Easter Getaway!

We decided to enjoy the Rocky Mountains over the Easter weekend. It was nice to getaway and unplug from the city life for a few days. We spent a lot of the time at the playground with Emerson and ate way too much Easter chocolate. Emerson however is not very fond of candies and chocolate yet (unless it is chocolate milk). I even tried to give him a marshmallow bunny but it was a no-go. Strange, he doesn't know what he's missing! I think he's more of a cake and cookie kind of guy. Thankfully we didn't get him any Easter candy because between his Grandma Debi, Grandma Russell and Auntie Amy he got a ton! We forgot the camera when we did the official egg hunt with his cousin Tanner. So on Sunday morning we gave him his basket and had him pick up his trains and cars... so we could get some pictures :) He thought it was a blast and did a good job of cleaning them all up.

We also got to enjoy a bit of General Conference. It was such a nice way to celebrate Easter. I feel very blessed to know the gospel of Jesus Christ and to have access to the healing power of His atonement.

Learning to Make a Mark...

Look who has found the joy of coloring... OK maybe the joy of being able to use a writing utensil! But as you can see he loves sitting up to the craft table and scribbling on paper.

This is still a very closely monitored activity but maybe someday it will be a nice quiet activity that will allow me worry free time to get stuff done around the house. *laugh* I guess I should invest in some washable writing utensils, right?

Xin Nian Kuai Le

It was Chinese New Year on Sunday. We decided to do Chinese hotpot for supper. We had it lots in Taiwan especially at New Years. It is so yummy, I can't believe I've waited so long to have it again here in Canada. I had to research out some of the ingredients as it has been several years. Luckily we have a Chinese food market close to home. I couldn't remember what kind of sauces we used in Taiwan. I found some XO satay sauce and then we used hoisin sauce and chili paste. Our hotpot was pretty tasty but I think we'll have to do it a few more times to perfect our "secret sauce". And next time we will definitely be inviting friends over to share. We had way too much food but it was fun! Dean really enjoyed it... Emerson not so much :)

Happy Valentines Day!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentines Day! I really enjoy this time of year. I wish I could send you all homemade sugar cookies with pink icing and a paper valentine heart with sticky glitter all over it.

February 14th is also Dean and I's wedding anniversary. I feel blessed on a daily basis to have such a good companion. He is my Eternal Valentine! Here is an old pictures of us on our wedding day! Hope you take the time to show someone that you love them on Valentines Day.

Run, run, run as fast as you can...

As I'm sitting here trying to think of something clever to write I am reminded of my junior high gym classes. I don't know what your gym teachers were like? Probably really cool, right? which made gym your favorite subject. Well my gym teachers were not cool. They were pretty lazy actually. For several winter months they would have us change into our gym strip and turn on Dance Music Hits from the 90's. Then make us run the whole gym period in circles around the gymnasium. And if we stopped running they would yell at us (that was whenever they looked up from their magazine). I think this is where my great disdain for running stems. I have been doing a lot of running in the last 3 weeks and I can't say my love for it has grown.

I decided to do a triathlon. I will be turning 30 years old this year and I thought if I wait any longer to do this I may inflict serious injuries on myself. I have wanted to do a triathlon for a awhile now. I enjoy swimming and biking but running not so much. I have convinced Dean to do the triathlon with me. And no, we will not be doing the the full Olympic distance. I think I would seriously die if I did that... ok at least puke -a lot! We will be doing what they call the Sprint distance. It is a 750 m swim, 26 km bike and 5 km run. That's long enough, right? For running we are using a training plan we found called: "Couch potato to 5K". We thought it sounded perfect for us :) So far, so good. It is a gradual training over 8 weeks and the goal is to get us running for the full 5K. Of course we are doing this all on a treadmill right now and I have been warned that running on pavement is completely different. We run Monday, Wednesday and Friday -increasing the intensity every week. On the days in between we weight train to build our core strength and muscle tone. Dean is much better at this all than I am. I just throw around the kettle bell for 20 mins and barely break a sweat. Meanwhile, after Dean works out he looks like he had a shower with his cloths on! Dean is very committed. Once he sets his mind to something there is no stopping him -very determined that man. No wonder where our son gets his determination?!

We found a biking/running trail near home that is 5Km and will be a great place to do some outdoor training when the snow melts. Dean's Aunt generously gave us a bike/running stroller, so maybe the Bean will do some training with us. We haven't decided how to train for the swim yet but luckily the race is not until July, so we've got time. Any suggestions?

I'm sure my view of this triathlon is very romanticized. You know... running into the water with a swimming cap that matches my swim suit, black numbers tattooed to my toned, tanned skin. Then picking up my bike and seamlessly mounting it. Running for the full 5Kms while splashing water in my face from the water station. Then running across the finish line to a crowd of family and friends cheering for me. And being in the top 10 to finish!

In reality I will probably have an ill fitting swim suit with cellulite bulging. And I can guarantee I will not have tanned skin. In fact I will probably blind the other contestants with the whiteness of my skin. I'm sure I will be confused at one of the transition areas not knowing where to go or what to do. Hopefully, it won't be from the swim to bike and I won't get on someone else's bike and ride for 15 kms before I'm waved down. I pray I'll have energy to actually run for part of the running. And I'm sure anyone who comes to support me will tire of waiting for me, that they'll miss me crossing the finish line as the last contestant.

Happy 20-10!

I guess this post is a little late but here it is:

Christmas this year was nice. We decided to Secret Santa someone, which was fun trying to be all sneaky and to not get caught. It was hard deciding what to do. I really wanted to participate in the adopt a family program here in Calgary, where people or businesses gather food and gifts for families in need. But they said it costs $400-500 dollars for one basket, so not something we could of done on our own this year. I think maybe if we got a couple families together it would be fun but I wasn't that organized this year. I think next year Dean, Em and I will each pick a nice winter coat to purchase and donate it to the Mustard Seed here in Calgary. I learned that the Mustard Seed gives out winter coats to the homeless folks who come in on Christmas day. I wish I had known earlier but we had already decided to do the Secret Santa. It was fun and I realized that there are a lot of ways to serve others during the Christmas season. I guess the challenge is keeping that service spirit going through out the year.

We spent most of the holiday at home with each other or with my side of the family. Dean offered to prepared a smoked pork shoulder for Christmas dinner instead of the traditional turkey. He got a smoker for his birthday in June and has been trying recipes out here and there. It has become one of his new obsessions... at least he's good at it and it puts food on the table :) Everyone agreed that it would be OK to not have the traditional bird but I think when it came time to serve up and there were no mashed potatoes or candied yams, that my family were a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong I think they enjoyed it and Dean did a superb job! We served in on buns and had 3 or 4 different salads with it. I was surprised that the family even agreed to have pork instead of turkey. I guess it's hard to break tradition. Anyway, Dean spent over 12 hours working on the meat. He barely slept Christmas eve and not because he was putting together some ridiculous toy for Em (although I'm sure those years are coming). He was tending to his other baby... his pork baby. He has done a pork shoulder before but used a different method this time by injecting juices into it. It was so yummy! I'm just sorry we didn't have more left overs.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday and got some time to reflect on the last year and its blessings. Here are some pictures/highlights of our holidays:

Dean tending to his baby on Christmas eve.

I got a replacement of my favorite CD.
I love this sound track so much that I wore out the old one.
We went for a winter walk with the Bean's new sled on Boxing Day.
I was trying to show him how to throw snow but in the end he liked watching me throw snow better than actually doing it.
Emerson in front of the house making a funny face.
I think he has already learned to pose for the camera.
What a guy!

Catch Up

I haven't given up on the blog... I'm just feeling like I don't have anything interesting to write. I think the only two people who check this blog are my sister (thank you Mandy) and my mother-in-law (thank you Gladys). But for the sake of those two dearly loved people (and who ever else might be reading) I will press forward and try to keep the blog alive :)

I started back to work last month. I am very blessed to only have to go back part-time. And even more blessed to find a job only 15 mins away from home working evenings and weekends. We prayed hard that I'd find a job that required minimal childcare. We had several wonderful offers from great people to watch Emerson. But in the end Dean is able to watch him for most of my shifts. My sister has looked after him on the odd Sunday I have to work, while Dean stays to do tithing at church. I am working at an after hours clinic that sees patients who need to be seen urgently but not necessarily in the ER. I am really enjoying it. I like the people I work with and its nice to get out of the house and be "Megan the nurse" for a few hours. We have adjusted OK. If Emerson and I haven't got a lot of cuddle time in on a day, then he usually cries when I put my coat on to go to work but it doesn't last long. He quickly realizes that Papa is there with him and he lets him get into trouble a bit more than mom does, as well as doesn't make him eat as many vegetables as mom does. I think the hardest part is that quality time together for Dean and I is significantly lower but to everything there is a time and a season, right? We will need to be sure to sneak in date nights every once and awhile and have to try to avoid unessecary obligations.

Well I will try to post some festive pictures in the next couple of days. That's all for now.