the color run

Over the weekend my family and I all got together and did the 5k Color Run.  To say we had fun would be an understatement.  We had an absolute blast!  We ran as team Zombi 5k, representing my sister & brother in law's race, hence the zombie shirts.  (Check out their race here. )  One of the things that I liked most about this race was the range of people that did it.  There were people in their 60s as well as little infants in strollers.  So fun and family oriented.  It was so fun seeing my little nieces complete a race like this and see the accomplishment in their faces.  (Even though we couldn't exactly see the joy in Madi's face, we know it was still there ;)  The whole race was basically a party.  I can't help but smile just thinking of it.  Making memories like this with my family is one of my absolute favorite things to do. :)  And I swear there is something about getting messy while doing a race that makes it even that much more fun.

^^Before the race..^^

^^After the race!! So proud of these three!^^

^^Sporting our "HAPPY" tats :)^^

^^We'll use any excuse we can to dress up :)^^

^^Baby Becks cheering us on at the finish line^^

^^Love this sister of mine!^^

^^Claire Bear sporting a little color^^

^^These pictures make me so happy looking at them.  SO MUCH FUN!^^

^^Couldn't quite get the timing right on our jump ;)^^

^^Love these girls :)^^

^^Emily always showing off her tricks^^

^^London was on top of the world all day.  She just couldn't get enough^^

I can see this race becoming a family tradition for us.  I don't know if the boys will feel the same way about that idea.  We may just have to send them golfing or fishing next time.  Ha Ha. Thanks for such a fun day Mom, sissy's and nieces. :)

holding on to summer

Five days and counting before Preston starts school again and we are taking every opportunity we can to make the most out of what's left of our Summer.  It seems like everywhere I turn I hear people talking about how fast this summer has flown by and I couldn't agree more!  I seem to be putting all responsibilities on the back burner for now in hopes of taking advantage of what little of this warm weather we have left. If only we could make it last forever... Somehow I am determined to get a backpacking trip in before the cold weather settles in!

Last night was spent jet skiing at Utah Lake and having a BBQ.  We have lived 5 minutes from Utah Lake for the past three years and haven't made it down there until tonight!  I can't believe what we have been missing!  We will be down there every chance we can get from now on.  Such a nice little escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.  Not to mention it is BEAUTIFUL!

We also got to spend time with two of our cute nieces that live up here by us and they are absolute dolls.  Preston and I love little kiddos and it always makes us so happy to spend time with them.  They are both one years old and are so fun to watch interact with each other.  

I sure am going to miss the spontaneity that comes with these summer nights.  Pretty soon there will be assignments, papers, and tests that are going to prevent us from doing whatever we feel like.  Until then, we are going to soak up as much of these laid back kind of days as we possibly can. 

^^Happy 1st Birthday to Miss Sammie today!^^



finding peace

This weekend was a bit of a whirlwind for us. So many things that needed to get done and just simply not enough time to do it all.

I have a bit of a hard time when things don't go the way I want them to. Particularly when it comes to things that need to be done around the house. I'm working on being better at it but man, I can turn into a crazy person if the house isn't completely spotless come Saturday night.

I'm embarrassed of how I act sometimes. Looking back it seems so silly but in the moment it's always so much worse than it really is.

I'm so grateful to have Preston. I don't think I can acknowledge that enough. He sees me at my absolute worst and is still there to comfort and buoy me back up. I know that my Father in Heaven knew I needed someone as lighthearted and positive as him to keep me sane. He literally is there to remind me that I simply just can't do it all. I have lists upon lists of things I need to get done each day and I feel like a failure if that last thing doesn't get crossed off of the list by the time I hit my pillow at night. (silly, but true)

It took me until Sunday afternoon to realize it, but I just need to stop and breathe once in a while. Just because I got to bed with dishes in the sink does not mean that I am worthless. I am trying to find joy in the little things. The things that really matter.

Because if I really think about it, we had a great weekend.

A ward party that we stayed at until the wee hours of the night cleaning potatoes out of 14 dutch ovens. Yes, 14. If you have ever cleaned one, you know how hard that can be, but it made for a funny memory.

A 30 minute date to the Provo Farmer's Market on Saturday where we had some delicious pizza from Fiore. We also took little Millie dog on this date which made for an adventure as she doesn't typically get out much or is ever around that many people. She sniffed everything in sight and pooped in the park. And no, I didn't pick it up. Not my proudest moment.

A cookout up the canyon where we shot guns and had dutch oven potatoes & chicken (dutch ovening twice in one weekend - not a bad thing!) Shooting a gun just as the sun has gone down is super crazy and super scary! Never knew how much fire comes out of the end of those things!

A quick visit from some of my favorite nieces and nephews! Always seems to put a big smile on my face!

And lastly, a beautiful Sunday where the primary children I teach never cease to make me smile, a 2.5 hour nap that was certainly what I needed (and which Preston forced me to take), and a six hour game of Risk with good friends that always makes for a good time. We were left feeling edified and renewed to starting off a new week.

Happy Monday!

And of course some pictures....random images with crappy quality from my phone from the weekend.  Ya wine some ya lose some.

 

Sour Cream Pancakes

As much as I hate to admit it, Preston does the majority of the cooking at our house.  It's great but it leaves me feeling pretty lazy.

So in an effort to be a better wife, I've decided to spend more time in the kitchen.  I love trying new recipes that could potentially become new family favorites. Well this one is well on its way to becoming just that.  Who knew that sour cream would make pancakes so tasty?!? We loved it!!  We had these for dinner earlier this week (actually two nights this week, that's how good they are) and I'm convinced breakfast for dinner is one of the best things in the world.  Always hits the spot. :)

And on a sidenote, I have now invested in a griddle so I don't have to keep cooking pancakes on my five inch frying pan... Obviously the griddle purchase was after I had taken this photo, hence the misshapen pancakes.  Maybe now I can finally master the art of pancake flipping. :)

Sour Cream Pancakes

 

>> 1 cup Sour Cream

>> 7 Tablespoons Flour

>> 2 Tablespoons Sugar

>> 1 teaspoon Baking Soda

>> 1/2 teaspoon Salt

>> 2 eggs

>> 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

>> Butter for frying and serving

>> Syrup, warmed

1.  In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla.  Set aside.

2.  In a separate small bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

3.  In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream with the dry ingredients until just combined.  Make sure not to overmix.  Whisk in the egg mixture until just combined.

4.  Drop batter by 1/4 cup servings onto a griddle over medium-low heat. Cook until bubbles form on one side and then cook on the other side.  Pancakes will still be a little on the soft side when they   are done.  Top with softened butter and warm syrup!  Enjoy!

a picnic in the park

Lunch breaks are a very welcomed and much needed break for me each day.  Most of the time I spend them solo which gives me a lot of "me" time.  I usually read, occasionally work out, pay bills, run errands, etc.  But on special occasions Preston and I's lunch breaks are at the same time and we get to spend them together.

Yesterday was one of those days.  Preston packed a picnic basket complete with REAL coke, a gigantic sub, and chips.  It felt like my lunch break was going to last forever! In a good way of course :)  We laid a blanket out on the grass and gazed up at the sky.  We talked about why PDA still isn't okay just because we are married... Guess who was trying to convince who that it was a good idea. ;)  We laughed and were silly.  We talked about our dreams and plans for the future.  It was wonderful and was just what I needed.  It made me forget about responsibilities and instead focus on the here and now.  I lived in the moment.  I absolutely loved it.  And I absolutely love that boy I get to spend forever with. :)   

perspective

It's easy to get caught up in the mindset that what we are doing is never good enough or doesn't really make a difference in the long run.  There are things that I do day in and day out and I sometimes wonder, does this really even matter?  Am I making a difference at all?  Thoughts like these seem to always be bouncing around in my mind.

Well, I came across a picture I took of my back porch at the beginning of the Summer when I first planted my flower pots.  I could not believe how small all of my plants were!  I was certain that I had failed {again} in the plant department and that I could have done better.  I know I probably could have done better {there is always room for improvement}, but HOLY COW!  They have gotten huge!  I got so distracted focusing on all of the plants that I killed this year {if you look closely, some are missing} but overall, I'd have to say I did pretty good. 

I really think it's beneficial to see the results of our labors sometimes.  A lot of times it isn't a possibility.  Sometimes we will never know the effects of our efforts.  We might not know how much a phone call, a smile, or a kind note might mean to someone.  Even though those things might seem insignificant and small to us, it might be huge to someone else. 

Today, it was huge for me to see that in one aspect of my life, I'm succeeding.  Even something as silly as not killing all of my plants this year, is just the boost I needed.  It gives me the motivation to continue doing the small things each day, in hopes that the outcome of those actions is far greater than I will ever know.

                                May 13, 2013

                            August 13, 2013

BS reunion

This Summer has been full of family reunions for us.  On Saturday, we went down to Annabella, UT for the BS Reunion.  Preston's cute Grandma jokes that it is called that because of all the BS that goes on when we get together but what it really stands for is "Bishoff Sparks" (Sparks being her maiden name).  

It was a very laid back day but so fun to see so many people that we don't get to see but every couple of years.  We got there just in time for breakfast in the morning and then spent a lot of time relaxing and letting the kids play at the park.  

Later in the day we went shooting.  I got the chance to shoot MY new gun which, ironically, I am really enjoying doing lately.  I put emphasis on the fact that it is MINE because Preston seems to forget pretty easily that it's MY new toy, not HIS.  :)  It is a lot of fun to shoot.  We also got to shoot a ,50 caliber which was an absolute blast!  Once was definitely enough in one day for me but I loved it!  I never would have thought that I would shoot a gun that would throw my body back as much as that one did but it was worth it!

We spent the rest of the evening back at the park eating dinner (seems like that's all you do at family reunions lol) and visiting with everyone before we headed back home.  It was a fun filled day and we were so happy to see all of our loved ones.  We sure have been blessed with great families on both sides! 

^^me and my baba^^

^^Miss Kiley :)^^

^^Great Grandpa Bishoff and the June Bug!^^

^^The Bishoff Grandkids! 7 kids under 5!  Sweet little Amy is hidden, you can see her cute ponytail above Sammie's head. :)^^

^^South Sevier^^

^^Preston and Christine shooting.  Notice the tiny gun Prest is shooting. :)^^

^^Pretty desert^^

^^Trying out my new toy.  If you look closely you can see the fire coming out the end.^^

^The .50 caliber^^

^^These four little munchkins are all the same age!  Mark (21 months); Makayla (13 months); Sammie (12 months); & Amy (16 months).  Such little cuties!^^

^^Evan and his signature spiderman pose^^

^^Joslyn and Kiley with their second cousin, Mia^^

^^Scott, Brit, & Sammie are back from Texas!  We sure are happy to have them back!^^

Until next time, Bishoffs and Sparks! We had a blast! :)