So now for some gratitude insights over my week in Logan and Salt Lake City...

-Bear Lake is phenomenal, the color of the water is turquoise, it looks like a tropical mirage. However it does not feel like anything tropical. The water was COLD. But that didn't prevent me and Kara from tubing! Can't beat boating for a team building activity! Of course the boys were too chicken to get in the water, they let the cold and a few waves talk them out of it. We had a blast and some exquisite food too- Teriyaki burgers, cabbage salad, wasabi mayo...Thanks to the hardworking folks from the Cache Valley Youth Center!

-The Fire House restaurant in Logan is to die for. It is not the best choice if you are trying to avoid the "white" carbs, but Kara, Jill and I ate salad, pizza (Cordon Bleu--alfredo with canadian bacon and other tasty bits), and pasta (artichoke something or other that was delicious), and a SMALL cookie and icecream dessert (we shared, it was small, I walked later, these are the justifications I used), all for $30!!

-Diana Wavra is my hero. I attended PRA 3 Advanced Motivational Skills training in SLC on Wed and Thurs. I am supposed to be preparing to be a trainer on it and I can only hope that some day I will be 1/2 as good and 1/2 as knowledgeable as Diana. It was also fun to see and visit with Shannon, Kara, and Kimbal. This dedicated group of women are a big part of why I continue to put in extra work on What Works and Case Planning trainings. The training unit folks are great to visit with as well, Alexandra ROCKS!

-If you want to start off your day with a smile, feeling good one sure fire way to do that is to open the door for someone with a smile. They say "Thank you" you say "You're welcome" and you both feel great.

-I got to take my brother Chris and his family to dinner. The service was the worst ever (1.5 hour wait for our food and my filet was over cooked) at Lonestar. But the company couldn't be beat. The 4 boys are all such good lookin', smart and funny young men. Braxton is a senior and taking AP Physics, I can't comprehend that class! Kaden started 7th grade and is playing the clarinet, he reminds me so much of Shawn at that age! Kurklan is in 4th grade and is a little rock star playing the guitar. Preston started kindergarten, he is so excited to go to school and is about the sweetest thing ever, he just walked up to me and leaned against my leg and gave me a huge hug. It doesn't get much better than that for instilling joy in your soul.

-I also got to go to Sweet Tomatoes with Grandma Jean, Aunt Sandy and Angie and Amber. What fun women! I love them so much and they just love me right back. It is fun to see people who are used to the Tami that is 20 lbs heavier....I love to hear about how great my legs look. The hard work is paying off.

-I also got to visit Grandma Joy. Joy is right. It was wonderful to sit in her living room and just talk. Can't beat hugs and kisses from Grandmas.

-Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I missed Jas and Herc. It was fun to come home and get kisses last night.

Last Weekend

Being out of town for a week makes it tough to blog...
Last weekend we went mountain biking in Brianhead, it was an absolute riot, except the part where I turfed it twice. I have never done a "superman" over the handle bars before and have never had that sensation of my face headed for the rocks on the side of the hill. It is a unique feeling that I will not be repeating (creating my reality there folks). Thank goodness my chin stuck out enough to take the impact so that my mouth (braces included) didn't get hammered! I had a nice scrape all the way down the middle of my chin. Hopefully our friend Chrystal will be sending pics and I'll post it! (here it is-Thanks Chrystal)

The 2nd time I fell the handle bar scraped the skin off my right inner bicep and immediately left a beautiful bruise. (It is that lovely greenish brown pond scum color now).
The people I work with find it so funny that I tell them about my most recent crash at our management meeting every month, they must think I am a lame rider...the case actually is that I ROCK! and fall because I am pushing my limits so I am getting better and better all the time! Hey you try the Scout Camp loop at Brianhead! Gravel, steep downhill and ruts combined for the face plant. Roots, stumps and steep uphill contributed to the arm bruising tip over....
Oh what fun though, and so beautiful. There isn't much air up there though, so I am also very grateful for my inhaler! We started off at Dave's cabin, it is BEAUTIFUL! and then rode with Sandra and Chrystal, can't get enough of them!

Then after riding we met the Beckerle's at Mirror Lake (also beautiful, it is near Duck Creek and we hadn't ever been there before) and visited and had dinner with them. It was so much fun to catch up with these life long friends. It is amazing to not see people for months and yet pick up like no time has passed at all. They are a terrific family who we are so grateful to include in our lives! Jas and Mike have been friends since like 6th grade--Jas is 35 next week so you can do the math, they have been friends a long time.

Another Great Day

So much to be grateful for today! I enjoyed a fresh peach with my oatmeal this morning from our fabulous neighbor Ken's tree, that was delectable. Then I enjoyed performance planning with some highly motivated JJS staff. Then I enjoyed being tortured at the orthodontists office and compared jewels with the gals (their watches are Bumbles and mine is a Timeless Trinket), my teeth are moving, I can feel it! They will be straight some day! Then I got my hair done and gabbed with my stylist (who is moving but will be able to color me one more time in December... in the mean time Jason is going to try his hand at coloring the roots for me!)
Now I am listening to my favorite song and preparing to cook spaghetti with wheat noodles...
Life is good!

Bicycle, Bicycle, Bicycle

I am loving having music on my blog. The first few lines of that song make me grin! I am also enjoying wearing my new bracelet....my very kind friend Cindy gave it to me and it is a recycled bike chain bracelet, it is just COOL!

It is Jason's dad's birthday today and we drove over in the jeep which was HOT, but coming home was perfect! It is starting to cool off a little in the late evening...here comes the perfect biking weather.

Are you seeing a theme in my posts? Can you tell how much I WANT TO RIDE MY BICYCLE, I WANT TO RIDE MY BIKE!

Friends are Fun

We had a terrific time with our friends last night. It has been quite a while since we all got together, so it was great that Troy and Kim had us over! We also watched some of the swimming on the Olympics, wow, I had forgotten how inspiring the Olympics are!

I was also able to add music to my blog! That is fun. I love this song, I want to ride my bicycle so it works for making me smile! I hope it doesn't drive anyone else crazy. I am going to have to put a bit of thought into which other songs to add to my playlist, I only want to add the ones that automatically bring a smile to my face!

Lightning Storm

I just laid on the lawn in my front yard for 52 minutes and watched the most amazing lightning storm ever. It started raining a minute ago, huge drops and within 10 seconds the smell was overwhelming. I LOVE THE SMELL OF RAIN/LIGHTNING/WET DIRT/whatever you want to call it. Lightning storms in July/August in the desert are phenomenal. Add the rain and the smell and it is too much to describe in words. LOVE, PEACE, HARMONY, JOY!

What's great about being up at 4am?

What, you may ask, is there to be grateful for on a day in which you must arise at 4am? Well, first thing, when you walk outside at that time in the "morning" the NIGHT sky is beautiful, I could see more stars than usual and the moon was hanging low over Webb Hill. Then just before I pulled through Cedar City the sky was that beautiful light blue along the mountain line darkening through dark Levi blue, to Navy to deep purple then finally black night in the top of the sky. There is something to be said for sunrises!
I thoroughly enjoyed driving to Springville for a last minute meeting with my compadre Jill. It is always pleasant to talk with her and it is nice not to make the day trip on my own, especially when it begins so early.

Blogging Rocks

I checked out the blog for the outreach program at my work today and was IMPRESSED! I am so grateful to have dedicated people who care about kids to work with. It is especially nice to have people who are willing to use their talents to get creative to reach kids and will do whatever and keep busy, even when it seems like there is nothing to do! Blog for work, novel concept but how many of the kids we want to reach are on the internet? Hello, have you seen my space? We have to keep up and get ahead of the drug, gang, street culture that is competing for our kids lives! It doesn't get any more serious than that. Thanks Brooke, the blog rocks! I need to learn some of your tricks for this page, it is dull next to the TEAMRAW blog (of course I know I can't compete with Alii).

I am also grateful for Simple Truths. If you need a boost check out the short videos they have available to watch for free. It is a new company for the guy behind Successories, all those motivational posters with cool pics. My favorite so far is You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School.

All is well, all really is well.

Hot Hot Hot

Jason and I did yard work all morning on Sunday. It was the first time in a long time the whole front yard has been done at once. We bought an automatic hedger and wow, what a difference. I was able to trim all of the bushes in the same amount of time it typically takes to do 1 bush! The front yard looks pretty put together, I love it! Then nothing beats a cold margarita after boiling out side! (Just remember to eat lunch if you try this at home, believe me).

Monday we went on a mountain bike ride after work, whew, it was HOT! I didn't know my face could turn so purple. On the bright side we did the ride in 1 hour 6 minutes and averaged 8.9 miles per hour, for us, on mountain bikes that is FAST!

I am oh so grateful for Kimmie's home cooking! She made irresistible apple pie, it was delectable and I don't even like pie! I've decided that I can't say I don't like something that Kim is fixing, I like even the things I don't like when Kim's cookin'.

Today I am grateful for sore muscles. It helps me know that they are getting stronger. We started lifting weights again on Monday- I can't wait to see my body change even more with this added piece of healthy living...for those who don't know, I have lost 20 plus pounds over the last year, with half of it "falling off" once I cut way back on sugar, potatoes and simple carbs! Who knew eating healthy and exercising would have this effect? : ) When we saw our niece Kelsie on Saturday, she said more than once "Tami you're just so cute" and told Jas when I walked away from the table that I get cuter and cuter every time they see me, and then Jas had to agree and acknowledge how cool it is to have a wife who is just getting better looking with age! Can't beat those kind of comments with a stick.

Volkswagons, Kids and Vampires, Oh My!

Again, who knew how tough it could be to just put in one thing that is great about each day? Its the time, it flies, like I have said before. Today I am ever so grateful for so many things its hard to know where to start. I LOVE MY BEETLE BUG! Jason just got it put back together and we took a spin in it. I can't help but smile when I am in it. Volkswagons are good for the soul.

I am also grateful to be an aunt. I got to go shopping with our 8 and 11 year old nieces yesterday and it was so fun to shop for school clothes! We are blessed with tons of kids in our lives. Not only our siblings' kids but our friends' kids feel like family too. The two I shopped with were Gracie and Faith...they will be stylin for school! They also slept over at our house a couple of nights this week and that put Hercules in heaven. He loves kids. He pushed Faith down and licked her to his heart's content and couldn't get enough of her giggling. Gracen sang to Birdie with her angelic voice and Birdie let her put her hand against the cage and didn't even try to bite her! Kids and animals are magical creatures full of Joy!

Last for today, I am LOVING Breaking Dawn. I think vampires might be an evolutionary step to perfection and eternal life! I am a 'fraidy cat who has never been able to read an Ann Rice book, and I am absolutely loving the Twilight Series that is full of vampires and werewolves- not even a single nightmare either!

How Could I Forget the Beaver?

On Thursday I went for my bike ride in Provo but I didn't even write about it yet! How could I miss writing about such an event? I started on the trail right outside the hotel and rode to Utah Lake and back on the Provo River Parkway (Trail way?)...anyway I saw a BEAVER swimming in the river. It was so awesome. When Jas and I stayed at the RV park near the trail Herc startled a beaver right next to the river and it slapped the water with a warning, beaver style. It was one of the coolest sounds I remember. It was incredibly loud! It scared the heck out of Herc! So I have fond memories of that trail and only hoped it might be possible to see another beaver swimming in the river. On Thursday morning in one of the very few spots where the river is visible from the trail I saw the V in the water and looked closer and sure enough it was a beaver. They are so cute, such happy, vibrant little brown eyes and ears poking up while they glide through the water. I stopped for a moment to watch and then he went underwater. Oh my fine furry friend! There is a memory for my "Joy File", it doesn't get much better than that.

Cranes are glorious

Wow, what a day! We slept in, it felt so luxurious. Then we took Herc for a walk and went down to the river to let him play with the rocks. It is so adorable when he sticks his head underwater looking for a rock! He gets just far enough away from us that he thinks, "should something go awry they can still get to me and save me." He loves to swim! He thinks he is a bird dog. When he was a puppy our neighbors had a bird dog named Maddie who Herc fell in love with and became convinced he was just like her...we've been trying to convince him ever since that he is a pit bull, baddest of the bad, tough guy and such, he's not buying it. Anyway when we were getting ready to head home he went down a side stream and "spooked" a magnificent grey crane. He was about 10' away when the crane lifted off and Herc looked at us like "did you see that?" The bird was bigger than him! What a phenomenal way to start a day. Cranes are one of the most beautiful birds I've seen and to see them fly is glorious!

We ended the day by visiting with Jason's sister Jenn and her two youngest girls Faith and Gracie. Nothing feels better than having an 8 year old cling to you and an 11/12 year old run to hug and kiss you hello! Jenn has had severe health problems for the past 8 years and she looked so good today. She has taken herself off of oxycontin, and it has been 4 days. That is impressive, all I know is she looked healthy and clear and happy and it was good to see and talk to her again.

Then we went to Walmart and spent less than $100 what a great way to end the day! That never happens, I have only recently adjusted to the $200 plus bills so it was nice to go back to the old days and spend less than $100. Of course part of the reason for even going to Walmart today was to buy the last book in the Twilight saga and it was sold out! My dad and Karen went yesterday and said there were stacks left, tonight they were all gone. I really bad wanted it to be Jason's fault that they were gone. I should have gone yesterday, but I thought today would be fine. I am VERY disappointed. I will have a hard time concentrating on work tomorrow. I may have to take a break and go to the Washington Walmart and/or Costco to buy Breaking Dawn. I have got to read that book. I can't wait to see who Bella ends up with, will it be Edward or Jacob? I've gotta get that book! Darb recently emailed me the first chapter of the next book, Twilight from Edward's perspective and I am already hooked on that too! Oh to be Stephanie Meyer...I am going to write, it is in my future. Don't worry about the how, or when or who or what, just focus on the desire and why I want it and then practice allowing goodness to flow in.
I recently read the 3rd book in the Sara Series by Esther and Jerry Hicks and can't wait to read number 4. I am practicing feeling good. When I get distracted and feel something negative I remember that it is simply my guidance system reminding me to find something that feels better and focus on that. There is so much joy to focus on, there is so much fun to observe and experience! My soul is a joy producing being! My body is a health producing and healing organism! I love my life.

9 Fabulous Flying days between posts...

Who knew it would be over a week before I would write again. Time flies when you are having fun! My mom and I had an absolutely glorious time at our Spa getaway in Mesquite. Massage is the past time of the Gods! We meditated, we played, we talked and laughed and laughed and laughed. It is so wonderful to play together and reinforce for each other and ourselves that our lives are on track. This year we did the mineral pool before and after our massages and that is the ticket. The warm water feels heavenly after a relaxing massage.

Over the weekend Jas and I went down to Vegas to visit our cousins Adam and Heidi. They have 4 adorable dogs....one being a 1 year old English Mastiff named Hulk (aptly named) who wanted to sit on me, he thinks he is a lap dog, then the newest addition is a 10 week old English bulldog named Brutus. I haven't seen an English Bulldog puppy before, he is so cute. Allergic to dogs as I am I couldn't resist holding and loving him. It is adorable to watch him and Hulk play, Hulk literally lifts him off the ground when they share a chew toy. Adam and Heidi are just good people, we enjoyed it thoroughly. We also got to see and visit with our cousins Jeremy and Sheree and their new little baby Jerry Dune- they are just so thrilled with him, and he is a doll with his spiky white hair. We were also able to visit with aunt Deb and it was comforting to catch up with her.

On Sunday we went for a L O N G bike ride, and we cut it in about half! We rode from our house out to the top of the hill around Sand Hallow Reservoir and home. It turned out to be 48 miles and took us about 4 hours. We slept in which was fabulous, but then it was HOT on the ride. We had actually planned to go out past Hurricane, La Verkin, and Toquerville, around Quail Creek and then home- maybe next time. Have I said I LOVE my bike? Well let me say it again, I love my bike.

Monday was a blur. Work. I'm grateful for my job.

Tuesday I drove up to Orem for some meetings. I was excited about it because the other people attending are some of my favorite people to work with, laugh with, learn with and train with. I took my bike with me too, hoping to be able to find the trail by Utah Lake that Jas and I rode when we camped in the airstream at Lakeside RV park. When we were there we say beavers in the river and raccoons on the trail.

Wednesday the training was interesting and I realized that we do difficult work and aren't necessarily as good as we think we may be at meeting kids and families where they are to motivate them to change unproductive behavior... I could work on asking more open ended questions (Jas confirmed, it isn't just in work, he said "well yeah, you ask question after question until you get the answer you are looking for, right?"--yes dear.) Wednesday evening I went for a bike ride! It took me a while to find the trail, who knew that Center St. in Orem wouldn't get you to Utah Lake, just to Geneva...Less than 5 miles away Center St. in Provo leads right where I wanted to go. But I found the trail (Provo River Trailway) and rode a very short 7.5 mile ride and discovered that the trail runs right outside the Hotel I stay at in Provo! Then I enjoyed great dinner conversation with Kimbal and Diana.

I'll finish out the week later, gotta go watch Heartbreak Kid with Jason, he hasn't seen it yet and I've gotta see his reactions!