. Here are Carson and his Cousin Caleb inspecting the huge copper mine.

We have been doing swimming lessons for the last three weeks, and here are the kids getting in the pool on the last day of lessons. They all did great. Kate and I did a mom and me class, and it was so fun to sing and play games with her. She loves to sing, and "Wheels on the Bus" in the water has become one of her favorites. Carson learned to swim under water in his class, and on the last day spent as much time under water as on top, much to the annoyance of his teacher! Audrey can swim like a fish now, it is so fun to see her progress so well. Swimming lessons are great!

Finally, on the last Saturday in July, we took a family hike to Lake Mary in the Big Cottonwood Canyon. The area up near these lakes is so beautiful!!! We just loved the scenery and the kids loved playing around on this big rock next to Lake Mary. What a fabulous world we live in. We are so fortunate to be healthy and able to enjoy it.

Play, Play, Play!

Return of "Strong Women, Strong Men"

Did anyone say "Wasatch Back"? This relay race seems pretty addicting to those athletes that give it a try. It was the 2nd year for "Strong Women, Strong Men" (though Chad organized a team and ran it previously under the name "Porch light Gang"). This year featured several return runners, and, some friends of previous runners. We started at 12:20 pm on June 20 at Merlin Olsen Park. Chad's sister Nicole, volunteered and was working at that starting line. Thanks Nicole!

Our first runner, Ryan Jonson was incredible! He passed all but one runner of the 30 on the starting line, and we hear one of his legs he passed about 60 runners. He was definitely a strong addition to this year's team.

We only had 11 runners again this year due to a foot injury the week of the race. Four of our runners picked up an extra leg and did terrific for us. Chad picked up the first extra leg, and here are pictures of Van 1 at exchange 2. On the left are David Humphreys (3rd WB) and Ryan Johnson. On the right is John Pereira (2nd WB). Currently on the course during these pictures is Eric Johnson. He is a solid returning runner from last year. Verl Allen (3rd WB) hasn't arrived in Logan yet, and he doesn't until 10 minutes before his run. Good thing he was runner 5. He apparently likes to live on the edge!

Here is a photo of our van, before our turn began. We look so fresh and happy. It was over 25 hours before the race was completed, so that cheery demeanor was bound to fade. Left to right: Jen Bergam, Steve Somers, Carrie Neiderhauser (3 WB), and Steve Strong (2nd WB).

Our van's first runner was Jen Bergam. She is a great runner, Sister of 2nd time runner, Steve Strong. She pulled in 3 solid runs for us. Great running Jen!

Our van's second runner was ME. It was hot and slow going, but I finished my first leg. My second leg was easy (as all of the night runs tend to be, believe it or not!) and my third proved to be the hardest, though it didn't look to hard on paper. I logged about 17 miles between my three legs. Not a bad day's work!

Carrie (Chad's sister) was our van's third runner. She is a great athlete, and we were very glad to have her strength on our team. Here she is getting ready to pass some pour soul who isn't as strong as she is. Great running Carrie! She also did incredible powering up the hill to the beginning of Ragnar. This girl doesn't stop. If only I could be as tough as her!

Steve Strong was our 4th runner, he had some terrific runs, and his third was Ragnar, undeniably the hardest leg. In the heat and on such a tough hill, he kept going, passing a couple of other runners. We were all glad to sit in the AC while he was hitting the dirt road.

Chad was our 5th runner, and his hardest climb was on the way to Snow Basin. He worked hard and ran tough the entire way. He is about to pass another runner here. Considering he ran 4 legs, he ran the most miles of any one on the team at about 21.

Our last runner was Steve Somers. He was another great addition this year. He is Steve Strong's friend, and a great runner. He had our van's last set of legs, and he also was our concluding runner in the race. Here he is bringing it home to the finish line. Great running Steve!

Here we are at the finish, all 11 of us! Back row: Jen Bergam, Steve Somers, John Pereira, Verl Allen, David Humphreys, Eric Johnson, Ryan Jonson. Front row: Carrie Neiderhauser, Chad Iverson, Sherry Iverson, Steve Strong. We all have our finisher's medals on. Also, Here is a picture of us at the top of Ragnar - great view from the top of the world!

This year we finished in 25:05:06. We were 54th out of 545 teams. Last year "Strong Women, Strong Men" was 57th out of 296 teams. We finished 45 minutes quicker than last year. And this year's route was 3.8 miles longer than last year's with the different finish outside of Park City! Constant improvement! Chad's previous team from 3 years ago, The Porch Light Gang, finished at 140th at 28:32. It just keeps getting better.

Let the Good Times Roll!

Carson went on a Fathers' and Sons' Camp out with Chad this month. Here he is on their "secret" hike. They had a terrific time, and enjoyed the marshmallow shooters and friendship of the other men and boys.
June was Kate's Birthday! Here she is blowing out her 2nd Birthday candles on her Dora cake. She LOVES Dora right now, so, this was very exciting for her. She also got a "bike". It is a big wheel style bike with a handle that parents can push until she learns how to pedal. She loves it and especially loves being able to steer all for herself. It is very funny to push her and see where she will drive us.


June is also the King Family Reunion. My brother Andrew and his wife Katie flew in from Texas for the Reunion in Idaho. It was awesome to spend time with them for a few days and have them spend the night here on Monday. At the reunion, we saw lots of aunts, uncles and cousins. It was fun to get to know my cousins kids. Here are some of the kids playing around at the reunion.


Chad's Family had a Family Camp out in June as well. We spent a day at Mona Lake and stayed at Payson Lakes for two nights. Here are Audrey with cousin Breanne and Carson hiking up to the Grotto. We had a great trip.

Carson is orchestrating the waterfall here. What a fun summer we are having.

May - Endings and Beginnings

This last month has been wonderful. Spring has finally come and we are outside more and more. But as the school year wraps up, so does soccer, dance and preschool. What a fun month for mom and dad, to see all the things the kids are up to!

Early in May our family took a Saturday hike up Bell's Canyon (near Little Cottonwood Canyon) and Chad helped the kids fish for the first time. This was adorable. They got their fishing poles for an Easter present, and they have loved casting with a simple weight on it. We finally put on hooks and let them go. No fish were caught, but they still had a blast.

Here we are at the Rocky Mouth Waterfall in Sandy, UT. This short hike was an easy win for the kids. How fun to live near great outdoor activities. We are all excited for summer.

May was also the month of Mother's Day, and I had some pretty great surprises! Audrey planned a scavenger hunt which led me to the kitchen, where she was busy making me breakfast (cheerios!). Then of course, cute handmade presents. Finally, they each held "mom and me" parties. With each child, I played and had fun doing what they wanted to play with me. Very fun, and very cute ideas.

May was the end of pre-school for Carson. Here he is with his teacher on the day of the preschool program. He got these glasses, and LOVES wearing them. He chose not to sing during the program, but as the last song ended (If you're happy and you know it) - he jumped up and shouted HURRAY very loudly and then fell over. We all got a good laugh.

Is it time to say good-bye? Audrey had her last soccer game and received her trophy from her coach. She got a goal in her last game. It was a fun season. She will have to change coaches next fall, because she will play 1st/2nd grade soccer and the coaches daughter stays in pres/K league.

Audrey had her dance recital in May. She is in a pre-ballet/creative class. She danced so beautifully. She practiced at home and was very confident as she danced on the big stage. Grandma and Grandpa Iverson came to watch, and afterwards we all went to dinner. It was a fun night for all of us. (She is the girl on the far right).

We made it up to the Ogden's Treehouse Children's Museum in mid-May, during Kindergarten testing week. We had such a great time exploring their new facility. Here is Kate helping us put on a puppet show. Audrey's favorite things were the doll display, and the fairy tale areas. Carson loved the treehouse/slide and animal dress-ups. They were very high energy the entire time we were there. We stayed about 2 1/2 hours with me finally dragging them out.

We got to attend a kindergarten program in May for Audrey's class. It was so fun to watch Audrey participate. Her huge smile was infectious. She loves to perform for her parents. Here she is with her kindergarten teacher. She has sure grown up this last year. She is going to miss kindergarten, but she will be great in 1st grade.

Finally, we had a great get-away camping trip to Zion National Park for Memorial Day Weekend. What a fun weekend. We hiked daily, we also did s'mores, campfires, and exploring around the campsite. We also saw a movie and visited Dinosaur Tracks at Johnson Farm. It was a great weekend. The kids all loved sleeping in the tent in their "rooms" and they loved using their imagination on the hill above our tent. They each had their own "balcony"- a huge rock to climb on, and there was a palace and kingdom.

We're off having fun in April

We had a great April. It was still cool and soccer games and practices have been a test of endurance. The picture at the right is Audrey's soccer team during a blistery April practice. Obviously they are still having fun. Audrey is the black hooded girl in the back right. They are holding the goal down so it won't blow away!!

April is when BYU football holds its annual spring scrimmage and we really enjoyed watching it. Audrey was pretty disappointed when she realized that BYU was playing BYU (offense vs defense). She loves to cheer BYU on. Carson has decided, however, that he only likes "pre-school sports", a class he took this last winter. Since BYU is NOT pre-school sports, he doesn't like BYU. The shirt he chose for the game was funny to us parents. He is obviously undecided on the Red/Blue team decision. After the game, we enjoyed playing around on the field. This was a beautiful Saturday, we all got tons of sun.

Carson's birthday was in April, he is now 4 years old. Here he is with all of his friends getting ready to blow out the candles on his dinosaur birthday cake. He requested a dinosaur themed party with a Carnatorus on his cake and dinosaur games. He was so excited to have his first friend birthday party. The parents of one friend commented that giving invitations a week before the party was TOO early. The boys were all very anxious for the day the party would arrive.

We enjoyed the tulip festival at Thanksgiving Point. Here is Kate discovering some tulips. It has been so cold here, the tulip festival was really a daffodil festival. These were some of the only tulips we really saw. The children's gardens were awesome, though, and it was great to get the kids running around and having fun.

Monday, April 21st was the 112th running of the Boston Marathon, and I was able to run in it! Chad and I flew out to Boston and spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday experiencing the area. We met up with former Draper, UT friends (Wade and Nancy Powell) and had a great time exploring together. I love history and I was also reading the John Adams biography. It was so awesome to see the sights and know the stories. Incredible. Here I am in front of the Old State House.

One of our favorite things in Boston was the duck tours. The drivers are part comedian and part tour guide. After a journey along the roads of downtown Boston, the duck boak took a plunge into the Charles River and we had a leisurely boat ride. This was a great way to get a flavor of Boston, and also get a few laughs along the way.

Finally, Monday was the Marathon. I ran my heart out, completed the whole thing (though it was incredibly hard), and finished in 3:43:13, 10,157 place of 21,963 finishers. Here I am at mile 10, Natick, where Chad watched and then joined me for about 1/2 mile. I am the one in pink. It was cool to have run the same race as so many world class athletes, and to be joined by so many great citizen runners. Boston was full of runners and their families all weekend. It was fun to be part of a great network of runners converging on one great town.

Spring Is Coming!!!

Well, March hasn't been very warm, but we have seen a glimmer of spring. March, however was the month of Easter and Spring Break, so we did a little pretending. Here are the kids with their Easter clothes on (I made the girls' dresses!).

And, of course, The Easter Bunny!

We had a great spring break doing several events, but the favorite was probably lunch with daddy at Sugarhouse Park, across from his office building.

Carson and Audrey both went skiing in March. It was Carson's first time. He just turned and skiied down the hill until he crashed. He had NO FEAR. Audrey is very good at the "pizza" and can turn and control her speed very well. It was a very fun day for all of us. It was Audrey's second time and my third time, so Chad was surrounded by amateurs.

Is Winter Over Yet?

This has certainly been a long winter, but we have had a lot of fun anyway. This winter, I went skiing for the second time EVER in my life, and really enjoyed it! Soon after, Chad took Audrey for her first skiing, along with brother Brett and cousin Breanne. Both girls LOVED it, and Audrey talks about it all the time. We also had fun sledding a few times. We learned that powder is not little kid's favorite sledding conditions. Now, however, the snow is melting and we all have spring fever.

Here is what we have been up to besides the snow. We took a trip to BYU to go bowling. We had a blast with the bumpers on and a ramp for the kids to use. Of course, the adults got the benefit of the bumpers, also! It is amazing that I could still have so many 0's in the frames by just plain missing the pins.

The kids all went camping in our front room and loved it! Here is Kate peeking out of our tent. These kids are ready for our Memorial Day camping trip to Zions. We are going to have a great time.

Here is our first bike ride of the year on February 23rd. We rode on the bike trail down by the Jordan River. Along this stretch there are a couple ponds stocked with trout and a play park. The kids had fun biking, playing and watching water fowl.

We also did the February Wild Wednesday at Hogle Zoo. It was very crowded because the day was beautiful and sunny. We went with cousins Caleb and Taylor and Aunt Julie. Kate loved the penguins, and was yelling "Quack, Quack, Quack" at them.

Carson has been in "preschool sports", and right now it is basketball. He is learning to love playing ball. It is so cute to watch the kids playing. It is only for 3 - 4 yr olds, so they are all just beginning. After Carson's first basketball day I told him "Carson, you are really good at basketball". He told me "Mom, you said the words I was going to say!"